《Ascent of Hero on the Dragon Throne》


 Chapter 1 Rebirth

    Rocky Bai woke up in a sweat, confusion filling his wide eyes. It felt like he had just woken up from a nightmare. Gasping for air, he soon noticed something was amiss. His arms held him up at once. The scene coming into his eyes knocked him down like a feather.


    He was greeted with the sight of a luxurious and splendid room decked with classic decoration. There were no lamps or lights in here, but it was as bright as day. He was lying in a comfortable bed with a golden silk quilt, white tulle encircling it on all sides. Rocky Bai felt like he was lying on an imperial bed. Through the white tulle, Rocky Bai could see plenty of gold and jade objects on a cabinet. He could tell that each of them was worth at least a million.


    Everything Rocky Bai saw caught him by surprise, and then a sudden thought popped into his head: ''Where am I?" What he last remembered was being on the way to a meeting. He had been invited by the International Animal Genome Center to deliver a keynote speech. Rocky Bai, a young and talented scholar in the field of gene study, ranked number one among his peers. No one in the whole world could surpass him in the field of gene study until now. While he was on the flight heading for the venue, an aircraft accident occurred right before he passed out. Now, he was in a strange room.


    It was impossible that this was hell. But if this was heaven, how could everything around him feel so real? Wasn''t it said that only the soul could go to heaven when someone died? Souls couldn''t feel anything physically, right? But his senses were so real and substantial. He could feel not only the softness and comfort of the bed, but also the warmth coming from someone under the quilt next to him.


    Rocky was shocked to find someone lying next to him. Cautiously, he slowly opened the quilt, hoping not to awaken his companion. He was greeted with the sight of an elegant female body. She was lying in his arms. From where Rocky was, he could only see half of her face. Despite that, he could tell the girl in his arms was only about sixteen.


    He observed her for a while. She was dressed in a white night robe and wore golden ornaments on her head, wrists and feet. She looked imperial, like she had been born into the lap of luxury.


    Rocky could not help but swallow nervously. He thought he was really in heaven. Otherwise, how could he have such a beauty be sleeping in his arms? A smile crept over his lips as he was wondering what other benefits he would get in heaven.


    Dirty thoughts came into his head. All of a sudden, the girl groaned faintly in her sleep and shifted her position. Her face left Rocky''s shoulder as she turned to the other side. Rocky froze as he saw her features. Her face was like a masterpiece of God.


    Without any makeup, her features were as delicate as a porcelain doll. Her eyelashes, long and curly, fluttered as she breathed. She had an incredibly cute upturned nose, and her rosebud lips looked as sweet as candies, alluring Rocky to have a taste. Although she was young, she carried an enchanting air wi


    th mature femininity. He could tell thousands of men would pursue her when she grew up.


    ''Stop Rocky! Stop staring at her! She is only a young girl! What the hell are you thinking about her?'' Rocky shook his head and quit looking at her right away. His face flushed as his heart pounded. He was a man in his thirties after all. He still could control himself even with such a beauty next to him. He tried to calm down by reminding himself that she was only a little girl for his age, and guilt flooded his chest.


    "But where am I now?" Rocky murmured to himself, looking around. Logically, he should have died in the aircraft accident, but he was safe and sound right now.


    While he was immersed in his thoughts, the girl next to him suddenly woke up. Her round eyes slowly opened. Rocky was stunned by her again. Nobody in the world could refuse the charm sparkling in her attractive eyes.


    "Hello! You''re awake! Could you tell me where I am, please? And why are we lying here together? Do we...? You know, do we...?" Rocky stammered awkwardly. He unconsciously smiled as soon as he saw the girl awaken.


    The girl froze when she heard Rocky. Soon, her eyes were filled with concern as her brows knitted together. She reached out her ivory hand and put it on his forehead to feel his temperature as she asked, "Basil, are you all right? Was your head damaged by the high fever? What are you talking about? I have told you I don''t need you to pick up my hanky from the pond, but you just ignored me and insisted on doing it anyway! And look at you now! Priest Dean even said that the gods can''t save you from the fever this time. And he said death would take you sooner or later. God bless you. You''ve woken up now!"


    What the girl said puzzled Rocky further. Who was the Basil she mentioned? Was it him? The girl seemed to know him well, but Rocky knew for certain that he had never met her in his life.


    "I''d better to call Priest Dean to check you again," the girl said as she got off the bed. She ran to the door in a hurry without adjusting her clothes and hair.


    "Hey! Hey!" When Rocky reacted and tried to stop her, the girl had left the room already.


    He got out of the bed as well. Looking around the room, he felt like he was in a private chamber of an ancient palace.


    All of a sudden, Rocky felt that something was wrong with his body. It was like he was walking on the air. As he raised his arm, he saw his muscular arm had turned into a slender one, like a slim branch. And he could tell that his height had changed as well. He felt like he had grown shorter!


    In order to verify the way he felt, Rocky went to the right side of the bed as he noticed a mirror hung over there. As he got closer and closer, a fragile and bony figure gradually appeared in the oval mirror inset with shining diamonds. The young but pale face in the mirror looked as though death were upon him. His figure was as lean as a young tree, as if a gust of wind could blow him away.


    "Holy moly! Who the hell is that!?" Rocky cried out as he saw himself in the mirror.

 Chapter 2 Pretending to Have Lost Memory

    As Rocky was screaming, the boy in the mirror also opened his mouth. Rocky''s eyes widened. Slowly, he brought up his hands towards his face. The boy in the mirror followed his movements exactly. He slowly touched his skinny face from the forehead to the chin. He could not recognize any part of this face.


    Rocky was dumbfounded. This was not his face. He looked at the mirror carefully. His reflection really was this unfamiliar boy! Something must be wrong with his eyes.


    "Priest Dean, please hurry up!" at this moment, a sweet and anxious voice rang out outside the room.


    "Your Royal Highness, if it weren''t for your sake, I wouldn''t have wasted my dragon spiritual power to call his soul back to his body with the spiritual method of the Dragon Master Clan. Since he is already awake, he will be fine. No need to be so anxious. What''s more, though he is a prince, he does not have the bloodline of the royal family. He is nothing, even His Majesty ignores him. Why would you care about him so much?" Rocky heard another voice, this one old and loud with very apparent disdain and annoyance.


    "Don''t say that. Basil could not bond with the dragon spiritual power just because he was born weak. It doesn''t mean that he will never be able to do that someday. The consort asked me to take care of Basil for her before she died, so... hurry up," the owner of the sweet voice urged him, a hint of anger surfacing.


    "Your Royal Highness, I am so busy today. Tomorrow is the sacred ritual of our Holy Dragon Empire. The ambassadors of the Dragon Master Clan will bring thirty Dragon Spirit Beads here, and then I have to make sure that the thirty candidates can all bond with it. They are the main fresh blood of the young generation in our country. If they fail, it will be my fault. You know how difficult it will be for me to defend myself to His Majesty. You should know that the land is in turmoil again..." the older voice replied.


    "I don''t care! You have to find out what is wrong with Basil first," the sweet voice yelled.


    Rocky was extremely confused as he heard their strange conversation. He looked at the door, where the two figures were now entering the room. It was the girl he had woken up next to before, accompanied by an old man with a very long beard which grew to his waist. He was wearing a fancy purple and golden robe with a silver crown on his head. He looked like a prestigious elder with sharp eyes. Apparently, he was the Priest Dean whom the girl had mentioned before.


    "Basil, why did you get out of bed? Go lie back down," the girl said, coming up to Rocky and gently taking his arm.


    "It''s OK. I''m fine." Basil replied to her as he looked to Priest Dean behind her.


    "Your Royal Highness, how do you feel now?" Priest Dean bowed a little and asked. His words were customarily polite, but the look on his face was so arrogant that he seemed to look down on Basil.


    "I feel well," Basil answered without thinking, because he really did not feel anything wrong. But all these things happened before him definitely were out of place.


    "Alright. Your Royal Highness, see, I told you he will be fine. If there is nothing else you need me to do, I will leave and continue to do my tasks," Pri


    est Dean said to the girl perfunctorily, not even caring to look at Basil.


    "But Basil said something strange to me when he woke up just now, like he didn''t know me at all," the girl said to Priest Dean as she looked at Basil with her large, bright eyes.


    "Maybe it is because he has just recovered. He will be fine after taking a rest for one or two days. To be honest, Prince Basil is lucky enough that at least he is alive right now," Priest Dean replied as he glanced at Basil.


    "Maybe you''re right." The girl thought that his speculation made sense, then she turned to Rocky and ordered him, "Basil, get back into bed and have some more rest."


    Rocky was shocked by their strange exchange. Because he could feel that everything that was happening right now couldn''t be a dream; it was beyond the imagination of a normal person. They had called him ''Prince Basil'' several times, so it meant that he was not himself now. And the only explanation he could think of was that after he died, his soul entered into this prince''s body for unknown reasons. Though it was so ridiculous, there was no better explanation.


    What was worse, he could tell that he was not in the same world where he used to live, whether it was this palace-liked room, the mention of a consort, or this old man in ancient clothes in front of him.


    "Basil, are you alright?" the girl asked him worriedly as she saw him stand still and dumbfounded.


    Rocky forced himself to calm down. He thought that he had even experienced an airplane crash, so it was nothing to meet with another strange thing. Was he reborn? It seemed as though it was not the right time for him to die. But he had to live as someone else from now on. He knew nothing about this boy, so he needed to find an excuse to bluff it out.


    "Err... Actually, I''m not alright," Rocky suddenly said to the girl and Priest Dean.


    "What''s wrong? Do you feel ill again?" she asked anxiously, taking his arm.


    "I lost my memory. I cannot remember who you are and who he is. I cannot remember anything. Who am I?" Rocky pretended to be incoherent and he showed a twisted face in a grimace of pain.


    The beauty and Priest Dean were dumbfounded as they heard Rocky''s words. They looked at each other in shock.


    "Basil, you mean you forgot everything? No kidding, you don''t know who I am? How is that possible? I''m Lena, Lena Long!" she grabbed Rocky''s hands and said anxiously. Her eyes welled up with tears.


    "I really don''t know you. If I had met such a charming beauty like you, I will definitely remember that," Rocky said jokingly.


    "Priest Dean, what is going on? Basil has really forgotten everything!" Lena asked Priest Dean immediately, growing very emotional.


    Priest Dean did not answer her at once, and he didn''t really seem to care whether Basil was well or not. He coldly hesitated for a while and finally replied. "Maybe it is because his soul had left his body for too long, and it has affected his mind. He may recover after a good rest. I will ask someone to send some elixirs to him. Let''s wait and see how things go on after he takes the elixirs. Your Royal Highness, I''ll take my leave now." At this, he glanced at Basil arrogantly before striding out the door.

 Chapter 3 A Flying Dragon

    After Priest Dean left, Lena led Rocky to the bed and helped him sit down. While she was talking to him, a girl dressed like a servant walked into the room.


    This girl bowed respectfully to Lena and said, "Your Royal Highness, His Majesty wants to meet you in the main hall. He wishes to speak about the grand ceremony to be held tomorrow."


    "All right! I will go later. You may leave now." Lena nodded as she waved the servant away. She turned to Rocky and said, "Basil, just stay here and have rest! Don''t run away! Remember that? I''ll come back soon."


    "Okay!" Rocky answered.


    After Lena left the room, Rocky sat on the bed for a while. He was lost in his thoughts. There was too much new information for him to process. Although he had confirmed that he now was a prince, he still found it hard to believe! He could not help but rub his temples to soothe a raging headache. He was also wondering about the so-called spiritual method which Priest Dean and Lena mentioned in their previous conversation. What did it entail? Rocky sighed, stood up and walked out of the room.


    There was a long corridor outside, at the end of which a ray of dazzling light was sparkling.


    Rocky walked to the source of light slowly. As he got closer, the light gradually grew brighter. When he reached the corridor''s end, he was greeted with a warm breeze and the sight of sunshine filling acres of land. What he saw next totally stunned him.


    Every building he saw around him was towering and sumptuous. He was in a majestic imperial palace, and he now stood in the dome of a grand mansion. Next to him was a helix stairway, stretching down to the darkness.


    As his eyes followed it downwards, he was greeted with a scenic picture. A wide moat encircled the palace, glistening under the sun. Across the moat, numerous houses were scattered as far as he could see. From a distance, he could see the houses lined and stretched like a fan. There were thousands of figures as small as black dots walking on the passages between those houses and milling about.


    All of a sudden, the sunlight over Rocky was gone. He looked up in confusion and exclaimed in shock, "Holy moly! What the hell is that monster?"


    A colossal creature was flying over his head. A pair of large wings, dozens of meters wide, swooped in perfect arcs over the sky. Its giant body cast a vast shadow over the dome. The shape of its head looked like a crocodile, with two sharp and long teeth sticking out of its mouth. Smoke kept spurting out of its huge nostrils.


    "Is that a dinosaur?" What popped into Rocky''s mind first was the image of a creature living in prehistoric times. It shared many characteristics.


    Rocky almost jumped out of his skin as he noticed that a human was sitting on the creature, who was riding it like an experienced pilot. Under the rider''s direction, the flying monster brought a perfect and breathtaking performance of aerial-acrobatics.


    Before Rocky could recover from the shock, the flying monster took a sudden turn and rushed towards him.


    Rocky turned pale and widened his eyes as he saw the monster flying towards him. The four sharp claws of the monster seemed be able to tear apart anything easily, frightening Rocky to the core. He stepped back instinctively but tripped and fell to the floor. There was nothing he could do but watch the scary monster reaching out its sharp claws to him.


    ''Oh! Come on! Am I going to meet my death again? I just came back to life!'' Rocky thought to himself.


    When its sharp nails were only an inch close to his face, Rocky''s head went blank. But the monster flew past him right away, a strong wind blowing by his face. Lying on the floor, Rocky was gasping fo


    r air to calm himself down.


    "Fuck! Are you just fooling me around!? Fuck you! You damn..." Rocky cursed loudly after he collected himself. He then stood up and turned to look at the flying monster, which had landed on the platform behind him. The rider jumped off spritely.


    Rocky was not a wuss, who would never stand such a humiliation. He walked to the platform angrily, but he froze for a while when he saw the rider''s delicate features. What a pretty face! But from the way that person dressed, it seemed he was a boy! He was only around seventeen but stood quite tall and had an imperial air. Rocky felt that it was a shame that someone with such a comely and attractive face was a boy instead of a girl.


    "Oh! It''s Prince Basil! I heard that you nearly died because of high fever. What a shame for the imperial family! A piece of shit like you is still alive!" the rider''s androgynous voice rang out as he looked at Rocky with disgust.


    "Hey! You damn lady-boy! Watch your mouth!" Rocky yelled, glowering. But his lean and fragile figure couldn''t make his words threatening at all.


    "Lady-boy? What''s that?" the comely person questioned, shooting Rocky a disdainful glare.


    "You can find the answer when you look at your mirror," Rocky answered airily, with his arm folded in front of his chest.


    "You! How dare you!" Rage sparked in his eyes upon understanding that Rocky was calling him names.


    "Well? Do you have any problem with that? Show some respect, little asshole! Don''t stir up a hornet''s nest!" Rocky smirked.


    "What are you talking about? Is your illness that serious? Listen to yourself! How ridiculous you are with what you''re saying! You should die of illness already! You''re no better than a dog in the imperial family. Why do the gods allow a useless man like you to survive in the world?" the rider said, looking at Rocky with scorn.


    "Ha-ha! I''m a prince! That means you were just humiliating a royal member, and the whole imperial family! You really have some nerve!" Rocky sneered.


    "You! You..." The rider''s eyes narrowed in rage. He was even trembling in anger as he glowered at Rocky.


    All of a sudden, a ray of bright light surged up from his right arm. The sleeve of his garment was somehow torn apart into pieces and burnt into ashes by a strange but powerful force. Then his arm appeared, white and slender like a girl''s. Sparkling streaks appeared around his arm one by one, which formed a delicate and unique mark.


    Rocky''s jaw almost dropped on the floor as he witnessed the bizarre scene. He could not even believe what his eyes saw. ''Is this some magic?" But he soon knew that he was wrong. As that person waved his right arm, Rocky was raised up by a strange force. Then, after a brief moment of being stuck in mid-air, he was hurled away. Rocky let out a scream before he was smashed against a hard stone wall. He fell to the ground and groaned in pain.


    Rocky held on to the wall to support him and finally stood up after a while. He then yelled at that person angrily, "You damn boy-lady! How could you do this to me? Are you out of your mind?"


    "So what? You useless piece of shit! If you have a problem with that, you can just avenge yourself through the spiritual method like I used! Oh, I almost forget that you can''t do that! Because you''re inutile! Ha-ha!" he yelled back, a smirk creeping over the corner of his lips. But it seemed that he wasn''t satisfied just yet. He raised his right arm and started spinning it. In a matter of seconds, a vortex appeared around his arm. Then the vortex sprang out, rushing towards Rocky. Looking at vortex spinning as quickly as a drill, Rocky gulped in fear. This person really wanted to kill him!

 Chapter 4 Revelation

    Rocky thought that he would definitely die if he was hit by this strange drill. However, he couldn''t control his body as he had just been thrown to a wall. He could barely move his feet, let along dodge this attack. Rocky could only watch the light coming straight at him, completely unable to move a finger to stop it.


    The light was coming in fast yet to Rocky it felt like a lifetime. He closed his eyes in despair, ready to embrace his death.


    At that very instant, a golden light shot from the side and expanded in front of Rocky like a firework. It then turned into a light shield that deflected the fast-coming spiraling vortex attack.


    Boom! The spiraling vortex hit somewhere nearby Rocky after being deflected and blew a giant hole in the solid stone wall, sending debris flying everywhere.


    "Holy shit! If I had been hit by that, there would not be much left of me!" Rocky muttered to himself in shock. He then turned to where the golden light had come from and saw Lena walking briskly towards him, looking furious. It appeared that she was the one that just saved his life.


    The rider also saw Lena and grew stern. Trying to remain calm, she reported, "Your Royal Highness, I saw this man sneaking around the palace, so I made my move to stop him. I apologize for any disturbance caused."


    "Is that so? Basil has only been sick for a few days yet you do not recognize him now? Your blindness appalls me, Shirley. Perhaps you are unfit for duty," Lena smiled coldly before turning to look at Rocky with care and concern.


    "No wonder! I thought he looked familiar. He is Prince Basil!" The rider did his best to look surprised, but it was obviously an act.


    "Shirley? Is she really a woman? Compared to you, she looks like a boy! You''re about the same age! How can you two be so different?" Rocky exclaimed with astonishment, which stunned everyone.


    "You... What did you say?" Shirley Ximen gritted her teeth, shooting Rocky a stern look as if she intended to cut him to pieces.


    "Basil......" Lena looked at Rocky, rather displeased. This was the first time she heard anything like it about Shirley. True as it was, it was still a hurtful and ignorant thing to say, especially to someone''s face.


    Even the maids behind Lena couldn''t help laughing.


    "What? I am telling the truth. Looking half and half is a tragedy for a man like Shirley," Rock said with a straight face.


    Shirley was about to explode with rage. She felt so deeply humiliated that she wanted to chop up Rocky. Yet given the presence of Lena, she had to contain her anger and instead stared at him with pure hatred. "Basil, mark my word. You will pay for it someday." She then jumped onto the flying creature and took off.


    "Now you know who you are messing with!" Rocky grinned with much satisfaction watching Shirley left in embarrassment.


    But his ear suddenly hurt, as if someone were pinching it forcefully. He turned and saw Lena staring disdainfully at him. "Basil! Since when did you start to talk so disrespectfully? How ignorant of you! There''s no justification for what you just said. Insulting someone''s appearance is a mark of poor character. She is still a girl. You really broke her heart by saying that!"


    "Hey, you can''t turn this around on me. She started it! Ah! Stop it! I am still a patient and you are hurting me." Seeing Lena become quite angry, Rocky decided that pulling his patie


    nt card might get him out of this.


    Hearing this, Lena released his ear and then instructed the maids: "Stand down now. If Priest Dean sends medicine, bring it here immediately."


    The maids bowed and cleared the area and Rocky followed Lena back to the royal bedroom.


    After they were inside the bedroom, Lena turned and asked Rocky, "Basil, do you really not remember anything at all?"


    "No, not a bit." Rocky shook his head and acted like he was deeply pained by this.


    "Then let me refresh your memory. Your name is Basil Long and you are the son of the thirty-fifth emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire, which makes you the prince."


    "I see." Rocky responded indifferently yet he couldn''t help picturing the extravagant life as a prince. ''I am indeed lucky as this guy turns out to be a prince. Looks I did not die in vain after all, '' Rocky thought to himself. He then turned to look at Lena. ''It seems like she and this Basil are really close. I wonder if she''s his lover. Being a prince feels really good. Lena is so beautiful, but I don''t know where they are now in this relationship. Nah, what the hell. They woke up in the same bed already. They should be quite intimate.''


    Rocky smiled and then he moved close to Lena, taking in her aroma. "What about you?" Rocky asked.


    "I am Lena Long and I am the nineteenth generation witch of the Holy Dragon Empire. And I am also your..." Lena said while pointing her delicate finger at herself.


    "Girlfriend?" Rocky finished her sentence expectantly.


    Lena stopped for a second before turning red. "Don''t be silly. You''re like a brother to me! Your mother breastfed me as a child. We grew up together!"


    "So we must have known each other very well. I assumed you were my lover," Rocky said seriously.


    Lena grew even redder. She stared at him in vexation. At the thought that he had lost his memory, she let it slide.


    "Oh about that woman with the small breasts just now. How dare she talk to me like this! Doesn''t she know that I am a prince? Who the hell is her anyway?" Rocky asked curiously.


    "Shirley? She''s the daughter of Bryant of Ximen Clan. Their clan is the most influential aristocracy of the Holy Dragon Empire. The clan leader Bryant was also the most powerful spirit manipulator in the entire Holy Dragon Empire. He was also one of the Three Great Generals in the empire and his status was only below the emperor himself," Lena explained.


    "No wonder she was arrogant like that. It was just because she was born into a good family," Rocky said with a little contempt.


    "What are you talking about? If it weren''t for me, you would have been fatally injured by her. Nine out of ten in that family are spirit manipulators and nearly all of them know how to use the spiritual method. They are more than an ordinary people can take. Especially Shirley. She is considered the most gifted spirit manipulator after Bart in her family. One must become a spirit manipulator before turning eighteen. Otherwise, the chances are slim that any older than eighteen can still become a spirit manipulator. Shirley fused with the dragon spiritual power and became a royal spirit manipulator at the age of eleven. Most spirit manipulators of the same age stand no chance against her, let alone you. So no, her arrogance isn''t just from her family''s legacy," Lena said solemnly, staring at Rocky hard. She was not used to the way he spoke now.

 Chapter 5 Not A Loser

    "Is Shirley really so powerful?" Rocky asked, seeing that Lena was really serious.


    "Bart from the Ximen Clan was the recognized talent for manipulating the spirit since the first generation of spirit manipulators was born. It''s said that he possessed a strong power of spirit manipulation beyond his years. Even Bryant, the most powerful spirit manipulator of the Ximen Clan today, didn''t match his strength at the same age. But Bart was not born into the Ximen Clan. He was adopted by the patriarch at that time. Though he was talented, many people bullied him because he was adopted, so he disappeared forty years ago. No one knows where he is now and some people even say that he is already dead. Otherwise, the most powerful spirit manipulator in the Holy Dragon Empire should be him, not Bryant Ximen. You should never underestimate Shirley. A spirit manipulator''s power is dependent on their own training and practice, but the key is being born with talent. For instance, you can never be a spirit manipulator because you don''t have the talent," Lena told him bluntly. She knew it would hurt him in this way, but she wanted Rocky to understand the gravity of the situation and not act recklessly again.


    "Really? I don''t think so! Once I have the opportunity, I will show you that talent is nothing," Rocky said arrogantly. Lena was taken aback by his attitude.


    "But what on earth are spirit manipulators and the spiritual method?" Rocky asked abruptly, and once more Lena was shocked by his words.


    "You truly don''t remember anything! No wonder you''ve been saying such ridiculously arrogant things. But I have never met anyone like you," Lena said with a relieved smile.


    "Memory loss is better than being dead," Rocky sighed with emotion.


    "Well, to put it simply, a spirit manipulator has the power to manipulate spiritual creatures and use the spiritual method," Lena explained.


    "Spiritual creature? What''s that? I''ve never heard of this kind of creature, I only know primates..." Rocky murmured, confused.


    "Spiritual creatures are creatures that have the spirit such as cats, dogs, wolves, tigers, leopards and so on. Of course, what makes the spirit manipulators in the Holy Dragon Empire most proud is that we can manipulate dragons. You know, what Shirley was riding!" Lena said proudly.


    "That was a dragon?" Rocky asked in surprise.


    "Yes," Lena affirmed.


    "It is really related to dinosaurs, but it is a little different from what I imagined before. I must catch one and do some research once I have the chance," Rocky murmured, his eyes filling with expectation and excitement as he touched his chin.


    "Relative of dinosaurs? What are dinosaurs? There are only two kinds of dragons: the war dragon and the spiritual dragon. I''ve never heard that dragons have relatives called dinosaurs," Lena was in turn confused by Rocky''s words.


    "Oh, nothing," Rocky said dismissively. He asked again, "Was the powerful light Shirley used to hit me the spiritual method?"


    "Yes, and Shirley only used one-tenth of her power. If she uses her full power, she can make a city wall collapse in one second. You would most definitely be a pile of flesh and bones now if she attacked you with full power. So don''t ever offend her again from now on, and don''t you even think about commenting on her figure. Do you understand?" Lena said severely.


    "I get it. Don''t worry. I won''t offend her as long as she doesn''t offend me." Rocky did not care much about what Lena had warned him about. But he was interested in the other thing that Lena told him, so he immediately asked, "I want a dragon as well. Can I have one?"


    "Manipulating dragons is a unique talent and abil


    ity of our royal clan of the Holy Dragon Empire. Since you are the prince, you could manipulate dragons, but... You have used up all your chances, Basil, because you participated the sacred ritual five times and also failed five times to bond with the Dragon Spirit Bead and attained the dragon spiritual power," Lena sighed as she shook her head.


    "What is the dragon spiritual power?" Rocky was still confused.


    "Something that gives you the ability to manipulate dragons. Otherwise, ordinary spirit manipulators can only manipulate regular spiritual creatures. And to acquire the dragon spiritual power, you have to bond with the Dragon Spirit Bead which contains the dragon spiritual power and is brought by the ambassadors of the Dragon Master Clan at the sacred ritual of the Holy Dragon Empire. If you successfully bond with it, a Dragon Spirit Mark will show on your arm, and that means you have acquired the dragon spiritual power. Only in that way can you manipulate a dragon," Lena explained to him patiently.


    "What is the relationship between the Dragon Master Clan and the Holy Dragon Empire? Why do they give such a powerful bead to the Holy Dragon Empire?" Rocky was still struggling to absorb all this new information.


    "What? You''ve even forgotten that basic fact?" Lena asked, shocked. She felt so strange at Basil''s memory loss and altered attitude.


    "Yes, looks like I have lost so much memory." Rocky was afraid that Lena would doubt him.


    Lena had to continue to tell Rocky the background of this world.


    Rocky learned that this world was called the Wild Spirit Land where the spiritual race lived with human beings. The spiritual race was the hybrid of the ancient mythical creatures and humans in the ancient times. They had strong power and they could manipulate every kind of creature in the world. And the Dragon Master Clan was a high-class clan in the spiritual race. They could not only manipulate regular spiritual creatures, but also manipulate the powerful dragons.


    However, because the spiritual race had low reproduction rates, their population significantly decreased for thousands of years. So some clans of the spiritual race had died out, and the rest clans of the spiritual race were headed in the same direction.


    But hundreds of years ago, some clans of the spiritual race noticed the human beings in primitive times, so they began to try to bond the power of the spiritual race into human beings to carry forward their power. The founders of the Holy Dragon Empire were the first group of people who got the power from the spiritual race.


    From then on, these people who got the power of the spiritual race reproduced and evolved rapidly. They had gotten stronger and wiser for hundreds of years. At last, they developed into this beautiful world.


    Besides the Holy Dragon Empire, there were many other human kingdoms where the humans had gotten the power from other clans of the spiritual race on the Wild Spirit Land. The Holy Dragon Empire was the most prosperous of these kingdoms, with other nations also occupying a part of the land and strengthening their power. The fighting among the clans of the spiritual race became the fighting among the human countries. The spiritual race made humans replace themselves to fight the endless war.


    As they developed for thousands of years, the humans who had acquired the power of the spiritual race evolved and strengthened the power. At last, the power of the spiritual race was divided into six stages: the Mortal Stage, the Earthly Stage, the Heavenly Stage, the Supernal Stage, the Divine Stage, and the Immortal Stage. Each stage had nine grades, with the ninth being the highest.

 Chapter 6 Starting Over

    "So that''s how it is." Rocky nodded thoughtfully. It seemed that there were so many magical things in this world that he never expected.


    "Does this mean that I can also fuse with the Dragon Spirit Bead to gain dragon spiritual power?" Logically speaking, as a prince he should aspire for this.


    "The best age to fuse with Dragon Spirit Bead is between twelve and eighteen, but you are way past that age. It''s a pity that you will never have an opportunity to gain the ability to manipulate dragons. Besides, you''ve been attending the ritual for five years in a row, but it''s always come out to the same result..." Lena felt so sorry for him.


    "If you weren''t a member of the royal family, it would be much easier. In that case, even if you can''t fuse with the dragon, you could still fuse with other war beasts like the White Liger, Kylin, Double-faced Snake Man and so on," Lena added.


    ''What? Basil has participated for five consecutive years without success? What a shame!'' Rocky couldn''t help but grimace to himself.


    Lena noticed that Rocky''s expression looked a little strange. She immediately glanced at him doubtfully, but found nothing wrong. When she spoke again, her tone sounded a little heavy. "To be honest, it''s not so bad. Even if you can''t become a royal spirit manipulator, you could have at least become a spirit manipulator. It''s just that... your constitution makes it nearly impossible for you to learn the spiritual method at all. So being a spirit manipulator is out of the question. You are the only member of the royal family who fails to become a spirit manipulator. Of course, it has been centuries of an excellent, pristine bloodline. You are descended from the first spirit manipulator. Therefore, becoming a spirit manipulator is a tradition of the royal family. Since you were born into this bloodline, you should have become a spirit manipulator. Unfortunately, you haven''t inherited the excellent bloodline of the royal family. Now you can''t even manipulate ordinary cats and dogs, let alone a dragon."


    "I see. No wonder Priest Dean and Shirley didn''t show any respect to me and called me a wimp." Rocky now understood why people were so unfriendly to him.


    "Their words weren''t the worst. Others were even crueler. So in a way, it''s a good thing you lost your memory," Lena tried to comfort him.


    "Tell me more." Rocky didn''t care about their words at all. Anyway, now this body belonged to him, not Basil. No matter what others said, he wasn''t directly in the line of fire. On the contrary, those words could motivate him.


    "Are you sure?" Lena asked hesitantly at first, and when she saw Rocky nod his head, she said, "Your mother, the little consort, was born in a civilian family. She shouldn''t have been eligible to become a part of the royal family. But His Majesty happened to meet her on a cruise and fell in love with her. He insisted on taking her back to the palace and married her. Then she became pregnant with you. However, the royal family had always looked down on her because of her humble background, often insulting and snubbing her. And she had always been rather sickly. After giving birth to you, she suffered a very long and difficult bout of depression. When you were eight years old, she fell seriously ill and passed away. Since then, you had also been excluded by the royal family and treated as an illegitimate child. If you weren''t the son of His Majesty himself, you might have been expelled from the royal family long ago. The situation would have improved if only you became a spirit manipulator. Unfortunately, you just couldn''t, which made the royal family despise you even more. Even His Majesty was disappointed with you. Someone even advised him to expel you from the royal


    family. But he loved your mother so much that he still chose to protect you and make you a civilian prince in the royal family. This way, at least you won''t have to worry about material life."


    "What a miserable life this guy had! No father, no mother, no love, and being bullied all day long. What a sad life for a prince!" Rocky couldn''t help sympathizing with him.


    "Basil, are you alright?" Lena frowned slightly. Why was Basil referring to himself in the third person?


    "Ah, it''s okay. Don''t worry about me. Basil is no longer a wimp." Rocky laughed.


    Lena thought that Rocky was just comforting himself and sighed lightly.


    Shortly after, a maid brought in a bottle containing dark purple liquid, which constantly emitted misty steam.


    "Your Royal Highness, this is the magic medicine from Priest Dean," the maid said, handing over the bottle.


    "Please drink it, Basil. Your memory will be restored soon. Although you may feel better without those bad memories, I still hope you go back to the way you used to be." Lena''s voice sounded so gentle.


    Rocky''s face twitched for a moment, but for the sake of Lena''s kindness, he could only force himself to take the magic medicine and drink it up. The bitter and spicy taste was no different from that of poison.


    "Well, you need more rest. I''ll prepare for tomorrow''s ritual. If you need anything at all, just tell them." Lena left after tenderly squeezing his hand.


    "Your Royal Highness, I''ll be outside. If you need anything, call me at any time." The maid who brought in the magic medicine left, too.


    Rocky went to the bed and sat down heavily. He looked back at the young face reflected in the mirror and realized that now he wasn''t Rocky but a civilian prince named Basil Long.


    "It doesn''t seem easy to be a prince. However, it''s not a bad thing to be a prince who has no worries about material life. I wish I wasn''t dreaming..." Rocky fell onto the bed, resting his head on his arms. He looked up at the ceiling and chuckled to himself. His eyelids soon grew heavy and he eventually fell asleep. The medicine had done its job.


    Right before he fell asleep, he couldn''t help but wonder if it might all just be a dream.


    Rocky didn''t wake up until the next morning. He was gently awakened by a soft voice. He opened his eyes and found that everything was just like yesterday. He groaned upon finding out that he really was not dreaming at all. The respectful maids standing beside the bed were what greeted his groggy eyes. There were four of them waiting on him. Rocky was quite excited to see so many beauties surrounded him as soon as he opened his eyes in the early morning.


    "Your Royal Highness, the ritual is about to start. Her Royal Highness asked us to remind you to attend on time, otherwise, you''ll be gossiped about again," one of the maids said.


    "I don''t care about what they say," Rocky yawned and got out of bed, stretching his body.


    At this moment, the four maids immediately gathered around Rocky and began to help him take off his clothes.


    "Hey, hey, hey, watch your hands and don''t touch me! I''ll accuse you of sexual harassment!" Rocky crudely laughed.


    "Your Royal Highness, you just stretched out your arms, so we thought you were asking us to change your clothes..." The maids were confused.


    ''Oh, I forgot, the prince doesn''t change his clothes himself. Hah, what a wonderful life...'' Rocky laughed naughtily, "Well, I''ll allow you to take advantage of me."


    The maids blushed in embarrassment, but they still undressed Rocky as fast as they could. They changed his underclothes before dressing him in a light blue silk-trimmed gown embroidered with a dragon surrounded by graceful clouds. He looked much more presentable now.

 Chapter 7 Grand Dragon Hall

    ''I must say that this is very good! This young boy looks a little weak, but otherwise, I''d say he looks extremely attractive with bright eyes and graceful eyebrows!'' When Rocky looked in the mirror he couldn''t believe his eyes. He spent a lot of time studying his reflection from different angles. He was very satisfied with his new look.


    "Prince Basil, it is time to go!" the maid''s voice reminded him from behind.


    "Okay. Please lead the way," Rocky turned around and said in a confident tone.


    The maids were utterly surprised. After all, Basil had always been a cowardly and timid boy in the past. He usually only spoke to others in a low voice and kept his head down when walking anywhere. But now, he seemed very different. It was as though he had changed into another man with an altogether different personality who merely resembled his former self.


    Rocky, surrounded by a few maids, exited of his room. As they walked along the meandering steps of the tower, they saw a wide and flat street. There were all kinds of magnificent buildings on both sides of it. A great number of armor-clad guards were on patrol. It seemed that they were on the alert.


    Occasionally, people passed them in luxurious carriages that were surrounded by some guards. They all pulled back the curtains to laugh at him.


    Rocky knew why they burst out laughing, but just pretended that he had not seen that. When he stared back at them with a calm expression on his face, the passengers hastily pulled down their curtains and sped up.


    ''Humph, you will regret what you have done in the future, '' Rocky just smiled coldly and watched them depart quickly.


    Not long after, the maids led Rocky into a spacious building with a triangular roof. After they entered a grand crimson door, they were met with the sight of a resplendent and magnificent hall. The design of this hall was very unique. At the very front was a staircase, which had ten steps leading to a round platform at the top. Rocky didn''t know what it was for, exactly. But right above it was an elegant skylight. In the center was a pillar about a meter high. A golden bead was shining with a dim light at its very tip.


    That bead had been the national treasure of the Holy Dragon Empire for hundreds of years. It was the highest symbol of the empire. According to the royal family tree, it represented endless power. But unfortunately, no one had been able to bond with this mysterious bead until now.


    ''Grand Dragon Hall!'' Rocky spotted the horizontal board above his head, on which the venue''s prestigious name was inscribed.


    By now, a great number of people had arrived at the hall. Royal members and nobles arrived in all their finery. They were walking in the crowd, talking with each other. Rocky could tell that a lot of it was cursory flattery.


    Many people paid attention to Rocky right when he walked into the hall. They shot disdainful looks at Rocky as they talked amongst themselves or laughed at Rocky together.


    ''Everyone looks down on Basil, '' Rocky thought as he shook his head slightly. But he didn''t mind their laughter. Things would be different soon.


    There was a sumptuous spread of delicious food in the Grand Dragon Hall. Rocky hadn''t eaten since the day before, and his mouth began to water. He took some food to the corner and found a table. He was eating with his legs crossed as he looked around the Gra


    nd Dragon Hall in search of something interesting.


    ''The women in this world are really beautiful! Their figures are so divine. I don''t know whether it is natural or not. Even if Shirley used the material to shape her body, she would still look like a boy. Ha-ha!'' Rocky was watching those pretty girls with rapt attention, and he couldn''t stop laughing.


    What a coincidence! Just as Rocky was laughing, he saw Shirley coming in the Grand Dragon Hall.


    Shirley still looked like a handsome boy. But she had applied some elegant make-up, making her delicate face more attractive. If she lived in modern society, she would definitely be a star or model because the androgynous look was contemporary and chic. If Rocky could bring Shirley back with him, he knew her look would be an instant hit.


    When Shirley turned up, many young princes and nobles went to see her, like moths to a flame.


    ''I don''t realize that Shirley is so popular. If she wore beautiful dresses, she would also be a beauty. Her only disadvantage is her flat chest. But she likes wearing men''s clothing. What a pity!'' Rocky said to himself when he saw that.


    At that time, a calm voice echoed throughout the Grand Dragon Hall. "The emperor is coming!"


    Everyone turned their eyes to the entrance of the Grand Dragon Hall. Rocky also paid attention to it, seeing a group of people walked slowly into the Grand Dragon Hall. Some of them were extremely attractive. There was an extremely handsome man about fifty years old. He had a strong forehead, an intense look, and a regal brow. He wore a gold, voluminous gown and a gold crown, just like a dragon. It seemed that he had the highest power in this country and could conquer everything he wanted. Of course, everyone had focused on him and bowed their heads with respect.


    From his air of dignity, Rocky could surmise that he was the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire and Basil''s father.


    Behind him followed some people, including Lena and Priest Dean. Rocky realized just how high Lena''s position was in the Holy Dragon Empire.


    There were also some men in their twenties who wore ornate gowns with dragon patterns, just like Rocky''s garment. They looked like royalty. After they arrived, the noble girls all looked at them with admiration.


    ''It seems that they are princes, just like me, '' Rocky thought. Meanwhile, he noticed that a handsome man was between Lena and Priest Dean. His eyebrows were as defined as a sword and his eyes were as sharp as a hawk''s. His qualities defined him from the other princes, as he carried a certain air about him.


    At last, thirty young boys arrived in the Grand Dragon Hall. Though they were just fifteen or sixteen years old, they were much stronger than their peers and were on par with the adults. They were arrogant and looked down on others.


    The emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire took the lead of the team. Slowly, they strode ceremoniously through the crowd. They didn''t stop until they arrived in front of the Grand Dragon Hall. The thirty young men quickly took their places on both sides of the hall, and the rest of the people retreated. Only the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire, Lena, Priest Dean, and the outstandingly handsome man stood together, facing all the people inside the hall.


    Rocky was standing in the corner. All of a sudden, he noticed that the handsome man was looking at him with disdain.

 Chapter 8 Magic Power

    ''This guy seems to be looking at me weirdly. What have I ever done to him? Did I take his woman or something?'' Rocky thought to himself as he returned the man''s stare.


    "We have gathered here today to celebrate our thirty new-born royal spirit manipulators, who will ride dragons in the service of our country!" The emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire declared with great passion. He took a grand step forward and looked at the crowd.


    Cheers and applause erupted in the Grand Dragon Hall.


    "I declare the beginning of the ritual! Salute to the Holy Dragon Bead!" Priest Dean announced, standing next to the Emperor.


    Everyone knelt on one leg and bowed down to a tarnished bead on a pedestal in the shape of a dragon talon.


    It was a holy item of the Holy Dragon Empire with a history that stretched back hundreds of years. This Holy Dragon Bead had once been a Dragon Spirit Bead. Legend had it that when this Bead was borne by the Dragon Master Clan, the earth shook and transformed. It shone brightly and contained so much power of spiritual race within. The Elder of the Dragon Master Clan prophesized that whoever fused with this Dragon Spirit Bead would be the King of Spiritual Manipulators.


    That very year, that Dragon Spirit Bead had been brought to the Holy Dragon Empire for the humans to attempt to fuse with it. Yet it was too strong and too powerful for the human body, and no one was successful. Years went by, and no one succeeded. Finally, the Holy Dragon Empire gave up and ordained this Dragon Spirit Bead as the holy item of the Empire. They changed its name to Holy Dragon Bead and enshrined it in the Grand Dragon Hall for eternity.


    Rocky knelt down like everyone else. ''Do as the Romans do, '' he figured.


    "Please welcome the Witch to open the door for the arrival of the messenger of the Dragon Master Clan!" Priest Dean announced next.


    There came another round of warm applause.


    Lena emerged and curtly nodded at everyone. She then turned and went up the stairs, all the way to the step right below the topmost one. She held up her arms and faced the round platform on the top floor. Holy light shone like sun out of her body and bathed the entire hall with a golden color. Everyone immersed in the light felt peaceful and comfortable.


    Rocky stared at Lena without blinking. A look of surprise flashed through his eyes. Although he had seen her power before, he was still shocked to witness it so close.


    A ball of golden light appeared in Lena''s hand and slowly floated up into the sky. Suddenly, a beam light fell like rain directly onto the round platform on the top floor. Instantly, a human silhouette surrounded with thirty twirling multicolored oval light beams appeared on the platform. The light beam quickly faded and was soon gone without a trace.


    "I welcome you, messenger of the Dragon Master Clan," Lena saluted, addressing the human silhouette.


    The emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire, Priest Dean, and everyone else bowed to the messenger to show respect, all except for Rocky as he had no clue what was happening.


    The messenger of the Dragon Master Clan slightly nodded at the formality. He then spoke to Lena in an indistinguishable voice and stepped off the platform.


    "The messenger said that he had brought thirty Dragon Spirit Beads here so our ceremony may begin right away," Lena translated the message to the emperor.


    The emperor nodded and then stepped aside.


    Priest Dean spoke to the thirty young boys on both sides. "Our empire is proud of you all. Don''t let us down! You shall succeed!"


    "Yes, Sir!" They answered dutifully, with high spirits. They couldn''t wait to establish their own legacy.


    The first boy stepped onto the platform and stood next to Lena. She guided him, instructing him to put his hand on one of the Dragon Spirit Beads. The messenger of the Dragon Master Clan began to chant a spell and soon, the Dragon Spirit Bead began to glisten as if something was about to burst out of it.


    Suddenly, it broke like an egg hatching and turned into colorful light stripes which snaked up the arm of the boy and finally became a mark. On his skin, its lines looked like a delicate embossment. It was the same symbol as Shirley''s.


    "This boy has the spiritual power of the second grade of Mortal Stage after acquiring the dragon spiritual power!" many exclaimed.


    The royal spirit manipulators'' biggest advantage was that they had the chance to fuse with Dragon Spirit Bead, which would grant them some spiritual power and put them in a leading position compared to other ordinary spirit manipulators who had to start from scratch.


    ''Interesting. Is it that simple to become a spirit manipulator that can ride a dragon? I really can''t understand why this prince Basil has been unable to fuse with Dragon Spirit Bead yet...'' Rocky was growing increasingly fascinated by everything he witnessed. This


    world was more abstract and strange than he had thought.


    When the first boy completed the ritual, warm applause erupted from every corner in the hall. The boy held up his arm and showed with great pride the evidence that he had become a royal spirit manipulator.


    The rest of the candidates went on to the altar one by one for their processes, which all went without a hitch. The ceremony drew to a close as the last candidate stepped up. Those who had fused with Dragon Spirit Bead immediately acquired the spiritual power of the second grade of Mortal Stage and some of them were even bestowed the third grade!


    "Your Royal Highness, it looks that it went much more smoothly than past years when some imbeciles were kicked out..." Priest Dean said, glancing at Rocky in the corner.


    "Priest Dean. It takes strength, and sometimes even luck, to become a royal spirit manipulator. Also keep in mind that acquiring the dragon spiritual power through fusion with Dragon Spirit Bead is just a beginning. One will have to go through countless trials and hardships in order to be a true royal spirit manipulator. After all, they have different duties from other ordinary spirit manipulators. So this is not the time for total celebration yet," Lena shot a look at Priest Dean and responded solemnly.


    "You are absolutely right, Your Royal Highness," Priest Dean replied, the smug look draining from his face.


    Just as he said this, a loud scream resounded. They looked and saw the last candidate screaming in pain as the light strips fed on his arm like a giant maw.


    Everyone was shocked at this scene.


    "Is this a rejection?" A look of shock also flashed through Lena''s face. She managed to keep her composure and said, "If we don''t stop this fusion in time, he will be consumed by that Dragon Spirit Bead."


    Priest Dean hurried down to check on him. His right arm was shining brightly and exquisite lines showed up, overflowing with power. Priest Dean grabbed his hand, his face growing rigid with concentration as he employed his power. Suddenly, silver light shone from his palm. It was as bright as the rising sun and sent airwaves across the hall, ruffling through everyone''s clothes.


    "Damn! He is good!" Rocky was wide-eyed at what was happening.


    Priest Dean blasted away the Dragon Spirit Bead, sending it flying all over the place in a spiral. The power it unleashed unsettled the entire the Grand Dragon Hall.


    The royal members and nobles all backed down to take cover as they knew that a rogue Dragon Spirit Bead contained very strong power and it could not be stopped easily.


    After flying around in the air for a while, the Dragon Spirit Bead suddenly shot towards the altar and hit the Holy Dragon Bead squarely. The Holy Dragon Bead was blasted into the air as the Dragon Spirit Bead fell to the ground, apparently exhausted of all its power.


    Everyone including the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire was astonished to see that the Holy Dragon Beat hit the ground. "Bang! Bang!" It fell hard onto the ground, its innate spark suddenly turning into a bright and blinding light. With its sheer force, a huge airwave blew through the Grand Dragon Hall. Its raw power was tremendous.


    The Holy Dragon Bead fell less than a meter away from Rocky, right in front of him.


    "Basil, get out of there! It is very dangerous!" Lena shouted in a panic as she saw the Holy Dragon Bead explode into light right under Rocky''s feet.


    Rocky didn''t know at the time that it was the holy item of the Holy Dragon Empire. He was dumbfounded by its brilliance. Lena''s voice echoed in his head and he snapped out of it. Just as he was preparing to dodge it, he heard a weeping sound.


    Rocky thought it was an illusion, but the weeping sound came once more. This time he turned his sight to the Holy Dragon Bead and almost instantly he figured out that it was the source of the weeping quite reminiscent of a lost child. He stopped unconsciously and approached the Holy Dragon Bead as if it were calling on him.


    Everyone noticed Rocky''s strange actions and some of them even began to mock him.


    "Is this prince dumb or what? He''s running straight to it. That is the holy item of the Holy Dragon Empire with extraordinary power! No ordinary person can touch it!"


    "I heard that he got ill not long ago and was about to die. He barely escaped death, but it might have done something to his brain."


    "He has always been a loser. It will not be a loss if he dies."


    "Basil, stop!" Lena shouted again as she saw Basil continued to approach the Holy Dragon Bead.


    But it was as though he were in a trance. He had already made it before the spinning Holy Dragon Bead and he reached out his hand to take it. The moment he touched it, the Holy Dragon Bead shone again and then it turned into many light stripes which instantly spread throughout his arm, entangling into a shocking pattern!

 Chapter 9 The New Change

    In an instant, Rocky was struck by intense pain radiating from his arms. It was as if a beast was biting his flesh ferociously. Overwhelmed with the pain, he couldn''t stop himself and knelt on the ground. The color of his face began to turn pale. His body broke out into a cold sweat, and his face showed the agony.


    All the people were astonished because the Holy Dragon Bead responded to Rocky. But soon they pointed their fingers in his direction and commented on the odd scene before them. They were convinced that what Rocky was going through was the kiss of death. In a few hundred years that had passed, no one¡ªeven if he was extremely preeminent¡ªhad successfully fused with the Holy Dragon Bead. Since so many strong men had failed, there was no chance for Rocky. After all, he was only an abandoned prince.


    Therefore, all the people just stood still and made no attempt to hold Rocky back. They looked with cold and shocked eyes as Rocky was devoured by the power of the Holy Dragon Bead.


    Even Priest Dean, who saved the last boy, stood unmoved. He kept looking at Rocky with disdain. It was clear that he had no intention to help Rocky.


    Lena couldn''t stand it anymore. She was concerned and began to run towards Rocky. Suddenly a deep voice called out to her, "Lena, leave him alone."


    Hearing those words, Lena could not stop herself from looking back. It was the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire, the father of the owner of Rocky''s body. No one thought that the father would stand still and watch his son die.


    "But, Basil''s body is unable to bear the power of the Holy Dragon Bead. He will die if it goes on like this," Lena expressed her thoughts to the emperor.


    "The fool is supposed to have died earlier. It''s really a mistake to keep him alive. He is a disgrace to our royal family." At this point, a sneering sound burst out.


    "Crown Prince Alston." Lena called out after looking towards the source of that sound and finding that it was Alston.


    The handsome man was Alston, Basil''s brother. Being the son of the empress of the Holy Dragon Empire, he would succeed to the throne to be the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire in the future.


    Though Alston and Basil were related by blood, Alston was aloof and cold towards his brother. His eyes revealed his hatred for Rocky. He always looked down upon Rocky as the one who brought shame to the royal family.


    "Your Majesty..." Lena turned to the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire. Anger flashed across her eyes.


    However, the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire gave no response to her pleas. He kept looking impassively at Rocky, who had knelt on the ground and writhed in suffering and pain.


    Rocky felt that his limbs had gone numb as though they were frozen because of the sharp pain. He had no control on himself, it was as if the body was not his own. However, he could hear strange cries. Those seemed to be cries likely to come from an over-fussy baby. Though he didn''t understand what was happening, he knew it for certain that his pain had something to do with the cries.


    Rocky calmed himself down. Then he tried to interpret the cries and comfort the baby. Though he was not very good at it, he had gained rich experience when he got along with animals as an animal geneticist. He knew that sometimes things could be conveyed through other ways instead of speaking. Like the usual exchange of expressions between humans and animals, it was fulfilled through movements and eye contact.


    Thus, Rocky started to imagine that he was stroking a crying baby. Gradually, the cries faded away. Meanwhile, it appeared that the stroking had a sense of reality, which was a sort of fantastic sensation beyond description.


    As he kept doing it and the cries faded, Rocky noticed that the pain along his arms began to wear off. All of a sudden, there was relief and peace was restored all around. But a bright light band was still around his arms. The light band grew brighter and brighter. He felt a light burning sensation on the skin as if something was being imprinted with a hot seal. He sensed that his arms were being injected with a certain power. Soon the arms began to swell. The power was too much for him and he felt that his arms were going to burst with that power and pressure.


    Suddenly, a turbid light was released around Rocky''s body, which converged as a vortex above his head. In the chaos, a shadow of a dragon with six wings showed up. Instantly, the light glared like the scorching sun. All the people present there were overwhelmed by the formidable pressure. It began suffocating them. The Grand Dragon Hall shook because of the effect of the amazing power. The people were astonished at the sight before their eyes.


    On the circular platform, the messenger of the Dragon Master Clan, which used to look on indifferently, couldn''t stop himself from trembling violently with a surprised expression evident on his face. He uttered a few weird words and hastily disappeared from the circular platform.


    While the people were watching it all in surprise, the profound light and the formidable pressure vanished like an illusion. When their eyes rested upon Rocky again, it was like a bolt from the blue for them. Their eyes were wide open because they were surprised to find him safe and sound.


    When Rocky got back on his feet, the Holy Dragon Bead had disappeared. Seeing the stunned royal members and nobles staring in his direction with an awkward silence, he stood up in bewilderment and looked around. He found it strange that everyone''s ey


    es were fixed on him as if he was a monster.


    He looked down at his arms and found some Dragon Spirit Marks, just like the ones he had seen on other people, though they were not as obvious compared to the others. If not looked carefully, they could easily be ignored or missed. Besides, the aura it carried was also very weak.


    "Basil, you made it! You really made it!" A voice reached his ears. It was filled with a subtle joy.


    Rocky looked up. It was Lena, whose beautiful delicate face was full of surprise and excitement. Her thin, red lips slightly parted as her small hand covered her mouth. Though recovering from shock, she looked really adorable.


    "Is that for real? Bryant as the head of the Ximen Clan has not been able to fuse with the Holy Dragon Bead. Then how could Rocky do that?" Shirley was stunned at the sight of Rocky managing to fuse with the Holy Dragon Bead. Just yesterday, she had humiliated Rocky. It was clear that no one had imagined that Rocky could perform such a miracle.


    "Have I finished the ceremony?" Rocky was witty, and could quickly guess the reason of the silence and shock. Thinking of that, he burst into laughter. He was aware that he had performed a miracle. He knew that what had happened just now was beyond everyone''s expectation for an abandoned prince.


    However, a few skeptical voices began to rise from here and there.


    "How could this happen? How could an incapable prince like him fuse with the Holy Dragon Bead? It''s the holy treasure of the Holy Dragon Empire!"


    "He had spent years to fuse with the Dragon Spirit Bead, but he got nowhere earlier. How could he do it now?"


    "There must be something fishy. How could this useless man suddenly be able to accept the power of the Holy Dragon Bead?"


    Standing still, Priest Dean looked serious. He repeatedly glanced over Rocky with his amazed and queer eyes. He couldn''t hide his rage and finally began to rebuke, "Your Royal Highness, do you know that you have destroyed the most sacred ritual of the Holy Dragon Empire?"


    "Did I?" Faced with Priest Dean''s wrath, Rocky just shrugged his shoulders, pretending to be innocent.


    "Don''t feign ignorance. You have done it all intentionally," Priest Dean spoke furiously at his response.


    "Priest Dean, what do you mean? Why do you accuse Basil of wrong intentions?" Lena questioned as she walked over.


    "All the people have seen that Basil touched the Holy Dragon Bead without permission. He should know that the Holy Dragon Bead is the holy treasure of the Holy Dragon Empire. No one is supposed to touch it, if not allowed," Priest Dean announced seriously.


    "Don''t you remember? Basil has lost his memory. He knows nothing. How could he recognize the Holy Dragon Bead?" Lena argued.


    "But... who knows. Maybe he has been deliberately planning this, over a long period of time. A man like him is too weak. He will never be able to qualify as a spirit manipulator. As you can see, only a little spiritual power can be sensed from his body, though he has fused with the Holy Dragon Bead," Priest Dean scoffed publicly.


    All the other people realized the fact mentioned by Priest Dean. It was true that Rocky still did not have much spiritual power. It was foretold that the Holy Dragon Bead was such a holy treasure that it had the ability to make the human, who fused with it, the King of Spirit Manipulation. How could it be possible that Rocky''s spiritual power didn''t reach the first grade of the Mortal Stage? Rather it seemed inferior to that of the last twenty-nine people. In theory, after fusing with the powerful Holy Dragon Bead, the man should at least obtain the spiritual power of the fifth grade of the Mortal Stage instantly.


    There was such a great contrast. It was unconvincing for anyone to accept.


    Immediately, the people in the Grand Dragon Hall were in a state of tumult again. Their eyes turned disdainful and jealous. Staring ferociously at Rocky, they thought that the idea of him gaining the power of the Holy Dragon Bead was nothing but a waste.


    "Priest Dean, you''re overreacting! Anyhow, it shouldn''t matter as Basil is a prince," Lena retorted angrily. She defended Rocky from Priest Dean''s insult.


    When all this went on, Rocky, though being the initiator of the whole debate, just quietly saw them arguing and their faces reddening to the ears. Tittering inside, he felt so lucky that he was able to fuse with the holy treasure of the Holy Dragon Empire. If he would not have been able to make that fusion, he could never become a spirit manipulator. On the whole, he was glad that he had obtained the dragon spiritual power. He had become a royal spirit manipulator, and now he was able to control the dragon.


    Suddenly, the argument between Lena and Priest Dean was interrupted by a cough. They turned back and saw the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire coming towards them. After glancing at Rocky and looking around the crowd, he said, "I must admit that it is Basil who has been irresponsible. He disturbed the ritual and destroyed the holy treasure of the Holy Dragon Empire, which has been passed over from one generation to another for years. Thus, I have decided to abolish his royal status. I announce him to be equal to any civilian of the empire."


    All the people were startled at the words of the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire. They had never expected that he would punish his own son in the cause of justice. The crowd was agitated.


    In all that chaos, the announcement made by the emperor, his father, left Rocky flabbergasted.

 Chapter 10 I Will Challenge You

    "Your Majesty, please rescind the order! Basil is your..." Lena''s voice trailed off. Her face grew solemn.


    "I have made up my mind. You don''t have to speak for him. From now on, Basil is no longer a prince of the Holy Dragon Empire," the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire said flatly.


    "Don''t worry. Father, it''s a wise decision," Alston said with a cold smile as he walked up to him and glared at Rocky disdainfully.


    Alston was the handsome prince who had stared at him with contempt. Rocky could tell right away that Basil''s brother was not a good person. Elegance and handsomeness didn''t guarantee a good heart.


    ''This emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire is so cruel! No matter what, Basil is his son! How could he deny his identity as a prince so easily?'' Rocky thought to himself. Basil¡ªor rather, he¡ªwas no longer a prince now, so it meant his extravagant lifestyle would come to an end. If he knew he would have ended up like this, he would never have touched the Holy Dragon Bead.


    It was always happiness that came before a fall.


    Priest Dean was also surprised by the emperor''s decision, but he thought it was reasonable. He looked at Basil coldly with a disdainful smile. He seemed to want him to get out of the country as soon as possible.


    "But Basil has bonded with the Holy Dragon Bead. He has attained the dragon spiritual power and becomes a spirit manipulator. Now he is the royal spirit manipulator who can manipulate dragons. So according to the law of the Holy Dragon Empire, he has to be trained and learn the spiritual method of the Dragon Master Clan with other royal spirit manipulators," the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire announced another shocking truth.


    Everyone exclaimed in astonishment again. Of course, they knew that ''royal spirit manipulator'' was a mere title. The best advantage for becoming a royal spirit manipulator was having the opportunity to learn the spiritual method of the Dragon Master Clan, which was far superior to the regular spiritual method. For instance, when a spirit manipulator used the two spiritual methods at the same grade, the spiritual method of the Dragon Master Clan was much powerful than the regular one.


    Therefore, every spirit manipulator hoped that they could learn the spiritual method of the Dragon Master Clan, but according to the law of the Holy Dragon Empire, only a royal spirit manipulator could learn it.


    So for Basil, who had failed consistently in becoming a regular spirit manipulator, this was a tremendous deal!


    "Your Majesty, he..." Priest Dean did not expect that the emperor would acknowledge Basil''s new status as a royal spirit manipulator. He had expected the emperor should take away his identity as a spirit manipulator and seal his dragon spiritual power forever. To him, it made little sense that the emperor only took away Basil''s identity as a prince!


    Lena was also confused and did not understand why the emperor chose to do this. But she was glad to know Rocky could at least learn the royal spiritual method and get training. Things could be worse.


    "Well, that''s the end of the ritual. Priest Dean, take them to the beast farm and ask them to pick their own war beasts first, then take them to the dragon field and let them undergo the most strict training. Witch Lena, come with me," the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire solemnly said to the Priest Dean. He and Lena then began to walk away, accompanied by a group of imperial guards.


    Lena nodded at Rocky, her eyes filled with encouragement. Soon, she was gone, following the emperor.


    Rocky smiled as he looked at Lena''s receding figure. From the first moment that he woke up in this world, she had always cared about him. Compared with everyone else, this beautiful girl was as virtuous as an angel.


    "That''s it. I must make her my girlfriend, and..." Rocky was indulging in his imagination.


    He soon noticed a group of people coming up to him.


    Leading the group was Basil''s brother, Crown Prince Alston, accompanied by some othe


    r princes.


    "Basil, you are no longer a prince. Bear in mind not to tell others that you are one of the Royals. You are a disgrace to our name."


    "What can you do even though you have bonded with the Holy Dragon Bead? You are still so weak that any spirit manipulator can easily kill you!"


    "You don''t deserve to be my brother!"


    Though Alston did not say anything, the other princes began to insult him coldly. Certainly, the real Basil would have been extremely hurt by this. They began crowding around him.


    Even the most patient person could not bear such humiliating insults. Though Rocky was not the real Basil that they were insulting, he was still angry with their mean words, so he immediately retorted, "Humph! You''re just jealous of me. I have bonded with the holy treasure of the Holy Dragon Empire, and you haven''t!"


    "What did you say? We''re jealous of you!? How ridiculous! No one will ever be jealous of you, imbecile! You''re just a loser!"


    "I''m a loser? Funny, as princes, what else can you do besides bullying others? Tell you what, I don''t want to be a prince. I don''t want to be anything like you pathetic people! One day, I will take back what''s mine," Rocky said arrogantly.


    Those princes seemed to be surprised by his confidence. For a second, no one could say a word. They had no idea that the person in front of them was no longer Basil, who was once so weak and timid that he could not even speak loudly.


    All of a sudden, Rocky saw a shadow before him. He looked up and saw that Alston had come up to him. A full head taller, he grasped Rocky''s collar and hissed, "You are still nothing even you have bonded with the Holy Dragon Bead. You are just a loser. Get back what''s rightfully yours? Ridiculous! You don''t belong here, bastard!"


    "Who do you think you are, asshole?" Rocky instantly retorted. He hated people like this, who were unnecessarily unkind and spiteful.


    "What!?" Alston did not expect his brother to respond like this at all! He was so angry that he immediately burst out a strong dragon spiritual power.


    Instantaneously, Rocky felt Alston''s power surround him like a net that pressed him so forcefully. It was quite suffocating. Though he was not afraid of Alston, he trembled unconsciously. After all, Alston was much powerful, creating fear and panic.


    At this moment, the prospect of death didn''t seem impossible.


    The conflict of Alston and Rocky drew the attention of the royal members and aristocrats. They surrounded them and talked about them.


    "Your Highness." Suddenly, an old voice rose up. It was like a life-saving straw to Rocky.


    It was Priest Dean who had stood aside all the time. But he did not say anything else to stop Alston. He just looked at them coldly.


    Hearing Priest Dean''s voice, Alston calmed down. He retrieved his power and shoved Rocky away as he stared at him with fury and hatred spewing out of his gaze. Rocky fell on the ground, out of breath. He looked terribly embarrassed.


    Everyone around him all laughed at him loudly.


    Rocky clenched his fists so tightly that his fingernails dug into his palms. But the pain could not compare with his fierce anger.


    The fear and panic he had felt coursing through his system was shame.


    Though it was a conditioned reflex, it made him realize that Alston was stronger than he thought. Alston could kill him without any effort, like crushing an ant.


    "If you cross me again, I will kill you," Alston said coldly as he arrogantly pointed to Rocky.


    Rocky stood up and laughed loudly as he looked at Alston with sharp eyes. The crowd and all the princes were dumbfounded by his laughter. They were all wondering if Basil was out of his mind. It was strange that he laughed after what had happened. He had almost been killed, after all!


    "Let''s wait and see. One day, I will be stronger than you." Rocky also pointed to Alston. His energy made his weak figure look larger than it was.


    Everyone was shocked by his words.


    That was absolutely a challenge.

 Chapter 11 Choose Your War Beast! (Part One)

    Alston was a spirit manipulator who had reached the third grade of the Supernal Stage. He was at the very top of the rank of the young generation of the Holy Dragon Empire. He had succeeded in acquiring the dragon spiritual power from a Dragon Spirit Bead when he was only twelve. It was rare to see someone at such a tender age become a royal spirit manipulator. Everyone in the land considered him a God-given genius. Although Alston was only thirty now, he had surpassed many experienced spirit manipulators who had worked hard for their entire life. It was undeniable that he was the best of the best.


    Rocky, however, hadn''t even reached the first grade of the Mortal Stage even though he had attained the dragon spiritual power from the Holy Dragon Bead. Compared with Alston, Rocky was only a talentless spirit manipulator.


    None of them would even consider the possibility of Rocky surpassing Alston someday. They all thought that no matter how long he practiced and how hard he worked, he would never reach his brother''s level.


    Rocky''s claims were ridiculous. They now looked at him as if he was a lunatic.


    When Alston heard what he said, a scornful smile crept over his lips. He showed no concerns or care. After all, Rocky was nothing to him. Alston didn''t want to waste his time on such a minor being like his pathetic brother. After shooting Rocky a cold glare, Alston left right away.


    The other princes looked at Rocky with disgust before they turned and pompously followed Alston out.


    "Let''s just see!" Rocky murmured angrily as he looked at Alston''s back. Rage surged in his chest as he clenched his teeth.


    Alston''s departure announced the end of this show, so the other members of royalty present left the Grand Dragon Hall as well.


    "Attention, please! Except the last one, the others and you follow me!" said Priest Dean when he walked in front of the twenty nine young men who had obtained the dragon spiritual power. As talking, he glanced at those young men and turned to Rocky, glowering at him.


    Priest Dean then walked out of the Grand Dragon Hall, and the twenty nine young men followed up at once.


    Rocky was at the end of the line, lost in the thought about how he could possibly grow stronger.


    After Rocky left, Shirley walked to where he had been standing, clenching her fists. She talked to herself, glaring at Rocky''s back, "That asshole! He has obtained the dragon spiritual power from the Holy Dragon Bead, but so what? He is still a piece of shit! Nothing changes! But things have taken an interesting turn now. I will have more chances to teach him a good lesson in future. You will regret what you said to me soon, asshole!"


    Rocky and the twenty nine young men followed Priest Dean and got into several large carriages after exiting the Hall.


    They started off at once, wasting no time to begin their journey. After a while, they reached their destination.


    Rocky was greeted with the sight of peculiar architecture, which consisted of numerous cubes of different sizes. He and the o


    ther young men walked after Priest Dean and entered the building.


    As soon as they stepped into the gate, a foul, smelly odor invaded their nostrils.


    They nearly threw up as they smelled it. They could not help but cover their noses. Rocky, however, didn''t find anything particularly foul about it at all. The stench obviously came from animals and their dung. As a scholar in the field of animal gene study, Rocky was so familiar with such an odor and had already been desensitized. After all, what he studied on required him to go to such environment. He had worked with that odor for years. He could even tell from the strong odor that there were dozens of animals living here.


    He was right. As they walked along the long corridor behind the gate, roars and cries echoed in the air.


    When they reached the end of the corridor, they came across a spacious hall. Tiers of stables lay around the hall in a circle, with each one the same size as a cage. Under the dim light, Rocky vaguely saw some figures of the animals in the stables. They varied in size and height. Because of how diverse they were, the hall resembled a closed zoo.


    A middle-aged man and his subordinates appeared and came to greet them. From the way he was dressed, Rocky could definitely tell that he was an official of ancient times and could be in charge here. He was the beast raiser.


    "Your Grace!" the beast raiser greeted Priest Dean as he took a formal bow.


    His subordinates bowed to Priest Dean as well.


    "How is everything doing now?" Priest Dean asked with an arrogant air.


    "Everything has gone perfectly, Your Grace! We have prepared one hundred and eight war beasts for the thirty royal spirit manipulators to choose," the beast raiser answered with cap in hand.


    Priest Dean nodded and turned to Rocky and the other young men. He exclaimed, "Listen carefully! You only have an hour to choose your war beast. Remember the number of the one you like. And then come back here when time''s up. Go!"


    The twenty nine young men were all bouncing off the walls. They dashed to the stables and began to choose their war beasts, while Rocky still stood there.


    "Why are you still here? Go!" Priest Dean yelled, glaring at Rocky.


    "All right!" Rocky curled his lip as he walked reluctantly to the stables.


    He was caught by surprise when he finally reached them. They were filled with strange, monstrous beasts! Each war beast he saw was scary and hideous. There was one war beast with only an eye. And the beast next to this one had two heads! Rocky passed the two stables and saw another beast with two tails. What shocked him more was a snake with an eagle''s face and a deer with a lion''s head.


    "Now I long for the animals we had back in my lifetime. How cute our animals in the modern era are! Why do all these so-called war beasts look so strange? Is it because of gene mutation? But that''s a good opportunity to start a new research anyway," Rocky muttered to himself. He then began to look among them and tried to select one for himself.

 Chapter 12 Choose Your War Beast! (Part Two)

    "That one with two giant heads looks good.


    Wait! This one seems better..."


    Rocky had trouble making up his mind. Each of the war beasts he saw intrigued him but he could only choose one.


    All of a sudden, a faint cry came from a stable on the corner. Rocky was drawn to it. He hadn''t looked at this one yet!


    He walked to the source of the sound and saw a small beast curled up in the corner of the stable. He could not see clear what that it looked like under the dim light. It seemed to be ill, because it kept trembling like a leaf. Rocky felt pity for it and could not help but reach his hand out to touch it.


    "All right, now!" Rocky stroked the little beast to comfort it.


    It seemed that it worked! The little beast stopped trembling soon and began struggling to stand up. Its slender limbs held it up and then it hobbled out of the corner and stood in front of Rocky.


    As it got closer, Rocky finally saw clear its features. What came into his sight first were its large round eyes, innocent and adorable. Its long head looked like the dragon which Shirley rode on last time.


    "Is this a dragon?" Rocky had stars in his eyes when he noticed that, but soon disappointment visited him as the little beast''s body showed up. Its skin was as wrinkled as a new-born bird, but it didn''t have wings.


    "Oh, it''s not!" Rocky remembered that Shirley''s dragon had wings and two fore limbs, but this little beast only had four legs. Obviously, it was not a dragon.


    The little beast walked closer to the steel bars and licked Rocky''s hand.


    "Oh! That''s ticklish! Ha-ha!" Rocky laughed as he looked at the little war beast, which was the cutest one he had seen.


    "Time''s up!" A loud voice rang out suddenly.


    "Sorry little guy! I need to go now," Rocky said, standing up to leave. He then turned around and began to walk away. But he stopped when he heard a faint groan. He turned back to look at the beast and was greeted with its innocent eyes.


    Rocky smiled and glanced at the number that hung on the steel bars, and then walked to Priest Dean as well.


    "Now! Tell the beast raiser the number and you will get the war beast you choose. Then you shall perform a blood bond. Once the beast swallows down a drop of your blood, you will become its master," Priest Dean said and then nodded at the beast raiser.


    The beast raiser walked to the young man who stood in the first.


    "Number fourteen," said the young man.


    "Number fourteen, a two-star war beast, named Hellish Hound," the beast raiser announced. Then one of his subordinates went to the number-fourteen stable and opened the door. He led out a wolfhound-like war beast, which had two long teeth like tusks sticking out of its mouth. It looked quite fearsome.


    "A two-star war beast! No bad!" Priest Dean nodded.


    The other young men looked at the Hellish Hound, envy sparkling in their eyes.


    "Two-star?" Rocky nudg


    ed a young man standing beside him and asked out of curiosity, "Hey! What does ''two-star'' mean?"


    The young man shot Rocky a disdainful look, his lips curling in annoyance. He replied curtly, "You don''t even know that!? How can you be a royal spirit manipulator then? ''Two-star'' indicates their potential, how strong they can become later on. The best war beast is a nine-star one. A nine-star war beast is a legendary being, as strong as a great master at the Immortal Stage. The higher the star rating is, the stronger a war beast will be. Take this two-star war beast for example, it will stop growing stronger as it reaches grade two, which is its limit. For a three-star war beast, grade three will be its limit. But a two-star war beast is good enough for us now.


    However, a spiritual beast has the capacity for variation. A spiritual beast can break through its limit. It can still reach nine stars if through this process," the young man answered. "Yet this kind of spiritual beast is few and far between. Very few people have the opportunity to see one through their entire life," he added.


    Rocky then thought to himself, ''Wow! A spiritual beast can upgrade its level! The variation he mentioned could perhaps be something like gene mutation. But what triggers the variation? Why can the spiritual beast upgrade through the variation? Is there something special about their genes? I should do some research on that. Maybe I can even make a brand new species of spiritual beast! Those people who look down on me would definitely be stunned! Ha-ha! None of them would dare to call me crap anymore!


    I specialized in the animal gene study, something which nobody could surpass me in!''


    "A spiritual beast is so uncommon. Only the best spirit manipulators are qualified to own that. The strongest spiritual beast in the Holy Dragon Empire is the Blaze Furious Lion, ranking number two on the Spiritual Beast List. That is a seven-star one."


    "What''s number one?"


    "It''s General Bryant''s Big Dipper Dragon, a rare spiritual dragon. Although it is also a seven-star one, it is much stronger than the Blaze Furious Lion," the young man answered.


    "Spiritual dragon? Why are the other kinds of spiritual creature called beasts? But dragons are referred to as such?" Rocky asked, rather perplexed.


    "The Dragon Master Clan is a superior spiritual race, and dragons are the rarest spiritual creatures in the Wild Spirit Land. What''s more, dragons are always stronger than other spiritual creatures at the same level. The dragon spiritual power is what ensures the top position of the Holy Dragon Empire in the Wild Spirit Land, as the power enables us to control dragons. The dragon is the symbol of our Holy Dragon Empire, so we distinguish it from other spiritual creatures. And the pride and honor only belongs to the royal spirit manipulators. That''s us!" the young man said proudly, his chest puffing up.

 Chapter 13 The Beautiful Instructor

    The sound of loud exclamations interrupted their conversation.


    "That is the Wind Evil, a three-star spiritual beast!"


    "Goodness! A three-star beast? It''s likely the best one out of this whole bunch! Damn it! How could I miss it?"


    "He''s from the Ximen Clan. No wonder he''s both strong and good at selecting a fine spiritual beast."


    Rocky turned to the scene of the commotion and saw a group of men looking with envy at a very strong and excited rookie standing in front of a spiritual beast with the head of a lion and the body of an eagle.


    "Ximen Clan? Isn''t that where Shirley is from?" Rocky took a careful look at the royal spiritual manipulator that everyone was making a commotion over. He had the build of a grown man, even stronger and more powerful. If Rocky remembered right, he was the one who had made it to the third grade of Mortal Stage after fusing with the Dragon Spirit Bead. Lena had been right. Everyone in the Ximen Clan was not to be taken lightly.


    "It is just a three-star spiritual beast. Maybe I can pick a four-star spiritual beast out of them," Rocky thought ambitiously.


    He felt a little bit more eager now at the sight of the royal spiritual manipulators picking their own war beasts and establishing blood bond with them.


    But before he could think things through, the beast raiser had already walked up to him and asked him the number of the beast he had chosen.


    "I will pick......" Rocky thought back the war beast that he had just seen and found it really hard to decide. He hesitated.


    "Hurry the hell up! We''re all waiting here!" the ones in line behind Rocky said impatiently.


    "I will pick¡­" Rocky decided to give up thinking and chose a random number instead. Any one of them would be of value to him. But all of sudden, that little beast''s eyes appeared in his head that he couldn''t shake off. They were so expressive, much like a human''s. Rocky couldn''t help but mumble the number. "Number 109."


    "109?" The beast raiser paused for a second as if trying to process what he just heard.


    "Yes." Rocky nodded. Clearly, he had succumbed to the little beast''s cute large eyes.


    "Basil, stop wasting our time. The beast raiser just said there are only 108 war beasts. There is no number 109." Priest Dean scolded him harshly.


    "Priest Dean, actually there is number 109. It is a new-born but with disability. And it was hatched from an unknown egg. We''re not sure where it came from, so we didn''t put it in the list," The beast raiser explained.


    "In that case, since he chose it, he shall have it." Priest Dean shot Rocky a look of contempt.


    "Priest Dean, is this really okay? I think he should be allowed a chance to pick a new one," the beast raiser said.


    "Didn''t you hear what I said?" Priest Dean''s look grew cold.


    "Then number 109 it is," The beast raiser declared, with a perplexed shake of his head.


    Almost immediately, his assistant carried the little beast out and handed it over to Rocky.


    Rocky held it close to his chest while stealing a look at other ferocious war beasts. He couldn''t help but sigh. "I must have owed you so much in my last life that I must be with you now."


    This little beast seemed to have recognized Rocky, now roaring gleefully.


    "A war beast that''s not worth even one star. It must be really ''precious''," Priest Dean said sarcast


    ically after seeing the little creature.


    The spiritual manipulators all laughed at this weak little thing.


    "What a loser, picking a weak war beast with a disability! I could easily stamp it to death!"


    "Tell me about it. A royal spiritual manipulator picked a handicapped war beast. How pathetic and embarrassing!"


    "That thing can''t even walk. Can it really be called a war beast? How utterly ridiculous!"


    "Hey little fella. Don''t mind them. They are just a whole bunch of animals and one day they will learn your true power because I will train you to become the best war beast there is." Rocky ignored the taunts and held up the little war beast proudly.


    "Oh, right. The blood bond!" Rocky remembered. He gently set it down and bit his own finger. Blood oozed out and he stuck his finger in front of the beast''s mouth.


    It roared happily and went right in, biting right onto Rocky''s finger and sucking really hard as if it wanted to drain the last drop of blood out of him.


    "Come on! Are you going to suck me dry?" Rocky retracted his finger, grimacing at the sticky saliva left on it. But strangely, his wound had healed by itself. He continued watching the other spiritual manipulators picking their own war beasts.


    Soon everyone found their very own war beast, with the best being the sole three-star war beast Wind Evil who was chosen by the spiritual manipulator from the Ximen Clan. There were also ten two-star war beasts, and the rest were one-star.


    The rest except of course for Rocky''s little beast, who did not even reach a one-star ranking.


    After leaving the stable, the spiritual manipulators jumped on a carriage and sped away.


    The carriage seemed to have gone a long way before it stopped.


    "Get off the carriage and assemble!" a woman''s voice strictly commanded.


    Everyone else grabbed their war beast and jumped off the carriage immediately. Within seconds all of them were already outside.


    All except for Rocky. "Damn, what''s with the rush?" he cursed, getting off the carriage slowly.


    There was an open square, at the end of which rose a couple of buildings. A magnificent royal castle was off to the left. It could be assumed that this place must be part of the royal property.


    Just as Rocky slowly disembarked from the carriage and was looking around, a little bit distracted by the scenery, something suddenly lashed in his face. It was a painful blow that stung very harshly.


    "Shit! Who was that?" Rocky shouted in anger. He then saw a whip at his feet, and realized that this was the culprit. He then looked up at the person holding the whip and was utterly gobsmacked.


    A slender figure was walking towards him with slender, toned legs while retracting her whip.


    "Oh, wow!" Rocky exclaimed at the sight of this woman. She was wearing a sleeveless robe with a long slit for mobility. Both her arms and legs were beautifully tanned. And her long hair draped down all the way to her waist. She looked wild and dangerous, which Rocky found extremely attractive.


    With such a fine body paired with a magnificent face, Rocky couldn''t help but think that she must have been created by God himself. Her eyes were seductive and charming and her nose was regal and high. The most attractive feature that Rocky immediately stared at was her plump, luscious lips. His eyes glazed over.

 Chapter 14 The Unfathomable Prince And His War Beast

    Of course, Rocky was not alone in his behavior. The other twenty-nine young men looked as though they had seen some kind of rare treasure as well. The sight of such a gorgeous woman had sent them reeling, but there was also a look of fear on their faces. Apparently, they all knew her identity. Although she was extremely stunning, she also looked very mighty and serious. Almost no men dared to stare at her for a long time, for fear of bearing the consequences of offending her.


    The only exception was Rocky. He was still looking at the woman with great interest, his eyes wantonly scanning her figure.


    By this time, she already reached him. Knotting her long, slender eyebrows, she glared at him accusingly. "Why did you dilly-dally just now? Didn''t you hear my order?" she yelled intimidatingly. The other men flinched.


    "Did I dilly-dally just now?" Rocky responded stubbornly, boldly looking right into her eyes. He had no idea who she was and didn''t fear her at all.


    As she grew closer to him, he felt her exude a very strong spiritual power as if it were to wrap him from all directions.


    "Just have a look at your teammates," the woman said as she pointed at other young men behind him.


    Rocky then realized that he was the only one that lagged behind. Behind him, the other twenty-nine young men and their own war beasts had all lined up orderly and stood solemnly like well-trained soldiers.


    "Master Mia, there is no need to be exasperated about him. Unlike the other well-trained young men, he was a little prince who was accustomed to an extravagant life. He never received any training or had to work hard for anything. Although he has now been demoted to a civilian, he seems to think that he is still a little prince. So, he is lazy and slow and always disregards law and authority. In the future, I hope that he will receive more rigorous training," Priest Dean said as he walked down from the carriage.


    "I''ve received the message from a carrier pigeon. According to the message, I presume he is Basil, the prince who has fused with the Holy Dragon Bead?" The woman immediately steered her attention to Rocky with a look of surprise. Yet, immediately after, she regained her composure.


    "You''re right! It''s him." Priest Dean nodded.


    "Then why is his spiritual power so weak, almost like he doesn''t have any to speak of?" The woman was puzzled.


    "That just goes without saying. There are always some lucky good-for-nothings in the world." Priest Dean looked at Rocky with a sneer on his face. He was obviously implying that Rocky was worthless.


    "Is this your war beast?" The woman glanced at the little beast in Rocky''s arms and frowned slightly.


    "Yes, is there any problem?" Rocky raised the little beast and shook it gently in front of the woman.


    "Why did you choose such a good-for-nothing war beast? It doesn''t even have the potential to be even a first-star war beast," the woman asked bluntly.


    "Hey, how do you know it''s a good-for-nothing? Although my beast looks normal, its real power should never be underestimated! I thought you were different from other people. But apparently, I was wrong," Rocky said in a disappointed voice. Immediately, his good impression of the woman reduced.


    "You¡­" the woman snapped abruptly. Hearing Rocky''s disapproving and disrespectful words, she was both offended and inexplicably ashamed.


    At that particular moment, the little beast roared twice, turned its head from Rocky''s arms, and looked at the woman with its two innocent eyes.


    The woman immediately found something special about the little creature. She had to begrudgingly admit to herself that Rocky was right. His beast''s power should never be underestimated. Her eyes became bright and flickered a flash of joy, which, however, soon vanished and replaced by her usual look.


    "What about me?" Rocky asked, looking at the woman.


    "Get in line first," she replied strictly. The woman narrowed her eyes and waved to Rocky to join his teammates. Then, she walked over to Priest Dean.


    Greatly irritated by Priest Dean''s spiteful words, Rocky glared coldly at him and cursed all his ancestors in his head. After that, he swaggered into the queue of 29 young men and found a place to stand.


    The woman and Priest Dean stepped aside and wh


    ispered, casting a glance at Rocky from time to time.


    Realizing the woman was paying attention to him, Rocky was pretty happy. His mind began to race fast. ''Maybe, she has a secret crush on me? Ha-ha, my charm is really extraordinary. If I can sleep with her, it will definitely be a kind of enjoyment that only a king can experience. It would be amazing if I got the chance to touch her ample body...''


    Just as Rocky was lost in his wild, boyish fantasy, Priest Dean had left in his carriage. The woman returned to the front of the queue, and then saw Rocky was standing there with a lewd smile. Her eyes grew cold and sharp, while the long whip in her hand released like a snake darting out of its cave. The whip directly tangled with Rocky''s right foot.


    At that very moment, Rocky was still lost in his thought. He had no time to react. All of sudden, his right foot was yanked hard! Before he could do anything, he fell to the ground with his legs in the air.


    At the sight of this spectacle, the young men around him all burst out roars of laughter.


    "Son of a bitch..." Rocky swore and grimaced when he got up from the ground. Just as he was about to hurl all kinds of expletives against the one who had done this, he sensed a cold glance with strong killing intent was shooting towards him. At once, he couldn''t help but feel a cold chill coursed through his body. Feeling that the cold glance was from the woman, Rocky fell silent. Then, he heard the woman''s voice resound abruptly.


    "My name is Mia Lan. From today on, I am your coach and I will be responsible for guiding and training you to become a real royal spirit manipulator. If you''re thinking that once after you have integrated the Dragon Spirit Bead into your body and get the dragon spiritual power, you have automatically become a royal spirit manipulator; then, you are completely wrong. You must all assume that you are quite impressive as a matter of course, but to me, you are nothing but rookies, as weak as those ordinary spirit manipulators. If you want to be a real royal spirit manipulator, you all must pass the strict trials. And before these trials, you will receive the most rigorous training. In the process, you will feel pain and suffering like you''ve never experienced. Whether you were born a duke or an aristocrat, or even a member of the royal family, I''ll treat you equally. If you have merit, you will be rewarded, and if you make mistakes, you will be punished. I will never be merciful to any of you during your training. Do you hear me?"


    "Yes, Master Mia," chorused the twenty-nine young men. Rocky said nothing. He was simply staring at Mia as he was still in a bad mood.


    "Very good! Now you need to take your war beast to the building at the end of the dragon field, where you will be staying. Two of you will be sharing a room. Your name has been written on the sign board hung outside the room. After settling down your war beasts, you need to change your training clothes and come back here. You have fifteen minutes to do this. Anyone who fails to come back here within fifteen minutes will have to run around the dragon field for ten laps. Time starts now!" Mia bellowed.


    In a flash, the twenty-nine young men rushed madly to their accommodation place with their respective war beasts. They had to hurry, because they estimated that it would take them at least fifteen minutes to travel back and forth between their accommodations and the training place. They would have little time to settle down their own beast or change clothes.


    ''You are a group of idiots! The fifteen minutes are obviously not enough, no matter how fast you run! This woman is clearly giving us a head-on blow on the first day of our training, '' Rocky thought to himself, laughing at the young men who desperately ran to their accommodation building.


    "Why aren''t you running?" Mia glared at Rocky as soon as she saw him standing where he was.


    "I''ll just walk there. Either way, I will be punished," Rocky said directly. He intended to irritate Mia, so he deliberately swaggered over towards the accommodation building, holding his little war beast.


    "He is such a brat!" Mia murmured silently. Looking at Rocky''s back, she suddenly showed a smile. It was not every day that a rookie entertained her this much.

 Chapter 15 Burning Power

    "Now I need to check the stage and the nature of your dragon spiritual power, then I will assign some officers to teach you the basic spiritual method of the Dragon Master Clan¡ªthe Mysterious Dragon Skill.


    Even though the Mysterious Dragon Skill is the most basic spiritual method, every royal spirit manipulator has to cultivate it. If you cannot master the basic spiritual method, you will certainly not able to cultivate the spiritual method at higher levels. This is especially important for royal spirit manipulators. You all know by now that the Mysterious Dragon Skill has nine grades. After you reach the third grade, you can cultivate the spiritual martial arts according to your own nature of the dragon spiritual power. The spiritual martial arts are the skills which you can use to attack or defend in a fight.


    Once your spiritual power becomes stronger, your martial arts will improve as well. You can even kill an enemy in a second, granted you are powerful enough. That is because they are founded on your own spiritual power. With your current status, you''d still be unable to break a small stone. Now, let''s get to it!" Mia finished her sentence with a brisk clap.


    Six figures appeared next to her in a blink of an eye.


    They were men and women who were almost thirty years old. They all emitted strong momentums, as their levels were between the Earthly Stage and the Heavenly Stage.


    "Yes ma''am," the six of them said in chorus.


    They were the six officers who worked for Mia.


    Mia gave them a signal. A female officer came up to her holding a dark palm-sized stone.


    "This is the spiritual power detecting stone. It can test the stage and the nature of your dragon spiritual power. You only need to put your hands on it and release your power in the Dragon Spirit Mark on your arms. Come up when I call your name," Mia said as she took out the list she had received by carrier pigeon earlier in the day.


    "Tom Ma!"


    "Yes," the young man raised his hand and walked up to her. He put his left hand on the spiritual power detecting stone and closed his eyes to concentrate. The Dragon Spirit Mark showed up on his left arm.


    The stone detected the dragon spiritual power, rapidly emitting a red light.


    "The second grade of Mortal Stage, Fire." Mia proclaimed, her experienced eyes spotting the indicators at once.


    The dragon spiritual power had five kinds of nature: Fire, Water, Wind, Thunder, Ice. Each one had its own features and advantages and the five natures restrained each other. The power of the nature depended on the power of the spirit manipulator; there were no weak natures or strong natures. Besides, if the spirit manipulator cultivated the high-leveled spiritual martial arts, he could also enhance the power of his nature.


    "Next. Frank Chen!"


    Another young man walked up to her and released the dragon spiritual power to the spiritual power detecting stone.


    "The first grade of Mortal Stage, Wind."


    "Flint Ji!"


    "The third grade of Mortal Stage, Ice!" Mia glanced at him after saying his stage. This one was handsome and looked more composed than the other trainees his age.


    "You are from the Ji Clan?" Mia asked without thinking.


    Flint hesitated for a second, then he slightly nodded before walking back to the line.


    ''His name is Flint Ji...'' Rocky had recognized that he was the arrogant man who bumped against him when he was entering the room.


    ''Mia seems to be interested in him. Does she like this type of man? But why him? He isn''t as good looking as me," Rocky thought to himself as he touched his chin.


    The process went on.


    Rocky felt so bored that he nearly fell asleep as he dully watched at the series of detections.


    "Basil Long," Mia called him coldly.


    Rocky stood still because he did not realize she was talking to him.


    The other men all looked at Rocky and laughed at him. They knew that something unfortunate was about to take place.


    "Basil Long!" Seeing Rocky did not answer her, Mia called his name again. At the same time, she swung her whip violently, then a sharp wind shot towards Rocky.


    Rocky felt as though he had been hit by a bullet in the chest. It was so painful that he snapped back to reality at once. He rubbed his chest as he heard Mia repeat, "Basil Long."


    "Basil Long? Oh, it''s me," Rocky realized. He really had to get used to his new name! He slowly walked up to Mia.


    "Hurry up," Mia shouted angrily at his sluggishness.


    ''Don''t be so impatient. I am scared! Why does such a beauty act like a tiger?'' Rocky thought to himself as he looked at Mia. He put his hand on the spiritual power detecting stone and tried to release the dragon spiritual power in his left arm.


    But the Dragon Spirit Mark did not show up.


    The other twenty nine trainees all looked at him with scorn.


    "No wonder he is the ''Prince Loser''!" someone shouted loudly.


    Then they all laughed.


    "Try harder. Concentrate on sensing the dragon spiritual power in your left arm." Mia was confused as well. The royal spirit manipulators were different from the regular spirit manipulators. As long as they bonded with the Dragon Spirit Bead and gotten the dragon spiritual power, they could easily release the power even if they had not learnt the spiritual method. Releasing the power would be an


    instinct as involuntary as eating or drinking!


    So it was definitely not normal that Rocky could not release the dragon spiritual power.


    However, Mia considered something else. Compared to the rest of them, who had received specialized training at home, Basil had never gone through anything like this. So he might have not adapted to the power he just attained.


    Rocky glanced at Mia, taking a deep breath. He gulped nervously, growing determined about the detecting. He concentrated on sensing the dragon spiritual power in his left arm per Mia''s instructions.


    Soon, a faint Dragon Spirit Mark showed up on his left arm. It was such a relief!


    What surprised him was that the spiritual power detecting stone emitted an extremely dim light as it sensed Rocky''s dragon spiritual power. What was more, the light was gray which represented none of the five natures.


    Mia was also surprised by this scene, because it was the first time that she saw a dragon spiritual power with no nature. It was common for regular spirit manipulators because most regular spirit manipulators'' power did not have natures. However, it was extremely strange that the dragon spiritual power of a royal spirit manipulator did not have a nature. It was especially strange because the bead Rocky had bonded with was the Holy Dragon Bead.


    When the other young men saw his power have no nature, louder laughs came from the line-up.


    "He is truly a loser. Ha-ha, he got the dragon spiritual power, so what? His power even doesn''t have a nature!"


    "I am so confused. How does such a loser succeed in bonding with the Holy Dragon Bead!"


    "Well, the universe certainly has a good sense of humor. Ha ha ha!"


    Hearing the mockery, Rocky was so angry that he clenched his fists.


    "Just give up. Aren''t you ashamed?"


    "You are just a loser. Give up! You will never make it."


    "I''d rather die if you I were you! Then the Royal family won''t have to be ashamed."


    Rocky frowned as a fierce fire of the anger burned inside his body, then he suddenly felt an intense heat on his left arm. He unconsciously clutched the spiritual power detecting stone.


    The Dragon Spirit Mark on his left arm still did not change, but the feeling of burning grew more and more intense.


    "Ah!" Rocky roared as he could not withstand that great pain anymore.


    Heard Rocky roar, everyone looked at him, puzzled.


    All of a sudden, the dark cloud gathered in the sky with lightning and thunder and the wild wind blew the dust into the air.


    No one knew what was happening.


    Rumble!


    As loud thunder rang out, a shadow of a dragon appeared in the dark clouds. It suddenly burned and rushed towards the ground from the thick cloud, cracking like a huge lightning bolt.


    With a deafening bang, it carved a big hole near them, emitting a lot of smoke.


    Everyone including Mia was all surprised by the lightning.


    "What strange weather," Mia murmured, looking at Rocky who had roared just now.


    Rocky was now at ease since the burning heat had disappeared after he roared.


    "Loser, you won''t become powerful just by roaring," someone sneered at Rocky.


    Rocky turned around and saw a muscular guy looking at him with a sneer. Rocky remembered that he was from the Ximen Clan, so he came up to him and said, " I dare you to say that again."


    Though that guy was a head taller than Rocky was and he looked much stronger than Rocky, Rocky looked him in the eye without a sign of weakness.


    "I said you are..." Seeing Rocky was so arrogant, that guy retorted immediately, but Mia interrupted his words, "Do the two of you want to be punished?" That guy shut his mouth at once.


    Rocky was staring at him angrily, but as Mia looked at him coldly, he stopped his stare and smiled at Mia before he went back to the line.


    The man from the Ximen Clan stared at Rocky, dragging his finger across his throat.


    Rocky sneered and gave him the finger.


    The man''s face flushed with anger.


    "That''s all. Now you should all know the grade and the nature of your power," Mia said as she glanced around at the young men.


    "Yes, Ma''am," they answered in chorus.


    "Alright. If anyone makes no progress in one month, I have the right to kick you out without prior notice. I don''t want to hear any excuses. Do you understand?" Mia said seriously.


    "Yes, Ma''am," they all responded nervously. They could all tell she was not the kind to joke.


    "Now, every team will have one officer to teach you the pithy formula of nine grades of the Mysterious Dragon Skill. You only have two hours to memorize the nine formulas. Come back here after two hours. Basil, stay here," she commanded.


    The officers immediately led their teams to different parts of the field and began to teach them the formulas of the Mysterious Dragon Skill.


    Mia looked at Rocky as she pointed to one side of the field and said, "Go there and wait."


    "Alright," Rocky replied as he wondered if Mia wanted to play tricks on him. Then he walked towards the side of the field.


    Rocky seemed to suddenly remember something as he reached the spot where she pointed. He looked at his left hand and muttered, "What was that strange feeling? It felt like I want to fart but I couldn''t. But after I roared, it was so relieving, although I didn''t feel anything special..."

 Chapter 16 Strong Performance (Part One)

    When Rocky came back to his senses, he saw Mia coming towards him in graceful manner. She was like a top model showing off her sex appeal and wildness on the stage, especially when she was walking. Rocky enjoyed her lithe and graceful figure very much.


    Unfortunately, happy moments were always short.


    A moment later, Mia appeared in front of Rocky with her pretty face but her eyes as cold as ice. She eyed Mia and looked back and forth at him with a strange expression on her face.


    "Don''t look at me like that, or I''ll do something stupid." Rocky looked into Mia''s eyes and began to drift off into wild flights of fancy.


    "It''s strange that even after you have acquired the dragon spiritual power of the Holy Dragon Bead, you still do not show any nature of your power. Although the dragon spiritual power does not show its nature in you, there should be no problem with the Mysterious Dragon Skill that you have cultivated. And after you reach the third grade of cultivation, you may only be able to practice the common spiritual martial arts. But with qualifications like yours, I don''t know when you will be able to practice the Mysterious Dragon Skill to the third grade," Mia said. It was obvious that she didn''t harbor any expectations from Rocky.


    "You don''t have to look down upon me so much," When Rocky discovered that he was despised by Mia, he uttered, unwilling to admit his weakness.


    "I''m just trying to reach to the truth from the facts before me. You are the weakest among all the royal spirit manipulators I''ve ever met, probably even the weakest in history," Mia added, clarifying her views about Rocky.


    "As long as one sticks to his aim with great perseverance and has a firm will, things will change. Even an iron pestle can be ground into a needle if one makes up his mind. Well, how about we place a bet? If I can practice and reach the third grade of the Mysterious Dragon Skill, promise me that you will take me on a date," Rocky said in a serious tone.


    "You are still very young. Why on earth do you have those kinds of thoughts?" Mia seemed a little bit angry upon hearing Rocky''s words.


    "Oh, come on! I am already more than eighteen years old, and..." Rocky wished to speak out the truth, but he stopped on second thoughts. He was quite hesitant to say that although he was eighteen years old in appearance, he had the mentality of a thirty year old.


    "Forget it, I know you''ll certainly not dare to place a bet with me." Rocky''s eyes became sly, and he deliberately goaded her in a sarcastic tone.


    "Do you think, I will not dare to place a bet with you?" Mia snorted coldly and glared at him. She hesitated for a moment, and then seemed to make up her mind. She stared at him seriously with her beautiful eyes and said, "Well, I''ll place the bet with you. You shall have to achieve that goal within three months. If you can''t reach that goal, you will take all your belongings with you and leave this place immediately."


    "It''s a deal." Rocky thought it would not be so difficult for him to practice and reach the third grade of the Mysterious Dragon Skill within three months.


    "Do you really want to place a bet with me?" Mia truly wanted him to move back from difficulties, because theoretically, if a person wanted to practice the Mysterious Dragon Skill to reach the third grade, the fastest record so far was of six months. If the practitioner''s qualification was


    lesser, it would definitely take him at least one year. With that kind of qualification, she was afraid Rocky would not be able to reach that goal even after two or three years of cultivation.


    "Absolutely!" Rocky nodded his head with a confident look prevailing on his face.


    Looking at Rocky''s surging confidence, Mia couldn''t help wondering how that guy could have so much self-confidence. Maybe he was just a fool.


    "You just wanted to tell this after calling me over? If you have nothing else to say, I will return to my team." After Rocky finished saying that, he decided to turn around and rejoin the team.


    "Wait..." Mia, who brought back her thoughts to the present situation at hand, immediately stopped him and said, "I heard that you have not received any training before, so I will guide you alone first, lest you hold others back."


    "Why are you being so kind to me?" This time it was Rocky''s turn to feel that something was strange. ''I remember that she used to be tough on me. Why has she suddenly become so kind to me and wants to instruct me alone? Has my charm suddenly increased?'' he thought to himself.


    "Whatever! As long as you, a great beauty, is willing to teach me, I will learn wholeheartedly. It doesn''t matter what you teach me. What matters is that we should be able to communicate easily and efficiently!" Rocky immediately seized the opportunity to demonstrate his ability to chase after girls in the modern world. He moved into a quick stylish pose, pretending to look mature.


    "You called me a great beauty, didn''t you?" Mia''s eyebrows twitched faintly in curiosity.


    "I intend to call you Mia, but I think it might be a little too abrupt," said Rocky with an embarrassed face.


    "Do you think so?" Mia sneered, and the whip in her hand suddenly flew out and in an instant it wrapped around Rocky''s waist. She flung him directly into the air and suddenly took back the whip, without any hesitation or mercy.


    "Ah!" With a scream, Rocky fell to the ground from mid-air and was seriously injured.


    ''The Bodhisattva suddenly turned back into a tigress. It is true that a woman''s heart is a deep ocean of secrets, '' Rocky thought to himself.


    "I warn you that if you talk irresponsibly towards me again next time, I''ll whip you till your skin cuts open and the flesh is torn. Is that clear?" Mia walked up to Rocky and warned him coldly.


    "Yes. I will remember your warning." Rocky, who was badly beaten by Mia, got up from the ground. He looked to be in extreme pain. ''This woman is too mean. Is she having her period today? She is too moody. Well, since I am a great man who rarely stoops to pettiness or harbors grievance for past wrongs, today I will not get into a fight with her, '' Rocky thought to himself.


    Mia glared at Rocky and said, "First you have to sit cross-legged. I''ll teach you the first-grade formula of the Mysterious Dragon Skill." As she spoke, she quickly sat down cross-legged.


    Following her action, Rocky too sat down, face to face with Mia.


    "If you look at me with dirty thoughts again, don''t blame me for gauging your eyes out!" When Mia saw Rocky staring at her in a strange way, her eyes suddenly became as cold as ice.


    "You can''t blame me for that," Rocky said, looking very innocent.


    "You..." Seeing that Rocky was still trying to justify his shameless behavior, Mia became so angry that she was about to wave her whip again.

 Chapter 17 Strong Performance (Part Two)

    "Okay, I will try not to look at you again." Rocky had a few moments ago suffered great pain. He didn''t want to experience it again, so he pretended to look away immediately.


    Mia also was not in the mood to argue or fight with Rocky. She took a deep breath to calm herself down a little bit and began her lecture: "The so-called spiritual method is a magic method that makes the spiritual power condense in your body and circulate in the meridians of the whole body. Besides, it can release the spiritual power out of your body to produce some effect... To learn the spiritual method, you must guard yourself against arrogance and rashness. It is necessary for you to learn it step-by-step with great patience.


    Now I''m going to teach you the basic circulation of spiritual power. You shall first make your spiritual power rise and let the breathing go down to your elixir field."


    "Would you please tell me where the elixir field is?" Rocky asked in a weak voice, not wanting to annoy her.


    "You don''t know that also?" Mia felt that she had put herself into trouble. If she had known about his situation, she would have found someone else to teach this guy.


    "I have lost my memory, so I don''t remember the most basic common things." Rocky pretended to sigh plaintively.


    "You''ve lost your memory?" Mia was slightly stunned to hear that, but she immediately returned to her normal state and said, "Lower abdomen, navel, and half finger..."


    "Navel, half finger..." Rocky gesticulated with his finger near the navel, then he took a deep breath. Suddenly his expressions changed and it appeared as if he was having constipation.


    "What are you doing?" Seeing his strange behavior, Mia couldn''t help asking.


    "You asked me to make my breathing go down to the elixir field, didn''t you? Therefore, I am trying to make it go down," Rocky said solemnly.


    After hearing his words, Mia couldn''t stop herself. At first she felt annoyed, but it also amused her. She took a look at Rocky and hesitated for a moment. She suddenly put her fingers together, and a silver light like flames rose from her fingertip immediately. She pointed her fingertip towards Rocky''s lower abdomen.


    Rocky felt like something had suddenly jumped into his body from his lower abdomen. It was a little itchy and tingly, but it was not painful.


    "I will demonstrate the circulation route of meridians in your body with my spiritual power. If you can''t remember it, I will no longer teach you," Mia told Rocky staring at him. While reading the formula of the first grade to be taught to Rocky, she used her spiritual power and injected it into Rocky''s body to circulate the spiritual power in his meridians starting from his abdomen.


    After a round of circulation, Mia withdrew her hand and asked, "Do you remember it?"


    Rocky nodded with a smile.


    "Really?" Mia asked him uncertainly, because she felt that even if she taught the most basic spiritual method to him, Rocky would take at least half a month to learn it. Another thing was that when she used her spiritual power to enter Rocky''s body, she found his spiritual power to be very weak. It was almost equal to nothing. It was no wonder that when he was tested just now, he could hardly release the dragon spiritual power. With such weak spiritual power, it would be very difficult for him to form a circulation.


    ''It''s not his fault that he has poor qualifications, but he should have some self-knowl


    edge. I''m afraid he won''t be able to stick to his cultivation. Sooner or later, he will choose to give up. I really can''t understand why the Holy Dragon Bead chose such a weak person to merge, '' Mia thought to herself.


    Quickly Mia came back to the present situation. She saw Rocky reading his pithy formula for the first time and gathering up the little weak spiritual power in his body. Rocky then began to form a circulation of the spiritual power according to the meridian route she had just guided him with. Although his spiritual power was so weak, she could vaguely see a bright spot swimming in Rocky''s body. Rocky completed the first circulation of the spiritual power, and surprisingly he didn''t make even a single mistake.


    "You are able to remember the whole process after only one practice?" Mia was really surprised at Rocky''s performance. In fact, she was just saying it casually, because even the gifted spirit manipulators found it hard to distinguish the meridian route of the spiritual force''s circulation when they just began to learn the spiritual method. At least she hadn''t seen one who could remember it completely after one time. More importantly, Rocky didn''t even know the exact place of his elixir field till now. Therefore, it was hard to accept that he was able to complete the circulation of the spiritual power on his own after she guided him just one time.


    "Is this supposed to be very difficult?" Rocky asked Mia with a smile when he saw that she was surprised by his performance. It was undeniable that he really didn''t find it difficult. He was born with a strong memory, for he could even memorize the genetic code of animals backwards. Even if he was asked to remember the cultivation of the spiritual method, the meridians circulation or any other abstract knowledge of which he had never heard before, he could quickly remember and master them with ease.


    Mia stood speechless.


    ''This guy obviously has very poor qualification, but he can master the circulation of the spiritual power at one time. How can that happen?'' Mia couldn''t understand the contrast in the abilities of Rocky. ''If one masters the circulation of spiritual power in one attempt, he must have extremely high talent and qualifications. However, Rocky was that kind of spirit manipulator who seemed to have no talent, '' Mia thought to herself, and she was in great doubt.


    "Is there something wrong with what I just did?" Rocky couldn''t stop himself from asking her. He was confused when he saw that Mia had stopped talking, "No, Whatever you did is very general. There is no big problem with that," Mia said against her will.


    Later, Mia passed on the formulas of the other eight grades of the Mysterious Dragon Skill to Rocky. This too he remembered at one go.


    "You shall continue to practice. When the time comes, come and gather with others." Saying that, Mia turned and walked away.


    ''Am I too smart to scare her?'' Rocky thought to himself. He gave a loud laugh and continued to concentrate on his cultivation. He laughed because he knew that this was the first step that would make him stronger.


    At the same moment, Mia, who had walked a few steps away, suddenly turned and looked back at Rocky. She had an odd look as she softly murmured to herself, "This guy is really quite strange. Her Royal Highness asked me to take care of him, but it seems like a difficult task as he seems to know just exactly how to piss me off."

 Chapter 18 No Time To Run

    About two hours later, Mia ordered everyone to gather around.


    Rocky returned alone. The moment he saw Mia, he nodded his head and smiled. But Mia couldn''t help but roll her eyes.


    ''She truly is an unpredictable and fickle woman, '' Rocky thought to himself.


    "I believe that you should be able to remember the formula of nine grades of the Mysterious Dragon Skill now because this would be your last chance to learn it. I won''t be able to teach you how to use it again. You must cultivate the Mysterious Dragon Skill at least two hours a day. Of course, the more time you spend on it, the more spiritual power you will be able to gain. The cultivation of the Mysterious Dragon Skill could greatly help you improve your dragon spiritual power. In particular, those of you who have weaker dragon spiritual power need to work harder than the others. Otherwise, I will weep you out in a month," Mia said as she looked at Rocky.


    "And do not forget to always take good care of your war beasts. The war beasts are the spirit manipulator''s alternative fighting strength apart from your own dragon spiritual power. In battle, your war beasts can actively fight for you while also protecting you from danger. Additionally, they can also help you resist any sudden attacks from your enemies. If a spirit manipulator can cooperate with their war beast perfectly, their strength will surely improve a lot. Therefore, your war beasts are as important as your own lives. Never look down on them. In particular, some of you might believe that once you have a stronger war beast, war dragon, spiritual beast, or spiritual dragon in the future, you will be able to release the war beast that you possess now which is why you don''t feel the need to take good care of them. I shall warn you that having that attitude is something you will regret when the day comes," Mia said strictly.


    "After I dismiss you, do you know what to do next? If you dare loaf on the job, I will have you running all night," Mia added seriously as she looked around. She ordered two deputies to supervise the training as she left with the other deputies.


    The young men ran around the dragon field at once except for three other young men.


    If Rocky also ran ten laps like the others, he would be able to finish much quicker. But Mia asked him to run twenty laps which left him unwilling to run. Mia didn''t say when he had to finish running twenty laps, so he had the freedom to run around the dragon field on his own pace. Other young men had finished running five laps while he only ran less than two laps and even happily sang tunes as he did.


    But at that time, Rocky didn''t notice the big red figure in the sky. Except Rocky, everyone''s attentions were drawn to it as they stopped to watch it.


    "Dragon! It must be a dragon!"


    "So powerful! I don''t know when I would be able to possess a war dragon. If I do, I would be very happy even if it is a very normal one."


    "Me too! Even if I had to spend all my money on it, I would be willi


    ng to do it without hesitation!"


    "You could only dream! If you want to take control of a dragon, you must be a royal spirit manipulator and have the strength above the Earthly Stage. Even if you can meet the said conditions, you would only be able to control a war dragon of one star. Dragons are much harder to control than normal war beasts and spiritual beasts. You need to have impeccable strength to control them."


    When these young men exclaimed, the red figure quickly rushed to the back of Rocky.


    Rocky heard a loud roar behind him. He turned his back and then saw the big red dragon, blocking out the sun. Rocky was surprised by what he saw.


    "Dragon?" Rocky couldn''t forget the first time he met a dragon, the one controlled by Shirley. He almost died during that time. Who owned this red dragon? As he raised his head, he saw a beautiful woman watching him coldly as she sat on the back of the red dragon.


    "Mia," Rocky shouted with a painful expression. All of a sudden, a bad feeling crawled up his spine.


    He didn''t know what to expect. Rocky didn''t react until the big dragon opened his mouth to fire from his hip.


    He shouted out, "Oh, my god!" At once, Rocky was terrified so he ran as fast as he could. He thought that the woman was not only capricious but also malicious.


    "Scarlet Flame Dragon, go play with him and have fun." Mia softly touched her dragon.


    The Scarlet Flame Dragon flapped its huge wings to closely run after Rocky. It would occasionally spit fire with its mouth leaving Rocky no choice but to run faster and faster.


    As soon as the leading young men saw Rocky''s painful situation, they all laughed loudly and applauded.


    "What do you think you''re doing? Do not dare to stop running. Do you want to end up in the same situation as him?" two deputies shouted at the young men.


    The moment they heard it, they immediately grew nervous and continued running again.


    Rocky didn''t know how long he had run. He was so exhausted that he was starting to fall over his own feet. But the Scarlet Flame Dragon had no plans on waiting for him. Suddenly, his right arm caught the dragon''s flame. At that moment, his right sleeve was singed away in places.


    "Oh, shit! I thought you were just kidding. You are serious," Rocky cursed in his mind. Mia didn''t show him any mercy. Rocky had to run as fast as his legs could carry.


    Rocky panted heavily as he ran slowly. Finally, he fell down on his knees and had to use his hands to support his body.


    But the Scarlet Flame Dragon was not going to stop anytime soon.


    "Howl! Howl!"


    All of a sudden, a tiny figure rushed towards Rocky in an attempt to protect him from the attack of the Scarlet Flame Dragon.


    Rocky turned round and saw his war beast. ''Does it want to save my life?''


    Mia who was sitting on the back of the Scarlet Flame Dragon only wanted to teach Rocky a lesson. Once she saw Rocky''s war beast, she didn''t want to cause any more trouble and asked the Scarlet Flame Dragon to stop.

 Chapter 19 Magical Effect

    As soon as the Scarlet Flame Dragon laid eyes on the little beast, it roared in a panic and immediately lost control, as if threatened by a formidable enemy. It rushed towards the little beast, preparing another fire attack in its mouth. It seemed much more forceful than before.


    Mia''s eyes widened in surprise at the sight of this. She tried to calm down the Scarlet Flame Dragon but that was totally unsuccessful.


    When Rocky saw that his little beast was in danger, he struggled to stand up and scooped it into his arms in a flash. At this very moment, a furious ball of fire blasted out of the Scarlet Flame Dragon''s mouth. The flames engulfed Rocky in a matter of seconds.


    "Oh no!" Mia was caught off guard.


    The others on the spot were awestruck with amazement to see such a powerful scene as well.


    Scorching heat overwhelmed Rocky. He could see nothing but raging flames around him, as if he were in the depths of hell. The conflagration seemed to melt him into ashes. His skin was burned black, and the pain almost killed him.


    "Is this the end of me? No, it can''t be! I haven''t done anything I want yet. How can I die like this? No! No way!" Rocky''s eyes lit up, his desire for life bursting out. Simultaneously, the Dragon Spirit Mark on his left arm began sparkling. Shining ribbons surged up from the Dragon Spirit Mark and began to spin, forming a forceful vortex. The vortex sucked up the flames in a flash!


    The second the vortex absorbed it, a flicker of Rocky''s dragon spiritual power broke out and began to grow rapidly and fiercely.


    Rocky, however, hadn''t noticed the surge of his dragon spiritual power.


    Mia, in the meantime, had succeeded in pacifying the Scarlet Flame Dragon. It was panting wildly, smoke billowing out of its mouth.


    Mia was stupefied to see that the furious flames disappeared suddenly. She left the Scarlet Flame Dragon and walked to Rocky. "How has this happened?" she called out to him as she drew nearer.


    "You are so cruel!" Rocky cradled the little beast in his arms and clenched his teeth as he looked up at Mia, rage bubbling up in his chest.


    "Are you all right? I didn''t want this to happen," Mia said, pursing her lips. She hadn''t expected her Scarlet Flame Dragon to lose control at all.


    Rocky''s lip curled in anger and he ignored Mia. He then began checking whether his little beast had been injured by the fire attack.


    "Why did your war beast run out? The cage should be locked," Mia asked when she saw the poor little beast. Although she hadn''t figured out why the Scarlet Flame Dragon lost control, she was sure that it had something to do with the sudden appearance of that little creature. If not for it, this would


    n''t have happened.


    But what intrigued Mia was the very fact that such a little beast would come to protect its master as soon as it noticed Rocky was in danger.


    Typically, an untrained war beast was timid and scared in front of a stronger one, especially if it were a dragon. Dragons were the most superior of the spiritual creatures, after all. The Scarlet Flame Dragon would usually petrify other beasts, especially ones as low-ranked as Rocky''s!


    This little beast, however, showed no fear at all and even wanted to fight against the Scarlet Flame Dragon to protect its master. There must be some special reason, unless it was just rather stupid.


    "Nope! I didn''t lock the cage," Rocky answered.


    "You are so ridiculous! Don''t you know how dangerous it is?" Mia was exasperated.


    "Don''t make it out to be my fault! You''re the one to blame. You fooled me first," Rocky answered angrily.


    "That was because you ignored my order!" Mia shouted, glaring at Rocky.


    "Humph!" Rocky curled his lip in disagreement.


    "Have you forgotten? You said you could reach the third grade of the Mysterious Dragon Skill in three months. But look at you now! You can''t even achieve that goal in over three years!" Mia yelled at him.


    "I don''t need you to remind me of that. In three months, you will see," Rocky sneered. He then stood up with the little beast cradled in his arms and stomped away.


    After returning to his room, Rocky put the little beast on his bed and then sat down next to it. He took off his coat and was greeted with a large scar on his right arm. He could not help but gasp in pain.


    "Is there a clinic around here?" Rocky muttered to himself. As he tried to get up, the little beast cried and began licking Rocky''s wound.


    "Good boy! But your saliva is not medicinal," Rocky laughed, stroking its head. But after a few seconds, he was utterly flabbergasted to discover that his scar had become smaller and the pain had been alleviated.


    "Holy moly! What a magical effect! Your saliva is amazing! How did that happen?" Rocky exclaimed, and his science-loving mind aroused. He held up the little beast and began studying it. He then put it down after a while, lost in thought. Rubbing his chin, Rocky murmured, "If only I had the equipment! I would be able to extract your cells and study on your genes."


    It seemed that the little beast understood what Rocky said, so it jumped out of Rocky''s arms immediately and curled up at the corner of the bed.


    "Ha-ha! Don''t worry, little guy! I will never dissect you and make you into a specimen," Rocky laughed. A sudden thought occurred to him and he slid over to his little beast, gently flipping it over to check its limbs.

 Chapter 20 Brand New Match

    Rocky had just wanted to check what caused its disability, but he immediately discovered that it had no sex organ. Aside from that, it seemed anatomically identical to normal animals. But it wasn''t normal at all! Its saliva had magical healing properties.


    ''I''ve done so many genetic experiments. I bred a gecko which has the similar healing ability as this beast. But the gecko can only heal itself, while this beast''s saliva can heal human wounds too. It must have some special genes, '' Rocky thought to himself, utterly fascinated. Unfortunately, he was not able to take his war beast back to his world, and he couldn''t do genetic experiments with the technology in this world. All he could do was to look at the beast and wonder what kind of special genes it might have.


    But Rocky found an easy way to test how the power of its saliva was. He bit his finger and put it close to the beast''s mouth. The small beast did not hesitate and bit his finger, sucking hard. When Rocky pulled back his finger, he found the wound had already been healed. He bit on the wound which just healed and put the finger into the beast''s mouth again. He pull it back at the same time as before, noticing that the wound had not been completely healed.


    He tried several times and came to a conclusion: though its saliva had a powerful ability of healing, the healing power was less potent after repeatedly curing the same wound. It meant that his body had produced antibodies to its saliva. He deduced that the human body did not have the same elements as its saliva.


    Then Rocky continued to examine its four legs. Soon, he found a small scar on its left hind leg. A red gash indicated that the wound apparently had just healed. He gently applied pressure on it and the beast immediately screamed. It struggled in his arms and looked to be in great pain.


    ''Looks like its left hind leg was cut by something when it was just a newborn. And it might have damaged a hamstring. My little beast still managed to heal the wound when it licked itself instinctively. So the beast raiser didn''t realize that it had been injured and instead thought it was born disabled, '' Rocky inferred. His little war beast was not born disabled! Rather, it had been wounded by accident!


    After figuring this out, Rocky instantly went to the yard and snapped two hard twigs. Then he tore his tattered right sleeve off and ripped it into strips, tying the two twigs on its left hind leg which kept the leg from touching the ground. If its hamstring had really been wounded, it would make the wound worse if it put pressure on its left hind leg.


    The beast now could not maintain its balance still since it could only stand on three legs. After falling on the bed several times, it gave up and lay on the bed crying in pain, staring at Rocky with tearful large eyes.


    "It will be alright, little one. It''s for your own good. Once you recover, you can walk and run freely like the other war beasts," Rocky petted its head with a smile.


    His war beast seemed to understand what he said. It tried to carefully stand on its three legs. Though it was still shaking, it did not fall down again. But Rocky couldn''t help but laugh at its comic appearance.


    Night fell, and the setting sun turned the clouds a vibrant shade of cherry red.


    A man dressed gray robes entered the room, holding two big pieces of bloody meat that were at least five kilograms each. He flung the meat in front of the two cages after entering Rocky''s room.


    He was about to leave the room when Rocky stopped him and asked, "Are these raw pieces of meat for the war beasts?"


    "Of course. You think they are for you?" the man in a gray robe retorted impatiently.


    "Do you have any other food such as vegetable


    s and fruits? If the war beasts only eat meat, they will become obese and have high cholesterol. And their fighting capacity will be weakened. I have observed the war beasts here, their genetic structures are different from the regular animals. They should have a healthy diet like human beings in order to make sure they are healthy," Rocky explained to him at once.


    "Are you insane?" the man in a gray robe cursed him and left the room immediately.


    "You are insane! I am an expert on animals. Some of the transgenic animals which I studied and bred can run faster than cars or crash down a wall. Many countries'' military sources were trying to persuade me to uncover some animals'' genetic sequencing, but I refused them all," Rocky said arrogantly, despite knowing that it would be to no avail anyway.


    Someone was beating a drum outside the room and said loudly, "It''s time to have supper!"


    "Looks like you have to eat with me from now on," Rocky murmured to his little beast. Carrying his war beast in his arms, he followed the other men out of a red gate, passing through a long lobby. After entering a small gate, they saw a yard with several long tables. One of these tables was laden with food, behind which two cooks were serving food to the boys who had fallen in line.


    No one had taken their war beast with them except Rocky. Once again, they looked at him with contempt and laughed at him.


    Rocky ignored them. When it was his turn, the cook reminded him kindly, "The beast raiser had already sent the food for war beasts to your rooms."


    "I know, but the nutrition is not enough if they eat meat and nothing else. They might get obese," Rocky answered him seriously.


    "What should war beasts eat if they don''t eat meat? Grass?" Hearing his words, those boys laughed out loud. They considered Rocky as a madman.


    "The war beasts are omnivorous animals. They can replenish vitamins by eating grass. Anyhow, my war beast will eat the same food as me," Rocky replied coldly. ''Soon you will know how stupid you are. Some genetic structures of animals are similar to human beings," he thought to himself, frowning.


    "I have been working here for a long time, but it is the first time that a royal spirit manipulator is willing to eat with his own war beast," the cook smiled at Rocky and he gave him an additional half portion in case one was not enough.


    Rocky turned around holding the meal box and found that all the seats were almost taken. Seeing Rocky come up to them, some of them even put their feet on the seat beside them so that he couldn''t sit.


    At last, Rocky found a quiet corner and directly sat on the ground. He began to eat his supper with the war beast.


    ''Oh! I can''t believe I''ve forgotten to give you a name, '' Rocky suddenly thought while watching his war beast gulp down the food happily.


    He thought for a while and decided on ''Uriah'', which crossed his mind when he thought that his war beast was unlike a dragon. His opinion was that it was more important to have an impressive name than to have a nice one.


    Finished with their meal, Rocky returned to his room holding his Uriah. He saw Flint slicing the meat with a sharp knife and throwing them into the cage where his tiger-faced war beast was locked.


    "Only eating meat is not enough for him," Rocky said.


    "The initial months of the war beast''s life are very important. Eating much meat can strengthen their physique and muscles to increase fighting capacity," Flint replied after glancing at Rocky without any emotion.


    "Strengthening them is good, but once your war beast meets a foe who moves fast, it will have no vantage to win. Its muscles can only help itself hold for a few minutes longer," Rocky said, smiling slightly.

 Chapter 21 It Grows Fast

    Flint was genuinely surprised. Basil always looked weird and out of place, but what he said made sense. But Flint stood by his opinion. "My Could Tiger is a powerful war beast, which means it must have a strong body build. Otherwise, its primary function would be suppressed."


    "You''re right about that. However genes are main factors that control everything. They can determine qualities like power, speed, et cetera. A war beast''s genes determine its strengths. That''s not just something you can change by adjusting diet. If, however on the other hand, this war beast can change its genes, then it would be something truly magnificent," Rocky explained seriously. His past as an authority in genetic engineering continued to influence his thoughts.


    Flint looked more and more surprised as he listened to Rocky talking nonstop about his theory. He could not understand any of the terminology and was thoroughly perplexed.


    "What determines a war beast''s constitution is not meat; rather, it is the protein inside the meat that does the job. But beasts also need carbohydrates. Based on what I can see of your war beast, I recommend food with high concentration of starch like sweet potatoes. Not only will it reduce the extra fat from taking too much protein and keep it from being overweight, it will also improve its physique." Rocky decided to give him some understandable insights instead of explaining something too jargonistic and abstract, seeing how Flint was having a hard time trying to make sense of what he said.


    "You sound like you really know your stuff. Yet you selected a war beast of less than one star," Flint said drily, glancing at the little beast in Rocky''s arm. He appeared rather incredulous about the stuff Rocky was spouting.


    "Don''t underestimate it. Its saliva is special..." Rocky was going to show off the special healing power of his war beast, but he changed his mind and decided to learn more about Flint''s war beast instead. "Does your war beast have any special ability like spitting fire or water?"


    "Only dragons and some special spiritual beasts can do those. Ordinary war beasts can only use their physical power. There may be some war beasts also gifted with special abilities. Yet it is very rare, unless they are able to evolve spontaneously," explained Flint.


    "I see. Do any of the spiritual beasts have saliva secretions that heal wounds?" Rocky asked, trying to seem subtle. He braced himself for the answer.


    "Saliva? You''re kidding! I have never heard saliva from any spiritual beasts can heal wounds. However I once heard the secretion of a spiritual dragon could heal nearly anything, but they only existed hundreds of years ago. They went into extinction a very long time ago." Flint rolled his eyes at Rocky. This was common knowledge, and yet this peculiar guy apparently had no idea. Flint once again felt very disdainful towards him. Maybe the previous talk about genes was just a bunch of nonsense.


    "How can you be so sure about their extinction?" Rocky faked a smile to cover the question in his mind. ''This war beast clearly is not a dragon, and it can''t possibly have anything to do with spiritual dragon. However its saliva has the same healing power as that of a spiritual dragon. Could it be a special war beast? If so, I definitely stumbled on something extraordinary!''


    "Let me ask you, those war beasts at the stable, were they born out of artificial mating?" Rocky asked, a light bulb going on in his head.


    "There are many reproduction methods for war beasts. And there is no single method that could cover it all. Normally war beasts for the spirit manipulators are all captured at a very young age from some dangerous and mysterious place in the Wild Spirit Land. They are then fed and trained until they mature enough to connect to a spirit manipulator. This method also goes for both spiritual beasts or dragons," Flint explained a little exasperatedly.


    "Dangerous and mysterious place? Where is that? Can I go?" Rocky appeared really excited. He wondered if he could catch a couple of young war beasts to study their genes and reproduction. He was still thinking about creating a new species. Perhaps, he could create a powerful war beast! He would then have his own place in the entire Wild Continent.


    "You want to go there? I am sorry to tell you, but it would take spirit manipulator who is above the Heavenly Stage to enter places like Beast-slaughtering Valley and Cloud Deity Gully where many war beasts reside. Given your current strength, you will just become an afternoon snack for most of them." Flint laughed at Rocky''s blind ambition.


    "What about dragons? Where can I find one of those?" Rocky was still feeling optimistic.


    "You can forget about those! If you want to catch one, you will have to go to the Hell of Dragon Fang. It is a place where only the spirit manipulators above the Supernal Stage can go. If you do not have such strength, the only thing you will find there is death!" Flint grew solemn and warned Rocky.


    Rocky looked disappointed, and yet he continued probing. "How are these war beasts or spiritual beasts graded accordingly?"


    "That depends on the level of mutation demonstrated by each war beast. More stars indicate a higher level of mutation. Take my Cloud Tiger for instance. It''s a two-star war beast, because it has two scorpion tails while other ordinary one-star cloud tigers have only one tail. The head, wings and tail are the common places where mutations are easily spotted. And of course there are some special mutations which occur inside their bodies, like having multiple organs. Even thei


    r bones can mutate sometimes." Flint gave a detailed explanation.


    "I see. May I borrow your Cloud Tiger for some study?" Rocky looked at it, eyes shining with expectation. Compared to his own little beast, Flint''s Cloud Tiger looked more valuable for research.


    "No. I am going to practice now. Do not disturb me!" Flint said bluntly. He had grown quite bored of their conversation. After feeding his war beast, Flint hunkered down on his bed and began his own practice without talking to Rocky.


    "Little fella. Let''s go for a walk!" Rocky said loudly just to annoy Flint, who was clearly ignoring him. He then took his little beast and left the room as he needed to find a quiet place to study its saliva first.


    Rocky exited with his war beast through a door at the courtyard. After crossing an opening, he saw a bamboo grove rustling under the moonlight. Rocky went into it and moved forward in the dark. Suddenly, he heard the sound of water. He looked around and found the reflection of the moon shining on a body of water to his left. He kept walking towards the depths of the grove where he came upon a cliff where water was dripping down into a pool below.


    "This place is quiet. No one will come and bother me here in the middle of the night." Rocky sat on a rock by the pool, carrying Uriah. He caressed its head tenderly and muttered, "This may be a little uncomfortable. Please bear with me." He then opened its mouth and checked its oral structure.


    Rocky soon discovered a small knob in its upper teeth. He put two fingers on it and squeezed gently. Suddenly, it emitted a white light and then a droplet dripped down onto one of his fingers. Rocky discovered that the droplet stuck to his finger like a pearl, staying completely intact.


    "The healing powers of Uriah''s saliva. Does it have something to do with this droplet?" Rocky smelled the droplet on his finger and detected a light aroma. There was no foul smell. After several looks and a few moments of hesitation, he put his finger in his mouth and licked the droplet off. Instantly, he felt a clear stream spreading from his mouth to his throat and then the rest of his body, which was extremely comfortable.


    "This tastes so nice!" Rocky felt rather intoxicated by it.


    At this moment, Rocky felt his body twitch and his heart rate increase greatly to dozens of beats per second. It seemed to be just a beginning as he felt all of his blood began to rush at a crazy speed. All of his veins seemed to have expanded, squeezing his muscles as if they were going to burst right out. Within seconds, blue veins covered his entire body, including his face, forehead even his scalp. His appearance became like that of a ferocious and frightful monster.


    "What is happening to me?" Rocky widened his eyes with astonishment. They were blood-shot and bugged out of his face like they were about to explode. His body was now out of control and metabolizing at an extraordinary speed. Before long his body was exhausted and thoroughly drenched with perspiration. Along with the sweat, some black substances had come out. Rocky felt extremely fatigued and he knew he was at his weakest.


    Just as his body was about to crash, the Dragon Spirit Mark on his left arm flickered. It was not very clear nor strong yet the second it showed, he felt his inner spiritual energy moving according to the path depicted in the first grade of the Mysterious Dragon Skill.


    With the change of his physical condition, the moving of his spiritual energy was much faster than before. The full circulation of his spiritual power, which normally took an hour, now only took fifteen minutes. Such speed was extraordinary, and Rocky even felt a little scared.


    His weak spiritual power was being strengthened with each circulation. Although it was increased not by much with each circulation, given the extraordinary speed of his spiritual energy, it was still improving quickly. More importantly, with the continuing circulation of spiritual energy, the mutation of his body was slowing down.


    When Rocky finally regained consciousness, nighttime had passed. He opened his eyes and saw sunlight filtering in through bamboo leaves. He could hear birds chirping and water babbling. Then his memory of last night flooded back to his mind, sending chills running down his spine.


    "I thought I was going to die!" Rocky breathed with relief. He turned around and saw Uriah sleeping next to him. The little beast was sound asleep, as if it had no clue that its master had almost died last night.


    Rocky thought about it and he believed that the mutation that had happened to him last night definitely had something to do with the droplet from Uriah. The source of the healing power of his saliva might come from this droplet, and his experience last showed him that the droplet was more capable than healing wounds. It could improve the quality of his body greatly.


    "Damn! I''ve been knocked out here all night. Mia will definitely give me a hard time if she catches me." Rocky thought of Mia, and pretty as she was, she turned into a scary spirit in his head. He picked up the still sleeping Uriah and jumped off the rock. The moment his feet touched ground, he was surprised to find that his body was very light.


    It was like his entire system had improved significantly in one night. He was no longer weak and ill. In fact, he felt like he had unlimited power in his body. Meanwhile he noticed that his spiritual power, which had been just a spark, had now turned into a ball of fire. Although it was still very small, it had progressed exponentially since the previous night!

 Chapter 22 Breakthrough

    Rocky collected his thoughts on his way back to the quarters. He was sure that the healing properties of Uriah''s saliva came from the mysterious liquid coming from the bump in its mouth. What was magical about the liquid was that it helped expedite metabolism and regeneration. Cells, organs, and blood could be reformed or refreshed by the liquid, so when Uriah licked Rocky''s wounds, its saliva alleviated his pain and cured the lesion like magic.


    "That liquid is definitely worth taking an extensive look at," Rocky marveled.


    As he rushed back to his room, Rocky saw that the other young men were heading for the dragon field for training. So as soon as he put Uriah in the room, he shut the door and ran to the dragon field as fast as he could. By the time he arrived, they had already started the physical fitness training under Mia''s strict instruction. Following her orders, each of them lifted a huge stone up and down simultaneously.


    "Sorry, I''m late!" Rocky said to Mia.


    Mia turned to glare at him, her brows knitting together, while the others grew excited to see that Rocky was going to be punished again.


    "Run twenty laps around the dragon field! Don''t cheat or play any trick! A deputy instructor will look at you. Don''t forget the lesson you learned yesterday!" Mia yelled with a poker face, and she then ordered a deputy instructor to supervise Rocky.


    Rocky nodded and began running around the dragon field. After the new change that took place in his body, he felt it easy to finish the twenty laps and wasn''t tired at all. After he finished, he joined the others and began the physical fitness training.


    Most of them were out of breath after the whole morning, but Rocky was still full of vigor despite the intense training.


    "Did he take some special medicine or something? Why doesn''t he feel tired at all?" someone questioned.


    "That''s so weird! He was as weak as a kitten yesterday, but now..." said another one, gasping for air.


    "He must have cheated!"


    They shot Rocky suspicious scowls and murmured among themselves. They were all clearly perplexed at Rocky''s new demeanor. Rocky soon realized he was being scrutinized. In order to clear the air, he pretended to collapse with exhaustion in the afternoon training.


    Late that night, Rocky took Uriah to the pond in the bamboo grove again.


    "It''s a risky try, but it''s worth another shot." What happened to his body had been exquisitely amazing after he swallowed the magic liquid. Rocky desired to experience it one more time.


    Although he knew well he was taking a gamble on his life, it could very well prove an effective shortcut to make him stronger. He made up his mind to try it again despite the high risk.


    Rocky repeated what he did yesterday. He opened Uriah''s mouth and took a drop of liquid from its bump. But he didn''t take it directly this time. Instead, he picked up a bamboo leaf from the ground and folded it into the shape of a bowl. He then used the bamboo bowl to get some water from the pond. After he had mixed the liquid with water, he slowly drank it up.


    After a moment, the same sensations took place, but they were not as strong and fierce as yesterday''s, owing to the dilution. Rocky was going through the transition much better this time and began cultivating the first grade of the Mysterious Dragon Skill. He closed his eyes and began the meditation, channeling his dragon spiritual power to his energy meridians.


    The night was over when he finished his cultivation.


    As he opened his eyes, the first ray of sunlight appeared. He had finished with the circulation of the dragon spiritual power through his energy meridians forty-nine times. A whole process of the circulation usually took two hours, but he had completed nearly fifty in merely a night! His cultivation speed had advanced by leaps and bounds. Rocky then sensed his dragon spiritual power and he was ecstatic to find that it had achieved great progress.


    "Ha-ha! The liquid is so amazing! I wonder if it''s on par with the magical effect of dragon''s saliva. Maybe I should call this magical saliva! My dear Uriah! You are my mascot!" Rocky exclaimed with a wide grin as he held up the sleeping beast.


    After taking a refreshing bath in the pond, Rocky snuck back to his room. As he slightly opened the door, he was greeted with the sight of Flint.


    "Hi, Flint! You''ve gotten


    up so early!" Rocky laughed awkwardly as wondering whether Flint would ask about where he went. After all, he had been away from his room for two nights. And he was thinking about a reasonable excuse to answer Flint.


    But Flint just glanced at Rocky and greeted him with a nod, and then left the room right after.


    "He is really a weird one!" Rocky let out a deep sigh of relief. Then he got into the room and changed clothes for training. After he gently laid down the sleeping Uriah on his bed, he headed for the dragon field.


    In the following days, after he finished the training at day, Rocky would sneak into the bamboo grove at night for cultivation, using the magical saliva to help him.


    It took him only two days to reach the first grade of the Mortal Stage.


    After a week, which marked ten days since Rocky had come to the dragon field for training, he had reached the second grade. This level of rapid progress was totally unprecedented. He had also begun cultivating the second grade of the Mysterious Dragon Skill.


    However, nobody had noticed his breakthrough in cultivation, including Mia. The trace of his dragon spiritual power was still as weak as they felt before.


    Because of the magical effect of the magical saliva and the intense daily training, his body had undergone extreme changes. He had firm muscles over his limbs and now even had a four-pack of abs. He had grown taller and stronger, too. He no longer was the weak and feeble Basil. Now, he carried an air of confidence.


    However, troubles came to visit him as well.


    When he finished his training one day, the man from the Ximen Clan went to the dragon field with two other trainees and made trouble for Rocky again. When the other young men saw that, they surrounded the four and waited for a good show.


    Rocky remembered that he was named Bear Ximen. It was quite befitting, because he really looked like a bear.


    "Hey! You! My boys want to play a game with you. Do you dare to accept the challenge?" Bear yelled at Rocky, raising his eyebrows. After what happened between him and Rocky last time, he had been nursing a grudge. But he knew well that he would get severe punishment because of stirring up a quarrel, so he took two men with him this time. He was not stupid enough to pick a fight with Rocky in person. The two men were his new subordinates, who were the perfect choice to teach Rocky a good lesson for him. No matter what happened, he would not be taking the fall for their actions. But Rocky would be the most miserable one anyway.


    Rocky sneered and shot Bear Ximen a cold glare. He wasn''t born yesterday and could tell what Bear had up his sleeve. He would not fall into his trap anyway, so he just ignored Bear and got ready to leave.


    Bear was infuriated by this. He nodded and squinted at the man with a crew cut, gesturing for him to make a move.


    The man strode forward and put his hand on Rocky''s shoulder. Rocky stopped at once. He turned to the man and asked indifferently, "Can I help you?"


    The man smirked and activated his Dragon Spirit Mark as Rocky turned his head to him. A dazzling light appeared and he channeled the dragon spiritual power to his fist and threw it at Rocky''s face.


    The spectators smiled as they witnessed this. They all thought that Rocky was going to be taught a good lesson this time. The man with a crew cut was in the first grade of the Mortal Stage, after all! Of course, they still thought that Rocky hadn''t reached this level yet. It was as easy as blinking an eye for the man to beat the living daylights out of Rocky.


    But to their surprise, when the man''s fist was only an inch close to Rocky''s face, a brighter light flashed like lightning.


    "Bang!" The man was thrown into the air and smashed away on the ground. He struggled to get up for a while but failed.


    Everyone''s jaw almost fell to the ground when they saw this picture. Only now did they realize the changes that had taken place with Rocky. The trace of his dragon spiritual power had grown much stronger than before.


    "The first grade of the Mortal Stage!? He has reached it!? How is that even possible!?"


    "That''s no way! I remember he hadn''t even reached that level a few days ago! How could he make such huge progress in only a few days?"


    To their further surprise, the strong trace of his dragon spiritual power disappeared right away.

 Chapter 23 Capable of Being Arrogant

    "Maybe we have made a mistake," some of them said in confusion, scratching their heads at the disappearance of the trace of Rocky''s dragon spiritual power.


    Bear was surprised to see Rocky knock back the man with a crew-cut, but he still refused to believe that Rocky could have reached the first grade of Mortal Stage. He still saw Rocky as a loser.


    "Go! You can hit him harder," Bear said to his other follower, a stout man who had a round face.


    The man walked towards Rocky as he was eager to kick Rocky''s ass.


    The other men murmured among themselves about how hard Rocky would be wounded, because this trainee was at the second grade of Mortal Stage. It was possible that he ranked eighth or even higher among the thirty young men. Rocky would not be as lucky as just now.


    ''You have mistaken the sleeping tiger for a cat!'' Rocky thought as he saw Bear send a man at the second grade of Mortal Stage to fight with him. He could tell his power was a pretty good match to this second adversary. Though he did not want to cause trouble, they would not just leave him alone.


    Rocky looked into his eyes, emitting a sharp aura.


    He had enhanced his power a lot in the past ten days. He was also more and more skillful at the control of the Dragon Spirit Mark. His previous rapid punch was a testament to this. So he was pretty confident that he could handle this one.


    The second man was now close to Rocky. Suddenly, he rushed quickly towards Rocky and reached him in a flash.


    ''So fast!'' Rocky instantly stepped back. The man kicked twice in the air ferociously. In the twinkling light, the dragon spiritual power turned into a wind which rushed towards Rocky like two sharp knives.


    Apparently, compared with the trainee who had a crew-cut, this one had mastered the Dragon Spirit Mark much more adeptly. Moreover, he was faster than Rocky because he had the dragon spiritual power of Wind nature.


    The man with a round face gained the upper hand in this fight and he suppressed Rocky at once.


    Though Rocky swiftly dodged the two kicks, the next moment his right shoulder was almost hit by a formidable punch. He could not withstand the power of the intense attack and stepped back again.


    The nature of their dragon spiritual power became the determining factor in this fight as they were at the same grade. Since the nature of Rocky''s dragon spiritual power was not shown yet, it was an uphill battle for him.


    While Rocky was knocked back again, his opponent launched another sharp wind punch that was so fast and powerful. It made a loud whoosh.


    Everyone thought that Rocky would be knocked down by this one.


    Realizing he had no time to dodge this attack, Rocky immediately released the dragon spiritual power in the Dragon Spirit Mark. He crossed his hands before his face as the Dragon Spirit Mark emitted multicolored light. In the next moment, the wind punch hit right on the Dragon Spirit Mark on Rocky''s arms. The spiritual power suddenly devoured by the light emitted from Rocky''s Dragon Spirit Mark.


    In a blink of an eye, the wind punch was totally drained of its power.


    "What! He blocked the attack!" the other men exclaimed in surprise. No one had expected that he could block that ferocious punch.


    Even Rocky himself found it odd that he could block this attack so easily. It reminded him of what had happened the day he saved Uriah from the fire, but he did not notice it as he was hurrying to save his war beast. He suddenly felt that the dragon spiritual power inside his body had increased a little.


    "Is there anything special in my dragon spiritual power? Is it related to the Holy Dragon Bead?" Rocky abruptly smiled at the dumbfounded man in front of him as he released the dragon spiritual power in the Dragon Spirit Mark again. He shouted loudly, "Let me show you my power!"


    Rocky released the power to show his strength at the second grade of Mortal Stage. The spiritual pow


    er turned into a twinkling fist shadow and rushed towards the face of his foe. With a loud pop, two bloody teeth flew out of the stout man''s mouth as he was knocked unconscious.


    "This is what happens to those who cross me," Rocky said coldly as he looked at the crowd with terrible bloodshot eyes.


    Everyone, especially Bear, was shocked to see him release a power at the second grade of Mortal Stage. They wondered how he managed to improve his power from under the first to the second grade in a mere ten days!


    His speed of improvement was incredible! After all, even talented people needed several months to improve their power from the first grade to the second grade of Mortal Stage.


    "What are you doing!?" A scolding voice rang out. All of them looked back and saw Mia bounding angrily towards them. They scattered in a panicked rush.


    Bear slipped away, foreseeing that the situation would be unfavorable to him.


    Mia looked at the two boys lying on the ground, soon realizing that one even had passed out. Her face immediately grew stern as she sensed that Rocky had reached the second grade of Mortal Stage. However, she calmed down at once.


    "What happened?" Mia asked Rocky, seeing he stood right in front of the boy who had passed out.


    "They provoked me first," Rocky answered, crossing his arms. He was still thinking about why his dragon spiritual power could absorb the dragon spiritual power of his second opponent.


    "Is that true?" Mia asked the rest of the men who did not have enough time to run away.


    They hesitated and looked at each other before they nodded nervously.


    "Take them to the infirmary. The rest of you, continue to train," Mia instructed them.


    Soon some of them accompanied the two injured boys, leaving Rocky alone with Mia.


    "Ma''am, don''t stare at me like that. I will think it''s malicious," Rocky couldn''t help teasing Mia as she looked at him from head to toe.


    "When did you reach the second grade of Mortal Stage?" Mia asked gruffly. She finally noticed that Rocky''s physique was much stronger than before. It was hard for her to believe that a person who had been weak and had no talent could have such a great improvement in several days.


    And what surprised her most was that she even had never sensed his increasing power in these days.


    "Well. It was all on account of my hard cultivation. After all, I made a deal with you. I''ll do anything to win the bet," Rocky replied in a flirtatious voice. He was confident that he could make these great improvements because of the magical efficacy of the magical saliva.


    "Don''t be glib. It''s a good thing to improve your power, but don''t do it through dishonest ways. Many spirit manipulators have gone off the rails because of some bad ideas. None of them came to a good end," Mia warned him. Though Rocky''s speed of improvement was quite fast, she did not believe that Rocky could still be so efficient, at least not naturally. After all, the cultivation would become more and more difficult and time-consuming.


    "I will bear your words in mind. May I leave now?" Rocky asked as he bowed exaggeratedly.


    "Fighting without my permission is forbidden in the dragon field. From tomorrow, you have to work in the kitchen for three days. No training," Mia said to Rocky coldly.


    "They hit me first. Why do you only punish me?" Rocky complained as he shot her an indignant look.


    "You still fought with them, didn''t you? I will punish them as well. Don''t tell me how to do my job. Now I will only warn you once. If you do it again, I will kick you out of here," Mia said sternly.


    ''Humph, one day I will let you know I am not as weak as you think of me, '' Rocky looked at Mia discontentedly before he left.


    ''Is it because of the Holy Dragon Bead that he can improve his power at such a high speed?'' Mia looked at Rocky''s receding figure and was perplexed. It was the only possible explanation she could think of.

 Chapter 24 The Unexpected Trip To The Bazaar

    After being criticized and punished by Mia, Rocky felt rather depressed. Since his training was suspended, he returned to his room. The moment he entered his room, he saw Uriah, his war beast, in bed kept kicking its left hind limb. All of a sudden, Rocky seemed to understand what Uriah was trying to do. Immediately, he picked up Uriah and helped it remove the strip of cloth and the two twigs that were used to cure the injured hamstring in its left hind limb. As soon as it felt that its hind limb was free, Uriah jumped out of Rocky''s arms on to the ground. It landed steadily on the ground with its limbs. There seemed to be no pain anywhere. In an instant, it began to jump back and forth jubilantly. It was evident that its injured hamstring had been completely cured.


    "Look at you! How happy you are!" Rocky said with a smile. Seeing Uriah jumping on the ground jubilantly, Rocky felt that his depression was all gone. It was replaced with the joy of seeing Uriah jumping around.


    At that very moment, Flint, Rocky''s roommate, came in. He saw Uriah jumping with ease. With a slightly startled and puzzled look on his face, Flint asked, "Wasn''t your war beast born with a disability? How is it able to move normally now?"


    "No, it wasn''t born with any disability. It just had a hamstring injury in its limb. Now it has recovered," Rocky replied casually.


    "But how did you know it was injured?" Flint was even more puzzled on knowing about Uriah''s injury and healing.


    "I happen to have gained some knowledge about medicine." Rocky made up a random excuse. The era in which he was living now, there were no professional veterinarians at all, so his war beast was commonly considered as a disabled beast since it was born. Modern medicine was a subject existing only in the era of his previous lifetime. He was lucky that he still had his memory from his previous lifetime. Thus, equipped with some common knowledge about modern medicine, he was able to find out that his war beast was not disabled but just injured.


    "That''s good! My war beast, Cloud Tiger, seems to have a poor appetite. It seldom eats anything. Can you help me with it?" Flint said, pointing to the tiger in his cage.


    "Yes, but on one condition," Rocky said and winked at Flint with a wicked smile.


    "What''s the condition?" Flint asked at once.


    "After your Cloud Tiger is cured, I want to borrow it for study purpose," Rocky told Flint. He had great interest in learning everything about Flint''s tiger, so he had to make use of such a good opportunity.


    Seeing Rocky''s wicked smile, Flint hesitated for a while, but finally nodded in agreement. Other than relying on Rocky, Flint had no other good option now.


    Rocky immediately walked near the tiger''s cage. He saw Cloud Tiger lying inside in low spirits. Its face was listless. Its body was much fatter than it had been a few days ago, and from time to time it would open its mouth and spurt a bad smell. After the careful observation, he seemed to find out the reason why the tiger was not feeling well. He asked Flint at once, "For how many days have you keep it in the cage?"


    "I''ve been busy training these days. And at nights, I need to have more practice. I had no time to take care of it, so I''ve been keeping it in the cage from the last few days," Flint explained carefully.


    "No wonder it is not feeling well. I think it probably suffers from indigestion as it has eaten too much and lacks exercise. How much do you feed it every day?" Rocky asked after making his diagnosis.


    "In addition to its own share, it also ate your war beast''s share. I saw that your war beast wasn''t eating, so¡­" Flint told with a little hesitation and embarrassment.


    "I told you earlier also to stop feeding it so much raw meat. You just don''t listen to me. From tomorrow, you should go to the kitchen and get some sweet potatoes and vegetables for it. Don''t let it eat meat any more. Also, at lunch time, take it out for a walk and let it bask in the sun for some time. In this way, your time of training or practicing will not be affected and your war beast will be in good shape," Rocky suggested.


    "But, is that enough?" Flint seemed unsure about Rocky''s simple suggestion.


    "You just take care of your tiger like I told you. After three days, your tiger will be energetic again!" Rocky said with great confidence.


    At that point, they heard the drum, which indicated that it was dinner time.


    "Don''t forget what you have promised me," Rocky reminded. He quickly picked up Uriah who was jumping happily on the ground and walked out of the room for dinner.


    At the dinner hall, Uriah didn''t stop jumping. He behaved like a child with hyper-kinetic syndrome, which soon attracted the attention of the other young people dining in the hall. They all had known that Rocky''s war beast was born with a disability. But after a few days, suddenly, it was bouncing so happily.


    "Hey, wasn''t your war beast supposed to be disabled since it was born? How is it able to move normally all of a sudden?" someone, who couldn''t control his curiosity, asked Rocky.


    "It''s a secret!" Rocky said softly and left them in suspense intentionally.


    Not long ago, Rocky had defeated a young man with a crew-cut hairstyle and a stout young man. He had shown the strength possessed by one at the second grade of Mortal Stage, which had surprised all of them. Now, on seeing Rocky''s disabled war beast suddenly moving normally, they began to look at R


    ocky in a different way. But it was still not enough to make them look at Rocky with respect, because the idea that Rocky was a good-for-nothing person had been deeply rooted in their minds.


    After dinner, Rocky went to the kitchen to ask for a small empty bottle. Then he went directly to the clear pond in the depths of the bamboo grove with Uriah in his arms. He wanted to store Uriah''s magical saliva. He wanted to directly store it in the small empty bottle, which would be convenient for his current use and could also be used in the future. Earlier, he had to take the magical saliva from Uriah''s mouth before each practice and he found it very troublesome, so he came up with such an idea.


    But after he dropped three drops of saliva from Uriah''s mouth into the small empty bottle, he couldn''t get any more, and Uriah was now looking a little listless.


    "Does it mean that I can get only three drops of the magical saliva per day?" Rocky frowned and immediately began to feel a little distressed. Had he known the fact earlier, he would have collected more of the magical saliva at the beginning.


    Unaffected by the distress, Rocky diluted the magical saliva with a little water. He drank it and began to practice as usual. After the practice, he also studied the Dragon Spirit Mark on his left arm. He was making an effort to find out what was the special part about his dragon spiritual power.


    In the blink an eye, the night passed off. Early next morning, Rocky didn''t go back for training. To punish him for his brawl, Mia sent him to the kitchen to do the scouring work for three days, so he went straight to the kitchen.


    "So, it is you who''s been punished to do chores at the kitchen," one of the two cooks commented the moment Rocky entered the kitchen. The cook''s name was Jerry. He was always nice to Rocky when he saw Rocky have dinner with Uriah.


    "Is there anything I can do for you?" Rocky asked with a bitter smile.


    "Well, the ingredients in the kitchen are running out. I''m going to the bazaar outside the palace to buy some. I need a person to help me. If you don''t mind, you could come along with me for the shopping," Jerry suggested politely.


    "Outside the palace?" Rocky repeated and his eyes flickered with excitement. He didn''t have any chance earlier to see the world outside the palace as he had been staying in the palace since his soul came to this era. Thus, he was eager to get onto the unexpected trip outside the palace. At once, he replied, "I''d love to go with you."


    After some quick preparations, Jerry drove an empty carriage, accompanied with Rocky and his war beast, Uriah. They headed towards the bazaar immediately. After passing through the dragon field and several gates of the palace which were heavily guarded, they got out of the palace. Then they crossed the moat surrounding the palace across a huge stone bridge, and passed through an extremely magnificent gate. Finally, Rocky saw ancient business streets bustling with people making it quite noisy. It was really like what was shown in the famous painting, Along the River During the Qingming Festival*.


    (*TN: A famous painting in China. It captures the daily life of people and the landscape of the capital during the Northern Song.)


    As Jerry was driving the carriage along one of the streets, Rocky was dazzled by the many things he saw. He saw carriages, horses, a vast crowd, and the straight, spacious and crisscrossed streets made of ancient stones, rows of ancient buildings extending all the way to the end of the street, and the shops on both sides of the street, which were selling all kinds of stuff.


    Soon, Rocky spotted many spirit manipulators carrying their own war beasts. Some of them were even inferior to a one-star war beast. Also, some of the manipulators didn''t even reach the first grade of Mortal Stage, but they had the nerve to swagger at the street with a proud look on their faces. Rocky even noticed that when the ordinary crowd saw them, they immediately stepped aside to make way for them. They didn''t dare to provoke them.


    ''Wow! I never expected that spirit manipulators with such low strength could be so arrogant! Then, as a spirit manipulator at the second grade of Mortal Stage, I can be much more arrogant, '' Rocky thought, secretly laughing.


    Along the way, Rocky also saw a lot of shops selling various war beasts. Unfortunately, he could not get off the carriage to have a look at them.


    Before long, the carriage entered a very lively bazaar, which had a supply all kinds of food and ingredients. The bazaar was full of people.


    "Basil, help me hold the horse," Jerry said as he got out of the carriage.


    "All right!" Rocky replied energetically. Quickly, he got out of the carriage, took the rein of the horse, and followed Jerry, who began to buy ingredients.


    After an hour or so, the carriage which had been empty was now filled with a variety of ingredients.


    "Basil, our shopping is almost finished. Now, I just need to go east of the downtown to buy rice and grains, which I can finish on my own. If you want to hang around on the streets and buy something, you can do it now. We''ll meet an hour later at the large gate near the moat. Have fun but don''t forget our meeting time," Jerry instructed him.


    "Thank you so much, Jerry!" Rocky expressed his sincere appreciation. It was a pleasant surprise and his eyes were gleaming with joy. Soon, he left Jerry and began to wander around leisurely.

 Chapter 25 Breathtaking

    Rocky had already left the bazaar. On his way, everything he saw drew his attention. Although where he currently lived was not as convenient as it was in the technological time, it was very common to see all kinds of bizarre things on the street. Aside from war beasts being sold, he also witnessed many stall keepers selling so-called magic elixirs to enhance spiritual power while some sold really weird treasures. Of course, Rocky knew that most of them were fake, but he still enjoyed observing the fantastic eye-opening images.


    But what intrigued Rocky most was still the selling of the war beasts. Every time he saw a shop that had war beasts for sale, he would immediately enter the shop without hesitating. Although some of the war beasts looked fierce, none of them was in comparison with his Uriah. They were all low star rated ones that could only be raised as pets. Nevertheless, he still had great interest in checking out them.


    Because he knew he could still learn a lot by observing them. No matter the species or the abilities they possessed, those war beasts were still widely different from any modern animal. The war beasts in this world served as a brand new research field for him in his animal genetic study. He needed to collect more information on the war beasts as much as possible in preparation for his future research and genetic experiments.


    But after observing for a while, he discovered that those war beasts for sale didn''t really add much value to his research. The only relevant information he acquired was that war beasts could have endless variations. But it was not enough for his research at all.


    As Rocky walked around the shops, he also heard many stories about different war beasts.


    In the Wild Spirit Land, spirit manipulators were as many as the stars in the sky. Thus, war beasts were also a very common sight to everyone. But the spiritual beasts, especially dragons, were far more rare and harder to find. Also, most of the spirit manipulators didn''t have the capacity to control such spiritual beasts, so going for war beasts was the only logical choice for them. At the same time, merchants liked to smell the marketability of war beasts.


    But the war beasts being sold on the streets were useless to most spirit manipulators. They weren''t very different to pets in the modern time. If a spirit manipulator wanted the real thing, a professional beast stable would be their best choice. Those beast stables sold and also bought different war beasts. They have beast evaluators that appraised the quality of the war beasts. If you really wanted to make the most out of what you could pay, it was the right place to go. Some better beast stables even sold spiritual beasts and other far rarer spiritual creatures like dragons but only a few people could afford the price.


    The most famous beast stable was called the ''Super Beast Farm''. They said that the beast stable had very powerful supporters. It was where you could find all sorts of war beasts you wanted. And Rocky heard that a valuable spiritual beast had just been sold a few days ago.


    "I guess the Super Beast Farm is a good place to go for my research," Rocky said to himself.


    All of a sudden, Uriah roared and jumped out of his arms. It landed on the ground and turned to glance a


    t Rocky as it rolled its eyes. It then rushed away and was gone in a matter of seconds. Rocky could no longer see its figure in the crowd.


    "Stop! Uriah!" Rocky yelled in panic. He was afraid that Uriah would lose its way so he tried his best to follow it.


    The scene of a human chasing after a beast attracted a lot of the people''s attention.


    "I shouldn''t have brought it out in the first place," Rocky said with regret. He soon found that Uriah was headed for a certain direction instead of just running randomly. After a while, he found himself standing in front of a city gate.


    Once Uriah saw the city gate, it grew more excited and rushed out the gate in an instant.


    "Is it because of its oestrum? Is that why it''s running out of the city... to satisfy itself? Hold on! Is Uriah a girl or a boy?" Rocky was thinking of the possible reasons as he was chasing after Uriah.


    The moment Uriah ran out of the city gate and turned towards a grove beside the road, Rocky almost lost it. Fortunately, he noticed the footprints it left on the ground and went into the grove immediately.


    After running around in the grove for a while, Rocky found Uriah crouching on the ground beside a bush and looking at something. He slowed down and rolled up his sleeves to catch Uriah. Rocky planned to give Uriah a lecture once he got it back. However, he froze on the spot as he got closer to Uriah.


    Uriah was crouching beside a woman, who hunkered down on the ground with her head low. Although Rocky couldn''t see clearly what her face looked like, her slender and curvy figure immediately caught his attention. Her purple robe accented her body''s curves. Long flowing locks of hair flowed down to her waist. She was wearing a white bow on her hair. He immediately found her charming.


    Meanwhile, Rocky also noticed a faint ivory halo sparkling around the woman which made it seem like she was carrying a veil of snowy light. It gave her a holy aura.


    Rocky could feel the strong trace of spiritual power from the woman and as he stepped closer, he was immediately overwhelmed by the pressure of her strong power. He guessed that this woman must be a formidable spirit manipulator.


    But it seemed like the woman had no idea that Rocky was approaching. She was as still as a statue.


    "Could she be dead?" After hesitating for a while, Rocky went forward and patted Uriah''s head. However, his head went blank and the only thing he could hear was his heart thumping the moment he saw her face after crouching down.


    "She is so beautiful!" Rocky marveled.


    He was stunned by her fine delicate features: fair skin, rosy lips, a prominent nose, and long eyelashes that trembled in the breeze. Her face was the greatest masterpiece of God and Nature. She closed her eyes and remained to be quiet and still. It seemed like everything in the world had nothing to do with her. Rocky was wondering what her eyes would look like if they were open.


    Neither Lena nor Mia could compare to the beautiful woman right in front of him.


    "Hey. Are you alright?" Rocky was not entirely sure how Uriah ran into such a gorgeous woman. But if it wasn''t for Uriah, he wouldn''t be able to meet her. Rocky almost jumped out of joy and wanted to give Uriah a big kiss just to show his appreciation towards it.

 Chapter 26 Powerful Strange Women

    Rocky soon noticed that the woman in purple robes was injured. She had bloodstains on the corners of her mouth. He could not tell if she was alive so he tried to softly pat her on the shoulder.


    The woman in purple robes suddenly opened her eyes. She looked at Rocky so coldly that he felt a chill crawl up his spine.


    "A-are you alright?" Rocky wanted to talk to the woman in purple robes, but she didn''t seem to notice him as she murmured to herself, "I didn''t expect her to find me so soon." She then burst out an overwhelming energy with a dazzling light that was so strong that it knocked Rocky down to his knees.


    ''She is so powerful. Not just powerful, too powerful!'' Rocky was caught off guard by the strong power of the beautiful woman in the purple robes. He stood up and looked at her once again, the girl then jumped in the air and flew away in lightning speed.


    Rocky was still frozen by astonishment. It took him a few minutes to calm down. He then immediately looked at Uriah and said with a forced smile, "Uriah, I didn''t know you would like this kind of woman, an extremely powerful one. Weren''t you afraid that she could''ve killed you? Who on earth was she?"


    All of a sudden, Rocky heard rumbles from not too far from them. There was a faint light shining in the woods. It looked like something was about to be torn apart. Rocky hesitated whether he should leave the place immediately in case he was about to get into some trouble. He knew it was something that could put them in danger based on the astonishing power that the woman in purple robes displayed earlier.


    As Rocky was getting ready to turn around and return to the city with Uriah in his arms, he suddenly felt an intense heat burning on his left arm. He pulled up his sleeve and saw that his Dragon Spirit Mark was twinkling for unknown reasons.


    Meanwhile, he sensed a strong power arising from the direction where the woman went.


    "Well. We could probably go and take a look. It shouldn''t be that dangerous." Rocky couldn''t help but head to where the woman in purple robes might be because he was so curious about what was happening. It must be second nature to scientists. He thought to himself while walking, ''I wonder whether I could have the chance to make her my master? She was so powerful. If she agrees to become my master, I will definitely grow stronger under her guidance rather than being constantly tortured by Mia.''


    A few moments later, Rocky arrived in front of what seemed to be a gap in the air that emitted a colorful light. The vibrations caused by the strong power were coming from inside the gap.


    "What in the world is this?" Rocky instinctively touched the gap without thinking.


    In an instant, Rocky was sucked into the gap by a strange force. He felt like his soul has left his body for a second. He then saw astonishing scenery the moment he regained control.


    There were lots of holes on the ground. Fire and smoke could be seen everywhere. The ground caved in and cracks were all over the place. Judging by how it looked, the entire place was on the brink of collapse.


    "What the hell? Is this the end of the world?" Rocky w


    as shocked as his eyes widened. He thought that he was either in a dream or he has completely lost his mind. He couldn''t think of others reasons to show up in this place when he was just in the woods a few seconds ago. The scene he saw in front of him was as terrible as the scenes in the disaster films he used to watch.


    The next moment, a strong wind suddenly began to blow. Rocky could feel the wind cutting his skin like a sharp knife. He was in a lot of pain. Hearing the loud rumbles, he looked up to the sky and saw an even more shocking scene than before. Two giant beasts were in the middle of an intense battle. One was white while the other was yellow. Rocky felt like he was watching an ultra-realistic and stirring 3D film. Every impact made the ground tremble.


    The two giant beasts were definitely bigger in physique and had stronger momentum than the two dragons of Shirley and Mia. They were like the kings of the beasts.


    The yellow beast had five heads that looked a lot like snake heads. Each head had a ferocious face that continuously spouted golden liquid-like bombs. The liquid corroded the ground and was probably the cause of the big holes he saw earlier. It was about twenty meters in diameter with its two wings spread out. Rocky was frightened because the yellow beast almost blotted out the sun as it flew overhead.


    "Five heads? Could this be a five-star beast? Oh my God..." Though Rocky did not know whether this yellow beast was a war beast or a spiritual beast or any other special beast, he deduced that the giant beast was at least a five-star beast according to the easiest ways to recognize a beast''s star level that Flint had taught him.


    Rocky looked at the other one. Compared to the yellow one, the white beast looked more normal so Rocky assumed that it was a dragon. The white dragon was as elegant and arrogant as a queen with its two heads held high. Though the white one only had two heads, it had two pairs of wings. The four wings were transparent and light like gauze which were different from the dragons wings Rocky had seen before.


    This white dragon''s speed was much faster than the yellow beast, so the liquid bombs that the yellow beast spouted could not reach it.


    Two beams of light from the sky suddenly struck the ground. One was ice blue while the other was bright blue.


    The light burst out an amazing blast the moment it hit the ground. The blast caused a small and fierce sandstorm which spread around so fast that Rocky was almost blown into the sky. The light vanished as two figures appeared.


    ''It''s her! The gorgeous woman we just met.'' Seeing the two figures, Rocky was surprised as he immediately recognized that one of them was the beautiful woman in purple robes that he had just met in the woods.


    Rocky then noticed the other charming figure. She was wearing a huge blue cloak that covered her face. But he assumed that she was as powerful as the woman in purple robes based on the strong momentum she emitted.


    He could sense that the two women''s powers were definitely much stronger than Alston and Mia''s. They could possibly be the top masters on this day and age.

 Chapter 27 The Real Strong Ones (Part One)

    The two women who had landed from the sky did not even notice the existence of Rocky who was not far away. It was because Rocky''s spirit manipulator aura was too weak while theirs was too intense and strong. It completely covered Rocky''s aura.


    Besides, the two women never expected to find anyone there like Rocky, with such slim strength. Usually only those who were extremely powerful could gain access to the Magic Spiritual Space.


    The Magic Spiritual Space was a dimension created by the spiritual power of spiritual manipulators. It was the place where some powerful spirit manipulators farmed their spiritual beasts. The Magic Spiritual Space was created for the purpose of accommodating beasts and it didn''t matter if they were war beasts, spiritual beasts or dragons. They would all turn gigantic at some point as they grew up, which would make it difficult for them to be carried along. The Magic Spiritual Space was created for this kind of situation.


    Magic Spiritual Space also provided a place for duels between those with great power. It didn''t matter what kind of damage was done to the environment inside; it would not affect the outside world in anyway. Thus, it helped to protect the innocent and avoided any collateral damage.


    In the Wild Spirit Land, the threshold of power for opening a Magic Spiritual Space was above the Heavenly Stage. The size of the Magic Spiritual Space differed according to the power of those who opened it.


    The Magic Spiritual Space where Rocky was currently present looked boundless. This indicated that the spirit manipulator who created it was extremely powerful.


    Both the women were fighting against each other ferociously, even their war beasts were attacking each other relentlessly.


    "Marcia! Hand over what you took from the treasure chest or you will not make it out of my Magic Spiritual Space alive!" The woman clad in a blue dress suddenly shouted at the other woman who was in purple.


    ''Treasure chest?'' Rocky was excited when he heard those two women. It caught his attention that they were fighting for a treasure chest. He began wondering if he could get a chance to benefit from it.


    "Whatever was inside it does not belong to you! Why should I hand it over to you?" the woman named Marcia answered coldly with a lethal intent flashing through her pretty eyes.


    "And that makes it yours? With all due respect, don''t deny the fact that you took it from me. I have had my eyes set on that treasure chest for a long time. I would have taken that chest sooner if it weren''t for that five-star, grade-five spiritual beast!" The woman in blue stared at Marcia, sounding furious.


    "But I have killed that spiritual beast. So the treasure inside the chest is rightfully mine. And I intend to keep it." Marcia stared right back at her opponent, unwavering.


    ''A five-star, grade-five spiritual beast? That must be a really tough one. And that pretty one over there just killed it like it was nothing. Damn! If she takes me in as her disciple, I will be able to learn a lot from her, '' Rocky thought to himself with astonishment. From the moment he saw her, he knew that she was really powerful. Yet, he would have never thought that she could kill a five-star spiritual beast with such ease.


    "Then I will show no mercy and take it off your corpse." The woman clad in blue held up her right arm and squeezed. Her sleeve tore and a bright green light covered her arm. Vein-like lines appeared on her arm but they were thicker. It looked like the Dragon Spirit Mark but it was slightly different.


    "You can only wish for that! Yo


    u couldn''t take on a five-star spiritual beast. What makes you think you can take something from me?" Marcia sarcastically commented.


    "We are nearly the same in our power. Don''t be too cocky. Being one of the Three Great Generals in the Holy Dragon Empire, do you think you can do whatever you want?" The woman in blue clearly was not intimidated by her threats.


    ''Three Great Generals? And this woman is a general? No wonder she is so powerful. I wonder how old she is. She looks around twenty-five or twenty-six, yet the power she has demonstrated seems far beyond her age.'' Rocky''s mind was reeling with all that information. He was shocked when he heard that she was one of the Three Great Generals. He would never have thought of her that way, given her beautiful appearance.


    Rocky was also curious about the identity of the other woman, who was dressed in blue.


    "You are boring me now. What''s with the long speech? Let''s fight!" Marcia said, showing an eagerness to fight.


    "Let''s fight then. Do you think that I am afraid of you?" The woman clad in blue seemed to be angered by Marcia and the vein-looking lines shone green, which looked very beautiful.


    Rocky suddenly felt the ground beneath him shake and it grew more violent. Many thick veins popped out of the ground like tentacles. They kept circling and wriggling around the woman in blue dress.


    "Damn! I can''t believe you are into that shit." Rocky joked to himself. Suddenly one of veins shot out like a thunder bolt towards Marcia and reached her within seconds. It was so fast that it was barely visible to the eyes. Rocky couldn''t help worrying about Marcia.


    Marcia looked very calm. She blinked and stepped forward with one foot. A spiritual mark began to shine under her left sleeve.


    "Fang of Icy Dragon!"


    Two chunks of giant ice materialized in front of her leg. They morphed into two rows of fangs, like that of a dragon, opening and closing. They went straight for those veins. Snap! The incoming form of vein was bitten to pieces. The icy fangs still did not stop and made it all the way to the opponent within seconds. Two veins immediately crossed over and blocked its way. They took position in front of the woman dressed in blue. It caused an explosion that sent pieces of ice flying everywhere along with an icy air wave. The power of the Fangs of Icy Dragon was off the charts.


    Marcia made it in front of the woman clad in blue, under the cover of the explosion. "Dragon Slaying Punch!" She made a fist with her tender hand and immediately it sparkled like an icy ball of light. She then struck it across her opponent''s face like a bowling ball.


    "If she gets hit in her face, it will be a shame." Rocky was very nervous, rather he was even scared as he watched the fight between the two of them, because he knew that he would not last ten seconds if he had to face either one of them.


    The woman dressed in blue was not ready to back down yet. She saw the coming of that punch and crossed the fingers in front of her chest. Suddenly many flowers blossomed out of the vein-looking lines on her right arm. As they were blossoming, a lot of pollen spread out and instantly covered the vicinity of her position.


    Marcia stopped dead in her track as she saw the pollen with her face growing solemn. She pulled back from her opponent and landed a few meters away.


    "Is this the Deadly Powder of the Wood Clan? I have heard that it is one of the five most lethal poisons of the Wild Spirit Land. One touch and all the flesh will turn mushy. And then, death is imminent." Marcia said, looking concerned.

 Chapter 28 The Real Strong Ones (Part Two)

    "It seems like you do know a lot of things. However this is not the Deadly Powder. Instead it is the Poisonous Powder. I knew you were injured by that spiritual beast earlier and the powder you inhaled will exacerbate your wound. Very soon no one will be able to save you." The woman clad in blue wore a victorious smile.


    Marcia frowned as she realized that she had walked right into her trap. She was clearly luring her into a fight to attack with the powder.


    "Sneaky bitch!" Rocky was also angered by the trick. He found it too despicable.


    Marcia grew furious and the Dragon Spirit Mark on her arm expanded as her spiritual power went berserk in the form of shock waves. Rocky found it difficult to withstand those shock waves of spiritual energy. He felt humbled in the presence of such great power.


    She was really a powerful one!


    In an instant, Marcia cloned herself and there were a couple of more versions of her around. All those versions charged towards the woman in blue. The woman was not afraid and her right arm was shining with bright, green light. The veins around her became thick, like the roots of an ancient tree and they were as hard as rock. One lash and there was a deep crack on the ground. If a human was hit by it, he or she would be crushed.


    Very soon Marcia and the other woman were fighting on the ground with periodic bangs of explosions and light shining from their spiritual marks. It was like a storm of sand and ice sweeping the whole place. It was terrifying and awe-inspiring at the same time.


    Rocky couldn''t even see the figures of those two women. He could only guess their position by the ruins they had left in their path. The ground was caved in and sank in certain places, interspersed with small mushroom clouds here and there and earth-shaking explosions. The battle scene looked like a destructed field.


    Rocky could sense that the spiritual energy output from both of them kept on increasing. This made the encounter that was going in until now, look like just a warm-up. The level of spiritual energy was powerful like a tsunami now. It was making Rocky feel suffocated. He found it unbearable.


    Moments later, their battle went up a notch. It turned more intense with the ground shaking with further violence as the sun too got covered by the dust, spurred and stirred up by them. The spiritual energy now reached the place where Rocky was standing, causing strong air waves to fill up the space. Rocky was backing down yet he felt a giant rock pressing against his chest which made it difficult for him to breathe.


    As the fight kept on getting more intense, a slim figure suddenly shot out of the storm of dust. She backed down a couple of steps. She was shaking and had turned pale with blood coming out of her mouth.


    "It looks like that beautiful general has been hurt pretty bad." Rocky saw that the woman was Marcia and he couldn''t help worrying about her. However, there was nothing that he could do to help her. Being a rookie spirit manipulator he was of no use to her, while she was hundreds of times stronger than him.


    "You just took in my Poisonous Powder, yet you are using your spiritual power with no abstinence. You are as good as dead now." The woman in blue walked out of the storm, perspiring and panting. It was not being an easy fight for her either.


    "Just a tiny bit of poison is not going to stop me!" Marcia sneered. Just when she was


    about to charge at her again, she fumbled and landed on one of her knees. It appeared that she could no longer endure the wounds she had received.


    "Are you still going to try and play tough? Hand it over, or I will take it myself off your dead body. And I can be rough unlike some men around you." The woman clad in blue pressed on.


    "Not in this life of yours." Marcia bit her lips.


    "You asked for it." The woman in blue waved her right arm. Her spiritual mark shone and a vein in the shape of a whip materialized in her hand. She lashed it towards Marcia.


    Within seconds, Marcia''s clothes were ripped into pieces, revealing her snow white skin and attractive body.


    "Hand it over now!" The woman in blue whipped the air with a sudden movement again and loud lashing sound.


    Marcia looked determined while the other woman was losing her patience. She raised her whip again.


    Marcia suddenly shot a cold look at her opponent. Someone like her would not just roll over and die. She had accumulated some spiritual power in her body for the final stand. Even if she died after this, she intended to drag the other woman with her.


    At that very moment a voice was heard. "What''s the fun in a girl fight? Do you care if I join you?" someone said with a frivolous tone.


    Both the women were stunned for a second. They had no idea who was talking or what the intention of the owner of that voice was. It still drew their attention and both of them looked in the direction of the voice.


    All they saw was a teenager swaggering towards them with the aura which projected his weak spiritual power.


    "Who are you? How did you get in here?" the woman dressed in blue asked with shock.


    "I do not know about it too! I just walked my way here and happened to see you girls play bondage. Seems quite exciting!" It was no one else but Rocky.


    Both the women looked incredulous because a Magic Spiritual Space was not a place for an ordinary spirit manipulator to just walk in. And it was specially not a place for a rookie spirit manipulator. What shocked them the most was that a rookie like him could still be so calm in their presence! Any other spirit manipulator would be extremely scared and escape if he could.


    The woman dressed in blue, moved. She showed up in front of Rocky in a flash. She took him by the collar and asked, "Who are you?"


    "You are too beautiful to be this rude." Rocky raised his hands, eyeing Marcia while he spoke.


    A small beast was running towards Marcia while the woman in blue was not watching in that direction. Marcia was at loss, seeing that little beast coming towards her with a bottle in its mouth. That little beast was Uriah. Inside the bottle, it was carrying its saliva which had healing power.


    Marcia looked at Uriah while it kept staring at her with its cute and innocent eyes. She caressed its head gently and turned to look at Rocky. She seemed to have understood what he was trying to do. She took the bottle immediately. A light aroma reached her nose when she opened the bottle.


    Without any hesitation, Marcia downed the two drops of its saliva which were in the bottle. The moment those droplets reached her throat, she felt they were like ripples of clear water. It began spreading out to her entire body. Suddenly she felt different, with her heart beat rising, blood running with a new energy. Her spiritual power started circulating at a very high speed.

 Chapter 29 Mysterious Tattoo

    "What kind of miracle liquid is it? Why does it work so well?" Convinced of the healing efficacy of the liquid Rocky gave her, Marcia had eagerly turned to her spiritual power to rid herself of the poison in her blood. Meanwhile, Rocky engaged the lady in blue. Unbelievably, her wound got healed in such a short time. She even got a significant boost of spiritual power. She had expended so much on fighting the lady in blue that she would normally suffer fatigue for a considerable duration.


    From time to time, Rocky would check on her recovery, pausing for a moment from his chit chat with the lady in blue. Just for showing up to help Marcia, he had taken a huge risk. Thank goodness, Marcia was one of the Three Great Generals of the Holy Dragon Empire, a highly respected position. Her heroics in battle too would earn her much more admiration. And Rocky, in saving Marcia would have the opportunity of Marcia admitting him into her school of discipleship.


    So he would go all out for a chance even if it meant putting his life on the line.


    Right now, he knew he was treading on dangerous ground as the wicked lady in blue was planning malice even as he tried to distract her with small talk. Not surprisingly, the moment the lady discovered he wouldn''t divulge any meaningful information, she wanted to kill him. Out of nowhere, she threw him to the ground, ready to kill. The spiritual mark on her right arm was flashing bright with a lethal spiritual strike force.


    ''Beautiful General, can you be faster?'' watching over Marcia, Rocky thought, beads of sweat breaking on his brow, desperately hoping for the girl''s safety.


    "Icy Dragon, go..." That very moment, a pretty silhouette flew past, interrupting him for a split second. Thankfully, when he looked up, it was Marcia, spreading out her arms. She had called forth two giant Icy Dragons, which charged to attack the lady in blue from the back.


    The lady had not seen this coming from Marcia. By the time she realized what was happening, it was too late. The two giant Dragons descended on her like a bomb. Two streaks of blinding-bright rays radiated and exploded on her with such incredible power that Rocky knew she''d be blown to pieces. The other''s spiritual power had gone to work almost immediately, but the damage was already done, leaving the lady in blue severely hurt.


    "How is it possible?" Rolling on the ground, the lady looked at Marcia in disbelief. Marcia had recovered in such a short period of time. It suddenly struck the woman that the Marcia''s miraculous recovery had something to do with Rocky. "Is that your trick?" she feebly asked, turning her gaze to Rocky. How on earth had he managed to resuscitate Marcia in such a short time?


    "Let''s wait and see!" Since she had expended half of her spiritual power in countering Marcia''s Icy Dragons, the woman knew she was going to lose the battle. The only way out for her was to beat a hasty retreat, which she did promptly. With a hand waving gesture, the same rift that Rocky had seen before, appeared on her side. Then she disappeared, waging a threatening finger at Marcia and Rocky as she receded into the breach.


    With a whizzing sound, the gigantic yellow beast that had hovered over the sky as the woman fought Rocky also disappeared into the rift.


    "That was so scary. Hey, pretty General, if you had delayed only for one more second, I would have died," Rocky said to Marcia who now stood by his side.


    But before Marcia could answer, the ground began to shake as the Magic Spiritual Space collapsed.


    "Let us get out of here fast," Marcia said, gripping Rocky''s left shoulder as she released her powers for flight. A rift appeared in front of them once more, much like the other lady''s. They both jumped in together with the white dr


    agon with four wings and left.


    Rocky had vertigo when they jumped. And a few minutes later, the scene before them shifted. They were brought back to the woods where they had been before in the rift. Immediately, the rift turned into a streak of light which disappeared in the air. But before he could stand, a dagger, decorated with dragon marks on the handle was held to his throat. At the same time, hovering in the sky was a white dragon with two heads and four wings, casting a dreadful shadow over him.


    "Who on earth are you? Why did you come to my aid?" a quiet voice inquired.


    "Hey, pretty General, is this the way you treat the man who saved your life? Besides, do I look like a bad guy? I think I''m very innocent Madam." Rocky realized the dagger on his throat was from Marcia. He rolled his eyes and raised his hands to demonstrate his innocence.


    Feeling embarrassed, Marcia asked, "The man who saved my life? That''s hilarious. I could have defeated the woman, even without your help." Of course, Marcia knew that if Rocky had not helped, she most likely wouldn''t have made it out alive. Even though she had given her all, her opponent was a cut above.


    "OK, I know you are powerful, no doubt about it. You are invincible. But can you hold back the dagger first?" Rocky pointed to the sharp dagger that was dangling dangerously close to his throat.


    "No way. Before I take it away, you have to tell me who you are? Why did you show up here in the Magic Spiritual Space?" Shaking her head resolutely, Marcia declined his request. Although Rocky had saved her life, she knew better not to trust him so easily. What was his motive? In taking on the woman who had attacked Marcia, he knew it was risky. But he still went ahead and put his life on the line, buying time for Marcia to recover. Why would he do that to a stranger? There had to be a catch to it.


    "Please calm down first..." At that point, Rocky shook his hand and pleaded.


    "Don''t try to deflect!" Marcia thought Rocky was trying to distract her. So she warned, her spiritual power set to strike at any provocation.


    But just then a powerful blast went off, catching both of them by surprise.


    When Marcia turned her back to Rocky, he caught sight of an elaborate silver tattoo with a lively pattern on her fair-skinned back. The dragon, soaring across the sky, was done in so intricate details that Rocky immediately knew it had very symbol meaning.


    "The tattoo on your back is very special..." Rocky said, looking at the tattoo more closely. Magically, the tattoo seemed to have been etched on his mind, instantly spreading out into map that led to a massive, highly guarded treasure trove.


    "Tattoo?" Marcia was puzzled. She must have remembered something that made her face turn white. There was a great secret, skillfully worked into the dragon tattoo on her back. It definitely could not be exposed. How had she let Rocky see it?


    "If you would ever look at it again, I will gorge out your eyes," Marcia snapped. The cold look on her face was enough to end a clear message to Rocky.


    "Sorry for that. But take it easy, it won''t happen again," Rocky apologized. By now, he knew Marcia well enough not to mess with her. So he meekly turned to look away.


    Meanwhile, Marcia summoned her spiritual powers to rip a rift into the Magic Spiritual Space from where she took more battle gear. Strapping on the amour, she looked magnificent. Flushing red, she bit her lip as she thought of Rocky''s naive smile. It was regrettable that he had crossed the red line. Now, she gripped the dagger tighter, her eyes filled by determination to kill him.


    "You saw the thing you were not supposed to see. I can''t keep you alive now." As she spoke, a strong force took control of the sword in her hands.

 Chapter 30 Spiritual Crystal

    Hearing Marcia''s words, Rocky knew that something bad was about to happen. As he expected, he immediately sensed a strong spiritual power behind him. Rocky then released his dragon spiritual power out of the Dragon Spirit Mark as fast as he could. As he did this, he turned around to block her attack. But she was so fast that the dagger could be thrust into his chest within the next second.


    "Dragon Spirit Mark? The dragon spiritual power?" Seeing the Dragon Spirit Mark on Rocky''s left arm, Marcia stopped attacking Rocky and called back her spiritual power.


    Rocky was relieved when he saw the dagger stop in front of him. It was within ten centimeters away from his chest. He was already trembling in cold sweat.


    "Are you a royal spirit manipulator?" Marcia put the dagger away as she asked Rocky. She looked at Rocky from head to toe and still could not believe that Rocky was indeed a royal spirit manipulator. If it wasn''t for her timely reaction, Rocky would have already been dead by now.


    "Bingo!" Rocky grinned. If he had known that she would give a royal spirit manipulator a free pass, he would have told her his real identity from the start.


    "Humph. Lucky for you. Tell me your name," Marcia asked Rocky as she stared at him coldly. Even though she was one of the Three Great Generals of the Holy Dragon Empire, she was not allowed to kill a royal spirit manipulator no matter how badly she wanted to. Royal spirit manipulators were considered to be the elite force of the Holy Dragon Empire and only dozens of people are capable of becoming one every year. They were the go-to people of the Holy Dragon Empire. Moreover, she used to be one of the royal spirit manipulators herself.


    "Rocky Bai. I just looked at it. You shouldn''t be easily injured with just a glance," Rocky complained as he was still a little frightened.


    "Shut up! Forget what you have seen. If I ever hear you talking about it to someone else, I will not hesitate to kill you and whoever you have told it to!" Marcia warned him in a chilling voice.


    "Trust me, I''ve already forgotten about it," hearing her warning, Rocky replied instantly.


    However, Rocky still has not realized that he had made a terrible mistake. The thing Marcia asked him to forget was the tattoo on her back which could be turned into a picture, but not the accident that he saw her naked.


    "Hoot!" the white dragon with two heads and four legs roared loudly overhead.


    "Snowy, are you getting hungry?" hearing its roar, Marcia asked with a warm smile. She then opened a gap in the air using her spiritual power and took out two yellow crystals to throw them up to the sky. The white dragon was called the Celestial Snow-white Dragon but Marcia calls it Snowy for short.


    The dragon opened its mouth and devoured the two yellow crystals.


    Rocky asked in confusion, "Why do you feed it with stones? Wouldn''t that give it indigestion?"


    "Stones? That is a yellow spiritual crystal. It contains special spiritual powers that could help spirit-manipulated beasts become stronger and evolve. There are six kinds of spiritual crystals. The special spiritual power they contain varies according to their colors. The hierarchy in ascending order goes: red, yellow, blue, green, indigo, and purple. As a royal spirit manipulator, how could you not know such basic facts?" Marcia stared at Rocky disdainfully.


    "Wow. So what''s the difference between feeding them spiritual crystals rather than regular food?" Rocky was interested in the spiritual crystals.


    "Any regular food would never be worthy enough to be compared with the spiritual crystal


    s. Even a red spiritual crystal which is the lowest spiritual crystal can upgrade a regular one-star war beast to the top level of the one-star. If it is a spiritual beast that is able to evolve, two red spiritual crystals are enough to upgrade it from the one-star level to the two-star level. The problem is that spiritual crystals are not common. Spiritual crystals are transformed from corpses of the most powerful war beasts, spiritual beasts, or some rare species which means that they can only be found in dangerous places, especially the top three levels of spiritual crystals. They say that only a few people possess them. In Snowy''s entire life, it has only eaten one green spiritual crystal. So regular spirit manipulators usually cannot get their hands on any spiritual crystals. Even a single red spiritual crystal should be regarded as a precious treasure by them," Marcia explained.


    ''Will my Uriah become more powerful if I feed it with one?'' An idea occurred in Rocky''s head. He considered whether he should ask Marcia to give him two spiritual crystals since he just saved her life. He would gladly accept them even if she gave him the worst ones she had.


    But Rocky was so interested in her two-headed dragon that had four wings so he decided to ask her about the dragon first, "What is the star level of your war dragon?"


    "War dragon? My Snowy is a five-star spiritual dragon," Marcia snorted.


    "A spiritual dragon? Isn''t that one of the most rarest dragons? Not to mention that it''s a five-star one!'' Rocky drooled over the dragon.


    "Rarity doesn''t mean absence. But I did a lot of work in order to upgrade Snowy to the five-star. It has probably eaten over three hundred red spiritual crystals. It has reached the point where yellow spiritual crystals can no longer upgrade it so they now only serve as its snacks. If I raised it the usual way, it would probably take it dozens of years or even hundreds of years before it reaches five stars. But Snowy is able to reach the five-star status within one decade. It is all thanks to the spiritual crystals. You could see that Snowy has four wings. These wings make it the fastest among all the beasts with the same star level. It gives it a huge advantage in aerial battles. Growing more wings is much more difficult than growing more heads or tails. Only extremely high level spiritual dragons like Snowy could develop them," Marcia said proudly. Snowy grew under her painstaking care.


    "Is that so? If I could rebuild their genetic structures, I am sure I could create dragons with six wings," Rocky murmured to himself. He was able to make a bat grow six wings which made the bat can fly faster than the speed of sound.


    "What are you saying? I cannot hear you," Marcia asked as she saw Rocky murmuring to himself.


    "Nothing. General Gorgeous, do you have any spiritual crystals to spare?" Rocky asked Marcia as he grinned.


    "Of course. I still have some yellow spiritual crystals in my Magic Spiritual Space," Marcia answered.


    "Would you mind giving me some since I have saved your life?" Rocky asked greedily.


    "The yellow spiritual crystals are invaluable. But I guess I can give you one, as long as you tell me where you were able to find the bottle of the miracle liquid," Marcia asked him curiously. Though she had seen various kinds of pills and elixirs, she had to admit that Rocky''s miracle liquid was extraordinary. She was very eager to know how Rocky acquired the miracle liquid.


    "I''ve almost forgotten about that if you haven''t reminded me of it. Could you return the bottle to me?" Rocky asked as he reached his hand out.

 Chapter 31 Stronger

    Marcia glanced at Rocky with a puzzled look as she returned the bottle to him. Rocky took the bottle and checked its insides. He was then shocked to see that the bottle was empty. Obviously, Marcia already drank the two drops of magical saliva. He yelled out of sadness, "Oh no! General Beauty, did you use them all up? Do you have any idea how expensive they are? Frankly, a single drop should be more than enough to make you feel better. You didn''t have to consume both of them!"


    "How was I supposed to know that? Don''t be so stingy! Oh, you just reminded me. You still haven''t answered my question on where you got the miracle liquid," Marcia said as she glanced at Rocky.


    "Sorry but that needs to remain a secret," Rocky answered.


    "Do you have more of them? I am willing to exchange my yellow spiritual crystals for more of your miracle liquid," Marcia said as she raised her eyebrows. It was obvious that she was very interested in Rocky''s miracle liquid.


    "Those two drops were all I had and you drank all of them!" Rocky grumbled. The nubbin in Uriah''s mouth could only secrete about three drops a day. He had already collected all of them yesterday. The only way to acquire more magical saliva was to wait another twenty four hours. But he was certain that Marcia wouldn''t wait that long.


    "Fine," Marcia answered and changed the topic. "I am guessing that you are a new royal spirit manipulator who just recently acquired the dragon spiritual power from a Dragon Spirit Bead. Would that be right? If yes, then why are you here? Shouldn''t you be in the dragon field to complete your training?"


    "It''s a pretty long story and I don''t want to bore you with it, ha-ha! But that doesn''t really matter now. What matters right now is that..." Rocky smirked.


    "That what?" Marcia folded her arms in front of her chest as she squinted her eyes at Rocky and waited for him to finish his sentence. Her cold glare sent a chill down Rocky''s spine.


    Rocky slightly trembled in fear and continued, "I have saved your life. I understand that you don''t want to give me any of your yellow spiritual crystals. But maybe you could offer me something else."


    "You just called me General Beauty, which means you have full knowledge of who I am. So how dare you request for such thing? I know what you men want and you can forget about it! I will never marry you as a reward for saving my life," Marcia said threateningly. She knew very well that she owed Rocky big time, but she was worried that he would ask for something ridiculous. So she decided to act that way on purpose in an attempt to take the situation under her control.


    "Nope! You got it all wrong. I just want you to be my teacher," Rocky said.


    "What?" Marcia was caught by surprise. It wasn''t anything like she initially expected from Rocky. She t


    the greatest gift Rocky had ever received. He had been wanting to study more about beast genetics. Now that he had this book, he no longer needed to collect information for his research and this would save him plenty of time and troubles.


    What''s more, he could learn how to evaluate the star rating and quality of war beasts. Marcia was absolutely right. Being a beast evaluator was a popular and well-paid job in the Wild Spirit Land.


    "Oh, and give this yellow spiritual crystal to your little guy. Such a cute guy deserves a better gift. But it might be too much for it to take, as it hasn''t reached the star-one level yet after all." When Marcia saw Rocky was well engrossed in the book, her attention was shifted to Uriah in Rocky''s arms. Uriah fixed its innocent eyes on her and groaned slightly. Upon seeing its adorable face, Marcia could not help but take out a yellow spiritual crystal and offer it to Rocky. She then jumped up to ride her Celestial Snow-white Dragon.


    By the time Rocky closed the book, Marcia had already flown away.


    "Oh come on! What''s with all the hurry? I''m not going to eat you anyway," Rocky sighed. Soon enough, excitement began to fill his eyes as he looked at the book in his hand. ''Ha-ha! Giving her the two drops of magical saliva was totally worth it!''


    Uriah, meanwhile, reached out and tried desperately to get the yellow spiritual crystal from Rocky''s hand.


    "Calm down, little guy! It seems like General Beauty likes you the most. She refused to give me a piece even when I begged her," Rocky said. He then kept the yellow spiritual crystal in his pocket. He was planning on feeding Uriah the crystal when it was time for it to upgrade its star rating.


    "Holy shit! Jerry must still be waiting for me!" Rocky cried out the moment he remembered Jerry. With Uriah in his arms, he immediately rushed back to the Imperial City.

 Chapter 32 Marcias Homecoming (Part One)

    At the same time, in the Grand Holy Hall of the Holy Dragon Empire, things were happening.


    The emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire sat on his gilded throne in the magnificent main hall. He looked solemn and serious, and each subtle movement revealed irresistible majesty, making others bow down their heads and avoid his gaze.


    Lena, the Witch of the Holy Dragon Empire, was also in the hall. She possessed an extremely high status in the Holy Dragon Empire. It was known that a Witch was an oracle, who could communicate with dragons. She was also the only bridge between humans and the dragon. At the same time, the Witch had the same abilities as that of a royal spirit manipulator, and each generation of them was directly designated by the Dragon Master Clan. In the Grand Holy Hall, in addition to the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire and Lena, there were also Priest Dean and Alston. Several others too were present who held high authority and position in the Holy Dragon Empire.


    Apart from all of them, there was a woman standing in the middle of the main hall. She looked at the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire respectfully.


    "Master Mia, what is the progress of the pre-training phase of the 30 royal spirit manipulators?" the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire asked calmly.


    The woman in the middle of the hall was Mia Lan.


    "Your Majesty, everything has gone well so far," Mia arched her hands and answered.


    "Twenty-nine of the thirty spirit manipulators were selected by me and I trained them with all my heart. I have confidence in them. However, I am concerned about the last one. He has not even reached the first grade of the Mortal Stage. I assume that he might perform poorly in training. Maybe even has become a drag for the team." Priest Dean spoke before Mia could speak further. Although his statement was euphemistic, everyone in the Grand Holy Hall immediately realized that he was not referring to anyone else but Basil, also known as Rocky. He was the one who accidentally blended the dragon spiritual power of the Holy Dragon Bead with himself, and became a royal spirit manipulator.


    "Priest Dean, are you talking about Basil? If you want to say anything, just say it. You don''t need to beat around the bush


    moment, a guard came in and reported, "Your Majesty, we have received a message carried by a pigeon. It comes from the Imperial City Guards saying that General Marcia has returned to the Imperial City."


    "She is back? Where is she now?" After the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire heard what the guard reported, there was a tiny glow of joy on his face. He asked immediately about Marcia''s whereabouts.


    "The message says that right now she is on her way here with the Celestial Snow-white Dragon and will arrive at the Palace City soon," the guard reported.


    "Let us go outside to greet General Marcia!" The emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire said as he walked out of the Grand Holy Hall, as soon as he heard the answer from the guard.


    It was not a usual thing for the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire to welcome someone in person. In the Holy Dragon Empire, only Three Great Generals enjoyed this kind of treatment. In addition, this time Marcia had been asked to do something of great importance to the Holy Dragon Empire. So, the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire wanted to know how things were going as soon as possible.


    Seeing the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire walked out to greet Marcia personally, all the others present in the hall hurried after him. Lena, Priest Dean, Alston and Mia followed at the end of the line. The group of people, led by the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire, left the Grand Holy Hall, and walked towards the middle of the huge square in front of the hall.

 Chapter 33 Marcias Homecoming (Part Two)

    On the other side, Marcia stood on her Celestial Snow-white Dragon, flying through the sky above the Imperial City. Her appearance caused a commotion on the ground. The streets leading from the Imperial City to the Palace City were crowded with people when they saw the dragon fly across the sky. Countless eyes were fixed at the sky. They looked at Marcia with great respect. Many of them cheered her and called out her name.


    Although, Marcia had been one of the Three Great Generals for less than three years, she was skilled in literary and martial arts and made several war achievements. In addition, she was exceedingly beautiful. Her prestige in the Holy Dragon Empire was getting closer and closer to that of Bryant, who was the first general of Holy Dragon Empire. Besides, countless dignitaries, even the rich ones, had been attracted to her by her charm. They were willing to pay any price in order to be close to her, even if it was just to talk to her face to face.


    Marcia had amazing brilliance and charm. However, she made it clear that no man was special to her. No one knew if it was because she had a hard-heart by nature or it was because of her high standards. In short, she had never been seen getting close or being in contact with any man.


    But no one could have imagined that their goddess had just been taken advantage of by a brat.


    Marcia flew into the Palace City with the eyes of the public fixed at her. She was riding her Celestial Snow-white Dragon flamboyantly. In a short time, she landed in the middle of the square, in front of the Grand Holy Hall.


    The emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire and others had been waiting there for her from a long time.


    "Your Majesty." Marcia felt extremely flattered that the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire greeted her in person. She jumped off her Celestial Snow-white Dragon immediately and got down on one of her knees, showing her respect with a graceful bow.


    "You can rise up, General Marcia." The emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire waved his hand. He asked her eagerly, "General Marcia, how di


    ait." Seeing Mia there, something had come into Marcia''s mind. Marcia called out to Mia and asked her to wait. She walked over to her and whispered, "Master Mia, is there any spirit manipulator in your team named Rocky Bai? Is he among the new royal spirit manipulators?"


    "Rocky Bai? No. There is no such person," Mia thought for a moment and replied.


    "No? Did he deceive me?" Marcia froze for a moment as the thought rose in her mind. Immediately she got angry, ''That brat had the Dragon Spirit Mark on his left arm. No one else could have it, except the royal spirit manipulator. However, Mia says there is no such person with her.''


    "General Marcia, what happened to you?" Mia asked with concern when she saw Marcia looking strange.


    "It''s all right. Thank you for your concern. You can go on." Marcia smiled and shook her head gently. However, after Mia left, her face went cold. "That bastard must have given me a false name. He must be scared, in case I found him. I would have killed him if I knew he was lying to me," Marcia said coldly with a murderous note in her eyes.


    ''I will definitely show no mercy to him when I see him next time, '' Marcia thought in her heart. She was taken aback by the way that brat had fooled her so easily. It had never happened earlier. She would not be deceived by a young lad. Indeed he had got himself into great trouble by lying to her.

 Chapter 34 Special Ability (Part One)

    Rocky suddenly ripped out a loud sneeze on his way back to the Imperial City. He then rubbed his nose and murmured to himself, "Is it because someone is missing me?"


    After rushing for a while, he finally reached the gates of the Palace City where he saw Jerry sitting on the carriage and smoking his pipe. It seemed that he had been waiting for Rocky for quite a long time.


    "I''m so sorry, Jerry! I got lost on the way." Rocky made up an excuse as he gasped for air.


    "Don''t worry about it! Get on now!" Jerry smiled kindly and took back his pipe. He then grabbed the bridle and was ready to set off.


    Rocky nodded at Jerry and climbed the carriage. Once they arrived at the dragon field, Jerry and Rocky began taking all the food they bought in the bazaar into the storehouse of the kitchen. By the time they were done with that task, it was already noon.


    "Basil, it''s your turn to serve those guys today. Put this on and keep your clothes clean," Jerry said as he handed Rocky an apron.


    Although Rocky didn''t want to wear it at all, he didn''t want to refuse Jerry''s kindness. So Rocky put the apron on despite his initial hesitations. Rocky then took a big pot of prepared food into the yard.


    At the same time, the young men who just finished their training walked into the yard. When they saw Rocky dressed in an apron and was holding a ladle, they murmured among themselves to make fun of him.


    "Hey! What the hell are you all murmuring about!? Do you want to have your lunch or not? Huh? You better watch yourselves! Otherwise, I will put laxatives in your food! Don''t forget that I have to work in the kitchen for three whole days. Do you want to have diarrhea for three days? I think not," Rocky yelled at them threateningly as he brandished the ladle in his hand.


    When they heard Rocky, they were reminded of what happened the day before. Rocky defeated the round-faced young man who was at the second grade of the Mortal Stage. The man was out cold and was still unable to leave his bed. Wit


    concentrated and began activating his Dragon Spirit Mark. In a split second, his dragon spiritual power was channeled to his palm and emitted an icy aura. He then aimed it at Rocky without hesitation. Rocky also summoned his Dragon Spirit Mark the same time Flint did. He channeled his dragon spiritual power to his arms in an attempt to withstand the attack from Flint.


    At that very moment, Rocky could clearly feel his dragon spiritual power absorbing Flint''s spiritual power as soon as the two forces clashed. He could tell because he could feel the faint and weak spiritual power from Flint.


    Flint was stunned as he saw his spiritual power disappearing into thin air. He froze and looked at Rocky.


    "I was right about it!" Rocky just confirmed that his dragon spiritual power could absorb the spiritual power from others. But it wasn''t much. It seemed like he could only absorb small amounts.


    "Now, try the second grade!" Rocky said.


    Flint channeled more dragon spiritual power to his palm and this time, a freezing fog began to arise around his palm. He then threw the attack at Rocky.


    Rocky summoned his dragon spiritual power to defend the upcoming attack one more time. Although he succeeded in absorbing Flint''s spiritual power again, this time was not as easy as the first time.


    "Try the third grade!" Rocky told him.

 Chapter 35 Special Ability (Part Two)

    Hearing this made Flint hesitate. He knew that Rocky was only at the second grade of the Mortal Stage. He was afraid that Rocky wouldn''t be able to take his attack if he launched a third grade attack.


    "Come on! No hesitation and hit me with it!" Rocky knew what Flint was worried about so he tried to motivate him into fulfilling his request.


    Flint''s brows knitted together. He then began channeling his dragon spiritual power to his palm. Obviously, this one was much stronger than the previous two. The icy aura was even more visible this time as the air around his palm began to freeze.


    "Be careful!" Flint reminded him. He was still worried that his third grade attack possibly hurt Rocky. The moment he launched his attack, an icy aura flashed in the air with a strong and cold wind that could freeze whatever it touched.


    The palm attack arrived in front of Rocky in only a matter of seconds.


    Rocky had already prepared himself. He then activated all of his dragon spiritual power to withstand the palm attack. At the exact moment the two forces clashed, and a bright ray of dazzling light appeared. "Bang!" Rocky was pushed a few steps back by the forceful impact as he covered his aching chest.


    Although his dragon spiritual power was able to absorb Flint''s attack, he was also hit by the attack. Now, he was beginning to understand the limits of the absorbing capabilities of his dragon spiritual power. Whenever his opponent surpassed the spiritual energy he could produce, the absorbing capacity would have more trouble taking the attack. The bigger the gap between him and his opponent, the more forceful the impact could be.


    Rocky was delighted to know that he was right about himself even though he was slightly injured by the experiment. Although he still didn''t know what the quality of his dragon spiritual power was, he now learned more about its special ability.


    "Are you alright?" Flint drew back his dragon spiritual power and walked towards Rocky as fast as he could.


    "Yes! I''m fine! Don''t worry about it. Thanks a lot, man! It was a huge help,"


    f them was feasible.


    At that very moment, Rocky suddenly felt something on his left arm where Uriah was leaning on. He felt intense heat as faint streaks appeared around his left arm. It seemed that his Dragon Spirit Mark was activated by the spiritual power from Uriah. He was suddenly reminded of the absorbing capabilities of his dragon spiritual power.


    Uriah leaned its head towards Rocky''s left hand as it looked at him with its innocent eyes.


    Rocky concentrated and began to channel his dragon spiritual power to his palm which he then placed on Uriah''s forehead. All of a sudden, Uriah''s strong spiritual power was flowing into his left arm. Dazzling light was flashing around his arm within a matter of seconds. The strong spiritual power was spreading inside his body as Rocky was struggling to take in the forceful energy. The pain almost killed him.


    "Ah! Ah!" Rocky yelled out in pain. He had underestimated the spiritual power. How was he supposed to know that a little crystal could contain such powerful spiritual power? No wonder the spiritual crystals were considered priceless treasures in the Wild Spirit Land. And the spiritual power of the yellow spiritual crystal was different from what Rocky had seen before. It was much more wild and violent. It was like thousands of beasts were flowing inside his body and the pain was far beyond the normal humans'' threshold.

 Chapter 36 The Rapid Progress

    No matter how powerful a spirit manipulator was, he couldn''t easily improve his cultivation with the much coveted spiritual crystal. Usually refined from beast bones containing spiritual power, the spiritual crystal had immense power. Together with the breed of the essence all over the world, its spiritual power was far beyond a man''s control and endurance.


    At the moment, Rocky was deeply alarmed, knowing that the power of the spiritual crystal might rip him to pieces. He could almost feel a stir in his body, his blood boiling and muscles twitching and jerking violently as if he was in in a meat grinder.


    Luckily for Uriah, the raging spiritual power wasn''t launched against him alone, as Rocky too, was affected, which meant Rocky shared hits pain and the attack was less focused. After a short while, tiny sparks popped and cracked around it, wrapping its small frame.


    Seeing this, he made up his mind to soldier on with a stubborn will. On all accounts, he would never give up on Uriah. So, he kept the cultivation on even if it meant putting himself in danger.


    After some time, the spiritual power that had threatened to rip him apart began to ebb. Uriah''s dragon spiritual power had helped a great deal in lessening the full effect of the spiritual crystal. Like a whirlwind, the spiritual power circled through Rocky''s body. For a moment, it settled in his belly, before finally going back to Uriah''s Dragon Spirit Marks. The cycle of movements went on and on, bursts of spiritual power circulating between the two of them.


    Though the pain in Rocky''s body was less intense, the dash of the spiritual power was overwhelming. His mind started to cloud until he finally passed out, his hand still being dropping limply on Uriah''s head. The circulation of the spiritual power between them still went on, cracking with tiny sparks.


    At the break of dawn, the sun beautif


    f saliva. He stood up and walked around Uriah a few times. Stroking his chin, he said to himself, "It must be the yellow spiritual crystal. Uriah has evolved. Besides its changes, I also accidentally reach the third grade of the Mortal Stage. Not only Uriah becomes bigger and stronger, its star level has improved as well. It is said that only a spiritual beast can rise its star level, while an ordinary war beast can''t. So is Uriah a spiritual beast?" Thinking of this, Rocky''s eyes lit up. If Uriah was a spiritual beast, he really got a treasure.


    However, with his current power, Rocky couldn''t really tell whether Uriah was a war beast or a spiritual beast. He also couldn''t tell its star level. Judging from its body features, what he knew for sure was that overnight, Uriah had miraculously improved to the two-star level at least.


    Rocky was eager to know the extent of Uriah''s evolution. But it was so extraordinary that no beast evaluator would ever believe, hence he had no one to seek for help.


    "Well, I have the Beast Encyclopedia..." Suddenly, Rocky remembered the Beast Encyclopedia that General Marcia had given him. He had better depend on that than go around asking for explanations of the phenomenal growth he and Uriah had experienced.

 Chapter 37 Let Me Try

    Rocky was about to take out the Beast Encyclopedia when the morning siren set off from afar.


    "Time flies so fast." Rocky just realized that it was already morning and the siren meant that everyone else was about to get up. He also had to go to kitchen to help with breakfast preparations, otherwise Mia would punish him more severely for cutting corners.


    Actually, he was having a hard time with Mia since his very first day in the dragon field. But now that he didn''t have the energy to deal with her, he had to keep a low profile.


    Growing so big in such a short time, Uriah would draw suspicion if it was brought back so Rocky decided to keep Uriah in the bamboo grove to keep it from being seen. Later on, he went back to his room to get his practice uniform and headed to the kitchen.


    Upon entering the kitchen, Rocky ran into Mia who seemed to be lost in thought over something.


    "Master Mia..." Rocky greeted Mia as he came up to her.


    Mia responded with a slight nod, "Your punishment is over. Return to the dragon field."


    "Really?" Rocky was surprised by Mia''s sudden display of mercy because his punishment only lasted for a day before he was told to return to practice. He even considered studying the Beast Encyclopedia while doing his errands in the kitchen.


    "What are you still doing here? Move!" Mia shouted at Rocky as she saw him still standing there.


    "Right away." Rocky turned around and left. In his present cultivation stage, Rocky should not get affected by his absence from basic training at all. The current practice was mainly for improving their physical strength. With the magical saliva, he could improve his strength several times stronger than what they could achieve from basic practice.


    The reason why Mia freed Rocky from the punishment was never out of kindness. It was because of a secret letter she recei


    piritual power to lift the tripod using all the strength he had in his arms. The bronze tripod swayed a little and was gradually lifted above the ground.


    The crowd was taken aback as they wondered if Bear could actually break Shirley''s record with his strength only at the third grade of the Mortal Stage.


    Silently, Mia was shaking her head knowing that he wouldn''t make it.


    Soon, Bear suddenly swayed and the tripod fell on the ground with a loud bang.


    Even in his failure, Bear received a loud round of applause.


    Several other people also tried but even making the tripod move the slightest bit was extremely difficult for them. Bear was, without a doubt, the best among them.


    "Anyone else? Alright, training begins now," Mia said to them as she thought that no one else was coming up. Suddenly, a voice came, "Master Mia, lifting the tripod means one month of exemption from training, right?"


    Drawing all the people''s attention, the voice came from none other than Rocky. Although Rocky astonished people with his skills the last time, people doubted his ability to lift that tripod knowing that he was only at the second grade of the Mortal Stage and that he had a weaker physique. It was absolutely impossible for him.

 Chapter 38 The Greatest Of Ease

    "Surely, if you succeed in lifting the bronze tripod, it means your physical qualities including your strength and power are good enough to qualify as a spirit manipulator. In other words, you no longer need to participate in the early stage of your training," Mia glanced at Rocky and nodded as she announced.


    "I''ll give it a try," Rocky smiled. If he could lift the bronze tripod, he would be exempted from training for a month. This would give him time to dig into the Beast Evaluation Skill. With this in mind, he walked through the crowd towards the bronze tripod.


    "Humph. Even I couldn''t lift it. I don''t believe that piece of shit can do it. He just wants to show everyone that his power is at the second grade of the Mortal Stage. What a narrow vision. If he didn''t fuse with the Holy Dragon Bead with his sheer dumb luck, he would''ve been just a nobody," Bear yelled deliberately to embarrass Rocky in public.


    All of a sudden, the other young men kicked up a fuss and laughed at the idea of Rocky seeking the limelight.


    "What if I could lift it?" Rocky sneered as he gave Bear a cold stare.


    "If you do, I''ll call you grandfather. But if you fail in lifting the bronze tripod, you have to run ten laps around the dragon field while barking like a dog." Obviously, Bear was still holding a grudge against Rocky, so he immediately seized the opportunity to provoke him. Although Mia could hear them, the bet was within reason.


    And sure enough, she turned a blind eye on Bear''s behavior.


    "Remember what you said. Stay right here and prepare to call me grandfather," Rocky growled as he pointed at Bear.


    In an instant, everyone burst into laughter.


    Bear''s face turned blue but soon he regained his composure when he imagined Rocky running ten laps around the dragon field while barking like a dog.


    "Are you sure you can lift the bronze tripod? I told you that a man at least at the fifth grade of the Mortal Stage can lift it and currently, you are only at the second grade of the Mortal Stage. The gap might be too big to ignore. I don''t think you should be overestimating your strength. You might be disgraced!" Mia urged with the best of intentions.


    Upon hearing that, Rocky was reminded of the bet they had. Now that he


    day.


    "Damn it. How in the world did he lift it?" Bear gnashed his teeth. He wasn''t aware of the fact that Rocky had everything under control and that he was completely sure of himself after his precise calculations. Therefore, Bear naturally fell into the trap.


    Bang! Rocky put the bronze tripod down. If it wasn''t for the deafening noise, maybe most people would have doubted the truth of it and refused to believe what they just saw with their very own eyes. How could Rocky who was weaker than them and was just at the second grade of the Mortal Stage lift such a heavy bronze tripod?


    All the young men discussed animatedly in surprise. Bear''s face turned ghastly pale.


    In this case, Rocky had broken the record set by Shirley. With his power merely at the second grade of the Mortal Stage, he passed the challenging test with such ease. It was truly a rare sight for any new royal spirit manipulator.


    That was just as it should be. All the people considered it a miracle. However, for Rocky, it was only a piece of cake with the help of his wisdom and talents.


    "Master Mia, am I now exempted from training for the next month?" Rocky looked back at Mia.


    She looked a bit odd as she glanced at Rocky. She then grudgingly nodded to affirm. The other young men shot an envious glance at Rocky. What a fortunate thing for Rocky that he didn''t need to attend training for a whole month.


    "Well, I''m leaving now." Rocky laughed and walked away under the watchful eyes of the young men.

 Chapter 39 Study Hard

    Although Rocky had a month off from his basic training, he still had a lot of studying to do, the most important of which was learning how to evaluate the beasts. As there was no technology nor science in this world, he had to find another way to study their genes and create his own genetically enhanced beasts. He believed that the evaluation of the beasts might be his ticket to making his breakthrough.


    In this world, no one had a better knowledge of the beasts or any other rare species than the beast evaluators who were tantamount to authoritative scientists around the world. It was the main reason why he wanted to be a beast evaluator as a huge first step.


    After he returned to the bamboo grove, Rocky saw a dark figure running straight towards him at lightning speed. Before he realized what it was, the big beast jumped right on top of him and licked him all over.


    "It looks like Uriah has evolved so much. It is so fast now that I don''t even have time to react, which means its strength could now be even stronger than mine. It is merely a rock yet it has caused such a drastic change to Uriah. Its genes seemed to have been completely rearranged." Rocky patted Uriah as he muttered to himself.


    Rocky set Uriah free to play by itself as he lay down on the rock by the pool. He took out the Beast Encyclopedia to read while bathing under the sunlight glimmering through the bamboo leaves.


    A beast evaluator usually called all the species including war beasts, spiritual beasts, and other rare species like dragons the spirit-manipulated beasts. It was because the method to evaluate them was pretty much the same for all kinds of beasts. Although spirit-manipulated beasts were different in terms of appearance, the basic structure remained the same.


    However, every beast evaluator applied different methods in evaluating beasts, just like there were different pills and prescriptions for the same disease. The one who wrote the Beast Encyclopedia had created an evaluation method called the "Magical Evaluation Skill". One could use it as a basis for the analysis and evaluation of all kinds of spirit-manipulated beasts.


    A beast evaluator was more than just determining the beast''s star level. It also required for evaluators to discern all of it


    tness, and even the very position of every light correspond to the sequence of the genes.


    This Beast Encyclopedia brought about an opportunity for Rocky to take his research up a notch, thanks to that beautiful general.


    A whole month went by in a flash.


    In the deep parts of the bamboo grove


    "Evaluating......." Rocky sat on the ground as he tried to use the Magical Evaluation Skill on a rabbit.


    At that moment, a triangle mark appeared on its foot and a bright white light shone out of it. The rabbit then reflected a very week and yellow light the size of a spark, which represented the agility of its extremities.


    Howl! A beast then came in at lightning speed and ran off with the rabbit in its mouth.


    Rocky was kind of used to Uriah always taking his subjects to eat them for lunch all.


    Its appetite had grown exponentially since its evolution. The food Rocky brought from the canteen, including the raw meat directly from the kitchen was no longer enough for it. Finally, he let Uriah go hunting food for itself while bringing him back some subjects for his experiment.


    As there were no proper facilities in the world to tame and nourish Uriah, he had to raise it in the wild to further improve its abilities. Uriah proved to be a born hunter with extraordinary motion skills. It could climb trees and swim in rivers at a great speed. It also had tremendous strength. The depth of the bamboo grove had already been leveled by it just because of its regular playtime for the past month.

 Chapter 40 Rockys Big Change

    It was fortunate that few people would come deep into the thick bamboo forest. Otherwise, they would be shocked to see what had happened there.


    After learning the Magical Evaluation Skill for about a month, Rocky was able to master the first grade of the skill, enough to help him know the quality and star level of most animals. But until now, he was still not able to tell the star level and quality of Uriah, whose power was much stronger.


    He had learned a lot about the skill, telling apart the quality of spirit-manipulated beasts. But these royal spirit manipulators that he lived with would not lend any beasts to him as yet. Besides, Mia forbade him from going out of the dragon field. They denied him a chance to use what he had learned recently.


    Besides the Magical Evaluation Skill, Rocky had also cultivated with the magical saliva for one month. His strength had reached the fourth grade of the Mortal Stage from the third grade, which was a significant improvement. Now, he didn''t need to dilute the magical saliva. Instead, he could drink it directly because his body could absorb it more readily.


    The magical saliva and daily exercise helped much in rebuilding his body. Just last month, he was very weak. Nobody would have expected him to make such big strides in a matter of weeks. At the beginning, he had been but a skinny boy, unlike the fine young man he now was.


    Most importantly, Uriah spat four drops of the magical saliva daily, rather than three drops. Rocky used one drop every day and saved the other three in the bottle. Now, he had three bottles of the magical saliva. He had a plan. If he could meet Marcia again, he''d ask for an exchange of the spiritual crystals with the magical saliva.


    "I need to go back for a while. You had better stay here quietly. Don''t run all the time. I''ll only be away for a short t


    "In fact, I only give Lion Eagle a red spiritual crystal. The leader of the Ximen Clan knew that I had selected a three-star, so he gave me the crystal to encourage me," Bear boasting, when he heard them all flowing with praises.


    "Red spiritual crystal? That''s a priceless treasure! Boy, you''re so lucky! The leader of the Ximen Clan gave it to you! It is such a rich and powerful clan, and it''s a pity that I don''t belong there." The young men envied Bear.


    "That''s just but a tip of the iceberg. The leader promised me another crystal if I go back with the best grade from the dragon field," Bear said with a proud expression.


    As he expected, all the young men grew envious.


    "It is just a red spiritual crystal. Not a big deal!" A disdainful voice cut in.


    Surprised, Bear and his partners lifted their heads to size up the cynic ¡ª a young man, right in their eyes, looking at them with a cocky smile.


    "You are..." Bear and his crew thought the party-pooper was familiar, but they couldn''t quite put a name to the face.


    "I am your grandfather!" Rocky crossed his arms.


    "You are..." Bear gazed at Rocky carefully and shouted in surprise, "You... you are Basil Long?"


    "That''s right, my grandson!" Rocky smiled.

 Chapter 41 Uriah Reveals Itself By Striking The First Blow

    Bear and his partners quickly realized that Rocky seemed to have undergone a recent transformation. They were in shock. It had been just one month since they''d seen Rocky! How could this once-frail boy suddenly grow immensely strong and become so powerful and self-assured!?


    "Say it again if you have the guts!" Bear growled scoldingly, burning with rage at Rocky''s words and attitude. He immediately recalled that one month ago, he had lost a bet to Rocky.


    "You want to talk about guts? Who''s the one that sent two fools to do his bidding because he was too afraid?" retorted Rocky with a sneering smile.


    "How dare you ¡­" Bear fumed with rage. He clenched his trembling fists, shooting daggers at Rocky with his eyes. But unsupervised fighting was prohibited by the explicit order of the dragon field. It would be unwise to hit Rocky here and now.


    "Bear, this brat is so ignorant and arrogant. We must teach him a lesson!"


    "I agree. He has no respect at all for Bear!"


    "Bear can kill him with just a snap of a finger! How dare he provoke him?"


    Several teenagers behind Bear began to fling words of flattery. None of them were the least bit sincere.


    "Humph! He is not worth wasting my time on!" Bear pretended to be arrogant, but the truth was that he was quickly feeling inferior to Rocky and couldn''t wait to kill his rival immediately.


    "In front of me, you are so obedient and submissive. You are my sweet grandchild!" Rocky was fully aware that Bear didn''t dare to strike the first blow, and decided to take the opportunity to humiliate him.


    It seemed that Rocky''s speech had reached the limits of Bear''s tolerance. He lost his temper, breaking out into a furious rage with a murderous glint in his eyes. He signaled to his war beast, the Lion Eagle which was always on his side, to attack Rocky immediately. The Lion Eagle at once soared high into the air, making a sharp turn to attack Rocky from behind.


    ''Duel fighting


    is power in the battle, he could easily kill the Lion Eagle. But Rocky did not want to expose his true strength too early, and certainly not at this time and place.


    At the moment, a loud sound of roar came from the fences in the direction of the bamboo grove. Rocky saw a beast''s shadow zoom past him.


    The shadow of a beast moved so quickly that Rocky and Bear could not see it clearly. Upon hearing a piercing squeal, they all came to their senses and realized that a dragon-like beast had pinned the Lion Eagle to the ground with its forelegs.


    Bear and the other young men present were stunned into silence. They all knew that the three-star Lion Eagle was powerful. How come it has become so defenseless in the face of this big beast? This dragon-like creature was definitely stronger. Due to their limited abilities, they could not discern the combat capacity and star level of this big beast. They just felt the big beast was very strange and certainly ungaugeable.


    "Uriah, what brings you here?" At the moment, Rocky involuntarily frowned as if nothing had happened. It turned out that this big beast was none other than Uriah.


    Upon hearing his voice, Uriah romped around and yapped happily. The beast was quite hyper and did not understand that its master had intended to conceal him.

 Chapter 42 An Expectation

    "Is this... W-what is this?" Bear''s face turned blue as he saw his Lion Eagle pressed under Uriah almost to the point of dying. Bear feared for his Lion Eagle thinking it was on the brink of death. He was then naturally overwhelmed with remorse. If he had known it was bound to happen, he wouldn''t have provoked Rocky. But what he was more curious about was what this large animal was.


    "What do you mean? It is my war beast," Rocky replied as he held his arms across his chest.


    Rocky''s words immediately dropped the jaws of Bear and the other young men, because as far as they knew, Rocky''s war beast was a tiny little thing that was as weak as its master. However, that little thing had turned into an enormous animal within only a month. More importantly, it had defeated a three-star war beast in a fight in a truly mesmerizing fashion.


    "That is nonsense! That can''t be your war beast." Bear was unconvinced because he believed it was impossible for a war beast to grow that fast.


    "Is that so? Uriah, tear this Lion Eagle''s wing for me," Rocky commanded in a cold voice.


    Without the slightest hesitation, Uriah gripped the Lion Eagle''s wing with its teeth in an attempt to tear it apart. The Lion Eagle cried out in pain as it lay on the ground. The scene was so miserable that it was very hard to watch.


    "Alright, I believe you... I believe you... Please show some mercy!" Bear asked for forgiveness as he saw his beast crying in pain. He was slowly falling into a depressive state himself.


    "Remember! You shouldn''t be messing with me." Rocky darted an annihilating look towards Bear. Since he didn''t want to get into trouble, he ordered Uriah to stop and immediately left with him.


    "Bear, are you going to let him go that easily? Though your war beast couldn''t stand a chance against his, you definitely have enough power to pack him up," the other young men shouted. Seeing Bear who used to be domineering lose his temper, they all defended him against the injustice.


    "Shut up. What do you mean my war beast didn''t stand a chance against his? It sneaked up on my Lion Eagle and attacked it. If they had gone toe-to toe with one another, my Lion Eagle would surely have a landslide victory. It really bothers me to teach him a lesson myself. However, anyone who dares


    . If I could be given a chance, I''d like to exchange experience and skills with her," Mia said with arrogance, since she was also at the ninth grade of the Heavenly Stage and was only two years older than Erica. Furthermore, she was also one of the top spirit manipulators of the younger generations in the Holy Dragon Empire which gave her a great advantage.


    "For any spirit manipulator, reaching the Supernal Stage is a serious challenge. If they fail, they will be deemed nobody throughout the entire life. In all ages, a lot of first-class spirit manipulators stop there. If Erica succeeds in reaching the Supernal Stage at such a young age, she will indeed be very promising," Mia said as if absorbed in thought.


    "Master Mia, don''t be too modest," Priest Dean said. "I hope some of the thirty new royal spirit manipulators could stand out to gain some honor for the Holy Dragon Empire. Master Mia, I deeply appreciate your hard work in cultivating them on behalf of the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire. Actually it''s far more than an exchange, the spirit manipulators from both sides will have to learn more about each other''s power through battles.


    In my opinion, the most promising one would be Bear from the Ximen Clan. I think his prospect looks very good, so Master Mia, please pay more attention to him." Priest Dean swiftly changed the subject to entrust Mia with a task.


    "I will try my best." Mia nodded. However, in her mind, another cynical figure appeared, whom she had placed really great expectations on.

 Chapter 43 High Hopes On Basil

    While Rocky was practicing the skills listed in the Beast Encyclopedia at the depths of the bamboo grove as usual, he suddenly sensed a strong breath. Someone was approaching. Alarmed, he immediately ceased his practice and controlled his spiritual power. Almost at the same time, a delicate shadow appeared in front of him.


    "Master Mia! What a pleasant surprise to see you here!" Rocky was slightly shocked because it was Mia who came to visit him. He didn''t expect her to find out about that place, which was supposed to be his secret practice spot. He was certain no one would even know that they could find him there. ''How did she find out about my secret place?'' Rocky wondered stealthily.


    "What? Are you surprised to see me?" Mia pretended to be mad at him and asked him as if she could read his mind.


    Just then, a shadow of a beast darted out of the bamboo grove. In the blink of an eye, it approached Mia. It was Rocky''s war beast Uriah.


    "Uriah, stop!" Rocky ordered his war beast at once. He was afraid that it might hurt Mia.


    Rocky''s surprise was boundless when he saw Uriah reach closer to Mia, because it didn''t attack her at all. Instead, it was meekly walking around Mia like a pet sheep, and kept licking her jade-like beautiful hand. Thinking that licking was not enough to show its affection to Mia, Uriah even began to rub its head against Mia''s legs and arms. Mia, on the other hand, did not seem to be irritated by its intimate behavior and simply allowed it to do as it wished. Rather she was patting it softly.


    "Wow, Uriah, you are unbelievable! When you see a beauty, you become so excited that you forget even your own master!" Rocky grumbled, but deep inside, he envied his war beast as it could be so close to Mia. He kept thinking that if only he had been treated by Mia like that.


    "It looks like what I have heard is true. I didn''t expect that your war beast would grow to this extent in such a short time," Mia remarked, narrowing her eyes. Some time ago, she had met Priest Dean. While returning, she accidentally heard a few young men talking about what had happened to Rocky recently. It was at that moment that she got to know about the conflict which happened in private two days ago between Rocky and Bear. Rocky even had a fierce fight with Bear''s three-star war beast Lion Eagle. It was surprising that in the end, the Lion Eagle was brutally defeated by a more powerful war beast. Towards the end, Lion Eagle was supposed to have got so intimidated that it didn''t have the slightest courage to fight back. After overhearing the young men, she couldn''t help but ask them specifically whose war beast had the power to defeat Lion Eagle. They informed her that it was Rocky''s. Mia was surprised and she came to Rocky to confirm that information. She also had to talk to him about another important matter.


    Rocky got a feeling that Mia knew about what Uriah had done recently. He knew he couldn''t hide it from her anymore, so he smiled and said, "I can''t believe that even Master Mia has come to know about it. If I am guessing right, by now, what Uriah has done is known to people all over the world."


    "Although I am not a beast evaluator, I can tell that your war beast could be a three-star war beast. I t


    y murmured to himself with a smile. "By the way, I hope you remember the promise you made yesterday. So, can I borrow your Cloud Tiger now?" He asked Flint.


    "All right! But just for three days," Flint stressed on the number, as he replied to Rocky.


    "Then we start from tonight!" Rocky exclaimed at once and nodded his head. He would be able to do what he had planned.


    When the evening fell, Rocky took Uriah and Flint''s Cloud Tiger to the bamboo grove and began to use Cloud Tiger to practice the Magical Evaluation Skill. Rocky immediately felt that using a spirit-manipulated beast for practice was quite different from practicing without it.


    "Evaluate!" Rocky said as he began to exercise his Magical Evaluation Skill. After making Cloud Tiger sit well, he sat down in front of it with his legs crossed and slowly began to work on the Magical Evaluation Skill. As time passed, a triangular mark appeared at the foot of Cloud Tiger. The next moment, the mark began to shine brightly and its light got reflected on it. Meanwhile, its body projected a cluster of light with different sizes and different wavelengths, which were arranged in a unique sequence. These were all the qualities of Cloud Tiger, which it had from the time when it was born.


    Although Cloud Tiger was a two-star war beast, its strength didn''t even reach the power of a one-star war beast. Therefore, Rocky''s Magical Evaluation Skill could easily evaluate all its qualities.


    Suddenly Rocky noticed that among all the rays of light which were reflected on Cloud Tiger, the brightest and thickest of them was a cloud of silver-white light. It immediately caught his attention. He clearly remembered that Flint had once told him that Cloud Tiger was a war beast whose special quality was its strong power, but the silver-white light didn''t represent the power. Only red light represented. If Cloud Tiger''s special quality was power indeed, the brightest and biggest light should be the red light. Based on the above deductions, Rocky felt that there must be something wrong with Flint''s knowledge about his Cloud Tiger. Probably Flint wasn''t fully aware of the strength of his own war beast!

 Chapter 44 A Bright Future

    Among all the nature and qualities which the spirit-manipulated beast had, Rocky recognized a special one which was a silvery ray. It was usually owned by spiritual beasts, dragons, or other extremely rare species. The silvery ray stood for Ice, which was the same as the Ice of dragon spiritual power owned by a royal spirit manipulator. Generally, a war beast couldn''t have such a property.


    But some war beasts, according to the Beast Encyclopedia, had the same special abilities as the spiritual beasts if their ancestors were hybrids of war beasts and spiritual beasts. Thus, a war beast might have a hidden spiritual ability like a recessive gene. Once activated, the recessive gene could release a special ability typically owned by a spiritual beast.


    So the nature of Ice shown by Cloud Tiger could be regarded as an inherited recessive gene. It would have the same nature of Ice as a spiritual beast would after being activated.


    "Now Flint, you owe me a big favor," Rocky grinned.


    After checking out other nature and qualities of Cloud Tiger, Rocky concluded that apart from the hidden Ice, it had strong force and sensitivity but very weak defense which was represented by a blue ray. It meant Cloud Tiger would appear strong but had bad resistance to attacks, which was probably attributed to its genes. Since Ice was the most defensive nature, Cloud Tiger could make up its defect, once its Ice was activated.


    "Little Tiger, do you want to be stronger?" Rocky cuddled its head.


    Spirit-manipulated beasts usually repelled or even opposed people they disliked. Perhaps there were some traits in Rocky which made Cloud Tiger obey him.


    Cloud Tiger howled as if replying to Rocky.


    "Alright then, let''s get started. The time your master gave is not going to be enough. I will have Uriah practice with you these three days. You should be careful with him because he is very sexually active and violent. I hope it behaves well, especially after it sees a female beast like you." Rocky patted Cloud Tiger''s head. Then he


    lf a month, he could have done it easily. However, Flint only gave him a limited time and he had to make use of it. Flint would have doubts if he asked for more days.


    Rocky sensed a malicious gaze on him. He was sure it was Bear. So he casually snubbed him.


    After the young manipulators gathered together, Mia appeared in front of them.


    "From today, you will practice in pairs, learn to master the dragon spiritual power, and understand its properties. In half a month, you are going to attend the Dragon Birth Festival and compete with the phoenix spiritual manipulators of the Magic Phoenix Empire. If you don''t want to lose face, you have to practice as hard as you can. You''d better nurture the mutual understanding with your war beasts and practice in collaboration. So that even a defeat on that day won''t be a disappointment and disgrace," Mia advised.


    Her words caused a bustle and everyone was excited. Excitement was in the air because the Dragon Birth Festival was a national celebration and it was extremely difficult to get the rare chance to compete with the phoenix spiritual manipulators of the Magic Phoenix Empire. Moreover, the person who would stand out in the Dragon Birth Festival would get favors from the royalty. And a bright future was assured. Everyone waited for such an opportunity and wanted to test their luck and destiny.

 Chapter 45 Double The Efforts

    Only Rocky''s face seemed uninterested about the Dragon Birth Festival because he devoted himself to the Beast Evaluation Skill and studying the genetic makeup of spirit-manipulated beasts wholeheartedly and exclusively. Thus, he didn''t pay much attention to the exchange of experience and skills.


    "Bear and Flint, come on out," Mia called.


    Bear walked through the crowd of young men.


    "You two have reached the third grade of the Mysterious Dragon Skill?" Mia asked.


    Hearing this, the other young men discussed in surprise and admiration as most of them were just between the first grade and the second grade. Even the best of them could only reach the second grade.


    Apparently, Bear and Flint were one step ahead of everybody else.


    "I never expected Flint to also reach the third grade of the Mysterious Dragon Skill." Even Rocky was a little surprised. He didn''t communicate much with Flint so he knew little about him. The only thing he heard was that like Bear, Flint also reached the third grade of the Mortal Stage after fusing with the Dragon Spirit Bead. Now it appeared as if Flint''s qualifications were as good as Bear''s.


    "Master Mia, are we allowed to begin learning the spiritual martial arts?" Bear asked eagerly. Given the fact that the spiritual martial arts was one of the most efficient ways to improve their power, it meant that it could also strengthen their spiritual power. Therefore, studying the spiritual martial arts was like hitting two birds with one stone.


    Compared to Bear, Flint was calmer.


    "That is correct. When one reaches the third grade of the Mysterious Dragon Skill, he also becomes qualified to learn the spiritual martial arts. I''ve almost forgotten about that," Rocky muttered to himself. Now that he was at the fifth grade of the Mysterious Dragon Skill, he had also achieved the qualifications to learn the spiritual martial arts. However, how could he learn that under the current circumstances where he must hide his real strength?


    "That''s why I asked you out here. From now on, you will begin to learn the spiritual martial arts with two deputies. Besides, they will also serve as your partners in training," Mia ordered while nodding.


    "Alright," Bear answered with excitement.


    Flint also nodded.


    The two then left with the two deputies under the


    as the finger force just brushed against his shoulder and hit the ground. Immediately, it exploded and flashed some splashing sparks.


    "That is great. What is that?" Rocky asked.


    "The Deity Finger..." Mia replied unconsciously.


    "How did you create it? Like this?" Rocky imitated Mia. He put his forefingers together and gathered the dragon spiritual power of the Dragon Spirit Marks on his fingertips but he couldn''t release a complete force like Mia did.


    "You''re doing it wrong. You must first gather the power onto your palms and then shoot it from your fingertips." Mia shook her head as she corrected Rocky.


    "Oh. I understand." Rocky kept her advice in his mind.


    "Even you are able to grasp it, you still won''t be able to apply it in practice due to your low grade of the Mysterious Dragon Skill, so you should just forget about it," Mia scoffed intentionally. However, she knew nothing about Rocky''s purpose. He made the mistake because he wanted to learn the details of the spiritual martial arts directly from her.


    Rocky, who just shrugged his shoulders, pretended to be innocent.


    "Let''s continue!" Noticing Rocky had stopped imitating, Mia immediately turned her palms over. Palm shadows then overlapped, making it difficult to tell which ones were real.


    Rocky looked at them carefully but he still couldn''t figure out the real ones. At that point, all the palm shadows ran towards him and hit his right shoulder. It was so mighty that he struggled to pull himself together after getting thrown backwards a few meters.

 Chapter 46 Awakening

    "You hit me really hard!" Rocky said the moment he regained his balance. He touched his chest and felt numb.


    "If you were in a battlefield, you had already been dead. Remember that you must never let your guard down regardless of the strength of your opponents. If you get cocky, you die," Mia reminded him.


    "What do you call that move?" Rocky figured that he might as well get something out of the pain it caused.


    "They are called the Illusionary Palm. Deity Finger and Illusionary Palm are both from a branch called the "Illusion Technique" in the field of spiritual martial arts. You can practice it once you make it to the third grade of the Mysterious Dragon Skill. This is the only spiritual method of the Dragon Master Clan that could utilize the dragon spiritual power without any of the nature being shown. No one ever studies this kind of spiritual martial arts anymore. As far as I know, I am the only one who....." Mia stopped talking before revealing any more information.


    "Wouldn''t that be just suitable for me?" Rocky had a weird feeling that Mia was deliberately demonstrating spiritual martial arts in front of him. She probably didn''t know that he was at the fifth grade of the Mysterious Dragon Skill. ''Was all this intentional or just random?'' Rocky thought to himself.


    "If you ever make it to the third grade with your Mysterious Dragon Skill, I will teach you more from the spiritual martial arts," said Mia.


    "Is she trying to motivate me by showing me the power of the spiritual martial arts?" Rocky had a discovery that Mia was trying to motivate him with the spiritual martial arts. He never thought that Mia would ever have such concern for him. Maybe she was not as bad as he thought she was.


    "What the hell are you talking about? I could seriously kill you if I wanted to." Mia suddenly turned stern. She had indeed been trying to be nice to him but he ruined it by getting cocky. She appeared in front of Rocky in a flash. She was so furious that she bombarded Rocky with a storm of kicks and punches.


    The result was not surprising at all.


    About an hour later, Rocky


    ng. It came swooping through the air and took the fearsome hit from the claw! But the owner of the claw was too powerful as it kept pressing the sword towards Flint.


    Just as Flint wanted to draw back because he could no longer hold it, a shadow dart shot forward about three meters away from him. Flint had no time to respond given the short distance while being suppressed at the same time.


    The Cloud Tiger, which was unable to make it to its master in time, roared in anger. Roaring was not going to help its master now.


    At that instance, the shadow dart just closed in on Flint with great force. If Flint was to be hit directly, he would probably die. However, there was nothing Flint could do as he watched it unfold right before his eyes. His face was covered in despair at the thought of dying right then and there.


    At that very moment, it happened.


    Just as the shadow dart was less than an inch away from Flint, an ice claw like a blade swooped through the air and clashed with it, causing a small explosion with a huge bang and sparks.


    Flint couldn''t help turning towards the direction where the ice claw came from. It was where the Cloud Tiger was. He never knew that his Cloud Tiger was capable of anything like it.


    Meanwhile, the being that was suppressing Flint pulled back and stopped the attack.


    There came the sound of hands clapping. A round of applause erupted around him.

 Chapter 47 Extraordinary Discovery

    Flint froze for a second as he looked towards the sound and saw a figure where the dart came from. It was none other than Rocky while the beast that just pressed him with its claws was Uriah.


    "Was that you?" Flint realized in an instant that the attacker was Rocky.


    "If I knew that this would work earlier, I would not have gone through so much trouble," Rocky said with a smile on his face.


    Flint still did not understand the reason behind his actions. He felt both humiliated and furious. He approached Rocky and pointed the ice sword towards his face. Uriah wanted to protect its master but Rocky stopped it.


    "You have every right to be angry. However, you will not achieve anything if you refuse to enter the tiger''s den. Besides, who do you think just saved you?" Rocky asked Flint as he squinted at him.


    Flint looked confused as he then looked at his Cloud Tiger.


    "That''s right. Your war beast just saved your life." Rocky affirmed his suspicions.


    "That''s not possible. How could the Cloud Tiger have such abilities?" Flint found it hard to believe that the Cloud Tiger possessed the power of ice.


    "Uriah......" Rocky called his war beast to gesture it to attack.


    Uriah immediately jumped towards the Cloud Tiger. The Cloud Tiger sensed the upcoming danger and immediately brandished its claw. An ice claw then shot out of its claw in an instant and was aimed at Uriah. Uriah dodged the attack as the ice claw went straight into the bamboo grove and blasted a couple of bamboos to bits and pieces.


    Flint was shocked by what he just witnessed. He turned rigidly towards Rocky and asked him, "What the hell is the meaning of this? How did the Cloud Tiger learn to do all of that?"


    "You''ve always treated it as a war beast that was only good with its strength. That was your mistake. The Cloud Tiger always had potential with ice in his body similar to a spiritual beast. Once activated, such ability can be used by the war beast the same way spiritual beasts do," Rocky explained to Flint in detail.


    "How did the Cloud Tiger acquire a spiritual beast''s power with ice?" Flint still couldn''t


    ht. He didn''t know at that time that Flint would see what happened to be a favor he had to repay.


    Rocky went back to the bamboo grove after Flint''s departure and started to cultivate the spiritual martial arts that he learnt from his training with Mia.


    Meanwhile, in a room full of aroma with pink portieres inside a magnificent residence at the northeast corner of the royal city, there was a beautiful woman in a pool of hot water with herbs floating around her. Many candles lit up the room like it was day light. The skin of that woman was tender and white while her hair was jet-black. She wore no makeup yet her face was charming and lovely. She was young, energetic, and lively.


    Rocky would have still found this scene a treat to his eyes despite their last encounter.


    The woman was none other than Marcia Mu.


    She was leaning on the edge of the pool as she enjoyed the water around her body. A frivolous smiling face suddenly came into her heart as she opened her eyes.


    "What the hell is happening to me? I have been thinking about him a lot ever since I got back. Am I regretting not killing him when we met?" Marcia shouted at herself in anger with a bit of confusion.


    She then stood up from the water. Her curvy body was then exposed in the air and was indeed intoxicating. There was a mark of silver lines on her back that shone bright under the candle light. They were all very beautiful.

 Chapter 48 The General Was About To Visit The Dragon Field

    Frowning, Marcia touched her back subconsciously. Worry was written all over her beautiful eyes. So tensed up, she began mumbling to herself, "Oh, no. I should not have trusted that guy. What if he cannot keep the secret? What if he accidentally lets slip? To avert a disaster, I have to take precautions.


    In the first place, he has lied about his name, but since he is a royal spirit manipulator, it will not be difficult to find him. To get started, I''ll need to investigate his whereabouts. I can''t rest until I find him. Only then will I be at peace..." Suddenly, Marcia calmed down and stopped mumbling. An unexpected idea had struck her.


    In an abrupt turn, her eyes sparkled with excitement. "Where are the maids?" she commanded.


    Promptly, two maids in white brocade showed up and bowed in deference. Respectfully they asked, "What is the order, General?"


    The dragon mark on the left arm of Marcia faintly flickered, then, by a mere lift of her finger, the water below them swooshed through a thin and long drift. An outline of a face soon condensed into shape by her magical powers.


    "He is a royal spirit manipulator. I need you to find him at all cost. I don''t mind even if you have to scour the entire Imperial City. As soon as you find him, come back and let me know. By all means, keep it all below, to avoid raising eyebrows," Marcia cautioned, after thinking for a moment.


    "Yes, as you wish," the two maids readily took the order.


    They left and began their search straight away, but they made every effort to stay under the rudder. So everything went on as usual, for several days without any surprise.


    Daily, Mia made things so hard for Rocky that he wondered if this was karma, paying him back for misdeeds of his previous life¡ªa life which he had no control over. Had he dumped her for another woman in their former life? She was pushing him to the wall with her so-called ''special treats''. Mia was proving to be a difficult sparring partner in his martial arts training. Fortunately, he could learn from Mia the Illusion Technique she applied in their daily practice. He could now apply it quite skillfully himself. The only consolation he had was that Mia was pushing him to give his best in training and he hoped it was good for his strength and endurance. All the bruises and injuries aside, there was a silver lining to the harsh treatment that Mia dished out on him.


    There was a total of six palm, feet and finger movements in the Illusion Technique of the spiritual martial arts¡ªtwo for each part of the body. Apart from illusions, the other elements of spirit


    word of it only a few minutes ago." Mia too, was surprised. All in all, Marcia was now in a high position. Usually, she would not be interested in trivial things such as the training of newly promoted royal spirit manipulators. She had far more important duties on her plate.


    "Priest Dean sent a messenger in particular to remind me that I must do everything to ensure the Great General a memorable visit. Not a single negligence or mistake is allowed. If anything upsets General Marcia, she would mention it to His Majesty. We will all be done by then." One of the ministers gave his thought. There was a reason for his worries. Marcia was cherished by the Holy Dragon Empire. So even the slightest unbecoming incidence toward her would have cause great disturbance in the entire empire.


    Furthermore, no one else knew the background of Marcia other than the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire. When she first arrived in the Holy Dragon Empire, she was already a proud, nearly invincible royal spirit manipulator at the Divine Stage. Her level of cultivation base awed the whole empire. Word had it that she had fought against six powerful cultivators at the Supernal Stage and defeated them all. It was clear that her cultivation base was strong enough for the rank of general.


    But Marcia remained a mystery. Most people did not know the first thing about her real power, and deliberately, she kept her background a top-secret. But without a doubt, her cultivation base ranked top in the entire Holy Dragon Empire.


    That explained the urgent preparations that were happening here, ahead of the impromptu visit by the Great General. The fact that she was coming to review the training program called for thorough, meticulous work.

 Chapter 49 Busy Dragon Field

    Marcia would be visiting the dragon field in the afternoon. As soon as Mia got this news, the entire dragon field, which had always been quiet in the morning, became lively.


    To welcome Marcia, Mia and some other ministers came early to the dragon field and planned to redecorate it. They even went as far as planning to change it up to look like a big feast.


    On top of that, many aristocrats, high officials, even members of nobility and royalty came rushing towards the dragon field after hearing the news. Even the ordeal of standing under the scorching heat of the sun did not stop them from patiently waiting for Marcia''s arrival. They wanted to witness the graceful arrival of the Marcia who was famous all over the country with their own eyes.


    "It seems like this Marcia is really famous. Even these privileged people are so eager to see her that they don''t mind standing under the hot sun," Rocky said as he amusedly looked at the scene. He had no idea that Marcia''s influence was this huge. He then left to return to his room.


    The news of Marcia''s arrival had already spread among the trainees in the area. They all went completely crazy as if they were pumped up with excitants. Although Marcia had been famous throughout the entire country for a very long time and these new royal spirit manipulators had already heard a lot about her, only a few of them had been fortunate enough to have met her personally. It was no wonder that they all acted like mad dogs upon hearing the news that the legendarily powerful and remarkably stunning general was going to watch them train.


    "It will be excellent if Marcia would take me as an apprentice."


    "I''m even willing to be her servant!"


    "You''re


    noon.


    Because Rocky was so concentrated on his cultivation, he did not notice that everyone else had gone until he heard a loud noise that came from the direction of the dragon field.


    Rocky then immediately left the yard and rushed to the dragon field with Uriah. He saw numerous people crowded in the center of the dragon field as he passed through the gate. They all looked reverent as they stood in two lines.


    A fancy carriage surrounded by hundreds of beautiful guards in silver armour soon showed up at the entrance of the dragon field.


    The crowd grew even more giddily exuberant as they saw the fancy carriage. Everyone craned their necks, trying to sneak a peek at the beautiful general through the gauze curtain.


    Rocky was close to the crowd when the fancy carriage stopped. He did not want to squeeze between the people in the crowd, so he just stood behind them.


    A stunning figure then raised the gauze curtain and walked down from the carriage. Everyone finally saw the breathtakingly beautiful face of the general.


    Everyone on the dragon field immediately went crazy, exclaiming excitedly at Marcia''s beauty.

 Chapter 50 Close Relations

    "We personally wanted to welcome you on your visit here, General Marcia," Mia and the other ministers who had been waiting for a long time came up to the general to greet her.


    "There''s no need for ceremony. I planned to visit secretly, to patrol. How did the news of my visit spread so quickly?" Marcia sternly said, unimpressed by the ceremony. The attention everyone gave her and the salacious gazes that she was receiving from the men made her uncomfortable and ill at ease.


    Marcia''s displeased expression began to make all the ministers feel nervous, their stomachs tightening in fright. They stood still as they anxiously held their breaths, hoping to give her a good impression. Marcia was one of the most powerful people in the Holy Dragon Empire. They all knew that if she would want to punish them for their incompetence, she would be able to do it very easily.


    "It is our great honour to welcome you here, General Marcia. That is why we did our best to prepare an extravagant ceremony. It is our responsibility to do so," came the hurried reply of a minister, a big smile plastered on his face.


    "I don''t care for the ceremony. I''ve been used to it by now. It''s just the same every time," the general coldly stated. She then turned to Mia and said, "Master Mia, please call out all the royal spirit manipulators."


    "General Marcia, why don''t you take a rest first?" Mia insisted. She knew that Marcia went for a visit to observe the training, but she did not expect that she would actually do it, let alone do it right away just a few minutes after her arrival.


    "I believe I have made it clear that I am here to see their exercises," Marcia emphasized. However, inside her mind, observing the exercises was just an excuse for her to find the man who had cheated her.


    Marcia ordered her soldiers to find Rocky. They had looked for him everywhere, including the dragon field, but they did not find any useful clues. But unbeknownst to them, they had already ran into Rocky. They were not able to recognize him because his appearance had changed quite drastically since he last met Marcia.


    Rocky would be able to finally get Marcia off his tail. However, she was unyielding and insisted on going to the dragon field to look for him. Hence, this was the reason for her visit to the dragon field.


    Perhaps it was destined that they would meet again.


    "Y-yes! Of course, General!" Mia stammered, reacting at once. She did not dare say anything else; she just bowed down before Marcia and then turned back around to order every young man to assemble at the field immediately.


    All the young men then instantaneously marched up to Marcia and respectfully greeted her.


    Marcia looked at each of the young men, but soon shook her head in disappointment, turned to Mia and asked, "Are these all the young me


    m what he did


    because they had never seen a man touch Marcia, not even her hands. The way they saw it, if a man dared to try even just a tiny bit of flirting with Marcia, he would most definitely be beaten to death by her incredible fighting strength.


    They considered Marcia as a holy symbol in their minds and Rocky dared to¡ªat least they thought so¡ªviolate her.


    "How dare Basil do that?" Mia gasped. She immediately frowned, wanting Rocky to stop his unrefined behaviour.


    However, to everyone''s surprise, Marcia did not start violently beating Rocky. Instead, she brought her lips close to his ear. "Do you want to die now? How dare you flirt with me in the public?" she said in a low voice, almost growling.


    "You came here to find me. It might not be good news for me, so why not flirt with a beauty while I have the chance?" Rocky brazenly teased.


    Marcia was so furious and taken aback by what Rocky said that she was at a loss for words and all she could do was glower at him. She did not want to beat up a young spirit manipulator like him because she wanted to maintain her excellent public image as a well-respected general.


    However, things had become different in everyone''s eyes. What they saw was Marcia and Rocky talking intimately and cuddling with each other. It made them even more curious about many things regarding the nature of the two''s relationship. The prudish nobles and aristocrats carefully watched them as they gossiped among themselves. The scene that was happening before their eyes was probably the most interesting thing that had happened in their boring uneventful lives. Five versions of the story quickly spread among the crowd.


    "Let''s go! There are too many people. We need to find a quiet place," Marcia urgently said as she calmly turned around and got rid of Rocky''s hand on her waist. She then proceeded to directly walk forward.

 Chapter 51 The Surprising And Precious Gifts From Marcia (Part One)

    Hearing that Marcia wanted to have a private talk with him, Rocky had a bitter smile and shrugged. He turned around and had a look at the crowd that stared at him and Marcia. They were gossiping about them. He didn''t seem to care as he strutted away with Marcia. Marcia, a well-respected and well-known general, didn''t beat him hard, which meant that she had given him enough face in public. The crowd didn''t know the truth and obviously thought that there was a special relationship between them.


    "Master Mia, what on earth is going on? Why does General Marcia want to talk with that Basil?" The officials in the crowd asked, completely baffled. Those two people were supposed to be from two different worlds. They should never have got any chance to meet each other. Even if they knew each other, how could the mighty general be willing to talk to an insignificant civilian like Basil?


    Just like the officials, Mia was at a loss and shook her head blankly.


    The fact remained that nearly one thousand people at the dragon field were stunned, with their mouth agape. Other than watching them leave, there was hardly anything they could do.


    Rocky followed Marcia. He was anxious as Marcia had been silent all the way. She seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. Unable to tolerate the silence, he walked a few steps forward. He could not stop himself and asked, "Excuse me! Marcia, why were you looking for me?"


    "If I tell you that I want to kill you, so that you keep your mouth shut forever and also to prevent the revelation of my secret, how would you react?" Marcia asked jokingly. She turned around and steered her attention to Rocky. However, from the serious look on her face, Rocky felt that she was not joking at all.


    "I''ve kept my mouth shut and never told anyone your secret!" Rocky protested and looked completely innocent.


    "But, I''m still worried that my secret might leak out


    ured out the secret, it would become rather unnecessary to kill Rocky.


    Perhaps it was the first time in Marcia''s life that she felt most helpless. When she could easily kill a person, she hesitated for a long time and gave it so much thought. It was definitely not her style. Usually, she was a very decisive and formidable general who would intimidate countless enemies on the battlefield. Never had she expected that she would be in such a dilemma.


    "Damn it!" Marcia glared at Rocky''s back and swore coldly. Seeing Rocky go out of her sight, she had no way but to follow him.


    "Where are we going?" Marcia asked in a cold voice after catching up with Rocky.


    "There''s a little guy who is so eager to see you," Rocky said and beamed.


    "Do you mean your war beast?" Marcia couldn''t help thinking of the lovely war beast that followed Rocky last time.


    Rocky didn''t reply but simply took Marcia to his room where his war beast was kept. As soon as the door of his room was opened, a shadow of the beast sprang out, not towards Rocky, but towards Marcia. It was Rocky''s war beast, Uriah.


    Howl! Rocky saw Uriah get in front of Marcia, winked its two big eyes, stared at Marcia and shook its head, looking a little excited. Apparently, it recognized Marcia.

 Chapter 52 The Surprising And Precious Gifts From Marcia (Part Two)

    When Marcia saw Uriah, she was quite stunned by its size and asked in surprise, "Is it that little guy I saw last time? Why it has grown to such a big beast, and its power has leapt from one-star to three-star? Could it be because you fed it the whole yellow spiritual crystal?"


    Rocky didn''t deny the fact and nodded.


    "Are you out of your mind? How could you feed the entire yellow spiritual crystal to a war beast that hadn''t reached the level of one-star? Do you want to kill it?" Marcia snarled. She was really mad at Rocky as Uriah could have died after taking the yellow spiritual crystal.


    "Don''t worry! Uriah is quite healthy now!" Rocky spoke in a surprised tone. He never expected that Marcia would be mad at him because of Uriah.


    "It is also my fault. I should have told you how to use the yellow spiritual crystal correctly. Luckily, it is fine now, otherwise¡­" Marcia hesitated to complete her sentence. "Unexpectedly, the yellow spiritual crystal has completely drawn out its potential. It''s a pity that I am not a beast evaluator, or else I could have helped to evaluate the potential of your beast," Marcia added with a guilty look on her face. She seemed to be quite fond of Uriah.


    "I might do a wrong thing, but you see, the result is good. Thanks to your spiritual crystal, Uriah has been able to grow bigger and more powerful. And for this I am sure, my war beast would like to thank you personally," Rocky told Marcia and yelled out to Uriah, "Uriah, she is your benefactor! You should express your appreciation to her now!"


    As soon as Rocky finished speaking, Uriah seemed to have understood his words. At once, it jumped up and leaned against Marcia. It stuck out its tongue and began licking Marcia''s face.


    "No...! Stop licking me! Stop that!" Marcia was bewildered and at a loss by such a sudden and enthusiastic form of appreciation. Moreover, sh


    unt of a cultivator''s spiritual power, then the role of spiritual power gathering crystal was to strengthen his spiritual power. Thus, getting such a rare crystal free of charge, was no doubt like winning a great lottery for Rocky. He never thought he would be so lucky.


    Realizing that Marcia didn''t kill him, but offered him an extremely precious treasure, Rocky raised his eyebrows and took it without any hesitation. He thought of it as a favor that she was returning to him as he had offered her two bottles of magical saliva.


    "And these three yellow spiritual crystals are for the small¡­ No, I should say, it is for the big guy now..." Marcia continued as she delivered them to Rocky. He hadn''t yet recovered from his ecstasy after getting the free and rare gift, i.e. the spiritual power gathering crystal from Marcia. Upon that she was giving three yellow spiritual crystals to him. Surprised at her gesture, he felt he would faint with such big surprises.


    "All right," Rocky replied lightly and took them as well. Despite the confusion and the mix of emotions he felt inside, he looked rather calm outside.


    "Well, there is one more thing..." Marcia thought for a while and asked, "Tell me, what''s the nature of your dragon spiritual power?"

 Chapter 53 Enhancing Rapidly (Part One)

    "It doesn''t have any nature," Rocky answered.


    "That''s not possible. Give me your hand," Marcia doubted what he said so she grabbed Rocky''s hand at once before he could even react. Meanwhile, she sent some of her spiritual power into Rocky''s body.


    "Eh? It really doesn''t have any nature. Also, it seems that you..." Marcia suddenly put on an evil smile as if she had found Rocky''s secret, but she soon solemnly said again, "How could it have no nature? It is way different from the recordation of the Dragon Master Clan." She seemed to have been looking for something in the Magic Spiritual Space from where she then took out a book from and said, "This Vast Nebula Skill is at the Earthly Stage and whose power has no nature. Though it isn''t the spiritual method of the Dragon Master Clan, it is created by a powerful royal spirit manipulator."


    "How powerful was he?" Rocky asked.


    "I will tell you once you succeed in mastering this skill. But you have to raise your power up to the Earthly Stage before you could begin practicing this skill. Even if you could cultivate at a high speed, you would still need to cultivate for at least one year before you can reach the Earthly Stage. So you have to be very patient," Marcia said with a snort.


    "I''m afraid I cannot wait for that long," Rocky said worriedly.


    "The Vast Nebula Skill not only contains the formula of the spiritual method, but also the complementary spiritual martial arts that comes with them. It is a very precious skill, so don''t lose it no matter what happens," Marcia warned Rocky as she passed the Vast Nebula Skill to him.


    "Why are you suddenly being so nice to me?" Rocky asked as soon as he took the Vast Nebula Skill. He had been quite suspicious of Marcia''s recent behavior, but since she gave him these things for free, he accepted them all.


    "Well. It is because I don''t like taking others'' things for free. So you can take this as payment for your miracle liquid. After all, I am no longer in need of any of these things," Marcia hesitated for a while before she could reply. It was actually all an excuse. She was nice to him because she wanted to use Rocky''s power of the Holy Dragon Bead.


    e me trouble, I will just ask Uriah to ''play'' with them," Rocky said disdainfully. He then seemed to suddenly think about something so he asked Flint, "Do you have anything like... maybe small bags? Would you mind if I borrowed one?"


    Flint went towards his bed and searched for something. After a while, he took out a palm-sized silk bag and threw it at Rocky. Rocky saw there was a word ''Ji'', Flint''s surname, embroidered on the silk red bag. It had a golden mark which looked like an emblem on it.


    "Flint, you must have come from a very rich family. This bag looks very beautiful, as if it was made very delicately," Rocky couldn''t help but guess. This was the first time that he asked about Flint''s background.


    Flint glanced at Rocky before he left with his Cloud Tiger without saying a word.


    "Humph. He probably thinks he was so cool for doing that," Rocky snorted as he put the spiritual power gathering crystal and the yellow spiritual crystals into the silk bag Flint lent him. He then went to the bamboo grove with Uriah.


    Because Rocky had just got the spiritual power gathering crystal, he was eager to try some experiments. Though it was still daytime and he could be easily seen by other people, he couldn''t help but hunker down beside the pond as he held the spiritual power gathering crystal in his left hand. He was not sure how much magic the spiritual power gathering crystal had in it so he did not take the magical saliva first.

 Chapter 54 Enhancing Rapidly (Part Two)

    Rocky concentrated and activated the fifth grade of the Mysterious Dragon Skill as he soon felt the dragon spiritual power immediately linked with the spiritual power gathering crystal. The spiritual power gathering crystal began to twinkle constantly and gathered the spiritual energy between heaven and the earth. With the linking of the spiritual power, the spiritual power the gathering crystal absorbed was flown into Rocky''s body through a channel which was served as a vessel growing outside his body.


    Because it was the first time Rocky ever used the spiritual power gathering crystal and he was mesmerized by the magic and the wonderful feeling, he sat beside the pond for entirely one day and one night.


    When he opened his eyes, a sharp light was emitted out of his body. At the same time, he jumped into the air. With the powerful spiritual power rushing out of his body, the multicolored light shone fiercely like the sun.


    Rumble!


    Under the strong impact of the spiritual power, the dust around the pond was blown into the air as the once quiet pond rippled violently.


    "I think I''ve just reached the fifth grade of the Mortal Stage!" Rocky muttered in surprise the moment he landed. He had not expected that he could reach the fifth grade of the Mortal Stage so soon just by cultivating through the spiritual power gathering crystal for an entire day. It was as exciting as riding the rollercoaster.


    Rocky needed at least ten days to half a month before he was able to reach the fifth grade of the Mortal Stage. But currently, he was able to break into the fifth grade of the Mortal Stage so quickly with the help of the magic power of the spiritual power gathering crystal.


    "General Gorgeous. I love you so much!" Rocky couldn''t help but kiss the spiritual power gathering crystal before he put it back into the silk bag. If anyone knew that Rocky had such a magical treasure in his possession, they would definitely try their best to take it away from him.


    It was already afternoon. Apparently, Rocky had already missed his morning training. When he had returned to his room, he was immediately requested to go to Mia''s office.


    "Is this your office?" It was Rocky''s first time to come to the place where Mia worked in so he couldn''t help but look around in curiosity. The office was huge but the decorations were rather simple. It was not luxurious as one would expect but just a plain room with a pleasant smell from incense.


    Mia was sitting behind a wide table as she stared at Rocky who was touring her office.


    ng. He was attempting to take a risk again tonight. Last time, he had almost killed Uriah when he let Uriah eat the yellow spiritual crystal. Fortunately, he saved its life using his dragon spiritual power and it succeeded in upgrading its power to a higher grade. Now that he had three yellow spiritual crystals in his pocket, he wanted to try something again. Scientists always had a thirst for adventure but he seemed to be the most intense daredevil.


    But now that Uriah was a three-star war beast, though it was only at the first grade, it was able to eat an entire yellow spiritual crystal without any trouble so he did not worry that what had happened last time would happen again.


    Uriah got excited as it saw Rocky took out the yellow spiritual crystal. The spiritual crystal was extremely attractive to the spirit-manipulated beasts. None of the spirit-manipulated beasts could resist the temptation of the special spiritual power emitting from the spiritual crystal. So the spiritual crystals at higher grades would attract the stronger spirit-manipulated beasts. The smart ones of the spirit-manipulated beasts would not eat the entire spiritual crystal but would instead surround it and slowly absorb the spiritual power from the spiritual crystal. This was also why spiritual crystals at higher levels were harder to get because if you wanted to get one, you would have to deal with one or more spirit-manipulated beasts. So a spirit manipulator who was at least at the Heavenly Stage was only able to get one yellow spiritual crystal at a time.


    In other words, Rocky was so fortunate that Marcia sent him three yellow spiritual crystals in one breath. He couldn''t have been more grateful.

 Chapter 55 Rockys Lucky Charm

    No one would have ever thought that the spiritual crystal could be used for the cultivation of the spiritual power. It was originally used for upgrading the star rating of spirit-manipulated beasts and it was something that people never thought to try. Rocky utilizing the spiritual crystal to accelerate his cultivation was a highly risky thing to do. After all, the spiritual power of the spiritual crystal was too much for humans to take. One could be injured or even die for even trying. It was a hard lesson that they learned from other''s mistakes.


    "Just take it easy. Don''t swallow the whole piece," Rocky said as he placed the yellow spiritual crystal in front of Uriah.


    Uriah grabbed the crystal and gave it a lick and it seemed like it had tasted something delicious. It suddenly opened its mouth and swallowed the whole thing at once.


    "Whoa, hey! I said take it easy!" Rocky exclaimed, rolling his eyes at Uriah.


    Uriah grumbled in protest.


    A few moments after swallowing the yellow spiritual crystal, Uriah began writhing in pain and Rocky felt a strong surge of spiritual power coming from it. The spiritual crystal had begun working. Rocky then relayed his dragon spiritual power to his left arm and placed it on Uriah''s forehead. The Dragon Spirit Mark around his left arm stared to sparkle.


    The moment the dragon spiritual power entered Uriah''s body, the spiritual power that it obtained from the crystal immediately flowed to Rocky''s arm. Rocky then felt as if an explosion was taking place inside his body, which made him tremble in pain.


    Rocky took a deep breath and began cultivating grade six of the Mysterious Dragon Skill. He initially could not control the strong spiritual power that he absorbed from Uriah, but his dragon spiritual power gradually began to assimilate the power and relayed it into his energy meridians. It was the same as the last time, but the only difference was that he did not pass out and he felt certain that it worked.


    His dragon spiritual power acted like an energy converter, absorbing Uriah''s spiritual power and then assimilating i


    the yellow spiritual crystal at the same time. He knew fairly well that it was another highly dangerous thing to do. However, he was quite satisfied with the outcome before, so it was a risk he was more than willing to take.


    Rocky had reached grade seven of the Mortal Stage by the day before the Dragon Birth Festival arrived. Meanwhile, Uriah was now close to reaching the third grade of the three-star level, making it almost invincible against those war beasts at its same level.


    "Only one yellow spiritual crystal left. I would be able to upgrade to grade eight of the Mortal Stage. It seems that I have to exchange the magical saliva for General Beauty''s yellow spiritual crystals," Rocky contemplated. It would be impossible for him to get a hold of even one yellow spiritual crystal by himself. As he thought about it, he remembered Uriah was a great help in making all the progress that had been achieving possible. If not for Uriah''s magical saliva, Rocky would have had no chance in saving Marcia out of danger.


    Uriah was really Rocky''s lucky charm.


    All of a sudden, the bamboo leaves rustled.


    Rocky turned around and saw a figure walking with a white tiger. It was Flint and his Cloud Tiger. After Rocky had triggered the Cloud Tiger''s potential, he and Flint had been getting closer with each other. Every now and then, Flint would walk the Cloud Tiger around the bamboo grove.

 Chapter 56 Hello There

    "Do you want to use your Cloud Tiger against my Uriah?" Rocky was teasing Flint.


    "That won''t be necessary. We are all going to the Dragon Birth Festival tomorrow. I just came over to tell you this, in case you forgot," Flint said.


    "Damn! I almost forgot. Thank you." Rocky just remembered that Mia had mentioned it two weeks ago.


    Flint gave Rocky a nod and then turned to leave with his Cloud Tiger. He stopped suddenly and turned to Rocky. "I''m looking forward to seeing your performance with Uriah tomorrow." After that, he left.


    "What are you expecting to see anyway? Is he in love with me or something? That would be too much." Rocky mused to himself and started practicing on the rock by the pool.


    The following morning, he made it back to his room earlier, but Flint was nowhere to be seen. It was not until he had changed his clothes that Flint came back, sweating profusely.


    "Where did you go at this hour of the day? Still so early," Rocky asked.


    "I went for a warm-up with my Cloud Tiger," Flint answered.


    "It looks like you are looking forward to the match at the Dragon Birth Festival," Rocky commented.


    "Of course. I want to prove myself." Flint didn''t say anything else.


    "You are already very strong now. What''s there to prove?" Rocky had heard on his way back that Flint was already at the fourth grade of Mortal Stage, which meant that Bear was the only match for him among the thirty royal spirit manipulators besides Rocky himself. They had been training in dragon field for just two months and Flint had managed to achieve the fourth grade of Mortal Stage. His progress had impressed them all.


    "We are different as there has never been any expectation of you. But I grew up with them, so I have to be stronger. Otherwise I would end up disappointing so many people." Flint grew solemn as he had been carrying too much for too long. He could barely breathe under such pressure.


    Rocky still did not get the meaning of his word and just gave a weak smile.


    After some preparation, they headed for the assembly at dragon field with Uriah and the Cloud Tiger.


    Most of the spiritual manipu


    t these prodigies, but he said nothing more.


    As the carriages slowly came to a stop, Rocky could hear the lively chatter from all around. They stepped out to a square decorated with lanterns and ribbons. The whole place was boisterous today.


    Looking around, Rocky couldn''t help but admire how smartly everyone in the square was dressed. Most of them were high ranking families, ministers, other dignitaries and powerful spirit manipulators.


    The whole square was heavily guarded with guards everywhere on the ground, and several royal spirit manipulators riding their dragons on patrol.


    "Prince Basil......" A beautiful and tender voice came calling the prince.


    Rocky turned and saw Lena approaching with two of her maids. Her stunning looks caught the attention of everyone at the square.


    "Hello there, little pretty lady." Rocky greeted cheerily, the moment he saw her.


    "What are you talking about? I am not little. I am all grown up!" Lena ignored all the curious looks from the crowd and walked straight to Rocky.


    "Then I''ll just cut it to pretty lady. Although, large and lovely would be more fitting," Rocky said while staring at Lena''s big bust.


    "It''s only been two months since I last saw you, and you have become such a slick." At his lustful gaze, Lena rolled her eyes. She was angry, but she casually let it pass. After all, she was a girl, and one who had no problem with being complimented.

 Chapter 57 Is It Really You

    "You''ve really changed a lot! You''ve appear much stronger now and I hardly even recognized you. The traces of that frail little boy that you once were is completely gone!" Lena gushed as she surveyed Rocky from head to toe. Although Rocky had changed greatly in the recent months, it only took Lena a short while after stepping out of the carriage to recognize him. She was aware that the new royal spirit manipulators would come visit to celebrate the Dragon Birth Festival, Rocky included.


    The young nobles and spirit manipulators watched as Rocky socialized with Lena, talking, laughing, even holding hands and acting close towards each other. They all grew jealous of him. They were all surprised when they witnessed Rocky acting intimate with Marcia last time. Now, he was socializing with Lena, a Witch from the Holy Dragon Empire. It was all unexpected. Their brows furrowed as they tried to figure out how Rocky seemingly became so charismatic and attractive in the eyes of the two stunning beauties.


    "I thought you''d say that you missed me." Rocky pouted and pretended to be disappointed.


    Lena lightly chuckled and played along. She shook Rocky''s hands and said, "Alright, fine. I missed you a little bit and I''ve been worried about you all the time. How have they been treating you at the dragon field? Are you being bullied over there?"


    "Am I being bullied? Are you kidding me?" Rocky quipped. He then turned around to face his teenaged companions and shouted, "Hey! This beautiful girl is asking whether you guys have been bullying me! Is that right? Have you been bullying me?"


    The teenagers'' eyes widened in fear. They all hurriedly shook their heads. None of them dared to offend Rocky.


    "You see? I''m the boss here!" Rocky said, glancing back at Lena with a big grin on his face.


    "Oh my goodness. What luck has befallen you? You''re so imperious now." Lena put her hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh. Lena noticed that Rocky had morphed into a different man. He was energetic


    be about forty years old. She had arching eyebrows and red phoenix eyes. She was aging but she had a well-maintained beauty. She also exuded an aura of powerful authority, being a spirit manipulator at the Divine Stage. She was Felicia Feng, the imperial preceptor of the Magic Phoenix Empire. She was leading a delegation to the Holy Dragon Empire to celebrate the Dragon Birth Festival. The delegation was composed of several phoenix spirit manipulators who represented the Magic Phoenix Empire.


    The woman on the right was much younger, probably in her early twenties. She looked divine in her white brocade phoenix robe that made her eyes look as clear as a spring. However, as beautiful and exquisite her face was, it showed no emotions.


    She was the one who was causing all the commotion. She had stolen everyone''s attention and became the sensation of the Dragon Birth Festival. She was none other than Erica, the best spirit manipulator among the young generation in the Magic Phoenix Empire. Young as she was, she had already reached grade nine of the Heavenly Stage. Felicia was Erica''s master.


    Most of the young nobles and spirit manipulators who came to celebrate the Dragon Birth Festival were fervent admirers of the exquisitely beautiful Erica. It was quite natural that her arrival at the square would cause an uproar.

 Chapter 58 The Formidable Opponents

    "She looks breathtakingly beautiful. Her charm must be at par with that of Marcia''s and Lena''s." Rocky observed as he stroked his jaw. His eyes sparkled with admiration. He knew Erica was always quite the beauty, but seeing her up close only reinforced that truth.


    Felicia and Erica were warmly welcomed by the crowd. They went across the square, along with the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire, and sat gingerly on their designated seats at the end of the square. The princes including Alston and ministers of the Holy Dragon Empire waiting there made their salutations to Felicia to show their respect.


    The instant Alston saw Erica, his mind became unsettled.


    "Preceptor Felicia, please take a seat." The emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire respectfully reached out to invite Felicia.


    "Your Majesty, you''re welcome." Felicia nodded. She waited for the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire to sit before she settled herself on the seat of honor beside him.


    Then Lena sat down with Erica aside. When chatters and murmurs of the guests simmered down, Priest Dean took a step forward to announce the beginning of the Dragon Birth Festival.


    Soon, people sang and danced in the center of the square in an ecstasy of joy.


    "Thanks to Her Majesty, we have the great honor to receive Preceptor Felicia at the Dragon Birth Festival of the Holy Dragon Empire. Please send my warmest appreciation to her when you return," the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire said with a benign countenance, humbly presenting himself. As was known by most people, Felicia was the white-haired person of the empress of the Magic Phoenix Empire. She was delegated to take charge of most of the principal affairs in the Magic Phoenix Empire. This showed that she was a person of high influence there. Thus, the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire had to treat her with utmost respect.


    "Your Majesty, you''re welcome. Our empires have thrived in good relationships throughout. It''s the honor of the Magic Phoenix Empire to be here to watch the Dragon Birth Festival of the Holy Dragon Empire. Her Majesty was very much enthused with your invitation, so she commanded me to take Erica, my disciple, and seven new phoenix spirit manipulators with me. This is a great opportunity for them to broaden their horizons. They can also exchange experience and skills with the royal spirit manipulators of the Holy Dragon Empire. From what I''ve heard, one of the new royal spirit manipulators even fused with the Holy Dragon Bead. As far as I can recall, it is the holy treasure of the Holy Dragon Empire from centuries ago," Felicia commented, her eyes directly fixed on the emperor''s visage.


    "You''re very much abreast about the information..." The emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire was both impressed and taken aback with the mention of the Holy Dragon Bead. He forced a laugh, trying to evade the embarrassing conversation, so he changed the subject and sai


    s the contestants. Then, we can have a wheel battle between the two sides. The loser will be eliminated while the winner remains. The side that has no contestant to send will lose the battle," Felicia declared.


    The emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire shifted his gaze to Priest Dean as if looking for an answer. Unfortunately, the Priest was as dumbfounded as he was. They stared at each other speechless and stunned at Felicia''s proposal. Apparently, it was against the Holy Dragon Empire. But in consideration of courtesy to guests, it was awkward of them to evade carrying out Felicia''s plan once she had asked. Fortunately, they just intended to exchange experience and skills among the spirit manipulators of the two empires this time, so winning or losing was of no great importance. However, if the royal spirit manipulators lost the battle with enormous incongruity, it would be very much shameful for their empire.


    "Go and arrange it as Preceptor Felicia said," the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire ordered Priest Dean.


    Priest Dean nodded immediately and did as he was told.


    Not long after, he came to the rest area.


    "Priest Dean..." Mia called as she bowed down.


    "This comes as a surprise to us, but the phoenix spirit manipulators are so powerful. Although, it makes sense because they fused with the power of the spiritual race half a year earlier than us," Priest Dean analyzed as he locked eyes with Mia, but he still sounded a little unconvinced.


    "The most powerful of them is merely at the sixth grade of the Mortal Stage. There''s no need to be afraid." An arrogant voice came about.


    They all turned their heads, looking for who the owner of the voice was, only to find that it came from Rocky who was dozing in the chair aside.


    "You''re good for nothing. Even with a few years more, you still can''t reach the sixth grade of the Mortal Stage. Stop deceiving yourself and others," Priest Dean scoffed with cold eyes.

 Chapter 59 The Contest

    "Someone really thinks highly of himself. You only reach grade two of the Mortal Stage, dude! Are you that stupid to think that you are invincible now? Man, you maybe piss your pants when the contest starts." Bear chimed in with Priest Dean.


    The other young men began murmuring among themselves and laughing at Rocky.


    When Rocky heard Priest Dean and their laughter, he opened his eyes at once and jumped up from his chair, with an imposing air. He shot Priest Dean a taunting glance and asked haughtily, "What if the tables turn against the phoenix spirit manipulators you''re tipping to win?"


    Everyone looked at Rocky as if he was a lunatic. Nobody took his word seriously and they thought he was making some ridiculous jokes.


    "All right! Why don''t you join the contest then?" A sharp voice from the rest area interrupted them. Everyone turned to look in the direction of the voice, where a slender woman was passing, dressed in a cloak. When she took off the cap, her stunning features left everyone in awe.


    "General Beauty!" Rocky cried out in surprise. Priest Dean and Mia were surprised as well. They knew well that Marcia was a quirky person who didn''t like crowded places and rarely showed up at ceremonies.


    "General Marcia! Why didn''t you notify us ahead of schedule that you would be attending the function?" Priest Dean changed his poker face and tried to fawn on Marcia.


    "How would I have informed you when I didn''t know anything about the event? I was only taking a stroll, and it''s by pure coincidence that I passed by here," Marcia answered as she looked at Rocky.


    "May I inform His Majesty of your presence? Please wait for a second. I will have one of my men prepare a seat for you," Priest Dean said.


    "You don''t have to do that. I''ve said I''m just passing by. I''m not staying, so it''s not necessary to bother His Majesty," Marcia replied, her brows knitting with firmness. Then pointing at Rocky she said, "He looks arrogant. Let him join the contest. I want to see what makes him so smug!"


    Rocky smiled and shook his head. He knew Marcia said that on purpose, but he couldn''t figure out the reason why she wanted him to participate.


    "General Marcia! Although this is just a minor contes


    chances were minimal and their remaining players had to fight tooth and nail to save the day. This was almost their last ray of hope, and they cheered him on as if their lives depended on him. Born into the Holy Dragon nobility, Bear was a Ximen ¡ª one of their very best of the best. And true, he didn''t let them down, as he handed Holy Dragon their second victory of the day, trouncing the phoenix spirit manipulator who had defeated Flint.


    They finally saw the chance now. If Bear took down another one, the score would be five to four. That would be a better way to wrap up the day. However, their expectations fizzled, the moment they saw the next phoenix spirit manipulator in the ring. Although Bear was a talented man, his opponent was a class higher. It was ridiculous to expect another victor for Holy Dragon.


    Six to three, Holy Dragon was again exposed, unless something drastic happened. And so they once more rallied all their support for their next man in the ring. Logically, their last player was the strongest. He might have a chance or even turn everything around. However, their jaws dropped when they saw a man, strutting to the ring without his war beast.


    It was Rocky, who joined the contest purely on Marcia''s insistence.


    Just on purpose, Rocky didn''t bring Uriah along with him to the ring. That way, no one would know which grade his war beast had reached. What''s more, he could easily take down these phoenix spirit manipulator, even without Uriah''s help.

 Chapter 60 The Useless Prince

    "Oh, I know who he is! He is the useless prince! Why does he come here?"


    "I don''t know either. He doesn''t even reach the third grade of the Mortal Stage. Why would it be him who goes up for the last round? Did the Holy Dragon Empire make a mistake?"


    "Yeah, maybe you are right. How could he possibly compare with the phoenix spirit manipulators from the Magic Phoenix Empire? They can probably defeat him in the blink of an eye! Holy moly! He is just going to make this situation way uglier!"


    "Look! He doesn''t even bring his war beast! Does that mean he''s trying to surrender right from the start? Or maybe he doesn''t even have a war beast of his own? That''s just embarrassing!"


    People began murmuring among themselves.


    Even the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire was surprised to see Rocky coming up in the last round.


    "Priest Dean, what happened? What''s the reason behind this?" the emperor looked at Priest Dean and asked him with worry.


    "Your Majesty, I shall explain everything later," Priest Dean whispered. Because Felicia was present at the area, Priest Dean didn''t tell the emperor beforehand that Marcia requested for Rocky to join the contest. As he expected, the emperor was caught by surprise the moment he saw that Rocky was present.


    The emperor could tell Priest Dean was caught in an awkward situation. To add to that, Felicia sat right next to him so the emperor decided to put a stop to the topic and merely nodded at Priest Dean instead.


    "What is this piece of crap doing here? Does the whole Holy Dragon Empire run out of other spirit manipulators?" Alston whispered furiously.


    But when Lena saw Rocky, she immediately had stars in her eyes. Of course, she didn''t know that Rocky''s presence in the contest was made possible by Marcia so she thought it was because Rocky fought for himself. It made her feel really happy for Rocky.


    "Oh! Is he the royal spirit manipulator who acquired the dragon spiritual power from the Holy Dragon Bead? The players from the Holy Dragon Empire who came before don''t seem to be the one who has fused with the Holy Dragon Bead. Could he be the one? But he looks so weak. The other players look way stronger than him," Erica questioned with a face full of doubt.


    "Well..." The emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire was tongue-tied and embarrassed after hearing Erica.


    "Sorry, Miss Erica! The one you just mentioned doesn''t join the game because he has another business he has to take care of," Priest Dean explained at once to save the emperor from further embarrassment as he nodded at him to let him know he had his back.


    The emperor also understood that if


    trouble with Rocky.


    Rocky knew well what the audiences were thinking. All of a sudden, the light around his left arm dazzled brightly. His strength had now increased to the fourth grade of the Mortal Stage.


    It all came out of the blue and none of the spectators expected any of it!


    "Wow! That''s truly surprising!" Erica marveled with her wide eyes. She knew that the way she initially thought of Rocky had changed.


    Who could have possibly known that the useless princess could reach the fourth grade in the blink of an eye? Nobody had expected it to happen at all.


    The daunting situation that the Magic Phoenix Empire predominated the game seemed to be overturned soon.


    That phoenix spirit manipulator was also stunned by Rocky. As he still froze in shock, Rocky flashed away and succeeded in dodging the war beast and the spiritual martial arts attack. In a split second, Rocky had disappeared from his vision.


    "Hey!" Rocky patted his opponent''s shoulder to show that he was already behind him.


    But it was already too late before the phoenix spirit manipulator could react. Rocky raised a finger and channeled his spiritual power to its tip as he pointed at his opponent''s chest. As soon as his fingertip touched the phoenix spirit manipulator''s chest, the powerful spiritual power began to invade his body. He was thrown away in an instant as he fell to the ground with a loud bang. He struggled to try and stand up for a while but failed.


    Rocky''s surprise attack caught everyone off guard. Silence filled the air. Nobody could believe that Rocky just won against the phoenix spirit manipulator. What they found much harder to believe was that the useless prince just knocked down a formidable opponent with ease and in such fashion.

 Chapter 61 Hide His Power

    Rocky surprisingly won the fight by just one move. Everyone was left dumbfounded; they could not believe that it was possible. They all thought that he was just a loser who was not capable of having any skills.


    However, Rocky had been able to reach the fourth grade of the Mortal Stage and had even defeated an opponent who had won against the Bear.


    People found such a change hard to accept.


    "Deity Finger... When did he master this skill?" Mia was also surprised at seeing the spiritual martial arts that Rocky had just exhibited. She then soon remembered that she had personally practiced with Rocky for several days. She noticed that he had a knack for closely imitating her cultivation of the spiritual martial arts. However, she did not think anything of it at the time because she did not expect Rocky to actually be able to learn her skill.


    "Has his power already reached the stage where it is strong enough to learn the spiritual martial arts? He deliberately intimated my spiritual martial arts and somehow tricked me into instructing him." Mia was suddenly enlightened. "It turns out that he had been deceiving me all this time. But what on earth did he do to hide his power so well?" she angrily murmured to herself.


    "I wonder if he really is only at the fourth grade of Mortal Stage. Let me see how much power he is hiding." Among the shocked crowd, someone was staring daggers at Rocky as the latter stood on stage.


    "Basil won! It turns out that he has reached the fourth grade of the Mortal Stage after all. Looks like I have been worried for nothing," Lena said, smiling happily.


    ''How was that possible?! When did he reach the fourth grade of the Mortal Stage? How come no one found out?'' Priest Dean was shocked as well. He now regretted taunting and belittling Rocky in front of the other trainees. Rocky''s splendid performance was like a slap to his face for putting his foot in his mout


    g everyone''s initial expectations of him.


    He had proved that he was not a failure and a non-achiever, but rather a skillfully talented spirit manipulator who could surprise everyone.


    After Rocky rose his power up to the fifth grade, he activated the Illusion Technique. He then launched an attack that was as fierce as a thunderstorm, which immediately suppressed his opponent.


    However, his opponent''s strength was not one to be underestimated. She was still able to withstand Rocky''s powerful initial attack.


    "Hey, gorgeous, your clothes that covered your chest seem to be torn," Rocky suddenly quipped.


    His opponent, not realizing that Rocky was playing tricks on her, automatically looked down at her clothes, worrying that she might have been indecent. She had been tricked.


    "Illusionary Palm!" Seeing that she was distracted, Rocky immediately launched the Illusionary Palm towards his opponent.


    "You rat!" she shouted as she realized that he had been fooled. She then immediately released the phoenix spiritual power and formed a water shield to block Rocky''s attack.


    The palm shadows ferociously collided with the water shield and caused a thick mist.


    Rocky then cried out another obscene remark, "Hey, gorgeous! I think your waist belt is loose!"

 Chapter 62 The Fury Of The Opponent

    "You still dare lie to me?" his opponent shouted, furious to the core. She struck her palms together. Water arrows materialized from the phoenix spiritual power, which was specialized in water, and shot straight at Rocky. The moment she made her move, she felt something wrong as she sensed something fall from her waist.


    Every onlooker began cheering and breaking out in boisterous chatter as they saw her trousers fall, revealing her beautiful legs. This competition was certainly quite memorable, and they were glad to have witnessed it.


    She seemed to have realized this after hearing the obscene comments from the spectators. She looked down and realized that her trousers had fallen to the ground. She immediately lost her composure and screamed. She grabbed her pants and left the stage in a hurry, apparently forgetting that she was competing with Rocky.


    Rocky had used the Deity Finger that blasted her belt to pieces as their spiritual power battled. He knew this was not a fair way to treat a lady, yet it was the simplest way to win this game.


    Rocky, to everyone''s shock, had defeated two phoenix spirit manipulators and regained the advantage to some degree with a score of six to five.


    This brought some hope to the Dragon Empire''s team, who had long been convinced of their defeat. It was an unpredictable and bizarre win as the opponent had merely run away, thereby forfeiting to them. The Holy Dragon Empire team began to regain the hope that they could actually win this.


    However, they were rather worried. After all, Rocky''s last two wins had been out of pure luck and now his next opponent was also a phoenix spirit manipulator at the fifth grade of Mortal Stage. No one believed that Rocky could possibly win this round.


    Just as they had thought that Rocky already reached his limit, he once again shocked everyone by bringing his strength to the fifth grade of the Mortal Stage and winning the competition.


    The extraordinary change and improvement demonstrated on Rocky were quite amazing, and they were all searching for a possible explanation behind it. It dawned on them that it must have something to do with the Holy Dragon Bead.


    It was widespread knowledge that Rocky had been removed as a prince for fusing with the Holy Dragon Bead. And the fact that he hadn''t even made to the first grade of the Mortal Stage after the fusion was a subject of ridicule.


    So his winning streak now wa


    Holy Dragon Bead had been declared as the holy treasure of the Holy Dragon Empire, the emperor at the time announced that whoever in his royal family could fuse with the Holy Dragon Bead would be his successor to lead the Holy Dragon Empire. In this case, no wonder you are trying deliberately to hide his identity..." Felicia finally put two and two together.


    The emperor was silent in response. It had long been known that Alston was predetermined to become his successor. What Felicia said was absolutely right. At the time when the Holy Dragon Bead was declared as the holy treasure, the emperor had indeed proclaimed that whomever in his family would be his successor if he or she could successfully fuse with the Holy Dragon Bead. It was understandable now why the emperor had concealed the truth.


    Felicia''s words stirred up some outbursts among the officials and royal family members, who immediately started to discuss among themselves. The selection of the next emperor determined their life to some degree. They were all concerned about what it could mean for them.


    Even Alston, who had always shown restraint, could no longer hold back. Looking absolutely flabbergasted, he stood up as if he was about to protest before Priest Dean stopped him and whispered something into his ears to calm him down. If not for Priest Dean, he would have certainly stepped beyond his boundaries.


    At this moment, Rocky''s next opponent came onto the stage. He was also at the fifth grade of the Mortal Stage yet more powerful than the last. Rocky frowned. The trick he had used last time probably wouldn''t work on this fellow.

 Chapter 63 A Losers Counterattack

    Rocky looked his next opponent up and down carefully. The man also looked carefully at Rocky. He sensed that Rocky''s terrifying power suddenly increased to a greater extent. He squinted, estimating that even if Rocky had improved, he could still match him. Before this competition, they had never heard of any other masters at the fifth grade of the Mortal Stage in the Holy Dragon Empire. But totally unexpectedly, Rocky was a competent contender. It was surprising to say the least. He estimated that Rocky''s strength could only reach that level. It was absolutely impossible that he could surprise them more.


    "Did that war beast belong to you? Why don''t you summon it?" he suddenly asked Rocky. His tone was soft and sweet as a woman''s, making Rocky shudder and cringe.


    "It''s just a very ordinary low-class war beast, so I dare not show it to others, so as not to make a fool of myself. I am not like others, who, at first glance, are so disgusting that everyone who meets them loses their appetite for a few days. But they still have the nerve to show themselves to others! Don''t they feel ashamed at all?" Rocky sneered, his spitefulness stemming from his discomfort.


    The man was clearly used to this kind of bigotry and ridicule, and understood at once the implications of Rocky''s words. He became angry at once, but immediately rubbed his face with his slender hand, as if to soothe an ache. In contrast to his annoyed expression, he said in a gentle voice, "Don''t piss me off."


    Upon hearing his words, Rocky became speechless. The corners of his mouth twitched. But he still tried his best to look calm and composed. He replied, "You didn''t bring your war beast, did you? I don''t want to take advantage of people''s vulnerabilities." Rocky couldn''t help but look around, noticing the absence of a beast.


    "Since you didn''t bring your war beast onto the stage, then don''t blame me if I bully you. I''ll show you the terrifying power of my Medusa..." Rocky''s opponent made a rather flamboyant gesture with a matching pose.


    All of a sudden, Rocky felt a strange force faintly coming from the air. A loud hiss reverberated near him. Although he had trained his listening ability for such a long time, he was still unable to determine its source accurately.


    Suddenly, Rocky felt a constricting tightness throughout his whole body. He felt as though he had been tied up by an invisible rope. Both of his hands and feet seemed unable to move, and he stood like a wooden stake, unable to move a single step. Then he heard a hissing sound again.


    A moment later, Rocky saw a thick python looming over him. He looked up and studied it carefully. From its body, three snake-heads with women''s faces had crimson flickin


    ogant? You are at the fifth grade of the Mortal Stage, which seemed to be slightly inferior to me. Our war beasts are both three-star, so I definitely have an edge over you," his opponent retorted angrily. He couldn''t help but feel great contempt, especially after the bigoted insults Rocky had thrown his way.


    "You think I''m at the fifth grade of the Mortal Stage? Really? Take a look for yourself!" Rocky''s face beamed with pride. He slowly raised his left arm, and the Dragon Spirit Mark on it suddenly flashed. Then, his whole body was covered with a pale halo. All the spirit manipulators gasped, knowing full well that the emergence of the halo represented the fact that a manipulator''s strength had already reached beyond the fifth grade of the Mortal Stage.


    "This is... This is the sixth grade of the Mortal Stage..."


    "Oh my god, he has already improved to the sixth grade of the Mortal Stage, hasn''t he?"


    "He is too strong! It only took him less than two months to turn from a useless waste to a royal spirit manipulator at the sixth grade of the Mortal Stage!"


    The whole square was filled with people''s excited cheers. They were surprised. It was as shocking as his previous improvements. After all, their expectations had been growing with his strength. Now they were eager to see him improve his strength once again at a faster speed.


    The crowd was jubilant, yelling and cheering. What an unexpected and yet welcome surprise!


    In an instant, the atmosphere of the whole square transformed entirely. It was all because of someone who had been regarded as a useless waste by everyone from the very beginning. He was so powerful now! They all stared at him, noticing that his figure had grown so tall and straight! In the face of his great power lay endless possibilities for him and his empire!

 Chapter 64 About To Become The Laughing Stock (Part One)

    "That is the strength of the sixth grade of the Mortal Stage! What just happened? How could he have reached the sixth grade of the Mortal Stage..." Priest Dean who was sitting near the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire was startled upon seeing Rocky''s display of his mighty strength. Although he was well-informed and had lived long enough to see a lot of wonders, he was still stupefied by what he had just seen.


    "Humph! Who used to accuse Basil of being a waste? Are you seeing this? In just a span of two months, he had already reached the sixth grade of the Mortal Stage. Even the eldest prince, Alston, wasn''t able to achieve that when he was Basil''s age," Lena said as she beamed with joy. Meanwhile, she threw a scornful glance at Priest Dean. She always disliked him for being mean towards Basil.


    "What? He did all of it in two months? Are you saying that since the day he fused with the Holy Dragon Bead, it only took him two whole months to reach his current level?" Erica, hearing what Lena said, was also completely startled. If she didn''t see it for herself, she probably wouldn''t believe it to be true. As a well-known phoenix spirit manipulator, she had to admit that even she couldn''t make that happen in a span of two months.


    Felicia who was next to Erica also had the same startled look on her face. Though she was knowledgeable and had seen a lot of amazing things, never had she heard of such a huge and quick improvement her whole life.


    "To be more precise, it only took him two months to leap from the first grade of the Mortal Stage to the sixth grade of the Mortal Stage. After his fusion with the Holy Dragon Bead, Basil did not get the power of the Holy Dragon Bead in an instant. It means that roughly two months ago, he was still stuck at the first grade of the Mortal Stage," Lena who cared for Basil very much and knew what had happened to him explained care


    victory had won three points for their empire. As a result, the score between their empire and the Magic Phoenix Empire was now tied at six. The contestants of the powerful Magic Phoenix Empire were deterred by the amazing strength of Rocky. Now, at the ring, there was only one last contestant left to compete against him. Both of them were at the sixth grade of the Mortal Stage.


    Therefore, the next fight was about to be the final match between the Holy Dragon Empire and the Magic Phoenix Empire.


    Since both Rocky and the last contestant of the Magic Phoenix Empire were at the sixth grade of the Mortal Stage, their fight would be an intense battle of equal strength. At that moment, everyone in the audience was lost in their thoughts. But they all had a glimmer of hope that they could claim the final victory for their empire.


    "Your Majesty, it is very rare for us to witness such a wonderful contest. To make the contest more attractive, we the Magic Phoenix Empire will no longer hide our trump card from everyone," Felicia said abruptly. She knew Rocky was a strong competitor and she didn''t want to lose the contest. Thus, she decided it was time for them to use their trump card. Once Felicia was done speaking, she immediately nodded at Erica.

 Chapter 65 About To Become The Laughing Stock (Part Two)

    Erica, as Felicia''s best disciple, knew what she was talking about at once. She then got up from her seat and disappeared to fulfill her request.


    "Preceptor Felicia, I am confused. What exactly are you talking about?" the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire asked out of curiosity.


    "Be patient, Your Majesty, you''ll find out in a second," Felicia responded to ease his mind.


    Just before the last contestant of the Magic Phoenix Empire appeared on the ring, Erica suddenly showed up in front of her and whispered a few words in her ear. After she was done whispering, Erica returned to her original seat.


    The final contestant of the Magic Phoenix Empire, also known as a phoenix spirit manipulator, finally showed up on the ring and stood right in front of Rocky with a three-star war beast with her. Its shape was like a wolf but its face looked like a fox. Rocky found it was wagging its three very bright and thick red tails and that the aura it was exuding was no inferior to Uriah. Both of them were at the second grade of the three-star level.


    "I didn''t expect you to be such a little beauty," Rocky said after taking a careful look at his opponent. She was about sixteen years old or so, probably the youngest among all the seven phoenix spirit manipulators. Yet, her strength had reached the sixth grade of the Mortal Stage. As the youngest phoenix spirit manipulator, she was also the most powerful. Besides, she seemed innocent, lovely, and tender, while her eyes were as big as grapes. If she grew up a little, she would definitely look gorgeous and would attract quite a lot of attention.


    "Erica told me that I don''t need to hold back in our fight. If I succeed in defeating you, she will give me a red spiritual crystal as a rewar


    oenix Empire''s new phoenix spirit manipulator could reach the seventh grade of the Mortal Stage so soon! Thus, he couldn''t help but ask Felicia about her identity.


    "Her name is Tasha Tian. As the most talented girl among the new phoenix spirit manipulators in our Magic Phoenix Empire, she only comes second to Erica, my best disciple. Tasha is also my final disciple. Her talent may not be comparable to Prince Basil. But as a member of the royal family, the prince had fused with the Holy Dragon Bead. Thus, even though he has his current strength, I only take it for granted." Felicia obviously wanted to win back some of their honor. After all, from only a moment ago, there had been three phoenix spirit manipulators who had been defeated by Rocky. If the Holy Dragon Empire changed the result of the contest to finally win the contest, then for the delegates of the Magic Phoenix Empire, there would no longer be any meaning to their visit of the Holy Dragon Empire. And if the result was spread out, others would regard their failure as a laughing matter. As the imperial preceptor of the Magic Phoenix Empire, Felicia couldn''t bear to suffer from such consequences.

 Chapter 66 Neck And Neck

    Before she came here, Felicia had already known that the new spirit manipulators in the Holy Dragon Empire had just completed the process of fusing with the power of Dragon Master Clan. She could imagine that the Holy Dragon Empire wouldn''t be so strong as the Magic Phoenix Empire, and for this reason she asked Tasha to hide her true force.


    But she never expected that Rocky would appear and turn the situation around. To win the honor for Magic Phoenix Empire, she couldn''t ask Tasha to hide her real power anymore.


    The emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire narrowed his sharp eyes, because he understood that Tasha has been promoted to the seventh grade of the Mortal Stage. The higher the grade, the greater the disparity between two grades. It was almost impossible for Rocky to win. But he pursed his lips thoughtfully. For some reason, he felt that there might still be hope.


    He was not alone in feeling this way. Almost everyone present seemed to be expecting another miracle.


    Both of the competitors had the war beasts at the second grade of the three-star level whose power was on par. This meant that it was mostly up to either Rocky or Tasha to win. But obviously, at the moment, it seemed that Rocky''s own strength was still slightly inferior.


    Rocky looked at Tasha, whose whole body glowed faintly with spiritual light. Suddenly, he burst out laughing, his eyes growing cold. "It seems that you are better than I thought, little girl. Show me your real strength now, why don''t you?" As he spoke, the Dragon Spirit Mark on his left arm suddenly flickered, and his body began to shine with spiritual light as well. At first, it was the sixth grade of the Mortal Stage, but in the blink of an eye, the spiritual light increased dramatically, reaching the seventh grade of the Mortal Stage.


    The entire place broke out in a frenzy.


    "The seventh grade of the Mortal Stage! What!? How!?" "He has also reached the seventh grade of the Mortal Stage!"


    "Oh God, is he still human? He is much more powerful than we ever imagined!"


    "He deserves to be recognized as the royal spirit manipulator who has fused with the Holy Dragon Bead. His power is amazing!"


    All sorts of cries of surprise followed.


    The emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire and others were surprised to see Rocky''s strength improve once more. Meanwhile, Felicia appeared to be worried. She hadn''t exp


    you. I''m sure I''m better than you." Tasha''s big eyes suddenly flashed with rage. Her stout persistence drove her to execute an amazing move.


    Tasha suddenly put her hand on the three-tailed fox beside her. The spiritual mark on her left face flashed suddenly as the fox abruptly screamed. Its three tails stood up, and the fur spiked outwards as if it were cold.


    The beast turned into a red light and gradually fused with Tasha.


    Everyone who watched this scene was stunned.


    "Spirit Possession... A spirit manipulator at the Mortal Stage who can even conduct Spirit Possession!" Exclamations broke out.


    Spirit Possession was a kind of magic that the spirit manipulator could fuse with spirit-manipulated beasts and possess the power of them, which could instantly enhance the power of spirit manipulators. However, this was a very dangerous process, because the power of the spirit-manipulated beast had not entirely been manipulated. Once the Spirit Possession was carried out, if the spirit manipulator couldn''t control the power of the spirit-manipulated beast, their lives would be put in great danger. So typically, ordinary spirit manipulators only dared to try after the Earthly Stage. But this kind of magic was not appreciated by the spirit manipulator, because it was too dangerous.


    It was absolutely risky for Tasha to use her strength at the seventh grade of the Mortal Stage to fuse with a three-star war beast. Because the strength of a three-star war beast was absolutely on par with the manipulator, it would make it even more complex and difficult to control it.

 Chapter 67 Spirit Possession

    "Master!" Seeing Tasha activate the Spirit Possession, Erica looked to Felicia, yearning for permission to stop Tasha. After all, this time all the fights were just for exchanging experience, Tasha did not have to use dangerous skills like the Spirit Possession. Besides, Erica believed that Tasha could win that prince by her own power.


    Felicia knew what Erica was thinking, but under the circumstances, her intervention in the fight would make good fodder for gossip. The other source of concern was whether Tasha would be able to control the spirit possessing powers afterwards.


    But she decided to wait and see. Somehow, she hoped Tasha would win the fight and bring the last honor to Magic Phoenix Empire. Already, Rocky had won three fights, and it was unlikely that Magic Phoenix Empire could lose again. Though it was no harm to lose, they would fancy winning one last bout. Just for pride.


    But Erica was not at ease. She wanted Felicia to take charge and restrain Tasha.


    "She can activate the Spirit Possession? No wonder she is the most respected Phoenix player. For her seventh grade of the Mortal Stage, the confidence she exudes in turning on the skill is also rare," the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire sighed, his face turning serious. When Rocky showed the power at the seventh grade of the Mortal Stage, the emperor had been certain of victory.


    Least had he expected that Felicia''s disciple could summon Spirit Possession. If she succeeded in fusing that power, she would open a really wide gap between her and Rocky. It would take another miracle for Rocky even to come closer. No one believed that Rocky could rise beyond what he had already shown. As much as they had counted on him, the odds looked oddly staked against Rocky right now.


    Like their emperor, most people from Holy Dragon began to despair.


    "There is no need to fight since she activated the Spirit Possession. He doesn''t stand a chance against her with his mere seventh grade. Whi


    y surprise, he muttered something while still rolling on the ground. The he slowly rose up, and tried his best to stand still. Staring angrily at her, he cursed, "This woman is so heartless! Does she take this to be a matter of life and death? If I was weaker, she would have seriously injured me." Already, there was blood on the corners of his mouth. He was apparently injured.


    Seeing Rocky had stood up after the first blow, Tasha immediately launched another attack determined to knock the wind out of him. In a flash, she charged at him, palm raised ready to strike. "Flame!" she shouted.


    A ball of flame instantly flew out of her palm and rolled towards Rocky.


    He jumped to one side and dodged, but Tasha swung her three long tails in quick succession. The tails blocked his way, cutting short his escape form the flaming ball.


    As the flames rolled and tumbled closer, out of nowhere, a blaring roar rent the air. From the sidelines, Uriah had seen his master in danger, and being the beast it was trained to be, it jumped into the ring without waiting for a command. It directly blocked the flaming ball by standing between Rocky and Tasha.


    Successfully, Uriah stopped the fireball, but he took some nasty hit in the process. But Rocky was safe. The next moment, Uriah charged at Tasha in a fit of rage.

 Chapter 68 Who Is Better Now

    Seeing Uriah charging towards her, Tasha retracted one of the tails and blocked its impact. She made a pose with her tender hands in front of her chest and shouted aloud, light flashing from her eyes. "Chain of fire!"


    A couple of chains that were blazing fire, swooped out of the ground around Uriah and entangled it in its grip from all directions. Uriah struggled with its utmost power but with no success. It seemed to be trapped in the chains.


    Rocky became serious and intense as he saw Tasha trap Uriah with relative ease. He realized that her strength was far stronger than his, but he was not someone who would give up easily.


    While Tasha was busy dealing with Uriah, Rocky took the opportunity to close in on her. He decided to use the skill of the Whirlwind Kick. Just as the aura of this kick began to materialize, Rocky charged towards Tasha.


    Tasha pulled back immediately and brandished her three giant tails and that aura exploded to pieces.


    Suddenly, Tasha felt a spiritual power which came crushing down on her. She balanced herself and saw a finger shining brightly. It seemed to be passing through her tails and coming straight for her in high speed. It was so fast that she didn''t notice how soon it would reach her.


    "Such childish play!" Tasha saw right through his trick. She quickly generated waves of fire that devoured the finger.


    "Now here comes your payback." Tasha was taken aback. Just when she thought she had figured out Rocky''s move, she heard a cold laugh behind her. She instantly turned around and saw Rocky standing there. Somehow he had managed to sneak behind her, and she was so engrossed that she failed to notice his movements.


    As soon as he finished that sentence, Tasha saw a dozen palms striking down on her. She was clearly caught off guard as her tails were still out there. And there was no time f


    cky, it would not have been possible for him or her to take such a hit. However, no one was aware that there was a special ability in Rocky''s dragon spiritual power which seemed to have no nature. The ability was that it could devour other spiritual power. He had just used the special ability of his dragon spiritual power to devour most of the power of the hit from Tasha. Of course, he also paid a price for it. He had been hit more than a dozen times by the shock wave, in order to absorb her power.


    He looked fine, but the fact was that though he took this hit, he could not take another one from Tasha now.


    Fortunately, no one else knew his true condition. The whole square erupted in discussions and speculations.


    "If I want to beat someone who is at the ninth grade of the Mortal Stage, I have to acquire more spiritual power." While he was wondering on it, something came to his mind. Suddenly, he grew solemn.


    He remembered the resolve he had made to himself. He intended to win this competition and make everyone cheer for him. He wanted the entire Holy Dragon Empire to be proud of him and everyone to know that he was not that weak Basil any longer. He was the man who was going to make history in the Wild Spirit Land.

 Chapter 69 Madness

    "Well! You managed to take that one but I don''t believe you can take another attack from me!" Tasha shouted angrily, clenching her teeth. She thought that another ferocious attack from her could easily take down Rocky. She had reached the ninth grade of the Mortal Stage so defeating Rocky should not be so difficult. But it did shock her to see Rocky standing safe and sound now. Tasha felt that she had been humiliated by Rocky. The strong desire to win the game sparkled in her eyes. It looked like she would never stop until she defeated Rocky.


    But Tasha was unaware that she was on the brink of collapse. The Spirit Possession consumed lots of strength and spiritual power. Once the spirit manipulator was burned out by the Spirit Possession, the skill would fail to work immediately. But if the user didn''t dismiss the skill in time, the spirit-manipulated beast''s power inside the user''s body would lose control, and the user would suffer immeasurable damage.


    Despite such a situation, the strength left in her and the spiritual power she possessed were still enough to enable her to throw a formidable attack. Even if Rocky''s dragon spiritual power could absorb her attack, Rocky would still get hit by the impact during the process. And considering the fact that he had got badly injured, how could he take a forceful impact anymore!


    Rocky realized that he would have to find a new way to fight against Tasha''s attack if he wanted to win the game.


    Anybody else would definitely have second thoughts under such a situation. After all, Rocky was facing an opponent who had surpassed two grades more than him. It would hardly be possible that Rocky, a grade seven spirit manipulator, could take an attack from a grade nine one.


    Rocky was an intelligent and audacious man. He had a plan under his sleeve. In a matter of few seconds, he had figured out a way to reverse the situation. Although it was an extremely risky step, Rocky had no other choice. He had to give it a shot.


    He took out the last yellow spiritual crystal from his pocket. Everyone in the crowd was struck to see it. They didn''t know how Rocky got the yellow spiritual crystal and why he took it out at that critical moment. They wondered what he would do with it.


    "What the hell is he trying to do?" Marcia was equally puzzled when she saw Rocky take out the yellow spiritual crystal which she had sent him.


    Meanwhile, everyone incl


    rom that attack.


    Obviously, he was taking a risk by putting all his eggs in one basket.


    "Now!" After keeping back the bottle, Rocky widened his eyes and channeled his bursting dragon spiritual power into his left arm, which was on Uriah''s forehead. The Dragon Spirit Mark around his left arm began to sparkle. No one could understand that Uriah''s spiritual power was being channeled into Rocky''s body through his left arm.


    The fierce spiritual power was rushing from Uriah''s body and was running inside Rocky through his energy meridians. With the help of the magical saliva which he drank moments ago, the circulation had finished in a matter of seconds. It had happened thirty times fast than before. After the circulation began inside Rocky, the spiritual power went back to Uriah''s body.


    All this while, Rocky felt like an explosion was going to take place inside him. If it was anybody else, they would have blown up and died after finishing such a quick circulation. The flow of such violent and powerful spiritual power inside would burst them in few seconds. But for two months Rocky had been using the magical saliva to speed up his cultivation. So, his body had been strengthened a lot by the magical saliva. And his body''s endurance also had improved and surpassed that of most of the people.


    During the circulation, the spiritual power inside Rocky had a quantum leap, which shocked everyone. They were fixed to the ground with eyes wide open and mouths agape.


    While the power kept progressing and moving between Uriah and Rocky, the three fire tails were only a few inches away from Rocky.

 Chapter 70 Shocking Scene

    "Boom!"


    A dazzling light burst forth from the battleground when the three flaming tails crashed on Rocky. Everyone could feel the spiritual power spreading rapidly, like an overwhelming wave of energy.


    They all held their breath at the sight of such an intense scene. Though it was merely a fight between spirit manipulators at the Mortal Stage, they were still attracted by the exciting combat.


    No matter who won this fight in the end, there would still be two stars rising in the Holy Dragon Empire and the Magic Phoenix Empire.


    But the crowd was still buzzing in anticipation at who could possibly win.


    Even Felicia, seated beside the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire, couldn''t help but stand up and gaze at Tasha, who had removed the Spirit Possession, and Rocky, who was shrouded by fog. Tasha was out of breath, panting rapidly. No one knew whether Rocky was alive or not. Felicia thought the winner would be her disciple. Though Rocky had once more improved his spiritual power, she did not believe that he could reach the ninth grade of the Mortal Stage just yet. Yet she had still been surprised. After all, Rocky, only at the seventh grade of the Mortal Stage, had still managed to make her disciple use her full power to defeat him, even after activating the Spiritual Possession. Felicia was even a little jealous of the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire, for he had two gifted sons.


    "Basil..." Lena could bear it no longer, after bearing the agony of staring into the unmoving fog for what felt like an eternity. She stood up and went to the battleground after she glanced at the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire.


    At the same time, Mia was with the other trainees in the resting area and also felt worried about Rocky, who still did not show up. He had definitely surprised all of them with the leaps and bounds his power made. She hurried to the arena as well.


    "Reckless man!" From the crowd, Marcia also rushed to the fighting site.


    These three women coming from different directions were all worried about him. What a lucky fellow he truly was!


    When everyone thought that Rocky had lost the fight, a strong spiritual p


    Holy Dragon Empire was so excited that he even stood up.


    He had lost all composure, much like everyone else present.


    This was miraculous for the Holy Dragon Empire. It was a development that proved to the world the power of their empire.


    Felicia was dumbfounded. A few moments ago, she thought Tasha had defeated Rocky, but right now her face grew stiff.


    Priest Dean stared at him angrily. And Alston, who was resenting his brother more and more, was flushed and breathless, with a glint of insanity in his eyes.


    However, Lena, Marcia and Mia, the three women who had been concerned about Rocky, were now shocked that his power had reached the Earthly Stage. The expressions on their faces were lively, to say the least. Excitement, joy, shock, and even confusion flashed in their eyes.


    Rocky would have definitely broken out into loud laughter if only he saw the looks on their faces.


    The quiet square was soon full of exclamations that spread like a great flood. The din grew louder and louder. Everyone looked at Rocky with disbelief. They shook their heads, remembering how he had been widely known as "Prince Loser"!


    But right now, this "loser" had shocked them with his splendid gifts. He was the first one in the land who could level up from the first grade of the Mortal Stage to the Earthly Stage within two months. The crowd erupted into total joy, disbelief, and amazement. The noise grew greatly deafening!

 Chapter 71 You Versus Me

    "Basil! Basil!" An exuberant cheer, followed by loud applause, echoed in the air in the huge space among the audiences. Everyone felt exhilarated for Rocky''s victory and stood up together to praise him.


    Overwhelmed by the support from people, Rocky withdrew his left hand from Uriah''s forehead and stroked it gently. Uriah''s power was transformed into Rocky as he absorbed the yellow spiritual crystal''s spiritual power. It looked exhausted now.


    "That''s no fucking way! How''s that possible?! Why did it happen so?" Tasha busted in pain with tears filling her eyes. She could not admit that she didn''t defeat Rocky. And, what made her more terrified was the fact that Rocky pierced through the seventh grade of the Mortal Stage and entered the Earthly Stage. After withdrawing the Spirit Possession, she returned to the seventh grade of the Mortal Stage. Also, she and her war beast both felt dead tired now, because of the Spirit Possession.


    Hit by a wave of gloom, she felt anxious that she could not defeat him even if he was still at the seventh grade of the Mortal Stage. Now being so late, he had already reached the Earthly Stage. But, Tasha was such a confident and triumphant woman, who had never suffered a failure. It was painful for her to accept the reality. At that instant, Rocky soothed her by saying, "Come on, Tasha! Just accept the result." This was like adding fuel to the burning fire as Tasha was already fighting a fierce battle within herself.


    If the match lasted, it was obvious that Tasha would be hit by Rocky. But, the man didn''t want that to happen as he did not like to hurt a girl.


    "Never!" Tasha exploded in anger. She had lost her consciousness, and then she routed all her left power into her palm and threw fire attacks at Rocky.


    Being a patient guy, he didn''t overreact but waved his left hand as the fire attacks were targeted towards him. In seconds, those attacks scattered in the air. In short, they were consumed by his dragon spiritual power. Now that he had reached the Earthly Stage, his dragon spiritual power grew stronger as well. It could absorb the spiritual power from a Mortal Stage manipulato


    the Magic Phoenix Empire.


    "Relax, Preceptor Felicia!" the emperor said quietly. After all, Rocky had turned the tables. And now Erica, the proud talent from the Magic Phoenix Empire, was challenging Rocky voluntarily. No matter what the results would be, the Holy Dragon Empire would not suffer any losses or humiliation. Of course, Felicia knew what the emperor was speculating, but she had no other option now. If she tended to interrupt and end the game, she would put the Magic Phoenix Empire into an appalling situation. The Holy Dragon Empire would only think that the Magic Phoenix Empire couldn''t afford a failure at all.


    So she leaned back with hesitation. When Rocky heard Erica, he was startled in astonishment. As he gazed at the woman, he was mesmerized by her alluring beauty, fair complexion and enticing figure.


    Erica felt so embarrassed under Rocky''s stare and shouted at him, "Why don''t you speak up? Fine! Then I will take your silence as confirmation." Clenching her fists in anger, she aroused her spiritual power. To his surprise, two figures appeared in front of Rocky and conversed at the same time. "I will fight along with you."


    The two figures halted as they heard each other. And they cried out in shock as they stared at each other.


    "Master Mia!" "Your Royal Highness!"


    Those who supported for Rocky were Mia and Lena.


    Their unexpected presence on the spot took the climax to a new dimension.

 Chapter 72 Fight Between Masters

    Everyone knew that Mia was a proud woman who didn''t care about others, especially men, so nobody thought that she would help Rocky.


    It was reasonable after all because Mia regarded Rocky as her student.


    But they couldn''t believe that Lena, the Witch of the Holy Dragon Empire, was also willing to help Rocky in public. She was such a humble and cautious girl that everyone was caught by surprise. Rocky felt different though. He was grateful for Lena, because she had helped him so many times. To his surprise, Mia who often punished him also went out of her way to help him. Erica was also in a state of shock. Although she didn''t know Mia, she was able to know that Mia was almost as powerful as her. She was more familiar with Lena because Lena was the Witch of the Holy Dragon Empire and she represented the image of the entire Holy Dragon Empire.


    It was impossible for Lena to challenge Erica when Erica wanted to fight Rocky.


    ''This is getting interesting! Maybe, this guy really had something different in him. Otherwise, Mia and Lena wouldn''t have bothered giving him a hand, '' Marcia stood beside the field and thought to herself with a smile on her face.


    When the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire saw what they had done, he felt surprised that he couldn''t believe it at first. But he remained calm and said to Felicia, "It seemed that it is the young people''s business. Maybe we should just stay put and see what they will do." Felicia also felt that it was getting more and more complicated. Erica, her disciple, was not an impetuous woman.


    However, she had no choice but to watch what was about to happen. She considered carefully and made a conclusion¡ªRocky was not an ordinary man.


    "Your Royal Highness, I can fight her in your place, just say the word and it''s done," Mia said to Lena. Lena was one of the most powerful spirit manipulators in the Holy Dragon Empire. Only a few people knew about it and Mia was one of them.


    Because of her high status in the Dragon Empire, Lena rarely had to use her spiritual power. From other people''s perspectives, Lena was holy like a fairy.


    Lena frowned as she concentrated. She was going to help Rocky fight Erica because she was worried about him. After all, Rocky had already defeated Tasha just now. Maybe, Erica was going to take revenge and really hurt him this time. Of course, she was surprised to see Mia stepping up to provide some help.


    Since Mia decided to he


    if they weren''t careful. In consideration of this point, Mia asked the soldiers to step back to enlarge the area of the battlefield.


    "You don''t need to fight. She aims to teach you a valuable lesson. If you fight her, you''re only doing what she wants you to do. In addition, whatever you do, it will surely hinder me from playing my best," Mia told Rocky in a serious tone as she walked towards him.


    "Set your mind at ease. I am not going to fight her." Rocky shrugged his shoulders with a smile on his face. He was not stupid so he had no plans for fighting Erica who was a dozen times stronger than him. Now that Mia wanted to help him, he decided to step aside and let her do her things.


    Mia nodded her head and watched Rocky for a while. Though she didn''t ask Rocky about his strength, she was also confused just like the others. How did Rocky succeed in breaking through the Earthly Stage? How was Rocky able to hide his strength at the seventh grade of the Mortal Stage under her supervision?


    "By the way, Master Mia, do you remember the promise that you have made before?" Rocky asked with an evil smile because he suddenly remembered something interesting.


    "What are you talking about? What promise?" Mia looked at Rocky with doubts because she couldn''t remember it.


    "You have said that if I succeeded in mastering the third grade of the Mysterious Dragon Skill, you will go out on a date with me. I have mastered the third grade of the Mysterious Dragon Skill for quite a long time now. So when are you going to come through with your promise to go out on a date with me?" Rocky asked as he crossed his arms.

 Chapter 73 A Wonderful Game

    Mia blushed when she heard Rocky. She then argued, "When did I ever say such a thing? I don''t remember that at all!"


    "How could you..." Rocky''s lips curled in disappointment.


    "Stay right here! Once I''m done with Erica, I will come back for you and teach you a lesson." Mia winked at Rocky and then turned to face Erica.


    Erica had already prepared herself for the upcoming fight. She completely ignored Mia and laid her eyes on Rocky.


    The reason why she cared about Rocky was not just because he defeated Tasha. When she heard her master marvel at Rocky''s performance, jealousy began to boil in her chest. She had always been the best talent but now Rocky had surpassed her. How could she possibly accept that? Rocky reached the seventh grade of the Mortal Stage from the first grade within a span of two mouths. Such a quick breakthrough had overshadowed her strength. And now she just witnessed that he reached the Earthly Stage in the blink of an eye. No one in the Wild Spirit Land had done such a thing before.


    She wanted to know what was so special about Rocky on earth. But deep down inside, she just could not accept that she was overshadowed by Rocky in the aspects of cultivation progress and talent.


    "Your time has come, Scarlet Flame Dragon!" Mia opened the Magic Spiritual Space and called her Scarlet Flame Dragon out. The Scarlet Flame Dragon was a four-star spirit-manipulated beast that had reached its highest level. What''s more, the Scarlet Flame Dragon was obviously much superior to its peers.


    Among the royal spirit manipulators who were below the Supernal Stage, both Mia and her war beast were on the top three list. Without a doubt, Mia had a great future awaiting her. And the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire thought highly of her as well. That was why the emperor appointed her as the instructor in charge of training the new royal spirit manipulators.


    Apart from her being an excellent spirit manipulator, her grandfather''s influence was also a key reason. Her grandfather who had reached the high grade of the Divine Stage was a great general who used to assist three emperors in gover


    r their masters'' heads and started a brilliant fight. As the Scarlet Flame Dragon opened its mouth, raging flames immediately charged towards the Glint Phoenix. The flames were much fiercer than those it threw at Rocky before. From where Rocky stood, the Scarlet Flame Dragon''s mouth looked like a violent volcano. As he witnessed that image, he finally understood that Mia had shown him great mercy that day. If the Scarlet Flame Dragon had thrown such a forceful attack at him, he would have been burned into ashes in an instant.


    The Glint Phoenix, however, didn''t dodge the fire attacks but calmly flapped its wings. In a matter of seconds, its spiritual power sparkled around its body to form a shining dome that protected it from harm. Whenever the fire attacks from the Scarlet Flame Dragon would hit the protective dome, the attack would be rebounded from the dome and would fall on the ground. The fire attacks then left large black markings on the ground.


    Every spiritual beast was born with their own special ability. Obviously, the special ability of Erica''s Glint Phoenix was defensive. It could throw back any of its opponent''s attacks. But this ability had a disadvantage. If the Glint Phoenix met a stronger opponent, the ability would be significantly weakened. The Glint Phoenix, however, was almost as strong as the Scarlet Flame Dragon, which meant the tiny gap didn''t influence its effectiveness at all.

 Chapter 74 Amazing Light

    Seeing the Glint Phoenix''s strong power, Mia turned serious. She jumped high in the air after blocking Erica''s attack.


    At the same time, the Scarlet Flame Dragon dived down and Mia landed on it. Then the Scarlet Flame Dragon spouted out fierce flame to Erica.


    To escape the flame, Erica quickly dodged to one side.


    Mia took the chance shouting coldly, "Flaming Wind!" To burst out the spiritual force, she raised her left hand, summoning a fierce whirlwind that carried the flame which the Dragon had spouted out. The fire quickly spread all over the battleground, blocking Erica''s way out.


    The move showed Mia''s superior skill in manipulating the dragon. Incredibly well, she could bond her own power with that of the dragon.


    Everyone cheered at her fantastic attack.


    "The girl is really powerful. Maybe, she''s only a tad less lethal than General Gorgeous," Rocky murmured to himself as he watched their fight. But his face grew solemn when he saw Erica''s odd reaction.


    Erica, who was surrounded by the flame, stood still and did not try to dodge. Instead, as the fire got closer, she burst out a light shield, similar to what the Glint Phoenix had burst. When the volley hit on the light shield, it immediately bounced back towards Mia.


    Mia had not seen that coming, but she manipulated her dragon to sidestep.


    With a loud boom, the field erupted into a cloud of fire and dust.


    The fight intensified with every passing minute.


    Neither Mia nor Erica seemed to slow down, and it looked like the match would end in a draw.


    An hour later, they both appeared to be wearing out, but still neck and neck, with no clear winner in sight.


    ''I seem to have underestimated her, '' Erica thou


    r like a boomerang.


    Blood was splashed into the air.


    Mia let out an ear-splitting scream as she fell to the ground.


    Once again, Erica showed up, right where the light shield had stood. She gathered the spiritual power and rushed towards Mia who was badly wounded. She wanted to wrap it up quickly so as to get even with Rocky.


    Erica gathered the spiritual power into her right fist and it turned into a gigantic shadow against the light.


    Like someone who was seriously injured, Mia lay still on the ground, and did nothing but stare at Erica charge forward to strike again. Maybe, she knew she had lost the battle.


    The crowd was surprised at the manner in which she was about to lose.


    But something changed the game. As Erica was about to hit her, a strange figure appeared between them. Out of the blue, the intruding figure raised a left-arm tattooed with a Dragon Spirit Mark.


    The mark was emitting dazzling multicolored light which blocked Erica''s fist.


    Everyone was shocked again by the sudden change. They were even more startled to realize the person who had blocked Erica''s strike. It was none other than Rocky.

 Chapter 75 Call It A Day

    It would be quite impossible for Rocky who was at the first grade of the Earthly Stage to successfully take a hit from someone who was at the ninth grade of the Heavenly Stage. Everyone who saw what happened was thinking that Rocky had bitten more than he could swallow


    despite his admirable courage.


    Lena grew worried as she saw Rocky take a hit to protect Mia who had been wounded.


    The emperor who had always been calm and steady was a little bit unsettled. Rocky was becoming a national treasure to the entire Holy Dragon Empire. If he was somehow hurt or worse, if he died in an ordinary competition, it would be a tragic and tremendous loss for his country.


    Alston looked as if he was in grief and was deeply concerned while he wished from the bottom of his heart that Rocky buried himself over this and got killed by Erica, which would be one less obstacle for his desire to get the throne.


    Just as everyone was worried about Rocky, he was also embarking on a dangerous stage as he was taking a continuous beating from his opponent who was at the ninth grade of the Heavenly Stage. Although he had unleashed his dragon spiritual power to absorb the spiritual power from her move, the opponent was still too overwhelming for him. Even if he managed to absorb all of its power, it would overload his own body causing it to explode from within.


    "Basil, you need to step out of the way......" Mia had never thought that Rocky who she had been giving a hard time by providing extra workload during his training would step up and take the hit that was meant for her. At that moment, Mia knew that Rocky could no longer withs


    have been a piece of cake for her to defeat a spirit manipulator at the Earthly Stage. However, not only did she fail to defeat Rocky, he stood there unscathed which was a complete insult to her more than anything else.


    She was getting very close to losing her temper.


    Erica bit her lips as she shot a cold look at him. She was oozing with killing intent as she tightened her fists. There was no way she was going to let Rocky survive her next attack.


    "Your Majesty, the way I see it, we already have our result right in front of us. Let''s just call it a day before it gets out of control." Seeing that Erica''s face was turning solemn, Lena immediately suggested to the emperor to stop the contest as she was deeply worried about Rocky''s safety.


    The emperor snapped out of it and came around. Hearing Lena''s suggestion, he also looked concerned. Mia had already lost. Although Rocky successfully survived a hit from Erica, there was no way he could do it again. Judging from his own experience, the emperor was convinced that Rocky''s miraculous run should end right then and there.

 Chapter 76 It Is Too Late

    Rocky was not powerful enough to be Erica''s opponent. Apparently, Mia had also lost to her before, so it was better to end the fight now. Otherwise, he would not be as lucky as before and might end up badly wounded, or worse, he might end up dead.


    "Preceptor Felicia, what do you think?" Although the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire had already made up his mind, he still politely asked Felicia for her opinion.


    "Since we have a clear victor, there is no need to continue the fight. I am afraid that my disciple may have been a bit too impetuous. Please forgive her," Felicia responded. Erica acted very rashly and impulsively, but she had defeated a spirit manipulator from the Holy Dragon Empire who was at the ninth grade of the Heavenly Stage. Felicia did not feel an ounce of remorse for that fact. Needless to say, she wanted the fight to stop while they were still quite ahead. She was worried that the fight might lead to a worse end if it was not stopped now.


    "Priest Dean..." The emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire turned to the priest beside him after getting Felicia''s approval.


    "I''m afraid it''s too late now," Priest Dean said suddenly as he glumly stared at the fighting site. The situation had changed quite drastically while they were talking.


    Hearing what the priest said, both Felicia and the emperor immediately turned their attention back on the fighting site and saw Erica coming up at Rocky. She appeared as if she was about to give him a deadly blow, swiftly closing the distance between them.


    Everyone watching the scene was at the edge of their seats. Rocky would not be able to dodge the attack in time.


    And it looked like he did not plan on dodging the attack.


    "What the hell is he thinking? Does he want to die here?" Marcia in the crowd was confused by Rocky''s behavior. She frowned as she rushed towards the fighting site.


    "Get away, Basil!" Mia tried her best to stand up. She wanted to push Rocky away and block Erica''s attack for him as a payment for saving her regardless of his own life.


    Suddenly, two figures started rushing towards Rocky.


    Erica gathered a strong Thunder spiritual power in her palm. As the Thunder spiritual power increased, its blue flames continued to flare up. The next second, Erica raised the gathered power that was strong enough to kill Rocky and launched it towards him.


    Rocky then did something unexpected that shocked everyone. He rushed towards the much more powerful Erica


    words, Erica glanced around at all the people and saw them staring lecherously at her body. She flew into a fit of range from the shame and humiliation.


    "I will make you pay for this one day!" Erica vowed then immediately disappeared.


    Being that Erica had left and Rocky was still standing on the fighting site, he was now technically the winner of the fight. He was wounded, yes, but he was still on the site nonetheless.


    All of a sudden, the crowd on the square erupted into a loud round of cheers at Rocky''s victory.


    Felicia had never expected that her top disciple would be defeated by Rocky who was weaker than she was. A scowl gradually formed on her face. She abruptly stood up and said, "I''m sorry, Your Majesty. I have something important to do. I have to leave now." She then immediately left, along with the other phoenix spirit manipulators.


    ''Ha-ha! The Magic Phoenix Empire really lost its face this time, ''


    the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire laughed to himself as he saw Felicia leave in such a haste. He then looked at Rocky on the fighting site.


    People began chanting Rocky''s name. He not only beat those new phoenix spirit manipulators by his own power, but he also defeated Erica who was a master at the ninth grade of the Heavenly Stage. Although no one knew how he managed to do that, it was not important for them at the moment. What was important now was Rocky had proved to everyone in the entire Holy Dragon Empire that he was powerful.


    "How? How did he defeat Erica?" Alston mulled. He reckoned that Erica was probably just not strong enough. He then left angrily after giving Rocky a pissed off look.

 Chapter 77 Peaceful Time

    Amidst the cheers ringing out for Rocky, he suddenly fell hard on the ground. It was apparent that he had been hurt badly. The reason for his suffering was because of the powerful strength that was far beyond his abilities. Everyone grew quite concerned at the sight of him losing consciousness.


    "Basil!" Mia shouted out at once. Before she could make a move, Marcia had already run forward towards Rocky.


    "Basil, well done!" She examined him to find whether there could be anything wrong as she saw that Rocky was lying unconscious. Rocky had been hurt badly. If he didn''t receive treatment in time, he would certainly lose his life. Without thinking twice, Marcia took out a bottle of the magical saliva that Rocky had given her before. She made Rocky drink a little of it immediately. Afterwards, she turned around and told Mia, "Please tell His Majesty that I will bring him with me to treat him right now." Mia nodded in agreement. Marcia then left the battlefield with Rocky.


    Though Marcia left with Rocky very quickly, someone in the crowd had recognized her. Chaos broke out once more, with everyone around the battlefield growing greatly excited again.


    "I can''t believe my eyes. Is it really General Marcia?"


    "You''re right! But how does she know Basil? Why did she take him away?"


    "Perhaps General Marcia likes Basil?"


    They soon seemed to forget the fact that Rocky had won the match. Their attention was diverted at the sight of Marcia. Heated discussions broke out about how she and Rocky could be connected. Speculations broke out about all the possibilities of their relationship.


    At once, Mia went to find the emperor and Lena, even if she too had been hurt. She relayed what Marcia had asked her to. As she expected, the emperor and others were also in the state of shock.


    "Why is General Marcia willing to treat Basil out of the blue? They even d


    s. His face was no longer deathly pale, but he was still in a coma.


    The emperor and Lena felt relieved at the sight of him sleeping safe and sound.


    "Your Majesty, I will stay here to take good care of Basil. The Dragon Birth Festival is still ongoing. You have left the battlefield for too long," Lena respectfully reminded him.


    "Very well. That''s very kind of you." The emperor nodded, sighing with relief.


    "Your Majesty, you have said that..." Lena murmured after being lost in thought for several moments.


    "Don''t worry! I''ve been waiting for this day. It seems that he hasn''t let me down," the emperor said very contentedly, before exiting the chamber.


    "You can leave now. I will stay here to look after him," Lena told the maids.


    She sat beside the bed, staring at Rocky who seemed to be in deep sleep. She stretched out her hand to touch his face tenderly, softly smiling. She said to herself, "If your mother could see with her own eyes what you have done today, she would be so, so proud. We no longer need to worry about you all the time now. You have grown up and become a strong man." She lay beside Rocky, closed her beautiful eyes and enjoyed the peace and tranquility that came with an overwhelming sense of contentment.

 Chapter 78 An Astonishing Decision (Part One)

    Meanwhile, in his coma, Rocky witnessed several shocking images in his dreams. He lay on a boundless land that was covered by corpses. The blood had merged into streams. Among the dead bodies were both humans and spirit-manipulated beasts. It seemed that Rocky walked into a battlefield.


    An afterglow brought by dusk was shining over the bloody battlefield. It seemed as if doomsday had come. Instantly, the land was shrouded in a giant dark shadow. Rocky looked up at the sky and saw an enormous black dragon whose big eyes were twinkling with evil light. With six strong wings, the dragon emanated the momentum of the king of heaven and earth. However, its dark and evil power could also make people tremble in fear.


    "If you yield to me, I shall lend you my power..." All of a sudden, the black dragon almost deafened Rocky''s ears with its loud roar.


    The next moment, Rocky saw the black dragon come at him with its mouth wide open. Everything happened so fast. It was about to devour him.


    Rocky opened his eyes abruptly and sat up on the bed as sweat dripped down his forehead. He was trying his best to catch his breath.


    "Fortunately, it''s just a dream," Rocky sighed out of relief when he realized that the black dragon wasn''t real. All of a sudden, he felt something move beside him. As he looked down, he saw a woman''s body lying right before his very eyes. Moreover, her sleeping position was really seductive. Her clothes was in such a mess that some of her skin could be seen.


    "Lena?" Rocky recognized that the woman lying on his bed was Lena.


    Rocky gradually recalled the things that happened before he passed out. He fought off Erica and went into a coma because he was severely wounded. But now, it seemed that his body was doing better and


    ng something from her.


    Rocky smiled and continuously acted to be ignorant about what Mia was talking about.


    "Basil..." At that time, a call came from behind.


    Upon hearing that, Rocky looked back and saw Lena standing behind him with her clothes still in a mess. It was quite misleading that as if something had happened between them.


    Seeing that, Mia glared at Rocky with murderous intent.


    Scorched by Mia''s eyes, Rocky immediately turned around to explain to her, "I swear, nothing happened between us!"


    "Master Mia, what are you doing here?" Embarrassed at the sight of Mia, Lena hurried to tidy her clothes and behave herself.


    "His Majesty asked me to check on Basil''s situation. He said that once Basil was awake, he should go to the Grand Holy Hall with Her Royal Highness. In addition to that, he also gathered some members of the royal family and some ministers together. I guess he must have something very important to announce..." Mia said.


    "I see." Lena nodded. It looked like she had realized the intention of the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire. Therefore, she instantly ordered a maid to prepare Rocky a suit of ornate robe and dress him up.

 Chapter 79 An Astonishing Decision (Part Two)

    Compared with what he looked like two months ago, Rocky had changed a lot in temperament. When he put on the ornate robe, he had a more intimidating appearance than he did before. Born with fine features, his face was more handsome and noticeable. All in all, Rocky was no longer his old self that was too frail to withstand a gust of wind.


    When Rocky stood before Lena and Mia with his new image, they watched him with the utmost admiration. Lena couldn''t help but blush as she was deeply attracted.


    "Let''s go," Mia said as she went out first.


    Rocky walked towards Lena and they followed Mia.


    They climbed the carriage waiting outside. It dashed forward the entire way. Shortly afterwards, they arrived at the Grand Holy Hall.


    For the very first time, Rocky entered the Grand Holy Hall. He was stunned by the grandeur of the hall. Even in the modern world where he came from, no architecture could come close to it.


    Presently, many people were gathered in the Grand Holy Hall.


    The emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire sat on the gilded throne at the top of the hall with Priest Dean standing beside him.


    On both sides of the hall stood a lot of people. The first row were the princes of the Holy Dragon Empire led by Alston. Since Rocky walked in, many princes focused their eyes on him. Instead of being friendly, they held Rocky in contempt with overwhelming arrogance.


    As for Alston, who always treated Rocky as his enemy, he wrathfully glared at Rocky as his face was sullen.


    Not intimidated by Alston''s provocation, Rocky wore a sneer on his face and stared straight into Alston''s eyes.


    Apart from the princes, everyone else in the hall were the ministers of military affairs. Their


    utmost respect.


    All the people present couldn''t help but feel jealous towards Rocky, especially the princes. They felt some sort of mental unbalance with what Rocky obtained for his outstanding behavior at the Dragon Birth Festival.


    However, none of them dared to say a word against the decision of the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire.


    Rocky''s eyes lit up for he was given so many priceless things. Overwhelmed by an unexpected favor, he said, "Your Majesty, I could never thank you enough. I''d like to take them all."


    The emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire then waved his hand to ask the maids to leave the hall.


    "Next, I shall announce the first important thing..." The eyes of the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire ran down. After pausing for a moment, he said, "Given the extraordinary performance at the Dragon Birth Festival and the successful fusion with the Holy Dragon Bead, Rocky has successfully become a royal spirit manipulator at the Earthly Stage. So today, I decide to restore his identity as a prince of the Holy Dragon Empire,"


    the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire said. His decision caught everyone off guard.

 Chapter 80 Betrothal

    Everyone was shocked by the emperor''s unexpected announcement. No one had expected that the emperor would reinstate to Rocky the title of ''Prince''. Deservedly, he had been stripped of the title for touching the Holy Dragon Bead without permission.


    They had not expected that the emperor would have such a huge change of heart towards Rocky.


    More than everyone else, Alston was unhappy with the emperor''s decision. Like his siblings, he had never regarded Rocky as their brother. Though were step-brothers, born of the same father, they all looked down on Rocky, because his mother was of humble birth. To them, he was just a bastard. So when Rocky was stripped of his title two months ago, they were all over the top with glee at his loss.


    But they had never expected that their father would entitle Rocky as a prince again. If he did so, Rocky would become the youngest prince and the shame of the royals again. By all means, they would not agree with their father''s decision to number that son of a peasant woman with them. However, none of them would dare say that to the emperor. Once their father had made a decision, they would have no other choice but to abide by his will.


    Even so, they still looked at Rocky with contempt. They did not care that Rocky had showed a splendid performance at the Dragon Birth Festival and he was hailed as the ultimate prodigy of the Holy Dragon Empire. They still hated on him.


    Only Alston, the next emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire, one of them question him ¡ª and that, on very rare occasions would.


    "Father, I don''t understand why you do this." He would not so readily agree to Rocky''s admission back into royalty. If anything, Rocky was a direct threat to Alston''s ascent to power.


    "I stripped Basil because he touched the Holy Dragon Bead without permission. But what he had done at the Dragon Birth Festival can make up for his fault. But


    tead, he looked around, as if he was reading what the people were thinking. Then he said, "I also have something else to announce. I made a decision about this yesterday."


    Everyone looked at the emperor again, with eager anticipation. They wondered what else the emperor had up his sleeve, right after the unexpected reinstatement of Rocky. They hoped his second announcement would not be as shocking as the first one.


    "Since Basil is not at a small boy anymore, it''s time for him to have a wife, so I plan to betroth him a girl and give him a part of his inheritance," the emperor announced that immediately.


    "A wife?" Lena''s face grew gloomy as she heard what the emperor said. She looked at Rocky, dejected.


    Rocky was also surprised. He did not expect that his ''dad'' was going to betroth a girl to him and give him a part of his estate. It was good to be the prince again.


    Everyone in the hall was dumbfounded. Betrothals decided by the emperor were common in the royals, but giving a fief was a serious thing. So far, except Alston, none of the sons of the emperor had their own fief.


    The other princes all felt discontented when they heard what the emperor said. None of them would have expected that Rocky would get an inheritance ahead of them.

 Chapter 81 Getting Married With That Woman

    A clan who had its private estates in the Holy Dragon Empire meant that it not only had a regional jurisdiction of an area, but also was allowed to recruit troops and form its own forces. For example, the Ximen Clan and other large clans of Holy Dragon Empire all had their own estates and armies and held respective influences in the empire. Of course, the prerequisite for anyone to acquire an estate was gaining the absolute trust of the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire. Without this one thing, one would never be officially offered an estate. The emperor had a deep-seated fear that anyone with a private army would try to stage a revolt. Gradually, by relying on his strong army, he might become domineering and disobey or even try to overthrow the emperor''s rule. If that happened, it would be a nightmare for the emperor. It was because of this paranoia that the emperor seldom offered anyone an estate.


    So, when the emperor announced that he would bestow an estate upon Prince Basil, it also indicated that he trusted him most among all his sons.


    "Your Majesty, I think the matter of offering an estate to Prince Basil still needs to be discussed further. After all, he''s still quite young and I''m afraid it will be tedious for him to take on such a heavy responsibility," Priest Dean immediately advised. He was determined to stop the growth of Rocky''s power, knowing that Rocky might take revenge for the times that he had been unkind to him. What puzzled him most was why the emperor''s attitude towards Rocky had changed dramatically. Was it just because of Rocky''s outstanding performance at the Dragon Birth Festival? To an extent, his guess was correct, but there were many other reasons as well.


    Other officials also seconded Priest Dean''s advice, one after another.


    "I also have considered that. I''m thinking of arranging a royal marriage for him. Basil has to get married before he can obtain the estate. Those are the terms of my offer. Once he gets married and settles down, he will naturally shoulder all the responsibility," the emperor said seriously. He was not making a hasty decision to offer his son an estate. As the emperor, he had to be cautious about any of his decisions.


    As soon as the officials heard the emperor''s words, they breathed a sigh of relief at the realization that the emperor''s offer would be very conditional indeed.


    "Your Majesty, may I ask whom you are eyeing to become Prince Basil''s betrothed?" Priest Dean asked hesitantly. Usually, a royal marriage was a union between the major clans of the Holy Dragon Empire. He had to find out which clan would gain the support of Rocky and would stand behind him in turn.


    "The Ximen Clan," the emperor said simply and narrowed his eyes. He was waiting for his officials'' comments. He knew they would have a lot to say about his arrangement.


    The officials including Priest Dean and other princes were quite started, to say the least.


    As the largest clan of the Holy Dragon Empire, the Ximen Clan was quite influential, its grasp extending to nearly all corners of the kingdom. Its power was beyond comparison and other clans typically did not dare challenge it. Among ten of the Holy Dragon Empire''s royal spirit manipulators, there was one from the Ximen Clan. Thus, it could be seen that t


    as before. I think it''s better to put off the arranged marriage."


    Upon hearing Lena''s explanation, Rocky was a bit disappointed. It turned out that Lena was just worried that the marriage might hinder his improvement in strength.


    "The Witch made a good point. Yet, their marriage is still imperative," the emperor said and nodded. He agreed with her reasoning, as it was also one of the many things he had taken into consideration. He had taken many things into account when it came to the marriage of Shirley to Rocky.


    Seeing the emperor''s expression, Lena seemed to guess what he was thinking and became slightly stunned, while her hand clenched a corner of her robe. If the emperor was really thinking like what she was guessing, she would be more unwilling to see Rocky marry Shirley. Nevertheless, if the emperor persisted in his idea and carried it out arbitrarily, she would be helpless. As a Witch of the Holy Dragon Empire, she was not allowed to disobey the emperor.


    "Your majesty, if it is for that consideration, I think Prince Basil was not the only choice. Other princes are also qualified to be the possible candidates," Lena said at once after a moment''s hesitation. Although she knew it would be hard to persuade the emperor to give up the arrangement, she still wanted to have a try.


    "But, I''m afraid it has to be Basil this time," the emperor said in a firm tone. Meanwhile, he thought that Lena showed excessive concern for Basil. He had to talk to her after the meeting. He had thought that other officials might have a second opinion about his arrangement. But it never once occurred to him that Lena would be the first one to object.


    Lena frowned deeply and grew quiet. She had summoned all her courage to protect Rocky in her own way. But obviously, she had failed.


    When the several other princes and officials heard the puzzling exchange between the emperor and Lena, they were completely confused. But they were smart enough not to ask further. If the emperor chose not to say why in public, then it was no use probing.


    ''It''s strange. I can sense that he seems to be hiding something from us...'' Rocky thought, also feeling in his gut a suspicious sense.

 Chapter 82 Sacrifice

    "I do not agree with that as well. I would rather be a Buddhist monk than marry her!" Rocky didn''t want to get married with Shirley at all. But if he was asked to marry Lena, he would be happy to say yes.


    "The matter has already been settled. About the details of this marriage, I will discuss further with General Bryant at a later time. If the Ximen Clan showed their disagreement with the marriage, Basil would not get the land as well. That''s the deal. Well, that should be all for today. You are all allowed to leave now. Send Prince Basil back to his place and take the gifts back with him." The emperor ignored Rocky''s disagreement completely. He just glanced at Rocky and then waved at his servants gesturing for them to take Rocky back to his place.


    Soon, the servants who took the gifts for Rocky walked towards him and got ready to lead him out of there.


    "You head back first. I will come and see you later," Lena whispered as she walked past Rocky. She then nodded at the emperor and headed for the side door to walk out of the Grand Holy Hall.


    The emperor got her intention. He cast a glance at Rocky and then walked to the side door as well.


    When Rocky saw that, he had no other choice but to leave the Grand Holy Hall with the maids.


    Lena and the emperor walked into a long corridor behind the side door where they soon reached a palace close to the Grand Holy Hall. They then went to a secret chamber inside that palace.


    A dome formed by the Dragon Master Clan''s spiritual method had covered the secret chamber so that nobody could hear whatever was being discussed inside the chamber. This chamber was usually used for discussing the Holy Dragon Empire''s top confidential issues.


    After taking a seat, Lena frowned and said to the emperor, "Your Majesty, I don''t understand! Why did you sacrifice Basil to repel the Ximen Clan? Don''t we have any other options?" She knew well that the arrangement was not for Rocky''s sake at all. What the emperor''s actual intention was to utilize the marriage to avoid the latent conflict with the Ximen Clan. That was not the first time that the royal family used such methods to contain other powerful and influential clans.


    Almost every head of the Ximen Clan was married with a princess. And the history had proven that it was an effective way for the royal family to stray away from the Ximen Clan''s power. Half of the blood running inside the Ximen Clan''s members belonged to the royal family.


    The current


    e royal family. It means he would always choose the royal family instead of the Ximen Clan when he was caught in a dilemma," the emperor said. He had taken that into his consideration as well, which was one more reason why Basil was clearly the perfect choice.


    Lena didn''t expect that coming. She had to admit that the emperor was a rigorous man, no wonder he could rule the Holy Dragon Empire with such ease.


    "Basil''s dragon spiritual power seems so special. I can''t even tell its nature. And I heard from Master Mia that nobody noticed that he had reached the seventh grade of the Mortal Stage before the Dragon Birth Festival. Is it because of the special power he acquired from the Holy Dragon Bead? And that attack from Basil even defeated the talent from the Magic Phoenix Empire! I can feel that the attack''s power has surpassed the ninth grade of the Heavenly Stage. But I still can''t figure out how Basil did it no matter how hard I tried! And where did Basil get the yellow spiritual crystal? Who gave it to him?" the emperor questioned.


    "Your Majesty, why didn''t you personally ask Basil then?" Lena was curious about the answers as well.


    "Forget about it! Those questions shouldn''t really matter anymore. Basil really made great progress in the past two months. And now that the power of the Holy Dragon Bead is starting to show itself. I can tell Basil will be a legend sooner or later. If only Karen were here to see it," the emperor sighed. Karen was Basil''s mother, the one he fell deep in love with.


    "Yes," Lena sighed as well. She missed Basil''s mother as well. She then bid farewell to the emperor and left the secret chamber.

 Chapter 83 Rockys Strange Strength

    A war beast rushed to him quickly as soon as Rocky stepped into his chamber. He hadn''t come back here for about two months.


    "You''re here!" Rocky looked happily at Uriah. He held him close and gently patted Uriah''s head. He took him into the chamber.


    "Look around! It''s your new home now! You can sleep wherever you like," Rocky said to Uriah, showing him the room.


    Uriah roared excitedly, as if in agreement. It ran toward the queen-size bed in the center of the chamber and leaped onto it at once.


    "Goodness, you''re enjoying yourself very much!" Rocky smiled at Uriah. He turned around and told maids to put down the emperor''s rewards that they were still holding.


    They followed his instructions and left the chamber after deeply bowing.


    "Finally, I''ve come back! I have really learned a lot during these two months," Rocky said with a smile. He was understandably extremely proud of his success.


    "Little boy, you''re proud of your success?" a charming voice said from inside the room.


    Rocky looked around the chamber in surprise. He had thought they were alone. A charming figure appeared beside him like a ghost. She looked at him with a proud expression on her beautiful face.


    "The beautiful general?" Rocky frowned in surprise. It was Marcia standing next to him.


    Yesterday, Marcia had left quite early after she had treated Rocky. But she was still concerned about him. She had returned to her own palace to see him, only then finding out that he had gone to the Grand Holy Hall. When she arrived at the Grand Holy Hall, she found out that he had been reinstated as a prince again. She had been waiting for Rocky in his chamber ever since.


    "I am eternally grateful for your help!" Rocky said earnestly. He truly appreciated what she had done for him in the past day.


    "It was nothing. Your life belongs to me. If others kill you easily, it will bring shame to me," Marcia grunted.


    "It seems that my life isn''t as important as your face," Rocky said with a forced smile as he shook his head.


    "Your wounds


    now?" Rocky smiled happily.


    "Humph, don''t be arrogant! You''ve just only reached the Earthly Stage and still have a long way to go. Cultivate the Vast Nebula Skill carefully. By the way, don''t let others know that I have been here. Do you understand? Otherwise, you will..." Marcia stared at Rocky with a steely expression before promptly disappearing like a gust of wind.


    "It seems that the beautiful general really likes threatening others." Rocky shuddered as though he were cold.


    "Basil, who are you speaking to?" Lena asked, coming into the chamber.


    Rocky turned around, shaking his head. With a smile on his face, he explained, "Uriah has occupied my bed. I am giving it a lecture now."


    "You are so mean. Let Uriah sleep there in peace!" Lena looked at Uriah, grinning with joy to see the beast snoring contentedly.


    "But I don''t have a bed to sleep now. Can I sleep in yours?" Rocky quipped.


    Lena rolled her eyes, not replying. She did not want to jeopardize their friendship, after all.


    "Basil, I have heard that there will be a lantern show of the Dragon Birth Festival in the Imperial City. Do you want to go with me to see it?" Lena asked brightly, a smile on her lips. But there was a trace of bitter sadness in her eyes.


    "All right! But isn''t it difficult to get out of the Palace City?" he asked, knowing this fact from experience.

 Chapter 84 General Bryant Is Back

    "I will arrange that. You have just recovered from a severe injury, and you need time for a rest. Don''t worry about those things. Just take care of yourself. I will see you at night," Lena said, nodding to Rocky as she left.


    "A waterfront pavilion gets the moonlight first. A person in a favorable position gains special advantages. Wish to have a closer relationship with Lena after tonight... I must ask Lena to persuade His Majesty to cancel the engagement. I will never marry that flat-chested girl..." Rocky said. To cancel the engagement was the most important thing on his mind right now.


    Meanwhile, something happened in the Mansion of General Ximen, which was close to the west of the Imperial City.


    The Mansion of General Ximen looked like a small city, grand and magnificent. The high bright red wall circling the mansion was too long to see the end. Within the red walls, the infrastructure was flawless, including roads with bridges across the few streams that ran through the mansion. At this hour, the pavilions, and towers dotting the beautiful landscape cast long shadows. Those close to the rivers reflected in the water.


    In the mansion, people were hurrying to and fro. On the east of the mansion was the training field where hundreds of disciples from the Ximen Clan were absorbed in their rigorous martial arts training. They went about every part of the training regime with such passion and intensity as if they were in a real battle.


    In the middle of their session, a big greenish shadow appeared in the sky above them, like a giant monster. Its sudden appearance clouded out the sun as if heavy clouds had just gathered threatening a torrential downpour. Reacting quickly, the disciples separated into two groups and stood in two lines, watching the giant green figure descend on their training ground.


    Suddenly, the green shadow began to shake. Flapping its four wings fiercely, like giant fans, it raised a small sandstorm that swept the whole field.


    It took quite a while for the storm to abate.


    The huge green shadow zoomed into clear view, where everybody could see what it looked like exactly. It was a massive dragon that would form a small mountain and was enough to cover one-third of the training ground. The tail alone was so long and thick enough that it could whack down a dozen men in one fell. It had five heads, which it kept jerking around, stretching and wiggling


    and get someone to take good care of it." Shirley commanded some disciples of Ximen Clan.


    Gladly, the disciples nodded and took the fairy from her so that she could follow the elders and Bryant.


    Straight away, Bryant and the elders went to the meeting room.


    Bryant took the front seat in the meeting room, ready to have them update him.


    The elders and Shirley also took a seat. "What makes you so panicked?" he asked.


    "News just came in from the palace that His Majesty has granted marriage for a prince," an elder in purple gown replied.


    "Grant a marriage? That is not a problem, is it?" Bryant waved his hand, dismissing them. That was not a serious matter. What was so special about the emperor granting his son, who was of age permission to marry?


    "But the problem is that His Majesty wants his son to marry a lady from the Ximen Clan," the other elder in white gown said.


    Bryant looked not very surprised. "Um, that means my clan? Our clan again? So who is the lucky lady from our clan that has been chosen by His Majesty? Is it my elder brother''s last-born? She''s single, and she is turning 25 this year, old enough to get married. If she is chosen, my elder brother would be perfectly okay with that. He''ll be more than happy. But my younger''s firstborn too is the same age, and single as well." Among the older generation of the Ximen Clan, Bryant was the fourth born. However, none of his brothers was as talented as him. So on merit, Bryant became the leader of their clan. "Urr... His Majesty wants to grant a marriage for Miss Shirley..." the elder in purple gown said seriously.

 Chapter 85 Brewing Storm

    "His Majesty is arranging for someone to marry Shirley?" Bryant grew stern, his eyes growing cold as he heard this news. "Am I hearing this right? His Majesty is arranging for me to be married?" Shirley also became serious. She had heard long ago from her grandfather of this agreement. But she had been so small back then and everyone had tucked the matter away at the backs of their minds. The emperor was bringing up this issue out of blue now. She was at loss for how to feel.


    "I remembered that Prince Alston is already set to marry someone. It should be the older daughter of the leader of Ji Clan. Shirley is to be the successor of the leader of Ximen Clan, which His Majesty has known for a long time. He should be more cautious with her marriage. No princes are even good enough for her besides Prince Alston, who is heir to the throne of the emperor," Bryant said loudly, frowning intimidatingly. His words were few, and yet his arrogance and aggressiveness were quite evident.


    "That''s the way things should have been! I can only wonder why His Majesty wants to arrange her marriage all of sudden..." The elders of Ximen Clan nodded their approval of Bryant''s sentiments. Given the influence of their clan in the Holy Dragon Empire and the fact that Shirley was to become the future leader, Prince Alston was the only eligible match should the emperor want to marry her into the royal family.


    But Prince Alston had already been engaged a couple of years ago, so there was no way the emperor would arrange for him to marry Shirley.


    "Did His Majesty mention which of his princes?" Bryant shouted impatiently. He was eager to know who the emperor had in mind.


    "It''s His Majesty''s younger son, Prince Basil." "Basil? Isn''t he that imbecile prince who was only at the first grade of the Mortal Stage even after fusing with the Holy Dragon Bead? I heard that he had been stripped of his title. How could it be him? I thought he was no longer a prince?" Bryant looked confused.


    "Him!? What! No! It can''t be! I would rather die than marry him." A disgusting expression took over Shirley''s face as she heard this news. She still nursed a grudge from their encounter when he had made fun of her figure. She gritted her teeth in anger.


    "You have missed the Dragon Birth Festival. Had you seen what happened at the Festival, you would definitely think differently." said a whit


    n ingenious plan by His Majesty," Bryant smiled coldly and grabbed the golden armrest on his chair, which deformed immediately under his power.


    "General, what should we do now? Should we accept his proposal?" the elders asked.


    "Grandfather, there is no way that I marry that nauseating punk!" Shirley''s face contorted at the idea of wedding Basil. What a disgusting notion!


    "Shirley, there is no time to fool around. We have to accept this proposal." Bryant knew from the bottom of his heart that his clan did not have a choice. After all, this had come from the emperor himself. Without sufficient reason, he still had to agree to it despite the fact that he was a general who was at the Immortal Stage. Otherwise, his whole clan and its future would be endangered.


    "I--" Shirley still wanted to persuade him, but bit her tongue once he shot her a sharp look. "His Majesty will summon us tomorrow. Shirley, why don''t you get back to rest now? And get rid of your boy''s attires. A girl should wear a proper dress. After the engagement, you will be the fiancee of the prince. Do not disgrace the royal family and our clan," Bryant commanded icily.


    "Grandfather..." Shirley still tried to protest, in disbelief that such a terrible thing could happen to her.


    "Go now. I still have something that I need to discuss with the elders." Bryant waved her away. Shirley could only pout in protest and stood up to leave in frustration. Just as she was about to exit the room, she spat angrily, "If only Basil dies today! It would be best for all of us. Then there will be no engagement."

 Chapter 86 Date With Lena

    Rocky, who was cultivating in his room, suddenly opened his eyes and jumped up. All the spiritual power around him glinted like bright stars in the sky. He then hastily flew out of his room and landed on the ground outside. His palms moved the same way leaves flutter in the wind. The spiritual power that sparkled around him soon transformed into a glowing sphere, looking like a miniature universe that he held in his hands. He threw the glowing sphere to the ground, letting it roll away like a bowling ball.


    The spiritual power of the Earthly Stage spun around the sphere.


    Boom! Several streaks of spiritual power burst out from the sphere with a loud bang. Black smoke instantly filled the air. Once all of the smoke cleared away, Rocky''s eyes were greeted with dozens of cracks and crevices on the ground caused by the strike.


    "Wow! The Nebula Rolling Strike is absolutely amazing! I just exerted ten percent of my strength, but its strike was still very powerful! If I had used my full power, it possibly would have bored a huge hole on the ground!" As Rocky shut off his dragon spiritual power, the Dragon Spirit Mark around his left arm also stopped glowing. He looked at the cracks on the ground and felt satisfied. The strike he summoned was called Nebula Rolling Strike, a spiritual martial arts attack from the Vast Nebula Skill. Even though he just reached the Earthly Stage, he had already mastered the Vast Nebula Skill at such a shocking speed.


    The loud noises attracted the attention of the imperial guards who were on patrol nearby and rushed to the scene at once. They were extremely alarmed to see several cracks on the ground and Rocky in the middle of it.


    "Your Royal Highness, what happened? Are you all right?" one of the guards asked, eyes wide in shock.


    "Don''t worry! I''m fine. I was just practicing a new skill I just learned. Everything''s fine here," Rocky reassured them and gave them a smile. He was suddenly reminded that he was in the Imperial Palace. He would not be able to do whatever he wanted as he did before in the bamboo grove in the dragon field.


    The guards then began chattering among themselves.


    "When did Prince Basil become so good? I remember that he had been so talentless before."


    "Yeah! I''ve heard that he was even able to defeat a great master who is at the ninth grade of the Heavenly Stage during the Dragon Birth Festival!"


    "So has the prince been concealing his true ability all along? Lucky for us, we''ve never offended him. Otherwise, we would be regretting it now."


    Overhearing the guards'' conversation, Rocky loudly cleared his throat. "Is there anything else you need here?" he asked, shooting them a glare.


    The guards immediately panicked. They all then left hurriedly and went back to their jobs.


    Rocky glanced up at the sky and saw that the sun was starting to set. The autumn breeze brushed his cheeks and the sun''s afterglow was scattered across his face. His


    here for you, my lady. Just remember to come back soon. Otherwise, your guards will find out about your disappearance and I might take the consequences for it," the woman said as she bowed to Lena.


    "Don''t worry about it, Randi. We won''t be long," Lena reassured her with a smile. Lena then nodded at Rocky and walked to the crowded streets with him.


    "That lady you called Randi is your...?" Rocky curiously asked.


    "Randi is my servant who has been taking care of me since Consort Karen, your mother, passed away. She has been very kind to me and we are as close as sisters. I always call her Randi when it''s just the two of us," Lena answered.


    "What about your parents?" Rocky followed up.


    Lena shook her head and smiled bitterly, "I don''t even remember what they look like. I was sent to the imperial palace when I was just a little girl."


    "Have you ever thought of trying to find them?" Rocky looked at Lena with sympathy.


    "As the Witch of the Holy Dragon Empire, emotion is forbidden. We''re isolated from our families. Even romantic entanglements aren''t allowed. Otherwise, the ability that the Dragon Master Clan has given me would be affected. Many Witches have died alone, and that''s also my destiny," Lena sighed, lowering her head.


    "You''re not allowed to love?" Rocky''s brows knitted in befuddlement.


    Lena slowly nodded.


    "Then what if you meet someone you like?" Rocky raised one brow.


    "Then I have to eliminate that emotion inside my heart." Lena looked at Rocky and pursed her lips.


    "That''s so ridiculous! Have you ever thought about giving up the position? You don''t have to suffer that depressing fate!" Rocky complained.


    "Ha-ha! Don''t be so silly! Anyway, let''s stop talking about this and just go enjoy the lantern show," Lena insisted. She was soon captivated by the beautiful lanterns and her face beamed with delight. On the other hand, Rocky could not get his mind off the cruel destiny that Lena was facing.

 Chapter 87 The Emperors Purpose

    Lena and Rocky were strolling down the banks of the river in the moonlight. A soft breeze fanned them gently when it grew too humid. As they walked, they saw many people float boat lanterns down the river, on which their wishes were written.


    Lena looked back at Rocky, pursed her lips and then led him towards the edge of the bank. It seemed that something was weighing heavily on her mind.


    Rocky quietly observed her as she bought a boat lantern from a peddler. She tucked her hair behind her ear and began writing something on its side.


    "Are you making a wish?" Rocky came nearer. "Don''t you dare sneak a look!" Lena instantly hid the boat lantern behind her back.


    "Oh, come on! It can''t be anything that serious," Rocky said curiously. Lena seemed to be too protective of it.


    "Please buy me a festive lantern over there. Make sure it''s the most beautiful one." Lena took a silver coin from her waist pocket and tucked it into Rocky''s left hand. Then she nudged his elbow. Glancing back at her, Rocky shrugged his shoulders and went off to fulfill her request.


    When Rocky came back from buying a colorful lantern, he saw Lena standing at the riverbank, watching the boat lanterns flowing through the river in front of her. She looked rather morose and bitter.


    ''What has happened to Lena?'' Rocky wondered to himself and approached her.


    Looking earnestly into his eyes, Lena said seriously, "Basil, I have something to say¡­"


    "Yes?" Rocky nodded his head in reply. ''Is she going to declare her undying love for me?'' Rocky thought to himself.


    Lena walked down along the bank of the river, Rocky closely following her. A few minutes later, they had reached a row of willow trees. A cool breeze from the river fanned their robes languidly.


    "Basil, please keep in mind what I told you today, because I won''t say it a second time. I would never dare ask for something which is out of your reach. But today you must agree to one thing," Lena told Rocky seriously. Her eyes were sparkling with love and passion, her face glowing in the moonlight.


    "Just say the word, Lena. I am willing to put my life on the line every day for you. I would even agree to one hundred things!" Rocky swore, expressing his loyalty.


    "You don''t need to say that. All you have to do is to take care of yourself, since you are going to be the son-in-law of Ximen Clan. And you will become an independent man of virtue. You need to stand tall and never back down. But first of all, please do take care of yourself!" Lena said, her voice trembling, as she ga


    ty offered one of them in marriage, Bryant would decline it under the pretext of the groom not being suitable and strong enough. Bryant would never subject his granddaughter to that," Lena explained simply, frowning. "You had fused the force of the Holy Dragon Bead in the ritual, and His Majesty was filled with hope for your potential. That''s exactly why His Majesty allowed you to be trained at the dragon field, in the capacity of a royal spirit manipulator. Otherwise, at that time, His Majesty would have stripped you of your prince''s rights along with the force of the Holy Dragon Bead!"


    "It''s very clear that His Majesty reinstated my title solely for the purpose of containing the Ximen Clan. What a crafty plan!" Rocky laughed coldly, shaking his head. He had entertained the idea that perhaps the emperor was merely conscience-driven and was missing him. But the fact showed that Rocky himself was foolishly sentimental.


    "If you hadn''t reached the level of the Earthly Stage¡­ If you hadn''t fused the force of the Holy Dragon Bead in your body¡­ It''s a great pity that things have happened this way, Basil. I thought that perhaps His Majesty reinstated your prince-hood for the sake of your mother. But when he decided to call for an arranged marriage for you and Shirley, I finally figured out that all his motivations were solely for the purpose of containing the major clan forces. After all, as an emperor, His Majesty has to give top priority to the overall situation and the overall interests of the Holy Dragon Empire!" Lena said sadly, her eyes shining with tears. This very reason was precisely why she had given an implicit warning to Rocky not to act recklessly, as she knew his tendencies.

 Chapter 88 Strong Momentum

    "He really pissed me off. Tomorrow, I have to tell him that I won''t marry Shirley. I''d like to see if he will try and demote me again," knowing he had been used, Rocky felt so angry towards the emperor. He was not the kind of person who was willing to be pushed around.


    "No, you cannot do that. Didn''t you just give me your word?" Lena said solemnly as she shook her head.


    "I am not the old Basil anymore. I won''t allow anyone to just push me around," Rocky answered confidently.


    "You are not powerful enough to disobey His Majesty. If you do, there will be grave consequences. Everything that you possess will be taken away including the power of the Holy Dragon Bead. If that happens, you will be left with nothing at all. No one will be able to protect you, not even me," Lena said very seriously.


    Rocky fell into silence because he could clearly tell that Lena was not kidding judging by the stern look she had on her face.


    "I know you are not the old Basil anymore and I know you don''t want to be pushed around by others. You have already proven to everyone that you are not a loser but that would not be enough. With the power of the Holy Dragon Bead, you have to climb your way to a higher position. Only then will you have enough power to get rid of all your constraints," Lena said as she tightly held Rocky''s hands.


    "A higher position..." Rocky''s face also grew solemn.


    "Yes. There is no doubt that you are an impeccable talent after all these things. No other spirit manipulator''s gifts could compare with yours in the entire Wild Spirit Land in all ages, not to mention the dragon spiritual power that you acquired from the Holy Dragon Bead. With these advantages, as long as you continue to work hard, you will definitely become the strongest in the Holy Dragon Empire or even in the entire Wild Spirit Land. No one could ever stand a chance against you. When the time comes, you will get everything you want. You


    it, he muttered jealously, "Good for you. Not knowing anything but to eat and sleep without any annoyances. You are living more like a prince than I am." Two maids then were called to clean him up and dress him in fancy robes that showed his identity as a prince again. After breakfast, Rocky got into the carriage and headed for the Grand Holy Hall.


    He took off at the gate and walked across the square towards the Grand Holy Hall. All of a sudden, he sensed that an amazingly strong momentum of spiritual power was surging towards him. He suddenly felt distress in his chest as the Dragon Spirit Mark in his hand twinkled as if it was resonating with something unknown. He immediately looked up and saw two figures walking towards him from the other side of the square of the Grand Holy Hall. They were escorted by a group of guards.


    Rocky took a closer look on the two figures and found that they were a man and a woman. The man was about forty to fifty years old, tall, and very strong. His momentum was very overwhelming that people couldn''t help but stare at him. What was more, he could tell that this man''s spiritual power was stronger than Marcia''s which meant he was at a higher grade than she was. And he was sure that the power he was sensing was coming from the man and not the woman.

 Chapter 89 Gorgeous Beauty

    ''Who is he?'' Rocky couldn''t help wondering about that man''s true identity. At the same time, his eyes fell on another figure. He was immediately fascinated by her beauty and great charm. Her delicate snow-white face for some reason gave her an arrogant look. She had an attractive nose, higher than that of a mixed-blood beauty. The nose was high up in the air, just as haughty as its owner''s proud look at the moment. The woman had a royal temperament.


    It was funny for Rocky never expected that the girl whom he stood admiring was none other than Shirley.


    Moreover, the man standing next to Shirley was her grandfather, Bryant.


    Shirley noticed Rocky''s admiring gaze at her. She didn''t like to wear women''s clothes as she felt very uncomfortable in them. With great reluctance she had worn it. But now when she was being stared at, by eyes full of desire, she was annoyed and could no longer bear it.


    Shirley immediately glared at Rocky with her beautiful eyes. Of course, she was not aware that the man gazing at her was the most hated prince, the useless waste, who was worthless in her eyes.


    Neither of them recognized each other.


    Glared by Shirley, Rocky immediately turned away his eyes. He pretended as if he was watching Bryant and Shirley enter the Grand Holy Hall surrounded by a group of guards. Yet, all the time, he kept wondering about the true identity of that gorgeous beauty. When they had moved ahead, he quietly followed them. He stayed close and continued to walk towards the Grand Holly Hall.


    In the Grand Holy Hall, the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire was still sitting on his dragon throne, while Lena was sitting on the lower left side. Priest Dean, Alston, several other princes as well as all the ministers of the Holy Dragon Empire had also gathered in the hall.


    When Bryant and Shirley stepped into the hall, everyone immediately looked at them. They first looked at Bryant and the next instant their eyes fell on Shirley who was beside him. Evidently, everyone was attracted by her stunning beauty. Several princes became extremely excited. They began to fantasize about romantic love affairs with her.


    All the people, including the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire, wore a surprised look. They couldn''t help wondering whose daughter she was. ''Why did she come with Bryant?'' they thought to themselves.


    Obviously, almost everyone in the hall did not realize that the gorgeous beauty was none other than Shirley. Shirley, who was dressed in feminine clothes, had completely changed herself into another person.


    The only person who showed gr


    Ximen Clan!'' However, he wondered why he could not find Shirley, his prospective fiancee. Why didn''t she show up?


    "As the saying goes, if you haven''t seen someone for a long time, you should look at him with new eyes when you two have a reunion. It''s surprising that Prince Basil has become such a fine-looking person as well as a royal spirit manipulator at the Earthly Stage." If he hadn''t seen with his own eyes, Bryant would never have believed that the rumor about Basil was indeed true. Bryant had seen him earlier a few times. He had the impression that Basil was as weak as a useless prince. Now, however, the man in front of him was completely different. It was beyond his expectation that those changes took place within two months only.


    "I cannot believe it! He is the one whom all regarded as a usele... Basil!" It was quite difficult for Shirley to accept the truth.


    "Miss Shirley, I remember that you used to wear men''s clothing, but now you are wearing women''s clothing. Since you have changed a lot, why don''t you believe that Basil too has become a totally new person!" Lena stared at Shirley with her beautiful eyes.


    "Miss Shirley? Are you really Shirley Ximen?" Upon hearing Lena''s words, Rocky carefully looked at Shirley. He looked surprised. His eyes moved up and down, from head to toe. He had really not been able to recognize her at first glance. How come? Shirley had unexpectedly changed from a tomboy to a gorgeous beauty.


    "Hmm!" Shirley glared at Rocky with great pride.


    "It''s really strange, I remember, last time you used to look neither like a woman nor a man. I suppose that you suddenly..." Rocky immediately noticed Shirley''s surprised expressions, wondering what had happened to her.

 Chapter 90 A Deal Was Made

    Everyone in the Grand Holy Hall was surprised by what Rocky had said. They all then contested for a closer look at Shirley. What happened next amused all of them.


    "I will kill you..." Feeling that all eyes were glued to her, Shirley immediately flushed with anger. All she could think about after was how she would kill Rocky. The reason why she wore her loose clothes was because she didn''t like being girly. But now, she dressed more like an ordinary girl.


    "Basil, you don''t have to be so rude," The emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire signaled Rocky to stop.


    "Behave yourself, Shirley. His Royal Highness was only playing a joke with you," Bryant reproached Shirley. In the Grand Holy Hall, everyone must always show respect to the emperor.


    Shirley rolled her eyes at Rocky while in response, Rocky shrugged his shoulders and deliberately surveyed her for a while. Shirley''s insides were boiling with rage but she knew she couldn''t do anything about it.


    "General Bryant should already know about the matter of arranged marriage, right?" The emperor was certain that Bryant had already been informed about it. He was asking to remind Bryant.


    "Yes, I have been told about this matter. The Ximen Clan is deeply indebted to the royalty for all those years." Bryant responded quickly and submissively.


    "So it means that¡­" The emperor stared at Bryant as he awaited his confirmation.


    "I totally agree. Being handsome and fused with the Holy Dragon Bead, His Royal Highness will definitely become the new foundation of the royal family. It''s truly fortunate for Shirley to have such a royal marriage," Bryant replied in an unusually sedate tone.


    "I will dump him the moment we get married." Although Bryant had already agreed on the arranged royal marriage, Shirley still couldn''t suppress her anger and talked back without thinking.


    At th


    to prepare the marriage as soon as possible. Today was a good day, so let Basil and Shirley sign the royal marriage deal now." Bryant''s oral agreement was not enough to guarantee the deal so the emperor started to carry out his backup plan. If he got Bryant to sign the deal, both sides would be closely tied together and their relationship would be strengthened even more. Another good day would be picked for the wedding to take place, and then it will all be settled.


    Bryant was not surprised at all because he knew exactly what kind of person the emperor was. The emperor would never hesitate to go for what he wants especially regarding royal matters.


    "This is the best arrangement, Your Majesty." Bryant delivered a tactful response.


    The emperor nodded with satisfaction on his face as an acknowledgement of Bryant''s stance. Soon, two maids came in with the royal marriage deal and a red pen. They went towards Basil and Shirley.


    Seeing the deal was approaching him, Rocky turned to face Lena who had been gazing at him. They kept their silence for a while until Lena nodded in agreement. Rocky sighed quietly and then turned to face Shirley. Helplessly, he grabbed the pen and wrote his name on the deal without any hesitation.

 Chapter 91 Go Out With Mia (Part One)

    Shirley stood hesitantly in front of the royal marriage contract. She actually did not want to marry, not to mention that she despised the man she was going to marry. But it was a political marriage which was vital to secure the position of the Ximen Clan. The fate of the whole Clan was now tightly connected to her marriage. If she refused to sign the royal marriage contract, it would be equivalent to defying the imperial order. Shirley understood the situation and felt very disturbed. She was stuck in a dilemma.


    "Shirley..." Bryant who stood beside Shirley could tell that his granddaughter was hesitating so he reminded her immediately. As much as he did not want to sacrifice his granddaughter''s marriage for political purposes, he had no other choice but to accept this royal marriage contract to marry Shirley to Rocky because it would be the only way Shirley could ever succeed in leading the Ximen Clan. Otherwise, without the support from the royal family, it would be very difficult for Shirley to do that. They did not seem to have any other choice. All in all, it was a win-win marriage. On one hand, to the royal family, this contract could serve as a way to keep their eyes on the Ximen Clan. On the other, Bryant wanted to clear the way for his granddaughter to succeed the Ximen Clan through the support of the royal family. Both parties would get what they need out of this contract. Without a doubt, it was beneficial to both parties.


    "Don''t worry. I know what I have to do." Shirley knew her grandfather was urging her to finish the signature. She pouted then signed her name on the royal marriage contract with her beautiful penmanship.


    The two royal marriage contracts were switched between Rocky and Shirley. Their signatures were then requested on each contract one final time.


    out him. Mia who was supervising the drill at the moment wondered who was there to grab her spotlight. So she looked towards the same direction as the young men did.


    "What is he doing in here?" Mia was surprised to see that the guy was Rocky because she was there when the emperor ordered the marriage for Rocky and Shirley. She reckoned that as a soon-to-be son-in-law of the Ximen Clan, he must be busy preparing plenty of things and should not have the time to wander around.


    "Resume what you are doing..." Mia scolded the young men before she approached Rocky.


    Having seen Mia walking straight towards him, Rocky pursed his mouth and smiled to himself.


    "What are you doing in here, Your Royal Highness..." Mia intentionally emphasized the ''Royal Highness'' in order to tease him for his ascendance to the royal family.


    "Nothing in particular. I was just too bored to go elsewhere. Am I no longer allowed in here?" Rocky could not help but smile at Mia.


    "How do you still have the time to feel bored? I know that you are going to be the son-in-law of the Ximen Clan. You should be as busy as a bee," Mia discerned there was something odd in how Rocky looked so she asked in confusion.

 Chapter 92 Go Out With Mia (Part Two)

    "Not a soon-to-be, I already am. I just signed the royal marriage contract back in the Grand Holy Hall. You are now looking at a married man. Master Mia, do you feel sorry for yourself? That you have never taken the advantage to confess your love to me while I was still under your training?" Rocky could not help but tease her.


    "What? You really are a naive young man. You are definitely not my type." Mia showed her indifferent pride as she always did.


    "Oh, that hurts. But I have to tell you that you are a thousand times lovelier than that Shirley! I could only see her as a tomboy no matter how hard I tried to like her." Rocky shook his head and lamented to Mia.


    As the gloomy Rocky poured out his woes, Mia could not help but cover her mouth and laugh. Rocky''s face looked just exactly like a resentful man who walked in on his girlfriend kissing another guy.


    "Is any of this funny to you?" Rocky glared in slight anger. But his anger did not last very long. On the contrary, he worried about Mia''s wound. "Have you recovered from your wounds?"


    "Yes, certainly. It had recovered long ago," Mia replied.


    "Then, wouldn''t you want to do something to thank me for saving your life? Maybe you would want to go out on a date with me or something? Just to show your gratitude of being saved by me," Rocky crossed his arms and teased interestingly as he looked into Mia''s eyes. He knew Mia would not agree to go out with him. It was all talk.


    But Mia did hesitate for a second. She rolled her eyes and replied surprisingly, "Alright, I was planning to go somewhere. Since you are so bored, then I wouldn''t mind if yo


    er walks of life had few chances to see such a majestic creature. It could even be the very first time for some of them.


    When Mia got off the Scarlet Flame Dragon, a greater disturbance was aroused. Almost all the men in the area were mesmerized by the mere sight of her. The scarce dragon and her beauty were the best eye-catchers.


    In contrast, as Rocky followed Mia to descend from the Scarlet Flame Dragon, he was envied by all men. One of the obvious reasons was that he rode the same Scarlet Flame Dragon together with Mia. They all began to see him as their enemy.


    However, Rocky did not care about the way the other people looked at him. He raised his head to observe the grand architecture in front of them. He found that "Super Beast Farm" was impressively written on the board that was suspended high up on the building.


    "So this must be the famous Super Beast Farm. I finally had the chance to see it with my own eyes." He heard about the famous Super Beast Farm the last time he sneaked out to study. He had always intended to visit but his chance was ruined by Uriah.

 Chapter 93 Mysterious Evaluation

    "Master Mia, why did you suddenly come to the Super Beast Farm?" Rocky turned around and looked at Mia, waiting for her explanation.


    Mia just stared at Rocky without saying anything. She then went straight into the Super Beast Farm.


    "Huh. Why the cold shoulder?" Rocky murmured as he curled his lip in dissatisfaction, following her into the farm.


    Rocky was mesmerized once he entered the farm. He never imagined that the Super Beast Farm was so huge and that many people visited it. However, he did not see any stables anywhere. What he did see were numerous rooms inside the building. There was a signage above the door of each room, reading low-grade beast evaluation, middle-grade beast evaluation, ability test and so no. Overall, the place seemed to be very professional.


    A middle-aged man soon approached them. He looked like he was the one in charge of the farm.


    "Madam Mia!" The middle-aged man bowed down to show his respect.


    "What? Madam Mia?" Rocky gave Mia a very surprised look. He realized that he did not really know much about Mia. He only knew that Mia was an instructor in the dragon field.


    "Pardon me, Madam Mia, but who is he?" The middle-aged man was even more surprised than Rocky. In all the years that he had known Mia, he had never seen her allow a strange man to follow her. Telling from Rocky''s expression, he was also surprised to find that this strange man even did not know a lot about Mia.


    "He''s Basil, the little prince of the Holy Dragon Empire," Mia replied plainly.


    "Oh! Prince Basil! The spirit manipulator who had defeated several phoenix spirit manipulators one after another during the Dragon Birth Festival! The one who defeated the most powerful phoenix spirit manipulator who was at the ninth level of the Heavenly Stage!" the midd


    Spirit Land, the management of spirit-manipulated beasts in the Super Beast Farm was as excellent as that of modern society. Everything was top-notch.


    "Madam Mia, these are the spirit-manipulated beasts that arrived at our farm yesterday. A few beast evaluators are going to evaluate them soon. Do you want to see?" Tobin had finally come back down to earth and appeared behind the two. He seemed to be more composed than his earlier state.


    Mia nodded at him in response.


    Tobin then led them to a large stable on the right side of the field where a few beast evaluators were already waiting, ready to evaluate a new spirit-manipulated beast. Several customers who were interested in the spirit-manipulated beast were standing around the beast evaluators, eagerly waiting for the results.


    When the beast evaluators saw Mia, they all bowed down at once. Most of the customers were men, all of whom looked very rich. They seemed to know Mia as their faces lit up when they saw her. They were already thinking up of compliments and several other flattering words. But when Mia shot them a disinterested glare, they immediately stopped in their tracks, heads hanging dejectedly on their shoulders.

 Chapter 94 Shocked To The Core

    Standing right next to Mia, Rocky grinned, thinking he was lucky not to be rejected by Mia like she did to these men.


    "You guys carry on......" Bummed out, Mia gestured at the beast evaluators, asking them to continue.


    Without a care, they continued with the evaluation on the spirit-manipulated beast that was just brought in, applying their best techniques to impress Mia.


    The quality of this spirit-manipulated beast was to be determined entirely by the comments of these beast evaluators. The better the comments, the higher their price. Some high-end farm like the Super Beast Farm had applied for a higher standard of scrutiny. They had requested the beast evaluators to grade each and every quality of the spirit-manipulated beast before revealing the evaluation result to the customers. A single error could damage their reputation. Most high-end farms would hire beast evaluators above the fourth grade. This was so that they''d be able to discern every quality of a four-star spirit-manipulated beast.


    As each beast evaluator usually applied different Beast Evaluation Skills, there could be discrepancies between the result of different beast evaluators. This was why it normally took no less than two beast evaluators to grade one spirit-manipulated beast.


    The Super Beast Farm strictly upheld this standard. They always requested a couple of beast evaluators to grade a spirit-manipulated beast at the same time in order to guarantee the integrity and accuracy of the report.


    It was the first time Rocky was seeing other beast evaluators working with their own Beast Evaluation Skills. He saw them walking around the spirit-manipulated beast to gain an overview. They inspected it both visually and physically. They concentrated their spiritual power in their hands or eyes, which was a completely different method than the Magical Evaluation Skill that Rocky had learnt.


    He didn''t know beast evaluators had a bit of a history themselves. The Magical Evaluation Skill was way beyond comparison.


    Before long the beast evaluators gave their comments about the star level and quality of these beasts. They conferred with each other and gave the final judgment.


    "We give this spirit-manipulated beast two stars. It has the quality of...... and it is good at...... It would be worth a thousand gold coins." The Super Beast Farm set the price for the beasts based on the star level and quality that the beast evaluators gave them. The moment they gave their verdict, the beast would be on sale.


    Buyers from all around the world would then consider the price and bid accordingly. And the rest took place like a regular auction. The spirit-manipulated beast that had just been graded was sold at two thousand golden coins at last.


    Another beast was brought onto the stage after the first one was sold. It too, was evaluated and sold through the same process.


    In a short span o


    ou to negate our result? We are all tier-one beast evaluators in the Holy Dragon Empire. How can our evaluation method be less accurate than that of a first-grade beast evaluator like you?"


    "Damn right it can," Rocky responded coldly.


    The atmosphere was growing intense.


    "Madam, this..." Tobin turned to Mia.


    Mia remained quiet as she saw Rocky standing in disagreement with the beast evaluators. She was still trying to digest the fact that Rocky knew Beast Evaluation Skill. And now he was negating the results of these professional beast evaluators? She wanted to know if he meant it or was just fooling around.


    "Well, why don''t you share your result before talking about negating ours?" The beast evaluators didn''t for a second believe that Rocky could actually pull off something like this.


    "I don''t need to say anything anymore. I will just show you," Rocky smiled lightly and turned to Tobin. "Could you fetch me an iron plate?"


    "Iron plate?" For a second, Tobin froze, then asked someone to get an iron plate, which was about a centimeter thick and weighed ten to fifteen kilograms. It had to be carried by two men.


    "Will this do?" Tobin asked, pointing to the plate.


    "That''s perfect," Rocky smiled. The Dragon Spirit Mark on his left arm flashed as he unleashed his dragon spiritual power. He grabbed the iron plate with one hand and sized it up before suddenly throwing at the spirit-manipulated beast. The iron plate reached it within a split second.


    Everyone was astonished. The plate was very heavy. How could Rocky, who was at the Earthly Stage, throw it on his own? It would also be too much for that weak spirit-manipulated beast to withstand it.


    Just as everyone thought it was going to become a meat pie, a shadow flashed and penetrated the iron plate!


    Everyone gasped together, dumbfounded at the spectacle. Once they got a clear view of the shadow, they were all shocked to the core.

 Chapter 95 Beast Evaluation Competition

    The shadow that punched a big hole through the iron plate was actually the tail of the beast. The soft tail suddenly stiffened like a sharp and long stick. It was hard enough to punch a big hole through the iron plate in an instant. Even a three-star spirit-manipulated beast would have a hard time doing that.


    The beast evaluators were surprised by its hidden ability. Apparently, they had realized that they made a mistake in their evaluation. The spirit-manipulated beast had a special ability that they were not able to foresee.


    Seeing Rocky prove that his speculation was right, Mia smiled in admiration but tried her best to hide her emotions.


    "This beast is very strong. I want it so bad. Five thousand gold coins!" one of the customers near them immediately bid for the beast as soon as they saw the strong power it possessed.


    "This beast has the potential to be at least a three-star spirit-manipulated beast. Seven thousand gold coins!"


    "Ten thousand gold coins!"


    The price began to rise very quickly. Every time someone called a higher price, the beast evaluators'' faces grew longer and longer.


    Until finally, a man won the bid with fifteen thousand gold coins and got the beast.


    The beast evaluators who reeked of arrogance earlier suddenly wore their straight faces. They were so embarrassed that their beast evaluation ability was lower than a beast evaluator at the first grade. But they did not believe that a beast evaluator at the first grade could be more skillful than them, knowing that they were all at the fourth grade.


    "It was nothing more than a lucky guess," one of the beast evaluators shouted as he pointed at Rocky.


    Rocky smiled calmly and said, "Are you still not convinced?"


    The beast evaluators looked at each other as they were all left speechless.


    At that moment, someone rushed towards them and whispered to Tobin. Whatever that person said made his face turn serious.


    "Is there something wrong?" Mia immediately asked Tobin as she saw the serious look on his face.


    "Do you remember that time last month when I reported to you that we would hold a beast evaluation competition this month? I told you that many beast evaluating masters from the top beast farms and beast evaluating families of different countries would join the competition. That competition was set to be held today. I thought you wouldn''t be available to come so I did not inform you ahead of time. Now, what I did was I asked Mr. Weldon t


    st, it already had a strong momentum. Its face resembled a lion''s face while its legs were as long as a wolf''s. With its strong body, sharp teeth and claws, Rocky could tell that it was not an ordinary spirit-manipulated beast.


    At that moment, there were two people in the cage walking around the baby spirit-manipulated beast to observe it very carefully. One of them was over sixty years old with white hair and beard. His eyes were very sharp. He emitted the smell of a spirit manipulator at the higher grades of the Heavenly Stage. The other one in a long robe was dumpy and was about forty years old with a handlebar mustache. He rubbed his mustache as he walked slowly around the beast to inspect it with his sharp eyes.


    "Did the competition already begin?" Mia asked as she looked at the cage. The older one in the cage was Weldon who represented the Super Beast Farm, a famous beast evaluator at the seventh grade from the Holy Dragon Empire. His status in beast evaluating could be compared to the status of General Marcia in beast manipulating.


    The other beast evaluators who were watching the competition around the two of them were also from different top beast farms, beast evaluating families, and sects. Mia and Rocky could tell from the looks they had on their faces that they had all lost.


    The dumpty suddenly took out an Eight-trigram Mirror. He bit his thumb and wrote something on the surface of the mirror with his blood. He then placed the mirror closer to the baby spirit-manipulated beast. The baby spirit-manipulated beast immediately reflected light back into the Eight-trigram Mirror which then reflected different light.

 Chapter 96 Losing The Contest

    When the dumpty summoned his Beast Evaluation Skill, all the beast evaluators around him began murmuring among themselves. They were apprehensive because all of them had been defeated by that skill earlier. Obviously, that Beast Evaluation Skill was a brilliant one.


    "Is it the Radiance Evaluation Skill?" For some reason, Rocky felt familiar with the Beast Evaluation Skill which that dumpty summoned. The skill was quite similar to the Magical Evaluation Skill written in the book, Beast Encyclopedia. Both the skills depended on the light reflected from a spirit-manipulated beast to tell its quality. That kind of Beast Evaluation Skill was called the "Radiance Evaluation Skill" in that book.


    The Radiance Evaluation Skill was a basic one compared to the other evaluation skills in that book. Only when his cultivation reached a higher grade, he would be qualified to learn more about high-graded evaluation skills.


    The evaluation skills written in that book contained almost every aspect of beast evaluation, which outdid any other Beast Evaluation Skill.


    The Beast Evaluation Skill which the dumpty summoned was also overshadowed by the evaluation skills that were written in the book.


    Weldon frowned deeply as he saw the dumpty start his evaluation. The rule for the contest was quite simple. The beast evaluator, who could tell about a spirit-manipulated beast''s star rating and quality the fastest and the most accurately, would win the game. The speed and accuracy revealed how great a beast evaluator was. An excellent beast evaluator would be able to tell the accurate star rating and quality of a spirit-manipulated beast in a matter of minutes.


    Worrying that the Super Beast Farm would lose the contest, Weldon joined the game as well. As a bright light flashed around his left hand, he put his left hand on the cub and stroked its body. A smile crept over the corner of his lips soon. It had hardly taken him time and he already knew the cub''s star rating and quality.


    However, the dumpty announced the result of his evaluation even before Weldon opened his mouth. The man exclaimed, "A four-star Sirius Lion, number fifty six on the Spiritual Beast List. It''s famous for its lightning speed. In a blink of an eye, it can run hundreds of meters..."


    After the dumpty finished his detailed evaluation report, the beast evaluators on the spot gave him thunderous applause. All of them were stunned by the dumpty''s evaluation. It was clear that they had accepted the fact that this man was going to defeat all of them. He had won against Weldon too, who was a grade


    l the missing detail in your evaluation result, the Top Beast Evaluator''s Jade Cup will still belong to the Super Beast Farm. Agree?" Rocky said confidently.


    "You really think highly of yourself, young man! Fine! I accept your challenge! I don''t know your relationship with these people, but I''m sure that you are doing this for the Super Beast Farm. How about this, dude? If you lose to me, I will not only get the Top Beast Evaluator''s Jade Cup but also an apology from you. You have to kneel down and kowtow before me to show your sincerity." Carter, obviously, had been infuriated by Rocky and he felt humiliated. How could he accept that a young man like Rocky stood up to question him, a grade seven beast evaluator?


    "Deal!" Rocky said, raising his eyebrow.


    "Madam Mia!" Tobin exclaimed with concern. He was worried that if Rocky lost the game, he would have to apologize to Carter. Rocky was a prince. What would the royal family think if they came to know that a prince kowtowed to a civilian because of a bet? What a humiliation it would be for the royal family!


    "It''s fine! Don''t worry about it." That bet was not going to be harmful for the Super Beast Farm. The Super Beast Farm had lost the contest anyway. Even if Rocky failed, the Super Beast Farm just needed to hand over the Top Beast Evaluator''s Jade Cup. Mia was eager now. She wanted to see what made Rocky special. Was he really talented or just extremely lucky?


    The others who heard Rocky, sneered at him and shot sarcastic looks. They thought of Rocky as a hopeless idiot and kept wondering why he was making a fool of himself. They couldn''t understand why he was being so irresponsible and how dare he to challenge a grade seven beast evaluator!

 Chapter 97 The New Quality

    Nobody knew that Rocky''s confidence actually came from the detailed information of the Sirius Lion he read in the Beast Encyclopedia. He compared it with Carter''s evaluation and found that the Beast Encyclopedia had one more quality listed on it that Carter hadn''t mentioned.


    That one particular quality was so unusual that even Carter, an experienced beast evaluator, was not able to figure it out. The others'' capabilities were all inferior to Carter''s, so they all supported his evaluation.


    Unbeknownst to them, Carter would always cheat in every chance he got, which was why they were no match for him. However, Carter had no advantage against Rocky, who knew the Beast Encyclopedia thoroughly by heart.


    Since none of the beast evaluators could identify the quality, Rocky thought that it would be unconvincing if he were to just tell them, so he decided to display it before them.


    Thus, under the watchful eyes of the beast evaluators, Rocky entered the cage. He looked around and sat cross-legged in front of the Sirius Lion. He then commenced with the Magical Evaluation Skill. A triangular light immediately emerged at the Sirius Lion''s feet and ascended. At this point, different lights representing its qualities appeared.


    All the beast evaluators looked at each other in astonishment. They were stunned because it turned out that the Beast Evaluation Skill that Rocky used was the same as Carter''s.


    "That''s the Radiance Evaluation Skill... Why does he know the Beast Evaluation Skill of my master?" Carter''s face grew serious as he recognized the Beast Evaluation Skill that Rocky was using. It mainly followed the same pattern of his Beast Evaluation Skill that he learned from his master. The only difference was that Rocky directly applied the Radiance Evaluation Skill while he, on the other hand, was prone to using the Eight-trigram Mirror as a medium for it. By contrast, it now seemed as if Rocky was more skillful than he was in the display of the Radiance Evaluation Skill. As for Carter, he couldn''t generate the Radiance Evaluation Skill without the assistance of the Eight-trigram Mirror.


    Though Carter represented the Rare Beast Farm, he learned the exquisite skills of beast evaluation from a reputable master. The Radiance Evaluation Skill was the skill that was incredibly unique to his master and his master''s disciples. It made use of the lights of qualities to evaluate spirit-manipulated beasts. Therefore, Car


    meet Rocky''s. She knew Rocky had confidence in his evaluation.


    Hearing that, the crowd turned and looked at Carter. It seemed that the Super Beast Farm was very confident, even going as far as to invite Priest Dean, the top beast evaluator of the Holy Dragon Empire, to judge the evaluation. If it were otherwise, they wouldn''t have taken the risk.


    Carter grew pale. He had heard of the great reputation of Priest Dean of the Holy Dragon Empire. The man was one of the rare unmatched beast evaluators in the entire Wild Spirit Land. If Priest Dean made the arbitration, he would undoubtedly lose. Thus, having felt that the situation was against him, he immediately said to Rocky with false kindness, "Don''t bother. We can settle this with a rematch. If you lose, the Super Beast Farm should hand over the Top Beast Evaluator''s Jade Cup."


    "Madam Mia, I''m afraid that is not the proper way. Technically speaking, Rocky doesn''t really belong to the Super Beast Farm. We have already lost a match. If we lose again, we will make ourselves the laughing stock," Weldon anxiously said, already concerned about the worst outcome. Theoretically, as a beast evaluator at the first grade, Rocky couldn''t possibly be able to rival Carter.


    Thinking of the possible result mentioned by Weldon, Mia also grew a little worried. However, when she looked up and met Rocky''s eyes, she was shocked by his insistence and confidence. Thus, in spite of herself, she announced, "Alright. Rocky will represent the Super Beast Farm. If we lose again, aside from the Top Beast Evaluator''s Jade Cup, we will give you ten thousand gold coins as our apology."

 Chapter 98 A New Skill

    A loud chatter grew among the crowd. The beast evaluators found Mia''s words utterly absurd, betting the Top Beast Evaluator''s Cup and a great sum of money on a rookie beast evaluator who was only at the first grade. She even seemed to have great confidence that the rookie would be able to turn the tide towards her favour. For them, it was absolutely preposterous. They just cannot comprehend how Mia could suggest such a thing.


    Mia''s words also shocked Weldon. He wondered why Mia, who had always shown keen discernment and wise judgment in everything she did, would suddenly act so heedless today. It was a risky thing to do, supporting Rocky and risking ruining the reputation of the Super Beast Farm.


    "Well, what do you think?" Rocky confidently challenged Carter as he crossed his arms and smiled. He regarded his knowledge about the spirit-manipulated beasts as his own little personal database. With all the information he had, he could enumerate a spirit-manipulated beast''s qualities even without evaluating. He was not afraid of Carter at all because he was confident that his database would be definitely reliable.


    "Since there is such a great disparity between your skills and my skills, if we compete according to the usual rules, people might think that my win would be a perverse one. So let''s do it this way. I''ll pick an infant spirit-manipulated beast. If you can correctly tell me what hidden skill the infant beast has, then you will be the winner. What do you think?" Carter said with a barely concealed evil smile. It seemed that the competition would not be as easy as he had just said.


    "That easy?" Rocky was quite taken aback because what Carter had proposed was not a difficulty to him. He thought that Carter was underestimating his ability too much.


    "Easy? Ha-ha, you will soon know that it''s not easy at all." Carter gave Rocky a condescending sneer as he waved his arm, opening a gap in the air. A round figure emerged from the gap. It moved slowly and awkwardly, and then suddenly fell to the grou


    lated beast''s lack of any special features greatly confused Rocky.


    Nevertheless, he still persisted and patiently evaluated it a few more times. To his dismay, he got the same results every time.


    "What''s the matter? You can''t find out its hidden skills, can you? Ha-ha! I knew it! You were just bluffing. What a fraud." Carter laughed aloud as he saw the perplexed look on Rocky''s face.


    Rocky glowered at Carter and said, "Be patient. Just wait and see." A few moments later, his right hand shone brightly and he immediately stroked the spirit-manipulated beast.


    Then there was a loud rumble.


    A lightning suddenly struck the Super Beast Farm, illuminating the entire room for a brief moment.


    "It''s the Stroking Evaluation Skill!" Weldon suddenly exclaimed in surprise.


    Because the Beast Evaluation Skills differed between beast evaluators, it was easy to tell the difference in everyone''s techniques. Weldon was able to immediately tell that the skill that Rocky used was unique to Weldon''s master. It was the Beast Evaluation Skill that made Weldon famous around many empires.


    Everyone was dumbfounded by what Weldon had said. They had seen Rocky use the Radiance Evaluation Skill that was exclusive to Carter, and now, they were seeing him use yet another evaluation skill¡ªthe Stroking Evaluation Skill that was exclusive to Weldon.

 Chapter 99 The Legendary Magical Evaluation Skill

    At this point, it didn''t occur to the onlookers that a level one beast evaluator would be able to display the two unique skills that the two well-known beast evaluators, who were regarded as grandmasters, had long mastered. It was an extremely shocking development. Had they not seen for themselves, they would never believe it was true.


    What made them feel even more startled was that the young man had grasped two different kinds of Beast Evaluation Skills at the same time. Typically, it was very difficult for a beast evaluator to master one kind, let alone two different ones. Even grandmasters like Carter and Weldon couldn''t do that. However, this young man had achieved an impossible thing. This was simply a wonder that was far beyond their expectations. As a result, most of them began to stare at Rocky with incredulous eyes, mixed feelings rushing through them. Presumably, the extraordinary talent of grasping two kinds of Beast Evaluation Skills alone could make him famous. Following this, many beast evaluators would scramble to invite him as their disciple. After all, his endowed talent was so rare, and it was hard to find a young man with such abilities.


    Of course, the onlookers, who were still dumbfounded at that moment, didn''t have the slightest idea that Rocky''s Stroking Evaluation Skill was actually only one of the Magical Evaluation Skills that could be learned by a beast evaluator when he reached the second level. This was according to what was described in the Beast Encyclopedia. Like Carter''s skill, Weldon''s Stroking Evaluation Skill, which he regarded as an esoteric skill, was actually derived from the Magical Evaluation Skill as well.


    At that exact moment, Rocky suddenly got up and burst into peals of laughter, which abruptly broke the dead silence.


    Rocky''s sudden laughter made the onlookers even more surprised, and they all looked at him with great confusion.


    "What are you laughing at?" Carter immediately asked Rocky, totally perplexed.


    "I am laughing because someone is going to miss the Top Beast Evaluator''s Jade Cup and feel disappointed," Rocky said confidently, looking teasingly at Carter. It was as if he had predicted the final outcome of the competition between them as earlier. They had agreed that if Rocky won, the Top Beast Evaluator''s Jade Cup would still belong to the Super Beast Farm.


    When the onlookers heard Rocky''s words, they thought instinctively, ''Maybe he really has found out something from the good-for-nothing spirit-manipulated beast?'' Now, they were even more curious about the final outcome of the competition.


    "Hey, young man, don''t be so cocky! I''d like to hear your comments about the hidden ability of this good-f


    st, which we are unable to."


    "What you said is not the most important thing! What''s pivotal is the fact that the Magical Evaluation Skill is not a skill that everyone can learn. Anyone who wants to learn it must have very high talent and qualification, because it requires very profound knowledge to grasp it. In other words, only a genius would manage to do this! Although Sean had also accepted several people as his disciples, all his disciples were not talented enough to learn the Magical Evaluation Skill. Finally, they left Sean, established their own school and became famous beast evaluators. Even so, the Beast Evaluation Skill they created still could not be comparable to the Magical Evaluation Skill, and their gap is too far..."


    They got so carried away that they were lost in their hot discussion. Although they still had difficulty believing what they had heard, they still had to. They had seen with their own eyes what Rocky had done, after all.


    The long-lost Magical Evaluation Skill had reappeared! The implications of its resurrection would certainly soon create a huge storm among the entire Wild Spirit Land.


    As soon as Carter heard the words "Magical Evaluation Skill", he was thunderstruck and then felt numb. After all, the founder of his school was one of Sean''s disciples three hundred years ago. The founder hadn''t even been able to grasp the Magical Evaluation Skill. Thus, after he learned a little bit from Sean, he left and started his own school. The little bit he learned from Sean was called the Radiance Evaluation Skill. And he then passed the little bit to his generations. Of course, this matter was the secret of his own school, which was known by only a select few. And now this young man, Rocky, was telling him that he had learned this impossible skill!

 Chapter 100 Great Beast Evaluation Skill

    "My Magical Evaluation Skill is that good?" Rocky marvelled after hearing it for himself. He learned the Magical Evaluation Skill from the Beast Encyclopedia, a book that Marcia got from a mysterious box, which she then sent to him as a gift. Every item in that box were priceless treasures, including the Beast Encyclopedia.


    ''Wow! General Beauty was so kind to me!'' Rocky appreciated Marcia in his mind.


    Mia was also stunned to hear it. She immediately wondered just how and when Rocky learned such a great Beast Evaluation Skill. Rocky had spent the past two months in the dragon field. Therefore Mia thought that it was impossible for him to learn anything about beast evaluation, not to mention be able to execute a Beast Evaluation Skill. Mia concluded that Rocky must be concealing something from her.


    "Madam Mia, who is he?" Weldon was absolutely flabbergasted by Rocky''s display of skills in beast evaluation. Weldon and Carter shared a similar experience in learning the beast evaluation. The founder of the sect where Weldon learned his Beast Evaluation Skill was also a student of Sean''s. He learned the Stroking Evaluation Skill from Sean, which was a relatively better skill than the Radiance Evaluation Skill.


    "Ladies and gentlemen! This young man is Prince Basil!" As soon as Tobin heard Weldon, he immediately stood up and loudly announced to everyone.


    When the others heard Tobin, their jaws almost fell to the floor. They had heard a lot about the famous Prince Basil. None of them had expected that Prince Basil was standing in front of their very eyes in that exact moment. Most of the people in the Wild Spirit Land knew the story; Prince Basil, who only reached the first grade of the Earthly Stage, won against Erica, the great talent from the Magic Phoenix Empire. All the people present had heard the story and knew how great Prince Basil was, but they were not aware that Prince Basil also had the talent for the beast evaluation.


    Carter grew anxious as soon as he heard that the person in front of him was the famous Prince Basil. He hastily bowed down to Rocky and nervously stammered out, "I-I''m sorry, Your Royal Highness. Please forgive my offensive words and ill behaviour. P-please forgive a pathetic imbecile like me. How could I have been so stupid? I accept my failure. O-of course the Top Beast Evaluator''s Jade Cup still undoubtedly belongs to the Super Beast Farm. Now, if you''ll allow me to leave now, Your Royal Highness. I-I have some urgent issues to deal with. Excuse me¡­" And with that, he fled away along with his men from the Rare Beast Farm at once.


    Once Carter had left, the other beast evaluators bid their farewel


    t power. He was not willing to let go of it just yet.


    "I assume that within five years at most, I will ascend the throne and become the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire. As a matter of fact, I''m well prepared to be the emperor right now. Those young ministers in the imperial government have become my faithful supporters, but they are not qualified to be my reliable helpers. Priest Dean, you are a clever man. And it''s your time to make your choice," Alston said.


    "Your Royal Highness, you are the future emperor. No one can change that very fact. What are you worried about?" Priest Dean asked.


    "Of course I know that. But which prince can resist the emperor''s supreme power? I need to take into consideration any unexpected changes, and get rid of the ones who threaten my future! The other princes don''t threaten my claim to the throne at all, except for him! The only way that would relieve my worries is his disappearance!" Alston pounded his fist on the armrest of his chair.


    "Your Royal Highness, do you mean Prince Basil?" Priest Dean squinted his eyes. Of course, Priest Dean knew the answer. After all, Rocky had been famous as a talent recently. He had fused with the Holy Dragon Bead, the holy treasure of the Holy Dragon Empire. He had reached the Earthly Stage in mere two months, which was unprecedented. According to the royal rule, the prince who could fuse with the Holy Dragon Bead would also be qualified to be the future emperor. It was no wonder why Alston viewed Rocky as a threat.


    "Please don''t let that Basil bother you, Your Royal Highness. His Majesty has announced in public that you are the only candidate for the emperor. Basil is not a threat at all. You have nothing to worry about, Your Royal Highness," Priest Dean reassured Alston.

 Chapter 101 Terrible Jealousy

    "To be frank, you''ve always viewed things in an extremely simple way. If His Majesty only considered things like that, he never would have arranged a marriage between Shirley and Basil. After all, Shirley is the successor of the Ximen Clan. Based on its current strong power, the Ximen Clan may even surpass that of the royal family in several years. Basil, who is supposed to become the son-in-law of the Ximen Clan, will therefore have enough powerful force to contend against the royal family. If Basil would become unfaithful to the emperor, no one can say for sure who will take over the throne. Therefore, I really doubt whether my father did it intentionally. Maybe his purpose for the arrangement was to make Basil become the next emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire." Alston tried to guess the emperor''s true intention by considering all possibilities.


    "In my humble opinion, Prince Alston, the emperor does not plan to let Basil become his successor. If His Majesty intends to make the boy become his next successor, why did he even bother to demote Basil down to a commoner?" Cleary, Priest Dean held a totally different idea.


    "Do you remember that my father was determined to bring that bastard Basil''s mother back to the royal family? He even promoted her from a worthless concubine to an imperial one, regardless of the strong opposition coming from the entire royal family. I know he still held a deep affection for that bastard''s mother, thus he definitely had a reason for doing so. I''m certain that his demotion of Basil as a commoner is only a means of hiding his true intentions. Otherwise, how could that bastard have broken through the Earthly Stage at such an astonishing speed in just two months? I absolutely don''t believe that the bastard can break through to the Earthly Stage with his own strength. He has definitely received some kind of assistance from others." Alston clenched both of his fists together, blue veins appearing on his forehead due to his anger and jealousy.


    "I do have to admit that what you said also makes sense to some extent. Basil really broke through the Earthly Stage at an amazing speed. Moreover, he took out a yellow spiritual crystal at the Dragon Birth Festival. How could such a precious thing be in his possession?" Priest Dean nodded his head as he began to be aware that the whole thing was a bit odd.


    "I''m sure that this is one of my father''s secret arrangements. First, he deliberately demoted Basil down to a commoner so that he could secretly help him. Later, he arranged for him to be a hit at the Dragon Birth Festival to let everyone present be sincerely conv


    d not say a single word to Rocky for the whole duration of their ride and even after they have arrived at the palace. After sending him back to his palace, she immediately rode away on the Scarlet Flame Dragon, still without saying a single word.


    "You''re leaving just like that? Won''t you give me a kiss goodbye?" Rocky teased after her.


    When Rocky returned to the palace, Uriah, who had anxiously been waiting for his master for a whole day, immediately jumped towards him with great enthusiasm. Rocky and Uriah then started to playfully wrestle each other. After his "date" with Mia, he felt much better.


    In a twinkling of an eye, all became quiet in the dead of night.


    After having dinner, Rocky was ready to start practicing. When suddenly, Lena came into his room.


    "Lena, what are you doing here?" Rocky somewhat felt strange as he looked at Lena.


    "I''m here to check on you. When I saw you leave in the morning, you didn''t seem to be in a good mood. I know that the emperor''s arrangement for your marriage has put you into a dilemma. I didn''t mean it, and I''m really sorry for that," Lena said, feeling guilty.


    "I know that you''re doing it for my own good. Therefore, there''s no need for you to apologize. It was you who made me understand my own situation. In fact, I should be thanking you." Rocky gave her a smile, trying to comfort her.


    "Oh, I''m so relieved. I thought you would definitely blame me for that." Lena let out a soft sigh.


    "Why would I blame you? I want to take care of you and protect you. Can''t you feel my sincere affections towards you?" Rocky said, smirking flirtatiously.


    Lena rolled her eyes. "Stop being such a glib. By the way, you''ll be paying a visit to the Ximen Clan tomorrow," she said.

 Chapter 102 Being Talked About

    "Why?" Rocky asked.


    "The leader of the Ximen Clan wants to invite the future grandson-in-law to meet the Ximen Clan. But he definitely has ulterior motives, so remember to be careful. Besides, it looks like Shirley still hates you, so she might try to embarrass you," Lena replied.


    "Well. If I don''t go there, then everything will be solved," Rocky shrugged his shoulders.


    "But you have to. You are the key to balancing the royal family and the Ximen Clan. Your slightest action could greatly affect the equilibrium. You have to behave appropriately," Lena warned him sternly.


    "Alright. I got it. Would you like to enjoy the moon or chat with me?" Rocky wanted to seize the chance to spend time with her.


    "No, I''m leaving now. I have something else to do. Don''t forget what I''ve told you," Lena said, before somberly turning to leave.


    "The worse thing for anyone is to encounter a beautiful flower in your path but be unable to pick it," Rocky sighed, shaking his head.


    Uriah also sadly whined in a low voice.


    Rocky asked all the maids in his palace to leave his room before taking out one of the two yellow spiritual crystals the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire had given him. Uriah took the crystal as Rocky took two drops of the magical saliva. Then, he began to absorb the spiritual power in the yellow spiritual crystal, together with Uriah.


    After reaching the Earthly Stage, the spiritual power required for evolving the grade was dozens of times more than the equivalent process at the Mortal Stage. This time, he took one more drop of the magical saliva. However, the speed of the upgrading was still much slower than when he had done the same process at the Mortal Stage. Because the yellow spiritual crystal''s spiritual power was very dangerous, he would not make the same mistake as last time and absorb all of the spiritual power. It had nearly been fatal last time.


    One night later, Rocky and Uriah had absorbed the spiritual power of one yellow spiritual crystal together. But their spiritual power had only increased by a small margin. At this rate, Rocky would only reach the next grade after absorbing the power from several more yellow spiritual crystals.


    Currently, the fastest way to enhance his power was to absorb the spiritual power in th


    laid eyes on him.


    ''Looks like the people of the Ximen Clan are much more enthusiastic than I imagined, '' Rocky thought to himself as he smiled. Meanwhile, he looked around and found that this Mansion of General Ximen was not only large, but also looked like a small city. In this Mansion of General Ximen, all kinds of buildings were regularly placed in two rows. Between the two rows of buildings, there was a wide road made of white stones leading to every corner of this general''s mansion.


    Rocky and the four spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage appeared to be heading to a grand building which looked like a palace. This palace-liked building was the center of the general''s mansion.


    They walked across a huge square and an arched bridge decked with white jade railings which had stone lions on them. They arrived in front of the building after climbing a long staircase. This grand building looked even more spectacular and magnificent than when he first saw it from a distance!


    The scenery was completely different behind the red gate. Rocky felt like he had entered a garden full of colorful and beautiful flowers and vitality. And to think that this was just the front yard! Walking through a straight path, they finally arrived at the magnificent hall.


    Rocky saw that lots of people had already gathered here as he entered the hall following the four spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage. It looked like they were all waiting for him¡ªtheir beloved Shirley''s future husband from the royal family.

 Chapter 103 Future Member Of Ximen Clan

    Bryant was sitting calmly in his tiger chair, stone-faced. Although he showed no emotion, the august aura oozing out of him awed everyone in his presence. No one could tell what was on his mind. The senior elders of the Ximen Clan sat on both of Bryant''s sides. They were all spirit manipulators at the advanced level of the Supernal Stage, with the exception of one of them who was already at the entry level of the Divine Stage. Their individual strengths alone were formidable enough, and that was just the tip of the iceberg. One could only imagine the full power of the Ximen Clan. In fact, their strength greatly concerned the emperor who had been trying desperately to weaken them.


    The rest of the people sitting in for the gathering were all the important members of the Ximen Clan. They were also incredibly powerful as all of them was above the middle level of the Heavenly Stage. Some of them had even reached the entry level of the Supernal Stage.


    Rocky was well aware that these people''s strength was still only a small portion of the Ximen Clan. With these elites gathering together, it showed that Ximen Clan took this meeting with Rocky very seriously.


    Rocky entered the hall, escorted by four spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage. Everyone including Bryant turned to look at him even before the escorts announced his arrival.


    They had all heard a great deal about Rocky recently as news about him were all over the Holy Dragon Empire, which was indeed unparalleled. Among the people seated, no one else except for Bryant and a couple of elders had met Rocky before. The rest of them had no idea what Rocky looked like.


    Therefore, almost everyone was staring at him from the very moment that he entered the hall, all of them hoping to gain a clear picture of his appearance.


    They were quite surprised to see a young man with a tall and strong build, oozing with energetic aura. He was contradictor


    ly. I invited the prince over here today so that he can meet and get to know our clan, each and every one of our members. Everyone present here today is an elite and are some of the most integral part of the Ximen Clan."


    Bryant then briefly introduced the elders and other important members to Rocky.


    After he was introduced to most of the members, Rocky''s prospective wife soon showed up in an elegant outfit that fully demonstrated her incomparable beauty. As everyone in the entire Ximen Clan had never seen Shirley wear a woman''s clothing, they were all stunned by her beauty. It was as if a bomb was dropped on them.


    "Shirley, come and greet Prince Basil." Bryant saw his daughter and waved her over.


    As soon as Shirley caught sight of Rocky, she was not able to conceal her disdain towards him, acting arrogant and distant from the get-go. However, since her grandfather told her to, she had to comply. She then came forward, stared contemptuously at Rocky, and very obviously against her will, said, "It is an honor to meet you, Prince Basil."


    "You''re being too polite. You''re going to be my wife soon. How about just calling me honey from now on?" Rocky said, trying to mess with her.


    "You..." Shirley glared at Rocky. She was so angry that her face glowed red.

 Chapter 104 Bold Rocky

    Everyone was in a state of shock. In fact, they couldn''t believe that Rocky was bold enough that he dared to flirt with Shirley in public. He was so unbridled.


    "Ha-ha, Your Royal Highness, it looked like you couldn''t wait any longer to marry Shirley." Bryant just laughed out loud to help Rocky get out of the embarrassing situation.


    "Shirley is very beautiful. Every man who has laid their eyes on her will love her very much. So I need to marry her as soon as possible." Rocky''s disgusting tone drove Shirley who was beside him mad.


    "All right, Shirley, please take His Royal Highness to visit our home now. You haven''t been together before. Therefore, staying together would greatly help you form a closer relationship. Shirley, do you still remember what I told you yesterday?" all of a sudden, Bryant said to Shirley as he looked at her after he heard what Rocky had said.


    "Yes. I know." Shirley nodded and glared at Rocky angrily. She then swiftly left by herself.


    "Your Royal Highness, you can visit our home with Shirley if you''d like," Bryant said to Rocky.


    Rocky began to suspect that she would punish him rather than show him around. He thought that maybe she had made preparations to kill him by using traps or hidden weapons. It was just Rocky''s guess. No excuse could be found to turn down Bryant''s offer. So he cupped one hand on the other before his chest and then went forward to follow Shirley.


    After Rocky and Shirley had left the area, an elder of the Ximen Clan immediately said, "Bryant, it seems that Miss Shirley doesn''t like Prince Basil very much. They might have trouble getting along with each other."


    "Indeed, Shirley is a willful girl but I can assure you that she is very kind. His Royal Highness might look careless and casual but he is also a very wise man. He could easily dodge awkward situations in time and could pretend to be calm just like how he did earlier. He is really talented," Bryant said.


    "Because of that, we are worried that Miss Shirley will be bullied by him."


    "You don''t have to worry. Shirley is much more powerful than His Royal Highness. How could she be bullied by someone weaker than her?" Bryant shook his head.


    "But he was able to defeat a talent at the ninth grade of the Heavenly Stage from the Magic Phoenix Empire during the Dragon Birth Festival," another elder added.


    she still couldn''t believe the emperor had decided to marry her to him. Now, she just got angrier and angrier because Rocky had insulted her. She shook her body as the Dragon Spirit Mark appeared quickly on her fine arms. Next, she turned her fingers into a sword and attacked Rocky with her spiritual power.


    "Are you being serious right now?" Rocky knew that Shirley didn''t try her best to attack him. He also activated the Dragon Spirit Mark on his left arm and used his spiritual power and turned it into a mass of cloud to defend himself from the attack.


    As their two kinds of power clashed against each other, a bright light flared and went out. They heard a loud and deafening sound.


    All of a sudden, Shirley felt that that her hands were stuck by something. She observed carefully and found that Rocky''s spiritual power had surrounded her arm after the loud explosion. She couldn''t move them anymore.


    Shirley didn''t realize that she had underestimated Rocky until now. She wanted to improve her spiritual power but it was already too late. Rocky caught her arms and trapped them. Next, a kind of mixed colors began to surround them. She found that her spiritual power was flowing out of her body.


    If Shirley knew about this before, she should have just spared no effort to attack Rocky. Due to her carelessness, she was now under an out of control situation with him.


    "You were being unreasonable so let me teach you a lesson." All of a sudden, Rocky stretched out his hand to grab Shirley''s chin. He then kissed her rosy lips without any hesitation.

 Chapter 105 I Know You Will Come Here

    At the feeling of being kissed by Rocky, Shirley felt like she had been struck by lightning. She was dumbfounded, her eyes opening wide as her heart hammered. She had never been touched intimately by anyone else¡ªthe last time she had held hands with someone was her grandfather when she was little! But Rocky kissed her in public. And to make matters worse, it was her first kiss!


    Shirley was overwhelmed by the rage, humiliation and other emotions all at the same time.


    Many members of the Ximen Clan passed by and witnessed this scene. They were all shocked, their jaws dropping open. They certainly had no clue that Rocky had surprised her with this. From their perspective, it was an extremely unexpected thing that Shirley, who was cold, arrogant, and ignored all men, would kiss Rocky in front of everyone.


    Rocky thought it was enough and was about to end this kiss, but he found that he was a little unwilling to end it, because Shirley''s lips were so soft and sweet. He could detect a faint, pleasant aroma coming from her skin. Before he took back his hand holding Shirley''s chin, he slightly patted Shirley''s waist and murmured with satisfaction, "There you go."


    Shirley''s face was stiff, as though she was frozen. Her eyes were full of flaming anger and murderous intent. She wrathfully stared at Rocky as she rubbed her mouth until it was red. But she still felt as though it was still dirty.


    "You want to kill me so much, don''t you? But I think you''d better not do that. There are so many people watching. If something bad happens to me, people will say you murdered your husband," Rocky smiled coldly as he looked at Shirley''s steely face. He was not worried about her at all. He wouldn''t have resorted to such a rude thing if it hadn''t been for Shirley being unreasonable. She caused him trouble first. He did not care if she would hate him more for this. In fact, he hoped she would despise him so much that she would demand that the emperor annul the betrothal right now.


    Shirley surely knew that there were lots of people around them now. That was also the reason that she did not attack him again. But she had clenched her hand and bitten her lips so tig


    ad been taking with her all the time. They all knew that it was one of Marcia''s favorite daggers, so it was so strange that Rocky had it with him. They couldn''t help but wonder about how these two knew each other, and what the nature of their relationship might be.


    Rocky was a little disappointed that he did not see Marcia, but he decided to go to the Super Beast Farm at once. Since he had comprehended the Stroking Evaluation Skill which only the grade two beast evaluators could master, he wanted to practice it again as soon as possible. To tell the truth, he thought that if Carter had not deliberately made things difficult for him, he might not comprehend the Stroking Evaluation Skill.


    But Rocky also knew that he was talented in beast evaluating because he had suddenly comprehended the Stroking Evaluation Skill yesterday.


    As he just arrived at the Super Beast Farm and was about to enter, Tobin suddenly appeared in front of him and said, "Your Royal Highness, you finally came here! I knew you would definitely visit us today, so I have been waiting for you for a long time."


    Tobin''s loud voice immediately drew the attention of the people around them.


    "Shh, keep your voice down. Remember to stay low-key," Rocky whispered scoldingly.


    Tobin immediately shut his mouth as he nodded at Rocky.


    "Would you please bring some spirit-manipulated beasts to me? I want to practice my skill," Rocky asked with a mysterious smile.

 Chapter 106 Conspiracy

    "Of course! Your Royal Highness, you can evaluate all the spirit-manipulated beasts on the Super Beast Farm. By the way, you can help us to find the value of these beasts." Tobin was so impressed after watching Rocky''s exceptional skill in evaluating beasts yesterday.


    "A few spirit-manipulated beasts are enough. But could you help me to find a quiet place?" Rocky said with a little hollow laugh at once. He didn''t know that Tobin was so greedy until now. He even wanted Rocky to evaluate all the spirit-manipulated beasts.


    Tobin then arranged a remote stable for Rocky in a short time. Few people would come there. Rocky was very satisfied with that. Afterward, Tobin also asked his men to send a few spirit-manipulated beasts to Rocky at once.


    Rocky stayed there alone and evaluate the beasts through his Magical Evaluation Skill. He was busy in evaluating but he enjoyed himself.


    Time flew! Working until late in the afternoon, Rocky forgot to have lunch, which Tobin had brought for him. Tobin had prepared the best food for him in order to please him.


    Though it was a big meal, Rocky didn''t take notice and didn''t bother about eating. He was obsessed with his work.


    Rocky didn''t walked out of the stable slowly until it turned dark. He came to the Palace City after saying goodbye to Tobin.


    For the next days, Rocky gave the ten-thousand golden bill to the guards of Palace City in order to the Super Beast Farm. Moreover, Prince Basil was so famous in the Holy Dragon Empire. The guards gladly let him go out of the Palace City. Sometimes, he would come along with Uriah for intensive training.


    One day, Lena went to Rocky''s chamber as soon as he had left. She wanted to find out from the maids where Rocky had gone. As usual, he left before dawn and stayed out until very late, making it almost impossible for anyone to know what he was up to.


    "All right! I will come back later. In a few minutes I should be at Consort Allison''s. She is teaching me embroidery." Having learned that Rocky was not in, Lena left with her own maids.


    Elsewhere, a terrible conspiracy was cooking in Alston''s palace, on the other side of the Palace City.


    "Priest Dean, have you finished preparing the secret medicine?" Alston asked as he looked at Priest Dean, who was seat


    de. Twilight deepened. She also wanted to see Rocky, so it was time for her to leave. She stood up in a hurry and suddenly, but strangely a sudden dizziness crept on her. It felt like she was going to hit on the ground the next moment.


    Quickly, Allison rushed forward to support her from falling. In a worried tone she asked, "Is anything wrong, Lena? Are you feeling dizzy? You were well just now."


    "I feel light headed, like I might be coming down with a flu. I didn''t have a good rest last night. Nothing major to worry about." When Lena touched her own forehead, she sensed she was starting to run a fever.


    "Come have a rest, please. You can''t go out before we are clear that you are strong enough. You can as well sleep in my bed," Allison offered, getting worried at how Lena looked pale in the face.


    "How could I sleep in your bed? I don''t want to inconvenience your rest." Lena declined, shaking her head. But then she sensed she was getting more and more dizzy.


    "Never mind. I have asked the cooks to make some special soup for His Majesty. I am going to bring the soup to him. Meanwhile, you rest here," Allison said with a smile. She then wrapped her arm around Lena''s shoulders and walked her to bed.


    After Lena lay down, she smiled to Allison to show her appreciation.


    "Have a rest now. When I come back, I will arrange people to send you back," Allison said, on her way out of the room.


    Lena nodded at her feebly, her body feeling heavy. She closed her eyes and gradually drifted off.

 Chapter 107 Out Of Control

    Allison left her place with two servants. When she got out of the door, she told Lena''s servant to leave, who had been waiting outside, and she assured that she would ask her maids to walk Lena back.


    The servant followed her orders and left.


    Rocky was led to Allison''s room after a while. As he reached the door, the servant who''d taken him there bowed and gestured for him to enter the room, after which she left him there alone.


    Rocky entered the room, only to find it empty. He felt like he had been fooled. Just then, a slight groan caught his attention. He turned back out of curiosity and walked to the source of the sound. It was coming from near the bed. Carefully, he removed the tulle that encircled the bed. To his surprise, a slender figure writhed in the large bed.


    "Lena!" It took him a second to recognize her, but even after he did, he couldn''t figure out why she was here. He leaned in closer to check if something was wrong with her. Her pretty face was red, glowing with the beads of perspiration that decorated her forehead.


    Rocky extended his hand and put it on her forehead to feel her temperature. Feeling her burning hot skin, he knitted his eyebrows together in concern. Und


    r.


    "Lena, I''m sorry..." said Rocky. He didn''t want to take advantage of a girl while she was sick. He slipped from under her in a hurry. Almost instantly, Lena grabbed his neck with both her hands.


    Rocky froze on the spot, shocked to see Lena acting out like that.


    Part of him was sure something shady was at play here. It looked like she was being manipulated or controlled by someone else. He knew she wasn''t a flirtatious person at all.


    "Lena, cut it out!" Rocky yelled, trying to rid himself of her grip.


    But Lena was out of control.


    "No! I can''t!" As he struggled to free himself, he started feeling suffocated. Soon, he started to lose consciousness. He started having difficulty to breathe, and his body started to shake frantically. Everything in front of his eyes became blurry.

 Chapter 108 All Of Them Were Angry

    Rocky was not able to control his lust any longer.


    Both of them were soon lost in the overwhelming desire.


    A hint of pain appeared on Lena''s face the moment Rocky stuck himself inside her. She grasped Rocky by the shoulder tightly, which subsequently made him thrust just a little bit harder. And she was drowned in another wave of excitement.


    Meanwhile in the Violet Cloud Hall, the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire was reviewing several files while Allison ground ink beside him.


    "Allison, it''s gotten a bit late now. Let me walk you to your residence," the emperor softly suggested. He knew that Allison was in a bad health condition, so he was very gentle with her. Seeing that she still served him despite her condition just added the affection he felt towards her.


    "It''s alright, Your Majesty. I can go back alone. You''re so busy. You should go to rest as soon as possible. You don''t have go out of your way for me," Allison heedfully declined.


    "It won''t take long," the emperor said. He got up and asked a servant to bring him a coat and then placed it on Allison''s shoulders. They then went out of the Violet Cloud Hall and headed for Allison''s residence.


    Once Allison and the emperor arrived at the door of the residence, they caught sight of Alston accompanied by several imperial guards. Alston must have come here for a reason.


    The emperor thought it was rather strange to see Alston outside Allison''s residence, and likewise, Alston was surprised to run into both of them. He wondered why Allison was with the emperor. She should have been with Rocky right at this moment. ''Does she know what I''m planning? Did she bring the emperor here to capture me? If so, who is that woman inside the residence? Am I in her trap now?''


    Alston anxiously thought to himself, growing worried. His face was pale with fear.


    "Alston, what are you doing here?" The emperor asked. He was wondering why Alston looked like he just did something bad.


    "I just got a message that someone suspicious appeared here. So I decided to bring some imperial guards to check on it." Alston casted a glance at Allison. He was beginning to have a feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had a bad hunch about the situation. However, despite the chaos that he was feeling inside, he pretended to look calm.


    "I see." The emperor nodded.


    Suddenly, a scream came out from inside Allison''s residence.


    "Lena!" Allison exclaimed.


    "Lena? Consort Allison, are you saying Lena is inside your residence?"


    hat there was a bit of triumph in there. It was clear to him now.


    "Move! Get him out! Quickly!" Alston immediately ordered. He grew a bit panicked as he noticed that Rocky seemed to have figured something out.


    The guards stared at Rocky, at a loss at what to do. They did not want to force the son of the emperor, but they needed to follow the order.


    "I will find the truth," Rocky swore to Alston and left Allison''s residence as he was escorted by the guards.


    "Alston, what happened tonight is only between you, me, and Allison. You must keep it secret. Once news of this incident breaks out, the Holy Dragon Empire will be disgraced," the emperor said. It would be a great dishonor to the Holy Dragon Empire if the news that the Witch had been raped, and worse, the man who raped her was his son. Therefore, he had to keep it a secret. He would take appropriate action once he had figured out what happened. Lena and Rocky were friends since childhood. He knew that the two were very close. It made no sense that Basil had done such a thing to Lena.


    However, Rocky''s personality really did change after he blended himself with the Holy Dragon Bead. He became a rising star of the Holy Dragon Empire and enjoyed massive popularity. It was likely that the fame would get to him and make him do unreasonable things. No matter what the reason was, this thing would not be known to the public.


    Alston nodded. If it were not for Lena, he would make this scandal known to the public as soon as possible. Hence, he had to think it over on account of Lena''s wellbeing.


    "You can go back now," the emperor said.


    Alston nodded and despondently walked away.

 Chapter 109 Rush Out

    The emperor hastily returned to Allison''s room. Lena had been dressed in a robe and sat morosely, Allison right beside her. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying.


    "Lena, what happened? Why did Basil and you..." the emperor asked hesitantly.


    "I... I don''t know! I just remember that I felt so sick and lost consciousness then. That feeling was strange... And when I woke up, I saw Basil lying beside me! We weren''t wearing any clothes. And there was a bloodstain on the bed..." Lena answered bitterly, shaking her head.


    "Your Majesty, let her have some rest first. This poor girl has gone through quite a lot today. How about asking her those questions tomorrow?" Allison said gently.


    The emperor nodded and ordered the servants to take care of Lena. Then he turned around and left.


    Rocky, however, had been sent into the Introspection Hall by several royal guards. They encircled the hall, guarding him strictly.


    When Alston returned, rage surged up and sent his heart pounding in his chest. Despite the unexpected changes, he had made up his mind and already drawn up a new plan.


    The next day in the Violet Cloud Hall, the emperor was greeted by Alston. They were the only ones there.


    "Father, I have had my men search around Consort Allison''s place and they found this suspicious bottle," Alston said, handing over the object in question to the emperor.


    The emperor looked at the bottle for a while and then glanced inside it. When he saw the bottle was empty, he frowned a little and asked, "What was inside before?"


    "I have no idea about this as well. Perhaps, Priest Dean can shed some light on it," Alston answered.


    After giving it some thought, the emperor ordered a subordinate to summon Priest Dean.


    After a while, Priest Dean walked into the Violet Cloud Hall hastily and bowed to the emperor. "Your Majesty, what do you need me to do in such a hurry?"


    The emperor stood up and walked to Priest Dean. He thrust the bottle at him and demanded, "Priest Dean, can you identify what was in this bottle before?"


    Priest Dean took the bottle and smelled. He then looked shocked and exclaimed, "Is this the Amorous Powder? Taking it will make people lose consciousness. And... and this powder stimulates sexual desire. When I made an inventory of the medicine in my stocks, one bottle of this powder was unaccounted for. Is this the one? But it''s already empty. Is..."


    The emperor turned grim-faced as he heard Priest Dean.


    "Fathe


    n framing him this whole time. Now that he had no other way to prove himself, Lena was his only chance. Rocky had already made up his mind. Despite the risk, he decided to see Lena anyway.


    As everyone was distracted by the matter at hand, he activated all his spiritual power and jumped into the air. Shooting out of the Violet Cloud Hall, a shadow flashed over the sky.


    "Stop him right now!" Alston cried out in shock. As soon as the royal guards outside the Regal Hall heard Alston, they tried to stop Rocky.


    But it was too late already. Rocky had rushed out and headed for Lena''s place.


    "Father, he is trying to get away with the punishment because of guilt. I will take my men to stop him right now." Cruelty sparkled in Alston''s eyes as he bowed to the emperor. Then he walked out the Violet Cloud Hall as well.


    "I will go with Prince Alston, Your Majesty!" Priest Dean bowed to the emperor and then left away.


    Now the emperor was the only one left in the Violet Cloud Hall, grim-faced.


    Rocky, meanwhile, was rushing to Lena''s place as fast as he could. But soon he noticed that numerous figures were rushing to him from all the directions, trying to block his way. He clenched his teeth and continued rushing forwards.


    In a matter of seconds, Rocky had reached the square in front of the Witch Palace. But hundreds of royal guards had stood in lines in the square and tried to stop Rocky to get into the hall.


    "Get out! Or you are going to meet my fist! I don''t want to hurt anyone!" Rocky roared angrily. He knew well that they must be Alston''s men. But no matter what, he would tried everything to get in and see Lena.

 Chapter 110 Beyond Redemption

    Rocky stormed through the area angrily, causing great vibrations to ripple throughout. A dense mass of palace guards were startled and grasped in terror. Ever since, the Witch Palace had been a forbidden place. Even a prince couldn''t enter it unless the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire permitted. However, Rocky was trying to break into it in a direct and blunt way. The palace guards had to stop him regardless of his status as a prince. Though disrespecting him was fundamentally against their will, they knew clearly that if the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire flew into a rage for their disregard for their duty, they would be doomed.


    Realizing the palace guards had no intention of making way for him, Rocky instantly displayed the spiritual martial arts of the Vast Nebula Skill. Instantly two nebulas showed up in his hands, shooting towards the palace guards, from left and right. "Boom! Boom!" The two nebulas exploded among the palace guards, dust fog billowing in great clouds. Many of the palace guards were thrown off their feet. As a result, their formation was scattered into total disorder.


    Rocky sped up and planned to make use of the situation and break through their interception in one stroke. However, it seemed that he had underestimated the strength of the palace guards who were responsible for defending the Palace City of the Holy Dragon Empire. When he ran across them, countless black shadows launched attacks against him from left and right. Immediately, he generated the dragon spiritual power to resist the attacks. He had to stop in order to do this.


    Very soon, the palace guards gathered into a new array to cluster around Rocky. The formation was virtually airtight.


    At the point, several figures appeared behind the palace guards, all of whom were beyond the medium level of the Heavenly Stage. They stared at Rocky mercilessly with their hands behind their backs. Rocky saw some sort of indolence in their eyes. It seemed that they looked down upon Rocky who was just at the Earthly Stage, knowing that they could blast him away easily.


    Rocky also noticed several spirit-manipulated beasts, hovering and roaring in the sky or snapping and clawing on the ground. Like their owners standing beside, all of them were powerful with an overflowing aura of arrogance.


    Their owners were royal spirit manipulators, who were in charge of the protection of the Witch Palace. Under normal circumstances, they wouldn''t show up. They felt it rather peculiar that a prince would try to break into the Witch Palace, so they came along with the palace guards to stop Rocky.


    "Get out of my way!" Rocky bellowed, his eyes filling with fury. He didn''t want to kill anyone


    ing stunned, he couldn''t believe Randi''s words.


    "Go now! You have broken her heart already. Please don''t do it again." Finishing her words, Randi turned away to Alston.


    "Good job. You can go back to accompany Her Royal Highness now. Remember! Don''t let her go out. Understand?" Alston advised repeatedly.


    "Your Royal Highness, you may rest assured. I know what to do." Randi nodded and returned to the Witch Palace.


    "What''s going on outside?" Lena asked when Randi came back.


    "Nothing. Your Royal Highness, you should take the medicine and have a rest," Randi replied while shaking her head.


    At Randi''s urging, Lena finally took the medicine.


    After that, Randi got a block of sleep-inducing incense and lit it in the censer. Very soon, the fragrance pervaded all over the room.


    Thanks to the efficacy of the medicine and the fragrance of the incense, Lena, who had been utterly fatigued both mentally and physically, finally felt drowsy.


    However, at this point, Rocky, feeling utterly desperate, shouted himself blue in the face. "Lena Long, I''m here to see you! Lena Long, I''m here to see you!" His screams resounded with desperation and remorse.


    Hearing this, Lena suddenly opened her pretty eyes and shouted, "I hear Basil calling me. Is he outside?"


    "Your Royal Highness, you must be imagining things. No one has called you. Have a good rest. If His Royal Highness comes, I will wake you up," Randi comforted Lena.


    Lena believed Randi''s words and nodded. Quickly, she fell asleep.


    "Your Royal Highness, please don''t hate me. I just want to protect you," Randi bitterly muttered to herself, looking at Lena, who was now finally sleeping soundly.


    Having gone off to dreamland, Lena never expected that this would lead Rocky to a situation beyond redemption.

 Chapter 111 Desperate Cries

    Outside the Witch Palace, Alston let out an evil, loud laugh. He watched his hysterical brother pleading for a chance to see Lena. Alston then went up to the royal spirit manipulators at the medium level of the Heavenly Stage who were standing guard outside the Palace. He instructed them sternly, "I need you to stay out of whatever will happen after this. I will take care of it myself. No matter how things go, don''t try to poke you nose into it. That''s a direct order."


    "But, Your Royal Highness..." The guards were quite shocked to hear these instructions. Typically, the Crown Prince shouldn''t be bothered this kind of matter. They found it rather strange when they heard that he wanted to take care of it in person.


    "Do you have any problems with my order?" Alston asked, squaring up his shoulders intimidatingly.


    Even though there were looks of perplexed confusion on their faces, the guards understood that asking more questions would not do them any good. So they withdrew themselves with their spirit-manipulated beasts to the front of the Witch Palace.


    There was a reason for Alston to order those royal spirit manipulators to stay out of his business. He knew very well that they would stand in his way if he would do something to Rocky that did not comply with the law. Alston now looked at Rocky ferociously and said, "You will never see Lena again. No matter how hard you scream, she will never want to see your face. I will make you suffer more than what you have done to her. Death will be a mercy for you. Just wait and see. I will make it a living hell for you."


    "It''s you! You''re the one who set me up. Alston, you dirty dog!" Rocky clenched his fists. His rage was towering like a flaming fire.


    "Hah-hah, do you have any evidence? Currently, all the evidence points to you! Everyone in the empire will soon be convinced that you are the treacherous bastard who committed unforgivable crimes. Even His Majesty can''t protect you now. You have no choice but to accept your doom!" Alston said villainously.


    Rocky growled as a thunderclap resounded, and in the blink of an eye, he disappeared from where he stood. In the next moment, he appeared in front of Alston. Nebula shaped spiritual powers kept converging to his clenching right hand in readiness for him to attack Alston. Though he knew that he would not stand a chance to defeat Alston, he swung his fist without a bit of hesitation.


    But at that moment, four people appeared from different directions to protect Alston. They were all above the medium level of the Heavenly Stage. One of them took Rocky''s nebula punch directly by his own body. Meanwhile, the other covered his fingers


    he time he consumed this last bottle, he would be done.


    "Bastard, are you so eager to die? Then, kill him as his wish," Alston sneered as he delivered his order. Since Rocky went all out to attack, he would not show any mercy on him.


    At that moment, Rocky pulled himself together again, and took out the last bottle of magical saliva. This time, he drank half the bottle all at once. Then he made a deep breath and roared as he unleashed his spiritual power. He charged forward one more time as fast as a flash.


    On the other side, it was Iron and Hawk who stood out to block Rocky simultaneously. They both exerting their utmost power in order to kill Rocky at one stroke since they have received Alston''s order. The other two guards stood by his side, refraining from engaging in the fight. Alston thought it would be more than enough to leave the task to both Iron and Hawk.


    In an instant, Rocky countered with the two guards. But suddenly, he felt as though he had been enveloped by a stream of strong power. As he was in a much lower level of cultivation base, he became a thorough target of his enemies.


    "Earth Dome Punch!"


    "Icy Hawk Claw!"


    Without any hesitation, the two guards attacked Rocky simultaneously from both sides. There was no place left for Rocky to retreat at all.


    Rocky never thought of running away at all. He smiled evilly in front of the co-attack of the guards. The Dragon Spirit Mark on his left arm sparkled as stream of dull-color mist diffused in the air around his arm.


    After that, Rocky used his left arm to block the attack from Hawk. The dragon spiritual power managed to engulf the spiritual power of the hawk claws in an instant. But at the same time, a powerful fist shinning with flames punched toward his right shoulder!

 Chapter 112 Heartbreaking Battle

    "Bang!" It slammed into Rocky''s shoulder. He heard the bone in his right shoulder crack. He then felt a sharp pain in his right arm that soon faded to a dull ache.


    Rocky started to roar with laughter as he gripped his shoulder with his disabled arm. He then raised his left arm and pointed it towards Iron''s head. An ice talon immediately shot out from it, carrying the spiritual power at the middle grade of the Heavenly Stage.


    Iron did not expect that Rocky would use himself as a bait and hit him with such a strong power. His eyes were wide open in shock as he saw the ice talon coming straight for his head.


    Iron gave out a long piercing scream before his head violently exploded.


    The look on everyone''s faces, including Alston, was of pure astonishment. They could not believe what they had just witnessed.


    "How could this be possible?" Alston''s eyes widened in disbelief. He had seen Rocky defeat his opponent from the Magic Phoenix Empire during the Dragon Birth Festival with the same technique. At that time, he had thought Rocky had just been lucky. However, now that he had seen the technique for a second time, it seemed that it was not that simple.


    The fact that a royal spirit manipulator at the entry grade of the Earthly Stage managed to kill a spirit manipulator at the middle grade of the Heavenly Stage was absolutely incredible.


    However, the battle left Rocky in a bad shape. His right arm was limp at his side and he was spitting out blood. Soon, he was no longer able to hold himself together and collapsed onto the ground.


    Hawk was fuming in anger at witnessing Iron got killed. The next second, his spiritual power rushed out and he was filled with murderous intent. His talon came straight for Rocky who was now defenseless and could only watch as he attacked.


    Rocky felt as if everything was in slow motion.


    Just as Rocky was about to meet his end at the hands of Hawk, a shadow swooped in like a hurricane and made its way to Rocky''s side. It then bit Hawk''s wrist.


    Hawk screamed in pain and shook off the beast as he tried to retrieve his hand. He drew a few steps backwards and stared at the figure that was standing right next to Rocky.


    It was Uriah. It had sensed that its master was in danger and came to the rescue.


    "What are you doing here, buddy?" Rocky weakly chuckled as he patted Uriah''s head.


    Uriah howled a couple of times before it started to lick Rocky''s wound.


    "You came just in time. The last half bottle of the magical saliva just might work." Rocky managed to sit himself up and downed the last magical saliva that he fetched from inside his clothes. He then took out the yellow spiritual cryst


    to Rocky''s chest just as he was about to absorb the power. It cut deep into his flesh like a sharp blade. Spiritual power flowed into Rocky''s body through the tips of his fingers.


    Rocky felt a stabbing pain in his chest as the invading spiritual power wreaked havoc inside his body. Within seconds, his spiritual power went completely out of control and he was soon immobilized.


    Uriah saw that its master was in distress and it immediately came running towards him, giving the two-headed owl an opportunity to sneak an attack behind its back. It sunk its talons deep into Uriah''s body and carried it up in the air. Once it was high up, it shook Uriah off its talon. In a flash, Uriah fell to ground and lay there, motionless.


    "Uriah!" Rocky screamed out. His face was contorted in agony and his eyes were filled with fury. He wanted to run to it and help it, but he was unable to move.


    Hawk was indeed a fearsome opponent. He lifted Rocky up and then smashed him to the ground, causing blood to gush out of Rocky''s mouth. He could not even get up this time.


    "Ha-ha! I see¡­ You care a lot about this thing. I will tear it to pieces!" Hawk howled with laughter and pressed his foot down onto Rocky, sneering at him.


    The two-headed owl aligned its flight path and aimed at Uriah for the final attack.


    "No! Don''t you dare touch it, or I swear I will... Kill¡­ I will kill you." Rocky glared at Hawk. He struggled quite a bit as he forced himself to stand up, pushing Hawk''s foot away.


    Hawk was somewhat alarmed to see that Rocky was still able to get up. He then immediately kicked him back down to the ground again.


    At that moment, the two-headed owl had once again swooped down at Uriah and had grabbed it by the limbs with its four talons, ready to rip it apart.

 Chapter 113 Death Came With Energy Deviation (Part One)

    "No!" After seeing everything, Rocky climbed up from the ground with his great and amazing perseverance once again. The flame brought by his anger had reached its peak which made his eyes blaze in red. The spiritual power in his body had already been out of control. Just at the exact despairing and isolating moment, the vision of the black dragon suddenly appeared right before his eyes once again. The dragon shouted out loudly, "If you yield to me, I shall lend you my power!"


    "Could the power of the Holy Dragon Bead really be this evil? Of course, I will not yield to you but I want your power now!" Rocky opened his eyes abruptly. The color of his pupils began to change dramatically that they resembled a furiously burning flame. At this moment, he felt as if a door inside his body was being opened up. After a while, an evil and furious power came out of his body through that door. Everything was happening so fast.


    Suddenly, the skies were filled with clouds as darkness came. There was an atmosphere of horror and coldness as if a demon was about to come.


    Instantly, the cold breath around Rocky began to rise. His dragon spiritual power that had a color that was hard to define, began to turn into a darker shade. At the same time, the breath of the dragon spiritual power inside him began to gather and flow to every part of his body until his entire body was surrounded by black air.


    Hawk sensed that Rocky was suddenly surrounded by an evil breath. He felt that the power of the breath was growing on and on that he could almost see the dark breath closing in on him. Hawk could not help but feel extremely frightened and confused. He did not understand how Rocky, a royal spirit manipulator at the Earthly Stage, could let a master who was at the medium grade of the Heavenly Stage like him feel such immense force.


    Hawk could not help but take a step back. However, just at the same moment, Rocky suddenly revea


    irit manipulator at the Earthly Stage.


    "You two, get out of here," Alston said coldly after seeing this. His eyes were full of doubt because Rocky now looked like a totally different person and his entire body was surrounded by an eerie breath of evil. Alston felt that everything could not be delayed any longer. So, he ordered the two guards at the Heavenly Stage to back off right away.


    Alston looked serious. All of a sudden, a cyclone whirled at his feet. His spiritual power was improving rapidly. In a short time, his spiritual power broke through the Heavenly Stage and went straight into the Supernal Stage. His whole body glistened with cyan light. The breath of the Supernal Stage was suddenly surging out of his entire body violently.


    "It looks like I''m going to have to do it myself," Alston said. After that, he began to rush towards Rocky. He flipped his wrist then all of a sudden, countless spirit swords that burned with cyan flames appeared from his body. He controlled these spiritual swords, used them to attack Rocky and bombard him like a storm. Before long, the light of these spiritual swords lit up the entire front of the Witch Palace. From these attacks, one could clearly see that Alston was very strong as a Supernal Stage master.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!

 Chapter 114 Death Came With Energy Deviation (Part Two)

    After the countless spiritual swords flew out, they all exploded around Rocky simultaneously. They turned into countless streaks of light that lit up more than half of the entire square. In a flash, the light also engulfed Rocky. However, Rocky didn''t fight back right away as he had done before.


    Alston''s attack also left the royal spirit manipulators in great surprise. It was because that although some of them possessed strength much closer to Alston, none of them were able to exert such tremendous and destructive power.


    It could be seen that the talent and aptitude of Alston was indeed stronger than most.


    "That''s what you''re capable of. I guess you are still nothing but a loser," Alston sneered when he saw that Rocky could not make any sort of reaction in time.


    But suddenly, a black light shot out of the bright lights as a sword. It zoomed towards Alston rapidly.


    After seeing this, Alston felt astounded. He jumped hurriedly into the air and saw that the black light of sword immediately turned into a blinding light. He was almost completely engulfed by the bright lights. After it had dissipated, everyone could see that the ground had sunk as deep as three meters and smoke began to rise from the ground. Alston''s eyes grew wide in shock. He did not understand how Rocky who was just at the Earthly Stage could suddenly have such immense power.


    At that moment, a figure who was surrounded by black light suddenly appeared in front of Alston. He opened his hand to raise a ball of black light, which instantly flew towards Alston. Boom! The black ball of light exploded in the air and turned into a blinding light. It immediately engulfed Alston that he didn''t have time to react.


    Shortly afterwards, a figure rapidly fell out from the black light. He rolled down to the ground in great confusion then stood up with great amazement on his face. He wiped the blood from his mouth and asked angrily," What on earth is this great power?"


    It was amazing ho


    he meant. The next moment, he began to move towards Rocky quickly.


    At the same time, Rocky saw Alston turning up in front of him with his insidious face. He smiled slyly, "As long as you are dead, I will get everything that I want and that includes Lena."


    "I will stop you. You will never succeed!" Rocky ground his teeth in anger and said to Alston. At the same time, he tried to break free from the Hexagonal Mirror.


    "It is already too late, Ha-ha," Alston laughed out loudly. He raised a flame of spiritual power in his hand. The power of the flame had reached the Supernal Stage.


    Of course, Alston would not waste any more time. He controlled his power and attacked Rocky directly. The power from him complemented the power which had been suppressing Rocky before. Obviously, Alston wanted to use the power to kill Rocky in an instant!


    "Lena, I will see you even if the price is death..." Rocky yelled out angrily. The black light which surrounded his whole body flared up once again and so did the evil power.


    The eyes of all the others present there opened wide once again as they were astonished to see this incredible scene. It was hard for everyone to understand why Rocky had such a strong obsession which really made them feel shocked and amazed. It seemed like Rocky had no plans of giving up.

 Chapter 115 He Is Mine

    Black light burst out of Rocky''s body, beaming to different directions. In an instant, the Witch Palace was shrouded. From a distance, it looked like the black light had swallowed the whole palace. Although it was tamped down by the Hexagonal Mirror, the million rays of black light still beamed down upon Alston and Priest Dean.


    At almost the same moment, Alston deflected the black light with a flurry of punches. His movements were so fast and so powerful that it disturbed the entire place. Each time Alston''s spiritual power punches collided with the black light, it sends out an earsplitting sound that rocked the crowd at the square. With each punch, beams of light also pierced through the Witch Palace.


    The royal spirit manipulators were dumbfounded upon seeing the fight. It was nothing like they have ever seen. The spiritual power confrontation between Alston and Rocky was so horrifying that it struck terror into their hearts. Their heart rate increased, their knees buckled, and they started sweating profusely. The royal spirit manipulators exchanged nervous glances, worried of the outcome of this fight.


    Priest Dean realized with a shock that Rocky, with all his bravery and determination, was using up the last of his power in a desperate attempt to resist them. Still, Rocky was no match to his power. Priest Dean decided to finish it once and for all. He pulled the trigger first and diverted his spiritual power into the Hexagonal Mirror. Priest Dean instantly centered all his energy into the fighting.


    Overpowered by the Hexagonal Mirror, Rocky''s energy and power were depleted. The black light around him began to dissipate. Alston grabbed this chance to strike his palm upon Rocky''s chest, swiftly and heavily.


    The moment Alston''s palm made contact with his chest, Rocky felt a stab of pain. With a cry, he spat out a mouthful of blood that splattered across the floor and on Alston''s face. With Rocky''s blood on his malevolent face, Alston looked even more vicious and horrifying.


    "Go to hell!" Murderous-looking Alston shouted out.


    "I would never die alone!" Rocky retorted. Rocky began to smile so wide that his teeth and gums were visible. For a split second, Alston was taken aback. With this nasty and cold grin on his face, Rocky suddenly tugged at Alston''s sleeve and began to spew out the evil forces inside his body upon Alston.


    Once the evil forces had completely filled up Alston, that was the end of their lives.


    "How dare you," Alston choked. He felt like the evil forces were consuming his insides, occupying every single part of his body. He could barely breathe from the contact. In just a few moments, the evil forces would completely envelope him. Alston realized with a shock that Rocky intended to fight him to the death. In the heat of the moment he put a second palm on Rocky''s chest and stroke fo


    why Marcia had slapped his face so hard. He thought she was there to save him but he couldn''t understand why she would slap him afterwards.


    "You have let me down by doing something like that," said Marcia coldly.


    Marcia''s words were embedded with layers of hidden meaning and Rocky couldn''t decipher it. Rocky only understood the feelings she projected on her eyes which blazed resentfully.


    After a while, Alston came back to life and got up on his feet. He was totally mystified by Marcia''s sudden appearance. He stared at her with bewilderment.


    Priest Dean, who was standing beside Alston, went purple with rage. The veins on his neck were so stressed that it looks like it would burst. His face was contorted, his eyebrows furrowed, and he stared at Marcia with a mixture of shock, anger, and horror.


    "General Marcia, Basil has committed a top-magnitude crime of breaking and entering the Witch Palace. He even killed two royal spirit manipulators." Alston walked towards Marcia and Rocky. "Please get out of the way! I must bring him to justice!" Alston bellowed at Marcia while thinking that he was the crown prince and had the right to issue orders to Marcia. It was time to assert his position in the Witch Palace. He had rights within those grounds.


    "Rocky is mine. Even if he has committed a top-magnitude crime, you are in no position to catch him." Marcia reprimanded and showed them the whites of her eyes!


    Alston and Priest Dean were stunned into silence at this announcement. They felt a mixture of shock, horror, and disbelief. Of course, the royal spirit manipulators who crowded around were also stunned into silence. They looked at each other in dismay and exchanged doubtful glances. ''Could it be that Rocky had a brief fling with Marcia¡ªone of the Three Great Generals in the Holy Dragon Empire?'' The royal spirit manipulators thought. ''What was the deal between them?''

 Chapter 116 The End Of The Deadly Fight

    Rocky was undoubtedly surprised to hear Marcia say such words in front of a big crowd to protect him, but he also knew that Alston and Priest Dean wouldn''t let him go easily just because of her ambiguous words. They had been trying so hard to set him up and kill him since he was one of Alston''s competitors, and now they were about to succeed. Despite their efforts, the mighty General Marcia had shown up at the very critical moment, and they had no plans of backing out now.


    "Then don''t blame us for being ruthless," Alston snarled. Although Marcia''s words were too ambiguous, which made people wonder about her special relationship with Rocky, Alston didn''t care at all. He had no intention of letting Rocky go. The evil power which Rocky had just exploded had disappeared already, which meant that he was very weak now. It was a good chance to kill him and the evil power was the perfect excuse to do so. Anyone using such evil power was regarded as a dark demon in the Holy Dragon Empire. Such people could be slaughtered mercilessly. Anyone who killed such a monster would not be convicted or punished. Immediately, Alston winked at Priest Dean, his conspirator. He knew that both of them were thinking the same thing.


    Alston thought that even though Marcia was mighty, she was still alone right now. He was not alone; he had Priest Dean, whose strength was also close to the Divine Stage and would be strong enough to hold Marcia for a moment, so that he could take that opportunity to kill Rocky, who was as weak as a lamb at that moment.


    Priest Dean understood Alston''s thoughts well. Since they had set Rocky up using such a deadly trick, they had to kill him. If they failed to finish him off now, he would figure out their trick in the future and would take revenge on them. Thus, only Rocky''s death would make Priest Dean feel at ease.


    Without wasting any more time, Alston and Priest Dean dashed towards Marcia and Rocky simultaneously. The onlookers, the royal spirit manipulators, saw that Alston and Priest Dean were about to clash against Marcia. They stood there stupefied.


    They didn''t understand why these people were fighting for someone like Rocky. After all, the three of them were among the top figures in the Holy Dragon Empire, especially Marcia, who was well-known for her aloofness towards men.


    "It looks like they are not going to let me leave here alive today," Rocky sneered coldly.


    Marcia heard Rocky''s remark, and narrowed her beautiful eyes coldly. It was strange that Alston and Priest Dean wanted to kill Rocky so desperately. But she couldn''t let Rocky die. The Holy Dragon Bead inside his body was the key to revealing the secret of the silver tattoo on her back. Up until now, she had done so much to protect him and improve his strength. If he was killed by those two today, what she had done all this while would have been for nothing. Obviously, Alston and Priest Dean didn''t know her secret. If they had known, they would have thought twice before trying to set Rocky up. Now, they had managed to completely anger Marcia.


    Some keen onlookers im


    t believe that!" Rocky said agitatedly through gritted teeth, glaring at Alston angrily.


    "You degraded yourself to this extent for a woman?!" Marcia snarled. She was furious when she found out that Rocky had created the tremendous uproar in front of the Witch Palace only to see Lena. The next moment, she pulled up Rocky, who was lying on the ground due to his serious injuries, and slapped him hard across the face.


    "Wake up!" she bellowed. Her cold and arrogant eyes flickered with slight irritation.


    Marcia''s behavior stunned the people around her. It was pretty obvious to them that Marcia cared about Rocky, and that was why she had tried to kill those two. But they were most curious to know the real relationship between Marcia and Rocky.


    After receiving the sudden slap across his face, Rocky sobered up a little. Deep down in his heart, he knew that Alston was right¡ªif Lena had really wanted to see him, she would have already come out. It was impossible for her not to know that he had come to find her after he had made so much noise outside. He guessed that the only explanation was that Lena really thought he had hurt her and didn''t want to see him anymore. With such thoughts in mind, he suddenly felt disappointed and disheartened. He had done so much to try to see her, to dissolve her misunderstandings about him. But all his efforts were in vain.


    The onlookers were still looking at him in astonishment because Rocky had even managed to injure Alston moments ago. He had been defeated only when Alston and Priest Dean had joined hands. The evil power which Rocky had suddenly exploded was so terrible; they began to wonder how he had such evil power.


    "Those who are unrelated to this matter, get out of here right now," the emperor ordered sternly and urgently. He didn''t want the incident to be spread far and wide. If that happened, it would create more unexpected problems.


    All the onlookers dispersed as quickly as possible. Before leaving, they couldn''t help but wonder why Rocky wanted to break into the Witch Palace alone.

 Chapter 117 The Banishment

    Very soon there was only Rocky, the emperor, Marcia, Alston and Priest Dean left on the Witch Palace.


    "Basil, you have shown no remorse up to this point. On top of all that, you barged into the Witch Palace, wreaking havoc. I am very disappointed at you." The emperor said coldly as an effort to contain his anger while staring at Rocky. His face twitched and contorted, attempting to contain the rage at what he had just heard.


    "I..." Just as Rocky was about to explain himself, he heard Marcia ask the emperor, her voice brimming with confusion. "Your Majesty, what did he do this time?"


    The emperor''s face darkened as he knew that he could not keep it a secret much longer with Marcia asking. Of course, it wouldn''t be ideal for him to keep it from his own general. After all, nothing stayed hidden forever, so it was better for it to come from himself instead of others. Openness and transparency was the only way to go. However, the emperor was still extremely angry about what had happened last night, and so only told her a brief summary. His brows were knit together, clearly embarrassed and infuriated.


    Marcia froze for a second hearing the emperor''s word. She had never thought that Rocky would have done such a thing. Yet judging from Rocky''s desperate attempt to save Lena, Marcia thought it was not that simple. The way she saw it, Rocky was a cynical man. But he was a cynical man with backbone, and he would never kick a man when he was down.


    "General Marcia, you should have known by now that he is just a villainous, despicable man. He''s utterly worthless, with no sense of honor." Alston cut in with much hatred and frustration in his voice. He would have killed Rocky if it had not been for Marcia''s interference!


    "If that is the case, he deserves a more severe punishment. How about abolishing his status as a prince again and send him away to the frontier. If he makes out of there, it will be for his own luck. And if he dies, well, then it will be that. That way, we can avoid an internal conflict in the royal family while showing the world your kindness and generosity," Marcia said, raising an eyebrow and looking at Alston, who was still fuming.


    Rocky was surprised as he had assumed and expected that she would be on his side. He never thought that Marcia would propose his abolishment from the royal family and his further banishment to the frontier. He stared at her with much resentment emanating from his gaze.


    What Rocky failed to understand was that what Marcia did was actually trying to save him. If it came to a trial by the royal family, it could end cruelly for him with a death sentence.


    Alston and Priest Dean exchanged a look as they sensed that Marcia seemed to be pro


    a told them another piece of shocking news.


    The emperor was stunned at this new piece of information. He had never thought that Marcia would be this cruel to Rocky. Now both Alston and Priest Dean began to think that Marcia wanted Rocky dead as much as they did.


    Rocky shouted at Marcia with hatred in his voice. "What have I ever done to you?"


    "Do you hate me? Then hate me as hard as you can before you die. Remember, without the power of the Holy Dragon Bead, you are as good as dead being at the Gehenna Border." Marcia shot him a cold smile before she turned into a shadow and disappeared.


    "Priest Dean, get your men ready and escort Basil out of the Palace City to the Gehenna Border. The rest is up to him from there." The emperor looked at Rocky with disappointment in his eyes before he left. The best he could do was not sentencing him to death right this instant.


    "He is all yours now." Alston looked at Rocky with pure hatred burning in his eyes and then left for the Witch Palace.


    Soon after that, a couple of royal spirit manipulators rallied before Priest Dean. These men had been his close associates.


    "Get him to the military camp at the Gehenna Border as soon as possible, Make sure of it," Priest Dean instructed.


    "Let me take my spiritual beast with me!" Rocky demanded at Priest Dean, his voice shaking with fury.


    Priest Dean hesitated, before nodding slightly. His royal spirit manipulators nodded in compliance. They lifted Rocky, who was still completely bound and immobilized, with a stretcher. Uriah was placed beside him.


    Rocky turned to look at the Witch Palace, which was growing smaller and smaller in the distance. He wondered if Lena indeed did not want to see him anymore. ''Do you really hate me this much?'' he thought morosely, tears welling up in his eyes.

 Chapter 118 Leave Forever

    "I promise I''ll take everything back and kill those vile creatures one day!" Rocky cried into the air. His voice echoed in the midair of the square of the Witch Palace.


    At the point, Lena suddenly woke up from her trance and called out, "Basil!"


    "Your Royal Highness, His Royal Highness hasn''t come," Randi said. She had been by Lena''s side all the time.


    "No, I just dreamed of him. He said good-bye to me. It seemed like he was going to a distant place and would no longer come back. I must go to see him now!" Lena said with an agitated face, quickly dragging herself out of the bed.


    "Lena, do you still refuse to realize his error? Basil has admitted what he did." At the moment, a deep voice came from outside the room. Alston appeared in the doorway.


    "What do you mean?" Lena, still groggy, was quite perplexed.


    "Basil has admitted that he raped you when you were unconscious. He has acknowledged his guilt to His Majesty, so he has been deprived of his status as a prince. I must inform you that His Majesty has sentenced him to be exiled to the border. He will never return to the Holy Dragon Empire," Alston stated seriously. Of course, he was lying through his teeth. He wanted to make Lena hate Rocky with a passion, and cease to have any more illusions about him.


    "He admitted it? Really?" Lena sighed, collapsing on the ground.


    "Forget about him. He is a mean bastard with no sense of shame," Alston shouted indignantly since he was aware that Lena''s heart had a soft spot for his brother. He gritted his teeth, jealous of that coveted spot in Lena''s heart.


    "I''m tired. You can leave now. I don''t want to see you," Lena said to Alston. Biting her tender lips until they were white, she slightly trembled. Glancing woodenly at Alston, she felt her heart had been broken into pieces. She didn''t want to see anyone anymore.


    Seeing the mournful look on Lena''s face, Alston knew he had hit his mark, so he turned away, concealing an evil smile. Once he came into possession of the throne, he would make Lena his woman.


    "Randi, pack some things for me. I want to leave," Lena told Randi suddenly.


    "Your Royal Highness, where are you going?" Randi asked in astonishment.


    "The Dragon Holy Land. I want to do meditation there alone. I''ll leave right away," Lena said, her face grim and wooden.


    Seeing the change in Lena''s demeanor, Randi was extremely worried about her. It may make a difference if she told her the truth. However, she believed that only by hiding the truth from Len


    in the carriage all day, suffering its reeking, foul stench. The royal spirit manipulators didn''t treat him as a man and offered him only a bowl of water and spoiled steamed buns for the whole day. They also insulted him gleefully, glad at the opportunity to retaliate against a member of the royal family.


    Almost disabled, instead of revolting against them, Rocky could only endure the humiliation. Fortunately, Uriah released five drops of magical saliva each day, so with their magic power, Rocky''s bodily health was gradually restored. As for Uriah, which had been severely hurt by the double-headed owl, it also recovered its energy with its strong self-healing ability.


    Along the entire way to the frontier, Rocky recalled the details of the battle before the Witch Palace. As he remembered the feeling of the power of the Holy Dragon Bead raged in his body, he experienced a carry-over of fear at the steady flow of the evil power. He didn''t know the power still hid dormant in his body, but he had guessed that it came from the Holy Dragon Bead.


    The evil power was so formidable that even Alston couldn''t rival him. While Rocky was so weak before the power, it recklessly invaded and occupied him. At that time, Rocky was on the edge of losing himself, the feeling of which he would never forget.


    In fact, though he hated Marcia, he appreciated her as well. It was all thanks to her that he was alive. After all, she had dragged him from the dark abyss and stopped Alston and Priest Dean from killing him once and for all.


    However, despite that, Marcia was the mastermind that led him to such a miserable situation. Thus, Rocky still couldn''t help but resent her.

 Chapter 119 A New Life

    Just before arriving at the Gehenna Border, Rocky and Uriah had almost fully recovered. Although the power of the Holy Dragon Bead had long been sealed by Marcia, Rocky was pleasantly surprised to find that the spiritual power at the first grade of the Earthly Stage that originally belonged to him was still at his disposal at the moment. He sighed in relief. At least he still had this.


    However, since the power of the Holy Dragon Bead had been sealed, and the special devouring power that existed before was now completely useless, Rocky was no different from an ordinary spirit manipulator at the first grade of the Earthly Stage.


    And when those royal spirit manipulators saw that Rocky and Uriah had just recovered from their injuries and their strength had even returned to normal, they were all startled. Their surprise came from the fact that just a few days ago, when they had thrown Rocky and Uriah to the carriage, Rocky seemed to be as weak as a cripple and even unable to move. His beast, meanwhile, seemed to have only half a breath left and looked as if it could die at any second.


    Despite the fact that only a few days had passed since they were injured, Rocky and Uriah turned out to become safe and sound, as if nothing had even happened to them. It was quite surprising that they had such an amazing recovery ability, which really made the royal spirit manipulators present scratch their heads in confusion.


    The Gehenna Border was the only area in the Wild Spirit Land that did not have any ownership or jurisdiction. However, since it was located in the center of the Wild Spirit Land, it tended to become a distribution center for spirit manipulators who could no longer lead a decent life. Most of them were extremely evil criminals, with strengths ranging from very strong to very weak. However, it was beyond doubt that they almost all belonged to gangsters or bandits who burned houses, killed innocent people, raped women, and committed all kinds of offenses against the laws and their fellow humans. And as a zone between several countries, it had also become a region where wars frequently occurred. Therefore, these spirit manipulators often became hired mercenaries of various countries and served the one that offered higher prices.


    At the same time, there were many wild spirit-manipulated beasts in the Gehenna Border, and they were mainly war beasts. Of course, there were also extremely rare spiritual beasts among them. Due to different living areas, those wild spirit-manipulated beasts were not as strong as those found in the mysterious and miraculous place, which was only accessible to the spirit manipulators above the Heavenly Stage. However, because many scuffles took place in this area, even the weakest war beasts displayed strength that was equivalent to a spirit manipulator at the fifth-grade of the Mortal Stage. Meanwhile, the stronger ones even showed strength above the level of the Earthly Stage! Of course, there were also spiritual beasts that had an amazing growth power.


    All these different factors had rendered the Gehenna Border an even more dangerous and perilous place.


    It was said that if you wanted to survive in the Gehenna Border, you had to remain extremely alert at


    ower were beyond that of ordinary spirit manipulators. The fact that only twenty to thirty royal spirit manipulators emerged every year made them an extremely rare group.


    Therefore, in this small military camp, a spirit manipulator at the Earthly Stage was already considered powerful. If a spirit manipulator was at the preliminary level of the Heavenly Stage, he could have a strength equal to that of a commander of a small military camp. Meanwhile, stronger spirit manipulators could only be seen in larger military camps.


    The spirit manipulators that Rocky saw in front of him were all considered as part of an elite troop of spirit manipulators in this small military camp.


    Of course, in the cruel battlefield, sometimes strength was not even the most important thing. Even if you were a spirit manipulator at the Earthly Stage, it was quite easy to lose your life if you were careless in the unpredictable fighting ground. Therefore, in order to survive in harsh environment, one needed not only strong perseverance and faith, but also luck and sharpness.


    After bypassing the training ground, Rocky saw rows of shabby houses, which contained the very basic function of keeping out the wind and rain for the inhabitants. At the end of a row of houses, the middle-aged man stopped, pointing to a most shabby-looking house. Expressionless, he told Rocky, "This is where you will live from now on. My name is Cliff Li, and I am the officer in charge of this military camp. I am responsible for the daily affairs and work of the spirit manipulators. There are many places in this military camp with important military secrets, so if you have nothing else to do, you should stay in the house first and don''t move around at will. Later I will send someone to tell you about the rules of the military camp, for there are some other things for you to pay attention to."


    Rocky nodded with a frown. After watching Cliff leave, he stepped forward and pushed open the door, which was slightly shining through the crack of the door in endless dark. With a gust of wind and accompanied by some dust, a pungent musty smell came to his nostrils. Rocky grimaced.

 Chapter 120 Restart

    "What the hell is this place?" Rocky cried out. This room looked like an untidy storage area rather than a place meant for anyone to live.


    Rocky resisted the urge to complain some more, because he knew nothing would change even if he told Cliff Li about the conditions. After all, he was here to serve in the army, not for a vacation. He had no right or authority to demand better quality or even choose where he lived. Mind made up, he thought about how he could make the place more comfortable. Or if not comfortable, at least livable. He was no longer a prince so it was best to do with what he had rather than to appear choosy. Being choosy would only lead to questions. Questions would lead to trouble.


    Rocky and Uriah started clearing up the room. Although everything was second-hand and not in very good condition, they could still make use of them. All they needed were the bare necessities for living there, so he got chairs, a desk, and a bed. He rummaged through the remainder of the stuff, kept one or two more items, and then threw out the other things for more space.


    After he was done, the room was more spacious and clean. It was nothing compared to his gaudy rooms in the palace, but for now, it would do to live in. Uriah then found a spot in a corner and settled down. Soon, the beast was asleep.


    Someone pounded on the door. Frowning, Rocky turned around. Two men pushed open the door and barged inside. They were young, in their twenties, a few years older than Rocky. One was taller than him while the other was shorter. They carried thin quilts and some necessities.


    "I''m sorry. You are..." Rocky furrowed his brow as he regarded the men.


    "Mr. Li or... ordered us to bring you some nece... necessities and tell you the rules of this military ca... camp. We live in... in the next room," stammered the shorter man.


    "Got it." Rocky nodded at them. Then he pointed. "Just put the stuff there! Thanks guys!" Figuring he might as well get to know the two men, he offered them a smile and added, "What are your names?" Squinting, Rocky noticed the weak trace of spirit manipulators from them. They were at either the second or third grade of the Mortal Stage. Usually, a royal spirit manipulator would reach such a level as soon as he or she fused with a Dragon Spirit Bead, unlike ordinary spirit manipulators who had to work hard to reach that Mortal Stage.


    "I''m Thor Lei," answered the taller man. Not only was he taller, but also he had a nice build to him. Muscular. Coupled with his fair features and chiseled jaw, he reminded Rocky of the Norse god¡ªThor, the God of Thunder. He even had a voice to match, loud, deep, and rumbling. Rocky could not help but marvel that the man''s name suited him as well as it did.


    The shorter man, however, hunched in on himself as he glanced at Rocky, as if he could somehow become smaller and less noticeable. Then he answered in a low voice, "M


    charge of feeding beasts," Thor answered.


    "Got it. You guys go first. I''m not hungry yet," Rocky said after a while.


    Thor and Joss looked at each other. Rocky could see their minds working, as if they thought something was off about him. But neither of them said anything.


    After a few moments, they said goodbye and left. Rocky closed the door behind them.


    With his back to the door, he thought about his next move. Marcia had sealed the Holy Dragon Bead inside him. In order to beak the seal, he had to reach the Heavenly Stage by himself. That meant he had to cultivate like the average spirit manipulators, like Thor and Joss. He did not look forward to the prospect, but gaining the Heavenly Stage meant reacquiring the power within the Holy Dragon Bead.


    At the same time, without the help of his Holy Dragon Bead to draw upon, he had to work harder and longer to reach the Heavenly Stage. He could even imagine the suffering such work brought. He''d seen it in the eyes and demeanor of Josh and Thor.


    But he would never give up. After witnessing the evil power of the Holy Dragon Bead, he knew it to be more formidable than anything he''d imagined. If he was able to regain that evil power, harness it and put it to use, he could come back to the Imperial City and take back all that was his, all that he had lost and had been taken from him.


    "The Heavenly Stage," he said to himself. His body longed for it.


    "I must grow stronger!" Need for vengeance filled him, so did a craving for power. It coursed through his body and ran through his veins like molten fire. He would have it.


    Focusing his emotions, he settled down, stretching his will through his meridians. Then, with the help of Uriah''s magical saliva, Rocky began cultivating the Vast Nebula Skill.


    Today would be the day he began the first true step toward regaining everything he''d lost. And anyone who stood in his path would eventually feel his wrath.

 Chapter 121 A Provocation

    The next morning, Rocky was awakened by the loud sound of forceful knocking. He opened his eyes as he regulated his breath and gathered his power. After opening the door, he saw Thor and Joss, dressed in uniforms embroidered with spirit manipulators'' emblem. They stood still like two trees in front of his door with their spirit-manipulated beasts beside them. Joss''s spirit-manipulated beast was as tall as a regular dog and it was only at the one-star level. Thor''s beast, meanwhile, was a little bigger than Joss''s, but it looked like an extremely ugly and strange cat that seemed rather peculiar, as though it had been shaven from head to tail.


    "Why are the two of you standing guard so early in the morning?" Rocky asked in confusion as he frowned.


    "Mr. Cliff said that you are in our team now, so he asked us to take you to the training field. Why haven''t you put on your uniform? It''s almost time to go," Joss replied in a low voice.


    "We have given you your uniform yesterday," Thor told Rocky.


    "Alright then," Rocky nodded as he returned to his room and searched for the uniform in the things Thor and Joss gave him yesterday. He found a uniform of coarse cloth soon, immediately putting it on.


    Because Rocky thought Uriah was a little conspicuous, he left Uriah in his room.


    "Won''t you take your spirit-manipulated beast?" Thor asked Rocky as he saw Rocky come out of the room alone.


    "It ate something wrong last night. It''s been having diarrhea and is weak now." Rocky made up an excuse at once.


    Hearing what he said, Thor and Joss looked at each other with furrowed brows. Never before had they heard about a spirit-manipulated beast that would have diarrhea.


    Rocky proceeded to the training field led by Thor and Joss.


    There were three training fields for spirit manipulators to train in this northeast military camp. Rocky had seen one of them yesterday.


    As the three of them arrived at the training field, they saw the spirit manipulators from other teams had already assembled and were chatting in groups.


    Once the three of them showed up, those spirit manipulators looked at them and laughed, pointing at them as if they were mocking them. Rocky squinted in annoyance.


    Just then, a tall and thin man came up to them with an arrogant air. He emitted a momentum of the spirit manipulator at the sixth grade of the Mortal Stage, which was considered a high level among the spirit manipulators here.


    "Oh! Isn''t it the famous hindering duo?" The tall and thin man teased Thor and Joss.


    The other spirit manipulators all laughed out loud as soon as he f


    ven killed.


    Thor and Joss were both worried about Rocky. After all, this man was at the sixth grade of the Mortal Stage. He was even more powerful than some members of the first team. They thought Rocky was not strong enough to withstand the tall man''s attacks.


    No one knew that Rocky was actually at the Earthly Stage. If the tall man really picked a fight, Rocky would definitely teach him a lesson.


    "Matthew, stop!" a loud voice rang out. Unwittingly, this had saved the tall man from his imminent demise.


    Matthew turned around and saw a powerful man in a blue uniform showed up along with two men. The other spirit manipulators'' faces also grew serious as they saw this man.


    "Leader!" Matthew shot Rocky a glare and let him go, before running to the man in blue.


    Rocky looked at this man inquisitively. He could tell that he was at the third grade of the Earthly Stage.


    "Rocky, he is the leader of the first team¡ªEvan Ji. It''s said that he is the disciple of the Ji Clan. His father has a place in the Ji Clan. He is the top spirit manipulator among the spirit manipulators in these six teams. And he ranks fifth in the entire northeast military camp. So don''t dare to offend him," Thor said to him in haste.


    "Are you causing problems again?" Evan asked Matthew, who had come up to him.


    "No, I''m not. The new guy is rude and arrogant, and he even said that the Ji Clan is nothing," Matthew immediately replied.


    Hearing what he said, Evan''s face grew instantly solemn as he looked at Rocky with sharp eyes. But Rocky met his gaze stoically, displaying not an ounce of fear.


    There seemed to be sparks in the air when the two of them looked at each other. It looked like there was going to be a fight.

 Chapter 122 An Encounter With A Beauty Again

    At that precise moment, Evan suddenly walked towards Rocky. His footsteps were heavy and ominous. Thor and Joss watched the scene unfold and both couldn''t help but worry for Rocky. They thought, ''Oh, no! Rocky is in so much trouble now. Evan must have been angry at what Rocky said, so he is going to teach him a lesson. If Rocky is lucky enough, he may get out of this alive with minimal injuries. However, if he is unlucky, he may end up seriously injured with broken arms and legs.'' In the military camp, it was common to see a senior officer punish a soldier with a lower title. It was not something they could question or complain about.


    Meanwhile, the spirit manipulators from the other squads around Rocky gathered closely and looked at the scene wide-eyed. They stood there still with curiosity and anticipation, wondering what might happen next.


    "Hey, you brat! Today is your unlucky day!" Matthew said maliciously, flashing his teeth with a wicked smile. He enjoyed the situation where Rocky was going to suffer.


    "Are you a newcomer?" Evan stopped in front of Rocky, looked him up and down, and asked in a quite arrogant manner. He was projecting his dominance by intimidating him.


    However, unlike many who had cowered beneath his feet, Rocky did not pay attention to him. Rocky remained silent and decided to walk away.


    Evan was enraged and insulted by Rocky''s indifference. He was a celebrity in this northeast military camp and no one dared to ignore him. Rocky''s actions completely stunned him. He didn''t expect a newcomer would ignore him so bluntly and so carelessly. He was humiliated and his reputation ruined because of that insolent man. His face contorted. His eyebrows furrowed and his eyes grew sharp. In an instant, he reached out his hand to grab Rocky''s shoulders. Although this movement seemed to be very casual, he actually filled a hidden spiritual force in his movement. If a spirit manipulator at the low grade of the Mortal Stage was grabbed by him on the shoulder, the least damage that could happen was that his shoulder would be dislocated. The worst case was that he could be injured for ten days to about half a month.


    When the other spirit manipulators saw Evan''s movement, they couldn''t help but look at Rocky, who didn''t seem to notice that Evan was to grab him. They were sure that Rocky would have to suffer the next second.


    Thor and Joss were even more stunned when they saw Evan''s hostile movement. Unfortunately, it was already too late to alert Rocky of the impending danger.


    However, what happened next astounded everyone watching the scene. When Evan was about an inch away from Rocky''s shoulder, Rocky swiftly steered his walking direction. He did it so nonchalantly as if he anticipated it from the beginning. As a result, he avoided Evan''s grasp in time.


    Everything happened so quickly. Gasps could be heard from the audience as they found themselves struck by amazement. Clearly, no one anticipated that Rocky would be able to dodge the attack.


    Even Evan himself didn''t think that he would miss grabbing Rocky. His eyes grew wide from bewilderment. He was convinced that it was impossible for Rocky to detect his intention based on Rocky''s low cultivation base. Also, no matter how he comprehended the early situation, he always felt that


    e barns were filled with various kinds of large and small spirit-manipulated beasts, who would be no superior to a two-star war beast.


    ''It is actually a good place to practice the Magical Evaluation Skill, '' Rocky thought to himself.


    He took Uriah into the beast shed and looked around. When he found no one in sight, he shouted loudly, "Hello? Is anybody here?" No one answered or showed up.


    Just to make sure, he shouted a few more times. Yet still, nobody answered him.


    "Huh? It''s so strange. Nobody is managing this beast shed?" Rocky murmured and frowned. It was worrisome that no one was there to tend to the beasts. Was it intentional? He felt something was off at the scene.


    All of a sudden, Rocky heard the roaring sound of the dragon which immediately gathered his attention. It was coming from the side of the beast shed. It piqued his curiosity and so he could not help but walk to check out the situation. Soon, he saw an independent beast barn, which was much bigger and higher than any of the other barns.


    When he approached the independent barn, he saw the shadow of a dragon moving inside. Upon closer inspection, the dragon shadow turned out to be a war dragon with two heads. Rocky estimated that it was at least a three-star war beast. Its whole body was emerald, beautiful like the jade color, and looked moist, as if someone was giving it a shower just before he arrived. Soon, it shook a little bit and the water on its body began to splash.


    "Hey, stop messing around, you naughty guy..." At that very moment, a burst of laughter crisp like a silver bell rang out abruptly. He tried to look for the source of the sound.


    ''Someone is here, '' he thought. When Rocky looked at the dragon again, he was surprised to see a figure standing in front of the emerald war dragon. He had no idea how he missed seeing the beautiful young lady standing so elegantly just in front of him. Her thin clothes had gotten wet by the splash which the dragon had just created a few moments ago. Thus, unintentionally, Rocky could see her delicate and petite figure clearly. She was just so attractive for him. ''Alas, I am in luck. I encounter a beauty once again, '' he thought happily.

 Chapter 123 A Nationwide Announcement

    Though he was only able to peep at her profile, Rocky was captivated by the amazing smile of the girl in front of him. Looking at her adorable smile, he was fascinated as if staring at the starry sky. Having been networking in a wheeling-and-dealing Palace City for such a long time, it was the first time that he got to see such a heartfelt smile. She looked purely happy. There was innocence in that smile which reminded him of a new-born baby.


    A pair of special upturned eyes, perfectly matched her gracefully crafted face. Her skin was pretty tanned yet she looked gorgeous.


    Rocky guessed that she was in her early twenties - the prime of her life. As a beautiful young girl, her existence in this remote place was like a precious treasure of its kind.


    ''Who is she?'' Bewitched by her charm, Rocky could not stop wondering.


    Roar! Uriah too seemed to be as fascinated by her as its master. It got too excited and growled.


    If Uriah had not made that reckless growl, Rocky might have been able to continue enjoying the beautiful moment. But now, the whole thing was disturbed.


    The beauty saw a man and a spirit-manipulated beast outside the beast stall. Both of them - the man and the beast - were staring at her. She could feel that they were watching her with great interest. She felt quite upset by the way they were checking on her. Thus, she could not help looking down.


    "Ah..." The beautiful girl screamed in consternation. She reached out to a red mantle that was hanging beside her and swung her body so that it would be wrapped by the mantle instantly.


    The war dragon beside her also roared as she screamed. It looked ferociously at Rocky, but it was reined in by the beauty and got down on his stomach.


    "Who are you? Why are you here?" The beauty wrapped the mantle closely to her body and queried Rocky, who stood outside the beast stall. Rage flushed over her pretty eyes. Instantly, Rocky could feel that she was a powerful spirit manipulator.


    "She must be at least above the fifth level of the Earthly Stage." Rocky judged her cultivation base by sensing the spiritual power. He could not stop being surprised at the power she possessed, though she was so young.


    "Me? Oh, I''m just a rookie. I was looking for someone who works in this beast stall... I did not intend to stare at you. I just walked in accidentally!" Rocky felt that the beautiful girl might mistake him as a peeping Tom, so he explained himself


    are quite special," the old man said.


    Rocky just nodded in politeness but did not say anything. When Uriah finished eating, Rocky thanked the old man and left with Uriah.


    Seeing the back of the young man and the beast while they were leaving together, the old man murmured to himself in amazement, "This war beast has reached the second grade of the three-star level. How can this weak young man own it? As time passes, he will not be able to control it. It is really weird."


    By the time Rocky and Uriah arrived at the room, Thor and Joss came in. They asked Rocky to join them for the drill. In the military camp, when there was no assignments for spirit manipulators, they usually spent their time drilling.


    But Rocky preferred to cultivate alone. He did not want other people to have an idea about the true power he was hiding. He gently rejected their offer and saw them off. He went back to the room to cultivate by himself.


    Two days after Rocky was sent into exile to the Gehenna Border, the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire made a nationwide announcement about Rocky. The announcement stated that Rocky was injured during cultivation and needed to recuperate indoors for a certain time. His marriage with the Ximen Clan was indefinitely postponed at that point. There was an uproar among the people of the Holy Dragon Empire upon the announcement.


    Rocky had recovered his title as the prince not long ago. He became the star of the future for the Holy Dragon Empire. How was it possible that he got injured during cultivation? How could they indefinitely postpone the marriage alliance with the Ximen Clan?

 Chapter 124 The Patrol

    The announcement of this news brought about all kinds of speculation and suspicion, especially among the royals.


    The incident of Rocky wreaking havoc at the Witch Palace had been kept a secret from dissemination under the order of the emperor. Anyone who disobeyed him would have his or her entire family executed. So, the commoners would never find out anything in spite of speculation.


    However, Ximen Clan could not stay calm anymore. The wedding was just around the corner when the royals suddenly announced its postponement. They were worried about what the commoners would make of this.


    Xiamen Clan soon had everyone''s attention in the country and became a hot topic for gossip.


    Even Bryant could not figure out the emperor''s true intentions behind this. However, he did know that the wedding being postponed was not beneficial for his clan. Instead, it put his clan under scrutiny.


    Keeping everything in mind, he decided to march to the Palace City himself to gain a better understanding of the situation. Excusing himself with health issues, the emperor sent Bryant home without seeing him.


    At the dawn of the following day, the emperor dispatched the Azure Dragon Group to the most important stronghold at the Holy Dragon Empire. This also included the Sky Army which was incidentally led by Bryant.


    The moment he received this order, he instantly knew something was wrong. Otherwise, the emperor would not have transferred him away from the Imperial City. Irrespective of his personal ideas and opinions, an order was an order that must be obeyed.


    Shirley never really wanted to marry Rocky and felt an enormous relief when she heard that the wedding had been postponed indefinitely. She knew in her heart that she would never forgive him for forcing himself on her. Later when she learnt that Rocky was fatally wounded during the practice of martial arts, Shirley felt avenged. It gave her that pleasure and satisfaction she was seeking. She honestly believed that Rocky got what he deserved for his ungentlemanly and disrespectful behavior. With the wedding out of the picture, she volunteered to tag along with his grandfather when she knew about his transfer. She wanted to spend more time with him and gather some life experience on the way.


    With Bryant gone for his new post, the emperor cleverly relieved himself from worrying about Ximen Clan finding the truth. Also, by the time all of this g


    ee squads.


    There was a trade route at the end of this forest where the attack on merchantmen took place two days ago. This led them to believe that the spirit-manipulated beast most likely took refuge in this forest.


    With their respective plans of action in place, the other two squads took off in different directions as soon as they entered the forest.


    "Sir, what direction do we take?" Thor turned to Zander hastily.


    "Nonsense. We will naturally take..... ...follow one of the two squads. We will stay close behind and wait for the right moment to act." Zander rolled his eyes, hoping to sound smart and cunning. The truth was that he was not familiar with the route of the Maze Forest at all. It would be truly embarrassing if they got lost without any sign of the beast under his leadership.


    Thor and others exchanged a knowing look. The crew could see through Zander''s tactics now. He was famous in the northeast military camp for his cowardice. He got his position as squad leader purely by being the superiors'' pet.


    Rocky, who had been silent all this while walking at the end of line, suddenly sensed something. He immediately turned around to see what was behind him.


    "Rocky! Hurry up!" Seeing that other spirit manipulators led by Zander already followed the fifth squad with their spirit-manipulated beasts, Thor and Joss both shouted at Rocky, telling him to pick up his pace.


    Hearing his crew, Rocky then turned back and caught up with them.


    Just at this moment, a cool breeze passed by behind Rocky and a pair of giant red eyes appeared from amidst the haze, glowing in the dark.

 Chapter 125 The Dangerous Maze Forest (Part One)

    The sixth squad had been following the fifth squad for a few moments. It didn''t take the latter a lot of time to realize that they were being followed. All of a sudden, all the members of the fifth squad increased their marching speed drastically to get rid of whoever was following them. The strength of the spirit manipulators in the fifth squad was not bad. As soon as they traveled at their full speed, they were able to get rid of the sixth squad, whose strength ranked at the bottom of all the squads. The sixth squad felt as if in the blink of an eye, the fifth squad had disappeared into the dense forest. They had missed their target and were now at a loss.


    "Damn it! The fifth squad is so shrewd. They must be thinking of finishing the task single-handedly so that they could get the merit alone. They are not chivalrous at all!" Zander swore angrily. He was ignoring the fact that to fish in troubled water and get the merits, he was deliberately following the fifth squad. ''How could he swear against others like that? He was also among those kind of people!'' his subordinates thought stealthily.


    "Captain, what should we do now?" a spirit manipulator of the sixth squad asked blankly as he looked around at the large and dense forest. He was totally confused like the others, about what they should do next. So he had to ask his captain. After all, they needed a leader to lead them and plan out their next move.


    "You are asking me what we should do now, are you? Of course, we will continue the search on our own. Actually, I wanted to give the fifth squad an opportunity to pave the way in front of us. Who knew that these guys are so ignorant that they would waive away such a good opportunity! Hmm! Let''s wait and see. We, the members of the sixth squad, must be the first one to finish the task and find the spirit-manipulated beast. Then, they will regret profoundly for not catching the opportunity," Zander said in an irritated tone. The fact was that he was just bragging. Though he was weak and mindless, he had to pretend to be strong and smart in front of his subordinates. Throwing a cold glanc


    es to fight against whatever it was. The next moment, their attacking actions stopped abruptly because they saw a cute, white rabbit come out from the thick branches and leaves. After a taunting and innocent look at the members of the sixth squad in front, it turned around and leaped away in the other direction.


    "Damn it! It turned out to be a rabbit. How dare you taunt us like that! Be careful! Next time I see you, I''ll roast you alive," Zander yelled as the rabbit left, leaping away. After he found out that it was just a rabbit, he felt greatly relieved. But his body showed what he was going through, for his forehead was already full of beads of sweat. It clearly exposed his extreme uneasiness a few moments ago.


    The other spirit manipulators also breathed a sigh of relief at that precise moment. Perhaps because it was the first time they had come to perform such a task. They looked indifferently, but the fact remained that they were extremely nervous deep inside.


    "Since you are so afraid of death, I think it''s better for us to go back earlier. If you really get hurt in this task, it''s really not worth it," Rocky said with a cold sneer. Instead of wasting time and energy in finishing the so-called task with these cowards, he felt that it was better for him to go back and continue his secret cultivation, which he believed would be more meaningful and helpful to improve his strength.

 Chapter 126 The Dangerous Maze Forest (Part Two)

    "Hey, you brat! What makes you have the nerve to say that? It''s said that every corner of the Maze Forest is full of danger. Who knows what will pop up abruptly the next second! Are you not afraid?" Zander shouted loudly at Rocky on hearing his words. After being sneered by Rocky, Zander felt that as the captain, he was being challenged and would lose his face if he didn''t show his authority.


    Rocky continued to ignore Zander''s words and went straight ahead.


    "You... you..." Zander stumbled over words. Rocky''s action at the moment showed that he didn''t really regard him as the captain. Zander immediately was in great fury and gritted his teeth, as if he wanted to swallow Rocky alive.


    "Captain, in fact, Rocky is the one who is the most afraid among us, or he would not have said anything like that. I guess he wants to go back and find a place to hide. You are a very tolerant captain. There is no need to be exasperated with him. He didn''t mean it. Please do forgive him, captain!" Thor and Joss rushed to solve the trouble caused by Rocky.


    "Of course I know that. Never mind! I am the captain, and I''ll just let it go," Zander said, pretending to be a generous leader. He stared at Rocky''s back with hatred as he walked away. He continued to pave the way by his spirit-manipulated beast and followed Rocky with other spirit manipulators.


    A few seconds later, Rocky suddenly furrowed his brows and stopped moving forward. Zander, who had caught up with Rocky now, almost ran into him due to his sudden stop.


    "Hey, what are you doing? Why did you stop so abruptly? You brat is again challenging my authority. My patience for you is wearing out. After we go back to our camp, I must teach you a good lesson, in case you would be so arrogant again!" Zander burst out angrily. He was greatly irritated by Rocky''s weird behavior and actions.


    At that particular moment, a horrible scream echoed around. A flock of birds in the forest was startled and they began to fly away at full speed as if to s


    . Then he said, "It could be a person of the third squad."


    "No! Wait! You are not the captain, I am the captain... Why should I answer your questions?" Zander yelled at once. When he finished answering Rocky''s question, for a moment he had felt as if Rocky was the captain. So he spoke in frustration. ''It looks like as long as I stand beside Rocky, I always feel that he is the leader unconsciously, '' Zander thought stealthily and felt quite depressed.


    Once again, his words were ignored. In such a crisis, he had to swallow his pride. "Based on the average strength of each spirit manipulator of the third squad, the beast that could attack this man must be a very powerful one. It must surpass the spirit manipulator at least at the sixth grade of the Mortal Stage. It is very fierce, brutal, aggressive, and could be foraging in the forest now." Rocky immediately put forward his judgment based on his observation of the corpse.


    Listening to Rocky''s words, the spirit manipulators present there, looked even more pale and sick. Their bodies all trembled in fear and apprehension. It was the first time they got to see such a terrible scene. The sight before them and Rocky''s conclusion about the beast made them shudder with fear. They were afraid that they had high chances of being trapped in great danger from that moment on...

 Chapter 127 Beat A Hasty Retreat (Part One)

    "If my calculations are correct, our unit is not powerful enough to engage this spirit-manipulated beast. I think we had better double back. Otherwise, it will be too bad if we have to suffer any lost," Rocky said as he glanced coldly at Zander, the captain of the sixth squad.


    "You little rookie, don''t ever try to exaggerate the fact to frighten us... It is perfectly normal to have one or two fatalities during the execution of this sort of task. The spirit manipulator of the third unit must have lost his vigilance which is why he was attacked by the spirit-manipulated beast. But look at us, we are overwhelmed in members. Who would dare to attack us?" Zander seemed to assert in a self-comforting way. However, he was more of reassuring himself rather than his team members. He pressed his quivering hand on his waist, as if to hold down the overwhelming uneasiness.


    Suddenly, they heard another rustle from the bushes. Something must have swiftly passed through. It disturbed the grass when it did. All the spirit manipulators from the sixth unit was so scared that their knees trembled. They huddled together as if seeking comfort from the company. They all looked around in terror and became more alert of their surroundings.


    "Suit yourself. I am leaving now." Rocky could not help but shake his head as he saw the team panic and hesitate to proceed. After taking a deep breath, he decided to double back by following the marks he made when he came.


    "Captain, we..." The spirit manipulators saw that Rocky had left after he finished talking to them. They also wished Zander could make the same decision to go back with Rocky, despite the tension between the two. After all, no one wanted to risk their life.


    As much as Zander did


    nder reprimanded while giving them a vicious look. His authoritative voice, his frightening look, and the strict command he had given was enough to make the other spirit manipulators nervous. Zander didn''t give them much of a choice.


    In an instant, other spirit manipulators were forced to come back to Zander''s side. Even Thor and Joss did not dare to resist Zander and his commands. They trusted Rocky but they did not want to face Zander''s wrath. They knew that there would be severe punishment if they defied the orders of the team leader.


    "Rocky, we will listen to and follow the order of the team leader," Joss said obediently. He felt sad about it, but they were firm with their decision.


    Rocky furrowed his eyebrows and frowned. He felt irritated but after taking a deep breath, he immediately cooled down. He knew there was nothing he could do to alter their minds at that point. It didn''t matter if no one was going to follow him. He was sure that he was taking the right path. He then walked towards the opposite direction determinedly. Since he had already warned them and they chose to follow Zander, he would not be obliged to stop them again.

 Chapter 128 Beat A Hasty Retreat (Part Two)

    "Let''s go. He must be doomed to die going alone in that direction. We are safe because we have so many team members united together," Zander sneered and led the rest of the spirit manipulators to the direction he had pointed. He felt victorious because his team members obediently followed the path he chose.


    But, under the guidance of Zander, they soon came back to the crossroad where they separated with Rocky. It seemed they just circled around in the area. The spirit manipulators felt scared and confused.


    "Captain, it seems we are lost. It would be better if we let the spirit-manipulated beast to find the correct way," Thor said.


    "Who said we are lost? It was just a little deviation of my memory. It is actually this way," Zander cursed and guided the team to another direction. His pride was too high to admit that he was wrong. He led the team and hoped that they were really following the right way.


    However, upon entering that direction, it was like another maze. The paths were complicated and barely visible. They could not distinguish the way and they lost sight of everything that was a yard away. The area was completely surrounded by a dense fog.


    Suddenly, under the cover of the dense fog, a quiet black shadow appeared. Its sharp red eyes stared at the sixth unit who strayed in the fog.


    "Captain, where are we now? How are we supposed to get out of this place?" several timid spirit manipulators were already frightened. They questioned their team leader''s decision as if they regretted to follow Zander. They scanned their surroundings but they could barely see anything with the thick fog shrouding their view.


    "What are you pushing me for? I''m the captain of the team. Is it possi


    spirit manipulator who was being dragged into the fog.


    Another cry rang through the scene. It was from that spirit manipulator again. This time, it was because of the bamboo. The bamboo may have stopped him from being dragged further into the fog, but it also hurt. His face turned purple from the unbearable pain caused by the bamboo which was pinned in between his two legs.


    "What are you still waiting for? Go taking him back now," someone shouted hastily. A shadow suddenly emerged in the fog. It was none other than Rocky. The spirit manipulators were stunned at his arrival.


    "Rocky!" Thor and Joss were startled at first, but soon they babbled with wild joy. Then they immediately rushed to that spirit manipulator and pulled him back.


    Suddenly, there was a roar of rage from the dense fog. The trees and grasses shook as it grew. The lurking danger was approaching the sixth unit. The scene was enveloped with an eerie atmosphere.


    Despite the impending danger, they didn''t know how to defend themselves. They were clueless to what their enemy looked like. They were completely exposed, yet they knew nothing about their enemy.

 Chapter 129 You Are The Boss (Part One)

    Zander looked pretty disappointed when Rocky, who he thought that had already left, appeared in front of his face again. "I have told you before," Zander sneered. "You''re scared of being alone. Why else would you follow us stealthily?"


    Rocky seemed agitated with what Zander said and reacted as soon as the latter finished talking. He lunged at Zander and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. He radiated a different kind of air, which Zander did not fail to notice. He was instantly surrounded by Rocky''s new aura and his eyes could not believe how Rocky had changed at the drop of a hat.


    "If it were not for me, a man could have lost his life! If you want us to get out of here alive, you should learn how to shut that mouth of yours. Things have turned around. Instead of us looking for the spirit-manipulated beast, we are now the ones being hunted down. It''s a trap. Is that clear now?" Rocky said firmly as he stared at Zander with anger in his eyes.


    Zander was shocked by Rocky''s sudden outburst that he just stood frozen for a moment. The Rocky that was standing in front of him was different from the one he knew. Rocky used to be timid. Now, he seemed to have transformed in an instant and became someone powerful. Zander finally realized what happened and was left with no choice but to nod his head with fear.


    After witnessing such a sight, the other spirit manipulators like Thor and Joss were dumbfounded. And rightfully so. They could have never imagined the meek Rocky would be able to pull a stunt like that. Nobody expected Rocky to be the one to stand up to Zander, shut him up, and make him listen. They never thought of him to be that courageous and capable.


    "Rocky, you said that the spirit-manipulated beast is hunting us. Why would it do such a thing?" Thor could not help but ask.


    "I don''t know. I am not sure about the reason.


    side Rocky now, he would not have gone out of his way to find the others. He knew that with his and Uriah''s power together, spirit-manipulated beasts with the strength at the Earthly Stage or below would easily be handled. They were not to be afraid of.


    Thor and the other spirit manipulators were still unaware of the agenda that Rocky had when he returned for them. They only knew that he went back to rescue them. They viewed Rocky as someone so selfless; someone who would wholeheartedly go back to a place he knew that was dangerous just to save more people, like a hero. They looked at Rocky like he was their hero.


    In the midst of everyone celebrating Rocky as their hero, Zander faded into the sidelines, clearly defeated. Despite his frustrations, he did not dare to say a word. Naturally, he would not let Rocky dictate his and his teammates'' fates all the time. He made a mental note to give Rocky a piece of his mind and teach him a lesson once they got out of the Maze Forest.


    The sixth team made their way around the Maze Forest while following the signs. With Rocky leading them, it was not long until they got out of the fog area. Without the fog obstructing their sense of sight, they were finally safe enough. For now.

 Chapter 130 You Are The Boss (Part Two)

    They could not celebrate just yet because when they thought they could finally have a breather, the leaves on the trees around them started shaking intensely.


    Rocky observed what was happening in their surroundings very keenly as worry started to show on his face. The other spirit manipulators that followed him looked frightened and terrified. The thought of the spirit-manipulated beast catching up with them haunted everyone in their group.


    Luckily enough, it was not the spirit-manipulated beast. A number of people emerged from the thick foliage in front of them.


    "They''re spirit manipulators as well! They''re from the third team!" they said, almost celebratory. When the other spirit manipulators realized they were not in danger, they went around and checked up on each other. Instinct told them they should team up. They knew that being with a larger group of spirit manipulators made them a whole lot safer. Having the third team with them raised their chances of surviving.


    However, the third team''s hopefulness vanished when they found out that Rocky was leading the sixth team. They said with sullen in their voice, "It''s so unfortunate of us to run into such a sorry excuse of a team, a failure of a team," they said with hostility in their voice. "The situation would have been so much better had we come across with the fifth team."


    "Hey! What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Zander angrily asked. He was fuming when he stepped forward to meet eye to eye with whoever said that.


    "Do we really have to re-state what we have just said? Point-blank, you guys suck. Do you really not see it? Your talents and abilities are subpar, maybe average on good days. No one in your team is noteworthy. You guys ought to realize that," the spi


    ng to pass out. We need to take a break." Even Zander was out of breath, and that''s saying something. He lay down on the ground, trying to catch his breaths.


    Rocky looked around to observe their environment. His face grew worried as he heard the strong breathing that was still creeping behind them. He knew that the source of the breathing was just waiting for a good chance to ambush them. But he was also aware of how taxing the journey was for everyone. They had been walking nonstop the whole day. He understood how continuing might be detrimental for all of them. He could not force them to walk anymore. After having an internal debate on whether or not they should continue, Rocky reached a decision to give everyone a break. He said, "Start a fire here. Let''s camp here for an hour and proceed after."


    After hearing Rocky''s announcement, everyone from the sixth team let out a sigh of relief and slumped themselves to the ground and started resting up. They got a fire started, and the spirit manipulators huddled around it. They tried to savor every second of peace they currently had as they took a good breather for they knew they still had a long way to go.

 Chapter 131 Attack

    While resting to replenish his strength, Rocky used the Frozen Wind Dagger to cut down thick branches from the forest. Using his knowledge about weaponry, he sharpened each front end one by one to make a simple spear. He then distributed the branches to Thor and other manipulators including Zander.


    "This is just a broken stick. What harm can it even do?" Zander said with a snort, showing obvious disinterest in this simple weapon. Undeterred with his companions'' reactions, Rocky said, "You will know soon enough." Rocky put on a stern expression and directly inserted the wooden stick on the ground in front of Zander. He then quietly stood there, watching the surrounding environment warily.


    The leaves on the trees around them suddenly moved, making a rustling sound. The once peaceful surroundings now became violent as the force of the wind continuously increased.


    Upon seeing this strange situation, all the spirit manipulators immediately came to realize that something eerie was about to take place, and they could not help but feel wary and terrified.


    At the far off distance, Rocky could see something fast and huge coming towards them. "The beast is coming towards us!" Rocky said. He then immediately picked up a torch to illuminate their surroundings.


    All of a sudden, the spirit manipulators saw a huge shadow that suddenly jumped out from another direction and appeared in front of Zander. Its speed was so fast that Zander could not dodge it in time. The manipulators saw the shadow''s eyes glowing crimson. It looked wild and strong, with its huge arms and legs as powerful as a bear with a height as tall as an average adult. Under the reflection of the bonfire, everyone could vaguely see its body covered with orange fur, and its lower abdomen looked swollen. The wild beast gave off an indomitable presence, striking fear in those who dared challenge it. At this point, it was staring at Zander with malice. The beast slightly gasped, and its eyes were as cold as ice.


    Frightened by the sudden appearance of the beast, Zander felt his whole body shivering. His legs quivered and he stood frozen for a long time as his body would not move. He could not yet absorb what was happening as his mind had yet to figure out the whole situation.


    While the other spirit manipulators were also terrified by the appearance of the beast, they too were in the same predicament as Zander, stunned to stand there without taking any further action.


    As Rocky observed the beast, his heart pounded. He was surprised to find that the breath released by it unexpectedly reached the level of Uriah. It must mean that the beast had the strength equivalent to that of a spirit manipulator at the first grade of the Earthly Stage. Rocky thought it was certainly a very difficult opponent to deal with.


    By this time, the huge shadow had moved and directly jumped towards Zander to land a fierce at


    f crazy people, aren''t you?" Zander said. Although he shouted loudly to show his disagreement, he also took off his clothes following the others.


    In the end, everyone was stripped except for Rocky. As a result, a group of naked people stood side by side, and the scene was indeed a bit funny if not for their current situation.


    Afterward, Rocky pointed to the nearby pond of mud and said, "You all go in there and hide quietly. After I lead the spirit-manipulated beast away, you can come out."


    "Rocky, you''d better not fool me, or I will...". Zander threatened him by showing a menacing look, but he also knew that if Rocky had not saved him at the most critical moment, he probably would have been dead by now.


    Soon enough, Zander and the others all jumped into the mud and hid themselves.


    Rocky picked up all the clothes Zander and the others had taken off, then suddenly disappeared.


    A moment later, the shadow appeared near the pond of mud. It constantly twisted its head and sniffed around, trying to find the group of people by following the scent left by them.


    At the sight of the huge beast, Zander held his breath to avoid making a sound. He hid motionless in the mud, for fear of making any noise and be discovered by the beast. When seeing the beast getting closer and closer, Zander could not help but curse Rocky in his head, as he felt cheated by that two-faced guy.


    The spirit manipulators saw that the beast was approaching the pond of mud and was about to find them. However, it raised its head suddenly, as if to realize something important, quickly turned around and ran away.


    Upon seeing the beast run away, Zander and the other spirit manipulators finally breathed a sigh of relief. It was a close call to death. They thought that they were going to be found by that horrible beast. Knowing their weakness in combat, they knew that they were likely to die had they been discovered by the beast.

 Chapter 132 I Am Not Dead

    "What are you guys waiting for? Let''s run! That fella will live forever in our hearts," Zander crawled out of mud and shouted. He then took a direction and ran like his life depended on it. Watching, Thor and the rest thought that Rocky was dead already so they followed Zander''s lead.


    At this moment, Rocky appeared besides that pool of mud, a devilish smile on his face.


    Zander, leading the sixth squad to find other remaining spirit manipulators, ran for the better part of the night, until they were too tired to continue anymore.


    "Do you think Rocky could be still alive? We should not have left him behind. I mean, after all, he is the one that saved us," Joss said with grief.


    "He gave his life so that our entire squad could live. He finally did something good back there." Zander nonchalantly answered his colleagues. For a long time, he had wished Rocky dead.


    That very moment, light popped on, catching Zander and his men by surprise. A group of spirit manipulators from the northeast military camp had come searching for them.


    Immediately Zander identified them, and called them over.


    Those soldiers and a couple of spirit manipulators came immediately. They were a little shocked to see Zander and his men were stark naked and baked in mud.


    When all the three squads assigned to the Maze Forest had failed to report in since last night, the Commander led a search party, looking for them all around. These soldiers along with the spirit manipulator from the second squad had gone out to search for their missing colleagues.


    Soon after Zander and the rest of the sixth squad were brought to a tent outside of the Maze Forest.


    The portiere was drawn up and then a woman in a silver armor appeared in front of everyone.


    "Commander Ma!" Everyone, including the spirit manipulators, soldiers and the rescued sixth squad, shouted in surprise.


    If Rocky were here, he would have been astonished too as this was Marin Ma, twenty-three years old, the same lady he had met at the beast stall. It had not occurred to Rocky that she was the Commander of the northeast military camp, let alone a royal spirit manipulator at the first grade of the Heavenly Stage. She was born and raised in a family with generations of military service. A few years back, she lost her parents and all siblings and close relatives in the war. Marin bore the dying will of her father. And thanks to her charisma, she had quickly risen through military ranks to become a royal spirit manipulator. Her dedication to military services for her country was exemplary. Although she was very young and a lady, she was a competent leader who readily earned the


    ported after a bit hesitation.


    "Speak." Marin nodded her approval.


    "It was not Zander who led us out of there. To the contrary we were almost killed following Zander''s orders." Joss could no longer hold it back.


    "That is right! It was not Zander who saved us." Thor joined Joss.


    At once, Marin frowned at their claim.


    The other soldiers exchanged curious gazes, gleeful to see the sixth squad turning on each other.


    "Commander, they must be jealous of my reward. Let''s not get sidetracked." Zander had never thought that Thor and Joss would defy him for the protection of Rocky. They had always been cowards. It was on that assumption of their lack of a spine that he openly tried to defame Rocky for his own benefit.


    "Commander, they could all testify against him." Thor pointed to the other spirit manipulators.


    However, his colleagues were undecided. As they looked at Zander in confusion, they knew he was no doubt hoping they would keep quiet. Marin, too, was staring at them with keen interest. Fearing for their lives, they did not wish to go against Zander, so they chose to remain quiet.


    "Speak! Rocky gave his life for us! You guys have no honor! You''re wretched cowards!" Joss was livid at their lack of courage and principles.


    "Commander, these two...... They just want the attention. I saved their lives yet they came back at me over a dead teammate. I will see to it that they learn a lesson." Zander threatened, smiling insidiously. Rocky had not returned yet so he must be dead. With no other witness willing to step up, it was almost certain that the credit would fall onto him.


    But just then, the unexpected happened. Out of the blue, a figure emerged from the Maze Forest and appeared in front of everyone. "I am not dead!"

 Chapter 133 Rocky Becomes A Squad Leader

    "I can''t believe it. It''s you! Why you didn''t die?" Zander was dumbfounded when he saw the person in front of him. He was terrified out of his senses.


    Zander thought that it was impossible he could have survived, yet the person standing in front of him was none other than Rocky.


    "Why can''t I live?" Rocky replied with a sneer. Rocky was not only able to save the lives of Zander and the others, he was also able to save his own life. Using the clothes they had taken off, Rocky had successfully diverted the attention of the spirit-manipulated beast from him. Then, he managed get himself to safety. While Zander and the others had to run for their lives all night long, Rocky took his time and even managed to sleep for a while.


    Rocky easily recognized Marin. It was the beautiful lady who had bathed in the beast stable that day. He remembered how he was sexually aroused upon seeing her figure. When he saw her now, she was beautifully-dressed and was being escorted by the big crowds surrounding her. ''Zander called her commander before. If Zander was not mistaken, she must be the Commander in the northeast military camp. I didn''t expect her to look so young and beautiful. It seems that she is in the possession of the war dragon. It was very clear that she is above the Heavenly Stage. Luckily for me, I didn''t perform sexual acts on her that day. Otherwise, if this stunning beauty had beaten me up, my tortured flesh must have been torn to shreds.'' Rocky thought to himself.


    At the same time, Marin also recognized Rocky. ''It was him who peeped at me when I was at the beast stall!'' Marin thought, her face flushing in an unusual way. Marin looked into Rocky''s eyes and saw him staring at her lustfully. Marin subconsciously adjusted her clothes and her hair.


    "Rocky, you''re still alive. That''s great. Zander has invented a tale about you. He told us that you were disobedient with the orders. It was obviously a total fabrication. It was you who saved our lives! Can you imagine how absurd he is? This thick-skinned Zander is even hoping to receive a reward. And the others, they are drunken brutes." Thor and Joss told Rocky. They were delighted to see that Rocky had come back alive and kicking.


    "Forget it! Don''t say any more about it. I am glad you two are fine. I don''t care about the others," Rocky replied. He took Zander''s words and deeds lightly.


    Rocky did not realize that his reply had caused a stir. Others all knew that Zander was afraid of death. How could he have kept his composure in the face of danger and managed to avoid the spirit-manipulated beast, and at the same time, lead the sixth squad to flee to safety?


    Marin also seemed a bit suspicious about Zander. She glanced at Rocky. Then, she looked at Zander sharply, as if shooting daggers at him


    Evan''s appearance caused a stir in the military camp. Murmurs were heard from the crowd.


    "Evan deserves to be called a spirit manipulator at the third grade of the Earthly Stage. He had killed the spirit-manipulated beast so easily and neatly. You know, the third squad and the fifth squad both suffered badly from that spirit-manipulated beast."


    "Indeed. In terms of combat capability, Evan ranks fourth only after our Commander and the two Deputy Commanders in our camp."


    "If our Commander is transferred back to the base camp, Evan will likely be promoted to Deputy Commander."


    For a while, all the spirit manipulators felt delighted to talk about Evan.


    Rocky listened as he observed the dead spirit-manipulated beast, whose combat capability was at the first grade of the Earthly Stage. By intuition, Rocky felt something was wrong so he stood up and took a closer look at the dead spirit-manipulated beast. Rocky examined it closely and discovered that it was quite different from the one he had seen last night.


    Rocky examined the dead spirit-manipulated beast meticulously. Suffice it to say that Rocky had made a minor achievement in his Beast Evaluation Skill.


    ''This spirit-manipulated beast is not the one I saw last night, '' Rocky thought to himself. However, he did not say it out loud. He knew that even if he had said so, no one would have believed him. However, his thoughts were on it. He couldn''t shake off the fact that they killed the wrong beast. He decided to investigate the issue by himself.


    Half an hour later, Marin led all the spirit manipulators and hundreds of soldiers back to the military camp.


    But Rocky did not go back. Instead, he sneaked off and hid himself away behind a tall tree without anyone noticing. When Marin and the soldiers were out of sight, Rocky immediately went back to the Maze Forest.

 Chapter 134 New Danger

    The reason why Rocky went back to the Maze Forest was because he wanted to confirm his speculations that the spirit-manipulated beast killed by Evan was not the same spirit-manipulated beast that hunted the sixth squad. It was different in size and there was no knife wound on its forearm which meant that there could be two spirit-manipulated beasts of the same category that attacked the three squads.


    Something really troubled him about the spirit-manipulated beast that hunted them the previous night. He had a bald guess so he went to see for himself in order to confirm his theory. Although he wanted to know if his speculations were right, he was still concerned about going back to the Maze Forest because he knew how dangerous it was. The fact that his extraordinary strength was at the Earthly Stage gave him a lot of courage. Additionally, he also knew that the spirit-manipulated beast had already been wounded by him and it made him much more confident that this journey would be relatively less dangerous.


    Once he entered the Maze Forest, Rocky retraced his steps quickly to get to where he distracted that spirit-manipulated beast. It was near the mud pool where Zander and the others hid last night.


    Rocky spotted a trail of blood along the way which he believed was from the wounded spirit-manipulated beast. He decided to follow the trail in hopes of finding the whereabouts of the spirit-manipulated beast. Last night, Rocky used Zander and the others'' clothes to draw the attention of the spirit-manipulated beast. Upon seeing the spot where he threw the clothes and the trail of blood, Rocky spotted a small cave where a regular person could barely fit.


    Weeds sprung outside the cave as they partially hid the entrance and made it difficult to find it without observing very closely. It seemed as if the spirit-manipulated beast knew clearly how to find a safe spot to hide and recover. If Rocky had not looked carefully, he would definitely have missed the spot.


    Although he knew that the spirit-manipulated beast was wounded, Rocky did not enter the cave recklessly. He waited outside the cave as he wished to get a peep on any movement inside. To his disappointment, it was extremely quiet inside the cave. Even the grass and trees that flourished were all motionless and did not show anything that could be helpful to Rocky''s investigation. Rocky started to believe that the spirit-manipulated beast might''ve been searching for food. He approached the cave cautiously with light steps as he entered the opening.


    The moment he entered the cave, he found that there was another world hidden inside the cave. Compared to its exterior cramped with springing weeds and flourishing trees, it was much more spatial on the inside. Furthermore, the ground inside the cave was slightly higher with the entire cave and it consisted


    Rocky did not have any other choice but to cut it open to get its baby. However once opened up, the chances of the spirit-manipulated beast surviving would definitely decrease to nothing.


    At that moment, the spirit-manipulated beast twitched in pain as its red eyes were still glued on Rocky as if it was trying to tell Rocky that it knew the condition it was in. It then looked at Rocky affectionately as if it was trying to say something to Rocky.


    "I know. I understand and I will try my best. I am going to save your child. But it might be painful for you and I''m not sure if you could survive it." Rocky looked at it tenderly. The only way was to cut it open and deliver the baby directly from its belly. Otherwise, if this labor lasted any longer, Rocky wouldn''t be able to save the baby as well.


    The spirit-manipulated beast flipped its body as it lied sideways, revealing its belly to Rocky and curling up its extremities as if it was prepared for what was about to come next.


    Rocky fetched his Frozen Wind Dagger and looked at the spirit-manipulated beast that was blinking at him constantly. Without further ado, Rocky used the Frozen Wind Dagger to carefully and slowly slit open its belly. The moment he did, blood gushed out from the opening and stained the grass underneath its body.


    The spirit-manipulated beast howled in pain as it was refraining itself from moving too much so that Rocky would have less trouble in making the delivery. It was shaking violently yet it did not move an inch.


    After Rocky made his incision, he reached his hands down into the opening and found the baby that felt like a pile of flesh and body tissues. He then held it out carefully with both of his hands. The baby spiritual beast was covered in blood and its eyes were still closed. It was very small, even smaller than Uriah when Rocky first met it and it could be held with a single hand.

 Chapter 135 Real Losers

    Born after a long labor, the cub breathed faintly as if struggling to survive. Its skin was blue, which wasn''t normal. The cub was no doubt in a dangerous situation.


    From a small bag, Rocky immediately took out a half-full bottle of magical saliva, which he had collected after he got into the military camp. The previous magical saliva he possessed ran out in the fierce fight in the Witch Palace. So this half-full bottle of magical saliva was literally his only treasure now. Despite that, he did not hesitate to share this to the struggling cub. He opened the cub''s mouth with his fingers, placed the bottle right before its mouth, and removed it after the cub licked the bottle once. He was worried that the cub couldn''t endure the strong effect of the saliva so the small portion should be enough. He then gently massaged its breast with his fingers.


    The saliva didn''t bring the cub to life right away. It made him worried, but he had strong faith that the cub would recover. A few moments later, its skin color gradually turned red and its breathing became smooth. Rocky breathed a sigh of relief.


    The spirit-manipulated beast howled weakly and stared at Rocky and the cub in his hands. It was like it was asking about its baby''s health.


    "It is very healthy," Rocky said to the beast. The beast began licking its baby when Rocky brought the cub near it. The cub gradually opened its eyes and its eyes were full of light, which was likely a response to its mother''s summon.


    Seeing its baby was sound and safe, the beast started to close its eyes slowly. Actually, it was almost dead but it had to bear to the last moment until it saw its baby. Despite the struggle, it had to at least make sure that the baby was safe.


    The beast turned to Rocky and shed a single tear before shutting its eyes. Rocky knew it was a request and an expectation. Rocky saved the cub''s life which showed how responsible and trustworthy he was.


    "I''ll tak


    tand why Marin promoted Rocky to captain. No one believed it was Rocky''s capability but his luck that helped him bring the whole sixth squad back to the camp safe and sound.


    The rumor about Rocky was now heatedly discussed in the camp. So he was for sure a well-known person right now. Rocky did not like the attention he was getting.


    Rocky was stopped by two guards who were the spirit manipulators at the fourth grade of the Mortal Stage. Seeing him ragged and in a torn military rope, they shouted at him, "Who are you? Do you know where this is? This is the commander''s tent. You piece of trash, get away from here!"


    "I''m the new captain of the sixth squad. The commander asked me to come." Rocky glanced at them, answering nonchalantly. He didn''t like their tones but he didn''t care enough to engage them into an argument.


    "Ah. So the loser captain are you." The two guards surveyed him with scorn, "What a loser."


    "What is the commotion out there?" From the tent came an authoritative female voice.


    The two guards were scared out of their wits upon hearing the voice. They signaled Rocky at once to get in.


    Rocky looked at them with disdain, thinking they were the real losers. However, they were not worth his time and energy. He rolled his eyes and walked towards the tent.

 Chapter 136 Many Secrets

    Afterwards, Rocky strode into the camp. Once inside, he saw that it was very simple. Actually, there was nothing appealing to him except a few red-painted tables and chairs.


    Meanwhile, Marin was sitting behind a wide red-painted table in the middle of the camp, watching carefully a copy of the battlefield report just handed in by her subordinates. When she saw Rocky come in, she immediately put down the battlefield report. She examined Rocky from head to feet and then motioned to him. "Please take a seat."


    Upon hearing what Marin said, Rocky tried to avoid some of the hypocrisy and politeness. After nodding his head, he sat aside and asked, "Commander, is there anything I can do for you today?"


    "I checked your background and found out that you were exiled from the Imperial City for penal servitude, but I didn''t find any detailed information about you. Besides, I also heard that it was some royal spirit manipulators who sent you here." Marin''s beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. She was trying to probe Rocky with her stares. As soon as she came back, she sent someone to investigate Rocky''s origin and history, and she immediately found something unusual about him.


    When Rocky was sent here, his identity was completely kept a secret. Only the royal spirit manipulators who sent him had revealed their identities. They said something about Rocky''s exile but did not say anything else about Rocky''s identity. So, of course, she couldn''t find out the detailed information about Rocky. He was like a person who had no past. It was no wonder that Marin felt strange and curious about this, and she immediately called Rocky here to question him.


    "Yes, that''s right. Is there a problem about my identity?" Rocky said with a frown, his eyes turning defensive. He didn''t expect Marin to be quite smart and quick-witted. It surprised him that she began to doubt his identity in such a short period of time.


    "What do you think?" Marin asked as she glared at Rocky with her sharp and beautiful eyes. Her smile faded gradually. It was obviously illogical for a seemingly weak spirit manipulator to be personally sent to exile by the royal spirit manipulators. She knew there was something more to it than what they were letting on. She had to figure out the true reasons.


    If Rocky was sent to exile because he had committed some major crimes, of course there was no problem with that. It was a normal thing and a common occurrence. However, what kind of crime had he committed? It was unbelievable that he should have to be escorted to exi


    therwise, he would not have thought of using mud to hide their smell to avoid being chased by the spirit-manipulated beast. If they had not completely covered their tracks with the mud, the sixth team might have been wiped out.


    "If you have nothing else to say, I''ll go first." Rocky, however, took her words in complete disregard. He sneered, and without waiting for Marin to speak, he stood up and went away.


    "This guy..." At this point, Marin''s beautiful face was flushed once again. However, this time it wasn''t from embarrassment. She couldn''t help turning red out of anger, and she desperately wanted to call Rocky back and give him a good beating to vent out her anger. Who the hell was he to provoke her in such a way? Why did she have to meet such a troublesome being? That was unfair! Truthfully, the reason why she named Rocky as the leader of the sixth team was actually a little out of her own self-interest. It was because she was afraid that Rocky would tell others what he saw in the stable that day. After all, she was the commander of this military camp. If that kind of thing was spread out, it would definitely have a bad effect on her. She had a reputation to keep. Worse, since she was a female, she definitely could not let others know about it. Therefore, she decided to promote Rocky to be a small leader, which was a disguised bribe with an intention to let him keep her secret. Anyway, the sixth team couldn''t perform any important tasks, so it didn''t make any difference who would be its leader. It intrigued her why Rocky seemed to take no interest in becoming a small leader. Others would have done anything to get that position. She was definitely full of surprises.

 Chapter 137 Beginning To Bring Up Little Rubygon

    Much to Marin''s chagrin, she was beginning to realize that she had shot herself in the foot by promoting Rocky as the team leader. His polished sarcasm rhetoric really embarrassed her. However, she couldn''t do anything at the moment. After all, she had just promoted him. It would be strange for her to downgrade him immediately only because he pissed her off in front of other people. That would cause a plethora of suspicions which would result in a more complexly difficult situation.


    "What kind of a secret is this guy trying so hard to hide?" Marin was not stupid. She could sense that Rocky had something secret that he tried to conceal from other people. How did he end up being sent into exile to this kind of dangerous border? Marin was curious about these hidden aspects of his history and was eager to figure it all out.


    After Rocky left the camp of the commander, he saw Evan surrounded by a crowd of followers who were all kissing up to him. Evan had distinguished himself in the execution of the task they just participated in. What they were doing now was not unexpected. Rocky could not help but laugh to himself as he caught sight of the fawning crowds.


    Evan recognized Rocky, and stopped abruptly, smiling at him. "Hah, congratulations! As a rookie who had arrived in the military camp for just a few days, it is a surprise to have ascended to the position as a team leader."


    "If you like, I''m ready to step down for you to fill the void," Rocky replied in his calm manner. He was really talented at sarcasm.


    "Well, that''s very generous of you. But, no, thank you. It is only befitting for the kind of talent like you. You have to be good enough to be the leader of a rubbish team," Evan replied with a sullen face.


    "Oh, Why! It kind of reminds me of the famous fable ''The Fox and the Grapes''! I''m sorry if you''re heartbroken to realize that you will never be as good as me!" Rocky guffawed loudly before departing abruptly and gracefully.


    Evan burst into a fury as Rocky ended the conversation. In an uncontrollable rage, he shouted at Rocky''s back, "Who the hell do you think you are? You lowly bastard! Let''s wait and see how long can you keep that arrogant manner! Never forget what I said today. Sooner or later, I will make you crawl before me to lick my shoes!"


    When Rocky returned to his room, he saw that little Rubygon was finally able to stand on its own feet. But it was not that strong and still teetered precariously. It kept hop


    moment, an old man walked out of the house beside the sheepfold with a bowl of water in his hands. He was holding it out to Rocky.


    "Thank you, Sir." Rocky stood up immediately and took the water from the old man. Then, he asked, "Is this your sheepfold?"


    The old man nodded his head.


    "Little Rubygon has been benefitting from the milk of your ewe. I shall make it up to you," Rocky said immediately


    "No, no need. It''s no problem. It is just a bit of milk," The old man said amiably.


    "Grandpa, how can you dare go out?" At this moment, Rocky saw a young teenaged girl walked out of the house. Though she was still practically a child, her beauty was already evident. Her pair of flashing eyes were big, like a peaceful lake rippling gracefully. She would grow up to be a beauty.


    "That''s alright. I think this young man is quite friendly. I don''t think he''s the same as the other ones," the old man replied to her.


    "You can''t just judge a person by his looks. Last month, those guys robbed us of two sheep and other poultry from our neighbors. They were truly bandits." The girl looked at Rocky with some hostility emanating from her gaze.


    "Who are those guys? Rocky heard the girl''s complaint, and asked curiously.


    "They are..." The old man stopped the girl who was about to reveal the identity of the robbers.


    Observing the countenance of the old man and the girl, Rocky knew there must be something happening in this village before. No wonder the villagers were so afraid of his presence. But he did not press further since they did not want to tell him. He had to be patient and considerate with these traumatized people.

 Chapter 138 A Great Shockwave

    After chatting with the old man for a while, Rocky found out that the old man''s name was Jackson Chen. That girl he met, was his granddaughter, Sue Chen. People in these villages had lived here for generations. Even though it was dangerous to live here at the Gehenna Border, they had already become accustomed to living under constant crisis and the burning flame of war.


    While Rocky was talking to the old man, Sue Chen noticed that little Rubygon had begun drinking milk from a goat. Admiring his tiny chubby body, Sue Chen couldn''t help but smile. "It is so cute!" She came forward almost involuntarily and touched it gently with her fingers. Seeing that little Rubygon wasn''t averse to her touch, she took it up in her arms delicately.


    "Sue, don''t touch someone else''s..." Jackson Chen tried to stop her.


    "It''ll be okay." Rocky looked at Sue Chen with a smile on his face and said, "Its name is Rubygon."


    "I did not ask you!" As her expressions gave away, Sue Chen was obviously not fond of Rocky. She glared at him as if to make him back off and hugged little Rubygon even tighter. She immediately turned to little Rubygon. "So your name is Rubygon. You are very adorable, but you have such a terrible name. Why don''t we just call you Mimi? Do you like this name, my little love?"


    Rocky instinctively laughed. He thought to himself, ''Ha-ha! Mimi sounds like a cat''s name!''


    "Rocky, unfortunately, I have spoiled my granddaughter too much. I apologize for her rude behavior. Please, don''t mind her," Jackson Chen said apologetically.


    Rocky waved his head actively to assure him he wasn''t hurt. He also let Sue Chen play with little Rubygon for a while. But when the time was almost up, he said goodbye to both of them and left with Rubygon.


    Half a month passed by in the blink of an eye.


    Although Rocky was named captain of the sixth team, the crew was largely idle except for vain routine patrols. It felt like he was


    ts star rating.


    This meant that if he could not quantify little Rubygon''s rating from the glow, little Rubygon was at least three stars. A three stars rated beast was already considered a pretty good one. If it were to turn out to be a four-star one, it would be really a big deal.


    However, generally speaking, a spirit manipulator could only control one spirit-manipulated beast. So, no matter how strong little Rubygon was, it would still not be controled by Rocky, since he already had Uriah.


    "Can I only identify you as a powerful spirit-manipulated beast but not control you?" Rocky saw little Rubygon rolling back and forth on the spot. Of course, little Rubygon in its prime years, was only thinking about playing. He smiled with a helpless expression on his face.


    Rocky was not one to give up so easily. He thought to himself, ''Why should every spirit manipulator just be able to manipulate only one spirit-manipulated beast?'' Going with the surge of feelings, he decided he must find a way to break this tradition. So he could make little Rubygon his own spirit-manipulated beast. Fearlessly, he set out on a journey to study how to control two spirit-manipulated beasts at the same time.


    If Rocky managed to pull this off, he would send shockwaves throughout the world...

 Chapter 139 Gene Technology

    Rocky was one of the best gene scientists in the world, and there was no denying that. Despite his level of expertise, developing a method to control two spirit-manipulated beasts simultaneously remained to be a difficult task. No spirit manipulator had the ability to control two beasts at the same time, at least, that was what Rocky knew.


    The relationship between a spirit manipulator and a spirit-manipulated beast was like of a key and a lock''s. They just simply fit together. When the blood of the spirit manipulator entered a spirit-manipulated beast, a unique spiritual bond between the two was formed. The spiritual power-filled blood was used by the beast to lock on its master, as if to imprint. This master-beast relationship was so strong; it would only be broken if one of them were to die. They were bound so tightly they could feel whatever the other was sensing. This mutual perception enabled them to locate each other no matter the distance between them.


    According to the Beast Encyclopedia, the reason behind the strength of the bond between the spirit manipulator and the spirit-manipulated beast was the beast itself. Their unique connection empowered the beast. Hence, the stronger their connection was, the more powerful the beast grew. If the spirit manipulator held the same power as the spirit-manipulated beast, the pair could perform Spirit Possession.


    Rocky knew how powerful Spirit Possession was. He witnessed in the Dragon Birth Festival how this process could heighten the ability of the spirit manipulator. During Spirit Possession, the spirit manipulator was given the chance to improve their strength by merging theirs with the spirit-manipulated beast''s. With this, they could double their power. Once it was done, they would have fused together as a single unit.


    A powerful beast could give a spirit manipulator more benefits than a weak one. In essence, the more powerful a spirit-manipulated beast was, the more it could give to its spirit manipulator. It was usually one spirit manipulator to one spirit-manipulated beast. An additional beast was a liability, and offered no additional benefits. Instead of providing more strength to the spirit manipulator, an extra spirit-manipulated beast could only bring chaos to its master. Keeping two beasts under control was something beyond a sole spirit manipulator. Given that, no one ever tried owning more than a single beast.


    Currently, Rocky and Uriah were almost at the same level of power. Uriah''s capabilities were of the second grade of three stars. Its power was at par with the spirit manipulator at the first grade of the Earthly Stage. Rocky was just at this level. Had Uriah leveled up even in the slightest, its abilities might have bumped it up into the Heavenly Stage and Rocky would not be able to control Uriah by then.


    The


    on any harm while performing his experiment.


    This would be a very long process. His patience was of utmost importance, and if he were to lose it, it would become an instant failure.


    "Cute little thing, I''m sorry you have to suffer." Rocky patted its fluffy head as he pointed the Stroking Evaluation Skill to its cranium. He used the said device to evaluate Rubygon''s brain structure. Acting as a scanner, it helped transfer the spiritual power into the beast''s body and examined its body structure.


    It was actually because of the Stroking Evaluation Skill that he beat Carter in the Super Beast Farm. The Stroking Evaluation Skill was a basic Beast Evaluation Skill in the Magical Evaluation Skill. The higher one''s cultivation base was, the better their Beast Evaluation Skill would be. It would be of help in identifying the properties other Beast Evaluation Skills could not identify. The Magical Evaluation Skill was very difficult to understand and extremely enigmatic.


    Rocky evaluated Rubygon''s brain structure with the Stroking Evaluation Skill. The knowledge he got from the modern world allowed him to figure out the function of each part. Finally, he found the area that controlled its thoughts, which was as small as a walnut.


    "This will be painful. Please endure it," Rocky hushed at Rubygon, as if comforting it. He then gathered his spiritual power at the tip of his finger. The power he was harnessing in his fingertip was in the first grade of the Mortal Stage, not enough to hurt its brain.


    Rocky gently touched Rubygon''s head to transfer his spiritual power into its brain. With that one little gesture, he was able to stimulate its cranial nerves.


    After some time, Rubygon started showing signs of discomfort. It was Rocky''s cue to stop administering his spiritual power upon its brain. They continued again when Rubygon gestured it was feeling better.

 Chapter 140 A New Mission

    Rocky understood a watched pot never boiled. So, after half an hour, he stopped waiting and lifted little Rubygon, who was already asleep in his arms, and laid it on the bed. He asked Uriah to take care of it, then left the house and went to the beast farm to get some food for it. Right now, in addition to breastfeeding, Rocky had started to feed little Rubygon some meat and vegetables in order to strengthen his body.


    Not long after leaving the house, Rocky noticed that people looked at him with disdain and derision on their face. But it was usual for him. He had been the talk of the northeast military camp ever since he''d been made captain of the sixth team. A lot of people were of the opinion that it was a huge mistake. Hence, he''d been reduced to nothing but a joke in the camp. They were waiting for the sixth team to make a big mistake. In their opinion, letting a loser like Rocky become captain of the team would only result in trouble. This team would be destined to be made fun of.


    Although, under his captain-ship, the sixth team hadn''t really made a fool of themselves for now. That was only because they hadn''t had a chance to do it. It had been a while since the sixth team''s last mission. In the absence of any other serious missions, they had only been patrolling. As a result, Rocky had plenty of free time as the captain. If there was anything that needed to be dealt with, he would just hand it to Joss and Thor. Therefore, in addition to bringing little Rubygon to the village to borrow milk every day, Rocky was hiding in the house, cultivating day and night.


    However, the progress of this cultivation was indeed unsatisfactory. Even with the assistance of the magical saliva, Rocky''s progress was not as rapid as it had been in the Mortal Stage. Moreover, even though Rocky had the spiritual crystal with him, he could not use it because the power of the Holy Dragon Bead in his body was sealed.


    Actually, besides the spiritual crystal, there was a variety of treasures in the world which could help improve spiritual power. However, all of them were extremely precious. Consequently, they were also rare.


    According to the current progress of cultivation, Rocky would need at least a few months to upgrade to the second grade of the Earthly Stage. Even if he was smart enough, he could not come up with a shorter way to speed up his cultivation and became stronger.


    In truth, Rocky was quite lucky. He already had the magical saliva with him and could use it as an assistant in his cultivation. It was a very valuable asset. Generally speaking, any regular spirit manipulator, who wanted to cultivate from the Earthly Stage to the Heavenly Stage, needed to spend ten or twenty years to do so. Logically speaking, with the assistance of magical saliva, one could surely reach the H


    ther teams will be definitely impressed!" Thor said with excitement. The other members of the team were also very keen for the mission.


    But Rocky''s expression was tensed. Even though the route to be taken was safe, they needed to be very careful. The Gehanna Border was a very dangerous place. No one could foresee what could happen on the mission. It seemed it was necessary for him to take Uriah with him this time.


    "Thor, you guys go to the logistics and get the military supplies. Wait for me two miles to the west of the military camp. I will meet you there right after I finish some errands," Rocky added.


    When he got back to the house, he picked little Rubygon in his arms, who was still asleep. He then asked Uriah to follow him to sneak out of the military camp. Then, they went to the village, which was to the east of the military camp.


    At the village, Rocky saw Sue playing with the local children. He walked toward her.


    "Have you come to borrow milk again?" Sue shouted in his direction. She pouted, looking at him walking toward her with Rubygon in his arms.


    "Do me a favor!" Rocky continued.


    "Really? Why should I help you?" Sue asked with a snort.


    "I need to find a nanny for little Rubygon. I just got a new mission, and may not be back for a couple of days. I need someone to look after my little Rubygon. If you don''t want to help, I will find someone else," Rocky said, and was about to turn around to leave. Sue didn''t reply, only staring at him intently.


    Sue suddenly tore little Rubygon out of Rocky''s arm. "You are so pathetic! Even though I don''t want to, I will take care of little Rubygon, but for its sake, not yours!" she said and ran away from him without wasting another second.


    Behind her, Rocky stood with a slight smile on his face. He then went to meet Uriah and together they headed to the decided meeting point...

 Chapter 141 Capable Of Finishing The Task

    After arriving at the meeting place which was about two miles west of the military camp, Rocky saw that the sixth squad''s spirit manipulators were all gathered there, with only three of them carrying their own spirit-manipulated beasts. The remaining spirit manipulators'' beasts, including Thor''s and Joss''s, all had disappeared last time during the incident in the Maze Forest. It was believed that the missing beasts could have been eaten alive by the wild spirit-manipulated beasts in the Maze Forest.


    However, in Rocky''s opinion, those spirit-manipulated beasts were just low grade wild war beasts that they were not of much value. It wouldn''t be a pity if they were lost.


    "Captain¡­" as soon as Thor saw Rocky, he called. He let out a smile and looked as if he were relieved to see him. They were about to carry out a task. Without Rocky''s lead, Thor was unsure how to do it.


    Uriah, Rocky''s war beast, whose appearance looked fancy and whose personality was awesome, immediately caught the attention of the remaining spirit manipulators and their eyes brightened.


    Except for Thor and Joss, the other spirit manipulators of the sixth squad had not seen Uriah before. They gathered around the beast and stared at it with curiosity and fascination in their eyes. Uriah was much bigger than other spirit-manipulated beasts. At the same time, it also looked as dynamic as a tiger and full of momentum. Nobody would regard it as a low-grade spirit-manipulated beast.


    "Captain, is this your spirit-manipulated beast? Wow, it looks so cool!"


    "I guess it is a two-star war beast? It is so amazing!"


    "What does it usually eat? It''s hard to believe that a war beast can grow so big..."


    The spirit manipulators immediately surrounded Rocky and Uriah and said one after another. They threw him so many questions about his beast. Rocky knew that they were flattering him and his war beast. However, he was not at all amused. He did not like the crowded space nor the endless questions.


    "Stop the idle chatter!" Rocky snarled. He looked around with his cold eyes, and immediately the other spirit manipulators were intimidated and zipped their lips. He didn''t like being flattered as he believed it was just useless.


    "Set out now." Rocky withdrew his eyes and gave the order simply. Obviously, he had already established authority among his subordinates.


    Soon afterwards, the sixth squad set out and escorted three carts of provisions and fodder to the outpost at the west side of the front line.


    The route to the outpost was divided into three parts. The first part was a winding canyon with its surrounding areas undulating. It was a place where the wild spirit-manipulated beasts seldom showed up, so this part could be thought as a quite safe place. It was free from the attacks of wild beasts. However, from time to time, some robbers who were also spirit manipulators would show up there and rob those who passed by of all their possessions.


    Although they were notorious robbers, they definitely knew better than to act rashly and rob the army. They weren''t stupid enough to make them their enemy. If they did that, the robbers knew they would be hunted down by the army.


    Rocky rescued them from the spirit-manipulated beast at the Earthly Stage, he had made them believe in his ability.


    Rocky glanced around the spirit manipulators of the sixth squad. The corners of his mouth curled up a little upon examining them. It seemed that they didn''t know that he had taken advantage of them last time. Therefore, they didn''t hate him and still regarded him as their savior.


    "Thor, you and Joss are responsible to lead the way. You should pay attention to the land under your feet and around, and don''t touch anything. The rest of you try to hide behind the carts," Rocky ordered at once.


    Soon, the sixth squad settled on a formation to march on, while Rocky was still at the end of the squad to protect them all.


    Sure enough, the sixth squad soon walked into a second trap. In the trap, they saw all sorts of arrows dashing towards them from all directions, like the quick falling rain in a storm. It was impossible to defend themselves effectively. However, thanks to Rocky''s pre-arrangement, the provisions and fodder on the carts became the good shield against the arrows for all the spirit manipulators. Then, they tried their own way to protect themselves from any possible harm.


    Finally, when the arrow rain came to an end, the sixth squad were all unharmed, except for two with minor injuries. ''What a narrow escape of death!'' they thought wildly.


    Then, under the calm command of Rocky, they got through another three traps safely. After that, they were in a ten-meter-long passage which was so narrow that it would only allow the pass of a single cart.


    During the same moment, three figures were hidden on the cliff above the narrow passage.


    "Well, I hate to admit but the weak squad is actually not that bad. Surprisingly, they were capable of avoiding the first five traps. There are not that many traps left on the way, but none of them have been killed so far," said the bald man.


    "Don''t worry! They must have passed the traps due to their good luck. Next time, they definitely will not be so lucky again," said the man with a scar, his mouth flashing a sinister smile.

 Chapter 142 Cold Stare

    Rocky contemplated as he saw that the path could only allow for the passage of one carriage at a time, with perilous cliffs on both sides. He then turned to the spirit manipulators of the sixth squad and commanded, "Each three of you push a carriage of supply through here. I will handle the last one myself."


    "Captain, how could we trouble you with such hard labor? Let us handle this!" The spirit manipulators from the sixth squad thought Rocky was trying to test their loyalty to him and volunteered to relieve him of his load.


    "Cut the chitchat. Let''s roll." Rocky stared at them coldly, hurrying them to carry out his order.


    Rocky was the leader of the sixth squad, so the spirit manipulators had to follow his orders without question. They split up into groups of two, each group in charge of one carriage, and pushed the two carriages through the narrow path. Rocky and Uriah were left with the supply carriage at the rear.


    All of a sudden, the quiet tranquility of the area was broken with the thundering sound of a giant rolling stone that emerged from one side of the cliff. It came tumbling down with great force, sending debris everywhere. Finally, it landed right on the narrow path and blocked its passage completely. If Rocky had not stayed behind with Uriah and the last supply carriage, they would have been killed. Fortunately, the rest of the sixth squad made it through the pass smoothly.


    The rest of the squad turned to the sound immediately and saw that the narrow path that they had just taken was blocked by a huge rock with their leader stuck behind it. They panicked instantly at this development as they had never encountered anything like this before. Without Rocky commanding them, they had no idea how to deal with the situation at hand.


    "Have we just walked into a trap by the enemy? The squad leader is stuck behin


    He quietly measured their strength and a plan began to form in his mind. Except for the man with a scar to his face, who was at the fourth grade of the Mortal Stage, the other two were only at the third grade of the Mortal Stage, which was nothing compared to Rocky''s level.


    "Brother, he must be scared shitless now after hearing our name!" the bald man laughed, looking satisfied with Rocky''s reaction.


    "Oh brother, he looks like he''s still okay! Unlike the others who typically pass out at the mention of our name. Looks we won''t have to do it ourselves though. Our spirit-manipulated beasts are more than enough to take care of him." The one in charge also looked complacent, convinced that Rocky was a pathetic weakling.


    The three spirit-manipulated beasts in front of them turned excited at hearing their masters'' command. They growled, showing their fangs, and brandished their claws. They looked utterly ferocious and were chomping at the bit to launch themselves at Rocky.


    "Howl!" Uriah bellowed, its voice stirring up a storm of dust, which was truly magnificent.


    The spirit-manipulated beasts in front of them started to shake at this sound and growled with fear. They were backing down at the mere sound of Uriah.

 Chapter 143 Windfall

    "Hey, you three stupid beasts, what''re you waiting for!? Are you out of your mind?" the bald man swore angrily, seeing their three spirit-manipulated beasts recoil at the roar of the strange creature that accompanied this weakling manipulator.


    Uriah was no longer squatting. Instead, it stood up and continued to move forward. Although it walked slowly, it gave off the aura of a master beast, imposing and fierce. And whenever it took a step, the three spirit-manipulated beasts grew even more fearful, and immediately stepped back.


    Uriah drew up and let forth another magnificent roar.


    The three spirit-manipulated beasts suddenly became as skittish as frightened fawns and began to flee in a scattered mess. They disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    The Three Powers at the Gehenna Border were stunned by this situation, their eyes wide open in surprise. They could never have anticipated that Rocky''s spirit-manipulated beast was strong enough to scare away their three beasts only by roaring! And to think that one of their beasts even had two-star strength! It was quite unbelievable! Then they looked at Uriah carefully and were shocked to discover that its appearance had changed. It now looked quite intimidating! With the fierce roar it had just made, it was discernibly quite a formidable spirit-manipulated beast. So they began to think about the possibility of stealing it from its master.


    "Brother, this spirit-manipulated beast looks pretty good! As long as we kill him, it''s ours!" the fat man said, his eyes shining with greed.


    "So, what the hell are you waiting for? Take him down!" the scarred man shouted at his two companions, gesturing towards Rocky.


    The fat man and the bald man glanced at each other, and immediately attacked Rocky from both sides. They confidently used their self-taught spiritual martial arts against him. They were still confident that killing him would be a piece of cake.


    "How pathetic you are! You chose to be robbers instead of being self-reliant. You are lowlier than a poor beggar who has no hands or feet. Even he knows how to earn his own bread. What''s the use of your limbs if this is what you use them for? Let me remove them for you!" Rocky''s eyes grew cold and steely, and as his spiritual power suddenly rose, he disappeared in front of them in a flash. The spirit manipulators of the sixth team were all the way behind the huge boulder. He no longer needed to hide his


    an unexpected natural disaster. For once, justice was served! These wicked men indeed deserved it.


    "Oh? Aren''t they the big-name Three Powers at the Gehenna Border?" Joss exclaimed in surprise.


    Everyone was shocked.


    "Are they famous?" Rocky asked immediately.


    "Captain, these three guys are notorious in this area. Though they aren''t very powerful, they are as sly as foxes. They used to rob local residents and attack businessmen who pass by. They are truly shrewd criminals. And they''re the most wanted criminals in our northeast military camp. There have been many attempts to arrest them, but they always managed to slip away. How unexpected that they''re now lying in front of us without putting up a fight at all!" Thor laughed out loud.


    "Alright, let''s move on." After hearing what he said, Rocky appeared indifferent.


    "Captain, why not take them with us?" Thor asked.


    "Why would we?" Rocky stared at him, puzzled.


    "Of course, we''ll take them back to get the reward! Seizing wanted criminals is a third-class merit at least. They are already here in front of us. There''s no reason for us to waste this chance! Our sixth squad has never won any merits!" Thor replied with great anticipation.


    The other spirit manipulators immediately nodded in agreement, excitement shining on all of their faces. Apparently, they all thought they were lucky to have such a windfall. Of course, they had no clue that this stroke of luck had actually been all thanks to their leader.


    Rocky had just wanted to teach the three pesky flies a lesson they wouldn''t forget, but inadvertently won honour for his squad.

 Chapter 144 A Huge Monster

    At the moment, however, Rocky wasn''t very enthusiastic. If they took these three guys back, those in the camp would find out that he had hidden his real strength. If he had known about what would have happened, he would have killed these three robbers right away. But right now, his team members'' faces were radiating with joy, as if they had just come upon a treasury. Rocky couldn''t think of an excuse to prevent them from taking the three guys captive and bringing them back. It would be suspicious to do so, and besides, for Thor and other spirit manipulators who had not already made a significant contribution, a small achievement like this one would be enough to satisfy them for the rest of their lives.


    After a moment of hesitation, Rocky looked at the Three Powers at the Gehenna Border who lay unconscious in the rubble and directed, "Tie them up and gag them with a piece of cloth."


    On hearing this, all the spirit manipulators of the sixth team immediately gathered around the three unconscious robbers and did as he instructed. They threw them into the hay cart together.


    After finishing this, all members of the sixth squad continued on their way.


    After they passed through the canyon safe and sound, the next part of the journey went very smoothly for them. After climbing a continuous and undulating section of a hillside, they walked for several more miles, before Rocky told everyone to take a rest and recover their strength. They had to restore their energy enough to cope with any unexpected obstacles that might come their way.


    At this time, the Three Powers at the Gehenna Border slowly began to come to their senses. Finding out that they had become prisoners, they immediately struggled like captured fish. Since their mouths were jammed with cloth, they whined desperately to get the others'' attention, and they glared at Rocky in great terror.


    When Rocky saw the Three Powers at the Gehenna Border wake up, he immediately took a look at the other spirit manipulators who were still at rest and found that they were not paying attention to the situation here. Then he immediately went to the Three Powers at the Gehenna Border and stared at them murderously. "You would be wise to treat what happened just now as if it had not happened. I want you to remember that heavy stones fell on you while you were robbing the hay truck. If you cooperate with me obediently, your lives will at least be saved, but if you can''t keep your mouth shut, I can''t say for sure what terrible things will happen to you. One thing I can make sure of is that your mouths will be shut forever without anyone so much as noticing. Are we clear? Just nod to let me know that you are willing to obey my orders."


    Upon hearing this, the Three Powers at the Gehenna Border glared at Rocky and they broke out in a cold sweat. It was obvious that they were deeply fearful. After exchanging g


    rushed to the village at once. As soon as they entered the village, they saw the corpses of many villagers. They had fallen to the ground covered in blood, as if they had been slain by some terrible attacks. Many of the houses were already on fire with fierce flames, and the rest of the villagers were gone.


    "Leader, there is a survivor here." At this time, Joss found a villager lying on the ground who was fighting for his life.


    Rocky hurried over. The villager looked so badly injured that he could hardly open his mouth to speak. Rocky put on a stern expression and he hesitated for moment. Then he immediately called to Thor and Joss, "Go and see if there are any other wounded survivors."


    Thor and Joss nodded and immediately took action, splitting up to cover more ground.


    When Rocky saw the two men leaving, he immediately took out the bottle containing the magical saliva from his silk back. Although the magical saliva was extremely precious, it was more important to save that villager''s life now, so he immediately let the injured villager swallow half a drop of it.


    Under the great effect of the magical saliva, the villager''s injuries improved immediately. His pale lips slightly moved, and his whole body suddenly twitched violently. He accidentally bumped into the bottle containing the magical saliva that Rocky was holding. Unfortunately, Rocky hadn''t got enough time to put it away and as the bottle jerked, half a drop of the magical saliva fell to the ground.


    "Who attacked the village?" Rocky did not notice the magical saliva falling to the ground and immediately asked the injured villager.


    "Mon... Monster... A huge monster!" The injured villager immediately cried out in horror and looked around in terror.


    All of a sudden, Rocky felt a violent tremor coming from underneath the ground where the village was situated. It seemed that something terrible was eager to show its presence.

 Chapter 145 Get Into Trouble

    At that point, Thor and Joss had already returned. Obviously, there weren''t any other wounded left. All the villagers had died.


    "Captain, what just happened here?" Thor and Joss asked as their faces turned pale.


    Rocky''s eyes turned cold the moment he sensed an aura of power equivalent to that of a spirit manipulator beyond the Earthly Stage from beneath the ground. However, Rocky was certain that it wasn''t a spirit manipulator.


    "It must be a spirit-manipulated beast... It seems that a wild spirit-manipulated beast attacked the village," Rocky said with utter certainty.


    All of a sudden, sand and stones splashed with a bang in the middle of the village. Something was about to rise from beneath the ground. The ground was trembling as the intense aura grew stronger that it was getting hard not to notice.


    "It''s coming!" Rocky said as he tried to stay sharp.


    Bang!


    After another deafening noise, a giant figure abruptly rushed out from the ground. It incessantly flapped its two iron wings as it produced gusts of sandstorms. The sand and stones thrown in the air almost blocked everyone''s vision.


    Startled by the unexpected giant figure, Thor and Joss turned pale in an instant. Apart from them, the spirit manipulators who were on standby out of the village were all stunned by what they just witnessed.


    Rocky was the only one who remained calm.


    "It must be at least a three-star wild spirit-manipulated beast at the second grade. I could sense that its aura''s definitely stronger than Uriah''s. Its power is equivalent to a spirit manipulator at the fifth grade of the Earthly Stage. I guess it must be a war beast," Rocky analyzed with his sober mind.


    The giant wild spirit-manipulated beast had two heads as if it was wearing a pair of helmets. With its body covered in black, it looked terrifyingly ferocious. It was in the shape of a big beetle with six vigorous and forcible legs that seemed like thin pillars. Its cyan big eyes were fiercely glaring at the three of them.


    All at once, as if it was attracted by something, the wild spirit-manipulated beast roared and ran towards them.


    "You two should take the villager to the other spirit manipulators and return to the northeast military camp as soon as possible to inform Commander Marin about the current situation here. Ask her to send people here for support." Rocky gave orders to Thor and Joss.


    "Captain, what about you? We shouldn''t leave you here by yourself," Thor asked while looking at Rocky.


    "We have already disturbed it. Do you understand? I''ve been spotted so I have to distract it and buy as much time as I could," Rocky replied.


    "That''s too dangerous!" Joss cried out.


    "Spare me the lecture. That is an order. Go now!" Rocky shouted as he noticed that the armored spirit-manipulated beast was approaching.


    After glancing at each other, Thor and Joss had no other choice but to follow his orders. They carried the injured villager to meet the spirit manipulators out of the village and headed straight to the northeast military camp together while escorting the Three Powers at the Gehenna Border. They travelled as fast as they could until they finally arrived.


    As for Rocky who was faced with the dash of the armored spirit-manipulated beast, he rapidly retreated with Uriah.


    come back yet.


    "Deputy Commander Chen, do you have any news about the sixth team and when they will return?" Marin asked.


    "I''m afraid not. In theory, they should be the first to return since their route is the shortest and safest. Knowing this, it''s definitely strange that they still haven''t returned. I''m worried that they might''ve encountered something unexpected," Deputy Commander Chen said anxiously.


    "Commander Marin, the sixth team is composed of underperforming members. It isn''t a wise decision to assign them to escort army provisions," Evan, the team leader of the first team, pointed out arrogantly.


    Upon hearing that, the other team leaders all whispered into each other''s ears. Like Evan, they all thought that the sixth team was a bunch of useless losers.


    "Evan, don''t be impertinent!" Deputy Commander Chen scolded.


    Marin just frowned. Though a little unhappy, she couldn''t deny the truth mentioned by Evan. For the sixth team, it was really beyond their abilities to escort army provisions successfully. However, she also had her own considerations, especially after Rocky became the team leader of the sixth team.


    To some extent, Marin acted on impulse when she decided to send the sixth team to carry out the escort mission. Because of Rocky''s cynical attitude and her curiosity towards him, she was desperate to know more about Rocky''s real power. She wanted to know what Rocky was really counting on, his power or his luck. Therefore, the escort mission was a challenge for Rocky. If Rocky failed to live up to her expectations, she would make other arrangements. Once anything went wrong in the sixth team, Rocky would suffer the consequences as the leader.


    At that point, a guard came in and reported, "Commander Marin, the sixth team has returned."


    "Ask Rocky to report to me at once," Marin ordered upon hearing the guard''s words.


    "Well... Rocky isn''t with them. Also, the spirit manipulators of the sixth team seem to have had a narrow escape from something unexpected..." the guard replied as he wore a weird expression.


    Hearing that, Marin immediately frowned. The other team leaders snickered. They all took pleasure in the sixth team''s trouble.

 Chapter 146 He Is A Hero

    Marin grew stern and left the camp of the commander with Deputy Commander Chen trailing behind. The other squad leaders followed her, curious to see how this would go.


    She saw the spirit manipulators of the sixth squad after she exited the camp. They were standing not too far away, perspiring and panting. They all looked unsettled and covered in dirt, as if they had been caught off guard by a sneak attack. She frowned at this scene. Naturally, she believed that the sixth squad had run into some kind of situation and the mission had failed. She walked towards them briskly with this assumption in mind.


    The spirit manipulators of the sixth squad, led by Thor and Joss, greeted Marin with great respect, even though they were still trying to catch their breaths. "Greetings! Commander!"


    "Where is your squad leader?" Marin asked harshly as Rocky was nowhere to be seen. She stared with disdain at the spirit manipulators of the sixth squad.


    "Commander..." Just as Thor was about to report the situation, a voice brimming with scorn rang out. "There is no need to ask! Psh! Their mission has obviously failed, so their squad leader deserted for fear of being held accountable! What a useless bunch!" It was Evan, who was clearly trying to add more fuel to the situation.


    The other squad leaders echoed Evan''s comments. They started to discuss among themselves, standing pompously in front of the sixth squad.


    Many soldiers and spirit manipulators also pointed at the members of the sixth squad and laughed at them. They all thought that the men of the sixth squad were all out of luck when the position of their leader got assigned to Rocky.


    "Nonsense! Our squad leader is a hero! Fine, let me show you what we have here!" Thor was infuriated by these words of humiliation and shouted. He could not stand Rocky being defamed by these men for a second more, so he immediately waved at the other spirit-manipulators in their squad.


    His companions immediately lifted the Three Powers at the Gehenna Border, who had been all tied up, and threw them on the ground in front of everyone.


    They looked afraid instantly when they saw Marin, knowing fully well that this might well be the e


    e is still okay. I''m terribly worried," Joss told them anxiously, remembering why they had come here in the first place.


    Everyone looked even more surprised. That wild spirit-manipulated beast was more powerful than the last one, which indicated a higher power level than the Earthly Stage. And Rocky dared to draw it away all by himself. His actions were tantamount to suicide!


    "What? You waited until now to tell me this? How long do you think he can keep it at bay? How irresponsible!" Marin grew solemn again and shouted at them harshly.


    "It was because you are questioning the loyalty and commitment of our squad leader!" Thor and Joss retorted, staring at Evan and the others.


    "Fine! Sixth squad, you stand by at the camp. The rest can wait after I bring your squad leader back." Marin turned to her Deputy Commander. "I am heading there to give Rocky some back-up first. You have someone to lock them up and then take two spirit manipulators squads and head there." She then used her spiritual power and turned into a shadow.


    Moments later, a war dragon with the color of dark green flew over above the northeast military camp. Everyone looked up to the sky, admiring Marin who was riding that the magnificent beast.


    Deputy Commander Chen then ordered his men to take away the Three Powers at the Gehenna Border and lock them up. He then summoned two spirit manipulator squads along with hundreds of soldiers and commanded them to follow Marin.

 Chapter 147 Fight Shoulder By Shoulder

    Rocky, with Uriah by his side, was fighting vehemently against a huge wild beast. Coming from the other side of the wild place were Marin and other spirit manipulators. They came with an intention of lending Rocky a hand with this certain battle.


    ''Shit! This is one thick-skinned beast. Even my treasured dagger could barely inflict damage. Such a beautiful dagger from the beautiful General Marcia. It could be one of those pesky armored spirit-manipulated beasts, '' Rocky thought to himself. After fighting against the armored spirit-manipulated beast several times, Rocky felt a little tired and stepped a few paces back to analyze the battlefield. With the Frozen Wind Dagger on one hand, he breathlessly formulated a strategy. As he has doing this, Uriah diverted the armored spirit-manipulated beast''s attention from its master. It was able to restrain the wild beast from attacking Rocky.


    This certain armored spirit-manipulated beast was of the second grade of three-star level. Its capabilities were at par with a spirit manipulator on the fifth grade of the Earthly Stage. Its defensive capabilities were superior to its offense capabilities. Its iron armor made it difficult to inflict damage. The Frozen Wind Dagger was made of an ancient dragon bone. Even when combined with spiritual power, it was still ineffective against the beast''s armor. Rocky knew for a fact that he was not strong enough to defeat this armored wild spirit-manipulated beast. If he were on the fourth grade of the Earthly Stage, however, he could have gotten through its armor with the Frozen Wind Dagger.


    He could not defeat this beast in a face-to-face combat. He could only defeat it by using his wits and a strategy. He quickly analyzed the battlefield and tried not to miss any detail. Every creature had a weakness, and Rocky was sure of that. This includes humans, animals, and even these spirit-manipulated beasts. It did not make sense for it to have a perfect anatomy. For humans, it was the spine. It was one of the most vital parts of the body, but it could be a weakness. Once one''s spine was damaged, they would have been rendered paralyzed. Being paralyzed meant one could no longer be of use, much like a fallen building that had turned into a heap of ruins. Once Rocky found this armored spirit-manipulated beast''s Achilles'' heel, the fight would be decided. He could finish this battle in a snap of a finger.


    While Rocky was devising a plan to victory, Uriah was taking care of this armored spirit-manipulated beast. Uriah possessed a brilliant amount of strength. It was unable to damage the armored beast, but


    ast.


    Rocky poured all his spiritual power into the Frozen Wind Dagger. His spiritual power gave the dagger a boost of potential. The hole that was on the beast''s underbelly expanded, and a cyan liquid which smelled like rotten fish started gushing out of it.


    The armored spirit-manipulated beast screamed and howled in anguish. It grew even more furious, throwing Uriah tens of meters away as it threw a fit.


    The armored beast inevitably stood up and started swinging its body in all directions. The Frozen Wind Dagger was stuck so deeply that Rocky was not able to take it out of its belly. He recklessly threw himself off the beast as it rose.


    Rocky shrunk in comparison to the armored spirit-manipulated beast. It was like David and Goliath when it stood up.


    The armored spirit-manipulated beast had gone berserk. Its temper worsened as it noticed Rocky falling off its body. It dropped its body in an attempt to crush Rocky.


    Rocky grew more and more horrified as its enormous body loomed on him. The weight of this armored spirit-manipulated beast must at least be a few tons. If it were to drop on him, he''d most definitely be crushed flat. He should run. He knew he should run. But he had spent the entirety of his spiritual power in stabbing the armored spirit-manipulated beast. He simply did not have enough juice in him to run away. He was in grave danger.


    He was about to be trampled on the beast''s body when Uriah sensed its master was in danger. It was many meters away from its master. In a panicked craze, Uriah intertwined its two flaming tails and produced a sole bigger flame. It took aim and shot the fire ball directly at its target: the armored spirit-manipulated beast that was about to squash its master.

 Chapter 148 Bonanza

    Boom! A fireball landed on the spirit-manipulated beast''s lower abdomen. The fireball hit the spirit-manipulated beast so hard the dagger went through its armored body, and out again in the open air. And with a hole in its torso, the spirit-manipulated fell down the ground. Another roaring sound was made as his body hit the ground.


    "Uriah!" Rocky was surprised by the level of Uriah''s abilities. He had never seen Uriah use such skills. These special skills were only used by spiritual beasts. Uriah seemed to have develop new fire controlling abilities, in additional to his capability to produce magical saliva.


    ''Could Uriah actually be a spiritual beast? It''s probable it''s still a juvenile one.'' Rocky speculated. It was unsure whether Uriah was a war beast or a spiritual beast. His skill of producing magical saliva was not helpful in determining his kind because such ability was also displayed by war beasts but there were some cases that war beasts possessed such power. However, it was under extreme circumstance that Uriah developed a new ability. No war beasts had more than two special skills, so these skills must be innate to Uriah. Uriah was a spiritual beast, there was no doubt about that. His powers had not been fully realized yet, and so far, there were only two skills learned.


    While Rocky was still trying to decide which category Uriah belonged to, the fallen armored spirit-manipulated beast let out a pained shriek. It rolled over on its belly and died covered in its own blood that came from the hole in its body bored by Uriah.


    Uriah howled in excitement as it witnessed the fall of the spirit-manipulated beast it just defeated. It ran eagerly towards Rocky, jumping around as if waiting for a reward from its master.


    "That was amazing, buddy!" Rocky lovingly held Uriah''s body and petted its head affectionately. He''d most likely be dead if not for Uriah. He just realized how embarrassing he must have looked. His clothes were torn to pieces during the battle earlier. He barely had any energy left to walk.


    And as if on cue, Uriah turned back to the body of the armored spirit-manipulated beast it just defeated, as if it saw something. It made its way back to the corpse and jumped on top of it. With its claws, Uriah dug through the dead beast''s wound and searched for something for a while. When it finally found what it was looking for, it came back running to Rocky''s side.


    When Rocky noticed this, he followed Uriah back to the fallen armored spirit-manipulated beast and inspected it. From the body shot out two black beams of light. The light was coming out of the beast''s wound and a strong spiritual aura followed it.


    "What the hell is this?" Rocky thought out loud. He crouched beside it to take a better look. As he looked closer, he noticed that the two slivers of light came from two oval worm eggs. Each egg was around half the size of a palm. Rocky could sense the spiritual aura leaking out of the eggs. This entire thing in front of them was rather strange.


    Rocky curiously picked up the eggs. He examined the two closely in his palms. They were hard,


    rystals were used to boost the strength of a spirit-manipulated beast. On the other hand, Dark Heaven Eggs were used by spirit manipulators to enhance their spiritual powers.


    The Dark Heaven Insect also fell into categories: three-star being the highest level. Dark Heaven Eggs were also classified by levels corresponding to their host''s rank. A first-grade Dark Heaven Insect of three-star level could produce a primary-grade Dark Heaven Egg while a second-grade Dark Heaven Insect of such a level could make a middle-grade Dark Heaven Egg. Advanced-grade Dark Heaven Egg, which was the most powerful, could only come from a third-grade Dark Heaven Insect of three-star level. An advanced-grade Dark Heaven Egg could raise a spirit manipulator''s level from the Heavenly Stage to the Supernal Stage. Having one in hand would obviously be a game-changer for a spirit manipulator with a skill level between the Heavenly Stage and the Supernal Stage. If a spirit manipulator were to catch a Dark Heaven Insect alive and domesticate it, they would have an endless supply of Dark Heaven Eggs. Having such thing would result to a possibility of an ever-evolving prowess.


    However, Dark Heaven Insects normally lived in underground burrows dozens of meters below. This was mainly the reason they were difficult to spot. Even spirit manipulators above the Supernal Stage wanted to get ahold of one. Numerous elite spirit manipulators spent majority of their lives waiting to see a Dark Heaven Insect in flesh, let alone catch one alive. The Dark Heaven Insect was also one of the rarest species of spirit-manipulated beasts. There were less than a hundred of them in the entire Wild Spirit Land. The royals that belonged to the Holy Dragon Empire were reported to own only a couple of them. The Gahanna Border that boasted unique geological properties was one of the places suitable for Dark Heaven Insect to live in, but no more than twenty were recorded in the region. With their rarity, the Dark Heaven Insects were considered the most valuable of all the spirit-manipulated beasts.

 Chapter 149 Excelled, Yet Again

    The Dark Heaven Insect was able to breed a kind of treasure that could adapt itself accommodating for the need to upgrade the spiritual power of the spirit manipulator. While in this vast Wild Spirit Land, such spirit-manipulated beasts were extremely precious and rare in species. It was said that they amounted to less than ten species. Compared to them, the Dark Heaven Insect was massive. For other species of the spirit-manipulated beast of its kind, these quantities were peculiarly uncommon. Although, those rarer species could breed treasure, as the Dark Heaven Insect were the most wanted creatures. In order to upgrade their power, spirit manipulators of Supernal Stage often wandered around the Wild Spirit Land to capture similar spirit-manipulated beasts which could breed treasure. It was certain that the Wild Spirit Land was a boundless realm and the rare spirit-manipulated beast lived in the darker recesses or in the more dangerous parts of it. The opportunity to catch these insects was mostly negligible, but the search in the wilderness of the Wild Spirit Land continued irrespectively. After all, their power could be manifested once captured. Who would not want to fight for that?


    ''What a pity! I should not have killed it. Had I known the Dark Heaven Insect was such a golden species, I would have captured it alive. It could have elevated my powers to a higher level.'' Rocky regretted his haste actions after discovering the possibilities. He knew he couldn''t bring it back to life. It was too late. This couldn''t have been undone. Somehow, he managed to acquire two medium-level Black Heaven Eggs from the dead Black Heaven Insect. These two medium-level eggs served as a major catalyst for the elevation of his powers at this stage. Rocky was content. After all, half a loaf is better than none.


    On the other hand, Marin and the deputy commander stared at the body of the Black Heaven Insect with the same regretful face. Although, it was a good news that the culprit which ruined the village was annihilated, yet the better outcome was that the insect would''ve been captured alive. If only they had reached sooner...


    "The base camp of the Crimson Dragon Group, thanks to the good timing and the advantageous position of the camp, only keeps two Dark Heaven Insects of this species. Even if it is in the royal Palace City, there are only four to five insects of this kind that were caught alive. Which spirit manipulator blindly murdered such a rare spirit-manipulated beast? Such a reckless waste of godsend treasure!" Deputy Commander Chen sighed as he shook his head in disapproval. The culprit''s justification could not make the remorse go away. After all, the Black Heaven Insect was a spirit-manipulated beast that one could not have asked for.


    "Deputy Commander Chen, did you see Captain Rocky anywhere on the way here?" Marin inquired the moment she noticed.


    "I did not. Neither did you, Commander?" Deputy Commander Chen shook his head in silence. They hadn''t seen Rocky anywhere on their route. When they saw the Dark Heaven Insect in front of them, an unpleasant thought suddenly crossed his mind. He real


    sed away before he could be thanked and rewarded.


    "Is the death of that kind of a lowly screwball worth our sorrow?" Evan sneered at the distressed team members of the sixth unit.


    "Even though, he did not survive the crisis, he did manage to handle it properly. He prevented that spirit-manipulated beast from causing more destruction. Therefore, I shall confer a Second-class Honor to the sixth unit and the deceased, Captain Rocky." Marin''s sudden announcement surprised all the people there.


    Suddenly, the entire military camp seemed to be warmed up by her words.


    Three other units which had not received the mission were also stationed here at the military camp. Their team leaders, including Evan, were astonished as they heard Marin''s announcement.


    Those petty leaders thought it was a sheer dumb luck for the sixth unit to capture the Three Powers at the Gehenna Border. On top of this, Marin conferred a Second-class Honor to the sixth unit purely because Rocky died. This made it even harder for them to accept reality. A Second-class Honor was only conferred to a perfect execution of a fairly dangerous, important mission.


    Not to mention the fact that the sixth unit had never received any award before. Among the other five spirit manipulator units of the northeastern military camp, only the first unit had been awarded one First-class Honor and one Third-class Honor. Among the remaining units, only one of them had received two Second-class Honors. For other units, there was only one opportunity to receive the Second-class Honor once.


    Also, from all the military guarded area at the Gehenna Border of the Holy Dragon Empire, the location of the northeastern military camp was a relatively peaceful one. So, there were fewer chances for them to execute crucial missions of pretty danger. The first unit was only rewarded with a Third-class Honor when they killed a spirit-manipulated beast of Earthly Stage rioting last time.


    As a result, other units were definitely unwilling to accept Marin''s decision to confer a Second-class Honor to the sixth unit and Rocky.

 Chapter 150 Safe Return

    "Commander, I think granting the second class award to sixth squad would be unfair." Evan respectfully disagreed.


    "I see. What do you suggest then, Evan?" Marin asked nonchalantly, turning towards Evan. She had always been repulsed by Evan''s arrogance. She just had to let it go mostly because Evan came from a very influential family. Meanwhile, he was considered an elite in the northeast military camp. Despite letting things slide all the time, Marin was not going let Evan get his way this time and stand her way.


    Evan hesitated for a second when he saw a faint annoyance in Marin''s eyes. However, he still continued and voiced out his opinion. "I do not understand why you would want to grant the second class award to Rocky posthumously and the rest of the sixth squad. Rocky did not kill that spirit-manipulated beast. It was the other way around: he was killed by it. There is no merit there. If the Commander intends to grant Rocky and the sixth squad such an award, the entire military camp would lose its esteem towards the institution."


    "Commander, I think Evan is right."


    "A third class award is more than enough for the sixth squad."


    "Please Commander! Please retract the award."


    Evan was backed up by the leaders of the other squads.


    Marin was not having it, and her face showed it. "Did none of you hear what I just said? Had Rocky not lured the beast away, the spirit-manipulated beast would have attacked and ruined other villages. That spirit-manipulated beast could have caused more casualties, but it did not. And that''s all thanks to Rocky, who lost his life during that battle. Let me remind you of our duty. The northeast military camp stands not only to safeguard our border. We are here to protect civilians in the border region. We must prevent any kind of danger that might befall them so they can live in peace and prosperity. Now that Rocky is dead, a second class award is of no value to him. If for some miracle he survived this, I might have granted him a first class award instead. An action that heroic deserves so much more recognition."


    Her words reached everyone in the northeast military camp and they took it deeply in their hearts. Soon enough, everyone was buzzing about how heroic Rocky''s actions were.


    Thor and Joss regretfully sighed, ''If only our squad leader returned alive, all of us in the sixth squad would have been granted the first class award.'' All of them were aware of how painfully average their group was, so being granted a first class award was something they had never imagined to achieve.


    Marin''s words were mainly directed to Evan, a hit on his arrogance. He had always felt superior to his peers. His skill level and the squad he be


    ed, "Supply escort mission accomplished, Sir! If there is nothing else needed of me, I would like to excuse myself and head in for some rest." He took off right in front of everyone like it was not a big deal. Everyone was left in awe.


    "Commander, our squad leader just made it back. About the first class award you promised...." Thor and Joss witnessed how coolly their squad leader just left. It made them think of the promise Marin just made. They made their way to the commander and curtly asked.


    Marin was caught off guard when asked of the promise. She had never thought Rocky could survive such an attack and make it back alive. She promised the first class promotion knowing full well there was no possibility Rocky could have been alive. She just said it to irritate Evan. No one expected this.


    But what was said cannot be unsaid.


    "Commander?" Deputy Commander Chen looked at Marin, curious as to wonder how the commander would handle everything that just happened.


    "I meant every word I said. Deputy Commander Chen, make an announcement for the entire army to hear. Let it be known that the sixth squad is honoured with third-class merit for apprehending the Three Powers at the Gahanna Border. Their squad leader, Rocky, also risked his life luring a powerful spirit-manipulated beast away from a village, and protected multiple civilians. On top of everything, he managed to come back alive. He is honoured with first-class merit for his heroic action," Marin calmly ordered.


    An uproar instantly broke out in the entire northeast military camp.


    Rocky made history. He was the first one lower than a third grade of the Mortal Stage from the northeast military camp honoured with first-class merit. All of this happened during his first month commanding a spirit manipulators squad.

 Chapter 151 An Amazing Plan

    Everyone in the northeast military camp was celebrating Rocky''s magnificent return. During all the festivities, Rocky managed to slide out of everyone''s eyesight and went to a secluded part of the camp. He snuck out to join Uriah who was patiently waiting by the exit of the military camp.


    "Let''s go, boy. We''ll have to pick Rubygon up and find a suitable place for the both of you to exercise your newfound abilities." Rocky waved at Uriah, and the spirit-manipulated beast instantly knew what he meant. Rocky then, in tandem with the beast, sneaked off towards the village to the east of the military camp.


    It was not long until they arrived at the east village. The villagers looked at Rocky and Uriah for a brief second, and went on with their lives. Their arrival looked like something that happened to them usually with how casual the villagers were with them.


    Rocky and Uriah made their way to the sheepfold near Jackson''s house. The sight of Sue holding Rubygon as the latter drank goat''s milk welcomed them. Her beautiful face was filled with concentration as she watched the beast drink; she did not even notice Rocky arrived. Her side profile was as gentle and as delicate as carved jade. ''She''ll grow up to be a beautiful woman, '' Rocky thought to himself.


    "Ow ow!" It was at this exact moment when Uriah let out a cry, as if to get the attention of people around them. The quiet and peaceful atmosphere was suddenly disrupted, and Rocky was suddenly awoken from his daydream.


    Sue turned to where the noise came from, and there she found Rocky standing outside the sheepfold. He was looking straight at her. Her cold and unsmiling demeanor somehow made her feel weird, in a good way. She couldn''t help but blush.


    "What are you looking at?" Sue stared back at Rocky with her beautiful eyes, somehow annoyed at the way Rocky was glaring at her.


    "I''ve come to pick up Rubygon," Rocky answered. His eyes darted to Sue''s arms where Rubygon was cradled.


    "Rubygon who? I haven''t heard anyone with that name before. You''re definitely at the wrong place. Go find it somewhere else." Upon hearing Rocky''s words, Sue tensed up and held Rubygon closer in her arms. She turned her back from him.


    When Rocky finally picked up that Sue actually wanted to keep Rubygon, he was undeniably disheartened. It would seem like Sue developed a liking for Rubygon.


    "Sue, don''t be ridiculous," Jackson blurted as he limped out from the room. He seemed to have injured his foot.


    "Jackson, is your foot hurt?" Rocky immediately asked upon seeing him.


    Sue answered with anguish, "This is because you¡ª" But she was cut off by Jackson before she could even finish her sentence.


    "I''m fine. I was coming home from herding sheep when I had a little accident and sprained my foot. I''ll be fine after taking a two days'' rest," Jackson promptly assured Rocky. He waved his hand dismissively but he got to come up with a reasona


    u have to promise me that you''re letting this trivial matter go. Going up against them will lead to no good."


    Rocky saw the sincerity in Jackson''s plea. He blinked a few times and something baneful flashed behind his eyes. "If they come again to bother you, tell them I won''t let them get away easily," Rocky told Jackson.


    The older man was rendered speechless with what Rocky just uttered. He nodded in agreement as a smile formed in his face.


    Sue had just returned from fetching hot water. She entered the room and handed the basin to Rocky.


    Rocky took the basin of hot water and brought out a bottle from his silk bag. This bottle contained the magical saliva he extracted from Uriah. This magical spit suddenly reminded him of the Dark Heaven Insect he had just slain. When they arrived at the village, the Dark Heaven Insect seemed to have burrowed underground. But when Rocky accidentally dropped the bottle of magical saliva, the spirit-manipulated beast crawled out of its underground cave and resurfaced. It seemed to be attracted to Uriah''s spit.


    ''It''s said in the Beast Encyclopedia that Dark Heaven Insect lives deep underground. It only climbs out to the surface once every few years. They would sometimes last a decade without resurfacing. Countless spirit manipulators tried every possible means to draw Dark Heaven Insects out of their burrows, but none of them had succeeded. They had tried luring the spirit-manipulated beast with its favorite spiritual crystal, but it still felt short seducing Dark Heaven Insect up to the surface. It was common knowledge Dark Heaven Insects to be extremely difficult to catch. But the magical saliva could attract the Dark Heaven Insect. Maybe luring it out of its underground cave would not be too hard to do...'' Rocky could not believe he had just formulated such a brilliant strategy in catching a Dark Heaven Insect. His eyes sparkled as he imagined how his amazing plan would pan out.

 Chapter 152 Cultivation

    Afterwards, Rocky put half of a droplet of the magical saliva into a bowl of hot water. The shining droplet was dissolved into the hot water causing the steaming hot water to shine as if there were countless pearls within it. Both Jackson and Sue were mesmerized by this scene as they had never seen anything like it.


    "Sue, do you have a handkerchief with you?" Rocky turned to Sue and asked.


    Sue nodded and took out a clean handkerchief and passed it to Rocky.


    Rocky took Sue''s handkerchief and dipped it in the hot water for a second. He then began to wipe Jackson''s bruises with it. After rubbing it for a couple of times, the bruises gradually disappeared until they were fully healed. Even his wounds were gone.


    "Rocky, that is amazing. What kind of elixir did you use?" Both Jackson and Sue were stunned by its miracle-like healing power.


    "Sue, please find me a clean bottle so I could store this diluted magical saliva and seal it carefully. I believe that it could still be useful when it comes to some minor diseases or injuries." Rocky handed the bowl of hot water to Sue and gave instruction to store it carefully.


    Moments later, Sue took the bottle of diluted magical saliva and walked into her room as she held it in her hands carefully like a treasure.


    "Jackson, your flesh wounds are healed. However, it would still take some time for your bones to recover. Old saying has it that it takes at least a hundred days for wounds on the bones and tendons to fully heal. Despite its amazing healing power, please take enough rest and refrain yourself from moving too much." Rocky reminded Jackson. Magical as this saliva was, it was nothing compared to those from a dragon and it was diluted with hot water which made it less potent.


    "I completely understand. Thank you so much, Rocky! You are a good man." Jackson thanked him with genuine gratitude as he saw him constantly reminding him to be conscious of his actions. He was deeply touched by Rocky''s concern.


    Rocky nodded coldly as an acknowledgement of his gratitude. Seeing that Jackson was on his way to getting better, Rocky bade farewell before departing with Rubygon and Uriah.


    In a desolated and well-concealed valley not far away from the east of the village, there was a loud explosion.


    Boom!


    There were a couple of big chunks of rocks laid in a circle and one of them was crushed into pieces in an instant by an incoming fireball causing debris to spread all over the place. The remains of the stone turned all smoky while the debris left by it was still hot.


    "Uriah, let''s do it again," said Rocky who was hunkering down on a rock with Rubygon in his hands. He checked his surroundings carefully before urging Uriah to launch another fireball attack.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Explosions took place one after the other, the sound of which continued to reverberate in the valley for a


    had its stars shining right then and there. At that moment, the Dark Heaven Egg that used to be hard suddenly started to melt in his palm like it was being grilled by fire. It turned into drops of Dark Heaven Liquid that seeped into Rocky''s body through his palm.


    Every time a drop of it seeped into his palm, Rocky felt a strand of strong spiritual power entering his body as if they were swimming in his major arteries like tadpoles before they gradually fused with his own spiritual power.


    With the merging of the spiritual power from the Dark Heaven Egg and his own, the spiritual flame inside Rocky''s body began to transform. The strands of red in his spiritual flame that was once unnoticeable shone a lot brighter than it ever did.


    ''That is strange. Where did this light of fire in my spiritual flame come from?'' Rocky noticed the change in his spiritual flame while absorbing the Dark Heaven Egg. He was a bit confused about it.


    It turned out that when Marcia sealed off Rocky''s power from the Holy Dragon Bead, because she still needed to leave Rocky with some power, she chose to leave his original spiritual flame that produced spiritual power for him. Even before the sealing of his power, there had been some changes gradually taking place in his spiritual flame. This meant that the strands of red light were preserved along with the spiritual flame. It had always been weak so it had remained unnoticed until now.


    Now that Rocky just received the spiritual power from the middle grade Dark Heaven Egg, the red flame along with the rest of his spiritual flame was significantly strengthened making them shine brighter than ever before. It was just a matter of time before it was discovered by him.


    However, the red flame normally represented the dragon spiritual power of fire, which was a power possessed only by royal spirit manipulators. So in the end, it was still a bit strange for him.

 Chapter 153 Searching For The Treasures

    Now that Rocky had found the odd red light in his spiritual flame, he used his skills to try and separate the red light from it. Hours had passed by, and sweat was trickling down his face as he tried to separate it in vain. It seemed that the red light was completely fused with his spiritual flame. He couldn''t separate it or manipulate it, no matter how hard he tried. His failure to separate the red light also meant that he was currently unable to use the spiritual power of the red light, which represented the nature of Fire.


    "It seems that without the power of the Holy Dragon Bead, it is impossible to manipulate the power of the red light. It can be only manipulated by the dragon spiritual power," Rocky murmured to himself. Yet, he was unwilling to give up so easily. He concentrated long and hard and began to try other ways to do it. Yet, after making several attempts, he was still unable to separate the red light from his spiritual flame. Rocky knew he had to give up trying for now as he had a more pressing matter to deal with at that moment. So, he put it aside and then continued to absorb the spiritual power of the Dark Heaven Egg at the medium grade.


    He kept absorbing such spiritual power for about a whole night. He concentrated on absorbing the spiritual power and he could feel it flowing through his veins.


    The sky was still gray and the sun hadn''t risen yet when a nebula light bright like a yellow jewel began to shine abruptly. It came inside the col where Rocky was hiding for his secret cultivation. The streams of its halo which were like ripples on the lake spread around the area. Meanwhile, countless sand and stones were floating around and continued to revolve around slowly under the influence of the spreading nebulae light.


    The next second, within the nebulae light, Rocky opened his eyes abruptly. His eyes turned sharp and fierce. His heartbeat quickened and his whole body pulsed with power.


    Boom, boom, boom...


    The moment Rocky opened his eyes, the sand and stones floating in the air exploded like they were out of control. Immediately, the sand fog was spreading all over the sky. Afterwards, the light of the nebulae continued to fade slowly, and the breath of a spirit manipulator at the second grade of the Earthly Stage appeared in an instant. Through the help of the spiritual power of the Dark Heaven Egg and a night''s hard practice, he finally finished his cultivation and reached the second grade of the Earthly Stage.


    "This Dark Heaven Egg is really awesome!" Rocky exclaimed. He could feel the energy coursing through his veins. Despite his excitement, he soon regulated his breathing and calmed his body so that nobody would find out his real strength. After composing himself, he jumped out of the rock where he was sitting.


    Uriah, Rocky''s war beast, was lying aside to take care of Rubygon. It sensed that its master had made a breakthrough in his strength and immediately roared excitedly, "Howl!" Even Uriah was excited that Rocky had made such progress.


    ''Unexpectedly, a Dark Heaven Egg at the medium grade could offer me quite enough spiritual power that I needed to reach the second grade of the Earthly Stage. But now there''s


    ead of answering Joss''s question, Rocky went straight to the entrance of the Dark Heaven Insect''s cave which he had discovered yesterday. Because the ground formation of the village was relatively soft, the entrance had completely collapsed and was filled with sand and stone. Now, only a large pit was in view.


    "Start digging from here," Rocky said to the sixth squad''s spirit manipulators while pointing to the large pit.


    The sixth squad''s spirit manipulators looked at Rocky in confusion. They were all at a loss as to why they should dig there.


    "Captain, what are we going to do?" Thor and Joss couldn''t help but ask.


    "There are treasures down there, and whoever dug them can have them," Rocky said nonchalantly.


    As soon as they heard their captain''s words, they got very excited and began to exclaim one after another.


    "Captain, are there really treasures down here?"


    "If there are treasures down here, I''ll become rich if I can find one."


    "Captain, you are really nice and generous by taking us here to share the treasures."


    They chattered in delight and gratitude. Soon, the other spirit manipulators jumped into the pit and dug up crazily with the spades they brought with them. They dug so fast as if they would run out of treasures if they didn''t find it soon. The thought of treasures gave them the strength and the motivation they did not know they had. Thor and Joss thought it was a little strange but they also jumped into the pit and began to dig for treasures. Rocky had always been mysterious from the very start. This was just one of many of his odd orders.


    Of course, they wouldn''t find any treasures below the pit. Rocky only used the treasures as the bait to lure them into doing free labor. He knew he couldn''t do it by himself even if he tried.


    When Rocky saw the Dark Heaven Insect got out from the underground again yesterday, he guessed that it planned to go back to its nest. From what he gathered, he believed that under the pit, there must be an access to the Dark Heaven Insect''s nest.


    His goal was to go to the Dark Heaven Insect''s nest to explore its every nook and cranny.

 Chapter 154 The Astonishing Exploration Plan

    In order to find the nest of the Dark Heaven Insect, one needed to first understand its living habits and what kind of environment was suitable for it, then speculated the possible area of its activity and then deduced a geographical location as per the learned aspects.


    To understand its living conditions, there was no easier way than to directly explore its nest thoroughly. Whether there would be any danger in the exploration process or not was a completely different matter. It was how the saying went, "How can one obtain tiger cubs without entering the tiger''s lair?" The deeper one wanted to reach, the more risk they had to take. Rocky had a similar thought in his mind. He was determined, and had come to the village to find the nest.


    As the spirit manipulators of his squad were digging the pit diligently, a wicked smile curled up on the corners of his mouth. Obviously, he had lured them successfully. Relaxed, he sat cross-legged and closed his eyes.


    An hour later, the collapsed entrance of the Dark Heaven Insect''s cave was dug up completely, revealing a deep black hole, which was a few meters wide. They were all curious about what kind of treasures were hidden inside the cave.


    "Didn''t the captain tell us some treasures are hidden here? Where do you think are the treasures? After we have been digging the pit for so long, all we have found is a hole!"


    "Yes, he did tell us. I''m so tired. I can''t see any treasure here."


    "You''re so stupid! Do you think treasures can be found that easily? They must be hidden somewhere deeper..."


    The spirit manipulators who''d been digging were exhausted now. Their foreheads were sweaty, their breath fast. They had now started to complain about the amount of energy they were spending for the treasures their captain thought existed somewhere in its depths.


    When Rocky saw the hole leading to the Dark Heaven Insect''s nest was dug out, he got up, crouched and peered into its pitch-black, seemingly bottomless depth. He then picked up a stone and dropped it into it, listening carefully.


    It took a while before he heard multiple faint sounds, as though the stone had met with many obstacles before hitting the bottom. Rocky could tell that the terrain was tapering and deep.


    "I estimate the depth of the hole is over 30 meters." Rocky fr


    hour, Rocky had a pretty strong understanding of the environments and habits of the Dark Heaven Insect.


    "But how will I get out of here?" Rocky murmured under his breath. He looked up toward the exit of the cave, which was at least ten meters above him.


    "Captain¡­ Are you all right? How did the rope tear?" someone yelled into the cave from the top. Rocky could only hear a faint cry from above, unable to make out the words exactly. He knew Thor and other members of the squad had found that he wasn''t tied to the rope anymore. They were crying, thinking something bad had happened to him.


    He knew he could not rely on his squad members to get out of the cave, so he turned around and started to look for another way. A spirit-manipulated beast like the Dark Heaven Insect would definitely need to take walks from time to time. Rocky was sure there was another way out of the cave.


    As he had guessed, he soon found the way. The path was almost vertical, with a very smooth surface. It was very difficult for him to climb it. Somehow, he managed to find a solution. As he climbed up, he started scooping the wall with his sharp Frozen Wind Dagger which could easily pierce through the stone. In this way, he planted his feet in the scoops and easily climbed up. After some time, he got out of the cave.


    Once up, he shook the soil off his body. Meanwhile, he saw the village that had been attacked earlier wasn''t very far from where he was. No one could have thought the nest of the Dark Heaven Insect was right under the village.

 Chapter 155 A Great Success

    The spirit manipulators of the sixth squad all gathered in the village, anxiously waiting by the opening of the tunnel. All of them restlessly and painstakingly sat tight for Rocky''s return. A piece of broken rope was casually lying beside them.


    "Thor, is our captain dead?" one of the spirit manipulators asked.


    "Stop talking nonsense. Our captain has escaped death before. He will be fine," Joss interjected.


    "But it has been a while and he still hasn''t come out," another spirit manipulator chimed in.


    "Maybe there were more than one spirit-manipulated beast down there. "He must be in danger! If he weren''t, the rope would have been still intact," someone added. All of a sudden, the entire group of spirit manipulators fell silent.


    "Maybe it''s true that..." Thor whispered to himself. He had grown sullen from the amount of time Rocky had spent underground. It was not impossible he had run across some danger.


    "Captain! Why did you leave us?" The whole squad bawled in unison. They mourned like there was no tomorrow.


    Despite the commotion, Uriah lied calmly on the ground. It disdainfully howled at how big of crybabies these cowards were.


    "Oh, for goodness'' sake, stop screaming." A familiar voice emerged from behind them.


    "Am I going crazy? I think I just heard our captain''s voice."


    "I heard him too! Maybe he got lonely in the afterlife and wanted us to keep him company."


    "Captain, please let us go. We will pray for your soul''s repose. Just please don''t hurt us!"


    All the spirit manipulators were frightened upon hearing the voice of their squad leader, who they thought had already passed on. They were so terrified none of them was able to move.


    "Now, all of you, please shut up and just please turn around!" The familiar voice roared again.


    The spirit manipulators slowly turned around and found Rocky standing in front of them, safe and sound.


    "Cap


    ard, he couldn''t help but think why they had not crossed paths with a Dark Heaven Insect yet. Dark Heaven Insects fed on the nutrients from the soil. Finding them in places with abnormally barren soil should be easy.


    The Death Forest was so much larger that Rocky thought it would be. They were not able to locate any doubtful point immediately after entering, and even during their journey inside, signs were scarce.


    "Guess I''ll have to try my luck right now," Rocky uttered to himself, as he took out a vial full of magical saliva from his bag.


    The magical saliva, just like spiritual crystals and Dark Heaven Eggs, released a special kind of spiritual power. Dark Heaven Insects were drawn to the scent of this magical spit and would come scrambling towards it.


    Rocky put the vial down by the swamp bank. He then hid behind a withered tree tens of meters away, waiting for the spirit-manipulated beasts to come.


    The entire afternoon had passed.


    The Death Forest grew more menacing as darkness befell it. The atmosphere grew gloomier and more frigid.


    "Maybe this is no place to find a Dark Heaven Insect," Rocky blurted, disappointment clear in his voice. He had accepted defeat and was ready to leave when a loud booming sound came from far away.

 Chapter 156 Rocky Feigns Innocence

    When Rocky and Uriah were almost at the edge of the mist-shrouded Death Forest, a giant shadow appeared in front of them. It appeared to belong to a gigantic beast. It moved so quickly the ground shook beneath it.


    ''Is the Dark Heaven Insect finally going to show itself?'' Rocky thought to himself. He gazed into the distance and found a giant shadowy figure. A powerful aura coming from the beast instantly engulfed the forest.


    "That''s some intense aura," Rocky uttered to himself. He was astonished by how immensely he was feeling the beast''s aura, considering it was still at a great distance from them. Rocky theorized this spirit-manipulated beast harnessed the same capabilities as a spirit manipulator above eighth grade of the Earthly Stage.


    The giant shadowy figure slowly approached them. Rocky was preparing to catch himself a Dark Heaven Insect. Much to his dismay, it was not the kind of spirit-manipulated beast he was waiting for. It was some common wild spirit-manipulated beast. It was mammoth-like. It had a single eye, enormous mouth, and even larger legs. Rocky could tell it was a strong one, maybe a third-grade spirit manipulated beast of three stars.


    "This must be the Cyclops Elephant. This war beast has high level of combat power, sometimes as high as four-star. It possesses strong physical strength and a strong tusk that can be used for offense. Who on earth thought a Cyclops Elephant would come?" Rocky hastily browsed the Beast Encyclopedia, looking for this certain spirit-manipulated beast. There were an unbelievably huge amount of information about this beast. Needless to say, Rocky was terrified out of his wits and started to panic. They were hunting for a Dark Heaven Insect in this insufferable Death Forest, but instead, they were given a one-eyed elephant to deal with. This beast was so powerful, his and Uriah''s combined power would not suffice to kill it.


    Rocky decided not to waste too much energy on this wild one-eyed beast; it was not what they went here for. He immediately took action. His body started gleaming brightly, and he was suddenly covered in multicolored light. In an instant, he release an enormous amount of spiritual power. He was preparing himself to fetch back the magical saliva used to lure the Dark Heaven Insect out.


    All of a sudden, the ground below them started shaking forcefully. Rocky''s eyes grew wide in disbelief as the slush of mud in the marsh began bubbling. It was not too far from the magical saliva. It was not long when the marsh slush got into a roaring boil.


    Rocky was frozen on his tracks when he saw a huge beast emerge from the marsh. It was around ten meters long with two cobra-like heads, both flat and long. Its torso looked like that of a centipede''s. It was as wide as a tree trunk. It also released a strong spiritual aura, similar to the one-eyed elephant''s. Rocky''s entire body was paralyzed by fear at the sight of this wild spirit-manipulated beast.


    ''When will I get a break? A single three-star beast would be enough to kill me. And now, there are two of them, '' Rocky thought to himself. He frantically browsed through the Beast Encyclopedia, hoping a


    ut question. She still seemed reluctant, though.


    "It is a wonder how easily you returned Rubygon to me," Rocky almost teasingly said, gazing intensely at Sue''s eyes.


    "Keep teasing and I might just steal Rubygon away from you. This time for good. You''re still Rubygon''s owner. I still have some moral ascendancy, you know," Sue replied. She had gotten so good at playing along with Rocky.


    His lips curled up into a smile. He returned his attention to Jackson and asked for a jar. He rested for a while and headed back to the military camp with Uriah, carrying the Centipede-snake venom and a couple of one-eyed elephant''s tusks.


    Rocky stayed out all night that day. The following morning, Thor and Joss were found waiting by Rocky''s doorstep. They almost went crazy worrying about their squad leader. Finally, Rocky arrived.


    "Captain, where were you last night? Why didn''t you return to your quarters?" Thor and Joss nagged. They were pestering Rocky as if they were his butlers.


    "If you''re not here to report anything of importance, you can leave," Rocky said, not answering any of their queries. He looked at Thor and Joss nonchalantly.


    "Captain, the Commander asked us about you yesterday." Thor and Joss showed hesitation as they gave each other a worried look.


    "In fact, she told us not to tell you. But we did anyways because we think you''re in danger," Joss went on to say.


    "What did she ask about me?" Rocky stopped and turned around to look at Thor and Joss.


    "She asked us whether there was anything off with you and what were you busy with these days, something like that. She seemed to consider you a spy," Thor told Rocky bewildered.


    "What did you tell her?" Rocky asked with a lifted brow. Rocky knew Marin to be difficult.


    "We didn''t say anything else. We just told her that you were in your room all the time, except for working hours," Thor and Joss answered. They answered as honestly as they could.


    "Very well. From today on, if our Commander asks you anything about me, tell her to come to me. Any time!" Rocky ordered them as he headed inside his room.

 Chapter 157 A Stronger Backing

    In the meantime, not far away from the Gehenna Border, something was happening in the supreme headquarters of the Crimson Dragon Group in the Yi City.


    A giant shadow loomed above the city. A war dragon with iridescent black-green scales slowly landed in the beast farm of the supreme headquarters. A familiar figure jumped off it. It was Marin. After she left the dragon with someone in charge of taking care of spiritual-manipulated beasts, she left the beast farm right away, unaccompanied.


    Walking through several magnificent buildings, Marin finally came to a tasteful pavilion whose style was quite different from the other buildings surrounding it. It was special and unique, conspicuous among the other similar-looking structures around it.


    "Greetings, Commander Marin," four female guards standing in front of the pavilion called in unison with great respect at the sight of her.


    "Is the Deputy Commander in Chief in there?" Marin asked one of the female guards, nodding out of habit.


    "Oh, she is resting now. Should I go inside to inform her of your arrival?" a female guard asked.


    "You don''t have to. I will go in directly." Marin waved her delicate hand. With that, she entered the pavilion with her cloak fluttering behind her.


    The pavilion had two expansive floors. The decoration on the first floor was very elegant. Table and chairs made of fragrant timber were put in order along the walls; terracotta pots brimming with flowers were placed at the four corners. It was a tasteful and serene living space.


    Marin proceeded to the second floor. It was full of gauze curtains that overlapped each other, the smell of incense pervading the air. Marin felt as if she was in a fairyland. At the end of the room, a white jade bed was placed aside, giving off purple smoke. On the bed, a female figure sat cross-legged. A vigorous aura of power of the spirit manipulator beyond the seventh level of the Heavenly Stage emanated from her form.


    Before Marin could speak, the female figure quickly opened her beautiful eyes and parted her exquisite lips. She spoke gently, "Marin, why are you here?"


    "Greetings, Deputy Commander in Chief." Marin immediately bowed to the female figure.


    "Oh goodness. Have you forgotten what I told you? Don''t call me that when we''re alone! We are cousins for crying out loud. Don''t be so stiff and formal! It''s unusual and awkward," the lovely woman grumbled.


    Few people knew that the Deputy Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Group was the cousin of Marin, who was also the second in command of the Crimson Dragon Group.


    "Alright, Isis." Marin winked with her beautiful eyes, a playful look on her face.


    "Come in. Let me see you." Isis stood up from the white jade bed and pulled open the gauze curtains.


    Her eyes were graceful and moving. Her gestures, expressions, and demeanor were so eye-catching and elegant. Distinctive and beautiful, her delicate oval face, like a masterpiece of supreme craftsmanship, made her look like a fairy descending to the earth and an elf dancing among flowers. All in all, she was such a dazzling beauty that made even the most delicate and charming flowers pale in comparison. Any man would be touched by her beau


    did that?" Hearing Isis'' words, Marin couldn''t help but frown.


    "Their names are not important. What''s really matters is that once father sees the joint letter, they will be all doomed. But they''re lucky. It just so happens that he''s not in the Imperial City now. They never know that father shows more affection to you than to me." Isis responded with her smiling eyes.


    "Isis, you must be kidding." Marin muttered with a little embarassment. But what Isis said was actually true. Lance, Marin''s uncle, has treated her with great kindness since she had been a little girl. One of the most important reasons for his demeanor to her was that her father once saved his life. Without Marin''s father, Lance wouldn''t have achieved his status today. Therefore, when Marin''s mother passed away, it was Lance that put forward to take her to their family.


    "I''m just stating the truth. Let''s get in back to the point, I keep the joint letter in secret in case that father will be enraged. What''s more, I made a survey of it. I found that the cause of the joint letter is that you awarded a First-Class Merit Citation to a team leader who was just in the second to third level of the Mortal Stage. If I remember correctly, his name is Rocky. Marin, you must explain the whole story to me," Isis said. She found it rather strange that how such a powerless team leader was able to make an exception to get the First-Class Merit Citation. This developement was quite unique and rare. Isis knew her cousin well. Because Marin was definitely immune to bribery, Isis became more curious about why she had chosen to do such a thing.


    Isis was growing more and more desperate to know the real reason. She believed that Marin must have her sufficient reasons to do so, but she still couldn''t figure it out. After all, the First-Class Merit Citation was an important issue. Even in the supreme headquarters of the Crimson Dragon Group, many spirit manipulators beyond Earthly Stage hadn''t been honored with this title at all! Isis couldn''t understand why and how a low-end team leader of a small military camp could suddenly and quickly get in Marin''s good graces.

 Chapter 158 Secret Identity Arouses Curiosity

    Seeing that Isis persisted in asking, Marin had no choice but to tell her all the details of what had taken place.


    "Are you kidding me?! You really mean to tell me that Rocky, a petty officer, who knows his limited strength, managed to distract the Dark Heaven Insect at the fifth-level of the Earthly Stage all by himself? Is he stupid? How bird-brained! Oh my God!" After listening to the dramatic narration, an odd look crossed Isis''s face. She found it difficult to comprehend Rocky''s weird behavior.


    "But, you still shouldn''t have awarded him the first-class military merit, though he has done something great. After all, he is not the one who killed the Dark Heaven Insect. He survived by successfully distracting the insect by chance! " Isis shifted the focus to her concern that the award to Rocky might lead to a flood of first-class merit awards and would make the awards depreciate.


    "Indeed, I made that hasty award because I thought that he would not survive. To my surprise, he came back safe. I could not figure out how Rocky dodged the attack of the Dark Heaven Insect, and who really killed that monster," Marin expressed her confusion and helplessness, since she could not revoke Rocky''s award. Taking back her decision would prejudice her prestige in the army.


    "Marin, according to your description, it is true that this guy is a little strange, but, he should be very smart. Otherwise, he would have been totally obliterated by the Dark Heaven Insect." Isis seemed to grow more interested in this Rocky. His smarts made her more curious about who he was.


    "That guy is not only strange, but also extremely annoying." Marin recounted Rocky''s disrespectful attitude at the camp, seething with anger.


    "Dear sister, I''ve never seen you hate a man so much. You are not yourself when you mention him." Isis was surprised at Marin''s intense dislike of Rocky. Isis had grown up with Marin and knew her quite well. Marin was a forthright tomboy who, while being independent, was amiable and seldom disliked anyone with a passion. Marin acted like a flustered lady when talking about Rocky, though seething with anger. Her demeanor made Isis even more curious.


    "I just don''t like him. Besides, he seems to have a peculiar identity. So, my dear sister, could you please help investigate how Rocky was enlisted to the northeast military camp?" Marin suddenly requested.


    If only Rocky knew that Marin was so resolute to investigate his identity, he would have felt worried and rather uncomfortable. After all, his ident


    iously.


    "Really?" Marin was stunned by the astonishing result.


    "In the recruitment records for the past several months, there is only one new entry, which has been kept in strict confidentiality. What''s even more confusing is that the entry has no details, not even the name. If Rocky is the only spirit manipulator recruited to the northeast military camp within the recent months, obviously the entry of recruitment belongs to him." Isis had never before come across an entry was treated with such strict secrecy. Even her father had no right to access the details of that entry. How strange!


    "What?! Do you mean that¡­" Marin became more bewildered.


    "If there is no error in the recruitment record, then the fact should be that Rocky''s identity information is deliberately concealed for some reasons. And he must have a special identity or be related to some secrets. He is really peculiar," Isis said, rubbing her chin with her fingers.


    "So, what is his identity? Why could it be hidden? He was never an outstanding manipulator and seems not to be a vicious guy." It was unimaginable for Marin that Rocky, a spirit manipulator who was at best at the second or third level of the Mortal Stage, had a top-secret identity.


    "I don''t know. I''ve never noticed that entry before. But, my father may know something about it. I will go ask him. Goodness, cousin. I''ve joined you in being so curious about him!" A short profound smile of curiosity flashed on Isis''s enchanting face. Her curiosity seemed to be incurred by the unexpected mystery arising from the boring military camp.


    Listening to Isis, Marin also showed curiosity and astonishment under her attractive appearance.

 Chapter 159 Report With Malicious Intent (Part One)

    At that time, Rocky did not know that he had attracted the attention of the two aggressive and smart women, Marin and her cousin Isis. He stayed in his own room as he minded his own business. He was busy squeezing the liquid out of the poison sac which he picked up from the Centipede-snake earlier. He was trying to transfer the extract into an empty jar.


    As Rocky saw that a few drops of the thick poisonous liquid with a strange odor were slowly falling into the jar, he narrowed his eyes slightly and wondered, ''This time, not only did I fail to lure more Dark Heaven Insects, I also put myself in grave danger. It is more or less because of my ignorance and carelessness. I only thought that the magical saliva could attract the Dark Heaven Insect but I forgot to consider that other wild spirit-manipulated beasts may also be attracted by it. What a big mistake!


    I always have to keep in mind¡ªA fall into the pit, a gain in my wit. I could not afford to make such big mistakes again; otherwise, I might not be so lucky next time. If it wasn''t for the two wild and mighty spirit-manipulated beasts who wanted to kill each other while I was in trouble, I would have been the one dead right now.''


    Although he made a mistake, he also gained something valuable from the dangerous incident¡ªsome treasures from the corpses of the two wild spirit-manipulated beasts, including the Centipede-snake''s venom and the one-eyed mammoth''s alveolar bones. The Centipede-snake''s venom was so deadly that it was able to paralyze the enormous and strong one-eyed mammoth without much trouble. So, he retrieved its poison sac and collected the venom from the sac. Bringing a little of the venom along with him would b


    ly," Joss said in a hurry.


    "Okay, I''ll be there," Rocky said as he nodded and dismissed Joss. He then went back to his room to change out of his dirty robes. After asking Uriah to take care of Rubygon, he left his room and headed to the commander''s camp.


    It wasn''t long before Rocky arrived at the commander''s camp. As soon as he walked inside, he saw that it was already overcrowded. The captains of all the other five spirit manipulator squads including Evan, the two deputy commanders, and some of the deputy officers were all there. It could be said that almost the entire elite of the northeast military camp was able to gather at her command.


    Apart from the disdainful glances cast upon him, he also noticed a peculiar gaze staring at him, as if there were something strange with him. When he tried to see who was staring at him strangely, he found that it was none other than Marin, the commander who ordered him to be at her camp!


    However, Rocky also did not show any signs of weakness. He looked right into Marin''s eyes as the corners of his mouth curled up a bit and made him look so careless, sloppy, and cynical.

 Chapter 160 Report With Malicious Intent (Part Two)

    As soon as Marin saw the expression on Rocky''s face, she immediately frowned and narrowed her beautiful eyes. She then withdrew her eyes, looked around the crowd, and said solemnly, "Now that all of you are here, let me first talk about why I had to gather all of you here so urgently..."


    "Today, as required by the Deputy Commander in Chief, I went to the base camp myself. As a result, I learned that some people from our northeast military camp have signed a petition to report me because of the fact that I have rewarded Rocky, the captain of the sixth squad with a first-class merit," Marin said in a seemingly calm way. But those who were listening all felt dreadful hearing her speaking tone.


    "I can''t believe someone had the guts to report our commander. Who would be so bold?" As soon as Deputy Commander Chen who was next to Marin heard that, he immediately exclaimed with a look of surprise.


    At that precise moment, several captains of the spirit manipulator squads immediately looked at one another with confusion. After a moment, they all looked at Evan spontaneously. As a matter of fact, those who had reported Marin to the Commander in Chief were the five captains from the first to the fifth squad with Evan, the captain of the first squad as the major proponent. They were not satisfied with Marin as she was the one who rewarded Rocky the first-class merit. They all regarded him as the rubbish captain of the rubbish sixth squad, so they wanted to ask the Commander in Chief to uphold justice and take back Rocky''s reward.


    Of course, it never occurred to them that the Crimson Dragon Group''s Commander in Chief and Deputy Commander in Chief were respect


    now. I don''t want any of you to mention any of it in the future," Marin said as she found her warning to have worked very well. After a pause, she added in a more serious tone, "When I came back from the base camp, I happened to have received a message that the Timber Deity Empire has been showing up frequently at the front line of our northeast military camp in the last few days. They seem to be plotting against us. So, I hope you can keep your high spirits and manage your own soldiers. Always keep your eyes open. Starting today, we''ll increase the range and density of our patrols. The spies from the Timber Deity Empire are very likely to be hiding somewhere within the jurisdiction area of our northeast military camp and are simply waiting for further actions. Attention, everyone! We have to stay on guard and never allow them to do anything harmful to our empire."


    "Yes, Commander!" the crowd replied in unison.


    "Well, that''s all for today. You may all leave now. Rocky, stay for a while. I need to have a word with you," Marin said and waved. At the same time, she threw a glance directly at Rocky.

 Chapter 161 A New Mission

    Everyone was on their way out of the military camp. Evan glared at Rocky as they left. His jealousy and hatred for Rocky only grew when his joint signature petition for protest was denied by the Commander in Chief. The idea behind him was to expose Marin''s bias towards Rocky.


    Almost everyone had evacuated the camp except for Rocky and Marin.


    "Commander, what are your directives?" Rocky knew better than to think this is just some daily light-hearted chat. He could sense the tension in the air the moment he came in to the Commander''s camp. His guess was this meeting was to pick on him.


    "I have a secret mission for you," Marin said to Rocky who was fairly surprised at this point.


    "A secret mission? Why assign it to me? I think you''re overestimating me here. You fully know the extent of my power. I don''t think I am cut out for a secret mission," Rocky refused with an awkward smile. Marin must be out her mind to assign some secret mission to him. There was not a doubt she had some sort of hidden agenda for assigning him this secret mission. She could not possibly be up to any good.


    "Despite this mission''s secrecy, it''s actually quite simple and easy. Here are three confidential documents I need you to deliver to different outposts," Marin explained, picking up the envelopes ready to hand them to Rocky.


    "However, as easy as it may seem, I am fully aware how this mission could put me in a possible risk. Commander, I believe you just said spies from the Timber Deity Empire could have possible slipped into our border. I''d automatically fail this mission if I got targeted by them," Rocky rationalized, trying to get himself out of this mission. He was not up for any kind of secret mission, ever. Not to mention the iffy feeling he got from Marin, this mission was absolutely not his thing.


    "You said it yourself, your power''s extent won''t be of any interest for them. No spy would care to target on you. They would not think of you someone worthy enough to harbor a single confidential document, let alone three," Marin snapped back.


    "True, but what if they''re such bad spies they don''t know how to tell strong spirit manipulators from the weak ones?" Rocky responded, marveling at Marin''s quick wits.


    "This is an order. Your willingness matters not at all. Your compliance is required. Otherwise, you will have to face grave consequences," Marin stated matter-of-factly and threateningly.


    Rocky


    Two figures then suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking his way.


    Rocky ran a quick scan of the two people before him. They both wore green clothes and bamboo hats covered their faces. Judging by their movements, their skill level should be at the sixth level of the Mortal Stage. This is a relatively strong spirit manipulator by the military''s standards.


    "Hey, you! Hand over the items you are hiding on you," one of the two spirit manipulators ordered, shouting.


    "The item? What kind of an item is it?" Rocky squinted his eyes in an attempt to look oblivious. ''Are these two also sent by Marin as a test?'' Rocky asked himself. ''If that were true, then Marin really was desperate to find out the true extent of my powers and my real identity. First, she sent someone to spy on me. And now, these two are trying to set me up. Oh, but she was wrong to underestimate me. I couldn''t be possibly fooled by such a shoddy trick. It was so poorly executed I saw right through it from the very beginning.''


    "Quit it with the games. Hurry up! Give it up! Now!" The other spirit manipulated shouted.


    "Hey, brother. I''m not playing any games, alright? Go back and tell the Commander this is not fun at all," Rocky replied calmly as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.


    The two spirit manipulators looked at each other in confusion.


    "Should we just kill him? We shouldn''t have wasted our time having this screwball fool around with us," one of them yelled.


    Their eyes flashed with an intent to kill. They lunged towards Rocky, shoulder to shoulder, employing the techniques of spiritual martial arts.

 Chapter 162 Mercenary

    "You people go too far. So you mean business?" Rocky grew serious when he saw that they made their moves. He knew he would not do anything that could reveal his identity. However, these spirit manipulators in green clothes were ready to attack, which surprised Rocky a little bit. They seemed to take their jobs of pretending assassins so seriously and Rocky thought it was such a waste of their talents to become spirit manipulators rather than actual actors.


    "Please! Have mercy!" Rocky pleaded as he pretended to beg for his life. He took the three sealed envelopes and presented it to them. "Here! Take these. Just please spare my life." He then handed the envelopes to the two men.


    One of the spirit manipulators wearing green clothes took the envelopes and said to the other, "I got them. Take care of him."


    The other spirit manipulator in green clothes instantly closed in on Rocky.


    Rocky immediately sensed that something was amiss. These guys were the real deal. The approaching spirit manipulator struck his palm towards Rocky with the force of the seventh grade of the Mortal Stage.


    "Could they be..." Rocky realized that these two were not sent by Marin. Instead they were most likely to be the spirit manipulator scouts sent to the northeast military camp to intercept the information Rocky had on his hands. It looked he just bumped into these scouts who knew that he had the information. All hell would break loose if these three envelopes fell into the wrong hands.


    Rocky threw a sinister look at them. As the other spirit manipulator got closer, Rocky unleashed all his power without any restraint. His once weak spiritual power spiked and reached the first grade of the Earthly Stage.


    "You! How could you be so powerful!" The spirit manipulator coming towards him was completely astonished upon seeing the true strength of Rocky, so he immediately decided to forego his attack. However, it was a bit too late as Rocky''s eyes glinted with murderous intent while his hands emitted a nebula-like light. Without a moment''s notice, Rocky struck his palm out towards his opponent.


    The spirit manipulator who was in the sixth grade of the Mortal Stage screamed as he was sent flying into the air. He then helplessly fell on t


    se men were the spirit manipulators from the Timber Deity Empire.


    "We are allies to those who can afford us. We do not care if he is a timber deity, a grass deity, or whatever status they may hold." The red-haired man sneered.


    "So you must be mercenaries?" Rocky said. He heard that there were some ruthless spirit manipulators in the Gehenna Border and knew that they were usually hired by many countries for covert operations like assassination and sabotage. If he was right, someone must have paid these spirit manipulators. However, the only way that he could find out who hired them was through these men.


    "You are indeed sly and cunning. However, as per my experience, the smart ones tend to die early. What''s it going to be? Either you kill yourself, or we can do it for you. It''s your call. However, let me remind you that if we do it for you, your family will barely have anything left to bury," the red-haired man said with a wicked smirk.


    Rocky looked at these spirit manipulator mercenaries. He knew without a doubt that they were ruthless and would show no mercy. Given the strength of these men, they stood a small chance against Rocky and Uriah. However, Rocky was outnumbered. They also had spirit-manipulated beasts along with them, hence it would not be easy for Rocky to fight them head-on. It seemed that they would not let Rocky leave, so a battle was inevitable.


    Rocky decided that even if he had to fight, he would pick a moment that was most advantageous for him.

 Chapter 163 A Great Gift

    "I have a secret letter with me. Originally, I was planning to send it to the outpost. However, it seems that I don''t have to do that now. I''ll give it to you if you can let me off. With this secret letter, you can get everything you need. Otherwise, I''ll destroy it..." Rocky said to the hired spirit manipulators led by the man with red hair. As he deliberately spoke, he drew out the last secret letter from his chest.


    Hearing Rocky''s words, the hired spirit manipulators'' eyes all flashed, staring intently at the secret letter in Rocky''s hand. Their faces were flushed with greed.


    The man with red hair gave him an evil smile and said, "That''s a deal. Give me the secret letter, you bastard, and I will give you a chance to live!"


    "Done! You can send a man to take it from me. Only one is enough," Rocky replied as he stepped back, holding up the secret letter to distance himself from the hired spirit manipulators.


    "Morris, you go and take it for us. Remember! Be nice to him. Don''t scare him away..." the man with red hair said to one of his men, discretely shooting him a wink. The man, whose power was at the fifth grade of the Mortal Stage, was so fearsome that he looked like a demon.


    Realizing the real meaning of the man with red hair, Morris burst out piercing laughter. Then he walked towards Rocky, who was still stepping back. In this way, they walked about two hundred meters in total before Rocky stopped.


    "Lad, come on! Give me the secret letter and get away!" Morris hooted.


    "Alright." Rocky straightforwardly passed the secret letter to him.


    Morris came very close to Rocky in a big stride and looked as though he was about to take the secret letter from Ricky''s outstretched hand. However, in a flash, his tattoo-covered arm reached out, nimbly changed its path, and hit Rocky''s chest instead.


    At the moment, seeing Morris had prevailed, the other hired spirit manipulators all broke into laughter. They believed that Rocky was doomed. However, while they were hooting with glee at the success of their scheme, Rocky cracked a wicked grin. With the aura of his spiritual power suddenly surging high, Rocky quickly caught Morris'' arm before he realized what happened to him. Crack! It was the telltale sign of an arm totally fracturing.


    Morris couldn''t help but utter a heartrending scream and clutch his arm in disbelief. Without a moment''s delay, Rocky gripped his throat and wrenched it with a little strength. As he did so, Rocky glared coldly at the other hired spirit manipulators. The force had twisted Morris'' head askew, blood spraying from his mouth. In an instant, Morris collapsed on the ground, as dead as a doornail.


    "Morris..." The other hired spirit manipulators were all stunned at the scene. How was it possible that Morris, whose power was at the fift


    aven Insect? I... I really have gotten a treasure..." The man with red hair was startled, but soon he got enraptured with the stroke of good fortune. He knew the Dark Heaven Eggs in the Dark Heaven Insect were rare treasures. The Dark Heaven Insect was an incredibly rare and elusive beast. Most spirit manipulators searched for it at the Gehenna Border for years with no luck whatsoever. He never thought that he would be so lucky to come across one by accident! He regarded it as the reward for his good moral standing all the time.


    Of course, he didn''t know that in fact the Dark Heaven Insect was lured to come out by the magical saliva carried with Uriah. Otherwise, it wouldn''t have shown up.


    Since the Dark Heaven Insect had now emerged, Uriah howled to inform Rocky. Its sound reverberated in the jungle.


    "Ha-ha, I''m going to be rich." The man with red hair laughed uproariously. He sensed that the Dark Heaven Insect was just a third grade spiritual-manipulated beast of three-star level, whose power was only equivalent to that of a spirit manipulator at the Earthly Stage. With complete confidence in his power, he ran to attack the Dark Heaven Insect with his spirit-manipulated beast.


    But the Dark Heaven Insect was only interested in the magical saliva. Seeing the man with red hair darting wildly towards it, getting in its way, the Dark Heaven Insect flew into a wild rage and let forth a roar filled with wrath and fury. Raising its black wings, it irritably lunged at him.


    In harmony with his spirit-manipulated beast, the man with red hair quickly prevailed over the Dark Heaven Insect and suppressed it.


    At this time, Rocky had quickly gone to Uriah and untied the bottle with the magical saliva from its leg. Once he had sealed it and put it away, he stood still, sneering and waiting for the great gift sent for him by the man with red hair.

 Chapter 164 Obtain A Treasure

    "Damn! This Dark Heaven Insect is too difficult to deal with!" The red-haired man had no clue that he had completely fallen for hook, line, and sinker into the trap Rocky had so masterfully set. He was now going to great lengths to kill the Dark Heaven Insect, to obtain the Dark Heaven Egg inside its body.


    After spending quite a few laborious minutes in a desperate struggle with the Dark Heaven Insect, he had been panting and sweating. His spiritual power was growing weaker by the second. Worse still, his spirit-manipulated beast had been accidentally wounded by the Dark Heaven Insect before and had, therefore, lost its fighting power, leaving its master to fight against their prey alone.


    But the beast was in no good shape either. Although it had armor as hard as iron, this spirit manipulator had adopted a relatively clever way to attack its weaker lower abdomen. Therefore, although its outer shell was intact, it also suffered a lot of internal injuries under the impact of the spiritual power at the Earthly Stage, which made it begin to seem rather powerless.


    When the Dark Heaven Insect discovered that it was not in an ideal situation, it decided to escape under the ground as quickly as possible.


    Utterly spent, the red-haired man could only watch helplessly as the Dark Heaven Insect tried to escape, but he had no intention or any remaining strength to stop it.


    As the Dark Heaven Insect was about to run away, suddenly, a bone arrow covered with venom and mixed with the strong spiritual power of the Earthly Stage flew from one direction. With a loud, ear-splitting whistle, the bone arrow sank into one leg of the scurrying insect. Its injured leg suddenly went entirely limp, causing the insect to slow down considerably as it ran underground.


    "Swish, swish..."


    Three more arrows flashed overhead, hitting one more forelimb and two hind legs!


    "Crash!" Accompanied by a loud din, a huge cloud of smoke and dust began to float into the air.


    The Dark Heaven Insect finally collapsed on its four legs as if its internal organs had come to a halt, leaving its huge body with no strength to support itself anymore. Finally, with the last of its strength completely gone, it fell onto the ground.


    Upon observing this scene, the red-haired man could not help but feel totally stupefied. ''What kind of arrow is so powerful that it can bring down the Dark Heaven Insect at once?'' he thought to himself doubtfully.


    Just then, one man and a beast emerged out of the dense thicket nearby.


    "It''s you!" The red-haired man looked surprised when he saw Rocky emerge unscathed from the bushes, with a cocky grin on his face.


    "You''ve really made great efforts in helping me exhaust the strength of the Dark Heaven Insect so that I can defeat it in just one move!" The red-h


    light of night in the ghost village west of the northeast military camp, where the Dark Heaven Insect had slain many people. Now the village was no longer inhabited, and there was a huge shadow following behind them.


    Behind them lumbered the huge insect, staring right at the saliva on Uriah''s leg.


    Since there was a nest under the ghost village, which was a very suitable place to keep it in captivity, Rocky led the Dark Heaven Insect here. However, along the way, he took great pains to divert some patrol forces from the northeast military camp, and finally managed to bring the Dark Heaven Insect here without anyone''s notice.


    Seeing that the Dark Heaven Insect had almost run out of energy, Rocky took down the bottle of magical saliva that was tied to Uriah and threw it directly into the hole in the ghost village.


    Once he did this, the Dark Heaven Insect which was right behind him immediately followed the bottle directly into the hole.


    Rocky also jumped into the hole and landed on the monster''s back. He grabbed a piece of its iron shell to stabilize himself, then followed it all the way down into the ground. He finally entered the nest, which was tens of meters below the surface.


    Once the beast stopped moving, Rocky jumped off its back. As he did this, he pulled out several poisoned bone arrows from the quiver behind his back. While the Dark Heaven Insect was looking for the magical saliva in the dark, he aimed at the unhealed wounds on its four legs and inserted the arrows into its wounds one by one.


    "Howl!" The Dark Heaven Insect immediately collapsed to the ground again, unable to move.


    Rocky grinned. It wasn''t every day that he successfully captured a Dark Heaven Insect and trapped it in this nest. After that, he could begin to keep it in captivity, and it would be extremely easy for him to obtain the Dark Heaven Egg!

 Chapter 165 Disappear In Situ (Part One)

    Even though Rocky got the Dark Heaven Insect with extreme ease and now bred it in captivity, he still couldn''t get the Dark Heaven Egg that easily. The process wasn''t fast and easy that there would be no instant results. It took time and patience. According to the description in the Beast Encyclopedia, the production of one Dark Heaven Egg at the primary grade by a three-star Dark Heaven Insect at the first level would take one month. Sometimes, it could even take two or up to three months if the production process was slow, not to mention the production time for the Dark Heaven Egg at the medium or the premium grade, which definitely would be much longer. Rocky certainly did not expect to wait this long.


    ''It looks like I need to catch a few more Dark Heaven Insects to produce more eggs. With only one to produce egg, I am afraid that it can''t produce enough eggs to meet my demand for cultivation. If I have several of them, then the situation will be totally different. I can breed them simultaneously and produce more eggs in a short amount of time. Moreover, I definitely should spend some time studying how to speed up the production of a Dark Heaven Egg. If I can do that, I can shorten my waiting time and efficiently produce more eggs...'' Rocky thought deeply as he examined the Dark Heaven Insect, who could not move in front of him. It looked like a statue by the way it was paralyzed. Even though relying on his knowledge about the modern science and technology couldn''t make the Dark Heaven Insect produce the Dark Heaven Egg instantly, he still could shorten the time of producing the Dark Heaven Egg. He could also improve the production efficiency, as long as he bred the Dark Heaven Insect scientifically, like arranging appropriate diet, improving its living environment and so on.


    It took him a great amount of effort to capture the Dark Heaven Insect alive, and the man with red hair even inadvertently helped him to capture it. Even though he didn''t mean to help him at all, Rocky wouldn''t


    t when it was him who killed the two spies.


    "Captain, how come you have no reaction about it at all?" Thor and Joss asked strangely when they saw Rocky was so calm. Obviously, this was not the reaction they were expecting. Not even a single bone in his whole body twitched when he heard the news.


    "What kind of reaction should I have? You are simply telling me that some people have been killed. It''s no big deal," Rocky said indifferently. His tone and reaction showed that he could not care less about what happened.


    "Captain, I am telling you, if this kind of event keeps occurring, it must mean that something big is going to happen. Maybe the war between our Empire and the Timber Deity Empire would erupt. If that happens, we may have to be sent to the front line. If we went to the front line, our chances of survival is very slim. Do you know what that means? There''s a high chance that we would never come back alive," Joss said. He obviously looked terrified. His eyes widened exaggeratedly as he imagined the horrifying possibility. However, this did not terrify nor disturb Rocky at all.


    "If you are so afraid of death, then you''d better go home and be a farmer again," Rocky responded impatiently. He didn''t have the time to talk about it further. After that, he went to Marin''s camp to report to her about his mission.

 Chapter 166 Disappear In Situ (Part Two)

    As soon as he arrived at the entrance of Marin''s camp, Rocky heard the sound of people arguing inside. It seemed the dispute was about what happened at the front line.


    "Commander, I think the issue still needs to be discussed further. If we send troops to the front line rashly, I am afraid that it will cause unnecessary disputes." Came the solemn voice of Deputy Commander Chen.


    "Yeah, I agree with him. We haven''t investigated the identity of the two spies yet. More importantly, we haven''t captured the person who murdered our people stationed at the outpost of our front line." Another solemn voice rang out.


    "Aside from the Timber Deity Empire, who else will engage in this kind of plot? Not only have they sent spies to our empire, but they have also killed our people to challenge us and establish their authority. Do you know what I think? I think the Timber Deity Empire wants to provoke us to start a war. Since they dared to act so blatantly within the area of our northeast military camp, I will not let them go easily..." Marin''s indignant screams echoed so loud it could be heard from outside.


    "Right, has Rocky come back now?" Marin asked suddenly.


    "Not yet," Deputy Commander Chen answered.


    "The final destination for the secret mission that I assigned to him was the outpost at the front line where the slaughtering incident happened. If he''s not lucky, I am afraid... It was all my fault. I shouldn''t have sent him to carry out the secret mission," Marin said regretfully. There was a hint of sadness and guilt in her voice.


    "Yeah? Then why did you send me to carry out the secret mission? Commander, I guess you sincerely wanted me to get killed." At that point, Marin and the two Deputy Commanders heard the bantering sound from outside the camp and looked up to find its source. Immediately, they saw a figure walked in. His face was all-too-familiar.


    "Rocky, you are back!" they exclaimed in surp


    pies right away. Also, find out the murderer who has attacked the outpost..." Marin ordered the two Deputy Commanders as her eyes grew colder and sharper. She was determined to find and punish those who dared to attack them.


    The two Deputy Commanders accepted the order and left.


    As soon as they were out of Marin''s camp, a delicate figure abruptly appeared next to Marin.


    "Stop investigating Rocky for the time being. You need to go back and report everything about Rocky honestly to the Deputy Commander in Chief. You also need to report the discovery of the spies'' corpses and the slaughtering incident at the outpost. I want to hear her opinion about these two things," Marin said to the figure. The figure turned out to be one of Isis''s personal guard. She came to the northeast military camp with Marin only to investigate Rocky. However, so many unexpected things happened when she had just started the investigation. Thus, she had no way but to put aside the investigation for a while. Urgent things were given more focus which meant she had lesser time to investigate Rocky.


    After hearing Marin''s instructions, the figure immediately disappeared in situ. It was like she was never there to begin with. Apparently, she was a mighty warrior with formidable martial skills.

 Chapter 167 The Eastern Village Had Been Plundered

    After departing from Marin''s camp, Rocky returned right away to his room to leave some of his belongings. After a few minutes of rest, he walked directly to the village in the east to pick up Rubygon.


    In the village, Rocky happened to run into Jackson, who had just come back from the market in a carriage.


    "Rocky, nice to see you here! The goods you asked me to sell for you sold out quite quickly. They were very popular and almost everyone scrambled to buy them," Jackson said with a smile at the sight of his friend.


    "That''s good, thank you." Rocky nodded indifferently. It was as if he had already known it would happen.


    Jackson stopped the carriage beside the sheepfold and stepped out of it. He approached Rocky and produced a small pouch out of his pocket, holding it out with a trembling hand. He handed it to Rocky and said, "This is the money I made from selling the goods. Over one hundred gold coins. I''ve never seen so much money before in my life! Oh, I kept them very carefully! I had them with me at all times. I was so worried that I would lose them otherwise!"


    "Over one hundred?" Rocky''s brow furrowed. He knew that the materials he had given Jackson were worth at least one thousand gold coins. But Jackson had lived his whole life in this village. He couldn''t have known those were the materials from wild spirit-manipulated beasts at the Earthly Stage. So Rocky bit his tongue. He wasn''t planning on keeping the money, anyway.


    "Keep it, Jackson. This is what I owe you for Rubygon''s milk," Rocky said, pushing the bag back into Jackson''s hands.


    "I can''t take this! The milk is not worth so much money. Please take back it!" Jackson thrust the bag back quickly, his voice trembling.


    But Rocky wouldn''t take it. Both men were insisting the other take it when a high voice interrupted them.


    "Grandpa, you''re back! What are you two doing here?" Sue came out of the house, cradling Rubygon in her arms. Seeing Jackson and Rocky bickering about a small pouch, her curiosity was stirred. She walked up to them and snatched the pouch. Feeling its weight, she opened it and saw a plethora of golden coins.


    "Wow! So much money!" Sue exclaimed, her eyes opening wide in surprise. She had never seen so much money before!


    "Sue, give the pouch back to Rocky," Jackson told his granddaughter hastily.


    "No, just keep it. It''s my way to express my thanks t


    y Dragon Empire. And the atmosphere in the military camp which was located on the border grew tenser by the day at the impending chaos.


    Right when Rocky was about to leave the cave after feeding the Dark Heaven Insect, he realized that he hadn''t visited the eastern village for a few days. It was still early, so he decided to swing by and see Jackson and Sue. He thought Sue might complain about not having seen Rubygon for a while.


    Rubygon had grown substantially in the course of only two weeks. It was full of beans now and followed Uriah every day as if it had taken Uriah as its mother. Rocky exercised Rubygon''s brain nerves for two hours on a daily basis. Only after Rubygon was fully grown would he find out whether the results would match up with his hypothesis.


    When the three neared the eastern village, they were alarmed to discover that something had happened to the village. It had become a total mess, as though it had been plundered by robbers. Villagers all hid in their homes and closed the doors, seeming to be terrified of something. The whole village was dreadfully quiet. Rocky was the only person in the street.


    A child''s scream suddenly pierced the air, causing Rocky to start in surprise.


    He looked around and realized that the scream had come from Jackson''s house. Outside his house stood two men in a soldier''s robe of a spirit manipulator. It was obvious that they were from the military camp.


    Then Rocky remembered something suddenly and his expression changed. He charged swiftly towards Jackson''s house, Uriah and Rubygon following at his heels.

 Chapter 168 Hidden Strength

    Standing guard outside Jackson''s room, two spirit manipulators saw a flashing black figure. Suddenly, it stopped in front of them. Once they recognized that it was Rocky they both stepped intimidatingly forward, laughing in distain. "Ha-ha! How are you doing, popular loser captain? So? How dare you bother us right now! If you don''t want to get hurt, get lost immediately!"


    Rocky recognized they were manipulators from the first squad, who had a strength of the fifth grade of Mortal Stage.


    "No!" Sue''s desperate scream rang out from inside the room.


    "Get away!" Rocky shouted at them coldly, his rage surging up at the sound of Sue''s pitiful cries.


    "Idiot! Matthew is busy now. You''d better not enter the room, otherwise you''re a dead man. Move, now! We don''t want to hurt you, even though you are a piece of trash. Leave if you want to keep your limbs intact. After Matthew enjoys the girl, it''s our turn to have a good time. We don''t have time to play with you." They laughed shamelessly. But their words fell on deaf ears.


    At the sound of Matthew''s name, Rocky burst out with an aura of pure rage. He emitted a powerful force, which began to surround the two manipulators.


    They were utterly taken by surprise. How could he suddenly summon this strength!?


    "Uriah!" Rocky shouted. He had no plans to waste time with these two soldiers. Saving Sue was his most pressing matter.


    Uriah roared at the manipulators, howling as he stampeded towards them. They were frightened and stepped to the side right away.


    Rocky broke into the room, finding Jackson lying in blood with his eyes closed. Matthew was on top of Sue,


    ast. Thus they were afraid to strike first, afraid of bearing the brunt of the beasts'' rage.


    "I will finish this on my own," Rocky murmured quietly to Uriah as he turned around, rushing at Matthew and the other manipulators.


    The two manipulators saw Rocky coming without Uriah and were delighted. They thought that they could beat him up and prove to Matthew they weren''t weak and useless! The shame Uriah caused to them would be avenged on Rocky, and they were sure of it! They applied their skilled spiritual martial arts, summoning spiritual power. It seemed they weren''t complete trash at all. Standing in a row before Rocky, they were ready to launch their strike.


    Rocky was calmly standing still as they ran towards him. He raised his arms at will and spiritual clouds emerged before his chest, accumulating formidable spiritual power in the blink of an eye.


    The running manipulators couldn''t believe Rocky would have such unimaginable spiritual power. Matthew, who stood behind them, broke out in a cold sweat. He was utterly horrified and prayed it was all just a dream.

 Chapter 169 I Will Kill Them

    "Nebula Cloud Transformation!" The spiritual power in Rocky''s chest transformed in a tornado as he roared. Instantly, it burst out powerfully to ravage the unfortunate spirit manipulators who had been sent to do Matthew''s bidding.


    "Boom! Boom! Boom!"


    Encased in a glowing cloud, the two spirit manipulators from the first squad were struck by the overwhelming Nebula Cloud Transformation Rocky had mercilessly unleashed. As they were flabbergasted by the sudden elevation of Rocky''s power, they put up little defense to this unexpected attack. They were thrown a great distance and rolled on the ground as they vomited mouthfuls of blood.


    Witnessing Rocky overwhelm the two fifth grade Mortal Stage spirit manipulators with only a single strike of spiritual martial arts, Matthew was also stupefied. He could still not wrap his head around how Rocky could become so powerful all of a sudden.


    But Matthew would be dead wrong if he thought that it was the end of his nightmare. Rocky would not let them go so easily. What they had done to Sue and Jackson was beyond forgiveness. Matthew was trembling in sheer terror at what happened in the next moment. He was completely unable to believe what he saw in the second that followed.


    Rocky walked slowly to one of the two spirit manipulators who was groaning on the ground. At that moment, his eyes turned sharply evil, a strong determination to murder bursting out from his aura.


    "Mercy! Mercy on me. Please don''t kill me..." One spirit manipulator pleaded immediately as he sensed that Rocky was about to do something to him. His eyes looked up in abject terror, pupils dilated as he shuddered from head to foot.


    However, Rocky''s eyes were glazed over with a thirst for ferocious revenge. He totally ignored the spirit manipulator''s pleas as he swung his fist, which by now was fully armed with spiritual power. The spirit manipulator could not even manage to let out a cry before his head was smashed by Rocky''s powerful punch. Blood spattered from the explosion of his skull and got all over Rocky, making him looked even more savage.


    "You... How dare you to commit murder in broad daylight!" Witnessing Rocky turn into a maniac killer, Matthew could not help but tremble. He quivered as his face turned gray from extreme panic.


    Rocky only slightly raised his head and gave Matthew a quick glance before he approached to the other spirit manipulator. He terminated the spirit manipulator''s life the same way he did previously without any hesitation. Satisfied with the results, he walked towards Matthew haughtily. A heavy, oppressive air surrounded him and frightened Matthew to the core.


    Matthew was panic-stricken when he saw Rocky


    gloriously from his palm which he aimed at Matthew''s groin. Matthew cried out in agony. He looked at his bloody crotch and realized he was totally ruined.


    "Get the hell out of here!" Rocky shouted to Matthew. Then he turned back and walked towards Sue. She was too young to endure this. He did not want the bloody killing scene to further traumatize the poor girl who just lost her Grandpa. If Sue hadn''t stopped him, Matthew would have been dead by now.


    Out of the fear for Rocky, he covered his crotch by both his hands to constrain the pain as he tried to stand up and run. It was important than anything else that he could leave here alive. But, even in a hurry to run, he threatened as if he sensed Rocky would not kill him, "Rocky, let''s wait and see. You are done!"


    At that moment, Rocky had already went back to Sue. Sue had cried too much in the grief of her grandpa''s death. He sighed as he saw her swollen eyes, "Sue, I''m so sorry for your loss."


    "Mr. Bai, you killed two people. You will not be able to get away with it. You had better run." Sue knew that Rocky killed them to avenge her grandpa''s death. But she knew that no murder could repay by his life. She was gravely worried. Rocky''s life could be in danger!


    "They deserved it," Rocky said indifferently, glaring at the two bodies.


    "Mr. Bai..." Sue bit her tender lips as if the pain of the sudden tragic death of her beloved Grandpa washed over her again.


    "We had better arrange the interment for your grandpa first. It is said only a burial can bring peace for the deceased. If your grandpa will know in another world that you are safe, he can be relieved and rest in peace," Rocky sighed as he comfortingly rubbed Sue''s delicate shoulders. Then he walked directly into the house, overcome by a sense of gloom.

 Chapter 170 Held Back

    Soon after that, at a run-down cemetery near the village, Sue was kneeling morosely in front of a newly-erected tombstone. She was crying her eyes out as Rocky stood by her side, looking discouraged. Had he arrived earlier, he might have been just in time to save Jackson from Matthew and his men.


    "Sue, you should leave this place and start your life elsewhere. The money I left to your grandfather last time is enough for you to have a comfortable life," Rocky suggested gently.


    "How can I leave this place? It''s all I''ve ever known! What about you? If I leave, they will definitely come after you. And you can''t possibly defend yourself once they get their hands on you." Sue stood up and looked at Rocky. She was genuinely worried about him.


    "Don''t worry. I can take care of myself. I will send Uriah and Rubygon to escort you first. I need to go back to the military camp to do something first. I''ll catch up with you later." Rocky rubbed her head tenderly to console her. He then instructed Uriah and Rubygon to protect her before he took off.


    "Mr. Bai..." Sue stared at Rocky''s departing silhouette, looking deeply concerned. But she soon snapped out of her silent reverie, gathering her things and leaving along with Uriah and Rubygon. She knew that her being here would seriously impede Rocky''s plans.


    Although Rocky knew that he would get into trouble the second he reached the military camp, he still decided to go as he had a score to settle with Matthew. As he walked into the military camp, covered in blood, he drew looks from soldiers and spirit manipulators all around.


    "Could someone please have this murderer locked up?" Someone barked the order furiously at this moment.


    Rocky turned and saw four spirit manipulators led by Evan along with a group of soldiers coming his way, surrounding him completely. There was no way out.


    "I can''t believe that you had the audacity to come back after you killed two spirit manipulators of my squad. I hope that your strength is as big as your balls." Evan stared at him darkly. Clearly, he already knew that Rocky had killed two of his men and wounded Matthew. Although he had no idea how Rocky managed to do that. It had puzzled everyone as to how even Matthew, who was at the sixth grade of the Mortal Stage, was rendered infertile by Rocky. Evan was fuming with what Rocky had done to his men and wa


    id, "Who wants to go first? Or do you want to come at me altogether? I''ll wait for your decision."


    The four spirit manipulators from the first squad looked stunned, just like everyone else around. They were all wondering how Rocky dared to stand up to them, especially considering that they were much more powerful than he was.


    ''He must be out of his mind!'' everyone thought.


    "For someone as pathetic and weak as you, I alone will be more than enough." A tall spirit manipulator with an equine face at the fifth grade of the Mortal Stage strode forward, looking contemptuously at Rocky. He concentrated his spiritual power into his fist and then charged towards Rocky.


    Rocky did not even flinch or move a muscle. The spirit manipulator raised his fist, which was shining the light of spiritual power, and struck at Rocky with full force.


    Just as everyone thought that Rocky was about to take a bloody beating, he only used his left hand and caught the incoming fist with a calm, unruffled face.


    Everyone was shocked to the core to see that Rocky had done this with relative ease, as though he had merely caught a ball thrown at him.


    His strike carried the spiritual power of the fifth grade of the Mortal Stage, which normally was way beyond what Rocky could take given his weak strength. But how could he have merely stood there and caught it without at least flinching!?


    At this moment, everyone gasped as they began to feel the surge of Rocky''s spiritual power. Bit by bit, they could sense that it had reached the sixth grade of the Mortal Stage in a flash!

 Chapter 171 The Revelation

    "How could this be possible? He has reached the sixth grade of the Mortal Stage?" No one could believe what they had seen. They didn''t expect Rocky, someone they had always despised, to turn out to be so powerful and spirited.


    While these people gasped in silence, Rocky grabbed the wrist of the spirit manipulator tightly and twisted it in a way that broke his arm.


    Following the sound of the bone cracking was an agonized scream full of pain. His face turned pale immediately and he was left vulnerable and exposed. Rocky pounced on the opportunity and kicked him away.


    "It was because of all this hidden strength and vigor that even Matthew lost to him." Evan was also surprised to know about Rocky''s true potential. Now he understood why Rocky was capable of killing two spirit manipulators at the fifth grade of the Mortal Stage.


    The other three spirit manipulators from the first team in front of Rocky were both shocked and enraged to see him hurting their friends. It irritated them that Rocky had concealed his strength earlier, but didn''t mind using it now. A short man at the sixth grade of the Mortal Stage noticed Rocky involved in the last fight and decided to use his hidden powers to reach him. Suddenly. he turned himself into a streak of light and dashed towards Rocky.


    Rocky saw that, but didn''t make a move. His spiritual power grew more and more intense every moment and he landed in the seventh grade of the Mortal Stage. A cloud of shining substances formed at the center of his palm and radiated its glow in all directions. With a thundering sound, his cloud of glow collided with the light of the short man. Seeing Rocky''s spiritual power increase even further, all the people stood there rooted to the ground, with their mouths wide open in shock.


    That short man hadn''t expected Rocky to be so powerful. He too was frozen with awe. Rocky appeared in front of him, as if he came out of nowhere. Wailing and screeching, the man flew backwards, spitting blood. He landed roughly on the ground and found himself terribly injured.


    Seeing another one of his men injured, Evan''s expression became grim. His eyes blazed with fury and vengeful desire.


    "Kill him! Everyone!" Evan shouted out to the remaining two spirit manipulators from the first team. He was bewildered at Rocky''s constantly improving strength and now, he was left with no choice but to order his men


    his spiritual power which reached the first grade of the Earthly Stage instantly. He was surrounded by glowing spiritual light and the presence he was holding couldn''t be matched by the power at the Mortal Stage.


    Just then, a deep roar filled the air.


    It seemed that Evan didn''t want to waste any time. He used the power at the first grade of the Earthly Stage to attack Rocky, considering it would be enough for him.


    "Flying Cloud Punch!" Evan yelled and wielded his hands in the air. Streaks of energy broke out and rushed towards Rocky.


    Seeing the spiritual martial arts, people thought Rocky would be undoubtedly, defeated. Rocky, at the ninth grade of the Mortal Stage, couldn''t stand a chance in front of Evan, at the Earthly Stage.


    Defeating their certainty, sparkling lights appeared around Rocky and his spiritual power which had been at the ninth grade of the Mortal Stage suddenly moved to the Earthly Stage exponentially.


    "What?! The Earthly Stage?! He is at the Earthly Stage!" Everyone stood still. After all, a warrior at the Earthly Stage was a legend here.


    "Nebula Cloud Transformation!" Rocky used fatal powers of the spiritual martial arts to tackle Evan''s attack.


    Grumble!


    In an instant, glistening lights exploded between Rocky and Evan and the waves of the spiritual power rippled in all directions.


    A fight between spirit manipulators at the Earthly Stage was a rare occurrence, so all the people there were thoroughly hooked and amazed.


    After one round of attacks, both Rocky and Evan were still standing where they had been, unharmed and unmoved.

 Chapter 172 Utterly Detestable (Part One)

    "Damn it!" Evan shouted with rage. He expected he would be able to defeat Rocky with the power at the first grade of the Earthly Stage. However, he never once considered that Rocky could also be at the same grade as he!


    Evan was determined not to take his defeat lying down. Under the eyes of the soldiers of the northeast military camp, as a team leader, Evan knew very well that his high prestige and reputation would be damaged if he lost to Rocky. Thinking of this, he rapidly promoted his spiritual power to the second grade of the Earthly Stage. This time, he displayed the spiritual martial arts of which he was most proud, aimed at giving a fatal blow to Rocky.


    "The Ghost Fog..." With his spiritual power enhancing, suddenly, dense white fog leapt up around Evan''s body and floated towards Rocky, densely enveloping him at once.


    "Captain Evan even applied his unique skill!" While the crowd was already startled at Evan''s demonstration of the spiritual martial arts, they were even more astonished that Rocky, who was considered as a worthless team leader of the weakest sixth team, would be so powerful that he could drive Evan to use his special skill.


    However, they were all convinced that Rocky would be doomed.


    Immediately, Rocky felt he was in fog. His surroundings grew hazy. Meanwhile, wild shrieks and howls from ghosts rang in his ears, besieging him from all sides. Any other soldier would probably be scared out of his wits at this experience, let alone the challenge of fighting with Evan in the first place.


    But Rocky just stared at one direction, looking as though he was waiting for something.


    Very soon, countless ghost shadows gushed out of the fog, launching overwhelming attacks at him. More substantial than illusions, these ghost shadows were formed by Evan''s spiritual power. Touching them would incite an attack of this power. Therefore, Rocky was in great dan


    ke the initiative to strike first.


    "Boom! Bang! Crash!"


    Wherever they passed, a cloud of dust and smoke accompanied by loud noises followed in their wake. After a few moments, the earth was scattered about in a mess, trenches and holes scattered everywhere.


    Relying on the amazing effect of the magical saliva, Rocky was about to fight with an opponent who was just as capable as he. The winner or loser wasn''t clear-cut yet at all.


    It was beyond all expectations that Rocky would turn out to be so challenging to deal with. Besides, after a long and drawn-out battle, Evan''s spiritual power had reduced sharply. Any semblance of his arrogance had faded away. However, Evan was certain about the implications if Rocky would defeat him. He would be thoroughly discredited in the northeast military camp. He shook his head in defiance. He could not tolerate this defeat which would surely be the end of his power-tripping days!


    Mustering all his strength, Evan shouted loudly and summoned the Ghost Fog again. This time, the fog covered a larger area and the momentum of ghost shadows were more ferocious. They blotted out the sky and the land as thickly as stalks in a field of flax, for which the power at the second grade of the Earthly Stage was no match.

 Chapter 173 Utterly Detestable (Part Two)

    Rocky''s eyebrows knitted as a frown flashed across his face. He sped up instantly and forced his path through the countless ferocious-looking ghost shadows. However, he was bound to bump into the ghost shadows every now and then since he wasn''t strong enough to dodge them all. One impact would equate to an attack of Evan''s spiritual power to Rocky.


    Therefore, when Rocky totally broke through and went out, he looked rather pitiful.


    "Ha-ha!" Evan laughed wildly at the sight of Rocky''s embarrassed look. Finally! Things became less embarrassing for him.


    "Is that all you have?" Rocky said scornfully while staring at Evan.


    "I... I will kill you." Evan was entirely enraged at Rocky''s words. He flew over to Rocky again and launched furious attacks to him.


    Since he had been injured when he got out of the fog, Rocky''s power was weakened. More than that, the effect of the magical saliva would also wear off sooner than the last time it was ingested. What was worse, Evan was more powerful than him from the very beginning. Naturally, Rocky was gradually at a disadvantage.


    The situation was grim. Without the power of the Holy Dragon Bead, Rocky had no chance to redeem himself and turn the tables.


    Before long, Rocky was hit by Evan''s palm and spat out a mouthful of blood. As he wiped the corner of his mouth, he braced himself to fight against Evan, not even stopping to catch his breath. Evan was taken aback at such a tenacious style of fighting.


    The crowd was also struck dumb with surprise.


    Rocky seized the moment and took advantage of Evan''s distracted state, shooting out a cloud of luminous nebula which exploded before Evan and forced him to retreat. A blood streak oozed out of the corner of Evan''s mouth.


    The crowd cried out in alarm as Rocky injured the well-kn


    Deputy Commanders looked at one another and knew this was a knotty problem. What made matters worse, Rocky had killed two spirit manipulators. Perhaps he would be put to death. Besides, both of them were startled that Rocky had reached the second grade of the Earthly Stage. Neither of them had previously detected the real power and capability that he had.


    Marin entered the tent and sat at the table. Rocky and Evan walked in one after another and stood before Marin. At last, the two Deputy Commanders also entered the tent.


    After a short while, Matthew, held by two soldiers, came in. The lower part of his body was wrapped with gauze and blood still oozed out of it.


    Seeing Matthew''s severe injury, Marin and the two Deputy Commanders turned serious. It could be told that Rocky had been cruel to him.


    At the sight of Rocky, Matthew wholly began to freak out. He struggled to free himself from the two soldiers and knelt on the ground before Marin, crying out, "Commander Marin, please do justice for me. I was badly hurt by the beast."


    "Matthew, I shouldn''t have let you off!" Rocky coldly scolded with a poker face.


    Shocked by Rocky''s words, Matthew trembled with abject fear.

 Chapter 174 Uncover The Truth

    "Rocky," Marin said through her gritted teeth. She was starting to get annoyed by Rocky''s repetitive reappearances. Her beautiful face was now painted with a dark shade of annoyance. She could not believe Rocky still had the guts to defend himself. He killed people, for crying out loud. It was now obvious he never took her, his Commander, into account.


    When Rocky heard Marin''s voice, he immediately shifted his focus from Matthew to the commander. He looked firm; his eyes were filled with clearness and indifference. He knew he did not do anything wrong. No trace of regret nor shame could be found in his face.


    "Commander, can you believe this guy? He is so arrogant! How dare he do such thing in front of you? He has no respect for the military rules! Commander, you can never go easy on him again. You cannot let this kind of thing slide. Justice must be served. Commander, you have the power to make this right. Please give my two fellow brothers the justice they deserve, after passing so unjustly," Matthew wailed. His face was sullen and morose. He looked like he just lost both his parents. His mind was set on having Rocky killed. If Rocky remained alive, his own life would be in danger. His plan for revenge would be harder to pull off.


    "Commander, please listen to Matthew. What he just said is right. Rocky is plain evil! He seems to show no remorse for cruelly killing two spirit manipulators. The crimes he committed are enough to earn himself a death sentence. Aside from that, he also disrupts the northeast military camp operations. Our people''s mind would never be at ease knowing a murderer is among our ranks, someone who shows no respect to the military disciplines. If we stay lenient and not do anything about him, the wrath of the public might never die down," Evan respectfully told Marin, all whilst maintaining an intense eye contact. With a situation this bad, he knew Marin would never side with Rocky. Once Rocky was convicted, Marin could no longer do anything to retract it. This would be the end for Rocky.


    "Rocky, would like to say anything in your defense?" Marin turned to Rocky. She had known Rocky for a while now. The idea of Rocky killing people without reason just did not sit well for her. Despite her anger towards the murder, she tried her best to keep a clear mind and gave Rocky a chance to speak for himself. She could proceed accordingly only after hearing what the accused had to say.


    "Well, for starters, who would you trust more, Commander? Me or Matthew?" Rocky nonchalantly asked Marin. He looked straight at her eyes with utter determination.


    Marin was taken aback by Rocky''s question. She hesitated for a while and replied, "The truth is of the highest importance today. It has nothing to do with who I believe more."


    "Okay then. The truth is Matthew and the two spirit manipulators had been harassing the villagers in the nearby villages. They rob innocent civilians like bandits, all


    d for Rocky. The two once laughed at Rocky. But now that Rocky''s at the second grade of the Earthly Stage, they were totally frightened of him. They did not dare touch him. They nervously gestured to Rocky the way to where they were headed.


    Rocky gave Marin a composed look for a while. Then he glanced at toward Matthew and Evan''s direction. He let out a little laugh, then walked slowly out the tent. He did not contest Marin''s decision. He trusted her. Rocky knew Marin would deal with this matter, fair and square. Matthew''s plan on pinning the crimes on him did not scare him one bit. He did not regret killing those people, and he knew Marin would not let it slide so easily. The worst case scenario was him getting kicked out of the team.


    "Deputy Commander Chen, the investigation is on you. I need to find out the truth as soon as possible. Do it as fairly as you can. This investigation has no room for favoritism. Got that?" Marin ordered her right-hand man.


    "Yes, ma''am," Deputy Commander Chen answered. With a newly appointed assignment, he left in an instant.


    "I really hope you''re telling the truth, Matthew. If you were not, your execution would be a grisly one," Marin warned Matthew. She turned to look at Matthew with threatening eyes. Between the two, she totally would pick Rocky. She would definitely believe Rocky more than she would Matthew. Rocky had proven himself incapable of doing something as horrible as what Matthew and the others did. Additionally, the whole time he was speaking, Matthew appeared to be guilty. Marin was already suspicious of Matthew. She''d heard some rumors about him before. She paid them no mind; she had more important things to think about. Marin could spare no time dwelling on some baseless hearsays.


    But those were just her initial opinions towards the issue. They needed to wait for Deputy Commander Chen to conclude his investigation. Until then, they could only wait for the truth to reveal itself.

 Chapter 175 More Conspiracy Is Brewing

    Matthew was already feeling quite intimidated by the meaningful look from Marin, and he then saw that Deputy Commander Chen went to investigate under direct orders. Taking into account Marin''s implications, he now realized that he was already done. If those villagers testified against him, he would be executed for sure. He could not help directing his gaze to Evan, who might just be the only one that could save him.


    Evan caught Matthew''s look and immediately understood what he wanted. Fury flashed through his eyes, but he contained it without letting it out.


    "Commander, if there is nothing else, I will take my leave of you." Evan bowed to Marin, before instructing someone to take Matthew away.


    Soon after, loud sounds of ransacking came from Evan''s tent as a figure banged against the wall and then fell on the ground. It was Matthew, whose face was now was twisted in pain as his lower body was once again covered in blood due to his collision with the wall.


    "You little bastard! How dare you lie to me! Do you want to die?" Evan stomped on him a couple of more times to let out his rage, looking really furious.


    He turned Matthew into a punching bag, letting out all his rage onto him. Matthew had lied to Evan, landing him in an even stickier situation where he couldn''t see a way out. Once Deputy Commander Chen found out about the truth, Evan would also be punished for Matthew''s crime.


    "Captain, I know I made a mistake. I did not know that little turd would have the audacity to come back. Please! For old time''s sake, please save me!" Matthew knew that he would definitely lose his life if Evan did not help him. Because of this, Matthew was now willingly taking a beat from Evan. He crawled to his leader and sat up, clinging to Evan''s leg and begging him to help. It was very clear that Matthew was a coward who was scared of death and would never learn his lesson.


    "Why don''t you just die? When Commander finds out, do you think that she is going to let you live? Don''t you dare try to drag me down with you!" Evan was infuriated by Matthew''s poor judgment. He kicked Matthew with all his might, looking wild and ferocious.


    "But captain, you are already in too deep. When Commander finds out what you did, she will be coming after you. You''re the one who pointed an eager finger at Rocky in front of everyone and incited everyone to gang up on him. If they find out about the truth, you will be seen as the one who covered up the mistake of your subordinate. Everyone will start to believe that you are simply jealous of Rocky and that this envy was what drove your motivations to eagerly persecute him. You will have a hard time at the northeast military camp." Seeing that begging was not working, Ma


    st been implicitly threatened, but he could not deny that Evan had gotten to him already. He was an ambitious man, a characteristic typical of men in his line of work. Marin''s position as the commander was supposed to be his. However, after Marin somehow managed to join the Crimson Dragon Group, she was promoted to a commander to lead the northeast military camp and took the position that had been meant for him! She had been very young at the time, still in her early twenties! At first, he had been very resentful about the arrangement. However, he was convinced after he saw her ability to lead as a commander. However, he would never give up his dream of acquiring that position once and for all. After all, there was still a huge difference between a Commander and a Deputy Commander. The former was a leader of an entire army while the latter was relatively less influential.


    "If you help me with this, I will pull some strings to make sure that you will become the leader of the northeast military camp after Marin is transferred to the headquarters. I would appreciate your kind recommendation for me to be your second-in-command by then. This way we both get what we want. You know that I am from Ji Clan. Given the status of my family, I can have it done easily with just a snap of my finger. So if you truly understand the situation at hand, you will appreciate my advice. You''re an intelligent man, Deputy Commander Chen. I know that you can easily discern what the wise decision is to make. I have said what I came here to say. Now it is up to you!" Evan said with a sly smile before he turned and left.


    Deputy Commander Chen looked at Evan growing smaller in the distance and grew solemn, obviously deep in thought. He finally turned back to return to his men, a glint of greed flashing through his eyes.

 Chapter 176 I Have Been Set Up Again! (Part One)

    Evan had just reached a secret agreement with Deputy Commander Chen, when Rocky was thrown into the prison of the northeast military camp. Rocky''s cell was small and isolated.


    ''I didn''t even have the time and freedom to meet Sue for the last time before I was thrown in this prison cell. I didn''t even get to say goodbye to her, '' Rocky thought. He was worried about Sue especially because she had just experienced such a crushing tragedy¡ªher beloved grandfather was killed by Mathew, a member of Evan''s first squad. He got killed when he tried to stop Mathew from raping his precious granddaughter. If Rocky didn''t show up and stop Mathew in time, the situation could have gotten worse. However, it did put Rocky in a dilemma. To avoid punishment, Mathew conspired with Evan to set him up and frame him of the crime Matthew had committed. They made it look like he was the one who tried to rape Sue. He had already explained the situation to Marin. He hoped that smart as she was, she could prove his innocence. Right now, he couldn''t do anything. He had to trust her to figure out what truly happened. Rocky put his hands behind his back and lay down on the cold floor. He glimpsed at the gray sky through the barred window in his cell. There wasn''t much light coming inside the room, but there was enough to highlight the worried look on his face. His eyes looked tired and his mouth was set into a grim line. This was the second time that he had been put in prison since he traveled to his current world. The last time he was in prison was because of Lena, while this time it was for Sue and her slain grandfather named Jackson. It seemed that his misfortunes involving imprisonment always had something to do with women.


    The more he was thinking, the more anxious and confused he got. He just couldn''t understand why there were so many terrible people trying to set him up. His head hurt by thinking too much so he shook his head and sat down in a lotus position to clear his head. Instead of wasting his time trying to understand those people, he would rather use it to do something useful. He closed his eyes and regulated his breathing. In just a few moments, he was already concentrating on improving his cultivation base further. Now, he didn''t have to be secretive about it. His real c


    facts of this case say that he is a murderer and a threat to the public," Deputy Commander Chen reminded deliberately, then bowed to Marin and retreated slowly. He needed to lay it out so smoothly so that she wouldn''t suspect any foul play.


    "Did he really do all those things?" After seeing Deputy Commander Chen leave, Marin could not help but ask herself such a question. Although Deputy Commander Chen had reported the results of the investigation that it was Rocky himself who really did such shameless things, somehow, deep inside, she still felt a little odd about the whole incident, as if it was not as simple as it seemed. There must have been more to what they had known.


    "The whole event still has to be reported to the base camp before I make the decision to punish him. After all, his real identity is still a top secret. Even if he had committed such a heinous crime, I can''t punish him simply and hastily before I know who he really is. But if even base camp approves to execute him, then I can do nothing but¡­" Marin swallowed back the words on the tip of her tongue. She was thoroughly confused. Although the evidence showed that Rocky was guilty, she still hoped that the base camp would cut him some slack and keep his life. She pondered for a moment what to do. The she rushed to get her writing materials and quickly wrote down a detailed letter about the whole event. After that, she went to the beast farm to release her war dragon Verdanim, and let it fly to base camp to deliver the letter for her.

 Chapter 177 I Have Been Set Up Again! (Part Two)

    The next day, Marin gathered the whole army and brought Rocky on trial in front of all the soldiers at the battlefield of the northeast military camp.


    As a result, the whole battlefield never looked so crowded as it was today. People filled the whole battlefield so quickly as if this was what they were waiting for their whole lives. The moment Rocky was taken to the battlefield, people around him immediately pointed at him and talked about him one after another. Everyone was saying something that it was almost hard to make out what it was about or who said what.


    "This guy is a complete lunatic, a rapist, a cold-blooded killer, and a real disgrace to our entire northeast military camp."


    "Yes, you are right. Although he used to be a little weakling, he also had his own skills and reputation. But now, I didn''t expect him to be a black-hearted guy who relied on his strength and did so many evil things."


    "I''m afraid that after he had killed so many people, his only fate will be a quick death. His first-class merit just meant nothing to him. In the end, he still brings himself his own destruction."


    For a moment, the whole battlefield was very noisy and bustling, the voices criticizing Rocky could be heard one after another. Everyone had something to say. In the eyes of almost all the army, Rocky was already notorious and a disgrace to the entire military camp.


    Meanwhile, Rocky wasn''t the only one getting all the hate. The sixth squad''s spirit manipulators were also suffering from the contemptuous looks from the soldiers all around them because Rocky was their captain.


    "I didn''t expect that our captain was a pervert and a crazy killer. We should have never trusted him so much before!" one of the sixth squad''s spirit manipulators complained in a low voice, his eyes full of disdain. They tried so hard to disassociate themselves from him in order to avoid criticism.


    "Hey, what are you talking about? Our captain is definitely not that kind of person. Don''t forget that he had saved our lives!" Thor retorted back and stared angrily at him as soon as he heard the harsh words about his captain. He believed Rocky so much and he hated to hear anyone say anything to slander him.


    "Even though he had saved us bef


    ral villagers from the village at the east of the military camp were brought up. They all looked frightened and timid. From an onlooker''s point of view, it would seem they were terrified because of Rocky. But in reality, they were scared to die if they did not frame Rocky for the crimes. As soon as they were taken to Rocky''s side, they immediately bowed their heads and knelt to Marin.


    "Do you all recognize the man near you?" Deputy Commander Chen asked the villagers sternly.


    The villagers glanced at Rocky and nodded one after another.


    "What did this man do in your village yesterday?" Deputy Commander Chen continued.


    "He killed¡­ killed people. And... he also raped a girl in our village..."


    "That''s right... We all saw what he did with our own eyes."


    "He¡­ he often came to our village to rob us of our cattle and sheep..."


    The villagers faltered one after another. They stammered as if they were unsure of what they were saying.


    "You¡­" Rocky was stunned and lost for the right words when he heard the villagers made slanderous charges against him. He could only stare at them ferociously, as if he wanted to kill them with his eyes.


    The villagers were immediately intimidated and their face grew pale. They had to lower their heads to avoid any eye contact with Rocky. They were in such a tight spot because they were forced to make such accusations against Rocky. If they didn''t, they would be killed. So for the sake of their lives, they must be firm in framing him.

 Chapter 178 Secret Identity

    "Take them away!" Deputy Commander Chen barked, ordering his men to take away the villagers. He then turned to Rocky and sneered maliciously. "What do you have to say for yourself now?"


    "I should not have trusted you, Commander. I thought you were above this level." Rocky ignored him, looking right past him and stared straight at Marin. He shook his head with disappointment. It was difficult to swallow that Marin would be fooled into thinking of him as a murderer.


    Marin felt a tug at her heart upon hearing Rocky''s admonishments. The look in his eyes also made her feel a twinge of guilt, as if she was the one who had done something wrong.


    "Commander, we have solid proof now. Let''s have Rocky publicly executed to be made an example of!" Deputy Commander Chen turned to Marin and suggested.


    "I need to think about how to deal with Rocky first..." Marin murmured, but then Evan interrupted her. He stepped up and saluted, saying, "Commander, if you do not order the execution of Rocky this instant, what would the troops think? That committing such crimes will be met with tolerance?"


    "Please, Commander. Have Rocky executed!" The spirit manipulators from the other squads all suggested to Marin.


    Very soon all troops, instigated by Evan, seconded this suggestion and shouted for his immediate execution.


    Marin grew solemn at this outcry. She had thought that this was going to be easy. Now it appeared that it would have a huge impact on troop''s morale. If she postponed her verdict, her command would come off as being unstable. However, for some inexplicable reason, she was not entirely comfortable at having Rocky executed. But the most important matter at the moment for her was to stabilize the morale of the troops. She had to face this hard decision. "Rocky committed the crime of murdering innocent villagers and fellow soldiers, as well as raping a young woman. He has violated multiple military codes in his conduct. Therefore I order his immediate public execution!" Her eyes grew sullen after this announcement.


    A laugh broke out right after Marin finished her sentence.


    Everyone looked on and saw that it was Rocky who just laughed.


    ture, looking utterly perplexed. They started to discuss among themselves as they could not understand why the Commander in Chief would personally give an order to spare Rocky''s life.


    "Commander, what is going on? Why would Commander in Chief...? Deputy Commander Chen looked at Marin, all confused and he saw that Marin was not surprised at all. He then realized that Marin must be the one who reported it back to the headquarters.


    Evan looked sullen, kicking at the dirt. He knew there was nothing that he could do now.


    Evan and Deputy Commander Chen had done many calculations, but they still missed the fact that Rocky had another secret identity. They had no clue that this would be his saving grace.


    "Rocky, you may keep your life, but you are still punishable for what you have done. I have decided to banish you from the northeast military camp." Marin then immediately order the exile of Rocky. He would leave with his life, but she had to do something about the crime that he had committed. To stabilize the morale of the troops, she had to be strict and fair.


    Rocky looked at Marin for the last time before he turned and left.


    At this moment, a commotion broke out from the soldiers who were surrounding the camp. They then parted the formation to make a way for someone. A powerful beast emerged, looking at these soldiers ferociously. It was followed by a petite woman in an old cloak, walking briskly towards the center.

 Chapter 179 The Truth Comes Out

    "What is this scent? It''s just a war beast at the second grade of the three-star level, but why does it look somewhat familiar?" Marin looked very puzzled at the sight of the beast, because other than her Verdanim in the northeast military camp, other spirit-manipulated beasts that were at the second grade of the three-star level were very rare in their area. It was definitely no wonder she was so shocked to see a war beast with a level like this one in the camp!


    The other troops present were also very shocked at the sight of this war beast, because just like a king of all beasts, it looked different from normal ones of its kind typically found in these parts. It had a very unique scent, and forged ahead with the vigor and vitality of the lion.


    "Uriah! Sue!" Rocky shouted in surprise, his mouth agape at the sight of his friends.


    What an unexpected turn of events!


    "Mr. Bai!" Sue shouted as she leaped off Uriah and then rushed to him.


    Uriah followed right after her.


    "Didn''t I tell you to leave here immediately?" Rocky frowned, seeing Sue rushing to him.


    "I waited for a whole night but you didn''t come, so I could sense that something must have happened to you. I insisted that Uriah bring me back. I could never leave you alone to face danger," said Sue innocently and earnestly.


    "May I ask who you are?" Marin asked. She found it very strange to see Sue. The puzzling and worrying exchange they just had concerned her even more.


    "Ma''am, Mr. Bai killed someone because of me. If you must arrest someone, please arrest me instead of him," said Sue, coming close to Marin.


    "Because of you?" Marin was confused.


    "Some soldiers from your military camp killed my grandpa and--and, tried to force themselves on me. Therefore, Mr. Bai killed them to save me," Sue said, her eyes filling with tears.


    At this moment, Evan and Deputy Commander Chen were gobsmacked to hear what she said, because they had never expected the victim in question to come to Rocky''s defense. Deputy Commander Chen had already gone to the village before, wanting to find this girl whose grandfather had been killed and whom Matthew had tried to rape. He had planned to force her to frame Rocky, but when he heard that Sue had already left the village, he instead gathered the other villagers and forced them wit


    ng senselessly.


    "Then can you tell me why they would want to set you up?" They have nothing to do with you!" Marin questioned him sharply.


    Deputy Commander Chen was speechless. He had no idea how to talk himself out of this one.


    "Sue, do you remember the face of the man who killed your grandpa?" Marin turned to Sue, asking gently.


    "I do," said Sue nodding.


    "Guards, bring Matthew to me!" Marin commanded. Evan and Deputy Commander Chen looked at each other, anxious.


    Before long, Matthew was carried there with almost half of his body paralyzed, but when he saw Rocky still alive and Sue standing next to Marin, his face immediately drained of all its blood. He had thought Rocky was surely dead, but apparently, the situation now was not what he had anticipated.


    "Yes! Him! He is the murderer who killed my grandpa!" Sue shouted, pointing at him. Her distressed face was beet red and her eyes streamed with tears.


    "He is the one who killed your grandpa, not me", said Matthew bluntly pointing at Rocky.


    "Matthew, is this the very girl that you said was raped by Rocky?" Marin asked sneeringly after hearing all this.


    Unable to respond, Matthew looked stunned and could not help looking at Evan and Deputy Commander Chen.


    But now Evan and Deputy Commander Chen became even more anxious. They had asserted that for sure Sue came out of nowhere, but Matthew admitted that Sue was the victim. Their stories were obviously contradictory and full of holes. Marin''s eyes swept over them, sending chills down their spines.

 Chapter 180 I Will Go To Raise Beasts (Part One)

    "Commander, I am sure that this bitch must have been coerced by Rocky! Otherwise, she would have never chosen to testify against me. She is committing perjury now, and you must not listen to her slanderous words," Matthew said, gnashing his teeth in great anger. He couldn''t help but cast a resentful look at Sue. His fingers fiddled with each other, a sign that he was extremely anxious at this moment. He was terrified that Marin would find out the truth.


    "Fine. Then how do you explain this token?" At the moment, Marin took the token from Sue''s hand and threw it in front of Matthew.


    "Well, about that... I, uh... I must have accidentally dropped it when I tried to stop Rocky''s evil deeds! As we all know, Rocky is a ruthless killer with great strength. Therefore, if I want to do my best to resist his attack, I definitely have no spare time to care about whether my token has fallen onto the ground or not!" Matthew said, a look of surprise and recognition flashing across his face.


    "You mean that you have dropped the token due to your carelessness? That is really a ''perfect excuse'', wouldn''t you say? Do you think I''m stupid, Matthew? Don''t you think your excuse is so ridiculous and untenable? Since the whole thing has already come to light, I am really surprised that you still dare to lie through your teeth to me!" Marin shouted, staring down at him in rage. Matthew trembled with fear. "And as for the two of you..." Marin also glared at Evan and Deputy Commander Chen behind him. It immediately occurred to her that it was these three people who had conspired together to frame Rocky and let herself be deceived. It was such a shame that even she, the Commander of the military camp, was almost cheated by these vile people.


    "Deputy Commander Chen, it never occurred to me that you would be so willing to cover Matthew''s crimes and frame Rocky. It is no wonder that I saw you and Matthew whispering in private before. Matthew must have given you some benefits so that you would act in his favor! How despicable you are! You are really a disgrace to the army!" Evan said accusingly, immediately pointing at Deputy Commander Chen. At this point, he realized that his own corruptions would be exposed if he didn''t try to cover his tracks. I


    t the current situation became even more astonished. The whole area began to be in an uproar again. It turned out that this result was indeed a stunning reversal, shocking everyone present.


    No one had expected that Rocky was actually framed, and that the people who jointly framed him were Evan and Deputy Commander Chen, two well-known people in the army.


    "I already told you guys that our leader did nothing wrong. I was always firmly convinced that our leader must have been wronged by someone," Thor and Joss immediately cried out with great excitement as they saw the truth finally coming to light. As they celebrated, they couldn''t help but shoot meaningful glances at several spirit manipulators of the sixth squad. They meant to reiterate how unwise it had been to distrust their leader before.


    Meanwhile, the other spirit manipulators of the sixth squad all looked embarrassed and were speechless, feeling incredibly awkward. After all, they too had clamored that Rocky was a maniac killer before. It also made them feel terribly guilty that they had doubted their leader''s innocence for one second.


    "Matthew not only killed innocent villagers, but also intended to insult the dignity of women from good families. His shameful behavior has greatly ruined the image of our soldiers in front of the civilians. Since he is really guilty of a terrible crime, I propose to execute him in public!" Marin announced her decision loudly without even batting an eye, satisfied at his confession.

 Chapter 181 I Will Go To Raise Beasts (Part Two)

    "Commander... Didn''t you just say you would spare my life?" Matthew began to blubber. He had been immediately blindsided when he heard what Marin announced, not expecting that she would suddenly change her mind. He was aghast that she would go back on her word.


    "I just said that I would consider whether to save your life or not. But when I think of your shameful behavior of deceiving me and all the others here, I am convinced that your guilt is unforgivable. Now, I want someone to drag him down and behead him." Marin couldn''t help shouting coldly, standing tall and looking regal and imposing.


    Hearing the order, two soldiers immediately stepped forward. Matthew put up no resistance. His entire body was pale and ashen, ready to meet death. He was dragged down by the two soldiers immediately, staring soullessly into the sky before his head was sliced clean off with their sharp swords.


    "In addition, I also take back my previous punishment of expelling Rocky from the northeast military camp. However, although he did things with a justified reason, it is also true and proven that he has killed two spirit manipulators in my jurisdiction. Therefore, I have now decided to demote him to a servant and constrain him into doing chores in the military camp for six months as a punishment!" Marin announced her punishment for Rocky, knowing that she had to be fair.


    "As for Evan and Deputy Commander Chen, I am really disappointed with them. They even tried to cover up Matthew for his crimes and framed Rocky. I will announce my punishment for them in public some other day soon. Now that they have both borne witness to the other''s corruption, they will surely be punished. You can rest assured that I will not engage in favoritism towards these officials. I will severely punish them for their crimes. All of you! Remember this wisely! I hope the whole army can take these events as a warning and learn from them. Deceit will not be tolerated." Then Marin turned to Rocky and Sue and told them quietly, "You two come with me first."


    Rocky and Sue looked at each other doubtfully and followed Marin.


    Evan and Deputy Commander Chen were left standing silently, gazing at each other in speechless dismay. Knowing the final result of this whole thing, they also clearly understood that neithe


    e seemed to have some disagreements with Marin on many things. However, she seemed to care about him and his wellbeing. Right now, Rocky couldn''t understand her intentions and the deep reasons behind her strange attitude towards him. However, Rocky only considered Marin''s words for a few seconds and did not think too much. Since Marin insisted that he stay under her jurisdiction, he decided to stay in his favorite place. Calmly, he told her, "Then you can simply transfer me to the beast farm."


    "The beast farm?" Upon hearing Rocky''s reply, Marin was extremely perplexed. She didn''t expect him to want to go to that place. Nobody really wanted to go there, after all! The environment there was dirty and smelly, and people who went there had to wait on the spirit-manipulated beasts all day long, which was really a very troublesome thing. Although his request was definitely strange, it was within the scope of her permission.


    "Is there any problem with that?" Rocky squinted at Marin. Seeing her expressions change for several times, he wondered what was going on in her head.


    "No. I approve." Marin nodded, still looking thoughtful.


    "In addition, I have one more thing to please you," Rocky glanced at Sue beside him and said with a soft look.


    "Is there anything else I can help you?" Marin asked curiously.


    Suddenly, he came near her. At seeing Rocky approach her unexpectedly, Marin felt his aura envelope her instantly. All of a sudden, she became short of breath and her cheeks turned beet red. What on earth!

 Chapter 182 A New Identity

    Rocky bowed his head and whispered in Marin''s ear.


    "Would those arrangements be possible?" Rocky asked. He looked at Marin, crossing his arms over his chest.


    "Yes, I will arrange for it," Marin hastily replied, blushing. It took a while for her to regain control of herself. Then she cleared her throat and took a step back to distance herself from Rocky. She was rather perplexed that when he had come close to her, she felt a strange feeling stirring within her as her stomach rippled gently. She was a little uneasy about this.


    "Well then. We''ll leave you now, Commander." Rocky nodded and walked out of the tent with Sue.


    "Mr. Bai, what did you say to Commander Marin? Why did she look a little weird?" Sue asked out of curiosity when they were out of the tent.


    Rocky ignored her question, as something had suddenly come to mind. Worriedly, he asked, "Where''s Little Rubygon, Sue?"


    Sue''s eyes twinkled with a smile. She untied her worn-out cloak to reveal Little Rubygon, which was sleeping soundly in her arms.


    "Oh, how adorable that is!" Seeing this, Rocky was unable to stifle a laugh. Regardless of everything that had taken place in the past few hours, Little Rubygon still slept so peacefully. It was really quite fortunate that Rubygon was so obedient and calm, or its appearance would have surely caused a sensation.


    "Let''s go to my room first," Rocky said to Sue and led her to his quarters. However, they drew a lot of unusual looks all the way.


    "Mr. Bai, why are they staring at us?" Sue asked. She instinctively huddled closer to him, feeling uncomfortable and frightened.


    "Because they are all hungry wolves. Upon seeing a pretty lady such as yourself, they are itching to catch your attention," Rocky replied with a mean smirk.


    "Don''t make fun of me!" Sue pouted, her eyebrows furrowed as she glared at him. She felt rather embarrassed. But it was not long before her eyes quickly lost their spark once more. Morosely, Sue said, "Grandpa is gone. What will I do all by myself?"


    "I''ve asked Commander Marin to arrange a place for you. When you get there, you can start a new life," Rocky said and gave a soft sigh.


    "Where shall I go?" Sue asked while looking up at Rocky.


    "I don''t know yet, but I''m sure she''ll know of somewhere safe and pleasant," Rocky replied gently.


    "So that means I can''t see Little Rubygon anymore," Sue said, frowning sadly.


    "Don''t worry, Sue. I''ll make you a promise, alright? When I have time, I''ll take Little Rubygon to see you," Rocky comforted her.


    "Really? You better keep your word! Let''s call it a deal." Sue stared at him earnestly, her eyes wide open with innocence and sadness.


    Rocky smiled gently and nodded.


    When they arrived at his quarters, they were greeted by the sight of Thor, Joss and Uriah.


    "Captain!" Thor and Joss exclaimed happily, rushing over to him in a fit of excitement. All was not lost. Fortunately, Rocky had escaped by the skin of his teeth by the plot that Evan and Deputy Commander Chen had set into motion. It was definitely a cause for celebration.


    "Why are you so happy?" Rocky darted a strange look at the two. Obviously, Rocky felt a little uncomfort


    ume that he''d want to be a breeder here. Though he was a bit displeased, he still followed Sheridan inside, shaking his head the whole time.


    At present, the beast farm was full of spirit-manipulated beasts. It could be roughly estimated that at least thirty to forty spirit-manipulated beasts were kept here. They howled constantly, creating a cacophony amidst the stench of muck and dung. However, his eyes running down them, Rocky found most of them were at very low levels. Upon his entrance, the first spirit-manipulated beast he encountered glared at him with its large eyes open wide.


    "Your job is to feed the spirit-manipulated beasts and bathe them. You also need to clean up the beast farm to keep them healthy and energetic so that they can assist spirit manipulators to carry out their tasks. Their food will be sent by specially-assigned persons, so you just need to distribute it to their stalls. It''s fairly easy. By the way, the spirit-manipulated beasts are easy to get..." Sheridan led Rocky, showing him around the beast farm. He pointed out particular residents, telling him some points for attention for the different spirit-manipulated beasts.


    "I see," Rocky replied. Actually, he didn''t concentrate on the spirit-manipulated beasts and paid little attention to Sheridan''s words. He was far from being enthusiastic about being a breeder, so he had no interest in learning the knowledge about feeding them.


    "I have to go now. You look after the beast farm," Sheridan said. It seemed that he fully trusted Rocky. With a curt nod, he turned around and left.


    When Sheridan left, Rocky unlocked the door of a stable and walked in, smiling playfully at a second-star spirit-manipulated beast.


    The spirit-manipulated beast was immediately on alert and stepped backwards. It was extremely afraid that the strange man would do something cruel to it.


    "Don''t be afraid. I won''t hurt you. I just want to touch you..." Rocky said in a playful tone. Then he stretched his left hand shining with the spiritual light and got close to the second-star spirit-manipulated beast, whose eyes widened in fear.

 Chapter 183 Mysterious Old Man

    About an hour later, a couple of carriages stopped outside of the beast farm. The loud sound of thumping and wheels rolling became silent as the carriages pulled up in front of the farm. The carriages were all loaded with huge chunks of meat in their back, weighing dozens of pounds each. A couple of men jumped off and started to unload the meat. There were grunts and thuds as they hauled the meat out of the carriage and in front of the beast farm. It took them about half an hour before they finished unloading all of it.


    After checking if they have unloaded everything, they jumped back on the carriages and took off the same way they came. Soon enough, they were out of Rocky''s sight and the sounds of their carriages are fading into the distance. Rocky stared at the pile in front of him in disbelief.


    "It cannot be! They just left like that? How will I carry all these meat inside by myself?" Rocky popped his head from the beast farm. In his imagination, being a feeder did not involve such hard labor.


    Rocky couldn''t help but feel extreme regret. Had he known that this job was like this, he would had asked Marin to transfer him somewhere else. Somewhere mellow perhaps instead of here where he was struggling with the meat. However on the plus side, the beast farm was the only place for him to improve his Magical Evaluation Skill. So despite the great inconvenience, he had to put up with it. He made the decision back then, so he had to see it through. Right now, he had meat to carry. He grumbled and cursed under his breath. Just because he had to do it, doesn''t mean he had to like it.


    "Fine. I can do it." Rocky sighed. He stomped to the pile and then picked up a piece of meat weighing dozens of pounds and carried it back to the beast farm.


    One by one he picked up all of the meat and placed them in the cribs of all spirit-manipulated beasts. He grunted and cursed every time he picked up a meat and carried it all the way to the cribs. After he finished feeding the beasts, Rocky decided to practice his Magical Evaluation Skill. However, just as he was about to begin, a low voice came beside Rocky. "Are you done feeding them?"


    Rocky looked up and saw that Sheridan had appeared out of nowhere. He stared at him expectantly.


    "Yes, it''s all done." Rocky nodded.


    He then entered the beast farm to inspect Rocky''s work. Rocky waited for him to finish. Rocky was sure that every beast had meat to eat. However, after a moment, Sheridan walked back outside and shouted at Rocky angrily. "All the spirit-manipulated beasts have not eaten a single piece of meat!"


    Rocky was stunned. He also walked back into the stable to check and found that all the meat he put there were barely touched. For some reason, all spirit-manipulated beasts did not even bother to look at the meat. It was a strange scenario. Why wouldn''t they eat their meat when it was right in front of them?


    "What the hell happened?" Rocky felt very strange and wondered if these spirit-manipulated beasts were having a hunger strike just because they did not like him. Was it possible for them to do that? Could they really hold back out of contempt?


    "Haven''t I taught you that these food must be washed with fre


    an old man but his strength surpassed those in their peak years. At least he was not able to see his true strength.


    "I am just an old man running the beast farm," Sheridan said calmly. Yet, Rocky knew he was lying. There was no doubt that this old man was more than what he claimed to be. He was no doubt hiding something. But what was it and why?


    Rocky got serious. He had never expected an old man at the beast farm could be a top-notch spirit manipulator. Rocky had to admit that he misread Sheridan completely.


    "I am sorry for what I said to you earlier. Please forgive me." Rocky was no idiot. He knew that he would gain nothing by going against him. So he deferred to him.


    "Looks you found your place after all. I am not someone of high status. I am just an old man at the beast farm. If you have no problem, then please go inside and clean the beast farm." Sheridan then walked out with his hands behind his back.


    "Why did this old man hide his strength to be an administrator at this small military camp? Who the hell is he?" Questions after questions popped into Rocky''s head. His head hurt from the continuous flow of questions yet he could not answer any of them. Now that Rocky had gotten a taste of Sheridan''s strength, he decided to behave himself around him. There was always someone who was better and stronger. And such a powerful man was willingly being an administrator here. So he decided that he was not going to complain any longer about this job being merely at the second grade of the Earthly Stage.


    Rocky entered the beast farm and worked while practicing the Magical Evaluation Skill. Morning was soon over, and his work was done.


    "Glad to see that you worked fast this morning. Looks you can still be taught." Sheridan just finished a round of inspection and nodded approvingly at the clean and organized beast farm. He was satisfied by Rocky''s performance.


    "If there is nothing needed of me, I will be on my way." Rocky was still thinking about catching the Dark Heaven Insect so he bid farewell to him and went on his way.


    Sheridan nodded and looked curiously at Rocky when he left the farm.

 Chapter 184 New Attempt

    After Rocky went back to the house, he fetched the bow and arrows along with other necessary equipment. He then took Uriah and Rubygon to sneak out of the military camp and head for the last possible location under the jurisdiction of the northeast military camp where they could possibly find the Dark Heaven Insect.


    This location was in the southernmost part called the Carcass Valley. The name itself was terrifying enough, not to mention that it was an area where wild spirit-manipulated beasts wandered, which made their exploration rather dangerous.


    By the time Rocky arrived at the Carcass Valley, it was already dark. It was also very quiet all around.


    The Carcass Valley was rich in foliage and water, which made it suitable for different wild spirit-manipulated beasts to survive. It was easy to assume there were at least hundreds of spirit-manipulated beasts wandering inside the valley. Luckily, it was already late at night which meant that most wild spirit-manipulated beasts were already resting in their nests except for the nocturnal ones.


    A rustle came from a thick patch of grass where a figure then appeared, followed by two smaller beasts that differed in size.


    They were Rocky and his two beasts - Uriah and Rubygon.


    "Howl!" Rubygon growled nervously. This was the first time it followed Rocky into a dangerous place like this.


    "Shhhh, you have to keep quiet." Rocky gestured to Rubygon.


    Uriah also hit Rubygon''s little head tenderly with its claw as a way to let it know that it must be quiet.


    "This place could be really dangerous. I have sensed auras of different wild spirit-manipulated beasts from all directions." Rocky frowned. If he took out the magical saliva in a place like this, he would immediately be surrounded by a group of wild spirit-manipulated beasts before the Dark Heaven Insects could even show themselves.


    However, the magical saliva was also the only way to attract the Dark Heaven Insects and it had certainly placed him in quite a dilemma.


    To avoid drawing the attention of any other wild spirit-manipulated beasts, Rocky walked around the valley first to check its topography while at the time detecting the potential spots for the nests of the Dark Heaven Insects.


    The valley was quite big. By the time Rocky finished his tour, it was already deep into the night with tons of stars shining


    van. Who would have thought that he was transferred just like that."


    "I think that the most plausible explanation for this is that Evan already knew that he no longer had a future for his career in the northeast military camp so he pulled some strings to get himself transferred to somewhere else."


    "Looks like that Deputy Commander Chen is the only one that took the fall in the end."


    Rocky raised his eyebrows. He was not surprised by the fact that Even had been transferred. He was shameless and despicable, but he still had not the balls to stay at the northeast military camp after his plan of setting Rocky up was compromised.


    After arriving at Marin''s tent, Rocky asked the guards to inform Marin of his arrival and entered once cleared.


    There were two other Deputy Commanders along with a couple of squad leaders in Marin''s tent.


    Deputy Commander Chen was also there and he could barely look at Rocky in the eyes. He seemed to have aged greatly overnight.


    "Rocky, you arrived just in time." Marin greeted Rocky the second she saw him.


    "Greetings, Commander. I am here to ask about the......" Just as Rocky was about to talk, Marin spoke first. "Evan, the squad leader of the first squad, has been transferred to another military camp. There weren''t enough spirit manipulators for each squad so I am appointing you as the temporary squad leader of the first squad for the time being. Any penalty that you are subject to is to be postponed indefinitely."


    Other Deputy Commanders along with the squad leaders were surprised by Marin''s announcement.

 Chapter 185 The Great Courage

    "Commander, I recall that you just reduced Rocky to be a breeder at the beast farm. He has no position over the sixth team once you did that. Why did you promote him to be the leader of the first team so soon? I don''t think it''s appropriate," one of the Deputy Commanders said in objection.


    In theory, since Evan was transferred, the leader of the first team would typically be selected from among the members of the team. It was the standard protocol, and it was really unusual that Marin appointed Rocky as the leader of the first team. This decision came off as terribly was irrational.


    All of the other team leaders were quite unconvinced. Evan''s transfer had affected them greatly. They were wracked with fear and dared not openly communicate an outright protest to Rocky''s promotion. Hearing the Deputy Commander voice their concerns, they all nodded in agreement, hoping that Marin would revoke her order.


    Originally, they all had a chance to fill the position that Evan had so suddenly lost. Though because of Rocky the first team had lost three members and Evan had been transferred, the remaining four members were all outstanding spirit manipulators. The first team had always been the strongest group in the northeast military camp. Since it was now severely lacking in members, it would certainly be reorganized. Because of this, only a powerful spirit manipulator could assume the position of its leader and take on the responsibilities. What concerned everyone the most was that typically, the team leader of the first team was usually a candidate for the position of Deputy Commander. It was well known to all that if the team leader of the first team performed well, in several years he would be promoted as the Deputy Commander of a small military camp. This was the biggest dream for most spirit manipulators in the military.


    "I ordered the appointment after a long time of questioning and consideration. The war is nearly at hand. You all know it''s a time when persons of capability will be greatly needed. When I went to the supreme headquarters a few days ago, I was informed that the Holy Dragon Empire was about to make war on the Timber Deity Empire. All the armies are waiting for the order of His Majesty. It''s just a matter of time. After the disturbance, the power of the teams here in the northeast military camp was greatly damaged. That''s why I didn''t transfer Deputy Commander Chen and chose to keep him in his position rather than dismiss him. Only an exceedingly powerful spirit manipulator is qualified to be the leader of the first team. Who of you can rival Rocky?"


    is particular area was located in the most dangerous region of the Carcass Valley. Due to these conditions, the wild spirit-manipulated beasts living here were far more powerful than Rocky had met before. Some of them were equivalent to the spirit manipulators beyond the Earthly Stage! With so many powerful beasts around, luring the Dark Heaven Insect in this area was hazardous.


    However, Rocky had made adequate preparations to cope with any crises. He made a simple trap with the materials he obtained from the wild spirit-manipulated beasts. Along with the Centipede-snake''s venom, he seemed quite confident about the capture of another Dark Heaven Insect.


    After he organized the trap on his spot of choice, he didn''t ask Uriah to carry the magical saliva to lure the Dark Heaven Insect out in case that it would attract several powerful wild spirit-manipulated beasts once a time. Using that old ruse, he would still be distracted. Instead, Rocky decided to use a rope to hang the bottle on a branch of a big tree. He adjusted the rope''s length so that the bottle was hung about half a meter above the ground. Then he hid to the side with Uriah and Little Rubygon, waiting for the Dark Heaven Insect to come crashing through the earth.


    After about half an hour, several wild beasts came, and none of them were mighty enough to escape from the trap. At their capture, Rocky killed them at his fastest speed, not wanting to keep them suffering. Suddenly, it seemed that all his patience had paid off. Rocky sensed that the ground was shaking. It seemed that something was about to come out of it.


    "Is it coming?" Rocky muttered to himself as his eyes remained fixed at the spot right below the bottle with the magical saliva.

 Chapter 186 Kill Two Birds With One Stone

    Rocky stared closely at the spot under the magical saliva and soon, he saw something pitch-black crawl out of the ground. The creature had a hard, black shell and black wings. Rocky realized that it was the Dark Heaven Insect that he had been looking for. This particular Insect''s strength was at the first grade of the three-star level, the same as that of the one he had captured earlier.


    Rocky heaved a sigh of relief. The Dark Heaven Insect at the first grade of the three-star level was pretty easy to deal with. It would not take him too much effort to capture it alive. On one hand, his strength was the same as the creature''s. And in addition to that, he had secret weapons¡ªthe bone arrows dipped in the Centipede-snake''s venom, powerful enough to paralyze a big beast in a split second. But before he could move in to capture it, he saw another huge figure crawling out of the ground nearby. It was another Dark Heaven Insect. But this one was at the second grade of the three-star level, stronger than the previous one. Its strength was at least equivalent to a spirit manipulator, who was at the second grade of the Earthly Stage.


    "Wow! I get to kill two birds with one stone? I just can''t believe my luck!" Rocky blurted out jubilantly. He was surprised by the arrival of the second Dark Heaven Insect. It was hard to believe that he had managed to lure two Dark Heaven Insects out of their caves at the same time with his magical saliva.


    Although it was a lucky break that two of them had popped out from underground all of a sudden, it was going to be tricky to capture and get them back. He had to figure out a good plan fast. If there were only one of them, it would have been easy for him to capture it alive. But now, he had to capture both at the same time. It was going to be a bit troublesome. The Dark Heaven Insect was very difficult to deal with because of its tough skin. Rocky had to conquer the two Dark Heaven Insects at the same time. He would be in serious trouble if they joined together to fight him off.


    He watched as the two Dark Heaven Insects crawled out of the ground and dashed towards the magical saliva that was hanging above them. Rocky felt his heart pound and his mind was racing. He knew that he had to come up with a good plan as soon as possible. Opportunity seldom knocked twice; if he missed this chance to catch the two insects alive, it would be hard for him to find an opportunity like this again. His plan, although it was an absolutely difficult challenge, was to take the risk and go all out to capture the two insects alive. But if that plan failed, he would kill the weaker one first, and capture the stronger one alive, since it could produce Dark Heaven Eggs at the medium grade. It was the best strategy he could come up with at that moment¡ªsacrifice the knights in order to save the queen, which meant making minor sacrifices to safeguard major interests.


    Making up his mind quickly, with two abrupt whoosh sounds, Rocky shot two bone arrows stained with the Centipede-snake''s venom, one afte


    parks flared up in the air. Still, the insect didn''t show any sign of weakness. It, at once, lifted its body abruptly with great force. Rocky was thrown aside violently. But he managed to land on his feet. He retreated two steps before he could stand firm on the ground. It was obvious now, how amazing the power of the Dark Heaven Insect was.


    After being thrown around by it a few times the same way, Rocky realized that he could not fight the creature head-on. In a split second, he came up with a better plan. He drew his bow and shot an arrow directly at the Dark Heaven Insect. The insect immediately flapped its black wings, stirred up a wave of dust, and tried to deflect the bone arrow. But a second after the first bone arrow was shot, a second arrow headed towards the insect at a faster pace, almost parallel to the previous one.


    Just as the insect had blown away the previous bone arrow, the other bone arrow flew directly towards it. The three-star Dark Heaven Insect hadn''t expected such a trick from its attacker. Before it could react appropriately, the bone arrow pierced one of its legs.


    The insect felt its forelimb go soft and weak and it soon fell to the ground with a loud thud.


    When Rocky saw that his plan had worked, he was delighted. He took the opportunity and used his Frozen Wind Dagger to attack it violently. He also used his bone arrows to neutralize the remaining legs of the insect. Finally, the Dark Heaven Insect was defeated and captured, with its huge body completely flattened to the ground.


    After conquering the weaker three-star Dark Heaven Insect, Rocky had consumed more than half of his spiritual power. But he had no time to rest. To supplement his lost spiritual power, he took a drop of the magical saliva. Without further delay, he then dashed towards Uriah''s direction, who was in a fierce fight with the stronger three-star Dark Heaven Insect.


    Since its power was inferior to the insect''s, Uriah was at a disadvantageous position at that moment. Rocky rushed to help Uriah.

 Chapter 187 Giving A Violent Thrashing

    With a resounding boom, a fireball was catapulted from Uriah''s tail and heavily hit the iron-hard shell of the stronger three-star Dark Heaven Insect. With a shower of blinding sparks, its shell began to smoke.


    A few meters away, Rocky could sense that Uriah had greatly weakened in physical strength and speed. The Dark Heaven Insect seized the opportunity and struck at Uriah, wiping it out. Because of the enormous consumption of its physical strength, Uriah rolled over on the ground before it could stagger and stand up. Fortunately, it wasn''t hurt badly.


    Seeing Uriah being knocked down, Rocky was about to step in to offer some help. However, at the moment, a beast as small as a dog ran out. Standing before Uriah, it made threatening gestures to the Dark Heaven Insect, valiant despite its harmless size.


    "Little Rubygon!" Rocky cried out. He was totally astounded when he recognized the small creature, totally not expecting it to come rushing out to defend Uriah. However, Little Rubygon''s power was nowhere near the caliber of the Dark Heaven Insect.


    The Dark Heaven Insect was visibly irritated by the small beast in front of it. Without hesitation, it ran right at Little Rubygon, who would be killed or severely wounded if a collision happened. Rocky could only watch in horror, with no time to save poor Little Rubygon.


    But all of a sudden, a beast jumped forward to keep Little Rubygon behind it. It took the blow from the collision of the Dark Heaven Insect. With a deafening bang, the impact wave spread to all directions, dirt and stones flying as though they had been swept up in a hurricane. The ground was shrouded in dust.


    Uriah whimpered. It was completely exhausted and couldn''t take it anymore, collapsing on the ground. However, at the moment, the Dark Heaven Insect was preparing to launch a second attack. Uriah was in a critical condition. Its life was in great peril!


    "Whistle!" A bone arrow zoomed rapidly through the air, sinking neatly into the hind leg of the Dark Heaven Insect. Pushed by the mighty momentum of the arrow, the Dark Heaven Insect lost its balance and tumbled down on its back.


    At the point, Rocky darted towards the Dark Heaven Insect, tightly clutching the Frozen Wind Dagger. He stabbed its soft underside, and the Centipede-snake''s venom seeped instantly into its bloodstream. Almost right away, the Dark Heaven Insect was totally paralyzed, unable to fight back at all.


    "Uriah!" Rocky shouted as he rushed to Uriah, which was hobbling to stand up. Going through the second violent collision, Uriah looked miserable. It was clear that it was suffering through a great deal of pain. However, after a careful examination, Rocky diagnosed that apart from some side


    d forward. He was arrogant and aggressive, and Rocky disliked him immediately.


    "Leave the lorries and the bald camels, and you will leave with your life," Rocky called out. He planned to snatch the two lorries and the bald camels. With them, he could effortlessly transport the two Dark Heaven Insects back. Since there were many bushrangers here, no one would think of him as a criminal.


    "Did you hear that?" The team leader burst into peals of mocking laughter, looking around at the other spirit manipulators. They all saw this strange man as an overconfident wretch.


    "Captain, he really thinks he''s going to plunder us!" one of the spirit manipulators replied as he guffawed.


    "Ha-ha! Plunder us? He must be kidding. Doesn''t he recognize that we''re the spirit manipulators of the northwest military camp? Doesn''t he know our power is much beyond his? Has he been living under a rock? He really wants to plunder us. What a joke! He must be tired of living," the team leader sneered. Of course, Rocky''s aura seemed faint to them, so the team leader naturally assumed that he was no big deal. He was convinced that Rocky was too arrogant about his power.


    "You! Go to teach him a lesson. Show him he is nowhere near qualified to plunder the goods of the northwest military camp. Send him home!" the team leader ordered the fellow spirit manipulators. Instantly, they encircled Rocky, brimming with confidence though none of them were particularly powerful. They were no match for Rocky and soon found this out, much to their horror.


    Moments later, with their mouths full of blood, several figures, beaten black and blue, rolled groaning on the ground. Some of them even had several of their teeth knocked out. Under this violent attack, their faces were marred almost to the point of not being recognizable.

 Chapter 188 It Was Actually You

    "Am I worthy enough to rob you now?" Rocky raised his eyebrows as he mocked the frightened squad leader. He hid in fear, completely trembling in dread. One would wonder where the arrogant leader who he used to be went.


    "Yes. You are. You are competent enough now. You can take these. They''re all yours now," the squad leader answered, his voice shaking in fear. Soon enough, he and his men fled with their tails in between their legs.


    When the other spirit manipulators were gone, Rocky herded the bald camels together and made them pull the two carts he just robbed. After leading them to where he captured the Dark Heaven Insects, he dismounted the woods that previously occupied the carts and replaced them with the freshly captured Dark Heaven Insects. He had Uriah and Rubygon leading the camels on the way back. It was indeed a fruitful journey.


    But their trip was interrupted constantly. Rocky knew better and remained careful around the squads of spirit manipulators patrolling the northeast military camp. He could not afford bumping into them. With all the tiptoeing around the other military personnels, it took Rocky almost the entire day to reach the Ghost Village.


    Rocky made the bald camels help with the excavation of the cave in the middle of the Ghost Village. Just like what he did last time, he hid these two Dark Heaven Insects in the den. The den beneath the Ghost Village was spacious enough for seven to eight Dark Heaven Insects. If it ever got too crowded, he could always expand the den. Space was not an issue.


    After knocking the two Dark Heaven Insects unconscious with the Centipede Dragon venom, Rocky went back up to the surface. He headed towards the bald camels and unbridled them.


    "You are all free now," Rocky told the camels while gently patting their heads. He could not help but feel sorry for these creatures for they were ruthlessly enslaved by the soldiers.


    The bald camels seemed to understand what Rocky just told them. They let out a cry and looked at each other for a few seconds. They then lowered their heads, as if trying to show Rocky their gratitude. They galloped out of the Ghost Village in a herd with an elder one leading them.


    Now that the camels were freed, Rocky took his time walking back to the military camp with Uriah and little Rubygon.


    ''I might need to head over to the town tomorrow. I have to forge giant cuffs to c


    own as the night deepened.


    Coincidentally, Marin was headed the beast farm to check on her war dragon, Verdanim.


    It was rather dark, and the light on the beast farm had yet to be lit. As she was getting closer to the farm, she heard someone talking in a hushed manner.


    "Hey, can you please stay still? Just for a second, please? Gentle, okay?


    There, there. You''ll be okay soon. Please sit tight for one more second. I promise it''s gonna be okay soon.


    Don''t cry! It''ll be bad if we catch other people''s attention. I''m not doing anything bad to you, okay? I just¡ª," the voice said.


    Marin was shrouded with darkness when she heard the voice of a still unknown person. It was coming from the darkened beast farm. She could not imagine someone from the military camp to be doing something so terrible. With her blood boiling, she rushed towards the beast farm and furiously scolded, "How dare you harass an innocent woman right inside the military camp!"


    Before Marin was a man cuddling a spirit-manipulated beast. It was clear she misunderstood the whole situation. Marin was praying for the ground to open up and swallow her whole. How she wished she could take her words back! She mistook a spirit-manipulated beast for a woman.


    And just like everyone expected, it was Rocky.


    Rocky was deeply immersed in his Magical Evaluation Skill training when a pretty woman appeared beside him. He was so confused at why the pretty lady was frowning at him. When he was finally able to see her face fully, he could not help but be frozen. The beautiful face frowning upon him was Marin''s.

 Chapter 189 Good Deal (Part One)

    "It is you, Commander!" Rocky let go off the spirit-manipulated beast and stood up to greet Marin. "I never thought that you would actually show up in here. Did you mention any innocent woman? Em... Actually, no woman here. But now we have one."


    Marin noticed the whole place was deserted. Aside from Rocky and a spirit-manipulated beast, no one else was present, so she understood immediately that he was talking about her. She felt a little awkward. She was sure that the way she moved and talked would show how self-conscious she had become. Luckily, it was getting dark and there was no light in the beast farm. She could barely even see Rocky''s features with the low illumination of the place. Only his silhouette and a few details of his face were visible from Marin''s point of view, so she tried to talk pass this awkwardness. "What are you doing here in the middle of the night?"


    "What am I doing here? I asked you to transfer me to the beast farm. I never asked to be a feeder! Now I am carrying and washing meat for the beasts. I am here working because of you!" Rocky exclaimed furiously. He was a little angry seeing Marin. He stared at her coldly.


    "Why are you getting upset? I thought you were interested in raising war beasts. Otherwise, why would you volunteer to work at the beast farm? That''s why I granted you your wish and let you be a feeder here instead of a handyman. Yet, instead of thanking me, you yelled at me. You know you can learn a lot from Sheridan right? He had been in the military camp for most of his life. Quite an ace at..." Marin suddenly stopped in her track. An important information almost slipped past her lips. She needed to be careful with her words. While she didn''t give out much detail, Rocky caught on with her.


    "Ace at what?" Rocky sensed that Marin was trying to hide something. He squinted his eyes and pursued with question. He knew there was something about Sheridan''s identity, but he wasn''t just sure what. Sheridan was more than just an old man managing the beast farm. He remembered how powerful he seemed when Sherid


    y''s receding figure.


    When he returned to his room, Rocky took out the primary Dark Heaven Egg and cultivated with it for one night. The Dark Heaven Egg was truly extraordinary. Although the primary Dark Heaven Egg was not as potent as the middle grade one, he could still felt the significant improvement of his spiritual power.


    Soon enough, the day broke and Rocky finished absorbing all of the energy from the Dark Heaven Egg. He stopped his cultivation and left house to finish his chores at the beast farm for today.


    When he was done with his chores, Rocky came back to his room to categorize the objects of value taken from wild spirit-manipulated beasts. He carefully organized and placed them in a big basket, which was bigger than the two bags combined that Rocky asked Jackson to sell.


    However, the two bags of objects that he gave Jackson were taken from the wild spirit-manipulated beasts at the second grade of three-stars. Just as the Centipede-snake venom and teeth, all other objects were also valuable. It was quite a shame. Despite the great value of those items, he only got more than one hundred golden coins from the sales. It was because Jackson did not know their true value plus he sold them at a fair of a small town. Rocky thought it was a waste. After all, the objects from the two three-star wild spirit-manipulated beasts were not easy to come by.

 Chapter 190 Good Deal (Part Two)

    He was on the way to see Sue for the day so he figured he might as well take these things to the Evian City and sell them. He could probably make a small fortune out of this.


    After having everything sorted out, Rocky took off his uniform and changed into some fresh clothes. He then carried the basket full of materials from wild spirit-manipulated beasts and asked Uriah to take care of Rubygon before he left the military camp for the Evian City.


    Shortly after he left the military camp, Rocky ran into a carriage heading to the same direction. The driver was a middle-aged man, who greeted Rocky passionately and was willing to give him a lift.


    Rocky thanked him and got on the carriage. Thankfully, he was lucky to have hitched a ride. He did carry some heavy items with him after all.


    They chatted on the way and it turned out that the driver was a villager from a town at the west of the northeast military camp. He usually travelled back and forth between his small town and the Evian City for some small trade. The driver told him something he did not know about.


    "Commander Marin at your northeast military camp is a good person. The order at this region has significantly improved since she became the Commander of the northeast military camp. This place used to be crawled with bandits. We were poor, but thanks to Commander Marin who eliminated all the bad guys, we now live a better life." The driver held Marin in high regards when he heard that Rocky was stationed at the northeast military camp. It was until then did Rocky realized that Marin had done so much for the people. He hadn''t given it much thought.


    ''She sounded really nice except for her bad temper, '' Rocky thought to himself. He had not thought much about Marin mainly because Marin was trying to find his identity, which made him think that she was quite annoying. It was quite a hassle trying to avoid every conversation about his identity. So as much as p


    carried the basket in and saw a counter to his left where a couple of busboys were busy with something. He walked over and asked, "May I know if your boss is around?"


    One of the busboys looked up from what he was doing and stared at Rocky. "You want to see my boss? He is at the auction on the second floor," He answered.


    "Thank you." Rocky nodded and headed upstairs. The reason that he needed to see the boss was that the volume of his merchandise was big. This amount would definitely cause a stir if people found out. So, he wished to sell directly to the boss in private to avoid any unnecessary attention and trouble. He certainly did not want to go to the trouble of explaining how he had acquired such a large quantity of merchandise.


    When he reached the auction on the second floor, there were already dozens of participants sitting in for it. Most of them looked like businessmen of some sort.


    This was a favorite spot for all businessmen as it was very close to the Gehenna Border, where many people would hunt for wild spirit-manipulated beasts and sold their parts at the Super Beast Farm. No wonder businessmen would swarm this place. This was where they would purchase some good parts and sell them elsewhere to profit from gap in the price, and the business was booming.

 Chapter 191 All Were Treasures

    It was apparent that there were a lot of rich people who were interested in collecting rare things from the wild spirit-manipulated beasts with their fortune. In addition, there were some spirit manipulators who were aiming at some materials of good quality so that they could use them to forge their weapons. The power of these spirit manipulators was just between the Mortal Stage and the Earthly Stage. Only two or three of those spirit manipulators were able to reach the first grade of the Earthly Stage.


    In the Evian City, spirit manipulators that were beyond the Earthly Stage were unusual. At the Gehenna Border, either in the military camps or as leaders of hired spirit manipulators like the man that Rocky met before, they were regarded as overmatches. Therefore, in normal conditions, it was rare for spirit manipulators at the Earthly Stage to come and go freely in the city.


    At that moment, Rocky noticed that there were several female spirit manipulators at a corner near him. What piqued his interest were how they were all dressed as maids. Even though they restrained their auras, with his power at the second grade of the Earthly Stage, it was easy for Rocky to sense their true power. Furthermore, all of them were apparently between the sixth and the ninth grade of the Mortal Stage. In other words, their power when combined was almost equivalent to that of a strong team.


    The female spirit manipulators just stood calmly at the corner like expressionless statues. Their calm composure stood out from the chaos of the crowd. It was apparent that they had gone through rigorous training. There was a woman who was sitting peacefully among the group. She was wearing a dress made out of pink tissues and it made her look beautiful and elegant. She was wearing a veil over her face but it could not hide her flawless and delicate features. Rocky barely saw the outline of her gentle eyes and long dark hair. Anyone who gazed upon her became tempted to see the true beauty that was hidden by her veil.


    What attracted Rocky more was the unfathomable aura that was exuding from her. He couldn''t evaluate her power at all. Rocky was convinced that she was not as weak as she would like people to assume. There must be some kind of reason for her to conceal her power on purpose.


    ''I guess those female spirit manipulators are guarding the veiled woman. Who is she? Why does she have that many powerful spirit manipulators around her? Why is she hiding her true power? She must be someone remarkable, '' Rocky speculated while looking at the woman intensely.


    The people started noticing the woman and her bodyguards. They became curious of her identity. Moreover, the men found it difficult to look away from the gr


    ss looked at him like he was crazy. He became convinced that Rocky was an abnormal, so he decided to just wave him away and urge him to leave. After looking at Rocky one last time, he gestured to the women on the stage.


    When one of the women noticed his gesture, she walked to the front of the stage and displayed the auction item on her plate. "This is the softest crocodile hide that comes from the belly of a one-star Swamp Crocodile. Neither water, fire, nor any weapon could do damage to it. We start the bidding at fifty golden coins."


    "One hundred golden coins."


    "One hundred and fifty golden coins."


    There were a lot of people who bid up the hide of the one-star Swamp Crocodile. Finally, to Rocky''s surprise, the ordinary hide was sold for three hundred golden coins.


    The woman stepped down from the stage and gave the hide of the one-star Swamp Crocodile to the highest bidder in person. After paying for it, the businessman grinned cheekily and then seized the opportunity to grab the woman''s backside.


    The woman cried cutely at having her backside grabbed and surprisingly appeared as if she enjoyed the attention. She then handed the three hundred golden coins to the boss immediately. The golden coin circulated through the Wild Spirit Land.


    "Ha-ha. I bought that for only one hundred golden coins. I earn two hundred golden coins because of that," the boss said in excitement. When Rocky heard that, he realized that the boss was fairly pleased with his profits.


    "I never thought that the hide of a one-star Swamp Crocodile could be so valuable. That would make the hides of two-star Swamp Crocodiles inside my basket, more or less, a several hundred golden coins worth," Rocky murmured to himself while still standing next to the boss. He finally felt that he came to the right place.

 Chapter 192 It Is Hard To Imagine

    "What are you still doing in here?" the boss asked curiously as he looked back and saw that Rocky still sitting there, feeling embarrassed for what he had just said.


    "If I leave, you''ll miss a once in a lifetime opportunity. Are you really willing to let this chance to make big money slip right through your fingers?" Rocky asked in reply as he folded his arms across his chest.


    "What exactly are you saying?" The boss looked curiously at Rocky. He was wondering why this obscurely dressed country boy had such high levels of self-confidence to actually say the things coming out of his mouth.


    Rocky flashed a smile as he put down the basket on his back. He took out a piece of hide of a two-star Swamp Crocodile and handed it to the boss. "This right here is the hide of a one-star Swamp Crocodile. How much do you think is it worth?"


    Upon hearing Rocky''s words, the boss stared at him in surprise. He then began to examine the hide more closely as if he was an expert on crocodile skin.


    "It seems like it really is the hide of a two-star Swamp Crocodile. Where exactly did you get this?" The boss asked as he was astonished by what was shown to him.


    "I would prefer not to say. There are a lot of good things like this inside my basket. Do you have any interest in selling them for me?" Rocky said in an estranged voice.


    "Anything valuable in the basket?" The boss stared at the basket with his wide eyes. ''Could it be a treasure basket?'' He thought to himself.


    "There''s something way better hidden inside of it. Do you have any questions?" Rocky replied as he raised his eyebrows.


    "Something even better than the hide of a two-star Swamp Crocodile?" The boss was totally stunned by Rocky''s reply. He bowed to apologize, "I have been both blind and ignorant until just now. Please don''t stoop down to my level. It would be completely unnecessary. I know that you are a big-hearted man. Would you mind giving me a minute of your time to talk in private?" The boss was obviously a weathercock and an artful person.


    To see is to believe. Most people would believe what they see rather than what they hear. The boss had examined Rocky''s hides of Swamp Crocodile very closely and had already given him his full. He altered his attitude and began to be more respectful towards Rocky.


    After a while, the boss led Rocky to a guest room next to the auction house where he was received with utmost respect. He bowed before him and muttered sugarcoated words.


    "Will you please tell me more about what you really have?" The boss asked politely. He was very shrewd yet sophisticated.


    "I have about twenty or thirty of its


    ay?" I can''t help but find it a bit strange."


    As the old Chinese saying goes, we can never have too many good things.


    In less than half an hour, a few of the two-star goods had already been auctioned for ridiculous prices.


    The boss was smiling radiantly. ''Today, my Super Beast Farm will definitely rake in huge amounts of money!'' he thought to himself.


    "It seems that I could really make a fortune out of wild spirit-manipulated beast hunting," Rocky said under his breath as he watched the items get sold in very high prices. It was beyond Rocky''s imagination that the horns and the snake galls would reach a good price at the auction. If the bones of the three-star wild spirit-manipulated beasts were brought here, they would certainly be sold for an even higher price.


    After the first round of auction, the boss looked around and said, "We are just getting warmed up. The next round is about to begin and it''s going to be a lot more exciting."


    His statement once again caused the audience to talk among themselves. Noise once again filled the entire auction house.


    "Another round of auction? He must be kidding, isn''t he? Could they really have anything better than the horns and the snake galls?" All the people at the auction house looked at each other in astonishment. They could hardly believe what they were hearing.


    A few minutes later, several identical-looking horns and snake galls were presented to the crowd.


    All the people in the auction house were stunned. They all fell silent as they admired what was in front of them.


    This was the first time that the Super Beast Farm auctioned off so many two-star horns and snake galls. They all held their breath in sheer excitement. Everything was about to get more intense.

 Chapter 193 Invaluable Items

    After the items of the second round were unveiled, people who hadn''t gotten anything in the first round became even more restless. This resulted in the second round fetching a much larger amount of money than the first.


    Everyone who was participating in the auction was visibly excited, many of them sweaty. Most also looked exhausted, as if they had done some strenuous exercise. It was obvious that the tug-of-war and social dynamics at the auction were very fierce.


    "Everybody, just relax. There is going to be a third round," the boss said, also sweating heavily. He raised his hand. Three fingers, a third round.


    "What!? A third round? There''s going to be a third round?


    Are you kidding us?


    How does your Super Beast Farm own so many treasures?"


    Someone exclaimed, inciting the crowd into an uproar.


    "That is a trade secret, sir. I''m afraid I can''t tell you," the boss said in an assertive tone. He gestured for the items of the third round to be presented to the public.


    Everyone''s attention was now on the items on the platform. They all gaped at these treasures in sheer amazement. The items displayed were totally different from those in the last two rounds. They were more valuable and certainly much rarer!


    The whole place was plunged into complete madness. The auction had now turned into a battlefield where bullets were money. All because of Rocky''s things! And at the end of this war, the real victors would not actually be the winning bidders but Rocky and the Super Beast Farm.


    This result was obvious from the very first round.


    After three rounds, the result broke the record of the Super Beast Farm. The amount of money achieved in these three rounds was larger than what it made in a month!


    The boss was ecstatic about this result. He looked so overjoyed, his mouth stretched out in such a wide grin that it looked comically distorted.


    People were preparing to leave, thinking that the auction would be over at that time when the boss announced that there would be a fourth round. Most of the bidders had spent all of their money in the last three rounds and cursed in regret when they heard that there would be a fourth round. And those who still had some money beamed with pleasure, looking around with arrogance at the unhappy bidders. They prepared themselves for the upcoming round.


    "Where on earth did the Super Beast Farm get so many treasures?" Isis, who had bought several objects asked herself, extremely confused. She was a frequent customer to the


    ting around with women. That was why he had spent so much money on the tail hair¡ªto impress her.


    "How dare you! Do you know who she is? She..." At that time, a girl standing beside Isis said in a harsh tone. But Isis shushed her. The last thing she wanted right now was for her identity to be exposed in case they would be met by trouble.


    "It''s your lady''s fortune to be favored by our young master. Do you know who he is? Don''t waste this opportunity! Our young master is Calvin Zhao, the son of Flank Zhao who is the Frontline Commander of the Crimson Dragon Group," one of the two attendants said in a condescending tone.


    "Flank Zhao?" Isis knew this man. He had won a lot of battles and enjoyed a good reputation in the Crimson Dragon Group. Isis hadn''t expected that he had such a worthless son.


    Hearing it, many people showed an expression of fear. The Crimson Dragon Group was both famed and feared. Calvin was the son of the Frontline Commander, so most people wouldn''t dare piss him off.


    "Are you afraid now? If so, be quick to show your face. If our young master likes you, you may have the luck to be his fifth wife. It will become a great honor for your family," the other attendant echoed.


    "Keep it low key. I''m not the kind of guy who uses his power to bully others," Calvin Zhao said with a perky, self-absorbed tone. Seeing as how Isis didn''t move at all, he reached out his hand, intending to lift her facial veil.


    Isis eyes darkened. Calvin Zhao would end up with a miserable end if she wielded her skills.


    At that time, a slim shadow rushed through the other side of the screen and slapped Calvin''s hand as it reached for Isis mid-air.

 Chapter 194 Master Of Chasing Girls

    Bang! A red date fell at Calvin''s feet. Startled and slightly hurt, he withdrew his hand immediately. He swore fiercely, "Who the hell attacked me?"


    "Me!" A voice rang out from behind the screen. A figure stepped out into everyone''s view.


    Of course, who else could it be but Rocky?


    Everyone was staring at him now. All of them felt surprised for a moment at the sight of him, Rocky. Isis frowned, feeling kind of disappointed to see that the man who was hiding behind the screen was dressed up in rustic clothes. She thought it had been a great master hiding behind the screen, but it turned out to be some bratty boy. Moreover, his spiritual power was much weaker than other spirit manipulators that it was so weak that it was almost undetectable! What a shame.


    Naturally, Isis thought to herself that she was all wrong. This pathetic guy, Rocky, couldn''t be behind all those wonderful treasures at the auction in Super Beast Farm today!


    Calvin glared at Rocky angrily. He was especially irate when he found out that the man who had interrupted him was just a country bumpkin. He yelled out loudly, "Son of a bitch! How dare you attack me? Don''t you know who I am?"


    "You''re an idiot," Rocky replied with a cold smile on his face. Initially, Rocky hadn''t meant to get involved in this mess. But he could clearly comprehend that the veiled woman, also known as Isis, seemed to be intent on hiding her real identity and was not going to fight back for herself. If she really wanted to fight back, the arrogant Calvin would have already learned a brutal lesson from her and have stopped acting so arrogant. So, Rocky was somewhat curious about why Isis was hiding her identity. He thought that inserting himself into the situation would be beneficial for both his curiosity and Isis''s reasons.


    After hearing what Rocky said, the others present there immediately burst into laughter. Even Isis was amused by Rocky''s words and couldn''t help but crack a smile from behind her veil.


    And once Isis smiled, her charm instantly captivated everyone in the Super Beast Farm. All of the bidders now watched her with fascination.


    Calvin looked at Isis, who was quite indifferent to him just now, and saw that she was amused by Rocky''s words. He felt extremely unhappy.


    "This lady has already said that she doesn''t want your gift. Why did you insist on disturbing her when she clearly told you no? Just get out of her way," Rocky said, staring coldly at Calvin and crossing his arms.


    "You little bastard! Do you really want to argue with me over a woman when you are dressed in such shabby clothes? Who do you think you are?" After hear


    ortunity to teach him! Get out of my way. It''s none of your business now." Calvin rudely pushed the boss of the Super Beast Farm out of his way and then swaggered up to Rocky. He sneered arrogantly, "I''ll give you a chance. If you get down on your knees and get out of here like a dog, I''ll cut you some slack and spare your life."


    "You want to make me beg for mercy on my knees?" Rocky said with a smile on his face.


    "Bang!" Everything happened in an instant. The others present there saw that Calvin, who just demanded Rocky kneel to beg for mercy, was suddenly kneeling down in front of Rocky instead. It seemed that he could not feel his legs anymore.


    The scene shocked everyone immediately. They froze in shock, trying to process what had just happened.


    Even Calvin was stunned and terrified because he had lost the feeling in his feet, as if he were paralyzed. It had all been so sudden, without any visible action from Rocky.


    Of course, it must have been this man''s doing! But no one noticed him do anything at all! Not even Isis, who had reached the seventh grade of the Heavenly Stage, saw him move a muscle.


    ''How did Calvin suddenly fall to his knees? No matter who did it, he or she must be an extraordinary spirit manipulator. This kind of feat is unheard of!'' Isis stared at Rocky a few more times in disbelief, but she noticed that he didn''t move one finger during this process.


    However, what Isis didn''t know was that when Rocky hit Calvin''s hand with a red date, there was pretty strong spiritual power in it. The power directly blocked the flow of blood through Calvin''s veins. Therefore, Calvin''s leg grew paralyzed after a certain period of time due to insufficient blood supply. Rocky certainly had some tricks up his sleeve!

 Chapter 195 Frightened With An Overall Cold Sweat

    "You are so obedient and eagerly knelt for me! Get out of here. Aren''t you ashamed?" Rocky said with a look of disdain.


    "What are you doing? Come and help me up." Calvin couldn''t stand up and had ordered his two companions to come assist him.


    They rushed to him and helped him up immediately.


    "Get your master out of here. He''ll lose all control of his feet if you don''t get him to a doctor right away," Rocky said as he held his arms across his chest.


    "You bastard! You wait!" Calvin was shocked by what Rocky said. He left in a hurry with two subordinates supporting him.


    There was dead silence in the air. No one knew how to react.


    After Calvin left, Rocky turned to Isis, nodded with a smile and turned away without another word.


    Isis watched him as he disappeared behind the folding screen.


    Rocky sat back in his seat and called out to the boss.


    "Is there another piece of that tail hair left? Don''t auction it. Sell it to that lady for five thousand golden coins," Rocky directed.


    The boss nodded and left.


    Soon, another piece of tail hair was shown to Isis.


    "It''s..." Seeing it, Isis was a little surprised. Because the previous one was taken away by Calvin, she didn''t expect to have a chance at another one.


    "Someone asked me to sell it to you for only five thousand golden coins. This is the last one," The boss said quietly.


    "Only five thousand golden coins?" Isis was a little surprised. It was such a low price compared to what Calvin had offered!


    "Who told you to offer it to me? Why is it being sold at such a low price?" Isis doubted.


    "I can''t say, ma''am. Do you want to take it or not?" The boss was hoping that she would refuse it. If she didn''t, he could put it up for auction again.


    Isis''s eyes gleamed as they ran over the tail hair of the Leopard Fox. She couldn''t resist it. "I''ll take it." She gestured to her companion to pay for it as she sat there, holding it up to the light in satisfaction. What a rare and beautiful thing!


    The boss left with mone


    this moment, a group of soldiers rushed to the second floor and surrounded it in the blink of an eye.


    Subsequently, a middle-aged man with full body armor and a sword at his waist appeared. He was followed by a few spirit manipulators.


    Seeing this, all of the people were startled. Some of them recognized this middle-aged man as Flank, the Frontline Commander of Crimson Dragon Group.


    "Who hurt my son just now?" He shouted as he came upstairs.


    Everyone looked at Rocky.


    "Commander Flank, it''s him," a subordinate shouted, pointing at Rocky as he passed by.


    Flank showed a face of fury, came to Rocky and yelled at him, "What the hell did you do to my son?"


    "Did I do something to him? Who said that?" Rocky said calmly.


    "You are in big trouble. Don''t you know who I am?" Flank felt even angrier at the fact that Rocky didn''t show any fear in response to his threats. So he wanted to deal him a head-on blow at the first encounter.


    Suddenly, hearing the sound of someone clearing her throat, Flank turned his head and saw Isis in a veil, followed by a few female spirit manipulators.


    "Deputy..." Realizing the status of the lady, Flank felt shocked. His heart hitched, automatically wondering why the Deputy Commander in Chief was here. ''Did she see what my son did just now?'' He felt frightened at the prospect of this.

 Chapter 196 What A Coincidence! (Part One)

    Once he found out that Isis was here too, Flank dared not act like his usual aggressive and intimidating self. Bullying Rocky in front of her could lead to some trouble for him in return. Flank knew for sure that his son was a notorious troublemaker and that Rocky wouldn''t beat him up for no reason. Although he came here in a combative manner and was ready to answer blows with blows, he couldn''t risk offending Isis. He breathed deeply. Rage still burned in his heart, he just couldn''t let it burst out. Making a fuss now was improper and unnecessary, and could lead to his family getting in more trouble than his son had already gotten them into.


    At this moment, all the bystanders expected that Rocky had now gotten in a very sticky situation. Without doubt, the Frontline Commander of Crimson Dragon Group did not come here to simply visit the finished auction. It was time for Rocky to reap what he had sown.


    No one knew that Flank was carefully weighing the situation in his head and finding himself in an awkward position. He felt as if he was strapped onto a dangerous beast -- afraid to move forward and unable to back down. His palms got clammy especially when he caught a glimpse of Isis, who was staring at him with her analytic eyes. He was racking his brain about what to do when he suddenly came up with a brilliant idea. He reached out his hand and patted on one of Rocky''s shoulders.


    The moment Flank''s palm landed on his shoulder, Rocky became alert. He clenched his fists and readied his spiritual power of second-grade of the Earthly Stage. However, he did not initiate the attack recklessly. He wasn''t stupid; he knew that Flank was a fairly strong spirit manipulator. Rocky estimated that he was at least above the eighth-grade of the Earthly S


    To Rocky, Flank''s words were so weird and illogical. Paired with his sudden and dejected exit, Rocky couldn''t help but wonder, ''What''s the problem with him? Is he insane?'' Then he remembered that Flank was so astonished and frightened when he caught sight of the veiled woman. She must be an important figure that was enough to scare him into playing nice! However, he didn''t go deep into this interlude and quickly let it go. He was now in a good mood and was greatly pleased by the big fortune he made. He left the store of Super Beast Farm and decided to visit Sue at the base camp. He wanted to know how she had been recently.


    The base camp of Crimson Dragon Group was situated at the southernmost end of the Evian City. This camp covered a large area, so expansive that its borders extended past the horizon. There were various large buildings arranged in picturesque disorder. The whole camp looked magnificent and formidable.


    As Rocky stood alone in front of the gate of the Crimson Dragon Group camp, he can''t help marveling at it. It was as thick as city wall and looked virtually impenetrable. It looked much more like an impregnable fortress rather than a camp.

 Chapter 197 What A Coincidence! (Part Two)

    "Who''s there?" Just before Rocky reached the gate, he was stopped by several vigilant guards dressed in blue uniforms.


    Rocky immediately took out the token that Marin gave him and handed it to one of the guards. He explained, "It was Commander Marin of the northeast military camp who sent me here." Of course, it was a lie. Commander Marin never dispatched him. He just used it as an excuse.


    While a guard was carefully examining the token, the other guards all fixed their eyes on Rocky in case he darted into the camp suddenly. Although Rocky had heard of the strictness of the Crimson Dragon Group''s guarding, it was impressive to see up close. After a brief examination, the guard confirmed the token was authentic and he nodded at his partners. They relaxed and waved Rocky through.


    Since he was allowed to go inside, he asked the guard about the location of the Isis Pavilion. For a few moments, the guard gazed at him in an odd way, but told him in the end. However, since the guard had just pointed out the general direction, Rocky had to figure out where exactly it was.


    He was walking in the camp now. He saw many horses and chariots hurriedly running back and forth. Groups of patrolmen were on duty, making sure no corner was left unguarded. At the far end, he could faintly make out that there was a large number of soldiers practicing and training on the battlefield. All the soldiers were in high spirits, and their hearty bellows soared high into the sky. It was clear that the northeast military camp was nowhere near the base camp.


    Besides, Rocky also noticed that there was a lot of spirit manipulators in Crimson Dragon Group, and near all of them were at the eighth gra


    sis? She is the cousin of Marin, isn''t she?" Sue''s words perhaps reminded Rocky of something, so he asked.


    "Yeah, she is. Didn''t Commander Marin tell you anything about Miss Isis?" Sue was confused and had no idea why Rocky asked like this.


    "No, she didn''t explain it. So, tell me more about her. Who on earth is she?" Rocky noticed Sue''s astonished face, which made him even more curious.


    "Let me tell you then! In the Crimson Dragon Group, Miss Isis is the... " Sue didn''t finish her words because she was interrupted by a voice calling from outside. Someone wanted her. She went out at once and came back a moment later.


    "I am really sorry, Mr. Bai. I must go on an urgent errand and fetch some stuff for Miss Isis. I need to go right now. I will be back later. I don''t think she''ll be back anytime soon today. So, you can just wait for me here. Just in case she comes back earlier than me, you can explain that you''re my brother and came to visit me. Miss Iris is a generous lady and I''m sure she wouldn''t mind you staying here alone." Sue quickly finished her words, embracing him hastily before she left in a hurry.

 Chapter 198 Moment Of Beauty

    After Sue left, Rocky wandered around the first floor of Isis''s residence. It was rather spacious but without much decoration, which was a little dull. The walls were plain with only few frames hanging on them. The whole area was minimalist, with very few designs done to the place. He then headed for the second floor. Contrary to the first floor, the scene looked quite dreamy on the second floor.


    There was a bed there and it was skillfully crafted using shiny white jades. The white jade glistened in the room as if it was trying to allure him. It was oozing cold air.


    This was the first time that Rocky saw anything like this. Opening the gauze curtain, he approached and made it all the way in front of the bed. He touched the bed. It was soft and silky as if it was made of clouds. What was notable was that the bed felt like it was freezing along with strands of spiritual aura.


    "This bed should be able to help with one''s cultivation." On that thought, Rocky sat on it and held his breath. He felt instantly that there were strands of spiritual aura seeping into him, facilitating the circulation of his own spiritual aura in the body. He felt optimized, because his environment worked well with his cultivation.


    "This is good. This jade bed plus the magical saliva is a great combination that''s going to improve my strength greatly." Rocky told himself out loud. He felt a little jealous of the owner of this jade bed. The owner must have cultivated in an efficient manner and at the optimum level.


    Just then, Rocky heard some movements on the first floor and then the footsteps slowly moved upstairs. It was steady and soft and it definitely came from any other ordinary person but Sue.


    shing into his cheeks at what he saw. He couldn''t keep his eyes away from Isis''s figure.


    "Well I''ll be damned." Rocky''s heart just skipped a beat. If Isis went inside, he would definitely be busted. It was bad enough that he was hiding inside her wardrobe. Worse, he had witnessed Isis changing clothes. He saw things that he shouldn''t have. He would be considered a stalker, which would not end well for him. Not only that, he would definitely be called a pervert.


    "It looks like I have to take my chance." Rocky gritted his teeth, thinking that he would rather run out to face Isis now rather than wait to get busted there later. He knew that her strength was well above his, but she would be caught off guard given her current status, which was his ticket out of here. He did not think that she would come after him being all naked.


    Rocky grew solemn at this thought. He then grabbed some clothes and took a deep breath before he turned into a shadow with his spiritual power and dashed through the door while throwing all the clothes at Isis. He had high hopes that he would not only get away, he wouldn''t also be recognized.

 Chapter 199 Intimate Contact

    Isis was stunned as a figure suddenly rushed out from the wardrobe. Then a piece of clothing flew at her and fell over her eyes.


    But her reaction in the next moment was instantaneous as she scowled with displeasure. As the figure was about to pass in front of her, she swung the clothing with her right arm quickly, combined with her spiritual power. Immediately, it wrapped around the arm of the figure that was trying to escape.


    Rocky had never thought that his kindness would delay his escape. If he hadn''t done so, Isis would have had no chance to catch him. Certainly, Rocky himself also underestimated Isis'' power.


    After all, Isis was the Deputy Commander in Chief who had defied all kinds of perils on the battlefield. She would never let Rocky leave after she had been embarrassed. In her capable hands, even a piece of clothing was turned into a lethal and efficient weapon.


    Seeing his arm was caught by the clothing and knowing it would be impossible to be free from it in a moment, he had to stop helplessly. It seemed that he couldn''t escape this mess. Oh, why was it that beauties always led him into some kind of trouble?


    Isis furrowed her eyebrows when Rocky stopped moving. She stared at him intently, from head to toe. Something suddenly crossed her mind and she asked in a sharp voice, "What did you see just now?"


    "If I tell you I didn''t see anything, would you believe me?" Rocky replied. The answer was obvious. He wouldn''t have been trying to escape if he hadn''t seen anything!


    "So you saw everything, then," Isis muttered, biting her soft pink lips. She blushed in an instant, glaring at Rocky''s back in anger.


    "If I tell you the truth, I think you''re going to kill me," Rocky said. The last time he had gotten in a situation like this, Marcia had almost killed him. But he didn''t know that the reason why Marcia had been so enraged was actually that he had seen her startling secret.


    "Turn to me," Isis commanded. She was eager to know who had been so daring.


    "Are you sure?" Rocky asked while lifting h


    pat out a mouthful of blood. Meanwhile, her spiritual power also went wild.


    She had never expected that Rocky would be so powerful, so the situation was so emergent. She tried to suppress the uncontrollable spiritual power that was now coursing through her. However, she couldn''t calm down while suddenly thinking of Rocky, utterly confused and disconcerted. Obviously, her breath naturally got worse and worse.


    Seeing Isis spout blood, Rocky was confused, looking at his hands in surprise. It was wholly unexpected that he could have caused her to spit out blood! However, he then noticed that Isis looked pale and her breath was in disorder. It seemed that her spiritual power was going out of control. Rocky knew well that if it continued like this she would be in danger. Whatever, it was his fault to have a look at Isis'' body. If Isis died for this, it would lay heavy on his conscience. Staring at Isis who was in agony, Rocky made up his mind and came over to her in a big stride. Gently, he picked her up.


    "What are you doing?" Feeling Rocky''s body and temperature, Isis struggled to get free because she was afraid that Rocky would now take advantage of her weakness. As a result, her breathing became more rapid as her anxiety also skyrocketed. However, she was unable to rally her force due to the wild spiritual power wreaking havoc in her system.

 Chapter 200 An Intimate Moment

    Rocky took Isis to the white jade bed. Then he gently laid her down, and untied his clothes to cover her body. After that, he took out the bottle containing magical saliva and said gently, "This will help cure your injuries." He opened the bottled and held it directly to her lips.


    Isis was surprised by what he had done for her. It did not make sense; she was expecting him to do something dastardly. She was expecting him to either run away or take advantage of her at this moment. But now, it seemed like Rocky was intent on helping her.


    Isis should have doubted his intentions as well as the content of the bottle. She should have questioned whether he was trying to give her an aphrodisiac potion. But when she looked into his eyes, her typically restless and tactical mind was at peace. She drank that magical saliva obediently.


    Once it had been ingested and absorbed into her body, Isis immediately felt relieved from the injuries which had been a result of the energy deviation. At the same time, the uncontrolled spiritual power returned to its source, led by the saliva. She was really astonished by the amazing power of this mystery liquid. Then she calmed down a little and closed her eyes. She decided to ignore Rocky and concentrated on the energy circulation to recover.


    It was a long time before Isis felt her injuries was fully recovered. Then she slowly opened her eyes only to find that Rocky had disappeared. She sighed. It was to be expected. However, when she turned her head a little, she spotted a figure through the sheer curtains. Rocky was standing on the long corridor of the cottage with both hands on his back, his posture an image of outstanding elegance. He was looking into the distance with a calm expression.


    "Why haven''t you left?" Isis called out.


    After hearing her voice, Rocky turned around and glanced at her. He said, "You''d better put your clothes on. Or would you like to talk to me like that?"


    Isis was startled, looking down at herself. She quickly remembered what had happened before. Her eyes turned cold as she wrapped his clothes tightly around her body. Then she glanced at R


    cky. Even her father gave him a free pass! Therefore, even if there were thousands of reasons for her to kill Rocky, she just could not do that. Furthermore, she had ordered someone to investigate Rocky before due to her curiosity of his identity. It was quite shocking that the man she''d heard so much of had been the same one that had just seen her naked by accident!


    But it was less surprising for Rocky. He merely never expected that Marin''s cousin was the Deputy Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Group. And he had seen her figure just now. Had someone else learned that, he would be hunted down by the whole Crimson Dragon Group. Though he had no idea of the exact number of excellent spiritual manipulators in this group, he knew that the chances of surviving a battle with the high ranked ones were slim to none.


    "Sue, you may leave now. I have something to say to Rocky alone," Isis said to Sue.


    Sue couldn''t help but look at Rocky curiously after hearing that. Knowing Isis''s temper, Sue was a little worried about him. But she went downstairs obediently.


    "What do you want to say to me, ma''am?" Rocky asked, a sly grin flitting over his lips.


    "You shall not mention what happened today to anyone else. Though you have the free pass given by my father, I would still kill you if you do so. If I hear any rumors about it, I would not go easy on you," Isis warned him, her fierce eyes flashing.

 Chapter 201 Badly Injured (Part One)

    "Your father? The Commander in Chief is your father?! Therefore, you are actually the daughter of the Commander in Chief?! And Marin, your cousin, is also the niece of the Commander in Chief?!" Rocky was stunned. He acted so casually around them that he felt like they were just ordinary people. It never occurred to him that the two women he knew from the Crimson Dragon Group had such strong backgrounds.


    "That''s right! Now you finally know that. If my father finds out what you just did to me, he will immediately take back the order of sparing your life!" Isis threatened. To prevent Rocky from leaking out such an embarrassing situation and protect her reputation, she had to use every effective means. That should put him in his place. He should be scared of the possible consequences of his actions if he tried to embarrass her or taint her reputation in some way. Yet, Rocky hardly looked affected with her threats.


    "I see," Rocky just responded lightly.


    "And, in exchange of sparing your life and forgiving you for what you just did, can you tell me who on earth you are?" Isis asked. As the Deputy Commander in Chief, she was always good at negotiations. More often, she was able to negotiate her way to a deal that favored her more. She had always been very curious about Rocky''s identity. There was always the air of mysteriousness around him. Thus, if she could use what happened today to find out Rocky''s real identity, that would a real bonus.


    "No," Rocky refused simply and decisively. He didn''t even think about it, and he just flatly told her no. He didn''t seem concerned with her threats. Her mind was beaming with curiosity and unanswered questions. Why was he protecting his identity so hard? What did he have to hide?


    "Why? Don''t you know that what


    "Actually, she''s not. You don''t have to worry. Her temper is better than I have expected. Anyway, I should leave now. I will come back to visit you again as long as I am free," Rocky immediately said as he found it was getting late. He couldn''t stay there for long. It was a shame that he barely spent his time with Sue because of the incident with Isis but he figured there were other days he could visit her again.


    "All right. Don''t forget to bring Rubygon next time. I miss it so much," Sue reminded and nodded at him with a reassuring smile.


    Rocky smiled, touched Sue''s head softly, and then walked away from Isis'' residence with big steps.


    After walking out of the base camp, Rocky couldn''t help but feel relieved. He was actually worried that Isis would change her idea at any time and try to kill him. After all, Isis was the Deputy Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Group. It would be rather easy for her to finish him off with a random excuse.


    "Rocky, Rocky, why do you always have to incur troubles like this? You should never deal with the women like Isis!" Rocky mumbled and laughed at himself. He seemed to get in trouble that involved women quite a lot.

 Chapter 202 Badly Injured (Part Two)

    Later, Rocky found a blacksmith shop in the Evian City. He asked the blacksmith there to make 12 large shackles according to the size he designed himself. After paying the deposit, he was told to pick them up three days later. With nothing to do, he left the City.


    When he returned to the northeast military camp from the Evian City, the night had already fallen. Rocky went to Marin''s camp and returned the token to Marin. Earlier, she had given the token to him so that he could enter the base camp which was heavily guarded and visit Sue.


    "Have you seen Sue?" Marin asked.


    "Yes," Rocky said with a nod.


    "Have you also seen my cousin?" Marin asked with a strange look. She must be wondering what happened with their interaction.


    Rocky nodded without denial. Not only did he see her, but he also saw her naked. He didn''t know how Marin would react if she found out what happened. Of course, he wasn''t stupid enough to tell her that. He was not that bored to ask for trouble.


    "Then, what is her impression of you?" Marin asked again.


    "I don''t know about that. Commander, if there is nothing more to discuss, then I should leave now," Rocky said indifferently then turned around and left Marin''s camp. At the same time, he was thinking what kind of reaction she would have if she was told that he had seen Isis naked. He bet that she definitely would not have a good reaction. He imagined how infuriated and at the same time embarrassed she would be by that revelation.


    When he went back at his own room, Rocky saw Rubygon was running around, rummaging through the cabinet, and making constant noise. Meanwhile, Uriah seemed to have fallen asleep with its eyes closed.


    "You naughty little guy, when no one looks after you, you will raise the roof. There is something odd about Uriah. It rarely falls


    please help me treat my spirit-manipulated beast. It seems to be very sick. Its temperature is very high," Rocky said eagerly and anxiously and then turned his attention to Uriah. He wanted it to get treated immediately. He didn''t want to waste any time because its condition might worsen.


    After hearing Rocky''s statement, Sheridan also looked at Uriah for a few seconds. He walked over it and touched its body here and there. Then, he checked Uriah''s eyelids and skillfully did a thorough examination of its body. After that, he squinted his eyes and asked Rocky, "Did your spirit-manipulated beast once fight with a powerful beast before?"


    Rocky was stunned for Sheridan''s accurate speculation. However, he couldn''t tell him that it once had fights with other powerful beasts. Once again, he decided to avoid answering the question straight to the point. Thus, he simply said ambiguously, "I suppose it may not?"


    "It''s impossible! You are not qualified to be his master. You are not even aware that your own spirit-manipulated beast has serious internal injuries. How could you be so ignorant?" Sheridan questioned him in rage. He certainly didn''t like Rocky''s response and his blatant irresponsibility.

 Chapter 203 Spirit Possession

    "Uriah, are you really hurt badly on the inside?" Rocky asked with concern. He remembered the time when they had gone to capture the two Dark Heaven Insects at Carcass Valley. At that time, in order to protect little Rubygon, Uriah had to withstand a huge attack launched by the Dark Heaven Insect at the second grade of the three-star level. After the fight, it didn''t seem like there was anything seriously wrong with Uriah. He had still fed it with some magical saliva. Due to its strong body, Uriah could recover quickly even if it got seriously injured.


    "It is suffering due to the recurrence of an old injury," Sheridan revealed.


    "An old injury?" Rocky''s eyes widened in shock. He thought glumly, ''Was this old injury caused when Uriah fought with the spirit-manipulated beast of the Heavenly Stage at the Witch Palace? After that fight, Uriah was indeed hurt seriously. If any other spirit-manipulated beast had been hurt like that, it might have died soon after. Only beasts like Uriah could survive after experiencing an intense fight like that.'' Uriah had recovered soon after that. So, Rocky had assumed that nothing went wrong. But now, the old injury was causing trouble for Uriah.


    "You should have paid close attention to it. I don''t have to tell you this. You know what a spirit-manipulated beast means to a spirit manipulator," Sheridan said with a frown.


    Rocky felt really annoyed, but he couldn''t say a word in return. It was his negligence that had led to a recurrence of Uriah''s old injury. There was no way that he could have known that there were injuries that couldn''t be cured by magical saliva.


    The truth was that no matter how effective the magical saliva was, it still couldn''t compare to the real magical saliva that could resurrect the dead. Also, Uriah was only a beast at the second grade of the three-star level. Hence, the magical saliva created by it had limited effects. But Rocky knew nothing about this.


    "Can it be cured?" Rocky asked with concern in his eyes.


    "It''s not easy. If we had identified this wound earlier, it could have been cured easily, without a trace. But we are only seeing this now. Adding new injury to the old one has made the situation even worse. If your spirit-manipulated beast didn''t have a good physique, I can''t even imagine what situation it would have been in now.'' Sheridan''s countenance became severe.


    "Do whatever you must. Please save it," Rocky said in a low whisper. Uriah had always accompanied him everywhere he went and never abandoned him. So, Uriah was very important to him. Without it, he wouldn''t have been alive today. They shared a deep bond. To Rocky, Uriah was not just a spirit-manipulated beast; it was his only family and his best friend.


    "There is a treatment. But it''s a little dangerous¡­ Do you know about Spirit Possession?" Sheridan inquired.


    "Spirit Possess


    Rocky began the metal method of Spirit Possession. The spiritual power at the second grade of the Earthly Stage burst out, making the surrounding shine like the sun.


    At that same time, detecting the power from the metal method of Spirit Possession, Uriah sparkled with an iridescent light, which added radiance and charm to the light which came from Rocky.


    In the end, Uriah became nothing but a blurry light, as it started to combine with Rocky as an entirety.


    Due to the serious injury, Uriah''s spiritual power was a little weakened. Uriah became unstable after its spiritual power became a blurry mist, and the light coming from the beast started to turn dim and then bright, and then dim again. Thus, the possession was extremely slow.


    Rocky detected the spiritual power from Uriah merging with him and noticed that the very disorderly force of Uriah was declining his spiritual power. It impacted his body negatively time and time again.


    A war was being waged inside Rocky''s body. As Uriah''s spiritual power gradually combined with Rocky''s, the war field expanded too. Soon, the conflict spread throughout his body. All he could do was try to combine their spiritual powers to the maximum and quickly reach the state of Spirit Possession.


    Uriah''s spiritual power was not yet weaker than Rocky''s. It was not a simple task to combine their spiritual powers.


    As time passed, Rocky broke out in a cold sweat, turning extremely pale. He felt like numerous bombs were going off in his body, the impact destroying his organs and breaking him apart.


    Rocky had only managed to combine half of the blurry mist, which was Uriah''s spiritual power, and the impact it had on his body was too strong and obvious. If he combined all of the beast''s spiritual power, he couldn''t imagine what would happen to him.


    But no matter what happened, he had to persevere until the Spirit Possession was complete.

 Chapter 204 Reaching A New Stage

    Time seemed to slow down. Rocky was feeling kind of small and weak as the long period of time elapsed.


    Not knowing how long it had been, Rocky could tell that his power had reached its limit and his body suffered the overwhelming pains. It felt as though he was feeling a myriad of earthquakes and landslides taking place in his system. Under the strong impact of his spiritual power, Rocky felt he was on the edge of a breakdown.


    At this critical moment, if Rocky didn''t try to be a strong-willed man, it would cost him his life. Even if he wanted to stop everything, it was too late! If he tried to separate himself from Uriah and stop the combination by force, he would get hurt. Even worse, it could endanger both of their lives!


    Rocky could do nothing but to persist through this terrible ordeal. Only his willpower would help him succeed, despite the fact that he wasn''t aware of his body and his will was gradually being weakened. But he still firmly believed that he could do it. Otherwise...


    Being an ordinary spirit manipulator, it was the first time Rocky tried to practice this secret without the help of Holy Dragon Bead. This was the hardest thing for an ordinary spirit manipulator to accomplish.


    He had created great miracles one after another with the power of Holy Dragon Bead before. This time, he was determined to create another impossible miracle in another way.


    But he didn''t know whether he would succeed in acquiring the Spirit Possession or not.


    The clock was ticking and the meter was running. In the middle of the Ghost Village, two shadows were radiating brilliantly and began to combine together, particle by particle. The intense spiritual power unceasing spread to the surrounding air. The Ghost Village was thrown into chaos.


    A deafening scream suddenly pierced the air, echoing as it spread.


    The man in the light was stretching out his arms and holding his head high. His face showed clearly that he was suffering a tormenting pain. It looked as if countless worms were wriggling and wrestling within him, as he spasmed continuously. His body looked like it was about to explode at any time. But his eyes were intent, his gestures expansive.


    In an instant, the furious spiritual power was emitted out of control. The power surged, liked a tempestuous sea that sent forth its tides on the earth. The strong spiritual power razed the surroundings into gro


    at emergency in Holy Dragon Empire, these royal spirit manipulators would answer the call of duty. Otherwise, they only provided service for emperor and were under his command.


    Compared with ordinary spirit manipulators, royal spirit manipulators in the four military groups were more powerful. Normally, they held important positions and are the best of the best. They would typically not be seen in action if there were no large-scale war. These elites would not be dispatched to execute petty operations.


    The Crimson Dragon Group had an Elite Regiment consisting of royal spirit manipulators. They were considered the cream of the crop amongst their peers. The members of the lowest team were even composed of the royal spiritual manipulators above the eighth grade of the Earthly Stage. It was said that the head of the Elite Regiment had reached the Supernal Stage. This elite team only received orders from Commander in Chief. Only a few top-level leaders had the chance to see this Elite Regiment. Ordinary people were lucky to catch a glimpse of them!


    What Rocky had discovered in Crimson Dragon Group was only the tip of the iceberg. Their capability and power were more than that.


    Of course, ordinary spirit manipulators in the four military groups were very powerful, if they could manage to reach the Heavenly Stage or above. But at the end of the day, ordinary spirit manipulators could never compete with the royal ones. Spirit manipulators who wanted to reach the Heavenly Stage needed to be born with a strong talent paired with good fortune. It was an uphill battle all the way.

 Chapter 205 He Was Quite A Character!

    However, it had been a time of war during the last few years. Several big wars had broken out from time to time. Therefore, the four major military groups had definitely suffered inevitable losses in terms of their royal spirit manipulators. As a result, the general number of the Holy Dragon Empire''s royal spirit manipulators was decreasing constantly. Yet, only 30 new royal spirit manipulators could be recruited each year due to the strict selection process. Obviously, such a small number was not enough to supply the increasing demands for the royal spirit manipulators.


    The Holy Dragon Empire, as well as other empires, regarded the spiritual manipulators who inherited the power of the spiritual race as the best of the best. Considered the cream of the crop, they were looked up to as an elite force. For example, the Magic Phoenix Empire had the phoenix spirit manipulators, and the Timber Deity Empire had the timber spirit manipulators. These elite spirit manipulators were all strictly protected and carefully overseen by their own empire. Their cultivation was of the highest priority. In fact, it could be said that the number and strength of these elite spirit manipulators were also the embodiment of an empire''s strongest combat power.


    At that moment, Rocky, who was in the Spirit Possession state, had the power of both an ordinary spirit manipulator and a royal spirit manipulator, which was considered something quite impossible. Generally speaking, the ordinary spirit manipulator couldn''t have the power of the royal spirit manipulator, while the royal spirit manipulators couldn''t have other powers except for the dragon spiritual power.


    However, Rocky had managed to combine both. How could he make the impossible happen? It owed to the fact that he was once a formal royal spirit manipulator. The red light in the spiritual flame was also a part of the power of the Holy Dragon Bead, which appeared before Marcia sealed it. Thus, although Marcia sealed the power of the Holy Dragon Bead in his body, the spiritual flame that produced the spiritual power was somewhere deep within him. The red light in the spiritual flame was also retained in his body.


    After he started the Spirit Possession, a kind of magic where the spirit manipulator could fuse with spirit-manipulated beasts and possess their power, the red light lurking in his body was activated by the special capability of the Fire nature in Uriah''s body. What all this indicated was that Rocky had the special ability to manipulate the nature of Fire from then on. As an ordinary spirit manipulator, Rocky had the ability to manipulate the nature of Fire. Such a unique situation only happened once in a blue moon.


    Obviously, Uriah''s injury turned out to manifest as a new opportunity for Rocky to strengthen his power. How lucky he was!


    Rocky, who figured out his good luck, immediately put on a sly smile. Obviously, he had a plan. He suddenly jumped up and waved his hands to launch the power of the red light and the Vast Nebula Skill directly toward an empty house in the Ghost Village. It was apparent that he wanted to test the power of his newly regained ability. He grinned with satisfaction. It was clearly visible that the two different spiritual powers were intertwined in the air. One was misty like nebulae, while the other was red


    ginning, he just wanted to tease Rocky. But he hadn''t expected Rocky''s response. He expected the young man to return dejected!


    "You don''t believe that I was able to do that, right?" Rocky asked at once. The corners of his mouth twitched and curved up in a faint smile.


    "Of course I didn''t! In my lifetime, I have only seen three ordinary spirit manipulators who can complete the Spirit Possession. Young man, if you really did it, I will immediately accept you as my disciple!" Sheridan exclaimed, squinting at Rocky and trying to discern if he was playing tricks.


    "Accept me as your disciple? What benefits will I get if I become your disciple?" Rocky asked in surprise. Such an idea had never crossed his mind before.


    "Have you heard of Priest Dean from the Holy Dragon Empire?" Sheridan couldn''t help but ask.


    "Priest Dean?" Rocky repeated coldly as he narrowed his eyes. Oh, he knew Priest Dean alright. He hated him with all his heart! If it were not for Alston and Priest Dean, he wouldn''t have endured the torment! Rocky''s face showed a hint of anger.


    "He''s an old acquaintance of mine. We used to be fellow disciples of the same master. I was a senior disciple while he was a junior disciple. Our master was good at Beast Evaluation Skill, Beast Taming Skill, and Beast Curing Skill. Priest Dean was more talented in beast evaluation. Thus, he only focused on the Beast Evaluation Skill, while I focused on the Beast Taming Skill and Beast Curing Skill. Well, don''t think I''m boasting or anything like that. The reality is that there is only a limited number of people who are better at the two skills than me in this Wild Spirit Land. Or in other words, I am one of the best beast tamers and beast curers, even though these two have become quite unpopular occupations now. Despite that, even the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire has invited me to the Palace City a few times to raise the high-class spirit-manipulated beasts for the royal family." Sheridan said with a proud look on his face.


    Listening to Sheridan''s exciting retelling of his proud story, Rocky finally realized that the old man who kept such a low key actually had quite a noble character with a strong background! How fascinating!

 Chapter 206 Sheridan Takes Rocky Under His Wing

    "I''ve heard quite a few things about the Beast Evaluation Skill. As for the Beast Taming Skill and Beast Curing Skill, they''re very foreign to me," Rocky admitted as he stroked his chin.


    "Young one, for you to become a competent beast evaluator you must acquire Beast Evaluation Skill proficiency. Aside from that, you must also gain the Beast Taming Skill and Beast Curing Skill. Long ago, beast evaluators from the Wild Spirit Land focused way too much on the Beast Evaluation Skill and they ended up neglecting the other two skills that are as crucial: the Beast Taming Skill and Beast Curing Skill. As a result, the following generations failed to receive proper training for the latter. To be completely honest with you kid, having the ability to evaluate beasts is not really that useful. If you don''t know how to heal and tame spiritual beasts, their strength and potential won''t really amount to much. Curing and taming are very crucial, especially at the earlier stages of the spiritual beast cubs. Spiritual beasts differ greatly from war beasts. They have a small understanding of human nature, and they are far more difficult to tame compared to war beasts. Beast tamers who are able to control spiritual beasts are very rare to find in the Wild Spirit Land. They are so much smaller in number compared to spiritual beast evaluators," Sheridan explained carefully. He seemed to be some kind of an expert in this field. His grey hair also helped make him look wiser.


    "If the beast tamers were as powerful as you said, why was the Beast Taming Skill not passed down to the following generations?" Rocky asked, obviously confused.


    Beast tamers are more of like the servants of the spirit-manipulated beasts. They need to be of service for the spirit-manipulated beasts to the best of their abilities. No one was willing to stay where the spirit-manipulated beasts stayed. These places were quite unpleasant for humans. However, things are different for the beast evaluators. All they have to do is have a look at the beasts while touching them and reciting some words. They are more respected and admired by other people. But beast tamers like me are also well-respected by the people," Sheridan bragged.


    A smile formed on Rocky''s face. "What about beast curers? Are they much rarer than beast tamers?" He asked.


    "Yes. There are very few beast curers in the Wild Spirit Land. Beast Curing Skill demands great talent and competence. Beast curers are also expected to be masters of Beast Evaluation Skills. Of course, one cannot cure a spirit-manipulated beast if they cannot identify it. You must be a very skil


    ions. If you learn the Beast Taming Skill, not only can you master the skills of taming and controlling spirit-manipulated beasts, but also pull out their full potential. If in the future you get lucky enough, you might run into a spiritual beast. With the Beast Taming Skill, you can tame it and get a lot from it. Of course, the chances are very low. But other people do not even have a chance," Sheridan said excitedly. He noticed Rocky''s reluctance and tried to convince him more with the benefits that come along with learning his skills. He knew well enough that Rocky was not willing to learn the Beast Taming Skill and Beast Curing Skill if he would not gain anything from them.


    "So Commander knows who you really are." Rocky remembered how Marin mentioned Sheridan the other day. She told Rocky that he could learn a lot from him.


    "The Commander In Chief of the Crimson Dragon Group and I are friends. I used to come by his place and have a drink, so I have known Marin since she was a little girl. I planned to take Isis as my apprentice. She is smart and talented, quite perfect to learn the Beast Taming Skill and Beast Curing Skill. But she is only interested in learning military tactics, very much like her father. So she refused me," Sheridan said regretfully. It would seem like he was still upset at Isis'' refusal to become his apprentice.


    "You seem to be very keen to have someone as your apprentice. No wonder she turned you down," Rocky joked.


    "Cut the nonsense. From now on, you will call me teacher. I will teach you everything that I know of." Sheridan looked intently at Rocky, waiting for any hint of Rocky''s willingness. It was not easy discovering a perfect apprentice, so he would by no means miss this chance.

 Chapter 207 Rocky As Sheridans Apprentice

    "I understand you want to teach me, but I don''t want you to be my teacher," Rocky responded coldly. He enjoyed torturing the old man by making him wait in suspense. The truth was he was ecstatic when he found out how much Sheridan wanted to mentor him. He had mastered the Magical Evaluation Skill, the most powerful evaluation skill in the Wild Spirit Land. If he were to gain both Beast Taming Skill and Beast Curing Skill from Sheridan, he would improve enormously. He saw how desperately Sheridan wanted him, and Rocky decided to play hard to get. In that way, Sheridan would not withhold anything from him and would exhaust any means to help Rocky learn.


    "Hey, young man. Show your teacher some respect. Actually, scratch that. I don''t really care for formalities and stuff. Starting tomorrow, you''ll be learning the Beast Taming Skill. After that, I will teach you the Beast Curing Skill. You still have a long way to go before you can master the Beast Evaluation Skill and you have still yet to learn about the spirit-manipulated beasts. Through the years, I have compiled this much information about spirit-manipulated beasts. Have a look," Sheridan told Rocky as he took out a thick, worn out directory from under his coat.


    "There''s no need for that. My brain is filled with information about spirit-manipulated beasts. I bet I know more about them than you," Rocky answered as he waved his hand dismissively. He had all the information from the Beast Encyclopedia stored in his brain. He could describe each and every kind of spirit-manipulated beast in detail.


    "I doubt that. Please don''t make any more excuses to get out of our lessons." Sheridan thought Rocky was making this up. He did not know Rocky owned the only copy of the Beast Encyclopedia in the whole Wild Spirit Land.


    "If you don''t believe me, quiz me then. If I answer any question wrong, I''ll take you as my teacher. But if I get them all correct, you have to call me teacher," Rocky wagered, raising his eyebrow slightly. He was eager to provoke Sheridan.


    "Oh, you''re on!" Sheridan agreed. He was very skeptical of Rocky''s declaration; he didn''t believe he got everything memorized.


    Sheridan started to quiz Rocky with difficult and quaint questions about spirit-manipulated beasts.


    An hour passed and Sheridan was frozen in disbelief. He stared at Rocky in awe and dubiety. He was rendered speechless by Rocky''s vast knowledge about spirit-manipulated beasts. Rocky had answered all the questions he raised correctly and quickly. Rocky''s answers were even more accurate and informative than the information he had.


    "What now? Did I win?" Rocky asked with a cunning smile.


    "Hey, kid. Tell me. How did you know all those stuff about spirit-manipulated beasts?" Sheridan asked, still confused by how Rocky did so well. He was still struck with d


    be teaching you the basics of the Beast Taming Skill," Sheridan said as he walked towards the beast stable.


    Rocky followed him inside.


    Sheridan then broke into a long speech.


    Rocky took in Sheridan''s idea and combined with hid modern theory. He immediately found out that the modern theory could not be applied on spirit-manipulated beasts. The spirit-manipulated beasts had several stages of the life cycle.


    Generally speaking, the spirit-manipulated beasts owned by spirit manipulators were captured when they were cubs. They were then fed and tamed. Spirit-manipulated beasts have three developmental stages. Their feeding method varied in every stage. The most distinct difference was the food they ate. During their early developmental stage, spirit-manipulated beasts'' diet consisted of soft and liquid foods. These foods were the only ones their undeveloped stomachs could digest. In their middle developmental stage, beasts started to consume meat. Protein became a staple in their diet that helped them strengthen their bodies. At the final developmental stage, spirit-manipulated beast could eat any kind of food they wanted. It was when they reached maturity. By that time, the cubs started to receive taming exercises. Spirit-manipulated beasts were more difficult to tame when they were fully grown. So at the final developmental stage, cubs were fed huge amounts of nutritious food to keep them energized for their taming exercises.


    Different taming methods were developed to adapt to every kind of spirit-manipulated beasts. The ultimate goal of taming was to reduce the coarse behaviors of spirit-manipulated beasts. Once they got tamed, their potential to serve people better was activated.


    Tamed spirit-manipulated beasts, when fully grown, remained under the command of their masters. They were able to join battles and fight side by side with their masters.

 Chapter 208 The Theory Of Taming Spirit-Manipulated Beasts

    With Sheridan''s long but precise lectures, Rocky was made aware that his way of nourishing Uriah and Little Rubygon had its shortcomings. Though he fed them based on the ideas in the modern world and followed the rules and regulations to the letter, he knew that he could do so much better than that. There was nothing to blame but his lack of experience with spirit-manipulated beasts. He only had few encounters with them; therefore, there was still so much to know on how to properly nourish and nurture a spirit-manipulated beast.


    He remembered Uriah''s bizarre growth during its final cub stage. But it happened by accident ¨C or by fate as what Rocky would want to believe. When Uriah had eaten a yellow spiritual crystal by mistake, Rocky thought it would die. Everything went blur for Rocky at that moment. However, to his surprise, something unexpected happened instead ¨C Uriah instantly reached the adult age as a spirit-manipulated beast at the second grade of the three-stars. Uriah made a ground-breaking development for a spirit-manipulated beast by skipping many stages of growth. Rocky knew that he couldn''t have done it on his own. Without the yellow spiritual crystal, he wouldn''t be able to raise Uriah and make it grow with such formidable power.


    ''I am just lucky that Sheridan took me in as an apprentice. Otherwise, my experiment will all be in vain, '' Rocky thought to himself. He knew that all of this was because Sheridan took him under his wings. Meanwhile, Little Rubygon''s growth was exponentially fast compared to others ¨C all thanks to the magical saliva. According to the classification of the Beast Taming Skill, Little Rubygon was now at the medium stage as a cub. Rocky couldn''t be any happier seeing his spiritual-manipulated beasts outgrow others. However, he was somehow worried about Little Rubygon. If he continued feeding it with the magical saliva, Little Rubygon would reach its adulthood in no time and it would be difficult for Rocky to tame it. If that happened, everything that Rocky had worked hard for would be just for nothing.


    Unlike Uriah, Little Rubygon had not yet established a contract of the spiritual power with Rocky. Time was ticking away, and Rocky could not afford to lose a second. He had to finish the experiment, take control of Little Rubygon, and make it obedient to him before it reached adulthood. If Little Rubygon reached adulthood before Rocky could realize the effect of his experiment, everything would be a waste. All his previous works and effort would only be meaningless. There was no other way¡­


    ''Maybe I should stop feeding Little Rubygon the magical saliva, '' Rocky concluded. It was the only way he could think of to slow down Little Rubygon''s growth.


    Besides, Sheridan also mentioned that the feeding practices had a significant effect on the development of a fully-grown spirit-manipulated beast, also known as the enhancement of the star level. It was said that the promotion of t


    proaching him.


    Rocky just nodded to him in reply.


    "Sir, I''ve been waiting for you for so long. Remember the treasures I sold for you last time? Well, since they were bought, the other auction items here at the Super Beast Farm are left without anybody caring for them," the boss said in a seemingly jolly tone.


    "Oh? I didn''t know." Rocky was stunned, his eyebrows raised in surprise. He didn''t know how to respond to the boss''s remark.


    "So, sir, what do you have for us this time?" the boss asked. He was certain that Rocky still had something he would want to sell.


    "Well, I just chanced upon your store while wandering around the city. To tell you honestly, I have nothing with me," Rocky replied and shrugged his shoulders. The boss''s face turned from delighted to discouraged like a dissatisfied wife.


    Rocky looked away before he could feel any guilt. As he was trying to find an excuse to steer the conversation away, he chanced upon what looked like a silver cutter on the stage. When he saw it carefully, he realized it was like a long and thin scalpel. His eyes immediately lit up.


    "Hey, do you have more scalpels like that?" Rocky asked, his eyes still fixed on the marvelous scalpel on the stage.


    The boss looked in the direction and shortly fell silent as he thought about it. He gasped and said in a sad tone, "Unfortunately, it''s the only piece we have. I bought it recently. The person I bought it from said it is made from the silver bones of a kind of wild spirit-manipulated beast called the Primitive Calf."


    "I see. The craftsmanship is quite exquisite. The details in the scalpel are wonderful¡­" Rocky said as he continued to marvel at the beauty of the scalpel.


    "Indeed! I wouldn''t have bought it if it wasn''t one of a kind. Anyway, I got it from the Buck Knife Shop. I''m sure you''ve heard about its great reputation around the Holy Dragon Empire." the boss explained. He was pleased that Rocky liked the scalpel he just bought.

 Chapter 209 Level Up

    "What a pity! There is only one piece." Rocky frowned sadly. He was very fond of that piece of knife. It would have been a perfect scalpel which would significantly help him with his study.


    It was a common phenomena to have gene studies and experiments by dissecting the genetic beasts in the modern world. Everything was easily accessible. He could easily acquire the materials he needed as well as a laboratory to work on. Research was fast-paced and people discovered new things every day. But in this world, dissecting the genetic beast for study was not so easy, especially without the help of apparatus and equipment for operation and aseptic laboratory.


    Technically speaking, it was attainable to increase understanding the body structure of various spirit-manipulated beast by dissecting. Studying the spirit-manipulated beasts would give the researcher information of the things that hadn''t been discovered yet. According to his observation on Sheridan''s daily treatment of spirit-manipulated beast, Rocky knew that the work of Beast Curing Skill was more like a traditional Chinese medicine. They usually did surgical diagnosis that was the most common and frequent method to treat spirit-manipulated beast, without any dissecting and operative treatment. Of course, there were other methods he could use which mostly involved highly specialized equipment, but that wasn''t readily available at that world. If surgical tools were available and modern medicine theory was introduced, it would allow him to operate a minor operation on any part of the spirit-manipulated beast body for curing. This would be a complementary for Beast Curing Skill. This would not only optimize treatment, but also lead to various discoveries about the spirit-manipulated beast.


    The idea just occurred in his mind when he saw this knife. In that world, that kind of knife wasn''t easy to find. Based on his knowledge about spirit-manipulated beast and his own capability, it was possible for him to start dissecting and performing a minor operation in this world. The thought excited him. He might just pioneer modern technology and research in this world. He could further learn Beast Curing Skill from Sheridan later. Combining Beast Curing Skill with modern operation, he would improve this world''s technology in Beast Curing Skill.


    "Sir, do you like this knife?" The boss said as if reading his thoughts. He must have assumed that based on Rocky''s reaction. Rocky grinned. Of course, he was ecstatic to get that knife as soon as possible. However, he still needed a couple more things aside from the knife.


    "It will be terrific if there were a few different types more. Tweezers and scissor are also necessary..." Rocky rubbed his jaw.


    "If you want more, Buck Knife Shop could provide the customized service for you. But, you should be prepared to pay a large sum of fee for this. I spent 2000 golden coins in purchasing this knife. It will cost you approximately 3000 for customizing it." The boss explained. That knife did not come for a cheap price, especially if they had to customize it. Still, Rocky wasn''t worried at all.


    "Money is not an issue. Can you help me in cu


    everyone agape. It wasn''t like anything they had ever seen.


    The man who created the miracle was nobody else but Rocky.


    Of course, the success was attributed to three Dark Heaven Insects. It wasn''t all just because of Rocky''s capabilities. The three insects produced four preliminary Dark Heaven Eggs within two months. Aside from that, Rocky had a middle Dark Heaven Egg. This was another leap and a big step for Rocky to use his power with the magic effect of Dark Heaven Egg.


    However, this still didn''t satisfy Rocky. He kept looking for other nests of Dark Heaven Insect in northeastern military camp in these two months. He swept through every nook and cranny to find more. Unfortunately, his luck had run out. His search was in vain because he found nothing. Anyway, he collected materials and rare things from many star-two wild spirit-manipulated beasts, and a few materials from three-star beasts.


    "I wonder if they have finished producing my surgical tools." Rocky rose to leave the house. He wanted to check the progress of his surgical tools. He had moved to the Ghost Village from the military camp to nurture Dark Heaven Insects one month ago. During that time, little Rubygon grew into the last stage as a cub, and it was a lot higher and naughtier than before. It felt reluctant to stay indoors and was eager to play outside. However, if his secret of raising spirit-manipulated beast was revealed, he would be in so much trouble. That was also why he preferred to move to the Ghost Village. Here, it was an expansive and suitable place to train little Rubygon, especially when it entered into a new state. The place wasn''t also as restricting as the military camp.


    Every morning, Rocky would come back to military camp and learn the Beast Taming Skill from Sheridan. He spent the rest of the day staying in the Ghost Village. This small Ghost Village had become his experimental base. A lab was in his schedule to be set up for studying the spirit-manipulated beast after the surgical tools were ready. His excitement grew because he would soon be able to use this lab for his experiments.

 Chapter 210 The Journey To The Spiritual Fairyland Begins! (Part One)

    Rocky had just completed his theoretical research for the day about the spirit-manipulated beasts in the abandoned house. He sat back in his chair to relax then stretched his body. His bones cracked a little and he felt relieved. He figured that he must have been too consumed by the research. With nothing else to do for the day, he went out of the house. He was welcomed by the sight of Uriah and Rubygon happily playing at the center of the Ghost Village, and a gentle smile crossed his face. He could not remember the last time he saw his two spirit-manipulated beasts playing like children. As he watched them play, he could not help but wonder at how strong and big Rubygon had grown. It seemed just yesterday when Rubygon was like a tiny cub. Now, it had grown into the size of a big wolf dog.


    Uriah felt Rocky''s presence as soon as he emerged from the door. It abruptly stopped playing and dashed towards its master. Uriah obediently sat in front of Rocky and howled twice to him. Rubygon followed suit and walked towards Rocky. But before settling down like Uriah, it ran around Rocky twice. After this, Rubygon finally returned to Uriah''s side. Somehow, Rocky felt as if Rubygon was annoyed at him because he didn''t spend time playing with them.


    For the past two months, Rocky had been working on a brain nerve stimulation on Rubygon. However, it seemed that the simulation was not effective because he could not see any changes in Rubygon''s mental growth. Unlike Uriah, Rubygon was still like a young beast¡ªnaughty and naive. Now, only Uriah could pacify the child-like Rubygon.


    "I have to leave for a while. Both of you stay here and don''t run around. Understood?" Rocky said. Although the message was for both of his spirit-manipulated beasts, he looked directly at Uriah as he was speaking. Rocky knew that only Uriah would listen and adhere to his command. He also knew that Uriah would take care of Rubygon while he was away. He left Uriah and Rubygon for a while, went to the abandoned house next door, and pulled out two large baskets from the house. The baskets were full of different materials


    Mr. Huang, where are the things I asked you to make for me?" Rocky asked lightly as he looked at Shawn''s surprised face.


    "Ah! Mr. Bai, you''ve come at the right time! I already have the things you ordered two days ago. However, I didn''t know how to tell you and I''m worried you might have forgotten about them. But it seems that fate had its way of telling you!" Shawn answered enthusiastically with his hand cupped. He then ordered one of his staff to fetch the ten surgical tools that Rocky had ordered.


    The staff brought the order in as Shawn instructed. It was wrapped in layers of fine leather. The staff then carefully handed it to the guest. Rocky''s eyes glimmered in excitement and he could feel his heartbeat from his chest. His eyes were focused on the item on his hand that everything around him seemed to disappear. When he unwrapped the leather, he found the surgical tools neatly placed inside the leather and arranged by size and length.


    He took them out one by one and carefully checked the quality. They were all made according to his specifications. He also noted the exquisite workmanship and he could tell that the surgical tools were at par with those made by modern craftsmanship. He looked at Shawn and nodded, "I''m impressed! They are all good!" He put each surgical tool back inside the leather and re-wrapped it. He then turned to Shawn and asked, "So, how much do I owe you?"

 Chapter 211 The Journey To The Spiritual Fairyland Begins! (Part Two)

    "Well, Mr. Bai, you have ordered 10 custom-made surgical tools with a quite complicated design. The price is much higher than I expected. After adding up all the cost and deducting some discounts, the exact total cost is forty thousand," Shawn said slowly. He was quite uncertain if Rocky would accept the total amount. If not, Shawn was willing to give additional discounts for his VIP customer. He was about to offer a discount to Rocky when¡­


    "All right!" Rocky said confidently, not minding the amount Shawn had asked for. He then took out different bills from his pocket¡ªfour golden bills worth ten thousand each and one golden bill worth one thousand. He gave them directly to Shawn. The golden bill worth one thousand was Rocky''s gift to Shawn for this hard work.


    Shawn happily accepted the golden bills and put them in his pocket.


    After this, Rocky beckoned Shawn to come closer to him. Shawn obediently adhered with his ears turned to Rocky.


    "There is a few three-star materials in the two baskets I brought today. If you can sell them at a good price, I will give you half of the revenue," Rocky whispered to Shawn. During Shawn''s last auction, Rocky witnessed how good he was at selling items. He believed Shawn could sell anything at a higher price. Now, he knew that his several three-star materials could be sold at a good price if Shawn would be the one handling and marketing them at the auction. Therefore, it was just fitting that he offered a big bonus to encourage Shawn to work hard on selling his items.


    When Shawn heard about the three-star materials in the baskets, his eyes widened in astonishment and his face glowed. He was caught off guard by this offer because in a year, his store could only get one or two three-star materials. But now could be his luckiest day because Rocky had brought a few of the three-star materials to him. If he told others about it, he bet no one would believe him because it was indeed a once in a blue moon opportunity.


    So, without any hesitation, Shawn accepted the offer. He estimated that those three-star materials could be exchanged for at least twenty thousand to thirty thousand go


    rare items. After considering his options and circumstances, he got up and said without hesitation, "I''ll leave these two baskets here at your store. You can start the auction of those things whenever you like. When the auction is done, I''ll get the money." After that, he put the surgical tools wrapped in leather then left the store.


    Shawn was once again left in awe by Rocky. He thought that Rocky was too young and stupid to trust someone he met only for a few occasions with these items. But at the same time, Shawn felt honored that Rocky chose him to take care of these items and trusted him to make money out of the auction for him. He wouldn''t want to break that trust at any cost. Shawn murmured to himself, "This young lad didn''t even think that I could embezzle these if I want to. But of course, I wouldn''t. He may be young, but he is not an ordinary person."


    After leaving the Super Beast Farm, Rocky drove straight to the Spiritual Fairyland which was southwest of the Evian City. He didn''t want to waste the opportunity to get the extremely rare treasure and the spiritual beast. It would be a pity if he wouldn''t join the adventure there. Moreover, his magical saliva had a fatal appeal to the spirit-manipulated beast. Even if he couldn''t find the extremely rare treasure, at least he could lure the spiritual beast out. It would still be a win situation for him. Perhaps, fate had something in store for him today.

 Chapter 212 Capture The Rainbow Glow Unicorn

    The Spiritual Fairyland was a land filled with spiritual energy. It was a place where birds freely sang, and flowers gave forth their aromatic fragrance. Amid this paradise, there roamed wild spirit-manipulated beasts. The three-star beasts, which were rarely seen at the Gehenna Border, were seen everywhere here.


    Humans seldom visited the Spiritual Fairyland, including the ordinary spirit manipulators. It was because once a man entered the paradise, he could not return back.


    Very few people had seen it personally. Rumors about the Spiritual Fairyland filled the tales of many folklore. The most popular one was the story of a certain kind of treasure that would appear every once in two hundred years. Because of this, many spiritual beasts nearby would be attracted there.


    However, despite a lot of people believing in the existence of the treasure, many were reluctant to brave the land. They feared that gambling their lives away in the Spiritual Valley to search for the treasure wasn''t worth the risk. Till a few days ago, a spirit manipulator passed by the Spiritual Fairyland and accidentally saw a spirit-manipulated beast entered it. The beast emitted a colorful glow in the shape of a unicorn with a golden crown. It looked exactly the same as the Rainbow Glow Unicorn, which ranked the third on the Spiritual Beast List of the Wild Spirit Land.


    The news of the spirit manipulator''s discovery spread like wildfire, instantly causing a sensation in the Evian City. Many believed that if it was true, it meant that the Rainbow Glow Unicorn was attracted by a particular treasure in the Spiritual Fairyland.


    According to lore, the spiritual beasts were sensitive to treasures. Therefore, they could always know of the existence of treasures in an area like in the Spiritual Fairyland.


    It was extremely likely that a specific treasure had indeed emerged in the Spiritual Fairyland, luring the Rainbow Glow Unicorn.


    So, it was crucial to claim the famed treasure. With the help of it, the Rainbow Glow Unicorn would be captured. That was to say, one could get two treasures in just a single raid. If one was not lucky to find the treasure, he had to be patient and allow the Rainbow Glow Uni


    ty.


    "It''s difficult enough to capture it! Its appearance will surely causes quite a stir. So I guess not," Tod said based on his experience.


    "That''s right. Even we haven''t found it, let alone others. Tod earns his living by hunting wild spirit-manipulated beasts and becomes a well-known hunter in the Evian City. Aside from this, he sells treasures to the Super Beast Farm. He is more experienced in hunting wild spirit-manipulated beasts than us. We should trust him," a spirit manipulator with yellow hair shouted.


    "Thanks. Don''t mention that. The Super Beast Farm lately refuses to buy the treasures from the wild spirit-manipulated beasts I hunt," Tod said with a wry smile.


    "How come? I remember the Super Beast Farm used to be keen on those treasures from you," the spirit manipulator with yellow hair exclaimed.


    "I don''t know. I heard that a man sold some two-star treasures to the Super Beast Farm two months ago. From then on, the Super Beast Farm prefers to buy rare treasures rather than the ordinary ones I get..." Tod shook his head.


    At the moment, the figure hiding behind the tree grinned and muttered, "It seems that someone who lives on hunting wild spirit-manipulated beasts is about to lose his job because of my treasures. That''s my fault, though I don''t want to. The magical saliva always attract powerful wild spirit-manipulated beast for me."


    The figure was Rocky, who had just arrived at the Spiritual Fairyland from the Evian City.

 Chapter 213 Took The Green Hand Along

    That day, as Rocky had raced to the Spiritual Fairyland, he hid his carriage in a secret corner, then set foot in the Fairyland alone. The moment Rocky reached the beautiful scenery of the Spiritual Fairyland, he was able to feel the threat lurking there. Due to his past encounters with the spirit-manipulated beast, he could sense the beast''s presence everywhere. And it was very strong, too.


    With the utmost caution, Rocky marched along the footsteps left by the other spirit manipulators. He saw many bodies of spirit-manipulated beasts along the way, as well as some bodies of other spirit-manipulators. Yet, thanks to the efforts of those predecessors who removed the obstacles on the way, Rocky was now able to reach the interior of the Spiritual Fairyland without any trouble.


    Rocky knew that it would not be an easy task to find either the precious treasure or the Rainbow Glow Unicorn even if they really existed in this Fairyland. Although he could now enticed the Rainbow Glow Unicorn to show up by magical saliva, he might not be able to subdue it by his current cultivation base. After all, the Rainbow Glow Unicorn was comparatively strong. Rather than risking his chance, he would like to observe the situation for a little longer in order to establish a good haunt. At this point, it was the best choice for him to blend in within the group of spirit manipulators, so that he would not have to deal with the unnecessary risk on his own.


    Suddenly, he was struck by a thought as he watched those spirit manipulators for a few seconds. Rocky squatted down and smeared his robe and his face with the dirt on the ground. And he seemed to have just emerged from an extreme circumstance. Then, he rushed in to the spirit manipulators in a panic expression.


    Gathered under the old tree, the spirit manipulators were on immediate alert as they saw the bushes vibrating violently a few meters away. In secret, they had gathered their spiritual power ready to fight for any possible attacks. At that moment, they saw a dirty and messy man coming from behind the tree.


    "Help!" The scrambling figure was, of course, Rocky. He hurled toward the spirit manipulators, as if fleeing from some terrifying and deadly beast that was running after him.


    The spirit manipulators looked warily at the back of Rocky, as his panicking flight made them anxious about the situation. Yet, after some tense moments of safety, nothing came up. They turned to check Rocky''s build and observe the extent of his strength. The spirit manipulators immediately realized that it was just Rocky who had overreacted. The realization made them break into fits of laughter. "Hey, aren''t you overestimating yourself? How dare you come to the Spiritual Fairyland? Do you want to die here?" one of the spirit manipulators asked.


    "Oh, my brothers, help me out!" Rocky sprinted in front of the spirit manipulators as he cried, still in great fear.


    "Is this guy losing his mind? Why is he still yelling for help, even though nothing is coming up?" Asked by one of the spirit manipulators with disdain as he glared at t


    he sixth grade of the Mortal Stage. The strongest ones would be barely equal to the spirit manipulators at the seventh grade of the Mortal Stage. However, it was another story in the second district. The power of the wild spirit-manipulated beasts was much stronger in this district.


    They encountered two wild spirit-manipulated beasts which were equal to the spirit manipulator at the seventh grade of the Mortal Stage shortly after they reached the second district. The two beasts were well-built and vicious in nature.


    "Everybody, disperse and exterminate them now!" Upon Tod''s command, all the spirit manipulators split with their own spirit-manipulated beasts immediately to encircle the two wild spirit-manipulated beast. They spread out a formation they used to engage with other wild beasts in the first district.


    Almost immediately, Rocky withdrew himself from the group to see how Tod led the spirit manipulators to battle the two powerful wild spirit-manipulated beasts.


    Rocky had to admit that as the leader of the group, Tod was capable enough. He knew exactly where the Achilles'' heel was of both wild beasts. Even though the average cultivation base of the group barely reached the seventh grade of the Mortal Stage, they were overpowering the battle with their number and the leadership of Tod.


    Eventually, they subdued the two wild beasts roughly half an hour later. With the exception of Tod, every spirit manipulator sat down on the ground, panting exhaustedly. The smug image of them in the first district was gone. They looked worn out now. Although the two wild spirit-manipulated beasts were defeated, some spirit manipulators were also hurt in combat. This was because the wild beasts were stronger in the second district.


    Although Rocky was content to be a spectator, he would have done it in less than half an hour without any trouble on his own. But he had made up his mind that he wouldn''t do anything unless he had to. He wanted to preserve his power for the treasure and subdue the spiritual beast that he was looking for.

 Chapter 214 Do Me A Favor

    "It must be this guy who brings these bad lucks. We never met these trouble before." Staring at Rocky with anger, Archer found fault in him.


    "Yes, he is a nobody and could not even help us. Tod, I suggest not having him stay with us."


    "I agree."


    "Me, too."


    Other spirit manipulators had expressed their ill feelings towards Rocky. These ill feelings stemmed from them being wounded lightly or heavily and boiled their anger about these misfortunes toward Rocky.


    "The wild spirit-manipulated beast in the second district is more powerful. The two beasts we just killed along the way may just be their weak minions. The one we''re about to face will be stronger as we get closer and closer to the center of the Spiritual Fairyland. These misfortunes we faced have nothing to do with this man," Tod said sternly. He knew in himself that they should not be blaming others. He knew that they got hurt because they were not powerful enough.


    "But I still have no good feelings about him," Archer said unreasonably.


    "All right! Let''s move! We don''t have much time to spend here. It will be better if we hurry and catch the other troops in our way." Tod gave a nod to Archer which eased him up.


    Then, the team moved forward. Time flashed before their eyes and the fifth day had begun.


    Tod wasn''t wrong when he told his team about the beasts getting stronger as they approached the center of the Spiritual Fairyland. Their fighting agility declined as they travelled further, fighting spirit-manipulated beasts along their way.


    The fighting troop reached their limits. And Tod remained pensive. If they continued, their team might head into a collapse before even meeting another wild beast.


    "We must stop right here, right now," Tod said in dismay. If they went further, they might just lose their lives.


    "No! We must go on! We overcame a lot of difficulties to reach this point and giving up right now would not be even a choice!"


    "That''s right! The treasure and the spiritual beast is near."


    "Leaving this place would mean us leaving empty-handed. That can''t happen!"


    The spirit manipulators shouted their disagreements after hearing Tod''s sentiments.


    "Tod, we may be tired but we are fine. We can go further," Archer added, now injured yet unwilling to go back either.


    Crossing his arms, Rocky, on th


    t manipulators rushed to go through by force. It shot its paralyzing and poisonous stings like raining cats and dogs.


    Archer and the other spirit manipulators knew nothing about the venom of the Centipede-snake. The spirit manipulators who were shot by the Centipede-snake with the poisonous stings were immediately paralyzed and quickly fell onto the ground. Everyone turned pale with fear. Now, the Centipede-snake rushed to them as if they were a meal waiting to be eaten alive.


    "Tod, help!" Archer exclaimed in terror. His arrogance had disappeared and he looked embarrassed.


    The situation was out of control. Tod didn''t know what to do; even he wanted to get them out the danger. He was no match for this beast, either. If he went to fight with it, he was to end his life instead of saving others. He had told them to retreat, but nobody followed him. It was his troop who put their own lives at risk.


    In this life-and-death situation, protecting himself was a choice, because Tod believed heaven destroys those who do not look out for themselves.


    When Archer and the other spirit manipulators were about to be eaten alive by the Centipede-snake, a man came to save them without being seen by anyone and left them astonished. Shining brightly, the Frozen Wind Dagger slashed on the center of the Centipede-snake.


    Howling because of pains, Centipede-snake wagged his body ferociously which led to half of the woods destroyed.


    The mysterious figure jumped backwards and landed on the ground, far from the terrified spirit manipulators.

 Chapter 215 Found The Treasure

    Tod and the other spirit manipulators lay sprawled on the ground in a state of bewilderment. They could clearly see who had snuck up on the voracious Centipede-snake, but thought, ''How on earth could it be him?'' Tod''s sentiment was the same as the rest of the group: Rocky had seemed to be just a low grade spirit manipulator. He had no power or presence. He merely followed along.


    Just then, Rocky turned to Tod and said, "First, help them get all those poisonous stings out."


    Rocky, who had appeared so weak just moments before, was now decisive and direct. A powerful charisma emanated from his body. He had been fearless in the face of the massive Centipede-snake, which was easily ten meters high.


    This night-and-day personality change took them all by surprise.


    Rocky turned and noticed that the Centipede-snake was again about to reap chaos. He knew that he had critically struck it already - he had even put the Centipede-snake''s venom on his Frozen Wind Dagger, hoping that it was not immune, fighting fire with fire. He had been partly successful. It had not lost its power of action, but the toxic reaction had reduced its strength.


    Spiritual light suddenly appeared around Rocky''s body. In a flash, his power climbed to the first grade of the Earthly Stage. Why did he just not show his full strength - the third grade of the Earthly Stage? Because he wanted to keep his real power hidden, as a secret weapon, just in case. It seemed the only viable plan to acquire the rare treasures without in-fighting amongst the other spirit manipulators.


    When Tod and the other spirit manipulators felt Rocky''s power manifest, their faces appeared dazed and they rubbed their eyes in shock. They were almost in a stupor in how Rocky had suddenly changed from a loser to a master in a blink of their eyes.


    "It turns out he was a hidden master!" Tod remarked to the others. He had only brought Rocky along with the group through pity, yet by doing so the decision had saved all of their lives. Else, they would be as dead as the previous group of spirit manipulators.


    Rocky rushed forward armed with his Frozen Wind Dagger and activated his Vast Nebula Skill, bringing even more spiritual power into play. This created a star aura of power swirling around him. His figure was hard to follow as it was quick as a dancing flame and in the blink of an eye he was in front of the enraged Centipede-snake.


    It responded by standing straight up and shooting out its poisonous stings li


    and the other spirit manipulators go on their way, continuing in the direction that the light had shone.


    After Rocky saw the rest of the group leave, he cast a glance at the Centipede-snake and whispered with a chilling smile on his face, "Let the games begin." Abruptly, he turned and suddenly rushed in the same direction.


    Seeing Rocky''s attempt to escape, the Centipede-snake gave a shriek. It shook out its long and thick body and rushed right after him. Everything in its path was knocked down, as if a heavy tank had steamrolled right through.


    Simultaneously, where the light shone, in the center of the Spiritual Fairyland, there were already seven or eight teams of spirit manipulators gathering. Among them, there were two that had been sent by the Crimson Dragon Group. Obviously, they were a step above the strength of the other teams.


    Apart from them, the cultivation of the strongest person in all of the other teams was at the first grade of the Earthly Stage. He had red hair - and Rocky would recognize him, especially since he had framed him when the red haired man had snuck up on the northeast military camp outpost with a team of mercenaries.


    At this very moment, at the top of the cliff in front of every spirit manipulator''s eyes, there was something special. It sprayed colored light. In size, it was half the length of a man''s arm. What was more amazing, was that it was shaped like a lotus flower and was layered. This rare treasure was like a pool of beautiful flowers in a fountain. However, the most attractive thing was not the colored light, nor the amazing shape, but the strong spiritual power which emanated from it.

 Chapter 216 Embracing The Glory

    The spirit manipulators from the other squads began whispering among themselves when they saw the rare treasures in front of them, and they began imagining among themselves what else this place might hold.


    "Is tha- that the coveted Heaven Divine Lotus? That ranks number eight on the Rare Treasure List! It''s a priceless piece of treasure!"


    "I heard that the Heaven Divine Lotus is a spiritual treasure, which can move on itself, and it''s difficult to catch one. It remains elusive to the most of the population and we''re lucky enough to see it here in front of us!"


    "And there, there lies rich spiritual power... in those seeds. The seeds have the same power of the Dark Heaven Insect''s eggs. They also have shown capabilities to greatly improve a spirit-manipulator''s strength. Yet, these Heaven Divine Lotus Seeds are much superior! The Heaven Divine Lotus only bears three seeds, all yielded at the same time, every thirty years. And after the lotus has produced the seeds, it will bury itself, worm its way into ground, and appear in another place after another thirty years. That''s why it is such of rarity and precious value. Finding it is one thing, but seeing it in its full glory is another."


    "Wow! We are going to make a great fortune today! A single piece of seed is worth millions or even more than the millions we could imagine!"


    However, with the priceless Heaven Divine Lotus in front of them, none of the spirit manipulators dared to take any action at all; they all seemed to wait fervently for something they had been expecting for the longest time.


    The Heaven Divine Lotus was near its end of yielding the seeds, readying itself to spurt out for the spirit manipulators to see. Only when the lotus stopped glinting could the Heaven Divine Lotus Seeds be taken and harvested by the spirit manipulators. They would not get anything good even if they were to make a movement right now.


    Besides, the squads of those spirit manipulators were tasked with another mission: to capture the elusive Rainbow Glow Unicorn. Now, they were waiting for not only the Heaven Divine Lotus Seeds but also the apparition of the rare spiritual beast, which they were hoping to see and to catch.


    Although a Heaven Divine Lotus Seed was considered a majestic and priceless piece of object, one dared not to be compared with a rare spiritual beast at all, especially with a Rainbow Glow Unicorn, the third on the Spiritual Beast List. If the Heaven Divine Lotus Seeds were considered priceless, what more could it be for the Rainbow Glow Unicorn? None of the spirit manipulators could not be attracted by such a terrific and fantastic spiritual beast. Seeing it could be their final wish as it resounded beauty and divinity.


    But all the spirit manipulators present on the ground knew all well that it would be impossible for them to catch the Rainbow G


    on Dragon Group still stayed motionless. Although they yearned for the Heaven Divine Lotus and its seeds as well, they were on another mission¡ªthey had to wait for the appearance of the Rainbow Glow Unicorn. If the Rainbow Glow Unicorn had been attracted to the Spiritual Fairyland, it would definitely appear at once.


    On the other hand, some spirit manipulators were closely around the top of the cliff already. The moment an intense fight was about to start, a loud bang came out from the near forest suddenly and the earth trembled.


    All the spirit manipulators turned to look at the source of the sound at once. They believed that the Rainbow Glow Unicorn had arrived.


    The two squads of the Crimson Dragon Group got nervous immediately and prepared to catch the beast at any moment.


    However, they were greeted with a centipede-like spirit-manipulated beast. The wild beast seemed to have lost control and charged towards the cliff angrily. As its tail swept over, many of the spirit manipulators were thrown away before they reacted to its appearance.


    "Is that the Centipede-snake Rookie was fighting against?!" Tod yelled out of shock. He looked around and didn''t see Rocky, so he thought Rocky had been killed by the Centipede-snake after losing the fight.


    It seemed that the Centipede-snake was also attracted by the Heaven Divine Lotus. Seeing all the spirit manipulators getting in its way, the Centipede-snake stood high and aimed its toxic stings at them immediately. The spirit manipulators, who were close to the Heaven Divine Lotus, fell down with their spirit-manipulated beasts and smashed onto the ground.


    With a loud bang, the Centipede-snake was hitting against the cliff. Among clouds of sand, it rose up and went across the cliff, opening its mouth towards the Heaven Divine Lotus. At rendezvous, it was ready to swallow down the Heaven Divine Lotus with the three seeds.

 Chapter 217 Unexpected Thing

    The spirit manipulators of Crimson Dragon Group were anxious to see a Centipede-snake rampaging and rushing to the Heaven Divine Lotus as they waited for the Rainbow Glow Unicorn to appear. If the Heaven Divine Lotus Seeds became the food of the Centipede-snake, the Rainbow Glow Unicorn would definitely never reveal itself. That meant all the work they had done these days would be for nothing. If so, it also meant they would fail to carry out their task and get past the Commander in Chief.


    The two captains of the teams made a quick decision to guide their team members and rush to the Centipede-snake along with their tens of two-star or three-star spirit-manipulated beasts.


    The spiritual manipulators in this team were all above the Earthly Stage, and there was no doubt that their strength was exceptional. Guided by a three-star spirit-manipulated beast, several two-star spirit-manipulated beasts skimmed over the head of the Centipede-snake as quickly as a flash. And then they turned around to start a brutal attack on the head of the Centipede-snake.


    The Centipede-snake was distracted by being attacked. It gave up its attempt to consume the Heaven Divine Lotus and sprayed venom in the direction of the spirit-manipulated beasts in the air. The spirit manipulators of Crimson Dragon Group landed in front of the Centipede-snake. Together with their spirit-manipulated beasts, and at their earliest speed, they began a brutal attack. The Centipede-snake, who was attacked by them, died in a second.


    Some of the stronger spirit manipulators had fought for the Heaven Divine Lotus Seeds, but the sudden appearance of Centipede-snake caused a high death toll. This created an opportunity for the spirit manipulators who had left behind.


    Eventually, a number of these spirit manipulators rushed towards the cliff. Tod and his team were among them as well. Hob''s team was in front. They didn''t join the previous fight because Hob had anticipated that the spirit manipulators who approached the Heaven Divine Lotus in advance would not be able to get it. With that in mind, he realized casualties were inevitable. And Hob, a person who knew nothing but scheming, would like to steal the Heaven Divine Lotus when the others were all off guard.


    At this point, Hob was arrogant, and he thought his plan was brilliant. If they had joined the fight, they would have also suffered serious losses like the other teams.


    All t


    e man who made a sneak attack on Hob was no one else, but Rocky.


    When Rocky blocked the Centipede-snake, Tod and other spirit manipulators retreated. He was not a fool to waste time on fighting with this Centipede-snake. He tried to confuse the Centipede-snake by tricking it into running through the bushes along with him in the Spiritual Fairyland, and then got a right chance to accomplish his plan. He climbed on the back of the Centipede-snake and tied the bottle filled with magical saliva on its tail.


    When the Centipede-snake had been chasing Rocky in the Spiritual Fairyland, a lot of wild spirit-manipulated beasts smelt the magical saliva and were drawn.


    It was a very interesting scenery. The Centipede-snake was chasing Rocky, while a large group of wild spirit-manipulated beasts were chasing the magical saliva on the tail of the Centipede-snake. Afterward, Rocky brought the Centipede-snake to the area near the cliff. Not long after, the Heaven Divine Lotus produced Heaven Divine Lotus Seeds. Attracted by it, the Centipede-snake was out of control and raced to the Heaven Divine Lotus.


    Sensing the aura of the Heaven Divine Lotus Seeds and magical saliva, the wild spirit-manipulated beasts following Centipede-snake gathered in this region.


    It was all instigated and controlled by Rocky. He climbed from the other side of the pit to the edge of the cliff when everybody was distracted by the Centipede-snake and the other wild beasts. He waited for the right moment when the wild beasts started to clash with the spirit manipulators, so he could take away the three Heaven Divine Lotus Seeds.

 Chapter 218 Playing The Game

    However, Hob had also climbed up the cliff during the chaos. Rocky had never expected that to happen there. Rocky was ahead of Hob for a moment and recognized Hob immediately. Then, Rocky hid himself at once. He planned to launch a sneak attack behind when Hob was about to get the Heaven Divine Lotus Seeds.


    Hob was quick to react and faced Rocky''s surprised attack, leaving Rocky with a failed attempt.


    "Fuck! You again? You''ve spoiled my plan last time and since then, I have been looking for you. Great! Let me teach you a good lesson now, asshole!" Hob''s eyes reddened and widened in anger as he recognized Rocky. After what happened between him and Rocky, he swore he would avenge himself and tear Rocky apart!


    Rocky shot a cold glare at Hob, and then he headed straight for the Heaven Divine Lotus Seeds. Obviously, he had ignored Hob''s presence and sentiments.


    Rocky had succeeded in stirring the anger inside Hob''s chest. The fury had burned his rationality into ashes. He would never let Rocky take away the Heaven Divine Lotus Seeds in front of him. Besides, Hob was quite confident about himself because he just reached the second grade of the Earthly Stage. He thought of being neck to neck with Rocky at this point in time.


    Calculating with full certainty on his part, however, Hob didn''t know that Rocky had reached the third grade of the Earthly Stage.


    "Asshole! You are going to die!" Hob broke out finally. He clenched his fist and charged towards Rocky. He had channeled all of his strength into his fist and showed no mercy to Rocky.


    Hob''s attack was under Rocky''s expectation and Rocky had already prepared himself for this moment. When Hob''s fist was only an inch away from his face, he brandished the Frozen Wind Dagger in his hand and threw a blade-shaped force of spiritual power at Hob.


    With a loud bang, the blade-shaped force collided with Hob''s fist, giving out speeding light.


    Hob''s fist trembled fiercely under the forceful collision and he took a step back for he failed to withstand the power. He could tell that the strike from Rocky was far stronger than his. However, he thought the reason why he couldn''t take Rocky''s attack was merely because he wasn''t fully prepared then. To his knowledge, he could not believe someone could reach the third stage from the second grade of the Earthly Stage in such a short period of time. Truth to be told, Hob had to admit that Rocky was a worthy opponent.


    Moments after, Hob charged towards Rocky again. He had made up his mind this time. The moment he fully activated his


    ner. Though obtained, the Heaven Divine Lotus Seeds could not be refined immediately by anyone and this gave each spirit manipulator the opportunity to take away the seeds from Rocky. What Rocky needed to do now was to leave the Spiritual Fairyland and then to refine the seeds in a covert place.


    It was a critical period for Rocky to rush and leave the Spiritual Fairyland because now was the perfect time for others to rob him of the seeds. The real competition started right now.


    After a while, Rocky saw more than five spirit manipulators following behind him and they were all at the Earthly Stage.


    "That explains why! There are only one or two Earthly Stage spirit manipulators in those squads. The other Earthly Stage spirit manipulators have been waiting for someone else to take the Heaven Divine Lotus Seeds, and take away the seeds from the one! That''s me, then!" Rocky whispered to himself.


    He believed that those Earthly Stage spirit manipulators would take action soon. They would try their best to stop him and take the seeds away from him. It would not be a problem for Rocky if he were facing only a single Earthly Stage spirit manipulator, but now there were more than five of them behind him!


    Rocky was put into another dilemma. No matter how those Earthly Stage spirit manipulators worked together or fought against him, Rocky would be the biggest loser in the end. He had to turn the tables.


    Meanwhile, several figures ran towards Rocky from all directions, circling around him. He would meet a worthy opponent no matter which direction he headed for.


    "Well! Let me play some games with you guys!" Rocky stopped suddenly as an evil smile crept over the corner of his lips.

 Chapter 219 Runaway

    The spirit manipulators at the Earthly Stage with their spirit-manipulated beasts ran after Rocky. But they didn''t go forward as Rocky stopped. Keeping a fair distance from Rocky may be safer at the moment. They felt their auras radiate even though they could not physically see each other.


    Each of them knew that the other spirit manipulators also wanted to get Rocky''s Heaven Divine Lotus Seeds. Besides, the situation was quite clear that the one who launched attacks late would be more likely to earn the seeds without working hard for them.


    In the eyes of the spirit manipulators at the Earthly Stage, Rocky was a total nobody. Though they didn''t know how Rocky got the Heaven Divine Lotus Seeds, they were sure that Rocky would be unable to maintain the eggs. Therefore, no matter who got the Heaven Divine Lotus Seeds from Rocky first, he would definitely become the next target.


    They were powerful but they were also just at the Earthly Stage, which meant that a protracted battle would undoubtedly cripple them. As a result, the one who attacked last would have a greater chance obtaining the Heaven Divine Lotus Seeds.


    In this case, the spirit manipulators at the Earthly Stage just waited and watched until someone attacked first.


    Time passed and Rocky stood still as well as his fellow spirit manipulators at the Earthly Stage stood against him. They were merely observing the movements of Rocky through the chunks of leaves from a distance. They remained in a stalemate, but no one preferred to take the lead to break it.


    Surrounded, Rocky understood that the spirit manipulators were waiting to profit from the others'' conflicts. That was why he stopped running. Instead of being chased, he stopped and tried to gain the initiative.


    Suddenly, a rumble came and instantly, the dense forest over there trembled.


    Those spirit manipulators also noticed the abnormal noise and became on guard.


    At that point, a beast in the shape of a rhinoceros rushed out of the forest and darted towards Rocky. With a strong aura, it was a wild spirit-manipulated beast at the second grade of three-stars at least.


    Immediately, the spirit-manipulated beasts beside the spirit


    t manipulators were pinned down by the massive beast.


    The three spirit manipulators held pace with their spirit-manipulated beasts in a mad rush to be the first. On the other hand, Rocky was speeding along just ahead of them.


    "Damn! That lad is weak but runs fast," one of the spirit manipulators grumbled.


    They didn''t know each other, but they all aimed at seizing the Heaven Divine Lotus Seeds from Rocky. It was preferable for them to work together.


    "We seem to have been fooled by the lad! Here is an idea. Let''s kill him together and we share the Heaven Divine Lotus Seeds equally. That''s pretty fair since there are, in total, three Heaven Divine Lotus Seeds," the spirit manipulator in a blue robe forwarded. He was the most powerful spirit manipulator among them.


    "That makes sense. The lad will take the benefits if we fight against each other. No one will suffer losses if we share it equally among ourselves."


    "Alright. That''s a deal, then."


    The three spirit manipulators reached an agreement and planned to deal with Rocky with their joint efforts. However, each of them were selfish and greedy, and thought about grabbing the Heaven Divine Lotus Seeds first when Rocky was subdued and turning away with no consideration for the other two spirit manipulators.


    Rocky noticed that the three spirit manipulators, who appeared to have come to an agreement, were in hot pursuit of him. The crisis was around the corner once more.

 Chapter 220 Kill Them All

    "Did they become friends?" Rocky laughed grimly. He suddenly stopped and gave a glance at the three Earthly-staged spirit manipulators and their spirit-manipulated beasts.


    With lessons drawn from their previous mistakes, the three spirit manipulators had no hesitation in surrounding Rocky in case the he would play tricks again.


    "Boy, give the Heaven Divine Lotus Seeds to us. And in return I would show mercy to you and let you off," the strongest among the three spirit manipulators shouted as he pointed at Rocky.


    "Well, to whom, among you, should I give it to?" Rocky asked, staring coldly at the three Earthly-staged spirit manipulators. The man in blue at the second grade was the most powerful among them, while the other two were at the first grade. If each of them fought alone, victory for Rocky was doable. However, if they joined hands including their spirit-manipulated beasts, Rocky would then be confronted with six opponents. Without Uriah''s assistance, the situation was a knotty problem. Therefore, Rocky must drive wedges in order to defeat them one by one.


    "Surely... The three of us... Give the Heaven Divine Lotus Seeds to me and I promise I won''t hurt you," the strongest spirit manipulator said in a benign countenance as he decided to preserve his own interests. Resting his eyes on Rocky, the man walked towards him.


    Meanwhile, the other two spirit manipulator also came over to Rocky for fear that the strongest spirit manipulator wearing blue would selfishly take the Heaven Divine Lotus Seeds alone.


    In the blink of an eye, they all pressed on towards Rocky.


    "How about this: I will give one seed to each one of you at a time and after taking it, each one of you should leave right away. I feel safer with fewer people. If you refused my proposal, I would have these Heaven Divine Lotus Seeds destroyed," Rocky said as he took out a seed, dimly twinkling from his pocket.


    The three spirit manipulators, with their eyes wide-open, couldn''t hide their greed at the sight of the Heaven Divine Lotus Seed.


    "Give it to me first! I just need one of them. And I promise to leave once I get it," one of the spirit manipulators said. Lured by the Heaven Divine Lotus Seed, he was desperate to get one which was better than none.


    "How would that work? What should we do if he cheated on us? He must hand over three Heaven Divine Lotus Seeds all at once!" the spirit manipulator in blue insisted. He wa


    the Nebula Cloud Transformation which was so tempestuous that the three spirit manipulators were shrouded in it.


    Besides Rocky''s stronger power, the previous fight had caused great reduction to the three spirit manipulators and only the spirit manipulator in blue had strength to spare to resist the Nebula Cloud Transformation. The other two spirit manipulators at the first grade of the Earthly Stage were violently hit by the Nebula Cloud Transformation and were thrown over a far distance. Unfortunately, they were unable to pick themselves up.


    "Damn it. You have been always concealing your real power. We''re all fooled by you," the spirit manipulator in blue yelled at Rocky while staring at him with a frenzy of rage. Having run out power, he knew it was too late to regret anything he had done.


    "Give the Heaven Divine Lotus Seed back to me and go away! Or..." Rocky said with cruel coldness.


    The spirit manipulator in blue grinded his teeth with reluctance. He knew he must do as Rocky said or he would be killed as he couldn''t escape from Rocky who was more powerful.


    However, he still worried that Rocky would kill him to keep his mouth shut when he gave back the seed. Staring at the Heaven Divine Lotus Seed on his hand, the spirit manipulator in blue suddenly threw it into the distance.


    When Rocky ran to catch the seed, the spirit manipulator in blue ran away.


    However, as Rocky was about to get the Heaven Divine Lotus Seed, a beast, emitting colorful light showed up. It vigorously strode its slender limbs with overwhelming momentum and rushed towards the Heaven Divine Lotus Seed in the air.

 Chapter 221 Come With Me

    A dazzling glow flashed into existence, blinding Rocky for a moment and causing him to throw his hand up to shield his eyes against the brilliance. He waited until his eyes got used to the glow before slowly lowering his hand. Standing before him was a spirit-manipulated beast with dragon-like features, cloven hooves, and one horn. The rainbow-colored glow shone around its body, and atop its one-horned head was a golden crown.


    "Is this the Rainbow Glow Unicorn?" Rocky tried to remember the detailed description of the Rainbow Glow Unicorn, which he learned from the Beast Encyclopedia. Inspecting the beast in front of him, he recognized many similarities from the book. Rocky became convinced that he was looking at the legendary spiritual beast named ''Rainbow Glow Unicorn''. With the recognition came a flutter in his gut.


    That flutter of anticipation grew to downright excitement as Rocky noticed that this was a nonage Rainbow Glow Unicorn. It was impossible for him to capture an adult Rainbow Glow Unicorn with his current strength, but he could manage this nonage one. Just the thought of owning such a legendary creature made him grin.


    Squinting, Rocky noted that this nonage Rainbow Glow Unicorn was at the second grade of the two-star level, which was close to the strength of an Earthly-staged spirit manipulator. Generally, a spiritual beast was much superior to a war beast. He took a moment to think. If his calculations were right, this Rainbow Glow Unicorn should be at the same level as the first or second grade of the Earthly Stage, but absolutely below the third grade. A smile crept over the corner of his lips. He was at the third grade of the Earthly Stage now, which meant he had the capacity of capturing this Rainbow Glow Unicorn.


    While Rocky was thinking how to capture it, the Rainbow Glow Unicorn took the Heaven Divine Lotus Seed in its mouth, raised its head, and swallowed it at once.


    For a moment, Rocky''s heart ached at losing a Heaven Divine Lotus Seed, a priceless treasure that would have served him well in his quest to reach the next grade. But he soon comforted himself that it would be a minor sacrifice if he succeeded in capturing the Rainbow Glow Unicorn.


    After the Rainbow Glow Unicorn finished the Heaven Divine Lotus Seed, its deer-like eyes landed on Rocky, as if it had realized that he had two more seeds. But it didn''t launch any attacks on Rocky to take away the seeds from him. The beast seemed to know he was way stronger than itself. Then the beast turned tail and galloped away.


    "Good boy! Come here! Come here!" Rocky gave chase. As Rocky was chasing after the unicorn, he took out the bottle of magical saliva and opened it up.


    When the Rainbow Glow Unicor


    ny seeds!" Rocky said innocently while putting back his magical saliva.


    "Stop lying! If you didn''t have the Heaven Divine Lotus Seed, how could you attract the Rainbow Glow Unicorn?" The leader''s narrowed eyes said he knew Rocky was pretending to be ignorant of the situation. "I saw the Rainbow Glow Unicorn approach you voluntarily. And you fit the description of the person who took the Heaven Divine Lotus Seeds." The leader stretched his senses out to Rocky. He frowned as wondering, ''Why are this person''s traces so weak? How is it possible that such a lousy spirit manipulator could get the Heaven Divine Lotus Seed?''


    "Rainbow Glow Unicorn? I have never heard it before! Do you mean that spiritual beast?" Rocky shrugged and turned his hands up, feigning his ignorance.


    "You don''t want to tell the truth, right? Fine! Grab him and search him!" the leader ordered.


    Soon, three spirit manipulators circled Rocky. They all matched him in level.


    "You have no right to do this! No laws or rules allow you to do this to me! Since when are the spirit manipulators of the Crimson Dragon Group able to ignore the law?" Rocky asked, shooting a cold glare at the leader.


    "Dude! This is the territory of the Crimson Dragon Group. What we say counts the most. We are the laws and rules. Nobody would blame us even if we killed you right now," the leader shot back, with a malicious grin on his face.


    The other spirit manipulators laughed as hearing their leader''s words. They obviously felt the same way about Rocky. To them, he was an insignificant insect.


    "Really? I hope you have the same great speech when I report this to your Deputy Commander in Chief," Rocky sneered and folded his arms in front of his chest.


    The leader and other spirit manipulators froze, eyes bulging as they stared at Rocky.

 Chapter 222 The Unexpected Encounter

    "The Deputy Commander in Chief?" the team leader repeated. His expression dramatically changed as he did not expect that Rocky would abruptly mention his senior leader, Deputy Commander in Chief, who was a tough woman he didn''t dare offend.


    "And I forgot to tell you that I and your Deputy Commander in Chief are quite familiar with each other," Rocky bragged proudly. As the spirit manipulators from the Crimson Dragon Group were quite unreasonable, Rocky had to use their senior leader to scare them off. He did not know if it was going to work but he had to try. It was the only idea that dawned on him.


    "Hey, brat, are you tired of staying alive or what? How can our Deputy Commander in Chief know you? You are no better than a piece of garbage. You are cracking me up! Let''s cut the crap and get down to business. Catch him now!" the team leader ordered ferociously. He certainly wouldn''t believe what Rocky just said for all he believed was that Rocky was just bluffing him, trying to take advantage of his leader''s authority.


    When Rocky realized the team leader wouldn''t listen and let go of him, he was at a loss and his mind was racing fast for ideas to get out of his trouble. But before he could come up with another idea, the three spirit manipulators of the team quickly began to catch as ordered. Instinctively, Rocky took a few steps back. Each of the three spirit manipulators'' strength was comparable to his. In short, they could catch him easily. So, the best and only way to get rid of his current dilemma was to run away as fast as he could.


    At that very moment, the sky above their heads was overshadowed abruptly. Everyone stopped. Rocky looked up and saw three war dragons flying over the sky. The dragon in front had silver scales all over its body, glistening under the shining of the sunlight. At first glance, it looked so mighty and domineering. Meanwhile, they also saw a figure riding on the back of each war dragon.


    "It''s Silver Wind, the war dragon of Deputy Command in Chief," a spirit manipulator of the team blurted out the moment he spotted the silver war dragon.


    When Rocky heard that, he immediately stared at the silver war dragon. He had a careful observation and soon saw a delicate figure was riding on the back of the silver war dragon. Realizing who it was, he laughed and thought wildly, ''What? Speak of the devil and here she comes. What a coincidence!''


    Soon, the silver war dragon flew down towards the area where Rocky and the other spirit manipulators stood, while the other two war dragons flew towards the area where the extremely rare Heaven Divine Lotus had just appeared.


    After the silver war dragon landed on the ground, it immediately stirred up a gust of wind, spreading dust, sand, and stone. Soon, a figure jumped from the back of the silver war dragon and landed lightly on the ground. Her gracefulne


    hat the captain said.


    After a moment of thought, she demanded, "I know of it now. You should join the other teams at once. Let me settle this matter with Rocky."


    The captain immediately led his other members and left the grounds, leaving Rocky and Isis alone to talk.


    "Deputy Commander in Chief, your authority is quite impressive!" Rocky teased as he looked at Isis.


    "Do you know what the captain has told me just now?" Isis said with a cold look in her eyes.


    "How am I supposed to know that? But I guess it was not something nice about me." Rocky shrugged and smiled.


    "Did you get the seeds produced by the Heaven Divine Lotus?" Isis questioned, without beating around the bush.


    "What are you talking about? What ''Heaven Divine Lotus''? What seeds? I have never heard of them!" Rocky said innocently. He was playing dumb on purpose. He certainly wouldn''t tell Isis that he had acquired the Heaven Divine Lotus Seeds. If she knew he got it, she would give her best to get it. He knew her quite well¡ªshe wouldn''t give up until her purpose was realized.


    "Then, tell me, why did the Rainbow Glow Unicorn walk to you?" Isis kept questioning him, reading him for more answers.


    "If the Rainbow Glow Unicorn is the beast I saw just now, then I can tell you that I really don''t know why it suddenly came to me. Maybe the beast thought that I am innocent, cute and kind, and it is fond of me." Rocky expressed his banter with Isis.


    "You..." Isis was choked with rage. Realizing that Rocky was arrogant and fond of teasing, she was greatly annoyed. Her eyes grew sharp and her mind raced fast, ''This guy really doesn''t give the respect the Deputy Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Group deserves. If others dared to treat me like that, I will take immediate action to teach them a lesson they''ll never forget.


    Yet, he has been given an exemption from death by my father. What can I do now?''

 Chapter 223 Looking For Rocky Everywhere

    "If the Deputy Commander in Chief has no other orders, I will leave," Rocky said with a magical smile and then turned away.


    Isis knew she could make him stay if she wished. Then Rocky would be forced to tell her everything she wanted to know. But the thought of what had happened between them made her dismiss the idea. Besides, if Rocky had the Heaven Divine Lotus Seeds, he had to hand it over willingly. She would get nothing if Rocky was forced to do something against his desires. And that would not do.


    The Heaven Divine Lotus Seed was the only priceless treasure that could attract Rainbow Glow Unicorn. Without it, nobody could find the legendary spiritual beast.


    Frowning, she tried to think of a way out of her dilemma. Rocky strutted away while Isis hesitated. Sighing heavily, she decided to let him go with the Heaven Divine Lotus Seeds.


    After Rocky left, he ran through the Spiritual Fairyland, looking for the Rainbow Glow Unicorn. Spiritual Fairyland had lots of spiritual beasts. It was impossible to use magical saliva to attract Rainbow Glow Unicorn, because the saliva would also bring out other wild spiritual beasts. That was not a scenario he wanted.


    He had to hope he got lucky in Spiritual Fairyland. Half a day passed, and his attempt to locate the Rainbow Glow Unicorn proved fruitless. Instead, he crossed paths with several three-star wild spiritual beasts and had to hide from them. By the end of the day he still had not found the Rainbow Glow Unicorn. Disappointed, he trudged from the Spiritual Fairyland.


    Meanwhile, the troops sent by the Crimson Dragon Group had put down the riot caused by Rocky. Numerous wild spirit-manipulated beasts were dead or banished. Unfortunately, the other teams had suffered many casualties. They failed to acquire any Heaven Divine Lotus Seeds or the Rainbow Glow Unicorn, making the price they had paid a heavy one. As the saying went, th


    in Chief knew who he really was," Marin said frankly.


    "What? Even the Commander in Chief didn''t know his identity?" Sheridan stared, mouth agape. It seemed he had a truly excellent and extraordinary apprentice.


    "Well, be careful. If he disappears forever after learning your skills, you will be upset." Marin grinned mischievously.


    "I will be happy as long as he has learned all my skills," Sheridan said calmly.


    "Is he that good?" Marin arched her brows, jealousy in her voice.


    "Marin, you didn''t feel how different he is? He is a real freak. That''s why he is qualified to learn from me," Sheridan said.


    "I didn''t notice," Marin pouted. Sheridan was famous for being picky and cautious. Seeing him with such high regard for Rocky made Marin even more envious.


    "Marin, please, I''m asking again, send your man to look for him as soon as possible. Otherwise, I will have a sleepless night tonight," Sheridan pleaded.


    "Fine." Marin called for her men and sent them out to find Rocky.


    Rocky knew Sheridan would be upset with him since he had disappeared for a few days. So he went to the northeast military camp first. When he arrived he found the camp in chaos. Everyone was looking for him.


    When they saw Rocky, they escorted him to Marin''s camp.

 Chapter 224 It Finally Dawned On Rocky

    At the moment, only Marin was in the camp. Sheridan had already left for the beast farm just a few moments ago.


    "Where have you been?!" Marin shouted, aghast. "Don''t you know that it''s against the military regulations to go outside without permission?" She glowered at Rocky angrily as soon as she saw him walk in.


    "I''m just a feeder. I''m not a soldier or a spirit manipulator. I''m not bound by military regulations," Rocky responded, indifferent to her anger.


    "Regardless! As you work in the military camp, it doesn''t matter if you are a feeder or whatever, you have to obey the military regulations," Marin snapped back, irritated by Rocky''s lackadaisical attitude.


    "All right," Rocky responded casually.


    "So? Where have you been?" Marin eyed him, curious about where Rocky had actually been over the past few days.


    "Nowhere interesting, really. I just hung around downtown." Rocky shrugged, seeming as indifferent as ever. He didn''t mention what went on in the Spiritual Fairyland, but he was sure that Isis would tell Marin about it later on. For now, he could really only give her a vague answer.


    "I wanted to ask... Were the rumors true?" Marin glanced at Rocky, suspicious of his evasiveness. She wasn''t inclined to believe him anyway, as she didn''t believe he''d tell her the truth. So she got straight to the point. "I heard that Sheridan took you up as his apprentice."


    "I didn''t accept the position," Rocky simply answered with a shrug.


    "Are you an idiot? Sheridan is an absolutely extraordinary beast tamer and beast curer! Even His Majesty...!" Marin was just starting to get excited, determined to turn Rocky''s careless countenance around, but then he cut her off before she could continue.


    "Even His Majesty invited him to the Palace City. I''ve heard all about that." Rocky rolled his eyes, finishing her sentence.


    "If you already know, then you should also know that it''s an honor. Buckle down, be serious and learn from Sheridan''s expertise," Marin retorted coldly.


    "It seems that you care about me very much," Rocky teased, familiarity in his tone and his lips curved up in a smirk as he noted Marin''s excited reaction.


    "Bullshit!" Marin protested, flushing to the roots of her hair with embarrassment.


    "Well that''s even more reassuring. You''r


    gate.


    ''What in the world does Marin want to meet me for?'' Rocky wondered, eyes narrowed in suspicion as he walked towards Marin''s quarters.


    He found Marin reading a letter when he entered the space. Upon seeing Rocky, Marin''s expression grew dark and thunderous.


    Immediately, Rocky had the hunch that he might be in vast jeopardy. Marin stood and walked towards him, giving him a once-over before she said, "It seems you made quite a sensation while hanging around downtown. The Deputy Commander in Chief herself explicitly sent me a letter that I''m to discuss with you."


    "I''m quite honored," Rocky replied with an eyebrow raised. He continued, "And what did the Deputy Commander in Chief say?"


    "Well, what do you think she said? If you haven''t done anything wrong, then there should be nothing to worry about, is there?" Marin replied, probing.


    "I''m not worried about anything. I''m just curious as to why the Deputy Commander in Chief mentioned me," Rocky responded coolly.


    "She asked me to tell you that the Heaven Divine is born from fire," Marin answered while casting a suspicious glance at Rocky. She looked mildly confused as this statement made no sense to her. She had no idea why her cousin asked her to send those words to Rocky.


    "The Heaven Divine is born from fire?" Rocky repeated thoughtfully, mulling it over. Suddenly his eyes brightened in realization. Without another word, he turned and left.


    Marin was left only with more questions than answers as she watched Rocky leave so quickly.

 Chapter 225 The Power Of Cultivation

    Rocky left the military camp as fast as they could and at last, reached the Ghost Village. Rocky brought Uriah to the center of the village to activate the Spirit Possession and they became a single being. Rocky had cured Uriah''s spiritual source a month ago. No special conditions had requested him to activate the skill of Spirit Possession since then.


    After Spirit Possession was activated, Rocky became ferocious. He took one Heaven Divine Lotus Seed out of his silk bag and then launched the flame power in his palm. In a second, refined by the flame, the Heaven Divine Lotus Seed glimmered. A gleaming light emitted out of it, and it started glimmering brighter and brighter. In a short while, Rocky felt a strong spiritual power oozing from the Heaven Divine Lotus Seed slowly and permeated his palm. This power flew into his body through his palm and started to circulate in his body. At last, the power converged at the spiritual source.


    "There it is," he said, having sparkly eyes when he felt the change in his body. He was surprised too when he heard "The Heaven Divine is born from fire". Apparently, Isis was telling him that he should refine spiritual power from the Heaven Divine Lotus Seeds by fire and absorb its essence.


    ''It sounds like Isis is blessed with immense talent and she is sure that I have Heaven Divine Lotus Seed. But I remember, she didn''t stop me the other day. Now she conveyed her suggestion on how to refine Heaven Divine Lotus Seed to me through Marin. Well! I don''t understand her intention by doing this. Her thoughts are so random and it is very unpredictable, '' Rocky thought with doubt. ''If Isis is ambiguous and is not sure that I am the man she is looking for, then she wouldn''t take the daring and audacious step to let Marin tell me all of this.'' Her incomprehensible performance really confused Rocky. He was unable to predict what this resourceful woman was thinking.


    ''Maybe I underestimate Isis. She was a well-deserved reputation of Deputy Commander in Chief of Crimson Dragon Group, '' he thought. Sheridan also told him Isis was brilliant and had been the best choice of being his apprentice. So, it must be reasonable for her to know he has the seeds.


    The state of Spirit Possession couldn''t sustain for a long time. So Rocky didn''t have the time to guess what was going on in I


    his lesson, Rocky went back to the Ghost Village and started some initial work for setting up his lab. In this world, it was such a difficulty to establish a lab. He drafted a few drawings required for constructing a lab pertaining to the primitive standard.


    "I still need a plenty of materials for the lab. I am wondering if Super Beast Farm has sold my two baskets of things for a good price? If all the stuff are sold out, I will have lots of money..." Rocky spoke to himself, looking at his own drafts.


    Two days had already passed fast.


    Rocky came out of beast farm and planned to go to Evian City to purchase some materials for lab setup. When he passed by Marin''s camp, he met Marin. Just nodding his head to her, he planned to move on. But Marin stopped him.


    "Rocky, wait a second..." said Marin.


    "What''s the matter, Commander?" Rocky frowned his eyebrows and asked with doubt.


    "I have observed you for a few days and I must say, you aren''t busy. So I have a mission for you to complete," Marin said, with her beautiful eyes blinking.


    "I''m not a spirit manipulator now, but a normal feeder. Being a feeder like this, what can I do for you?" Rocky thought Marin possibly didn''t have anything important, but just wanted to make fun of him, so he wouldn''t follow her order without any doubt.


    "Don''t panic. I won''t let you do anything dangerous. I just want you to go to the base camp on behalf of me," Marin responded.


    "Go to the base camp? Why do you want me to represent you?" Rocky narrowed his eyes and asked with curiosity.

 Chapter 226 The Army Flag Contest

    "The Army Flag Contest is held every month at the base camp. Every Frontline Commander of our Crimson Dragon Group must enter. But I just received a message reporting a problem on the front line, and you know I have to go there at once. I can''t possibly take part in the Army Flag Contest again. Someone else should participate on behalf of the northeast military camp," Marin explained promptly.


    "Why won''t you just send out the two Deputy Commanders? They can enter the contest instead," Rocky retorted and rolled his eyes. Just as he had expected, Marin wanted him to join the Army Flag Contest for political purposes. But Rocky was busy building his laboratory, and he wasn''t willing to waste his time on the contest.


    "Both Deputy Commanders have important tasks at hand. Anyway, all you have to do is make a public appearance. Your sole mission is to make the number of participants grow. And when the Army Flag Contest begins, you just have to follow the other Frontline Commanders and do what they do. It doesn''t really matter if you lose the contest. I''ve already won ten times in a row for the northeast military camp. So it doesn''t matter if we lose the Army Flag Contest this time," Marin proudly explained.


    "Can I decline?" Rocky asked, folding his arms across his chest. He did not want to take part in the Army Flag Contest. At the thought of meeting Isis at the base camp, Rocky''s stomach filled with butterflies, and his chest pounded. He did not want to mess with Isis again. He had sworn it from the depths of his heart. After all, he was fully aware that Isis was a defiant woman.


    "This is an order! Unless you want to be transferred to the kitchen and do chores, I suggest you follow," Marin threatened as she stared Rocky down. She was determined to get what she wanted, and she would get it no matter what.


    ''What a ruthless woman!'' Rocky thought to himself. ''But she is a Commander and I am only a breeder. I have no choice but to follow her command.'' His face contorted, and his heart filled with anger, and dismay. He was helpless against Marin''s authority.


    "You haven''t seen Sue in a long time, correct? You can take this chance to visit her." And with that, Marin tossed Rocky her token.


    "I am grateful for your kindness," Rocky said in a monotone voice. His lips curled as he caught the token, but his hands clenched into fists. It was as if he and Marin were enemies in their previous lives. Why else would this formidable woman make so much trouble for him?


    "Give my regards to my cousin when you meet her. And please, keep your attitude in check. I won''t blame y


    Sue agreed with delight. She could play with Rubygon once again. Rubygon seemed to sense her excitement and it pranced around the two.


    Nodding his thanks to Sue, Rocky turned and stepped out of the Isis Pavilion. He planned on asking people for information about the Army Flag Contest when he noticed a familiar, petite figure. She was leading a couple of female guards, and they were walking towards him.


    "What a coincidence!" Rocky sighed in dismay. He had tried to avoid her ever since he stepped foot in the base, but it was just his luck to bump into her.


    This petite woman was none other than Isis.


    Isis had seen Rocky even before he noticed her. She wasn''t surprised to see him walking out of the Isis Pavilion. She assumed that he had just paid Sue a visit. A memory popped into Isis''s head. That day when they were in the Isis Pavilion¡­ her heart pounded with excitement, and she was flustered by the memory. She tried to hide her embarrassment from Rocky.


    Accepting the circumstance he was in, Rocky steeled his heart and walked up to Isis to say hello. The female guards behind Isis did not know him however, so they dashed forward and stopped Rocky midway to protect their leader.


    "Let him pass," Isis ordered. "He is a friend. Stand by, all of you."


    The guards were surprised. It was the first time Isis acknowledged her association with a man, let alone initiate it. They exchanged doubtful glances, but proceeded to obey her orders without question.


    "Commander Marin told me to greet you on her behalf," Rocky informed Isis.


    "And where is she?" The Army Flag Contest will commence today. She should have entered the competition in compliance with the rules," Isis asked with authority in her voice.

 Chapter 227 An Unexpected Favor

    "Unfortunately, Commander Marin could not be present at this time. Something has gone amiss out on the front line. So she asked me to come here, in her stead, in the name of the northeast military camp," Rocky replied.


    "She asked you to represent the entire northeast military camp?" Isis looked him over mistrustfully. There were two Deputy Commanders in the northeast military camp, and as protocol dictated, one of them was meant to have been sent over. Rocky was neither, and hence she wondered why Marin would have sent him.


    "I see..." Isis sighed, unsure of the situation. "Well, you can come with me later. In the meantime, please wait for me outside." After a moment''s deliberation, Isis still remained unconvinced. She decided to head to the Isis Pavilion.


    Rocky, realizing that he had no real choice in the matter, went outside to wait for her. He didn''t have to be patient for long, as Isis presently returned in roughly fifteen minutes'' time. Emerging from the Isis Pavilion, she was a resplendent sight adorned in her brilliant, burnished copper armor. Isis stood as a figure radiating of bravery and charisma, of a heroic spirit that did not lose its gentleness. It was as though she drew even more strength from her femininity. For a moment, she took Rocky''s breath away.


    As Isis moved towards him, Rocky carefully rose to his feet, out of both surprise and respect. "I didn''t expect you to don your armor," he said. After all, the last time that he had met her in the Spiritual Fairyland, her clothing was casual. This was the first time, as far as he could remember, that he had seen her wearing her armor.


    "Ordinarily, I wouldn''t wear it," Isis admitted coldly before brushing past his shoulder.


    ''She''s embarrassed, '' Rocky noted to himself, flashing a skittish smile. Apparently, the secret between them had changed things, and she wasn''t quite as amenable to talk to him. He jogged to Isis to catch up. As he did, the squad of female guards who watched over her joined them in their walk.


    "Well," Isis began after an awkward pause, "I asked Marin to send you a message. Did you receive it?" Her eyes seemed shifty, clearly still unsure of what to make of him.


    "I got the message," Rocky replied, a little more at ease now that he knew what her problem was.


    "And...do you understand?" Isis continued, every word weighted with meaning as she stared at him.


    Now, Rocky


    ay."


    Upon hearing her words, the crowd was surprised, murmuring among themselves as they took in this information. All but one of them was satisfied, and that one man was someone who was already familiar with who Rocky was. Bitterly, he looked up and down at Rocky in his now vaunted position and wondered, ''Why him? Why did they choose him to represent the northeast military camp? This animal almost maimed my son. If it wasn''t for the Deputy Commander in Chief, he would have been doomed!''


    Frontline Commander Flank was this man who held a fierce grudge in his heart. But because of Isis and her presence, he was compelled against his will to give respect to Rocky, the man who had taught his son a lesson that wouldn''t soon be forgotten.


    Rocky felt that vindictive gaze on him, and lifted his eyes to meet Flank''s. He allowed his lip to curl into a sneer at such thinly-veiled hostility coming from him.


    A fierce staredown commenced between the two of them.


    "As you come here on behalf of Commander Marin, what exactly are your duties as a civil official in the northeast military camp?" one of the Elite Commanders asked thoughtlessly. After all, he knew both of the two Deputy Commanders of the northeast military camp. Rocky did not have the same authoritative air, and he rightfully assumed that he was merely a civil official. It also seemed as though Rocky was far too young to merit any other rank at the moment.


    "I''m the assigned breeder for the northeast military camp," Rocky answered coolly, without so much as batting an eye.


    At that, the crowd was dumbstruck, astonished.

 Chapter 228 Military Tactics

    Isis'' brow furrowed, confused. ''What''s this guy up to? Any other position will be a better answer at this moment. Why did he have to tell the truth, anyway?''


    "I doubt that I heard that right. Did you just say that Commander Marin sent a feeder to join the Army Flag Contest?"


    "That''s utterly ridiculous! How can a feeder be qualified to even take part in this contest? This has got to be a joke!"


    "What in the world is wrong with Commander Marin?"


    A soft cacophony rose as everyone began murmuring among themselves, concerned that Isis would hear them. After all, she was the one who brought Rocky here. Isis wouldn''t have brought him along without knowing his position. It was an unprecedented situation for a feeder to be allowed to participate in the Army Flag Contest. Such an event was usually restricted only to those ranked as Frontline Commander and Commander of the military camp.


    Well aware that any further explanation she could offer would only get her into even more trouble, Isis chose to move forward. Ignoring the mutterings, she raised her voice. "All right! Attention, all of you! As all the participants are now present, we''ll start the game immediately! Everyone, prepare yourselves!"


    At her command, the whispering died away as everyone turned their sights to Rocky, gazing at him with barely concealed scorn. No self-respecting officials would want him as a teammate.


    In the face of their cold glares, Rocky merely sneered to himself and turned his own gaze elsewhere.


    Then, the Army Flag Contest began to get underway. The teams would be divided into two: a White Army and a Black Army. A random drawing of lots decided which participants were sent to either the White or the Black army. There were twelve participants in total for this contest: three commanders from three smaller military camps and eight frontline commanders that came from the headquarters. That meant that each team would have six members.


    After the participating officials determined which team they were in through the draw, each one of them would then lead a unit of five hundred soldiers under either a white or black flag. Should an army''s flag get snatched away by the enemy, that army would be eliminated.


    The contest would last for eight hours. When time was up, the captured flags would be counted and the team that had snatched more flags from the other side will be declared the winner. The participant who led his or her unit to get the most flags would be the most valuable player, who could win not only the honor but also a primary-grade Dark Heaven Egg as reward. Huge expectations were placed in every officer for the Army Flag Contest. After all, they could only hope to get a primary-grade Dark Heaven Egg once every three months. But the Army Flag Contest, which was held every month, offered them another opportunity to get the rare treasure. No one c


    eat deal of strength and endurance from everyone, and so I want everyone to rest and restore yourselves in the meantime." The strange order from Rocky caught everyone off guard. They would never have expected such a command, and they had never met a commander like him. No one had ever been commanded to rest right at the beginning of the Army Flag Contest before.


    But orders were orders, and they were soldiers who did what they were told. Following Rocky''s lead, they headed the east, where a lush forest was waiting. Right by the forest was a tremendous cliff. To the left of the forest was a slope, with a dead end road to the right of the forest. It was a fine spot to camp out, as it could be easily defended and made difficult for enemies to mount an attack.


    "The five of you!" Rocky commanded. "Look here and listen! Each of you takes charge of observing a unit in the Black Army. I need to be informed the moment any of these units loses their flag. It''s vital that I know which one loses first, alright?" Rocky made sure to select five of the finest men in the unit to do this special surveillance task.


    As for the five themselves, they were even more stunned. They had never heard such a strategy before. The men had fully expected to be told to surveil and monitor units from the opposing teams, but none of them ever thought they would have to look out for the people on the same team. But whatever their thoughts, they kept those to themselves and departed at once, as commanded.


    Rocky then looked to the remaining men of his unit and told them to bed down and rest. He himself sought out a comfortable nook and took a nap.


    While all this went on, all the other units had camped down at their strongholds and vantage points in preparation for the first maneuvers.


    Once all was settled, a red light surged up from the viewing area, shining across the entire terrain. The Army Flag Contest begun.

 Chapter 229 Shatter The Enemies Into Pieces (Part One)

    The instant that everyone saw the start signal, both armies sprang into action. Both the White and Black Armies began their maneuvers, implementing all varieties of military strategies and tactics, along with countertactics. The armies began dispatching their respective troops either to launch individual attacks or in teams for stronger assaults. It wasn''t long before the entire terrain was filled with the sound of screams and combat.


    From the grandstand, Isis watched the contest with the other officials. Her beautiful eyes didn''t miss a single action as she observed the ongoings. As she swept her gaze over half of the training grounds, she was surprised to realize that it seemed as though one unit from the Black Army was missing in action and not participating in the fight.


    "How odd..." she murmured to herself. "It seems to me that the Black Army is short one unit of men." It was easy to see combat in the wide open spaces of the training ground. The plains and valleys were plainly visible to the spectators at the grandstand. However, in the terrain such as forests and hills, it was difficult to see what was going on.


    So when Isis at last realized that one troop from the Black Army was missing, she summoned up her personal bodyguard. "Go and locate the missing troop that hasn''t participated in the skirmishes," she commanded. "Find out what that troop is doing right now."


    At her orders, the female bodyguard immediately departed on her errand. It wasn''t long before she returned, however, with an account of what she had seen.


    "Deputy Commander in Chief," the female bodyguard reported. "The missing troop of soldiers of the Black Army that aren''t among those in the skirmish have situated themselves in the woods at the southwest end of the training ground. The troop has not appeared to have moved at all. They are all resting in situ, almost as though they''re slacking off."


    There was a palpable wave of astonishment throughout the whole grandstand at her report. They were seasoned veterans who had watched the Army Flag Contest for years, but it was the first time they had ever heard of troops voluntar


    fare and becoming mercenaries for the White Army in an attempt to secure their flags. If they could manage to protect their flags from the White Army all the way to the end of the contest, they could at least retreat with some dignity intact.


    The battles and maneuvers between the two armies were transmitted to the grandstand in real time. This allowed everyone, including Isis, to see precisely what was going on. It was clear that there was little to no chance of the Black Army winning, especially with the disadvantage of one absent troop. At the rate things were going, if the White Army were to put all their strength of numbers against the Black Army, the latter''s defeat was the only inevitable outcome.


    As this went on, Rocky immediately received the information that the Black Army had lost its third troop.


    ''The Commanders of the Black Army are useless in this game. It hasn''t even been half the allotted time for combat and three troops have already been lost. At this rate, I''m afraid I won''t be able to profit from this contest.'' Rocky couldn''t help but mull over to himself. His original plan was to wait until the Black Army and White Army were thoroughly exhausted before taking his healthy, well-rested troop to directly attack the White Army while they were off guard. However, he did not expect the Black Army''s troops to be so ineffective that they were getting beaten by the White Army so quickly.

 Chapter 230 Shatter The Enemies Into Pieces (Part Two)

    If Rocky''s analysis of the situation was correct and if the remaining two troops of the Black Army continued to go down as the others had, then the Black Army would undoubtedly lose. With his lone troop remaining, he was going to end up surrounded by the White Army''s troops. And no matter how healthy and well-rested they were, they won''t be able to withstand the numbers. After all, even a fierce tiger would find itself hard-pressed to defend against a circling pack of wolves. But of course, now that Rocky knew where the wind lay, he could take steps to prevent it from happening.


    ''It seems that we actually have to take action now. We must find a way to salvage the situation, '' Rocky thought to himself. As he thought this, his face was stony and grim. He couldn''t help putting on a stern expression. Confident in his choice of action, he summoned his troop.


    As the troop had rested for a full two hours, everyone was still eager and high-spirited. They were hungry for battle, ready to shatter their enemies into pieces.


    "Brothers, now is the time for you to show your full strength. We''re going to war, and we are going to teach the White Army a lesson it won''t forget. Do you know what I''ve heard? I received word of the White Army saying that they will completely defeat the soldiers of the Black Army. And they have plans to humiliate us by having us tear off our pants in surrender. They''re despicably arrogant!" Rocky''s words echoed over his troops. They were purposeful; he aimed to drive a raging strength to his men. He could not allow his troops to appear weak, or they would not be able to push forward as ferociously as possible in the coming battles.


    And his words had their full effect: his soldiers bec


    the contest finally ended and the flags were counted. In a way, the number of captured flags displayed the troop''s strength.


    The White Army troop led by Flank had two military flags. As long as his troop could capture one more flag, Flank knew that they would be able to stand above the rest of the White Army''s troops.


    ''That''s odd. I haven''t seen Rocky''s troop since the contest began. Is it possible that he is so afraid of me that he has hidden himself like a yellow-bellied coward?'' Flank wondered, somewhat amazed at the audacity. He had hoped to take the opportunity to teach Rocky a lesson. However, he had yet to even glimpse Rocky''s troop, let alone find a chance to severely punish him.


    While Flank was still wondering where Rocky had gone, a figure suddenly materialized in front of his troop, appearing as suddenly and quietly as a gust of wind.


    "You?!" Flank was aghast and speechless in shock at the sight of the figure in front of him. He glowered at it, eyes blazing in sheer malice.


    Speak of the devil: it was Rocky himself, the same man that had haunted Flank''s mind just now, appearing as though he was a devil summoned.

 Chapter 231 Extraordinary Trick

    "Commander Zhao, it''s been a while since we last met. I hope that you are well," Rocky smiled while looking at Flank.


    "You bastard! How dare you show your face? It seems like you fancy meeting death right now since you''ve willingly brought yourself to me," Flank replied with malice. He wanted Rocky to pay, and he had planned many schemes to take revenge on Rocky.


    "I know there are some misunderstandings between you and I. But I am more than willing to offer my friendship if you, Commander Zhao, choose to forgive me for my mistakes in the past. I can hand over the army flag of my troop as a sign of honor," Rocky said with utmost sincerity. His genuine expression seemed to show how much he admitted his mistakes. Flank however, was unmoved by Rocky''s expression.


    But the offer of the army flag did not pass him, and his greed immediately overtook his pride. Flank did not want to seem so eager, so he maintained his attitude as he asked, "You bastard, why are you suddenly so generous? Is this part of you secret plans? Do you think I will easily fall into your trap?"


    "Commander Zhao, I am but a mere breeder. How could I possibly be able to lead a troop to fight?" Rocky explained with a helpless tone. He had expected Flank to doubt his offer, but he was determined to act as innocent as possible to hide his motive.


    Flank was baffled with Rocky''s response. He couldn''t detect any loopholes in what Rocky had said. It was true that not everyone could lead a troop in battle, let alone an ordinary breeder with no military experience. If even Rocky could master the tactics, Commanders like him would retire. With these in mind, he became more convinced.


    Flank didn''t want to let Rocky off that easily. However, someone else could capture the army flag before he could, so he planned to be the first to get it. Besides, after taking the flag, he could concentrate on having his vengeance on Rocky. After formulating this plan, Flank''s attitude took a quick turn as he replied, "Since you seem to be sincere, I will forgive you. We can write off all our old scores if you hand over the army flag to me."


    "Excellent. Please follow me, Commander Zhao, and I will lead you to the flag. I was afraid that you wouldn''t agree to my proposal, so I hid it in a safe place," Rocky said wearing an appreciative smile to show his gratitude for Flank''s forgiveness. Then he turned and led the way.


    "Follow him," Flank ordered his soldiers. He didn''t want the opportunity to slip, especially since it was in such a short reach.


    Almost immediately, scores of soldiers caught up with Rocky and circled around him. Flank followed suit with more soldiers accompanying him.


    ''Did he set any ambushes?'' Flank speculated as they walked on. Being a veteran in battle made him suspicious of situations like this. He wasn''t silly enough to put his trust on Rocky that quickly, so he k


    seven hundred soldiers appeared from all directions and besieged Flank and his troop of three hundred.


    With a wave of Rocky''s hand, they attacked before Flank could take in the situation. Flank''s troop was unprepared, so they too were stunned by the number of their enemies. Thanks to his well thought-out plan, Rocky''s men had emerged in a perfect spot and they had the upper hand. Because of this, they were able to attack Flank''s soldiers easily.


    In just a few moments, with the element of surprise, Flank lost more than half of his people. He was alarmed. The situation was by no means in favor to him.


    Recognizing his two hundred soldiers, Flank realized that his men had betrayed him, and his face turned ghastly pale.


    "I only want the fool you call Commander, so I won''t give you a hard time. If you all surrender to me, you may leave without suffering further harm. You can''t win, so I advice you not to waste your time and energy. If you all do as I say, I will let you off, and we will put this behind us," Rocky told the soldiers who still stood by Flank''s side.


    Finding themselves completely trapped, Flank''s soldiers lost their will to fight, and finally accepted their doomed defeat. They would rather leave and rest than suffer a pointless struggle. Surrendering, they dropped their weapons, and turned away from their Commander.


    "Y-you..." Flank sputtered and flushed with rage at the sight of the traitors. His own troop had betrayed and deserted him.


    In a short while, only Flank was left. His face was red with anger and embarrassment. It was a stinging insult for a renowned Frontline Commander who had made great contributions in battles to be defeated by a lowly breeder.


    But Flank was to be blamed for all his misfortunes. He had underestimated Rocky, an outstanding scientist from the modern world who could apply tactics and stratagem from all ages without the slightest hesitation.

 Chapter 232 Capture

    "Come on! What are you all waiting for? Tie up Commander Zhao this instant! We finally have this guy," Rocky ordered.


    Many soldiers cheered excitedly and surrounded Flank at once.


    "How dare you!" Flank yelled furiously. How bold of Rocky to insult him like this! He never thought that a bunch of soldiers would tie him down. Anger seeped through his body, and his emotions were now out of hand as he activated his spiritual power instantly.


    The soldiers were caught off guard as they witnessed the scene. They soon came to a realization that no one among them could be compared to Flank who was at the eighth grade of the Earthly Stage.


    "Commander Zhao, no one is allowed to use the spiritual power. Have you forgotten about the guidelines of this competition?" Rocky nonchalantly said. His arms folded in front of his chest as he looked straight into Flank''s glaring eyes.


    Like he was splashed with cold water, Flank froze on his spot and withdrew his spiritual power at once. Speechless, all he could do was stare and curse Rocky in his mind. He went from an aggressive tiger to a paper one within seconds.


    "Tie him up!" Rocky demanded.


    Flank was known as an arrogant commander who always looked down on everyone below his rank. Without any hint of regret, some bold soldiers charged towards him. After all, when else could they have another chance like this? An opportunity to treat their commander as a captive was hard to come by. The soldiers started to bind him from head to toe. They made a knot to secure the rope and pulled to tighten it. Flank stifled a groan after every pull as it scratched his skin. The soldiers continued with a satisfied grin plastered on their faces.


    "Damn it! Let me go before you regret this! You are nothing but a feeder of the northeast military camp. How dare you do this to me! You fucking..." Flank yelled angrily at Rocky.


    "Calm down, Commander Zhao! It''s just a contest, and I''m here not because I want to but I''m here on behalf of Commander Marin. What I''m trying to say is, I actually have the privilege of a commander in this game. You may think that I''m just fooling around but I need to win and bring honor to our northeast military camp and I apologize." Flank sneered upon hearing Rocky''s words. "Guys, put a gag in his mouth!" Rocky ordered. A soldier immediately took a piece of rag and shoved it into Flank''s mouth.


    Soon after, Rocky gave money to the two hundred betrayed soldiers and asked them to leave the training field. The soldier


    ander Zhao chased after the black unit. Out of nowhere, he was hit by a surprise attack. Commander Zhao asked me to find a white unit for support then," the injured soldier answered as he shook his head.


    "That''s weird. Currently, only three black units are left. Except the one being led by Commander Cao, neither of the other two is as strong as Commander Zhao''s unit. How on earth could they get him into the trap?" the commander in yellow questioned.


    "Commander Zhao is always so arrogant because of his past honor. I guess he underestimated the black unit, which led to his captivity. The black unit seemed to bear a huge loss. We can divide into three squads and surround them from three directions. That''s enough to take down the black unit then," murmured the commander in yellow.


    He divided his men into three squads and ordered them to stand and face three directions. When the commander in yellow gave out a sign, his three squads encircled those enemies from the east, south and west.


    Upon seeing the forceful encirclement, the black soldiers were frightened to the core. They threw away their weapons and armors, and then fled away from the scene. But not everyone managed to escape. Few dozen soldiers were too scared to move, so they chose to raise their hands to surrender.


    The commander in yellow decided to not go after those black soldiers who fled. After all, this was a friendly competition and not a war.


    "Where is your commander?" asked the commander in yellow, after he strode towards the remaining black soldiers.


    "Our commander said he had a stomachache and went to relieve himself," a black soldier answered with a scared look.

 Chapter 233 New Decision

    The commander in yellow strutted around like a proud rooster. "Stomachache? Did he run away already? I can''t blame him if he is afraid. He is outnumbered after all." He stood with his chin up, as if he had already won. "Show yourself! Who leads these fools against my mighty army?" He thundered as his eyes searched the battlefield for the enemy leader.


    One of the few remaining soldiers finally looked up at him. "Our commander is very different from who you people expect him to be." The solider answered in defiance, flinching when the commander in yellow turned his cruel eyes to him.


    "Are you talking about the breeder? Commander Zhao was defeated so easily by that lowlife?" the commander asked the soldier while clutching his jaw tightly in a bruising grip. The soldier struggled against him but could not even move, let alone speak. He could only nod furiously in the hope that the commander in yellow would loosen his hand. After getting the answer that he needed, the commander turned to Flank. His smiled brighter than his yellow clothes, enjoyment obvious on his face. He laughed smugly at Flank, and amused at the sight of Flank as he struggled against his bindings.


    Flank knew he should be angry. In a different situation, he would never tolerate this much disrespect. But at that moment, all he felt was terror and frustration in the face of the commander in yellow''s ignorance. He struggled harder against the bindings and gag in his mouth. He fought to speak not even registering the awful taste of dirty rags in his mouth in his anxiety. He needed to warn him about Rocky!


    The commander in yellow raised an eyebrow when he noticed Flank''s struggle. He thought Flank did not want to accept his own failure, and was bitter that someone else would instead reap the harvest of success. His smug smile widened at the thought.


    "Oh, Commander Zhao, you''ll be the joke of the town when people find out that you were defeated by a breeder. But don''t worry, this will be our little secret!" the commander in yellow laughed loudly. He sauntered in front of the soldiers and took his time to approach Flank. He came to a stop in front of Flank and tore the filthy rag from his mouth.


    "This is a trap, you fool!" Flank exclaimed immediately. His hands were still bound but his eyes burned with hatred and frustration towards the commander in yellow.


    "No need to be like that, Commander Zhao. I can see the envy in your eyes. You hate that I have so many flags, don''t you?" the commander in yellow said arrogantly. Flank snarled at him hatefully in response.


    "Commander Zhao does look uncomfortable right now. Maybe he''d like some company to join him soon?" A voice suddenly called from behind.


    The commander whirled around, his yellow clothes unfurled around him. His eyes wide and mouth agape, he stared at Rocky in surprise. ''How did he sneak up on me?''


    "You are finally back here. Unfortunately, most of your troops have ran away. Do you think you can defeat us on your own?" the commander in the yellow clothes said scornfully when he recovered. He puffed his chest in bravado and tried to hide


    ppened.


    Noise and chaos broke out after the spirit manipulator''s announcement. ''How did the Black Army who were at a disadvantage, manage to defeat two White Army troops without anyone knowing it?''


    "There are only three Black Army troops left. One of them is being attacked by three White Army troops. The other one is being attacked by one White Army troop. The last one has not moved from their last position," Isis speculated. "Which Black Army troop is so powerful that it could destroy two White Army troops right under our noses?" she continued, her face marred by a frown. Even if she was proficient in the art of war, this situation had caught them completely off guard.


    Isis had no idea that the troop they thought had stayed in their original place had actually advanced secretly by an unknown path. They had waited for the White Army troops to come into their trap. What Isis also did not expect was that two White Army troops had already thrown themselves into the trap and lost four flags to this Black Army troop.


    And no one would even suspect or imagine that this troop was under Rocky''s command.


    However, the situation on the battlefield had once again changed. A black unit was unable to withstand the attacks of three White Army troops and was finally defeated.


    Now the Black Army was left with Rocky and the troop led by Commander Cao. The troop led by Commander Cao were locked in battle against a troop of the White Army. Despite Rocky''s victory, the situation of the Black Army was still extremely grim.


    However, the victory was based on the total number of flags owned by the two sides. Although there were still four White Army troops left in the battle, the number of flags that the two sides had were the same now. This was because Rocky already had five flags alone. And if they added the flag which was possessed by Commander Cao, the Black Army had a total of six flags which was the same as the White Army.


    This situation weighed heavily on Rocky. His next decisions could very well lead them to a great victory, or tragic defeat.

 Chapter 234 Outstanding Capabilities

    By now, Rocky had seen through the current situation. The White Army had four troops while the Black Army only had two troops left. He could reasonably conclude that the military strength of the White Army was twice that of the Black Army. And once the White Army mounted a siege with all its forces aimed towards one of the Black Army''s troops, the latter would be completely wiped out. And if the remaining troop of the Black Army faced the same odds, he would be powerless. So even though Rocky had five army flags, it would be pointless without any troops at his command.


    "How much time do we have left?" Rocky immediately asked, turning to the soldier beside him. Even though time was short, he hoped he would still be able to make it.


    "About two hours," the soldier responded politely.


    "There''s not enough time left. However, if we raid them by surprise, like an ambush, we may still have a chance to win the competition," Rocky murmured contemplatively. Staring into the distance and lost in thought, he knew that he had to come up with a strategy to tip the scales back to their favor.


    Finally, he looked up. "Brothers, it''s show time! Do you want to win this competition?!" Rocky shouted over the ranks, aiming to lift his soldiers'' spirit. It was absolutely imperative that he boost troop morale first so that the soldiers would obey his orders unfailingly.


    "Yes, we do!" hundreds of soldiers yelled back in unison. Each of them were hungry for the final victory, eager to prove themselves victorious in combat.


    "Good! That''s exactly what I want! However! We still have one thing to do. We need to root out one of the White Army''s troops before the four of them gather together. But for that, I need fifty able-bodied soldiers to launch a suicide attack. Understand, however, that though you won''t actually die, this means that you won''t be able to fight to the end with your brethren soldiers. But I promise your sacrifices will lead to the final victory for us. Who are willing to make this ultimate sacrifice? Step forward!" Rocky''s commanding voice carried over the troop.


    In an instant, at least two hundred soldiers stepped forward, willing to lay themselves on the line to perform the suicide attack. Morale in Rocky''s troop was high from their winning streak. And as ardent youths, they were all eager for the final victory with the Black Army. Hence, they were willing to sacrifice their lives if necessary.


    Rocky selected fifty of his fastest runners among the two hundred soldiers. These men would be the bait to attract three of the White Army''s troops, which had just besieged the other remaining Black Army troop. It was the runners'' task to drag away the three troops so that they couldn''t join in the batt


    ls about the surprise attack, held in collaboration with Commander Cao''s own troop.


    As all this was happening, the three White Army troops that had besieged another Black Army troop was on their way to join forces with their brethren. At this point, they believed that victory was a foregone conclusion and their morale was high. In actuality, they had no idea that the White Army had already lost two of their troops and one more would soon be wiped out by the joint forces of Rocky and Commander Cao.


    Meanwhile the suicide raid team from the Black Army was approaching their position before the White Army troops. Their task was simple: to pin them right where they were and buy as much time as they could for Rocky and Commander Cao.


    It wasn''t long before the White Army''s scouts started to discover the trails and traces left behind purposefully by the suicide team, and alerted the rest of their men.


    Once the Commanders of the White Army were informed, they suspected that two Black Army troops were nearby. Without a moment''s hesitation, they directed their troops to set out to find those troops and retrieve their flags. But their greed was to be their downfall. They had no idea that by rerouting their men, they had just left one of their own troops as a sitting duck, waiting to be defeated.


    In the valley, Commander Cao waited for the most opportune moment and removed the line of defense as Rocky had instructed. Chaos reigned as the Black Army troop fell upon the White Army troop at full force.


    The commander of the White Army felt as though this was the Black Army''s last hurrah, and so he commanded his men to fight fiercely against them. Pandemonium sounded over the valley as battle began.


    The combat ensued, with the White Army''s Commander unaware that he had fallen neatly into Rocky''s trap.

 Chapter 235 The Critical Hour Of The Contest

    The soldiers from the White Army were having a fierce battle with one squad of the Black Army, which was led by Commander Cao. In the heat of that hour, Rocky led his squad and arrived at the back end of the White Army''s troop. It was a strike back situation. The very next moment Rocky and his men launched a surprise attack against their opponents.


    The White Army was dazed by this sudden attack. They weren''t expecting to be sandwiched and attacked by two squads of the Black Army at the same time. They were in a fix. Acknowledging the unfavorable conditions, the White Army''s commander immediately ordered his troop to withdraw to a terrain that seemed more favorable for their safety. They then stayed in that area and defended themselves from the attacks of their opponents in a tactful way, hoping desperately that the other squads would come to their rescue.


    Unfortunately, the soldiers from the three troops of the White Army were busy chasing feints of the Black Army that Rocky had arranged in advance to lure and distract them from the real fight. They seemed to have been badly tricked.


    However, it wasn''t long before they realized that they got fooled. They immediately rushed back to support the lone squad which was sandwiched and attacked.


    But still, it was too late. The lone squad had already surrendered and given up their flag. So, at the moment, the Black Army was on the lead, one step closer to the final victory with 7 flags and two squads left.


    Who could ever imagine that Rocky, a breeder at the beast farm, who had been ridiculed by the Frontline Commanders earlier was now actually the one who had the most flags?


    "Excuse me, but may I know your name?" Commander Cao who was always extremely arrogant asked Rocky modestly. As an experienced Frontline Commander, he knew that it wasn''t easy to achieve so many flags. It was not accomplished by accident or fluke. If Rocky was not capable, he wouldn''t have managed to attain such success.


    "Rocky Bai," Rocky responded calmly.


    "So, you are Rocky. May I know what role you hold in the northeast military camp? When you say that you are a breeder, you must be joking, right?" Commander Cao carefully inquired. It was difficult for him or any other commoner to believe that a mere breeder could have such outstanding commanding abilities and that he could apply military strategy and tactics so flexibly and cleverly.


    "Now, do I have to lie to you?" Rocky put up a straight face and asked when he realized that Commander Cao couldn''t believe his identity.


    "But Rocky, your way of commanding the troops is no less than the way real commanders do it, including myself. This is definitely not something a breeder can do!" Commander Cao raised his queries, also subtly praising Rocky''s great ability at the same time.


    "Believe it or not, it''s up to you," Rocky said. "But the most important thing now is to keep these seven flags we have gained to ourselves." He racked his brain as he stroked his chin. Even though they now had an edge over the other White Army, there was still some time before the ''Army Flag Contest'' ended. And right now, the


    s also her master. As the old saying went, the pupil outdoes his master. So, as soon as Rocky said that he wanted to use array, Commander Cao realized that he was not an ordinary person. No wonder he had seen Rocky come to join the ''Army Flag Contest'' with Deputy Commander in Chief.


    "Is there anything weird?" Rocky couldn''t help but ask, when he saw Commander Cao''s reaction.


    Of course, for a modern scientist like Rocky who was equipped with such a large amount of profound knowledge that others would never discover, array art was something he had grasped out of his privileged access.


    "No, no. I am just curious about what kind of array you want to use," Commander Cao humbly inquired.


    "Eight Heaven Locks Array!" Rocky told him about the ancient special array that had a strong power of attack and defense.


    "What is this array about? Till today, I had only heard about the shield array, the saber array, the empty gate array... This is really my first time to hear about the Eight Heaven Locks Array." Commander Cao was confused and wanted to know more about the array.


    "If you know it, I am sure you can be appointed as Deputy Commander in Chief," Rocky said teasingly and raised his eyebrows.


    "Rocky, you are mocking me!" Commander Cao said meekly, with an embarrassed smiled.


    "We don''t have much time now. We should retreat immediately. I''ll tell you about this array while we do so. To deploy the array, we have to first choose a large open area," Rocky explained urgently.


    "An open area! But how do we defend in an open area?" Commander Cao asked, puzzled by Rocky''s idea.


    "The Eight Heaven Locks Array can be used for both attack and defense after being well deployed. So, with this array, we don''t have to rely on the advantage of any terrain at all. As long as it is used properly, we can stop the attack of thousands of armies!" Rocky exclaimed with great confidence.


    Commander Cao was not very confident about the magical function of the array. But the demand of the moment was such that he had no other option but to retain his trust in Rocky.

 Chapter 236 The Amazing Array

    Quickly, Rocky and Commander Cao of the Black Army, led their troops of nearly seven hundred soldiers to a nearby open area.


    Just when the Black Army''s troops had retreated to a safe place, the latest battlefield report was also sent to the grandstand.


    "What? The White Army lost one more troop, and the Black Army has more army flags than the White Army does?" Isis exclaimed. It was clear that she was confused about the news she had received. However, all the people present were more startled than she was.


    "I cannot believe this news. Even though the White Army lost one more troop, there are three left. The Black Army has only two troops. How is it possible that the Black Army has more army flags?" an Elite Commander asked because he had not seen nor heard of such a situation ever before.


    "That is because, of the two Black Army''s troops, one has six army flags," the spirit manipulator who was responsible for delivering the battlefield report, replied.


    His words astonished everyone in the crowd. After hearing the spirit manipulator''s words, they became curious. Also, they were eager to find out the name of the Commander, who had shown exceptional courage, and obtained six army flags under an adverse situation.


    "It must be Commander Cao. No one else is more experienced nor more competent than he is in the Black Army," someone in the crowd, guessed.


    Everyone present nodded their heads and concurred with his deduction.


    "No, it''s not Commander Cao. The troop''s Commander is the representative of the northeast military camp. He just came with the Deputy Commander in Chief," was the spirit manipulator''s response, which took everyone by surprise.


    On hearing him, there was pin-drop silence. The crowd''s ashen faces made them look like frozen sculptures that were fixed to the ground on which they stood. They were in complete shock, and it seemed that they had become immobile.


    "You mean Rocky''s troop now has six army flags?" Isis asked in disbelief. As there had been no special communication about Rocky''s troop in the previous battlefield reports, she could neither imagine nor understand how he could get six army flags in an instant.


    "Moreover, I was informed just now that the Black Army had taken two White Army Commanders, captive," the spirit manipulator continued, as he nodded his head, without committing to anything.


    "So, were the two White Army troops that went missing, defeated by the breeder?"


    "How can that be? I do not think that the northeast military camp''s breeder even understands military strategy and tactics."


    "Unde


    xplore what the real situation there was.


    "Come close!" Rocky shouted as the vanguard of the White Army approached where they were camped.


    Instantly, the eight teams in the shapes of the Eight Diagrams got close to each other to form an impenetrable defense system.


    When the White Army''s vanguard came close, they saw they had nowhere to attack, so they scattered, and started finding flaws.


    "External rows, turn around!" Rocky ordered. The soldiers of each of the eight teams'' external rows turned around immediately, at the place where they were, and took turns to fight the soldiers of the White Army''s vanguard.


    From the way the vanguard appeared, it looked that they had been indeed knocked senseless.


    "The external rows come back and the north rows open..." Rocky shouted another order. Without any delay, the north rows split from the center towards the right and the left.


    Seeing an opportunity to take advantage of, without hesitating, several soldiers of the White Army''s vanguard rushed into the array.


    "North rows come back. Middle rows, attack!" Rocky thundered another command. Since the enemy had been trapped, he asked the north rows to go back to their position. Meanwhile, the soldiers in the middle rows that Commander Cao was leading, quickly attacked the White Army''s soldiers.


    Seeing the Black Army''s soldiers approach them from all directions, the White Army''s vanguard understood that they were trapped, and in no way could they save themselves. After the namesake resistance that they put up, the Black Army''s soldiers, crushed their spirits, defeated them and pushed them out of the array.


    Soon, that resulted in the White Army''s vanguard losing more than half of its soldiers.

 Chapter 237 It Was Him

    Disappointment and shock were evident in the faces of the three ghastly pale Commanders of the White Army at the awful sight of their severely injured vanguard. The devastating fate was effortlessly done by the Black Army without losing any of their soldiers. The White Army had to retract their vanguard to plan a better strategy for a counterattack.


    After a thorough discussion, they prepared in combat forming a strategic array to fight the Black Army. Though they were confident and determined, they were still bewildered what made the Black Army invulnerable in the battle.


    Considering the capabilities of the three Commanders, they could only do the most ordinary and simplest arrays. As a matter of fact, those were not arrays at all. Though they were not good at using arrays, giving up was not appropriate. Least of all did they want their opponents win the final battle. The Black Army had seven army flags standing in their array. With only five flags on the other side, even a draw was far-fetched.


    Given the difficult circumstance, the White Army must break the solidarity of the weird array to disperse the Black Army. This was the only way the White Army could have an opportunity to use their superior military strength and defeat the Black Army with full advantage.


    With this goal in mind, the three Commanders led their respective troops to form an array for attack. They carefully moved towards the Eight Heaven Locks Array. Driven by a burning passion, they forwarded with eagerness to break through it. As agreed by the three Commanders, the successful troop would obtain all the army flags of the Black Army and Dark Heaven Eggs.


    When both arrays were formed on both sides, the intense battle commenced.


    The crowd on the grandstand were astounded at the effective defense of the Black Army''s weird array despite being outnumbered by the White Army.


    Isis gasped in astonishment, "Oh, what array is this?" Still stunned by the performance she said to herself, "I''ve never seen that before in any of the books I''ve read about tactics." The array was an unconventional combination of attack and defense, detailed in an airtight and organized manner. It was amazing indeed. Isis released an inaudible sigh at the impressive scene on the training ground. Her accumulated knowledge from extensive reading of military books since childhood made her well-versed on the study of arrays. Her eyes widened upon witnessing the unique performance. She never encountered such a weird array in the books she read. The exceptional array was flawless. Isis could not see a way to penetrate it. It was almost perfectly done and unbreakable.


    The array was unquestionably impressive but Isis was more interested to know the man behind the great invention. There were two Commanders of the Black Army, the battle-scarred veteran Commander Cao and an inexperienced neophyte named Rocky. Given the intricate details of t


    such a perfect array.


    "Commander Marin is absent today," She said tersely without directly answering the question. Reading what was running on his father''s head, she quickly added, "Father, it''s not me." She wanted to add ''It is Rocky''s idea. With this great job, he''s definitely better than me.'' but she held her tongue bitten keeping the painful thought to herself. In fact, startled at the array, she conceded in heart that Rocky was better qualified than her.


    "Oh? Is that so? Who organizes the array then?" he replied immediately with astonishment. He was so surprised that one of the Frontline Commanders of the Crimson Dragon Group was even more competent than his daughter. Also, he was pleased that the Crimson Dragon Group always produced talented people.


    "I''m not sure but there are only two Commanders of the Black Army, so it must be one of them," Isis pointed out. Her voice was tainted with jealousy but tried her best to set aside her emotions while dealing with her father''s questions.


    "Who are they?" Lance shot her a look demanding an answer. He was eager to know the gifted man behind the amazing array.


    "One is Commander Cao and the other is the representative of the northeast military camp sent by Commander Marin," Isis responded quickly.


    "The representative of the northeast military camp? Who is he?" Lance repeated as if digging for more information. His eyes reflected aroused curiosity to know the representative. Commander Cao was Lance''s subordinate and had been in the army for many years so he knew his capability very clearly. He naturally excluded him and apparently, the creator must be the representative of the northeast military camp.


    Isis met his father''s gaze. She walked up to him, reached for his ears and whispered a few words.


    "It was him?" Lance murmured in amazement. He knew that the representative of the northeast military camp was Rocky, the man whose identity was confidential.

 Chapter 238 Prince Basil

    "That''s him." Isis nodded in agreement.


    "I remember you said he was in his twenties. I didn''t think he knew how to set up an array, especially an advanced one. Is he a genius on arrays?" Lance muttered.


    Because Lance indicated that he considered Rocky a genius, the people who heard his remark looked at each other in surprise. Lance appreciated no more than three people in the past.


    "When the Army Flag Contest is over, bring him to me," Lance instructed after contemplating for a while.


    "I understand." Isis nodded.


    Lance then turned and walked away, followed by people''s eyes.


    In the meantime, the three troops of the White Army laid siege to the Black Army. However, faced with the powerful defense of the Eight Heaven Locks Array, they were not able to break through.


    As the end of Army Flag Contest drew close, the three Commanders of the White Army became impatient. Finally, they made a last desperate move. Unfortunately, against the Eight Heaven Locks Array, the more careless their attacks were, the more flaws were revealed to the Black Army that they took advantage of.


    As a result, the three troops of the White Army suffered great losses, while the Black Army''s casualties were less than one hundred.


    Soon after, a green light lifted off from the platform, signaling the end of the Army Flag Contest.


    Seeing the rising green light, the three Commanders of the White Army turned pale, glaring at the Eight Heaven Locks Array. They were extremely disappointed.


    Rocky dismissed the array as the Army Flag Contest came to the end and Commander Cao walked out from the center of the array. He had been utterly convinced by Rocky''s capable leadership. He never thought that the Black Army, with its inferior position, could win the Army Flag Contest. Rocky''s remarkable skill made the impossible possible.


    "Commander Cao, were you the one who created the array?"


    "What''s the name of that array? How could it repel the combined attacks of three troops?"


    "Commander Cao, you''re really amazing!"


    the Commanders of the White Army excitedly asked Commander Cao about the details of the array. They didn''t have the slightest idea that the array was created by Rocky


    "I''m not the one responsible. Rocky devised the array," Commander Cao replied as he pointed at Rocky beside him with his thumb.


    "Him? How could that be? Isn''t he just a breeder from the northeast military camp? If he could create an array like that then pigs could fly," one of the three Commanders of the White Army scoffed. They could not believe that the impenetrable array that brought them down was made by Rocky.


    "Believe it or not, it''s Rocky''s handiwork not mine. I think you Frontline Comma


    wants to see me?" Rocky asked in disbelief as he turned back to look at Isis.


    "This is your opportunity, Rocky," Commander Cao said as he came up beside Rocky.


    "Let''s go," Isis called. She went ahead then glanced at Rocky signaling him to follow.


    Rocky frowned slightly, confused. He wondered why the Commander in Chief would want to see him. If he knew this would happen, he probably wouldn''t have pushed himself so hard. Unfortunately, the Black Army''s misgivings forced him to do everything he could. However, his ability seemed to always bring him trouble.


    If the Commander in Chief wanted to meet him, he had no reason to refuse because he still wanted to be with the northeast military camp. He had to follow Isis.


    After walking through the supreme headquarters following Isis, Rocky entered a magnificent building guarded by troops. A few moments later, he was standing in what he believed to be the study of Lance.


    "Father, he is here," Isis announced as she entered the room with Rocky close behind her. Lance was busy going through official documents on his desk, barely noticing their arrival.


    Lance raised his head slowly to stare at the direction where Rocky was standing. His countenance slowly turned grim as he laid eyes on Rocky at this close distance for the first time since the contest. He explored the deep recesses of his memory for an answer and yet it eluded him. His unsettling feeling that he had met Rocky somewhere before met with defeat; same as the Frontline Commanders did on the field.


    Lance''s initial instinct was correct. He indeed had seen Rocky before. However, during that time his name was Basil. And his first impression of Basil was sickly and weak.


    And because of this, he failed to recognize that Rocky and Prince Basil were the same person.

 Chapter 239 Keeping A Low Profile

    Rocky became jittery. The way Lance glanced at him with questioning eyes caused him unease immediately. It was at this stage that his mind lingered that Lance might have arrayed his eyes on Basil before. Lance was one of the Three Great Generals of the Holy Dragon Empire. This offered him the golden opportunities to visit the Palace City and attend various ceremonies and rituals more regularly. These chances gave Lance time to see Basil.


    The simple logic of this made Rocky engulfed in dread. His adrenaline flooded his system; it also pumped and thumped like it was trying to evade. All this fear emerged from him, because if Lance recognized him, the result might become more inconvenient than helpful to him. Above all, it would throw all the arrangements set up in the trash. If he had the slightest perception of all this, then he wouldn''t have dared offer a commitment to Marin to be part and parcel in the Army Flag Contest by being a participant. He wouldn''t have showcased his strengths for a basic primary Dark Heaven Egg.


    Unfortunately, all this was in vain since it was too late for second opinions. The mess was already done and could not be reversed. With no hope left on him, all Rocky had to rely on was Lance not recognizing him.


    Lance had a closer glimpse at Rocky, taking a good look at him from head to toe for a few minutes. His memories served him right and Rocky looked familiar. But he didn''t have the slightest notion where he had arrayed his eyes on him. This made him abandon the concept of knowing his identity any further. However, there was a greater possibility of Lance uncovering Rocky''s true identity if he recalled carefully given Rocky''s top-secret identity.


    Lance wasn''t the character who kept details. This made Rocky fortunate enough and lucky. The reason he had called Rocky was to interrogate about the array he had set up. He questioned Rocky. "What is your name?"


    "My name is Rocky Bai." ''Lance doesn''t remember me, '' Rocky pondered to himself as he emitted an exhale of relief. This was after realizing that Lance''s eyes suddenly came back to a normal state. It was a huge relief to Rocky. He returned the quizzes with his warm voice as early spring. He further made obeisance to Lance by cupping one hand in the other before his chest.


    "What position do you hold in the northeast military camp?" Rocky was a breeder in the northeast military camp. Lance was in the dark and had no slightest idea about this.


    "Father, he is a breeder," Isis answered first before Rocky could utter a single word and reply to the query.


    "You are the breeder of the northeast military camp?" Shock reflected on Lance''s face before he could conceal it. This statement took him by surprise, making him grimace.


    Rocky also noncommittally nodded.


    ''This is unheard of, specifically if Marin sent Rocky there. She has invariably had the absolute desire to have precedence over others. It is unlike her


    such a great talent.


    "Deputy Commander in Chief, you think highly of me. For Pete''s sake? How can I have understanding and knowledge with military tactics considering I am a breeder?" Rocky remained firm with his words; nothing would drive him to alter that and reveal the truth.


    Upon discovering that Rocky was uncompromising in revealing the truth, Isis''s face was suppressed in rage; she gritted teeth to remain silent; her exuded animosity was acid-burning, slicing and potent. She wanted to teach him a lesson. The only chance was letting Rocky stay in the base camp for three days. While he was there, he would adhere and execute everything she declared with no protests.


    Just as Isis was calculating her moves on how to get even on Rocky and teach him a lesson, Lance said, "Young man, if it''s okay with you, I''d like to transfer you to the base camp and let you serve as the probationary adjutant general of the Headquarters of the General Staff. Whatever you ask for, I shall grant it. This is only if you come with us. You shall have everything you want under your nose, I promise."


    "Father? Are you serious?" Rocky was still only a breeder in the northeast military camp. It gave Isis shivers after her father made such an impulsive verdict. It was like he had poured gasoline onto the spark of fear in her belly. It was because he was of the lowest capacity even in the military camp. However, if he became a probationary adjutant general, it would promote him to a much higher level, a position which was only one level lower than the Deputy Commander of the small-size military camp. He would be equivalent to a Deputy Commander of a small-size military camp once he became a formal adjutant general. The state her father paid such an enormous concern to build up a talent caught her by surprise. It was unlike him to do such a deed. With this in mind, it seemed her father had decided to cultivate Rocky. He was of great importance to him.

 Chapter 240 Knowing Each Other

    After getting along with Rocky for some time, Isis didn''t object to her father cultivating Rocky. Aside from his weird and annoying temperament, Rocky''s comprehensive capability was undisputed. Marin once told Isis that though he looked weak, Rocky was a spirit manipulator at the second grade of the Earthly Stage. Besides, his performance at the Army Flag Contest had proved that undoubtedly he was a real talent.


    However, Isis found her father''s plans to promote Rocky to the probationary adjutant general at the Headquarters of the General Staff worrying. He was barely a breeder. Such a skip-level promotion was unheard of at the Crimson Dragon Group, more so to Isis. Left to her, Rocky would first undergo trials as an adjutant at the northeast military camp where he would have to rise through the ranks to the position of a staff officer should his performance meet expectations. Next, she would arrange an assignment in which Rocky would play the role of civil official in the Headquarters of the General Staff. And finally, when the time was ripe for another appointment, only then could he get the promotion of the probationary adjutant general. By Isis''s theory, rather than accomplish everything in one swoop, Rocky should have to spend at least three to five years being a probationary adjutant general in the Headquarters of the General Staff. And if by any chance he anticipated an even higher position, all the more time it would take him to realize it.


    However, for Lance, Isis''s father, he would rather Rocky skip the arduous journey and attain the position of


    ir, entrancing Isis in a state of utter bewilderment.


    Isis couldn''t tell if it was his words that had made her jaw drop or how prompt he was in refusing her father''s offer. ''What is wrong with this guy? But more importantly, who is he?'' Isis''s surprise soon melted into a scowl. Sure she didn''t approve of her father''s methods or his relentless yearning to scale Rocky through the ranks. But no one, especially not this nobody, would refuse her father his deepest wishes. She regarded Rocky with a steely gaze. Isis wasn''t exactly kicking against the idea of sending Rocky to the supreme headquarters. Her reaction was merely a show of concern, one only a child could have for a loved parent, about Lance''s doggedness on the matter. Isis found it a tad improper, if not entirely surprising, that Rocky would assume the office in such a fashion. But to her surprise, as well as her father''s, Rocky had taken the offer as a pinch of salt. He had just bluntly turned down an opportunity only dreamed of by his contemporaries at the Crimson Dragon Group.

 Chapter 241 A Direct Rejection

    To Isis, only a fool or one with aggressive ambition would decline such an immense opportunity. A fool would be unable to weigh the pros and cons of such a decision''s impact on his career. Meanwhile, the one with aggressive aspirations would retreat, perhaps biding time for another day, for the sake of advancing to a higher position. But she felt that Rocky did not seem to fit in either category. He was genuinely rejecting the olive branch her father had extended--an offer that many other men would''ve died for. There must have been a serious reason for rejecting the proposal. Or perhaps Rocky had a few more secrets he was trying to hide.


    "Isn''t it too rash to just reject me so quickly? Maybe you need more time to think it over. Take your time, sleep on it. You might change your mind. If that happens, you''re welcome to come back to the home base to discuss it with me or my daughter at any time," Lance explained in a steady tone. The truth was that he had already foreseen Rocky''s rejection. He had expected him to refuse; otherwise he would seem as though he were a conniving man looking to climb the ladder.


    "Then please allow me to excuse myself," Rocky replied politely, and said nothing more as he turned away, bidding Lance and Isis goodbye with merely a deft fist-and-palm salute.


    "Well, Isis? What is your opinion of this young man?" Lance asked, turning to his daughter after Rocky had departed.


    "He seems capable enough for the position, but he seems like a strange guy. I feel like that we''re not getting the whole story, like he has something to hide. But what I really don''t understand, fa


    y materials to construct a lab from the Super Beast Farm. For everything else that the Super Beast Farm did not have in stock, Rocky entrusted Shawn to customize them as he needed from the supplier. Even though Shawn was merely a boss of the branch, the Super Beast Farm enjoyed a certain level of prestige and fame in the Holy Dragon Empire, and even throughout the entire Wild Spirit Land. This led to the building of a sophisticated social network of connections. No matter how scarce a material was, the farm would be able to acquire it upon request, for a good price.


    Yes, Shawn had viewed Rocky as their cash cow for a long time now. He would never think to turn down whatever Rocky asked him now. Besides, he was tipped generously for every errand. He would be more than happy to serve his own interests and pockets.


    Rocky went shopping in Evian City to make another round of purchases after he finished the transactions in the Super Beast Farm. When he finally headed back, he was fully loaded down with numerous materials meant to foster the construction of his lab.

 Chapter 242 Super Talent

    Half of a month passed.


    In an abandoned house, the work of constructing a lab beyond anyone''s imagination in this world was drawing to a close. Rocky was mounting the last of three palm-sized legendary night-luminous pearls on the roof to replace the astral lamp in the operation room. Improvement of the illumination device was essential for future progress.


    The lab was sealed by silver-gilt tinfoil. Behind the tinfoil, the wall was enclosed in wood. The combination meant the lab was completely sealed except for a ventilation grate elaborately designed in the center of the roof. The ventilation grate was made with iron plate and bars. Despite its rough appearance, the ventilation grate was similar to those found in the modern world. A few layers of mesh over the grate''s outlet filtered the air.


    Two stone tables, for experiments and operations, sat beneath the three legendary night-luminous pearls. The polished tables were arranged in two rows with enough space to comfortably stand between them. Orderly containers of lab supplies, such as sulfuric acid, ethyl alcohol, special iodine, gauze, cotton sliver, etc. occupied one side of the experiment table. Beside the containers were ten scalpels that had cost Rocky a fair amount of cash.


    When he finished mounting the last pearl, Rocky nodded, satisfied with the work and ready to put the lab to work. Seeing the completed lab, Rocky couldn''t suppress his excitement. Although he had spent most of the cash he''d earned by selling materials and rare things from the wild spirit-manipulated beasts, the lab was worth it. It would bring in more than what it cost. Much more.


    Stroking his chin, he considered which experiments he should try first. He could buy some living spirit-manipulated beasts directly from the Super Beast Farm. He shook his head and cringed. Experimenting on living creatures was a cruel practice.


    Although, before he came to this world, he hadn''t always thought this way. He was once unscrupulous and had willingly experimented on and tested genetic beasts without a care for the effect such treatment had on the creatures. Now, being a spirit manipulator, his thinking had changed. It was impossible for him to experiment in such a fashion. He understood that like himself, creatures had feelings. Sadness. Happiness. Pain and even pity. These emotions were plain to see


    not fake new things.


    "I think I have learned most of your knowledge about Beast Taming Skill." Rocky smiled. Although he was happy, Rocky knew how to temper his emotions. While he possessed most of the knowledge, there was still a crucial part. Practice. Hard work. It would take time and practice to achieve mastery. He needed to accumulate his knowledge and put it to work until he had perfected the skill through repetition. As the old saying went, hard work beats talent if talent does not work hard.


    "What do you mean you learned most of my knowledge? You''re far from that!" Sheridan insisted. He said this despite knowing he had very little to teach Rocky. One thing was left, a piece of crucial knowledge that Rocky was not yet ready for. Sheridan sighed inwardly. Rocky''s astonishing talent and comprehension ability was beyond his imagination. If he had known exactly how gifted Rocky was, he might not have been in such a rush to teach him almost everything. He was afraid that Rocky would turn arrogant.


    Rocky smiled. He knew Sheridan was still keeping something in reserve. And although he did crave knowledge, Rocky did not wish to learn every single nuance too quickly. But there was one thing he could benefit from. "Teach me Beast Curing Skill," Rocky said. Since the lab was ready, such a skill would be of the utmost importance. He could combine it with his knowledge of modern medicine and improve upon the concepts.


    "Sheridan, please teach me Beast Curing Skill," Rocky said again. Already his mind was running through possibilities for the lab.

 Chapter 243 He Is Being Tested! (Part One)

    "What? The Beast Curing Skill? You want to learn how to do it right now? Well, I must say...that it seems a bit early for you to learn how to do it right now. You''re not qualified to develop that skill yet. Remember that the prerequisite of learning the Beast Curing Skill is to master the Beast Evaluation Skill first. The Beast Evaluation Skill is the foundation of the Beast Curing Skill. But most importantly, you need to at least reach the second grade of the Beast Evaluation Skill if you want to learn the Beast Curing Skill. And in order to learn the Beast Curing Skill, you also need to grasp the most basic medical abilities and knowledge, along with having a full understanding of the characteristics of all the spirit-manipulated beasts. And furthermore..." Sheridan continued to reel off a lot of conditions, determined to prove the complexity of the situation to Rocky, who had just declared his intention to learn the advanced skill. As Rocky''s master, Sheridan would be responsible for teaching him all the skills necessary. Nevertheless, he thought Rocky was being a little hasty, as Rocky wanted to learn the skill immediately.


    "I have to reach the second grade for the Beast Evaluation Skill? Well, that won''t be a problem for me," Rocky responded flippantly, unable to help shrugging his shoulders at the requirements that Sheridan was reeling off. His current Beast Evaluation Skill level was actually already at the middle stage of the second grade. Although it might still take him some time to reach the third grade, he''d at least reached the prerequisite level needed for the Beast Curing Skill.


    "What do you mean it''s not a problem for you?" Sheridan asked, flabbergasted as he stared at Rocky, wondering if he''d lost his mind.


    "I mean, I meet the prerequisites you just said for learning the Beast Curing Skill," Rocky responded casually, arms folded over his chest. He was eager to learn more from his master and wouldn''t easily give up the idea of learning the Beast Curing Skill.


    "Look, buddy, are you kidding me right now? You''re not even a be


    a thought seemed to come to him. He gestured to him and said, "Follow me." He turned on his heel and walked off to the direction of the beast farm.


    Rocky raised his eyebrows. Realizing now that the old man wanted to test his strength, he hurried after his master.


    It wasn''t long before Sheridan led Rocky directly to the beast farm''s barn, opening its doorways wide. Inside, Rocky saw a baby spirit-manipulated beast.


    "This cub was sent here earlier today. Although its qualities aren''t too bad, and it was born to a two-star beast, it seems to have a very serious defect. If your Beast Evaluation Skill is really at the second grade as you say, then it shouldn''t be difficult for you to figure out what the defect is," Sheridan explained thoughtfully. It was clear that he wanted to test whether the strength of Rocky had really achieved the second grade, just as he had claimed. However, there was the possibility that the defect he mentioned might not be determined by the Beast Evaluation Skill at the second grade. There was a likelihood that he was trying to simply discourage Rocky so that he would give up the idea. He didn''t think that Rocky was ready to learn the Beast Curing Skill just yet. After all, if his foundation wasn''t strong enough, then it would be very difficult for his training later on. He always believed that old saying, "Rome wasn''t built in a day."

 Chapter 244 He Is Being Tested! (Part Two)

    In Sheridan''s opinion, the conditions and prerequisites to learning the Beast Curing Skill were quite demanding. He had come up with this challenge to deliberately put an obstacle in front of Rocky, stop him jumping forward rashly, and make him carefully consider the course of action.


    It also meant that if Rocky wasn''t skilled enough to pass the test, then he would certainly be unable to learn the Beast Curing Skill from Sheridan at present, no matter how desperate he was to learn.


    Rocky understood what was going through his master''s mind. He knew that this time, in order to convince Sheridan, he had to show his real skill. Slowly, a wicked smile crept onto his face.


    He grinned as he whispered fervently, "Alright then, sir... watch me carefully and don''t you dare blink your eyes!" And without further preamble, he walked directly into the barn. Sitting cross-legged in front of the cub, he gathered his own spiritual power, and exhibited the Radiance Evaluation Skill upon it.


    Sheridan saw a triangular light screen showed up in the air above the cub. Suddenly, the lights representing the various natures of the cub appeared upon the screen.


    ''He''s using the Radiance Evaluation Skill?!'' Sheridan exclaimed to himself in shock, staring at Rocky''s progress. ''So it''s true! He wasn''t lying; he truly does know the Beast Evaluation Skill. Beyond that, he has learned the Radiance Evaluation Skill, an advanced Beast Evaluation Skill from an old and respected beast evaluating family.


    Where in the world


    y enough to meet Rocky, an amazing disciple who had the potential to completely inherit all his skills. For any master, it was a source of immense pride and honor to be able to pass on all his skills to the next generation. Just when he thought that he''d have to take all his learning to the grave, it appeared that God had smiled down upon him.


    ''Finally, at long last, I might still be able to pass down the most powerful Beast Taming Skill, the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill to this young man, although it may be too early for him to learn based on his current strength. But, if he masters the skill, he will have more good fortune to come! If he is lucky enough, it will be commonplace for him to be able to capture a spiritual beast alive.'' Sheridan''s mind was full of ideas and racing in excitement. He had made up his mind and would teach Rocky every skill he knew, including the most powerful skill he had learned. Undoubtedly, he was satisfied to find a disciple who could learn quickly and well.

 Chapter 245 Keep Going

    At that moment, Rocky was focusing on evaluating the baby Spiritual-manipulated Beast that was lying in front of him. However, his wrinkled brows showed that he was having trouble identifying the defect that Sheridan had told him about. How could he, anyways? There were no relevant signs to be found!


    Seeing the confused look on Rocky''s face, Sheridan laughed triumphantly while saying, "Brat, you''re stumped, aren''t you?"


    "Don''t worry, Sheridan. I know my way around more than one Beast Evaluation Skill." Rocky glanced at Sheridan defiantly. He was just warming up with the Radiance Evaluation Skill. Now, he immediately gathered spiritual light in his right hand. Suddenly, his whole right hand was flickering with light. Then, he began to touch the body of the baby Spiritual-manipulated Beast.


    Sheridan was taken aback by Rocky''s knowledge of the Stroking Evaluation Skill to the extent that it actually took him a few moments to be able to comprehend what he had just seen. When he came back to his senses, he immediately asked Rocky, "How did you know the Stroking Evaluation Skill?" Sheridan''s surprise took over him. He could not even wait to listen to Rocky''s answer to his question, so he followed it with another one, "how do you know two Beast Evaluation Skills?"


    "Surprised?" Rocky said proudly. He was very insulted by Sheridan''s surprised reaction.


    Sheridan immediately felt very confused. ''It is true that no one stated that a beast evaluator can only learn one Beast Evaluation Skill. However, I know that the Radiance Evaluation Skill and the Stroking Evaluation Skill are from two famous beast evaluation families, so it would be understandable if Rocky knew how to perform only one of them. But, he is capable of performing both of them at the same time, which is beyond common sense!


    Well, let''s say Rocky''s abilities are extraordinary, he still could not have learnt these skills on his own! Who is his mentor? Who has managed to teach him two different kinds of advanced Beast Evaluation Skills from the beast evaluation families at the same time?''


    At this moment, Sheridan suddenly felt very grateful. Fortunately, he met Rocky first and accepted him as his apprentice. If the man who had the same master as him had found Rocky first, he would have done his best to make him his apprentice. Sheridan was sure of that because Rocky''s talent was not only amazing, but also very comprehensive. Besides, his talent in beast evaluation was also extremely strong. What a one-in-a-million geniu


    ht that he would be one of those masters surpassed by their apprentices. He could not realize if this was an unfortunate event or a blessing disguised in what appeared to be a trouble! ''Only time could tell, '' he believed.


    However, as a master, Sheridan was very dedicated. He immediately began to teach Rocky the most basic Beast Curing Skill. Of course, in this world, the Beast Curing Skill was completely aimed at the spirit-manipulated beasts. Because there were many kinds of spirit-manipulated beasts that had various strange characteristics and complex body structures, the Beast Curing Skill was much more complicated than Rocky expected.


    Diagnosing the condition and injury of different spirit-manipulated beasts required a variety of methods. It was highly complicated because some spirit-manipulated beasts needed to be diagnosed under certain conditions, such as underwater, or in an environment with high or low temperature.


    The distribution of meridians varied in different spirit-manipulated beasts, so to diagnose meridians for different spirit-manipulated beasts, the beast evaluator needed to know the distribution of meridians in each one of them by using the Beast Evaluation Skills.


    In short, the Beast Curing Skill was indeed more complicated than the Beast Taming Skill, which was why it was necessary to learn various harsh basic conditions before embarking on learning it.


    But that wasn''t a problem for Rocky, of course!


    In a blink of an eye, it was noon. Rocky was about to leave the beast farm and go back, when he saw two spirit manipulators carry a dying spirit-manipulated beast in, drop it on the ground and leave without saying a word.

 Chapter 246 The Injured War Dragon

    "Everyone can see that the spirit-manipulated beast is dying. Why can''t they treat it well? They are real bastards without any conscience." Sheridan was visibly upset when he saw that the creature was breathing its last and would soon die.


    Seeing the beast''s condition, Rocky thought of an idea and his eyes lit up. With eagerness that he could not hide, he asked Sheridan how he planned to deal with the situation.


    "The creature breathes, its heart beats, and it is a life form, just like we are. I will find a suitable place to bury it." And Sheridan was obviously grief-stricken.


    "Sheridan, I am going out as I have an important task to attend to. I can bury it for you. You take care of yourself." After Rocky said those words, he picked up the spirit-manipulated beast, flung it on his left shoulder, and left the beast farm.


    "What has come over him? I wonder why he is showing so much kindness today," Sheridan murmured to himself suspiciously, as he saw Rocky''s receding figure.


    What Sheridan did not know was that Rocky had not offered to bury the spirit-manipulated beast out of any kindness that he felt for it. He had other plans. Therefore, instead of doing as he had said to Sheridan, Rocky took it directly to the laboratory he had built.


    Once there, he addressed the creature and said, "Do not worry. I will help you. I will make sure that you feel no pain." Rocky knew all too well that it was in unbearable pain and agony. Therefore, without any delay, he put the spirit-manipulated beast on the cold operating table. Having done that, he gathered a little spiritual power in his palm, placed it on its heart, and pressed it gently.


    The creature could not live and predictably died soon after that, as its heart, its arteries, and its veins had been shorn into tiny fragments, and were now nothing but pulp.


    With the spirit-manipulated beast dead, Rocky had obtained a free corpse to experiment on. He wanted to practice how to operate on its dead body, and conduct some experimental operations on it, as that would give him an edge in the future.


    Before Rocky knew it, he had been experimenting for three days.


    And as the creature''s corpse could not be preserved for long under normal temperatures, Rocky had no choice but to bury it - the first cadaver he had experimented on. Therefore, he carried what remained of it, found a large hole in the desolate forest that was near his laboratory, and buried it there.


    Rocky did what he had to, but he was not happy for he could not experiment longer on the creature''s body. Therefore, on his way back, he muttered to himself, "I need to find a new dead body to experiment on now," and started speculating how he could do it. Then, after he had finished his daily routine jobs, he started taming little Rubygon.


    Recently, little Rubygon had revealed its wild nature by running away in the wild without taking Rocky''s permission. It was extremely unruly, and had it not been for Uriah''s help, Rocky would not have been able to restrain it.


    Taming a spirit-manipulated beast was a complex and challenging job. It required a combination of harsh and mild tactics. A new hand, Rocky was inexperienced in taming spirit-manipulated beasts in rea


    o gained them respect and now no one considered them to be members of a rubbish team.


    "How come you two are free today? What are you doing here?" Rocky asked, confused, as he nodded a greeting to both of them, who had been members of the sixth team, earlier.


    "Oh, Commander Marin sent us here. Yesterday, when she was leading our first and the third teams to the frontier, we got ambushed on the way. Though we successfully repulsed the enemy under her leadership, her war dragon was so seriously injured that now it cannot stand up nor walk. So, after we had driven the enemy forces back, and returned safely, Commander Marin asked us to bring Sheridan to where she is waiting, with her war dragon, to cure it..." Thor replied respectfully, as he held Rocky in high esteem.


    "Sheridan, someone is calling you," Rocky shouted to get Sheridan''s attention, who was busy working at the beast farm. Thor and Joss had described the encounter so vividly that he could visualize how severely the spirit-manipulated beast must have gotten wounded. Now that he knew the gravity of the situation, he was also a little worried for Marin, as she had always treated him well.


    After finishing what he was doing, Sheridan walked out slowly and asked, "What''s the matter?"


    "Commander Marin''s war dragon was injured!" Rocky replied.


    "What?" On learning that Marin''s war dragon had gotten hurt, Sheridan was extremely concerned and became tense. With an urgency in tone, he said, "Why don''t you send it to me and I will take care of it?"


    "That is not possible, as it can''t walk, due to the grievous injuries it received. That is why Commander Marin asked us to pick you up," Joss said promptly.


    Sheridan became even more serious and yelled, "What are you waiting for? Take me to Commander Marin. Hurry!"


    Thor and Joss became somber, nodded their heads, which meant that they would escort Sheridan to Commander Marin poste haste, and immediately they started heading towards where she was camped. Rocky, too joined them, as he wanted to benefit from seeing Sheridan treat the war dragon - live teaching from Sheridan, was a rare opportunity, indeed!

 Chapter 247 Weak And Helpless Marin

    Rocky arrived at the battlefields of northeast military camp, having followed Thor and Sheridan the whole way. The battlefields were teeming with personnel, from ranks of soldiers to spirit manipulators. Many of the soldiers and spirit manipulators were gathered around a creature of immense size, pointing and whispering.


    "Back off and step aside...! What is going on here?!" Sheridan demanded loudly, seeing the commotion and unhappy at the conduct.


    Solders and spirit manipulators looked up to see that it was Sheridan who spoke. All of them stepped aside and cleared the way for him, knowing his temper was infamous throughout the whole northeast military camp. Sheridan was, after all, the administrator of beast farm. If they irritated him, then the spirit-manipulated beasts, their closest friends, would get in trouble. It was in their best interests to respect him and his authority.


    Standing behind Sheridan, Rocky cast his eyes on the enormous figure in battlefield. He realized that it was none other than Marin''s war dragon named Verdanim. Verdanim was stretched out on its side. It looked as though it was in serious pain. Its lower abdomen bulged out, distended like a ball, almost as though it''d been pregnant for a few months. But its left rear limb which was badly deformed was bloody. The limb was black and blue all over. While outwardly, the injury looked horrible, the internal injuries were likely much worse than that.


    "Sheridan..." Marin choked as she gently patted Verdanim''s head from where she was squatted. She was desperately trying to soothe her injured dragon. With tears in her eyes, she rose to her feet to implore Sheridan. "Hurry, please, save Verdanim, I beg you!" she begged.


    "Calm down, Marin; don''t worry. I''ll save it, I promise you," Sheridan replied calmly, patting her shoulder and trying to reassure her. Verdanim had been his gift to Marin, and he had raised the dragon himself. Hence, he understood her feelings about Verdanim in this situation, and sympathized with her.


    For Marin, Verdanim was more than just a dragon; it was like a sibling to her. Her sadness and her joys were things she would share with it. She adored this dragon and prized it above all else, and her heart broke to see it so injured.


    Rocky had never seen Marin look so weak and helpless before. Often, she behaved as though she were a man: strong, impartial, and clear-sighted. She was a fine Commander that looked as steady as any other. But now, it seemed as though a mere breeze could send Marin down.


    For Marin''s part, as soon as she''d seen Sheridan approaching, she felt some of her anxiousness drain from her body. She was confident that he had every ability to cure her spirit-manipulated beast. But t


    .?! How dare you...!" Marin, already heartbroken and in pain, felt rage bubble up to the surface at Rocky''s impudence, wondering how he felt he had the right to hold her hand right now. She forcibly tried to pull her hand away but he refused to let go.


    The soldiers and spirit manipulators around them, startled, began to grow uncomfortable. Rocky was displaying a bold show of insubordination. His impertinence could cost him his life.


    "Stay out of this, I know Sheridan has a way to cure Verdanim...! Just get out of my way and let me go! You''re really pissing me off!" Marin was livid, eyes blazing at Rocky.


    "And what would Verdanim think if it saw you hysterical like this?! The dragon got hurt to save you, it put itself through this for your sake; it didn''t do this to watch you have a meltdown!" Rocky snarled back angrily, jabbing a finger to Verdanim''s direction, as the dragon continued to struggle.


    Caught off guard, Marin turned her eyes back to her beloved dragon. Verdanim could only look back at her pitifully, struggling to breathe with sad eyes. The only sound the dragon could make was a small, pained neigh.


    At such a heartbreaking sight, Marin''s misery swelled up her throat and tears flowed free once again. She hastily wiped them away, unable to bear the thought that people would think she was fragile.


    But her actions did not go unnoticed by Rocky. He was shocked that Marin could cry like this, and his heart softened. After a moment of careful deliberation, he finally spoke, "Maybe...Maybe I could find a way to cure Verdanim."


    "You...you can cure him?" Marin stared at him, astonished at such a declaration. If not even Sheridan could find a way to cure Verdanim, how could Rocky possibly manage it? He had only been Sheridan''s apprentice for a few months. Could Rocky really do it?

 Chapter 248 The Surgical Operation

    A crowd of soldiers and spirit manipulators gathered by the side and were shocked when they heard what Rocky had said. Disbelief was written on their faces, and they exchanged looks, as if saying that Rocky had overestimated his skills.


    "Did I hear that right? Rocky claimed that he could treat and cure Commander Marin''s spirit-manipulated beast? He has to be lying! Everyone can see that it is hurt beyond any help. Even Sheridan has said that it is incurable, and he knows what he is talking about because he has seen and healed so many cases of severely injured spirit-manipulated beasts. Then, who does Rocky think he is, to say that he can do what Sheridan says is impossible? He is simply showing off to feel big!"


    "I agree with you. I bet he wants to ingratiate himself with Commander Marin. And he is doing that because he is desperate that she recalls him to the spirit manipulator squad from the beast farm.


    "If he can cure it, then so can I."


    All of a sudden, everyone started protesting and the atmosphere at the training ground quickly turned tumultuous. It became crystal clear that no one present, believed an iota of what Rocky had claimed he could do - that he could treat and cure Verdanim.


    Marin, who had always relied on Sheridan to make her war-damaged spirit manipulated creatures healthy, and ready to go to another battle, was no exception. She too, like the others present, had misgivings about Rocky''s claim.


    "You don''t believe me, do you?" Rocky asked Marin. He didn''t care about what people thought of him or what he said, but he respected Marin, and wanted to know what she really thought.


    "Rocky, can you really help Marin, to make Verdanim well? I hope this is not a false claim." Sheridan, who had been silent all this while, asked, as he was surprised at what Rocky had said. Although he knew that Rocky came up with novel ideas from time to time, not knowing how truthful or skilled Rocky was, he was genuinely intrigued and wanted to know how he planned to cure Verdanim, for, in his eyes, that was a formidable task.


    "Yes, but what I have in mind is untested and can be dangerous. Yet I think, I should try my approach. It is possible that it might endanger Verdanim''s life even more. However, in my opinion, that is the only option we have at this point," Rocky said in a serious tone. His way was to operate on Verdanim, and that came with risks. Also, till then, Rocky had performed surgeries only on small spirit-manipulated beasts, not on any gigantic creature, like Verdanim was. This being his first, it would surely be a high-risk procedure.


    "How can I trust you? Even Sheridan said that he could not help Verdanim, as his condition is beyond help," Marin said sceptically.


    "Well, it is up to you to trust me or not. Obviously, it is your call," Rocky spoke calmly. It seemed that he did not care whether or not Marin believed that he could treat Verdanim and restore his health.


    Marin was torn. Sheridan had run out of solutions and she did not know if she could trust Rocky. In her heart, she did not believe that Rocky knew what to do to make Verdanim regain his health and strength. Finally, she looked to Sheridan for help, for bein


    inexperienced," perplexed, Sheridan murmured to himself. But he was reassured on seeing Rocky, who was standing in front of Verdanim, looking like a picture of confidence. Then he left the beast stable.


    After Sheridan had left, Rocky brought the sterile basket of surgical tools into the stable, where Verdanim lay on the soil floor. After clearing and leveling a small area, he spread a white cloth on the ground and placed the tools on it, symmetrically one alongside the other. After that, he dipped a rag cloth into one of the two buckets that he had fetched and placed near Verdanim. Finally, Rocky started cleaning the blood from its wounded body with the wet rag.


    By now, Verdanim''s condition was rapidly deteriorating. Nearly unconscious, it was struggling to keep its eyes open, and having trouble breathing. It seemed that the pressure in its abdominal cavity was so much that it would explode.


    After scrubbing and completing the pre-surgery procedures, Rocky started operating without any further delay. He first suctioned out the hematocele from Verdanim''s abdominal cavity, to reduce the pressure on other organs.


    "Sleep well," Rocky said, and fed Verdanim some diluted Centipede-snake venom to anesthetize it.


    Seeing that the anesthesia had taken effect on Verdanim and it was completely unconscious, Rocky immediately took the largest scalpel and cut open its lower belly. He repeated this move three times to completely rip it open. Immediately, a pool of blood was all over the stable floor.


    When Verdanim''s abdominal cavity was totally drained off the blood, using tweezers, Rocky started tucking the loose flesh so that he could find the ruptured aorta. Moreover, that was easy to spot, as it was gargantuan in size.


    Rocky then, quickly found the bleeding aorta whose diameter was the size of a small water pipe. Its condition was much worse than what he could imagine or had expected it to be. As more than one segment was ruptured, it was difficult to fix it. Also, he knew that if anything were to go wrong during the operation, the aorta might rupture again, and Verdanim would not survive that.

 Chapter 249 An Incredible Miracle

    Rocky took a deep breath. He had urgently tried to stop the hemorrhaging of blood. Then he strung the high-toughness ligament which was acquired from a granary rat beast onto the bone-made needles. Once done, he started to close up the ruptured aorta.


    Every single procedure required a high-level technique, which meant that every move took a considerable amount of effort. Rocky had only begun to put in a few stitches and yet he already began perspiring heavily.


    It took two whole hours before Rocky was able to stitch the ruptured aorta together. He then checked the wound carefully before cautiously restoring the blood supply. He waited another fifteen minutes before he was sure that there were no leaking points around the suture. With no leakage, he let out a relieved breath.


    Rocky finally began stitching up Verdanim''s lower abdomen again. And eventually, the first operation was completed.


    As this went on, Verdanim was visibly improving, particularly with the supplementary blood supply. His breathing was no longer labored.


    With its condition looking better, Rocky took advantage of every moment and began the second operation. Compared to the first one, this would be even more challenging, but even more delicate. And the skill level came with higher requirements.


    If Rocky were to fail this stage, Verdanim may never stand on his own feet again. But if he did not go through with the operation, there would be no other way for the dragon to ever stand up again. The chances of success and failure were fifty-fifty. And it was all up to Rocky now.


    Rocky lifted the badly twisted left limb onto a pile of straw with great care, where he studied the injury with great care. With the help of Stroking Evaluation Skill, he determined that the extent of the fractured parts took up about 70% of the whole left limb, gathered mostly on the upper extremity.


    "It looks like there is only one way to cope with this situation. Two iron plates will be needed to replace the support function of bones. Then, magical saliva will be used to promote bone regeneration. But we still don''t know whether the bone would ever fully heal afterward." Rocky had no idea what might happen after this, but there was ultimately no choice.


    After he steeled himself for what he was about to do, he made up his mind and began operating its left limb right away. He carefully slit an opening o


    ness and was starting to act more at ease. Even he could not have achieved such a success.


    An odd smile appeared on Rocky''s face. Of course, he had no plans on telling anyone the truth.


    Marin''s voice rose again with a fresh flow of righteous anger. "Rocky, I''ll want to know what you did to Verdanim yesterday or there''ll be serious repercussions!"


    "You''re so annoying!" Rocky glared at her. Here he was having spent so much time and effort kindly saving Verdanim''s life and Marin couldn''t even show appreciation. All he got was suspicion and disrespect. No good deed goes unpunished, apparently.


    "Marin, please, just calm down. Look, Verdanim''s doing well, and it''s fine! The young man is certainly worthy of being my apprentice. Ha-ha!" Sheridan laughed in response.


    "But why is there such a big wound on its abdomen? It wasn''t there before! What if it leaves a permanent scar?!" Rocky gaped at her in utter disbelief, unable to fathom how Marin could be focusing on operation wounds and scarring right now.


    He finally decided to just ignore this ridiculous girl and told Sheridan, "Verdanim''s wound can''t get wet no matter what. No one should allow any water to come in. That also means no baths, no scrubbing for a while. And it can only have grass and water for the next three days." And with that, Rocky pulled the basket onto his back and strode out of the stable, planning to leave the farm.


    "Marin..." With that admonishing tone, Sheridan made a gesture to Marin. Seeing this, Marin hesitated before she got to her feet. "Wait!" she shouted as she sprinted after Rocky.

 Chapter 250 Following

    When he heard Marin, Rocky turned around and asked, "Anything else?"


    "Well... Th-thank you!" Marin stammered, an awkward expression on his face.


    "Since I just finished the operation, it''s too early to tell whether Verdanim is out of danger. Take care of it for the next few days. Don''t thank me yet. What if Verdanim relapses? You''d definitely kill me then." Rocky chuckled and breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Come on! I''m not that unreasonable." Knowing that Rocky said that on purpose, Marin felt wronged and frowned.


    With a faint smile, Rocky turned to leave. Though he said nothing, Marin understood what he think of her.


    "That annoying guy..." Marin murmured angrily, staring at Rocky''s back. But she was glad Rocky had saved Verdanim, even if she didn''t know a way to express it with the other emotions at war within her, chief among them being worry.


    As Rocky was walking back to his place, he felt that a pair of eyes were staring at him. He turned around abruptly, but there was no one there.


    Frowning, he studied the area but saw nothing out of the ordinary. As he turned away, a pair of deer-like eyes flashed in the darkness.


    After returning to his room, Rocky shoveled bags of soil to feed the three Dark Heaven Insects. When the Dark Heaven Insects were full, he checked them by the Stroking Evaluation Skill. The examination revealed they were in good health. When he was done, he put them back into the nest. Rocky turned to Uriah and Little Rubygon. "We''re all set here. I think it''s time for us to go for a little hunt."


    They left and headed into the nearby forest. They''d gone a good way when Uriah stopped, spun to the left, and roared.


    "What''s wrong, Uriah?" Rocky crouched beside Uriah and stroked the beast''s head. Ready to send Uriah after whatever bothered the beast, Rocky followed Uriah''s gaze, but he saw only shadows within the deeper darkness of the trees.


    "All right now! Let''s go!" Thinking Uriah was simply in a bad mood, Rocky stood and directed the two beasts to continue on.


    As they walked, Uriah still shot looks over its shoulder. Or it would stop and turn to peer


    ttle. But the bottle spun away from Uriah''s outstretched paw and darted away toward the trees on the left.


    Rocky could only stare as the bottle flew seemingly of its own accord.


    But he knew there was another reason. A reason he wished was not true.


    Seeing the bottle fly away, Uriah shot up flames. The two fire balls roared past the bottle toward the darkness.


    As the fire grew, it silhouetted a giant spiritual beast. It had long slender limbs that glinted with rainbow colors.


    "The Rainbow Glow Unicorn!" Rocky yelled even as he dodged the flames.


    But before Rocky could react the beast had disappeared. The bottle of saliva, however, still zipped through the air, trailing the beast. Uriah gave chase. "Stop, Uriah! Let it go!" Rocky yelled.


    Uriah let out a frustrated roar but stopped. With a groan, it followed Rocky. Uriah looked at Rocky with a concerned expression, one of doubt, one that said it wondered why Rocky had stopped it.


    The bottle drew to a halt in the midair. Then it, too, was gone from sight.


    The encounter brought Rocky to a conclusion. It wasn''t the magical saliva that had drawn the Rainbow Glow Unicorn. Its attack had been too precise, too measured. Too planned.


    "It seems that the Rainbow Glow Unicorn has been following us along the way," he murmured to himself. Stunned, he thought back to the day''s events, staring at the space that once held the Unicorn.

 Chapter 251 Where Are You Going

    Even though Uriah was extremely vigilant all the way, Rocky had been wondering if their movements were tracked after they left the northeast military camp. It turned out that Uriah had indeed detected that they were followed. And he was right. It was the Rainbow Glow Unicorn that was following them.


    Rocky knew that it would track them for the magical saliva, though he had no idea how it had located them. That was why he did not pursue the matter, then. Anyway, Rocky was sure that it would show up again.


    Rocky, Rubygon, and Uriah left at once, as Rocky was not interested in hunting with either one of them. He was sure that the Rainbow Glow Unicorn would trail them secretly. The only thing he cared about was when the Rainbow Glow Unicorn would appear. In addition, Rocky was confident that if it had come after them all the way, he would be able to lure it.


    Therefore, to ensure that the Rainbow Glow Unicorn could stalk them, Rocky opened his magical saliva bottle, and diffused its special aura.


    In this manner, he came back to the Ghost Village with Uriah and Rubygon.


    To ascertain whether the Rainbow Glow Unicorn was following them at that time, Rocky took out a small bottle, filled a drop of magical saliva in it, placed it in the middle of the field, and quietly waited for the Rainbow Glow Unicorn to show up.


    Just then, it got dark, and a blanket of silence covered everything in the area.


    Although Rocky was on full alert, and had closely inspected his surroundings, he could not find any trace of the Rainbow Glow Unicorn.


    "I wonder where it is? It should have arrived by now." Rocky''s furrowed eyebrows conveyed his confusion, while he waited to find the Rainbow Glow Unicorn. But as he did not find anything, he finally returned to the abandoned house.


    When he was stepping into its courtyard, he detected a colorful light that flashed and disappeared in the woods.


    "Let''s see who is more patient, you or I," Rocky said with a sinister smile on his face. The Rainbow Glow Unicorn was worried that if it were to get the magical saliva directly, things would take a dangerous turn. Therefore, it lingered around patiently, and waited his time out.


    Now, Rocky was relaxed, as he had the magical saliva, and knew that the Rainbow Glow Unicorn would show up sooner or later. For that reason, he stayed in the abandoned house to practice, after sending Uriah and Rubygon


    Glow Unicorn is fascinated by it and has recklessly bitten into its hook," Rocky laughed to himself as he pictured the scene - the Rainbow Glow Unicorn biting the bottle''s hook! At the same time, Rocky was trying to approach it without making a sound.


    The creature saw Rocky come towards it, but it was not taken aback by his approach. Instead, it howled at him, fearlessly, and then flew away with the bottle in its mouth. Surprisingly, it maintained a speed that Rocky could match, and turned back occasionally, to check whether or not Rocky was following.


    Rocky was intrigued seeing the Unicorn''s behavior. It seemed that the Rainbow Glow Unicorn was not trying to get away, nor running away from Rocky. Instead, it wanted him to come after it.


    "Does it want to bring me to a special place?" Rocky wondered. Nevertheless, after briefly considering what to do, he followed the Rainbow Glow Unicorn, right away.


    Seeing that Rocky was coming along with it, the Unicorn flew away. However, it didn''t hide on the way, nor did it try to evade Rocky. It became clear that it was taking Rocky to show him someplace. Once he understood the Rainbow Glow Unicorn''s intentions, Rocky became curious and wanted to find out where he was going.


    Now that it had slowed down, Rocky caught up with it, and they flew side by side.


    "Hey there, where are you going? Where are you taking me?" Rocky asked the Rainbow Glow Unicorn.


    Suddenly, it emitted a deep howl, instead of replying to Rocky''s question, which aroused his curiosity even more, and he wondered where the Rainbow Glow Unicorn was taking him.

 Chapter 252 Finding A Mysterious Thing

    In this manner, for half a day, Rocky kept running non-stop, and following up with the Rainbow Glow Unicorn. Now, they had entered an area that was not only beyond the northeast military camp''s jurisdiction but also had no state jurisdiction. Therefore, such a zone was full of dangers, since troops, spirit manipulators, or mercenary armies from strange countries, could ambush them at any time.


    Having run without taking breaks, Rocky was out of breath, but when he turned to the Rainbow Glow Unicorn, he realized that it seemed to have enjoyed the journey. Seeing how happy the Rainbow Glow Unicorn looked, Rocky wondered if it was taking him for a ride.


    Shortly after that, it brought Rocky to the foot of a cliff. It was at least more than ten meters high, and dangerously steep. The Rainbow Glow Unicorn stopped, and hesitated in front of the cliff. Then, it turned to Rocky, and looked up at the cliff.


    Rocky followed its gaze. Initially, he saw nothing, but rock and the sky above it. But when he looked carefully, Rocky spotted a cliff cave.


    ''I wonder if there is anything up there?'' Rocky thought.


    Then he remembered that the spirit beast was very fond of priceless treasures. Consequently, anything scarce and valuable would definitely attract it. So, Rocky surmised that the treasure trove that had attracted the Rainbow Glow Unicorn, was possibly up there. He continued to wonder why the Unicorn had guided him there. Probably because it could not climb up, and wanted Rocky''s help.


    "Do you want to exchange my magical saliva with the treasure up there?" Rocky immediately asked, on realizing, that was what the Rainbow Glow Unicorn wanted, and requested it to be patient. As the spiritual beast was brilliant and had a human-like temperament, Rocky was not surprised that it had thought of such a plan.


    In response to Rocky''s words, it neighed, and raised its head a few times, and it seemed that it concurred with his request to be patient.


    "All right, if there is any treasure up there, I will give you one more drop of the magical saliva, besides the drop I am carrying now," Rocky said, generously. Now that Rocky had grasped that the Rainbow Glow Unicorn had a fixation on getting the magical saliva, Rocky planned to give it to the creature, in exchange for getting something in return, in the future. Therefore, he thought that if he could subdue the Rainbow Glow Unicorn, with Uriah and Rubygon''s help, he would have three spirit-manipulated beasts in his control. It was every spirit manipu


    ich navigating one''s way would be impossible.


    "I think, I shall go in that direction," Rocky said to himself, and walked toward the direction from where he had felt the presence of the spiritual power.


    Rocky had hardly taken a few steps, when he kicked something. On looking down, he found that there was a rotten corpse at his feet and he had kicked what was left of it.


    After kicking the rotten human mortal remains, Rocky surveyed his surroundings with the utmost care, but he did not find anything else. He looked down at the corpse again. It seemed to him that it had been in the cave for such a long time that it had started to rot. What he saw disgusted him.


    Rocky was ill at ease with the corpse at his feet, so, without thinking about it twice, he moved on. As he went further, he saw that countless ghastly skeletons were piled up, one top of the other. It appeared that they had been buried in a mass grave.


    That was a spine-chilling scene and could have scared anyone. Rocky started walking faster, and soon, he could see the place which was emitting spiritual power. But it was filled with dried and desiccated corpses, whose skeletons had shrunk. The sight of the two bulging eyeballs, on each frame, that threatened to fall off the sockets and hit the ground, was the most horrifying sight he had seen. It was Rocky''s worst nightmare, indeed.


    Then he came upon another dead body and observed, "This man seems to have died, recently," Rocky understood that from the cadaver''s condition. When he looked carefully, he also saw a bag placed near it. Immediately after, he realized that the spiritual power he had received earlier, was flowing from that bag.

 Chapter 253 Bringing Back The Envoys

    Unbeknown to him, Rocky saw the source of the rich spiritual power he had felt, when he carefully picked up the glinting package and opened it. He beheld an exquisitely embellished brocade box. He could not believe that he was holding it in his hand! Apart from the box, he saw the package also contained a book and a map.


    Placing the brocade box securely in the package, Rocky scrutinized the book whose pages were frayed at their corners, because it was obvious that countless hands had turned them. It was titled, ''Demonic Fire Codex''. Now that he had taken a closer look at it, he grasped that it was about a spiritual martial arts skill, and meant for the spirit manipulators, who were at the Heavenly Stage. Next, he opened the creased and dusty map and began studying it, after he had smoothened the lines and blown the dust off. Initially, he was confused by the many marks around, what looked like a route on the map. Then, his focus shifted, and he noticed a cross that was drawn in one part of the map. From what Rocky could see and put together, it seemed like was a treasure map.


    Now that he had seen the book and the map, he picked up the brocade box with much trepidation. Its well-crafted magnificent exterior told Rocky that something even more splendid was inside. It was plain that its contents were extremely significant - otherwise, why would anyone get such a magnificent container? He could discern that it contained important things, but what were they - that was the million-dollar question. Curious to find out, and get his answer, Rocky slowly opened the brocade box. While he was doing that, he was blinded for a few seconds, when a scarlet ray surged from the narrow opening and illuminated the surroundings. However, his eyes quickly adapted to the bright light. When he looked inside the brocade box, he was surprised to see a giant scarlet pearl, the size of a ping pong ball. Also, besides being colorless, it was transparent. Rocky was bewildered by what he saw next - bright flames dancing inside the scarlet pearl! Those rising flames were indeed sending out a forceful spiritual power.


    Amazed and moved, "What''s this?" is what Rocky could say. To take a closer look, he then, took the scarlet pearl out of the box. He could not still figure out its significance, even though he had been observing it for a while. However, what he could tell, was that it was much more than a rare treasure, like a Dark Heaven Egg or Heaven Divine Lotus Seed, which could be refined.


    Now that Rocky had understood that the scarlet pearl was unique, he channeled his spiritual power into it to study it further, and comprehend what it was all about. Most unexpectedly, within a few seconds, it auto-ignited in his hand, and before he knew what was happening, leaping flames began rising towards the cave''s high ceiling. Also, they were growing bigger by the minute. Shortly after that, the pearl gradually rose and flew into the air with the upward thrust the conflagration had created. Magically, like shape-shifters, the flames took the forms of several formidable dragons, started flying around the pearl, and lit up the entire cave, from top to bottom, leaving no dark corners. This scene of the fire, incandescent light, an


    spirit manipulators, who had reached the Divine Stage before their thirties on the Wild Spirit Land. And both of them were female. However, there was a lot of mystery surrounding them in the Wild Spirit Land.


    Most of the spirit manipulators wondered how the two ladies reached the Divine Stage before they were thirty, as there were only a few spirit manipulators of the Divine Stage in the entire land. It was therefore, surprising that they could achieve such a high level at such a tender age. Speculation and a lack of any information about the two ladies enhanced the veil of mystery that surrounded them.


    Indeed, how Alyssa Mu and Marcia accomplished so much so early was a secret, which made them an enigma for all. Were the mystery surrounding how they achieved their elevated status, and became powerful in the Timber Deity Empire to be addressed, the answers would shock the entire empire.


    "Find the three envoys at once, and bring them back here. The tribute they took from the Roaring Flame Empire is priceless. There is an important map, a book on a rare spiritual martial arts skill, and the Dragon Flame Pearl, a special spiritual weapon. We cannot risk other countries finding them and taking them away, especially the Holy Dragon Empire. Keep their search a secret. We have to safeguard our alliance with the Roaring Flame Empire and not let other empires know about it. We have to keep it secret. Therefore, mind you all - I will not spare anyone who makes a mistake, or causes an accident that jeopardizes our treaty," a worried Alyssa, spoke those words seriously, and meant every word she had uttered.


    "Yes, Your Royal Highness!" the commanders answered in unison.


    "Then, why are you still here? Go, find the Roaring Flame Empire''s envoys and bring them back, safely! In case, you cannot locate them, you must bring back the map, as that is crucial for our success. And mind - in case you fail to do so, all of you will be beheaded!" Alyssa angrily yelled at them, when she saw that they were still standing there, and not moving out to fulfill their mission.


    Scared out their wits, the commanders fled out of the tent at once.

 Chapter 254 Last Chance Of Survival (Part One)

    Rocky had already taken the three treasures, when the people of the Timber Deity Empire were desperately looking for them. The Roaring Flame Empire had planned to offer them as a tribute to the Timber Deity Empire, as the two Empires had secretly formed an alliance. Therefore, it was imperative for the Timber Deity Empire to find them. Because, once their common enemy, the Holy Dragon Empire, found out about the three treasures, their secret alliance would be exposed. However, no matter how hard they tried, they could not find them, because, a huge beast had swallowed Rocky along with the treasures, and the people of the Timber Deity Empire could never imagine that they should look inside the creature. Rocky, who was inside the gargantuan animal had no idea that he possessed three top-secret treasures. Neither did he know that so many people were looking for them desperately. He did not care what others were doing at that moment, for he had more pressing matters to deal with.


    After briefly travelling in the enormous creature''s dark inside, Rocky landed in a sticky place that smelt rotten, but strangely, he felt that he had returned to his mother''s womb. To be more specific, he was right inside the spirit-manipulated beast''s stomach.


    Rocky kept activating the spiritual light in his palm, which soon illuminated the creature''s stomach. That was when Rocky saw that the beast''s stomach was like a small two-meter long room that kept extending forward. He carefully looked around and found all kinds of undigested garbage there, which included the white and scary bones of humans and beasts.


    "Am I in the spirit-manipulated beast''s stomach? If I am, then I am in serious trouble!" Rocky said to himself. Now that he had understood the gravity of the situation, he regretted having been greedy for the treasures. Had he known that he would get tra


    source several times, the result was the same. Thus, he accepted that his efforts would not help him escape, nor weaken the creature, as it was much stronger than he was. Its strength was at least that of a beast who was at the third grade of the three-star level.


    "If only I can figure out another way to get out of here," Rocky said helplessly. Just as Rocky was about to give up and wander elsewhere, he abruptly spotted that the flesh threads that were attached to the flesh wall were detaching themselves, and were moving out of the wall as if they had become alive. Then, they were creeping and squirming in the air, and finally, all of them rushed toward him.


    Rocky saw and recognized that it was an emergency and that the situation could become extremely dangerous and life-threatening for him. However, as he could not retreat now, he hurriedly waved the Frozen Wind Dagger and released his spiritual power to resist the flesh threads. But two white flesh threads quickly entangled themselves with the hand with which he was holding the Frozen Wind Dagger. Anxious to destroy them by using the spiritual martial arts with his free hand, he raised it, but unfortunately, found that more flesh threads had already tied it securely.

 Chapter 255 Last Chance Of Survival (Part Two)

    In the blink of an eye, the flesh threads tied Rocky''s limbs and body by wrapping themselves around him, which rendered him immobile, and he resembled a large cocoon.


    "Damn it!" Rocky swore angrily. His situation was grim and he was desperate. Now that all of him was tied up, he could do nothing to escape from that nasty place.


    But then, something that Rocky could not imagine happened. He found that his body''s spiritual power began to diminish gradually. It appeared that the flesh threads that were wrapped around him had started absorbing his body''s spiritual power, and Rocky could feel that it was draining out of his body.


    Rocky''s expression changed and he was alarmed. He could see that if the flesh threads continued to absorb his spiritual power in that way, the beast could kill him before he could release himself from the flesh threads'' constricting restraint, or attempt an escape from the beast''s stomach. Just then, he remembered the corpse and the bones he had seen inside the stomach some time back. Finally, he realized what had happened. It seemed that the beast had eaten many spirit manipulators earlier. But it absorbed their spiritual power before it killed them all.


    "Damn! Now I know that the Rainbow Glow Unicorn was actually trying to murder me!" Rocky said more desperately. Now that Rocky had understood everything, and had seen the fate that had befallen spirit manipulators in the past, he was scared, and his face became ashen. Had he been free, he would have tried every trick he knew to get out his current predicament. But now that he was tied up, what could he do? Never in his life had he felt so forlorn, as he did then. As he lay there, he could constantly feel the flesh thre


    s continually reducing. Were he to come up with a solution even a little later, it would be too late.


    Just when it seemed it might already be too late, Rocky suddenly thought of the Dragon Flame Pearl, one of the three treasures he had with him. He knew that as long as the spiritual power was injected into the Dragon Flame Pearl, which was in his inner pocket, it would produce a very powerful flame. If he could control it with his spiritual power, there seemed to be a slim chance of survival for him.


    Since time was of the essence, Rocky did not have the luxury of spending any more time in careful consideration. The Dragon Flame Pearl was his last chance of survival, and he had to get access to it.


    "I have to give it my all!" Rocky shouted, determined to succeed. With his back against the wall, he had to fight hard for his life. Immediately, he gritted his teeth and began to gather the remaining spiritual power in his body. However, the faster he gathered his spiritual power, the faster the flesh threads were absorbing it. Therefore, if he could not control the Dragon Flame Pearl successfully, he would definitely be killed.

 Chapter 256 To Overcome Or To Die

    ''This has to work!'' Rocky said to himself as he exerted his spiritual power to connect with the Dragon Flame Pearl in his chest.


    But, the Dragon Flame Pearl was not activated even after he almost completely drained his spiritual power from exertion.


    ''Can I make this work? Or am I doomed here?'' Rocky''s will started to slip. Thoughts of hopelessness and defeat plagued him. He started to think about giving up and surrendering to the Goddess of Fate as the minutes passed by. He thought about the times when he escaped the grip of death relatively unscathed before. But, alas, this time, it seemed that luck had deserted him completely.


    As the thoughts of defeat hovered ever closer, the image of Lena forced itself into his mind. A powerful emotion suddenly filled his entire being. His heart thumped with renewed energy. He realized that he could not allow himself to perish. He knew that he needed to survive for the one who cared deeply about him.


    Rocky braced himself with renewed determination. He took a deep breath and slowly, carefully drew forth his last reserve of spiritual power to once again attempt to activate the Dragon Flame Pearl. He steeled his mind for only one acceptable possibility -- he would succeed! At this point, he prepared himself for both absolute defeat and absolute success and held nothing back!


    Beads of sweat trickled down from his forehead. His body reverberated from the intensity of his concentration. At length, Rocky''s strength started to ebb and give in to the enormous strain. And just as he was about to collapse, a magnificent flame burst forth from his chest. The scorching heat almost melted his skin! The flesh threads that bounded his chest gave out, unable to contain the power of the Dragon Flame Pearl. The pearl then flew into the air as several smaller streaks of fire surrounded it. The entire area looked as if dragons with bodies made of pure flame flashed in fiery waves of orange, yellow and red and played around with the pearl.


    "Go!" Rocky exclaimed as he moved his head upward and urged the flames forward. He was surprised that the Dragon Flame Pearl followed his instruction. It flew directly into the flesh pillar. The shroud of fire grew magnificently to engulf the flesh pillar in its searing flames.


    A thundering sound filled the area as the flesh pillar disintegrated under the blazing assault of the fire streaks of the Dragon Flame Pearl.


    Loud groaning sounds filled the air that came from the spirit-manipulated beast as the flesh wall shuddered violently from the assault.


    The white flesh threads stopped feeding on his spiritual power. Its grip loosened which allowed Rocky to move more freely. He reached for his Frozen Wind Dagger to completely free himself of the white flesh threads by cutting them off. Without warning, as if it read his mind, a powerful surge of spiritual power flowed through the white flesh threads and into his exhausted body.


    In an instant, Rocky felt the spiritual power from the white flesh threads as it slammed into his body like the waves of the ocean during a storm. But Rocky''s body did not have


    him. Yet he also continued his same defense as he subdued the alien spiritual power to his will. As he absorbed it into his own reserve of spiritual power, his cultivation base was expected to elevate to the sixth grade of the Earthly Stage.


    Two more days and nights passed and he went on the same spiritual battle with his attacker.


    But the intensity of the spiritual power attacks weakened as the hours flew by. Rocky felt the end of the struggle drew near. The assaults continued with decreasing intensity until it completely sputtered to a halt.


    Rocky opened his eyes slowly. He felt completely relaxed, calm and rested despite the amount of time that had passed. He felt so full of spiritual power. He looked around him and saw the wilted flesh threads that once attached to his body. Even the flesh pillar grew pallid and drooping.


    Rocky sat in meditation for a few moments more. He then scrutinized the spiritual flame that blazed inside his body. It was then that he realized he had almost reached the sixth grade of the Earthly Stage. He jumped from a mere fourth grade in a few days.


    The danger that came with such a progress was just as enormous. Rocky realized how great the peril and how close he was to death during the entire time. He hardly believed that he was able to survive each danger that blocked his way.


    Rocky eventually stood up from his cross-legged position and walked steadily to the side of the flesh pillar. He bent down and then picked up the Dragon Flame Pearl lying silently there. He felt relaxed as the pearl rested in the middle of his palm. "This is a truly valuable treasure for it had saved my life even though I did not expect it to do so!" he whispered to himself.


    Rocky was suddenly greeted by a wave of cold air that surrounded him and overwhelmed him. Everything around him was still dark yet he was sure that he had exited the abdomen of the spirit-manipulated beast. Every breath he took now seemed like the freshest air that he had ever breathed. He felt relieved. It was like finally waking up from a very bad dream!

 Chapter 257 What Is Promise Keeping

    After adjusting his position in the air, Rocky gently landed on the ground. He looked up and saw a listless figure lying between several stone pillars in the dim light. Squinting to see it a little clearer, Rocky was startled as soon as he realized what it was. The figure was the four-star Demonic Devouring Boa.


    As he observed it, Rocky noticed that the beast seemed very exhausted. Perhaps it was because he had destroyed its psychic system which was used to draw spiritual power. Rocky had also absorbed all of the Demonic Devouring Boa''s spiritual power, which explained why it was drained to the almost lifeless form that it was now.


    Despite this possible advantage, Rocky still did not dare to mess with the Demonic Devouring Boa anymore. After all, he had barely escaped it just now, and he didn''t want to risk fighting it again. At once, he sprang to the mouth of the cave in which he had entered. The stone pillars aided his escape, and with the strength he had gained at that moment, he was able to jump out swiftly.


    After emerging from the cave, Rocky descended the cliff, expecting to see the Rainbow Glow Unicorn. But it was long gone.


    "That Rainbow Glow Unicorn just left and abandoned me during that emergency? It is so heartless! However, although this unicorn almost cost me my life, it is a blessing in disguise that I have upgraded my strength in two levels. Aside from that, I also got three treasures. Judging from what I have gained now, actually, I got a lot of benefits from this experience!" Not only was Rocky able to avoid death, but he had also gained so many valuable things. Blessings in disguise, as he called them. If other spiritual manipulators were to hear about this, they might not even be able to imagine the terrible things he had to go through. They would think he was extremely lucky to still be alive. When he recalled all that had happened, he felt like his memories were mere dreams.


    Sometimes luck was the only thing that really mattered!


    "However, a monk may run away, but the temple remains. I believe you will come back for me," Rocky said with a determined face. He turned around and headed back to the military camp. He had no time to lose. It had been a few days since he disappeared, and some people must be worried.


    Sure enough, as soon as he returned to the beast farm of the military camp, Rocky saw Sheridan walking back and forth just outside the farm, looking around from time to time as if he were waiting for someone. As soon as he saw Rock


    thought about it," Rocky declared, clasping his hands together.


    "What do you want?" Marin felt that Rocky wanted something profitable. She braced herself for whatever he might ask for.


    "I want to see Commander Marin dance while dressed in Chinese-style chest covering," Rocky said as he stared at Marin with a smirk on his face.


    "What? You want to see me dance with..." Hearing this, Marin became furious. Rocky''s request was a huge insult to her. If anyone knew that she, the Commander of the northeast military camp had danced in nothing but a Chinese-style chest covering for a man, she would lose face and never regain her honor. How could she make her way through this camp then?


    "Didn''t you just say you could promise anything? You look like you want to go back on your word! Anyway, I don''t really care. But if word gets out that you had promised me something, I don''t know what the others will say about you, Commander Marin," Rocky pushed.


    "Even if I promised I would do anything, this request is just so..." Marin''s body shuddered slightly. She was a woman who could never do such a shameless thing. Not to mention she was also a renowned Commander.


    "You really have no sincerity. The Commander of the northeast military camp is a person who cannot keep her promises. I am so disappointed and heartbroken!" Rocky said with a sad expression and of course he was pretending it.


    Marin was also upset because of Rocky. But she couldn''t be angry since she did promise him that she would grant whatever he wished. And now, she was the one who broke that promise. Because of this, she felt that she became a person who was dishonest and untrustworthy.

 Chapter 258 Belly Dance

    "Never mind. Since you do not want to express your sincerity, there is no need to continue our conversation." Rocky threw a disappointed glance at Marin and then turned to leave. A mischievous smile crossed one corner of his lips as soon as his back was turned away from Marin. He was sure that Marin was in a state of great internal conflict because of his request. Rocky knew that Marin was not the type of person who would break her words but, nonetheless, she wasn''t the type of person to agree to such a ridiculous request. Rocky''s real intention for the request was to make fun of Marin.


    "Fine! I will do as you asked. Come to my place tonight!" Marin said firmly as she clenched her teeth. Determination filled her countenance after what felt to her was an eternity of internal debate.


    Rocky never expected that Marin would agree to his ridiculous request. After all, his request was only intended to deride Marin. But since Marin agreed, it was Rocky who was caught off guard. He didn''t know how to properly react. As Rocky pondered how to tell Marin that it was only a jest, Marin lowered her head and went away with blushed cheeks.


    "Is she really going to do a belly dance for me?" Rocky''s eyes grew big and his eyebrows went up in anticipation. "A great show awaits me tonight!" Marin was a gorgeous lady with a voluptuous body. A belly dance from her had the potential to make any man fall for her hard. Rocky remained in shock from hearing Marin''s agreement to his request. The Marin he knew would rather die than do something like that. But unexpectedly, Marin said yes to his absurd request; and it bowled him over in disbelief.


    Rocky stopped trying to figure out why Marin agreed to his request and soon left to return to his place. He saw Uriah and Little Rubygon sitting in front of his door in a melancholic state as their eyes wandered around, waiting to pick up a hint that he had returned. Both of them looked very worried because Rocky had been gone for days. They soon saw Rocky walking towards them, and their eyes couldn''t light up brighter than they did. They rushed towards Rocky and jumped to his arms. Rocky fell to the ground laughing as Uriah and Little Rubygon started to lick his face.


    "Ha-ha! Stop! Boys! I haven''t washed my face for days! All right! All right! I know you two missed me so much! But if you don''t stop licking me, I would lose a layer of skin on my face." Rocky gently pushed Uriah and Little Rubygon back when it became obvious that they did not intend to stop anytime soon. He lovingly stroked their heads between their ears as he rose to his feet. He walked towards the door with Uriah and L


    the Rainbow Glow Unicorn led him into that situation on purpose to help him. In retrospect, he lost nothing and gained a lot instead, so now he felt very grateful to the Rainbow Glow Unicorn.


    Rocky hadn''t returned for three days, so the three Dark Heaven Insects suffered a lot from hunger. He then shoveled heaps of soil to feed them and gave them a drop of the magical saliva as reparation.


    The sun had set when he completed his tasks.


    After some thought, Rocky decided to go to Marin''s place. He wanted to know what Marin planned to do. Although she agreed to his request earlier, he was unsure whether she''d go through with it or not.


    Campfires blazed under a star-filled sky when Rocky arrived at Marin''s place. It was the first time that he had come to visit her room. He used to always meet her in her military tent, and this unfamiliar location brought a slight unease to Rocky.


    Even as the commander of the northeast military camp, the place where Marin lived was the same as the other rooms where soldiers lived.


    Rocky knocked on the door, and before long, a sweet voice called from inside. "Who is it?"


    "It''s me!" Rocky answered briefly.


    The place grew uncomfortably silent all of a sudden as if no one was around.


    "I will leave if you don''t open the door," Rocky shouted after an annoying silence. He thought that Marin must have felt extremely distressed and regretted her agreement to Rocky''s request earlier.


    ''If she opens the door, then she will really mean it. She must have prepared a great show then!'' Rocky thought to himself with an impish smile and wondered if Marin would ever open the door. Although he wanted badly to see Marin''s belly dance, he believed that it was more likely that she would not open the door.

 Chapter 259 Great Proud

    Rocky waited for a few minutes but the door remained closed. He then decided to leave. Rocky turned to leave but was surprised when the door suddenly opened without warning. Marin stood there in the doorway. She wore a purple, gauzy, loose dress. Her cheeks blushed in deep red. She looked just as amazing when Rocky met her for the first time.


    Marin appeared more bewitching when they first met while she looked more alluring as she stood in that doorway. She looked different on those two instances although each had its own particular attractive appeal.


    ''If Marin spends more time on looking her best, countless men will throw themselves at her feet. It is a pity that she prefers to always look serious, wearing heavy armor. No one can see past her armor and see her true beauty!'' Rocky commented in heart after looking Marin up and down.


    "Come in," Marin said. She raised her head and found Rocky staring at her. Her face blushed in an instant. She quickly stepped aside to let Rocky enter her room.


    Rocky walked into the room without hesitation.


    Marin closed the door and hastily pulled down all the curtains. She was worried that others would see Rocky go into her room so late at night. She didn''t want any rumor of their meeting to go around. Marin''s feminine sensibility was unwilling to hear any rumor about her and Rocky because it could do great harm to her reputation.


    Rocky looked around as he entered Marin''s room. It was an old room yet neat and clean. It was decorated in a style that accentuated efficiency and simplicity. Rocky then noticed a light fragrance of orchid


    a brazen scoundrel that had made an unforgivable move against her. Rocky was actually innocent and did so out of good intention.


    "How can I ever trust you now?" Marin shouted, looking at Rocky with eyes that burned with fury.


    Marin thought that Rocky acted with evil intent and she was suddenly filled with great regret.


    Rocky was aware that no amount of explanation would make Marin believe him. He resigned himself to his fate and said, "You can misunderstand it as reward for saving Verdanim. Now, we''re even!" Rocky sighed to himself, got up and then turned away.


    He left Marin''s room in deep thought. He took the joke too far, that much was true. However, Rocky thought, after that event, it was less likely that Marin would give him any trouble now.


    First Isis, and then now Marin got unintentionally molested by Rocky because of her own carelessness. Rocky imagined that these ladies must owe something to him in a previous life. He smiled uneasily at that thought. He now contemplated the possibility that he was forever cursed with bad romance!

 Chapter 260 Cultivation Method

    Rocky had some time, so he decided to go check on Verdanim at the beast farm first. After all, he had not seen it in a while now. He looked at the wound on Verdanim''s lower abdomen, carefully scrutinising the skin around it. It seemed to be healing very well and he was certain that the suture would come off soon. However, the limb was a different ball game altogether. Until they took the plates off, Rocky would never know how that injury was doing.


    Everything looked okay at the beast farm and so Rocky lumbered down the dusty pathways and made his way to the old abandoned house. This was his happy place, and he felt at peace here. On reaching the threshold, Rocky began to practice and work on his capabilities. He was almost at the sixth grade of the Earthly Stage now and only a little more spiritual power would be needed, before he could reach the sixth grade. He couldn''t help but think that had he absorbed more spiritual power while he was in the belly of the Demonic Devouring Boa, he would have easily reached the sixth grade by now.


    As he sat there, with just his thoughts to ponder over and nowhere else to be, Rocky went into a state of deep thinking. He could not figure out how everything had occurred. Demonic Devouring Boa''s belly was a dangerous place to be in. But even then, while he was in there, he knew that a part of the boa''s spiritual power had been transferred to him. It was strange, that not all the power that the boa had possessed swarmed into him. It was, as if, the rest of the power simply disappeared into thin air.


    But what Rocky did not know was that the spiritual power from the boa had not disappeared. It had instead, been absorbed by the power of the Holy Dragon Bead. Even though Marcia had succeeded in sealing the powers of the Holy Dragon Bead, the first layer of the seal would be loose as he grew stronger.


    As Rocky had reached the fifth grade of the Earthly Stage back then, the first layer of the seal was not as solid as before. The power of the Holy Dragon Bead worked and absorbed the invading spiritual power.


    In a way, the power that was absorbed had benefited Rocky because otherwise, his body would not have been able to survive the exposure to so much power. Rocky''s body was still refining the powers and was not equipped to handle so much in one go.


    There was no way that Rocky could have refined so much spiritual power, all by himself. Had it not been for the power of t


    have to grade up and reach the eighth grade of the Earthly Stage.'' Rocky''s thoughts engulfed him completely. The spirit-manipulated beast could only advance, if the spirit manipulator also advanced - otherwise, it was all in vain.


    So it all boiled down to this - the only way to upgrade Uriah''s power was to upgrade himself.


    And after all, for every spirit-manipulated beast, reaching the third grade of three stars was a highly coveted position. Even amongst the spirit manipulators who had the same power as Rocky''s, being able to have a spirit-manipulated beast at the third grade of three stars was a rarity. In order to bring the spirit-manipulated beast to such a level, the spirit manipulator would have to undergo a lot of improvement. Not just that, it would require a certain kind of strength, resilience and treasure, to the quality of the spiritual crystal - which was the rarest amongst the rare.


    Now, Rocky''s mission was sorted. He had to collect the spiritual crystal, not just for his own upgrade, but also for the sake of Uriah. Rocky knew, that using the Dark Heaven Egg would also help in improving Uriah''s grade. However, it would not be as effective as using the spiritual crystal. The crystal was specially designed for the spirit-manipulated beast.


    In the past, Rocky had used the power of the Holy Dragon Bead to refine the spiritual crystal with Uriah and it had worked the other way around. The results were stupendous. Rocky figured, that when he would reach the Heavenly Stage, he would probably use another cultivation method. He would be able to cultivate himself in the most perfect manner.

 Chapter 261 Search For More Dark Heaven Insects

    So far, in addition to taking the magical saliva, Rocky had also mastered using the Dark Heaven Egg and Heaven Divine Lotus Seed to cultivate, the latter which he practiced under the state of Spirit Possession. However, he only had two Heaven Divine Lotus Seeds. One of them was obviously worn out due to refining, and the other could only support the cultivation for a month. With a little time left, he either had to find other treasures that could be used for cultivation or catch a few Dark Heaven Insects that could produce medium-grade Dark Heaven Eggs. Due to continuous improvement of his strength, the refining effect of the preliminary-grade Dark Heaven Eggs that he currently possessed could no longer help him as much as it used to. Right now, the best option to help him improve the cultivation speed was the medium-grade Dark Heaven Egg.


    ''After taking care of Verdanim''s injured leg, I want to try my luck to catch Dark Heaven Insects, '' Rocky thought for a while then proceeded afterwards.


    A few days later, Rocky removed the iron plates and bars fixed on Verdanim''s left leg. He was delighted to see the very well regenerated bone of the left leg.


    "It seems that you''ve been working hard to recover too!" Rocky''s face was a few inches away from Verdanim''s leg. He scrutinized every part of it to be certain that the regenerated bone had no complications. Contented, he patted Verdanim''s head. The left leg bone had completely regenerated with its powerful recovery ability in such a short period of time.


    Of course, the magical saliva also played a great role for this!


    Verdanim let out a few low-pitched dragon howls. It sounded very happy. The grateful dragon recognized its savior by gently brushing its head to Rocky''s arm. During its recovery, Rocky often came to check and treat its wounds. It brought them together like family.


    After disinfecting the surgical wounds on Verdanim''s left leg, Rocky sewed up the wounds and carefully wrapped the bandage. He then removed the suture of the surgical wound on its lower abdomen. Except for the laceration, everything else had almost recovered.


    After treating the wounds, Rocky stood up and got ready to leave.


    Marin suddenly showed up to see Verdanim. She walked into the stable hurriedly not noticing Rocky. They bumped face to face, their lips inches away from each other.


    Now with a foul mood, she looked up to see and was about to scold the pe


    rk Heaven Insects back, then the northern sky military camp was the most suitable. Shorter travel time was a must when catching Dark Heaven Insects. Otherwise, all collected Dark Heaven Insects would be put into waste.


    Before returning to the camp, Rocky incidentally inquired about the situation of the northern sky military camp. His efforts were in vain as he got nothing, and this added to his burden but he continued to search for and catch Dark Heaven Insects. However, since he was not aware of the patrol route yet, his biggest worry right now was to encounter the patrol squad of the northern sky military camp. He simply didn''t want to be caught after he successfully collected the Dark Heaven Insects.


    Rocky was overwhelmed, and he decided to do things one at a time. He had to find the Dark Heaven Insects first, then began to consider other issues.


    Once everything was set, Rocky immediately took Uriah and Rubygon. Together they walked all the way to the boundary between the northeast military camp and northern sky military camp.


    Rubygon still had a lot to learn but it already had some fighting power. Most of its abilities were yet to be activated. Regardless, it could help Rocky in some aspects now. He was confident to catch even the medium-grade Dark Heaven Insects if they came across them.


    Early in the afternoon, Rocky and his two beasts reached the boundary. Rolling hills were followed by the territory of the northeast military camp. Beyond the hills was the territory of the northern sky military camp, a place where they would encounter unexpected dangers that were unknown yet!

 Chapter 262 Unexpected Comers

    Meanwhile, at the Gehenna Border, Alyssa stared angrily down at two envoys from the Roaring Flame Empire in her own military camp. They were bruised all over; their clothes in a disarray. Her beautiful face twisted in seething anger.


    "You lost the tributes to be sent out to the Timber Deity Empire for our secret alliance?" Alyssa said calmly. Yet her charming eyes betrayed her true emotion for they were full of fury, like two orbs of fire burned where her eyes were supposed to be.


    The two envoys felt desperately hopeless. They understood that they could be sentenced to death for losing the tributes.


    "Princess Alyssa," one of them pleaded. "We did not intend to lose the tributes. A four-star spirit-manipulated beast attacked us out of nowhere and took out one of us who carried the tributes. It is hard to tell at this point if he is still alive or not," he explained.


    "Why did you fail to protect the tributes? Why wasn''t someone with higher power sent to deliver the tributes? If a manipulator at the Supernal Stage was sent then this would not have happened!" Alyssa shouted with great annoyance. Among the tributes was a treasure map. The possibility of someone else finding that treasure map represented a huge loss and risk for both of their empires.


    The two envoys kept their silence. The Roaring Flame Empire was but a medium country compared to Timber Deity Empire which was a powerful one. And thus, they were unable to send a manipulator at the Supernal Stage even if they wanted to. The alliance was made hastily given the circumstances. The Roaring Flame Empire took the situation into consideration and immediately sent three envoys above the Heavenly Stage to complete the task as soon as possible.


    And a team made up of three spirit manipulators above the Heavenly Stage was more than capable to handle any situation that might arise at the Gehenna Border. But no one expected the situation where a four-star Demonic Devouring Boa ambushed the group. If it was an ordinary four-star spirit-manipulated beast, three spirit manipulators above the Heavenly Stage could get rid of it easily. But the beast that attacked them was Demonic Devouring Boa that was known


    sed his eyebrows and silently moved out of his cave to find out what caused the noise. Numerous torches lined the trail in the valley. And they were all heading toward his direction!


    "Why are there troops here this late in the evening?" Rocky wondered.


    He paused and signaled Uriah and little Rubygon to stay and be silent. He then went out towards a boulder along the valley. He made a few silent leaps, lowered his head behind the boulder and studied the approaching troops.


    The light of the torches revealed the uniforms and ornaments of the soldiers to be ones that did not belong to either the northern sky military camp or to the other camps of the Crimson Dragon Group. The wood carved emblem embroidered on their clothes clearly implied that they were troops from another country. It was obvious that there was something wrong since they were within the northern sky military camp''s territory.


    ''Are they on a covert mission?'' Rocky thought as his eyes squinted.


    Unexpectedly, Rocky sensed the presence of spirit manipulators. He checked carefully and found more spirit manipulators behind the troops. They were above the Earthly Stage and more than one was at least at the Heavenly Stage. It became obvious to Rocky that this was a powerful group of soldiers and this estimate came mostly from the spirit manipulators that were present in the group.


    ''It appears that something unexpected and unfriendly will happen very soon!'' Rocky thought.

 Chapter 263 Axiomatic Results

    Rocky, however, just ignored the unknown squad and sneaked into the cave. He knew he shouldn''t fight them alone. What was more, he had entered the territory of the northern sky military camp. And it was none of his business goofing around the territory.


    Rocky soon stopped being bothered by the presence of that squad and began his cultivation. At the crack of dawn, he restarted his journey in search of the Dark Heaven Insects.


    A few hours later, he finally found a spot suitable for Dark Heaven Insects'' living. Rocky soon took out the magical saliva to set up a trap and then hid himself while waiting for his prey.


    Before any Dark Heaven Insect appeared, a lot of wild spirit-manipulated beasts had been attracted to the trap. Working with Uriah and Little Rubygon, Rocky killed those wild spirit-manipulated beasts in minutes.


    Rocky impatiently waited for another two hours but had no luck. Just as he was about to give up his quest, a rustle echoed in the air.


    "Here it comes!" Rocky''s eyes lit up as he heard that sound. He was well experience in capturing the Dark Heaven Insect.


    Just as he had expected, a crack crept over the ground, right next to the bottle of the magical saliva. As the crack widened rapidly, a giant black shadow emerged out from it.


    The appearance of the black shadow shook Rocky to the core. He stood there astonished and in awe. The creature in front of him had three ironclad heads, which meant that it was at the third grade of the three-star level and it could lay the finest Dark Heaven Eggs.


    "Wow! I''m going to make a fortune out of it! This Dark Heaven Insect is at the third grade of the three-star level! What a great luck! God has showered his kind blessings on me!" Rocky''s eyes shone with sparkles. It was rare to see such an insect. Rocky had landed on a huge and priceless treasure this time.


    However, luck came with some unanticipa


    forces were recently rearranged between the military camps of the Crimson Dragon Group, and three thousands of them had been assigned to the northwest military camp. What was worse, two squads of spirit manipulators and three hundred soldiers were still patrolling outside. Thus, northern sky military camp failed to defend this attack and fell in chaos.


    "Inform all the patrol squads to come back right away! Send our men to the northeast and northwest military camps for support. Go!" the commander of the northern sky military camp ordered firmly, feeling anxious deep inside. He didn''t expect that his enemies had taken such a bold decision to sneak into his camp and launch a surprise attack.


    "Commander! What should we do now? Many strong spirit manipulators have suddenly come out to our east. There are at least three of them at the Heavenly Stage. Our men can''t fight them all at once!" the deputy commander said, flustered with sweat rolling down his forehead.


    After listening to the bad news, the commander turned grim-faced with desperation. The best spirit manipulator in this military camp so far was him, who was at the Heavenly Stage. But now there were at least three on the other side. The conclusion of this fight was going to be obvious.

 Chapter 264 Reinforcements Are Coming

    "Send all the spirit manipulators to the east. Assign five hundred soldiers from the south to that position. Tell them to fight as if their very life depends on it! Do not let the enemies into the military camp!" The commander of the northern sky military camp knew very well how important his camp was for the northern defensive line of the Crimson Dragon Group. If this military camp was captured by enemies, the whole northern defensive line would start to fail as they tried to compensate for the loss of the camp. The commander knew that he needed to defend the camp no matter what the cost.


    He was an ordinary spirit manipulator in his forties but it was uncommon among his peers to reach the Heavenly Stage like he did. He proved himself to be a capable Frontline Commander of the Crimson Dragon Group. This was one of the reasons why he was assigned to the northern sky military camp, an important position for the whole northern defensive line.


    The number of soldiers under his command was close to two thousand which exceeded their enemy''s number. However, there were three Heavenly Stage spirit manipulators among the enemy''s group. The military camp failed to repel such a powerful enemy squad and the defending army was routed. Although all the spirit manipulators of the military camp had worked together against their enemies, they still failed to defend the eastern side. The three Heavenly Stage spirit manipulators of the enemy led their squad of Earthly Stage spirit manipulators, spirit-manipulated beasts and hundreds of soldiers, to break into the military camp.


    Meanwhile, the northern front of the military camp was attacked by several Earthly Stage spirit manipulators, who worked with their spirit-manipulated beasts and hundreds of soldiers. Eventually, the northern front was also destroyed.


    And it was in the face of such a situation that the commander of the camp led all the remaining spirit manipulators and soldiers to defend against their enemies at the center of the military camp. The fight between the two sides fell into a stalemate immediately.


    Flames lit up the sky above the military camp. Black smoke filled the air. Corpses scattered around on the ground. The injured and the dying wailed loudly and it created a background symphony for the entire moving picture, the sad picture of war.


    "Are you members of the Timber Deity Empire''s army?" The emblems and the uniform of the enemy soldiers answered the question with mute confirmation. The Timber


    hs. They lost some of their members but they still had all three of their Heavenly Stage spirit manipulators and this was an overwhelming advantage against the defenders.


    All of a sudden at an unexpected moment, a series of loud noises came from the western side of the camp. It sounded as if thousands of horses hurried to join the battle. Even the earth itself trembled and a thunderous sound swallowed the battle''s noise as if thousands of hooves rapidly drew closer every second.


    "Are those their reinforcements? That fast? How is that even possible?" The spirits of each and every one of the defenders of the military camp suddenly lit up amid the surprised look. The commander was confused. Whether it was the northeast or the northwest military camp, neither had the means nor the speed to get here that fast. The commander dismissed his doubts immediately. What mattered was that the reinforcements had arrived.


    The commander of the Timber Deity Empire felt uneasy. His plan relied on the fact that they had more than enough time to complete their task before reinforcements of the Crimson Dragon Group arrived. It was impossible that the other military camps sent reinforcements that quickly. In his mind he thought that whatever was coming was not their reinforcements. But what was it?


    Even though he was certain in his assessment of the situation, he could not afford the consequences if he was wrong.


    "Go forth and check!" the commander of the Timber Deity Empire ordered a spirit manipulator.


    A short while later, the spirit manipulator came back running with a flustered look and then stammered, "Commander, there are so many, many..."

 Chapter 265 Come To The Rescue Of The Besieged

    "How many are they? How could it be? Which military camp could send reinforcements so fast?" astonished, the Timber Deity Empire''s Commander said.


    "Sir, they are not reinforcements. They are wild spirit-manipulated beasts. And they are rushing towards this military camp," the spirit manipulator explained promptly.


    Hearing that, the Timber Deity Empire''s Commander looked at him with displeasure in his eyes, but at the same time, he was relieved to get the report. He knew that once reinforcements to the northern sky military camp came, their plan to capture this camp would become impossible.


    Meanwhile, the troops of the northern sky military camp became dispirited on learning that no support was arriving for them.


    "Wait! You said that many wild spirit-manipulated beasts were charging towards us. How many, exactly?" the Timber Deity Empire''s Commander questioned closely, for he felt that something was wrong.


    "At least thirty," the spirit manipulator replied.


    "Thirty, did you say?" The Timber Deity Empire''s Commander was startled. He was aware that if thirty wild spirit-manipulated beasts arrived there, the northern sky military camp would get the upper hand.


    "Some of you, go in the direction from which they are coming and drive them away," the Timber Deity Empire''s Commander ordered his group of soldiers, after careful thought.


    On hearing his command, a large contingent of troops rushed to the west of the military camp, to repel the thirty spirit-manipulated beasts that were stampeding their way to the camp.


    "Sorry to let you down!" the Timber Deity Empire''s Commander sneered at the northern sky military camp''s members, and looked at them derisively.


    Now that they had been vanquished, the northern sky military camp''s soldiers had no choice but to lay down their arms and surrender.


    "You''d better surrender to me. At least, you will stay alive that way," the Timber Deity Empire''s Commander shouted in the northern sky military camp''s direction. He did not want to waste his military resources, nor lose his troops by prolonging the fight against the northern sky military camp.


    "Sir, what should we do now?" one of the northern sky military camp''s soldiers asked their Commander. After that, all of them waited for his order.


    However, the northern sky military camp''s Commander was also dazed. Though he did not want to throw down his weapons, he had realized that he could not salvage the situation. He knew that his remaining soldiers and spirit manipulators were no match for the Timber Deity Empire''s team, and contin


    the northern sky military camp, which they had besieged some time ago.


    The northern sky military camp was struck with amazement at the unexpected situation. Originally, they had been driven into a corner. However, because wild spirit-manipulated beasts had suddenly appeared, it became their chance to get out of trouble. Everything happened in such a sudden manner that they had no idea about what was happening.


    "What are you waiting for? This is your chance! Go!" a figure suddenly showed up beside the northern sky military camp''s Commander, and growled at him.


    Hearing the angry order, he turned back and was dumbstruck. The man who had shouted just then seemed familiar to him. Then, recognizing him, he remembered that he was the extraordinary breeder who had made vigorous efforts to turn the tide on his own, at the Army Flag Contest.


    The northern sky military camp''s Commander also belonged to the Black Army, but he had suffered defeat at the White Army''s hands before the final battle. Therefore, he was deeply impressed by Rocky''s extraordinary performance.


    "Has the northeast military camp sent you to support us?" He was confused because he saw that Rocky had come there by himself.


    "No, I was passing by, and I saw that the Timber Deity Empire''s army had surrounded you. So, I broke my journey, as I wanted to help you," Rocky said, with his hands across his chest. He spoke thus as he did not want to reveal the real reason behind his stopping there. In reality, he wanted to utilize the northern sky military camp and the Timber Deity Empire''s armies to free the three-star Dark Heaven Insect on the third grade from the annoying wild spirit-manipulated beasts that were going after it.

 Chapter 266 A Learned And Clever Person

    "That is no small favor! It''s a great kindness for northern sky military camp!" the Commander of the northern sky military camp exclaimed in excitement. He saluted and bowed to Rocky to show his respect and appreciation. Without Rocky''s help, the northern sky military camp might not have survived. Although they all wondered how Rocky lured a swarm of wild spirit-manipulated beasts, it was no longer important at this point. What was important was that they survived and escaped a great tragedy. The military camp, the stronghold of the country, was not taken over and was still under their control. And he was still the Commander of the camp.


    The Commander showed such respect to this young man who seemed to have nothing special about him that it surprised every soldier and spirit manipulator in the northern sky military camp. Everyone was eager to know who this man was!


    "Commander, this is..." The Deputy Commander wanted to ask the Commander about Rocky.


    "He is.. a learned and very clever man..." The Commander realized that he knew nothing about Rocky other than a breeder from the northeast military camp. But he was pleasantly surprised to know that he also had an undiscovered expertise on military strategy and tactics. Even the Commander in Chief spoke highly of his tactical array. After a moment''s hesitation, he introduced him in a way that surprised everyone present.


    They knew full well that a man who was named as a learned and clever man by their Commander was absolutely not an ordinary person. So everyone honored him and chanted together, "Salute to you!"


    Rocky was flattered that everyone honored him like that. In his mind, he just wanted to make use of the troops of the military camp. But for the soldiers in the military camp, however, they thought Rocky saved them and considered him a godsend that helped them out of the trouble. His actions brought an unplanned surprise and delivered him the unexpected good reputation among the troops. The reputation was a bonus for him. What he truly cared about was for the third grade of three star Dark Heaven Insect to be distracted away.


    "Take your men to the north. The men from Timber Deity Empire will take so


    o not want the prestige either. Remember that we never saw each other today! Is that clear?" Rocky said in a serious tone. When the Commander was about to say something in protest, he waved his hand to dismiss it.


    The Commander was stunned by Rocky''s request. He knew that being the key person that brought about the defeat of the Timber Deity Empire''s invaders would bring great prestige and he''d surely be honored by the Commander in Chief. But Rocky threw all of that away. He was either a fool or a true genius with reasons that no ordinary man could understand.


    In truth, Rocky simply neither needed nor wanted unnecessary attention to himself. If Marin found out about his presence here, she would visit this camp and investigate why he was here. He knew that Marin would not place any blame on him for what happened here but he was sure that she would bother him to no end for this.


    If the Commander in Chief found out that he helped the northern sky military camp in repelling the invaders, he would definitely try to promote him to the base camp of Crimson Dragon Group again. Actually, he already wanted to promote him the last time for his performance in the Army Flag Contest. But if Rocky was transferred to the base camp away from the northeast military camp, he would lose much of the freedom and independence that he now enjoyed.


    "Keeping a low profile is not as easy to achieve as anyone would think," Rocky sighed and then disappeared.

 Chapter 267 Rockys Excellent Plan

    On the far end of the battlefield, the wild spirit-manipulated beasts closely followed the Dark Heaven Insect. The Dark Heaven Insect was of the third grade of three-star level. Majority of the wild beasts there were above two-star level while several were of three-star level. They were all extremely feral. The Timber Deity Empire troops possessed no more than one thousand soldiers including a few spirit-manipulated beasts. But most of the soldiers were so overwhelmed and frightened by the sheer number of untamed and savage beasts before them that they ran in every direction wanting to get away from the area as fast as possible. The battle quickly degenerated into pure chaos. Only the spirit-manipulators that had their own spirit-manipulated beasts stayed to fight against the wild beasts.


    The disarray lasted for some time before the commander of the Timber Deity Empire invaders was able to take control of his troops. He slowly but purposely created defensive formations to defend against the rampaging feral beasts. It took some time but the Timber invaders eventually had started to take control of the situation.


    To their surprise, the troops of the northern sky military camp that they had attacked mere minutes ago had disappeared. The commander of the Timber Deity Empire was angry and displeased with this turn of events. He started to wonder why the feral beasts rushed at his men instead of the troops of the northern sky military camp. ''Something does not add up, '' he thought to himself.


    When the Timber troops and the feral beasts started to be locked in a stalemate, Rocky decided to seize the situation and let off a whistled signal to Uriah. Uriah immediately positioned itself in front of the Dark Heaven Insect and moved back and forth as if to draw the attention of the Insect.


    The insect immediately caught the scent of Uriah. Its instincts brought it into a near-frenzy state and immediately went after Uriah. With Uriah''s mission completed, it now ran towards Rocky''s position with the insect in close pursuit.


    Upon seeing this development, Rocky then ran towards the northern side of the military camp with Rubygon. Uriah ran closely to Rocky''s movements. And the Dark Heaven Insect followed Uriah closely as well.


    At the same time, the commander of the northern sky military camp gave the command to his troops to occupy the advantageous position of the northern side of the camp. The battle formation was optimized for an effective ambush at this position. The only thing left for them to do was to wait patiently like hunters waiting for their prey to fall into their trap.


    The spirit manipulators of the Timber Deity Empire saw the Dark Heaven Insect getting lured away. Everyone


    r to save time to chase after the Dark Heaven Insect. But their efforts were like the reeds against a raging storm. Their efforts were met by a greater force that threatened to crush and overwhelm them.


    This was a moment for vengeance. The defenders of the northern sky military camp focused their attacks as a single unit and attacked the timber spirit manipulators with the fury of soldiers that had been shown cruelty just minutes ago.


    The timber spirit manipulators were angry and desperate at the same time. They were angry at the camp defenders for putting up this trap for them. They were desperate for they realized the hopeless state that they found themselves in. What they did not know was that the entire string of events were planned by Rocky and not the defenders of the northern sky military camp. Rocky now ran towards a remote forest as Uriah lured the insect further. It seemed that everything happened according to Rocky''s plan.


    When they were safely concealed inside the forest, Rocky checked if any timber spirit manipulator still followed behind. Satisfied that no one else followed them into the forest, Rocky removed the traces that were left behind by Uriah. Now, no one would know that the Dark Heaven Insect had become Rocky''s prey.


    Uriah continued to lure the insect until they reached an opening among a group of trees deep in the forest. Rocky and Rubygon also ran into the same opening.


    The Dark Heaven Insect was soon overwhelmed by Rocky, Rubygon and Uriah all at the same time.


    "Greetings my dear prey! You now have no way of escape!" Rocky said with a tone of delight. He knew that once he killed this Dark Heaven Insect and obtained all of its advanced Dark Heaven Eggs, he would then be able to refine the eggs to get enough spirit energy to increase his own capacity.

 Chapter 268 To Conquer The Queen of the Dark Heaven Insects

    The strength of the Dark Heaven Insect at the third grade of the three-star level was similar to a spirit manipulator at the Heavenly Stage, transcending a spirit manipulator at the primary level of the Heavenly Stage even. Also, a spirit manipulator master at the advanced level of the Heavenly Stage would not readily take on a Dark Heaven Insect of that ranking, more so, defeat it. Thus, even with his strength at present and assured help from Uriah and Rubygon, Rocky was not entirely confident that he could conquer and capture the Dark Heaven Insect he was now facing.


    Fortunately, Rocky was quite experienced in the art of capturing Dark Heaven Insects. That aside, he knew its weaknesses and how to immobilize it. Thus, notwithstanding the apparent challenges involved in capturing it, he had some serious advantages that improved the odds of getting it alive.


    For fear that any further delay would only cause him more trouble, Rocky promptly teamed up with Uriah and Rubygon to launch a potent offense against the Dark Heaven Insect. While his war beasts dashed at the insect, he bided his time, brandishing an arrow, waiting patiently like a predator stalking its prey. He knew the insect would sooner expose its Achilles'' heel under the joint attacks, leaving it vulnerable to the swift strike of his arrow. That would be the perfect time to deal a fatal blow. It was the best plan he could come up with at the time. And it was slightly failsafe.


    Uriah''s power had improved as quickly as Rocky had grown in strength. In a general sense, the spirit-manipulated beast of a spirit manipulator grew in power as its master became stronger. If the strength of the spirit manipulator continued to grow, then all aspects of the spirit-manipulated beast would improve as well. Rocky was well on his way to make the eighth grade of the Earthly Stage, which was the primary condition for his spirit-manipulated beast to reach the third grade of the three-star level. Hence, the quicker Rocky''s strength grew to the eighth grade of the Earthly Stage, the faster Uriah would become a beast of the third grade of the three-star level.


    Consequently, with its improvement in strength, Rocky observed Uriah had a noticeable change in its fighting ability. The last time, Uriah was unable to defeat a Dark Heaven Insect at the second grade of the three-star level. This time, however, Uriah was much fiercer, more energetic, and full of superiority and momentum in facing an even stronger insect. Uriah had made for the insect without hesitation, initiating a vicious attack.


    While the insect appeared stunned to see such strong opponents, its attacking actions were notably cautious. Relying on its characteristic hard, durable exoskeleton, the insect defended all the attacks with no small effort. Although, from time to time, it would use its massive size to its advantage by colliding with and counterattacking its attackers. As the fight ensued, the insect moved, razing the woods around the areas it passed in an instant-an apparent depiction of its strengt


    ever, his senses tingled, warning of something approaching. While his disposition remained mostly unchanged, Rocky moved cautiously to avoid whatever was headed towards him. He heard a whip through the air, turning around to see a tail, long and thick and full of spikes, like a scorpion''s tail.


    "When did Dark Heaven Insects begin growing tails?" Rocky could not believe his eyes. He was still contemplating the spectacle he had witnessed when the storm began to clear, revealing the insect with the magnificent tail attached to it somehow.


    Rocky did a quick mental search of any information regarding Dark Heaven Insects in the Beast Encyclopedia in his mind. It wasn''t hard before he found a match. The record contained a single sentence; it could be easily missed if a reader didn''t watch it carefully. Should the spirit manipulators of the Wild Spirit Land he was in now read the record, Rocky believed, they would not hesitate to battle him for the insect.


    The sentence read, "A Dark Heaven Insect with a scorpion''s tail full of sharp spikes is the queen, and only the queen can hatch the larvae." Rocky could not believe his luck. He had found the Dark Heaven Insect Queen, which was so rare that it was regarded as the myth of the Beast Encyclopedia. Moreover, only the queen was capable of producing the eggs and hatching the larvae of the Dark Heaven Insect. In other words, the queen was key to the multiplication and continuation of the Dark Heaven Insect species.


    Everything was beginning to make sense to Rocky now: why it was surrounded by many spirit-manipulated beasts earlier. Like the queen of any colony, it was being protected and looked after. He understood immediately what that implied. The spirit-manipulated beasts were the insect''s to control. Rocky turned to face the Dark Heaven Insect Queen whimpering in the sand. Unexpectedly, a series of strange events had led him to encounter such an extremely rare beast. The odds of the encounter were one in a million. Thus, Rocky was thrilled by his good luck.

 Chapter 269 Crazy Capture

    "There is no need for me to spend time in capturing Dark Heaven Insects from now on. I need to get this one insect to obtain the myriad of insects!" Rocky grinned. His mind was filled with ecstasy. He was so exhilarated, that it was reflected on his face. The egg laid by a Dark Heaven Insect Queen had the ability to hatch. He would definitely have numerous Dark Heaven Insects.


    According to what was recorded in the Beast Encyclopedia, the Queen would lay a minimum of ten eggs at a single time. The insect Queen was fecund. Despite this fact, there was a very low possibility for at least one of the eggs to hatch out into larvae or none would hatch. The larva must hatch out before the egg would ossify, and this period of time was very limited. If the larva doesn''t come out of the egg in the given time, it would get sealed within the egg. This created the Dark Heaven Insects out of the common to obtain.


    Holy Dragon Empire had captured a Dark Heaven Insect Queen before and it was raised in the empire as a rare species. It created a marvelous sensation. The empire hired Sheridan, the most powerful beast tamer of that time, and the master of Priest Dean to raise it. They tried their best to improve the chances of hatching the eggs. But their hard work and dedication only gave a disappointing result. In the end, Holy Dragon Empire was mournful that this Dark Heaven Insect Queen suddenly died for unknown reasons.


    "No matter which great expert in this world tries, they might not have a better way to improve the chance of egg hatching. There is only one way to achieve this-modern gene technology," Rocky said with immense confidence. He had astonishing achievements in genetic beast reproduction. He had silk-stocking experience in helping the infertile female genetic beast produce eggs at one given time and hatch genetic beast eggs.


    From the experience Rocky had had, he could say that the low egg hatching was because of the defectiveness in their gene.


    The only thing he had to do now was to lay hold of this Dark Heaven Insect Queen and take it home.


    This Dark Heaven Insect was more powerful than other third grade of three-star spirit-manipulated beasts because it reached the four stars. With a spirituous long-distanced lethality, its unique spiked scorpion tail intensified the attack force that was exerted. The particularity which was possessed by this insect was so unique that it became the Queen of all.


    This insect''s skills were too high. It was above the third grade of the four-star level. Rocky was confronting this Dark Heaven Insect which was both offensive and defensive. It was no wonder that it


    rope became so tight now, that the insect''s tail couldn''t even move an inch.


    The Dark Heaven Insect Queen fell into the trap of something dangerous, so it roared with anger. It tried to get rid of the rope by waving its tail. But, Uriah''s strength was unassailable. The insect couldn''t budge an inch.


    Rocky was approaching the insect and released Nebula Cloud Transformation toward it. The Dark Heaven Insect was instantly covered by nebula light. "Bang!" The sound was heard. The power that was given out was enormous that, the stones and earth were flying around the insect. Tremendously injured, the insect roared in severe pain.


    Rocky''s attack infuriated it. The insect took constant efforts to wave its tail. Uriah wasn''t able to stand steadily because of its pulling. The insect was so outraged and desperate to fall out of the trap.


    Rocky knew if he couldn''t capture it before its tail was retrieved, it would end up being a headache for him. So he launched another fierce attack towards the insect by using all of his spiritual power and spiritual martial arts. After a round and ground attack, Rubygon came to help them.


    Uriah, on the other hand, put in all its effort to pull the tail and tried to buy time for Rocky and Rubygon.


    Unable to withstand the round after round attacks, the insect was dazzled. By another two bone arrows, its two front legs were also hurt now. After this powerful attack, the insect could no more hold its ponderous body and collapsed on the ground.


    This made Rocky seem so relieved. His spiritual power was almost consumed to nil. If the insect was able to even resist for another second, the one lying on the ground would be Rocky! The Dark Heaven Insect Queen would counterattack violently at that time.

 Chapter 270 The New Emergency

    The last time Rocky dealt with two Dark Heaven Insects at the same time was comparatively harder. His power was weaker the last time. This time he went against a four-star Dark Heaven Insect Queen at the third grade. Though he was already extremely exhausted for his present encounter, Uriah and little Rubygon were both more powerful so he had nothing to worry about.


    Little Rubygon in particular had the potential to be a three-star spirit-manipulated beast at the first grade, an equivalent of a spirit manipulator at the Earthly Stage. Without Uriah and little Rubygon, it was impossible for Rocky to subdue the Dark Heaven Insect Queen.


    The Dark Heaven Insect Queen was at a disadvantage when one of its hind legs was injured. It tried to use its fierce spiked scorpion tail but to no avail. Rocky retaliated with a surprise attack that hit the Dark Heaven Insect Queen. The Dark Heaven Insect Queen''s most effective attack was disabled. Its movement was impaired and this made it easier to deal with.


    But a head-on confrontation with the Black Heaven Insect Queen was still dangerous. So Rocky decided to approach it with a well-planned strategy.


    Uriah, little Rubygon and Rocky all contributed to the victory. Rocky just recently improved from the second grade of the Earthly Stage to the sixth grade of the Earthly Stage. Most spirit manipulators spent several years to a decade in order to achieve a similar amount of improvement. But Rocky achieved that much improvement in a matter of a few months; an achievement that most spirit manipulators considered impossible. Rocky''s current power level was a major contributor to the Dark Heaven Insect Queen''s defeat.


    A Dark Heaven Insect Queen laid eggs that hatched into larvae of Dark Heaven Insects. Similar to three-star Dark Heaven Insects at the third grade, the Dark Heaven Insect Queen bred Dark Heaven Eggs at the premium stage, and these were highly valued for their ability to assist in the cultivation of spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage. With the assistance of the Dark Heaven Eggs, the improvement of spirit manipulators beyond the Heavenly Stage produced was close to twice the effect with only half the effort. This was why many spirit manipulators at the Supernal Stage preferred the Dark Heaven Eggs.


    Capturing the Dark Heaven Insect Queen was like catching golden coins dr


    "A collector?" The timber spirit manipulator was shocked for he had never heard of anyone who was a collector.


    "Were you the one who subdued the Dark Heaven Insect?" the timber spirit manipulator asked. He stared at the Dark Heaven Insect Queen lying on its stomach, with greed in his eyes. His initial assessment told him that it was a three-star Dark Heaven Insect at the third grade, but he didn''t know that it was a rare Dark Heaven Insect Queen.


    "Yes and no," Rocky replied playfully.


    "What do you mean?" the timber spirit manipulator asked puzzled. He failed to realize that Rocky played with him.


    "I found it in a weakened state. I believe it was dying. I took advantage of the situation and shot a few arrows to weaken it further. Now I am going to gather anything valuable that it has," Rocky replied calmly.


    "Really?" The timber spirit manipulator was suspicious of Rocky''s response. Avarice blazed in his eyes.


    A brief observation quickly revealed that the timber spirit manipulator was a merciless and wicked man. He merely waited for the slightest flaw in Rocky''s statements and he would kill Rocky without hesitation. The token that Rocky possessed granted Rocky a slight defense from the timber spirit manipulator''s vigilance. He could not completely dismiss Rocky''s words for the token signified that Rocky was a person of great honor.


    The presence of the timber spirit manipulator complicated things for Rocky, however. Transporting the Dark Heaven Insect Queen back was impossible while the timber spirit manipulator was in the vicinity.

 Chapter 271 A New Space

    However, the timber spirit manipulator, who was standing in front of Rocky, did not care nor wanted to know how he subdued the Dark Heaven Insect Queen. Rather, he was interested in getting hold of the advanced Dark Heaven Egg. He also did not know that the Dark Heaven Insect at the third grade of the three-star level, was in reality, a queen among its species, and also that it was extremely rare. Therefore, it could be regarded as an invaluable spirit-manipulated beast. Had he known these facts, then he would have definitely killed Rocky without hesitating for a second, and taken the insect away by any means he could.


    However, at that time, the timber spirit manipulator seemed to be struggling slightly, and turning to Rocky, looking serious, he said, "It is still dangerous here. I suggest that you better leave immediately, or the Holy Dragon Empire''s army will soon invade this area. They will kill you, if they find you."


    On hearing the timber spirit manipulator''s words, Rocky was alarmed, and it was evident by looking at face that he was panicking. Therefore, he asked nervously, "Is it true? Do you really think so? Then, in that case, I will do as you say, for no doubt the insect I have is priceless, but not when I compare it with my life. Here, I give it to you for your sound advice and for reminding me that if I live, I can get many more insects. Anyway, as I am going to run away to save my life, this insect will be nothing but a burden to me." After saying that, he nodded to Uriah and Little Rubygon, and vanished.


    With Rocky out of the way, the timber spirit manipulator showed his contempt for Rocky''s foolishness, whom he had cheated with his false words. He sneered loudly, "People from the Roaring Flame Empire are stupid! He believed what I said blindly and did not question me even once! No wonder they lost the tributes. What a bunch of hopeless idiots they are!" Muttering curses, the timber spirit manipulator could not prevent himself from getting closer to the insect that Rocky had already subdued. He could not wait to get his hands on it - after all the advanced Dark Heaven Egg was in that creature''s body.


    "It is a pity that I will kill it immediately, but that is better than handing it over with the eggs that are in its belly," the timber spirit manipulator whispered, blinded by his greed. He had decided to kill the creature because if he were to catch the Dark Heaven Insect alive this time, then he would be compelled to turn it over, including those precious eggs, to the authorities. Therefore, when he compared giving over those things that were crucial for cultivation to killing it, the latter choice made sense to him. That was because, by doing that, he would be able to increase his power in the futu


    t of his chest, in his usual manner.


    "But, that is impossible! I have never heard of any spirit manipulator, who can control two beasts at the same time. This is not possible. Do you have someone with you?" The timber spirit manipulator could not believe what he saw, and looked around, alarmed and surprised.


    "Clever! Yes, my man is hiding nearby, waiting to take the first opportunity to attack you. Be careful, you will either get hurt, or die," Rocky threatened.


    "Hum, I hope you guys can still save yourselves. I, hereby, summon you - Jumbo Horned Beetle!" Saying those words, the timber spirit manipulator smiled cunningly. Then, shouting aloud, he raised his arm heavenward and released the spiritual power, which sundered the sky, and a spirit-manipulated beast emerged. It was as huge as an elephant with three curved tusks that emitted a foul smell, and thundered threateningly.


    The area from which the giant elephant-like creature had emerged was the Magic Spiritual Space, which only those who had already reached the Heavenly Stage, could open. Many regarded it as an independent platform, which was usually used to keep spirit-manipulated beasts. But it could also be viewed as a battlefield for spirit manipulators. As the place was isolated, the fights did not cause any damage to the outside world.


    "It is a spirit-manipulated beast at the third grade of the three-star level!" After Rocky had seen what was happening and who had appeared on the scene, he started treating his opponent, seriously. A Heavenly Staged timber spirit manipulator, together with his high level beast, was definitely one of the most difficult combinations to win.


    However, Rocky had to act fast for there was no time to lose. He also knew that his chances at winning were slim. But, he could not give up the Dark Heaven Insect Queen.

 Chapter 272 A Risky Try

    Rocky understood very well that his chance to win a direct confrontation against the timber spirit manipulator was very low. Uriah and Rubygon fighting together would be a match for the Jumbo Horned Beetle alone. Rocky had to go against the timber spirit manipulator by himself and this placed him at a great disadvantage. He desperately needed help to win.


    The weakened Dark Heaven Insect Queen caught Rocky''s attention. The venom had weakened the queen enough that it remained immobile. Rocky wondered what would happen if he helped the queen to get rid of the venom in its body. He wondered if it would feel grateful enough to help.


    There was nothing that assured the success of this idea. The queen could easily attack Rocky, once it regained its strength, for he weakened it in the first place.


    "Definitely risky...but I have no other choice!" Rocky quickly made up his mind. There was no time to come up with other ideas at that point.


    The roar of the Jumbo Horned Beetle filled the air as it entered the area coming from the Magic Spiritual Space. The trees trembled from the deep sound of its roar. The ground shook and dust motes rose up to the air as if greeting its arrival. It stared at Rocky, Uriah and Rubygon with keen fury.


    "Go get them, boy!" It was obvious that the timber spirit manipulator intended to let his spirit-manipulated beast do all the fighting. He was convinced that his pet was more than enough. His initial impression of Rocky caused him to grossly underestimate Rocky''s abilities.


    The Jumbo Horned Beetle rushed at Rocky''s group. Despite his predicament, Rocky remained calm and made whistling signals that were all too familiar to Uriah and Rubygon. They immediately knew exactly what to do. Uriah bounded towards the rushing horned beetle with Rubygon close behind. They moved from left to right and then to the left once more as they moved forward. This confused the horned beetle where to attack and from which direction to defend.


    Their movements created that initial confusion that bought them the needed advantage for that first clash.


    The fight with the Dark Heaven Insect Queen had weakened both Uriah and Rubygon. The magical saliva was not enough to bring them both to their peak power with very little time to rest after that last fight. They now went against a Jumbo Horned Beetle at the third grade of three-star level. They were obviously at a disadvantage.


    The melee escalated very quickly.


    Uriah and Rubygon blocked the horned beetle well. Rocky set his eyes


    saliva.


    The magical saliva not only accelerated the metabolism to easily heal wounds, it also detoxified the body of its imbiber. Each ounce of the magical saliva that the queen drank counteracted the effects of the Centipede-snake''s venom that paralyzed it. The queen wriggled on the ground as the magical saliva took effect.


    The Dark Heaven Insect Queen raised its scorpion tail slowly as the magical saliva worked on its body.


    Rocky then worried about what the queen would do after it regained its strength from the magical saliva. He faced the possibility of getting killed by the Dark Heaven Insect Queen as payback for what it suffered from Rocky earlier or help Rocky to win against the timber spirit manipulator.


    Rocky started to feel apprehensive of what the insect queen would decide to do.


    Rocky slowly positioned himself in front of the insect queen as he gave it the magical saliva to show that his intentions were pure. It was part of the Beast Taming Skill that Rocky learned from Sheridan. The timber spirit manipulator tried to see what Rocky was doing but Rocky''s back was towards him and that was all he could see at that distance.


    This was a risky plan from the start and Rocky understood the risks, and that he literally gambled with his life on it. But Rocky had no other choice. Either he succeeded in soliciting the aid of the Dark Heaven Insect Queen or perished in the attempt.


    Hostility flashed from the eyes of the insect queen. The memory of how it suffered in the hands of Rocky just minutes earlier was still fresh in its mind.


    The Dark Heaven Insect Queen''s scorpion tail pointed towards Rocky and rushed at him with unearthly speed!

 Chapter 273 Obedience

    Seeing the scorpion tail rushing down at him, Rocky only knitted his brows. Yet he stood stock still, unmoved. Determination was glinting in his eyes, and an air of heroism and total control was surrounding him.


    The timber spirit manipulator was caught by surprise at the sight of Rocky''s resolve to not make even a move to dodge the insect queen''s scorpion tail. Stunned, he thought, ''What the hell wrong with this man? Is he suicidal right now?! Whatever, it''s his funeral. This just means that the Dark Heaven Insect will save me the trouble of dealing with this guy. Ha-ha!''


    As a loud bang echoed in the air, the scorpion tail had impaled deep into the ground. There was an implosion of sand spread around where Rocky stood, obscuring vision.


    The timber spirit manipulator sneered as he watched this all take place. He was certain that Rocky had been killed by the Dark Heaven Insect. He was just about to turn to leave when the scorpion tail suddenly shot up. And he saw a vague figure standing behind it.


    "What the hell!?" The timber spirit manipulator choked out a cry. His wide eyes were filled with vivid astonishment. "How is this possible?!" Rocky stood behind the tail without so much as a scratch on him.


    In the fog of battle, Rocky had done the impossible: he had succeeded in taming the Dark Heaven Insect under such critical circumstances. He could only credit to the Beast Taming Skill for the success.


    He had fully consumed all the Beast Taming Skills that Sheridan had taught him alongside the supplementary knowledge on zoology and animal genetics. Ultimately, this was the key to his success. Rocky won the insect queen''s trust with his sincerity and friendliness; something that would even astonish Sheridan himself if he were here to witness the feat of recruiting the insect queen as his helper.


    Rocky merely shot the timber spirit manipulator an indifferent look before he turned his attention to the Dark Heaven Insect, saying, "Thank you so much! Don''t worry. I''ll take very good care of you."


    The Dark Heaven Insect roared its answer before it stared at the timber spirit manipulator, who had previously tried to kill it. Now that it had regained its strength, it would definitely have a bone to pick with him.


    The timber spirit manipulator, for his part, was still frozen in shock, unable to believe that Rocky survive


    d tumultuous.


    "Nebula Cloud Transformation!" Facing the three thunderbolts, Rocky threw out his hands and activated his attack. His spiritual power channeled between his palms, forming a ball of nebula-like light. He then threw the ball of power at the thunderbolts.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The impact between their spiritual power strikes shook the ground. Deafening echoes rang through the air, and dazzling light blinded their vision.


    The Thunder Bursts Strike from the timber spirit manipulator was ultimately more forceful. He remained far stronger than Rocky was, after all, and the spiritual martial arts he summoned were superior to the Nebula Cloud Transformation. Rocky''s attack only counteracted a single thunderbolt. The other two were still there, crashing towards him. And just when the bolts were merely an inch away from him, a long shadow descended from the air and shielded him from the attack.


    The two bolts disappeared into thin air as they struck against the long shadow with bangs.


    "Thanks!" Rocky replied, pleased, to the insect queen. It was its scorpion tail that protected him from the two thunderbolts.


    The timber spirit manipulator''s jaw practically fell to the ground. Not only had the insect queen spared Rocky''s life, but now it even shielded him from the attack. He could not understand why this insect queen would be so submissive in front of Rocky. Was this insect queen a pet now?


    Shaking off his shock, the timber spirit manipulator only strengthened his intent to kill Rocky.


    The fight, in equal turn, began to intensify.

 Chapter 274 A Half-human

    The superior power and more skillful spiritual martial arts of the timber spirit manipulator easily dominated Rocky. Only the assistance of the Dark Heaven Insect Queen prevented Rocky''s total defeat from his opponent.


    The intense battle and the effects of the Centipede-snake''s venom had almost completely exhausted the Dark Heaven Insect Queen. Rocky was almost at the same state after the intense battle with the timber spirit manipulator.


    "This timber spirit manipulator is truly powerful. His spiritual race, naturally born with the power of thunder, makes him a truly formidable foe. Each attack required an enormous amount of power to match!" Rocky said to himself as he analyzed the powerful opponent before him. If the power of the Holy Dragon Bead had not been sealed, then Rocky would probably have a chance to salvage the encounter. However, this was not the reality of the situation.


    Uriah and Rubygon had both almost reached their limits as they fought the Jumbo Horned Beetle. This made the situation even worse for Rocky.


    If the fight continued the same way, Rocky knew that they would all be doomed. The only choice, it seemed, was to come up with a maneuver that would take the opposing spirit manipulator by surprise. Otherwise, absolute defeat would be the only fate that waited for them.


    "Death is upon you now!" the Timber spirit manipulator exclaimed as he skillfully executed another martial arts maneuver. His spiritual power of Thunder nature took the shape of a ferocious shadow wolf that charged at Rocky as soon as it completely materialized.


    The attack was impossible to meet head on, this Rocky knew full well. He moved away from the approaching attack at the last minute to avoid getting blind-sided by any follow-up attack. Rocky turned after avoiding the attack at the last minute towards the timber spirit manipulator. His opponent let out a maniacal laugh and then disappeared into thin air.


    The timber spirit manipulator immediately materialized beside him and exclaimed, "Thunder Chains!" before Rocky could do anything.


    A link of chains that crackled with electrical energy, materialized and bound Rocky! Rocky felt like he was struck by a jolt of electricity! He was paralyzed and was unable to move!


    The shock brought by the energy of the chain severely limited Rocky''s movement and his opponent took advantage of this. He slammed his palm directly at Rocky''s chest. The force sent Rocky backwards. He fell to the ground in a heap and spat out blood.


    "Ha-ha..." The Thunder Chains prevented Rocky from making a counterattack. The timber spirit manipulator walked towards Rocky and attacked him with a Thunder


    his opponent was one truly sly individual. When Rubygon successfully threw the horned beetle off balance and towards the unstoppable course to the Dark Heaven Insect Queen, Rocky smeared the insect queen''s tail with Centipede-snake''s venom. Therefore, what struck the horned beetle was a combination of the Centipede-snake''s venom and the insect queen''s own poison. Both of which simultaneously paralyzed and weakened the horned beetle as it died helplessly unable to free itself from its deadly impalement. Ultimately, the horned beetle was just another victim of Rocky''s accurate and swift planning.


    Rocky glanced at the timber spirit manipulator with emotionless eyes. What met his gaze was a man overflowing with rage and bitterness.


    "You bastard! I will make you suffer for that!" the Timber spirit manipulator growled. His face turned crimson; the veins on his neck and forehead bulged as it throbbed; liquid rage pumped throughout his entire being. The Thunder Light radiated forth from his body and made him look like a living torch of electrical energy as he rushed towards Rocky at full speed throwing down all his defenses. His mind was filled with a singular obsessive objective to kill Rocky.


    "Spirit Possession!" Rocky called forth. He waited for this opportunity that seemed to him would never come at all. Rocky released all of his spiritual energy and turned himself into a living shadow. At the same time, a shadow beast appeared and fused with his entire being.


    When the timber spirit manipulator reached Rocky''s location, a Fire Light filled the entire area. The timber spirit manipulator stopped and stared at the magnificent Fire Light that slowly faded away before him. When the Fire Light completely faded away, a humanoid form stood before him.

 Chapter 275 Super Possession

    "That''s impossible! An ordinary spirit manipulator cannot activate Spirit Possession. Even a primordial spirit manipulator will have difficulty in learning that technique. How did he do that!?" The timber spirit manipulator was awed with what he had witnessed Rocky do. He stood mute and dumbfounded as he stared blankly at Rocky''s transformed body.


    The figure before him looked like a savage beast. His hands ended in sharp, long claws covered with brilliant flames. The air in the area slowly warmed as the flames played back and forth around his claws and then back again. Two tails protruded from Rocky''s back. Sparks constantly flew off from the tails as they moved slowly from the left side to the right and then back to the left. His face looked sharp and vicious, and his eyes looked like burning orbs of molten steel.


    "Activating Spirit Possession required that the spirit manipulator possessed extraordinary will, ability and strength. Even with those attributes, there is no guarantee that they will be able to activate it successfully. It''s harder for those who do not meet those requirements! I can''t even achieve it. But he was able to activate it! And he achieved it even as an ordinary spirit manipulator!" The timber spirit manipulator failed to understand how the event that unfolded before him was possible. His current level and skill as a Heavenly Stage spirit manipulator was not even close to the skill and level needed to activate Spirit Possession.


    While under Spirit Possession, Rocky''s strength increased dramatically to the eighth grade of the Earthly Stage. Even his energy was fully replenished. This state allowed the spirit manipulator''s power to be fused with spirit-manipulated beasts and this fusion increased his own strength by two to three grades.


    On the downside, Spirit Possession consumed a huge amount of spiritual energy and stamina. Thus the form had a time limit. One hour was Rocky''s limit. The situation had to be concluded quickly before the time limit was up.


    Additionally, even though Rocky reached the eighth grade of the Earthly Stage, there was still a power gap between them. The power of a first grade of the Heavenly Stage was still stronger. Rocky had several advantages, though. The timber spirit manipulator lost an arm during Rocky''s surprise attack just now. And his spiritual energy was almost spent during the battle.


    While Spirit Possession was active, Rocky had access to the nature spiritual power that only primordial spirit manipulators used. This meant that Rocky was able to manipulate Fire that increased his strength a lot.


    The timber spirit manipulator was well aware of this information as well. He was completely surprised at first, but the realization of the situation that he was in brought a dark shadow to his countenance. Rocky proved capable of many things that should not be possible to begin with.


    In addition to having Spiri


    e only outcome once Rocky dropped to that state was losing to his opponent and getting killed.


    With the knowledge of what would happen once the Spirit Possession ended; Rocky knew that he had to do something before the Spirit Possession expired. And it was not long before Rocky came up with an idea. He dug his hand into his silken pouch and brought out a Heaven Divine Lotus Seed.


    His opponent saw all of Rocky''s movements and noticed the Heaven Divine Lotus Seed that Rocky brought out. This particular one seemed filled with spiritual power unlike the previous one before it. His eyes narrowed while he thought about the situation.


    The last Heaven Divine Lotus Seed had been used several times and its spiritual power was almost completely exhausted. All Rocky had to do was crush it and it released all of its remaining energy.


    But this one Heaven Divine Lotus Seed that Rocky brought out was different. It had never been used even once. Rocky could not crush this one for its energy. And it would be unwise if Rocky planned to take its spiritual power directly. That would be the same as suicide.


    With his spiritual power almost completely exhausted, Rocky had no other choice but to use a Heaven Divine Lotus Seed. Using it allowed him to complete what he was determined to do. It was the only way for him to obtain more energy.


    But his opponent was fully aware of what he intended to do. He was aware that Rocky could no longer sustain the Spirit Possession. He smiled slightly at the thought. He knew that it was only a matter of time. Once Rocky used up all his spiritual power and reverted back, he would immediately kill him.


    What the timber spirit manipulator never expected was that Rocky still had enough energy left; he turned into a shadow of fire with a Heaven Divine Lotus Seed in one hand and rushed at full speed towards him. Rocky appeared to have defeated the timber spirit manipulator in their final clash.

 Chapter 276 Getting Rid of A Potential Hazard

    The timber spirit manipulator wasn''t one to confront the tough with more toughness. He guessed that Rocky would soon reach his limit and would have to dismiss the Spirit Possession after this attack. He only needed to withstand it and then Rocky would be powerless to launch another attack. Blocking Rocky''s current attack was simple for him.


    In the twinkling of an eye, Rocky was suddenly standing close to the timber spirit manipulator. He was gathering all of his spiritual power as this would be the last attack he could launch. If he failed to take the timber spirit manipulator down, he wouldn''t have a second chance. Putting all of his strength behind it, Rocky threw his punch. The intense spiritual power pooled into his fist and it grew. Then it became a blast wave, blinding in light, as though tides were about to surge through the timber spirit manipulator.


    The timber spirit manipulator believed that Rocky had exerted all his strength to throw this single punch. In response, he focused and released the spiritual power of Thunder nature. A thunder shield materialized in front of him to clash against spiritual power from Rocky.


    Two streams of fierce spiritual power intertwined in the sky. There was the intermittent roar of thunder and the brief sizzling flashes of fire. These two streams eliminated each other in the fighting. And at last, they were used up and they disappeared after a burst of light.


    At the same time, a light flashed onto Rocky and the Spirit Possession dissipated. Uriah separated from Rocky as a beast and landed on the ground. The beast was so exhausted and was barely able to stay standing. Both Rocky and Uriah were completely depleted.


    After Rocky dissipated the state of Spirit Possession, the timber spirit manipulator snorted. Knowing that Rocky was now nothing more than a sacrificial lamb, he was confident that he had no power to counterattack.


    "Thunder-sharp Fist!" The timber spirit manipulator threw an earth-rattling punch as Rocky stood unprepared, having just dismissed Spirit Possession. It was so powerful that even the wind caused by the punch could lacerate one''s skin. The timber spirit manipulator called up his last reserves of spiritual power.


    Just as the punch w


    timber deity troops who were attacking northern sky military camp suffered a great loss, after fighting off numerous feral spirit-manipulated beasts. Seeing the troops of northern sky military camp returning, they had to retreat.


    Commander of northern sky military camp felt relieved after the timber deity troops retreated. He thought of Rocky and felt worried about him. So he sent out his best men to look for him. However, they returned empty-handed; Rocky had disappeared.


    Half day later, leading a troop of northeast military camp, Marin came in for reinforcements. But once she reached northern sky military camp, she found that the timber deity troops had been beaten off.


    "Commander Sun, I got messages sent by pigeons and they said that the Timber Deity Empire dispatched powerful troops to attack you by surprise. Among them were three spirit manipulators above the Heavenly Stage and lots of spirit manipulators of the Earthly Stage. I couldn''t imagine how managed to defeat them, since you only have two thousands soldiers," Marin told the Commander doubtfully as she stood in the middle of northern sky military camp. Judging by the chaos that reigned, she had an idea as to how fierce and violent the attack was.


    But the truth was that the pandemonium and substantial damage accrued at site were caused by spirit-manipulated beasts attracted by Rocky. Nevertheless, it was because of him that the northern sky military camp was able to temporarily hold off the danger.

 Chapter 277 It Is A Secret! (Part One)

    Commander Sun, the top leader of the northern sky military camp, had immediately ordered the corpses to be cleared as soon as the enemies had been defeated and retreated. His men worked tirelessly as they cleared away the corpses of the wild spirit-manipulated beasts scattered throughout the military camp. Marin arrived right after they had finished, eyes wide in confusion. She had no idea how the northern sky military camp could defeat the strong enemies. As a matter of fact, her suspicion was right. The northern sky military camp couldn''t defeat their enemies alone. Earlier, Rocky had used the Dark Heaven Insect Queen to attract those wild spirit-manipulated beasts to help the northern sky military camp defeat the enemies. Commander Sun was under no inclination to tell her the truth. Under his stern orders, his soldiers were instructed not to leak any information about what had transpired.


    "Commander Marin, do you think that our northern sky military camp can''t repel the army of the Timber Deity Empire? Although they were very strong, they had only a thousand soldiers. We, northern sky military camp, had at least two thousand soldiers, twice as many as them at that time," Commander Sun told her seriously as he tried to look offended. He also put on a proud look as if he was an outstanding military array master who was capable and prevented the attack of their enemies.


    There was a saying that lying is done better when you give truths together with your lies. This was exactly what he was doing. It was true that his men were twice the number of the army of the Timber Deity Empire. Despite this, the strength of one soldier of the Timber Deity Empire seemed equal to five of his men. He resented the truth but his men were far weaker than their enemies. It did not matter if they were as many as the sand on the shore, they would still have been slaughtered by their enemies without help. Luckily, Rocky, the breeder of the northeast military camp, came just in time and offered them help. Rocky had made all the difference.


    "I did not mean to offend you, Commander Sun. I just felt that something here is not


    know that he showed up in the northern sky military camp and led them to victory. Rocky also did not want to get the merit of repelling the enemies'' raids. Commander Sun was naturally happy to take all the credit to his own camp. His heart suddenly pounded fast and he could not conceal the smugness on his face as he thought about the rewards and accolades that he would receive.


    Marin could hear what Commander Sun said, but her mind was absent. Although Commander Sun looked like a small man intoxicated by success, he still managed to keep the northern sky military camp safe under the sudden and fierce attack of the Timber Deity Empire. It indeed deserved merit. However, she still felt that there was something wrong with the situation. She kept her eyes on Commander Sun as if she could stare the secrets out from him.


    Meanwhile, Commander Sun felt cold sweat as it ran through his back. Marin stared at him as if she knew what really happened. He continued his act to be smug victorious, but inside he trembled in fear and guilt. He respected Marin and knew she was a capable commander. Despite her youth and gender, she had been appointed as commander. And from the rumors that he heard, she was not far away from a promotion and transfer to the base camp. Thus, he had to be cautious in front of Marin. It would be possible that the longer she stayed here, the higher chance that she would realize the truth.

 Chapter 278 It Is A Secret! (Part Two)

    "Commander Marin, thank you very much for coming to help us this time. If you have no more business here, I think you and your army can leave now. I am sorry that I am too busy to see you off. After all, we just went through a fierce battle and have a lot of things to settle before we can rest," Commander Sun said lightly. Inside, he was panicked as he prayed that she would cause no trouble and leave. He cupped one hand in the other before his chest in greeting to Marin. Then, he turned away immediately without waiting for any response and left with hurried steps.


    Marin narrowed her eyes at Commander Sun. His actions confirmed that he had hidden something from her. She turned towards her soldiers and called out to a spirit manipulator, plans already gathering in her head. She discretely whispered her orders in his ear and watched him leave in obedience. Afterward, she ordered her own army in preparation to leave. It might be difficult to accept, but it was true that she did not have any outright reason to stay in this camp.


    Marin and his men were almost out of the northeast military camp when the spirit manipulator she had sent out came back. He looked bewildered as he walked to Marin and whispered a few words to his commander.


    After listening to the report of the spirit manipulator, Marin was visibly taken aback. She stared at her subordinate in surprise, as she looked for confirmation that he told her the truth.


    "Are you sure what you heard was true?" Marin asked with great surprise. "How accurate are your sources?"


    "Yes, I am sure. I have confirmed it already and asked a few more people who gave me the same answers. In fact, the entire northern sky military camp agrees on this. However, they are under orders to keep this a secret," the spirit manipulator answered. He exuded confidence in his answers and did not hesitate, even as his commander stared him down.


    "I see," Marin bit her lip as she thought how to proceed. "


    re hours'' rest, Rocky finally felt that he was refreshed again.


    Now that he had caught the rare Dark Heaven Insect Queen, Rocky would no longer have to rush around to capture the Dark Heaven Insects. As long as he could breed the queen well, it would produce more insects for him. Rocky smiled dreamily as he thought that maybe in the near future, he would be able to own a spirit-manipulated beast army formed by the Dark Heaven Insects. If he had such an army, he would be envied by all the people of the Wild Spirit Land.


    The dreamy smile was wiped from his face as he thought of how naive this idea was. Rocky knew that it was not easy to carry out. He was aware that the hatching rate of the eggs produced by the queen was extremely low. Improvement of the hatching rate was possible but only if a comprehensive study of the queen was conducted first. The spirit-manipulated beasts were rather different from the genetic beasts, thus their biological structures were vastly different. Even worse, the body structures of the spirit-manipulated beasts were far more complicated than the genetic beasts''. Another thing that he needed to remedy was that he had no knowledge of how long and how frequent the queen produced eggs. Thus, he probably should focus on the study of the queen before anything else.

 Chapter 279 A Miracle

    Timber deity troops encountered a terrible defeat. This was after they instituted a sudden attack on northern sky military camp. One timber spirit manipulator of the Heavenly Stage and almost ten spirit manipulators of the Earthly Stage had lost their lives. They had hidden the battle and had to retrieve and head back without stopping.


    Alyssa had plotted the raid. All the rage came out faster than a magma. It was because the failure would ruin all her later plans. Her fear tortured her guts, churning her intense stomach cramps. Her plan would be breached, and this would signal her enemies. They would plan themselves and be one stride ahead of her. Her arrangements in launching an ambush on them became hard to implement.


    "The raid was highly confidential, and they were in the darkness about this attack. Can someone explain why you failed it? Despite only a thousand persons taking part in the attack, all of them were considered being the pick of the litter amongst their peers having the rigorous ranking. They were equivalent to the force of that small military camp of Crimson Dragon Group in combat ability. Your sole mission was to take advantage of their weakest state and attack them. But that seemed to be an uphill task to you. Such a waste!" Alyssa''s temper was on a hair-trigger. She yelled, saliva spitting out with each jiggered word. Her trace of the Divine Stage looked brighter and shattered the table in front of her. She was staring at the Commander in charge of the raid with an icy hostility look. It was as if her brain had suffered a massive short circuit and was struggling to compute. Their defeat was unimaginable to her.


    She had allotted herself to making this strategy work out. She required a proper-established approach to carry out her mission. Having consumed all that time, it was well prepared and was a careful plan. She was sure and knew beyond a reasonable doubt they would crack down the northern sky military camp. This would be a magnificent start for a battle. Now her plans blew up


    t-manipulated beast got injured in its foot. Could you please treat it?"


    "First come first served. I came first. So please come to check my beast first. It suffers severe diarrhea and doesn''t become better after taking the medicines!"


    "My beast..."


    The crowd gabbled.


    Rocky stared at Sheridan, his eyes resting not unblinking but slowed while wondering, ''Why did they request me to check out their beasts? That shall be Sheridan''s work!''


    "None of my business," Sheridan said like an innocent lamb.


    The truth was, the news that Rocky saved Verdanim spread like wildfire in the northeast military camp. He became the most popular man, and there were loads of stories about him. It was perceived that he was an outstanding surgeon.


    Verdanim was taking its last breath, but he saved it. For spirit manipulators in the northeast military camp this was a piece of pleasant news. Spirit-manipulated beasts were vulnerable. Their manipulators might have to discard them once they were injured and couldn''t be cured.


    If it was a one-star spirit-manipulated beast, its manipulator would desert it without compassion. For two-star one, its manipulator would falter to discard it, since it was not a walk in the park getting one.


    Therefore, everyone in the camp regarded Rocky, the savior with special respect and considered him as a miracle.

 Chapter 280 Who Was Prettier

    Rocky knew he had a problem in his hands when he saw the group of spirit manipulators gathered around him. He turned to Sheridan and said, "I think I need to excuse myself for the day!" He made a quick leap into the air after he spoke and landed nimbly at the rear of the group. He then moved quickly across the beast farm and disappeared.


    The spirit manipulators present stared at each other in disbelief after Rocky''s escape. But they were not the types who gave up easily. They nodded at each other knowing completely what to do. Then they rushed towards Rocky''s last direction en masse.


    "Ha-ha-ha! Hey boy, have a good time!" Sheridan smiled as he watched the group of spirit manipulators chased after Rocky. He felt a tinge of guilty pleasure seeing Rocky''s discomfort.


    Rocky never expected that the spirit manipulators would run after him. He suddenly felt an odd sense of urgency and he ran even faster that left a small cloud of dust across the military camp grounds.


    The spirit manipulators who chased Rocky drew closer every minute. Rocky was unable to shake them off. A few of Rocky''s pursuers were smart enough to cut his escape. Thus, they blocked the camp gate. They accurately deduced that Rocky would likely try to escape the military camp. And it would be impossible to catch up to him once he was outside the military camp.


    ''Holy crap!'' Rocky exclaimed to himself. He suddenly dreaded the possibility of getting caught. That meant that he would be bored for the rest of the day. He scanned the area for a means of losing his pursuers and he saw the flags that flew in the air. The Commander''s quarters! A crazy idea formed in his mind and he grabbed it without hesitation. He decided to break into the Commander''s quarters. Rocky passed by unnoticed. The guards looked at each other, puzzled, as the sensation of a passing wind brushed past them.


    Rocky made great progress in the past few weeks for he was able to improve by two to three grades compared to where he was three months ago.


    Rocky''s pursuers stopped as they approached the Commander''s quarters. They dared not enter. They knew that any uninvited entry into the Commander''s quarters was tantamount to trespassing with a punishment that was just as severe. They found it hard to believe that Rocky entered the Commander''s quarters just to evade them. Although they worried about the consequences of Rocky''s reckless decision, they did not want to get in trouble themselves and immediately left the vicinity of the Commander''s quarters.


    Rocky observed every move that his pursuers made as soon as he was safe inside the Commander''s quarters. He felt relieved when he saw his pursuers dispersed. At almost the same time, Rocky suddenly became aware of a pair of eyes that quietly and intently stared at his back. He turned slowly and his eyes were immediately lost in the beautiful pair of eyes that stared back at him unwaveringly. The eyes of Marin. A faint smile crossed her lips


    d in a pretentious tone. She sounded as if she knew exactly what Rocky''s reply would be. "Do you know the name of this new girl?" she asked with a mocking smile.


    "Her name is... Oh-umm. Y-Y-Yoyo. Yes, right, Yoyo! She is really as beautiful as a Yo-Yo. Do you know that feeling? As she walked past you, you feel like you''re slowly floating... You can''t help but be captivated by her smile. It felt like..." Rocky tried hard to continue his story. His eyes sparkled as he pictured a beautiful girl in front of him.


    "Does she have a beautiful body?" Marin asked. Her question pressed Rocky further.


    "Yes. Of course. It was gorgeous! Why, Commander? Are you also interested in women?" Rocky replied. At the same time, Rocky wondered what went on in Marin''s mind. Why was she asking these strange questions?


    "Do I have a more gorgeous body than her?" Marin asked without blinking. Her question had a tone that demanded an answer that was both blunt and sincere. It took Rocky completely off guard. He had never heard Marin talk that way before. ''What the hell is going on?'' Rocky asked himself nervously.


    "Err. Um. That is..." Rocky did not know what to say. He didn''t want to compare Marin with someone who did not exist. Rocky knew that if he said that Yoyo''s body was more gorgeous, Marin would take that statement as Rocky''s way of saying that her body was not gorgeous at all. But Marin''s body was truly beautiful. She had a curvy figure that was always hidden under her military uniform. On the other hand, if Rocky said that Marin''s body was more gorgeous, it would mean to Marin that Rocky still had the image of what happened that night vividly in his mind. He realized that he was completely trapped with Marin''s questions. There was no way for him to get out!


    "Okay, stop making up stories. You went to the northern sky military camp. Do you think you can fool us that easily?" Marin giggled when she saw that Rocky was in a complete state of shock and horror.

 Chapter 281 Declaring War

    As soon as Marin finished her speech, Rocky thought, ''I am definitely in big trouble now!'' Marin had learned that he had been at the northern sky military camp. But he steeled his resolve and forced a calm as he said, "How did you know this, Marin?"


    "Well as they say, the day has eyes, the night has ears. I''m not saying what you did is bad; on the contrary, it''s to your own merit. Why don''t you want others to know about it?" Marin asked as she gave Rocky a look. Before leaving the northern sky military camp, she dispatched her man to ask about how the northern sky military camp defeated the troops of the Timber Deity Empire. They found out that a talented man had been a substantial aid to them. She was surprised to hear that the man was none other than Rocky himself.


    The information was startling to Marin. But she had to admit that she was curious as to why Rocky was even at the northern sky military camp at that time.


    The Commander in Chief had summoned Marin and intended to have her investigate his background when Rocky had showed off an excellent performance during the Army Flag Contest. The Commander in Chief had plans to promote him during that time. Before leaving, the Commander in Chief instructed her to pay close attention to Rocky and his movements. He wanted his every move in the military camp to be reported back to him.


    But regardless of the reason that caused Rocky to help the northern sky military camp, it was a significant boost to his image. But since Rocky didn''t want to take the credit, and Commander in the northern sky military camp couldn''t report this to Commander in Chief.


    So Marin wasn''t quite sure about whether she should let the Commander in Chief know all about this. One thing that she was certain of was that the Commander in Chief would definitely want to promote Rocky once he knew everything. And this time, Rocky wouldn''t be able to refuse the promotion.


    Marin felt that she knew Rocky well enough to guess that he would certainly try to refuse to be promoted again. But it was unthinkable to refuse the Commander in Chief of Crimson


    ity Empire. The emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire grew livid at the outrage. He thought that the Timber Deity Empire was making unspeakable transgressions against them, which was a disgrace and an insult. He thus issued a royal order immediately: the Holy Dragon Empire has declared war against the Timber Deity Empire and will now make a show of intimidation against them.


    Lance, the Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Group, had deployed all his troops. He gathered six military camps on Gehenna Border along with fifty thousand soldiers from the base camp. He brought them all to the border of the Timber Deity Empire.


    The Holy Dragon Empire declared war, just as the Timber Deity Empire had hoped. Alyssa came to border with forty thousand soldiers, defended her place there and faced the Crimson Dragon Group army head on.


    Alyssa intended to break through the northern sky military camp, so that the Crimson Dragon Group would be vulnerable from the North. Afterward, she could gather her army to crack down their defensive line at the North and obtain significant strategic advantage.


    Since plan A failed, she had to use plan B. That was to defend themselves and wait for the right moment to launch a deadly attack.


    A few days later, the two armies met in battle, where it''s a matter of to kill or to be killed on battlefields, with soldiers and spirit manipulators in combat.

 Chapter 282 Steer A Dragon

    Three months flew by in the blink of an eye.


    The main force of the northeast military camp was assigned to the battlefield, and only a few hundred were left to defend the camp. This made the camp quiet and gloomy lately. One area in the camp seemed unaffected by all the gloom. The beast farm bustled with activity and remained lively.


    A group of spirit-manipulated beasts gathered at the area beyond the beast stables. Worry and concern seemed a thousand miles away from them as they lingered about.


    In the middle of the throng sat Verdanim. Its giant dragon wings set it apart from among the other beasts in the area. It looked like a member of the royal family amidst its loyal subjects.


    Verdanim turned towards his direction with eager eyes as Rocky approached. He then extended an arm that reached its face and stroked it lovingly.


    "Your leg is almost completely healed. Walking is no longer painful for you. But I''m still not confident that it is strong enough to support your landing from flight," Rocky said with concern. He walked closer to Verdanim''s leg and checked it.


    Three months ago, Marin had to lead the main force of the northeast military camp on the battlefield. Because she could not assist Verdanim with the rehabilitation, she asked Sheridan for help. However, while Marin was gone for half a month, Sheridan was called to the base camp.


    The task to help Verdanim was then handed over to Rocky. He also took over Sheridan''s task of being in charge of the beast farm. Most of his time was occupied with his studies so when Sheridan left, Rocky became busier.


    Because of the war between the Holy Dragon Empire and the Timber Deity Empire, many spirit-manipulated beasts in the battlefield became badly injured or even crippled. They were then sent to the beast farm of the northeast military camp. Many of them became unfit to ever serve in the battlefield again. Some even arrived at the brink of death. These beasts were normally abandoned afterwards. But Rocky never liked the idea of simply abandoning beasts. So he established a temporary operating ro


    a dragon before, so he was really curious about how it felt like.


    Verdanim raised its head and roared excitedly, and then bent down.


    "OK, I will be your company for a while. Don''t let your master find out about this. Otherwise I would definitely be in trouble!" If Marin found out that he steered Verdanim to fly, Rocky would get himself into trouble.


    Rocky got up and sat on the area between Verdanim''s neck and back. He then patted Verdanim, and it flapped its wings. Powerful currents of air flowed under Verdanim''s wings as dust and debris flew up in the air. Verdanim braced itself and accelerated the flapping of its wings. The dragon was in the air after a few brief moments of flapping its wings. Verdanim felt exhilarated and rushed to the sky.


    "Whoooah!" Gusts of wind flew past Rocky''s ears. His surroundings changed fast from the brown and green color of the beast stable to the blue and white of the sky. Flying was a completely new experience for Rocky. It felt surreal and magical for him. He looked down and saw the northeast military camp from a different perspective. He looked all around him and a magnificent vista overwhelmed him. Rivers looked like silver threads that divided a field of deep green trees. Magnificent mountains towered above the landscape below, its white, icy peaks looked like white crowns and the clouds that flew past looked like white hair.

 Chapter 283 A Breakthrough

    The oceans and seas welcomed countless rivers to attain greatness. And in this vast universe, Rocky felt so small and insignificant. But at the same time, he also felt relaxed, happy and enlightened. With this feeling, he felt unfettered like an eagle flying in the sky. He enjoyed the feeling of freedom that flying through the air made him feel.


    Even Verdanim was ecstatic to be back in the sky. Its injury chained it to the ground for a long time. It felt its spirit was free once more as it stretched itself to embrace as much of the sky as it could while it sped through the clouds. Its wound was healed but it still needed to be careful to complete its recovery. Verdanim truly appreciated that Rocky saved it and nursed it back to health. It flew with Rocky without a care in what was happening in the world below. They flew like they were one with the clouds and the air above. After some time, they flew back in the vicinity of the northeast military camp. Like a glider they circled the air above and descended slowly.


    An army of several thousand soldiers approached the northeast military camp. Rocky and Verdanim made one pass overhead at the approaching army and landed on the battlefield in front of the military camp.


    "Verdanim? It''s you!" Marin jumped down from her horse and rushed towards Verdanim. Verdanim could barely stand the last time Marin saw it. Three months later, Verdanim flew once more. No one, but the owner of Verdanim, could imagine how truly happy Marin was!


    As Marin approached Verdanim, she was surprised when she saw a man climbed off Verdanim''s back. Marin took a close look and was taken completely by surprise.


    The man was none other than Rocky!


    Rocky did not expect Marin to be back so soon. He never expected that Marin would see him get down from Verdanim either. Now he needed to explain how he ended up riding Verdanim.


    Not only Marin was surprised by the event that unfolded before her, but also the soldiers who watched Rocky get down from the back of Verdanim. Everyone watched with disbelief, and all of a sudden, they fell into silence.


    It was known to all that Verdanim was not an ordinary spirit-manipulated beast. Only a royal spirit manipulator with dragon spiritual power could ride it. But above it all, Verdanim was a war dragon owned by Marin. Even another royal spirit manipulator w


    n Rocky made a deal with Marin that he would do one request from her. But Marin had not requested anything yet. He felt uneasy because he did not know if Marin would get back at him or make him dance wearing only an apron. He would never do such a thing!


    He felt that seeing Marin was problematic. She was the Commander while he was nothing more than a beast breeder. If she became unhappy with him, he would have an extremely bad day. He tried to avoid Marin, but always met her accidentally. And every time they met, Rocky always did something that surprised her.


    ''"Forget it. I will think of this later. I need to focus on my research," Rocky sighed.


    Since the war started three months ago, Rocky became extremely busy between the lab and the military camp. Some of his researches were on track while two of them were in the critical stage.


    One of the topics that he was researching was how to have two spirit-manipulated beasts at the same time. Rubygon was no longer a young beast as before. One month ago, Rubygon reached adulthood and became more ferocious. For a beast above three stars, if it didn''t consider you as its master, it was hard to ride it.


    Fortunately, before Rubygon matured, Rocky had already spent a lot of time with it, and tamed it. Rubygon had accepted Rocky as a master before becoming fully grown.


    Rubygon grew up with Rocky as a master. He had gotten used to receiving orders from Rocky and was pleased to be his mount.


    Rocky''s research on how to ride a spirit-manipulated beast that you didn''t own had had a breakthrough.

 Chapter 284 It Had Come

    Truthfully speaking, the research on Rubygon only achieved two thirds of the target objectives. Because even though Rubygon obeyed his orders, it failed to connect with him on a spirit level like Uriah. This made it hard for Rocky to get into Rubygon''s thoughts and this made it impossible to establish a mutual communication link between them. Rubygon even acted contrary to what Rocky asked it to do sometimes.


    But Rocky was determined to complete the research. He was resolved to find a way to control spirit-manipulated beasts without owners. If he succeeded in that endeavor, he would be able to command an army of spirit-manipulated beasts.


    Another research that Rocky worked on was additional information about the eggs of the Dark Heaven Insect Queen. There was no record in the Beast Encyclopedia regarding the time it took between laying eggs as well as the time needed before the eggs hatched. The good news was that Rocky was able to proceed with this research as planned.


    During the three months of experimentation and research, Rocky found out that the Dark Heaven Insect Queen laid regular eggs and the Dark Heaven Eggs from the same ovary. An ordinary three-star Dark Heaven Insect of the third grade needed four to six months to breed a Dark Heaven Egg. When the queen bred the Dark Heaven Eggs at the premium stage, it also laid eggs. However, the two were different. Eggs were living entities while Dark Heaven Eggs were formed from the essence of the spiritual power of the Dark Heaven Insect Queen. Thus, their systems were completely different. This observation provided Rocky with valuable information regarding his research.


    Unfortunately, this information was not enough. Neither the Radiance Evaluation Skill nor the Stroking Evaluation Skill could completely scan the interior of the Dark Heaven Insect Queen''s ovary.


    Fortunately, Rocky acquired a new technique in the Magical Evaluation Skill which could be of great help in the evaluations that he needed to do. Compared to the Radiance Evaluation Skill and the Stroking Evaluation Skill, this new technique was closer to being magical than a technique. It allowed Rocky to complete an eva


    to make them more powerful. He was aware that this was an enormous undertaking that was impossible to complete in a single day.


    Moreover, the events in the past three months placed Rocky in a situation where he had to conduct numerous surgeries on different spirit-manipulated beasts. This provided him with much of the needed experience and skills. Before Sheridan left, he trained Rocky in all that he knew about the Beast Curing Skill and the knowledge that he had accumulated about the medical sciences. Taking what he had learned from Sheridan and the advanced modern surgical techniques, Rocky combined both to gain new insights and techniques.


    This did not mean that Rocky was able to do complex surgeries. Complex surgeries required advanced medical equipment that was not available in the current facility and situation. Moreover, Rocky was already fully occupied with daily tasks, and he no longer had the time to build a more complex operating room.


    When Rocky dragged himself into his room after a tiring day''s work, he was surprised to see Uriah, Rubygon and a third beast that enjoyed relaxing as it rested on its stomach. This third beast, familiar to Rocky, sparkled with colorful lights that came from its body that made it look like its body was made of millions of tiny prisms that reflected light into an array of colors.


    The third beast was the Rainbow Glow Unicorn, a beast that got Rocky into several troubles lately.

 Chapter 285 Simple Life

    The Rainbow Glow Unicorn appeared and even directly made its nest in the horse stable beside Rocky''s room. This happened a few days after Rocky took the insect queen back. Ever since the return, the Rainbow Glow Unicorn was bone-idle. All it did was coming in front of Rocky to ask for the magical saliva. It sounded that Rocky had turned into a walking ATM, which granted the Rainbow Glow Unicorn the magical saliva at any time it craved. This act made Rocky defenseless. He was bewildered on how to end the act from taking place again.


    What caused more fuss was the unexpected incident that the Rainbow Glow Unicorn made acquaintance with Uriah and Little Rubygon. As Rocky patrolled round in the military camp, the three beasts usually connived together to intimidate the wild spirit-manipulated beast that was around. In effect, the wild spirit-manipulated beasts around the northeast military camp refrained from coming out during the day. They avoided bumping into the three "bullies" and hence they now came out at night.


    But one factor led to another, wild spirit-manipulated beasts attacking human cases diminished by a notable figure around the northeast military camp. Last month, no one had been violated by any wild spirit-manipulated beast. Rocky affirmed that despite the negative things, this was a positive one to put a smirk on his face.


    The negative side nearly got him into hot soup. To add the salt into the injury, the three trouble makers almost got spotted by others many times. Rocky fabricated stories to cover up for Uriah and Little Rubygon. Still, tables would turn if others found the Rainbow Glow Unicorn lived beside his place since it would be a hard nut to crack, making it challenging to justify. The Rainbow Glow Unicorn was a high-grade spiritual beast, and everybody would yearn for.


    Rocky had no clue on how to handle the three trouble makers. All he could do was warn them and urge them not to put him into big trouble.


    When the three beasts saw Rocky come back, they glanced at him and brushed him off. They went on their event --- enjoying the sunbath and having a nap. It was indisputable that the Rainbow Glow Unicorn and Little Rubygon were receiving the best of their time and directly cold-shouldered Rocky. If he took out the magical saliva, the two would definitely dash up and follow around him like shadows.


    Rocky was acquainted with them, neglecting him. He emitted a sigh as he shook his head. Afterward, he moved to the underground nest to conduct the daily health inspection for the insect queen and the three Dark Heaven Insects. In the course


    cepting the invitation from Commander in Chief. Now he is the official beast tamer, taking in charge of all the spirit-manipulated beasts of the Crimson Dragon Group." Marin thought Rocky was familiar with the news. But his dumbstruck look concluded everything that Sheridan didn''t notify him anything.


    "What! How in God''s name could that old fellow be a deceiver? I assumed he would show back quickly. Well, now he becomes the official beast tamer, but I have to put up with all the mess he left!" Rocky yelled furiously.


    Marin burst out giggling. Her giggle was like ripples in a still pond after a stone had been thrown in. Her stomach was shaking as she fought a new gale of giggles. Her sweet grin made her beauty more charming.


    "What''s so hilarious?" Rocky asked with an annoyed glance.


    "I always regarded you as clever as a cartload of monkeys, but I presume I''m so mistaken about that! I cannot believe that now you are daft as a brush to be fooled. Ha-ha!" Marin burst into amusement.


    "Do you think that is ridiculous that Sheridan played a swindle on me?" Rocky stared at her.


    Marin didn''t respond. Instead, she giggled hysterically on top of her voice. Seeing Rocky so dumb made her heart skip for joy.


    "Verdanim, look at your master''s red face! She must feel so hot now! Go get some water to help your master feel better," Rocky said to Verdanim as a pained smile glided over the corner of his lips.


    "Come on! How on earth do you expect it is possible for Verdanim to follow your order?" Marin said. However, out of her expectation, Verdanim roared as raising its head, and then its head reached into the sink.


    After taking in some water, it raised up its head to spray water as if there was rainfall.

 Chapter 286 The Special Friendship

    "Aaargh!!" Marin shouted in horror. In an instant, a full blast of water flew directly at her.


    The sight of Marin''s drenched figure made Rocky laugh loudly. ''Ho-ho! How dare you laugh at me. I will show you how powerful I am!'' Rocky thought to himself as he mockingly pretended to be Marin scolding him.


    Marin was shocked and amazed at the same time that Verdanim allowed Rocky to fly it and now even obeyed Rocky''s instructions. She felt extreme admiration for Rocky because of these things that he was able to do. Things that were supposed to be impossible. But no matter how much Marin admired what Rocky could do, she knew that Rocky should get wet as well.


    "Verdanim, Rocky wants to take a shower. Help him," Marin ordered.


    Verdanim immediately sucked in a mouthful of water from the sink and pointed its water-filled mouth at Rocky.


    Rocky immediately held up his arms and shook his hands left and right. "Stop, Verdanim! If you spray water on me, I will not give you delicious snack anymore."


    Verdanim raised its head immediately upon hearing Rocky''s words.


    "Hey! I''m your master. Why do you listen to him?" Marin complained. She was both surprised and amazed that Verdanim was now hesitating to obey her orders. She then turned to Rocky, "Did you give it something bad?"


    "Of course not. All I gave it was tasty, yummy food. Verdanim, if you agree with me, spray your master once more," Rocky said grinning. In fact, to speed up Verdanim''s recovery, he often fed it food mixed with magical saliva.


    "Verdanim, if you do that again, I will no longer speak with you," Marin exclaimed while placing her hands on her hips to make herself look more serious.


    Verdanim was caught in a dilemma that it could not resolve on its own. Was it supposed to follow Marin or Rocky? Verdanim then decided


    move as water dripped from their very wet clothes. Neither one spoke a single word.


    They slowly came to their senses as water from the air continued pouring down on them. They stepped away from each other slowly and glanced at each other as peals of laughter broke out between them.


    "You crazy dragon. What will I do if your master asks me to...well...you know..." Rocky said trying to glare at Verdanim as he unsuccessfully suppressed a smile. He imagined that this would be the start of his troubles.


    The next few days were peaceful for Rocky because he did not see Marin.


    But he knew that a day of reckoning was close at hand. So when Rocky walked towards the gate of the northeast military camp early one morning, two guards waited for him there and informed him that Commander Marin required his presence.


    "I think the day of reckoning has arrived," Rocky whimpered to himself just before he entered the commander''s quarters. He knew that there was no evading Marin now so he decided to face whatever waited for him inside the quarters. He knew that he would be placed in an awkward situation if Marin asked him to marry her. After all, Rocky always had a special place for Lena in his heart.

 Chapter 287 Untamed

    Rocky quickly realized that his worries were unfounded. Inside the commander''s quarters, in addition to Marin, were two deputy commanders and the leaders of several spirit manipulator squads.


    "Did I disturb your meeting? I apologize! I will return after your meeting!" Rocky said bowing as he walked towards the door.


    "We were waiting for you," Marin replied in her usual calm and lack of emotion. It was as if nothing happened between them a few days back."


    "W-Waiting for me?" Rocky replied, obviously surprised. The commander and the deputy commanders with all the spirit manipulator squad leaders were waiting for him. Since when did he suddenly become so important to them?


    But still, Rocky knew that there was nothing for him to cheer about.


    "The Crimson Dragon Group suffered a lot after three months of fighting against the Timber Deity Empire. We never expected that the commander of the Timber Deity Empire was a military tactical genius, comparable to our Deputy Commander in Chief. And because we underestimated the capability of the Timber Deity Empire at the start of the confrontation, we lost three powerful Frontline Commanders and many spirit manipulators. We have recovered from these losses under the leadership of the Deputy Commander in Chief. But the losses that we suffered are irreparable. So the Commander in Chief decided to take advantage of this brief truce to train a few talented individuals selected from the strong and capable pool of spirit manipulators to serve as general commanders. And so the Commander in Chief ordered that we hold a military camp contest. Each of the six military camps of the Crimson Dragon Group will select five spirit manipulators from among their group to participate. All spirit manipulators, except for the commander of the camp, are allowed to participate," Marin explained to Rocky in detail.


    "Oh. Soooo, why are you waiting for me?" Rocky asked puzzled.


    "After much discussion, the two deputy commanders as well as the squad leaders of the second and fourth spirit manipulator squads will participate in the contest to represent the northeast military camp. The two squad leaders have all reached the first grade of the Earthly Stage, and they are also the most powerful among the different spirit manipulator squads. In addition to the two deputy commanders and the two squad leaders that I have mentioned, there is another who has reached the first grade of the Earthly Stage within our entire camp. This person, therefore, has no choice but to participate in this contest to represent the northeast military camp," Marin said as she stared straight at Rocky. There was something unca


    y camp in the contest and do your very best!"


    "You''re wasting the favor that I promised just to get me to join the contest? Are you sure you want to do that?" Rocky asked in a serious tone.


    Marin nodded slowly. In truth, what she did was for Rocky. Nothing good would come from defying the Commander in Chief.


    "Anyway, considering your strength, I don''t expect you to make an amazing performance in the contest. It would be a miracle for you to win even one game. Just have fun! And I promise that I won''t be so embarrassed if you agree to go." Marin said trying to soften the importance of Rocky''s participation and its possible impact on Rocky''s future.


    "I see. I will not put you in an inconvenient position." Rocky took one last look at Marin and thought that Marin was a commander who only obeyed what she was commanded to do. If he refused the request further, he would likely place Marin in a perilous situation. She even decided to use the favor that he promised her. There was no other reason for him to refuse now. So he gave her his promise and then left.


    Marin stared at Rocky''s back as he left the commander''s quarters. As soon as she was alone, Marin''s calm burned away quickly. Her eyes turned red and her legs trembled. Each time she saw Rocky, her mind immediately emptied itself and then it got filled with the scene of her and Rocky kissing. And the one thing that really got her was that she didn''t hate the feeling. She could not understand what it was that she felt. She seemed to have lost her sanity for she now felt like her heart was filled with a yearning that she could not understand. And this feeling was making her feel like butterflies fluttered endlessly in her stomach and she found it hard to breathe whenever she was around Rocky.

 Chapter 288 Participate At Once

    The competition would start two days later.


    Rocky did not want to travel to the base camp with Marin. He asked Thor to tell Marin that he would just meet them there later. Marin knew well enough that Rocky was highly independent and preferred traveling alone. She left the camp and traveled to the base camp with two Deputy Commanders and two squad leaders who were participating.


    The real reason why Rocky wanted to travel on his own was because he planned to go shopping in the Evian City before he went to the base camp. He then left with Uriah and Rubygon via carriage after he completed his preparations.


    When he arrived in the Evian City, Rocky went straight to the branch store of the Super Beast Farm and purchased the items that he needed. He then had a brief walk in the city and then deposited his personal carriage and luggage at the Super Beast Farm. He then left for the base camp.


    That day was also the start of the competition, and the road to the base camp was filled with soldiers and spirit manipulators who traveled in groups or by themselves coming from different military camps. The guards at the gate were more lenient than usual because of the volume of soldiers and spirit manipulators who had to enter the base camp. Rocky was allowed entrance when he told them the name of the camp where he came from. Once inside, he decided not go straight to the competition area. Instead, he went to the Isis Pavilion to see Sue. It had been months since Sue saw Rubygon. Rocky knew that she must''ve really missed Rubygon. It was one of the reasons why he brought Rubygon with him this time.


    Rubygon was familiar with the path that led to the Isis Pavilion. It twitched its head slightly when they started to walk towards the Isis Pavilion and then ran ahead of Rocky and Uriah without warning and entered it without waiting for them. A loud laughter came from inside as Rocky and Uriah approached the pavilion. An extremely happy Sue came out to meet them and she became even happier when she saw Uriah and Rocky walking towards her.


    "Oh Mr. Bai! Little Rubygon has grown so much! And it''s just been a few months!" Sue exclaimed in excitement. She hardly recognized Rubygon when it entered the pavilion. Rubygon was now almost as big as Uriah. Its wild nature had started to manifest. It had almost shed all of its younger down and had started to be replaced by more mature fur making it look more grown up than before.


    "So you can''t call him Little Rubygon anymore. It will get really mad," Rocky said with a mischievous grin.


    "Is that so? So I can''t call you Little Rubygon


    do everything she could to get Rocky to agree to join. She even had to use the favor that Rocky promised her. But despite the promise that Rocky made that he would participate, Marin still felt worried that Rocky might go back on his word. The competition was about to start and Rocky had not shown up yet. Worry started to inch itself into Marin''s stoic features.


    Without warning, a slim and graceful woman, escorted by maids, entered the lounge of the northeast military camp. Her beauty that seemed to have been taken straight from the pages of fables and fairy tales, made the room even brighter.


    "Deputy Commander in Chief..." Marin stood at attention and promptly saluted the woman.


    The two Deputy Commanders and the squad leaders in the room all stood at attention and saluted her as they all fell victim to her unmatched beauty.


    This woman was Isis!


    "You don''t have to do that. Commander Marin, where is the fifth member of your group?" Isis asked as she looked around the room and Rocky was not around.


    "Oh, he will be here soon," Marin replied nervously.


    "Very good! Commander in Chief mentioned him to me just now!" Isis said in a neutral voice. She approached Marin and whispered, "Marin, come sit with me later. I want us to talk."


    Marin nodded and smiled at Isis.


    Isis then left with her maids as suddenly as she arrived.


    At that moment, the man responsible for setting up the matches came in and informed the members of the northeast military camp who their opponents would be.


    Marin did not expect that Rocky would go against Evan. Evan used to be the squad leader of the first squad of spirit manipulators of the northeast military camp, and was transferred to the northwest military camp.

 Chapter 289 A Person Who Broke His Promise

    ''I didn''t expect Rocky to be paired with Evan so soon, '' Marin thought inwardly. Evan had already reached the fourth grade of the Earthly Stage. Marin believed that it was impossible for Rocky who was only between the second and third grades to win against Evan.


    The contest started with the first round which was split into halves. The first half involved thirty spirit manipulators in a one-on-one battle. Pairs were selected in random and those in low grades were easy prey if paired against higher graded spirit manipulators. Only the fifteen spirit manipulators who won their battle participated in the second half. The second half included a battle against each other until one by one, the competitors were defeated, with only the seven most powerful left standing. These seven winners were qualified for the second round of the contest.


    The thirty spirit manipulators in the contest were from the first grade of the Earthly Stage to the ninth grade of the Earthly Stage. The majority of the competitors were from the first grade to the fifth grade. It would not be difficult for powerful spirit manipulators to win in the first half of the battle and be qualified for the second half.


    It was truly poor luck that Rocky had an opponent that belonged to the fourth grade of the Earthly Stage, when the majority of the competitors would come from first to fifth.


    Marin expected that Rocky would excel or at least last until the second round. She did not expect this match up with Evan in the first half. Now, she was worried he would not even make it to the second half. She felt uneasy about the outcome, and she knew that she was alone in this. If Rocky lost, he would no doubt be ecstatic. After all, he did not want to be there let alone win. Marin''s frown deepened as she thought about Rocky''s potential reaction. She knew Rocky would view it as the best consequence since he would not need to proceed to the succeeding parts of the contest.


    "Even if he tried his best, he would still lose. I shouldn''t have asked him to do this!" Marin wailed in regret. She should have foreseen this outcome. She swiped her hair from her face and let out a loud breath. ''How could I have been so reckless and stupid?'' She restrained herself from pulling out her hair in frustration.


    Rocky would have made a good bargaining chip in her hand. If she had used him well, he could have brought her what she wanted but she squandered that opportunity.


    The martial field where the contest was held was divided into five parts. It was spacious enough that five contests could be held at the same time. This would take an hour to an hour


    ers.


    However, Isis felt uneasy too. Outwardly, she did not look any different. But her eyes wandered too, hoping to glimpse Rocky''s arrival. She was worried that if Rocky did not show up, the competition would not be fun at all.


    In the waiting area, Evan seemed to be celebrating already. He sneered and said, "I didn''t expect Rocky to be my opponent. This is a good opportunity for me to seek revenge. I''ll teach him a lesson or two. It''s his fault that I was transferred to the northwest military camp. That awful excuse for a camp!" Evan sneered, disgusted by the mere thought of the camp. "Where is he now? Is he too cowardly to compete with me?" He strutted at the waiting area like a proud chicken, eyes narrowed at his surroundings. His laughter boomed in the waiting area. He was amused at the thought that he would surely win. If Rocky showed up he would beat him and teach him a lesson. On the other hand, if Rocky does not show up, he would still win without any effort on his part.


    The rules of the contest dictated that if one party did not show up on the stage within thirty minutes, the opposing party would win by default. It meant Rocky would automatically lose if he did not show up on the stage in thirty minutes.


    Anxious and upset, both Marin and Isis watched the area where Evan would compete with Rocky. They hoped to finally see him arrive, that he really just wanted a grand entrance.


    "Is that man really planning on standing me up?" Marin pursed her lips, fuming. If Rocky dared not to come, the Commander in Chief would not go easy on him. And she especially, would not let this go easily. She despised it above all, people who did not keep their promises. And if he was like that, he would definitely feel her wrath.

 Chapter 290 Who Is More Formidable

    Lance, the Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Group, also waited impatiently for Rocky. He stood up and stared at the competition area where Evan stood waiting confidently. Lance took a deep breath as his eyebrows drew closer together. He grew impatient because Rocky was taking too long.


    The audience and onlookers in the platforms felt impatient as they stared at Evan in the middle of the competition area. They wondered what could have happened to Evan''s opponent.


    When Marin and Isis saw Lance get up from his seat, their hearts jumped up. They knew that if Rocky did not show up soon, Marin couldn''t imagine what possible punishment would be imposed against him for his absence.


    And then suddenly without warning, as if it read the thoughts of everyone in attendance, a beast of shadow emerged and rushed into the competition area and towards Evan. It pounced at Evan without warning with its sharp claws outspread and teeth bared.


    The turn of events shocked everyone present. They did not expect that Evan would be attacked by a spirit-manipulated beast as he waited for his opponent.


    Evan was also stunned at the sight of a spirit-manipulated beast rushing towards him. But a sliver of memory played at Evan and told him that he had seen this beast before. His reflexes quickly jumped into play; he immediately ordered his Six-armed Snow Macaque, a spirit-manipulated beast of the second grade of the three-star level, to fight the incoming beast.


    The macaque could fight adeptly with all of its six arms. It was skilled at jumping and it was smart and sly at the same time. The greatest advantage that it had was its six arms. Almost anyone could easily get overwhelmed by simultaneous attacks from its six arms.


    The two fierce beasts jumped towards each other without hesitation and a fierce battle ensued.


    The audience watched with awe as two powerful beasts fought for dominance against the other. They were particularly curious about the beast that jumped into the fight without warning. They watched its every movement with admiration and awe. It was hard to tell exactly what its power level was but it emitted a powerful aura which was obviously not weaker than the power of the Six-armed Snow Macaque. Its body was heavily muscled toned for both power and agility. All of its four limbs were thickly boned and powerfully muscled. It conveyed an atmosphere of authority and power as if it was the king of all spirit-manipulated beasts. It captured the attention and admiration of everyone in the battle area without effort.


    "It''s here!" Marin exclaimed excitedly and happily. She recognized the ferocious beast as Rocky''s war beast, Uriah.


    Isis sitting next to Marin understood that Marin


    combatants were too evenly matched.


    The spectators were expecting a battle between two spirit manipulators. Somehow, it turned to a battle between two spirit-manipulated beasts. However, because of the intensity of the fight between the two beasts, the people watching could not take their eyes off the two combatants as they eagerly waited to see who would turn out the winner.


    Uriah had the advantage when it came to stamina. Because of the magical saliva that it produced, Uriah simply recovered its lost stamina with the magical saliva as needed. This made it easy for Uriah to maintain its peak stamina. Therefore, on a fight that took a long time to conclude, Uriah had a complete advantage.


    After continuous exchanges of attacks, counterattacks and defenses, the macaque started to show signs of fatigue and was slowing down. Keen observers started to see that the battle was slowly turning towards Uriah''s favor.


    When Evan saw that his war beast had started to tire out, he wanted to help it but he decided not to. He was worried that Rocky would attack once he let down his defense and went out to help his war beast. He had fought with Rocky once before and he was well aware that Rocky was truly smart. He did not want to be caught off guard by one of Rocky''s traps.


    Unexpectedly out of nowhere, a whistling sound rang throughout the arena. It was a signal that Uriah knew too well. And without hesitation, Uriah knew exactly what it had to do. It jumped into the air and swooped at the macaque. This forced the macaque backwards into a disadvantageous corner. Right after it completed its maneuver, Uriah''s two fire tails collided and created a huge fireball that shot forth towards the macaque in one swift and fluid motion.


    Instantly, the audience was ecstatic and burst into a loud uproar.

 Chapter 291 Increasing Doubt

    "The beast is a spiritual beast? No wonder its aura is so unique... However, the spiritual beast is an extremely rare kind of spirit-manipulated beast. How is it possible that he owns one? Could this spirit-manipulated beast be something more special and rare?" Lance rose abruptly and stared at Uriah sharply with a look of surprise. Although he was not a beast evaluator, his rich experience and instincts told him that Uriah was possibly a spiritual beast.


    Uriah''s performance shocked Lance thoroughly. He stood there astonished, eyes wide open in surprise. He was the Commander in Chief of Crimson Dragon Group, one of Three Great Generals in Holy Dragon Empire. All his people were used to his stern and calm manner, always composed no matter what the situation was. This, the Commander in Chief who looked out of sorts, had never happened before.


    The commanders and officers in the grandstand were mumbling and whispering to each other. They speculated about who and what kind of person could Uriah''s master be.


    On their end, Marin and Isis were even more surprised. They could not even move, let alone talk for the first few moments that they laid eyes on the beast.


    "Marin, look at his beast! How powerful it is! Could it be a spiritual beast?" Isis eyed Marin in amazement. She wasn''t sure, but from the beginning, she had suspected that Uriah was special and different from the other spirit-manipulated beasts.


    "I have no idea," answered Marin as she shook her head. She stared at the beast in disbelief. Rocky had stayed at northeast military camp for a long time, but she truly had no idea about the capability of his spirit-manipulated beast. It could be a spiritual beast! She must have been seriously negligent that Rocky had this capability and she remained unaware.


    "How could you not have known this?" Isis exclaimed at Marin in complete incredulity. She knew Marin very well and how cautious she was in handling her business. How couldn''t she know Rocky had a special spirit-manipulated beast! It was dubious that the Rocky had been under her for a long time and yet she remained unaware of his beast.


    "I hardly saw his spirit-manipulated beast, maybe only two or three times. Neither he nor his spirit-manipulated beast participated in any kind of training before. He always disappeared for a few days and no one knew where he was. No one bothered to look for


    potlight. But he would never give up so fast. He hadn''t lost yet.


    With all the desperation he could muster, he launched an attack toward Uriah and flew in its direction. He accumulated spiritual power in one hand and released a Flying Cloud Punch towards it. An illusionary palm was instantly formed by spiritual power in the sky and dashed towards Uriah.


    Undeterred by Evan''s attack, Uriah stood calm and unwavering. It was settled motionless in its place as if waiting for something.


    At this critical moment, a figure jumped into the air above the crowd. He flew to Uriah and landed nearby, his movement smooth and natural.


    As soon as the figure appeared on the stage, the martial field was lit up. The long awaited and mysterious master of Uriah had finally showed up.


    The other four contests were eclipsed by the appearance of the mysterious figure. Everyone gathered around at this field, eager to know who it was.


    Upon his landing on the ground, the man stretched out his right arm. Spiritual power intertwined his arm unto his palm, the air buzzing with power around him. The power was accumulated between his two fingers and aimed at the illusionary palm. In the blink of an eye, the spiritual power between his fingers was sent off and became a glistening arrow with nebula. It hurtled off, long tail cast behind it.


    The nebula arrow pieced through the illusionary palm and shattered it. It dashed towards Evan as a lightning bolt.


    Seeing this, everyone fell quiet again. Shock and disbelief once again rendered them speechless. The moment seemed to go on, forever.

 Chapter 292 The Powerful And Mysterious Man

    Although Uriah''s fight stunned the audience, the skill that this mysterious man now displayed drew everyone''s attention and admiration. His spiritual martial arts had caught everyone present by surprise.


    The spiritual martial arts of the mysterious man obviously surpassed Evan. Many in the audience wondered about the true identity of the mysterious man. Evan was of the fourth grade of the Earthly Stage. Among the thirty participants, he was considered to be of the intermediate level. He was only slightly below the skill level of the deputy commanders. The two deputy commanders of the northeast military camp had already finished their rounds. Who then was this mysterious man? Was there another competitor from the northeast military camp who could easily overwhelm Evan?


    No one in the audience had an answer.


    Evan was taken completely by surprise by the man''s spiritual martial arts attack. He could not believe that his strike could not withstand the arrow force from the man. As the nebula arrow came within inches from Evan, his spiritual power surged and he threw another Flying Cloud Punch against the arrow. But the nebula arrow pierced his punch attack one more time.


    Murmurs filled the audience while some exclaimed in shock and amazement. Evan was a spirit manipulator of the fourth grade of the Earthly Stage and yet he somehow failed to counter an attack from this mysterious man twice in a row.


    The audience quickly realized that this mysterious man was much more powerful than Evan.


    Everyone''s eyes were fixed on the mysterious man. His aura was so intense that nobody could ignore his presence. His entrance at the arena was like that of a war god coming down to show his wrath on the helpless mortal before him.


    "How is that even possible!? Evan can''t withstand Rocky''s spiritual martial arts attack!?" No one was more shocked than Marin. The last time she saw Rocky fight against Evan, Rocky was only of the second grade of the Earthly Stage and was weaker than Evan. It was only a few months since that fight. How did Rocky grow that strong so quickly?


    "Marin, is Rocky really only of the second grade of the Earthly Stage?" Isis asked. She had never se


    on Evan''s side right now.


    Evan found it impossible to accept what happened. Anger burned in his chest as his face twisted in complete fury.


    "You are dead! Do you hear me?!" Evan yelled angrily at Rocky. He felt so humiliated. He used his anger to focus all of his spiritual power into his next spiritual martial arts attack that easily defeated Rocky before.


    "Ghost Fog!"


    Evan yelled the two words in grim determination and confidence. A dense white fog slowly surrounded Rocky threatening to completely engulf him. Figures of ghosts appeared from the fog as it expanded all around Rocky. They charged at Rocky all at the same time as loud shrieks and screams filled the air.


    "Such a joke!" Rocky said in contempt. He summoned the Nebula Cloud Transformation with the merest gesture. A nebula-like light soon filled the area around Rocky. It expanded quickly and overwhelmed the surrounding fog. The fog and the ghosts were swept into nothingness in a matter of seconds, the screams faded into nothingness like the memory of a bad dream that melted against the rays of the morning sun.


    "That is not possible!" Evan was almost stunned in disbelief as Rocky effortlessly took out his Ghost Fog.


    The audience could scarcely hold back their surprise, admiration and amazement when they saw Rocky break Evan''s Ghost Fog as if it was a mote of dust against the fury of the wind that was Rocky.


    They all now wondered how powerful Rocky truly was.

 Chapter 293 Being Promoted

    The Earthly Stage skill that Evan had learned was Ghost Arts, famous arts of Ji Clan. Only a talented apprentice was capable of learning it. This secret skill was never something ordinary. Ghost Fog was one of Ghost Arts. It was one of the top five spiritual martial arts of the Earthly Stage, which meant Ghost Fog was quite a powerful form of spiritual martial arts. If Rocky had been only one or two grades higher than Evan, he couldn''t have broken Ghost Fog so easily.


    But he did break it effortlessly. This not only meant that Rocky was more powerful than Evan, but also indicated that the Earthly Stage skills that Rocky had learned weren''t weaker than Evan''s Ghost Arts.


    The truth was, the Earthly Stage skills that Rocky had learned were Vast Nebula Skill that was given by Marcia, one of Three Great Generals of Holy Dragon Empire. It was created by another erudite and was much better than Evan''s Ghost Arts.


    To Evan''s surprise, Rocky who had been no match for him only a few months ago could easily break his Ghost Fog now. What made things even weirder was that Rocky could even launch such unassailable spiritual martial arts. There was no way for Evan to believe that Rocky could exceed him in spiritual power, because Rocky couldn''t increase his power by several grades in just a few months even if he took some panacea.


    Evan''s compelling desire to be better than all those around him did not allow him to give up easily. Since he didn''t want to believe that Rocky was so powerful now, he attempted to attack him again. He rushed towards Rocky and planned to have hand-to-hand combat with him.


    As Evan was approaching, Rocky gave him a sneaky smile and coldly said, "F


    couldn''t get up for a long time.


    Everyone had a hard time believing that Rocky managed to beat Evan, a manipulator of the fourth grade of the Earthly Stage, with only a few attacks.


    "Clap! Clap... Clap..." Suddenly, there was a round of applause in the platform. "Who is clapping?" everyone whispered. Shockingly, it was Lance!


    "This man is such a prodigy!" Lance said in admiration and with a tone of praise.


    It was apparent that Lance was referring to Rocky.


    Lance''s asperity with his subordinates was well known; yet, he publicly applauded Rocky two times.


    Rocky was admired and envied by the commanders and officers at site, since they witnessed the intensity of Lance''s love and applause for Rocky. They figured that he would get promoted and have a successful career.


    It was astonishing that Rocky managed to defeat Evan within a few strikes. Most people didn''t know who this man was, except for some of the commanders and officers who had seen him before. This gave the novel a mysterious coloring!


    Soon, everyone in the martial field was talking about Rocky and nobody cared about other contests.

 Chapter 294 The New Trick

    Rocky walked towards Evan who had been completely defeated. He smiled coldly.


    Evan was on his stomach. The severity of his wounds kept him from moving. He could do nothing but watch Rocky approach him with malice in his eyes. He still could not understand how Rocky became so powerful.


    "You must have thought that you will be safe in another military camp. Nothing could be more untrue. When I found out that you would be my opponent, I made up my mind to defeat you completely and conclusively and humiliate you at the same time. Mercy is not something you should expect from me right now," Rocky sneered at Evan in a low voice that only Evan could hear.


    When Rocky found out that his opponent was Evan, he threw away his original plan of conserving his strength. Although he had decided long ago to be inconspicuous, he knew that he must make Evan pay for the unforgivable thing that he did to Rocky.


    Rocky stretched his hand and pressed down on Evan''s left arm after he finished speaking.


    "What are you doing?" Evan asked in horror. He suddenly felt a sharp sensation of growing fear and helplessness.


    "You will find out soon," Rocky said in a wicked tone.


    A moment later, with no pain or warning, Evan suddenly found his left arm immobile and refused to follow his commands of movement.


    "Your left arm is completely paralyzed. Remember this. If I see you again, you will not be as lucky. Do you understand?" Rocky said in a threatening voice as he patted Evan''s face. He destroyed all of the nerves in Evan''s left arm.


    Evan stared into Rocky''s cold eyes and felt an overwhelming fear growing within him. If Rocky could destroy all of the nerves in his arm with the slightest effort and without making any sound, he could also kill him just as easily. He now regretted offending Rocky. However, it was too late for him.


    Evan stared at Rocky as if Rocky was a god of


    ere like leaded gloves that hit Rocky directly, knocking his jaw wide open.


    "Isis!" Marin exclaimed. Isis'' words made Marin blush. She never imagined to hear such words from Isis. She never expected that Isis would threaten Rocky with something so shameful. But she did not know that Rocky had seen Isis in the nude, if she did then her words would sound less scandalous.


    Rocky took a deep breath filled with defeat and helplessness. Rocky realized that Isis was one tough lady who dared threaten him with such an embarrassing thing. He fully believed that Isis would do as she said if he refused.


    "Alas! Fate has scorned me! What have I done to provoke the two cousins?!" Rocky complained bitterly to himself.


    Most of the people in the Crimson Dragon Group considered being the bodyguard of the two beauties a dream assignment. But Rocky was unlike everyone else. He knew that the two ladies would not simply do shopping. Thus, he considered this assignment a walk of pain.


    "Let''s go!" Isis said excitedly and started to walk with Marin close by her side. Rocky did not dare say anything else.


    He stared at their backs as they walked away and smiled bitterly. There was nothing else that he could do but follow them as Uriah walked beside him.

 Chapter 295 Testing

    Isis and Marin left the base camp with Rocky and Uriah as their bodyguards. The two ladies ignored Rocky''s presence as they traveled all the way to Evian City.


    Beautiful ladies would always be the center of attention in a crowd, and that was a known fact anywhere. When they walked on the streets of Evian City, the two young and gorgeous ladies attracted a lot of admiring glances.


    Rocky quickly realized that more and more people were attracted by the two beauties and had started to follow them. Soon, a long line of admirers formed behind their group. But the two girls were not disturbed by this and focused on their shopping.


    "Uriah," Rocky called out to Uriah. He was worried that a riot might break out if they did not do something about the growing crowd that followed them.


    Hearing Rocky''s call, Uriah knew immediately what was needed to be done. He positioned himself between the crowd and Rocky''s group and then growled threateningly at the crowd.


    The people were startled and dispersed immediately. They sensed that Uriah was the kind of spirit-manipulated beast that they couldn''t afford to offend. Even the ordinary spirit manipulators whose powers were weak feared powerful spiritual beasts so they went away as well.


    Rocky turned to the two girls when the crowd dispersed. "Dear Isis and dear Marin, could you please lay low a little?"


    "Why do we need to do that? We have you; our highly-effective bodyguard," Isis said making fun of Rocky.


    When Isis went out, she usually went with guards and had her face covered with a veil. It was extremely rare that she would go out without a veil on her face nor go out without guards. She went out without guards and a veil this time since Rocky was out with her anyway.


    Rocky gave out an audible sigh and rolled his eyes at her. He understood that Isis was just deliberately making things more difficult for him since he was their bodyguard.


    "Isis, stop that!" Marin said with a tinge of irritation clouding her beautiful face.


    "Now follow us and be sure not to lose us or you''ll be cleaning the bathrooms of the base camp for three days!" Isis said and then suddenly changed into a bluish silhouette and then disappeared.


    Marin turned into a shadow and then followed


    r filled the wide windows of the ship.


    The beautiful scenery made Isis relax a little. A faint smile of satisfaction crossed her lips. "The things that you would say when you are drunk are likely not the truth. Moreover, you are a cunning person who would likely make up lies. So there is no need for us to get you drunk."


    "I will take that as a compliment from the Deputy Commander in Chief," Rocky said. A slight smile and a thoughtful look immediately filled his countenance. "I think we need to get more serious."


    "Marin, your turn or mine?" Isis asked as she glanced at Marin.


    "Your turn. I bet that he won''t tell the truth," Marin replied with a confident look.


    "Well, there is a simple way to do this. We are both stronger than him and he cannot escape us. So we can just force him to tell us the truth," Isis said with a slightly naughty smile. Now it seemed that Isis was the hunter and Rocky was her prey.


    "Are you going to try and force me to make confession?" Rocky asked with an impish smile. The whole situation seemed to go quickly against him. But Rocky was obviously not anxious nor afraid. There was always a way out for him. Instead, he was curious about what they planned to do next.


    "Rocky, please just tell us who you are really," Isis asked as her eyes shone with the reflected light from the sun.


    "I''m just a regular guy," Rocky answered as he shrugged.


    "You can''t fool me, Rocky. You are more than a regular guy," Isis said while glancing at Rocky.

 Chapter 296 A Stubborn Man

    "Is that another compliment, Deputy Commander in Chief?" Rocky said with a sly smile. He now believed that Isis somehow thought highly of him.


    "Fine. Yes, that was a compliment. My father has commended you in front of other people several times. Even Mr. Sheridan often tells me of your talents," Isis replied.


    "What are you really trying to say?" Rocky was not convinced that Isis'' true purpose for inviting him here was only to praise him.


    "Who are you really, Rocky? There are just so many questions about you. We would like to know about the real you." Isis felt it was appropriate to tell Rocky her true purpose. The more she learned about Rocky, the more she found him special. The fight earlier allowed her to see more of Rocky''s special talents. Not only was he able to improve at a rate that was seemingly impossible, he also handled the fight in a manner that was astounding. Isis believed that Rocky''s skill had something to do with who he really was.


    "If you truly want to know, I suppose, I can tell you. The truth is that I am..." Rocky said and paused on purpose and then stared at the two women.


    They never expected Rocky to suddenly tell them the truth behind his identity. They slowly leaned forward towards Rocky in anticipation of Rocky''s revelation.


    "I''m the future emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire," Rocky answered with a snobbish look.


    "If you are the future emperor, then I am the future empress! Now stop talking crazy," Isis replied. She took Rocky''s answer as another one of his jokes. She suddenly blushed as she realized that if she was to be the future empress then it was like she was saying that she would be Rocky''s future wife.


    "Ha-ha-ha! I am not sure if you truly want to be my future empress. But since Deputy Commander in Chief brought it up, I will definitely consider it seriously," Rocky laughed loudly.


    "Why you!" Isis replied in anger. Her lips trembled in anger, but more because it was her who got herself into this predicament than because of Rocky''s witty retort.


    "Calm down Isis! He is just being absurd again. Are you really taking what he said seriously?" Marin said softly to calm Isis down.


    "Well, you are right! That was just another one of his jokes." Isis blushed as her anger evaporated into thin air. The stoic Isis that Rocky was used to seei


    he gets what he wants," Isis said while staring straight into Rocky with her mesmerizing eyes.


    "Why are you telling me this? You are his daughter. Shouldn''t you be on his side? Aren''t you worried that I will quit the competition now that I know of your father''s plan?" Rocky asked with caution as he tried to figure out the reason behind Isis'' revelation.


    "Do you really think that it still matters now whether you know the truth or not? Now that you know the lengths that my father would go to get what he wants, it would be in your best interest to stop resisting against what he wants. I know you are not the type of person who''d simply agree to what other people want. That is why I told you about my father''s plan. Because you cannot win against my father. And if you were not my cousin''s favorite subordinate, I would not bother telling you this. It''s none of my business," Isis taunted.


    "Who said that he is my favorite? He is not my favorite at all!" Marin said, trying to contradict what Isis said about her.


    "Rocky, save yourself the trouble and just agree to the promotion. You can''t change the mind of Commander in Chief at this point. It will be totally worth your while anyway. You know you cannot withstand the consequences of going against Commander in Chief." Marin tried to convince Rocky. Isis'' words brought a different realization for her, and she began worrying for Rocky.


    She also knew her uncle very well. If Rocky managed to get Lance mad, the resulting backlash would not be something that anyone could survive.

 Chapter 297 Fighting Shoulder To Shoulder

    "Don''t you think it''ll be too boring? The Commander in Chief is the one who wanted to play, so I won''t hold back and take on him to the very end." Rocky smirked with a glint of steel in his expression. For a brief moment, he looked almost transformed from his regular countenance.


    Both Isis and Marin stared, stunned, at the change that came upon Rocky. This was the first time they saw him appear so fearless and haughty that it seemed as though he had complete control of the situation. They were both certain that the tide was about to change and that something big was about to happen.


    The ship gradually docked. After flashing the two ladies a glance, Rocky stepped off the ship and left with Uriah.


    "Isis, why did you tell Rocky all of those things? The more he knows, the more intensely he''ll resist! It won''t do him any favors," Marin admonished Isis anxiously. Right from the start, she hadn''t approved of Isis informing Rocky about all of those things. But she was also subconsciously aware that Isis wouldn''t have been stopped anyway.


    "Because it''ll be interesting! Aren''t you the least bit curious about what his true powers are? You''re as desperate to know as I am! I''m fairly certain we''ll see it for ourselves soon." Isis smiled, satisfied with how things had turned out.


    "So you deliberately provoked him so that he would challenge the Commander in Chief?" Marin demanded, scandalized, once she realized that this was Isis'' intention all along. Frowning and with furrowed brows, she added, "You know, if he were to reveal his true powers and strengths, it''ll only make the Commander in Chief want to promote him even more. And Rocky doesn''t want that."


    "What''s wrong with you? You looked worried about him," Isis teased playfully as she raised an eyebrow at Marin. She had noticed for a while now that Marin was particularly concerned over Rocky.


    "Stop making fun of me, Isis, or I''m just going to ignore you," Marin grumbled, glaring Isis. However, there was truth in what she said: she was very concerned about Rocky''s wellbeing.


    "Well, to tell you the truth...I have a bet with my father. I bet him that he wouldn''t be able to subdue Rocky," Isis suddenly remarked.


    "You mean you had this planned out?!" Marin''s jaw dropped in astonishment.


    "Ju


    urprise, he responded, "I don''t intend to cooperate with you."


    Deputy Commander Chen was stunned. "We are the only ones left in the northeast military camp!" he told him in disbelief. "If we act separately, both of us will be crushed. It''s imperative that we team up in the confused fighting. Otherwise, we won''t win!"


    "Really? Well if that''s what you think, Deputy Commander Chen, please feel free to take care of yourself out there," Rocky sneered, unperturbed. He had already seen through Deputy Commander Chen''s true concern: Chen didn''t think that he would be able to win the confused fighting by himself. And after witnessing Rocky''s real power in the first half of the round, he felt that allying himself with him was his best chance of surviving to the next round.


    However, as his power currently stood, it would be extremely easy for Rocky to enter the second round. He felt no need to cooperate with Deputy Commander Chen. With a nod in finality, Rocky turned and strode away.


    Deputy Commander Chen stood dumbstruck in shock, momentarily frozen in place. Then he let out a discouraged sigh and left on his own.


    As the fifteen spirit manipulators stepped into the bamboo forest, one after another, the authorities from the Crimson Dragon Group led by Lance had stayed out of the action. In this large forest, it was difficult for them to watch the confused fighting in full view. Hence, the spirit manipulators supervising the confused fighting would send them the real-time battlefield reports instead.

 Chapter 298 You Are The Bait

    Isis and Marin had taken their seats. Each drowned in their thoughts. But without a doubt, all they had was the same views over the same person.


    Suddenly, a man shot beside Lance.


    "Be on full alert to his every step," Lance ordered the man, whose eyes gazed in one direction.


    In a twinkle of an eye, the man had already vanished into thin air.


    Before long, the second half of the first round started which implied to be confused. The fifteen spirit manipulator with their spirit-manipulated beasts set out from their positions and travelled in the bamboo forest.


    In theory, they would first search for the spirit manipulators of the same military camp. This was to strike up a friendship so that they would be on the same page. It would produce joint efforts to fight against the others. But this wasn''t definite since they could first bump into an enemy rather than a friend. This was because the bamboo forest was dense and the paths in it were complicated.


    If they encountered someone powerful, they didn''t have to be strained or fear to send shudders up their spine. The rules allowed them to avert clashing. Specifically, once they collided into a sturdy opponent, they could withdraw from the separate paths. If luck fell on their side, they would meet their comrade-in-arms. On the contrary, they would be insulted back and forth.


    In a few moments, two spirit manipulators, respectively at the ninth grade of the Earthly Stage and the sixth grade of the Earthly Stage, came face to face with each other. They were from the east-southeast military camp, the strongest of the six military camps. Dunn was the man at the ninth grade of the Earthly Stage. The Deputy Commander of the east-southeast military camp and the most powerful one of this rank, he was a minor hero in the Crimson Dragon Group and was even more robust than some Frontline Commanders of the base camp. Weighing by the power he had, he should have been promoted as Frontline Commander much earlier. It was truly regrettable that he was hubris and impulsive. Despite him having strengths and capabilities, he was not submissive to authority. So he had never been placed in a distinguished position.


    Dunn was the most promising spirit manipulator to win the first place of the competition and be promoted as Frontline Commander. Since he had


    asked in a cold face.


    "Don''t lie to me. How could you show compassion to me?" the spirit manipulator asked, still dubious about Rocky''s intention regarding it''s a dog eat dog world. According to the procedures, once a spirit manipulator was conquered or lost vitality, he would be knocked out. However, if Rocky pardoned him, he nevertheless could pursue his contest.


    "Incredible as it seems!" Rocky said before he turned away with Uriah.


    Watching Rocky leave, the spirit manipulator sighed a whiff of relief and headed to the other direction with his spirit-manipulated beast. Finally, the storm had passed.


    Till the spirit manipulator had gone. Rocky and Uriah came back and went after him.


    "How dumb is he to conclude I would let him go scot-free with no cost? I just made you my bait," Rocky muttered to himself, obtaining gratification from his shrewd conjecture.


    The truth was, Rocky took advantage of the spirit manipulator to explore the way for him. If he encountered more than two allied spirit manipulators of other military camps, retreating would be an uphill task and would be instant. Instead, if he encountered a single weak spirit manipulator, he could stand out to overthrow the spirit manipulator and make him as his new bait. Such a strategy could guarantee him to elude the spirit manipulators that were mightier than him so that he could be one of the seven winners who could enter the second round easily.


    However, when he followed the spirit manipulator, a shadow flashed after him, but it disappeared swiftly.

 Chapter 299 Supervision On Rocky

    Not aware that he was being watched, Rocky followed the spirit manipulator who was at the third grade of the Earthly Stage. If everything went according to plan, the confused fighting would end in two hours. If he could stay hidden and safe until the end of the two hours, he would be qualified to proceed to the second round.


    At that same time, in other areas of the bamboo forest, some spirit manipulators consumed much of their spirit energies to launch powerful attacks against each other.


    At the end of the first hour, three spirit manipulators below the skill of deputy commanders had been eliminated for being knocked out or simply running out of energy.


    But changes were unexpectedly happening within the bamboo forest.


    Dunn of the east-southeast military camp combined forces with another spirit manipulator from their camp. Dunn was a spirit manipulator of the ninth grade of the Earthly Stage and with their combined strength, no one was stupid enough to dare go against them. A third spirit manipulator from their camp soon joined them. At this rate, their group was likely to grab three of the seven positions who would make it to the second round.


    However, the three camps originally having two participants, including the northeast military camp, had only one deputy commander left now. Therefore, the three deputy commanders agreed to join forces in order to survive.


    Two other military camps including the eastern mountain military camp that originally had three representatives found themselves in dire situation for their individual members failed to find each other in time.


    Therefore, except Rocky and the spirit manipulator that Rocky used as bait, there were now four sub-teams in total inside the bamboo forest. If they confronted each other, the number of participants would d


    that built up in his hand flew to the air and formed a water mirror which showed an empty bamboo forest.


    The commanders and the officials seated behind Lance were all startled and confused.


    The Water Mirror Illusion was a spiritual martial arts skill that could be used at a range of a few hundred meters. The mirror was formed from the moisture in the air of the bamboo forest to display what went on inside the bamboo forest.


    It consumed a large amount of spiritual power. Thus, Lance never used it under regular circumstances. Those who knew about the mirror wondered why Lance used it now considering it consumed such a large amount of spirit energy and now showed only an empty bamboo forest.


    After a few moments, the figure of a man appeared in the water mirror.


    "Isn''t that the breeder from the northeast military camp?" someone said when he recognized Rocky in the mirror.


    The commanders and officials started to whisper among themselves. They never expected that the purpose of using a technique that consumed a lot of spiritual energy was to merely watch Rocky.


    Isis and Marin also looked puzzled. The suddenly had a feeling that something terrible was about to happen to Rocky.

 Chapter 300 Made A Bet

    Meanwhile, Rocky hadn''t realized that he had been the center of attention in the Illusory Mirror. Everyone outside the bamboo forest was paying close attention to his performance.


    However, he had to direct his attention to a much more serious situation at hand. Because it had just dawned on him that he had lost sight of the spirit manipulator of the third grade of the Earthly Stage.


    ''That''s strange... I''m sure I saw him in front of me a while ago. How did I manage to lose him?'' Rocky looked around in search of the figure of the spirit manipulator, as he had planned to use him as bait. But he could simply not find him anywhere.


    Without warning, a figure dropped down from the shadows about thirty feet away from where Rocky stood. The fallen figure was the very same bait that Rocky was now searching for. But the figure of his bait crumpled down when an evil figure walked past him. Rocky, far from the spot, remained oblivious.


    ''Alright then, I guess I''ll just wait here until the event ends!'' Rocky concluded, as his search went in vain. Since he lost his bait, no one else could clear the way for him. He knew that the other spirit manipulators were engaged in a fight-to-win battle. It wouldn''t be long before spirit manipulators began losing their lives or powers. So, rather than advancing forward at great risk to himself, it was wiser to wait at his leisure for a fatigued enemy. His plan to win this competition was to do so without having to go all out.


    All at once, Rocky sensed two figures suddenly appeared at his left side. They were at the level of the Earthly Stage in strength. And before Rocky could do anything, the two figures revealed themselves before him.


    Rocky studied the two figures and found that they were dressed in the costumes for Deputy Commanders, but in a different color. The cultivation base for the one in red was at the seventh grade of the Earthly Stage, and the one in brown was at the sixth grade of the Earthly Stage. Once they all laid eyes on one another, Rocky knew that these two challengers would not go easy on him.


    A stand-up fight with them wouldn''t be a good idea, Rocky realized, as he took Uriah in an attempt to slip away. However, two spirit-manipulated beasts at the second grade of three stars sprang out just opposite him. The two beasts and the two spirit-manipulating Deputy Commanders formed a pincer formation that blocked Rocky and Uriah''s retreat.


    In the next moment, Uriah made threatening movements towards the two spirit-manipulated beasts before them. But the two beasts were no less aggressive, and seemed completely unintimidated by Uriah''s behavior.


    "Uriah, stop!" Rocky admonished Uriah, curbing its temptation to move. This was not the time to be reactionary. They had to be more careful, being outnumbered by their opponents.


    "Hmm, isn''t this one the beast breeder of the northeast military camp who defeated Evan this morning?" the Deputy Commander in brown remarked in surprise, gazin


    n arrangement? Was it because if Rocky failed in the competition, then the Commander in Chief wouldn''t have a reason to promote him anymore?


    "So? Are you taking the bet? That Rocky will be knocked out?" Lance asked Isis.


    "No. I''m betting that he will be one of the seven people who will survive the competition," Isis replied firmly, clearly having suddenly changed her stance.


    "Cousin!" Marin exclaimed in surprise, whirling around to look at her.


    "Commander Marin, how about it? Want to join us? I will reward the one who makes the correct prediction with a preliminary Dark Heaven Egg. And the one who fails to choose the correct outcome shall have a drink with me as punishment." Lance grinned at Marin.


    "Then... Alright. I also predict that Rocky will be able to get into the second round of competition!" It had taken a few moments of deliberation, but Marin opted to choose Isis'' side.


    "Hmm, so neither of you want to see Rocky defeated! Actually, I also want to see him succeed in the competition. He could be that once-in-a-lifetime talent that we''ve been looking for." Lance nodded, a meaningful expression on his face as he talked to the two girls beside him.


    "So you''ve set this up only to see if he''s been hiding his talents all along, didn''t you? Even so...it doesn''t look like he has a real fighting chance..." Isis felt uneasy at the thought. She was certainly hoping that Rocky could make it. But at the same time, she did not see the slightest possibility in him making it out of this particular situation. Hope and worry battled over in her mind.


    "However slim the chance is, it is still a chance. But that''ll still depend on how he seizes the moment," Lance replied, clearly with some hidden meaning.


    At that, Isis and Marin returned their attentions to the Illusory Mirror. Though they kept their thoughts to themselves, they watched in anticipation as the confrontation between Rocky and the two spirit-manipulating Deputy Commanders commenced.

 Chapter 301 End the Fighting at Any Time

    Now Rocky found himself stuck in a predicament. The Deputy Commander in red was braced and ready, about to start his attack. A strong spiritual light was surrounding him, with the full power of the Earthly Stage''s seventh grade in full display. Among the all six Deputy Commanders of the military camps, he was the only one below Dunn.


    Another green signal suddenly flashed through the sky.


    "It seems like there are only eight people left in the bamboo forest. So if we want to get to the second round, all we have to do is beat him!" The Deputy Commander in brown cried out in excitement upon seeing that signal.


    "I recommend that you withdraw from this competition. You''re no match for me, so don''t waste everyone''s time!" The Deputy Commander in red sneered at Rocky confidently.


    "You''re right. I am indeed weaker than you guys. But it''s the final chance, and I''ll try my best to seize that!" Rocky replied coolly.


    "Then I''ll just have to show you how hopeless you are," the Deputy Commander in red sneered as he activated the spiritual power. Turning over both hands, two variants of spiritual powers merged to form the shadow of a giant snake. The snake aimed itself and darted sharply towards Rocky with its mouth wide open. The spirit manipulator had taken out his full strength with the intention to finish the fight as quickly as possible.


    In the other field, Uriah''s path was also hindered by a spirit-manipulated beast. The beast''s whole body was covered by spots, along with long and sharp spines, and its appearance was that of a boar.


    Soon, they were engaged in combat against one another.


    But rather than attack it, Uriah''s movements aimed to contain the spirit-manipulated beast instead.


    And Rocky summoned up his spiritual power immediately. When he faced the Deputy Commander in red, his expression was calm.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The two powers collided with each other in a ferocious crash, emitting an eruption of dazzling light. Dust kicked up in all directions, blanketing the area.


    The Deputy Commander in red figured out Rocky was only at the sixth grade of the Earthly Stage, and evidently weaker than himself. He was certain


    " Rocky''s eyes narrowed as he concentrated his power.


    Almost immediately, a big fireball was shooting to the Deputy Commander in brown, passing the Deputy Commander in red, and blocking the avenue of escape.


    The Deputy Commander in brown cursed angrily, "Damn, I think I''m going to have to block this one!" His spiritual power rushed out and he started drawing circles with hands. It all concentrated into a light shield that shimmered in front of him, blocking the attack directly.


    Seeing his action, Rocky smiled broadly.


    The spiritual light intensified and his power suddenly rose from the sixth grade of the Earthly Stage to the eighth grade. It was mind-boggling.


    The Deputy Commander in red started feeling dizzy and the brown one had no time to react to the change. A powerful arrow was shot at him with the strength of the Earthly Stage''s eighth grade.


    And inevitably, the arrow broke through the spiritual power shield and hit right into the Deputy Commander in brown.


    The Deputy Commander in brown had not expected that at all, but there was no room for regrets now.


    Boom!


    The whole area filled with blinding light and the Deputy Commander in brown was flung into the air. He crash-landed onto the earth several meters away and was knocked out. The bamboos around him had been felled.


    Moments later, a red signal was fired into the air, signaling the end of the first round''s second half, and the scuffles ended.

 Chapter 302 Encounter Sheridan

    The area outside the bamboo forest echoed in shocked silence. All the audience stood in amazement as they looked at each other as if to check if the others had also seen what they saw.


    Up until that moment, everyone believed that Rocky would lose. He was the underdog of the contest, and the situation was not favorable to him. And yet, contrary to everyone''s expectations, he was able to turn the tide and turn a crushing defeat into a victorious win.


    "The strength of that strike was almost at the eighth grade of the Earthly Stage. It''s unimaginable how he had reached the eighth grade of the Earthly Stage!" Isis exclaimed in surprise. Her hand fluttered by her side, unable to sit still in her astonishment.


    Upon Isis'' exclamation, chaos erupted from the audience. The commanders and officers tuned to each other in disbelief. They asked each other but no one had any real answers as they all drew blanks. They could only guess and those with experience had better hypothesis than others.


    "At this time, he was still hiding his real strength?" Marin''s eyes widened in surprise as she stared at the field in front of her.


    However, no one could accurately judge if the attack they had seen was deliberately made or if it was struck accidentally.


    "Ha-ha-ha..." Lance who had been silent throughout the debacle abruptly burst into hearty laughter. He could not hide his amazement, and marveled at the scene in front of him. "Instead of using the power at the eighth grade of the Earthly Stage, he used the power at the sixth grade of the Earthly Stage so his opponents would underestimate him. He also deliberately revealed his flaws to pretend to end up in elimination when actually his previous opponent was just a dummy and his real target was another Deputy Commander. He is really skilled in stratagem. It is nearly impossible to defend effectively against him!"


    Lance explained to those around him patiently, uncovering the mystery to them.


    This statement instantly sparked debate among those who were able to hear. Heated discussion from the commanders and officers caused some of the audience to look at their direction when the noise became too loud. They thought of Rocky as a monster. They could not believe how he was able to come up with such an


    ost famous street in the Evian City. The street was brightly lit with red lanterns, buzzing with noise and excitement. Women of different styles stood in front of the brothel doors, soliciting the passing guests.


    As expected, only men were present on the streets, besides the women from the brothels.


    Moreover, none of them could resist the temptation. Within a few steps, they would be pulled into one of the brothels by the women.


    ''I''ve never seen this place before, '' Rocky sighed in heart. He felt a bit innocent, looking curiously at his surroundings. Though he had read some words and watched some films about the ancient brothels, it was quite a different experience to see it in person.


    "Lad, this must be your first time coming here. If you want, I could arrange a woman for you. Don''t say I never treat you well. Ha-ha!" Sheridan suggested.


    "Really? Are you serious?" Rocky replied blankly. It seemed that Sheridan really thought of him as just a naive boy. In fact, in the modern world, he had romance with many kinds of women.


    While in this world, he had only one experience which was accidental and unpleasant. For him, it was like a nightmare. Though he had been framed up, the experience couldn''t be erased from his memories. He knew it was more painful for the woman he had hurt. Although he didn''t intend to evade his guilty, he had repressed those terrible after being expelled to the frontier. At the back of his mind, he thought maybe he was the one who should be forgotten by her.

 Chapter 303 The Great Beauty

    "Lad, what''s the matter?" Sheridan said as he patted Rocky''s shoulder. It seemed that Rocky was busy thinking about something.


    "Oh, nothing! Aren''t you going to take me to the brothel you usually visit?" Rocky smiled and shook his head.


    "Ugh, you must be impatient! Ha-ha! Come on, let''s go!" Sheridan burst into laughter and led Rocky through a walk on the Flower Street.


    Along the way, Rocky was amazed by the different styles of beauty that he kept encountering.


    "Man, these are too ordinary! Just wait till I show you what real beauty looks like," Sheridan said with what seemed to be an experienced look and tone.


    "Oh! Okay." Rocky smiled calmly. In fact, he wasn''t sure Sheridan had a right standard for great beauty. He had seen a few women who were really beautiful, including Lena, Marcia, Shirley and Isis. Though Marin''s appearance couldn''t be on a par with them, she had her own lasting appeal. And, to be honest, she was as hot as hell.


    That is to say, Rocky had seen all the great beauties of the Holy Dragon Empire. Thus, he had no doubt that the beautiful women in the brothel would not impress him.


    While Rocky thought about all of this, he suddenly realized that they had reached the very crowded brothel already. So, now was the time to see if his thoughts were correct.


    The brothel was called the Geisha House. It was the most famous brothel in the Evian City, and was also known as the Top Brothel. The naming was a result of the fact that some famous geishas from other empires would come to it to demonstrate their talents; so many dignitaries and men of letters would come for them out of admiration.


    Consequently, this place was fully occupied on a daily basis.


    When they walked into it, a pretty and coquettish woman at her thirties walked up to them. Though she looked a bit old, she was still retaining her


    er put in front of her. Natural and smooth music played; it kept changing its pace over and over again to the extent that you could mistake it as a murmur of a stream. This sound offered people a sense of well-being and delight.


    "What a beautiful song..." Rocky sighed in astonishment.


    "The girl''s name is Laney. She is the starring prostitute here who doesn''t sell her body. A few months ago, she came here from the Timber Deity Empire. She used to be a famous prostitute there. She is excellent in lyre-playing, chess, calligraphy and painting. I heard that she is one of the three great beauties in the Timber Deity Empire. It is no surprise that such a heavenly face produces these amazing melodies. However, it is difficult to see her. If Yasmin hadn''t asked me to treat her serious cold before, I wouldn''t have had the honor to see her. She really looks like a fairy," Sheridan said with a lust that could take over the largest empire in the world.


    "Really?" Rocky asked while staring at her and sipping wine; he couldn''t take his eyes off her.


    When the song was over, she stood up and left.


    As she moved, the people in the house stirred up as if they were in a riot. They pushed ahead in eagerness to reach the stage.

 Chapter 304 Hes Different

    "What''s wrong?" Rocky asked curiously.


    "Miss Laney only serves one guest per night. Each one of the guests wants her to serve him. They all want to meet Miss Laney," Sheridan explained.


    "But there are so many people. How will she choose? Does she always choose the richest one?" Rocky asked with a puzzled look.


    "I have no idea about that. It''s her call. I''ve heard that many commanders of the headquarters have had the luck to see Miss Laney. Maybe she has a preference for military men. What about this? You can pretend to be a commander and try your luck. What do you say?" Sheridan laughed and squinted his eyes.


    "Oh, forget it! I had no idea those commanders liked to visit here. But they really know how to enjoy their life, huh?" Rocky said mockingly.


    In a blink of an eye, it was already late at night.


    Sheridan was so happy that he drank a lot tonight. Although Rocky drank as much as Sheridan did, he was slightly drunk because his tolerance for alcohol was high.


    Sheridan, however, got so drunk that he even began speaking nonsense. Now that they were done eating and drinking, Rocky stood up and decided to take Sheridan back to the headquarters.


    At the same time, Yasmin was walking towards them. "Oh, shit! Is he drunk again?" she said. "It is true that wine is on me, but that does not mean that he should drink that much! Doesn''t he know he could die of alcohol? You can just take him to my room," she continued.


    "Is that okay for you?" Rocky asked.


    "Oh yeah. It''s not his first time anyway. If you want, you can spend the night in my room as well." Yasmin smiled while ogling Rocky.


    Rocky said nothing and just smiled. He helped Sheridan stand up and carried him downstairs following Yasmin. They then went into a spacious courtyard through a side door.


    Pleased sounds were coming out of the rooms around the courtyard. The moans echoed in the air.


    After they walked along the corridor for a while, they finally arrived in front of a quiet house.


    Yasmin led them to a room in the house, opened the door, and told him, "Here we are. Now, put him in bed. It''s already late at


    hat Mr. Sheridan is a master doctor. It would an honor for anybody else to have such a teacher like him. Why do you sound like you are unwilling to be his student?" the girl asked with a confused look upon her face.


    "Well, no! My teacher indulges in alcohol and women. I don''t think it''s an honor to be his student. If you want, I can hand the honor over to you," Rocky answered humorously.


    The girl burst out laughing. Rocky soon froze as he was infatuated with her mesmerizing smile.


    "You are so funny and weird," the girl commented after a while.


    "Oh, really? Why?" Rocky asked, not knowing what she meant.


    "The men I meet always stare at me with that kind of look, and what they want to know about me first is always my name. But you are different. The way you look at me makes me feel that I''m an ordinary woman. It makes me feel like I am a human, and not a pleasure toy. It makes me comfortable," the girl explained.


    "Is that so? Do you mean this kind of look?" Rocky said as an evil smile crept over the corner of his lips. He then got closer to the girl and kept his eyes fixated on her. When their eyes met, she felt as if his eyes were a vast ocean that she was drowning in.


    She was frozen by his change. The man in front of her seemed to have become another person, and she felt that she had been engulfed by his unique aura. Now her strange feeling for Rocky was getting more intense.

 Chapter 305 More Troublesome

    "You are too creepy!" Without anyone recognizing, the woman stepped backward and placed a distance from Rocky. A light of vigilance shone from her eyes.


    "I didn''t have the privilege to know your name. Can I have the laud of knowing your name Miss?" Rocky asked smiling after obtaining his ordinary look. His smile glowed like the stars in the sky, with no bright city lights to dim them. It was like the sun opened its eager light to illuminate about her, only brightening his perfectly aligned teeth.


    "I''m Laney." The woman paused for a while, scrutinized Rocky up and down and responded back.


    "You are Miss Laney?" Rocky''s face was washed blank with bewilderment like his brain cogs couldn''t turn fast enough to capture in the information from her wide eyes. It was far beyond Rocky''s prediction to get into contact with the most renowned prostitute in Geisha House. Chances of laying their eyes on her were minimum for ordinary people like him. It was a fat chance. Sheridan had earlier informed him that she was a beauty. Laney had flowing golden curls or ivory skin; piercing eyes of green. She was better than two dimensional photo shopped models. Her allure was so charming after one laid one''s eyes on her. She earned all the compliments now that he had met her face to face.


    "What''s amiss? Don''t you think that I am pulling your leg?" Laney derided. At the back of her mind, every man who set his eyes on her would froth. Preferring to be with her. Rocky was unlike that. He never revealed any interest ever since from beginning to end.


    This made her think her charming glamor which was yearned for by men vanished in thin air. Rocky had become accustomed to being escorted by charmers and wasn''t easy mesmerized by them. Laney had no slightest perception that Rocky had met a multitude of charmers, who enjoyed the same glamour as her.


    "No, I don''t. My teacher had pointed out to me that Miss Laney is a charm. You are worthy of the name!" Rocky showered her with praises calmly but they all seemed to be cold praises.


    "My instincts tell me that you don''t mean it." Laney winked, after hearing what he said.


    "Really?" Rocky scowled, he remained steady after not identifying the dissatisfaction in her voice.


    When her eyes clashed with Rocky''s, Laney couldn''t spot the perfect word to respond, rendering her dumb. For the first time she felt nothing after being charmed. It didn''t imply that Rocky scorned her. She could tell Rocky''s compliment was from his heart. And this was way above wha


    tial pitch was in a sea of people like yesterday. Due to the limited pitch, most of the people didn''t witness the second half of yesterday''s match. But the trending news was rescinded after Rocky showed his eighth grade of the Earthly Stage, and it spread across the whole military camp like wildfire.


    Rocky was perfectly well-known in the base camp. Everyone spoke of Rocky. How Commander in Chief showered him with praises. How he obscured his capability of the eighth grade of the Earthly Stage as a beast breeder.


    Reputation might trouble you. It led to quite a pandemonium as instantly as Rocky and Uriah appeared at the martial pitch. Everyone was inquisitive about Rocky and yearned to array their eyes on the beast breeder and know how he looked like.


    But Rocky was imperceptible to the turmoil and trudged forward with an impassive face.


    "Mr. Bai..." Rocky heard that someone was calling him in a pleasant voice. He tilted his head and found that Sue and Rubygon were standing among the crowd.


    "Sue, I''m shocked beyond words that you are here. What brought you here?" Rocky asked as he walked toward them.


    "We come to watch your contest. I learned from Miss Isis that you have proceeded into the second round. And you had a splendid performance yesterday. Everyone is talking about you in the base camp now," Sue spoke in a high surge of excitement. Deliriously happy, giddy even.


    "Did Rubygon put you in trouble? Did Isis hint anything about Rubygon?" Rocky smirked and asked after seeing Rubygon near Sue. Rocky was just aware that Rubygon was at Isis Pavilion in the morning and was dead worried that Isis would question about Rubygon''s background.

 Chapter 306 The Second Round Of The Competition

    "No, it didn''t cause any trouble. It was well-behaved. Miss Isis did not return to the Isis Pavilion last night, so I do not know of her thoughts about Rubygon. And she knew about it since the last time you brought Rubygon here, anyway," Sue responded.


    "The last time?" Rocky blurted out. He immediately remembered that he also came with Rubygon when he attended the Army Flag Contest last time. He felt flustered at a thought that crossed his mind. ''Is it possible that Isis already knew that I have two spirit-manipulated beasts?''


    "Mr. Bai, are you alright?" Sue asked when she saw that Rocky''s expression suddenly changed.


    "Yes. Of course, I am fine. Watch the competition together with Rubygon! Well, I have to go now!" Rocky said and then affectionately tousled Sue''s hair while smiling affectionately at her. He then turned to walk towards the platform.


    In the meantime, Lance walked towards the platform from the opposite side with a group of officers and commanders. The people in the crowd watched him with admiration as he walked. Some of the people in the crowd then noticed that Rocky was also approaching the platform from the opposite side.


    When Lance saw Rocky''s approach, he walked towards him as the people in the crowd watched them both.


    "Commander in Chief!" Rocky greeted politely and bowed to Lance the moment he saw him.


    "I was impressed by your performance yesterday. I am looking forward to another impressive performance from you today," Lance said calmly, slightly smiling.


    Everyone who walked with Lance stared at Rocky with a feeling of surprise and envy. It was rare for the Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Group to voice out his admiration as well as say encouraging words.


    "I will do everything I can not to disappoint you, sir!" Rocky replied calmly, stressing "disappoint" deliberately.


    Lance smiled contentedly and slightly nodded. He then continued his walk as his officers and commanders followed him closely.


    Seven spirit manipulators including Rocky were qualified to join the second round. All of them had gathered in front of the high platform. Six of them were all deputy commanders of their respective military camps. Rocky was the only exception.


    Lance slowly walked towards the front of the platform and scanned the entire training field with his sharp eyes. He was like an eagle looking across the plains in search of its prey. When the crowd saw Lance was scanning the training field, everyone fell silent. None dared move nor breathe. Everyone waited for Lance to announce the rules for the second round of the competition.


    "Two red spiritual crystals are hidden at two separate places within the camp


    the participants were not allowed to attack each other, their spirit-manipulated beasts were not prohibited to fight each other.


    It was clear, then, that the strength of a spirit-manipulated beast was the first key to winning this round.


    But even though the strength of the spirit-manipulated beast was important to win the round, it was equally important for its owner to have the necessary beast-manipulating skills. When a spirit-manipulated beast found a red crystal, it was obvious that the other spirit-manipulated beasts would give chase and try to take that crystal from it. The owner of the beast who found a crystal needed to have the skills to take advantage of his beast''s strengths in order to defend the crystal until his beast reached the training field.


    Groups of people followed the seven competitors around as they searched for the red crystals. And since Rocky had a remarkable performance yesterday, the biggest group of people followed him around.


    On the way to the area that Rocky meant to go, a graceful figure slowly landed like a feather on the roof of a nearby building. It was Isis. She stared at Rocky with her beautiful yet cold, calculating eyes.


    "Sheridan once said that you have a rare and outstanding ability of manipulating beasts that only manifests once in many generations, which surpasses even mine. I would like to see it today," Isis declared arrogantly. She had long suspected that the second round would be mainly a competition between spirit-manipulated beasts. Her father knew that Sheridan had accepted Rocky as his disciple and that he had almost learned all of Sheridan''s skills. Her father was then eager to see Rocky use those skills. The second round was mainly designed to see how many of Sheridan''s skills had Rocky mastered!

 Chapter 307 A New Chase

    Isis could remember a time when Sheridan told her that she was the most qualified talent. It was a source of pride for her as well. But now, all he could talk about was how talented Rocky was. Isis heard Sheridan praise Rocky for his intelligence and aptitude. It made her feel uneasy, and she wanted to ask him who he thought was better, Rocky or her. Unfortunately, a part of her was afraid that if she did, she might not get the answer that she wanted at all.


    "Isis?" She turned towards the voice and saw Marin approaching.


    "Here you are!" Isis looked at Marin, smiling warmly.


    "You weren''t with the Commander in Chief, so I thought you might be here," Marin said, smiling back at her.


    "I just want to see for myself if Rocky is as good as Sheridan said!" Isis told her quietly, voice as soft as the gentle flow of water in a deep pond.


    "Oh? Could you be jealous of Rocky?" Marin said teasingly. It was the first time she had seen Isis like this. She had been close to Isis for a long time, and being her cousin, she could say that she knew her very well. It was the first time she seemed affected by something and not her stoic self.


    "Why would I be jealous of him? No way!" Isis exclaimed vehemently as if it was the worst thing she had ever heard.


    "We all know that Sheridan has a strange preferences. He used to praise you a lot but now he thinks very highly of Rocky. So, you must feel you''re being compared." Marin smiled knowingly at her. She seemed delighted when Isis could not meet her eyes and instead looked away from her.


    "You think so?" Isis would never admit to it but that was exactly what she was feeling. Her father, who never praised others, spoke highly of Rocky. Rocky must have something extremely special to get all these special treatment. Something she didn''t have...


    "There will always be someone out there who is better than us. It seems, my dear cousin, that you have finally met your match. And that is Rocky!" Marin looked smug and amused as she waited for her cousin''s response. She thought Rocky was good but she didn''t expect that he would cause something this interesting. She should thank him some day.


    "That''s impossible. He could be no match for me!" Isis said in an arrogant voice. She seemed annoyed that Marin would even suggest something like that.


    Instead of answering, Marin just smiled at her silently. She turned back to where Rocky was, but found that he had left while they were


    he noticed that not one of those three beasts found the red spiritual crystal, but Uriah did.


    Marin nodded in agreement. Uriah had exhibited its astonishing talent as a spirit-manipulated beast and its unique abilities. Many spectators considered it as a spiritual beast. Since spiritual beasts were rare, some conjectured that maybe Uriah was a variable spirit-manipulated beast.


    When Rocky saw the crowd, a bad feeling suddenly overcame him. His brows furrowed and stared warily around them as he looked for the threat that he could feel in his guts. Just as he feared, the three Deputy Commanders came back along with their beasts and laid greedy eyes on the red spiritual crystal in Uriah''s mouth.


    All of spirit-manipulated beasts of those three Deputy Commanders were at the second grade of three stars. Not one of them could defeat Uriah. However, if they worked together against Uriah, things would be different. If other manipulators went here, Uriah would be outnumbered and overwhelmed. They would have little chance of winning despite how powerful Uriah was.


    Rocky subtly motioned to Uriah and they turned swiftly away to the opposite side. They flew off with the red spiritual crystal before anybody could move.


    The three Deputy Commanders looked at each other as if they had not expected him to run away. Their eyes met each other and moved as one, chasing Rocky along with their beasts. They knew that none of them could win over Rocky, thus they had no choice but to form an alliance. Curious and eager to know what would happen, the spectators followed after them.


    And thus, a fierce chase had started...

 Chapter 308 Remove One Opponent

    Rocky immediately noticed that three Deputy Commanders followed him closely with their spirit-manipulated beasts. He was unable to shake them off. He then looked around to observe the terrain before whistling to Uriah.


    Uriah quickly went into a gap between two buildings as Rocky flew to the top roof of another building to have a better view of the terrain and better direct the way for Uriah.


    The three Deputy Commanders and their spirit-manipulated beasts followed behind and prepared to attack Uriah.


    Uriah quickly left behind two spirit-manipulated beasts with Rocky''s directions. But the third was a three-headed Hallucinatory Bat that took advantage of its flying ability and caught up with Uriah.


    Soon afterwards, the Hallucinatory Bat attacked Uriah.


    Rocky soon saw the master of the bat approach. A Deputy Commander in a blue robe.


    A fierce fight immediately followed.


    The bat attacked first. It used the wind from its wings to throw dust and wind at Uriah. Uriah responded by charging towards the bat.


    The bat flew higher to avoid Uriah''s attack while hissing at Uriah.


    Uriah missed its attack and fell to the ground. It looked hurt.


    "The Hallucinatory Bat uses the sound of its voice to create illusions in its opponent''s minds. This disrupts their actions and makes them lose their sense of perspective." Rocky recalled the battle information about the bat. The bat had the advantage against Uriah. If he did not come up of a counter attack, Uriah could quickly get into trouble.


    The other two Deputy Commanders were on their way. If Uriah didn''t defeat the bat before the other two Deputy Commanders arrived, Uriah could be easily overwhelmed.


    Uriah started attacking the bat with fireballs that the bat av


    s altitude. It was soon engulfed by the fire and fell to the ground unconscious.


    "How was that possible?" the Deputy Commander murmured in shock and disbelief and stood motionless in place. He recovered from his shock and glared at Rocky and shouted, "What did you do?"


    "Did you really think I came here without a tactical purpose? It appears that you do not know your own spirit-manipulated beast. The sound wave emitted by the Hallucinatory Bat can bewilder its opponents and cloud their judgment. But sound bounces off solid surfaces. So in a place like this, the more sound waves your bat produces, the stronger the reflected sound will be. Your own spirit-manipulated beast was the center of its own attacks. In the end, it was overwhelmed by the constantly reflected sound waves and lost its own sense of judgment. It was you who made the wrong decision by coming here!" Rocky explained. He stared emotionlessly at the Deputy Commander and then stared at Uriah.


    The Deputy Commander''s face turned pale after hearing Rocky''s explanation. His spirit-manipulated beast had completely lost its ability to fight.


    Rocky successfully removed one opponent.

 Chapter 309 The Last Battle

    "That guy was really..." Isis and Marin looked at each other in wide-eyed amazement. They had also heard Rocky''s explanation. They could not believe that Rocky knew every bit of the characteristics of the Hallucinatory Bat. He even managed to use this knowledge to his advantage and eventually defeat it. What surprised them even more was that the Hallucinatory Bat was the spirit-manipulated beast of his enemy, and yet Rocky knew it better than its owner. This was not something that anyone could master.


    "It seems that he really learned a lot from Sheridan!" Marin marveled in amazement.


    Rocky also noticed Isis and Marin as they talked. He turned to them with a smile to put them at ease. However, the two girls replied with a roll of their eyes, in order to pretend that they weren''t watching him. They left soon hurriedly as if they were merely passing by.


    Rocky led Uriah away as well and headed for the main road where they had previously fought their way to the martial pitch.


    However, he had noticed that the other two spirit-manipulated beasts did not come after them. His instincts told him to be wary, that this could only be a scheme to catch him off guard. He commanded Uriah to be careful as they ran, not letting his guard down. Not long after, the outline of the martial pitch came into their sight. That meant they were likely to be the one to snatch the victory.


    As Uriah ran across two giant rock formations, two beast figures appeared unexpectedly. It seemed that they had been waiting behind the rocks to ambush them. They flanked on the right and left of Uriah to charge him with a powerful attack.


    Uriah pranced and dodged the pincer attack from the two beasts. Even though it managed to escape narrowly, the two beasts had firmly blocked their way forward.


    Rocky slowed to a halt as he observed their surroundings. He saw two figures when they emerged from the back of the rock formation. The shadowed figures stood side by side with malicious smiles on their faces.


    The clouds parted and Rocky finally saw the faces of his opponents. They were none other than the two Deputy Commanders and their spirit-manipulated beasts.


    "Hey, bastard, thank you for annihilating one of the competitors for us!" The Deputy Commander in red who Rocky saw yeasterday smiled at him smugly, as if he knew something that he did not.


    "You did that on purpose." Rocky realized it the moment that he heard the comment of the Deputy Commander in red. The two Deputy Commanders obviously formed an alliance in secret. They purposely set the Deputy Commander in blue robe against him. They knew that it would be a lot easier for them to win the battle if they would have only one enemy instead of two. It did not matter who won the fight, the result was the same to them. As the saying went, ''When the shepherds quarrel, the wolf has won''.


    "That''s right. But


    d full on. Uriah struck it so hard that the Razor-fin Leopard was thrown far away. Uriah turned back to look at Rocky. Its big eyes were brimming with determination and perseverance. It hastily continued to dash forward to break through.


    The Razor-fin Leopard and the Celestial Star Porcupine had not given up yet. They chased Uriah desperately.


    They caught up to Uriah and the three beasts grappled all the way towards the martial pitch.


    At that time, a throng of spectators waited at the martial pitch to see the outcome of the contest. They looked towards the commotion and noticed the figures of the fierce beasts locked in fierce battle. They could not help but come closer to the field to watch the battle between the three devoted beasts. Sue and Rubygon were among the throng.


    As the three beasts drew closer to the martial pitch, the officiers and commanders together with Lance were engrossed in the battle, watching from the high platform.


    The three beasts were getting closer and closer to the martial pitch. They were less than one fifth of a mile away, but Uriah was severely hurt and bleeding. Nonetheless, it not only survived the pincer attack of the Celestial Star Porcupine and the Razor-fin Leopard but also kept its fighting spirit high as it fought bravely. Its amazing physical and fighting spirit amazed all the spectators.


    Despite this remarkable strength, Uriah gradually grew slower because of the pain and blood loss from the injuries it had suffered.


    Rocky followed closely behind Uriah but could not do anything to help it. He could only look as Uriah fought on its own. His brow furrowed and his fists clenched in worry. As much as he wanted to cease the competition because he could not bear to see Uriah getting more injured, he could not. It was Uriah''s fight and he could tell from the determined look in its eyes that Uriah wanted to fight until the very last moment!

 Chapter 310 What a Miracle

    Neither of the two Deputy Commanders had thought that Uriah could escape from the tight encirclement of their spirit-manipulated beasts and could even get that close to the martial pitch. They were grim-faced, worried that Uriah would succeed with the impossible task. Jealousy ate at them from the inside, wondering why their beasts were not as good as Rocky''s great spirit-manipulated beast.


    Although Uriah was rushing with all its strength toward the martial pitch, every move seemed harder and harder for it to do.


    Finally, due to excessive loss of blood, Uriah abruptly fell to the ground and lost consciousness. It was only a few meters away from the martial pitch.


    Seeing this, the Celestial Star Porcupine and Razor-fin Leopard rushed towards Uriah''s fallen frame. It was their best and last opportunity to steal the red spiritual crystal from its mouth.


    "The red spiritual crystal is mine now!" the Deputy Commander in red exclaimed triumphantly. He looked at Rocky as if he had already won.


    Rocky frowned deeply, but he knew that Uriah had done its best. From the start to now, Uriah alone had fought against three spirit-manipulated beasts, which had consumed a great deal of its strength. Rocky had already foreseen that this would happen.


    As the Celestial Star Porcupine was about to take away the red spiritual crystal from Uriah''s mouth, a deafening roar suddenly rang out of the crowded audience. A shadow of a beast as high as half of man''s stature, rushed into the field like lightning. Its limbs were muscled looking strong and firm. In a blink of an eye, it had stepped in front of the Celestial Star Porcupine and opened its mouth, revealing its sharp teeth. It tore through its opponent''s neck with its large maw. The defensive prickles over the Celestial Star Porcupine''s neck were broken off by the beast''s teeth like paper.


    Blood surged out from the Celestial Star Porcupine''s neck, and sprayed at the beast''s furious face. It roared louder as if the taste of blood had excited it further.


    The audience sat in silent shock, overwhelmed by the violent scene in front of them.


    "Whose spirit-manipulated beast is it? How dare you let it interrupt this game!?" The deputy commander in red did not expect what happened. He was intensely infuriated by the spirit-manipulated beast which got in his way


    look at Rocky.


    The audience were taken aback, unable to comprehend what happened. The only explanation why Rubygon would respond to Rocky like that was if he was telling the truth. And yet, instead of accepting, the people only looked on in doubt.


    Rocky gestured at Rubygon, who let go of its hold on the Celestial Star Porcupine and retreated beside Uriah.


    Their jaws almost fell to the ground as they saw Rubygon obey Rocky. Marin and Isis looked at each other, mouths agape as well. Although none of them believed what Rocky claimed, their eyes confirmed the fact that Rubygon followed Rocky''s gesture. Every eye was widened in shock, every eyebrow high up on their foreheads.


    "Did I really see or did my eyes somehow deceive me? He really can control two spirit-manipulated beasts!"


    "God! Is he really a human being?"


    "How could he do that? That''s hardly possible! But he just did it! That''s a miracle!"


    the crowd murmured among themselves, slowly getting louder in their excitement.


    At the same time, Lance, the commanders and officers in the high platform had jumped to their feet. They still found it hard to believe that Rocky was the master of two spirit-manipulated beasts.


    "He can control two spirit-manipulated beasts!? How does he do that? Even Sheridan couldn''t do that, and he is the best beast breeder of the Holy Dragon Empire." Lance, although his somber expression did not betray anything, was as shocked as the others. He concealed it well but inside he was eager to talk to Rocky and discover more of his secrets.

 Chapter 311 An Unbelievable Event

    "Uriah, can you still get up?" Rocky asked Uriah with concern.


    Uriah struggled to raise its body. Although it was weak, its determination was still there. It lifted its injured foreleg. Rubygon covered Uriah and Uriah moved using its other three limbs. The scene shocked the spectators.


    The two Deputy Commanders were surprised. They couldn''t believe that Rocky was able to manage two beasts at the same time. They also realized that if Uriah reached the martial pitch with the red crystal, they would lose.


    "Stop it! Stop it now!" The Deputy Commander in red ordered his Celestial Star Porcupine that was hurt earlier by Rubygon to stop Uriah.


    The badly injured Celestial Star Porcupine rushed toward Uriah. The other Deputy Commander also commanded his Razor-fin Leopard to attack Rubygon to cover the Celestial Star Porcupine.


    A long whistle went off and Uriah and Rubygon exchanged glances thoughtfully. They faced their opponents and then switched places at the last minute, completely throwing their opponents off. Uriah began to channel its spiritual power and then formed a fireball. It then threw the huge fireball at the Razor-fin Leopard that rushed towards Rubygon.


    The leopard as well as the Deputy Commander did not expect Uriah and Rubygon to coordinate their attacks. The leopard was caught by complete surprise as the fireball flew towards it. Even its owner was not able to bark a command. It was hit squarely by the fireball and fell to the ground in a painful howl.


    Rubygon went after the Celestial Star Porcupine and bit it wildly. Its mouth was full of razor-sharp iron teeth and the porcupine simply had no defense against it even with long thorns all over its body. It was not long before the porcupine had bald patches all over and had to give up the fight in pain.


    Uriah and Rubygon brought the red spiritual crystal to the martial pitch as everyone stared with shock and amazement. Everyone knew that it was impossible for anyone to be able to manage two beasts at the same time.


    "Commander in Chief!" Rocky took the red crystal from Uriah''s mouth and called Lance on the platform as he raised the red spiritual crystal in his hand as the rays of the sun playfully rolled across its shiny surface.


    Lance looked at Rocky from where he was sitting. His eyes gleamed with admiration and gladness. He appeared like a man


    Sue greeted as she bowed down to the two approaching ladies.


    "Rocky, did Sheridan teach you how to manage two spirit-manipulated beasts at the same time?" Isis asked in a curious and accusing tone.


    Marin looked at Rocky as her mind tried to analyze how it was possible for Rocky to manage two beasts at the same time when it was widely known to be impossible.


    Rocky replied to Isis'' question with a mere smile and said nothing. This made them even more curious.


    "Come on. Tell us..." Isis requested in a voice that was both pleading and commanding at the same time.


    "I would be so lucky if I was the one who taught him this. My heart almost popped out in excitement when I heard about his skill in the contest," a wizened voice replied back to Isis.


    They all turned towards the direction of the voice and saw Sheridan was smiling broadly as he walked towards them. Sheridan was escorted by a tall man, Lance himself.


    "Commander in Chief!" Everyone bowed down immediately.


    "But Sheridan, if it was not you, then who taught him? He didn''t learn that by himself did he?" Isis said in an agitated voice.


    "I don''t know. But I definitely didn''t teach him that skill," Sheridan said seriously. He was drunk the night before and was up until eleven in the morning. He reminded Rocky that he was going to watch the second match and hurried up for it. When the match was over, he met Lance. Lance informed Sheridan that Rocky could manage two beasts at the same time. He was shocked by the news and felt sorry that he was not able to see it in action himself.

 Chapter 312 Shocking Brilliance

    Lance asked the same question from Sheridan as Isis did and Sheridan replied with the same answer. They then decided to go to the small group that gathered just beyond the martial pitch. Lance was curious to know how Rocky achieved the technique.


    "So are you saying that he developed this technique himself? How is that possible? Even the best beast tamer like you was not able to achieve something like this! How did he do that?" Isis still found it hard to accept the possibility that Rocky was even better than his teacher. But deep inside her she also couldn''t admit to herself that she admired Rocky so much.


    "I told you before, Isis, that this guy is a genius. He can turn the impossible into the possible. Have you forgotten that he was even able to heal Verdanim? Even I doubted that I can do something like that and yet he actually did it!" Sheridan said to Isis. He then turned to Rocky and asked, "I am also curious. How did you manage to do that? Only the master of a spirit-manipulated beast can control it, but a spirit manipulator can only be the master of one spirit-manipulated beast. It is impossible that a spirit manipulator can be the master of two spirit-manipulated beasts at the same time."


    Everyone turned to Rocky after the words left Sheridan''s lips. They all waited for the answer that would relieve them of the heavy burden of curiosity that they carried with them. How Rocky was able to manage two spirit-manipulated beasts at the same time.


    "All I can say at this point is that it is a secret, and that there is nothing impossible in this world." Rocky''s reply was so calm and confident that those who heard his reply were stunned and taken aback.


    In their minds, they were confronted by the realization that Rocky had an ability that was beyond what they originally thought possible.


    "Well, all I can say is that this is the best time to teach the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill," Sheridan suddenly said while looking at Rocky with determination. He no longer cared what secret method he used to control two spirit-manipulated beasts at the same time. What mattered to him now was Rocky''s shocking brilliance. Now that he knew just how talented Rocky was, he believed that Rocky could learn and master the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill, the most advanced Beast Taming Skill.


    "Sheridan, are you sure about that?" Lance was s


    . But I had no choice at that time. I didn''t know that Rubygon would run off to protect Uriah." Rocky answered with a bitter smile. He knew that he truly was in big trouble now that this secret of his was out in the open.


    "Then why didn''t you tell me about it before? Am I not your teacher?" Sheridan said hardly concealing the pride that he had in his eyes. He expected that Rocky would not disappoint him and now Rocky not only mastered the skills that he taught him, but he was able to develop his own technique.


    "Can we forget about that now? Let''s talk about the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill you mentioned. What is it exactly?" Rocky asked with keen interest.


    "Just follow me," Sheridan replied and motioned Rocky to follow as he continued walking.


    After a few minutes of walking, they arrived at the headquarters'' beast farm. Rocky''s jaw dropped wide open as he saw just how grand the headquarters'' beast farm was. It was even comparable to the Super Beast Farm of the Imperial City.


    Beast stables lined around the central ground. There were at least three hundred beast stables in there. The area was filled with the noisy roars coming from several different beasts.


    "Not bad, huh? And I am the one in charge of this beast farm, ha-ha!" Sheridan said laughing as he showed off the beast farm with pride.


    "And since you''ve mentioned it, let''s talk about that. How could you run back to the headquarters to enjoy this fine beast farm and leave me to take care of the mess you left?" Rocky yelled at Sheridan with wide open eyes and both arms on his sides.

 Chapter 313 The Beast Possession

    "Ha-ha, Lad, you proved yourself enough. From now on, the beast farm of the northeast military camp is under your care. I''m very impressed of how fast you learn things. With your skills, you''re more than capable to manage beast farm of a small military camp. Marin told me that you even saved many spirit-manipulated beasts from the battlefield. You started to get the hang of it. I have a reason to believe that you will find you''re true calling sooner or later. You did a great job so far!" Sheridan said with a satisfied expression. He was apparently pleased about the outcome of his arrangements.


    "Bullshit," Rocky grumbled with eyes darted toward Sheridan. A rush of helplessness ran through him.


    "Actually, I did it to test you. Otherwise, how could I teach all the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill to you?" Sheridan explained.


    "Tell me, what on earth is the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill?" Rocky couldn''t help but to ask in curiosity.


    This caught Sheridan''s interest. He sneered and said, "The Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill is somewhat similar to the Spirit Possession, but is more advanced and ingenious. To learn the basics of the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill, one should master the Spirit Possession first then reach the Beast Possession."


    "What are the differences between the Spirit Possession and the Beast Possession?" Rocky questioned in detail. He knew that something set the two apart but he couldn''t put his finger on it.


    "The Beast Possession is superior to the Spirit Possession. You use the latter to fuse the power of the spirit-manipulated beasts. While the Beast Possession can have power without the need to fuse with the spirit-manipulated beast or take any other measures. With the spiritual power, you and the spirit-manipulated beast can communicate without talking. Which makes you and the latter as one." Sheridan explained to Rocky in one breath.


    "It sounds very easy. Do you think you and your spirit-manipulated beast are able to do that now? However, one can only understand the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill with practice. Besides, the most striking part of the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill was the fact that you can use the spirit-manipulated beast directly without making a fuss. Just like this..." Using his spiritual power, Sheridan stretched his arms and gav


    idan said with deep significance.


    "Since you volunteered to teach me, I will learn it as you wish," Rocky said in a reluctant expression. He smiled inwardly in an attempt to mask his excitement. He himself was extremely curious about this skill. He even projected the possibility of failing. He would lose nothing if this would fail. The Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill required time and dedication to achieve better results.


    "Ha-ha, you are really a bastard." Sheridan taunted. "I had a fine wine in my room. How about us teaching over it?"


    "But I still have a competition this afternoon!" Rocky said, giving a hard look.


    "Lad, you can go to the competition drunk and trust me when I said that no one could still match your skill. No one will dare. Ah, I almost forgot! You''re a heavy drinker!" Sheridan burst out laughing.


    "Are you sure?" Rocky asked while lifting his eyebrows.


    Then, they entered Sheridan''s room with their arms around each other.


    It''s already afternoon, the third round of competition was about to start.


    The third round assessed the leadership just like the Army Flag Contest. However, the competitors this round had to fight alone. Everyone walked on eggshells, anxious because one false move might lose the battle.


    At the Army Flag Contest, the competitors led ordinary soldiers. While this time the competitors on both sides led spirit manipulators. Undoubtedly, the battles of the third round would be more intense and brilliant! Consequently, many people had been attracted and gathered around the training field.

 Chapter 314 The Start

    The third round was to be held at the area where the Army Flag Contest was held. And each side led a team with matching strengths of thirty spirit manipulators each.


    The two teams were divided into an attacker and a defender. The rules of the final round were simple. If the attackers managed to capture the flag from the defenders, their commander would be considered victorious. Similarly, if the defenders were able to defend their flag from the attackers within a given time then the commander of the defenders would be declared the winner.


    Spirit manipulators were limited in number so the side who had the least number of casualties would receive advantage. The competition allowed the leader to join. Thus, it could be a battle between the teams or a duel between their commanders.


    One of the leaders was Dunn from the east-southeast military camp. His leadership skills were comparable to that of a Frontline Commander and he had established brilliant achievements in war. From that aspect, he was not too far from a Frontline Commander of the Crimson Dragon Group. And Dunn was seasoned in actual combat and very decisive. He was known as one of the deadliest in the battlefield.


    Compared to Dunn, Rocky was inferior from a military experience perspective. Even though he was praised by Lance and showed excellent skill in the tactical deployment of troops during the Army Flag Contest, he had never led any actual army himself. What made matters worse was the fact that he had only 30 people in his team. This required more precise tactics and more war experience in order to quickly adapt to the rapidly changing conditions of war and to minimize the losses for the team.


    Rocky was unlikely to win and many could tell this easily by the mere comparison of battle experiences between the two combatants.


    People thought that the wise move for Rocky was to pick the defender side. Once he picked the defender side, he only needed to choose a highly defensible location. Once he picked the ideal defensible position, he could also


    that the Commander in Chief can invite him over."


    "And as he just said, Rocky is the apprentice of Sheridan which means he is an excellent beast tamer too, right?"


    "No wonder he could manipulate two spirit-manipulated beasts at the same time."


    Everyone present was astonished, amazed that Rocky surprised them yet again after the ones he showed before. Who had ever thought that Rocky was the apprentice of the most powerful beast tamer in the Holy Dragon Empire!


    "I didn''t expect that. Interesting! Haha!" Dunn who never took others seriously was yet surprised by Rocky. Then he laughed out.


    Now that Lance had mentioned it. There were stories that Dunn and Sheridan knew each other well. They shared their love for alcoholic drinks. It was said that they would not stop drinking until they were completely drunk.


    "He''s coming!" A figure walked towards the competition area with a spirit-manipulated beast.


    They all turned to look at the approaching figure. They were surprised that the figure was barely able to keep his balance as he swayed on both sides as he walked.


    The figure was Rocky. A drunk Rocky to be exact.


    Everyone who watched Rocky walk towards the competition area was confused. The last round of the competition was about to start and Rocky decided to arrive in that state. What was he thinking if he was thinking at all?

 Chapter 315 Get Drunk Before The Final Competition

    "I apologize for keeping you hanging on for a long time!" Rocky said and arched his hands to the crowd after treading on the audience platform. His eyes looked blurry as if he was a little unsteady. The congregation was taken aback, and they all thought automatically, ''What? He is late for the ultimate competition just because he had indulged in some liquor?''


    Still, what made them even more shocked was Uriah. They saw that it had recovered from its injury suffered in the morning. What a powerful self-healing ability it had!


    Marin got up instantaneously and dashed to Rocky. She furrowed her brows and mumbled to him furiously, "Did you indulge alcohol?"


    "Yes, just a little," Rocky replied tipsily as his face was full of smirk. He beamed like the cat that got the cream.


    "What the hell are you doing? Aren''t you apprehensive that you have a competition in the afternoon? It''s not straightforward for you to get into the third round of the competition. How can you consume alcohol at such a crucial juncture? It''s hard to believe you..." Marin whispered and gnashed her teeth. She seemed to be so vehement.


    "Are you worried like a cat on hot bricks that I will lose the competition?" Rocky asked and looked at Marin with his eyes blurred. Marin''s pulse stopped. The passionate moments when Rocky''s lips pressed on hers that day came back to her mind. Suddenly, she found it hard to sustain her poise, and her face flushed.


    "If you fail, I will teach you an excellent lesson!" Marin groaned and swiftly walked back to her seat.


    "Marin, are you okay?" Isis asked with great concern for her cousin. She instantly detected something was awry when she paid attention to her blushing face.


    "Oh, I''m fine. Don''t get worked up!" Marin repudiated as she shook her head fast as light. Yet, Isis felt that her cousin was not feeling quite well. It was as if she had done something guilty.


    He who knows speaks last. Isis, became more doubtful and thought involuntarily, ''You are concealing something from me. I have never come across such a conduct from you. You look like you are engrossed in something. Perhaps something has transpired between you and Rocky.'' Although it seemed not obvious, her frown got even more profound. She then drove her attention to Rocky, who looked under the influence of liquor.


    "Hey, brat, though you use liquor as your crutch to aid your prowess, you are still not my match!" Dunn immediately had the audacity to declare, although he was also perplexed by Rocky''s behavior. He was sure of himself because he thought that since Rocky got drunk like that, he was only seeking for a crushing overthrow in the coming competition. If Rocky was intoxicated to play an array of drunken fists, he might do it relatively well. However, if he was about to lead a battalion under such a condition, it would merely make his army more perplexed. And without doubt, he would lose to Dunn within a few moments.


    At that moment, Rocky tilted his head and had direct eye contact with Dunn with a drunken grin. As he turned back, his initially blurry eyes suddenly reflected a touch of bright light. Someone who recognized this abrupt transition would notice that this wasn''t a man under the


    break Dunn''s defense and win the flag.


    Even Lance had the above opinion clinging in mind. It was no wonder that those commanders and officers were less optimistic about Rocky.


    The third round of the competition was officially inaugurated, after Rocky and Dunn led their respective spirit manipulator teams into the competition field.


    Thirty minutes or so later, the first report of the competition was delivered to Lance. Yet, the content of the report made everyone on the platform stunned.


    "What did you say? Rocky and his team members were having a barbecue party in front of the defensive line? He is really horsing around!" Isis said with a bemused stare. The situation was both ridiculous and agitating.


    Marin was also brewing a little anger like tea in a pot. The other commanders and the officers were shaking their heads and sighing. It was a hard pill to swallow to imagine that such a severe and significant competition was merely regarded as a funny game by Rocky.


    Lance was mute and had no emotions. He felt that Rocky went overboard. His sunken eyes could tell it all.


    Under the cool shadow of several big trees, Rocky and the thirty spirit manipulators gathered around several campfires. They were conversing, chuckling, and having a big barbecue party. The fire was roasting the meat of the wild animals they had captured from the nearby forest.


    "This place is really a good place for a barbecue party!" Rocky howled as he was biting the meat of a big thigh of an animal. His laughter exploded, not a chuckle, or a smirk, but blissful, whole-hearted laugh.


    Encouraged by their leader, the other spirit manipulators were also biting the roasted meat with grins on their faces. They had thought that the battle would be intense. On the contrary, they found out it was totally out of their expectation! On the one hand, they didn''t have to fight against the other team; they could also enjoy themselves at the barbecue party. They had no slightest clue that their attitudes had spawned so much turmoil. It was unlike a battalion to dare pull such a stunt in a significant confrontation. It was just unbearable.

 Chapter 316 A Trap

    On a hillside a fair distance away, Dunn had set up a defense line. Thanks to the geographic advantage of that area, they could look downward and have a good view of everything within a few hundred meters.


    "What''s going on here? Doesn''t that bastard want to fight a battle?" Dunn mumbled angrily when he found Rocky and his team members were having a barbecue right in front of his defense line, fury written on his face.


    "Deputy Commander, what should we do now?" a spirit manipulator asked Dunn immediately. The spirit manipulators with Rocky seemed to enjoy the barbecue very much. As a result, quite a few spirit manipulators who were with Dunn drooled with envy as they fixed their eyes on those who were eating, not to mention the smell that drifted up to them was heavenly.


    "There must be a trap! Don''t bite at the bait and get fooled by them. Just cheer up and ignore them!" Dunn ordered in a cold voice. His eyes were furious at the sight of the drooling spirit manipulators.


    To make matters worse, the hot sun shone brightly at its peak. Since Dunn''s defense line was located at a higher altitude without any tall tree or other kind of shade, the thirty spirit manipulators were on guard under the blazing sun. All of them were bathed in sweat with their tongues hanging out in thirst.


    In contrast, Rocky and his team members were eating meat while enjoying the cool under the trees. The defending spirit manipulators could not help but envy them.


    The spirit manipulators by Dunn''s side began complaining. Gradually, they had less and less desire to fight.


    "It''s so hot. Come on, leave a few people here with our flag. All the rest go to the river together with me to have a bath," Rocky said as he stood up all of a sudden.


    Immediately, all the spirit manipulators cheered excitedly at Rocky''s proposal.


    A moment later, most of them had taken off their outerwear and went towards the river together with Rocky. Only a few men were left, ordered to guard their flag.


    Standing within his own defense line, Dunn was surprised to see Rocky lead a group of spirit manipulators away. Stripped to their waists, they left suddenly while only a few spirit manipulators protected their flag. He had no idea what was going on.


    "Follow them! Find out where they are going and what they are planning." Dunn snapped at one of the spirit manipulators by his side.


    It was not long before t


    is bastard..." Marin was speechless when she realized what was happening. It annoyed her, being caught off guard. But it entertained her as well.


    Obviously, the third round of contest had begun as early as when Rocky appeared like a drunk man. However, nobody but he himself was aware of that.


    "What a wonderful scheme! He deceived everybody else! A military officer should know how to make use of tricks." Lance could not help but praise his cunning.


    "But Dunn still has twenty spirit manipulators. Maybe he can hold the defense line until the contest expires if he tries his best," Isis said.


    "How much time is left?" Lance asked. His face was blank, but in his mind he had already gone though many possibilities of what each leader was planning to do.


    "About one and a half hours.


    Dunn has an advantage. If Rocky wants to win the contest, he needs to act right away," Isis answered, her eyes narrowing in thought.


    Rocky figured out that there was not much time left for him using the sun''s position. Promptly, he called his team members together. Since the thirty spirit manipulators had eaten barbecue to their satisfaction and had a bath, their morale was incredibly high.


    In contrast, the spirit manipulators by Dunn''s side had been on guard under the burning sun, without food or bath, so they all looked tired. On top of that, they had lost ten buddies. As a result, all of them were in no mood to battle.


    In this way, it seemed that all was in Rocky''s favor. Through his careful planning, he had stacked the odds to his advantage. Ultimately, victory was within his grasp.

 Chapter 317 Initial Contact

    "OK buddies, let''s do this! If we win, I will buy all of you drink and food tonight," Rocky said as he tried to improve morale.


    Thirty highly-motivated spirit manipulators launched a fierce attack on Dunn''s group under the command of Rocky.


    Without any signs of weaknesses, Dunn deployed impressive defense tactics against the attack.


    Then came the intense battles between the offensive and defensive sides.


    "The first squad covers the second one. The second squad lures the enemy deep from the front. The third squad breaks through the sides and cracks them down..." Rocky directed his team calmly. With irresistible force, Rocky''s team finally broke through Dunn''s defensive line.


    Dunn decided that the fighting was unfavorable, so he called for a retreat to buy his troops some time.


    It was not long before Dunn realized that his field was a dead end road. His initial purpose of selecting the location was to limit Rocky''s options. To his surprise, he was the one trapped instead of Rocky.


    After that encounter, only a few spirit manipulators were left around Dunn. On the other hand, there were more than ten people left with Rocky.


    "Damn it!" Dunn couldn''t believe that he ended up so miserably compared to Rocky.


    "Your weakness is arrogance. It is true that you have a good position and an airtight defense. But you are too impatient. The only thing that you care about is winning! You started with a bigger chance to win than me. If you only defended until the last possible moment it would be me who would be on the losing end and not you." Rocky stared at Dunn and revealed his power. It was completely different than when he was intoxicated.


    "So you want me to give up and admit total defeat. That will never happen! You only have one hour now. I don''t think you could beat me and take my flag," Dunn said with confidence.


    "We wouldn''t know unless we


    h in the morning made it slower than its normal speed.


    With Uriah''s current status, it had no advantages over the Bear.


    "Now let''s see who is better!" Dunn''s left foot dug deep into the ground as he dashed toward Rocky like a bullet that had found its target. In a second, he was right in front of Rocky. He attacked Rocky by throwing a fist that was encased with spiritual power at Rocky''s face.


    Rocky focused and stepped back before Dunn''s attack had reached him. The attack passed his face but missed. Rocky suddenly felt a stinging pain on the right side of his face. Rocky touched the part of his face that was painful and was surprised to see blood on his hand.


    Rocky suspected something and immediately turned to Dunn''s fist. Dunn''s spiritual power covered the fist with a dense layer that looked like tiny blades.


    Before Rocky could fully recover, another attack with Dunn''s fist came at him. The second attack now went for his chest. Dunn''s attack approached Rocky with amazing speed. A ripping sound filled Rocky''s ears as his clothes were slashed apart. His skin broke and his chest bled.


    Rocky was immediately forced to go on the defensive and kept away from Dunn. Rocky was now aware of their difference in spiritual power level.

 Chapter 318 Swallow And Digest

    Dunn''s strength perplexed Rocky. He couldn''t make sense of how Dunn''s spiritual power be so powerful, considering that he hadn''t used any spiritual martial arts so far.


    It was a natural reaction for Rocky to be confused. It was the first time they had met and he didn''t have any experience in fighting him. It would be a correct assumption to think he knew nothing about Dunn''s strength. To those who knew him, Dunn''s special spiritual power was remarkable. He was really well known among the members of the Crimson Dragon Group. Some talented Frontline Commanders had learned their lessons about it from personal experience.


    That did not mean he had no mystery in him. Even if he was well-known, no one knew how he''d learned to master this special spiritual power. The only information would be the rumor that Dunn had come from a mystical family and was trained under the family since he was a child.


    Rocky soon pulled away from Dunn. He had mastered two spiritual martial arts, the Nebula Cloud Transformation and Nebula Arrow Force, which enabled him to keep up in his fight against Dunn.


    They traded dozens of blows and had reached an impasse.


    On the other hand, the battle between Uriah and the Razor-claw Wolf Bear was one-sided. Uriah was completely suppressed by the Razor-claw Wolf Bear, whose strength had reached the third grade of the three-star level. Uriah couldn''t freely use its power of Fire nature to attack since that consumed too much spiritual power. It could prove to be a disadvantage later on if it was not able to defeat the Bear quickly.


    The Razor-claw Wolf Bear hit Uriah again and sent it flying back several feet. Uriah gave a long wail and slumped onto the ground near Rocky with more cuts over its weakened body.


    Rocky saw this and narrowed his eyes. He knew he didn''t have much time left. The clock was ticking and if he wanted to win this fight, he had to take a gamble. And then it hit him. He reached into the silk bag he carried with him and took out the red spiritual crystal Lance had given him as a reward just this morning.


    "Eat it, Uriah!" Rocky threw it to Uriah swiftly before the Razor-claw Wolf Bear could interfere.


    Uriah caught the red spiritual crystal in its mouth and swallowed without hesitation.


    "Are you out of your mind? I can''t believe you did that. Have you got any ide


    Just an instant before the Razor-claw Wolf Bear''s claws would''ve touched Uriah, an arrow of blazing light cut through the air and plunged onto the ground right before the Razor-claw Wolf Bear.


    Boom!


    The explosion of light forced the Razor-claw Wolf Bear to back away from Uriah. A towering figure emerged in front of Uriah. It was Rocky!


    "You will have to get past me first." Rocky looked cold and devilish with his entire body shrouded in spiritual power. His face was dark and shadows danced around him.


    Dunn''s face darkened. With a subtle gesture from him, he and the Razor-claw Wolf Bear both rushed towards Rocky. The Bear reached Rocky first and pounced on him, its sharp claws struck him in a blur.


    Rocky raised his hands and summoned spiritual power on his palms. It formed a huge shining shield he used to defend against the attack.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    A dazzling light exploded in front of the Razor-claw Wolf Bear.


    As Rocky defended against the Razor-claw Wolf Bear''s attack, another figure closed in on him menacingly like the gust of a strong wind. A massive wave of spiritual power engulfed Rocky.


    Rocky reacted fast but was still sent flying back by the impact. As Rocky tried to recover, the figure reappeared beside him. His hands clasped together and shimmered as they smashed Rocky''s chest.


    Spiritual light exploded where the strike had landed. Blood poured from Rocky''s mouth, his chest a ruin as if it had been stabbed and twisted multiple times by a knife. His body slumped on the ground, sending up a cloud of dust.

 Chapter 319 Uriah’s Perfect Evolution

    "Ha-ha-ha! You are defeated now, young man! I am the winner!" Dunn laughed loudly and proudly. He looked at Rocky''s beaten state and felt really proud of himself. Beating Rocky felt like a huge achievement to Dunn; a seemingly insurmountable mountain that he was able to climb despite the odds. ''Rocky is seriously injured after getting hit by my spiritual power. He will not have the strength left to even stand back up, '' Dunn thought.


    To Dunn''s surprise, Rocky started to move and got himself up to a semi-standing position with the help of his hands. Rocky was standing shakily as if the slightest wind could knock him back down. The mere action of standing up seemed to have drained Rocky of all of his remaining strength. But he did it. Beyond Dunn''s expectations, Rocky was able to stand up again.


    "That is impossible! How are you still standing even after my deadly attack!? I am sure that I have injured you severely and you have almost no spiritual power left!" Dunn said as he tried to get over his initial shock. Dunn stood mute and shocked as he tried hard to rationalize what had happened. He was sure that Rocky should now be so close to death that the slightest of movements would be impossible for him. He attacked Rocky with full force mere moments ago. Any other spirit manipulator would have died or would be in a coma from that last attack. To stand up once more after that attack was something that was beyond impossible.


    But Rocky was able to do the impossible many times before. After he got hit by the maximum force of Dunn''s attack, Rocky was able to stand up once more beyond the expectations of everyone who watched the battle unfold before them. A hundred questions crossed Dunn''s mind regarding Rocky. Questions that were brought by Rocky''s ability to survive an attack that could have easily killed any other spirit manipulator.


    "Never be too sure of anything. A situation can change at any time. You are not the winner. No, not yet. The true battle is just about to begin!" Rocky said coldly with a smile of contempt. He wiped the blood from the edge of his lips and gave Dunn a challenging stare that made Dunn feel like Rocky was belittling him.


    "Don''t worry. My next attack will kill you and end this battle completely!" Dunn was brought into a state of anger by Rocky''s arrogant statement. His face was flushed red with anger and frustration. He wanted to just reach for Rocky''s neck and strangle the life out of him. He felt so angry at Rocky right now that it was all that he could do to hold it all back.


    Rocky stood unsteadily as he stared at Dunn. It looked as if he would lose his balance at any time and fall over. Rocky looked as if he exerted all of his strength just to stay standing. Everyone who watched the confrontation was sure that Rocky would be completely defeated or even killed by Dunn''s next attack.


    The people who watched the developments of the battle through the Illusory Mirror, were at the very edge of their seats. They all admired Rocky''s tenacity. Even though he displayed great stamina throughout the final round, everyone was sure that Dun


    l to the third grade of the three-star level. And this surprised everyone.


    They called this kind of evolution as mutation.


    Mutations of spirit-manipulated beasts were always related to their natural body. People thought that Uriah''s mutation occurred normally when it reached a higher star level. When spirit-manipulated beasts reached a higher star level, they could transform their body into a new shape. They might get one more head, or two more limbs, or another tail and so on. Some spirit-manipulated beasts could get wings, and in very rare circumstances, some changed their entire body into a completely new form. There were some spirit-manipulated beasts that transformed their inner body; they could get an extra lung or an extra heart and so on.


    However, it was not possible for the general evolution of a spirit-manipulated beast to cause a mutation. But Uriah was able to achieve a mutation. Uriah turned the impossible into the possible. It transformed its entire body into a higher grade as it evolved into a higher star level.


    Rocky was sure that Uriah had the ability to bear and refine the spiritual power of the red spiritual crystal. He knew that Uriah''s body constitution was different from other spirit-manipulated beasts. So Uriah ate the whole red spiritual crystal as instructed by Rocky.


    It was a risk to have Uriah do so. But now Uriah was almost of the third grade of three-star level. If Uriah refined the red spiritual crystal, it would grant Uriah enough spiritual energy to reach the third grade of three-star level. And Uriah''s strength would match that of the Razor-claw Wolf Bear. On the downside, another possibility was that Uriah''s fighting capacity could be destroyed completely by the spiritual power of the red spiritual crystal.


    What Rocky did was akin to gambling. The only difference was that Rocky had faith that Uriah would be able to achieve the impossible.


    Because of this, Uriah was able to achieve evolution at that crucial moment, and the evolution allowed it to transform its body into a completely new form.

 Chapter 320 The Ninth Grade Of The Earthly Stage

    "Oh, the Flaming Shell..." Lance muttered suddenly, his face changing expression.


    "Father, what''s the matter? What are you talking about?" Isis quickly came to her father''s side, concerned as she noticed the emotions flashing across his face. She wondered what he was thinking of and why that caused such changes.


    "From what we''re seeing here, the new morphology that Rocky''s spirit-manipulated beast has changed into bears a striking resemblance to the Flaming-shell Tiger!" Lance replied, unable to conceal his surprise at the spectacle.


    "Wait, do you mean the Flaming-shell Tiger, the one at the seventh grade on the ranking list of spiritual beasts?" Isis asked in surprise.


    "Although they both differ in appearance from one another, I''m pretty sure that the new morphology that Rocky''s spirit-manipulated beast has transformed into is the Flaming-shell Tiger. I''ve only seen it once before, impressive," Lance remarked, his tone flat and noncommittal. Yet he was still unable to prevent the expression of surprise on his face.


    "Oh, I see. Could it be possible that Rocky''s spirit-manipulated beast is a descendant of the spiritual beast and the war beast?" Isis surmised out loud. And there was a distinct possibility of it: under normal circumstances, the most of the powerful war beasts were born from the spiritual beasts and the war beasts. And such an offspring would almost certainly have inherited some abilities and characteristics from its spiritual beast parent. Because of that, they could be much more powerful compared to other beasts.


    "Well, probably," Lance nodded contemplatively, his expression still noncommittal.


    "However, even if Uriah, Rocky''s the spirit-manipulated beast, has upgraded itself, it might still be unable to help Rocky to win the competition. It''s been hurt badly as far as I can see. Once Dunn orders his spirit-manipulated beast to attack Uriah again, and he himself takes the opportunity to attack Rocky, then there will be little chance of winning for our favored fighter. It''s certainly an unfortunate situation," Lance murmured as he looked at Rocky through the Illusory Mirror. From the look on his face, he was clearly concerned.


    "Commander in Chief, competition time is running out." The officer who was in charge of timing the competition reported to Lance. He had paid strict attention to the limited time frame of the contest all this time.


    Seeing that Uriah had now transformed into another powerful morphology, Rocky took out the bottle of magical saliva from his silken bag in a hurry. He swallowed two drops of the magical saliva as quickly as he could. Before Dunn could notice and be startled by the sudden change from Uriah, Rocky took that moment to process the spiritual power within his body and put the magical saliva to use immediately.


    "Go! Razor-claw Wolf Bear!" Dunn commanded as he finally noticed Uriah''s upgrade. At the sight of its highly strengthened morphology, he could not help but feel a twinge of doubt and hesitation. But he kept it all to himself, remaining confident and steeled outwardly, as all his focus went to defea


    of the Earthly Stage''s ninth grade. Rocky had waited for precisely this moment to time his release and fight head-on against Dunn.


    At the next instant, with powerful bolts of energy crackling from either side, the combatants hit impact and dust imploded around them. The reserve energy of strong spiritual power created a dustbowl. And the two of them were enveloped by bright and dazzling light.


    Boom!


    With another huge crash that sent sparks flying, one of them was sent sprawling down on one knee. And in the end, he collapsed heavily onto the ground with anguish.


    The other figure emerged out from the bright light as it faded away. It was a broken body of an injured fighter. And the expression on his face was one of determination and confidence in spite of his condition.


    Lance and the others who were standing on the high platform watched in anticipation on who would emerge the victor. A ripple of shock and surprise flooded over the platform when they recognized the man stepping out.


    It was Rocky who had won.


    "I really can''t believe it! He won the competition!" Isis exclaimed in pure shock.


    The fighting had been so fast, so complex, and so intense that not all of them were able to see that Rocky beat Dunn by using the power of the Earthly Stage''s ninth grade. Due to the confusion, they found it hard to accept the fact that Rocky suddenly turned the tide and won the final victory. All they had seen was that Rocky was at the disadvantage and almost lost the game just a few seconds ago.


    And with that, the third round of the competition finally came to an end in a thrilling fashion.


    It didn''t take long before the news of Rocky''s final victory spread throughout the headquarters. The reality rocked the whole Crimson Dragon Group. Once again, he had somehow become the day''s hot topic.


    Both Rocky and Dunn had been sent to a quiet place so they would be able to rest and recover from the staggering injuries accrued in combat. As for the one who got the final promotion, that piece of news had been also postponed until the next day.

 Chapter 321 Same Position

    Now that the contest was finished, Rocky thought he could finally relax. Sadly, he was wrong. Despite the conclusion of the contest, he still had a lot of loose ends to tie up. The two beauties stood before him were an excellent example. At any other time, he would''ve been accosted by two gorgeous women like Isis and Marin. But at that moment, he was a little scared by the strange glint in their look as they stared at him with narrowed eyes.


    "What are you two planning?" Rocky stepped back with a shudder when they only leaned towards him and looked at each other instead of answering him. He felt like he was a student once again, waiting for a punishment after he had done something wrong. Which was just wrong because he was an adult who could control powerful beasts. He even crossed his arms defensively and puffed up his chest to cover up the discomfort he felt.


    Isis and Marin rolled their eyes at Rocky''s reaction.


    However, Rocky''s obvious discomfort made Isis realize as well the strange vibe that surrounded them. Maybe she had stared too much. Isis coughed slightly to conceal her embarrassment. She straightened her posture as if nothing had happened, and made it seem like she was only there for important business. She took out a little bottle from her sleeve and handed it over to Rocky.


    "What''s this?" Rocky asked as he took the bottle from her and looked at it with doubt.


    "That''s a healing elixir, very effective for body injuries including traumatic and internal injury." Isis answered in a casual way, acting as if she didn''t care about it at all.


    "That''s the top elixir Isis treasures for herself." Marin whispered to Rocky when her cousin was distracted. Rocky couldn''t help but be amused at the duo''s antics.


    "You didn''t have to, thank you!" Rocky didn''t actually need any elixir no matter how powerful the effects were because he possessed the magical saliva. Still, the bottle of elixir came from Isis so he accepted it gratefully. He didn''t want to offend her in any way.


    "Rocky, do you have any idea what you did? Why did you continue fighting after getting badly injured? You don''t have to risk your life. It''s only a contest. What if you were disabled or even killed just then? Did you even think about that?" It seemed that Marin merely gave Isis her time to speak, and now she deemed it her turn to scold Rocky. She really had been worried for Rocky during the match, especially when she saw that Rocky was truly in danger. She could still remember how blood rushed to her head and how her heart thundered in her chest.


    "It''s not a big deal!" Rocky answered nonchalantly, flapping his hand dismissively at them. At the critical moment o


    but he appreciated their kindness.


    "I''ve heard what happened to you from Miss Isis. I''ve been wanting to see you since last night but Miss Isis told me that you needed to rest. I didn''t want to disturb you so I came for a visit today instead," Sue said, and her face scrunched up in worry.


    "Never mind. I''m sorry I worried you." Rocky smiled at Sue kindly. He was about to say something else when the door suddenly burst open.


    Marin entered the room authoritatively. She looked ready for battle except she carried a set of clothes in her hands.


    "Commander Marin!" Sue bowed to her immediately.


    Marin nodded at Sue and then addressed Rocky, "How do you feel now? Do you still feel sore?"


    "Yes, of course! I''m aching all over. Commander Marin, could you do me a small favor? I want a massage so badly!" Rocky said as a devious smile crept at the corner of his lips. He exaggeratedly winced and whimpered suddenly, to gain her pity.


    "Well, I don''t mind. I could do you a favor... and send you to heaven now! Go change! And then come with me." Marin shouted at him and threw the clothes she was carrying to his face.


    "To where?" Rocky asked, raising his eyebrow.


    "Both you and Dunn were seriously injured yesterday, so the result hasn''t been announced. They will announce who can be promoted to the Frontline Commander today. Everyone has already gathered up in the training field, waiting for you," Marin explained and then she left the room with Sue so Rocky could change.


    Once Rocky finished changing his clothes, he walked out to join Marin.


    "Do you know what it means that you have won the contest yesterday?"


    "Of course I know! Now I''m a Frontline Commander, the same position as you are," Rocky said proudly, puffing his chest out and smirking at Marin.

 Chapter 322 Being Unappreciative

    "I''m glad you understand. The Commander in Chief told me that you would be transferred to the Supreme Headquarters when you get promoted to a Frontline Commander. Behave yourself. Don''t act like a punk. Your actions will reflect on the reputation of the northeast military camp," Marin said seriously.


    "Do I act like a punk? A handsome punk, though, right?!" Rocky said jokingly.


    Sue, who stood close by, couldn''t help but chuckle so she tightly covered her mouth with her hands.


    Marin rolled her eyes at Rocky and hummed as if she was so bored. Then she turned away.


    "Sue, please take care of Uriah," Rocky said as he went after Marin.


    Rocky soon arrived at the training field of the headquarters with Marin. Thousands of people lined up in the seats as they eagerly awaited the start of the ceremony.


    A flag with "Crimson" and a glorious dragon embroidered in the middle was erected on stage. Lance sat in the middle of the stage. The Commanders and the officers of the Crimson Dragon Group stood on both sides of Lance.


    The six Deputy Commanders, including Dunn, who were qualified for the second round were also present.


    Strangely, Isis was nowhere to be found.


    Rocky and Marin''s arrival created a ripple effect on the people who were present. Heads turned towards their direction and everyone''s eyes watched their every move. Whispered conversations went on as they walked.


    Rocky brilliantly turned the battle from a disadvantaged position to finally defeat Dunn whose power was at least a grade higher than his during the last round of the competition yesterday. People still talked about his victory a day after and likely even in the days to come. They admired him for his unflinching courage and unswerving determination. But only Rocky and Dunn knew the entire truth. It appeared that Dunn hadn''t told anyone that Rocky actually reached the ninth grade of the Earthly Stage. If he told anyone, it would create a stir in the headquarters.


    Some of the Frontline Commanders were hostile towards Rocky; most notably Flank. He was badly beaten in the Army Flag Contest by Rocky and was disgraced ever since. Beyond everyone''s expectations, at the competition between the different military camps, Rocky showed his remarkable skill on all aspects and


    me to convince him. I am sure that I can change his mind," Marin said as she bowed to Lance. She knew that if Rocky continued to refuse the promotion, he would be punished for defying orders, or even exiled.


    Marin went out of her way to ease the tension that was created by Rocky''s refusal and this pacified Lance somewhat. He did not want to embarrass his niece in any way.


    "I''ll give him three days! After three days, he must go to his new post!" Lance replied back to Marin and then glanced at Rocky with a disappointed look. He stood up immediately and left the area followed by the Commanders and officers.


    The people present stared at Rocky as they shook their heads. Some thought that Rocky was a man who did not know how to properly respond to favors that must be appreciated instead of refused.


    The crowd then left the area as soon as Lance had gone.


    "You really make my blood boil!" Marin exclaimed, glaring at Rocky.


    "Didn''t you want to know what I thought about the promotion? Well, now you do!" Rocky replied casually. He sounded as if offending the Commander in Chief was not a big deal at all for him.


    "So you have planned all of this since the beginning?" Marin asked, stunned at Rocky''s expression of apathy.


    "I have no intention to be promoted to Frontline Commander. If I will be promoted to Commander in Chief then I will probably consider it. If there is nothing else, I need to go. I still need to do something," Rocky said and walked away leaving Marin to ponder his words.

 Chapter 323 A Haughty Genius

    Lance reached his study after a short while. He was greeted by his daughter as soon as he entered. Isis sat on his chair and played with an ink brush.


    "If I am not mistaken, I think Rocky refused your offer once more," Isis said with a faint smile, seeing the vivid anger on Lance''s face.


    "That little bastard is so arrogant that he had the audacity to refuse me in public! He is as cocky as he is talented! I really wanted to kill him right there in public. That contemptuous genius," Lance roared angrily. It was only Marin''s words that stayed his anger when Rocky refused him once more. He wanted so much to punish Rocky out of fury.


    "I did tell you before father. You can''t bribe him through a well-paid job as an officer," Isis said calmly, as if she already knew what would happen.


    "Then why did he work so hard in the contest? If he did not reveal his true power, then I probably wouldn''t be so depressed and angry." Lance hadn''t figured out why Rocky fought with such intensity during the competition.


    "Simple, he wanted to raise your expectations of him first. So that you will become more irritated of him when he refuses you. He wants you to be so irritated that you''d give up on trying to recruit him. And his plan worked. It was a genius plan, really," Isis explained plainly as she transfixed her charming eyes on her father.


    "You mean to say that getting me this mad was all part of his plan?" Lance''s eyes lit up as if he finally understood what Isis explained. Rocky had planned to refuse from the start and yet he fought hard in order to increase his chances of throwing Lance off and completely discouraging him in trying to recruit Rocky. Lance nodded slightly as he saw the plan.


    "I actually told him that you held the contest for him on purpose after his first round," Isis admitted.


    "Why did you do that?" Lance was caught by surprise. He could not believe that his daughter would sell him out to Rocky.


    "Because you wanted to see his true power and potential. I told him that in order to force him into action. If he found out that you organized the competition for him, he would defy you further and fight at his best to make you angrier once the competition has been concluded," Isis explained cleverly.


    "Now I understand. Telling him the truth made him want to go against me even further. He then wanted to win the competition in order to make me angrier at his refusal." Lance was a clever man. It did not take long before he understood the trick that his daughter played on Rocky.


    idea. I am sure that I can convince him." Her lips curved upwards into a creepy smile.


    A true problem awaited Rocky and he didn''t even realize it.


    Rocky said goodbye to Sue before leaving. He took Uriah and Rubygon and walked out of the headquarters unnoticed. He then took his carriage and his luggage from the Super Beast Farm and then drove the carriage back to his place.


    When Rocky arrived, the Rainbow Glow Unicorn jumped out in front of Rocky before he even got off the carriage. It whimpered sadly at Rocky as he got down from the carriage. It was because it hadn''t had the magical saliva for days. It yearned to have a drop of that delicious liquid so badly.


    "Holy molly! You really like the magical saliva, do you? How about this, buddy? You let me be your master, and I will feed you the magical saliva every day!" Rocky said to tempt the Rainbow Glow Unicorn to be his spiritual beast. But he knew that it was too soon for it to agree. It was never easy to tame spiritual beasts. Even though the Rainbow Glow Unicorn craved for the magical saliva, it still couldn''t accept to trade that with allowing Rocky to be its master. Spiritual beasts were naturally proud, so they couldn''t be tamed easily.


    Rocky expected the Rainbow Glow Unicorn to refuse. It changed its stance immediately. It raised its head up in the air that signified that it refused Rocky''s offer. A short moment later, it left without a warning and disappeared.


    Rocky did not mind that the unicorn refused his offer and left. He knew well enough that the Rainbow Glow Unicorn would return on its own.


    After he unpacked everything, Rocky went to his lab and started his study on Uriah''s upgrade.

 Chapter 324 The Relocation Of The Whole Military Camp

    Three months before the competition began, Rocky had practiced very hard to learn the Mysterious Visual Evaluation Skill. With great efforts, he grasped the skill and also improved his beast evaluation skill to the third level. The moment he mastered the skill, he promptly performed a thorough evaluation of his two war beasts, Uriah and Rubygon.


    His evaluation of Rubygon turned out to be smooth. It didn''t take Rocky a long time before he had all the data related to its qualification. In contrast, he encountered a very strange problem when he evaluated Uriah. The qualification data he found out from Uriah was two times stronger than that of an ordinary spirit-manipulated beast. Common sense dictated that those kinds of values were impossible to obtain.


    At that time, Rocky doubted the accuracy of his data. He thought that maybe because he had just mastered the Mysterious Visual Evaluation Skill, he still couldn''t apply it properly. He thought that he might have done something wrong during the evaluation and decided to repeat the evaluation. To his surprise, it came out the same way. Later, he became preoccupied with other matters, so he temporarily put this problem aside. He thought that when he had free time later, he would take the time to analyze and find out the hidden problem.


    As a result, three months went by without any progress.


    If it weren''t for Uriah''s upgrade at this time, Rocky would have forgotten about the weird data completely. Now since Uriah had upgraded, it would be the best time for Rocky to carry out another evaluation.


    This was why now he had Uriah squat down on the operating table and began collecting samples. He took samples of its hair, scales, blood and so on. He planned to test these samples one by one slowly to make sure there wouldn''t be any mistakes. In his previous evaluations when Uriah was still at the second grade of the three-star level, Rocky had already collected similar samples. He also did the same tests and recorded and saved all the data. Therefore, if the two groups of test data were compared, he would get a lot of valuable information with guaranteed reliability. This would help him infer Uriah''s specific genetic sequences. Figuring out its genetic sequences would be extremely important to study Uriah thoroughly.


    He thought back to the modern world of his last life, when the people did not have specialized instruments to detect genetic data. They relied on data detected from every part of human bodies to collect various information. By such a way, they inferred the basic sequences of human''s genomes. It was precisely because of these basic genetic sequences that the later very powerful genetic technology could be established. Rocky''s current work was also based on the same principles.


    During the last three months, Rocky, based on the information about the data of ordinary spirit-manipulated beasts he had gathered, inferred the different genetic sequences of a dozen kinds of spirit-manipulated beast species, including Rubygon. In his current world, there were hundreds of spirit-manipulated beast species. The doze


    camp is going to be relocated." Rocky gaped at the soldier''s response.


    "Relocated?" Rocky was stunned. He couldn''t help but wonder why the whole camp needed to be relocated so abruptly when nothing special had happened. ''If the military camp is relocated, then I will have to follow as well. What should I do? What about my lab?'' Rocky''s mind raced with questions.


    "Where are we going to move?" Rocky asked the soldier who looked like he was ready to bolt. Unfortunately for him, this was a critical concern and Rocky needed answers desperately.


    "We will be moving to the front line. Our northeast military camp has now been appointed as the major force by the Commander in Chief, and our camp will temporarily become the main camp. I can''t believe I will be able to see our Deputy Commander in Chief every day at the main camp!" Rocky narrowed his eyes at the solider, who seemed to be drooling. The latter even had a strange manic glint in his eyes, his excitement palpable. When Rocky seemed to be satisfied, he continued to move forward enthusiastically.


    Rocky''s heart lurched and he furrowed his brows in thought. Things were going to get really tricky for him.


    After a slight hesitation, Rocky immediately went to Commander Marin''s camp. He knew it was impossible to decide the relocation of a military camp so abruptly, and yet Marin had not said anything to him before he left the headquarters. The only possibility was that the relocation had been decided a long time ago. It meant that Marin had hidden that from him on purpose.


    Once the northeast military camp moved to the front line, he had to move as well. But at the moment, it was impossible for him to move so abruptly. One reason was that he had no way to move those Dark Heaven Insects and the Dark Heaven Insect Queen. Another concern for him was that it would be very tricky and troublesome for him to build another lab. In short, if the northeast military camp was really going to be relocated, it would be equivalent to killing him! He just couldn''t leave his treasures and his lab behind.

 Chapter 325 New Arrangement

    As Rocky walked closer to Marin''s tent, a giant creature flew over his head and cast him under its enormous shadow. The silver scales over its body glinted gloriously under the sun. A closer look at it revealed the silhouette of the breeze that blew against the creature. It painted an intimidating but wondrous picture for all to see.


    The soldiers who had been busy packing previously left their tasks and gawked unabashedly at the glorious beast. Work in the northeast military camp came to a halt as everyone''s attention was taken by the creature.


    Their eyes followed it in its magnificent flight until the giant creature slowly landed on the open field. It gave out a deafening roar as if it enjoyed everyone''s attention.


    "Is this..." Rocky scrutinized the creature. It looked awfully familiar to him but he struggled to remember where he had seen it. "Silver Wind!" Rocky exclaimed as he finally remembered from where he had encountered the majestic creature. This was Isis'' spirit-manipulated beast named Silver Wind.


    "This war dragon should be at the fourth grade of the four-star level," Rocky remarked. He had deduced this when he observed Silver Wind''s body characters and the aura around it.


    Isis had named it Silver Wind, but this war dragon''s formal name was Celerity Wind Dragon. The top ones of this kind could reach the five-star level. Although Isis'' Celerity Wind Dragon was only a four-star one, it was still a rare spirit-manipulated beast if we considered that superior races like dragons were few and far between.


    Despite the fact that the Celerity Wind Dragon was officially categorized as a war dragon, the Beast Encyclopedia revealed that it was a descendant, and thus, a crossbreed of both spiritual dragon and war dragon. In this way, the Celerity Wind Dragon was substantially more powerful than ordinary war dragons with its inherent special power that came from its spiritual dragon lineage.


    Rocky was snapped away from his thoughts as a slender figure jumped down from Silver Wind. She moved with grace and poise that captivated the soldiers'' eyes. This charming figure was none other than Isis.


    Rocky''s heart thumped fast as he met Isis'' beautiful eyes. A strong sense of foreboding spread in his chest. He looked away from Isis in discomfort, and convinced himself that her appearance meant trouble in the horizon.


    As Isis walked towards Rocky, uproar broke out among the soldiers who had gathered around. They all stared, slack jawed as they wondered, ''What could the Deputy Commander in Chief want from Rocky?'' At the same time, they were jealous of Rocky who had the chance to rub elbows with a beauty like Isis.


    "Wha


    te times called for desperate measure.


    Isis smirked at Rocky to show she was not at all bothered by his threats. "I knew this would happen sooner or later. I have already prepared myself not to mind at all. If you dare to tell others about that, I will tell my father what you have done to his precious daughter. My father will definitely kill you and then throw your corpse to some covert place to feed wild beasts. If you desire death so much, why don''t you do it?" Isis challenged Rocky. She knew that he would throw that in her face, but she prepared well for this meeting. As the Deputy Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Group, Isis would not be easily shaken, especially not by a threat as empty as Rocky''s threat. From Rocky''s sour expression, she knew that she had succeeded in turning the tables under such a circumstance.


    Rocky was taken aback by this declaration and marveled at Isis'' boldness. Last time, she threatened him and accused him that he stole her underwear. And her threat had definitely intensified this time. If she executed this plan, Rocky knew well the grave consequence that awaited him.


    "Well, I can accept the position you offer. But under two conditions. What do you say?" Rocky might have been cornered but he would not give in that easily.


    "Spill it!" Isis prompted, annoyed at his stubbornness.


    "First, I will not work at the headquarters. And second, I need you figure out a way to let me stay here. I heard that the northeast military camp will go to the front-line battlefield, but I don''t want to leave. As long as you fulfill those two requests, I will accept the position you have arranged for me," Rocky stated. He made sure to meet her eyes determinedly. This showed her that he would not be moved from these conditions.

 Chapter 326 Alyssa Confronted Isis At The Battlefront

    "I''ve always been curious to know the reason why you insist on staying at the military camp. I wonder if you are still hiding something from me," Isis said suspiciously while trying to guess Rocky''s intention of staying at the military camp.


    "Am I?" Rocky said innocently.


    "Forget it. You are never honest with me anyway," Isis said coldly. "Well, this place will be turned to a logistic camp, and since you want to stay here now, I name you the captain of the transportation squad of the logistic camp. You will be in charge of delivering army provisions. I heard from Marin that you used to be a captain. I believe you will be worthy of this position," she continued.


    Rocky narrowed his eyes. He didn''t want to be the captain, but it now seemed that he had no other choice, otherwise he would have no reason to stay at the military camp. If so, he couldn''t carry out a lot of things.


    "I also heard that you are good at curing spirit-manipulated beasts. So you can serve as a military vet too. I will send the injured spirit-manipulated beasts to you," Isis said slyly, determined to exploit Rocky to the maximum.


    "Do you want me to work around the clock?" Rocky asked unhappily.


    "You can say no!" Isis said with an obvious smile in her eyes. She had totally understood Rocky now, and knew that Rocky would agree to do whatever she asked.


    "Deputy Commander in Chief, it seems that I have no choice but to accept that," Rocky said disdainfully with a snort.


    "I am glad to hear that. So work hard!" Isis said with a tone of command, pretending not to notice Rocky''s irony at all.


    "If you don''t have anything else, I should leave." Rocky stood up and nodded at Isis before turning around to leave.


    The moment he stepped out of the camp, Rocky saw Marin standing outside the camp. It seemed that she had been waiting there for a while.


    "Has the Deputy Commander in Chief told you everything?" Marin asked Rocky directly.


    "It looks like I fell into the trap she had set for me," Rocky said with a bitter smile. He had expected Isis would say something like sending him to the front line, which he knew was a lie. Isis h


    ed by Alyssa, also showed morale.


    Several battles were fought between the two sides within a few days. The battling zones were seen everywhere, and both sides adopted a lot of tactics.


    At this time, Rocky was cultivating himself in the abandoned house. His power now had reached the ninth grade of the Earthly Stage, very close to the Heavenly Stage. But now it was hard to reach the Heavenly Stage using the intermediate and primary Dark Heaven Eggs in a short time. What''s worse, he had to wait for forty days to get one intermediate Dark Heaven Egg. So he needed to find some priceless treasures to assist the cultivation.


    Four hours later, Rocky opened his eyes and stepped out. He found that his beasts had just returned back. He guessed they might have bullied other spirit-manipulated beasts because they looked very excited.


    Uriah looked very excited after it reached the third grade. It looked cool with the deep red scales.


    Rubygon looked almost as tall as Uriah. The red spiritual crystal had been used on Uriah. Otherwise he could have fed it to Rubygon, which would have definitely improved Rubygon a lot.


    As for the Rainbow Glow Unicorn, it had completely become a member of Rocky''s family. He had been tempting the Rainbow Glow Unicorn several times these days, hoping that it could cooperate with him in collecting data. But the Rainbow Glow Unicorn refused him. So he had to find out a solution.

 Chapter 327 Speaking Like A Dictionary

    "Oh, I need to go to the logistic camp to check in at work and announce my arrival today!" Rocky said, remembering he had promised Isis to be the captain of the transportation squad and military vet. Although, truth be told, he didn''t really want to be the captain of the transportation squad. He''d accepted the position as a means to remain in the northeastern military camp. The trade-off would pay dividends later.


    After the northeast military camp moved to the frontier, the original area was remodeled into the logistic camp. A multitude of army provisions and weapons were moved from base camp to the logistic camp.


    Today was his first day on the job as captain of the transportation squad.


    He arranged for his beasts to stay at their positions, guarding his home, and left for the logistic camp.


    When Rocky entered the logistic camp, there was an abundance of activity. Soldiers and spirit manipulators came and went, preoccupied with their business. Rocky knew none of them.


    But he was not surprised by the number of people or the commotion. Since Isis re-established the logistic camp to shorten supply time during the war with Timber Deity Empire, this was to be expected. The move meant the frontiers could receive army provisions and materials rather quickly. Such things could be the difference between defeat and victory. The variety of uniforms and crests said the soldiers and spirit manipulators in the logistic camp were transferred from other military camps.


    Although they were all new faces to Rocky, they still knew about him. The moment he entered the camp, he heard the whispers, and saw the glances his way, the gestures, and pointed fingers. His name preceded him from his performance in the last contest. And he''d also refused the Commander in Chief in public. That in itself drew attention with some regarding him as if trying to figure out exactly what he was about, what kind of a man he might be.


    Throw in the news that Rocky had chosen to be a captain of the transportation squad instead of Frontline Commander and the confusion and assessment was more pronounced. Compared with Frontline Commander, the captain of the transport


    ld tell from his eyes that Louis''s reaction was not because he was afraid or bothered by Rocky''s attitude.


    ''This new Camp Director isn''t someone to take lightly, '' Rocky thought.


    "Captain Rocky, we are checking the transportation route from our camp to the frontier. Would you like to join us and see?" Louis pointed to a map on the table.


    Rocky stepped forward to look at the map. Then he frowned, shaking his head, and said, "This roadmap isn''t feasible. I''ll get a better one done."


    "Captain Rocky, did you know that our Camp Director worked around the clock to complete this map after several sleepless nights?" A captain fixed Rocky with a cold stare. "How dare you say ''I''ll get a better one done''! Who do you think you are?" Another captain said, "I think the roadmap is perfect. It''s clear and every line is the shortest route." He eyed Rocky then offered the Camp Director a flattering smile.


    Others echoed his opinion.


    "Why do you think this map isn''t good enough?" Louis regarded Rocky with a frown but his words were even.


    "Here... And here... These places have lots of wild spirit-manipulated beasts... There are frequent landslides and falling rocks on this road. And..." Rocky traced his finger along the map and continued with his assessment.


    Rocky smiled at the sight of Louis and the others in shock. They knew he wasn''t making up any of it. And the way he recited everything was as if he were a dictionary.

 Chapter 328 Meeting Halfway

    Before Louis was transferred to the logistic camp, the Deputy Commander in Chief met with him. Their conversation had, of course, touched upon Rocky''s presence. It was not technically an official briefing but an informal directive from one leader to another. The Deputy Commander in Chief wanted to make sure that she would not be entirely clueless about Rocky''s...uniqueness. In this way, he knew and expected that Rocky was a little peculiar compared to his fellow soldiers. During their little chat, he found out that Rocky''s talents were highly praised by the Commander in Chief and the Deputy Commander in Chief. He also heard about Rocky''s remarkable performance at the Army Flag Contest and when he competed among the six military camps of the Crimson Dragon Group. This little tidbit came not just from the Deputy Commander in Chief but from every person who witnessed the events. Everyone unanimously agreed that Rocky did excellently in the contests.


    He thought that all these knowledge would ready him for the force of nature that Rocky was. He was wrong.


    He ended up slack jawed as he stared at Rocky. He observed how astute Rocky was. Rocky cleverly pointed out the flaws and mistakes on the route map. No wonder that the Deputy Commander in Chief wanted him specifically in charge of Rocky''s care.


    "Camp Director, were our army provisions and materials frequently intercepted when we were at war with the Timber Deity Empire last time?" Rocky asked with his arms across his chest, deep in thought.


    Louis nodded. His mouth opened to say something but thought quickly of it and opted to say nothing at all.


    "How many times have they been intercepted?" Rocky prompted. He had an idea of what the problem was but he needed more information before he could accurately conclude.


    "The war lasted for three months. During that period, we have been intercepted about ten times," Louis replied after some thought.


    "So, we were intercepted three to four times a month on average. This indicates that the frontier suffered a loss of at least three times less the intended amount of army provisions and materials. Am I right?" Rocky analyzed brusquely without sugar-coated words.


    Louis winced but nodded. "Ten times is the normal situation," Louis explained as he tried to save face.


    "It is impossible to avoid the army provisions and materials being looted by the enemy. This is basic strategy and they are not fools!" Rocky raised an eyebrow at the Deputy Camp Director''s aggressive defense.


    "If I am the Camp Director, I will not allow anyone to loot our army provisions and materials," Rocky claimed confidently. He could be presumptuous when he had an idea in mind.


    When they heard what Rocky said, Louis and the others gaped at him in surprise. They were astonished by Rocky''s blatant audacity.


    "Since you are so confident, would you care to help me do that?" Louis said quickly as he saluted to Rocky.


    "If you exempt me from the transportation missions for a month, I will consider your suggestion and draw a new route map for you." Rocky smiled as he stated his condition. Obviously, he had planned everything in advance.


    ion with so many routes, even including retreat routes..."


    "That''s right. I''ve never seen such a complicated transportation route map before."


    "I think one route is enough. Why take the trouble to do that?"


    The Elite Commanders and Frontline Commanders expressed their views respectively after they saw the transportation route map.


    "Commander Marin, what''s your opinion?" Isis asked as she looked at Marin.


    "I think the transportation route map is well planned. It will be able to deal with different kinds of emergencies. Compared with the previous one with only one route, this one is more secure. We had been looted dozens of times by the Timber Deity Empire during the last war. That made a significant impact on the Holy Dragon Empire. It can be said that the new transportation route map made by Captain Rocky has taken all these hidden dangers into consideration. But what do these dots at the center of the circles mean?" Marin commented when she also noticed the dots.


    "Oh, that ones. Captain Rocky said they stood for the coordination spots," Louis explained immediately.


    Everyone seemed perplexed about what he meant. Louis was not surprised since this was how he reacted as well.


    "Coordination spots? What are they for?" Isis asked Louis. Her head cocked to the side inquisitively. This idea was something she had never seen before.


    "Captain Rocky said this was a new transportation method for the logistic camp. We shall first transport army provisions and goods to the halfway coordination spots. Then the armies at the front will come to our aid and escort us as we transport them to the frontline," Louis replied. He made sure he repeated Rocky''s words accurately since he knew this was not something the others would take lightly.


    As he expected, his words created a racket in the tent. The Elite Commanders and the Frontline Commanders were of the opinion that Rocky had gone insane. They had been used to the fact that the logistic camp always transported army provisions and goods to the frontline, so it made no sense that they would only send them halfway.

 Chapter 329 A Good Plan

    "This time, Captain Rocky is really out of line! Is he in charge of army provisions and goods delivery? Why should he deliver halfway through the journey and require other troops to coordinate with him?" An Elite Commander protested heatedly. Rocky''s suggestion seemed to evoke the ire of the majority in the tent.


    Currently, the room was in an uproar as nobody seemed willing to listen to any explanation. They were busy as they aired out their complaints fiercely.


    "Does Rocky realize how full he is of himself. If you look for hubris in a dictionary, his picture would be right next to it. It''s a joke how he thinks he can do this to us," Flank sneered. He had not forgotten what Rocky had done to him. He felt vindicated as he heard how most of the Commanders insulted Rocky.


    "Captain Rocky said he has explained why he wanted to do this in this paper. He said he wrote it very clearly as it was of utmost importance for us to understand it." Louis felt sweat roll down his spine as he talked. The Commanders weren''t angry at him but that knowledge did not help when most of the Commanders were intimidatingly glowering at him. Despite this, he focused on his task and tried to maintain his calm. He took out the paper written by Rocky and handed it over to Isis.


    Isis opened it carefully and grinned. "I wonder what he was thinking when he did this," murmured Isis.


    When they heard that, the Commanders looked at each other, but it was obvious not one of them knew what Isis was talking about. Well, except Marin, maybe.


    "Commander Marin, please look at this and explain it to everyone." Isis passed over the paper to Marin as they exchanged a knowing glance and a smirk that disappeared as quickly as it had come.


    Marin nodded and read the paper loudly so the others would also hear. A look of pleasant surprise and understanding quickly spread across her face.


    "I devised this method to reduce the chance of interception by the enemy when the army provisions and goods go through the perilous areas. As is known to all, the transportation squad has weak fighting capability and no ability to compete with the troops in the frontier. Based on transportation records from the last three months of war with Timber Deity Empire, the most vulnerable area was close to the frontier. This was where the enemies blocked and intercepted a lot of the supplies and could be considered the most dangerous place. Enemies intercepted our army provisions frequently by using their mobile troops. As a result, the front suffered scarcity of provisions which caused their morale to lower and the soldiers to weaken. We have to be careful of the lack of food or the soldiers could start a mutiny. In dangerous areas, transportation squads could only protect themselves and have no ability to protect the army provisions. If we use this method and our troops are able to escort the supp


    ll of Commanders looked at Louis sharply. They were obviously jealous and envious, convinced that Louis had only gotten this citation because of Rocky''s brilliance. They thought of him as a beginner, who had taken office just a few days earlier and now had a merit citation second class. They all thought they could do better, if they were also in the right place at the right time just as he was.


    "To be honest, Rocky worked out this plan and we owe everything to him. I couldn''t take this credit. It should be Rocky''s," Louis said modestly as he arched his hands. He would not dare to take the credit for himself.


    "I think Rocky could not care less about the second-class merit. It belongs to you so take it. He might have done this for something else," Isis said. She understood Rocky very well and knew that he would refuse this second class merit anyway, just so he would not be promoted.


    Louis smiled awkwardly and thought that he had promised Rocky a month of holiday for this plan. Obviously, Rocky got what he wanted and lost nothing at all.


    Isis knew the answer as soon as she saw Louis'' reaction, but she opted not to ask him any further questions. She just asked the Commanders and Louis to leave with the exception of Marin.


    "What did I say, Marin? We''d better run along the bushes, instead of confronting Rocky directly. He does not do well with direct orders but guiding him where we want to is more beneficial," Isis said to Marin with a confident smile on her pretty face.


    "He is the kind of man who will amaze the people with a brilliant feat once he promises to do it," Marin said and then continued, "When do you plan to transfer him to the frontier?"


    "I''m still waiting for the appropriate moment. I can feel it''s not the right time yet. We need to wait patiently..." Isis said, a pensive expression on her face.


    Marin nodded in agreement. Waiting was always the most difficult part.

 Chapter 330 Rare Treasures

    Given that Rocky had a one-month holiday, he organized a journey of cultivation. After he arranged everything for his journey, he set off with Uriah, Rubygon, and the Rainbow Glow Unicorn. Reaching the Heavenly Stage was the prime reason the journey was established.


    Rocky had no other rare treasures to assist his cultivation. He had only the Dark Heaven Eggs and the magical saliva. Although the two treasures he possessed were miraculously effective, he yet needed more of such a kind. Progressing through to the Heavenly Stage was not a walk in the park. That was an upgrade between two stages. Except for proficient vigor, one still required some rare treasures to provide aid. At a life and death moment, they would save a spirit manipulator one-half of the effort during upgrading.


    Seeking rare treasures for such a juncture became his most essential task.


    For ordinary spirit manipulators, this would be being in cloud cuckoo land. This was unlike Rocky''s case, where it would be like shooting fish from a barrel. The reason was that he had a helper that was so perfect at such an occasion. It would be a tremendous loss if he did not grab the golden opportunity and make good use of the Rainbow Glow Unicorn. After all, he could not authenticate whether the unicorn would surface next time.


    His other purpose during this trip was to assemble the specimens of different spirit-manipulated beasts. He needed to investigate the genomes of spirit-manipulated beasts of distinct types based on the data analysis of immense information.


    That was an arduous task, and accomplishing it within a brief duration of time would be like drawing blood from a turnip. Therefore, Rocky''s purpose for this trip was to collect the samples of twenty kinds of spirit-manipulated beasts.


    Myriad Beasts Ground was Rocky''s destination as he planned to head for the northeast.


    It was by sheer luck that Rocky heard of that place. He heard it when he was leaving the headquarters and picking up his carriage and things from the Super Beast Farm. It was discerned that no one was in the limelight on how massive the Myriad Beasts Ground was. The main reason was no one had succeeded in passing through that place. As one entered it and progressed further, they would discover more disconcerting aspects of it. Numerous wild spirit-manipulated beasts of all kinds were all present in the Myriad Beasts Ground.


    In the same instance, that was an exceedingly dangerous place. Nearly all of the spirit-manipulated beasts in there were three-star ones. Rocky also discover


    as quiet as a church mouse.


    After searching around for a while, his search bore no fruits since he discovered nothing at all. Rocky threw in the towel and swam back to the surface.


    "Hey you! Are you certain as monument of brass there is a wonderful thing in the lake?" Rocky inquired the Rainbow Glow Unicorn, snorting for air.


    The Rainbow Glow Unicorn nodded.


    "Well, then I''d better give it another shot." Rocky shook his head and dived into the lake again.


    An hour afterward, he yet discovered nothing at all.


    "I can''t believe that even you will make a mistake sometime," Rocky said to the Rainbow Glow Unicorn with wide eyes after he went back to the land. He was accustomed to such a scenario. Previously, he regularly found nothing following the Rainbow Glow Unicorn.


    Out of the very depths of the Rainbow Glow Unicorn, flowed all its emotion, and as the groaning flow passed its lips, it became a cry of confession, a wail reaching out for redemption. The Rainbow Glow Unicorn then looked at Rocky innocently.


    "Very well, then! Don''t stare at me that way. I will give you one drop, okay? It''s your tip." Rocky took out the bottle and pour a drop of the magical saliva in his palm, and then he reached his hand in front of the Rainbow Glow Unicorn.


    However, the Rainbow Glow Unicorn didn''t take it. Instead, it turned to peer at the serene lake.


    Rocky felt awkward about that, and he followed its sight to peer at the lake. All of a sudden, a turbulent vortex appeared at the center of the lake and continued whirling. The original serene lake now became furious.


    In a moment, a water pillar spurt out in the center of the whirlpool and sprinkled water in every direction.

 Chapter 331 The Three-tailed Aquatic Lizard

    Suddenly, a wild spirit-manipulated beast slowly rose from the vortex. It looked like a giant lizard with three tails. Its whole body was covered with a thick film like a bizarre water gloss, which could function as a natural disguise. Its three tails swung in the air haphazardly. The spirit-manipulated beast was like a chameleon, its color changed and adapted to blend with its environment.


    "A Three-tailed Aquatic Lizard!" Rocky exclaimed excitedly when he saw the spirit-manipulated beast. His eyes sparkled with eagerness and curiosity.


    As stated by the Beast Encyclopedia, the Three-tailed Aquatic Lizard was a special spirit-manipulated beast, similar to the Dark Heaven Insect. What differentiated it from the Dark Heaven Insect was that the Three-tailed Aquatic Lizard could not lay eggs. In its stead, it produced the Water Essence Pill as it absorbed the spiritual power continually since it lived under water.


    The quality and power of the Water Essence Pill were heavily associated with the level of the beast. The highest grade for the beast was four stars. And a four-star beast could produce the highest-level Water Essence Pill. Although the beast in front of him was only a three-star one, he could tell that the power of the pill inside the body was much stronger than that of a medium-grade Dark Heaven Egg.


    And the Three-tailed Aquatic Lizard was just as rare as the Dark Heaven Insect due to its innate hiding ability. If they did not want to show themselves, even the master of the Supernal Stage could not find any traces of them. It was often said that even if the beast stood right in front of the master, he would still be unable to sense it. That was definitely not an exaggeration.


    "It looks like it''s only at the lower third grade of three stars, but it has amazing strength equal to the spirit manipulator of the preliminary level of the Heavenly Stage." Rocky analyzed the beast quickly. His mind scrutinized each feature as he decided how he could defeat it.


    "Let''s get started!" Rocky firmly commanded Uriah and Rubygon.


    Since Uriah and Rubygon had cooperated with each other plenty of times in the past, they already knew each other''s fighting style well. They separated immediately after they received the order from Rocky. Meanwhile, the Rainbow Glow Unicorn suddenly headed to Rocky instead of the enemy and took all of the magical saliva in his hand. When it finished that, the Rainbow Glow Unicorn seemed to glow in sati


    e-tailed Aquatic Lizard. The beast did not stop either. It sent out several high-speed compressed water bombs to Uriah. Through the gap between those attacks, Uriah dived down and got closer to the beast. It struck hard against the water film. Steam sizzled out from where Uriah had dug its claws.


    At first, the steam gave Rocky hope. But when he noticed that all Uriah''s fire power accomplished was that it made the beast steam, he realized he was in big trouble.


    Despite the fact that the Three-tailed Aquatic Lizard was only at the third grade of three stars, it seemed that it was more powerful than any other beast with the same level. Nothing Uriah did seemed to have an effect on the beast and he was at a loss.


    Rocky ordered Uriah and Rubygon and they attacked continuously. This way, the beast was sufficiently distracted as he tried to think of a plan.


    Rocky rattled his mind for everything he knew about the beast.


    "If we can''t break down its shield even for a short time, we at least need to block its attack. It seemed that water bomb was its only way of attacking. If we can block the water bomb, there is no other choice for it but to give up," Rocky muttered to himself.


    He once again consulted the Beast Encyclopedia in his mind for the information about the beast. According to the book, there was a special organ that enabled the beast to compress water into a bomb. And obviously, the source of the water was not its own body but the pool. If he could just separate the beast from the water, he could stop it from producing bombs. Yeah, that was a good plan. Now to the hard part, how was he supposed to do that?

 Chapter 332 Another Sleepless Night

    Rocky knew that a beast would never leave its safe nest easily unless it had to. So, it would be too hard to trick the Three-tailed Aquatic Lizard into getting out of the pool. Even the magical saliva would fail to do that, too. These factors left Rocky no other choice but to try to destroy the part inside its body with the function of absorbing water. In this way, he could prevent it from absorbing the water in the pool and firing water bombs against him and his war beasts.


    You would think that this was a piece of cake but it was the complete opposite. The Beast Encyclopedia did not describe where exactly that part was, so Rocky had to find it himself. He thought about it a lot and then decided to dive into the pool to have a close examination on the lizard and find out that part.


    When he saw that his two war beasts were fighting furiously with the Three-tailed Aquatic Lizard, he thought that this was the good timing to get into the water because the lizard was busy. He stealthily dived into the water from the other side and approached it silently. Looking from the bottom of the water, Rocky could see that the lizard''s body was completely covered by the layer of water film that provided it with strong defensive power. Its three huge tails were rotating in the water like a propeller producing strong suction power.


    Sure that the three tails were the parts he was looking for, Rocky immediately smirked and swam to the end of the lizard as quickly as possible. He injected his spiritual power at the ninth grade of the Earthly Stage into the Frozen Wind Dagger. Instantly, the length of the spiritual light of the dagger transformed into the long length like a sword''s. Trying to do his best, Rocky flung his Dagger hard. The next moment, the spiritual light of the dagger dashed towards the lizard and cut off one of its huge tails. As a result, a pale green liquid was gushing out from the cut, contaminating the water in a strange way.


    The shooting pain of the lizard who was still floating on the water was reflected in a harsh scream. Its body was trembling violently and was madly thrashing in the water. Its violent motion made the water of the pool onrushing. Rocky was too close to the angered lizard and had no time to get away from it. Thus, he was rolled into the terrifying waves and his whole body was like a puppet in the water. Suddenly, he was thrown out from the bottom of the pool into the air and showed up exactly on the side of the lizard.


    The enraged lizard did not only roar at Rocky once it saw him, but also hit him with its tails that were originally in the water.


    Rocky realized that he was in a seriously dangerous situation; however, it was impossible to adjust his position in the air. Thus, all he could manage to do was gather all his spiritual power to resist the violent hit. Yet, the lizard''s tails hit Rocky so hard that he was forced to fly high into the air. If anyone else was watching from afar, they would think that Rocky was nothing more than a


    r entering the cave, he kindled a bonfire by using a pile of firewood he had collected along the way. The three beasts, lying by the fire, soon felt sleepy due to their tiredness and the warmth surrounding them. Yet, Rocky was not sleepy at all. Watching the sparks which were constantly bursting out from the firewood, he could not help but drown in his own thoughts. He was envying the beasts that, unlike him, did not have anything to overthink. He, on the other hand, was thinking about a woman with a beautiful, peaceful and elegant face. She reminded him of the fragrant lily.


    "Lena, how are you doing now?" Rocky couldn''t help but murmur to himself with a sentimental tone filled with endless guilt. Lena was the first woman to shake Rocky''s heart. Yet, he hurt her without intending to do so. He didn''t even get a chance to explain to her. His guilt kept torturing him on a daily basis. Now that he was exiled to the army, he would never find a chance to see her and explain anything to her.


    "Roar!" At that moment, Uriah let out a long howl towards the faint moon out of the cave. Its roar seemed to reflect its master''s feelings. Soon, Uriah and the other two war beasts were sound asleep.


    ''On a silent and cold night, a sad man is lost in his thoughts, '' Rocky thought teasingly. He couldn''t help but laugh, though.


    Soon after, Rocky regained his usual composure and put on his evil look. If you could see him then, you would say that he looked like a wild wolf that could not be tamed.


    "Right, Sheridan has taught me the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill. I haven''t started researching it yet! It seems that tonight will be another sleepless night for me... I can''t even remember the last time I fell asleep at night!" Rocky said and laughed at himself. The Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill soon came into his mind. He then immersed himself completely into studying it. All he had to do now was to force himself to grow stronger, so that he could regain what he originally had.

 Chapter 333 A Horrible Opponent

    At the battlefront in the main camp of the Crimson Dragon Group, soldiers and spirit manipulators in charge of the patrol went to and fro. The moon had hidden behind thick clouds, as if in avoidance of the tense air that filled the camp.


    Amidst the bumbling activity of the camp, chaos had erupted in one of the tents. Multiple voices rose and fell in heated discussions after they had heard the news.


    "What did you say? The Rough Slope was taken by the enemies? What''s the casualty?" Isis stood up at the news when her body refused to sit still in distress. She looked down at the spirit manipulator who had just brought the message and urged him to continue.


    "The whole squad holding the Rough Slope is gone, including two Frontline Commanders." The other commanders let out whispered swears and gasps when the spirit manipulator answered.


    "How could this be possible? The fort held strong two days ago. How come it was taken so easily?" Marin and other commanders exchanged confused looks with each other. Nobody dared to interrupt even though they themselves were dying to know more about the situation.


    "It appears that the two Frontline Commanders had a disagreement with each other. When the enemy charged, an internal conflict burst in the squad led by the two. The enemy took this opportunity and launched a raid last night and completely defeated our army."


    Dreadful silence fell upon the room. Some of the commanders breathed shallowly, conscious of how loud their harsh breath was in comparison to the tense silence that encompassed the room.


    Suddenly, a loud bang broke the strained silence. Marin and other commanders looked to where the sound had come from. Isis had one hand on the table and her eyes blazed with anger. The Rough Slope was the most crucial site in the defense line Isis had set up. Now that it was lost, more than half of the parts along the defense line would be affected. All as a result of the pride and stupidity of two commanders. Nobody could fault her for being enraged.


    "Deputy Commander in Chief, what should we do next?" Marin asked Isis immediately. Isis glanced at her in appreciation. She loved her focus and calm in critical moments like this one.


    "We need to take the Rough Slope back as soon as possible. If the enemy takes this chance to enter the wooded area of our battlefront, we would be in greater danger. I didn''t expect the leading commander of the Timber Deity Empire to realize that the Rough Slope was our weakness, and so quickly too." Isis had received a report earlier that the general commander of the Timber Deity Empire this tim


    Mr. Sun would be doing this upgrade," Alyssa said with anticipation.


    "That''s great! Mr. Sun is the most competent beast tamer in our Timber Deity Empire. It''s said that he doesn''t even care about fame or money and he is very difficult to hire."


    "Right. I also heard that his Beast Taming Skill is unparalleled in the Wild Spirit Land and many nations want him."


    "It''s said the spirit-manipulated beasts raised by him are the strongest and fiercest in battles."


    The commanders of the Timber Deity Empire shared their opinions loudly, each one excited about the news.


    "He is the best, but only in the Timber Deity Empire. The best beast tamer in the Wild Spirit Land is Sheridan of the Holy Dragon Empire. He has led an isolated life for many years. But I received a report that he now works for the Crimson Dragon Group, in charge of all the spirit-manipulated beasts of the group. That is the reason I invited Mr. Sun," Alyssa said seriously.


    "I''ve heard about Sheridan before. As far as I know, he is quite a peculiar guy. Is he really better than Mr. Sun in the Beast Taming Skill?" One of the commanders questioned her suspiciously. She understood it was not her decision that he found doubtful but Sheridan''s ability.


    "That is why Mr. Sun promised to come. When I mentioned Sheridan to him, he accepted my invitation immediately. He wants to prove that he is the best beast tamer in the Wild Spirit Land. As for who is truly the best, we will know soon." Alyssa smiled like the cat that caught the canary. All the commanders present looked at her in awe, as she stood amidst them with confidence.


    "Prepare yourselves. We will win this war!" Alyssa was absolutely a horrible opponent to anyone in the battlefield.

 Chapter 334 A Land Of Wonder

    Rocky spent the whole evening in the cave, where he studied the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill. The next morning, he observed the injury on the Rainbow Glow Unicorn''s foot and checked if it was healing properly. When he ascertained that the Rainbow Glow Unicorn had healed enough to walk comfortably without assistance, he decided to continue to go to the Myriad Beasts Ground together with the three beasts.


    He found that there were more higher level wild spirit-manipulated beasts as he got closer to his destination. He observed that when he had just begun the journey, the spirit-manipulated beasts he saw were often one-star bottom grade wild spirit-manipulated beasts. After a while, two-star second grade wild spirit-manipulated beasts replaced their weaker counterparts, gathered around in groups. As he traveled farther, he started seeing three-star second grade or even three-star third grade wild spirit-manipulated beasts. With this pattern, he expected to see precious and rare spirit-manipulated beasts as he got nearer to their destination. Plus, such spirit-manipulated beasts would surely show up driven by their attraction to Uriah''s savory saliva. Nevertheless, a sense of crisis came over Rocky on his way. As a result, he had to reorganize his objectives and plans. He especially had to dwell on his goals that he needed to achieve while he was in this place. He determined that the widening of his horizon and collection of information would be his primary objective. Second to this, he wanted to find treasures that could help him make a breakthrough and reach the Heavenly Stage.


    Fortunately, none of the three-star third grade wild spirit-manipulated beasts he met later was as tough as the Three-tailed Aquatic Lizard to beat. It was even unnecessary for him to fight against them by himself. Uriah and Rubygon were able to beat them by themselves, which made him feel absolutely proud of them. All the while, the Rainbow Glow Unicorn only watched the fights from a distance and avoided confronting the fierce wild spirit-manipulated beasts by itself. Rocky shook his head at the remembrance that he had such a cowardly but greedy beast.


    Along the way, Rocky was deliriously happy when he found several extremely rare treasures that were similarly effective as a primary Dark Heaven Egg. He also met quite a few spirit-manipulated beast species that he had never seen before, which he enthusiastically searched for in the Beast Encyclopedia as soon as he saw them. Some of them were rare species, such as Nine Tattoo Lion, Black Blood Neofelis and Runaway Cony Cat. None of them proved very capable, but meeting them was a good experience for Rocky. He not only increased his knowledge but also collected many samples.


    After he beat three three-star second grade Clouded Buffaloes, Rocky and the three beasts replenished their strength and continued on. Before long, Rocky saw a vast forest in front of his eyes. Densely distributed, the trees looked so tall that they almost touched the clouds. The sun was cover


    n with a burst of great noise, a group of big trees fell on the ground one by one, as if they were hit by something extremely heavy.


    Rocky''s brows furrowed at the scene. With his eyes, he hinted the three beasts to step backwards immediately. As they moved, the nearest trees started falling as well. From there, a giant, about a height of five or six meters appeared in front of their eyes.


    The giant stood upright like a human. Its six arms waved up and down as it walked. It had hoofs for its feet and they looked humongous. Rocky''s brain supplied that when encircled, its arms were as tall as two men. The giant could stamp down a tree with a height of more than ten meters with only one hoof. It had a long nose, like that of an elephant''s. As powerful as a tornado, the nose could blow big trees down.


    Rocky felt himself erupt in cold sweat. He had seen this giant in the Beast Encyclopedia. It could be a Trunk Giant. According to the Beast Encyclopedia, a Trunk Giant was like a forest guardian. It would walk around the whole forest in a specific route. Along the way, it would clear away wild spirit-manipulated beasts. In this way, it maintained the balance among species in the whole forest. Trunk Giants lived only in ancient and sunless forests, which were mysterious and largely unexplored places. Rocky never even thought he would be able to see one.


    The lowest grade of Trunk Giants were in three-star level, while the highest grade of them were in five-star level, which had the same strength as spirit manipulators at the Supernal Stage. It showed that the highest grade of Trunk Giants were horrifyingly capable war beasts. The Trunk Giant was also included in the list of war beasts among the spirit-manipulated beasts. It was known for its fierce attack force.


    Fortunately, the Trunk Giant in front of Rocky''s eyes at the moment was only of three-star third grade. Nevertheless, this Trunk Giant was giving out a similar aura to that of Uriah or the Three-tailed Aquatic Lizard they had met before.

 Chapter 335 Before The War

    "Retreat!" Rocky ordered hastily. It was possible to win if the three beasts worked together to defeat this Trunk Giant but it would surely cost them too much.


    The first priority of this trip was to stay safe. After all, he was not strong enough to take too many risks. If he acted rashly, he would certainly meet his death here. The primary objective of this journey was to seek rare treasures in the Myriad Beasts Ground, and the second was to collect different spirit-manipulated beasts'' samples. He didn''t want to waste too much time outside the Myriad Beasts Ground when it was so near. Thus, he decided to withdraw first.


    Rocky and the three beasts made a detour to escape the Trunk Giant that was on patrol. The Trunk Giant narrowly saw them as they crept away, but fortunately they entered the forest before it noticed them.


    Rocky felt like he could breathe again when he saw the Trunk Giant as it finally walked away, seemingly clueless to their presence. He realized that he had underestimated the danger of the Myriad Beasts Ground. It was too risky to pass through the forest in front of it. If it was already perilous along its periphery, how much more within its lands? The plants in this forest were so dense that they even blocked sunlight. The whole forest was immersed in suffocating darkness. Rocky dared not use a light because he wasn''t sure yet if they had indeed lost the giant.


    ''For the rare treasures, '' Rocky thought as he walked. He was so close to the Heavenly Stage now, that it would be foolishness not to take the risk. As soon as he reached the Heavenly Stage, he could reactivate the Holy Dragon Bead in his body. Although he could only regain part of the Holy Dragon Bead''s power by then, that was enough for him to grow stronger by leaps and bounds.


    However, troubles kept coming after Rocky no matter how carefully he acted. After he and the three beasts had walked for a while, they were greeted with a cluster of Venom Hounds. This kind of spirit-manipulated beast was hard to deal with, especially since they came in packs. This pack seemed to have at least a dozen, all rabid and looked ready to attack. Poisonous liquid was running over their decayed skin. Rocky knew to keep clear of it and warned his beasts to do the same. As soon as the liquid came into contact with their skin, he knew it would fester.


    Rocky had met Venom Hounds before, but they were only at the second grade of the two-star level. And the most number of hounds he had ever seen was three, nothing like what he was seeing now. Dozens of Venom Hounds seemed to have materialized right in front of them, all of them at the second grade of the three-star level. Even a squad of Earthly Stag


    was a strategic area and stationed her army in that field. As the camp was set-up, Marin sent for several spirit manipulators. They were tasked to go to the enemy''s military camp in the Rough Slope for reconnaissance.


    Two hours later, those spirit manipulators came back and reported promptly to Marin.


    "They only left five thousand men? Are you sure about that? It''s so few." Marin felt that something was off about the whole situation. Logically, the Timber Deity Empire had spent a lot to occupy the Rough Slope in order to destroy the Crimson Dragon Group''s defensive line. Through this, they could take advantage of that position to push the Crimson Dragon Group into a corner.


    In other words, as long as the Timber Deity Empire still occupied the Rough Slope, they could intrude into the Crimson Dragon Group through this gap of their defensive line. It seemed to be a careless move for the Timber Deity Empire, that they only stationed five thousand soldiers for such a critical and advantageous location.


    "Go and check again!" Marin ordered after she gave it some thought. This was a delicate matter. She had to have a clear and accurate information about the enemy''s army before she made any decisions. Only with the appropriate information could she give correct judgments and draw up effective countermeasures.


    Although the quantity of Marin''s army was also five thousand, she could easily ask for soldiers from other military camps nearby. In one day, she could gather reinforcements consisting of more than ten thousand soldiers.


    Thus, what mattered the most was not the quantity of armed forces she brought but how she could quickly get the Rough Slope back, once for all and with the lowest casualty. She needed to hurry though, before their enemies could send reinforcements.

 Chapter 336 Adventures In The Malicious Forest

    As Marin was making plans to retake control of the Rough Slope from the Timber Spirit Empire, Rocky was advancing to the Myriad Beasts Ground. He groped his way through the mysterious forests. It was like a maze in which he would never find a way out.


    He was aware that the deeper he went into the forest, the more dangers he would have to encounter.


    Rocky felt like he had been traveling through the forest for years already. He had so far encountered the Trunk Giant and the cluster of Venom Hounds some time earlier. He would have died if he fought them outright, but he tricked them to engage in a battle against each other instead. Thanks to that, he was able to leave the scene unscathed and immediately continued on his journey to the south. The further he went, the stronger the wild spirit-manipulated beasts were. The spirit-manipulated beasts at the second grade of the three-star level were everywhere. They were as prevalent as the rubbish one or two-star wild spirit-manipulated beasts in the previous areas. On top of that, even the spirit-manipulated beasts at the third grade of the three-star level were also gathered in packs and herds. Although none were as powerful as the Trunk Giant, it could be their end if they fought against more than one.


    With this dangers he had encountered, Rocky proceeded with extreme care. He gave his utmost effort and chose routes that had no evident tracks of spirit-manipulated beasts. This strategy did not fully rid him of attacks but it did lessen these encounters which made these situations more manageable.


    Rocky would have regretted entering the mystical but highly perilous forest if not for the precious treasures it also held. Thanks to the Rainbow Glow Unicorn, Rocky had already discovered three priceless rare treasures in only half a day''s time. These treasures were more effective than the Dark Heaven Egg. The discovery convinced him that there must be more precious treasures in his coveted destination, the Myriad Beasts Ground. However, from the dangers that surrounded its periphery and made up its border, one could easily surmise how much more dangers it surely held.


    Rocky''s train of thought was interrupted when he saw that the Rainbow Glow Unicorn seemed to be ready to proceed on their journey once again. He had decided to take a short break before they entered a dim basin which was surrounded by marshland.


    "Do you sense anything?" Rocky tapped the elegant, slim neck of the Rainbow Glow Unicorn as he asked it.


    The Rainbow Glow Unicorn raised up its head alertly and then ran forward suddenly. It had taken a few steps as Rocky watched until it disappeared.


    Rocky hinted at Uriah and Rubygon that it was time they tailed the Rainbow Glow Unicorn. They followed it into the marshland basin which was full of hazardous traps. Rocky an


    rought along. He left only the Frozen Wind Dagger with him so he would not burden himself. Next, he observed the marsh in front of him cautiously. When he did not find any suspicious movements or presences, he raised his head to look for a way forward. He found woody vines suspended from a tall tree''s branches not far away. The woody vines were quite long, most of them were long enough to touch the ground. He aimed at a tree which was located nearest to the old tree. He leaped dexterously and landed on a big and solid branch. He picked up several woody vines and twisted them to make sure they were strong enough to hold him. He tied these extended woody vines to the branch of the tree, so that he could slip himself down en route the woody vine. Lastly, he unleashed a stream of spiritual power to the tree trunk behind him.


    The spiritual power hit the tree on its trunk with a thump. It formed the reverse-thrust power which pushed Rocky and the woody vines together, higher and higher. The distance between Rocky and the old tree shortened greatly.


    Rocky grabbed the chance and leaped forward to the old tree. He was about to reach it when a long figure sprang up from the gloomy marsh. It looked like a water dragon shot out from the sea which splashed a hail of muddy water.


    A giant scarlet mouth had opened and was coming right at Rocky. He was dangling on air as a long tongue snapped out like a whip towards him.


    Rocky kept calm and analyzed the situation quickly. He knew that there was not enough time to dodge the whipping tongue since it was too close already. He quickly drew out the Frozen Wind Dagger and cut into the air which formed a curved spiritual knife edge.


    The spiritual knife edge he threw collided with the long tongue. The tongue was derailed from its original direction and bashed Rocky on the shoulder. With a crash, Rocky was thrown off.

 Chapter 337 Super Killer

    When they saw Rocky get attacked, the three beasts beside the marsh became restless and anxious. However, they could not do anything to help him. They had no way to reach him, how could they help him?


    Rocky was thrown towards the ancient tree, where he originally planned to go. Another unexpected shadow surged up when he was only a meter away from the ancient tree. Another creature seemed to want him, its fierce mouth opened wide towards Rocky.


    "Damn it! Another one!?" Rocky yelled angrily. The wide mouth was so close that he could smell its stinking breath. It was too late to dodge.


    "Flash!" Rocky shouted and disappeared into thin air. Simultaneously, several glinting figures flashed above the marsh.


    When the long shadow saw that its target had vanished suddenly, it slowed down and changed its direction to one of the glinting figures. While it was distracted, a figure emerged from the spot where Rocky disappeared in and violently kicked the long shadow''s head. It used the counterforce of the kick and flew backwards. The figure caught a branch that was sticking out of the ancient tree and quickly climbed up. The figure could now clearly be seen, now that it had stopped moving so fast. It was, of course, Rocky. He contemplated the two long shadows that attacked him, which were crawling freely in the marsh.


    They seemed to be some kind of wild spirit-manipulated beast that lived in the marsh.


    Rocky observed their features and finally recognized what they were. They were Fly-eye Adders, famous marsh killers. The Fly-eye Adder''s retina was crimson in color and sharp enough to see every movement of its prey. It relied on its keen eyes, and could tell the prey''s movement pattern which made its attacks precise and fast. They were viewed as super killers. Before their prey even noticed their presence, they had


    er was getting closer and closer to Rocky. Its tongue kept on flicking as it crept among the lush branches.


    Rocky''s brows knitted in concern. It would be difficult if he fought on a tree, and there was little room for him to hide. Although his current strength was a good match against a Fly-eye Adder at the third grade of the three-star level, it was a different story now that he was out-numbered.


    Against two opponents, Rocky had to fight on his own without his beasts'' help.


    The Fly-eye Adder was only inches away from Rocky now. As its whip-like tongue swept over towards him, Rocky jumped up to avoid that attack. With a loud crack, the branch where he stood before broke off and dropped into the marsh. It sunk halfway and bobbed over the surface for a while.


    Rocky''s eyes lit up when he saw that. He shook the blue spiritual crystal in front of the Fly-eye Adder. Provoked, the Fly-eye Adder hissed madly and furiously charged towards Rocky.


    Rocky narrowly dodged its attacks as he jumped from branch to branch. Every branch he jumped on broke off and dropped into the marsh. A few moments later, almost half of the branches had fallen and it seemed that he had no way to escape the Fly-eye Adder further.

 Chapter 338 Minor Victory

    The Fly-eye Adder was about to attack Rocky who had no more branches to escape to. However, he purposely fell down the ancient tree and caused the Fly-eye Adder to barely miss him.


    The branches that had fallen in the marsh were scattered all over it. Rocky fell on one of these branches.


    As Rocky got up from the branch, he whistled to the beasts on the other side of the marsh and directed Uriah mentally. He leaped along the branches until he got closer and closer to the opposite side of the marsh.


    The branches could not last long on the surface of the marsh and had begun to sink. Rocky did not have enough time to cross before they all sank.


    The other Fly-eye Adder that was waiting at the root of the tree chased Rocky once he fell down. Its approach hit some branches along the way and flung them into the air.


    Rocky took out his bottle with a drop of magical saliva from his silk bag. He carried this bottle everywhere in case he needed to attract any wild beasts. He opened the bottle and tossed the magical saliva up in the air.


    The Fly-eye Adder was attracted immediately by the unique aura of the magical saliva and hesitated for a second.


    Rocky used this moment of distraction and jumped on the branches that had fallen from the adder''s attack. He used these branches to cross the marsh.


    Rocky hastily jumped from branch to branch, he timed his jumps just before the branches sank.


    When he was a few feet from the opposite side, another adder rushed at Rocky. It snapped the branch under his feet and sent him flying across the sky.


    Rocky lost his balance in the air and the Fly-eye Adder geared up for another attack, its filthy mouth opened wide. Rocky released his spi


    ther troop and they attacked the weakest defensive spot as one.


    It was a testament that a fierce war was coming soon.


    Night fell. Fire and smoke could be seen in all directions of the military camp in Rough Slope. Corpses and blood were everywhere, while those who were injured loitered around.


    "Commander, their remaining force has retreated south. Should we pursue them?" Marin looked up at Deputy Commander Chen''s question.


    "No. We have a lot of casualties too. If we pursue them and they receive backup, we will be in a disadvantage. We will take over the Rough Slope. Send messages to our main camp and inform the Deputy Commander in Chief that we have taken back the Rough Slope," Marin ordered. Her tone was sure and strong despite the exhaustion she felt.


    Although she had succeeded in her campaign and they were able to take back the slope, Marin felt that something unusual was going on. It seemed that the Timber Deity Empire didn''t plan to hold the field in the first place. They were too lax and had given up too easily. Her brows furrowed in confusion. ''Were they just careless? What was their true intention?''

 Chapter 339 How To Deal With The Rare Treasure

    Soon after, news that the enemies had retaken the Rough Slope reached the base camp of the Timber Deity Empire.


    "Your Highness, our men were defeated and the Rough Slope has fallen to the Holy Dragon Empire!" a commander of the Timber Deity Empire reported urgently as soon as he walked into the camp of his top leader.


    When the other commanders of the Timber Deity Empire heard the news, they exchanged stunned looks with each other. Although they knew that their princess, Alyssa never intended to hold the Rough Slope, it was still shocking to hear that it was recaptured so quickly. Obviously, the army that the Crimson Dragon Group sent to the Rough Slope was far from weak.


    "Which army did the Crimson Dragon Group send to recapture the Rough Slope? How many soldiers did they have?" Alyssa, who was sitting in the Commander in Chief''s position, asked immediately. She seemed quite calm for someone who had just lost a territory.


    "Your Highness, it is said to be the northeast army of the Crimson Dragon Group. They seemed to have used only a few thousand soldiers to recapture the Rough Slope." Alyssa nodded to herself when she heard the commander''s answer, as if she had just confirmed something.


    "Of course... They would not send anyone else," Alyssa said confidently as if she planned it as well.


    "Your Highness, you have already anticipated that happening?" the commanders wondered immediately. It had never crossed their minds and yet their princess had already predicted it. This was why they had come to respect her leadership despite her young age.


    "The commander of the northeast army is called Marin. Although this woman is young, she is also very talented in the art of war. In the last confrontation between our two empires, she made our Timber Deity Empire army suffer quite a loss. However, none of the information is valuable. The most important information we received is that she has a secret identity," Alyssa said as the corner of her lips curved in a cold sneer. The others could tell she had found something favorable to them when they saw how excited she seemed to be.


    "A secret identity?" The commanders on the spot glanced at each other and immediately began to speculate about the commander''s secret identity.


    "She is the niece of the Crimson Dragon Group''s Commander in Chief, which also makes her the cousin of their Deputy Commander in Chief, Isis." Alyssa looked delighted as she shared this. She knew that not a lot of people knew this secret, even in their opponent''s camp.


    In addition to Lance and Isis, only a very limited number of highly ranked officers knew about that. Alyssa would have found it impossible to discover this if she was a normal citizen. Fortunately, Alyssa was not an ordinary person. She planted a spy in the Crimson Dragon Group, and this undercover spy had access to highly ranked officers of the Crimson Dragon Group.


    After they


    o Uriah. As for the Rainbow Glow Unicorn, it was totally not considered unless it would submit to him and show loyalty to him. He would not be foolish enough to invest his resources in it until it had proved its loyalty.


    Therefore, this blue spiritual crystal could only be absorbed by Rubygon.


    Of course, Rocky would not treat the Rainbow Glow Unicorn unfairly. It was because of its guidance that he found the rare blue spiritual crystal. This was why he rewarded it with three drops of magical saliva in a row. This reward made it so jubilant that it pranced and danced and was in a good mood for hours after.


    Just when Rocky was going to let Rubygon absorb the spiritual power of the blue spiritual crystal, an unexpected and troublesome problem occurred. The blue spiritual crystal was very special, and it had a strong spiritual power. It could not be separated and only with the consumption of its spiritual power would it shrink accordingly.


    Therefore, if a spirit-manipulated beast wanted to absorb the spiritual power in a spiritual crystal, this process must be completed based on the spiritual power contract. A spiritual power contract should be signed between a spirit manipulator and his spirit-manipulated beast which would then be used as a link. Through this link, the spirit manipulator could inject the spiritual power of a spiritual crystal into the body of his spirit-manipulated beast.


    The problem was that Rubygon was not Rocky''s spirit-manipulated beast yet. So, there was no spiritual power contract between them. Consequently, it was impossible for Rocky to inject the spiritual power in the blue spiritual crystal into Rubygon''s body.


    At first, Rocky was stumped. Common sense dictated that his problem had no solution, but he was far from giving up. He meditated on the problem for hours until he figured out a way. The Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill could be used to solve his current dilemma!

 Chapter 340 Big Gap

    There were a lot of reasons why the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill was referred to as one of the four masterstrokes. Ordinary spirit manipulators could not even imagine its miracle and overarching power.


    And what Rocky figured out was to hide himself in the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill.


    Sheridan had once told him that the spirit manipulator, who had cultivated the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill, could make one or more parts of his body animalize. Sheridan had shown what the animalization was. In other words, without Spirit Possession, the animalization could enable the manipulator to integrate the particular power of spirit-manipulated beasts and transform into any part of the spirit-manipulated beasts.


    After he studied the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill that Sheridan had imparted to him, Rocky found that people couldn''t animalize successfully if they just mastered the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill.


    A basic condition needed to be met first. There should be a spiritual power connection between the spirit manipulator and the spirit-manipulated beast. This spiritual power connection was similar to a spiritual power contract. The biggest difference was that spiritual power contracts were unique, but the spiritual power connection could work on every spirit-manipulated beast including spiritual beast. It could also connect to more than one spirit-manipulated beast at the same time.


    Contrary to spiritual power contracts, spiritual power connection was far more complicated. To achieve spiritual power connection, there were two requirements. Firstly, spirit manipulators should be knowledgeable about the spirit-manipulated beasts who needed connecting. Spirit-manipulated beasts should also be relaxed so that they would not resist spirit manipulators. Otherwise, spirit manipulators could be gravely hurt while spirit-manipulated beasts resisted in the process of connection.


    Secondly, spirit manipulators must have strong self-control because the process to connect was always very dangerous. If people met these two requirements, it was possible to achieve spiritual power connection.


    At the end of spiritual power connection, spirit manipulators had to engrave a mark on the spirit-manipulated beast''s spiritual source through their spiritual power. With the mark, spirit manipulators could


    This confused Rocky because there was nothing in the woods that could dare to provoke the four-star Armoured Oogway Bear. Even a four-star Trunk Giant in the same grade would not dare to fight them. The Armoured Oogway Bear was famous for its excellent defensive power. No matter how powerful the wild spirit-manipulated beasts were, it was difficult for them to break that invulnerable carapace.


    Just in case, Rocky decided to move on as quickly as possible. He doubted that the Armoured Oogway Bear would attack them but it was better to be safe than sorry. The only four-star wild spirit-manipulated beast he met before was the Demonic Devouring Boa. At that time, he was almost eaten by the Demonic Devouring Boa because of Rainbow Glow Unicorn''s trap. This incident reinforced his belief that this kind of spirit-manipulated beasts were horrible company.


    After all, there was a world of difference between beasts in the three-star and four-star in grade three.


    The power of the strongest three-star wild spirit-manipulated beast in grade three was equal to that of the spirit manipulator in the preliminary level of the Heavenly Stage. However, the four-star wild spirit-manipulated beast in grade three was at least equal to the spirit manipulator in third or fourth level of the Heavenly Stage. That was a really big gap.


    Thus, it would be difficult for spirit manipulators in the Heavenly Stage to defeat a four-star wild spirit-manipulated beast in grade three. Especially Rocky, since he still had a long way to go before he reached the Heavenly Stage.

 Chapter 341 Extremely Perilous

    Rocky proceeded along with his three beasts. The forest was boundless that even the manipulators of the Divine Stage and the Immortal Stage hadn''t gotten over the entire forest. Neither did Rocky. Whereas, he plotted to go back after going through part of the forest in front of him. After exploring, Rocky felt that it brought him to light again. However, the scene in front of him was disquieting. His brain stuttered for a flash, and his eyes took in more light than he expected; every part of him went on pause while his thoughts picked up.


    Every scene in sight was left in wrecks. Various corpses and bones were noticeable everywhere. Horrible was the mere word that could undoubtedly illustrate the view of the scene. Some bigger spirit-manipulated beasts like crow were eating the corpse of a wild spirit-manipulated beast. The surroundings were debris of meat and organs, which made one disgusted. It caused a stomach-churning feeling.


    "Is this Myriad Beasts Ground?" Rocky peeked far into the distance and found another dense jungle, valley, river, and massif after beasts buried ground. The landscape was out of the ordinary.


    Flying wild spirit-manipulated beasts in the distance were vaguely visible, which seemed to be extremely dangerous.


    However, what Rocky saw was merely a small part of the Myriad Beasts Ground. It was perceived that Myriad Beasts Ground was very mysterious and expansive.


    Wild spirit-manipulated beasts being seen everywhere implied the horror of the Myriad Beasts Ground. He now stood at the edge of the Myriad Beasts Ground.


    Rocky could tell the dangerous sense from the corners, stronger than the feeling he could tell in the forest.


    Although Rocky was thoroughly equipped for the scene, he was now getting cold feet. The Myriad Beasts Ground was riskier than he had anticipated.


    With a thunderous and triumphant roar, Rocky felt prompt nimble-footed appearing in front of his beasts. With an in-depth exploration, he discovered a Duckbilled Rat, a height of half of a man, was growling at his beasts. With a feeble tra


    iew.


    Then, Rocky discovered the Four-wing Lame Dragon was also flying in the direction of the palm forest as if it was enchanted by something. He furrowed his brows and became cognizant that the forest must be perilous. He couldn''t leave Rainbow Glow Unicorn here alone.


    After a halt, Rocky went after the dragon. He went carefully along with Uriah and Rubygon in the palm forest.


    After a while, Rocky entered into a valley with craggy rocks of bizarre shapes surrounded by palm trees.


    Rocky glared up and noticed that the dragon had also halted. Rocky concealed between two large stones with Uriah and Rubygon. The Four-wing Lame Dragon kept fluttering around in the sky as if it was in readiness for something eagerly.


    With a shriek from the forest, it was the kind of howling that could make one''s blood run cold. It pierced the brain and ignited some primeval pathway. Rocky peered and found Rainbow Glow Unicorn appeared at his right stone. It then hopped down from the stone.


    "What the hell is it doing?" Rocky cudgeled his brains, and he signaled the other two beasts to conceal themselves. He sneaked off in Rainbow Glow Unicorn''s direction. He kept his eye on the ball to avoid attracting the attention of the dragon above his head.


    If the dragon that had reached the fourth grade of the four stars noticed Rocky, there would be disastrous repercussions.

 Chapter 342 The Rare Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf

    After stepping forward stealthily between a group of boulders to ward off the dangerous Four-wing Lame Dragon flying above the sky of this area, Rocky, in the long run, arrived at the boulder where the Rainbow Glow Unicorn had jumped off. Yet, he didn''t see the unicorn there. He thus bypassed the boulder and found himself startled by what was in front of his eyes. His face lingered in a skeptical expression, unblinking stare, while his brain desperately scrambled to make sense of it all.


    At a distance not far off from where he was, there was an ice cave with its height a few meters. It was made up of sparkling ice crystal, which looked particularly dazzling under the gleaming of the sunlight. The ice cave was of considerable size inside. Despite Rocky being twenty or thirty meters away, he glimpsed a monstrous figure that was moving around in the cave. What was more stunning, he could distinctly feel the fantastic and powerful momentum emanating from the figure. Thus, in the back of his mind, he thought it should be an exceedingly powerful wild spirit-manipulated beast. At the same time, its strength should be more superior to that of the Four-wing Lame Dragon at the fourth grade of the four-star level, which was flickering around to pursue its food.


    On top of that, Rocky discerned that there was an unusually strong spiritual aura in the ice cave. An extraordinarily rare treasure could be where it was radiated. The Spiritual Fairyland was the sole time he went through this kind of spiritual aura before. At that time, he felt the intense atmosphere from the Heaven Divine Lotus Seed produced by the Heaven Divine Lotus.


    ''Is there a rare treasure in this ice cave that possesses the same function as the Heaven Divine Lotus Seed?'' Rocky struggled to figure out while sinking in deep thoughts. The thrilling findings made his eyes lighten up.


    At that particular juncture, Rocky who was drowning in deep thoughts in a flash felt something pulling the corner of his clothes behind him. Glancing back in a dash, he noticed a beast emerging out of thin air. It was unquestionably the Rainbow Glow Unicorn he was seeking all the time.


    "You little rascal..." Rocky uttered helplessly and patted the head of the unicorn. When he squinted, the unicorn was looking at him innocently, and then a feeling of both rib-tickling and infuriating crept up. He was so infuriating because he was worried like a cat on hot bricks that after the unicorn ran away randomly like a bat out of hell, he would lose it, or it could get hurt when the dangerous Four-wing Lame Dragon was flying above to search its prey. Yet, he also couldn''t help but be amused by its innocent eyes. The Rainbow Glow Unicorn was not a human, and Rocky was conscious of that. So, it had no self-restraint; without a doubt, it would be captivated by rare treasures and dash away to find them. However, he a


    ice was formed on the ground.


    Adrenaline flooded in Rocky''s system. His heart exploded with fear as it pumped and beat like it was trying to escape. The scene was terrifying. He perceived that the Dragon was not frail. If such a ball attacked a less powerful spirit-manipulated beast, it would become an ice sculpture in the blink of an eye with no doubt.


    However, Rocky instantly perceived that something was amiss. Based on common sense and the law of the jungle, he was apprehensive that the Dragon would never pluck up the bravery to make the much stronger Fox-wolf''s hackles rise for no reason. Otherwise, it was like digging its grave. So, what was so fascinating to the Dragon that it even dared to jeopardize its life to provoke the Fox-Wolf?


    The next second, his concentration soon steered from the exchange of blows between the two beasts to the treasure hidden in the ice cave. His ultimate goal was to acquire the treasure. So, he twiddled his thumbs enduringly and tight-lipped until he could find the perfect opportunity to enter the ice cave.


    At that moment, Rocky saw the torso of the Dragon trembling violently, as suddenly, more than a dozen silver silk threads appeared like agile snakes and shot straight to the Fox-wolf. When the Fox-wolf saw the silver threads flying in its direction, it seemed to be a little scared, like adrenaline had flown over its veins and immediately began to conceal itself away from them. Still, it was just not posthaste enough. One of its hind limbs was still entangled by two of the silver threads.


    Extremely enraged like flies in a fruit jar, the Fox-wolf exploded a furious howl instantly and pulled his hind legs hard to get rid of the two silver threads, and the dominant force made the massive torso of the Dragon in the air shake. At the same time, two Ice Beam Balls were spurted in the air, and one of them hit precisely the right-wing of the Dragon...

 Chapter 343 Timely Rescue

    The Four-wing Lame Dragon began trembling violently in the air to the extent that it plummeted towards the left side in a matter of seconds. The Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf did not want to let go of the Four-wing Lame Dragon this quickly, so it ran towards it. Then, it activated its furious chilling aura, which immediately froze the silver threads wrapped around its hind leg. Then, with a strong force, the silver threads were broken.


    "That''s it? The Four-wing Lame Dragon is already over there that quickly?" Rocky remarked with surprise appearing all over his face. He could not believe the Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf, at the fourth grade of the five-star level, was strong to the extent that it could defeat a spirit-manipulated beast at the fourth grade of the four-star level that easy.


    Now that the Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf went to hunt down the Four-wing Lame Dragon, its cave was empty and Rocky did not want to miss this opportunity. He wanted to find out the rare treasures in the cave and take them away before the Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf came back. Having no time to spare, he made a detour along the side and got close to the cave as fast as he could. After he cast a glance at the Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf''s back, he immediately got into the cave. He just wanted the treasure; he did not want to linger in the cave.


    Unfortunately though, Rocky found a terrible surprise waiting for him in there. He was greeted with another Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf, a little cub at its first several months. It didn''t even have fur over its body, and it was as small as a puppy in size. Right now, it was poorly curled into a tiny ball at the corner.


    The little Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf groaned with fear as soon as it saw Rocky.


    "Stop that noise!" Rocky said fearfully. Its groan was slightly loud, so Rocky was afraid that this little fellow would alert the Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf outside. The first solution to pop in his mind was to pour a drop of the magical saliva in the cub''s palm. He then walked to the little Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf and tried to comfort it.


    As he expected, the little Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf was attracted by the magical saliva, but it was still vigilant while glancing at Rocky. However, it failed to resist the temptation of the magical saliva and began licking its palm slowly.


    "Now you eat the magical saliva and stay quiet, okay?" Once Rocky made sure that the little Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf would stay silent, he started looking around in the cave searching for some rare treasures. He soon


    hole cave to shake violently as if there had been an earthquake. Fragment stones kept falling upon them, which made them believe that the cave was about to collapse at any minute.


    Rocky dashed up and got the little Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf in his arm at once. Simultaneously, he activated all of his spiritual power while rushing out of the cave as quick as a lightning.


    The Four-wing Lame Dragon could not let Rocky take away the little fellow, so it shook its body and shot out several silver threads towards Rocky. In a blink of an eye, those silver threads caught up with Rocky. As they waved violently behind him, Rocky got cut by their touches. They were so sharp that Rocky''s body got covered with wounds in a few minutes.


    No matter how painful these cuts were, Rocky did his best to run out of the cave. The Four-wing Lame Dragon was chasing after him. Rocky''s attack had truly infuriated it to the core. It seemed to be going really crazy because as it ran through the entrance, it didn''t bend down to get out, but directly hit through the wall instead.


    The collapse frightened the little Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf, and it cried out loudly. Hearing its own child''s cries, the Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf turned back in a hurry. As it ran towards the cave, it saw its baby lying in Rocky''s arms and the Four-wing Lame Dragon chasing after him. Naturally, it immediately roared angrily and dashed up.


    Rocky could not believe that this whole situation was real. The Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf before him and the Four-wing Lame Dragon behind him could easily kill him. He was just trying to help the little fellow at first, how did he get himself into all this mess?

 Chapter 344 Full Of Peril

    Instantly, Rocky discerned the Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf trailed after him as tempest chased flame for its child. Once he gave the little Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf back to it, he would be fine. However, when he was about to throw the little Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf back to its mother, the four-star Four-wing Lame Dragon at the fourth grade, which had been shot down before in a blink flew from a boulder on the other side and blocked Rocky''s way. It shuddered its sturdy body vehemently, then dozens of silver threads shot together towards Rocky.


    His heart startled when he saw the dozens of menacing silver threads. Instantaneously, he got a weird sense from them. If he weren''t able to evade them like the plague, he would be doomed. For that reason, he waved the Frozen Wind Dagger in his hand quickly to burst out several rays of the spiritual light. Meanwhile, he spared no effort to dodge the silver threads.


    Boom!


    A fulminate noise burst out when the spiritual light shattered with the silver threads. While there were still a few silver threads continuously running towards Rocky, in a blink of an eye, they were swift enough to arrive before him.


    At that point, fretted about the security of its child, the Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf suddenly shot an Ice Beam Ball, which accurately exploded before Rocky and flung the silver threads away. Again, Rocky, without precaution, was shredded off as well. Unfortunately, he fell heavily on the ground.


    "Damn it!" Rocky howled like a distressed infant for one affectionate look, one gentle, loving word for his pain. Thanks to the protection of the spiritual power at the ninth grade of the Earthly Stage, he suffered no more than a fall.


    However, before Rocky could get up, the four-star Four-wing Lame Dragon at the third grade snapped the slightest chance available and flew over to him, where other dozens of silver thread were released.


    After having a hunch that things were getting pretty hot, Rocky hurried like a torrent through a strait to roll on the ground.


    Puff!


    Several silver threads missed him and fell on the ground behind him, inserting into the ground as deep as three inches.


    Instantly within a blink of an eye, the Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf hopped up in a trice as the cold air around its body surged. In a second, the rest of the silver threads were frozen so that Rocky was saved.


    However, before Rocky could sigh relief, the Four-wing Lame Dragon pounced on him like a kite on a chick once again. Its mouth with pliers intended to bite the little Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf in his arms.


    "When can it halt..." Rocky sighed in powerlessness and flurried as a fish landed on a grassy bank with a


    him, for they were just on his heels like ghosts.


    Due to his desperate escape all the way, his spiritual power had significantly been gobbled up. Consequently, he had to move tortoise-like. The Bloody-eyed Wolves grabbed the opportunity to get closer and closer to Rocky. One of them even intended to launch a surprise attack to Rocky as it hopped towards him like a bird for a berry, displaying its teeth and brandishing its paws.


    Having detected the rat, Rocky, shielding the little Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf in his arms, backhand took out the Frozen Wind Dagger to burst out a ray of spiritual light, which precisely forced the Bloody-eyed Wolf back. However, realizing that, the other Bloody-eyed Wolves kept dashing towards him.


    Rocky being a man with two legs, couldn''t surpass the Bloody-eyed Wolves with four legs. Besides, his challengers were actually a few.


    In a flicker of an eye, Rocky had been sorely battered, his body dripping with blood. Yet in a tight corner, he went on fighting while retreating in the direction of the aura of Uriah and trying to get away at their defects.


    However, the Bloody-eyed Wolves suggested to be conscious of the route that Rocky proposed to take, so they cut it off entirely and sieged Rocky.


    Faced with the Blood-eyed Wolves around him, Rocky, utterly destitute, realized he had to carry out the worst plan. However, when he looked at the little Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf in his arms in wintry eyes, he was determined that he wouldn''t perish here and he would take the little Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf to depart here. He was definite that he must have confidence in himself, or he would perish in no time.


    In the next moment, the Bloody-eyed Wolves flew out in the common cause against him, so Rocky fell in peril once again.

 Chapter 345 Cant Imagine

    Rocky tried his level best to hold for a while and felt weariness was overpowering him. It was extremely hard for him to persist because he was losing too much blood. He started to shudder lightly. But he admitted defeat on protecting Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf. On another hand, a few Bloody-eyed Wolves were assailing him viciously. So even the manipulators above the Supernal Stage couldn''t combat this, not mention Rocky who was below the Heavenly Stage.


    After Bloody-eyed Wolves launched several charges, Rocky supported himself and took a few drops of magical saliva. He needed to fight. Instantaneously, a charming figure like a butterfly dropped from the sky. Six pairs of thin translucent wings flickered and glimmered. The bewildering and active trace covered the environs.


    Rocky stared at the elegant figure with eyes wide open. His heavy eyelids took a fraction too slow to blink, his irises too immobile. It was as if his brain was experiencing a tremendous short circuit and was grappling to figure out. The butterfly wobbled, and three Bloody-eyed Wolves deluged into the blood. They fell one by one, shuddered, and perished on the ground.


    Other Bloody-eyed Wolves howled with horror and ran away one by one so fast that one would think their legs were going to explode.


    Rocky was struck dumb when the butterfly figure turned around. The butterfly figure was a woman, pretty and young, with long reddish-brown hairs as if it was tailored from gold fabric like an elf. She was so glistened. She was full of a kind of irresistible temptation and could touch anyone. She was blinking her eyes from time to time, allowing her eyelashes to flutter like the wings of a butterfly.


    Glancing a woman body with the thin wings fluttering behind her, Rocky''s mouth was frozen wide open with an expression of stunned surprise. It was like drawing blood from a turnip for human beings to have wings on their backs.


    This woman held human personal component, consisting of plump body hidden by flower skirt.


    "Thank a bunch." Rocky nodded with admiration and was about to pop a question, but she hovered away.


    "Brushed me off? But who she is..." Rocky was chilled for a second and had no slightest notion of who she was at all.


    There was no means that Rocky could be conscious of the fact that this wonder girl was from the spiritual race. The woman from the spiritual race had the grits to go through the Myriad Beasts Ground solely, w


    ceived this dreadful news and convoked three Elite Commanders and all of the Frontline Commanders to endure the new situation.


    "Deputy Commander in Chief, their conduct is grotesque and awkward. They didn''t take up cudgels for the Rough Slope after we restored the Rough Slope. But later, they deferred armies to beleaguer us there. What are they organizing? Do they have any intrigue?" one of the three Elite Commanders asked inexplicably. All three Elite Commanders were battle-hardened, but even they didn''t understand the enemy''s ploy.


    Other Commanders bowed and commenced discussing and mumbling. They were also unfathomed by the enemy''s movement.


    Isis furrowed her brows, and she also felt something was awry when she received the news that Marin seized back Rough Slope. It was a walk in the park to recapture Rough Slope, and she couldn''t help pondering that their enemy had any other arrangements. Timber Deity Empire wouldn''t waste their time and forces in seizing the land. Twenty thousand forces besieged Rough Slope from Timber Deity Empire before she could figure out their plot. Their movement was unduly fast, and Isis even didn''t have time to ponder about the whole thing.


    Isis was apprehensive that Timber Deity Empire had organized this a long time ago. But she was nevertheless ambivalent what their motive was when they besieged Rough Slope after giving up defending it.


    Timber Deity Empire''s action was too hasty, and it struck Crimson Dragon Army an unprepared. Now the two forces were confronting each other, and Crimson Dragon Group could spare no forces to rescue Rough Slope from the siege.

 Chapter 346 In A Predicament

    "What about the Rough Slope?"


    "According to the up to date news, a range of a thousand meters around the Rough Slope has been beleaguered by the armies of the Timber Deity Empire. However, what is so uncanny is that they haven''t commenced any ambush to the Rough Slope."


    "What on earth is the purpose of the Timber Deity Empire?"


    "If they carry on doing that, even if they don''t charge the Rough Slope, the northeast army led by Commander Marin will be too weak as a lamb that can''t stand the weight of its wool to hold a fight in the sparseness of army provisions and goods. "


    The Commanders were all laden with an epidemic of anxiety. Their thoughts scattered like there was an electrical storm in their head, too many short-circuits to make any sense. Compared with losing the Rough Slope, the loss of the northeast army would be a fatal blow to the Crimson Dragon Army, which was now a lack of troops. The contending armies at the Rough Slope had been absolutely exterminated before, which garnered the plight of the military strength to be nitpicking. Though the headquarters had acquiesced to send reinforcements, since the Crimson Dragon Group was culpable for safeguarding the territory of the Holy Dragon Empire at the Gehenna Border as well as the towns and the cities at the border, the reinforcement which had to be dispatched from the armies stationed at the towns and the cities at the border and carried out preparation in order before they could set out should spent at least half a month in turning up at the Rough Slope. Besides, the quality of the soldiers was another dilemma, so the reinforcements could not be released for a moment.


    At present, due to the extreme incursions of the Timber Deity Empire, all the fronts were short of military strength. Once soldiers were dispatched from those fronts, jeopardy would be declared. After all, thousands of soldiers were far from adequate since the Timber Deity Empire sieged the Rough Slope with twenty thousand soldiers. Thus, at least twenty thousand soldiers should be dismissed to come to the rescue of the northeast army. If not, any small number of soldiers were worthless. However, based on the prevailing condition of the Crimson Dragon Army, it wasn''t competent to fix the obstacle.


    A modest shift in the Crimson Dragon Army may alter the condition as a whole. This was a hard nut to crack of Isis.


    "Deputy Commander in Chief, I figure out we should convey the major force in the front line to come to bail out the Rough Slope."


    "That''s true. The Timber Deity Empire has bitten more than it can chew. We must confer them a lesson..."


    "The Timber Deity Empire has twenty thousand soldiers. If we likewise move soldiers of the same number to integrate with the northeast army at the Rough Slope, we will unquestionably attack them on the ho


    h of relief like a bouncing ball. Fortunately, like one born on a lucky star, the transportation of army provisions and goods was running smooth, or it would pile up calamities on the Crimson Dragon Army, which had already been enslaved.


    ''Fortunately Rocky has depicted the new transportation route map and the new transportation method, or I will utterly be worn to a frazzle from disquietude. What is he doing now? If he was here, what kind of solution would he pop up?'' Isis figured out, a light glimmering in her eyes. Again she summoned the Commander to retreat.


    In the next few days, Isis contemplated for the solution, but she got no clues. Her mind was starting to fail, like an engine that turned over and over, never kicking into action. As they had in prospect, the twenty thousand soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire hadn''t invaded the Rough Slope. However, she got more worried. It was like someone had poured gasoline onto the spark of fear in her belly. Even though the Timber Deity Empire didn''t make any move, they could get the Rough Slope effortlessly when the army provisions of the northeast army ran out.


    In this case, Isis could be confident that the Timber Deity Empire just made use of the Rough Slope as a bait to induce her to send armies to come to the rescue of the northeast army there. They had hit her soft spot, so she distressed herself about whether she should send troops or not.


    ''The Commander in Chief of the Timber Deity Empire is so sharp that I have been torn between two...'' Isis thought with brisk eyes, clamping her fists.


    "Come in!" Isis howled abruptly.


    Promptly, a guard came in the tent.


    "Convey a message to the logistic camp that I want to lay my eyes on Rocky," Isis ordered.


    The guard nodded and turned away.


    "Though I am unwilling to turn to him, he is infallible most of the time..." Isis mumbled to herself.

 Chapter 347 Probing

    In the interim, at the campsite of the Timber Deity Empire troops in the frontier, Alyssa and several Commanders were pricking their ears to the latest report on Commander Sun''s activities in the tent.


    "What? He failed to seize their provisions and fodders despite several attempts? What in God''s name has Commander Sun done?" Alyssa asked, boiling with anger as her brows furrowed, discontent written in her eyes. The pressure of this raging sea of anger was evident. It seemed that she was quite pissed off by her subordinates'' inability to intercept the enemy''s provisions and fodders, which should have been a walk in the park as she perceived.


    "By the expression of events the Crimson Dragon Group has altered a lot in both the route and the mode of transit. Everything is distinctive from before. They took a weird and elliptical path. We have kept a close stare on them, but every time they managed to wriggle away. Besides, when the provisions and fodders passed by places where they were most prone to be intercepted, they would be accompanied by the front line troops. As a result, Commander Sun didn''t even have any golden opportunity to triumph," the spirit manipulator who was presenting the report disclosed. The sight of the visible fury on Alyssa''s face made him drip drops of sweat on his forehead. He was apprehensive as a dog being attacked by a coyote that Alyssa would unleash her annoyance on him.


    "Tell Commander Sun to verify the method of transit of the Crimson Dragon Group as promptly as possible. However complicated it would be, we have to pitch in disarray their supply of provisions and fodders. It''s very paramount for our future strategies. If he fails once again, I don''t want to see him set his foot here again," Alyssa ordered instantly.


    "Yes!" The spirit manipulator bowed to her before he departed without the least hum and haw.


    "What is transpiring with Rough Slope?" Alyssa summoned someone else without taking a breath.


    "Your Highness, the Crimson Dragon Group hasn''t conveyed any indication of operation," a Commander announced.


    "Isis implies to be more patient than I assume she is. But we are all aware they will be stripped off the Rough Slope sooner or afterward. I don''t assume she would just relax and twiddle her thumbs for such a thing to arise without executing anything in an attempt to avert it. I believe she will take action sooner or later. Otherwise, she will witness us beat the northeast military and seize Rough Slope hastily with her own eyes," Alyssa said, blinking her beautiful eyes. Racking her brains, she lingered beyond a reasonable doubt she would make a clean sweep.


    Just as she had anticipated, ten days thereafter, the northeast military guarding Rough Slope ran out of all food and fodders. Depre


    nce he had retreated from people''s sight for a long time, he figured out it was time to go back to the logistic camp to review on the situation. Thus, he instructed the three beasts to watch after Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf, while he himself took off for the logistic camp.


    As shortly as Rocky sauntered into the gate of the logistic camp, he peered two men speeding to him in haste. They pumped their legs, gaining momentum with each push. They were Thor and Joss.


    "Rocky, how could you recede from view for so many days? But by good luck you''re finally here. The Camp Director has been desperately seeking for you like a needle in a haystack. I''m hesitant he''s about to go frantic. He said that everybody in the logistic camp will have to live on air if we still can''t locate you." Thor shouted his lungs out as soon as he caught sight of Rocky. His voice was as loud as the storm wind that tumbled the main.


    "Why is he so nervous? What transpired?" Rocky inquired, grimacing.


    "It''s best if you ask the Camp Director by yourself," Joss responded instantly.


    Rocky nodded to him. Later he went to Louis'' tent. When Louis saw Rocky going into the tent, he felt like he eventually captured a life-saving straw.


    "Rocky, eventually you''re back," Louis screamed in great excitement. But very soon, he retrieved his usual composure.


    "I discovered you have been searching for me, sir?" Rocky inquired serenely.


    "It''s absolutely urgent, so I''d better cut a long story short. The Deputy Commander in Chief wished to meet you ten days ago, but I just couldn''t find you anywhere. I had no choice but to spill the beans. As a result, the Deputy Commander in Chief sounded to be extremely resentful. Four days ago, she said that all the members of the logistic camp would be punished if she couldn''t see you before tomorrow," Louis explained concisely.

 Chapter 348 Army Forces

    "Is it? Why does the Deputy Commander in Chief want to set her eyes on me that badly?" Rocky inquired with a baffled face. Although he had no slightest idea about what Isis wanted to do, he could tell that it must be something perturbing.


    "It may interest the emergency that the Timber Deity Empire has thronged round the Rough Slope." Louis didn''t find out from Isis why she desired to see Rocky, but he fathomed that it was presumably about the Rough Slope.


    "How''s that developing?" Rocky sought out of turmoil. His mind was yet a surging perplexity.


    "Half a month ago, we lost the Rough Slope. Commander Marin guided the northeast army to take it from the Timber Deity Empire. However, two days later, the Timber Deity Empire came back and hounded the Rough Slope with twenty thousand soldiers. Commander Marin and the northeast army are still under their encirclement till now. I was made aware yesterday that the northeast army had no more food already. I presume they could not bear any longer." Louis responded to Rocky.


    "Then why doesn''t the Deputy Commander in Chief send them any reinforcements?" Rocky inquired.


    "I am clueless about that. You can go ask the Deputy Commander in Chief later." Louis nodded his head and added, "You''d better go to the front-line headquarters first. I''ll prepare a horse with immediate effect." He then departed from the tent instantly and assigned a soldier to lead a horse out of the stable.


    Rocky rode on the horse and reached the front-line headquarters before nightfall.


    As Isis received the information about Rocky''s appearance, she directed her subordinate to take him into her tent and released the others. However, as she watched Rocky stride into her tent, she was raging with outrage. She displayed a glum expression while peering at him. As shortly as Rocky strutted in front of her, she yelped at him, "It''s so hard to locate you, huh?"


    Rocky peered the vivid frenzy on her face, but he yet maintained his serenity. With a mild smirk, he sat down on a chair beside and again swung to gaze at Isis and asked, "Don''t consume your precious time going wild at me. Why don''t you deliver reinforcements to the Rough Slope?"


    "Well, you have gotten wind of that already." Isis shook her head and then proceeded, "It''s not that I don''t want to. It''s I can''t! It is a setup arrayed by the Timber Deity Empire. That''s why they now enclosed t


    ''t cross the line. But if you fail, I would allocate you to the worst area to serve in the army!" Isis threatened. After all, she was not a person to be trifled with.


    Rocky shrugged his lips upwards in a joyous smile, he then asked, "How many soldiers I can have?"


    "I can organize three thousand soldiers at most for you. If you succeed in delivering Marin the food, she and her army could hold on for three days. By then, our reinforcements from the headquarters would have arrived and we would be able to fight straight against our enemy," Isis answered after pondering for a while.


    "Only three thousand? Are you serious?" Rocky responded with his wide eyes. The Timber Deity Empire had twenty thousand soldiers in the Rough Slope, after all. How could he lead a three-thousand army force to issue Marin food?


    "That''s the most soldiers I can provide for you," Isis responded weakly.


    "Okay. Three thousand is fine by me. Deliver a word to Commander Marin ahead. I require her to work with me then." Rocky nodded after some reluctance.


    "You are our only hope now!" Isis declared as she was a little affected by Rocky. She knew thoroughly it still had some compromises to put all the confidence on him, but she had no choice right now.


    Rocky cast a glimpse at Isis before stepping out of her tent straightly.


    Isis soon allotted three thousand soldiers to Rocky over a night, and also two squads of spirit manipulators, whose average power was at the Earthly Stage. After the food provision for the northeast army was prepared, Rocky headed his team to the Rough Slope instantly.

 Chapter 349 Only Five Hundred

    It was not until on the next day that Isis summoned the Commanders together and announced to them of that. Without hesitation, all the Commanders were hit like a ton of bricks.


    "Madam, are you toying around? How could you give consent to Rocky Bai to transport provisions and fodders to the Rough Slope with only three thousand troops? It''s equivalent to courting death."


    "Precisely! After all, Rocky Bai doesn''t have any practical experience in war. Besides, it''s impossible for three thousand troops to transport provisions and fodders to the Rough Slope under the nose of twenty thousand enemies."


    "Madam, please instruct Rocky Bai to come back with the troops as promptly as he can."


    All the Commanders believed Isis was too ill-conceived to make such an abrupt resolution.


    "As long as Rocky can muddle through to send the provisions and fodders into the Rough Slope, we''ll be likely to unscramble the entire dilemma. Our reinforcement troops will come in three days. By then, the Timber Deity Empire will have no choice but to withdraw their troops, because their supply of provisions and fodders will be running out," Isis said, unrelenting. She had an austere look.


    Hearing her evaluation, the Commanders glanced at one another in silence. They admitted Isis'' interpretation made sense, but they didn''t acknowledge the precondition of her reasoning. None of them admitted Rocky could send the provisions and fodders into the Rough Slope. In their eyes, it was just an unattainable task.


    At the same time, Marin received the word from the main camp in the front line. That instant, the news also took her and others by tremendous awe.


    "Madam, do you imply that Rocky wants to transport provisions and fodders to this place by the strength of only three thousand troops?" Deputy Commander Chen inquired in a dumbfounded voice.


    Marin simply nodded, tongue-tied as she remained mute.


    "He''s too hare-brained! Does he view it as a nickel and dime matter? It''s just like herding cats!" Deputy Commander Chen sighed, swinging his head frequently.


    "Of course it''s far-fetched for anybody else to do that, but as for Rocky..." Marin paused. Presumptions were evident in her beautiful eyes. Her eyes were utterly spellbinding.


    One day thereafter, Rocky, in unison with three thousand troops and horses, two squads of spirit manipulators, as well as provisions and fodders, reached at the foot of the hill with a distance of two and a half kilometers from the Rough Slope. They stopped and encamped on the spot. One and a half kilometers in front of them, the Timber Deity Empire''s twenty thousand troops blockaded the Rough Slope tight. Like a metal bucket, they intercepted every passage to the Rough Slope. It was so


    the grove near the wind zone.


    Rocky himself headed the last group of troops. After ordering five hundred troops to safeguard the provisions and fodders, he instructed the rest five hundred troops to march towards the optimal route between the two camps of the enemy openly. Very soon, they cropped up within sight of the two camps in the east of the Rough Slope, and the enemy spotted their sight.


    Simultaneously, in a tent at the left camp of the Timber Deity Empire in the east of the Rough Slope, the Commander was well briefed of the information.


    "Commander Zuo, something transpired," a Deputy Commander in yellow reported as promptly as he strode into the tent.


    "What transpired?" Commander Zuo scrutinized while leaning against a grand chair covered by tiger skin and picking his ear in a laid back manner.


    "The sentry established that a group of Crimson Dragon Army troops were advancing towards the Rough Slope," the Deputy Commander in yellow answered.


    "Wow! Finally, the Crimson Dragon Army dispatches troops here when they could not bear hanging on. It implies that Princess Alyssa''s strategy is going to come to fulfilment," Commander Zuo sighed, peeking his tiny eyes. Then in a scornful voice, he inquired, "How many people has the Crimson Dragon Army shipped here? I presume at least ten thousand. Otherwise, if there are less than ten thousand troops here, I can beat them with as much ease as whirlwinds move feathers."


    "About five..." the Deputy Commander in yellow began humming and hawing while speaking as soon as he heard what Commander Zuo said.


    "Five thousand? I can beat them all with only one hand." Commander Zuo remarked in a haughty voice.


    "Sir, actually there are about five hundred people..." The Deputy Commander in yellow clamped himself to answer in the conclusion.

 Chapter 350 The Master Of Stratagem

    "Five hundred? You must be kidding. Does the Crimson Dragon Army envisage to utilize five hundred soldiers to brawl against my two military camps with more than ten thousand soldiers? Do they look down upon me? Are you free from ambiguity there are only five hundred soldiers?" Commander Zuo raised his voice as he stood up abruptly. His facial expression displayed outrage, with all guns blazing for being treated with hatred. Fires of fury and hatred were smoldering in the small, narrowed eyes.


    "I''m sanguine. They have only five hundred soldiers." The Deputy Commander wearing a yellow robe nodded weakly.


    "Despite the Crimson Dragon Army being fragile, they shouldn''t consign just five hundred soldiers. I guess this is a setup. They contemplate in sounding out our military burliness." Commander Zuo analyzed while his eyes turning around, and again he sat down. After pondering over the matter, he proceeded, "Lead two thousand soldiers and a squad of spirit manipulators to apprehend the five hundred soldiers and take them back to oppression. I demand to know the exact sum of soldiers sent by the Crimson Dragon Army."


    "Yes. Should I mention the mission to Commander Zhou?" the Deputy Commander in yellow inquired, saluting to Commander Zuo.


    "Are you numbskull? Do you want Commander Zhou to take my credit? With the military strength of my two military camps, even if they have thousands of soldiers, I could tackle them!" Commander Zuo caterwauled, giving bloodthirsty gawk to the Deputy Commander in yellow.


    The Deputy Commander in yellow, lowering his head and bowing down, abruptly turned away.


    Promptly, the Deputy Commander in yellow took two thousand soldiers and a team of spirit manipulators, got out of the military camp and with overwhelming momentum, went like a bat out hell towards the five hundred soldiers led by Rocky marching towards the Rough Slope.


    "Commander Rocky, rival armies showed up in front of us," the soldier that walked foremost reported when he saw a dark mass of figures charging at them and came back to Rocky.


    "How many are they?" Rocky inquired.


    "About two thousand."


    "Just two thousand? That''s not a significant number. Well, let''s draw them away," Rocky said with his eyebrows lifting. Then he waved his hand and bellowed his lungs out. "Everyone, retreat! Cast away your helmets and weapons. Tell them nothing matters to us except saving our skin."


    After Rocky issued the order, he led the five hundred soldiers to pull back towards the right side of the mountain ridge, purporting to run like sheep.


    When the Deputy Commander in yellow showed up, merely to encounter the five hundred soldiers bac


    ommander Zuo supposed that there were ambushes, so he gathered the two columns of soldiers. In this way, the grove was filled with a dense mass of soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire.


    All of a sudden, the trees and leaves around them shuddering, figures scurrying around, imaginary fears bedeviled them.


    "The men from the Timber Deity Empire, listen. Now you have been sieged. Put down your weapons and take off your pants, or we will shoot arrows to kill you all." At the point, a poke mullock voice became apparent.


    "Commander, what measures should we undertake?" a Deputy Commander beside Commander Zuo asked.


    "What else can we do? Can''t you make good use of your eyes and see that we are in an ambush?" Commander Zuo shouted while making a glare at the Deputy Commander, and he bellowed, "Damn it. I never predicted that the Crimson Dragon Army would assign more than tens of thousands of soldiers to charge our two military camps on the east side. I should have instructed Commander Zhou to take up the cudgels for us."


    "Make it fast. Put down your weapons and take off your pants, or this will be your fate,"


    Rocky shouted. Wee! Several formidable arrows were shot into the grove, a few soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire tumbling down.


    Witnessing the collapse of their comrades, the soldiers were all frightened as a duck being shot out of the sky. The morale of the army of the Timber Deity Empire began to slump. The soldiers turned ghostly pale at the figures sieging them, gradually losing their fighting spirit. Many of them started to put down their weapons and even take off their pants.


    Commander Zuo, still reeling in his opinion, whose head was in a cold sweat, was reluctant to give up resistance and to be seized without putting up a fight.

 Chapter 351 Someone Predominant

    Meanwhile, something took place in the military camp at the right of the west side of the Rough Slope.


    "Commander Zhou, it has become apparent that something is awry in the military camps on the east side. There is a lot of smoke..." A spirit manipulator reported to a middle-aged man with a moustache after he wended his way into the tent.


    Apprehending his remarks, Commander Zhou, without further ado, was on his feet and trod out of the tent to lift his head to peer at the east side of the Rough Slope. As the spirit manipulator had said, wisps of dense silver-grey smoke curled and danced their way through the thick, hazy air as if excited to escape from the military camps.


    "Appeal to the Deputy Commander Lan to take three thousand soldiers to inspect about the situation there and address to me as soon as feasible..." Commander Zhou instructed hastily as he became cognizant that things were not okay.


    Marin, who was left behind in the military camp at the Rough Slope, always glimpsed over the movements of the military camps at the west side. Since they were emotion-charged around, Marin saw it the initial time and recognized that they might have spotted the unnatural situation in the military camps at the east side. Thus, it was high time that the northeast army should perform themselves.


    When the military camps at the west side were about to dispatch soldiers to the military camps at the east side, Marin commanded the northeast army with thousands of soldiers shot out and charged into the left military camp, which didn''t assign any soldiers to watch the situation.


    As it should be, the left military camp of the Timber Deity Empire at the west side was immensely bewildered to shield themselves against the military vigor of the northeast army tantamount to that of a squadron. Besides, the soldiers of the northeast army had been starved for a few days. Thinking of the approaching army provisions, they went as wild as beasts, who were too voracious for the left military camp to resist.


    In a blink of an eye, sanguinary massacre broke out; howling and shrieking rent the air.


    "Commander Zhou, the Crimson Dragon Group are ambushing the left military camp..." One spirit manipulator reported to Commander Zhou in the right military camp.


    "Do they contemplate taking a grip on the right set of circumstances to embark on launching a rude awakening raid?" Commander Zhou said in worried tone. But he was conscious that the military burliness of the left military camp solely wasn''t efficient enough to deal with the northeast army, he then ordered, "Ask all the soldiers of the right military camp to support the left military camp. Stop the Crimson Dragon Army."


    "What about the military camps at east side?" the spirit manipulator asked.


    "This m


    o scramble to make sense of it all. After all, what Rocky had done was an impossible task for others in normal conditions, but he made it.


    Rocky could tell that Marin played a double game, and he didn''t pay attention to it at all and said seriously, "Deputy Commander in Chief asked us to linger for another three days. When the reinforcements of the headquarters arrived, she will assign armies to appear to our rescue."


    "Three days?" Marin responded with her eyebrows furrowed.


    "But the stumbling block is that perhaps the Timber Deity Empire won''t grant us time," Rocky stated instantly.


    "What do you imply?" Deputy Commander Chen inquired, for he didn''t fathom the current situation they got grips with.


    "Because the substantial intent of the Timber Deity Empire is to starve the northeast army to death and force the Deputy Commander in Chief to dispatch troops here. Once the Deputy Commander in Chief sends armies here, the fronts will reveal pitfalls which the Timber Deity Empire could make good use of to their advantage. However, if the Deputy Commander in Chief doesn''t do that, the northeast army and the Rough Slope will be apprehended by the Timber Deity Empire. However, it suggests that the Timber Deity Empire is confident that the Deputy Commander in Chief will send troops here, so they haven''t instituted any attacks until you get to the situation where you can''t stand. If so, the Deputy Commander in Chief will be forced to deliver armies then..." Rocky analyzed.


    "But why is the Timber Deity Empire self-confident that the Deputy Commander in Chief will send soldiers here?" Marin questioned in detail.


    "Commander Marin, why are you so half-witted? Aren''t you aware that someone important to the Deputy Commander in Chief is in the northeast army?" Rocky smiled like the cat who got the cream, hinting about the reason.

 Chapter 352 Three Thousand Soldiers

    "You''re trying to imply..." With her face turned red as a brick, eyes squinting meanly, Marin was in high dudgeon that Rocky called her chowder headed. She was the Frontline Commander of a significant troop. How did he pluck up courage to utter such word to her?


    "But how could the men of Timber Deity Empire be aware of that?" Marin looked sullen, deliberating why the men of Timber Deity Empire were cognizant that Lance was her uncle and Isis daughter of Lance was her cousin. It was strange that the secret was let out, even few people of Crimson Dragon Group were aware of such information.


    "When I saw the Deputy Commander in Chief, I got to figure out about it. But I didn''t notify her of it, because I was reluctant that she would alter her mind. It is not easy as a piece of cake for Deputy Commander in Chief to keep staying there till now. If I hadn''t come back in time, she might have..." Rocky halted as he decided not to finish his utterances.


    But Marin had understood. Then she cast her eyes on Rocky and said, "It seems that I should thank you."


    "My pleasure." Rocky smiled like the cat who got the cream.


    The Deputy Commander Chen beside totally got muddled about what Marin and Rocky said. He wondered who the relevant person for Deputy Commander in Chief was.


    "Thus, once the power-holders of Timber Deity Empire were notified that the northeast army had obtained provisions, they would conceivably change the military strategy. They would have their army invade Rough Slope directly, instead of blockading it," Rocky added.


    "The motive of Timber Deity Empire is to force Deputy Commander in Chief to send the army into battle, isn''t it? So why would they make up their mind to alter the set of tactics to start the invasion?" Deputy Commander Chen asked.


    "Because the army of twenty thousand soldiers of Timber Deity Empire have besieged Rough Slope for a long time. The consumption of provisions and supplies of an army is strikingly large. Now the army is going to run out of what they owned. Assuredly the power-holders of Timber Deity Empire dare not to organize for other soldiers to transport provisions and supplies under the nose of Crimson Dragon Group. So the inadequacy of provisions of the army beleaguering Rough Slope was what the power-holders of Timber Deity Empire undoubtedly perturbed about. If I were the Commander in chief of Timber Deity Empire, I would not continue besieging hard, but start to ravage the whole Rough Slope as promptly as possible, otherwise the army would become unflappable in the war when the provisions and supplies run out." Rocky shed some light about the situation at the moment.


    Hearing what Rocky stated, both Marin and Deputy Commander Chen totally complied with Rocky with


    at the northeast army at Rough Slope had gotten provisions.


    "The northeast army have gotten provisions? What did Commander Zuo and Commander Zhou do?" Alyssa chided the two Commanders. Because of her resentment, strong air currents with the power of the Divine Stage burst out from her body, mauling the tent. In a blink of an eye, the tent was heavily ruined.


    The Commanders of Timber Deity Empire present turned pale and even dared not take a breath. All of them could see that Alyssa was furious, and no one wanted to utter a word.


    "How many soldiers were there for transporting the provisions?" Alyssa asked the Commanders, looking at them coldly.


    "Three... Three thousand?"


    "What? Only three thousand?" Alyssa was a little shocked. Her mouth opened and shut like a goldfish with no sound coming out, and she stood as gormless as a guppy. She couldn''t believe that, but asked, "Who commanded the three thousand soldiers?"


    "No one has the slightest clue about that!"


    "They just used only three thousand soldiers to transport the provisions successfully under the nose of our army of twenty thousand soldiers. How eye-catching the Commander was! I can''t fathom there is such an extraordinary man in Crimson Dragon Army," Alyssa said in surprise, the shock registered on her face could not be concealed. She was inquisitive who the Commander was.


    "Give my order to Commander Zuo and Commander Zhou that they should start an invasion of Rough Slope as soon as possible." Since the northeast army at Rough Slope had gotten provisions and supplies, the Alyssa''s strategy fell short. Crimson Dragon Army had wholly changed the situation right now. Even though she did not want to give up her original plan, now she had to make a new one. Alyssa required to make the invasion of Rough Slope, which might be of some aid now.

 Chapter 353 A Good Show

    Very speedily, the news that the northeast military troops at the Rough Slope had successfully been brought in the replenishment of provisions and fodders was brought back by the more than two thousand troops that backed off to the front line.


    When the Commanders in the Crimson Dragon Army learned that Rocky had successfully transported the provisions and fodders to the Rough Slope, they were all flabbergasted, because everybody thought it was a task impossible to fulfill. To their great wonder, however, Rocky had fulfilled it. It was a phenomenon in their eyes.


    "He is really..." Isis sighed. She could not conceal the jubilation coming from her heart. That being the situation, the reinforcement troops from the headquarters would show up here in three days as long as they controlled the prevailing condition during the same course.


    "It''s excellent news that the provisions and fodders have set foot there. But I don''t assume the twenty thousand troops of the Timber Deity Empire would sit still lingering for death. Perhaps they would inaugurate an ambush towards the Rough Slope." A sophisticated Elite Commander cleared the air and tabled out his concealed distress abruptly.


    Finding out that, the other Commanders began mumbling to one another and exchanging points of view.


    If the twenty thousand troops of the Timber Deity Empire instituted a charge from multiple directions at the same time, the northeast military troops could not control them out of the Rough Slope despite the fact it was a position pleasant to hold but complicated to assail. That was because the significant disparity in the number of troops was the indispensable component in respect to this matter.


    "I am of the same opinion. So let''s hold our horses and get a glimpse on how Rocky Bai can hold up for three days," Isis said. She noticed what the Elite Commander suggested made sense, but she supposed that Rocky must have figured out about that and made arrangements correspondingly. Now that she had wagered on him wholly, she could do nothing but believe he would constitute another wonder.


    During nightfall, a bleak, thin wind it was, like a fine sour wine, searching the marrow and bringing no bloom to the cheek. The Rough Slope looked quiet from outside, but there was a scene of jubilation at the camp. After being starved for a few days, finally, the northeast military troops had an abundance of eating.


    "All the credit goes to you, and we don''t have to be starved any longer," Marin said while wending her way out of her tent together with Rocky. She smiled at the sight of the soldiers and the spirit manipulators who were eating ravenously. Her smile was one of happiness growing, much as a


    o one of the corpses and put a drop of the liquid in the bottle on it. As soon as the liquid touched the corpse, the skin was corroded, followed by the bones. The corrosion stretched progressively. Very soon, the corpse turned into sloughs and stank heavily, as if it was suffering from a plague.


    Marin could no longer watch such a sickening scene. She spun around in a haste. At the same time, quite a few surrounding soldiers ran away pumping their legs, gaining momentum with each push. And some of them vomited severely.


    "Deputy Commander Chen, please do what I did just now to every other corpse." Rocky handed the bottle to Deputy Commander Chen and said to him after demonstrating him what to do.


    In a twinkle of an eye, Deputy Commander Chen''s face turned deathly pale.


    "I''m going out to have a walk. I hope every corpse will be similar to this one when I return. It''s of the essence," Rocky said with an impish smirk on his face, patting Deputy Commander Chen on his shoulder. After giving Marin a gaze, he spun around and left the camp.


    Before long, a figure that resembled a ghost slipped into the left camp of the Timber Deity Empire in the east of the Rough Slope, without being recognized by anybody. After passing several guards, he entered a tent for soldiers. Again he took out a bottle and put a drop of the liquid in the bottle on each sleeping soldier''s lips. Then he did the same in several other tents.


    Of course, he didn''t turn a blind eye on the right camp in the east of the Rough Slope. He applied the liquid to the soldiers sleeping in several tents.


    "It''s done. Let''s enjoy a good show tomorrow!" the ghostly figure muttered and burst into evil laughter. His laugh was like a pile of stones being tossed around, a low rumble. Then he disappeared in the night.

 Chapter 354 It Was A Plague

    Rocky came back to the stationed military camp late at night.


    "Where have you been?" Marin looked petulant as she interrogated earnestly upon Rocky''s appearance. She had been waiting for him in the middle of the campsite. She sounded to be daunted witless that Rocky would not come back. And the mere thought agonized her a bit.


    "As I informed you before I took off, I went for a stroll." Rocky twisted his lips as he responded. And again he sought from the Deputy Commander Chen, "Are you done with what I assigned you to do?"


    "Yes, everything is all set up." Deputy Commander Chen nodded his head as he took a glimpse at the hundred bodies that were laid beside them. Those bodies had been degraded beyond recognition.


    Rocky approached the bodies to look at them by himself in order to ward off any mistake. He found no foibles in the result. So he proposed to the Deputy Commander Chen to lead in person of several scores of soldiers to complete the plan. They commanded the soldiers to stuff the hundred bodies on ten grain carts. They subsequently transported the bodies out of their stationed camp. They went on until they appeared to a small river which was adjacent to the two eastern camp sites of the Timber Deity Empire. They forced all the bodies into the stream.


    They returned to the stationed camp under cover of the night after they had completed their tasks.


    The next morning, inside the right camp of the Timber Deity Empire at the east side, two Commanders were debating about the schemes to beleaguer and apprehend the Rough Slope by one single battle since they received the order from their princess.


    "Commander Zhou, Commander Zuo, we are in a tight corner!" A Deputy Commander shrieked as he hastened like a hunted deer into the camp with significant perturbation at that moment.


    "What is the matter there?" Commander Zhou rapped over the knuckles.


    "Many soldiers felt numb this morning when they woke up this morning. They were utterly paralyzed," the Deputy Commander reported straight away.


    The two Commanders looked at each other in silence as a lamb for a few seconds before Commander Zhou asked hurriedly like lightning, "What is the diagnosis of the military doctor?"


    "The military doctor thought they might have been poisoned," the Deputy Commander replied.


    "Poisoning?" Commander Zuo looked grave upon the news. Again he inquired again, "What did they have for supper yesterday?"


    "They presumably had the same food as the others," the Deputy Commander responded.


    "Is that possible that someone poisoned the food?" Commander Zuo made suppositions.


    "The military doctor recommended paying a visit to the river where we used to take the water from to have an investigation on the cause..." The Deputy Commander continued his answer.


    "Then what are you still twiddling your thumbs for? Send someone to find out what is the problem in a flash," Commander Zhou ordered in a dull voice.


    The Deputy Commander disengaged


    d twenty thousand soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire would take action to invade the campsite in Rough Slope. If that were the case, they would have been wiped out by the twenty thousand soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire.


    "But, it would not take long for them to smoke out, right?" Deputy Commander Chen worried. The Commanders of the Timber Deity Empire would not be so dumb to have been fooled by Rocky for three days.


    "That can at least buy us some time till tomorrow evening. In this case, we will have two days in hand. We will triumph the battle if we can hold on one more day." Rocky squinted his eyes as he said, filled with aplomb.


    "But, what if the twenty thousand soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire perceived it is out ploy to buy us more time by tomorrow? And they preferred to assail us under the cover of the night. What shall we do then?" Marin wondered.


    "That is highly possible. So we have to finish all our deployment before the dark of tomorrow. We will make a move before they could make a riposte." Rocky awakened everyone by his comment.


    "Make a move before they could respond?" Marin and Deputy Commander Chen marveled in a lack of credence.


    "That is correct. We require to knock out the spirit of the army of the Timber Deity Empire. Let''s call it a Move of Decapitation." Rocky bowed his head.


    "What is a Move of Decapitation?" Marin and Deputy Commander Chen were in complete bewilderment.


    "You know, there are two Commanders. Each of them commands two campsites respectively in the Timber Deity Empire. If only we could eradicate either one of the Commanders, then the soldiers of the two campsites could go to rack and ruins due to the lack of leadership. The military force of the Timber Deity Empire would be forced to reorganize. That would take at least another day. Then we can make it for these three days." There was a cold look in Rocky''s eyes.


    Marin and Deputy Commander Chen were left mouth-open after they heard Rocky''s plan.

 Chapter 355 A Deranged Scheme

    Evidently, the plan Rocky was speaking about at the moment was much bolder than the preceding one. Maybe they could successfully deceive the Timber Deity Empire once or twice, but it would not be easy as falling off a log to pull their legs for the third time.


    In fact, the two Commanders of the Timber Deity Empire, who could lead twenty thousand troops of the Timber Deity Empire, would by no means be any mediocrities. The reason why Rocky had hoodwinked them for two consecutive times was only because they exhibited numerical power and underrated Rocky. Since they had never interacted with Rocky, they didn''t know he was audacious to such an extent. First of all, he drew the attention of their nearly ten thousand troops with his mere three thousand troops and transported the provisions and fodders to the camp of the Crimson Dragon Army at the Rough Slope openly. Then he put on a play of fake plague so that the troops of the Timber Deity Empire dared not launch an attack right away in worries about their health.


    All in all, the two Commanders of the Timber Deity Empire should not be to blame. The reason why they had been fooled by Rocky''s schemes was not because they were silly but because Rocky was too foxy. He was good at scheming, but what was more important was that he was very bold. Unlike him, the two Commanders of the Timber Deity Empire were gannet like for military exploit and scared stiff of death. Otherwise, the Rough Slope should have long been seized by them.


    Indeed, they had no slightest inkling the Crimson Dragon Army''s reinforcement troops would show up very promptly. If the Timber Deity Empire was briefed of that, perhaps they would spare no effort in blasting and taking over the Rough Slope in no time.


    In such a war, occasionally intelligence would play a significant aspect in the result. The reason why Rocky indicated an initial charge was precisely because he was apprehensive that the Timber Deity Empire would get the intelligence about the reinforcement before the Crimson Dragon Army''s reinforcement troops showed up. In such a case, the Timber Deity Empire troops would immediately launch a raid with all their courage, and the northeast military army could do nothing but defend. It would be very likely that the northeast military army was overpowered, and the Rough Slope plunged into the enemy''s hand before Isis dispatched troops to come to their rescue. Therefore, rather than finishing in this dreadful way, they would better launch an initial charge so that they might grasp the most convenient chance for the northeast military army.


    Of course, they had to take strong menace in doing that. Once they commenced an initial raid, the northeast military army would encounter the twenty thousand troops of the Timber Deity Empire, which would be


    e was an auditory hug. It wended its way through the frigid air enveloping even strangers in its tickling embrace. In a wildly arrogant manner, he strode forward and held Marin''s slim waist with his arm. As he pulled her towards him, his lips covered her featured cherry lips.


    Caught off balance by Rocky''s sudden provocation, Marin could do nothing but receive his kiss despite her wide-open eyes in bewilderment. It was not until some moments later that she recognized what was going on. Precipitously, she shoved Rocky away and raised her hand, intending to slap him. However, her wrist was gripped tight by his big hand in the air.


    "Never be hoodwinked by my false appearance. Otherwise, what I will take from you next time will not be as straightforward as a kiss. Anyway, it isn''t the first time we kissed. Even if I will kiss you once again, you won''t lose anything. I recommend you preserve your power to execute some more rivals rather than slapping me," Rocky said while gawking at Marin with his evil and gorgeous eyes.


    By now, Marin was extraordinarily embarrassed and boiling up with anger. Her face flushed red like a red brick from cheeks to ears. She had never felt so humiliated in her life before. Rocky was a shameless and despicable bastard in her eyes at the moment. She had a strong impulse to kill him to resolve her fury. On second thought, she comprehended that the northeast military army would be wrecked if she actually murdered him. Besides, she would not be so cold-hearted as to kill him.


    "You''d better try to compose yourself. When I come back, we should begin making the operation plan," Rocky said. Then he released his grip on Marin''s wrist. With a cold look on his face, he left the tent.


    "Why has he changed in this way?" Marin muttered, staring at Rocky''s back with her glaring eyes. Bewilderment was written on her face.

 Chapter 356 The Final Madness

    When Rocky sauntered his way out of the tent, in a flutter of an eye, he vanished into thin air from the place where he stood. Four hours afterward, he went back to the military camp and called for someone to take the topographic map of the Rough Slope. Again he gathered Marin and two Deputy Commanders to draw up a skirmish plan.


    "The initial step of our decapitation strike is to make the rival be of the impression that we have cut off all channels of withdrawal and been dead set to fight to the death. So we should burn our military camp first," Rocky said undauntedly.


    "Burn the military camp? That''s not a strategy..." Deputy Commander Chen announced as he and the other Deputy Commander looked at Rocky incredulously and thought Rocky was teasing. Without the military camp, they would have no way back.


    "After we burn the military camp, the armies of the Timber Deity Empire will surely take some actions. By my reckoning, they will gunge up these important paths at the east and the west side of the Rough Slope in case that we will break through," Rocky explained, totally giving the cold shoulder to Deputy Commander Chen''s question, as he pointed at the topographic map to show them the paths.


    "Once the armies of the Timber Deity Empire seal these critical paths, they will waylay us from both sides so that we will be trapped in a predicament. At that time, we can start the second step of our strategy," Rocky proceeded.


    "In this way, won''t we be put in a tight spot?" Marin questioned.


    "That''s right. That''s what we want. Thus, the rear of them will show its weak spot. In order to seal the paths at the east and the west side of the Rough Slope, the armies of the Timber Deity Empire had to lay out at least three thousand soldiers on each side. Besides, to inaugurate charges to us, more than tens of thousands of soldiers will be issued here. As a result, no more than four thousand soldiers will be left in the rear of the east side and the west side in total. In other words, each of the Commanders in the rear has only fewer than two thousand soldiers." Rocky nodded without giving a precise answer to Marin.


    "The third step is to review one way and row another. Seemingly, we are under pincer attack, but there will be an army to carry out a rude awakening raid in the rear of the enemy to fulfill the most momentous de


    lite troop from the northeast army for me, and the decapitation strike should depend on them." Rocky said to Marin.


    "For you? Are you going to command the soldiers to inaugurate the decapitation strike yourself?" Marin asked in an open mouth expression.


    "Or who else can do that?" Rocky demanded, wriggling his shoulders.


    "No, you can''t depart from here. If you bid your farewell, who can command the northeast army? Moreover, the mission is too dangerous as the foamy race of ocean surges. I should go instead. The two Commanders of the Timber Deity Empire are all beyond the Heavenly Stage. I''m scared witless you can''t rival them..." Marin denied unequivocally.


    "Remember, you are the Commander of the northeast army. You''re right. The mission is hazardous. This is precisely the reason you shouldn''t depart from here. As the Commander of the northeast army, if you die, it will be a hard as a cobble-stone to hit to the morale of the soldiers," Rocky declared, peering at Marin.


    "But..." Marin still had the urge to utter something, but Rocky covered his hand on her mouth.


    "What you should do now is to have confidence in me," Rocky pointed out word by word, his eyes fixed on Marin.


    Marin met Rocky''s eyes and acknowledged subconsciously, utterly bewildered.


    "Good girl!" Rocky smiled a creepy smile. He then turned away after he touched lightly at Marin''s face. His face became serious because he knew clearly that the decapitation strike had little difference from a suicide attack. Thus, he was crystal clear about the outcome if he failed.

 Chapter 357 Crazy To Kill

    Nagged by the phony plague, the armies of the Timber Deity Empire fell into an augur of disorder. Till the next day, they became tranquil as a virgin lake since the poisoned soldiers recovered and moved freely overnight after they had been segregated.


    At the moment, the two Commanders of the Timber Deity Empire suggested to have been up to the acceleration of something. However, for the sake of safety, they held their horses patiently after dark when the military doctor came and made certain there would be no more plague infection. They came to understand swiftly that this might be a subterfuge to achieve a hiatus of the Crimson Dragon Army.


    As foreseen, the two Commanders of the Timber Deity Empire couldn''t twiddle their thumbs anymore and concluded to institute a startling assault to the military camp of the Crimson Dragon Army at the Rough Slope late at night. They had gathered the military energy of the four military camps to form the east army and the west army, bracing to barricade the Crimson Dragon Group from the east side and the west side.


    The east army was commanded by Commander Zuo, who had been plucked a quick one by Rocky''s trickery, while Commander Zhou commanded the west army.


    Meanwhile, the spirit manipulator sent by Rocky to supervise operations of the armies of the Timber Deity Empire passed the intelligence back to him once he noticed their motions.


    The well-geared up northeast army evacuated from the military camp in an orderly way led by Marin. Thus, only Rocky and a battalion with a thousand soldiers, comprising of two squads of spirit manipulators, remained.


    Before the action, Rocky asked someone to hunt back a few wild boars. Then he instructed the soldiers to go into battle stripped to the waist. In this approach, they smeared the blood of the wild boars on their faces and bodies to make themselves ferocious features.


    Since the achievement or collapse of the decapitation strike was the core to the war, they had no freedom of preference but to make it.


    When they were all set up, the night fell. The Rough Slope was engrossed in the darkness laden with trepidation.


    In a flash, flames raging into the sky from the military camp of the Crimson Dragon Army at the Rough Slope. In a blink of an eye, they licked the trees like a hungry kitten with a saucer of milk. Soon they were all burned up within a range of hundreds of meters. The fires were large and


    kill to survive.


    Stirred up by Rocky''s powerful momentum, the dozens of spirit manipulators with their spirit-manipulated beasts also became driven by a crazed blood-lust. In a blink of an eye, hundreds of corpses were piled high on the ground. Before long, the soldiers selected from the northeast army also joined the battle.


    Then, the battle turned white-hot.


    Since their momentum had gained predominance, the defense troop of the Timber Deity Empire fled pell-mell in less than an hour.


    After dealing with the surviving forces, Rocky successfully broke through the line of defense at a casualty of fewer than one hundred men. Therefore, they managed to penetrate the rear of the east army of the Timber Deity Empire.


    At the same time, in the east military camp, Commander Zuo, riding on a high horse, was accompanied by more than two thousand soldiers and many spirit manipulators with their spirit-manipulated beasts.


    Abruptly, a dark mass of figures appeared before him. After a closer glance, Commander Zuo was astounded because he discovered the people all wore the suits of the Crimson Dragon Army. He had never had foreseen that an army of the Crimson Dragon Army would show up there.


    "Originally, they don''t plot to make a breakthrough. What they demand is to end my existence," Commander Zuo said with abrupt apprehension. However, he didn''t get much overwrought for the army was only a thousand people.


    "Humph. How can they have the impudence to appear here to invite ignominious with only such an insignificant number of soldiers?!" Commander Zuo bellowed, his plump body palpitating.

 Chapter 358 A Super Realm

    "Commander, that''s him. He brought five hundred men and beguiled us to the slop. He set us up," blustered a Deputy Commander beside Commander Zuo. He was the one who had been given a bum steer into believing there were thousands of opponents and had summoned backup, but only to find out everything was a diversionary maneuver.


    So when he saw Rocky again, he could barely suppress his eagerness to tear Rocky into segments.


    "So he is the one who delivered the supplies to the Rough Slope?" Commander Zuo narrowed his eyes and regarded Rocky from head to toe. There was something peculiar about this individual. It was hard to explain from his appearance how powerful this individual was. But no doubt he had an aggressive aspect and demeanor of a leader.


    "You, there. Identify yourself!" Commander Zuo pointed at Rocky, his voice thick with condescension.


    "I''m just a nobody," Rocky smiled disparagingly.


    "Gratifying to realize that you are apprehensive of that. I will grant you an opportunity. You and your men throw in the towel now; I will let you live. Otherwise, this place will be your graveyard," declared Commander Zuo, so arrogant as if he had an assured victory and the lives of Rocky and his men were in his hand.


    "I was going to suggest the same to you. Since I''m here now, I''ll see to it that you perish here." Rocky pointed at Commander Zuo with his Frozen Wind Dagger. His commanding presence and authoritative voice could shake the hearts of the staunchest men at the spot.


    Commander Zuo''s face altered. He didn''t expect such a response from Rocky. Rocky''s ranting making his hackles rise, he waved his hand and gave a command, "Kill them all!"


    All the two thousand soldiers and several spirit manipulators from the Timber Deity Empire swarmed in.


    "Don''t challenge them head-on. Just hold them off. Leave the rest to me." Rocky turned to the spirit manipulators and soldiers behind him and gave his command.


    "Progress!" .Rocky narrowed his eyes and moved forward with his men to engage in a fight.


    Both sides of spirit manipulators and spirit-manipulated beasts were the first to get into contact wi


    itual light had reached the preliminary level of the Heavenly Stage, but his spiritual power remained at the ninth grade of the Earthly Stage, very close to the Heavenly Stage. It was confusing.


    Indeed, Rocky was in a very perplexing state. He had worked out for twenty days in that peripheral forest of the Myriad Beasts Ground. All his treasures were absorbed into his body during the cultivation. His spiritual power had already reached the threshold of the Heavenly Stage. But no matter how assiduously he tried, he couldn''t seem to get into it.


    So, Rocky was now having the strength of the preliminary level of the Heavenly Stage when he was still at the ninth grade of the Earthly Stage. It sounded merely a minor gap, but it made all the difference. The Earthly Stage and the Heavenly Stage were two absolutely different stages. Like royal spirit manipulators found it troublesome to reach the Supernal Stage, ordinary spirit manipulators felt the same way with entering the Heavenly Stage.


    All spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage could be counted as masters. They were a valuable asset to any army in any country.


    The primordial spirit manipulators were the core of a country''s vitality. But they were like gold dust these days. So the ordinary spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage became the pillar of a country. They were very significant for every army and often played critical roles in missions.

 Chapter 359 The Battle With Wide Disparity Of Strength

    At the moment, the Commander Zuo, from the Timber Deity Empire, discovered the undeniable strength and power exhibited by Rocky. And again, he realized Rocky was a treacherous person. He had, but one thought in his mind: he must end the life of Rocky! If Rocky made a breakthrough and set foot in the Heavenly Stage finally, which meant the Crimson Dragon Group would receive a master with immense spiritual power, it would be just like adding wings to a tiger. And this was not convenient for the Timber Deity Empire. The Commander Zuo, from the Timber Deity Empire, would not make such a situation come into existence.


    The Commander Zuo, from the Timber Deity Empire, suddenly slapped the back of the horse that he just rode with a rebound. And then he sprung up in the air. The horse was severely injured. It let out a loud painful scream. What a shriek that was. It caused the hair to stand straight up on the back of one''s neck. It was the vulgarest. Most piercing scream one had ever heard. It sounded like a howling of wild panic and fell onto the ground. The horse perished. The slap of the Commander Zuo was relatively compelling; it must consume some strong spiritual power.


    The Commander Zuo had sprung up in the air, discharged all of his spiritual power in a short moment. He had already reached the second grade of the Heavenly Stage. The strong spiritual power, with a tremendous threatening air, flew in an interlaced way.


    Boom! The Commander Zuo, from the Timber Deity Empire, suddenly landed on the ground with a thud and stood in front of Rocky, in an aggressive way after the resounding noise. The impact was so intense that the dust under the Commander Zuo was almost cleared. And the ground that suggested to be pounded by a considerable sledge-hammer was kind of below the level of its surrounding area.


    "Brat, are you scared stiff as a dog being attacked by a coyote of death? Do you still want to live? Want to plead for your life? But it was a melancholy. It''s too late to plead for your life. You have already lost the chance, and you must be wiped out by my hand today!" The Commander Zuo, from the Timber Deity Empire, responded coldly, as he beamed proudly and grimly, the top row of teeth was showing, and there was a faint curve to the lips. It seemed to him that Rocky was nothing. He was so dismissive of his vigorous power. It was just a piece of cake for him to deal with Rocky. Because he had already reached the second grade of the Heavenly Stage, but Rocky was a spirit manipulator who had just entered the ninth grade of the Earthly Stage. There was a distinction of strength between Rocky and the Commander Zuo.


    The variation of strength between each grade of the Earthly Stage was not significant. But once a spirit manipulator had reached the Heavenly Stage, there would be an immense disparity of the strength between each grade. That was because, after an ordinary spirit manipulator had reached on the Heavenly Stage, he or she would spend three to five or six years to accomplish a higher grade of the Heavenly Stage. Also, it was achievable for some outstanding talents with the help of all kinds of incalculable and powerful treasures to reach on a higher grade of the Heavenly Stage within a short


    ked like a monstrous dog and was as plump as its master, the Commander Zuo. There still some residual smoke hung in the dog''s body, shifting like ghosts in the breeze. The attack of the Nebula Arrow Force was resisted by the spirit-manipulated beast, not its master, the Commander Zuo.


    ''The Rock Armour Hound, which is recognized for its rock armour, has tremendous defensive capabilities¡­'' Rocky promptly thought of the information about the Rock Armour Hound with a very sharp expression. He recognized that it would be a soggy business to have a dust-up and beat the two strong enemies.


    That was because he showed up to the Rough Slope with the thousand soldiers in a haste and had no time to brought Uriah and Rubygon. The situation was not suitable for him at all. He would in the face of two opponents, the Commander Zuo and his spirit-manipulated beast, the Rock Armour Hound. The clamor was unequal.


    However, for Rocky, the situation was not so dreadful. He still had a kick at the can to win this clamor. Because the Rock Armour Hound had excellent defensive capabilities but didn''t have strong assault capabilities, Rocky didn''t get into a flap about how to deal with the Rock Armour Hound. In fact, he just required to fight against the beast''s master, the Commander Zuo, with all his firmness. But the Rock Armour Hound could block all of the attacks from Rocky for its master, the Commander Zuo, just like a shield with legs. In other words, all of his charges would not prejudice Commander Zuo. On the contradictory, he would conceivably be forced into a nonviolent position.


    At this moment, however, no one could lend him a hand. A thousand soldiers he brought were busy battling with the belligerent forces. He could rely on no one but himself to fight against the Commander Zuo and massacre the opponent.


    Rocky had taken the situation into account. He had a notion and was absolutely ready to address this dilemma. Though it might not be successful, it could be bought time for him to finish his plan. And then, he took out a small bottle from his delicate silk bag. He opened the bottle and placed it on the ground, and then stepped back.

 Chapter 360 Overrating

    As promptly as Rocky put down the bottle, Commander Zuo''s Rock Armour Hound was mesmerized by the fascinating smell coming from the bottle. It drooled over the bottle with uneasiness and in a sparkling of an eye dashed up.


    "Cease!" Yelled Commander Zuo. He didn''t just raise his voice, his muscles tensed, and he got right in close for maximum impact. As peering that his spirit-manipulated beast charged towards the bottle without his permission, Commander Zuo felt creepy and tried to stop it at once.


    The Rock Armour Hound stopped as soon as it heard its master''s order. It turned to glance at its master and then turned back to beam at the bottle in front of it again. Hum and haw filled its eyes.


    Commander Zuo was taken by off-guard and didn''t have the slenderest inkling what on earth was in the bottle that could be so easy on the eyes. Of course, in the bottle was the magical saliva, which possessed the same irresistible charm as spiritual crystals to every spirit-manipulated beast.


    What''s more, something exceptional was included into the magical saliva in this bottle. As long as the Rock Armour Hound ate it, it would pass out in a matter of seconds. If not, the magical saliva could still draw it away for a while. After all, no spirit-manipulated beast could be invulnerable to the magical saliva.


    At this very juncture, a lightning figure charged towards Commander Zuo. The dagger in the figure''s hand was glistening with radiant light and left a compelling arc in the air.


    "The dagger in his hand is so tremendous. Is that a Spiritual Weapon?" The charge''s powerful aura caught Commander Zuo by dismay. One''s spiritual power could not be funneled into an ordinary weapon unless a Spiritual Weapon. A Spiritual Weapon was made from unique and rare material, and a spirit manipulator could strengthen their Spiritual Weapons'' power through their spiritual power.


    Commander Zuo squinted as a broach of greed flashed in his eyes. ''If I could wipe out this guy, then his Spiritual Weapon would be mine. Ha-ha!'' he chuckled in a peal of cruel cold gesture. With that thought, he clutched his left fist and aimed it at Rocky while squealing, "Smashing Fist Strike!"


    His powerful fist strike hit against the attack from Rocky''s dagger with a deafening bang, and the gigantic impact instantly gave out a dazzling light.


    "Boom!"


    Powerful forces from the two spiritual power attacks swept around and brought clouds of sand.


    Befo


    uddenly perceived something and wildly ran to Commander Zuo with a smirk.


    "Wow! You require an appropriate lesson, reckless asshole!" Commander Zuo could not believe that Rocky wanted to persist fighting despite he had witnessed the giant chasm between their vitality.


    An all-out brawl started instantaneously. Both of them had wielded their full vitality and showed each other no sympathy. The ground under their feet was shuddering violently like withered leaves and even began cracking because of the impacts between their spiritual power attacks.


    However, Commander Zuo''s strength was still way superior to Rocky''s. Rocky had gotten bloody wounds all over his body, and he was even struggling to maintain his balance. Spitting out blood several times, Rocky turned pale like a ghost as he stood in the center of a pool of blood.


    Yet, Commander Zuo also encountered a lot from the fight against Rocky. Summoning his spiritual martial arts attacks for so many times had consumed lots of his spiritual power. He was gasping for air as cursing Rocky, "Is he out of mind? He perceives well he is not a contest for me. But why did he still fight like hell? Should he have been deadly injured right now? Why can he stand like that?"


    "That''s it!" Rocky tried so hard to hold on himself and took out a big bottle, which was loaded with ten drops of the magical saliva, and drank it up in a flash. As soon as the magical saliva got into his body, his spiritual power began surging up wildly.


    The first of the nine-layer seal on the power of his Holy Dragon Bead finally began collapsing under pain and his surging spiritual power.

 Chapter 361 The Commander Is Executed

    "Ah..." Rocky cried out loudly due to the acute pain. The pain came out like an uproar from his throat in the form of a silent yell. He was in the precarious juncture to shatter the sealing power inside his body. He had to be swift as a bolt of lightning as he had a strong enemy in front of him right now. The next second, a black light came out of his body and instantly spread all over him, forming numerous black strips, which constantly intertwined and then wrapped around him. Strong spiritual power like a windstorm soon burst out and spread the area around him, producing flying sand and stones and whistling wind.


    Suddenly, an evil force that made people shake like a leaf with jitteriness emanated from the black light wrapping around Rocky and quickly swept around. Finally, he managed to sabotage the sealing power inside his body, and had enhanced his strength a lot.


    The two armies, who had engaged in a vicious fight all around, couldn''t help but steer their attention on the precipitous transformations. All of them looked extremely stunned and began to think that what kind of power Rocky had now. The scene in front of them was so awkward and never had they expected to see it in their lifetime. The moment when they felt the evil power expended by the black light, they also felt as if death was approaching them.


    Even when Commander Zuo of the Timber Deity Empire, Rocky''s current rival, set his eyes on this scene, there was also a dumbfounded expression on his face. His mouth was opening and shutting like a goldfish with no sound coming out. At the same time, he had an ominous premonition. Thus, he immediately galloped towards Rocky, while the muscles of his right arm twisted and contracted, and instantly swelled up. The next moment, an extremely fierce spiritual power was shooting out from his body.


    "Ferocious Rock Fist!" Commander Zuo roared like a lion. He just launched his most powerful charge, and he consistently felt proud of such a dynamic skill. Thus, he was sanguine that Rocky could be murdered by it this time. He had to try his best as he abhorred to see any extraordinary incident happen on Rocky again.


    The bystanders then saw that the spiritual power rushing out of Commander Zuo''s body immediately mounted up and was turned into a rock-like shape. In the blink of an eye, it became a vast rock shadow, like an enormous mountain, and began to swoop towards the black light that wrapped Rocky at a brisk acceleration.


    Boom! Boom! Boom...


    The vast rock shadow soon hit the black light violently. All at once, on the ground, the spiritual light was glistening brightly; a blast of cyclone spread around; the dust and sand were whirling up to the air, and the powerful impact of the collision immediately revealed. It was just so terrifying!


    According to common sense, under the impact of such a strong spiritual power, even a spirit manipulator at the first grade of the Heavenly Stage might not be able to resist, let alone Rocky who was only at the ninth grade of the Earthly Stage. Commander Zuo generally held the sa


    be severely injured as it mourned painfully and collapsed on the ground with a thud.


    "What kind of power is this?" Commander Zuo asked, queries lingering in the back of his mind. Seeing Rocky''s spiritual flame even could not be deterred by his spirit-manipulated beast, he was even more taken aback, and his face changed drastically.


    "I don''t believe I can''t execute you!" Commander Zuo yelled his lungs out indignantly. He was now driven into the most forlorn situation in his lifetime. Yet, he didn''t want to give up fighting; otherwise, he would only face a dead end. Instantly, he gathered all his spiritual power and angrily launched a pretty violent charge against Rocky by his Ferocious Rock Fist, in a desperate effort to give his enemy the most deadly blow.


    At that moment, Rocky was standing in front of Commander Zuo. The flame was still flashing in his left arm. Instantly he clenched his left hand into a fist and waved his fist without exhibiting any sign of weakness.


    After the two fists collided with each other, the two waves of intense, strong spiritual power at the Heavenly Stage instantly burst out dazzling brilliance shining upon the two people. Once again, the dust and sand were stirred up, and the airwaves of the collision spread out consequently. The rest of the soldiers on both sides felt extremely shocked again. Shock leapt in the air as if a firecracker had gone off.


    But the next moment, Commander Zuo suddenly felt that the spiritual power inside his body was losing at a crazy speed as if it had been absorbed by something. Then he detected a peculiar light was flashing between his fist and Rocky''s fist. In no time, he figured out what was happening and hurriedly wanted to withdraw his fist.


    Yet, before he could do that, a curved spiritual light had cut through his throat!


    In the blink of an eye, blood was spewing out of his throat violently, like small pillars. Soon, he fell to the ground with his eyes still wide open. The last look on his face was full of jitteriness and bewilderment...

 Chapter 362 A Surprise Strike

    "Commander Zuo was killed!" "Commander Zuo is dead!" Panic-stricken, all the soldiers and spirit manipulators of the Timber Deity Empire looked at the head of Commander Zuo that was lying on the ground. They were trembling with fear because Rocky seemed to have satanic power. It was obvious that the morale of the troops of the Timber Deity began to slump.


    On the other side, the troops led by Rocky had dancing hearts as their morale rose rapidly when they found that Rocky had fulfilled the decapitation task, despite the fact that there were only less than five hundred people left.


    Soon after the decapitation, a large number of troops of the Timber Deity Empire had no energy nor urge to continue fighting the battle. They discarded their shields and armors and kept running like sheep as they fled away. Only a few stubborn spirit manipulators didn''t give up, and fought bravely until they were all killed by Rocky''s troops.


    A while later, Rocky was surrounded by hundreds of overjoyed people who were dancing and chanting joyful melodies. Their cheers were so loud that they sounded like thunder. They were also playing football with commander Zuo''s head instead of a ball.


    "Attention, everybody! It''s not time to celebrate yet. I want you to divide yourselves into two groups, and then burn the two camps of the Timber Deity Empire in the east of the Rough Slope," Rocky ordered. Despite Rocky''s joy, he could still think straight. He looked calm and serious.


    The soldiers and spirit manipulators immediately left to carry out his order.


    Rocky walked to the bloody head of Commander Zuo, which was already covered in dust and sand. He picked it up by its messy hair, and disappeared on the spot.


    Meanwhile, the troops of the northeast military army led by Marin were attacked by two camps of troops of the Timber Deity Empire at the same time, and they were about to break down. They kept stepping backward, and their casualties were increasing, regardless of their use of the Eight Heaven Locks Array taught by Rocky. However, due to the huge gap between the forces of the two parties, the Eight Heaven Locks Array could only block the enemy for a while before they could break through it. After all, Marin was not very familiar with the array, so she could not take full advantage of it. So, it was mainly Marin''s misuse of the array that made it easily broken because if the array was organized by Rocky himself, the troops of the Timber Deity Empire would not be able to break through it even with twice their forces.


    By now, the northeast military army was badly besieged at a distance from the predetermined route for retreat. Therefo


    zling sparkles.


    The two figures instantly began fighting. Unfortunately, Marin''s power was indeed inferior to Commander Zhou''s to the extent that she was no longer able to defend herself.


    While Verdanim was bound tight by the wood rattan and Marin was fighting against Commander Zhou, the troops of the Timber Deity Empire took the chance to attack the northeast military army. As a result, the northeast military army kept losing ground. It looked like it was a matter of time before they were doomed.


    When they were no longer able to fight and defend themselves, a black figure suddenly appeared at the back of the troops of the Timber Deity Empire. Every soldier from the Timber Deity Empire who appeared by his side whined or screamed in pain. Once the figure approached Verdanim, who was bound by numerous strings of wood rattan that came from the underground, a dragon mark on his left arm showed itself. Red spiritual flames rose from the dragon mark and rushed at the wood rattan around Verdanim''s body.


    With a loud sound, the wood rattan was burnt by the spiritual flames. It looked badly hurt to the extent that it retracted to the ground and quickly disappeared.


    As soon as Verdanim got rid of the wood rattan, it shouted to the figure in a way that showed that it was extremely happy to have seen its master. Then it stood up, stamped its right foot on the ground, and a big crack appeared on the ground. A weird spirit-manipulated beast that was as big as a tree came out of the crack. It didn''t have any limb or head. There was only a ferocious eye on its trunk-shaped body that was twined by numerous strings of wood rattan, which kept wriggling and contracting. According to its power, it should be a four-star third grade spirit-manipulated beast.

 Chapter 363 Let Me Solve It!

    Verdanim opened its mouth widely, holding the wood-shaped spirit-manipulated beast by its teeth and flung it relentlessly.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The wood-shaped spirit-manipulated beast rolled a few times on the ground. Then, several wood vines propped up the body, and the rest immediately squirmed.


    "Is that timber spirit beast? You are timber spirit manipulator!" Marin was also rudely awakened when she noticed that wood-shaped spirit-manipulated beast, and she immediately glared at Commander Zhou of the Timber Deity Empire, who she was still battling against.


    This fantastic timber spirit beast was an infrequent one. Only those timber spirit manipulators from Timber Deity Empire could contain it. Admittedly, compared with some high-leveled dragon, this wood-shaped spirit-manipulated beast could not be considered as the strongest. However, it was unquestionably more dominant and ferocious than most of the spirit-manipulated beasts. Moreover, the timber spirit beasts were exceedingly efficient at controlling their opponents. Great strength owned by Verdanim, it still had trouble in getting rid of those vines. Of course, this timber spirit-manipulated beast in front of Marin was just one of the kinds. Others might be good at spraying pollen, letting their enemies drown into the illusion or simply get poisoned, and some timber spirit-manipulated beasts could incorporate other plants to become more powerful. As a result, among all the spirit-manipulated beasts, the timber spirit-manipulated beasts owned the most extraordinary power but also were the most complex ones to deal with.


    "You have just identified that? It''s so grief striking!" Commander Zhou smiled evilly and the next moment, a green tattoo twisted on his arm like vines. Suddenly, all the spiritual power that had just burst out was split into thousands of branches. These branches were also as flexible as vines, and they flew swiftly towards Marin, tying her arms and body.


    What made the matter worse, the harder she endeavored, the tighter the bondage became.


    "Even if you are a femme fatale, I will never be tender-hearted to you." Commander Zhou sneered, slowly raising one of his arms. A bundle of aggressive and vicious spiritual power hit directly towards Marin.


    As all the northeast army witnessed the scene, they were all shocked desperately since it suggested that no one had either time or ability to avert this misery from taking effect. Shock leapt in the air as if a firecracker had gone off.


    "Commander Marin!" Marin''s Deputy Commander shrieked his lungs out, like a wounded b


    in a forest not far from their camp.


    Meanwhile, just a few miles away, their enemies closely chased after them running so swift that one would think their legs were going to explode. And some soldiers and spirit manipulators had already set foot into the forest.


    Since nearly everyone''s centre of attraction was on this running feud, Rocky, who had just hidden in the northeast army, abruptly summoned all his spiritual power. Along with the extraordinary heat, red and black flames immediately appeared on his arms, and two ferocious dragons rushed out respectively from two sides.


    Those two dragons moved swiftly in the forest, and with a second, they lit all trees which had already been covered with a kind of flammable kerosene.


    Then, there was a massive sound of a bang!


    Those trees on the outermost part of the forest suddenly burst into flames, up to a few feet high. Thick gray smoke was billowing into the sky. A fierce fire could be seen sneaking their way out from the rows of trees. And suddenly, the army from the Timber Deity Empire was intercepted outside the forest. As for those who happened to pump their legs into the forest, they were burnt into ashes.


    This raging fire also illuminated the entire sky.


    When those soldiers and spirit manipulators who had already been in the forest realized what had happened, the fire had stopped their way of backing off. They all fell into a sense of trepidation. Thanks to this golden opportunity, Marin led the northeast army and massacred all her enemies.


    "Let''s depart from here!" At this time, Rocky showed next to Marin and propositioned her to follow him. Both of them led the northeast army into a valley where the defense had been arranged.

 Chapter 364 Dark Force

    Commander Zhou of Timber Deity Empire didn''t foresee this and grimaced when seeing the force was blocked outside by the fire. He had to wave his hand and ordered to retreat to a kilometer away. Then he got the topographic map of Rough Slope and found the northeast military army was retreating in the direction of a valley with a dead road. An evil smile developed on his face. He declared, "The fire would keep burning until tomorrow morning. At that time, I will go to capture you and let me watch how you will run away!" So he ordered his battalions to stay where they were and hold their horses for tomorrow.


    After they went into the valley, the northeast military army started to cure themselves and took a breather. They were apprehensive that a vicious war was standing by for them tomorrow.


    Rocky''s face grew solemn when he was standing at the edge of the valley and peering at the burning forest not far away.


    "Just now... Thank you..." A gentle voice was floundering by the side of Rocky.


    "You are proposing to marry me so that I will take care of your life. I shall undoubtedly save you, and you deserve it," Rocky said with an evil voice. Even Rocky didn''t turn around, but he was conscious that this tender voice was Marin.


    Then there was a hit like a ton of bricks silence. Rocky knew Marin must be wearing a ridiculous and lively expression, although he didn''t turn his head to have a look at it.


    "Can we cling to life tomorrow?" Marin asked with a perturbed expression. All the things went on as Rocky planned; however, the northeast military army only had around three thousand forces. Marin felt uncertain if they could survive tomorrow.


    "Who has the slenderest clue? We have worked out everything we could, and next, we just have to entrust luck," Rocky said in an easygoing manner as the surface of a lake when the loud wind was laid and turned away.


    "Why are you so composed?" Marin looked at Rocky with an indecipherable look. Under this condition, one shall be hysterical with uncertainty or even in desperate. But Rocky wasn''t perturbed at all and was very amiable.


    The fire outside the valley was burning for a whole night. The glowing embers leapt and twirled in a fiery dance. The fire was getting smaller until the next morning.


    Timber Deity Empire forces after reforming at one night were bracing to go. They planned to attack the northeast military army behind the bare woods after the fire settled do


    xed.


    "Jade, here you are. I have one thing for you to do." Marcia said to the belle.


    "Master, tell me. What''s that?" The belle arched her hands and said.


    "I want you to safeguard one person. He is at Gehenna Border now, and you go and find him and keep him from harm." Marcia told her.


    "This person is a man?" said the belle and she was always hardly fond of man.


    "Yes, you''re going to protect a man," Marcia responded.


    "Master, you want me to protect a man? But why? Who is this guy?" She was a little turned up for the books, because in her mind, her master always kept a reasonable distance from a man, not mention that she requested her to protect a man. She couldn''t understand why her master was so abnormal.


    "I will give you his picture. It doesn''t matter who he is. Your mission is to secure him. Bring this Dragon Twined Wood. You may need it when necessary." Marcia gave the Dragon Twined Wood to the belle.


    "Why does it crack like this?" Jade found a crack on Dragon Twined Wood after collecting it. It was a rare spiritual treasure. It''s said it would be used to suppress the evil monster, but only Marcia knew how to use it.


    "You utter too much today. Go to prepare and set off straight away!" Marcia waved her hand, signaling her to leave.


    Seeing this, Jade had to bow and leave.


    "Basil, releasing the seal on the power of Holy Dragon Bead is just the beginning of your real ordeal. How to master Holy Dragon Bead power which has become evil depends on you. If evil power of Holy Dragon Bead dominates you, at that time I will..." Marcia looked sullen, and a cold light shone from her eyes.

 Chapter 365 Unremitting Schemes

    After kidnapping Marin''s Verdanim, Rocky immediately let Verdanim take him to the base camp. Kidnapping Verdanim was an impossible task for others, but for Rocky, it was just a piece of cake. What was more, Verdanim seemed remarkably thrilled to be kidnapped by Rocky.


    Four hours later, Verdanim managed to get Rocky at the base camp. It promptly took him to the beast farm.


    "Kid, what brought you here?" Sheridan, who was working in one beast stable, came to Rocky happily when seeing him. Happiness flowed through him, warming his skin like the rays of the early summer sun. His customary cautious grin exploded into an ecstatic smile that he had never worn before.


    "Sheridan, coach me how to open the Magic Spiritual Space," Rocky said directly at the sight of Sheridan.


    "The Magic Spiritual Space? Someone at the Heavenly Stage can only open the Magic Spiritual Space. Your strength now is not sufficient to open it," Sheridan responded with an odd expression, guessing Rocky''s intention.


    "If you don''t teach me, I will go find others." Rocky put a deceptive front to leave.


    "Fine. I will train you." Sheridan compromised. Rocky was his beloved apprentice, after all.


    "That''s marvelous," Rocky uttered, raising his eyebrow.


    "The foundation of the Magic Spiritual Space is its spiritual power and space it establishes, and the size of it is determined by the spiritual power you have. The stronger the spiritual power is, the bigger space becomes. The initiative usage of the Magic Spiritual Space was for people to carry their spirit-manipulated beasts conveniently. Then many other usages were developed thereafter," Sheridan said at a sluggish pace.


    "Make it brief. Tell me precisely how to open the Magic Spiritual Space." Rocky hurried Sheridan, stopping his patter.


    "You need to be apprehensive of how to wield the Magic Spiritual Skill." Sheridan then imparted the Magic Spiritual Skill to Rocky.


    Rocky memorized it and, in a twinkle of an eye, tried to use it. He assembled his spiritual power and reached out his left hand to discharge the spiritual power. Under


    g about this thing. I only want to know why you gave up such an excellent opportunity that many people crave for," Dunn said seriously.


    "I''m not interested in it," Rocky said indifferently.


    "But I found out you became a captain in the logistic camp. It''s so mysterious that you declined to be the Frontline Commander but became a small captain in the logistic camp. The Frontline Commander is in charge of thousands of soldiers. It''s such a tremendous honor. Most men and women would respect you. Look at those Frontline Commanders in the base camp. They all assume important air in front of others," Dunn responded indignantly, suggesting to be a little drunk.


    "If you don''t have anything else, I will leave." Rocky stood up and was going to take off, having no interest in wasting time with Dunn.


    "Rocky, I just wish to be allies with you. Aside from Sheridan, you are the only one congenial to me in the Crimson Dragon Group," Dunn said, then he continued, "I''m going to the battlefront soon. I hope I can have the golden opportunity to have a fight with you when I come back."


    "We will discuss it later." Rocky cast a glimpse at Dunn and sauntered out of the tavern.


    A figure appeared beside Dunn the moment Rocky left.


    "Deliver the message that I already have an eye on Rocky," Dunn said, looking sober. Then that figure disappeared immediately after Dunn finished talking.

 Chapter 366 Many Spiritual Beasts

    When Rocky came back to the beast farm of the headquarters from the tavern, he saw Sheridan was feeding Verdanim.


    "Why did Commander Dunn summon you?" Sheridan asked aimlessly.


    "Nothing." Rocky replied, swinging his head.


    "Dunn is a sentimental man and has invariably been a straight talker. But he constantly remains credible to friends," Sheridan grinned.


    "Do you perceive him very thoroughly?" Rocky inquired, peeking at Sheridan.


    "I''ve drunk with him a few times, so we are pot companions. He also often goes to the Geisha House that we have been to. I almost let it slip. Have you ever seen Miss Laney?" Sheridan asked as his mind lingered over something suddenly with his eyebrows lifting.


    "That''s right. When you were under the influence of alcohol last time, I sent you to the room of Yasmin. I sauntered out of the room and appeared to catch her blowing a flute! How do you perceive that?" Rocky asked in bewilderment after he acknowledged. His mind was still a surging perplexity.


    "Miss Laney caught a cold a few days ago, and I went to find out her illness. She asked me if I had a disciple and spoke profoundly of you. Boy, you undoubtedly have a lot of favorable fortune in love affairs! Miss Laney could miss you after met you only once. I am green with envy of you!" Sheridan said jokingly.


    "Really?" Rocky lips quirked upwards in a heartwarming smile. He smiled calmly like deep rivers.


    "If you aren''t in a hurry-scurry, you can go back tomorrow. Drink with me tonight to nurture our relationship," Sheridan said in a look of exultation.


    "I''d rather not. I have a lot of things to work out." Rocky shook his head. Since he had just reached the first grade of the Heavenly Stage and regained the power of the Holy Dragon Bead, he required some time to adapt to his current situation. Besides, he had taken off for somewhat a few days, so the spirit-manipulated beasts he fed must be starving.


    "Well. I''ll catch you available next time." Sheridan replied in his as sick as a parrot eyes. Then he altered the topic and inquired, "What about your cultivation of the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill?"


    "It is more mysterious as a rose leaf than I understood, so I still require some time," Rocky


    were about to grow to a higher level. Once they reached the second grade, they could give birth to the Dark Heaven Eggs at the intermediate stage.


    Besides, to Rocky''s perplexity, after poring over the body of the Queen Dark Heaven Insect, he discovered that its belly was conspicuously swollen. It appeared to have been pregnant.


    Abruptly, the eyes of Rocky smoothed up. He had figured out the two leading causes of the low rate of hatchability of the eggs. One reason was that the natural deformities of the mother''s ovaries; the other cause was the problem of the eggs themselves. In fact, the two causes were cause and effect, so the primary cause was the ovaries that bred the eggs.


    Since the Queen Dark Heaven Insect was a hermaphrodite, so the process of the ingravidation was completed in just one body. Even though it had female ovaries, its female hormones were low so that its ovaries were defective. Therefore, the eggs would be affected when they were bred in the ovaries.


    Since the eggs had been affected, when they were given birth to, the proliferation of the larvae of the Dark Heaven Insects was slowed down. As a result, the larvae couldn''t manage to break hull in time. With the natural defects of the eggs'' structure, and the restraint of the environment, the rate of hatchability of the eggs was exceptionally low.


    Thus, the key to the problem was to repair the ovaries of the Queen Dark Heaven Insect so as to improve the environment of the breed of the eggs.

 Chapter 367 Extremely Powerful (Part One)

    Deep in Rocky''s heart, a compelling solution had occurred to him long before. And he was conscious it would doubtless work because he was pretty certain that there was invariably one thing to overpower another. But the obstacle was that, his strategy had a premise that the Dark Heaven Insect Queen needs to be pregnant. However, he was somehow not confident about the time when it would get pregnant. So he had been cooling his heels all this way for the timing to start his plan. Now that the Dark Heaven Insect Queen was showing evident signals of pregnancy. Then this was the splendid time for his plan to be executed out.


    In Rocky''s plan, the initial step to do was to repair the Queen Dark Zerg''s ovarian and to maintain it in a satisfactory state. To do so, the most influential thing to do was to get lots of estrogens into its body. And due to the limits of the current technology, there was no way to make artificial estrogens. In that way, the only source of estrogen was from the other female spirit-manipulated beasts.


    "It sounds like it''s the perfect time to inaugurate my plan right now," pondered Rocky in his mind. Since he had already made a quantum leap to reach the first grade of the Heavenly Stage, he could have a short break temporarily in his cultivation. Following his gut, he would be concentrated on the genetic research next.


    During his cultivation journey last time, he had gathered dozens of samples of different spirit-manipulated beasts. However, he had not have an amplitude of time to work on these test data back then, nor to do any further research. Now that he got such a valuable break, he could throw himself into his research. For now, Rocky had to figure out the primitive sequence of the spirit-manipulated beast''s genome. And after that, he could move forward to do the genetic modification.


    While he was contemplating of his next arrangement in his mind, Rocky soon showed up and merely to find that Verdanim w


    d, Rocky also renewed the Dragon Spirit Mark. In that way, the part of Fire spiritual power, which had merged with the original spiritual power before, was reborn. In effect, there was no desire for him to do the Spirit Possession that he could manage to use the Fire spiritual power after that.


    Particularly, the Fire spiritual power and the evil power of the Holy Dragon Bead within Rocky''s body were independent and complementary to each other. Either of them could be expressed individually or to apply at the same time. And of course, the power would become much more dominant in the case of these two forces integrated, which had been proved in Rough Slope.


    But yet, the condition of Rocky''s body was unquestionably out of the ordinary here in the Magic Spiritual Space. In all ages, there was no spirit manipulator like him, who could manage to bolster up two different spiritual powers in his body, split up without having an impact on the other one.


    Thus it could be understood a bit that the power of the Holy Dragon Bead in his body was not only magic but was also spine chilling! Its force must really be a dread and trembling beyond people''s imagination, which was competent to make someone transform to a dead-alive person in cold blood or be slain by the affliction of the evil power.

 Chapter 368 Extremely Powerful (Part Two)

    After spending the whole night cultivating at the room, Rocky felt so much bucked up in the early morning the other day. He then instructed his three beasts to keep safe for the little Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf, simultaneously with the house guard, he himself then flew to the frontline military camp with Verdanim.


    On the other side, due to the early arrival of the reinforcements of the Crimson Dragon Group, the army group of the Timber Deity Empire was not able to put into effect its plan at all. With the shortage of provisions and fodders, they could merely order a retreat feebly at the end.


    After the cross swords that very night, the breaking news had spread like wildfire within the main military camp that the northeast military army won in the war, with only several thousands of soldiers in Rough Slope. On the contrary, the army group of the Timber Deity Empire was brought down to their knee in the battle, with heavy casualties of several thousands of soldiers and even a Commander of the Heavenly Stage level. In the end, they could only be forced to back down with their tails between their legs. Far away in the main military camp, everyone was astounded by this exhilarating news. Their eyes and their mouths were frozen wide open in an expression of stunned surprise. Their brains desperately scrambled to make sense of it all.


    At this moment, Marin just showed up outside of the Commander''s tent. With black hair of wool and her head held high, she waltzed on with an effortless saunter. The clicking of her heels added rhythm to the soft classical music that played onward without pause. Although her spell binding appearance was stained with dust and sand, her heroic female posture was as conspicuous as usual. She got off the horse instantly, and st


    g to tell them the truth. Deep in her heart, she would never take the credit from Rocky. And she even owed him a life.


    After her speech, everyone at the scene was overwhelmed, with immense surprise witnessed on their faces. Their brains stuttered for a moment and their eyes took in more light than they expected, every part of them went on pause while their thoughts caught up. Even if Rocky Bai was the one who had come up with every scheme to hold the field in Rough Slope, how could it be possible that he would be able to kill the Commander of the Timber Deity Empire? They found it really hard to believe such a thing that Rocky was the one of such extreme power, able to kill a powerful Commander.


    Although Rocky''s eighth grade of the Earthly Stage was well known by so many Commanders, according to the information from the frontline, the powers of the two Commanders from the Timber Deity Empire were actually above the Heavenly Stage. That was why the Commanders here found it unbelievable to acknowledge that Rocky was the one to kill one Commander of the Timber Deity Empire during the battle. They could only look at each other dumb folded without uttering a word.

 Chapter 369 Marry Me

    "Commander Marin, was Commander of Timber Deity Empire really executed by Rocky?" Isis'' calm face was like the breast of a lake when the loud wind was laid, shock registered on her face before she could hide it when she heard the man who killed Commander of Timber Deity Empire and brought down Timber Deity Empire was Rocky.


    Marin nodded to Isis in noncommittal expression. Her eyes were also full of bafflement. It was unmistakable that she even was hesitant about Rocky''s competence. She couldn''t believe that Rocky had progressed so much.


    "All of you leave us alone. I demand to have a confidential dialogue with Commander Marin..." After a second of halt, Isis told Commanders.


    Commanders looked at each other in ambiguity and then bowed and left.


    "Marin, judging from his competence, Rocky couldn''t kill Commander of Timber Deity Empire, who is of the Heavenly Stage by himself. How could he do that? How could he execute a Commander of the Heavenly Stage?" Isis asked Marin after everyone left.


    "I didn''t see that myself, either. Spirit manipulators who were along with Rocky said that something perplexing happened on Rocky at that time," Marin said seriously.


    "Peculiar thing? What is it?" Isis asked curiously.


    "At that moment, Rocky released dark spiritual power when he was in the most precarious situation. At that juncture, Rocky became very vigorous and outstripped the first grade of the Heavenly Stage. Then, he killed Commander of Timber Deity Empire," Marin said in a bemused voice.


    "The first grade of the Heavenly Stage? How on earth could it be... His power was only the eighth grade of the Earthly Stage in the contest." Isis was also shocked. Her brain was desperately scrambling to make sense of it all. "I never heard that one could emit dark spiritual power. Dark power shall belong to the royal spirit manipulators. How could it be feasible that he emitted the dark power?"


    "I also feel weird. But all of the soldiers, along with Rocky, said this. There is a possibility that the soldiers had illusion since it was dark at that time. However, Rocky easily like counting the blossoms on a century plant withstood an attack launched by another third grade of the Heavenly Stage Commander of Timber Deity Empire when he went to save me with the chopped-off head. I didn''t feel anything wide off the mark since the condition on the battleground was exceedingly demanding. Judging from this, Rocky was indeed odd, and his eyes were extraordinary at that time..." Marin found it was hard to explain the situation. In app


    Isis, rolling her eyes. She looked at Marin shell-shocked.


    "There is no way that I can tell he is joking with this. Now, he has rescued Rough Slope. Am I going to..." Marin said in rue.


    "Leave him alone. He lied to you first. Don''t be on a tenterhook. I will teach him a lesson when I meet him next time," Isis said. Anger boiled deep in her system, as hot as lava. It churned within, hungry for destruction.


    "Deputy Commander in Chief, are you going to teach me a lesson?" A joking voice was saying outside of the camp. Later, a man came in.


    Both Isis and Marin turned their heads and found it was Rocky. He strode in calmly with a look of indifference.


    "You, such a perjurer! How dare you to come and see us..." Marin retorted, making a fist with her hand as if she was going to punch on Rocky.


    "How dare you, Rocky! How dare you to take advantage of Marin, my cousin! I will teach you a lesson!" Isis was boiling with anger, too, as if she wouldn''t let Rocky go scot-free.


    "I''m going to take off and come to say goodbye to Commander Marin. I have brought Verdanim back." Rocky frowned and turned away after concluding his words, despite the fact that two women were gawking at him. Their eyes rest, not unblinking but slowed, yet the effect was soft and inviting instead of harsh.


    "Hold on!" Both Marin and Isis shouted on top of their voices when seeing Rocky was about to leave.


    "You don''t want me to go? Or both of you want to marry me?" Rocky stated in an evil voice and joking expression grew on his face.


    Both Marin and Isis gave him angry stares hearing what he said.


    In this world, only Rocky dared to play a joke with these two women with background and influence.

 Chapter 370 Who Was The Man

    "Rocky, if you continue acting like that, I will be short with you." Isis was a little bent out of shape. But Rocky made tremendous contributions this time. Then she cooled down and spoke as tenderly as she could, "It was thanks to you this time that we could hold the Rough Slope and safeguard our main force."


    "Commander Marin led the army with brilliant tactics and delayed the speed of the army of the Timber Deity Empire, which is the most critical reason we won the battle. I just did what I should do," Rocky said with a shrewd smile. His smile shined like the stars in the sky.


    "Give yourself some credit. If you hadn''t murdered the Commander of the Timber Deity Empire and slashed the military morale of the enemy, we wouldn''t have had such a great chance. And all the tactics were proposed by you. Compared to you, I did very little. I don''t deserve to be the Commander. I suppose I should identify someone who is as competent as you to replace me," Marin said with a chip on her shoulder tone, rolling her eyes at Rocky.


    "It''s none of my business whether you are the Commander or not," Rocky said coldly to Marin, turning a blind eye to her boiling resentment. He didn''t get worked up about such thing at all. What he merely wanted was that no problem came to him.


    "Do you literally need to be so mean? You are so narrow-minded!" Marin retorted, perceiving that Rocky irritated her on purpose. It was as if she had swallowed that anger when it was a fire-seed and forgotten to drink something cool, and so it grew in her belly until it came out as hot as any dragon had ever flamed. She opened her eyes wide, and her cheeks were pink, looking very cute.


    "Well, both of you performed well this time. As for the rewards, we will converse about it later. We now shattered the plan of the Timber Deity Empire, but I assume they will try every means to retaliate against us. So we should be vigilant and can''t lower our guard. But we managed to hold the Rough Slope and triumphantly killed the leading Commander of the Timber Deity Empire. It is a tremendous strike for them. What''s more, their whole plan has been disrupted by us, which is a precarious problem for


    past Commander Zhou''s neck.


    Seeing that, the commanders at present broke into a cold sweat of fear.


    A strand of hair dropped on the ground and a blood trail appeared on Commander Zhou''s neck. He would have been dead by now if the cut were a little deeper.


    The sword dropped on the ground with a loud sound.


    "If killing you could make up for this failure, I would finish your life without delay," Alyssa said, clenching her teeth. She thought her plan was flawless and would have given a horrendous beating to the Crimson Dragon Group. But the result was the opposite. The Crimson Dragon Group had been reinforced and would definitely take this opportunity to take the initiative and attack the battlefront of the Timber Deity Empire.


    "Thanks for sparing my life, Princess," Commander said with gratitude.


    "Tell me what happened from the Crimson Dragon Group delivering the army provisions to you being defeated by their reinforcement. I want the details. So I can figure out what exactly led to the failure," Alyssa said to Commander Zhou coldly in her seat.


    Commander Zhou nodded immediately and started to elaborate on the process.


    Alyssa''s expression grew severe as she listened. She had made it clear that the one who had come up with the tactics could manipulate Commander Zuo and Commander Zhou''s minds easily.


    ''Who on earth is this man that had such novel ideas?'' Alyssa thought, keen interest blazing in her cold eyes.

 Chapter 371 An Unexposed Talent

    The commanders present were caught on a hop by what they had gotten wind of. Yet, they thought it was the two Commanders'' fault that the twenty thousand soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire were pulled a fast one by their rival. Considering the two''s qualifications, they shouldn''t have fallen into such a trap. How could they be that unguarded?


    Those commanders didn''t engage in the fight against Rocky, after all, so they had no single clue about how panic striking he was.


    "Commander Zhou, do you perceive who worked out all these schemes? I know it''s like drawing blood from a turnip for it to be Commander Marin. She is good, but still green. The one who can figure out those schemes is very calculating and so excellent at analyzing situation and enemy''s feebleness. The only people I can think of who conforms to all the characters in the Crimson Dragon Group is Lance Liu, their Commander in Chief. But according to the intelligence, Lance had already headed for the Imperial City before we blockaded the Rough Slope. It''s not him. Then who is this person? Is there anybody else in the Crimson Dragon Group who can be that good as gold and talented? Except for Isis Liu, their present leader," Alyssa guessed with bewilderment. She was in a need-to-know situation. It''s like her brain cells had been randomized. This person''s appearance was utterly out of her expectation. To her intelligence, there was no such talent in the Crimson Dragon Group, excluding Lance and Isis. After some brown studying, she concluded that the person was eminently possible to be Isis, her most prominent opponent while she was filled with aplomb that she could deal with Isis.


    Commander Zhou took a trip down memory lane the man who took Commander Zuo''s head invading their army after a while. Yet everything was in pandemonium and so noisy as a flock of crow-blackbirds in the migration season then, so he didn''t hear clear when Marin called Rocky''s name. He felt sorry for that.


    "Is that so?" Alyssa''s face looked sullen slightly.


    "Yes! And that man looked very young." Commander Zhou nodded.


    "None of their members, whose positions are in or above Commander in the Crimson Dragon Group, are at the early twenties. Even among their Deputy Commanders, there is nobody at such age." Alyssa was trying to figure out who could be the man. She had a gift for learning by rote. And she already got some information and intelligence about those, whose positions were in or above Deputy Commander in the Crimson Dragon Group


    must be a bright future behind them as long as they followed him.


    Rocky frowned a little as seeing more and more people came around him. Before the crowd tightly encircled him, he strode through them and walked into Louis'' tent. The purpose he came back to the logistic camp was to notice Louis before he began his next plan.


    While Louis was sitting with the Deputy Camp Director and two captains as if debating something.


    "Captain Rocky!" Louis'' eyes lit up as soon as he saw Rocky''s coming. The delight was unmistakable on his face as he stood up and greeted Rocky. He was thrilled as a shark in a shoal of sea bream. Rocky saved the northeast army out of harm''s way and helped them guard the Rough Slope, so Louis believed that his logistic camp would likewise get praised from above. Louis was a newly appointed Camp Director. After he took office, Rocky had made impressive achievements twice in one month. Now Louis had considered Rocky as his lucky star. And he also understood why the Deputy Commander in Chief attached that importance to Rocky.


    The Deputy Camp Director and the two captains, however, turned grim-faced. They already had a problem with Rocky when he won the logistic camp the second-class merit because of a map and a new transportation way he discovered. And this time, Rocky even finished an insurmountable task which secured him a greater honor. Intense jealousy was burning inside their chests.


    "Captain Rocky! It''s so good to see you come back! We are discussing the issue that our food transportation often gets intercepted by our enemy," Louis said to Rocky reverently when he led him to a seat, as if Rocky was the Camp Director.

 Chapter 372 Genetic Sequence

    "Is there any damage that has occurred?" inquired Rocky with his eyes squinting.


    "Thanks to your roadmap, our transportation squads could withdraw in time and evade the unnecessary loss. But it nevertheless influences the supplies for the frontier. We are cudgeling our brains about how to cope with it. Captain Rocky, since you are here, we''d like to hear your advice..." Louis asked like a praying nun.


    "How many enemies are there?" Rocky rubbed his chin, trying to come up with a solution, switching on his mind to explore innovative and profound answers to the complications and asked.


    "Around three thousand," replied Louis.


    "How long have they been driving us round the twist?" Rocky nodded and proceeded to seek information.


    "They have started to drive us round the bend since Rough Slope was beleaguered. But there was a burgeoning number in interception later. So we haven''t accompanied the army provisions and supplies to frontier safely for a few days..." Louis gave a wild guess and answered back.


    "It looks like Timber Deity Empire is crystal clear about our transportation roadmap now." Rocky was contemplative. His roadmap could effectively ward off the interception of Timber Deity Troops but couldn''t prevent their provocation, specifically when the enemy was straightforward about their transportation lines.


    "Did you address this to Deputy Commander in Chief?" Rocky mulled over and sought.


    "We have already informed this. However, Timber Deity Troops are untraceable and vanish from sight quickly like a bullet out of a gun. It''s a tough like shoe leather problem," Louis responded.


    "No matter how they are untraceable, they will still leave behind a trace. Please tell Deputy Commander in Chief..." After contemplating for a while, Rocky moved close to Louis'' ear and whispered to him.


    Louis nodded along with Rocky.


    "I see. I will deliver messages to Deputy Commander in Chief immediately." Louis felt relieved after hearing what Rocky said as if they got an outstanding approach to handle the prevailing dilemma.


    "I will send you my plan in detail, but I require a few days to prepare. So, please take care if there is something else..." Rocky said to Louis.


    "I understand... I hope you bring a Carrier Beast so that I could contact you anytime," Louis


    "I should walk Dark Heaven Insect Queen for a while and get rid of the annoying flies of Timber Deity Empire..." After concluding the work in the lab, Rocky started to pull off his plan.


    Since Dark Heaven Insect Queen was pregnant, it was incubating eggs that could hatch larvae of Dark Heaven Insect. The more female hormone was retaliating for the Queen to excite ovary and give a facelift to the breeding environment so that larvae could grow vigorous.


    At present, the best procedure to get more female hormones was to bring it for hunting all kinds of female beasts and get the female hormone from them.


    Rocky got gird up his loins and left for the nest. In the nest, he opened the Magic Spiritual Space and lulled Dark Heaven Insect Queen and three Dark Heaven Insects into it. By sheer luck, he owned strong Holy Dragon Bead power. He could open Magic Spiritual Space by the power of the first grade of the Heavenly Stage, which could contend with Magic Spiritual Space made by the spirit manipulator of the Supernal Stage.


    For one ordinary spirit manipulator of the first grade of the Heavenly Stage, their Magic Spiritual Space was a hard nut to crack to hold one Dark Heaven Insect, not mention three ones and a queen.


    Thus it could be seen how influential the power of the Holy Dragon Bead was. Moreover, Rocky just unlocked the first layer of seal on the power of the Bead, not mention that all of nine layers of seal were unlocked. No one could have conjured up how powerful it would be and what would crop up.

 Chapter 373 A Real Treasure

    After Rocky prepared everything he needed for this trip, he started off with the four beasts and the Carrier Beast, heading for the northwest.


    His object of the exercise along the way was female spirit-manipulated beasts, so he just required to go to the places where spirit-manipulated beasts often became noticeable to find his target. Because of that, he didn''t have a particular destination for this trip.


    Apart from the little Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf, the three beasts¡ªUriah, Rubygon, and the Rainbow Glow Unicorn¡ªoften worked collectively to browbeat the wild spirit-manipulated beasts around the logistic camp. Thus, they were thoroughly acquainted in hunting. Thanks to the three of them, Rocky easy-peasy like falling off a log got many female spirit-manipulated beasts without any trouble hardships or efforts.


    Meanwhile, Rocky''s essential job was to take out the corpses'' organs, which secreted the female hormone, for the insect queen.


    At first, the insect queen gave the thumbs down to indulge them. What it ate usually was soil, after all. Facing the bloody "dessert," it could not get to grips with it at all. Because of that, Rocky was forced to include some magical saliva to its "dessert" to dangle a carrot in front of it to eat them. After it had tasted some of them, it gradually got accustomed to the flavor.


    They hunted for a day and saw no more wild spirit-manipulated beasts nearby came out in the night. Then Rocky led the five beasts into a grove and shortly discovered a hushed as the lighting of a fly on a feather-duster place and secret spot suitable for them to take a breather, which was flat and surrounded by rocks. After setting up a conflagration, Rocky put a message on the Carrier Beast and sent it flying to Louis.


    Uriah, Rubygon, and the Rainbow Glow Unicorn were all worn to a frazzle because they had the sweat of their brow the entire day. Now that they ultimately could have breathing space, they sat cheek by jowl and played with the little Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf.


    Sitting beside the bonfire, Rocky took out the book titled "Demonic Fire Codex." The spiritual martial arts in this book was for the Heavenly Stage spirit manipulators to cultivate. Because his strength didn''t qualify before, he didn''t have the guts to read this book at all. But now he, at last, arrived at the Heavenly Stage, and he could start learning the spiritual martial arts in this book without giving a fret.


    Rocky opened the book and commenced reading thoughtfully. It merely took him an hour to accomplish r


    rrow from a bow to break the seal on his Holy Dragon Bead.


    Rocky soon commenced cultivating the spiritual martial arts in the Demonic Fire Codex.


    The cultivation method in the Demonic Fire Codex was called the "Demonic Fire Skill." The cultivation grade of this skill varied from the first to the ninth. One could get the hang of a type of Fire spiritual martial arts each time when reaching the first, the third, the sixth, and the ninth grade. The four were Destroying Fire, Fire Dragon, Fire Sea, and Raging Inferno.


    After the night passed, Rocky had become proficient in the first grade of the Demonic Fire Skill and the first type of Fire spiritual martial arts¡ªDestroying Fire.


    At daylight, it was sticking out a mile to be seen that half of the grove, where they had recharged their batteries last night, had suffered a conflagration. Black tree trunks and the scorched earth formed a spine chilling picture.


    When Rocky was about to reestablish his journey with the four beasts, the Carrier Beast that he dispatched a message to the logistic camp came back. And there was a note inside the tiny paper tube tied to its foot.


    Rocky took out the note to have a fixed gaze. As reading the note, his lips curved upward slightly. With the Carrier Beast on his shoulder, he headed for the east with the four beasts.


    After half a day, Rocky and the five beasts found a trench. That was a secret spot which was enveloped by three cliffs and a thick grove. This was really an excellent place to conceal themselves. Without a conscientious exploration, practically nobody would find this trench.


    Soon Rocky found an army of the Timber Deity Empire which had encamped in there.

 Chapter 374 Repeated A Stock Trick

    Ever since the Rough Slope was hemmed in, the transportation squad of the logistic camp was put on a back burner incessantly by the guerrilla squad from the Timber Deity Empire. The guerrilla squad attacked from nowhere and ceased to be visible soon enough without any inkling to trace them. The transportation of the provisions and other supplies to the front line was thus stranded from time to time. Typically, the fighting capacity of the force, which was in charge of interception, would not be that dynamic as the spirit of the storm. The number of its members was also insignificant. But their ability of movement was mind-blowing. The small team could withdraw themselves as swift as a streak of lightning after the attack.


    ''Hmm... Let''s get a glimpse of how you are going to show a clean pair of heels again this time.'' Rocky curved his lips for an evil smile as his eyes gleamed with an excellent plan to deal with this traceless small team. He grinned viciously, but it refused to reach his flickering eyes. Rocky got wind that the transportation squad of the logistic camp was beleaguered by the interception from a traceless guerrilla team of the Timber Deity Empire. The small team often showed up without warning and exchanged blows before they vanished from sight at a breakneck speed. He asked Louis to transmit a message to Isis, in which he pled with her to dispatch a reconnaissance squad to the sections where the interception used to take place. The reconnaissance squad would assemble every bit of information left by the guerrilla team of the Timber Deity Empire from those spots. Then, they had to evaluate the information thoroughly before they predicted the possible spectrum of active venues based on the information they compiled and scrutinized.


    Last night, Rocky dispatched the Carrier Beast to the logistic camp to inquire Louis about the progress of the surveillance. The reconnaissance squad was more labor-saving than his prediction. They had already arrived to a conclusion about the active venues of the guerrilla squad of the Timber Deity Empire for the past ten days. So Louis sent the result of their analysis to Rocky through the Carrier Beast. It did not take long for him to dope out the possible hidden location of the guerrilla squad based on the information he received. It was the secluded basin land in front of him.


    After all, he was filled with aplomb as a bird committing itself to the air or a great fish to the deep. That no one perceived the topography of this region could outplay him!


    After the hideout of the guerrilla squad was smoked out, Rocky arranged the Carrier Beast in a dash to dispatch a message to Isis in the main camp in the frontline. Then, he lavished no time to open the Magic Spiritual Space to release a gigantic Dark Heaven Insect Queen.


    As the Dark Heaven Insect Queen trundled on the ground, many beast figures showed up on the spot from all directions. More and more beasts kept coming into view from far and near. In the flicker of an eye, there were thirty to forty wild spirit-manipulated beasts clustered around the Dark Heaven Insect Queen. Most of the wild spirit-manipulated beasts were of one to two stars, some of them were of three stars. They gave out a death stare fie


    handle would only be around twenty. The remaining wild spirit-manipulated beasts still rampaged around to assault the panicky soldiers who fled in all directions.


    Even it was the lowest grade of the wild spirit-manipulated beast, it would knock the stuffing out for a common soldier. The outcome was not optimistic even in the situation of a hundred ordinary soldiers versus just one single wild spirit-manipulated beast. It would be very back-breaking to succeed in combat under this situation since there were less than a score of spirit manipulators in the guerrilla squad. The price would be too painful even if they struggled to deal with the horde of the wild spirit-manipulated beasts.


    The death toll of the soldiers had escalated to one to two hundred until now. And the number was advancing...


    "Commander Sun, I guess we''d better withdraw from this valley. We would not be able to put a conclusion or be invulnerable to the fatally attack even if we hung on. We cannot manage to lose more soldiers. Our camps, together with our provisions and other supplies, were all reduced to ashes. It won''t do us any good if we struggle on..." One of the Deputy Commander retreated himself in thrown off balance to the side of the Commander Sun.


    "Damn it!" Commander Sun grit his teeth wrathfully as he could not reconcile himself to the browbeating of a horde of wild spirit-manipulated beasts. But he did not seem to have other possible courses of action at the moment. He required to get rid of the herd. So he waved his hand as he commanded, "Everybody, fall back! We don''t have to belittle ourselves to overcome the contending with these herd of wild beasts..."


    Soon enough, the guerrilla squad was constrained to retreat from the basin valley towards the southwest direction. They put on their best leg to get rid of the bunch of the crazy wild beasts that still remained there abusing the corpse at the campsite.


    Rocky had sent the Dark Heaven Insect Queen back to the Magic Spiritual Space. He summoned Uriah back right away. He and the four beasts trod on the heels the guerrilla squad of the Timber Deity Empire who just evacuated from the basin valley.

 Chapter 375 A Cold Tone

    Seeing that they were no longer in danger after retreating for several hours, Commander Sun from the Timber Deity Empire ordered everybody to have a rest on the spot. It was apparent that he was still upset. As per Alyssa''s order, he had slipped into the rear area of the Crimson Dragon Army with a small scale mobile unit in order to intercept the supply of provisions and fodders of the Crimson Dragon Army. However, he hadn''t successfully intercepted any provisions and fodders till now. What made him extra annoyed, though, was that the transportation team of the Crimson Dragon Army had disappeared under his nose for several times. This issue was not acceptable because there weren''t many people in the transportation team, so his mobile unit should have been enough to deal with them.


    The situation was truly horrible because even when things started to get better, something weird happened. When Commander Sun finally figured out the route that the transportation team had taken, he and the mobile unit were attacked by a group of wild spirit-manipulated beasts that seemed to appear out of the blue. As a result, they had not only failed to intercept the provisions and fodders transported by the Crimson Dragon Army, but also lost their own provisions and fodders. All of their provisions and fodders had been burned when they began retreating. Maybe they could not hold up for even one day.


    "Sir, what should we do next?" the deputy commander asked.


    "What else can we do when we don''t even have enough people to deal with a group of wild beasts? Of course we should retreat to our own territory as soon as possible. I''m already tired of staying at this desolate place," Commander Sun answered in a discontented tone while spitting out a lot of curses.


    "Commander, bad news, bad news!" a spirit manipulator shouted while running here quickly from the rear of the unit. Panic was all over his face.


    "Oh, dear God! What else happened?" Commander Sun asked, staring at the spirit manipulator with attentive eyes.


    "Oh, well... A group... A group of wild spirit-manipulated beasts are in their way towards us again," the spirit manipulator answered while gasping for air.


    "Perfect! Just when I thought things could not possibly get worse!" Commander Sun''s face was drained of color in an instant. When he immediately raised his head to look out, he could see a group of beasts running quickly towards them from the rear of the unit. ''Oh my God! They are really close!''


    "What the hell is going on?" Commander Sun complained. He was panicking and about to go crazy.


    "Sir..." The deputy command


    th her head held high, as she barged into the tent. She looked as arrogant as a queen, and gave out the aura of a senior spirit manipulator.


    The woman was Marcia''s disciple, who had been dispatched by her master to protect Rocky. It seemed that she was an old acquaintance of Isis.


    As soon as Isis saw the woman, a glimmer of surprise flashed across her eyes. However, she did a great job hiding it, and ordered the guard to leave.


    The guard bowed respectfully to her and left right away.


    "Why did you come here?" Isis asked while looking the woman in the eye. It seemed that she wasn''t very happy to see her.


    "I came to deal with something. By the way, I can see an old friend in you," the woman answered in a soft voice.


    "An old friend? I think it''s more proper to refer to me as an old rival," Isis said coldly, as if she had had some conflict against the woman.


    "Why are you still holding all this grudge? After all, it has really been a long while since it happened," the woman asked while rolling her arrogant eyes.


    "No, I am not holding any grudge at all," Isis said despite the apparent grievance in her eyes that were fixated on the woman.


    "You needn''t try to deny it. Nobody knows you better than I do, given that we have been fighting against each other since our childhood!" The woman suddenly burst into a beautiful smile as if an iceberg had melted.


    "Oh, and should I feel honored to be known well by the second daughter of the honorable Ji Clan?" Isis continued to speak in a sarcastic tone after giving a sneer.


    "I''m no longer the second daughter of the Ji Clan. I''m not at all related to the Ji Clan," said the woman. She regained the cold tone as soon as she heard Isis mention the Ji Clan.

 Chapter 376 Tasked With Protecting Rocky

    Initially, this appealing beauty wasn''t merely the apprentice of Marcia, one of Three Great Generals of Holy Dragon Empire, but again was Sabina, the second daughter of Ji Clan, who was one of the famous manipulator clans in Holy Dragon Empire and was second only to Ximen Clan.


    Ten years ago, Sabina was well known in the Holy Dragon Empire. With a robust family background, Sabina was born with the outstanding manipulator blood of Ji Clan. At the age of thirteen, she inherited dragon spiritual power and turned into a royal spirit manipulator. Her mind-blowing aptitudes stood out even among the Ji Clan, who was brimming with talented people. Members from other manipulator clans were doomed to commend her. They had the hot spot for her. Even Bryant, leader of Ximen Clan, pampered her with compliments.


    At that time, only Isis was pointed out in the same breath with Sabina. Nobody else could contrast with her. She was in a class of her own.


    Isis was also extensively acknowledged as a gifted lady. With startling beauty and intelligence, she had high propensities of spirit manipulator and was bestowed with civil and martial virtues. All officers in the Holy Dragon Empire thought highly of her, and the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire also had a soft spot for her.


    So, people always conversed about them and compared Sabina with Isis.


    These two ladies, ecstatic with femme fatale and full of life, had all the favor bestowed by God, and everyone in the Holy Dragon Empire was thrilled about them. However, they were too young too naive at that time and more too big for their boots than others wrapped in cotton wool, rich young ladies. Both of them were very sensitive to the outside piece of chitchat. Hearing there was one who was better than herself, each of them was unenthusiastic to the second talented lady in the empire.


    So these two young ladies were ill-matched as fire and water. Each time they floundered across each other, a ferocious combat was bound to take effect, and neither of them felt hesitant to show the white flag.


    In this manner, they had the first went the knuckle, the second, the third... In the outcome, they fought for five years. But no disharmony, no concord. Afterwards, although they assaulted each other for a while each time they bumped into each other, their relationship became closer. They established a close bond of warm sisterly feelings. The dis


    ''s hold our horses and lay our eyes on it!" Isis pursed her mouth and beamed to herself. Her smirk was one of happiness growing, much as a spring flower opened. One could see how it came from deep inside to light her eyes and spread into every part of her.


    Sabina took out a picture and put it in front of Isis.


    Seeing this picture, Isis was frozen for a while. She stood gormless as a guppy. She recognized it was Rocky in the picture, although he looked younger in the picture.


    "He is the person you are looking for?" Isis asked with a source of perplexity. It sounded to be unattainable, like drawing blood from a stone, that there was any connection between Sabina and Rocky. Why is Sabina searching desperately for Rocky with his picture? There were lots of lack of certainty in her mind.


    "Is there any thorn in one''s side?" catching a glimpse of Isis'' out of the common expression, Sabina asked.


    "Why do you have an inclination to search for him?" Isis pursued.


    "I have nothing to reveal to you about this. You just grant me the information I need. Tell me where he is," Sabina responded with a cold frame of mind.


    "Okay, fine. You go to locate him by yourself," Isis shrugged, and she wouldn''t tell Sabina where Rocky was if Sabina didn''t inform her of the reason. Isis also fathomed that there should have some relationship between Rocky''s confidential background and Sabina''s showing up.


    "I literally couldn''t inform you," Sabina said and exposed helpless eyes. Marcia, her master, had given the low-down to her not to let others perceive that she came to keep him from harm.

 Chapter 377 Falling Into The Trap

    "Is this a cloak and dagger mission? The only possible person who let you conduct a secret mission is General Marcia. Is it General Marcia who assigned you to find Rocky?" Isis was as cunning as a fox and could speedily get the significant point even though Sabina didn''t say anything. But if her conjecture was right, more questions came subsequently. Why did General Marcia make up her mind to let her apprentice find Rocky? What was the relationship between Rocky and General Marcia?


    Isis didn''t have a clue of the answer at the moment. The appearance of Sabina made the identification of Rocky more unfathomable.


    "I don''t care about whatever you guess. But I have my ways to locate him even if you don''t tell me," Sabina said, struggling to cover up her reaction. She was at a loss for words. She didn''t expect that Isis would guess right so quickly.


    "It gives me the impression of you not knowing his name yet," Isis said, her heart filled with aplomb, inferring that winding up from Sabina''s voice.


    "So what? I can locate him anyway," Sabina said nonchalantly.


    "His name is Rocky Bai, the captain of the transportation squad in the logistic camp. But he is tight-lipped about his movement and tracks. You might not spot him in the logistic camp. I know he is not there now," Isis said after thinking for a second.


    "Thank you." Sabina to a slight extent, acknowledged Isis and turned around to take her leave.


    Isis'' eyes darkened immediately as Sabina left. She called a bodyguard and let him send a message to Louis of the logistic camp, asserting that let Louis inform her when Rocky came back to the logistic camp.


    "What is the true identity of Rocky? How did he be on a friendly footing with General Marcia?" Isis spoke in a hushed tone to herself, eyebrows knitted together.


    In the main camp of the Timber Deity Empire, Alyssa just received the message that the strong squad she had sent to intercept the army provisions of the Crimson Dragon Group was captured by them, so she looked very gloomy now. And the commanders present didn''t pluck up the courage to make a sound.


    The Timber D


    as rarely seen.


    The death of one Elite Commander and three Frontline Commanders was an extensive attack to the Crimson Dragon Group. It was extremely late for Isis to make atonement for the damage. It was her negligence that let the Crimson Dragon Army stuck in such a situation.


    Isis didn''t lead the squad this time, so she didn''t perceive that the right-wing defense line of the Timber Deity Empire was thus a straightforward target because most of the soldiers defending the line had already been pulled out when they advanced the defense line earlier.


    The army of the Timber Deity Empire had advanced their right-wing defense line to deceive Isis into thinking that the army of the Timber Deity Empire was simply bluffing. But literally, Alyssa had already deployed her soldiers secretly and stuck around for the Crimson Dragon Army to go into her trap.


    If Isis had led the army herself this time, she might have discovered the trap designed by Alyssa. The thirty thousand main force of the Crimson Dragon Army became heady over the consecutive victories, so they didn''t take heed that they were entering the trap of the enemy.


    Alyssa was gifted in implementing military tactics and had novel ideas. She took advantage of the headiness of the Crimson Dragon Army and designed this trap to cajole the Crimson Dragon Army into lack of success.


    Compared to Alyssa, Isis was not experienced enough.

 Chapter 378 A Terrible Trap

    This was just a starting point. Any spur of the moment in the battlefield could result in suffering the destruction of the whole game, the one that can determine all subsequent paths. Armies of Timber Deity Empire cracked down thirty thousand armies of Crimson Dragon Group, but they merely lost half of their armies. For Crimson Dragon Group, the troops they lost were their essential force, the most excellent contending force brought by Isis from Crimson Dragon Group. The most magnificent fighting force was damaged severely, while their rival''s forces only lost half. Under this circumstance, it was an enormous setback to Crimson Dragon Group and blew a hole in their self-confidence.


    Now Crimson Dragon Group only had over thirty thousand forces defending the frontier and proceeded in going into tailspin workforce created menace in defense. Crimson Dragon Group seemed to be crystal clear more not up to scratch in defense.


    In contrary, after bringing the thirty thousand armies of Crimson Dragon Group to their knees, Timber Deity Empire repositioned and reestablished their troops and left for the frontier again. Timber Deity Empire started the balls rolling ferocious attack toward Crimson Dragon Group and repressed them. It seemed Timber Deity Empire was going to break through their defensive line and invade Holy Dragon Empire.


    Isis utilized all her efforts to deploy the troops and all strategies she knew to defend. But it was too late.


    Alyssa didn''t let them have any breathing time for Crimson Dragon Group. She guided to break up the left line of Crimson Dragon Group and gripped hold of the fort in left defensive line quickly like a bullet out of a gun. Timber Deity Empire beat off the troops of Crimson Dragon Group one by one. In the outcome, the left defensive line was crushed down in a few days.


    After losing the left defensive line, the frontier was made encroachments on by twenty thousand troops of Timber Deity Empire. It''s a stroke of luck that Isis had hazard an assumption the villain''s movement and evacuated their troops at night. Crimson Dragon Group kept ambushing them when Timber Deity Empire was pursuing them. Timber Deity Empire lost a few thousand soldiers, but their main troops were safe and sound unhurt. Crimson Dragon Group was still at a monkey wrench in the works.


    To safeguard their existing fighting force, Isis had to back off the right defensive line. Later, the right defensive forces converged with other main force led by Isis. There were only twenty thousands of troops left until that moment.


    Timber Deity Empire occupied the whole frontier. The front line, the civilian neighborhood along the frontier, had turned into the left desolate playground of war. Guilt-free people were caused suffering to by the war,


    r Deity Empire are too proud as a lion when passion-stirred and overestimate themselves. They think Crimson Dragon Group will throw in the sponge only if they assail us!" One Elite Commander said and was rudely awakened by the performance of Timber Deity Empire. Timber Deity Empire''s movement indicated they belittled the Holy Dragon Empire.


    Other Commanders nodded. It suggested that they couldn''t get to grips their enemy looked down upon them.


    "It was my responsibility that Crimson Dragon Group was caught in a tight corner. If I weren''t so scatterbrained and hadn''t taken heed of the trap made by Timber Deity Empire, Crimson Dragon Group wouldn''t suffer the enormous destruction. Our frontier was also broken through, and we lost part of our territory. We have to withdraw into the Passes." Isis lay the accountability on herself. Since she suffered a considerable loss, she had self-condemnation for her action.


    "It''s not Deputy Commander in Chief''s accountability. Commander of Timber Deity Empire is more powerful than we imagine," Marin said, seeking to bestow a pardon to Isis.


    Commanders started to communicate in muted tones and implied to have some comments. Even they had some opinions, they didn''t have the audacity to speak in public. They knew that resourceful Isis was no match for Commander in Chief of Timber Deity Empire, let alone themselves.


    "We underestimated their power and intention this time, so we suffered a great loss. In the following action, we shall be restrained. The same blunder shall never be made again!" Lance certainly was conscious that his daughter''s incompetence did not cause the significant loss, but the superiority and ambition of Commander in Chief of Timber Deity Empire. Or, Timber Deity Empire wouldn''t forward their position under a disadvantage condition and trapped Crimson Dragon Group.

 Chapter 379 Tale

    "Commander in Chief, I''ve gotten wind of that the Timber Deity Empire''s commander is one of their princesses. Is it true?" Dunn asked quite abruptly.


    All the Commanders sitting in the room fixed their gaze to Lance, cudgeling their brains to figure out why a princess had such an exceptional leadership competence.


    "It''s said that this princess, Alyssa, has been sent to the spiritual race to study at a tender age. She is the same age as General Marcia, in her late 20s. And she also has reached the Divine Stage." Like most people, Lance had heard a lot about Alyssa but had never come face to face with her. There were all sorts of stories about her across the Wild Spirit Land. Lance heard the rumors and was curious about this foreign princess. Doubtless she was a force to be reckoned with. As the saying went, ''Even rumor is woven with a thread of truth''.


    "Under 30, the Divine Stage?" Everyone in the room was stunned. They had never thought that the commander of the enemy was such a genius in both the leadership and cultivation.


    "I guess the only one in the Wild Spirit Land who can compete with her is General Marcia." Lance nodded grimly.


    Isis'' hands clenched into fists and anger flashed across her cold eyes. She had a competitive nature and a desire to be the best. Losing to Alyssa this time was her biggest shame!


    "This princess is said to be the military genius of the century. She covertly conducted many battles against other countries in the past several years. The king of the Timber Deity Empire has established an enormous tenderness for her. It''s awe inspiring how she behaved in the fight against the Crimson Dragon Army. She backed us into a corner. She indeed lives up to her reputation," Lance said staunchly. Latching on to something was half the battle. Whoever had an inclination to succeed had to evaluate their rivals on the beam.


    "Father, will you send support to the Loyal Dragon Pass? If so, I wish to lead the troop," Isis said to Lance. She was extremely proud as a peacock and defeat by Alyssa was too bitter pill to swallow.


    "For now, we yet have heavy turn up at the Frozen River Pass. We have to tread cautiously. Every move of our main army we make now should be heedful. For safety''s sake, we require to concentrate on


    ou to keep their meeting strictly confidential. Actually, I''ve also gotten wind something on the trip back to the Imperial City." Lance nodded, a cunning glimmer in his eyes.


    "What?" Isis asked curiously, having knowledge it had something to do with Rocky.


    "I''m not very free from doubt of it yet. I will have to communicate with Sabina first. I will tell you then." Then Lance strode off.


    Lance and other three commanders left the Frozen River Pass for the Loyal Dragon Pass that afternoon with ten thousand soldiers.


    At the same time something was taking place in the peripheral forest of the Myriad Beasts Ground.


    "Burn!" Red and black flames shot up with startling ferocity. Fire licked everything like a hungry kitten with a saucer of milk and then broke into a shower of fire pouring down over the ground, turning the grass, shrubs and trees to ashes in the blink of an eye.


    Then some hell on earth screams rang out.


    Among several huge trees stood Rocky, Uriah and Rubygon. In front of them was nearly eight Corrupt Hounds, all two or three-star beast. These Corrupt Hounds were drooling corrosive saliva from their mouth, reeking of vomit and excrement, keeping a weather eye, hanging on.


    On the ground between them and Rocky were several charred bodies.


    Rocky would have spun and go like a bat out of hell at the first sight of so many Corrupt Hounds before. But now he was competent to maintain his poise and encounter them. Now these Corrupt Hounds were the ones who were scared stiff.

 Chapter 380 Making Quite A Lot Of Improvements

    Since Rocky broke into the first grade of the Heavenly Stage, his strength had been stirred up tremendously, which also meant that he made a significant leap in strength, compared to his previous strength at the Earthly Stage. Of course, the most critical reason for such an enhancement was due to that he got rid of the first layer of the sealing power inside his body, which was employed to seal the power of the Holy Dragon Bead. After that, he got back a small part of the evil power from the Holy Dragon Bead. Although it was only a small amount of power of the Bead, it had made his current strength into the first grade of the Heavenly Stage. What was more, his spiritual power was now equivalent to the second grade of the Heavenly Stage or even stronger than this level.


    However, after another half a month''s cultivation, Rocky also confirmed that the evil spiritual power from the Holy Dragon Bead in his body seemed difficult to be improved through cultivation. When he hunted in the peripheral forest of the Myriad Beasts Ground recently, relying on the unique sense of the Rainbow Glow Unicorn, he had harvested a lot of exotic and rare treasures that could enhance a warrior''s spiritual power. After refining and absorbing those treasures as well as the Dark Heaven Eggs produced by the Dark Heaven Insects he was breeding secretly, he noticed that the evil spiritual power in his body was yet not enhanced by a lot, or to be more exact, was even not advanced at all. Such a revelation gave him the hump.


    On the other hand, with the same treasures, the spiritual power with the Fire nature inside his body had been without respite made progress, and it was now tantamount to the third or maybe fourth grade of the Earthly Stage.


    The two utterly different phenomena made Rocky feel rather odd. After all, the two kinds of spiritual power had existed in his body at the same time. Why did the treasures have no enhancing effect on the evil spiritual power of the Holy Dragon Bead, but only on the spiritual power with the Fire nature?


    Rocky observed for a while and racked his brains for the possible reason, but he couldn''t figure out a piece of information. Somehow, he had a faint sneaking suspicion that this might be related to the spiritual power nature of the Holy Dragon Bead. He was cognizant that the Holy Dragon Bead''s spiritual power was very evil, which was entirely different from the ordinary spiritual power and spiritual power with nature.


    Every time he put to use the Holy Dragon Bead''s evil spiritual power, he could have a sensation of his changes from inside out. Especially when using such power alone, he would become extraordinarily cold-blooded, just like he was possessed and bewitched by some kind of resentment and evil thought. Moreover, he became bloodthirsty. It would be an extremely strenuous task for him to stop killing as long as he saw a drop of blood as if he had been dragged into hell and became a devil. Once such power was overused, he felt that he would lose self-control, and then it would control him instead.


    Therefore, he surmised that maybe, because the nature of the rar


    ed speed. In the blink of an eye, they were lost out of Rocky''s sight.


    "What? You all just beat a hasty retreat like this?" Rocky grumbled. Meanwhile, he shrugged as if he was acquainted with such a situation. Then, casting his attention on the Rainbow Glow Unicorn and the little Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf who were watching like hawks behind him, he said, "Let''s go." Then, he proceeded the hunting journey in the forest with his four beasts.


    During the more than half a month in the forest, the physical condition of the Dark Heaven Insect Queen had significantly improved. It felt cozier in the forest. Because of the repeated absorption of large amounts of estrogen, its ovaries were getting better and better, and its egg breeding process was also very smooth. Rocky found that its belly was much bigger than before.


    Besides, among the three Dark Heaven Insects, the two insects which used to be at the first grade of the three-star level now had risen to the second grade, which implied that he now had three Dark Heaven Insects at the second grade. The three insects could produce the medium Dark Heaven Eggs that were rare enough to make any spirit manipulator covet!


    If the queen successfully produced eggs and its egg hatching success rate was advanced, then Rocky would have at least ten Dark Heaven Insects. By then, even the number of the Dark Heaven Insects in the Palace City of the Holy Dragon Empire couldn''t exceed his. Moreover, as long as he had the queen, the number of his Dark Heaven Insects would be with no doubts increasing all the time.


    Those were not the end of his recent gains. He had also made significant progress in cultivating the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill. Now he managed to build a bridge for spiritual power connection in Rubygon''s body. Now he only had to imprint a mark on its spiritual source. If he finished that, then his Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill could reach the first stage, in which case he would be qualified to learn the unique secret skill described in the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill¡ªthe animalization!

 Chapter 381 The War Went Bad

    One could be in the state of animalization without activating Spirit Possession. In this state, one could gain part of the power from the spirit-manipulated beast and could own part of the form or competence of his or her beast by stimulating the beast. Rocky had gotten a glimpse of Sheridan activating this technique before, and it was really creepy.


    Rocky beyond doubt wished to stimulate the skill of animalization as soon as he could. However, Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill needed for animalization was one of the four excellent techniques in Wild Spirit Land. It''s not as straightforward as falling off a log to possess oneself of the skill. It was just one to two months from the time when he began to practice Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill. To improve spiritual power one shall accumulate gradually and again break through, but to practice Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill was different. One shall engage in contemplation each level of Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill like mediate the wisdom in Buddhism. One could lift oneself from a level to another level only if one were in a brown study of the intelligence. To practice Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill was like this. Therefore, one could apprehend the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill in one day or one year. It depended on one''s aptitude, which was like a root of wisdom that could lead one to the truth. If one didn''t have the root of perceptiveness, even he devoted a whole life in practicing Mysterious Best Transformation Skill, it wouldn''t bring to fruition. All the attempts would bear no fruit.


    Rocky had established a spiritual power relationship between him and Rubygon, which was an incredibly positive result. If he recognized Rocky''s accomplishment, Sheridan would be caught on the wrong foot. He spent one year in learning Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill to reach Rocky''s current stage.


    His progress would have been at the speed of light if he established the spiritual power connection with Uriah. Thus it could be regarded that he owned an extraordinary aptitude.


    As customary, Rocky hunted around the whole forest along an arc-shaped route. He captured female spirit-manipulated beasts for Dark Heaven Insect Queen as he was collecting samples of spirit-manipulated beasts. If he was blessed with good luck, Rocky could fin


    akening news, Lance''s firm and steady face was also given a trepidation. The enemy''s movement was extremely swift and without signaling.


    "It says a turncoat opened our gate off our guard. So the ambushed Timber Deity Empire troops invaded..." Spirit manipulator who sent the message informed.


    "A turncoat!" Lance was in high dudgeon with his hand clenched into a fist. Suddenly, the tables around him started to shudder like a leaf. There was a sound "Bang". An incense burner seemed couldn''t withstand the pressure, distorted, and tumbled down on the ground.


    Spirit manipulator was ahead of chilly perspiration. If one experienced this kind of pressure, there would be a uniform ending like that incense burner.


    "How was the condition in Wild Heaven Pass?"


    "Commander Ron is establishing a last-ditch defense. But the situation on the battlefield isn''t going successfully. Among Timber Deity Empire troops, a few high-powered squads of spirit manipulators are giving assistance to them to attack our Pass; especially, there are a few manipulators of the Heavenly Stage..."


    "Bring Commander Cheng here now!" After he grasped the condition of Wild Heaven Pass, Lance summoned Commander Cheng in a twinkle of an eye, and he ordered Commander Cheng to be in charge of Loyal Dragon Pass.


    After a few words with Commander Cheng, Lance stepped out of the camp and stretched out his hands to activate the power. Instantly, there was a rumble sound in the sky like a thunder and next second, a crevice was ripped in the sky like a giant mouth of a monster.

 Chapter 382 Dilemma

    As a deafening roar reverberated in the air, a colossal dragon flew out of the crevice. Its giant body glistened with dazzling thunder light, and its three huge heads were swinging. The four gigantic wings behind its heads even impeded the sunlight. Its body was as large as a mountain. Bolts of thunder kept spurting out of its two tails. The formidable aura around it rattled the spectators to the core.


    Those soldiers in the Loyal Dragon Pass almost bounced out of their skin as facing the colossal dragon''s appearance. The poor-spirited ones among them could not even help but begin shaking like a leaf.


    The spot where the Timber Deity Empire''s army encamped was near to the Loyal Dragon Pass, so they also caught a glimpse of the colossal dragon. Their jaws almost fell to the ground as seeing the rude awakening picture.


    That giant creature was Lance''s spirit-manipulated beast, a six-star Thunder Blustering Dragon. It ranked top ten on the Spiritual Beast List of the Wild Spirit Land, no matter in strength or quality. The Thunder Blustering Dragon was strong as an eagle and out of the ordinary kind of spiritual dragon among the thunder series. What could be on a par with Lance''s Thunder Blustering Dragon in the Holy Dragon Empire were only the two spirit-manipulated beasts of Bryant''s and Marcia''s.


    Lance self-possessed as the breast of a lake when the loud wind was laid jumped into the air. With a gleam of his spiritual power, he had ridden on the Thunder Blustering Dragon. As it was waving its wings, a sand storm swept over the Loyal Dragon Pass.


    In a flickering of an eye, the Thunder Blustering Dragon had brimmed over up into the sky and ebbed away.


    It was already night when Lance came back to the Frozen River Pass.


    "Father!" As promptly as perceiving Lance made an appearance, Isis came to catch sight of him.


    "How about the Wild Heaven Pass right now?" Lance inquired.


    "We have lost ten thousand of our men. By good luck, Commander Ron already kept at arm''s length the enemy ambush and expelled them out of the Wild Heaven Pass!" Isis answered with a somber look.


    "It''s still too shortly to make conclusions!" Lance declared.


    "Father, do you mean we should allocate some reinforcements to the Wild Heaven Pass?" Isis'' brows knitted together.


    "No, we can''t do that. Ten thousand soldiers of the Crimson Dragon Group have been assigned to the Loyal Dragon Pass from the Frozen River Pass. There are only twenty thousand soldiers in the Frozen River Pass right now. If we sent reinforcements to the Wild Heaven Pass, the Frozen River Pass would be on jeopardy then." Lance face looked sullen and then proceeded, "It''s our rival''s swindle. Now that the Timber Deity Empire has a substantial upper hand over us in the aspect of army forces, they bring int


    But if he didn''t do so, the Holy Dragon Empire would lose two crucial passes at the same time. The Timber Deity Empire could easily invade several cities around the Holy Dragon Empire''s boundary like a piece of old tackle.


    These days, the Crimson Dragon Army had already been dissipated after engaging in several fights. It was a hard nut to crack for them to guard a mere pass. How could they maintain both the Wild Heaven Pass and the Loyal Dragon Pass?


    "Father!" Isis wended her way in without signaling.


    "Is there any piece of information about the Wild Heaven Pass and the Loyal Dragon Pass?" Lance''s brows knitted together. While he had to blow the lid off that Princess Alyssa was so good that she even pushed him and the Crimson Dragon Army in a corner.


    Although Lance had encountered a lot and dominated for many time, he was already at the end of his wits as facing the current monkey wrench in the works. Perturbation had almost worn him out, which was so evident in the increase of his grey hair. Before the reinforcements arrived, the two principal passes were already on the edge of losing. Yet, he didn''t have the slightest idea about how to handle with that because of the inadequate army forces. All of these were overpowering him and almost smothered him.


    "Nothing new! I''m scared stiff that we would lose the Wild Heaven Pass." Isis shook her head slightly as a hint of twitchiness flashed in her eyes. Meanwhile, a man''s figure clicked into her mind. She believed that if he was here now, he might have a way to alleviate their up to the minute crisis. Although she fully understood that getting out of such a quandary was almost close to drawing water from a stone, she still believed that he could come to someone''s rescue. Because she already witnessed that he turned the impossibility into possibility last time in the Rough Slope.

 Chapter 383 A Bloody Battle

    "It''s going to be difficult. We''re practically between a rock and a hard place. The possibility of losing either Wild Heaven Pass or Loyal Dragon Pass is unbearable. I can''t imagine how it would be for the Crimson Dragon Group. With the way things are now, we will have to make a sacrifice. It''s best to focus our forces on just one. Defending both will be impossible. We lack the manpower and worse, we might end up losing both. Even if our reinforcements make it in time, we won''t be able to seize it back." Lance drew out his words with emphasis as he lifted his chin. His well-sculpted features displayed the confidence in his statement. He had given careful consideration to every aspect of their current predicament. It was tantamount that he considered every decision he was going to make, for the fate of the Crimson Dragon Group rested upon these changes. Mistakes could prove fatal, so he must be cautious.


    "If that''s what you think is best, which pass would you want us to defend, father?" Isis asked, her eyes sparkling.


    "We will be defending Wild Heaven Pass. The Loyal Dragon Pass is now under siege by troops that are led by the Commander-in-Chief of the Timber Deity Empire, Princess Alyssa. Our scouts have informed me that she has shown herself in the battlefield. Even if we send out reinforcements to mount our defense, it will be a moot battle, unless I lead the troops myself. But Princess Alyssa must have already prepared for that possibility. And if she sees me, she''ll launch a counter attack. She''ll most likely redirect her forces to the Frozen River Pass, knowing we won''t be able to defend it. Being directly connected to Evian City, the Frozen River Pass is more important than the other two. It is of the utmost importance that we don''t lose it, even if the others fall to their hands. Though it would appear that Wild Heaven Pass is under a lot of threat, we must consider that the battle has lasted for several days now. Not only are our troops becoming tired, but surely the Timber Deity Empire''s troops are the same. If we can mount our forces there and defend it, if we can overpower their troops, then we will have the upper hand before our reinforcements come. By then, if we have lost Loyal Dragon Pass, we only need to gather all our forces to take it back." Lance''s words swept through the room as he quickly analyzed the situation. He described the current states of all three passes in vivid detail. It was his sharp mind and his keen wit, that earned him the position of the Commander-in-Chief of the Crimson Dragon Group. He deserved the title given to him.


    "Such being the case, let me lead the troops to assist the defense of Wild Heaven Pass! I will make certain to hold Wild Heaven Pass, defending it with all of my power, no matter what," Isis said as she volunteered herself without any hesitation. She felt culpable for the predicament that plagued the Crimson Dragon Army, and felt it was only right for her to remedy the situation.


    "In order to successfully defend Frozen River Pass, we would need to station ten thousand troops here. We would be left with no more than five thousand troops to be dispatched to Wild Heaven Pass in order to assist with its defense. Taking into account the forces


    Wild Heaven Pass. A gruesome scene greeted them as they approached. A litter of corpses lined the pass and the woods that stretched on both sides, beacons and flames spread throughout.


    Before the troops of the Timber Deity Empire launched another attack, Isis took the initiative to proceed further into Wild Heaven Pass. She signaled her troops to follow suit, converging with the unit of the Crimson Dragon Army led by the Elite Commander who had been holding their position here.


    The Elite Commander''s eyes brightened at the sight of the reinforcements that met them, but he deflated after a while, knowing that they were not able to carry out the Commander in Chief''s wishes. "Deputy Commander in Chief, I have no excuse. I have failed to carry out the orders and almost lost Wild Heaven Pass. Please offer me the punishment that I deserve." The commander knelt down in shame as soon as Isis arrived, offering his apology.


    "Commander, this is no time to be throwing out the blame to anyone. Stand up. We must all unite to defend Wild Heaven Pass!" Isis shouted, her voice ringing through the air. She stood on the defensive wall that was marred by the flames and looked down at the enemy troops who were preparing to launch another attack outside the Pass.


    Just then, the Commanders and soldiers inside the pass who had been almost at the verge of giving up, cheered along with Isis, their voices echoing in a single chorus.


    At daybreak, the troops of the Timber Deity Empire rushed toward them like a surging tidal wave as they launched their attack. Their forces were twice the number of those of the Crimson Dragon Army. Taking advantage of their numbers, they struck the defensive line that Isis had arranged during the previous night.


    Under Isis'' command, the Frontline Commanders, including Marin and Dunn, took turns in leading troops outside of the pass, mounting their own forces to battle. With their limited forces, they struggled to fight back against the throngs of their enemies, and thus began the bloody battle in Wild Heaven Pass. The sound of steel and the fall of dead bodies hung in the air, silencing everything else in its wake.

 Chapter 384 Confirm The Owner

    Meanwhile, Uriah, Rainbow Glow Unicorn, and Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf surrounded Rocky and Rubygon under the old towering tree in the forest just outside the Myriad Beasts Ground. They were on high alert, looking around cautiously just like the guards.


    Rocky placed his hand on Rubygon''s forehead, and both of them started to glow. Countless light-spots whirled around the two, encasing them in a bright cocoon of spiritual power.


    Rocky and Rubygon were performing the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill where the spiritual sense coursing through Rocky entered Rubygon''s body. The last step in fulfilling the spiritual power connection was to carve a brand into Rubygon''s spiritual source.


    Because of this powerful spiritual bond, Rocky was able to enter a fantastic world created by Rubygon''s body. His spiritual sense was presented in a tiny human form, just like a cell.


    Flickering light-spots shuffled back and forth which made Rocky feel like he was in a high-tech psychedelic cosmos, the sphere of lights speeding around him. The luminescent macrocosm was from the spiritual source, which made spirit-manipulated beasts like Rubygon one of a kind.


    The spiritual source gave spirit-manipulated beasts special abilities. The light-spots created by the spiritual source intricately connected the spirit-manipulated beasts to their power. This connection made spirit-manipulated beasts vulnerable whenever the light-spots or even the spiritual source was harmed.


    The light-spots looked soft and inviting as they fully pulsated with strong spiritual power. Touching the light-spots would have made Rocky''s spiritual sense shake, which could potentially hurt him fatally. It was also the most dangerous risk spirit manipulators took when using the spiritual power to connect with spirit-manipulated beasts.


    One way of reaching the spiritual source was through Spirit Possession with a spiri


    he spiritual power storm. Rocky was threatened to fall.


    Without hesitation, Rocky did his best to get close to the spiritual source. If he failed, he would be swallowed by the power of the luminous sphere. This was a race, not only with time, but with death as well.


    He couldn''t give up now!


    The bridge was still disconnecting. Almost every spiritual power created by Rocky''s steps quickly dissipated after it just formed.


    At the same time, the spiritual source was almost within his reach.


    The bridge eventually broke, and Rocky fell down defenselessly. The churning ocean of strong spiritual power underneath could swallow him up easily.


    Rocky''s life was in danger!


    ''I can do it!'' he told himself. As he opened his eyes, several strands of black spiritual power wrapped him completely like numerous creeping branches.


    In the blink of an eye, a pair of angelic black wings appeared behind Rocky. It saved him from falling into the turbulent spiritual power beneath and brought him up close to the spiritual source.


    ''Be my spirit-manipulated beast!'' Rocky yelled in his heart, raising his hand with black Evil Flame and pressing it on the shining spiritual source.


    At that moment, the black Evil Flame enveloped the whole spiritual source.

 Chapter 385 Rubygons Upgrade

    On the spur of the moment, an earsplitting roar reverberated in the air, as if thunder was rumbling the sky. In a split second, plenty of birds and beasts made a rapid exit from the forest. Everything was in an entire mayhem.


    Under the towering ancient tree, a black ray passed through thick leaves and brimmed over up into the sky. It burned while licking everything like a hungry kitten with a saucer of milk, leaving everything into ashes along the way and left a round hole above the ancient tree. When the black ray flew in the sky, it burst out into a black firework and then faded away.


    Rocky fixed his gaze up with wide eyes, beads of sweat all over his head. As puffing and panting, he turned to gaze at Rubygon in front of him. Black spiritual power had engulfed Rubygon right now, and it displayed a heart-rending expression when its limbs were twitching. Great hard-heartedness was eloquent in its eyes.


    As Rubygon roared again like a lion, the black spiritual power around it began rotating and intertwining. The scaring to death picture suggested to be numerous demons were going hysterical.


    At the same time, compelling changes were taking place to Rubygon amongst the black spiritual power. Its original height was merely as tall as half a person, but now its body was becoming bigger and taller as fast track as a blowing balloon. In a matter of moments, its height had exceeded two meters. Rubygon was now even stronger and higher than Uriah, carrying a formidable air.


    While the upgrade process was still going on, Rubygon''s sharp teeth grew longer and scarier that would astound the life out of someone. Its two canine teeth in the upper jaw even protruded from the mouth, like two razor-sharp daggers hanged below its upper jaw. The nails on its four claws also grew longer and even dug into the ground deeply. The tail behind its colossal body turned into two, as the shape of the sickle. As the two tails waved in the air, they were glistening with cold aura.


    "Evolve? Rubygon''s star rating is advancing!" Rocky was caught on the wrong foot by what was developing to it, which was totally out of his presupposition.


    The dense black spiritual power gradually dissipated, which meant that the upgrade process had come to a halt. The subtle rattling and


    dilection to give it his best shot on this skill on Uriah next time. If he and Uriah were connected through their spiritual power, Uriah might have the same evolution as Rubygon did just then, or even have a special mutation one more time. After all, Uriah was an out of the ordinary spiritual beast with superior talent. Although it was merely at the third grade of the three-star level, with its deep red scales, it could even have a match for a four-star spirit-manipulated beast.


    Yet, Uriah''s power still had a disparity between a four-star spirit-manipulated beast''s. For precedent, Uriah could not take the catbird seat over the Trunk Giant during the battle last time. Rubygon could not even spark off any damage to the Trunk Giant.


    That could also make obvious the dire straits that a spirit-manipulated beast struggled to go beyond the gap between the star ratings. Thus, it was of a lot of significance for a spirit-manipulated beast to have an upgrade.


    At the same time, Uriah and the other two beasts had come to Rubygon to have a good time owing to its upgrade. They kept running around Rubygon to make manifest how much overjoyed as a clam they felt for it. Rubygon was also so tickled pink that it had joined their jubilation.


    Rocky let out a deep sigh of alleviation as getting a glimpse of that picture. It was really a close call when he imprinted a mark of spiritual power on Rubygon. If not because of the Holy Dragon Bead''s power, he would have been a corpse already before finishing the mark.

 Chapter 386 The Super Power

    But, no matter what it had been through, the result mattered. Looking back, Rocky felt that the adventures they had just been through were really important because Rubygon had been elevated to the second grade of four-star level. Although it still had to play catch-up with Uriah, the power of its claw strike proved to be as strong as that of other wild spirit-manipulated beasts at the third grade of three-star level. So Rubygon did really benefit from this experience. Maybe, it should be taken for another adventure to the Myriad Beasts Ground next time.


    ''I still kept the blue spiritual crystal we acquired last time. If it were assimilated solely by Rubygon, it would not be a problem for Rubygon to elevate itself by one more grade, '' Rocky thought while thinking of taking out the blue spiritual crystal. However, his thoughts were interrupted by the Carrier Beast that landed on his shoulder.


    ''What kind of message does the Camp Director want me to read again? He should be sorry for bothering me this frequently. He is killing me!'' Rocky looked impatient as he curled his lips. Nonetheless, he took the paper from the bamboo tube that was attached under the foot of the Carrier Beast. Upon reading the message, his face was disturbed; he kept frowning and looked astonished.


    ''Shit, it is as if I owned these two girls in another life! And I have to pay it back in this life.'' Rocky sighed as he turned back to watch the four beasts that were having fun together, "Boys, we need to head home now, there is something important that we need to do." Then, he walked away with his four beasts along his side.


    On the other hand, the Wild Heaven Pass had been successfully guarded under the command of Isis for two days. It was an extremely hard time for the Crimson Dragon Army. Indeed, they survived for two days straight, but the third day was hell. All they had left to confront their enemy were six thousand terribly fatigued soldiers, several Commanders, and some spirit manipulators. All of those had been worn out by the battles that lasted for days and days. They were left with zero strength for another battle.


    However, their enemy--the army of the Timber Deity Empire was less fatigued than the Crimson Dragon Army. Although it had suffered a dramatic casualties ever since Isis assumed the commandership in the Wild Heaven Pass, it still outnumbered the Crimson Dragon Army. On top of that, the enemy had sufficient grains and other supplies, so its ability to recover would be faster than the exhausted Crimson Dragon Army who was facing a rigorous crisis.


    So, on the third day, the Wild Heaven Pass was placed in jeopardy again under another round of powerful attack from the army of the Timber Deity Empire, which made it obvious that it was difficult for the Crimson Dragon Army to guard the Wild Heaven Pass for another two days.


    Soon, Lance received one more emergency report from the Wild Heaven Pass. He had reached the end of h


    d. So his real cultivation base would not be revealed to other people. They could only perceive a level that was much lower than Rocky''s true cultivation base. The reason behind this concealment was related to the Holy Dragon Bead.


    The power of the Holy Dragon Bead would not be fully revealed to other people because it was very unique to the Dragon Master Clan. No matter how powerful the spirit manipulators were, it was impossible for them to look through the true power of the Holy Dragon Bead.


    Marcia went all out to seal the power of the Holy Dragon Bead in light of its awakening inside of Rocky''s body. Because the power of the Holy Dragon Bead was extremely mighty, no one knew what would happen in the wake of its full eruption. On top of that, no spirit manipulator could ever stop this power.


    It was worth mentioning that the dragon spiritual power acquired by the royal spirit manipulators was from the Dragon Spirit Bead, which was created by the power of the Dragon Master Clan. This meant that the Dragon Spirit Bead contained only a friction of the power of the Dragon Master Clan. It was, typically, just the tip of an iceberg.


    But it was a different case for the Holy Dragon Bead. It was not a product of the Dragon Master Clan, it was rather bred in the cradle of a natural environment where there was a lot of catastrophe and turbulence. Even the Dragon Master Clan could not explain the origins of the Holy Dragon Bead. It was a godsend gift from the Heavenly Deity, which descended to the Dragon Master Clan. So the power of the Holy Dragon Bead was unparalleled. It excelled other power in any form that the spiritual race bestowed on the human race.


    That was why the power of the Holy Dragon Bead was beyond the capability of any human spirit manipulator to see through. However mighty the spirit manipulator, or the human race would be, any attempt to have a full understanding of the true power of the Holy Dragon Bead would be in vain!

 Chapter 387 An Impudent Bird

    Speaking of the devil, and Rocky showed up in a flutter of an eye. His showing up was undoubtedly a surprise for Lance and Commanders! It left them open-mouthed.


    "Rocky, we were on the threshold of searching for you, and here you are..." Lance''s eyes grew sharp when he got a glimpse of Rocky coming in. Although he was yet ill-humored for Rocky turning down his promotion in public, being Commander in Chief of Crimson Dragon Group, he should keep the overall interests of the country in mind and attempt not to hold Rocky accountable, since the situation was top priority now and Rocky was the best choice in his hour of demand. The next thing was to determine if Rocky would work side by side with him.


    "Commander in Chief, no need to give the low-down to me further. I have understood everything about the prevailing situation. But I have to state that I will not give your promotion a whirl as being a Commander or General. I''d like to do you a favor. Before that, we have to be of the same opinion with each other first. Even brothers desire to do accounts accurately. We shall lay out conditions. So, you make me aware of what I will get in compensation if I do you a favor..." Rocky said smartly as a whip. Before Lance uttered a word, Rocky stretched out his hand to stop him, putting on a bargaining posture.


    Lance didn''t pursue to lay the liability on Rocky just now, but his face fell, seeing Rocky''s philistine''s profanity. A light of air rage shone from his eyes. No one considered as absolute that one of Three Great Generals in Holy Dragon Empire was cocked a snook at! With a head of chilly perspiration, each of Commanders was beaming at Rocky and guessed he would get in a tight corner. They reckoned Rocky chose the improper time to negotiate with Commander in Chief and hoped to get some advances from the war on this precarious occasion. How can he pluck up the tenacity to threaten Lance, one of Three Great Generals!


    If it weren''t at this crucial moment, Lance would have already flown into a towering rage. It was as plain as a pikestaff that Rocky was out of conduct to show no high opinion for Commander in Chief. Lance would throw the books at him by striking him hundreds of times and sentence him into prison for years if it was in other conditions. Lance was cudgeling his brains if Rocky would be so presumptuous at that time.


    This idea flashed across Lance''s mind, and he became conscious he had many ways to inflict pain on Rocky. However, the Crimson Dragon Army was driven to the last-ditch, and he had to identify the mechanisms to r


    more. He made a few contributions and then became too pretentious. How can he have the audacity to ask the Commander in Chief for benefits? He is such a man of hubris!" a Commander echoed who was given a drubbing by Rocky in Army Flag Contest.


    Other Commanders were at a loss of words, but Rocky could tell the ill-temper in their eyes. Even the Elite Commander who mentioned Rocky just now was shaking his head, sighing. One with talent was constantly with peculiar temper, which suggested to be a universal rule.


    But Lance seemed to become apprehensive of something extraordinary from Rocky and was getting an inkling that Rocky acted this deliberately. So Lance was pondering if Rocky had his own plan to act like this. He was doing this on purpose. What on earth would he intend to do?


    After deliberate consideration, Lance responded, "Leave us alone. I''d like to teach him a lesson by myself."


    After a few seconds of halt, Commanders realized what their Commander in Chief would do and sniffed at Rocky. They reasoned Rocky asked for this because no one plucked up the courage to irritate Lance. This was an appalling thing, and everyone in the Hall bowed and left, except Rocky.


    Only Rocky and Lance were in the Hall now. Lance''s face turned calm as the smoothest waters and asked Rocky in puzzlement, "Boy, what are you doing?"


    "Commander in Chief, please don''t be in high dudgeon. I have to act like this, just in case," Rocky said seriously, and his big-headedness had gone away.


    "Just in case?" Lance said with a puzzled expression on his face.


    "Don''t you perceive something out of the common, Commander in Chief?" Rocky grinned from ear to ear, and an elusive light grew in his eyes.

 Chapter 388 Beyond Expectation

    "Perceive what? Hi, bastard, you''d better get to the point right away and not beat about the bush in front of me. I will make you feel remorseful about it one day unless you give me a legitimate explanation now! I would have meted out retribution to you last time if Isis didn''t put in the appropriate word for you. In such an instance, you would not be in a position to be here conversing with me." Lance raped over the knuckles in a thundering voice, his thick brows raising. It implied that he was indeed indignant with all guns blazing with Rocky. The young man''s way of doing things had rubbed up the improper way. In his assessment, being talented was something desirable, but it was utterly incorrect to act in the devil may care way based on such talent.


    After apprehending Lance''s words and getting a glimpse of his expressions, Rocky didn''t demonstrate any hint of the heebie-jeebies at all. Instead, he looked as calm as the smoothest waters as usual. He just took a few steps towards Lance and mumbled something by his ear.


    Lance seemed somewhat taken by surprise to find out what Rocky said to him. He could not help but blurt out, "How could that be?"


    "Nothing isn''t worth considering! I''m scared stiff this is specifically the primary reason for the passive situation the Crimson Dragon Army is involved in at present," Rocky suggested. His eyes were shimmering.


    "Do you have any proof?" Lance declined to be persuaded by him easily.


    "When Wild Heaven Pass was ambushed at night, the gate was freed by a concealed traitor. Since the Timber Deity Empire could organize their man among the troops at Wild Heaven Pass as our hidden traitor, why couldn''t they settle on somebody else among the Crimson Dragon Group?" Rocky asked back in a frosty voice after giving Lance a disparaging smile.


    Lance was struck dumb by Rocky''s questions for a while. He had to acknowledge what Rocky said made sense. The Timber Deity Empire would not have prepared their man at Wild Heaven Pass in advance if they didn''t know precisely what the Crimson Dragon Army would do. Since the Timber Deity Empire had known clearly what the Crimson Dragon Army would do, the mere tendency was that the information was spilled the beans by some member of the Crimson Dragon Army.


    "Besides, even if the main force of the Crimson Dragon Army was alone without any external support, they had thirty thousand members. Thirty thousand is by no means a minor number, but the Timber Deity Empire demolished them in a concise period of time. In the reasonable understanding, if they couldn''t thrash the troops of the Timber Deity Empire, they still could withdraw. But as far as I recognize, the Timber Deity Empire gave the concept of knowing the thirty thousand troops clearly like the palm of their hand, so that the troops of the Crimson Dragon Army had nowhere to make their getaway. What was more, the Deputy Commander in Chief dispatched troops to assist them at that time, but the assistance troops were blocked and intercepted by the enemy just in time. How could that happen if there was no concealed tr


    instead of attacking Frozen River Pass with all their strength?" Rocky asked back instead of granting him a straightforward answer.


    "Because the Timber Deity Empire is knowledgeable that we Crimson Dragon Army must choose to defend Frozen River Pass with all our strength," Lance answered after pondering for a while.


    "That''s it! Since the Timber Deity Empire is thoroughly briefed about the bizarre nature of Frozen River Pass, they would never exhaust their forces by attacking Frozen River Pass. They didn''t do that before, and they''re even less likely to do that now. That''s because they no longer have adequate forces to attack Frozen River Pass. Besides, even if they can take Frozen River Pass from you, they don''t have enough troops to defend it. All in all, in fact, Frozen River Pass is nothing but a fancy pass. Since the troops of the Timber Deity Empire would not attack Frozen River Pass, there''s no distinction between securing it by ten thousand people and by one hundred people. Commander in Chief, do you recognize what I mean?" Rocky said, a purposeful beam on his face. Then he turned around and walked outward.


    "I see." As an astute man, Lance was in a flash brought up to speed by Rocky''s words. With dumb strike expression on his face, staring at Rocky''s back, he talked under one''s breath to himself, "This bastard is undeniably intelligent!"


    As rapidly as Rocky stepped out, he saw the Commanders were cooling their heels outside. Standing in a circle, they were talking and discussing. It suggested that they were waiting with bated breath to witness Rocky being punished by Lance.


    So all of them were caught on the hop to see Rocky walk out in this way. Sound and safe, he popped up in front of them with a huge smirk on his face like a Cheshire cat. What was more, he was playing with a crystal Dark Heaven Egg and a yellow spiritual crystal.


    "That... that is a middle-grade Dark Heaven Egg, right?"


    "And the other one is a yellow... yellow spiritual crystal, right?"


    all of the Commanders were in a howl of protest.

 Chapter 389 Dont Be Aggressive

    Seeing the shocked expression on the faces of the commanders in front of him, Rocky gave a bigger smile and kept going forward without saying anything, looking calm and casual.


    But to those commanders, seeing Rocky hold the middle-class Dark Heaven Egg and the yellow spiritual crystal implied that they would stay awake tonight. They had been kicking their heels outside to see how down in the dumps Rocky would be after being criticized by the Commander in Chief. But to their shock, Rocky looked ordinary and sauntered with one middle-class Dark Heaven Egg and a yellow spiritual crystal.


    They were not getting agitated over Rocky not being thrown brickbats at, but they were incredibly green with jealousy of Rocky having the two treasures. In the Crimson Dragon Group, Frontline Commanders and those above the position could get hold of one primary Dark Heaven Egg every three months and one red spiritual crystal after hanging on for practically one year. Only Elite Commanders could get the middle-class Dark Heaven Egg and yellow spiritual crystal every several months.


    Rocky went in empty-handed but went out with the two treasuries. It was crystal clear that he had gotten them from the Commander in Chief. Those commanders had heard the Commander in Chief say that he would teach Rocky a lesson, so they couldn''t puzzle out why the Commander in Chief didn''t cast aspersions on Rocky but granted him two treasuries that any spirit manipulator coveted.


    They would never have the slenderest inkling.


    At this time, a figure lunged forward and stood in front of Rocky, pointing at the items in Rocky''s hands, saying, "Rocky, did you get the middle-class Dark Heaven Egg and yellow spiritual crystal from the Commander in Chief?"


    Rocky looked up and recognized it was Flank.


    "Yes. Commander Zhao, are you interested in those two treasuries?" Rocky asked with a meaningful smile, his eyes lighting up with interest. His smile shone like stars.


    Flank swallowed at the treasuries in Rocky''s hands, and his eyes gleamed with envy and greed. B


    l martial arts was his best skill. This movement could generate a very severe injury.


    And it suggested that Rocky didn''t take heed of Flank''s movement, so what would transpire later was crystal clear.


    As Flank had a wild guess how Rocky would kneel before him and presented him with the two treasuries to plead for leniency, a strong gale emerged, dashing the dust and making people strived to keep eyes open.


    At this time, Flank saw black spiritual power glitter on Rocky''s back and in a split of the second turn to a distorted ghost face which had hollow sockets that seemed to be in a position to take in everything. Then this face flew swiftly towards Flank.


    "Stupid trick!" Flank''s expression altered, but he had a sneaking suspicion that Rocky was bluffing. So he didn''t halt but got to grips with that ghost face.


    Bang!


    A wired sound developed, and the wind dispersed. Then the commanders discovered that Flank flew over them and collapsed on the ground, bleeding blood. He had several spasms before passing out.


    "Commander Zhao?!" those commanders exclaimed. They were shocked by this scene and looked to Rocky with bewilderment. But at this time, Rocky''s figure disappeared in front of them.


    Behind a pillar outside the Conference Hall, a slim figure lurked, looking in the direction Rocky had disappeared, coldness flashing across her eyes.

 Chapter 390 Rescue The Crimson Dragon Army Alone

    Rocky left the Frozen River Pass at his highest speed as a dog will lick a dish. When he was far away from the city gate of the Frozen River Pass, he freed the Magic Spiritual Space and let Uriah and Rubygon out. However, the Rainbow Glow Unicorn and the little Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf also hanker after getting out and reached out to their heads at the same time. Rocky had to try to assuage them as asserting, "Be good, okay? Stay here a little longer, please!"


    Both of them let out disgruntled groans. Rocky shook his head with a desperate smile and later took out the magical saliva. After he provided each of them a drop, their heads finally went back to the Magic Spiritual Space.


    Rocky then hopped on Rubygon''s commodious back, which was abundant for three to five people to sit on.


    "Let''s go!" Rocky patted on Rubygon''s back, signaling for it to take off.


    Rubygon roared deafeningly, and again its stiff limbs began moving. Its speed increased rapidly as it surged to the Wild Heaven Pass. Uriah went hell for leather beside it. After a while, both of them flew into the sky and flashed away above the boundless yellow sand.


    Meanwhile, the Wild Heaven Pass was hanging by a thread. Half of the city wall had caved in. Amongst rising black smoke, numerous corpses were lying in the pool of blood. They were members of the Crimson Dragon Army and the Timber Deity Army. It was a comparable picture inside the Wild Heaven Pass. Dead bodies sprawled around everywhere.


    These days, the Timber Deity Army broke into the pass one time after another. At the same time, the Crimson Dragon Army headed by Isis kept at arm''s length their charges every time. The Wild Heaven Pass was until then on the edge of losing yesterday. Thanks to Isis'' leadership and the commanders'' hard-working, they successfully took up cudgels for the Wild Heaven Pass in the outcome and even stirred up an enormous damage to the Timber Deity Army.


    Yet, the Crimson Dragon Army also suffered many of its men during the preceding battle. Now they only had less than four thousand soldiers, and three of their commanders even got severely injured. Although the Timber Deity Army also encountered a colossal loss, they still had more than ten thousand soldiers left. To add salt into an injury, half of the Wild Heaven Pass''s city wall had been obliterated to the ground, which was a fatal chink in their armor. The Timber Deity Army could break into the pass anytime they had a predilection for.


    It was eminently feasible that the Crimson Dragon Army would lose the Wild Heaven Pass in the next fight.


    Meanwhile, inside the northwest of the Wi


    om what it looked like last time. The Rubygon they experienced before was shorter than Uriah in height and was at the first grade of the three-star level. However, it had reached the second grade of the four-star level now. They found it as hard as a stone to postulate that Rubygon''s energy could build by leaps and bounds during such a short interval.


    As getting a glimpse of those soldiers retreating, Rocky jumped down from Rubygon''s back.


    At the same time, Isis and Marin were sauntering towards him.


    "Why did you show up here? Do you recognize how dangerous here is? It is a place for you to search for entertainment!" Before Rocky could identify the reason why he appeared there, Marin had begun unremitting at him with wide eyes, and disconcertment was written all over her face.


    Even Isis, who stood beside, could not stand Marin''s tone and rolled at her. It was her first time to get the drift that Marin conversed with a man like that way, and she instantly perceived something and gave it some brown study. After a while, she turned to peer at Rocky.


    "Let''s save nonsense first. I''m here under the order of the Commander in Chief to offer a helping hand." Rocky turned to peek at Isis as if he didn''t give ear to what Marin just mentioned.


    Seeing Rocky made no respond to her quiz, Marin curved her lips downwards in discontentedness.


    As the crowd beside them got wind of Rocky, they all hailed with thrilling sensation.


    "A leg up? How many people did you tag along?" Isis cast a glance behind Rocky, but she only saw Uriah and Rubygon.


    "Only me!" Rocky answered airily, catching everyone present a surprise. They were caught on the wrong foot. The excited crowd now all looked at him as if he had bats in his belfry.

 Chapter 391 A Bizarre Picture

    Tranquil filled the air as their hurrahs halted. The silence hung in the air like the suspended moment. The crowd stared at each other with stupefied expressions. None of them took Rocky''s words sincerely. How could he alone help them out of the prevailing dilemma or perform any adjustments?


    Isis and Marin were both looking sullen at Rocky. Obviously, they were taking Rocky''s words in the same way as the crowd did. They were aware Rocky was out of the ordinary, but he was not a god after all. The Wild Heaven Pass was hanging by a thread now, and it was highly preposterous, like drawing blood from a turnip, that his existence could turn the tables.


    "What? None of you figure out I alone can lend a helping hand here? Well, I''d better take my departure right away." Rocky wore a faint smile as glancing at Isis and Marin''s faces. Shaking his head, he turned around and put up a false front to make his exit.


    "Hold on!" Isis hollered out in a twinkle of an eye, almost based on her conditioned reflex.


    "Fulfill my two prerequisites, and then I won''t take off." Rocky smirked. It was as warm as hour old coffee and he turned to look at Isis.


    Seeing his snigger, Isis finally became cognizant that it was all his swindle, which drove her into an outburst in a split of seconds. However, she struggled hard to keep a curb on her resentment and inquired, "What do you demand?"


    "First, I require five hundred people leaving here to give me a leg up. The others withdraw from the Wild Heaven Pass right now and move to the valley behind the pass. Second, don''t try to solicit the reason from me. I don''t want to consume my time revealing." Rocky airily folded his arms in front of his chest.


    Silence swept over the air one more time. The silence caressed their skin like a cool summer breeze. Almost everyone present was gawking at Rocky with bemused glances. They could not even fathom what their ears just discovered and thought Rocky must be out of mind. The Crimson Dragon Army had been fighting like hell against the Timber Deity Army to guard the Wild Heaven Pass. If they retreated now, the Timber Deity Army could occupy the Wild Heaven Pass as promptly as blinking an eye. Then what they had undertaken would be all in vain in the end.


    What Rocky just suggested was so feather-brained that none of the crowd had a sneaking suspicion Isis would respond yes to him.


    "Rocky, how can we understand what you plan to do if you don''t give an interpretation at all?" Marin remarked out of turbulence. She wore a baffled expression. She was free from doubt about Rocky''s abilities because she already witnessed how good Rocky wa


    ear. Uriah groaned and sauntered to Marin, looking at her with its round and big eyes.


    "Let''s go! Leave your irritating master here alone!" Marin patted on Uriah''s head and then left away with it.


    Rocky went to Rubygon, rode on it, and headed out of the pass.


    An hour later, there were only five hundred soldiers left in the Wild Heaven Pass. Under Isis'' leadership, the rest three thousand soldiers escaped through the south gate, which faced the Holy Dragon Empire, and encamped in the nearby valley behind the Wild Heaven Pass.


    When everything had been carried out, Isis ordered Tod to remain and lead the three thousand soldiers. Then she rode on Silver Wind to come back to the pass.


    It was close to the sunset right now. Inside the Wild Heaven Pass, there were flashes of aggressive flames and black smoke billowing in the air. The flame rolled outwards like the smoke of a mushroom cloud. Watching from above, a huge fire array seemed to be set up in the entire Wild Heaven Pass.


    Dunn and the five hundred soldiers left were standing at the south gate. Beside them were pots, pans, porcelains, and ironware.


    "What are those things for?" Isis jumped down from Silver Wind and wandered to Dunn.


    "I have no slightest clue. That''s what Rocky requested for," Dunn spelled out while swinging his head towards Isis.


    Isis looked inside with a dumbfounded expression. One-meter high flames were burning fiercely and scattered around the entire Wild Heaven Pass. They stood in order, and the distance between each of them was the same, which formed a bizarre picture. The flames were like a great famished beast devouring everything in its path and belching out black smoke.


    "Is he planning to set up some array?" Isis had a wild guess.

 Chapter 392 The Superior

    "Deputy Commander in Chief," At this very moment, Marin along with Uriah, who was lustering in flames, appeared before Isis and others.


    The emergence of Uriah, the giant beast startled the five hundred soldiers around causing a bustle, who started to whisper about Uriah with an expression of amazement. Those ordinary soldiers always respected the spirit manipulator who possessed the spirit-manipulated beast. Explicitly, Uriah who was quite powerful and fierce stood out from other spirit-manipulated beasts. They pitied themselves, for being born without the gift of a spirit manipulator and neither could they own one spirit-manipulated beast. Now all they could do was to gaze at the magnanimity of the spirit-manipulated beast.


    The glimpse of Uriah made Dunn reminisce about the last match that Rocky won, where there were cascades of the unexpected events of upgrading and rare mutation, resulting in super evolution of the spirit-manipulated beast. And at that time, the mutated Uriah was much more powerful and showed quite excellent and astonishing qualification than his spirit-manipulated beast, Razor-claw Wolf Bear which had already reached the third grade of three stars. Though Dunn wasn''t sure about Uriah being a spiritual beast, he was quite sure about its extreme rarity, as it was unusual that it could use Fire.


    The fact that Marin showed up with Rocky''s spirit-manipulated beast surprised Isis. She blinked a little and asked, "Where have you been? Why are you with Rocky''s spirit-manipulated beast?"


    "Wasn''t that obvious to you?" Marin turned in the direction from where she came and gazed admiringly at the flames scattered all over the pass, as their masterpiece work. In fact, Marin didn''t do that by herself. All she did was point out the destinations and order Uriah to light a little fire on it, which was quite an easy task.


    "It is Rocky! Only he could come up with such strange method. But I had never seen any tactical deployment like


    han her.


    But Rocky had gradually worn that sense of pride and superiority away, about which she had no idea. In her thoughts, Rocky was born different with specific qualities, gifts and logic, totally different from others and was extremely hard to understand. In general, he was just a freak!


    She in all her senses, would refuse to depend on a freak of his kind to win the war. She also had immense hatred deeper than anybody else on the earth towards him. But now, in this critical juncture, she being the Deputy Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Group, was compelled to rely on a smart arse like Rocky. And doing this would make it extremely difficult for her to face her fellow soldiers in the camp!


    Being a qualified commander of her stature, she had a clear assessment of the whole situation. Similar to the war of the Rough slope, what mattered most at present was the defence of the Wild Heaven Pass. She had no second thoughts on keeping her pride secondary.


    In people''s eyes, she treated Rocky differently and even favored him. However, being the person Rocky was, he deserved that.


    She had always made sure that there were no personal feelings involved in those decisions she had made. All she had done was in the interest of the Crimson Dragon Group or at least those were her beliefs.

 Chapter 393 A New Trap

    Marin fell silent as a lamb too. At the moment, the two girls had the same point of view. Both of them were of the impression that it was sufficient for the Crimson Dragon Group.


    "By the way, why did Rocky come on the spur of the moment to carry out the Commander in Chief''s order this time? After all, he turned down the Commander in Chief once in public. According to my perception of him, he would not have been accommodating to be associated in this trouble quickly like a piece of cake, neither would he have given a whirl to the Commander in Chief''s order." Dunn uttered his bewilderment. Lack of confidence was written all over his rough face.


    "I am of the same opinion too. In fact, I asked him why, but he didn''t answer my query," Marin said, blinking. She didn''t understand how Rocky''s brain functioned.


    "We''d better ignore it. We could never establish a point of view of it correctly what Rocky Bai is cudgeling his brain." Isis kicked up a fuss despite the same perplexity in her mind. She was curious why Rocky came all of a sudden to carry out her father''s order, and if there was anything she didn''t have intelligence. With such reflections in her mind, she asked Marin, "Did Rocky give a hint of what he is going to do with those bonfires inside the pass? They look like a military display."


    Marin shook her head in a dash.


    "Where is he now?" Isis looked around, but she could not trace Rocky anywhere.


    "I''m positive he''s resting on his oars somewhere," Marin answered as her drop-dead gorgeous face turned murky.


    "Commander Marin, I''m confident it''s unfair to speak ill of other people when he is absent." A voice came through just in time. It sounded both joking and sincere at the same time.


    By instinct, all the people present sought to the direction of the voice. They peered Rocky, who was riding Rubygon, stop in front of them. Then he bounced onto the ground and arrayed his eyes around everybody.


    "Since you haven''t done anything ill, you don''t require to get overwrought about being spoken evil of by anybody," Marin retorted, gazing at him with her big glaring eyes.


    "Commander Marin, are you with no doubt I haven''t done anything evil? Have you failed to recall..." Rocky was reluctant, staring at Marin with his evil and as elegant as a picture eyes.


    Marin became absorbed in thought as shortly as her eyes met Rocky''s burning eyes. What had taken place between her and Rocky in her room cropped up in her mind out of her control. When she commemorated the kiss, she flushed red as a brick in a split of a second. Now she looked sheepish and as lovely as a pie.


    Isis and others, specifically the soldiers, were all shell shocked to see Marin fall silent and blush all of a sudden. After all


    d a sneaking suspicion that they would be in a position to occupy the Wild Heaven Pass in no time. To their thunderbolt, however, the defending troops at the Wild Heaven Pass were also led by an experienced and sophisticated Elite Commander from the Crimson Dragon Group. Due to his excellent tactics, the guarding forces had managed to thrust out all the troops of the Timber Deity Empire that assaulted them at night.


    At least the Crimson Dragon Army still held the Wild Heaven Pass in their hand despite the astronomical price they paid.


    It was precise because of their hard work that Isis had had the time to take troops here to lend a hand to them. She had safeguarded the Wild Heaven Pass in place of Commander Cheng till now.


    Since she showed up at the Wild Heaven Pass, Isis had established an assortment of military arrays. As a result, the troops of the Timber Deity Empire had a turbulent time, without making any leap forward. Ill at ease, the three Commanders of the Timber Deity Empire had beaten their brains out to drive the Crimson Dragon Army to the wall. But of course, the Timber Deity Empire paid a massive price for that too. Almost twenty thousand troops were lost.


    Therefore, the three Commanders came into a compromise that they had to seize the Wild Heaven Pass in the following round of attack. Otherwise, even if they could conquer it subsequently, they would not have adequate force to secure it.


    Such being the case, a substantial number of troops of the Crimson Dragon Army withdrawing from the Wild Heaven Pass was beyond the shadow of a doubt good news for the three Commanders. They considered that the Crimson Dragon Army could no longer defend the Wild Heaven Pass and was proposing to give it up.


    Of course, they had no notion that the withdrawal was, in fact, an elaborate trap.

 Chapter 394 The Empty Fort Strategy

    "Commander Zhou, you will lead three thousand soldiers to charge from the opening of the right side of the fort wall to beguile the attention of the enemy. Commander Liang and I will lead the rest of the soldiers to storm the fort gate. The number of the remaining soldiers who preferred to guard the Wild Heaven Pass should be small. It should not be a hazard to us. All we have to work out is to get it performed in one strenuous attempt." Inside the camp, the three Commanders stood around the table to put their heads together about an approach as they took a closer view of the map that laid on the table.


    "All right," Commander Zhou nodded in like-mindedness. It was a magnificent opportunity to reimburse for the shortcomings of his failure in the clamor of the Rough Slope. That fizzling out almost made him beheaded by the military law. He could survive until now only because Princess Alyssa exonerated him for the sake of his previous outstanding military service in the army of the Timber Deity Empire. Princess Alyssa also held him in high esteem as a talented spirit manipulator of the Heavenly Stage. Otherwise, he would have been dead at the time he failed in the clamor of the Rough Slope. He was under a constraint to the princess for his life. So it was of absolute essence for him to apprehend the Wild Heaven Pass as a reciprocation to the kind amnesty of the princess.


    Later on, the three Commanders of the Timber Deity Empire batted around the plan before it was subsequently concluded. They then sauntered out of the camp to give pep talks to the thousands of soldiers who were muddled up for departure.


    Subsequently, the Timber Deity Army of more than ten thousand soldiers set out as a tremendous flood for the Wild Heaven Pass upon the military order as the night settled in.


    Commander Zhou led two squads of spirit manipulators, and three thousand soldiers went hell for leather horizontally to the right of the fort wall as they got closer to the Wild Heaven Pass. The wall opening on the right became very big and was jumbled up by the dead bodies of the soldiers. They climbed up from the fort opening and charged forward saber rattling only to discover that the fort was unoccupied. Taken by bewilderment, they paused and stood still as gormless as a guppy.


    "Could it be feasible that the Crimson Dragon Army had ultimately turned their backs on the Wild Heaven Pass?" Commander Zhou was thrown off balance as he sent the message to tip off the other two Commanders. Even though the fort was unoccupied, he still conducted himself in extreme cautiousness.


    The other two Commanders led the army to bombard the gate of the fort as they were provided with the message from Commander Zhou. As they had in prospect, the fort gate was defenseless that it did not make any effort to free it. Not any single soldier from the Crimson Dragon Army came into view as they stood in front of the open gate to observe the situation in the fort. The Wild Heaven Pass was literary an empty fort.


    Not long thereafter, Commander Zhou went like


    e severed from any secure of reinforcement.


    "Seal the fort gate on the north!" Another order rang through the air from a calm voice like the sleep of a soul that was best at that moment.


    In a split of seconds, two figures of beasts sprang up from thin air. They put on some momentum towards the north gate of the fort. They were none other than Uriah and Rubygon that were holding their horses there beforehand. They were also part of the program of this ambush.


    Uriah ran off its feet to the north gate of the fort with lightning speed as its crimson scales stood up like a plethora of flames. They looked like a pair of fire wings as the speed blurred its movements. Uriah continued to burn up the road along the wall of the north gate as it blew up fireballs to the ground. Wherever it passed, it was set ablaze. The sheet of fire thus blocked the north entrance.


    Meanwhile, Rubygon had shown up to the opening of the north wall in order to stop the soldiers who were making a quick exit. Those who took it on themselves to beat an expeditious withdrawal from the opening of the wall did not survive the claws of Rubygon.


    The ordinary soldiers were not as compelling as the spirit manipulators, so they fell in all hell broke loose and disappeared in all directions in the fort in front of an incursion from such a beast.


    "Everybody, assemble here. Fall in!" Commander Zhou drew out his sword as he shouted in a reverberating voice.


    Many generals were first to comport themselves as they gathered quickly towards the direction of Commander Zhou.


    At that moment, the log fire in the pass cast a figure which descended in a dignified manner from the south fort wall. It showed that the figure was gliding through the air that he looked well turned out and dignified as the wind blew through the robe. The figure put on his best leg went like lightning towards the center of the pass after his landing.


    Commander Zhou felt that the figure looked a little familiar as he also noticed he descended from the south fort wall.

 Chapter 395 A Show Of Strength

    As the night fell, at the moment, a figure flew down with freaky light around him. On landing, he, in a dash, went like a bat out of hell into inside the center of the barricade.


    Meanwhile, Commander Zhou involuntarily glanced at the figure that appeared in a split of seconds and progressed towards him constantly. The nearer the figure was, the further it was like the man Commander Zhou had bumped into ever. When the figure was close to him, he recognized the face which shimmered in the glow of the fire. He was astounded and announced, "It''s him?! It''s him! Fancy meeting him here again!" His eyes were brimmed with perturbation and terror-stricken, just like watching the god of plague.


    The figure made Commander Zhou so chilled to the bone was none other than Rocky!


    "Stop him!" Commander Zhou didn''t have the slightest notion what Rocky would accomplish this time. But since he had lost to Rocky in the clamor of Rough Slope, he constantly guarded up at once. He issued orders to spirit manipulators of Timber Deity Empire and hundreds of soldiers, gawking at Rocky hard-heartedly like an eagle. Yes, Commander Zhou was more than hanging with bated breath to catch Rocky to exact vengeance for the disgrace before. Rocky was so detestable in his mind!


    For a moment, on being instructed, spirit manipulators of the Timber Deity Empire took their spirit-manipulated beasts to surround Rocky with hundreds of soldiers behind them.


    Rocky halted right away, grabbing a glance at numerous spirit manipulators of Timber Deity Empire in front of him. These spirit manipulators of the Timber Deity Empire demeaned positively dangerous. The most treacherous of them was of the fifth grade of the Earthly Stage, and the worst one had reached the Earthly Stage, too.


    Spirit manipulators of Timber Deity Empire took a glance at Rocky first, and then full of scornfulness set their eyes on their faces. Rocky, in their eyes, was extremely fragile to make them easily disconcerted, let alone that Rocky was solely and circumvented them. This was committing suicide!


    "Hey pal, get down on your knees before us and appeal to us, you may be capable to remain alive. Meanwhile, a spirit manipulator in red who was of the fourth grade of the Earthly Stage raised his voice at Rocky in a hoity-toity manner.


    "Crimson Dragon Army sets an assault for us; the guy must be the cannon fodder."


    "I can merely use my single finger to deal with the inept individual."


    The spirit manipulators felt repugnant towards Rocky exactly.


    "What a load of claptrap. Assemble together!" Listening to spirit manipulators of Timber Deity Empire across from him, Rocky picked his ears at the moment and announced. He contorted his fingers to them provocatively.


    "How dare you, the guy is so ill-conceived! Let me execute you within one-trick!" Thus one of the spirit manipulators of Timber Deity Empire, who was of the second grade of the Earthly Stage, showed the impression of being desired to acquire all the glory, put on some speed to Rocky without a word.


    "Mercy Palm Attack!" The spirit manipulator jumped to the sky, sucker-punching Rocky in the air with his hands condensing spiritual power. Lots of handprints in a dash showed up


    ''s horrendous Spiritual Weapon, he may be secure and sound when bombarded by even several spirit manipulators at the Earthly Stage.


    The surviving four or five spirit manipulators were half-hearted, and felt pangs of conscience when seeing Rocky executed their three companies as easy as falling off a log.


    Two of the remaining spirit manipulators who were of the fourth or fifth grade of the Earthly Stage in a twinkle of an eye stood each side of Rocky tacitly, contemplating to attack Rocky on both sides. Their spirit-manipulated beasts at the moment went hell for leather to Rocky together implicitly, too. It was sticking out a mile that they wanted to use the many to defeat the few.


    On laying his eyes on this, Rocky, as plain as a pikestaff, was apprehensive of adversaries'' attempts. But he could easily like a piece of cake kill them with his strength now. Rocky, in a split of seconds, sprung to the left side of his body to strike the spirit manipulator of the fifth grade of the Earthly Stage. He had the very objective to execute them one by one.


    "Shadowless Kick!" The spirit manipulator of the fifth grade of the Earthly Stage found that Rocky plotted to strike himself, sculpturing his proudest spiritual martial arts without having qualms about it. He jumped up into the sky with his legs swing crisscross. His spiritual power formed the hovering shadow of a wolf, clambering to Rocky ferociously.


    The spirit manipulator''s Shadowless Kick may be effective to other spirit manipulators who were at the same level or above slightly. However, Rocky had reached the Heavenly Stage now. The Kick was too feeble to wield influence on Rocky, who was above his level so much. Rocky slightly brandished Frozen Wind Dagger, ripping the shadow of the wolf into half. When the shadow of the wolf vanished into thin air, Rocky scratched the spirit manipulator who was of the fifth grade of the Earthly Stage with Evil Flame.


    Another spirit manipulator caught the chance while Rocky was besieging. He was condensing spiritual power bimanually, pointing rapidly at Rocky with a glimmer of spiritual power light that flew to him precisely.

 Chapter 396 A Burning Defensive Dome

    The two spirit-manipulated beasts, both at the second grade of the three-star level, hurled towards Rocky viciously and opened their mouths, projecting sharp teeth.


    Rocky, however, remained impassive as the smoothest waters and stouthearted facing their approaching storms. He shuffled them in a flash and charged towards the spirit manipulator from the Timber Deity Empire, who was at the fifth grade of the Earthly Stage. In a split of second, Rocky had showed up in front of the spirit manipulator. Rocky''s left hand, with the Evil Flame around, grasped the spirit manipulator''s shoulder. At this very juncture, the Dragon Spirit Mark on Rocky''s left arm began glinting brightly.


    While, the spirit manipulator felt faint and dizzy as his spiritual power was rapidly clearing out. However, formidable power was bursting out from the Frozen Wind Dagger in Rocky''s hand, and the Evil Flame around his arm grew stronger and more vigorous.


    "Dagger Dome!" Rocky uttered the two words when he brandished his Frozen Wind Dagger. The Evil Flame around his arm shot out and began interweaving around him. Layers of flames were moving fleetly, spurring up clouds of sand. They surged and whirled in a fiery dance, like gleeful fire fiends in the hot swirling air. In a matter of seconds, the Evil Flame formed a burning defensive dome around Rocky.


    "Bang! Bang! Bang!"


    The spiritual power attacks charging towards Rocky were swallowed as promptly as they hit against the defensive dome. As for the two spirit-manipulated beasts, they had been injured by the Evil Flame around the dome even before they could come into contact with Rocky. Fire was still blazing on the parts of their bodies where they contacted the Evil Flame. They howled painfully and rolled over the ground to try to put out the fire. As much as they tried to hold it in, the pain came out like an uproar from their throat in the form of groans.


    The Dagger Dome was a spiritual martial arts skill Rocky created in the Myriad Beasts Ground, which was an unexpected inspiration. That expertise was to use the Frozen Wind Dagger to form a shielding dome when the user was enveloped by several opponents in a contest. The Dagger Dome could be defensive and also offensive. The Evil Flame around the dome could repel the opponents or their spirit-manipulated beasts. After getting hit by the Evil Flame, the victims couldn''t get rid of the flames in a dash. Instead, the Evil Flame would keep on burning on their bodies for a while before it faded away. Only by stronger spiritual power could the victims eliminate the Evil Flame over them. The power inside the Evil Flame was sabre-rattling and unbridled enough to cause serious damages to the victims, especially spirit-manipulated beasts.


    Just then, Rocky triggered off the Holy Dragon Bead''s power to absorb the spirit manipulator''s spiritual power, and then he channeled it into the Frozen Wind Dagger. In other words, he brought into service his opponent''s spiritual power to launch attacks at the other side. While, his own spiritual power was st


    center of the fire tornado, dozens of meters high, and saw it expanding and covering around. The radius of the round coverage even reached hundreds of meters. Everyone would be taken aback by such a striking picture.


    When Commander Zhou and the army he led saw the fire tornado, they ultimately took heed of what a precarious situation they were in. They almost jumped out their skin as observing that scene.


    At the same time, Marin, Dunn and the five hundred soldiers, who had been prowling on the two sides of the Wild Heaven Pass, also got a glimpse of the fire tornado. And they were at a loss of words as well. As for Isis who defended on the south gate, her jaw almost fell to the ground.


    The two commanders of the Timber Deity Empire and thousands of soldiers, who were intercepted outside by the fire sea, also witnessed the fire tornado through the open city gate. All of them were frightened to death by that picture.


    "Back off!" Commander Zhou in a twinkle of an eye recognized something as seeing the terror striking scene, and in an instant shrieked out in consternation.


    On the other hand, the Dragon Flame Pearl commenced moving, wrapped around the fire tornado. It headed for the north gap with sweeping momentum, and led the fire tornado to the same direction.


    Observing the approaching fire tornado, the soldiers and spirit manipulators of the Timber Deity Empire shrieked in jitteriness and scampered to the gap in chaos. Now the congested gap slowed down their retreating speed further.


    In order to extricate their own lives, the soldiers in the end of lines commenced running to the south gate. They made a getaway inside the Wild Heaven Pass but many of they were encompassed by the fire tornado.


    Under the stellar sky, barbarism swept over the entire Wild Heaven Pass. Now it had turned into a memorable purgatory, where agonizing screams, gut-wrenching whines, and shrieks for help echoed the air. There was tightening of their throat and a short intake of breath forecasting the explosion of emotion.

 Chapter 397 Put On A Play

    The fire tornado didn''t last for a lengthy time. However, most of the soldiers Commander Zhou led gathered closely on one spot. As a result, the fire tornado caused an enormous loss to his army. More than a thousand soldiers perished, and there were fewer than two thousand members left now.


    One more layer of dead bodies covered the ground of the north gate where numerous corpses already gathered around. The coverage of those corpses even stretched inside the Wild Heaven Pass. The lifeless bodies, which sprawled along the trace of the fire tornado, had all been scorched black and were smoking. They still remained the last position that they posed before death. Everything went on so quick like lightning to them that none of them were even capable to grapple. That was the formidable and aggressive power of the fire tornado.


    When the fire tornado finally ebbed away, Commander Zhou already led the left soldiers to back off from the Wild Heaven Pass and found the Timber Deity Army outside. Although they had been out of danger, they nevertheless had glimpses that portrayed terror-stricken as puffing and panting for air. The tragedy they just experienced was still striking in their heads.


    "Commander Zhou, what happened inside?" The two commanders of the Timber Deity Empire had been curious about the situation inside. Now that Commander Zhou eventually got out, they could not help but want to know the answer from him. They already knew that he just suffered an ambush, but they pretended they knew nothing at all. Because the fire sea blocked their way into the pass, they didn''t come to his aid and his army right away. Thus, they put on a false front, perceiving nothing to evade that ill at ease.


    "We got a surprise attack! It sounded that their reinforcements already showed up. The Crimson Dragon Army pretended to have withdrawn to pull a fast one on us. We fell in their trap and got hemmed in by them. By good luck, we merely lost some of our men. It''s unquestionably a close call." Commander Zhou was still gasping for air with a pale face. Jitteriness still tormented him as he remembered the spine chilling sense.


    "Where is the fire tornado from? That''s really dreadful!" asked one of the two commanders, with a shocked look. His brain was stuttering for a moment. Every part of him went on hiatus while his thoughts catch up.


    "I don''t perceive about that! But I''m beyond doubt it must relate to that guy!" Commander Zhou knitted brows deeply. The guy he


    e had withered away. When she peered down from the air, she discovered numerous black corpses were sprawling around the gap of the north wall. The widespread havoc created by the fire tornado sent a chill down her spine.


    Upon her return, Isis was greeted with Rocky, Marin, and the hundreds of soldiers standing at the center of the pass. She then ordered Silver Wind to land on the ground. As she hopped down, her elegant posture lightened the glowing admiration in those soldiers'' eyes. Something emanated from within that rendered her fascinating to them.


    "How about the adversary?" Isis wended her way in front of Rocky and Marin and glimmered at the north gate being closed by Dunn.


    "They have withdrawn," Rocky responded as he held his arms across his chest.


    Hearing Rocky, Isis sighed out of relief. She could not help but marvel at Rocky''s intelligence in mind. He merely led hundreds of soldiers to repel the Timber Deity Army again.


    "It''s not the time to have a relax! Their retreat is just momentary. They will doubtless send soldiers to check out our situation. Deputy Commander in Chief, I require you to assign the two thousand soldiers from the valley to here. Be swift! We are going to put on a play for the Timber Deity Empire," Rocky uttered as raising his eyebrow.


    "Put on a play? What play?" Isis wore a bewildered look.


    "Don''t get yourself worked up with that, Isis! He must be the main actor in the play," Marin sneered. She always found intolerable that Rocky only said part of his plan to intrigue others.


    "Nope! You two are the heroines in the play." A calculating smirk crept over the corner of Rocky''s lips.

 Chapter 398 No Kidding

    Isis and Marin were dumbfounded by what Rocky said. Fixating their eyes on him, the cousins asked for confirmation in one voice, "The two of us?"


    "Yeah, the two of you." Rocky nodded.


    "Deputy Commander in Chief and Commander Marin, it is a known fact that both of you come from noble families. Also, everybody knows that you''re good at fighting in a battle with weapons and tactics. But, I assume you also know something about art. For example, you know how to play musical instruments, play Chinese chess, sing and even maybe dance. Am I right?" Rocky asked Isis and Marin while looking at them in turns with his squinting eyes.


    "Oh my God, Rocky! Are you looking down upon my cousin? She is a pro at all of these things that you mentioned, so how dare you question it? She is a master in dancing, in particular. In the whole Holy Dragon Empire, nobody can outstrip her in dancing the Rainbow Skirt Under The Moon. She even danced for His Majesty of the Holy Dragon Empire once, and he praised her..." Marin blurted out.


    "Cousin Marin!" Isis shouted as she was annoyed by Marin''s speech. She had known Rocky for enough time to know that he never asked a casual question. That was why she had a bad feeling that maybe he would make her do something against her will.


    "Oh, is that true?! That''s great! So I think you also know how to play musical instruments, such as heptachord, don''t you?" Rocky went on asking Marin after he seemed pleased with what he had just known about Isis'' diverse skills.


    "I know a little about playing the heptachord. Cousin Isis taught me previously," Marin answered in a modest tone. In fact, she was quite good at playing the heptachord.


    "All right, then! Good news! You''re qualified to act in the play!" Rocky said confidently.


    "Rocky, do you want to make fun of us? Is this your plan? I mean, is there any other reason for you to insist on making the two of us act in your play? Why don''t you act by yourself?" Isis asked suspiciously. She believed that he must be kidding with them on purpose.


    "I have two reasons. The first is that I''m not a female, and the second is that I don''t know how to play any musical instrument or even dance. The play must cast two females who are good at dancing and playing musical instruments," Rocky explained calmly and patiently.


    "Rocky, what the hell do you mean?" Rocky tried to explain to them, but the more he spoke, the more confused Isis and Marin felt. They had no idea what ki


    able explanation that satisfies you?" Rocky asked with a big smile on his face.


    It was not until now that Isis realized she had been set up by Rocky. What she said right now was like a slap on her face because the explanation turned out to be very simple. To make it worse, she had required Rocky to explain to her. Known as an outstanding tactician in the Crimson Dragon Group, she was overwhelmed with shame.


    "The performance of you and Commander Marin will directly determine the effectiveness of the scheme. In other words, the fate of Wild Heaven Pass is in your hands," Rocky said in a somewhat serious tone. By now, he had done a lot in preparation for the empty fort strategy, yet the result solely depended on the acting capability of Isis and Marin. They not only had to act as if it were real, but they also had to convince their enemies.


    Isis fell silent after hearing what Rocky said. Some moments later, she suddenly raised her head and asked him seriously, "I have a question that you should truthfully answer."


    "Sure, go on," Rocky said with a smile at the corners of his mouth because he thought that he knew what Isis was going to ask him. ''She will ask me why I was willing to carry out Lance''s order by coming here to help, '' he thought.


    "Why on earth did you come to Wild Heaven Pass?" Isis'' question took Rocky by surprise.


    "Why, you ask!" Rocky burst into laughter as he wondered how she would feel if he told her that it was because he wanted to rescue her and Marin from danger when he was told about that.


    Of course, it was just kidding. He would never have done that because of how soft-hearted he was.

 Chapter 399 The Show Begins

    Rocky was cognizant so well about Isis and Marin. Although they consistently regarded him with condescension and wore enraged looks in front of him, they literally had helped him a number of times under the table. The time he turned down Lance''s offer, if not because of Isis, he would have already been cast out to the frontline battlefield. While he was in the northeast military camp, he disappeared now and again, which contravened the military law. However, Marin always turned a blind eye to that. If anyone else had done such an action, Marin would have punished them conforming to the military law.


    Besides, Sheridan was close to Isis and Marin and treated them well as if they were his own daughters. If Sheridan knew that Rocky didn''t grant them any support, he would without doubt nag at Rocky about that for a long time. Because of all those grounds, he would not sit by when Isis and Marin were in danger, although he was not such a meddlesome character. Deep inside, Rocky actually was a man who gratified the inclinations of people. Yet, he always showed a cynical attitude in front of the others.


    Apart from those elements above, Rocky had another fundamental reason for lending them a hand. Isis was in charge of an army, and her father was at a high position and had predominant power in the Holy Dragon Empire, all of which would be in his best influences to his future. If the whole Crimson Dragon Group owed him big time, he would get his mitts on the support of the Crimson Dragon Group. Thus, he had to give his affirmation to Isis'' well-being. After all, she played the ultimate important part of his strategy. He set his eyes on being a substantial figure in this world. Rocky kept developing and discovering from what happened to him since his spirit passed through the tunnel of time and space and drifted into this younger body. After coming across so much, he didn''t wish to be manipulated by anyone anymore. He wanted to be the maker and master of his destiny.


    Every time he showed up and came to their aid at the most critical moment, both Lance and Isis felt so grateful to him, which was exactly what Rocky had been planning. No matter how hardhearted a person was, he or she would appreciate him for saving them out of danger one time after another. So long as he came to their aid again, they would owe him one more time. After all, nothing in the world would be more of incalculable value than life.


    The reason why he gave the thumbs down to be Frontline Commander was also that he preferred them to owe him. Once he accepted that offer, what he had done now would turn into finishing his own duty. In other words, he could earn nothing at all. He didn''t want to work for the Crimson Dragon Group without reaping any reward. What''s more, he didn''t give a tinker''s curse the position as a Frontline Commande


    rated. That''s the key of our plan. They will get cold feet at anything we do and have nothing to do us. Under such a circumstance, they will not hold on for a long. They will leave sooner or later." A snaky smile crept over the corner of Rocky''s lips, as if everything of the Timber Deity Army was already under his control.


    "Forget that! If you want, you can wear that kind of clothes. Marin and I will on no occasion put on such garments! That''s just a show! We just pretend to be that kind of girls! Remember that!" Isis glowered at Rocky. She could not believe that Rocky would offer such a ridiculous suggestion. She and Marin already discarded their pride to agree with putting on that play on top of the city wall. How could they accept being dressed like prostitutes?


    "Whatever! It''s just my piece of advice. Now I am the leader of the two thousand soldiers. You and Commander Marin can have the preparation. The show will begin in no time!" Rocky shrugged with a faint smile. He just made a joke with her about the "revealing outfits" part. Once Lance knew that his daughter and niece put on such clothes in public because of Rocky, Rocky would only be dead meat. How could he fulfill his great plan then? After concluding his sentence, Rocky walked past Isis and took in charge of the two thousand soldiers she brought back.


    Isis shot a deadly glare at Rocky''s back. Her brows creased and she clenched her teeth to suppress her desire to beat Rocky right now. However, Rocky played the most important role for them. Whether they could save the Wild Heaven Pass out of danger all depended on Rocky now. Thus, Isis made up her mind to give vent to her anger at Rocky after getting through the current dilemma.


    "Rocky, once I found out any mistakes you made or any of your secrets, I would never show you any mercy!" Isis spoke in hushed tones to herself before she came to Marin.

 Chapter 400 Celebrating

    Only half an hour had gone by.


    The girls quickly changed into normal clothes. Isis and Marin were strikingly beautiful, head-turning stunning, both in their own different ways. As they got dressed, the moonlight shed its rays on their fine bodies, highlighting their graceful and alluring features; a spectacle for passers-by, who inadvertently slowed their cadence and gazed at the enchanting scene from a distance.


    Meanwhile, inside the pass, soldiers started to gather around the fire, cheerfully chatting, eating, and drinking. This was the one time when they would be able to sit back and relax, forgetting, for a moment, about the troops of the Timber Deity Empire that were stationed beyond the walls.


    "Hey guys, who''s up to party with me?" Rocky walked over to a small group of men and flashed a bottle of wine around.


    The soldiers immediately responded to this cue, cheering him along.


    "Should we get Isis and Marin to dance for us?" Rocky asked the rowdy crowd.


    "Yessss!" was the unanimous reply. The tone of the evening had now been set and the soldiers turned to ogle at the gorgeous creatures on the wall. One had soft and gentle features, fresh like a stream of mountain water, whilst the other was enticing and dazzling, with the elegance of a rose. The men were completely under their spell.


    "Girls, come join us!" Rocky signaled them over.


    "Come! Come!" Soon all the soldiers started chanting together with Rocky. They couldn''t believe that this was actually going to happen! They were only used to interacting with the girls in their position as Commanders, hence always strict, austere and harsh. This was one of those once-in-a-lifetime type of moments and none of them wanted to miss it.


    "Ew, what a douchebag. I could kill this guy right now!" Marin said through clenched teeth as she glared back in anger at Rocky and the excited troops.


    "Same here, but we can''t lose track of what is in our best interest. We still have a chance to survive, so I say we just play along for now." Isis knew Marin was right but she couldn''t help feeling bitter about it all. It was the first time she was going to have to dance under such circumstances, and to make matters worse, she was going to have to perform for her soldiers. The whole thing was unbearably embarrassing.


    But she was one determined and fearless woman, once her mind was made up about something, there was no going back.


    "To be honest, in my case it won''t make much of a difference, but it''s your reputation I more worried about. You are the Deputy Commander in Chief after all, what if word got around that you danced for these pigs?" Marin co


    lled?"


    "But..." How could he make them see that he knew how Rocky tended to operate? The rascal had already fooled the army of the Timber Deity Empire in the past by faking a plague outburst. They had had to lower their defense in order to deal with the new alleged adversity and that was when Rocky had infiltrated their ranks and solely killed Commander Zuo. This scene could very well be another one of his infamous tricks.


    "Oh don''t you ''buts'' us now. You can fight this alone if you want. You go ahead and lead the troops. We are heading back to the city!" It was obvious that the two Commanders were afraid of dying. They had worked too hard all their lives to be at the top of the ladder and now they just wanted to enjoy some of the perks that came with the job! They didn''t seem to think that there was any point in fighting the enemy anymore. They had never had to face Rocky on the battlefield. They had no idea how he fought and to make matters worse, the enemy had called in reinforcement. Not only were the chances of winning extremely grim but too many of their men would perish in combat too. At the end of the day, they just wanted to go back home, safe and sound.


    "Fine. You can leave me in full command of the troops if you want and after I find out what the Crimson Dragon Army is up to, I will make up my mind then." Commander Zhou was not going to give up just yet, he still had a few hours ahead before he had to take any decision.


    The two spineless Commanders had not expected him to react like this and were taken aback by his response. The truth was that they could not abandon the troops either...they didn''t even want to think about the consequences they would have to face. The price to pay for their cowardice was too high...

 Chapter 401 The Big Crises Are Finally Over

    Just as the two senior leaders of the Crimson Dragon Group from the Holy Dragon Empire, Isis and Marin, were performing for their soldiers, a person and two beasts were sneaking around like ghosts in the camps of an army from the Timber Deity Empire. They evaded the patrols and bypassed more than a dozen military camps. Finally, they appeared near the grain warehouse of the Timber Deity Empire.


    At that very moment, more than a dozen soldiers were guarding the grain warehouse. Each one of these soldiers seemed languid and sleepy. The sneaky person was nobody but Rocky.


    He realized that the warehouse was not heavily guarded, so he pulled out his Frozen Wind Dagger. Suddenly, the spiritual light was spread over his whole body. Then, he burst the Evil Flame that turned into a red-black light in less than a second while rushing up to the sleepy soldiers.


    After more than a dozen flashes of such evil light, all of the soldiers silently dropped dead on the ground without even having enough time to cry out for help.


    When Rocky withdrew the Frozen Wind Dagger, his war beasts, Rubygon and Uriah also appeared beside him.


    "Uriah, set fire on all the camps! Don''t show mercy to them!" Rocky patted Uriah''s head.


    Uriah followed its master''s orders. At once, the scales of its whole body flared up, and it instantly shot out intertwining streams of flame. The flames quickly dashed towards the grain warehouse. Moreover, the fire kept burning whatever it passed by. Also, thanks to the wind, the entire grain warehouse was completely swallowed up by an ocean of big fire within a few seconds. The horrific fire even affected the camps around.


    "Fire, fire, fire! Help!" cried the nearby patrol upon catching sight of the big fire in the grain warehouse.


    Such cries immediately alarmed the soldiers in all the camps. They hurriedly ran out to put out the fire without even wearing any clothes. Their shame was instantly taken over by their survival instinct. Distinguishing the deadly fire was what mattered most now.


    Their three Commanders who were still arguing about whether to withdraw their troops suddenly saw the fire in their rear camp. As the fire was so fierce, they were shocked and hurriedly took the remaining two thousand soldiers to return to their camp.


    When the three Commanders safely returned to the camp, they saw that the location of their once-existing grain warehouse was completely swallowed up by the big fire.


    "What is going on here?" Commander Zhou asked a soldier who was frighteningly running past him.


    "I... I don''t know. But it looks like someone killed the guards of the grain warehouse and set it on fire..." the soldier hesitantly said as he was scared by the wild glare of the three Commanders.


    "Hurry! We want this fire gone in less than 30 minutes!" shouted


    Wild Heaven Pass. He was lying on the back of Rubygon with his legs crossed and his eyes closed for rest. While Rubygon was running fast, the Rainbow Glow Unicorn carrying a small Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf on its back and Uriah were running at its two sides. The man and his four beasts looked so happy while taking a break in the wild and wide plain.


    Meanwhile, Lance, Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Group, gave up the defense of the Frozen River Pass instantly after being reminded by Rocky. Leading ten thousand troops, Lance rushed to support the Loyal Dragon Pass without any rest at night. He and his soldiers arrived just before the army of the Loyal Dragon Pass was completely defeated. Under his right command, the already-in-jeopardy Loyal Dragon Pass was finally stabilized.


    The thirty thousand soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire, who were led by Alyssa to attack the Loyal Dragon Pass, had already suffered great losses in the previous battles. When they were about to succeed in conquering the Loyal Dragon Pass, Lance suddenly came to support the pass in time. As top Commander of the Timber Deity Empire, Alyssa was caught off guard.


    In no time, she was informed that the army she had sent to attack the Wild Heaven Pass withdrew because the Wild Heaven Pass got timely support. This piece of information shook her to her core. She believed that her plan was perfect, but now it seemed that none of her plans ever worked out well. Realizing that the situation became quite unfavorable, Alyssa immediately decided not to fight again. She asked her army to stop attacking the Loyal Dragon Pass and prepare to withdraw the troops back to their main camp.


    At that point, the huge crises of the Crimson Dragon Group''s in the two passes were finally resolved. Lance was very aware that it was Rocky who helped his Crimson Dragon Army get out of such crises.

 Chapter 402 In Exchange Of Help (Part One)

    Two days right after the Crimson Dragon Army had muddled through holding the field of the three passes, the reinforcements demanded by Lance turned up in time. These reinforcements were constituted of the Elite Regiment and twenty thousand main forces. Three more days passed since thirty thousand more main forces led by two Elite Commanders arrived at the frontline, to join the clamor.


    For now, there were approximately seventy thousands of Crimson Dragon Army here collectively. With the strongly formidable forces, they were now in a position to thrash back the Timber Deity Empire. On the other hand, the Timber Deity Empire encountered significant losses when they were battling at the clamor in Loyal Dragon Pass and Wild Heaven Pass, with substantial casualties of nearly forty thousand soldiers. At present, these two armies were far apart in strength. Thus, the leader of the army of the Timber Deity Empire could merely call for a withdrawal as speedily as feasible to nip in the bud for any more costs of soldiers.


    Currently, the two armies were now standing at where they had commenced once again, after the pulling out of the Timber Deity Empire.


    With the tremendous assistance of Rocky for more than a month, specifically on how to hold the field of Wild Heaven Pass, the Crimson Dragon Army was then in a position to drive the enemy back. According to his battle proposed action, the Crimson Dragon Army did an about-turn entirely on the situation and got back to the advantage. Everything suggested to have come full circle, with the two armies standing at where they had commenced before the clamor occurred. The numbers of the two troops differed, though, after a strenuous round of fighting.


    On the other side, something gave the impression of taking place in the frontline at this moment as the leaders got together.


    Inside the giant tent, Lance was now sitting calmly like the sleep of a soul that was blest in his tiger chair. At each side of his ch


    t guy, he departed earlier after the retreat of the Timber Deity Empire made their getaway," Marin responded as if she was in high dudgeon with Rocky.


    "Oh, that case..." Lance spoke with a sullen face and, in a flash, halted as if there was a shift in his thoughts. He then let out a slight sigh and proceeded, "Anyway, without Rocky''s advice, we couldn''t have held the field of Loyal Dragon Pass this time. Thanks to him, otherwise, we won''t be in a position to keep both Wild Heaven Pass and Loyal Dragon Pass in the end."


    As Lance was talking, none of the people at the scene had the slightest idea what his actual motive of saying so. Isis, Marin and other Commanders could only peer at each other and be reticent as a mouse at this moment as they were halting for Lance to finish uttering his words so that they would have a definite view why Lance had said so. Sometime earlier, none of them had figured it out why Lance would hand over the army from Frozen River Pass to Loyal Dragon Pass back then. As for them, it was really weird that Lance would establish such an arrangement. As a matter of fact, he was doing this because of Rocky''s recommendation. Thus, no doubt all the Commanders looked flustered when Lance mentioned this again at this moment. They felt like their brain cells had been randomized.

 Chapter 403 In Exchange Of Help (Part Two)

    Meanwhile, they were all astounded by such a spectacle, that the Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Group was now asserting his thankfulness for a mere captain of the logistic camp. This was something that had never taken place before! Their eyes and their mouths were frozen wide open in an expression of bewildered dismay.


    "Father, what are you speaking about? I don''t literally understand your words," Isis asked with confusion written all over her face at this moment. In her heart, she was really inquisitive about what Rocky had told and done to her father before. The more she mulled it over, the more her brain became a spinning top, always finding more questions than answers.


    "Well, we''ll converse about this later. Now could you tell me the details about the clamor in Wild Heaven Pass earlier, what had Rocky done to maintain the field of the pass?" Lance could not twiddle his thumbs longer that he interrogated about the details of the battle. In his mind, he was inquisitive about Rocky Bai, together with what he had done to keep Wild Heaven Pass successfully.


    After that, Isis then made intelligible all the details in the clamor, comprising of the scene that she and Marin were requested to play the heptachord and dancing on the city wall. However, since she did not give compliance to what Rocky had done in her heart, she spoke as if she were uttering balderdash at this moment. Meanwhile, the other Commanders at present were bewildered and at a loss of words as they either didn''t have the slightest clue about the reason why Rocky had done so.


    Among all the people at the scene, Lance was the only one who could explain the art of war from what Isis had just announced, holding in high regard expression written all over his face.


    "Well done! What a magnificent trick! I''m really taken my breath away by Rocky''s subterfuge of


    to give away the high-grade Dark Heaven Egg at the same time.


    "Father, I''m dismayed stiff that Rocky Bai might be uncontrolled in the future since you have given him so many precious treasures this time," Isis set forth with a slightly knitted brow on her face. Deep in her heart, she still longed to take Rocky down for her father.


    "Well, it was an emergency back then. And I could only grab the chance to attempt at that time. But now, it looks like we were doing the right thing. Don''t you concur? Look, we now hold not only the field of Wild Heaven Pass but also Loyal Dragon Pass! Therefore, it was like hitting two birds with one stone! Everything goes smoothly for now since we have repossessed what we had lost," Lance explained. He had no thought on what to do at that time, so he had to be of the same mind to Rocky''s offer. However, he considered that what he had given Rocky for exchanging was desirable at the end.


    "Well, I don''t assume it''s decent though," Marin could not help but affirm.


    Other Commanders bowed their concurrence at her comments this time.


    "So what? It takes two to make an argument. Am I not correct?" A booming voice then advanced into the tent at this moment. Someone walked straight inside.

 Chapter 404 A New Position

    Everyone in the tent was taken aback when they turned to see where a certain sound came from. The person who entered was no other than Rocky, the man who saved the Wild Heaven Pass from danger before disappearing for a few days.


    Once they recognized Rocky, everyone seemed to have mixed reactions. Admiration, disbelief and even shocked expressions were scribbled across their faces. Some of them even seemed to be jealous of him. A bitter expression, meanwhile, was coming from a certain person called Flank. Rocky had taught him quite a lesson lately.


    Flank was badly injured by Rocky in that fight and had to lie in bed for a few days before he made a full recovery. When Flank saw Rocky, he looked at him with rage-filled eyes, as if he saw a murderer who had killed his father.


    However, when Flank accidentally met Rocky''s eyes, a chill immediately ran down his spine. It seemed that Frank was subconsciously afraid of Rocky. He still had no idea how Rocky was able to beat him last time. To his knowledge, he knew Rocky could not be that strong. Such a powerful attack was possibly at the Heavenly Stage. Of course, Flank would never believe that Rocky had already reached that level.


    "You finally came," Isis said as she shot a cold look at Rocky. She couldn''t help but let her gaze linger on him for a while.


    If not for Rocky, she would have lost the Wild Heaven Pass. She would have drowned in guilt if that had happened. After all, it was her mistake that the Crimson Dragon Army suffered a huge loss of the thirty-thousand main force and had been pushed to a corner. In other words, Rocky not only saved the Crimson Dragon Army, but also fixed her mistake. So she should actually be grateful to Rocky. However, whenever she''d like to thank him, her words never seemed to come out.


    "Ha-ha! How could I not? The Commander-in-Chief still owes me something," Rocky joked as he walked to Lance under the careful gaze of the others. He then asked directly, "Commander in Chief, you will keep your word, right? Can I get the reward you promised me?"


    Lance nodded and then took out a Dark Heaven Egg. It was about the size of a palm. The Dark Heaven Egg was gleaming with faint light as if was a black pearl. As soon as one laid eyes on the egg,


    n General?" Rocky never expected that Lance would put forward such a tempting offer.


    "Here is the Crimson Dragon Token. So long as you have this, you will have the same power as the Deputy Commander in Chief and will gain the right to lead thirty thousand soldiers. You will only report to me, the Commander in Chief. Apart from me, there is only Isis who possesses the Crimson Dragon Token in the entire military camp. If you agree to assume the Crimson Dragon General position, then this Crimson Dragon Token will be yours. In other words, you will possess the power to lead the Crimson Dragon Army." Lance took out a crimson token where an incredible red dragon with four claws was clearly engraved.


    Rocky was collecting his thoughts after hearing Lance. According to Lance, the Crimson Dragon General was just as powerful as Isis and had the right to lead thirty thousand soldiers. If he accepted this offer, he would be superior to everyone else in the Crimson Dragon Group except Isis and Lance. That was extremely close to his target. Yet, he would still be an insignificant member in public since the Crimson Dragon General was a confidential position. If Lance didn''t come up with that, Rocky would be nothing. That meant Lance didn''t trust Rocky completely. But because of Rocky''s real identity, Lance believed that Rocky would never betray the Holy Dragon Empire and set up this special position specialized for him. That was the best Lance could do for Rocky, and Rocky could tell about that.

 Chapter 405 Who Is The Suspect (Part One)

    "Commander in Chief, I am of the point of view you passed the judgment without a second thought. If Rocky were to be eligible to have the same power as the Deputy Commander in Chief, the Crimson Dragon Group would be in grave jeopardy if he would act in defiance. No one can get one''s mitts on his allegiance to the Crimson Dragon Army..." Marin lodged a revolt as she got wind of Lance''s offer to Rocky. She didn''t perceive why she kept guarding against Rocky. Even though he assuaged her from desperate straits in many cases, she sensed he was extremely mystical to be exemption from cynicism. She noticed there was a peculiar sense of distance from him. So, she felt an instant perturbation in her mind when she got wind that the Commander in Chief brought forward such a fundamental position to Rocky. Although there was a time that she lacked conviction about herself being exceedingly sensitive, she did not think she did anything faulty in any situation.


    "Father, you need to have a second opinion before you make this declaration!" Isis also had a sneaking suspicion her father''s resolution was an impulsive one. It was not because she considered Rocky was not worth her credence. What induced her uneasiness was the impressive change in Rocky''s position in the military camp. Rocky was a mere captain of a small squad not long ago, but in no time, he would be a Crimson Dragon General who owned the same power as she did. It would, without a doubt, be a bolt out of the blue and generate an enormous turmoil among the entire Crimson Dragon Group if the news spread.


    "I have pondered things over concerning this promotion offer. I indeed am of the impression that Rocky is proficient in this position. He will be a qualified Crimson Dragon General," Lance replied in a reverberating voice as he peered single-minded to the two girls.


    At that moment, Rocky also fell into deep contemplation in front of such an


    n be free from ambiguity. He is in all likelihood a member of the royal family." Lance surprised everyone by the news. Their faces were washed blank with confusion like their brain cogs couldn''t turn fast enough to take in the information from their wide eyes.


    "What!" Isis and Marin were left open-mouthed as they perceived the unhoped-for information from Lance. It was entirely beyond their quick-wittedness that Rocky could have such a prestigious background.


    "A member of the royal family? If Rocky were a member of the royal family, then why was he dispatched into exile to the Gehenna Border? This has, on no occasion, occurred to a member of the royal family in the history of our country!" Isis popped a quiz in total perplexity. Her queries were actually key to figure out the identity puzzle.


    "That was specifically what I had been struggling to rattle out. If I could figure this puzzle out, Rocky''s genuine identity would have been made public." Lance looked grave in reflection. No one could have any slightest clue on what he was putting on his thinking cap.


    "Then, would it be feasible that Rocky is a royal spirit manipulator?" Marin could not help hazard a guess as she, in an instant, took a trip down memory lane Rocky had driven her Verdanim twice.

 Chapter 406 Who Is The Suspect (Part Two)

    "Marin, why do you have such a feeling in your bones?" Lance inquired in an on pins and needles manner because he preferred to have more judgment about Rocky. Perhaps, every wise man would harbor an ardent interest about everything unknown to him. Especially someone that was incomprehensible in every way as Rocky.


    Marin expressed in words in full details to Lance, her uncle, about what she could hark back to about the fact that Rocky had driven her Verdanim. Lance was knocked for six as he heard her niece''s account on the incidents.


    "At least, I cannot become conscious of his identity as a royal spirit manipulator in the competition. But, conforming to general regulations, if Rocky were a member of the royal family, he would presumably be a royal spirit manipulator as well." Lance squinted his eyes as he made wild guesses.


    "Maybe he had employed some measures to cover up his identity as a royal spirit manipulator in the competition. Since we do not have in words of one syllable understanding about the power of a royal spirit manipulator, it is above our heads for us to judge on that..." Isis also grabbed the chance to express her scrutiny.


    "Right, I reminisce about one more thing about him. The spirit manipulators who executed the Move of Decapitation with Rocky in the battle of the Rough Slope said they seemed to get a glimpse of the spiritual mark on his arms." Marin cast one''s mind back as she was hinted by Isis'' analysis.


    Marin herself also perplexed by the immediate information she remembered. They looked at each other for a few seconds in complete stillness and shock. They saw the shock registered on their faces before they could hide it. Because if Rocky were a royal spirit manipulator, they could narrow their investigation scope on his background. Based on his eminent performance before, even if he were not a member of the royal family, he should be from one of the i


    cky on the battlefields. This young man was really gifted in military maneuvering. Lance had faith in this young man and wanted to keep him under his command.


    "A secret agent?" Isis and Marin were stunned at the news as they stared at each other.


    "Did Rocky not offer a mention about this to any of you?" Lance interrogated as he peered at the perplexed girls.


    Both of them swayed their heads as a feedback.


    Lance laid out Rocky''s conjecture to the two girls. They also were of the same opinion to Rocky''s plunge as they both thought it a legitimate one.


    "No wonder the army of the Timber Deity Empire chose to employ an approach of encirclement to the northeast army instead of invading in battle of the Rough Slope. It presumably because the Timber Deity Empire had the information that cousin was the Commander of the northeast army, and they hoped I would send out the troops to extricate my cousin..." Isis was quick-witted enough to examine the anomalous situation in the last clamor.


    "But it makes no difference to the matter even if we perceive there is a secret agent in the Crimson Dragon Group but know nothing of the identity of the undercover agent. Did Rocky tell you who is speculated of the secret agent?" Marin could not help pushing forward.

 Chapter 407 Discussion

    "No. But I believe that the spy from the Timber Deity Empire that''s currently residing inside the Crimson Dragon Group must be someone who has some kind of access because they have been working in the process of development of our operation strategies every time. So, the spy is probably in the position of the Frontline Commander or higher rank. But I''d like to exempt all the Elite Commanders. They have been working with me for more than ten years already and we have gone through fire and water together for numerous times. That is the very reason why I am pretty sure the Elite Commanders aren''t involved in any treacherous acts," Lance stated.


    "If that''s being the case, the spy from the Timber Deity Empire must be one of the Frontline Commanders." Isis continued the deduction while holding her chin. She felt astounded by the conclusion that had been made, ''If the probability is high, that''s not a piece of good news for the Crimson Dragon Group. There are more than ten Frontline Commanders in the Crimson Dragon Army and most of them have been working for more than three years aside from Dunn, who was just promoted recently. In that case, it might become very difficult to determine and sort out who the spy is, '' she thought.


    "Exactly!" Lance shouted as he stood from his seat. His sudden action created a shock to both Isis and Marin. "That''s why I have decided. From now on, the Frontline Commanders will not take part in any of the development of our operating strategies to avoid further leaks and disclosure of information. Also, I will be giving the task to someone capable of uncovering the identity of that spy." He glanced at the girls. "All right. You two must be tired from rushing back along the way here. You can go and have some rest now," Lance said with the most pleasing gaze he could give.


    Isis and Marin bowed first before heading out together.


    On the other hand, as soon as Rocky left the tent of the Commander in Chief, he decided to go back to his house. But he ran into Dunn before he could even step his foot at the gate of the main camp.


    When Dunn saw him, he immediately acted as if Rocky was his brother. He walked closer to Rocky and patted him on the shoulder with too much strength exerted causing his knees to stagger a bit. Rocky might stumble down to the ground if he was not strong enough.


    "Hi buddy, you''ve won another big merit this time. Does the Commander in Chief want to give you the position of Commander? I believe you''ll refuse him again, am I right? Ha-ha," Dunn finally burst into laughter.


    Since Dunn, Marin and other Frontline Commanders played their part in defending Wild Heaven Pass successfully, Rocky''s relationship with Dunn was greatly improved. Rocky now thought of him as a forthright man and because of these circumstances, Rocky became nicer and no longer wore his cold face in front of Dunn anymore.


    "I already rejected the Commander in C


    he studies they had created to all of their disciples. Their school was known for its characteristics where they only performed mental cultivation methods without any practice of spiritual martial arts.


    In some sense, practicing only a mental cultivation method would not result in a great accomplishment, because even if the spirit manipulator possessed a great amount of spiritual power, the spiritual power wouldn''t be as effective compared to others who practiced spiritual martial arts. However, the Sima Clan''s mental cultivation method wasn''t processed in a normal way. They were turning the spiritual power into a destructive one so that they could replace the spiritual martial arts.


    It was a torturing process for a spirit manipulator. Practicing spiritual power was more difficult than practicing spiritual martial arts, so that they felt worse than death. But once they had made a breakthrough on all of the practices, they would become so powerful, enough to kill an opponent with just one move.


    The Blade Spirit Skill Dunn possessed was a great example. It had power that was as sharp as a blade, which was more endurable for spirit manipulators than spirit martial arts, because it could consume a large amount of spiritual power if a manipulator used spirit martial arts. Therefore, every move would be as effective as spiritual martial arts if the spiritual power itself was destructive enough.


    All destructive power could be retained even if only a small amount of spiritual power was left. This was the biggest advantage of the destructive spiritual power and it was suitable for close combat and lasting fight.


    On the other hand, having weak defense became its weakness, especially when a spirit manipulator fought with a stronger opponent who used spiritual martial arts. A spirit manipulator who practiced only destructive spiritual power would be likely to have unstable power to hold his or her own on a battlefield.

 Chapter 408 Excellence

    "In fact, my Blade Spirit Skill isn''t the strongest spiritual power. The Sima Clan offers many kinds of skills that have been designed for people with different physiques. For example, there is one skill called Toxin Spirit Skill. Basically, if a man uses and gains mastery with that skill, his spiritual power will give out a kind of toxin, and his opponent will be poisoned as soon as the man tries to hit him," Dunn said, though his description sounded somewhat exaggerated.


    "If that''s the case, then why did you come to join the army of the Holy Dragon Empire instead of staying with the Sima Clan to continue your training?" Rocky asked out of curiosity.


    "My father was once a Commander of the Holy Dragon Empire as well. Nonetheless, shortly after my birth, he died fighting on the battlefield. My mother was a former member of the Sima Clan. Thus, after my father''s death, she went back to her clan. But when I turned sixteen years old, she died as well. When she was dying, she urged me repeatedly to serve the Holy Dragon Empire by being a Commander just like my father. Then I would fulfill my father''s unfulfilled wish," Dunn sighed heavily. Everyone could tell this was an emotional topic for Dunn to discuss.


    "I see," Rocky replied back, sighing too. Dunn''s background and life experience surprised him. He hadn''t expected such hardship from this man.


    "How about we switch topics, Rocky? You''re interested in the Blade Spirit Skill, aren''t you? Let me teach it to you," Dunn offered.


    "Honestly, Dunn, I don''t think it''s proper for you to disclose that to me," Rocky said, somewhat surprised.


    "Don''t think like that. You are my friend now. I''m willing to share whatever I have with you. Besides, the Blade Spirit Skill generally takes at least ten years to gain proficiency and fifteen years to control it effectively without strain; thus, it is usually taught during childhood. Few ordinary spirit manipulators can be so patient to practice it," Dunn explained. He didn''t seem concerned about the risks of sharing it with Rocky.


    "Okay then, thank you," Rocky replied and nodded.


    Dunn then began explaining about the Blade Spirit Skill in detail.


    While keeping the practicing method in mind, Rocky went on drinking the wine together with Dunn. He bid his farewell and left the tent. As soon as he walked out of the main camp, he released the four beasts from the Magic Spiritual Space. They then all went back together.


    However, upon arriving at his place, Rocky''s face darkened. He discovered th


    n.


    Very soon, a slim and graceful figure walked out of the Isis Pavilion. Rocky''s eyes lit up when he saw that Sue had become even more beautiful and grown up since the last time they had met.


    Sue was delighted to see Rocky. Immediately, she pulled him into the Isis Pavilion.


    "Mr. Bai, I heard that you''ve just made new contributions to the front line. Is that true?" Sue asked, excitement shown all over her small face.


    "Who told you that?" Rocky asked, raising his eyebrows slightly.


    "Everybody in the main camp knows about it. Even the middle-aged women who wash vegetables in the kitchen know the legendary hero called Rocky Bai among our Crimson Dragon Army," Sue answered, looking admiringly at Rocky.


    "Really? Strange. I didn''t know that I have become so famous," Rocky said with an indifferent smile.


    "By the way, is Rubygon here with you?" Sue asked, blinking. She looked a little sad not seeing Rubygon.


    "Yes, I brought it, but I''m afraid that you will be scared when you see it in its current state," Rocky replied smilingly.


    However, his answer made Sue even more curious than afraid. She insisted on seeing Rubygon.


    "Let''s go outside first," Rocky warned. He didn''t think it would be good to make Rubygon appear inside the Isis Pavilion, so he stood up and walked towards the courtyard.


    Sue followed after him immediately.


    After stopping in his tracks, Rocky unfolded one of his hands and shook it in the air. Immediately, a crack appeared in the invisible air.


    As soon as she saw the crack, Sue asked in amazement and shock, "Is this the Magic Spiritual Space? Mr. Bai, you now possess the power of the Heavenly Stage? Oh my Heavens!"

 Chapter 409 Surgery

    "You know the Magic Spiritual Space, Sue? It gives me the impression that you really learned a lot when you were around Isis," Rocky said as he was caught on the hop. Sue could tell from his move that he was opening the Magic Spiritual Space. Rocky hadn''t expected that.


    "I''ve seen Miss Isis performed it before. She even taught me a mental cultivation method," Sue said as she held out one hand, faint spiritual power glimmering on her palm. She already had some semblance of a spirit manipulator.


    "It seems you are close to the second grade of the Mortal Stage." Rocky arched one brow, feeling a little surprised that Isis had taught Sue the method of mental cultivation.


    "It''s not even close to what you can accomplish. I still need to work on it. I haven''t scratched the surface. Miss Isis told me that a spirit manipulator could only be counted as a master after reaching the Heavenly Stage," Sue said, gazing at Rocky admiringly.


    "I''m flattered. I''d be indebted to you if you don''t tell Isis that I have reached the Heavenly Stage," Rocky said, knowing that if Isis heard that he had progressed so fast, he would definitely get the third degree from her.


    Just then, the Magic Spiritual Space opened, and out came four beasts. They packed into the courtyard, jumping and sprinting after being closed in the Magic Spiritual Space for so long. Rocky''s Magic Spiritual Space was the size of a farm, but there was nothing inside it. The four beasts couldn''t come upon anything to amuse themselves there, so they just slept most of the time.


    Sue''s mouth dropped opened when she caught sight of the four beasts, especially Rubygon now a head taller than her.


    "Bet they give you goose pimples, right?" Rocky grinned. Musical peals of laughter came thick and fast.


    "Rubygon is growing up honestly in double-quick time. Look at the size of it! All these are your spirit-manipulated beasts? Here are four of them. Miss Isis told me that a spirit manipulator could only have one spirit-manipulated beast. But you have four!" Sue seemed a little


    and observed this orange war dragon. Its right leg was swollen badly and its body was convulsing violently, but it was still conscious.


    "How long has it been in this condition?" Rocky asked Sheridan.


    "It''s been half a month. At the beginning, it just couldn''t walk normally. Then its leg swelled up. A few days ago it began convulsing like this and couldn''t eat or drink. I used various treatments but none of them worked. I''m afraid that it won''t last three days if it keeps going like this," Sheridan said with anxiety written all over his raddled face.


    "It sounds like edema. The muscles and nerves in its right leg may have suffered severe injuries. Many nerves are severed inside, causing the secretion disorder of the nerve system. A substantial amount of blood and water accumulates in its right leg." A brief investigation was all Rocky needed; then he made the conclusion quickly. He had seen too many cases like this in the northeast military camp.


    "Is there any way we can heal it?" Sheridan inquired.


    "It requires surgery." Rocky stroked his chin thoughtfully.


    "Surgery? Well, do whatever you have to! This war dragon is a member of the Elite Regiment. It will ruin my reputation if I can''t cure it," Sheridan urged. He had treated many beasts but never came across a situation like this one. He had no idea what to do until Rocky was here.

 Chapter 410 A Young Lover

    "If it was an ordinary spirit-manipulated beast, I wouldn''t pay too much attention to it. But this is a war dragon that belongs to a member of the Elite Regiment and each of them is arrogant and tough to deal with. If under my guardianship, something happens to their spirit-manipulated beasts, then they can create serious trouble for me," Sheridan said worryingly.


    "A member of the Elite Regiment?" having no idea of their presence there, Rocky asked for confirmation.


    "Didn''t you know? The Commander In Chief has just ordered to call back some members of the Elite Regiment. They were ordered to join the troops in fighting the battles at the front line. They are supposed to reach the main camp by now. Haven''t you seen any of them? I heard about your great contributions at the front line..." Sheridan paused, beaming with joy. As Rocky''s master, Sheridan was quite happy to hear about the bravery of Rocky at the Wild Heaven Pass. He felt quite proud of his disciple.


    Rocky simply shook his head. He didn''t care about the Elite Regiment since they had nothing to do with him.


    "I can cure this war dragon, but under the condition that you give me a three-star cub," Rocky said without giving up the good opportunity to blackmail his master, as he had promised Sue that he would give her a spirit manipulated beast.


    "What?! A three-star cub? What are you going to do with it? You already have two spirit-manipulated beasts, can you own three spirit-manipulated beasts at the same time?" Sheridan asked with a hint of melancholy in his voice.


    "I want to present it to someone else as a gift," Rocky replied.


    "A gift? How generous of you to give a three-star spirit-manipulated beast as a gift! Is that someone, a woman? Anyway, do you think those three-star cubs are available freely, and you could pick up one at your own will? But the truth is that all the spirit-manipulated beasts in the main camp are subjected to a strict management system. It would be impossible for anybody to take them away without permission." Sheridan spoke sternly. He knew clearly that his disciple was fleecing him since he was in urgent need of his help. And Rocky did that just in order to make a woman happy. With these thoughts in mind, Sheridan could not help but feel sad for himself.


    "It''s all up to you," Rocky said while stretching his hands and shrugging. It was obvious that he would refuse to cure the war dragon unless he


    k and forth repeatedly like an anxious husband waiting outside the delivery room of his wife.


    As soon as he noticed Rocky, Sheridan paced to him and asked, "How was the operation?"


    "Of course the operation was a success. You know I am skilled at doing it," Rocky answered, patting Sheridan on the shoulder and giving him a confident smile. He then gave Sheridan some post-operative instructions about how to take care of the war dragon after the operation while taking Wintersweet Marten back from him.


    "By the way, this spirit-manipulated beast will be a gift for a younger sister of mine, whose name is Sue. She works for the Deputy Commander in Chief and is also practicing the mental cultivation method as a spirit manipulator. For my sake please do take care of her while you can and give her directions when you are free," Rocky said to Sheridan.


    "A younger sister? I have never heard about you having a younger sister. Actually she is your lover, right?" Sheridan asked Rocky mockingly.


    "I''m leaving now," Rocky said and rolled his eyes before leaving.


    After leaving the beast farm, Rocky took the Wintersweet Marten to the Isis Pavilion for Sue, who danced with happiness when she caught sight of the Wintersweet Marten. After all, every spirit manipulator was happy to own his or her own spirit-manipulated beast.


    "Sue, if you encounter any difficulty while practicing and require some advice, you may ask Sheridan for help. I''ve told him about you," Rocky sighed. He then taught Sue how to make the Wintersweet Marten accept her as its master and waved goodbye while leaving the Isis Pavilion.

 Chapter 411 Meeting Prefects Son

    After leaving the base camp, Rocky wandered around the vast Evian City with a purposeful stride just thinking about where he could rebuild his new laboratory. After browsing through many areas, he recalled a street in the brothel district where Sheridan took him the last time he was here and so began moving in that direction. Once he reached, he spotted a bunch of people gathering. This group seemed increasingly curious about something weird unfolding there.


    "Hey! How can you..." The sound of a woman''s angry voice could be distinctly heard coming from the crowd.


    "I absolutely love doing this. The question is what can you possibly do to me? I want to see whether she is actually Miss Laney. After all, you are just a maid. It''s none of your business, so stay out of it!" An extremely intimidating and domineering voice responded.


    "Laney?" The moment Rocky heard that name, he grew serious and suddenly jolted into action. He moved swiftly making his way through the crowd. Amidst the crowd stood three men, with the indistinct breath of spirit manipulators. It also seemed that they possessed power of the third or fourth grade at the Mortal Stage. Apart from them, there also stood a vain sissy who was dressed rather excessively. He was blocking the two women. It was evident this foppish man was misbehaving in the street and creating a scene.


    While the rest of the people gathered there were all ordinary. They kept pointing at the ill-mannered man yet no one dared to lay a finger on him. It was evident, they were all scared of him.


    Of the two women, the one dressed in a maid''s uniform stood in front of the other woman in a protective stance. The other woman was modestly dressed and hidden behind an intricate purple veil. Yet despite the light veil, one could get a glimpse of her radiating beauty, especially her expressive gleaming eyes. Just one glance was enough to be drawn into the world within her deep eyes.


    Carefully yet intensely, Rocky looked at the woman hidden behind the light veil. He was sure this was Laney, the most popular courtesan of Geisha House. He had met her once earlier, a meeting he would not forget.


    "Sir, I am most certainly not Laney. I am sorry you have gotten the wrong person!" People could hear Laney speak out to the sissy. Her feminine and melodious voice was quite mesmerizing.


    "Miss Laney, you can stop with the pretense! Even if you conceal your entire face, I will be able to recognize you. With much dedication, I cherish you every night, yet you don''t even bother giving me a chance to be alone with you. It was fate that brought us together, which means we are destined for each other. One cannot deny such a wonderful turn of events! Why don''t you accompany me to my house and play a tune for me? With this we can nurture our relationship. From this moment forward, I will take you as my seventh concubine and I think you will be the most suitable one yet


    anding an apology. He seemed quite self-righteous.


    The three spirit manipulators were blinded by arrogance and they were too weak to recognize the breath of spirit manipulator coming from Rocky. Besides, they didn''t even realize that they had invited their own doom by provoking Rocky.


    "So, I will count till three and give you a fair chance to disappear now, or else..." Rocky warned the three spirit manipulators in a calm yet intimidating tone.


    "Boy, since you seem so eager to die, I will give you exactly what you are begging for!" The tallest man grew furious and shouted upon hearing Rocky''s threat. Blinded by rage, he closed his fingers into a powerful fist which drew in the little spiritual power he possessed and hit Rocky.


    All the people, who were witnessing this fight unfold, were increasingly worried about Rocky. In the eyes of ordinary people, the spirit manipulators were extremely powerful and were so strong that they could kill a cow with just one punch. So they assumed Rocky was in grave danger.


    But to everyone''s surprise, and more so for the spirit manipulators, Rocky casually matched the tallest man''s powerful punch with an even more powerful retaliation.


    "Is that all you are capable of doing? Not worth the hype now, was it?" Rocky matched the tallest man''s attack with a growing sneer.


    Upon watching what happened, the other two spirit manipulators grew increasingly shocked. They were stunned that Rocky caught the tallest man''s punch so easily.


    "You can just fuck off!" Once the other two spirit manipulators were close to Rocky, they heard a distinctively loud and sharp snap. Suddenly, his body pulsated with spiritual power. Almost immediately, a strong cyclone circled his whole body. The next second the two spirit manipulators hit the cyclone only to be blown off their feet with a thud onto the ground. With the force of the blow, they spat blood from their mouths and fell into a deep coma.

 Chapter 412 Hidden Strength

    "You... I can''t believe that you''re as strong as an ox!" the tallest man sighed with amazement. It was not until now that he became aware of who Rocky really was. In fact, Rocky had been concealing his formidable strength and was good enough not to let anyone know what he was capable of. The tallest man even turned pale in a split second. On the contrary, he tried to pull his fist that Rocky was gripping so tightly. However, at the same time, he felt something strange as he looked at his arm and saw that it was on fire. To add salt into an injury, the fire looked peculiar and sharp as it displayed interlacing black and red lines.


    "Ouch! That freaking hurts!" The man suddenly felt like his arm was being roasted over hungry raging flames. In fact, the pain was so excruciating that he wished for death at that very moment. His skin melted, which then seared at a fast rate. Being cooked alive, a smell of barbecue began to float in the air. Shaking his arm as quickly as he could, the man attempted to fight and put out the fire. Nevertheless, no matter how hard he tried, he still failed.


    And just like that, his entire arm suddenly became deformed and burned, like it was not a part of his body anymore. Looking like a withered tree trunk, there was no trace of blood whatsoever. It was burnt so bad that only a little residual muscle and bones were left.


    The witnesses, on the other hand, had their mouths agape as they saw what had just happened. All of their stomachs went topsy turvy at the sight of such a very gruesome event that some of them felt the need to throw up.


    Meanwhile, Laney, who was standing behind Rocky, looked sullen and pale from what she had just seen. Swinging her head from side to side, she tried to avoid seeing the man''s burnt arm.


    The sissy was also scared as he felt chills down his spine. At that very moment, he knew that something bad was going to happen.


    "Sir, please, I beg you. Have mercy on me! I know that I am wrong!" the tallest man pleaded as he asked for forgiveness and pardon. Weak to his core, his legs had given away, forcing him to get down on his knees to plead once more. Looking pale as dead, he wet his pants out of fright.


    "Mr. Bai, please let him go! He''s no better than a servant," Laney said in the softest voice possible as she intervened with Rocky for the man. Being softhearted and kind by nature, she was not able to stomach the sight of a person suffering.


    "You''re too gracious, you know?. Since he bears the candle to the devil, he has to be racked with pain for what he has done," Rocky said, as he turned his back to have a closer look at Laney. Despite their disagreement in words, he gave a grunt and waved one of his arms all of a sudden, as if he didn''t want to do it in the first place. Immediately, the fire on the man''s arm suddenly came to a halt.


    "Go away! Never let me see you anywhere near me ever again!" Rocky replied as he gave the tall man one last frosty stare.


    Petrified and trembling like a leaf from head to toe, the tall man crawled and tumbled on the ground as fast as he could while he held his deformed arm.


    Seeing t


    istent visitor of the Geisha House, but had never had the chance to meet Laney in person. Now that he came face to face with her at the moment, he stared at her, twinkling his eyes as if he was flirting.


    "How could the son of our prefect carry out such kind of thing? I''m starting to guess that Miss Laney must have misinterpreted him. This man must have some disrespectful and dirty motives on Miss Laney so that he framed the son of our prefect and created an invalid charge against him. Problem solved. Please head back to the Geisha House right away, Miss Laney. Rest assured that I will deal with this man vigorously," Calvin said when he eventually came back to his senses and coughed quite a while later. Obviously, he was twisting the truth with what had happened.


    "Sir, the son of the prefect really did attempt to abuse me just now. Fortunately, he was interrupted by this friend of mine," Laney pointed out, as she glanced at Rocky. She would not forget her friend when he was roughed up.


    Calvin''s face changed its color upon hearing Laney''s explanation. He hadn''t foreseen that she would stand by Rocky openly and put in a favorable account for him. Nevertheless, Calvin would not miss such an exceptional chance and let go of Rocky so smoothly. As his eyes were overcast, he proceeded, "Even so, he was wrong by wounding others. I must deal with the matter reasonably. Guards, apprehend him!"


    In an instant, Rocky was ceased by a group of urban guards who came with Calvin.


    "Miss Laney, leave these men to me. I can deal with them accordingly. You''d better head back now, because I''m scared stiff of what is going to happen in these men. Turn back now for this might come off as too much for your eyes." Rocky turned his head back as he instructed Laney.


    "No way, Rocky. You did everything just to help me when I was in need. How could I ever have the guts to leave you here all by yourself?" Laney spoke as sincerely as she could, shaking her head adamantly.


    "Okay then. It''s all up to you," Rocky said with a smirk on his face as he vanished into thin air.

 Chapter 413 I Just Want To Fool You Around

    Suddenly, a figure shuttled through the city guards. It was moving lightning fast, and the onlookers could make it out only as a blurred shadow.


    Thump! Thump! Thump!


    Owing to his strong spiritual power, all the city guards besieging Rocky fell into a coma in a flash.


    All of a sudden, Rocky revealed himself from nowhere in front of the sissy and Calvin. He had an evil smile that frightened everyone.


    A stream of spiritual power in the shape of a dark cloud fogged the sight of the sissy and Calvin giving them no try to react.


    In the next minute, pleadings for mercy and shrieks of pains diffused over the street. It sounded like aggrieved children cried for the help of their parents.


    As moments passed by, the sissy and Calvin were on their knees with bluish blackface and a gloomy black eye quite resembling that of a panda. Even though they were unscathed, it would have been impossible for either of their parents to recognize them had they been present at the scene.


    "You¡­ How dare you beat me? Do you know my dad is the Frontline Commander of the Crimson Dragon Group?" Calvin covered his swollen face with his hand and then pointed at Rocky as he wailed.


    "Are you kidding me? I dared to barely beat your dad. What is the big deal in licking his cheeky son?" Rocky responded with a contemptuous fie on Calvin.


    "You¡­ You even dared to hit my dad? You liar! You could never be a match for my dad. My dad is a powerful spirit manipulator¡­" Even though Calvin didn''t believe a word what Rocky said, he was clearly stupefied and trembled at what Rocky had claimed. After all, his dad was a renowned figure in his eyes.


    But what Calvin didn''t know was that his dad had provoked Rocky out of nothing and he got knocked down by Rocky a while ago. He got tamed at the sight of Rocky by now!


    "You can go back and ask your dad about it if you don''t believe me. I''m just afraid that he would be shame to mention it in front of you, his dear son..." Rocky teased Calvin as he slapped the latter on the face.


    "Mr. Bai, I think you''d better leave immediately, their fathers were important figures with an outstanding background in the Evian City and were not someone to be screwed up with," Laney reminded Rocky worryingly. Even though she was pacified to see Rocky knocking down the sissy and Calvin, she could not witness Rocky in danger.


    "That''s alright. I would rather wait to see


    n his knees would eventually come true.


    "Honorable prefect, that conceited guy despised the law and order only because he was rather skillful in the fight. This man demonstrated no respect to you, your honorable prefect and he is a criminal beyond forgiveness!" Calvin seized his chance to inflame the situation.


    "You humble creature! How dare you hurt my son and the son of Commander Zhao! You are dead meat! Do you know who I am?" The prefect of the Evian City glared at Rocky while asking.


    "How could I possibly identify you? Tell me your name, please," Rocky responded in a composed manner.


    "You are definitely an ignorant man who can''t tell chalk from cheese! Alright, I will tell you who I am. I am the prefect of Evian City, the governor of the city! You rioted in my city and tortured my son! I will make you pay for your offense!" The prefect of the Evian City squared up in an authoritative manner.


    "Oh, you are the prefect of Evian City. You have arrived at the right time. I was punishing your cheeky son for you. You need to teach your son some discipline before you release him to harm the citizens again. Otherwise, I will do the same to him for you if I ever see him harassing the citizens again." Rocky continued to challenge the prefect of the Evian City even though he looked as if the background of that person surprised him.


    The crowd laughed out loud after hearing Rocky''s response. Even Laney, who stood behind him, could not refrain from chuckling as she covered her mouth with her hand.


    Who else had the nerve to tease the prefect of the Evian City as Rocky did!

 Chapter 414 Beyond Peoples Expectation

    This was not the first time for Rocky to conduct in such a manner. He had the guts to retort the Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Group, not to mention the prefect of the Evian City.


    The face of the prefect of the Evian City darkened. He had never set his eyes on anyone so provocative in the place in his charge before. And what made him boil with indignation was that Rocky beat his son and had no intention of making an apology, which was unbearable for him.


    At this time, several spirit manipulators came down the horses following the prefect of the Evian City. They were at the first and second grade of the Earthly Stage which was corresponding to the strength of the captain of a small military camp of the Crimson Dragon Group. The bodyguards who were at the back of the team had already besieged the street.


    "Sir, just cut the bluffing with him. Bring him back and grill him until he makes a clean breast of it. The enemy may have sent him here," one of the spirit manipulators said to the prefect of the Evian City.


    "Take him!" The prefect of the Evian City made an indication, and several spirit manipulators wended their way towards Rocky in a dash.


    At this time, a subtle figure darted in front of Rocky and said tenderly to the prefect of the Evian City, "Sir, your son is the one to be held accountable. My friend was just lending a hand. He is not to blame at all."


    "Miss Laney..." Rocky didn''t foresee that Laney would have the stout-heartedness to take his side at this time, and appreciation could be seen sticking out a mile in his eyes.


    "Who the hell are you?" the prefect of the Evian City inquired.


    "Father, this bitch is..." the son of the prefect was cut shortly as Laney took off the veil.


    Then everyone present was held spellbound by the splendid face, including the prefect of the Evian City. They were all sent into a trance by Laney''s good looks.


    "I''m Laney,


    n a twinkle of an eye, dashing a fierce wave of wind which dispersed in all directions.


    What was more rude awakening was that the prefect of the Evian City felt an outbreak of spiritual power which was stronger than his surging towards him, pressing him to step back by at least ten meters. When he halted, he spit a little blood.


    Everyone was astounded at this scene, unable to comprehend what had just transpired.


    No one had the slightest notion that Rocky would encounter the fist of the prefect and overpower him. At this moment, they all started to cudgel their brains, whether Rocky was a master who had concealed his real strength.


    The prefect stared at Rocky, his mind blown away by Rocky''s profound power. It was like making him eat humble pie for him to lose to Rocky in front of so many people.


    "Fortunate for you. Be tentative. I mean what I declare this time!" To win his honor back, the prefect shouted and heaved himself towards Rocky. He raised his arm, which was flickering with all of his spiritual light.


    To people''s consternation, Rocky didn''t create a response but stood still in his place.


    When the fist of the prefect was about to touch Rocky, Rocky took out an item to block the prefect''s fist, an action beyond everyone''s presumption.

 Chapter 415 Express Gratitude

    The prefect of the Evian City was also at a loss for words as Rocky did so. His sight then landed on the thing Rocky just showed out in front of him. It was a crimson token, on which an awe-inspiring red dragon with four claws was vividly engraved. Beyond doubt, this token was out of the common. After giving it another careful glance, the prefect''s jaw almost fell to the ground. It took him a few seconds to eventually utter words.


    "Is... Is this..." Beaming at the token in Rocky''s hand, the prefect''s voice was quavering.


    Of course, he recognized what that was. It was the Crimson Dragon Token, which symbolized the superior power within the Crimson Dragon Group. There were only two in the entire military group who possessed such tokens to his knowledge¡ªthe Commander in Chief and the Deputy Commander in Chief. The one who owned the Crimson Dragon Token, had the right to lead all the soldiers in the territory administered by the Crimson Dragon Group.


    Now that Rocky had the Crimson Dragon Token in his hand, it meant his position in the Crimson Dragon Group might be as powerful as the Deputy Commander in Chief.


    With that thought, the prefect turned grim-faced.


    "Hush!" Rocky placed a finger before pursed lips and afterwards put the token into his pocket.


    A chill was sent down the prefect''s spine, and he closed his mouth in lightning speed.


    "Dear Prefect, do you know how to do next now?" Rocky sneered as squinting at him.


    The prefect''s face was as pale as a ghost already when he thought the one he had offended was such a powerful figure. Although he had never met Rocky before, he recognized the Crimson Dragon Token in Rocky''s hand. He had been in office in the Evian City for a long time, so he had seen the token for several times. It was barely possible that Rocky would use a counter fake token to trick him, because forging the Crimson Dragon Token was a capital crime. He didn''t believe that Rocky had that nerve to commit such a severe crime.


    The prefect of the Evian City was a clever man. As hearing Rocky, he understood what he meant behind words. The only way to solve his crisis was to deal with the initiator. He then strode to his son and dragged his collar. After pulling his son in front of Rocky, the prefect kicked on his son''s leg to force him to kneel down. With a hard slap on his son''s head, the prefect yelled on top of his voice, "You idiot! How can you be that stupid?


    n. He even flirted with that kind of woman in public. Why did my teacher order me to safeguard a man like him? He is so disgusting!" As the words left her mouth, she already vanished in thin air on the spot.


    It was almost at sunset when Rocky set his foot at the Geisha House with Laney. Because the Geisha House didn''t open yet, it looked cheerless.


    Once upon their arrival, Yasmin came to greet them and held Laney''s hand as asking, "Where have you been? Do you know how much I was worried about you? What took you that long?"


    Laney was the best girl in the Geisha House, and most of the guests were here for her. What if anything happened to Laney, Yasmin would lose at least half of her customers. That explained why Yasmin looked so worried.


    "I got a little trouble on my way back. If not because of Mr. Bai, I would have no idea what would occur to me next," Laney smiled, and then turned to look at Rocky standing behind her.


    Yasmin recognized Rocky soon and was caught by surprise. She exclaimed with wide eyes, "Aren''t you Sheridan''s student?"


    "Nice to see you again, Yasmin!" Rocky bowed to her politely.


    "Good boy! You are as tenderhearted as your teacher. Oh, why doesn''t your teacher come with you this time?" Yasmin asked in a dash.


    "I just bumped into Laney and originally planned to come back," Rocky answered.


    "That''s it. Now that you saved Laney out of a tight spot, everything you like is on the house. Please be my guest. And I will call two girls to serve you tonight," Yasmin said passionately.


    "Yasmin, tonight I want..." Laney spoke in a hushed tone in Yasmin''s ear.

 Chapter 416 He Is Quite Capable

    "What? Laney, I am sorry but I didn''t agree. If you don''t show up, then my Geisha House is really going to be smashed by the ones who have been waiting for so long just to watch you perform," Yasmin, boss of the Geisha House, said as she softly turned down what Laney had just proposed to her. Laney had a more pressing matter to deal with as of the moment. As the top performer of the Geisha House, she now had a number of fans who had paid to watch her performance.


    "But I have already given my word to Mr. Bai that I''ll perform for him solely. And with that, I have to keep my word. Please!" Laney pleaded tenderly once more.


    "Oh, my Goddess! Now, how about this... I will treat Mr. Bai for you during your performance, and after that, you can entertain him! After all, the performance wouldn''t consume much of your time. If you don''t show up at all, then I really don''t have the slightest idea on how to calm down so many of your fans who come to have a gaze at your lovely art!" Yasmin proposed meticulously, as she placed her hand on Laney''s.


    "Miss Laney, you don''t have to make a special treatment for me. Please just follow Yasmin''s proposal," Rocky said instantly. He was certainly aware that Laney was the leading performer of the Geisha House. Many of the guests went there, just wanting to set their eyes on nothing but Laney. If she didn''t turn up tonight, then he guessed that the raging guests would eventually shatter the Geisha House. If that happened, he just couldn''t afford the expense of such a significant loss.


    "Thank you so much for your kind understanding." Yasmin winked at Rocky, her face still looking gorgeous as a middle-aged woman. In fact, she was one of those who had such a timeless face that never aged. Then, she turned to Laney and said, "Well, I am going to treat Mr. Bai for you. You should put on some makeup first. Be ready for the performance that will begin soon!"


    "Well, all right then," Laney said while she unwillingly nodded as soon as she realized that Rocky didn''t mind her performing for the guests first. Half pushed by Yasmin, she took her maid and moved backstage to prepare.


    "Mr. Bai, Laney has been in our Geisha House for so long, and this is the first time that she didn''t want to perform for her guests because of some man. It seems that you have great personal charisma!" Yasmin winked at Rocky as she envied his charm. And then she sized him up with a cheesed off look and said, "Mr. Bai, you look really handsome, but your dressing style is just so..." At that time, Rocky was wearing a worn military gown that had evidently turned white due to frequent wash. Beyond question, he looked like an abject tramp.


    "Yasmin, I am sorry for my inappropriate dressing!" Rocky looked at his dressing, realizing that he looked like a farmer. Being in the periphery forest of the Myriad Beasts Ground for a while, he had not changed his clothes, not even once. Every single time he took a bath, he d


    nto the house. During that time, an exquisite purple figure flashed on the eaves of the Geisha House''s backyard, and then just vanished out of thin air.


    Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Rocky was snatching forty winks and looked like he was enjoying himself.


    Then, with a squeak sound, the door of the bathroom was shoved open, and a white figure fluttered into the room silently.


    But when Rocky heard the sound from the door, he thought that it could just be Yasmin''s maid who came to give him new clothes. Thinking that it was not a big deal, he did not open his eyes to see what was going on. Yet, he, in no time, felt a cold, abrupt and murderous atmosphere. In an instant, he became cognizant¡ªit was not the maid, and his eyes snapped open.


    At that very moment, in the misty fog, the woman in white who flew into the bathroom shone brightly due to the spiritual light around her. Rocky then found out that she was exuding the power at the Heavenly Stage. Without a word, the woman flipped her jade-like hand and threw a few punches towards Rocky in the pool. As quick as lightning, she had infused her best power in her blows.


    Puff, puff, puff...


    Suddenly, the water in the pool was splashing violently, like a monstrous stone had been thrown into it. The splashing water looked so scintillating and bright, with petals flying along with the water. Although the whole scene looked appealing, Rocky only felt the hidden murderous atmosphere.


    "Did I punch him?" the woman in white spoke to no one in a hushed tone.


    "Well, almost," a bleak voice responded. Then, a figure emerged from the water along with the voice.


    "Hmmm! Indeed, you are quite capable," the woman spoke at once with her elegant, murderous eyes flashing a touch of amazement. Obviously, she didn''t expect that Rocky could safely escape her sneak attacks.


    Now she could make the safe conclusion that Rocky''s strength was definitely not only at the ninth grade of the Earthly Stage.

 Chapter 417 Cant Imagine

    "Who are you?" Rocky asked with sheer coldness in his eyes. He wondered why a woman would appear all of a sudden to assassinate him.


    "I am the one who came to kill you!" the woman in white answered in her cold voice.


    "I remember there is no enmity amongst us. Just tell me why you want to kill me. Or is it that you are sent by somebody else¡­" Rocky was in no hurry to start a fight back. He could sense the spiritual power of the woman in white was no ordinary, and her power even reached the Heavenly Stage. But it had surprised him that she was just a woman. So, he was really curious to know why such an ace woman would try to assassinate him.


    "I am doing this without any reason." With that reply, the woman in white started her violent attack back again. She punched and then punched again towards the water pool with dazzling spiritual light. One could observe that each of her punches was with full strength and completely merciless.


    Due to this fierce attack of the woman in white, the water splashed all over the pool, making the pool completely visible all the way to its bottom. Rocky, in his defense, jumped over and landed at the other end of the pool.


    "If you want to fight with me, then allow me to put my clothes back on." Undoubtedly Rocky was a thick-skin, but he was surely not thick enough to fight with a woman when he was naked.


    But, the woman in white was in no mood to provide Rocky with any chance. She leaped and then skimmed over the pool attacking him again in the mid-air. She yelled out loudly, "Try this!"


    As soon as the woman in white finished saying this, Rocky could witness her closing her own fingers and then shooting six streams of spiritual power out into the air, all in succession, with the speed of lightning. In an instant, all of Rocky''s exit routes were blocked.


    In addition, the reaction speed of Rocky was quite affected by the fact of him being naked as well as the presence of impenetrable fog in the bathroom. By the time he could react, those six streams of spiritual power had already arrived in front of him giving him no time to duck.


    Upon this, Rocky gathered the Evil Flame with both hands and tried to directly block these six streams of spiritual power.


    "Taste my icy power¡­"


    At this tense moment, something


    vable suddenly.


    The servant girl left the bathroom first after putting down the clothes.


    Rocky speculated for a while and collected the clothes from where the servant had left them.


    "Yasmin is such a meticulous person; she even got me underwear. But how does she know my size?" As Rocky opened the suit, he found out that the suit inside was from the inside out. There were also a white inner petticoat and a royal blue robe with white silk borders, which was of exquisite workmanship. When he put it on, he found it to be of his exact size.


    After that, Rocky took out his silk bag and some of his belongings from the dirty clothes and put them in the clothes he was wearing.


    Rocky walked out of the bathroom and saw the maid still standing outside. She froze when she saw Rocky come out as he became energetic, elegant and graceful in his royal blue robe. On top of that, his trademark vicious smile coupled with the look and he appeared completely different from before.


    "Mr. Bai, please follow me." The maid stretched out her hand after she regained the peace of her mind and led Rocky to a room.


    Soon, the maid escorted Rocky to the same room from where Laney walked out last time when Rocky met her.


    "Mr. Bai, Miss Laney asked you to wait for a while in her room and she would be right back soon." After saying this, the maid turned over and left.


    ''Miss Laney''s room is one that all men dream of entering, right?'' Rocky thought with a faint smile. And then he opened the door and strode through it.

 Chapter 418 Refreshment

    The moment Rocky entered Laney''s place, he was greeted with a warm and welcoming fragrance that refreshed his senses instantly. This smell, which came from Laney, was faint yet left a lingering impression.


    Rocky pushed aside the sheer tissue like curtain to enter her room which, he thought, was elegant and tasteful. The decor and overall vibe of the room were not overtly feminine¡ªthe pastel-colored type most of women inclined towards, instead it was full of aesthetically appealing pieces of furniture. A round rosewood table was in the center, with several chairs around it forming a perfect set. On the left side, there was a secretaire along with a complementing bookcase. While on the right side, there was a table for her zither with a tiny stool. A censer was placed on the table which slowly let out streams of fragrant smoke.


    Across from him, there was another delicate curtain, through which Rocky could see the shape of a queen-sized bed, a dressing table and a vast closet, about 6 feet high, placed against the wall. On the other side was a screen with oriental decorations. Clearly, this sheer curtain was meant to separate the common area from Laney''s bedroom.


    Now that Rocky had to wait patiently, he pulled out one of the rosewood chairs and, sat down to collect his thoughts. As the vivid scene of the incident from earlier began to flood his mind, his heart instantly quickened pace with fear and nervousness. If it were not for this mysterious woman in purple, he would have been dead.


    Everything happened so suddenly and fast that Rocky was caught off guard. Just reliving the incident in his mind, Rocky felt something strange but couldn''t tell what it was exactly.


    "Was this supposed to be some sort of a revenge?" Rocky murmured to himself thinking back on what had unfolded. He taught the prefect''s son a lesson and in the process ended up offending Calvin today. There was a strong possibility that it was the prefect who hired a professional to take revenge.


    But Rocky soon dismissed that line of thought. The woman in white, who had just attacked him, was a Heavenly Stage spirit manipulator. If at all the prefect had the reach to hire a great master like her, he wouldn''t have been scared away by Rocky that easily in the first place. Another reason to abandon that possibility all together was that Rocky already showed the prefect the Crimson Dragon Token. After that, the prefect would not be that silly and reckless to go against him, the Crimson Dragon General.


    Since the chances of it being the prefect were so slim, it was even more unlikely for it to be Calvin. Now that the two prime suspects were in the clear, Rocky was back in the dark with no idea as to who called for this attack on him.


    Yet, what baffle


    much as looking at Laney''s beautiful focused face. As she drowned in the notes of her instrument, he too flowed towards appreciating her elegance and warm smile. The moment his eyes met hers, he could not help but be infatuated with her charm and the euphonic melody.


    Soon her melodious music stopped, but Rocky was still stuck in trance for a few moments before he finally pulled himself back to reality. He instinctively clapped with marvel and appreciation for the effect her music had on him. "This was intensely beautiful!"


    "Thank you so much for your kind words, Mr. Bai. You have been a great audience! But was your compliment intended for my music or me?" Laney slowly stood up as she inquired and walked up to Rocky with smooth movements like that of a butterfly.


    "To be honest, it was a compliment for both and still falls short!" Rocky said honestly.


    Laney passed a wide smile and lifted the bottle of wine to fill both the glasses. She then handed one glass to Rocky and took the other one for herself. "Thank you for what you did today, Mr. Bai! If not for you and your kindness, I cannot even imagine how I would have gotten out of that muddle. Thank you again!" She clanked her glass with Rocky''s glass and said cheers before taking a big sip of the wine.


    Rocky nodded with a smile at her and chugged down the wine.


    "Please wait a second, Mr. Bai!" Laney abruptly put her glass down and walked straight into the bedroom.


    Rocky stared at her receding back as hint of meaningful emotion flashed in his eyes. After all, he was a man and he would be lying if he said he had not developed any feelings towards this beautiful girl who was extending an invitation. But, his will power and disposition were stronger than other men, which helped him remain reasonable and rise above worldly pleasures in such situations.

 Chapter 419 Asking For Trouble

    When he had been sent into exile at the Gehenna Border, Rocky had been obsessed about improving his strength so that he could take back the power of the Holy Dragon Bead. Needless to say that the idea of being intimate with some woman was something that hadn''t even crossed his mind then. Despite having almost accomplished the quest he had set out on, he did not feel sturdy enough to travel to the Imperial City to avenge himself and take back everything that belonged to him. His priority was to improve his strength first.


    He was clear with the fact that he was not emotionally available to embark on a romantic relationship with a woman, but he was still a man, with desires and needs.


    "I have to leave soon." Rocky mumbled to himself. He stood up with the intention to say goodbye to Laney, thus staying true to his intention to not get romantically involved with anyone.


    "Miss Laney..." He had barely had time to pronounce her name, when he noticed the outline of a petite and curvaceous figure appearing behind the sheer curtain.


    Suddenly, the curtain opened and Rocky was left dumbfounded by the scene unraveling in front of him. From the semi-transparent veils emerged a pair of beautiful legs.


    Suddenly, the hidden figure appeared and started walking towards him slowly and sensually.


    "Miss Laney, what are you doing?" Rocky could barely understand what was going on. The whole situation seemed so surreal. ''Wait a minute, is she planning to sleep with me just because I rescued her from that bully who was harassing her? I always thought that she only gave artistic performances, not that she sold her body for a living too! Was I wrong?'' he thought.


    This changed things a little. If Laney was just a common prostitute, then all this seduction game didn''t mean anything to him, and he might even join in and have some fun. However, Laney''s reputation was that of a pure and respectable girl, despite her living in a whorehouse. Rocky''s mind was thinking fast, and he came to the conclusion that there were only two possible reasons that would explain why she was acting this way. Either she had fallen in


    by the woman sitting on his lap.


    "Don''t men love holding a woman this way?" Laney replied in her soft voice. She then raised her head to look at him and blinked her pretty innocent eyes.


    "I guess, yes. But still, I feel like things are moving a little too fast. Or, are you testing me, Miss Laney?" he managed to ask, trying to keep a cool head and not completely losing his mind. Laney''s silky skin and bewitching perfume were making it impossible for him to resist her much longer. He felt like a drunkard drooling over a glass of mulled wine.


    He could no longer stop himself, he grasped her delicate arms and untangled them from his neck, softly trying to push her away.


    But as soon as he had freed himself from her grasp, Laney stood on her tiptoes and furtively kissed him on the lips.


    That was it! Rocky grabbed her by the waist and brought her back towards him, pressing her body closer to his. He stretched his arm to reach the table behind him. Without letting go of her, with his other hand, he swept all the dishes off the table in one go, unconcerned with the crashing and smashing sounds they made as they hit the floor.


    They kissed, passionately and feverishly, without stopping to catch their breath, until finally their lips parted.


    Laney couldn''t focus. Everything was blurry from the emotion and her cheeks flushed red from desire. In that instant, she was more beautiful than ever.

 Chapter 420 Restrain

    "Why... why are you so..." Laney was surprised. Rocky was excellent at kissing, which was not a good sign considering he was only in his twenties. He must have done it a number of times to be such a skillful kisser.


    Laney didn''t know that there was a thirty-year-old soul in this youthful body.


    Laney''s words dragged Rocky back to the present. In a split second, his head cleared, and he peered down. The girl in his arms was trembling all over like a leaf in the wind, her face flushed.


    "You still want to play this game?" Rocky inhaled deeply and held back his feelings; his eyes hooked on Laney, a crooked smile on his lips.


    "No. I don''t." Laney shook her head. She wouldn''t have done this in the first place if she had known this man better. She had simply thrown herself at him and he''d seized the chance. She got no one but herself to blame.


    But that was not her intention.


    "Why would you do that?" Rocky asked, his eyes piercing.


    "Because..." She looked up at him and stilled at the chill in his eyes. Frightened and nervous, she went on, "I...I wanted to know if I could trust you with my future."


    Her words took him aback. ''Could it be possible that she has feelings for me? And if that''s true, should I feel glad?''


    "Let me make it clear for you. I''m not as good as yo


    n''t restrain myself like this time," Rocky said with a crooked smile, his eyes roaming over her body.


    A blush stole up Laney''s cheeks.


    "It must take a woman as beautiful and talented as Isis to make you fall in love," Laney muttered, a hint of jealousy in her voice.


    "Isis? What make you say that?" Rocky was surprised that she would mention Isis.


    "Many of the commanders are regular visitors here, so I heard things about you. And according to those commanders, Isis seems to have a particular appreciation of your talent. But I''m sure things can''t be that simple." Laney''s eyes surveyed him suspiciously.


    "Anything else you are sure of?" Rocky smiled, surprised that Laney had paid close attention to his affairs.


    "Even I was beguiled by you. It''s only natural that Isis has a crush on you, right?" Laney asked him with certainty in her voice.

 Chapter 421 The Atrocity

    "It couldn''t be her. That''s impossible! I am nothing more than a mean idiot who means nothing to her," Rocky replied before letting out a loud chuckle¡ªa facade he constantly kept up whenever Isis was around.


    "I don''t believe it. Mr. Bai, it''s not that difficult to understand why all the women flock towards you like moths to a flame or bees to honey," Laney replied earnestly, the sympathy in her eyes clear as daylight.


    "If that''s what you believe, so be it. I ought to get going now," Rocky replied with a grin on his face and a shrug of his shoulder.


    "Alright then... Would you like to help tuck me in for the night, Mr. Bai? I''m so exhausted right now that I can barely take a single step," Laney asked as she blushed¡ªthe nerves from earlier were still lingering on her skin.


    "Aren''t you afraid I''ll hurt you?" Rocky¡ªfully aware of his flirtatious ways¡ªteased with a cheeky grin.


    "I don''t think you will," Laney uttered seductively. She knew Rocky wasn''t the type of person who took advantage of anyone, so she knew that being with him wasn''t a huge mistake¡ªfor now, at least.


    Rocky laughed out loud. Cradling Laney in a sweet embrace through the sheer curtain, he gently laid her down on the bed. "Miss Laney," he began, "it is a great honor to know you fancy me. Unfortunately, I have other important matters to attend to right now. I''m sorry to disappoint you." Without a second to lose, he immediately turned around and left.


    "Who are you, Rocky? No one can seduce you¡ªnot even me." Laney told herself as she stared at Rocky intriguingly.


    Leaving Laney''s room behind, Rocky went through the back yard to escape the Geisha House.


    Midnight¡ªa bone-chilling breeze blew through and past the few people on the street.


    "Seems I have to find an inn to stay at." Rocky decided that returning to the military ca


    ad an equal in the Wild Spirit Land. It was well known that the greater the spirit-manipulated beast''s size was, the greater the amount of destruction it could unleash. The higher ranking beasts such as dragons were often the only ones who boasted a strong, tough body. Ordinary spirit-manipulated beasts were merely two meters tall and less than four meters long.


    Although Rocky was impressed by the size of the Trunk Giant he saw in the forest outside the Myriad Beasts Ground, the Trunk Giant was still a dwarf compared to the dragons. Huge-horned Rhinoceroses, on the other hand, were almost of the same size as the dragons indicating that they were very powerful.


    The Huge-horned Rhinoceros''s giant horn was so destructive that it was able to penetrate a firm, thick city wall.


    Thus, Huge-horned Rhinoceroses were used to help armies during battles.


    Because Huge-horned Rhinoceroses were quite useful in battle. They suffered from hunting, causing them to be on the verge of extinction. It was now rare to spot one in the Wild Spirit Land.


    An army of ten thousand soldiers would be no match for the Timber Deity Empire''s ten Huge-horned Rhinoceroses. Releasing them onto the battlefield would spell disaster.

 Chapter 422 The Power Of Evolution

    The Huge-horned Rhinoceros was born hot under the collar and arduous to domesticate. Even when they were bred from birth, one cannot get total dominance over them. Taking that into contemplation, if one beast tamer could teach the beast well, there would be no more lack of confidence about his virtue.


    And at this moment, ten Huge-horned Rhinoceroses stood behind the crowd. Among the crowd, a slim figure caught all the heedfulness there. She had a drop-dead gorgeous face with elegant temperament. And what was more outstanding was her steadfast tenacity of a master. One could barely turn a blind eye on that.


    And this person was precisely Alyssa, the commander of the Timber Deity Empire Army.


    Next to Alyssa, there was one middle-aged man in his 40s. His hair had turned grey, but his eyes were imposing and had the strength of getting through into people. And he conducted himself in a manner just like one grandmaster. The man was precisely the most influential and top-level beast tamer of the Timber Deity Empire, Samson.


    In the Wild Spirit Land, he was only next to the most potent beast tamer, Sheridan, who was again the master of Rocky.


    Behind them, there were seven or eight spirit manipulators above the level of Heavenly Stage. And they were all Alyssa''s bodyguards and particularly took commands from her. Furthermore, they were likewise the Timber spirit manipulators of the Timber Deity Empire.


    "Samson, you must be the sole person who can manipulate ten Huge-horned Rhinoceroses at the same time in the whole Wild Spirit Land." Alyssa marveled and looked thoroughly at the awe-inspiring scene, in which ten Huge-horned Rhinoceroses stood side by side right in front of her.


    Under the manipulation of ten spirit manipulators, each Huge-horned Rhinoceros looked tamed and collected, which was a disparity of their regular frame of mind. Everyone was hit like a ton of bricks by the scene.


    "Huge-horned Rhinoceroses are nearly getting wiped out now. But I got luck. On one adventure trip for the discovery of Huge-horned Rhinoceros, I discovered their eggs. And blessed with luck, I hatched all of them successfully. But it took me the whole three years to tame those ten Huge-horned Rhinoceroses as well as countless efforts," Samson said proudly. He even didn''t trouble himself to conceal that showing-off in his eyes.


    "I didn''t work out to


    n they cleared the fence and pulled out the beasts. One of the beasts was just like one giant flower. It got the complete elements of one flower while on the face of the flower, there was one eye as well as a row of ferocious small and sharp teeth. Its root was as strong as one huge python and crawled violently while its six trunks swayed in the air just like tentacles.


    And another was more special. The three heads were just like three giant ball cactuses full of spines. And its body was even more like the cactus. All of its limbs were constituted of several ball cactuses also with spines on them.


    "Just one more yellow spiritual crystal, they both can advance into the next star," Samson suggested when he took out two yellow spiritual crystals and put them in his palms. And he sauntered to the two beasts.


    "Spiritual Power Transformation Skill!" Samson opened his eyes wide, and all of his body was lit up. And all the light then shifted to the center of his palms. Under the force of the light, the two yellow spiritual crystals produced bright spiritual light.


    This was Samson''s secret skill, which could stimulate the spiritual power inside the spiritual crystal directly and forced the power move to the spirit-manipulated beast without any misuse.


    And again, the two beasts'' masters stepped out from the back of Alyssa in a split second, and each picked up one yellow spiritual crystal from Samson. And later they put the crystal directly on the forehead of their beasts. And the yellow spiritual crystal vanished into thin air in no time just like melting.

 Chapter 423 A Dire Situation

    As the yellow spiritual crystal was implanted into the center of its forehead, the flower-shaped Timber spirit-manipulated beast let out a strange hiss. Its razor-sharp tooth got exposed as the mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for air. The six large flower-shaped tentacles laid flat with tension. Suddenly, it stretched out in all directions and started swelling up, growing bigger and bigger.


    Subsequently, in several blooming sounds the six tentacles exploded as an overblown balloon, instantly transforming its appearance to a sharpened blade edge. Then, its flower-shaped giant head inflated and exposed another identical flower-shaped head from the other side, almost as a clone head of the original one.


    Meanwhile, the other Timber spirit-manipulated beast also began to mutate. The spines originally covering all over the trunk came off instantly. Its gigantic trunk whopped down on the ground as if its root was struck deep into the ground. Its upright body resembled a bare cactus.


    At the region were the spines came off, large pores opened up. A large amount of sticky liquid was secreted from those pores which flooded all over its body. Soon, like a drill, its body began to drill itself directly into the underground. Instantly, its whole body was planted into the ground with only its three heads remaining above the ground.


    Shortly after, the ground cracked up, leaving a plethora of fissures and it seemed like something was ready to pop up at any moment. With a thundering sound, the three heads pulled out its body. The body looked completely transformed with rows of long and big iron prickles grown out of the pores from where the spines had come off. The size of the body was significantly enlarged resembling a spiked mace making it more aggressive.


    Alyssa nodded in satisfaction as she witnessed the mutation of the two Timber spirit-manipulated beasts after their star upgrade.


    "The aptitudes of these two Timber spirit-manipulated beasts are excellent. The result of their mutation after the elevation is evidently impressive. It is working quite well. In preparing them for a perfect mutation, I have been racking up my brain for the best solution." Samson nodded proudly while explaining.


    "Only a beast manipulated expert like Master Sun could accelerate their mutation in the star elevation." The elevation of each star for a spirit-manipulated beast would result in the vigorous progress of their power. Both the Timber spirit-manipulated beasts were at the third grade of four stars, which was a cultivation base as strong as the spirit manipulator of the Heavenly Stage. That was indeed a remarkable elevation! Alyssa had no hesitation in complimenting him.


    "Thank you for your compliment princess. I''m truly flattered," Samson replied pleasurably with a fist-and-palm salute showing his modesty.


    "When can you complete the elevation of the remaining beasts?" Alyssa continued the conversation.


    "It can be finished within a few days," Samson replied while counting his fingers as a fortune teller.


    "Good. I''m going in for a frontal conf


    iege to the Hippo Land but failed every time. Worse enough, he lost an Elite Commander and a Frontline Commander during the three attacks.


    Out of his wits, Lance gave an order to send a message to Rocky hoping that he would offer help to relieve the dreadful situation.


    On the other hand, Rocky had finalized the plans for the construction of an integrated laboratory in the Magic Spiritual Space. While he was working on his plans, he received a message from a Carrier Beast. The message was a summons from Lance.


    "Is Lance capable of being the Commander in Chief? He was badly defeated despite leading an army almost twice the number of that of the Timber Deity Empire!" Rocky could not help but force a smile as he finished reading the message from Lance.


    But since he had an agreement with Lance earlier, he had to suspend his plans for building the new lab. He had to rush back to the main camp of the Crimson Dragon Army at the front line.


    Two days later, Rocky came back to the main camp at the front line. As soon as he entered, he sensed the large crowd. Among them were spirit manipulators who were unknown to him. But he sensed their cultivation base to be above Heavenly Stage. Everyone was gravely serious as if they were attending someone''s funeral. Silence blended with air which became the sole thing they could breathe in.


    Rocky saw a sour face with a heavily furrowed forehead as his eyes settled on Lance.


    But as soon as he walked in, Rocky was placed under a spotlight compelling everyone to look at him.


    Isis, who was present at the camp of the Commander in Chief stared at Rocky immediately as she seemed to work herself through a puzzle.


    Marin was also among the crowd staring at Rocky.


    Lance was relieved at the moment he saw Rocky. He slightly unfurled his thick eyebrows as he directed his hand to order, "Rocky, approach to take your mission!"


    Rocky had a bad vibe as Lance did not say anything else other than giving out his direct order. Even though hesitant, he stepped forward for responding to the mission.

 Chapter 424 Extremely Surprised

    "I didn''t guess that the well-known Rocky Bai, who has beaten the Timber Deity Empire badly twice, is in actual fact as young as a sucking baby," a bald man, who was the probable leader of a group of spirit manipulators that Rocky didn''t have the slightest idea, uttered in a contemptuous tone after taking a glimpse at Rocky. He was Sheehan, the deputy head of the Elite Regiment.


    Rocky turned his squinting eyes to look at Sheehan. Then raising his eyebrows, he sneered, "It could be that I am young, but I have grown more hair than some people."


    Perceiving the contemptuous remark, some people in the tent could not help but have a shriek of laughter.


    "Son of a bitch! Do you want to perish?" Sheehan shouted on top of his voice boiling with anger, glaring at Rocky with his sharp eyes. Of course, he could not bear being made to eat a humble pie, especially by a very young person in this way. In the Elite Regiment, he was merely second to one person¡ªthe head of the regiment. And in the Crimson Dragon Group, he was simply constrained to adhere to the orders of one person¡ªLance. Therefore, he was extremely self-conceited. He hadn''t had in the prospect that Rocky would pluck up the courage to refute him defiantly.


    Rocky curled his lips as if he didn''t see or give a tinker''s curse about the indignation on Sheehan''s face, which made the latter''s hackles rise even more. As Sheehan clenched his two fists, a frightening to death sound was created from his joints.


    Everybody else at present could not help but be in a blue funk about Rocky. They were familiar that Sheehan was one of the five strongest spirit manipulators in the Crimson Dragon Group. His vitality was about on a par with Isis''. Now that Rocky sent Sheehan into a rage, he was bringing about his own destruction in the eyes of the spectators.


    "Deputy Head Sheehan, please conduct yourself well!" Isis exclaimed in a distinguished voice as the Deputy Commander in Chief when she discovered that Sheehan was rubbed up the wrong way by Rocky. She was conscious that Rocky would be the one to be beaten once the two resorted to violence. For the time being, the Crimson Dragon Army was in dire need of Rocky''s talent. If Rocky was injured or perished, it would be a significant loss for the Crimson Dragon Army. That was why she stalked forward to keep Rocky from harm.


    Sheehan was quite taken aback to peer Isis stand by Rocky. He knew unquestionably that he could not be an offense to Isis since she was Lance''s daughter. Therefore, he simply grunted and released his fists. However, his gloomy eyes were still fixed on Rocky.


    Lance took a glance at Sheehan, but he didn''t utter anything. Then he gave Rocky an order. "Rocky Bai, I at this moment appoint you as an Elite Commander of the Crimson Dragon Army. You''re commanding ten thousand troops from now henceforth."


    Lance''s order caught everybody present off guard. In a split second, all the people presen


    better at the notion.


    "If I can take the three strategic strongholds back, you will address me as grandpa. Deal?" Rocky said to Sheehan, countering his aggravation without the least humming and hawing. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, he would not turn a blind eye to it.


    "If you can''t take them back, I will break one hand and one foot of yours. Deal?" Sheehan responded. His eyes were filled with a paroxysm of rage.


    Hearing that, everybody else present lost their composure in a split second. They all were of the concept that Sheehan was extremely mischievous. Otherwise, he would not have made such a petition.


    "Deputy Head Sheehan, you''re too..." Isis could not resist the temptation to steer clear of the impulse to go at hammer and tongs with Sheehan. She thought that he was just taking advantage of his power to bully Rocky.


    However, before Isis could finish uttering her sentence, Rocky burst into laughter, interrupting her, and said to Sheehan while looking at him with a pair of cold eyes, "Okay. You can wait to call me grandpa!" Then he swung his eyes to have a glance at Lance and said to him, "Commander in Chief, can I select two Commanders to accompany me when I command the troops?"


    "Of course you can gladly," Lance responded with a swift acknowledgment as promptly as Rocky agreed to his appointment. He would not care if Rocky took away all of the Frontline Commanders as long as he could successfully take back all of the three strategic strongholds.


    "Is Commander Dunn in the camp now?" Rocky sought as quickly as he failed to locate Dunn Di among the Frontline Commanders.


    "Commander Dunn is at Arno River, following Commander Ron," Isis responded.


    "Transfer him back to tag along with me. And the other Commander I require is Commander Marin," Rocky announced, setting his peaceful sight on Marin.


    In contrast, Marin looked somewhat disconcerted, as if she hadn''t predicted that Rocky would pick her.

 Chapter 425 A Special Place

    Not so long ago, Rocky was just another insignificant breeder in the military camp working for Marin, but now Marin was Rocky''s assistant. How the tables had turned in Rocky''s favor!


    "Let''s go," Rocky said in a commanding tone as he took one glance at Marin who was still gripped by confusion. The next moment, he curved up his lips, turned around and left.


    Marin then bowed to Lance with respect and followed behind Rocky obediently.


    "All commanders, at ease! You can leave now," Lance said as he motioned for them to leave.


    And with that signal, all the commanders left the tent.


    "Sheehan, it''s time to act and take necessary steps as per the plan," Lance said to Sheehan while also addressing members of the Elite Regiment.


    Then Sheehan too left followed by other members of the Elite Regiment.


    "Father, I fear it is not appropriate to let Rocky command an army of over ten thousand soldiers as he is not ready for the task before him. After all, he doesn''t have any experience in leading an army. To entrust him with such a crucial role, without any experience to guide him, seems to be a mistake." Isis expressed her concerns in a worried tone soon after everyone left.


    "Commander Marin and Commander Dunn will accompany him every step along the way. And I strongly believe Rocky is competent enough to lead an army of ten thousand soldiers in an exemplary manner. Can you find anyone else more suitable for this position?" Lance responded defending his choice with confidence.


    "Well, why don''t you let me take over as the leader while he assumes the consultant''s role?" Isis asked with hesitation after a brief moment of pondering.


    "It must be hard and dangerous to take back three strategic strongholds. No matter who leads, the casualty toll is likely to be high. And I will not put you in such a vulnerable position involving any risk. More importantly, I am sure Alyssa knows you and other commanders of the Crimson Dragon Army very well. Don''t forget that there is an agent amongst us in our Crimson Dragon Army. For now, the only one in the Crimson Dragon Army that Alyssa doesn''t understand is Rocky. It is only wise to use this to our advantage. With that said, he is the most suitable person to lead the army towards victory." Lance had thought about it all, every minute detail. Even though he didn''t know who the traitor was yet, he was very aware of his presence. Despite remaining discreet and careful while making decisions, some plans still got leaked, which left an adverse e


    f she uncovered Sabina''s purpose for approaching Rocky, she might be able to learn the truth behind Rocky''s mysterious identity.


    Subsequently, Isis led Sabina down to the drill ground. The army scheduled to go to the battlefield was first ordered to assemble at the drill ground for further commands.


    As Sabina and Isis proceeded towards the ground, Rocky and Marin were gathering the army to prepare for the battle.


    "Rocky." Isis called out his name from a distance as she entered the drill ground and announced her arrival.


    Rocky turned around as he tried to recognize the voice and spotted Isis in the distance. He was a little surprised. He then shifted his attention and noticed the pale beautiful woman walking beside Isis who seemed cold and yet a little familiar.


    The woman slowly approached him, and the sense of familiarity intensified as he tried to recognize her.


    Sabina''s eyebrows were knitted upwards in confusion as she noticed Rocky walk near her. The obvious repulsion reflected on her face.


    "It''s you!" As Rocky got very close to Isis and Sabina, he finally recognized Sabina. She was the one who saved him from danger at the Geisha House. But now Rocky grew even more confused wondering why she was with Isis. Did Isis send her there to protect him?


    "Do you know her?" Isis abruptly asked Rocky after sensing the surprise on Rocky''s face as he saw Sabina. She hadn''t told Rocky anything about Sabina, neither did her father. So she assumed that Rocky didn''t know Sabina. Moreover, she never heard Rocky talk about Sabina either.


    "We crossed paths once earlier in a special place," Rocky answered as a bitter smile appeared on his face.

 Chapter 426 Could It Be A Legend

    "If I were you, I''d keep my lips sealed right now!" Sabina in a dash said to Rocky in a frosty voice. Clearly, she didn''t yearn to hint at what transpired that day, because for her sake, what had developed that day was lamentable.


    Because it was the first time in her life that she had looked at a man who showed up naked in front of her. Generally speaking, that man who had done such action should have already been wrecked.


    As soon as Isis heard that Sabina seemed to be issuing threats to Rocky, she became even more curious. She pondered in her heart, ''What precisely was this extraordinary occasion?''


    After seeing Sabina''s resentment and killing face, of course, Rocky was not slow on the uptake enough to go on saying anything about that day. After all, she was a master at the Supernal Stage that he could not challenge with.


    "Rock... Commander Bai, Commander Ji has just been transferred to the Crimson Dragon Group. She had exceptional capabilities and rich experience in battle. Moreover, she likewise has profound attainments in the art of war. Commander in Chief is contemplating how back-breaking it will be to retake three strategic strongholds, so he requests Commander Ji to join your troop." Isis had a story prepared in advance that she wouldn''t reveal Sabina''s authentic identity. That was because if she did it, Rocky''s reaction would be challenging to hazard a guess.


    Isis did demand to get a glimpse of the expression on Rocky''s face when he learned what Sabina was here for. However, it appeared to her that if Rocky learned the truth, he might discontinue this mission or even go missing. After reflecting about all the possibility, she concluded not to take the risk.


    Nevertheless, Isis was also speaking the sincerity. Sabina did be extremely strong and full of experience of battle. She was already one of two powerful Deputy Commanders in Chief in Marcia''s Rime Army. With such a respectable identity, it was really an unjust act for her to be said as a Frontline Commander in the Crimson Dragon Group.


    "OK," Rocky responded gently and took a glance at Sabina and then at Isis. He felt that Sabina didn''t give the impression of desiring to follow Isis'' orders, because Sabina, without a suspicion, was stronger than Isis, and Sabina''s approach towards Isis was not as accommodating as that of superiors and subordinates. So, Rocky deduced that Sabina had stepped in to rescue him that day was not related to Isis.


    But if not, why did Sabina in no time turn up at Geisha House and rescue him?


    Rocky was disconcerted for a while. However then, he reflected for a moment and in a flash remembered that he had already seen Sabina''s unparalleled strength before. It meant that if Sabina joine


    a, you are pulling a leg at me again. Why would you show up here?" Marin inquired subconsciously.


    "From today on, Commander Ji would be a part of our troop. She will accompany us in the forthcoming battle..." Just at this time, an amiable voice came. Everyone glanced at the sound direction and set their eyes on Rocky coming back. He declared this on top of his voice.


    Apprehending this, the soldiers in a twinkle of an eye heartened and tickled pink. They didn''t look forward to having such a beautiful Commander. They could not help but feel like a dog with two tails to be included in Rocky''s troop this time.


    As shortly as Marin heard Sabina join Rocky''s troop as a Frontline Commander, there was shock on her face. However, she cooled down in an instant as she knew well that the reason why Sabina would come here was about Rocky. So, she couldn''t help but look at Rocky in a peculiar way.


    "Commander Marin, is there anything on my face?" When Rocky discovered that Marin peered at him with a strange look on her face, he stared straight into her eyes and inquired in an abrupt.


    "Yes. You''ve gotten flies all over your face, and I crave to slap you to kill them!" Marin said angrily then went back to organize the troop.


    The morning passed and Rocky''s troop which was made of ten thousands of soldiers was ready and all of the soldiers were in high spirits.


    After noontime, Rocky, along with Marin and Sabina, led the army slowly away from the main camp in the sight of the crowd. Even Lance came out of his tent to have a glance at them leaving.


    It could be seen that everyone attached great importance to this operation. However, no one was conscious whether Rocky could perform miracles again this time to meet everyone''s expectations and reacquire the lost territory for Crimson Dragon Army.

 Chapter 427 Weird

    "Rocky, where are we headed?" Only after the army left the main camp did Marin reminisce about the most essential thing. She kicked her horse and trotted briskly towards Rocky, who was now leaning languidly back against Rubygon with his legs crossed.


    "Commander Marin, I am an Elite Commander now. You should address me as Commander Rocky. Is that okay?" Rocky straightened up and peered at Marin playfully.


    "I will address you whatever I choose. You got an issue with it?" Her lips contorted in wilful grin. She would, under no circumstance, call him Commander Rocky.


    "Fine, whatever." Rocky shrugged and answered her query, "We are headed to the Hippo Land."


    "Hippo Land? What are you contemplating, Rocky? We have three choices here and you singled out the most complex one? Do you perceive we''ve already lost one Elite Commander and two Frontline Commanders in the battles of recapturing it?" Marin looked sullen. It offered her the impression that Rocky wasn''t taking this seriously.


    Sabina rode beside them and discovered it all. She was no less caught on the hop about Rocky''s decision.


    "Hippo Land is the nearest place. I see no reason why we shouldn''t single it out. I''ve made my decision and that''s final." With that, Rocky leaned back again even more sluggishly.


    Marin''s face hardened, wishing that she could just beat the living daylights out of him. No matter what her thought was, she had to obey Rocky''s orders. So she could only command the army to march towards the Hippo Land.


    Hippo Land took its name from its shape, which was like a hippo drinking beside the Arno River. Its undulating terrain was full of precipices and steep slopes. And its dense jungles would only bring more desperate straits to the marching. Therefore whoever held this place was given a strong trump card.


    Hippo Land was of the essence because it was located in the middle part of the river and connected the east and the west of the Arno River. It also had a dock there, which was convenient for the transport. The Crimson Dragon Army had used it to ship its supplies and soldiers before. So the Hippo Land was kind of the dispatching center of the seven key


    ur faith on you." Now Commander Wei thought very highly of him and his viewpoint.


    "Okay, I got it." Mr. Mu nodded calmly.


    "What do you have in mind?" Commander Wei asked quickly.


    "Commander Wei, I suggest we deploy our forces according to this map." He took out a map and handed it to Commander Wei. His expression was humble enough but there was not too much deference in his attitude to Commander Wei. He had a different bearing from the others.


    "Thank you, Mr. Mu." Commander Wei was filled with gratitude and accepted the sketch without hesitation. This handsome man had helped him achieve three triumphs at the Hippo Land. He could have lost it to the Crimson Dragon Army in the first battle, if it hadn''t been for this man.


    Mr. Mu nodded to him and left. After he got out of the tent, he lifted his head and saw the camp of the Crimson Dragon Army lying ostentatiously on the opposite slope. Frowning, he remembered the previous three attacks. Unlike this time, the Crimson Dragon Army had always closed in on them stealthily, camped at some more secret places and bided their time for the best moment to make a move. But now, they just camped at the most noticeable place as if they were in a blue funk that the Timber Deity Empire army would overlook their arrival.


    Something was wrong. Exposing oneself completely to its enemy was a big no-no in the warfare.


    "That is weird," Mr. Mu murmured to himself before he left.

 Chapter 428 Realization

    Meanwhile, in the Crimson Dragon Army camp nestled on a slope, half a mile away from the Hippo Land, Rocky was studying the topographic map of the vast Hippo Land in his tent.


    A few moments later, Sabina and Marin walked, side by side, into the tent.


    "Rocky, have you prepared any plan to launch an attack? What is your strategy to fight the battle?" Marin asked upon noticing Rocky''s eyes were fixed on the topographic map, analyzing and studying the map.


    "No, I am yet to figure out how to approach a full-fledged attack!" Rocky answered in a cold detached voice. He stood there with a reserved expression, arms crossed over his chest as he raised his head and shook it.


    Sabina and Marin exchanged glances with an evident feeling of despair. They both sensed that there was something wrong with Rocky''s tone. As the Commander in charge who led the troops, he was responsible for making an effective attack plan at the earliest. However, even though it had been a day since they reached Hippo Land, he still hadn''t chalked out any concrete plan. And yet despite all of this, he didn''t seem anxious or even ashamed at the very least.


    "I have prepared an effective attack plan. Would you like me to elaborate and discuss it?" Marin offered, blinking more than normal, as though she had already considered the possibility that Rocky wouldn''t have had an attack plan yet.


    "Really? That''s great and such a big relief! This being the case, it''s safe to say I don''t have to think about this any further," Rocky answered in a cheerful voice upon hearing her announcement. Noticing his reaction, both Marin and Sabina immediately rolled their eyes at his clear laziness and behavior to shrug responsibility of such mammoth importance.


    Without wasting another moment, Marin walked right up to the topographic map and began explaining her attack strategy while pointing her fingers at the map now and then to make it easy to visualize the plan.


    "A few hours back, along with some soldiers I went to analyze the defense line of the Timber Deity Empire troops. Towards the end, I found a dead angle of their defensive line at this spot. I think we can use this dead angle to our advantage. We may launch a surprise attack with about three thousand forces. With the weak angle and the surprise element, I''m sure we will successfully defeat the defending troops of the Timber Deity Empire and draw their attention. While this is unfolding, the rest of the soldiers can ambush the enemies in the west of Hippo Land. With the defending troops of Timber Deity Empire being engaged with our surprise attack troops, we will gain an opportunity to enter the central area of Hippo Land as long as we break through the woods. By then, we will be close to the camp of the defending troops of the Timber Deity Empire. At most, they are only seven thousand people. Therefore, we have a great advantage over them


    no idea that you were at the Wild Heaven Pass too at that time. So, why did you appear at Geisha House and rescue me the other day? Commander Ji, have you been tailing me since then? All of this seems too weird to be considered as a mere coincidence!" Rocky asked her straightforward without hesitating since they had talked and revealed so much.


    "On that particular day, I just happened to pass by." Sabina tried to explain even though she knew it sounded too farfetched.


    "Did you really think I would believe this?" Rocky asked, raising his eyebrows as he expressed his doubts.


    "Believe it or not, it is your choice. You should just be grateful that I didn''t kill you that day. You were lucky!" Sabina exclaimed as a sudden coldness flashed in her eyes. As a reflex movement, she moved her gaze down beneath Rocky''s waist as she began recollecting her thoughts. She could not help but recall what had happened at that time. In an instant, her eyes got even colder.


    "Hello? Are you planning to do something with my dick?" Rocky inquired in a lewd tone, suddenly covering his crotch with both hands, like a chaste girl.


    "Just go to hell! I don''t plan to do anything with your..." Sabina gave him a fierce gaze with her piercing eyes as her face flushed red with anger and embarrassment. She did not intend to fix her gaze so awkwardly let alone be commented on for it. She was so furious that she turned around and left the tent immediately, without uttering another word, because she didn''t even want to look at Rocky.


    "Sabina is quite an interesting woman. But since I went to the Wild Heaven Pass, she has appeared everywhere I have been. That cannot be a mere coincidence. Has she been following me and my every move? What would she possibly gain by doing so?" Rocky muttered under his breath. A sly yet attractive smile began to form on the corners of his lips. Suddenly, his eyes grew wide with some realization.

 Chapter 429 Intentional Retreat

    Upon the next sunrise, the Crimson Dragon Army concluded the deployment of three thousand soldiers under the command of Dunn. The soldiers joined by two squads of spirit manipulators were tasked to attack the weakening front line of the Timber Deity Empire.


    As Dunn''s army focused on damaging the weak front line of the Timber Deity Empire, Marin and Sabina led an army of six thousand soldiers and three squads of spirit manipulators. They sneakily deployed an ambush attack on the west side of the Hippo Land, ready to attack the west front line as soon as the Timber Deity Empire army fought back.


    The entire mission was led by Rocky who stayed behind with his army of less than one thousand soldiers.


    Under the leadership of Dunn, the army adhered to the plan and easily gained the upper hand in their battle against the Timber Deity Empire troops. It only took Dunn and his three thousand soldiers an hour to fully damage the enemy''s weak front line.


    Not long after Dunn''s successful penetration of the Timber Deity Empire''s front line, sounds of fighting, crying, and screaming filled the air.


    As Marin anticipated, the raid launched by Dunn''s army disrupted the defense front line of the Timber Deity Empire. Soon after, more soldiers were deployed to fight against Dunn''s troops.


    Marin and Sabina took no time to hatch a plan. Upon realizing what was happening to Dunn''s troops, they deployed their soldiers and the squads of spirit manipulators. They attacked from both sides of the west of the Hippo Land and focused on penetrating the front line of the Timber Deity Empire from both sides.


    After an excruciating battle, Marin and Sabina''s six thousand soldiers were all gathered in the center of the battle ground. They planned to press forward to the enemy''s den. But first, they had to cross the forest that separated them from the camp of the Timber Deity Empire army, and destroy their remaining defense line.


    With a quick exchange of confident looks, Marin and Sabina were ready to lead their army into the forest that would take them to their enemy''s lair.


    Then, the forest began to tremble as trees all around shook with force and shadows appeared and disappeared into the darkness.


    In the forest, Rocky¡ªwho was supposed to be left behind¡ªemerged. He stood stoically as he watched the ongoing battle in front of him, showing no intention of offering help.


    "There are much fewer soldiers in the west side than what we have prepared for," Rocky muttered. "This is a p


    y did we come back?" Dunn patiently waited for Rocky to answer.


    He saw Marin and Sabina approach, Marin''s face curled into a horrid expression.


    "It seems like the Timber Deity Empire knew about our plan," Rocky explained. "They have set us up for ambush and were leading us towards a trap. Perhaps the weakened defense line found by Commander Marin was intentionally left for us to find." Rocky bowed his head in dismay.


    "You think they left it on purpose?" Marin said, horrified at the idea that they were walking into a trap.


    "Perhaps you''re right," Sabina supported Rocky. "Perhaps the defense line wasn''t really a simple defense line. It was a trap. They were trying to lure us into attacking them further only so they could eventually have us fall for their plan." Cold air stirred the room.


    Dunn and Marin stood silently, their faces pale in shock.


    "It seems that we have underestimated them. Commander Ji is far more experienced than we thought." Rocky stared wistfully at Sabina. Upon hearing her analysis, he felt a surge of appreciation for her rise up inside him. He was happy to know that Sabina and he shared the same line of thinking.


    "I encountered a similar strategy in the army before," Sabina recalled. "As soon as we get deep into the defense line, they will switch roles. The defender will become the attacker and launch violent attacks. The person who thought of using such a tactic must be very skilled. We are going against a person who seems to be far from ordinary," Sabina added thoughtfully.


    "Well," Rocky said, "it seems like we have an exciting battle ahead." After exchanging looks with the team, Rocky''s lips curved up.

 Chapter 430 An Encounter With A Mysterious Man

    Marin''s brows furrowed in deep realization. "No wonder," she started, "the Crimson Dragon Army failed to siege the Hippo Land in all their three attempts. It turned out the defending army of the Timber Deity Empire has such a shrewd figure."


    "But I''m not sure if this person is the Commander of our enemy''s army." Sabina let her apprehension go out into the open.


    Rocky found the need to stop any more discussions. "That''s all for today," he declared. "Commander Dunn, please go and order the logistics team to prepare dinner for our soldiers and lead some soldiers to hunt for dinner. It''s been a long day for them; they need more meat for their dinner." He took a deep breath, and then said to all the three people in front of him, "You all must be tired. You may now leave and take some rest." After ordering like a Commander, he turned and left.


    Dunn followed suit and left Marin and Sabina alone.


    As soon as she noticed Rocky was out of earshot, Marin approached Sabina with a curious face and asked, "Sabina, what kind of person do you think he is?"


    "The kind who rubs me the wrong way," Sabina quickly responded.


    "I used to feel the same way. But if it weren''t for him, I might have been ambushed by the enemy," Marin replied honestly with a slight frown. Rocky was younger than her and had significantly less military experience than she did. However, he had the confidence of a competent general who had undergone hundreds of battles. He was also a quick thinker. Marin was still impressed by how he figured out the ambush by the enemies in their previous battle just by staring at the footprints they left behind. An ordinary person could not have figured that out. Now, she felt less annoyed with him. On the contrary, she thought highly of him.


    "Indeed, he is a capable leader. It seems like he figured out the defense methods of our enemy at the very beginning of the battle," Sabina said coldly at first and then skeptically the next second.


    "If that''s the case," Marin asked, "why did he still use my offensive plan?" Realization slowly crept into her consciousness. If Rocky knew about the enemy''s plan to ambush, it would have been much easier to not have pursued her plan at the beginning.


    "Maybe he was trying to test the enemy. Yet, I don''t know what he was trying to do! No one does!" Sabina added coldly. Then, she turned and left.


    Marin frowned, sighed, and then walke


    he looked at the man up and down.


    "Well," the man replied calmly, "I already caught a fish, didn''t I?" The handsome man looked up and smiled at Rocky. It seemed as if he wasn''t fishing¡ªmerely standing by until someone found him.


    "So, are you waiting for anyone?" Rocky asked with his brows raised.


    "This is the rear part of the camp, the only place with no guards. It has no defense because the swamp is enough as a natural barrier. If the Crimson Dragon Group is smart enough and wants to gather more information about their opponent, they should send people here to the camp. But, for the first three times, no one from the Crimson Dragon Group showed up here. You are the first person to come here," the man said leisurely as he looked at Rocky with great interest.


    "So, that''s why the Crimson Dragon Army all failed to recapture this place," Rocky said calmly with a light smile. Looking around for a while, he continued, "Since you''ve been waiting for the spy of the Crimson Dragon Army to come, you have also set up an ambush in the vicinity, haven''t you?" After that, he became alert to any possible ambush.


    "No." To Rocky''s surprise, the man shook his head.


    "What do you mean? Why not?" Rocky inquired. "Are you not afraid that the spy would take you back to the camp of the Crimson Dragon Army and torture you if you''re alone and defenseless? You don''t look like a spirit manipulator. As an ordinary person, you''re just really brave to intercept the spy of the Crimson Dragon Army here alone." He realized that the man in front of him was a puzzle much more than he could comprehend.

 Chapter 431 One Real Big Fish

    "Firstly, the spirit manipulators in the camp would notice my sound if I shout out for help. The camp is just 500 meters from here. A spirit manipulator of the Earthly Stage could arrive in seconds. Secondly, the sentry is generally sent to collect the enemy''s information and not to fight. Therefore, his strength would be just ordinary and not powerful enough to take me away. In general, I could handle it alone." The man took his time in analyzing the whole situation.


    Rocky had great admiration for this man after hearing his words. All his analysis was so thorough and clear and his calculations were very much accurate and precise. Every aspect he had listed out was reasonable and logical. This man was not to be taken lightly.


    "What''s your position in the Timber Deity Empire Army?" Rocky asked hesitantly.


    "Military advisor," the man answered in a cold tone.


    "Military advisor?" Rocky narrowed his eyes.


    "You''d better go back to your camp now. You can never take the Hippo Land back as long as I''m here," the man said in a gentle way. Though not arrogant, his sound was brimming with confidence.


    "It seems you are the guy who advises the Timber Deity Empire, right?" Rocky now was sure that it was this guy who nearly trapped Crimson Dragon Army.


    The man just smiled a little but he didn''t say one word. He seemed to acquiesce in Rocky''s suspicion.


    "So, if I would take you back to my camp, will I get generously rewarded for that?" Rocky''s eyes were lit up.


    Suddenly, Rocky could notice three spirit manipulators who were all ready to go after him. The three hidden spirit manipulators were all above the Heavenly Stage and absolutely more powerful than him.


    "Theoretically, you would get rewarded if you can really take me with you." The man nodded calmly.


    "Who are you exactly? You are not just an ordinary military advisor in the Timber Deity Empire Army. You got three masters above the Heavenly Stage around to protect you." Rocky was in d


    pped with him without any hesitation.


    "It looks as if I didn''t come here for nothing. We''ll meet each other soon!" With that Rocky disappeared into a shadow.


    At the same time, three figures showed up from different directions. With upmost respect, they all kneeled on one leg in front of Woods.


    The three figures, all above the Heavenly Stage, were dressed up in purple gowns with a mark embroidered on the left shoulder.


    "I''ve told you not to follow me," Woods said unhappily.


    "My lord, it''s too dangerous for you to go outside alone. Princess has warned us repeatedly about your protection," one of them with a square face answered with utmost respect.


    "Alright, just this time." Woods waved his hand.


    "That young man is not weak. He could sense out all of us." The middle aged man was quite surprised by Rocky.


    "Moreover, he behaved calmly even after discovering all of you, which is by the way not at all an easy thing! If it''s really him who leads this Crimson Dragon Army, then it would be so much fun!" Woods smiled with interest and looked at the fishing rod.


    Suddenly, one big fish jumped out of the water and bit the bait on the rod above the river.


    "Only this kind of big fish can get that bait," Woods spoke profoundly. He then placed down the rod and left with the three guards.

 Chapter 432 Something Big

    Rocky came back to pass through the moorland to return to the campsite. Upon reaching, he immediately convened a meeting with Marin, Sabina, and Dunn at the campsite.


    "Commander Bai, have you formulated a new plan? Is that the reason why you called for us so suddenly?" Dunn looked anxious with a hint of optimism as he asked in a coarse tone.


    Simultaneously, Marin and Sabina also fixed their gaze at Rocky while sharing Dunn''s curiosity and stress as well.


    "I just acquired the information that a really powerful enemy was posted in the Timber Deity Empire''s garrison. With this new leader, I believe it will be a difficult task for our forces to recapture the Hippo Land and beat this intimidating enemy." Rocky frowned as he revealed the concerns that kept him from being hopeful about the recapture''s outcome.


    "How did you come across this crucial information?" Marin looked at Rocky with bafflement as she put forward her doubt. Earlier, Rocky seemed careless like a casual young man with no concern in life. But, now looking at him, he appeared to be completely transformed. He was solemn and yet afflicted by this dire situation.


    "Commander Dunn, from this moment forth you will need to maintain close surveillance of the ferry to the Hippo Land. I will need all the details pertaining to the transportation of grain and supplies, through the ferry by the Timber Deity Empire, and also the number of soldiers transported by the ferry every day. Report back to me every evening with all of these details, please." Rocky gave clear and concise orders to Dunn in a serious tone right then.


    "Yes, sir. I understand!" Dunn nodded instantly as he accepted the order.


    "Meanwhile, Commander Marin and Commander Ji, starting tomorrow, both of you need to lead the soldiers for a frontal attack to the Hippo Land, like clockwork every six hours. But remember you don''t have to have a real engage in a full-frontal attack leading to a battle, instead, a feint like a threat will be enough to keep them at bay. Within an hour of initiating such an attack you will have to retreat..." Rocky then explained his order to Marin and Sabina.


    "I don''t understand. What kind of an attack is this? What message will we be sending?" Marin expressed in an extremely perplexed tone.


    "Well, for now all you need to do is blindly follow my commands step-by-step. You don''t have to doubt anything." Rocky lashed back in a serious yet harsh tone as he gave Marin a sharp look.


    Marin met Rocky''s intimidating gaze as she wondered, ''What happened to him? He seems to have gotten serious, overnight. Moreover, this strategic method of engaging the enemy, every six hours, devised by him sounds like a farce that will just blow up in our face.'' She could sense that there was something fishy. But it was too soon for her to be able to figure out what was going wrong no matter how hard she tried to think it through again and again.


    For now, Sabina did not say anything instead she turned around and left with the directive.


    Under Rocky''s directive, Marin and Sabina dedicatedly led over three thousand soldiers to feint the Hippo Land for three days in a row. They retreated to the camp after an attack whi


    uld you possibly know that?" Marin''s beautiful eyes were now wide open with shock as she heard Rocky''s precise prediction. It was true, the guard soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire were not bothered in the least to engage them instead enjoyed watching them toiling on their own.


    "That is good to hear. This is exactly how favorable I wanted the situation to be." Rocky smiled in a sly manner as he began to speak again, "Now everything is in order and prepared in our favor, except for one crucial element! I wonder if Commander Dunn will bring us good news today?"


    Speak of the devil! The second Rocky finished speaking, Dunn walked into the tent.


    "Commander Bai, transportation ships, loaded with grains and other supplies, from the Timber Deity Empire will be arriving tonight," Dunn reported back.


    "Well, this is good news indeed. How many transportation ships are expected to arrive tonight?" Rocky smiled calmly yet optimistically as he continued to inquire.


    "Keeping the sea traffic and flow of transportation boats in the ferry these days in mind, the number of incoming boats will not be less than five," Dunn estimated not knowing how this information could favor them.


    "Commander Dunn, please gather all the ropes we brought and re-weave them into new ropes which are three times wider than its original size. Then attach ten strong iron hooks on each of the ropes. I need you to finish this task before the sun sets today," Rocky immediately gave Dunn clear instructions.


    "Yes, sir," Dunn left the tent, determined to finish the task on hand before the deadline.


    "Commander Marin, please lead a troop of over five thousand soldiers to lie in ambush on the west side of the Hippo Land. We will launch a full-scale attack tonight," Rocky gave another order, but this time to Marin.


    "Is this meant to be a feint yet again?" Marin glared at Rocky with lost hope.


    "No, tonight it will be a real fight. And I expect you to clean their field this time with all the building aggression and frustration." Rocky nodded his head as he gave her the go-ahead to fight. A cold look appeared in his sagacious eyes.

 Chapter 433 More Complicated

    When Marin witnessed the sheer coldness and cunningness in Rocky''s eyes, she almost froze for a moment. Whenever she saw this kind of expression on his face, there would be something big waiting to happen.


    "I''ll get ready right away." However, Rocky''s words incited Marin to fight again. After so many days of utter humiliation, this was her chance to avenge herself.


    "When you leave, please help me call in Commander Ji," Rocky said.


    Marin took a look at Rocky and felt very strange. The atmosphere surrounding him had a sudden transition. Rocky was all out serious, but she was not sure about what was going on. Furthermore, at that moment Rocky projected an aura of a powerful Commander.


    "Commander Marin?" Rocky asked in a confused tone, as he saw Marin not leaving but looking at him dazedly.


    "Oh, I''ll go now." Marin came back to her senses. She blushed and thought from her heart, ''What''s wrong with me? I can''t believe I was staring at Rocky! The most important thing now is to get the Hippo Land back. This time we must ensure the garrison of the Timber Deity Empire would experience the real might of our Crimson Dragon Army!'' Thinking about all this, Marin walked out of the Commander''s tent.


    Not long after, Sabina walked in stone faced as usual. She had a quick glance at Rocky and then asked, "What''s the matter?"


    "How about going for a walk inside the enemy''s military camp tonight?" Rocky said light heartedly, but with a hint of irresistible aura.


    "Go for a walk? What do you mean?" Sabina asked with a wild frown after hearing what Rocky had said. She had no clue on Rocky''s intentions.


    "Actually, I want you to protect me. After all, it''s not safe for me to go to the enemy military''s camp all alone. However, with the protection of a master at the Supernal Stage like you, it would be a different story!" Rocky made his intentions clear.


    "You want me to protect you? Why should I do that?" Sabina snorted.


    "Didn''t you protect me last time?" Rocky sounded out.


    "Did I?" Sabina glared at Rocky and tried to act like nothing had happened.


    "Well, if you don''t want to come with me, I won''t force you. Tonight I''m going to burn the transportation boats of the Timber Deity Empire..." Rocky smiled and continued.


    "You want to burn the boats? Tonight?" Sabin


    nd out of here safely. Ordinary people could never get out safely if they get in!" Rocky explained with a smile.


    "It is true. However, at least there should be some spirit manipulator''s guardians," Sabina said.


    "Even if they send more spirit manipulator''s guards, they encounter some superiors like you. They can never make it alive," Rocky said meaningfully.


    "What kind of superior am I? I''m not even close to my master!" Sabina said with coldness.


    "Your master? Who is your master?" Rocky could not help but ask. He thought in his heart, ''If Sabina possesses the enough strength to enter the ranks of the strong in the Holy Dragon Empire, then her master probably would be one among the best masters in the world! Who could that be? Could it be someone I know?''


    "Why are you asking so many questions? Wait a minute!" Sabina said angrily. At that moment, she suddenly felt something and stopped.


    On seeing this Rocky followed her and stopped.


    Sabina leapt lightly into the overhead branches. A moment later, she jumped down and said, "There are some spirit manipulator''s guards ahead." After saying that, Sabina looked at Rocky with a smirky look.


    "What? Last time I was here, there were no spirit manipulator''s guards. Is it because..." Rocky thought for a while and suddenly his eyes became serious. The handsome man he had met the other day came to his mind. He understood that fearing he would use the same route again, the handsome man had sent the spirit manipulator''s guards to watch over the marsh area.

 Chapter 434 Many Secrets

    "How many people are there?" Rocky squinted his eyes and tried to look at the distance.


    "Three. They are about in between first or second grade of the Earthly Stage, and there are three two-star second grade spirit-manipulated beasts with them," Sabina whispered concisely.


    "We must get rid of all of them, including their spirit-manipulated beasts, without being noticed by their camp''s defending group," Rocky suggested. He knew that his strength alone was not enough to kill all the spirit manipulators together with their spirit-manipulated beasts. So, he immediately looked at Sabina and asked, "Commander Ji, can you kill all of them with just one blow?"


    "Of course I can kill all of them in one breath, but they aren''t some woods that would stay still and wait for me to kill them without fighting back or creating noise," Sabina arrogantly answered and showed the whites of her eyes to Rocky. She thought of a good plan to kill them with ease and whispered to Rocky, "There would be no problem if I can strike them from behind, but somebody must draw their attention first." After speaking, she fixed her cold glaring eyes on Rocky.


    "What''s the meaning of that look? Don''t tell me you''re suggesting that I''ll be the one who will draw their attention. What if they feel threatened after seeing me and then go rampage and kill me?" Rocky said, emphasizing every word he had just said. Of course, he understood what Sabina was trying to say.


    "If you don''t want to do it, then who else would?" Sabina looked at him coldly.


    "All right, but please protect me if something happens. It''s too dangerous to be served as a helpless bait in there!" Rocky said, seemingly serious.


    "Stop pretending in front of me, Rocky. I know your strength has already reached the Heavenly Stage and you''re also a royal spirit manipulator," Sabina frankly said, nailing each of his secrets.


    "How did you know that I''m a royal spirit manipulator?" Rocky was surprised to hear what Sabina had just said. It might not be difficult for her to figure out that he had already reached the Heavenly Stage, but he was sure that it was not easy to figure out that he was a royal spirit manipulator. As far as he could remember, he hadn''t done anything suspicious or produced any sign that would reveal him as a royal spirit manipulator when he was at the Wild Heaven Pass.


    Rocky had no idea that Sabina had learned all of these facts about him from her master, Marcia.


    "Stop talking nonsense. Just hurry


    ing for that moment. He shook his hand, and it made a crack in the air, summoning two beasts that rushed out of the crack. They jumped on the three two-star second grade spirit-manipulated beasts and attacked them.


    After a few moments of fighting, the three spirit-manipulated beasts became black and injured all over their bodies. They fell on the cold, hard ground and died afterward.


    "You have two spirit-manipulated beasts?" Sabina felt dumbfounded and startled when she saw two spirit-manipulated beasts came out of Rocky''s Magic Spiritual Space. She had seen Rocky with two beasts when they were at the Wild Heaven Pass, but she hadn''t known that Rocky was able to manipulate them at the same time. Shock and awe were an understatement, indeed.


    Rocky whistled, and the two beasts, Uriah and Rubygon, immediately ran back to the Magic Spiritual Space.


    "I''m glad there is something about me that you still don''t know." Rocky took a glance at Sabina, and he beamed with pure joy. Being surprised was already a rare expression that he could see on Sabina''s face, and it amused Rocky very much.


    "That doesn''t count!" Sabina said in a disdainful tone despite the shocked look on her face. But the fact remained that it was still unknown why Rocky could manipulate two beasts at the same time. Normally, a spirit manipulator could only be recognized by one spirit-manipulated beast as their master. She had never seen nor heard any spirit manipulator who could manipulate two beasts, and even her master wasn''t capable of doing that.


    "Let''s go," Rocky said in a flat tone, and then he continued to walk forward to the camp of the Timber Deity Empire.

 Chapter 435 The Surprise Attack

    With her cold gaze at Rocky''s back, Sabina murmured to herself, "This guy is surely unique. But why would Master Marcia want me to protect him? What on earth is he hiding?" After finishing speaking, she rushed forward to catch up with Rocky.


    Soon, they arrived at the garrison camp of the Timber Deity Empire''s army. Without any stop, they headed towards the ferry where the army''s cargo ships docked.


    The garrison camp was heavily guarded. Every once in a while, the patrols could be seen here and there. Yet, Rocky and Sabina could easily avoid them due to their great stealth. Finally, they got close to the ferry. Finding a place to hide, they began to observe their enemies at a closer range.


    At that moment, they spotted six ships carrying grain and other supplies near the bank of the ferry. Also, a squad of spirit manipulators and a group of soldiers were on guard, looking stern and alert.


    "So, what do you want to do next?" Sabina turned back and asked Rocky, hoping to get some valuable insight into his plan on how to burn the ships.


    "I''ll use ropes to connect these ships," Rocky said pointing to a bundle of thick ropes behind his back. For convenience''s sake, the rest of the ropes were stashed away in his Magic Spiritual Space.


    "If I remember correctly, you said you wanted to burn the ships before. Why don''t you set them on fire immediately?" Sabina questioned. His strange idea left her confused.


    "Obviously, I''ll need to burn all the ships completely. To do that, we''ll need to cause a huge scene that will send them into a panic. The six connected ships on fire will surely turn heads!" Rocky exclaimed in a low voice with a sinister smile.


    "But what about the guards?" Sabina asked as she pointed at the group of spirit manipulators and soldiers guarding the front of the ferry.


    "Your turn to be the bait." Rocky informed Sabina with a smirk.


    "So, you had this all planned out just to trick me." Sabina realized as she glared at him with her cold eyes. Finally, she understood. Rocky tricked her into being here not to protect him but to help him hold back the enemies and give him enough time to destroy the boats.


    "Since when did I trick you? And isn''t your main goal to ensure that I stay protected?" Rocky retorted without any remorse.


    His words left Sabina blushing, irritated, and shocked. "When this is over, you''ll be sorry." Sabina stared at him, her eyes ablaze


    d. Having set fire to the heart of the enemies, he knew that now would be the perfect time for Marin and her troops to attack.


    West of the Hippo Land, Marin, and her five thousand troops were waiting for the right moment to attack. As soon as she noticed the camp of Timber Deity Empire was on fire, she knew Rocky''s plan succeeded.


    With no hesitation, she sternly ordered the three leaders of her troops, "Divide yourselves into three squads. The middle squad will set off first to distract the enemies with a fake attack. As for the left and right squads, you shall hide along the road and wait for my order."


    Under the dark of night, five thousand black shadows separated into three forward-moving streams rushing from the west of the Hippo Land to the Timber Deity Empire''s defense line.


    The middle squad was first detected by the Timber Deity Empire''s defending troops who looked impatient and not alarmed at all.


    "Damn it! Why did they return again?"


    "Aren''t they tired? Why do they insist on feigning attacks a few times every day?"


    "Ignore them! They''ll all be scared out of here soon, just like before."


    The soldiers stationed at the front of the line failed to realize that the small squad was only sent as a distraction. Thinking that this was another fake attack by the Crimson Dragon Army, they decided not to inform and update the camp.


    From behind the middle squad, Marin was pleased to see that the Timber Deity Empire''s soldiers did not raise the alarm. After the remaining two squads joined the middle squad secretly, she ordered loudly and sternly, "Soldiers, attack now!"

 Chapter 436 Astonished!

    Suddenly, the three squads were taking the defense line of the Timber Deity Empire by surprise, attacking it from three different points.


    Two small groups of spirit manipulators had taken the lead and with their ferocious spirit-manipulated beasts, quickly headed towards the defense line of the Timber Deity Empire. As they proceeded to slay the enemy, their spiritual power projected light and rumbled loudly every now and again.


    That was when the troops of the Timber Deity Empire realized that things were different this time. The troops of the Crimson Dragon Army were not pretending anymore; they were actually attacking them for real.


    "Be quick! Go report to our Commander that the Crimson Dragon Army is attacking us," shouted an adjutant in charge of the defense line, with a ghastly pale face revealing his fear and utter astonishment. Meanwhile, he instructed the spirit manipulators and the soldiers at the defense line to resist the attack from the Crimson Dragon Army.


    The first defense line in the west of Hippo Land consisted merely of a thousand men. In contrast, Marin was leading the troops of the Crimson Dragon Army, with five thousand soldiers under her command. The difference was monumental and they broke through the defense line with no difficulty.


    There had been so many feinted attacks in the past few days that the troops of the Timber Deity Empire had endlessly belittled and laughed at the Crimson Dragon Army. Now, as the troops of the Crimson Dragon Army were finally attacking the enemy troops, they lashed out at them, releasing all their oppressed feelings and restrained anger. Highly spirited, they fought relentlessly.


    Moments after the attack had started, the first defense line of the Timber Deity Empire was destroyed.


    Soon after, the second defense line was destroyed too, followed by the third defense line a little later.


    By the time the news of the siege had reached the camp of the Timber Deity Empire, the Crimson Dragon Army had already wiped three defense lines clean and passed through the woods in the west. They were dangerously approaching the camp of the Timber Deity Empire.


    At the Timber Deity Empire camp, Commander Wei''s weary face showed signs of losing all hope as he heard the news.


    "Where is Mr. Mu?" Commander Wei hast


    ipulator. A dragon would have been the logical choice to portray her noble background, but apparently, he was wrong.


    Sabina''s spiritual beast was undeniably far more impressive than any ordinary war dragon.


    "Dare I, Commander Ji, ask if you would allow me to draw some samples from your spirit-manipulated beast?" asked Rocky, as he greedily stared at Sabina''s spirit-manipulated beast. He was so intrigued by this rare specimen.


    In Sabina''s eyes, Rocky was acting like a hungry pervert, gawking at a beautiful woman. She looked back at him in utter disgust. There was no way that she would ever let him touch her spirit-manipulated beast. She would have had gone mad to let that happen!


    Suddenly, Sabina''s spirit-manipulated beast neighed and raised its head to look at the moon. Its body exuded exquisite silvery light, resembling the moonlight''s aura.


    "Duchess Silver!" Sabina pronounced its name in a soft voice. Her face was filled with love as she delicately stroked and patted it gently.


    "Duchess Silver? A name fit for a queen," Rocky sighed intensely, filled with emotion.


    Rocky''s praises did not change Sabina''s attitude towards him. She jumped on Duchess Silver''s back with elegant dexterity. As she caressed its mane, Duchess Silver neighed again, and a gust of wind created a whirlwind of dust around its limbs.


    Duchess Silver took a ceremonious leap forward, swiftly lifting its body from the ground as it started to gallop across the air, brushing past Rocky as it flew west towards the Hippo Land.

 Chapter 437 Blood Dyed The Ground Red

    "When will I own such a magnificent beast? Just forget about it. Let''s go now." Rocky maintained a steady gaze in the direction where Sabina took off riding her exemplary beast. He then patted Rubygon on its head signaling it to leave too.


    Rubygon let out a thunderous roar, stretched its legs and began to speed hoping to catch up with Sabina and her beast.


    Meanwhile, on the Hippo Land''s west side, the two armies were neck and neck in a fierce battle.


    The Crimson Dragon Army led by Marin was in high spirits and determined as they charged ahead to the Timber Deity Empire''s military camp. But the Timber Deity Empire had managed to gather a large and strong troop and with that, they stopped the Crimson Dragon Army hundreds of meters before the military camp of the Timber Deity Empire.


    Suddenly, the dull sky had been awakened with a series of fires lit around the battleground. Both the armies clashed and began fighting on the slope in front of the Timber Deity Empire''s military camp. The soldiers met their enemies head-on with aggression, and as the casualties began to rise on each side, loud sounds of chaos and violence filled the air.


    While some soldiers struggled to get up after being knocked down, some fell on this foreign land once and for all, never to wake up again. Battles were cruel and cold but the blood scattered across the field remained warm. Every man was fighting with all his strength, not just to save their lives but, to defend the honor of their land and shedding blood for this noble cause was a way of proving their loyalty. Many would sacrifice their lives as a testament to their loyalty and dedicated service. But in the end, all that remained was an incessant war.


    "Charge ahead, warriors! Kill all the soldiers of the Crimson Dragon Army. I have tolerated them for far too many days patiently. And today I finally have the chance to confront and greet them with aggression. Stop their middle route army in their tracks. And seal their west route." After delegating the army, Commander Wei led several spirit manipulators at the Earthly Stage to the war. He swiftly dashed through the battlefield killing soldiers of the Crimson Dragon Army who came in his way.


    Commander Wei looked deceptively ordinary but he was at the second grade of the Heavenly Stage. And the military ranks of the Timber Deity Empire were different from those of the Holy Dragon Empire. They also had Frontline Commanders and Elite Commanders in their ranks. But the standard for promotion of the Timber Deity Empire commanders was stricter than that of the Holy D


    !" Witnessing Commander Wei summon his unnatural looking spirit-manipulated beast, Marin immediately let out Verdanim from her Magic Spiritual Space.


    Verdanim, whose body was larger than common spirit-manipulated beasts, flew through the crack of the Magic Spiritual Space and imposed its presence as a high-class spiritual race. The spirit-manipulated beasts of the Timber Deity Empire soldiers cried fearfully at the sight of Verdanim.


    Even Commander Wei''s Huge Pointed-mouthed Rat looked a little scared on seeing Verdanim majestically fly down from the sky.


    On any given day, four-star third-grade Verdanim was far more powerful than the Huge Pointed-mouthed Rat. After all, dragons were one of the most powerful high-class races among the spirit-manipulated beasts in the Wild Spirit Land.


    The sight of the great war dragon wiped the smug expression from Commander Wei''s face instantly. He didn''t expect that Marin would own such an excellent war dragon, at such a young age, which made him burn up with rage and jealousy. And the advent of Verdanim made him realize that the chance to win was narrow.


    But Commander Wei coveted Marin and desired her, he was no longer willing to return without her. With such intentions driving him, Commander Wei ordered his Huge Pointed-mouthed Rat to confront Verdanim as he launched an attack on Marin. Marin showed no trace of fear and bravely faced Commander Wei. Both of them exhausted every skill they mastered with neither of them showing any signs of concession.


    The war went on for an hour, many people died, and their blood painted the ground crimson red. But the Crimson Dragon Army was at an advantage for being in a high spirit after making a successful raid.

 Chapter 438 Intimate Embrace (Part One)

    On the other side, there was a man and a spirit-manipulated beast in the dark not far from where the battle took place.


    It was Rocky together with his beast. "Where is Sabina? It''s weird. She should''ve been here earlier than me." The confusion was drawn on his face because he couldn''t find Sabina anywhere. He helped a lot during the battle not long ago. He was the one who startled the Timber Deity Empire army and attracted the enemy''s attention with his trick, making it possible for Marin and the army to break the enemy''s defense and smash their lands which led them to their success.


    After breaking the enemy''s defense, Rocky followed Sabina to the west side of Hippo Land. However, her spirit-manipulated beast suddenly sped up which caused her sudden disappearance. Rocky traced the path that he thought she went to, but it turned out he was wrong, neither Sabina nor her spirit-manipulated beast was to be found. As he wondered where she might be at the moment, he noticed that Marin was fighting with someone from Timber Deity Empire. From his clothes and level of power, Rocky guessed that he might be a Commander.


    The two of them were in the middle of intense battle, and it looked almost even. He could easily tell it from just the looks because both were already exhausted and barely giving out their best.


    Not far from them, their spirit-manipulated beasts were fighting with each other. As he could see, Verdanim''s opponent was also at the third grade of the four-star level, but Verdanim was superior so Rocky knew that it would win their battle.


    ''Well, I guess Marin doesn''t need my help. She''s in control of the battle and soon, she''ll win, '' Rock


    in wars ages ago.


    He had made the plan already before fighting her, and he kept on waiting until he found the best chance to execute and get a hold of capturing Marin. He was aware that Timber Deity Empire wouldn''t win that war because the Crimson Dragon Army had a greater number of soldiers.


    So he thought of the best plan to turn the tables and win, that was to catch Marin. ''I could beat the Crimson Dragon Army even without the help of Woods!'' Commander Wei cried loudly in his mind, and he couldn''t help but admire himself.


    Marin saw how determined he was to capture her, but she couldn''t do anything to change the situation. She knew that she was going to be the prey of Commander Wei, and she felt upset knowing how helpless she was. There was a face that popped up inside her head, and she couldn''t help but tremble with such thoughts.


    ''Rocky Bai, where are you now?! Why don''t you come and save me this time?!'' Marin shouted in her mind as if calling Rocky in her mind would make him appear in front of her. She had a strong feeling that Rocky would appear and save her life in that circumstance.

 Chapter 439 Intimate Embrace (Part Two)

    However, after a few seconds of thinking about Rocky, she felt ridiculous. Rocky couldn''t always show up and save her life in every critical moment she encountered, for it was impossible. ''Oh, come on Marin Ma! What the hell are you thinking right now?! I can''t believe you''re thinking about him instead of planning how to escape here!'' She kicked herself inside her head as she felt frustrated with what she was thinking at that moment. Still, she couldn''t deny the fact that she had become psychologically dependent on Rocky. That was a special feeling, and she had no idea when it began.


    "Hey, you old masher, stay away with my woman!" Marin heard a voice from a distance, it was so deep and determined.


    The voice approached them along with a dark-red flame of a shape of a blade and it swooped in the air.


    Commander Wei noticed the counterattack, he suddenly turned his body, ducked and quickly dodged the rolling flame.


    "Crash!" He was almost hit by the dark-red flame as it created a big loud sound. The bright light flared when the flame finally hit the ground, and it created a huge cloud of smoke and dust that floated in the air. It was so powerful that the ground where the flame landed was burned to dark immediately. It took quite some time for the flame to be extinguished because of the imminent power that it had.


    After the sudden counterattack, he picked Marin who was under the power of the magic potion and helplessly lay on the ground. She was held by someone who had strong and firm arms. Marin leaned against the man''s warm chest which eased her n


    ing the truth. Such a change of heart was madness to her.


    Marin was lost in her thoughts and blushed with too much shame. But she looked even more adorable burning with shame.


    Contrary to that, Rocky ruined Commander Wei''s plan, and Commander Wei was so annoyed by Rocky''s sudden appearance along with protecting Marin. As he saw Rocky holding her in his arms and he could even hear how intimate they talk with each other, Commander Wei could not feel anything but so much rage. Before Rocky had noticed, Commander Wei summoned his spiritual power and went closer to where Rocky and Marin were. All he could think for that moment was to strike both of them down at the same time.


    However, before Commander Wei could get closer, a huge beast snapped and clawed in front of him blocking him halfway. Just like his owner, the spirit-manipulated beast had an overflowing aura and power. It roared towards Commander Wei as a warning, as if it was talking and saying that "You stay away with my master and his woman, or I will tear you into pieces!"

 Chapter 440 Im The Best

    As expected, the gigantic and tall beast defending its master was Rubygon.


    "Go away, you beast!" Commander Wei yelled furiously as he tried to strike Rubygon.


    "Rubygon, come here!" Rocky called, in a low voice.


    Without any hesitation, Rubygon leapt like a tiger towards Rocky''s side, as commanded.


    "Stay on Rubygon''s back for a while," Rocky whispered to Marin, who was in his arms. Straight away Marin hopped on Rubygon''s wide back.


    As she left Rocky''s arms, a sudden feeling of loss came over her and she felt cold. Disappointedly, she looked at Rocky and pursed her pink lips to a straight line.


    By then, Rocky had shifted his cold and sharp look to Commander Wei.


    "Son of a bitch! Who are you? How dare you ruin my good fortune?" Commander Wei exclaimed angrily when he glared at Rocky and looked at Marin, who was already on Rubygon''s back. He was almost successful in capturing Marin. If he had succeeded, the troops of the Crimson Dragon Army would have lost their leader and the beautiful Marin would have been in his custody. However, to his great surprise, a young man who seemed to appear from nowhere shattered all of his dreams.


    "Don''t get fresh with me! I''m an Elite Commander appointed in person by Lance Liu, the Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Group!" Rocky said in a terrifyingly domineering voice. But he looked calm and steady at the moment.


    "How could a bastard like you be an Elite Commander in the Crimson Dragon Group? If so, the Crimson Dragon Group is indeed rubbish as I imagined! Otherwise, they would not have elected you as their Elite Commander. Such an appointment would make everyone laugh their heads off!" Commander Wei said, looking at Rocky disdainfully. It was hard for him to believe that Rocky, a young-looking and a low-level spirit manipulator was an Elite Commander, directly appointed by the Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Group.


    "I''ve said the truth. Believe it or not. It''s all up to you. But you old pervert, by the way, where does Woods, your adviser, come from?" Rocky asked with a grim laugh. He was more curious about the background of Woods than ab


    power at the second grade of the Heavenly Stage. He opened his arms widely and roared, "Soaring Fury!" All of a sudden, his entire body turned into a big figure. The size kept on increasing and it enveloped Rocky like a high mountain.


    Soaring Fury was Commander Wei''s best skill of spiritual martial arts. Whenever he used this skill, his opponent would be beaten to death, unless the person was more powerful and skilled enough to fight against him.


    "Stay away, Rocky!" Marin yelled. Her face was deathly pale in agony. Although Rocky possessed strength at the Heavenly Stage, it seemed Commander Wei was unstoppable, as he was at the second grade of the Heavenly Stage. The difference between the first and the second grade of the Heavenly Stage would result in the crucial difference between life and death. Marin was not sure if Rocky held any better skill to resist Commander Wei''s spiritual martial arts.


    Meanwhile, the surrounding people involved in the fierce battle, regardless of the parties they belonged to, stopped fighting on seeing Commander Wei''s horrifying skill. All their eyes were glued on Rocky. Everyone, including Marin, thought Rocky would try to escape from Commander Wei''s attack as he was not able to fight back.


    However, to everybody''s surprise, Rocky didn''t lose his composure even after watching Commander Wei approaching. All of a sudden, he moved forward and charged at Commander Wei.

 Chapter 441 Encounter An Opponent

    What Rocky did was suicidal, and it was hard for everyone including Marin to imagine such a situation. If Rocky dodged in the first place, there was a high chance for him to survive, but he chose to rush towards Commander Wei. It meant that he intended to fight back, and now there was no chance for him to get out of the battlefield.


    Commander Wei''s spiritual shadow fiercely engulfed Rocky. Everyone was quietly observing, and it felt like the peace was reborn.


    Some people laughed happily and some people were sad!


    Commander Wei looked pleased because he was sure that Rocky would die when he took his violent attack.


    "Rocky..." The light in Marin''s eyes suddenly filled with darkness, sadness, and self-reproach. She knew he was doomed this time because Commander Wei was way stronger, and her heart filled with remorse. She blamed herself for what happened because Rocky wouldn''t be in that dangerous position if he didn''t try to save her.


    Marin gritted her teeth and moved her body, trying to get off from Rubygon. Her eyes were full of grief and hatred, and the only thing that was on her mind right now was to get revenge for Rocky!


    But then, Rubygon let out a cry of excitement.


    Marin was shocked and couldn''t move her feet when she saw a flash of black and red light that sprang up like a living flame from the inside of the great spiritual shadow that swallowed Rocky.


    Boom!


    With the burst of a series of loud noises, something inside the spiritual shadow tried to get out. Those who were watching the fight were stunned, and they did not know exactly what happened!


    Suddenly, the black and red staggered flame swallowed the spiritual shadow of Commander Wei. In just a blink of an eye, his spiritual shadow became an extreme evil flame.


    "How? How could it be possible?" Commander Wei rounded his eyes because of extreme shock. He stared at nothingness with so much confusion and disbelief about what had happened. He had no idea how to react since his spiritual power was also engulfed.


    Furthermore, a figure whose body was full of Evil Flame walked out like a prince of the devils. He was carrying a curved Flaming Blade, and its color was so vibrant.


    "Damn, Why are you still alive? Why?!" Because of shock, Commander Wei lost his mind. He was more powerful than Rocky, but Rocky was not killed by his spiritual martial arts. And Rocky even appeared unharmed after he received his attack. Everything that happened was against


    felt a little surprised and froze for a while. Some were confused and they hadn''t realized what Woods had just said, however, they analyzed what Woods meant. They moved quickly and got it done and ready.


    It took them quite a few minutes, but the soldiers formed an array like a lotus, which was delightedly blooming.


    Crimson Dragon Army had already caught up with them. They saw the array that was created by their opponent, but they did not care too much about it. That was because they thought that the armies from the Timber Deity Empire were on the verge of breaking down.


    There were hundreds of them rushed into the Magic Lotus Array directly.


    "Seal!" Woods said.


    The blooming lotus closed up, and hundreds of soldiers were firmly trapped in the array. At the same time, the Timber Deity Empire''s soldiers used the shield as the outer wall of the lotus to seal the array tightly. No one knew what exactly just happened, and the other soldiers of Crimson Dragon Army who followed these hundreds were blocked from the outside.


    The soldiers that were trapped inside the Magic Lotus Array suddenly became an isolated force, and soon became the victims of the array.


    Rocky and Marin who was riding on Rubygon saw that there was something new happening in front of them. They rushed in the frontline, and they were surprised when they saw the Magic Lotus Array that was formed by the soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire.


    Rocky thought that the array was something very familiar. His eyes became cold and serious when he realized that the Magic Lotus Array was the same as the Eight Heaven Locks Array that he had used before.

 Chapter 442 Starting To Crack The Array

    "Stop attacking! Everybody, fall in!" Rocky bellowed his order, raising his left arm.


    The troops of the Crimson Dragon Army halted in their tracks when they heard the order. They gathered in front of Rocky in an orderly manner from the left, middle and the right directions.


    At this precise moment, they were only two or three hundred meters away from the camp of the defending troops of the Timber Deity Empire.


    "This array looks somewhat like the array you taught me last time," Marin said and glanced at Rocky after surveying the Magic Lotus Array formed by the defending troops of the Timber Deity Empire.


    Rocky nodded in response to her. The Magic Lotus Array in display seemed very powerful, with a combination of both attacking and defending effects. This was quite similar to the Eight Heaven Locks Array, despite their different principles.


    He had no difficulty in figuring out who had arranged the array.


    As a name flashed through his mind, his eyes froze for a moment. He then walked towards the array after passing through the troops of the Crimson Dragon Army who were waiting patiently for his next order.


    "Rocky Bai," Marin called his name in a hushed tone as she realized that he was heading towards their enemy all alone.


    A few spirit manipulators in the Crimson Dragon Army started following him with the intention of protecting him. But he dissuaded them by saying, "No one needs to follow me." Saying this, he continued to walk forward until he was only a few meters away from the array.


    "Woods," Rocky called out all of a sudden.


    A few moments later, a crack suddenly appeared from the array. A slim gentleman-like figure walked slowly through the crack. As Rocky expected, the person was Woods.


    "Commander Bai, it seems that I''ve underestimated you!" Woods sighed, glancing at Rocky in astonishment, though outwardly he managed to look calm and steady as always. It seemed that he had least expected Rocky to destroy the defense lines that he had elaborately arranged, without any difficulty and in no time. The reason for his delayed appearance at the battlefield was that he had run across a beautiful spirit manipulator at the Superna


    y. He looked resolute and domineering at the moment.


    Woods was astonished to hear Rocky''s words. His face paled as he hadn''t expected Rocky to risk his own life to crack the array. Admiration shone in his eyes and with a laugh, he said, "Such being the case, please be careful!" Then he walked back into the array through the crack, with his hands tied behind.


    Rocky stepped backwards. At the same time, the Magic Lotus Array, which had been closed tightly, unfolded again. The people walked in intersected lines, looking like many lotus petals.


    Rocky jumped into the Magic Lotus Array, falling on one of the lotus petals made by people. Immediately, the Magic Lotus Array closed again, and Rocky was overwhelmed.


    When she saw Rocky enter the array alone, Marin felt her heart in her mouth. By now, she had almost recovered and hence she jumped off Rubygon''s back. She planned to assist Rocky with the troops.


    Simultaneously, a cool and enchanting female floated down from the sky with a silvery spirit-manipulated beast that looked quite enchanting in the moonlight. Soon, they landed near Marin.


    The enchanting female along with the spirit-manipulated beast she was riding became the center of attraction of the Crimson Dragon Army. Especially, the spirit-manipulated beast looked so graceful that everyone''s eyes were fixed on it.


    They were Sabina and her spirit-manipulated beast¡ªDuchess Silver, who had been absent for quite a while.

 Chapter 443 Falling In Love

    "It''s great you came at the right time, Commander Ji. Rocky is stuck in the array of our enemy. Let''s lead the troops to rescue him right away." Marin looked at Sabina who was on Duchess Silver''s back anxiously and nervously.


    "Take it easy, Marin. You don''t have to hurry. If we take action hastily and are caught by their array, we will just fail Rocky''s intention of getting inside of it," Sabina said seriously as she jumped off Duchess Silver.


    "His intention?" Marin was dumbfounded by what Sabina had just said. She had no idea what Sabina was talking about.


    "In my opinion, this array is not ordinary. Instead, it looks quite lethal and dangerous, and it will become very difficult to get out once we enter it recklessly. That must be the reason why Rocky decided to enter the array alone because he wanted to avoid possible major casualties for the Crimson Dragon Army," Sabina explained, as if she saw through Rocky''s real intention without difficulty. Part of it was because she heard Rocky and Woods talking when she came back.


    The reason for her sudden disappearance a while ago was partly Woods'' fault. When she was about to reach the west side of the Hippo Land, she found four figures nearby. Three among them were giving out an aura above the Heavenly Stage. Sabina was curious about their identities, and she moved towards them. As a result, she ran into Woods and three senior spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage. They protected Woods from a possible battle that might happen.


    But it was strange that Woods didn''t show some hostility towards her. Instead, when he found out that she was a spirit manipulator at the Supernal Stage, he acted normal and didn''t fear her. He spoke with ease and fluency, but all his three bodyguards looked extremely frightened that she would kill them all.


    After the three bodyguards took Woods away, it was the time when Sabina could get her feet back to Hippo Land. That encounter was the reason why it took her so long.


    "How dare he enter the array by himself?! He always acts so recklessly every single time!" Marin said. Her face changed its color when she heard Sabina''s analysis.


    "Exactly! If he dies in that array, nobody will bury his body." Sabina echoed with Marin, but despite her brutal words, she admired Rocky''s courageous act.


    "Now that we know this array is dangerous, we can''t just sit still and wait for our death. We need to find a way on how to deal with it," Marin said. Her face looked very worried about the situation that Rocky was in, and s


    out. Sabina''s help saved all of those troubles for him.


    "If you want to say thanks, you should thank Commander Marin. I just helped you for her sake. Otherwise, I would have neglected you completely." Sabina gave him a cold glare. Then she jumped off Duchess Silver''s back too and sent it to her Magic Spiritual Space.


    As guided by Sabina, Rocky turned his head to where Marin was. However, before he could utter a single word, Marin suddenly blurted out, "You''d better not misunderstand me. I wasn''t worried about you, not the least." Her words sounded like she just confessed what she felt without being pressured.


    Rocky smiled but didn''t say anything to her, then he turned his head back to take a look at the Magic Lotus Array. He looked around all the troops of the Crimson Dragon Army and ordered, "Go back. Let''s call it a day!"


    Then he led the troops to withdraw to the camp of the Crimson Dragon Army.


    "Commander Bai, did our plan fail?" Dunn walked forward and asked as soon as he saw Rocky and the others came back. He had been waiting for news all this time at the camp.


    "Our plan succeeded. But I think I underestimated Woods," Rocky answered with a smile of self-mockery seen on the curve of his mouth, then he shouted to all the troops, "You did a great job tonight. Go back to your tents and have a good rest." He ordered the armies, and then he went back to his tent.


    Marin wanted to stop Rocky and say something to him. But she gave up on second thought before she could utter a word. Her eyes became bleak, and she turned around and left.


    All of these were caught by Sabina. Shaking her head, Sabina sighed, "I''m afraid this girl is falling in love..."

 Chapter 444 An Opponent Deserves Appreciation

    The first thing Rocky did upon returning to the tent of Commander was drawing down, with pen and paper, the Magic Lotus Array that he had just experienced. He included its formation, operation principle, various attack methods, etc.


    He knew that he must find the weakness of the Magic Lotus Array in order to break through it. He also knew that in order to find its weakness, he must have a good understanding of it, which was why it was important for him to try this array out!


    After he tried this array, Rocky found that although this Magic Lotus Array was similar to the Eight Heaven Locks Array, it was not as mysterious as the latter. The Magic Lotus Array was pretty awesome, but it lacked a variety of changes of its own formations, including flexibility. Therefore, finding its weakness would only take time, but it was not difficult.


    And here came another sleepless night for Rocky.


    During tonight''s battle, the Timber Deity Empire''s garrison suffered heavy casualties that there were only over four thousand troops now. However, Crimson Dragon Army''s losses were probably only half that of the Timber Deity Empire''s garrison.


    This was extremely bad news for the Timber Deity Empire''s garrison!


    At the same time as the Crimson Dragon Army withdrew, Woods disbanded the Magic Lotus Array and repositioned the perimeter of the camp of the Timber Deity Empire''s garrison overnight.


    "Fortunately, I have learned the Magic Lotus Array from Alyssa before I came here, otherwise the Crimson Dragon Army would have already won by now! This Magic Lotus Array is the only thing that could decide whether we could keep the Hippo Land or not! Unless the Crimson Dragon Army manages to break through this array, no amount of soldiers could help them win," Woods said firmly at this very moment as he was looking at the moon from the camp of Timber Deity Empire''s garrison.


    "Sir, I think we still need to immediately send the message to the princess and ask her to send reinforcements to help us," a middle-aged man said, standing behind Woods. He was one of those three masters at the Heavenly Stage who were being sent to protect Woods'' safety.


    "Alyssa is now leading the army and ready to attack another Crimson Dragon Army''s strategic fort that is at least three days away from the Hippo Lan


    t Rocky excelled in so many arrays, most of which they had never seen before.


    Sabina, in particular, was really impressed by Rocky because she thought that Rocky even knew more arrays than her master, Marcia, who was one of the Three Great Generals of the Holy Dragon Empire.


    Following the same patterns, Rocky spent three days to finally find a way to control the Magic Lotus Array, the Four Beasts Array.


    Therefore, on the third day, Rocky and Sabina, together with the three Commanders of the Crimson Dragon Army, once again led the troops to the outside of the camp of the Timber Deity Empire''s garrison at dusk. They were ready to fight again with the Timber Deity Empire''s garrison!


    "Are they finally here?" Woods, who was in the tent of Commander became so serious once he knew that Crimson Dragon Army had appeared outside their camp. "Assemble the whole army and put them in battle positions outside the camp," he gave a decisive order directly.


    Before long, all the troops of the Timber Deity Empire''s garrison were gathered outside the camp.


    In the end, the two armies were deadlocked and a great war was approaching!


    Riding on Rubygon, Rocky made his way to the front of the Crimson Dragon Army. On the other side, Woods stepped out of the Timber Deity Empire''s garrison as well.


    They looked at each other. It was easy to see that they both carried an air which let people admire and respect them.


    "I have been waiting for you for a long time." Woods looked straight at Rocky who was on Rubygon''s back.

 Chapter 445 The Appearance Of The Three Masters

    "It seems you really want to be defeated by me," with a subtle smile Rocky said.


    "I wonder if you have the ability or not. But I believe you must be thoroughly prepared, otherwise, you wouldn''t have come here," Woods said with certainty. He knew that Rocky was well prepared.


    "Well, I have a better proposal. Why not you order your army to go back and give the Hippo Land to us. So that we can still be friends," Rocky said suddenly.


    "Sounds alluring! It is impossible. To be friends with you is my intention. I will not surrender the Hippo Land until and unless you break the Magic Lotus Array. By then, I will make a retreat to avert more deaths." Woods promised.


    "Are you serious? Then I am only left with the choice of breaking the Magic Lotus Array," Rocky sneered in contempt.


    Woods returned to the army of the Timber Deity Empire with a meaningful smile.


    The army of the Timber Deity Empire swarmed on the ground, instantly forming the Magic Lotus Array that gradually blossomed danger.


    "Commander Ji, according to our plan, you will lead the Iron Dino Legion into the array with my Black Dragon Legion. Commander Marin and Dunn will lead the Thunder Bird Legion and Whiter Tiger Legion respectively to launch an attack once the Magic Lotus Array is closed. And rip a hole in an hour. This is the key to breaking the array," Rocky commanded.


    Before their arrival, Rocky had already divided the eight thousand forces of the Crimson Dragon Army into the Black Dragon Legion, the Iron Dino Legion, the Thunder Bird Legion and the Whiter Tiger Legion, each consisting of about two thousand soldiers and several spirit-manipulators.


    Rocky and Sabina led the Black Dragon Legion and Iron Dino Legion respectively, one for attacking and the other for defending. Whether they were successful in destroying the Magic Lotus Array solely depended on their teamwork. A minor mistake could sabotage their whole plan.


    Sabina, Marin and Dunn were ready to execute the plan as Rocky gave the green signal.


    "Let''s begin!" Rocky''s eyes gleamed with determination as he signaled Sabina.


    Sabina''s Iron Dino Legion took the lead and formed a peltate array. While Rocky''s Black Dragon Legion followed eventually and cha


    mmanded.


    "Then who is there to protect you?" the man enquired with a worried expression.


    "Don''t worry, I will be fine. Go now!" Woods ordered. What was more important was to ensure the normal functioning of the inner attack. He knew clearly that once the inner layer stopped attacking, the Magic Lotus Array wouldn''t be able to deal with the Crimson Dragon Army whose soldier strength was double that of theirs.


    The three men exchanged glances and left to obey the orders.


    Rocky led the Black Dragon Legion into the inner layer and started disrupting the attack function of the inner layer.


    As Rocky was about to destroy the attack function of the inner layer, three masters of the Heavenly Stage appeared out of the blue, their bodies glistening with copious spiritual light, followed by hundreds of soldiers.


    A spirit manipulator of the Heavenly Stage was equivalent to a commander. Though they didn''t lead an army, their existence could stabilize the spirit of the army.


    So the soldiers who had panicked a little when Rocky entered the inner layer calmed down on seeing the three masters of the Heavenly Stage and bravely confronted the Black Dragon Legion.


    The three masters of the Heavenly Stage hesitated to launch an attack, but stared at Rocky.


    "Leave him to me, while you two dispose of the others," the middle-aged man whispered to his fellows, pointing at Rocky with a serious expression.


    Both of the other two nodded and rushed to the other sides.

 Chapter 446 Rocky VS Liam

    At that moment, several spirit manipulators from the Black Dragon Legion, with their spirit-manipulated beasts, dashed forward to intercept their enemies. Although their enemies were warriors at the Heavenly Stage and too powerful for them, they knew they could never withdraw nor desert. As soldiers, they swore to fight for their empire until their dying breath.


    Inspired by the several spirit manipulators, the remaining army of the Black Dragon Legion, led by Rocky, soon fought fiercely with the defending army of the Timber Deity Empire at the inner layer of the array. The sound of shouting, killing and fighting was all that could be heard from a distance. As the battle grew more intense, such sound became more despairing and deafening.


    Only two men didn''t join the battle, Rocky and the middle-aged man.


    "My name is Liam Lie, Mr. Bai. I would like to offer you a piece of advice: If you want your troops to live, you''d better surrender now. My master appreciates your talent, so I wouldn''t want to hurt you if possible!" the middle-aged man said in an arrogant tone with his hands crossed. Rocky knew that there was a hidden meaning in his words¡ªhe didn''t want to be accused of tormenting those weaker than him.


    He did have the capabilities to boast and to be arrogant as even Rocky couldn''t gauge how strong he was¡ªhis strength was at least above the third grade of the Heavenly Stage.


    He knew that this would be a difficult fight because he was only at the preliminary level of the Heavenly Stage. His only advantage was the spiritual power inside his body, as it could match with those of the common spirit manipulators at the second grade of the Heavenly Stage. However, facing Liam whose strength was above the third grade of the Heavenly Stage, he realized that he didn''t have any advantage at all.


    Despite that, he was not intimidated at all, because his real opponents were far more powerful and stronger than Liam. If he would be afraid right now, he wouldn''t be able to gain the courage he needed to face his real opponents.


    Hence, Rocky decided to take out his Frozen Wind Dagger. As he wielded it, it turned into a black-red Flaming Blade. He thought that the gap between their strengths could be reduced with this weapon.


    Rocky continued staring sharply at Liam as he gripped his weapon. His eyes were full of determination and fierce fighting spirit.


    Uriah and Rubygon felt the figh


    ment from his enemy was not good news. He felt that he shouldn''t underestimate the power of his enemy''s attacks! He knew that his strength was far more powerful than that of the second grade of the Heavenly Stage.


    "Rushing Thunder!" Liam launched another punch as his eyes became sharper. Instantly, a wave of spiritual power with the Thunder nature dashed towards Rocky. It was much faster this time, like a lightning bolt that abruptly flashed.


    Before Rocky had enough time to react, the spiritual power got close to him like a fierce beast who was ready to gnaw at him.


    Without showing any sign of fear or panic, he immediately put the Flaming Blade of Frozen Wind Dagger in front of him and summoned the extreme Evil Flame power in it.


    A loud sound of explosion was heard all throughout the battlefield again.


    The two kinds of power crashed into each other again. In an instant, the thunder power shone brightly, while the Evil Flame was dispersed.


    Rocky felt his arms trembled and numbed. He also lost his stability and was forced to take a few steps backwards. The pain of his whole body told him that Liam already used the power at the third grade of the Heavenly Stage.


    Before Rocky had enough time to take a breath, Liam rushed up to him like a fast-moving shadow, while his whole body exuded a very strong aura at the fourth grade of the Heavenly Stage. Immediately, a sharp killing intent shrouded Rocky again.


    He was surprised by the power Liam had just released. He didn''t expect that his strength had reached the fourth grade. The gap between their strengths was quite obvious now!

 Chapter 447 Super Spirit Possession

    "Thunder Dragon Strike!" Without warning, Liam leaped high into the air before rushing downwards with widespread arms made stronger by the spiritual power. The sky was lit up by two dragon-shaped lightning bolts which were then followed by the violent crackle and boom of a thunderstorm.


    Liam wanted to end the war with this strike.


    "Burn Heaven and Earth..." With the power imbued by the Heavenly Stage, Liam''s fierce spiritual martial arts now blocked Rocky in every single direction. The oncoming strike would be impossible to escape. Then Rocky calmed down and lifted his arms. Calling Evil Flame, Rocky attacked Liam with full strength.


    Although he was hit by Rocky''s flames, Liam''s thunderbolts remained intact and even managed to pierce through the Evil Flame instantly.


    With no other place to retreat to, Rocky gathered his spiritual power to wield his Frozen Wind Dagger to fend off Liam''s attack.


    Bang!


    The dragon-shaped lightning bolt met the Frozen Wind Dagger with a deafening crash, illuminating the whole area with a blinding light.


    The impact resulted in a huge shock wave that caused the ground under Rocky''s feet to collapse.


    "Ptooey!" Rocky spat out a mouthful of blood as he felt his hands shake from the attack. Even with the power of the Holy Dragon Bead, he wasn''t able to fill the strength gap between him and Liam.


    It was a miracle he could still manage to stand on his own two feet. An ordinary, first-grade spirit manipulator of the Heavenly Stage would''ve easily succumbed to the attacks of a fourth-grade spirit manipulator of the Heavenly Stage.


    Rocky wouldn''t back down. Clenching his teeth, he started his counterattack by waving his Frozen Wind Dagger. A single but powerful Evil Flame burst out and transformed into a Moon Blade that forcefully pushed Liam back.


    ''How could a spirit manipulator of Rocky''s level be able to p


    shed the Spirit Possession and was now covered in red scales and fire. The Frozen Wind Dagger he wielded grew longer, thicker, and more powerful.


    With the success of the Spirit Possession, Rocky reached the third grade of the Heavenly Stage. New and more powerful spiritual powers were cast on him.


    Showing no fear, Rocky faced Liam with the Frozen Wind Dagger and Evil Flames. He used them to block all of the attacks that Liam was sending to him.


    Liam used his immense skills to take on Rocky''s advances. Suddenly, a lightning bolt pierced through the Evil Flame.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Soon, the entire area was engulfed in a series of deafening noises, dazzling lights, and powerful winds.


    Nearby, the soldiers stood in astonishment as they witnessed the epic battle between Rocky and Liam.


    The soldiers'' attacks began to wane, their focus was now completely on the ongoing combat between their respective masters. It was an event nobody wanted to miss.


    They were both on the ground now, intertwined. Each powerful blow made by either of them caused damage so great that everything within a 100-meter radius of them was killed and turned into ashes.


    Each strike, each blow caused all those witnessing the battle to tremble in fear.

 Chapter 448 Evil Power

    The two of them fought relentlessly with one another for over half an hour when finally they both stopped in a spot to catch their breath.


    Even though Liam was three levels higher than Rocky, now he was only a level ahead of Rocky once Rocky entered the state of Spirit Possession. Indeed it was the Frozen Wind Dagger in Rocky''s hands which accentuated his spiritual power exponentially. With that the fight between them was almost balanced out to that between equals.


    However, Rocky could only maintain the state of Spirit Possession for half an hour or so at the most. And it was at this point, Rocky sensed that the state of Spirit Possession was about to fade into oblivion. Once this state was lifted, he would lose all his power which was fueled by the Spirit Possession. But his opponent, on the other hand, was more than capable of continuing the fight with the same intensity.


    It was clear now, Rocky had to defeat Liam before the state of Spirit Possession was lifted from him.


    Just then, Rocky once again lit the flame light and let it engulf his entire body while lunging at Liam rapidly with the Flaming Blade of Frozen Wind Dagger brandishing.


    On seeing Rocky thrust himself forward, Liam braced himself not be careless and make any mistake. He gathered his spiritual power and was now prepared to fight back. As Rocky closed in, he raised his spiritual power and roared, "Taste the thunder and lightning!" The image of a gigantic knife formed by a bolt of lightning reflected in the sky above, in an almost frightening manner, with his gesture, moving forward right towards Rocky.


    Rocky, too as a reflex movement, wielded the Flaming Blade of Frozen Wind Dagger, weaving an airtight curtain of Dagger Dome in front of him blocking him from harm''s way. Both the mighty spiritual powers collided with each other once again. And all of a sudden, the entire sky was filled with bright explosions which sparked like dazzling fireworks.


    The sound of blast echoed.


    In the end, Liam''s attack seemed to be more overpoweringly stronger than Rocky''s defense. Because of Liam''s move, a bright light lit all around, and smoke arose within tens of meters making everything seem foggy. And owing to this Rocky''s figure was completely blurred.


    "Did I hit him?" Liam''s face shone bright with optimism when he saw that his attack of spiritual martial arts had defeated Rocky successfully.


    And just as Liam was easing up, a palm-sized flame shadow shot from between the smoke suddenly yet rapidly. It was wrapped around the lines of flame, swiftly and constantly rotating up. The momentum it gained was extraordinary.


    This shadow was yet another Spiritual Weapon of Rocky''s, Dragon Flame Pearl!


    In an instant, t


    He couldn''t just die here after all that had happened. He could not give into the painful circumstance this way!


    He needed more power to make it through.


    Suddenly, Rocky felt something evil inside his body that wanted to tear out and come alive. His eyes turned bloodshot red with rage.


    "Just reveal yourself and get free from me!"


    All of a sudden, a voice commanded inside Rocky''s head. The voice shook him like a bolt of lightning. An evil yet powerful spiritual power sprang out of his body, forming countless black beams. In the blink of an eye, the black beams swallowed up the thunder ball which had enveloped him and was drowning him in pain. Just as it freed him from the thunder, the black beams wrapped him entirely.


    Meanwhile, in Iron Dino Legion, Sabina was leading the troops to resist various offensive strategies. Right now Iron Dino Legion was separated from the Black Dragon Legion. Suddenly, she felt a strong burning sensation in her chest. She stood frozen in a spot for a while, before she reached out to take out the Dragon Twined Wood, which was a close-fitting collection of her.


    "Has Rocky been in an accident? Will he be fine?" Sabina recalled her master Marcia''s warning from the moment before she left. Marcia asked her that she must remain on Rocky''s side when Dragon Twined Wood was in abnormal condition.


    So, when Dragon Twined Wood was in an abnormal condition now, Sabina assumed it was possible that something had happened to Rocky now.


    With these thoughts, Sabina''s cold eyes grew warm with concern. She did not have time to care about what was happening now. She immediately gathered spirit and then opened a portal in the Magic Spiritual Space. After that, she summoned Duchess Silver, jumped on its back and began flying towards the inner lotus array direction.

 Chapter 449 A Dreadful Scene

    Liam was sure that Rocky would die. However, he saw the thunder ball suddenly disappeared and was replaced by beams of black light that engulfed Rocky. Astonishment drew on Liam''s face. He could not understand what was happening.


    Meanwhile, Rocky was filled with extremely evil spiritual power. The seal Marcia had set for him was on the verge of collapsing. The evil spiritual power grew ceaselessly, spilled over from the seal and occupied his whole body.


    Rocky slowly stood up, and black smoke emitted from his body from head to toe. His eyes turned into dark scarlet-colored. He looked like a devil. The Frozen Wind Dagger he held was wrapped by black air and became a black evil blade instead of a Flaming Blade.


    Both armies from the Crimson Dragon Army and the Timber Deity Empire felt frightened when they saw how Rocky looked like. They didn''t dare to look on his eyes because of fear.


    Liam was also dumbfounded by the abnormal change that happened to Rocky. However, what frightened him the most was Rocky''s aura because it became unpredictably strong.


    The other two senior spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage came back to Liam''s side. They looked at each other with a sense of astonishment when they saw Rocky covered with the black air.


    "We can''t let him live. Let''s fight him together," Liam said. He was sure that he had to kill Rocky regardless of what happened to Rocky and how much strength he gained. Otherwise, there might be endless troubles for them in the future.


    All of them rushed towards Rocky, who had fallen into evil. They relentlessly attacked him with a variety of martial arts and tried to beat him.


    Rocky fixed his evil eyes on them. In the blink of an eye, he turned into a gust of black gas and disappeared slowly in the air. All three spiritual manipulators at the Heavenly Stage failed to beat him with their power.


    They tried to locate where he was, and a black shadow that looked like a ghost appeared behind one of the three senior spirit manipulators. The evil blade in the shadow''s hand attacked the senior spirit manipulator rapidly.


    Both Liam and the other senior spirit manipulator quickly turned their heads when they heard him uttered a heartrending cry. One of his arms was cut off and fell on the ground, and a gush of blood came out.


    It was like the shadow was a different person, but they were certain that their opponent was none other than Rocky.


    Liam and the other senior manipulator looked scared. They


    ed what her master had told her. She had to seal Rocky with Dragon Twined Wood once an abnormal change happened to him.


    She didn''t hesitate to seal Rocky. She took out the Dragon Twined Wood and began uttering the seal incantation.


    Rocky looked at Sabina who was in his way, and it was like he didn''t recognize her. He wavered his weapon again and rushed where she was as the strong evil spiritual power was emitted from his body.


    Sabina couldn''t resist his attack because she had to finish uttering the seal incantation first. Otherwise, it would not work.


    Duchess Silver suddenly neighed loudly. In an instant, a cyclone appeared around it. The three silvery horns on its head created a blast of wind, rotating like propellers. Then the wind left on Duchess Silver''s body formed a wind wall in front of it and Sabina. When Rocky''s spiritual power collided against the wind wall, a huge draft of wind was created.


    But Rocky''s evil spiritual power was stronger. The wind wall broke, and he headed to Sabina''s location again.


    A few more seconds later, the Dragon Twined Wood in Sabina''s hands was stimulated by the incantation and it roared like a dragon, which sounded loud enough to wake the dead. The entire Dragon Twined Wood flew in the sky straightaway in the shape of a dazzling golden dragon. The dragon opened its mouth and inhaled all the evil spiritual power that approached Sabina. Meanwhile, it hovered in the air. Then the dragon straightened its back and hastened towards Rocky. Upon seeing this, Rocky brandished the blade in his hand to attack the dragon. However, the attacks were dispersed by the light coming from the dragon.

 Chapter 450 The Legend Of The Evil God

    The golden dragon growled fiercely as it coiled itself around Rocky without warning. Locked in its painful embrace, Rocky struggled desperately to break free. The more he resisted, the tighter the dragon''s grip became. As the light emanated by the dragon glowed, the black air surrounding him began to disperse. The evil presence was waning.


    Everyone present was shocked.


    When Sabina noticed the evil presence all around Rocky was being crushed by the golden dragon, she hopped off of Duchess Silver''s back and rushed towards Rocky in huge strides. Gathering all of her spiritual power in her palm, she smacked the golden dragon with all her might.


    Suddenly, the golden dragon glistened with light which then penetrated Rocky''s body. This caused the evil forces to retreat within the remaining eight layers of seal.


    As the evil power that consumed Rocky began to recede, he found himself on the verge of fainting. Quickly noticing this, Sabina lunged forward and broke his fall with an embrace.


    Sabina found herself irritated and her cheeks flush in embarrassment as Rocky leaned against her. She knew that pushing him away was impossible, so she had to curb her temper for the time being.


    All the men found themselves jealous of the lucky Rocky.


    "What do we do now, sir?" Liam turned his gaze to Woods.


    Woods remained silent as he fixed his eyes on Rocky and Sabina.


    A soldier arrived and announced, "The outer layer of the Magic Lotus Array has been breached! A huge army of Crimson Dragon Army soldiers is charging through at this moment!"


    After a minute of careful thinking, Woods commanded, "Give them my order to retreat the entire army east out of Hippo Land." Rocky had broken the Magic Lotus Array. If they fought, the death toll would surely rise.


    uttered, "You should rest. I''ll get you something to eat." Then she left.


    As soon as she disappeared, Rocky''s eyes were glazed over with darkness. Of course, he remembered what had happened. Especially when the evil power got the best of him¡ªand that wasn''t the first time. ''What did Sabina do that removed the evil from within me?'' To answer that, he had to ask her when they were reunited.


    As soon as he thought of that, Rocky left the camp with great haste. He was nowhere to be found when Marin returned with a bowl of gruel.


    "Where did he go? This gruel took a while to simmer." She muttered to herself disappointingly. Her eyebrows were knitted together in frustration.


    Meanwhile, people hurried in and out of the camping ground to clear the ground and repair the defenses. When Rocky appeared, they all stopped and paid him their respects with looks of gratitude etched on their faces.


    The heroic story of Rocky facing the entire Timber Deity Empire army circulated within the army and impressed everyone.


    And from then on, all those who had witnessed Rocky that day as he was possessed by the evil spirit and wielded his fearsome sword nicknamed him the Evil God.

 Chapter 451 Too Bad To Be Saved

    Rocky felt indifferent as the strange glances came from the people around him. While he withdrew his eyes, he found where Sabina was.


    Sabina was standing next to Uriah and Rubygon, and there was gauze wrapped on Rubygon''s body. He thought that someone took good care of his spirit-manipulated beast.


    Rocky walked straight towards them. Both Uriah and Rubygon cheered up when they noticed that their master came closer, the excitement was evident on their faces.


    Sabina turned around to where Rubygon and Uriah were looking, and she found out that it was Rocky. Her eyes stared at him coldly. "So, looks like you''re all right, aren''t you?" she asked in a cold tone.


    "Yes. I guess I''m okay and feeling fine because of your kind bless!" Rocky replied in a funny tone, regardless of how cold Sabina responded to him. "By the way, what happened yesterday on the battlefield?" he added.


    "You don''t remember anything?" Sabina queried with a confused look on her face. She quite not understood why he asked such a question right now.


    "Not so much, I could only recall a few," Rocky said. He could only remember a fragmented part of the whole event yesterday. But he barely knew nothing about that part where Sabina saved his life at the end.


    "Oh, that," Sabina responded in a flat tone. Her cold face showed that she cared nothing about whether Rocky was alive or not.


    "I guess I was out of control again, wasn''t I?" He stated as his eyes became sharp. Deep in his heart, he already had an answer to his question. This was not the first time that he encountered something like this. Due to that, he familiarized the feelings during the first time, it was like being engulfed in a flash by endless darkness.


    "Again? What did you mean? Have you ever been like this before?" Sabina asked. She was puzzled and surprised by his statement.


    "I had another time when I encountered the same situation just like what happened yesterday." Rocky nodded his acknowledgment in a calm tone. He recalled the day when Marcia forcibly sealed the power of the Holy Dragon Bead inside his body. After that, he became an ordinary spirit manipulator from a royal spirit manipulator, with a much lower level of power. He kept a grudge on Marcia ever since she took away Rocky''s identity as a royal spirit manipulator by sealing his inner power. However, after experiencing the mutation of his body once again, he understood now why she had to put the nine-layer seal upon him. Because if she hadn''t done so, he would be devoured by the evil forces inside him quickly once he lost control of his body.


    Sabina understood right away why her master Marcia asked her to come with the Dragon Twined Wood and protect Rocky back then because Marcia predicted that the evil power inside Rocky''s body would blast off again.


    However, Sabina could not


    d news was on its way. Just as the old saying said, when things went too far, they would go the other way.


    Before Lance and other commanders could discuss the further plan for the battle, the bad news arrived carried by the Carrier Beast.


    "What are you saying?! We just lost the field of the Nine Grottoes? How was that possible?! The main forces of the Timber Deity Empire shouldn''t have arrived at that place!" Lance spoke out of great shock. He found the bad news hard to digest.


    What Lance heard before was, the main forces of the Timber Deity Empire would move to the south after they held the field of the Dead Silence Mount, and they would head for another strategic site of the Crimson Dragon Army, the Nine Snakes Gorge. He had made adequate preparations at the Nine Snakes Gorge before the main forces of the Timber Deity Empire arrived to make sure that they had no way to escape the clutches. He planned to lead the army in person as soon as the main forces of the Timber Deity Empire arrived at Nine Snakes Gorge because he thought that it would encourage the soldiers.


    Lance didn''t expect the main forces of the Timber Deity Empire would change their plan and fought for the Nine Grottoes instead. He had no idea that the Timber Deity Empire would pretend to take another path while sneaking down the other.


    Worse, the Nine Grottoes was the last defense for the frontline of the Crimson Dragon Army. It would be possible for the Timber Deity Empire to attack the frontline if they got ahold of the field. Also, most of the forces of the Crimson Dragon Army were separated in different strategic sites, with only several thousands of soldiers left in the frontline at this moment. In other words, if the main forces of their opponent concentrated all their power and attacked the frontline, none on the frontline of the Crimson Dragon Army would be able to survive.

 Chapter 452 A Bit Loose

    "Father, we''d better gather our forces and proceed to the front line to support the main camp. Now that the Hippo Land has been recaptured, we should be able to get other strategic strongholds back on the ground in short time¡­" Isis frowned and remarked.


    "I''m afraid it''s too late. The Nine Grottoes is only two days away from the main camp at the front. In addition to the Nine Grottoes, the nearest one to us is only the Hippo Land..." Lance was unaware of the fact that the main forces of the Timber Deity Empire would attack and occupy the Nine Grottoes, which was an important strategic place. In this scenario, the Timber Deity Empire had directly threatened the safety of the main camp in the front line.


    "Commander in Chief, it just takes less than two days from the Hippo Land to the Nine Grottoes. If Rocky can lead his troops to attack the Nice Grottoes first, he may be able to hold back the main force of the Timber Deity Empire. That would give us time to get and gather our forces back..." At this instance, an Elite Commander gave wily advice.


    "However Rocky had just been engaged in a battle with the Timber Deity Empire in the Hippo Land and I am afraid he is only left with a few thousand troops after that battle. If we ask him to attack the Nine Grottoes and confront the main forces of the Timber Deity Empire, I am afraid that he would face an extremely dangerous and deadly situation." Lance knew that it might be a solution, but at the same time, he was concerned. Since Rocky''s army had just fought a battle and lost many soldiers, asking him to attack the Nine Grottoes without enough supporting forces would be a suicidal mission.


    "Commander in Chief, this is an emergency. The most important thing at the moment is to buy us more time and to assure the safety of the main camp."


    "Yes, or else the main camp will be attacked making us lose our edge and convert us into a passive force in this fight. Meanwhile, if the army of the Timber Deity Empire capture three more passes, it would pose a severe threat to us."


    "Isn''t Rocky strong and smart? He will surely be able to wa


    ce Rocky was able to foil her plans each time. If we don''t utilize the service of Rocky, I am afraid we will surely lose the battle with the Timber Deity Empire!" Lance knew clearly that the situation was not ideal for the Crimson Dragon Army right now. And if it had not been for Rocky, the Crimson Dragon Group might have already lost three passes and been invaded, letting Timber Deity Empire enter the territory of the Holy Dragon Empire.


    It could be precisely stated that Rocky was the masterstroke in the battle between the Timber Deity Empire and the Holy Dragon Empire. His existence was likely to determine the final victory.


    That was the prime reason why Lance befriended Rocky and made him his Crimson Dragon General!


    "I am worried if Rocky finds out that we are using him." Isis knew Rocky''s importance, but she felt a turmoil. As she knew Rocky was the kind of guy who hated being taken advantage of and if he found out her father''s intentions he would not let it go easily.


    "Don''t worry. I will do it appropriately. Right now, I want you to go to the Hippo Land and meet Rocky and inform him of the current situation. If you two fight together, I think you''ll be able to hold off the main force of the Timber Deity Empire. As long as you two can engage them for two days, I''ll bring back the forces of Nine Snakes Gorge..." Lance became serious, and his eyes flashed something shrewd.

 Chapter 453 A Cunning Smile

    With her eyes shifting to her father, Isis nodded in agreement and said, "Okay, I get it." Summoning her Silver Wind, she walked as graceful as she could out of the Commander in Chief''s camp and flew towards the Hippo Land.


    Meanwhile, the Timber Deity Empire retreated from the war just two days ago. Taking advantage of it, the Crimson Dragon Army, under Rocky''s command, took the camp site of the Hippo Land.


    It was customary that after every major battle, especially a victorious one, that the soldiers would take a rest. In this way, they could recuperate better and prepare themselves for the next war that they would face. And right at that time, the military camp was bustling with happy and energetic soldiers celebrating their victory.


    But in every busy occasion, there would always be some people who would try and sneak away from the over-crowded scene to get some private moments of his own. Leading the Crimson Dragon Army to recapture the Hippo Land, Rocky was no doubt the key to the victory of this battle. He was the man of the hour.


    Sitting cross-legged on a big stone, he closely observed the circulation of the spiritual power inside his body. But all of a sudden, he was taken aback by what he found inside his body since it was new to him and he had not noticed that before. Having a conversation with Sabina not too long ago, he would like to check the situation of the evil spiritual power inside his body. And that was why he wanted, to get some private time and sneaking some place far from the crowd. And from his observation, he found that the evil spiritual power was stronger than ever, blooming like the flame that was being fanned out.


    Confused, Rocky wanted to know the reason behind the whole thing. He wanted to figure out the reason for the sudden boost of his evil spiritual power. There was an instance where he thought that it could have something to do with the accident that happened just yesterday. It could have been the large sum of evil power that occupied his body, the same evil power that overflew from Marcia''s seal that she put on him to get it under control. Even though Sabina suppressed it, it only became stronger as the residual evil spiritual power which escaped the repression combined with the evil spiritual power that was left in his body from the previous time. And all that made sense to him.


    The evil spiritual power in his body which was from last time had already surpassed a royal spirit manipulator of the first grade of the Heavenly Stage. But sadly, it had not yet reached the second grade of the Heavenly Stage. Yet, it was kind of odd that he was still not able to break through even though the evil spiritual power in his body shot up once again. Stuck at the first grade of the Heavenly Stage, Rocky was rendered confused.


    During his previous stages of cultivation, he was automatically elevated whenever the required amount of spiritual power was accumulated in his body, which was the case in both the


    to offend her? But, even though Commander Marin is never outdone by any men in the battlefield, she is after all, is still a girl. Don''t all girls want to be spoiled? Well, all people do, but, don''t you think so?" Dunn suggested as if he was good at communicating with girls.


    "I think it is better if I stay away from her," Rocky said as he did not want to be brushed off again.


    "Ah, right! I heard from the old military cook that Commander Marin cooked a bowl of gruel this morning. Who do you think she cooked it for? The old cook has been under Commander Marin''s command for at least two years. He said it was the very first time for him to see Commander Marin cook in person. Do you think Commander Marin was being a bit weird?" Dunn told the story meaningfully to Rocky as he suddenly recalled the anecdote.


    "Gruel?" Rocky immediately called to mind what happened this morning as he heard Dunn''s account of the anecdote. He remembered that Marin seemed to say that she would bring the gruel for him this morning. But he was thinking other things at that time and left directly without paying attention to what she said. In that case, was that gruel specially cooked for him?


    Suddenly, it all made sense! Rocky could finally figure out the reason why Commander Marin was so angry at him. The culprit was the bowl of gruel!


    But he knew that it was better for the doer to undo what he had done. Her anger was caused by his negligence of her considerate care. On top of that, Marin took care of him for the entire night, and it would be too rude to turn his back to her without even saying thank you to her.


    "I never thought of it that way. Thank you, dude!" Rocky reached out to Dunn as he tapped him on the shoulder. He would probably still remain in confusion if he were not reminded by Dunn. Rocky rushed after Marin''s direction after he expressed his gratefulness to Dunn.


    An insidious smile then etched on his lip as Dunn watched Rocky''s back recede with his shadow.

 Chapter 454 Stupefied

    "Commander Marin!" Rocky called out trying to catch up with Marin.


    Instead of slowing down, she sped up as if she didn''t hear him.


    Seeing this, Rocky shot forward to block Marin. This caught her off guard and forced her to bump directly into him.


    Shocked at their closeness, Marin immediately blushed. She quickly stepped back and took a few, quick breaths. "You''re in my way," she warned with a glare. "Step aside!"


    "Before you leave, please let me finish what I have to say." Rocky begged her.


    "I don''t want to hear it," Marin replied through clenched teeth.


    "I know you''re mad that I left and didn''t eat the gruel you prepared for me. Please let me explain," Rocky replied with a smile.


    Surprised, she wondered how Rocky knew the gruel was for him. ''Did one of the army cooks inform him?'' she thought.


    "What gruel? I don''t know what you''re talking about," Marin said in a low voice, looking uneasy.


    "I wasn''t aware you took the time to cook for me. If I had known, I would''ve stayed to eat. I''m sorry. Thank you again for taking care of me last night," He replied with utmost sincerity.


    Hearing this, Marin bit her lower lip and clenched her fists. Her heart began to pound furiously against her chest. As she raised her head to look at Rocky, her mind suddenly went blank and her tongue failed to find the words.


    "Consider this my apology." Rocky retrieved from his silk bag a bottle containing ten drops of magical saliva and handed it to her.


    "What''s this?" Marin asked him as she observed the bottle in his hand.


    "Something useful. When you need to cultivate, have one or two drops. You''ll be


    of the beast.


    "Deputy Commander in Chief." In awe, everyone greeted the commander in unison.


    Isis had just arrived from the frontline.


    With a look of seriousness, she stepped into the commander''s camp and spotted Rocky studying the map. Rocky looked up with surprise and asked, "What are you doing here?"


    "Is that really the right way to welcome a commander? I think all those praises you received from successfully taking back the Hippo Land have turned you arrogant," Isis snorted as a reply.


    Shaking his head, Rocky couldn''t help but smile at Isis'' sarcasm. He then asked seriously, "What happened?" He knew that whenever Isis showed up, bad news was bound to follow.


    "The Nine Grottoes was conquered by the Timber Deity Empire''s main force," Isis explained.


    "What does this mean for us?" Rocky questioned as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.


    "It means that the Timber Deity Empire''s forces will most likely attack our main camp. We''re outnumbered, Rocky. Our soldiers can''t handle it," Isis explained, emphasizing the dire situation they were all in.

 Chapter 455 The Best Choice

    "So, the Commander in Chief wants me to intercept the main army of the Timber Deity Empire at the Nine Grottoes, and this would buy some time for the main base to assemble the army." Rocky perceived Lance''s intention immediately.


    Isis nodded casually in agreement. Though it didn''t show up on her face, she was quite surprised to see Rocky''s ability to decipher her father''s mind in a flash.


    Just then, Marin, Sabina and Dunn arrived at the scene and Isis filled them in on what was happening at the frontline.


    "So what are we waiting for now? I shall have the army assembled immediately." Marin turned and left the tent.


    Dunn followed behind her.


    Now, there were only Rocky, Isis and Sabina left at the tent. All of a sudden, a weird silence fell between them. They looked at each other, lost in their own thoughts.


    Eventually Rocky broke the silence and asked Isis, "How long will it take to get to the Nine Grottoes if we set off now?"


    "At least a day and a half. I''m afraid that the main army of the Timber Deity Empire might already be on their way to the frontline," Isis said in a worried tone.


    "That''s very unlikely. We have already burnt down their six supply ships in this battle and my guess is that those supplies on the ships were prepared for their main army. Without those supplies they could hardly make any move in a short time." Rocky shook his head.


    "So, it''s part of your plan and you have already seen this coming?" Sabina was quite surprised. She had been wondering why Rocky had taken all the trouble to burn down the six ships, and now, she had her answer.


    "By gaining control of the Hippo Land, they want to make sure that as their main army advance into the heartland, they would receive their food and supplies as soon as possible. It doesn''t take a genius to know that the six supply ships are for their main army." Rocky had thought about it in advance. In order to stop the advancement of the Timber Deity Empire, it was most important to cut off their supplies. This was the reason why he chose the Hippo Land as his p


    ried resignedly.


    "We need you now." Though Isis was unwilling to admit, the truth was that Rocky had brought a sense of reassurance to the Crimson Dragon Army. They believed that as long as they had Rocky with them they were invincible.


    "I will certainly rethink about it. But now if you will excuse me¡­" Rocky replied as he exited the Commander''s tent.


    "Isis, do you really think he will come back?" Sabina squinted at Rocky''s retreating back and turned to ask Isis.


    That was when Isis realized what had just happened. She dashed out of the tent but Rocky was nowhere to be seen.


    "Damn you, Rocky! Don''t let me see you again!" Isis shouted exasperatedly. She had never expected Rocky to leave this way.


    Hearing her shout, all the soldiers in the camp were startled, as they had never seen Isis so angry.


    Rocky, who had run away from Isis'' grasp, was riding on Rubygon and threading his way through the marsh area, knowing that if he had chosen the main road, it would be easy for Isis to intercept him on her Silver Wind. Just like that, he quickly left the Hippo Land quietly and quickly.


    "The Myriad Beasts Ground at the Gehenna Border is the best place for me to break through into the next level. It is dangerous, but now, it is my best option." Rocky muttered to himself as he patted at Rubygon''s back. Then they raced towards the Myriad Beasts Ground.

 Chapter 456 Extreme Serendipity

    The sun had long set by the time Rocky arrived at the forests surrounding the Myriad Beasts Group. Even after the entire day of trek, he still hadn''t reached his destination. He was aiming to reach the second grade of the Heavenly Stage at the Myriad Beasts Ground. As he looked at the dim sky, he realized he still had a long way to go.


    Rocky recalled the last time he was at the Myriad Beasts Ground. A few minutes in it, he found himself nearly meeting his death. He was well aware that the place was lurking with dangers.


    But situation had changed now and the place was not as dangerous as it was before to him. He had strengthened himself a lot, especially his inner evil spiritual power. And he could reach the third grade of the Heavenly Stage if he got the chance. Besides those, there was one person who played a very important part in it, Sabina. If it were not Sabina, Rocky would never think about going into this place for further cultivation.


    "Isis must hate me now," Rocky thought. "But," he continued out loud, "self-preservation is the number one rule of nature. There is nothing more important than protecting myself." As he walked into the forest with his four beasts, Rocky continued to talk to himself.


    With no sun to cast shadows to guide him, Rocky was lost in time. He wasn''t sure when he would reach the second grade of the Heavenly Stage. But it was alright, Rocky thought. This was what he prepared himself for, after all. He was determined that nothing would stop him from reaching his destination.


    In his recent battle against the spirit manipulators of the Heavenly Stage from the Timber Deity Empire, Rocky was introduced to his flaws. And it dawned on him that his biggest one was on the Spirit Possession. Spirit Possession was a great power to have. Through it, he could defeat powerful enemies. However, he needed to do it within a certain time frame or, otherwise, he would risk getting killed by the enemy. So he committed himself to only summoning the skill in times of absolute need.


    Unfortunately, when Rocky activated his Spirit Possession during his encounter with the powerful master Liam, he found that it was of not much use.


    Rocky was able to tap into his animalization power. Animalization from the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill was one of the four secret skills in the Wild Spirit Land. But during the time of his encounter, he only reached the first level and only activated


    most now was a chance, a chance where the Rainbow Glow Unicorn would voluntarily submit to him. But the chance was rare. Unlike ordinary war beasts, this spiritual beast species had its own thoughts and was able to distinguish good from bad.


    So far, the Rainbow Glow Unicorn trusted Rocky. It followed him around because it felt like Rocky was harmless and it longed for his magical saliva. Soon, their relationship grew into co-dependence. Rocky made sure that the Rainbow Glow Unicorn continued to trust him. But, despite Rocky''s efforts, Rocky could not make the Rainbow Glow Unicorn submit to him. He could not make it believe that he could be its master.


    And that trait in itself was what made it unique from other beasts. They had their own thoughts and beliefs, similar to humans, and they did not waiver easily.


    Taming the Rainbow Glow Unicorn remained challenging for Rocky. But Rocky was persistent on achieving so. After all, if he succeeded, he knew that he would be the first spirit manipulator to own two spiritual beasts.


    The Rainbow Glow Unicorn was an amazing treasure hunter. It was a master compared to all the other spiritual beasts. Though all spiritual beasts were gifted with treasure hunting abilities, none of them compared to the Rainbow Glow Unicorn.


    Rainbow Glow Unicorns had extra-sensory perception that detected not just what was in the physical world, but also those not obvious to the naked eye. It had the ability to see inside beasts. Last time, it even sensed the Water Essence Pill inside the body of a Three-tailed Aquatic Lizard. Rainbow Glow Unicorns were born treasure hunters.

 Chapter 457 Master of Treasure Hunting

    As Rocky entered the Myriad Beasts Ground, his purpose for being there started to become even clearer. He did not embark on this journey simply for his growth or for him to arrive at the second grade of the Heavenly Stage. He also wanted to collect rare treasures. He knew that, while rare treasures wouldn''t help him ascend evil spiritual power, it would help him increase Fire spiritual power. He experienced this a while back ¨C his Fire spiritual power was able to reach the fifth grade of the Earthly Stage after he was able to refine an intermediate and a superior Dark Heaven Egg. However, he still had a long way to go before his Fire spiritual power reached the Heavenly Stage. Therefore, he was committed to promoting the Fire spiritual power to the Heavenly Stage to strengthen the power of the Evil Flame.


    There were countless of rare treasures in the Wild Spirit Land, but all of them could be classified into four levels: primary level, medium level, premium level, and rare level. Among which, the Dark Heaven Egg could be classified within the primary level. Similarly, the Heaven Divine Lotus Seed and the Water Essence Pill ¨C both previously obtained by Rocky ¨C were also on the same level.


    Rocky wasn''t able to retrieve a lot of rare treasures. Only the spiritual power Ice Crystal which he acquired in the cave of the Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf could be considered a rare treasure of significant value. It was one of the best among the primary level treasures. Unfortunately, the spiritual power Ice Crystal was only one year or so years old at the time of Rocky''s retrieval from the cave. If it were any older, it would have been much more valuable.


    Apart from that, Rocky also had the superior Dark Heaven Egg which was born from the Dark Heaven Insect ¨C a creature with a body designed to create rare treasures. It was also considered as one of the best treasures in the primary level. On the other hand, the spirit-manipulated beasts like Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf and Three-tailed Aquatic Lizard just let rare treasures condense in their body. However, in fact, their inner spiritual power was not strong.


    At that moment, the Ice Crystal had the same spiritual power as the superior Dark Heaven Egg Rocky had re


    sidered to be at the third grade of the three-star level. If they were considered as a spirit manipulator, Rocky knew that they would have been as strong as one who was at the seventh grade of the Earthly Stage.


    Rocky shivered at the memory of his last encounter with Bloody-eyed Wolves - an encounter wherein he almost lost his life. When he was attempting to rescue the little Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf, he found himself almost in the mouth of the Bloody-eyed Wolves. Fortunately for him, a strange-looking yet powerful woman came to his rescue. The woman possessed the physical features of human beings, yet something about her obviously made her seem beyond human. ''If she wasn''t human, what was she?'' Rocky wondered curiously.


    So when Rocky found himself faced with four Bloody-eyed Wolves yet again, a familiar anger swelled inside him. He was fuelled with rage and so he quickly drew out the Frozen Wind Dagger and infused spiritual powers in it. In an instant, the Frozen Wind Dagger transformed into a Flaming Blade.


    Uriah and Rubygon stood fiercely beside Rocky, ready to fight. Rainbow Glow Unicorn grabbed the little Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf to the back of the show and awaited for their cue to attack.


    "Go!" Rocky signaled. Rocky slashed the Flaming Blade of Frozen Wind Dagger in his hand. For every move, a trail of smoke would follow the blade. Uriah and Rubygon lunged forward, each taking on one of the four Bloody-eyed Wolves. They attacked with their utmost power.

 Chapter 458 The Paradise

    Even if Uriah was only a spiritual beast at the third grade of the three-star level, the creature already possessed outstanding skill and aptitude. It was so strong and forceful that it rivaled a master at the primary grade of the Heavenly Stage. And so Uriah was confident that a Bloody-eyed Wolf at the third grade of the three-star level would be an easy feat.


    Rubygon was fuelled by a similar sense of confidence. It already reached the four-star level and it was now stronger than before. Rocky diligently used a spiritual crystal to hone its power thus it was easy for Rubygon to reach the third grade of the four-star level. Similar to Uriah, defeating the Bloody-eyed Wolf was as easy as a walk in the park for Rubygon.


    As for Rocky, it took a lot of focus and energy from him to survive the fight. He squinted his eyes as he wielded the Frozen Wind Dagger, officially targeting the last two standing Bloody-eyed Wolves.


    At the blink of an eye, a battle even fiercer than what just happened broke out.


    It might seem like Bloody-eyed Wolves were intimidating creatures, yet the truth was they did not possess any special ability. It was quite easy to defeat them in comparison to a creature such as the Trunk Giant which was at the third grade of the four-star level.


    What people did not realize about Bloody-eyed Wolves was that they were blood-thirsty. Once triggered, they entered a violent condition where they acted like mad dogs - and the only way to stop them from attacking was by beating them to death.


    Quickly, Rocky came up with a strategy to finally defeat the Bloody-eyed Wolves.


    Rocky summoned a trail of Evil Flame which transformed into a Moon Blade. He flung it towards the Bloody-eyed Wolves. As he kept one creature distracted, he yielded the blade thrice to the other Bloody-eyed Wolf.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Clouds of light and Evil Flames filled the air.


    But the Bloody-eyed Wolf was faster than Rocky''s three moves. It swiftly jumped to its side at the turn of Rocky''s arm then quickly threw itself into Rocky, with its mouth open, ready to attack.


    Rocky jumped up


    orn, Rocky found a narrow slit entry that could only fit the thin body of spirit-manipulated beasts such as the Rainbow Glow Unicorn.


    As they walked through the entry of the valley, Rocky started imagining what could be in the valley. The moment he stepped into it, he was surprised to see himself in paradise. Inside the valley, cherry trees flourished and petals danced with the wind. Butterflies happily circled the air, seemingly hopping around with the petals from the trees. Spirit-manipulated beasts, looking tame and meek, ran happily between trees.


    "This is a surprise!" Rocky said, completely allured by his surroundings. "Who would''ve thought that a paradise exists within the Myriad Beasts Ground?" Rocky was mesmerized by his surroundings. Quickly, he felt no sense of danger any more. All he felt was peace and tranquility.


    But Rocky''s sense tingled, quickly pulling him back to reality. He knew that horrible dangers lurked in peaceful places. And so Rocky tried to remain quiet, hoping not to disturb the wild spirit-manipulated beasts.


    The Rainbow Glow Unicorn made itself visible to the naked eye and caught Rocky''s attention. It growled at Rocky then ran off between the cherry trees.


    Rocky immediately followed its trail. Soon, he was led into a creek where a dilapidated house stood beside it.


    ''Someone lived here?'' Rocky thought. Curious, Rocky walked towards the house.

 Chapter 459 The Unexpected Discovery

    After a few moments, Rocky found himself in a deserted place where an old and abandoned house stood. He examined the exteriors of the house and found a broken window concealed by spider webs. He peaked through the gap of the broken window and found no one inside. Quietly, he reached for the dusty doorknob. As soon as he pushed the door open, a pile of dust was shaken off from the top of the door as a stink wafted into his nose. He pressed his hand to his nose, proceeded inside and left his footsteps on top of the thick dust that covered the floor. He was convinced that no one had lived there for quite some time.


    He started to investigate the inside of the house. Upon closer look, he realized that the furnishing of the house seemed strange. There were no tables and beds, while only shabby shelves lined each side of the wall. The shelves had bottles and jars on top of them that all looked too heavy for the old structure. And the stove that stood in the center of the house came in a strange style that made it look like a furnace for refining pills.


    After looking around the furnace for a while, he noticed a pile of spirit-manipulated beasts'' skeletons which were broken into small pieces at the deepest part of the house. Without touching it, he left it and proceeded to inspecting the jars on the shelves. He looked at the jars closely and noticed blurry labels on top of them. When he opened one of them, a strong stench of smell wafted the air. When he looked inside, he nearly dropped the jar at the sight of rotten and dried internal organs.


    "Here seems to be a laboratory," Rocky said to himself. "I guess it was used to study the subject related to the spirit-manipulated beasts." He rubbed his chin and allowed himself to go deeper into speculation.


    "The Myriad Beasts Ground is not a safe place. Someone even had the courage to set up a laboratory here. He must be no ordinary guy," he concluded.


    Seeing the house have no other special part or treasures, Rocky decided to leave. However, the moment he turned and was about to leave, the Rainbow Glow Unicorn appeared abruptly and ran towards the deeper part of the house. The unicorn kicked t


    for an hour.


    After all his beasts were taken care of, he sat by the bonfire and took out the notebook.


    He read the process again and found there was a lot of work to be done in the early stage of refining the spiritual crystal. He had to collect a large number of materials that came from different places and were extremely varied, including various internal organs of spirit-manipulated beasts, as well as flowers, herbs, and wood which were used to make a kind of special potion. Moreover, those materials needed to be processed by complicated processes.


    In the middle of the notebook, Rocky saw a hand-painted picture of a familiar object, which was also needed for refining the spiritual crystal.


    Rocky stared at the painting harder. "This must be the Beast Spiritual Pill," he muttered. He took out the round pill that he found in that spirit-manipulated beast at the third grade of the four-star level.


    The round pill he was holding was also known as the Beast Spiritual Pill. Every time a spirit-manipulated beast swallowed a spiritual crystal or rare treasure and absorbed its power, they had trouble in digesting it. Thus, residues would be left behind in their stomach. After years of accumulation, the residues would become a Beast Spiritual Pill.


    Rocky read the notebook further and realized that he was correct in his assumptions. The Beast Spiritual Pill was indeed one of the most important materials in the process.

 Chapter 460 Treasure Hunting By The Grandmaster

    The Beast Spiritual Pill forming in the body of the spirit-manipulated beast would be transformed into spiritual crystal after the spirit-manipulated beast''s death. The spiritual crystal had different levels based on star level of the spirit-manipulated beast along with the years that the Beast Spiritual Pill had been formed.


    However, not all the spirit-manipulated beasts could create a Beast Spiritual Pill in its body after digesting the spiritual crystal or any other treasures. Generally, the higher the star level of the spirit-manipulated beast, the easier for it to form a Beast Spiritual Pill in its body. For example, a four-star spirit-manipulated beast would have higher rate to form a Beast Spiritual Pill in its body than a three-star one would.


    Additionally, the longer a Beast Spiritual Pill had been formed, the better it got when transformed into a spiritual crystal. However, the spirit-manipulated beasts often had a long life. Some of them would have a life as long as the human beings and some of them would even have a longer one, with a life span of more than one hundred years. Under these circumstances, it was really hard to obtain a Beast Spiritual Pill of highest quality.


    For instance, the Beast Spiritual Pill in Rocky''s possession, according to its shape and size, should have been formed only several years ago. In that way, this one could be used to refine red spiritual crystal only.


    In fact, obtaining a Beast Spiritual Pill was never easy. Rocky had killed at least one hundred spirit-manipulated beasts so far, but this was the first time he saw the Beast Spiritual Pill in person. There was also an additional reason for this. Rocky had earlier killed wild spirit-manipulated beasts with lower star level and even the third-grade wild spirit-manipulated beasts of three-star level had the ability of just about one percentage to form a Beast Spiritual Pill in its body. Also, Rocky had killed only a few spirit-manipulated beasts of four-star level. All these factors resulted in Rocky not getting a chance for seeing the Beast Spiritual Pill before.


    "Hey you, the gobbling gluttons, come here." Rocky, after thinking for a while, called on to the Rainbow Glow Unicorn. Suddenly, there was a flash in his eyes momentarily as he got infused with some fresh ideas.


    As Rocky was speaking, the Rainbow Glow Unicorn looked on to him and then walked slowly towards him. At the same time, Rocky took out the Beast Spiritual Pill and stated, "Look at it. Take your time to smell and keep it in your mind. If you could sense it in any other spirit-manipulated beasts'' bodies in the future, then you have to remind me. Do you understand?"


    After his speech, Rainbow Glow Unicorn then lowered


    in the forest beyond the edge. These included skills like telling how long ago a wild spirit-manipulated beast had left based on its footprint, how far had it walked, and even if it had been still around.


    After walking for another hour, Rocky saw a line of bipedal footprints nearly half a meter wide in front of him. Based on these footprints, it seemed like something big had just passed by. The footprints also looked very new, so the one that had left them here shouldn''t have gone far.


    Thus, Rocky signaled the four beasts to stop right away. Then, with great dexterity, he climbed quickly upon to a red palm tree which was of seven to eight meters high. After looking around he perceived there was minimal danger. He then jumped down the tree and found a flat place to rest in.


    Rocky was doing this for a reason. Since the wild spirit-manipulated beasts were often moody they changed a lot on their whereabouts. Right in the area where a wild spirit-manipulated beast had walked through, it was better off for Rocky and the four beasts not to rashly push forward. This was because, just in case if the wild spirit-manipulated beast turned back suddenly, then they could avoid running into it.


    Rocky made full use of his time to give Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf the brain stimulation while they were taking rest. As it was about to enter its middle term of cub, this was the very phase for it to develop its brain and body. Therefore, in addition to giving it the brain stimulation, it was also necessary to practice its various capabilities.


    After the brain stimulation, Rocky asked Rubygon to help Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf with some simple practices. Then, he initiated spiritual power connection with Uriah. Comparing the spiritual power connection with Rubygon, it was much easier to do so with Uriah for Rocky.

 Chapter 461 A Super Big Bear

    Uriah was his spirit-manipulated beast. So there was indeed a telepathic connection amongst them allowing them to know each other''s thoughts. Uriah would not resist the entry of Rocky''s spiritual consciousness. It was kind of different from the spiritual power connection with Rubygon. Rubygon was very uncomfortable when Rocky tried this kind of connection with it for the first time, and it subconsciously rejected Rocky''s spiritual consciousness. Moreover, he and Uriah had already entered the state of Spirit Possession successfully several times. He clearly knew about the structure of Uriah''s body and the location of its spiritual source. So, a lot of trouble was spared in invisibility.


    But even with so much prior experience, Rocky was neither bold nor reckless. He decided to play it safe and build a spiritual power bridge towards the spiritual source of Uriah''s body. The internal structure of each spirit-manipulated beast varied. Once after entering the spirit-manipulated beast''s body, there were chances of some unknown situations probably occurring. Therefore, before initiating the connection, one must explore whether the passage towards the spiritual source was safe enough. On further confirmation, one would know regarding the obstacles and then could get prepared for them on time.


    For example, in Rubygon''s body, Rocky ran into an unpredictable situation and almost got lost beyond his redemption. Fortunately for him, at that critical moment, the evil spiritual power in his body came out and helped him. If that was not the case, the result would be something totally unimaginable.


    Half an hour into the commencement of their spiritual power connection, Rocky withdrew his spiritual consciousness from Uriah. Sensing there was no clear and present danger, Rocky swayed and moved on with the four beasts.


    For survival in the forest, it was of utmost importance to learn and observe the surrounding environment and also to watch out for the wild spirit-manipulated beasts. The paths adopted by the different wild spirit-manipulated beasts were hidden with a plethora of dangers. However, in some instances, these dangers could be utilized as a point of advantage.


    For example, the one that had just crossed this route was a huge and strong wild spirit-manipulated beast. Generally, an ordinary wild spirit-manipulated beast would never dare to approach the route like this, indicating such a route was usually safer than others.


    Further, as Rocky and the four beasts were advancing, he felt a sudden vibration along the ground. The vib


    he Furious Long-nosed Bear recognized Rocky''s presence, it gave a sound of excitement, as if it had found its hunting prey.


    When Rocky heard the cry of the Furious Long-nosed Bear, he knew that he was being targeted by the bear. He sneaked a sudden glance and saw the Furious Long-nosed Bear leaving the tree and charging towards him. At that spur of the moment, an idea flashed through his mind. Run!


    Rocky boosted his spiritual power bursting out the Evil Flame on his feet. His whole body shot out rapidly like an arrow, evading the attack of its long nose.


    Boom! The long nose landed exactly at the spot where Rocky stood making a hideous pit.


    On seeing Rocky dodging its nose, the bear got raged up in anger. Then, it moved its stubby pillar-like lower limbs, swinging its hill-like shape to pursue Rocky. Its movement was quite rapid, covering several meters with a single step. It was closing in on Rocky in the blink of an eye.


    Rocky felt a shadow behind him that came directly to attack him fiercely.


    "Damn, I can''t mess with you, but I can hide!" Rocky scolded. All of a sudden, he leapt straight up towards one of the great trees and then moved on from the trunk of one tree to another, jumping almost like an ape.


    The bear that was following him was like a cutting machine. Entire rows of trees fell down as it was passing through. Still, it was not able to catch up with Rocky who was trying to evade by jumping between the trees like a flea.


    Almost half an hour into the battle, Rocky suddenly realized that there were no more trees left in the vicinity. It was a dead end with endless cliffs. He almost froze for a while and thought, ''Oh damn! The heavens have abandoned me!''

 Chapter 462 Fight Along

    Making a loud sound and crashing through the woods and grass along the way, the Furious Long-nosed Bear approached Rocky. The bear''s giant body blocked off all the ways by which Rocky could flee from this grave danger.


    Rocky now stood against the cliff, watching the beast rushing much closer to him. His face had fear written on it while he was trying to stay calm and maintain the ability to think and analyze. There was no way he could escape the beast easily. Left with no alternative, he opened the Magic Spiritual Space and called Uriah and Rubygon out. He meant to create an escape route out by force.


    Fear had consumed Uriah and Rubygon. They were so tiny compared to the beast. The beast was truly their strongest opponent so far.


    Even though Uriah and Rubygon looked afraid, they weren''t the types that would step back and surrender. With Rocky''s orders, they rushed out side by side towards the beast and quickly switched into the state of war.


    The beast was even more furious when the two spirit-manipulated beasts rushed straight to it. Then it stamped its legs hard. The power was so huge that the ground cracked into pieces. The force was not limited. Instead, it spread around quickly and completely consumed the arena.


    And the blast of the force was such that Uriah and Rubygon were forced back into their positions.


    The situation had become pretty difficult for Rocky now. Without any hesitation, he pulled out the Frozen Wind Dagger and activated his spiritual power, turning the sword into a Flaming Blade. Now that he had nowhere to run away, he was left with no choice but to go all-out to fight with all his might if he wanted to survive. Now this was one rule to manage in dangerous places.


    Rocky waved his sword with a quickening pace and created three Evil Flames.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The Evil Flames turned into a Moon Blade and dashed towards the beast and exploded near it. The dust and stones were crashed and thrown into the air, covering most of its body.


    "Did I succeed?" Rocky narrowed his eyes in doubt. The beast stopped all of its actions in an instant. He was curious about what was really happening.


    Suddenly, a long and straight nose appeared through the dust. In a second, the nose swelled up a littl


    ld strike. Rubygon just stood on its own feet when one strong leg came from the air.


    "Rubygon!" The leg could hit Rubygon anytime and Rocky yelled out. He was worried and rushed forward waving Frozen Wind Dagger to protect Rubygon ignoring his own injured right shoulder. A one-meter high Evil Flame came flying to the lifting leg.


    Bang!


    The bear was badly injured by Rocky''s attack and the leg was pushed away from its direction but Rubygon was still in its attack range. So Rubygon got hit on its right forelimb. It shouted out in pain. And it couldn''t support itself anymore and fell on its knee.


    As for Uriah who had been kicked into the air now managed to stand on its feet and made an angry cry when it saw Rubygon severely hurt by the bear. Then, the fire on its body rose sharply due to the rage aroused by the beast. And Uriah looked like a beast born in fire. Its imposing demeanor was astonishing.


    There was a loud sound when Uriah turned into a fire ball, barging into the bear quickly. Uriah decided to have a face-to-face encounter.


    The bear was immediately lit to flames when Uriah came close to it. The fire flame was hugely devastating and the bear got hit by it severely.


    But the bear''s reaction was quick. It became even more furious and wrapped Uriah with its long nose and slammed it to the ground in a striking continuity. There were sparkles at every strike. Although Uriah was strong and firm, it couldn''t withstand this impact.


    It was also in a grave danger now.

 Chapter 463 The Moment Of Life And Death

    Seeing Uriah was being violently smashed by the Furious Long-nosed Bear, Rocky could not help but feel nervous and worried. Deep inside, he considered Uriah as his good friend rather than a beast and felt outrageous for the bear''s violence against Uriah. In that instant, the evil spiritual power and the spiritual power with the nature of Fire in his body were activated to the maximum by him. Moreover, he raised his hands towards the sky and fully launched a skill of the spiritual martial arts¡ªBurn Heaven and Earth. Suddenly the Evil Flame gushed out from his hands like rain and swooped towards the bear.


    In a short time, the Evil Flame activated by Rocky surrounded the space around the bear and continued to pour down like a violent storm.


    The rough skin of the bear couldn''t withstand the Evil Flame and began to burn fiercely the succeeding moment. The power of the flame was much stronger than the general flame in a way that it could burn the grass and woods to ashes in no time. The bear dropped Uriah who was severely injured, as the burning pain was unbearable. Instantly, it used its arms to put out the flame on its body.


    Soon, the bear found out that unlike the regular flame, the Evil Flame could last for a longer time and no matter how hard it tried, it was impossible to put it out. This enraged the bear as never had it suffered such a great pain before.


    Suddenly, it glared furiously at Rocky and gasped heavily. The next moment, it crossed the sea of the Evil Flame and rushed towards him, as if it wanted to vent its wrath on him. Obviously, even though it was a beast, it still knew Rocky caused the pain it was suffering.


    Rocky''s eyes grew colder and immediately along the side of the cliff, he flew away at a very rapid pace.


    With a bang, Rocky saw the bear who was rushing to his side suddenly hit hard on the rock of the cliff less than two meters from him. Consequently, a large rock flew down, and a big hole was left on the cliff. At the same time, a wave of air blast spread around instantly.


    Rocky was caught off guard as everything happened just too fast. The sudden blast of air threw him violently to the ground and made him roll a few times. Although he got up swiftly, the bear was much faster than him and rushed towards him in a second leaving no time to Rocky to react.


    The injury made by the bear made Uriah too feeble to stand up or fight again. Even Rubygon was also helpless in saving h


    ow the unicorn, trying desperately to attack the unicorn.


    In that moment between life and death, a figure showed up like a flash of lightning. The figure seemed like a mighty, stern and fearless warrior who could guard the unicorn against even ten thousand enemy combatants.


    This daring figure was none other than Rocky. After all, he could never desert the unicorn.


    "Foodie, run! Just leave!" Rocky yelled at the unicorn. In defense, he waved the Frozen Wind Dagger igniting a strong Evil Flame, targeting the giant palm of the bear.


    A sudden flame light splashed around with a loud bang as it made contact with the giant palm. However, this didn''t reduce the momentum of the palm and it kept dashing towards Rocky and the unicorn.


    Rocky was running out of options but still couldn''t find a way to outsmart the bear. It seemed his strength was far worse unless he resorted to degrading himself to the devil again and triggered the evil power sealed in his body. However, he was aware of the fact that if he did it again, he would be possessed by the evil power. In that case, no one could save him from transforming into a killing machine, who could kill people with a single blink of an eye, and finally losing his mind and himself forever.


    Therefore, he was reluctant to use such a desperate measure unless he was left with no other alternatives.


    But, the present scenario was not at all in his favor. If the giant palm thumped upon him, it would result in seriously injuring him. By that time, even if he wanted to use his last resort, it would be too late. ''What should I do now?'' Rocky racked his brain hard.

 Chapter 464 Stuck In A Dilemma

    At this critical juncture, the Rainbow Glow Unicorn didn''t run away as Rocky intended, but jumped in front of Rocky.


    Suddenly the body of the Rainbow Glow Unicorn radiated an intense light with a riot of colors, which brightened the air. In the wake of the appearance of that bright light, Rocky felt as if time had suddenly come to a halt. He noticed that there was a small cloud of riotous light flashing in between the eyebrows of the Rainbow Glow Unicorn.


    Rocky subconsciously reached out his hand and then pressed on that cloud of riotous light.


    At the next moment, a glitter broke out between him and the Rainbow Glow Unicorn.


    Rocky felt a strong spate of spiritual energy rushing into his body and blending up with him. As he came back to earth, he found that his body became transparent and the Rainbow Glow Unicorn standing in front of him was also transparent, but its body shape was clearly visible to Rocky.


    "Is it¡­" Rocky suddenly realized something was wrong and he looked quite shocked.


    At that moment, the huge palm of the bear was just less than half a meter away from Rocky and the Rainbow Glow Unicorn.


    Rocky looked determined as he suddenly released his power, holding the Frozen Wind Dagger in his left hand and the Dragon Spirit Mark emerging from his left arm. This turned into several dragon patterns which twirled around his arm. The whole arm was covered by a black light and an intense evil spiritual power shot out from it.


    Subsequently, Rocky held his thick left arm above his head and then without batting an eye, he confronted the huge palm.


    Bang!


    A resounding sound was produced which could be heard clearly from hundreds of miles away, startling the wild spirit-manipulated beasts in the neighborhood who then scattered in all directions in fear.


    Within over ten meters around Rocky, a strong wave of sand was dashed by this move and surged upwards. The ground sank by about half a meter, leaving a huge crack.


    Rocky''s face turned pale as he resisted the huge palm of the irritated bear. He spat a little blood but managed


    two drops of magical saliva before applying them on the injuries on Rubygon. Finally, he braced the injured forelimb with some twigs he had picked up on the way.


    Compared to Rubygon, Uriah was injured more seriously. It had a fracture on several parts and there was a severe accumulation of blood in the tissues. There was also some damage to its spiritual source.


    Taking a tiresome effort, Rocky immediately conducted a surgical operation for Uriah which lasted for four hours. Luckily, the operation successfully checked any aggravation in Uriah''s injuries. However, Uriah was not combat-ready and was in need of a good rest to recover.


    After curing Uriah and Rubygon, Rocky left the Magic Spiritual Space and found himself a spot to sit on. He started to treat the injury on his right shoulder while recalling the thrilling combat.


    The encounter with the bear made him suffer a great loss. But he was lucky enough to survive. All thanks was to the Rainbow Glow Unicorn. If it weren''t for it, the consequence would have been beyond imagination.


    Uriah and Rubygon were injured. The Myriad Beasts Ground was a dangerous place. If Rocky stayed here any longer, he might have to encounter more dangers. But if he decided to leave, he would fail to accomplish the purpose of this journey.


    Rocky was finding it hard to make a decision at the moment and was stuck in a dilemma.

 Chapter 465 So Terrific

    Congruently, the critical responsibility of leading the army had fallen into the hands of Isis, due to Rocky''s absence. Rocky had sneaked away despite being of utmost importance for the army. Since he was the one who had led the Crimson Dragon Army to recapture the Hippo Land, his army was in dire need of him.


    That night, Isis left a garrison of less than a thousand soldiers to guard the Hippo Land. She led the remaining seven thousand soldiers for the Dead Silence Mount. Her plan was to attack the Dead Silence Mount before the garrison at this strong point transported the grain and supplies to the army of the Timber Deity Empire.


    This strategy adopted was as quoted by Rocky from the Art of Wars, ''Besiege Wei to rescue Zhao.'' The idea here was to avoid a head on battle with a strong enemy, and instead to strike hard at its weakness.


    Isis had led the army to the pitch camps quite extraordinarily. She made her arrival at the Dead Silence Mount two days later. The design of the deployment and arrays were to launch the attack with high momentum.


    The garrison of the Timber Deity Empire at the Dead Silence Mount constituted less than five thousand soldiers. They were in a sudden panic as the Crimson Dragon Army advanced into the city gate. They dispatched an emergency report addressing the main force of the Timber Deity Empire, who were at the Nine Grottoes expecting the reinforcement of grain and supplies for them.


    Shortly afterwards, Alyssa, who was the leader of the main force of the Timber Deity Empire, in charge of conquering the Nine Grottoes, received the information from the Dead Silence Mount.


    At that moment, Alyssa was pondering for a counter strategy at the campsite of the main force of the Timber Deity Empire in the Nine Grottoes. She was inside the camp of Commander in Chief and beside her, was seated a young handsome man in another chair.


    Rocky would have gotten surprised if he saw this handsome young man seated beside Alyssa. This young man was none other than Woods, who led the garrison of the Timber Deity Empire that withdrew from the Hippo Land recently.


    "Alyssa, I can''t believe that you too are getting trapped in a conundrum." Frowning upon the quagmire, Woods looked at Alyssa and let out a sonorous laugh like a childish on-looker.


    "I would have attacked the main camp of the Crimson Dragon Army by now if you didn''t have abandoned the Hippo Land. It was all your fault," Alyssa glared at Woods. The loss of the Hippo Land had already put her into an impasse. Yet, the Crimson Dragon Army attacked the Dead Silence Mount in an attempt to sever the supplies as they accurately predicted that the main force of the Timber Deity Empire were in need of the grain and supplies. The Dead Silence Mount was the only strong point where they could expect the reinforcement of grain and other supplies. It would seriously constrain the main force of the Timber Deity Empire once the Dead Silence Mount fell into the hands of the Crimson Dragon Army.


    Unless the grain and


    ith such a brilliant strategy to kill two birds with one stone. He managed to burn the boats in charge of the transshipment of the grains and other supplies to the main force and then simultaneously used it to attract the attention of the garrison of the Timber Deity Empire. He subsequently took advantage in breaking through the line of the garrison as they got distracted by the incident of the burning of the boats. The garrison got completely fooled by him and was not able to offer a fight back¡­" Woods explained the facts of the matter.


    "Is he really that phenomenal?" Alyssa''s pretty face revealed her curiosity to the man while her eyes staring calmly at Woods.


    "Otherwise, was it ever possible for me to get defeated... The only one who has won my admiration on the manipulation of the art of war in this entire Timber Deity Empire is you, Alyssa. The guy defeated me and on top of that, destroyed your array. I would say he was incredibly awesome," Woods admitted frankly.


    "Alyssa... Alyssa... When can you call me sister again? You would always call me sister when you were a little boy¡­" Alyssa gave a sudden complaint.


    "I am a prince who does not have regards and attention of the royal family. As the proverb goes, ''Every dog has its day, '' I guess I haven''t had my chance just yet. I think it will be better for me to remain tight lipped about the fact that you are my sister. I don''t want others to perceive me as a loser who has to rely on my sister''s protection and support to achieve something," Woods answered with a smile.


    Woods was actually the prince of the Timber Deity Empire! Also, the younger brother of Alyssa!


    Yet, Woods, though was the prince, was rather unknown in comparison to his talented sister Alyssa, who on the contrary, was well known to every single family in the country. One of the main reasons for his disadvantage was that Woods was crippled. He was born with unhealthy and defective meridians and vessels making him disqualified to become a spirit manipulator.

 Chapter 466 Formation Of Spiritual Crystal

    During that time, all the royal members of both the Timber Deity Empire and the Holy Dragon Empire were proud of themselves for being able to become primordial spirit manipulators. And because of this, Woods got little to no attention and care from the royal family. Not to mention his father, the Emperor of the Timber Deity Empire, who even treated him as a good-for-nothing scum of the earth.


    However, just like his sister Alyssa, Woods was considered to be a gifted and brilliant strategist when it came to military tactics. And within the realm of the Timber Deity Empire, it was only Alyssa who could outdo Woods in tactics.


    Unfortunately, Woods was very unlucky as he was not able to become a primordial spirit manipulator. Hence, he was treated badly, and even got isolated by his own family. Without Alyssa''s help, Woods would have been totally ignored. In fact, the Wood Clan offered Alyssa a course in the training program. Right after she finished it, she came back to the empire and got very well recognized by the Emperor with regards to her excellence in military governance. And because of her return, Woods'' misfortune had become a little bit lessened.


    Nevertheless, Alyssa was a princess who could not, in any occasion, become the successor of the throne. In their kingdom, it was only the princes who was next in line for the throne held by the aged incumbent Emperor. Expected to resign from position soon, the Emperor still had not made his decision on whom he would choose as his successor.


    With this in light, all of his sons were engaged in the consolation of their own factions and conflict by wielding their expertise in a particular field. With pressure on their shoulders, all of them wanted to get their hands on the crown.


    Though he was a prince, Woods seemed to be obviously at a disadvantage in the dispute because he was deliberately excluded by the other princes.


    However, as the younger biological brother of Alyssa, Woods still got a lot of support from his sister. Alyssa''s rise and fame helped Woods retain his influence to some extent. Nevertheless, Woods was still an underdog as he was continually overshadowed by those princes who had made a head start in presenting their power.


    Witnessing with her own eyes, Alyssa advised the Emperor into appointing Woods as her assistant in the war against the Holy Dragon Empire. With this, she aimed to create chances for her brother to learn more about the field and distinguish his service in the war and reinforce his campaign team.


    In view of Alyssa''s high status, it was possible for Woods to soon be conferred with


    formed successfully.


    As expected, after reading all the formation recordings in the manuscript, Rocky found out a lot of mistakes as well as misconceptions based on the scientific theories released in the modern world.


    For example, in the process of concentration, the precursor deliberately cut the dead body of the spirit-manipulated beast into pieces and soaked it in the potion, which aimed to slow down its decomposition and ensured that the Beast Spiritual Pill could fully absorb the elements from the dead body.


    Contrary to popular knowledge, this was obviously wrong. Indeed, the dead body soaked in the potion decomposed more slowly, but, most of its elements would be destroyed which would then make the retaining elements not enough for the concentration of the Beast Spiritual Pill.


    Therefore, the lack of certain necessary elements resulted in failure.


    In addition, from the respects of modern science, a large number of fatal errors had already existed in the other three steps which was the reason why the precursor had not formed a spiritual crystal even with his lifelong efforts.


    "The precursor shared all his experience in this manuscript, and I do understand his desire for a successful maturation of a spiritual crystal. I must try my best to study the manuscript and correct its mistakes and misconceptions. I sincerely hope I will not let him down." Putting the manuscript in his arms as if he were embracing it, Rocky heaved a deep sigh.


    Ever since Rocky sustained injuries from the five-star Furious Long-nosed Bear at the fourth grade, he had been recuperating in the stone cave. Healing with his best efforts, he seized this great opportunity to meditate and find out a way to make a breakthrough.

 Chapter 467 Collision Training

    During the past two days that he had been training hard, Rocky started to feel something strange that went on with his body. Despite his training, his body acted odd¡ªit seemed not to adapt to the strength that it had gained over the workout. As of now, the evil spiritual power in his body had already reached the third grade of the Heavenly Stage. Nevertheless, it was quite strange that he still stayed in the first grade of the Heavenly Stage. During his training, there had been a mismatch between his evil spiritual power and the one that he had, hence, his body was not able to adjust well. In order to take control of the energetic spiritual power, he should start practicing his skill to the third level of the Demonic Fire Skill. Should everything go well, then he would be able to practice both the evil spiritual power and the Fire spiritual power at the same time, all within his body as a circulation.


    Having too much more than his current strength, the excessive power in Rocky''s body caused him so much pain. Sore and aching, his body meridians went through excruciating pain every time when he finished a circulation with the two kinds of spiritual powers that he had. As for spirit manipulators, every time they upgraded to a new level of strength, the meridians of their entire body would expand. On the other hand, Rocky''s body had significantly improved and its strength surpassed that of most people with the help of the magical saliva for his cultivation. However, when compared that with some other spirit manipulator''s body at the Heavenly Stage, his body''s meridians were still considered to be much stronger than theirs. In conclusion, he should not really be experiencing so much pain and agony with his new found strength.


    But now, his current spiritual powers had two kinds of natures. On top of that, the Fire spiritual power kept absorbing the middle and high level Dark Heaven Eggs during its cultivation lately, which was already considered to be of significant improvement. In other words, the two different spiritual powers inside his body had forced his meridians to suffer twice as much of the intensity of one spiritual power.


    With that being said, his body''s meridians had reached a limit, which was way too much for his threshold. If he did not improve his grade as soon as possible, then he would not be able to achieve the normal cultivation in the shortest time. And if he tried to keep doing the cultivation, his body might get overworked and might even collapse at any moment. Anyone who would experience that would be in so much danger.


    Right under his current situation, Rocky had no choice but to go with the most sensible thing to do¡ªto find a way on how to make a breakthrough so that he could reach the second grade of the Heavenly Stage.


    Meanwhile, as Rocky recalled the fight that he just had with Furious Long-nosed Bear two days ago, something randomly popped in his mind. Right towards the end of their fight, he remembered feeling something changed in his body, right after he encountered a strong impact from Furious Long-nosed Bear. Having not felt anything like it before, it seemed as if he had enough strength to fight. However, the tricky part in the situation was that though he knew that he had enough strength, his body was w


    area due to the sheer force of the collision. The force of the impact upon collision was a lot stronger than the last time, resulting in the trembling of Rocky''s arms. With his muscles almost vibrating, it was clear that he was experiencing some very strong force as of the moment.


    Yelling loudly into the air, his spiritual power rose immediately. His whole body then burst with the power and pressure, which then he used to fight against the Rhinoceros. Foreseeing that its opponent had good resistance, the Rhinoceros was about to jerk with its head up, aiming to send Rocky flying out of the battlefield. But, instead of slipping back just like what he had done last time, he stood firmly on the spot this time around.


    After a while, the two seemed not to make any progress with their fight. Retreating for a few steps, they collided again and started another round.


    Over and over again, they continued with this process¡ªcollide, wrestle, retreat, collide, wrestle...Continuing for almost six hours, Rocky had finally come into a halt as his body and his spiritual power became exhausted.


    Meanwhile, the Rhinoceros was no better shape than Rocky. Although there was no injury found on its body, it was out of breath, as if it had used up most of its strength and was ready to collapse at any given moment. It glanced at Rocky helplessly as if it was looking at someone really crazy in front of it. Then, it turned and slowly walked away, as if it would never hurt Rocky again.


    As the Rhinoceros was out of sight, Rocky sat down on the ground with a heavy thud. Tired, he felt that the muscles of his arms were heavy and difficult to lift, as if a thousand pounds of something were hanging on them. Also, he felt that his feet were sore and numb.


    Rocky then put on his clothes right after he was done taking a short rest and left the place with Rainbow Glow Unicorn. After a short while, they found a tree hole nearby which they thought was safe. He then asked Rainbow Glow Unicorn to stand sentry outside, while he himself walked alone into the tree hole. He then drank two drops of the magical saliva and started his cultivation in the hopes of recovering his spiritual power.

 Chapter 468 The Powerful Dragon

    Since the spiritual power got almost released out of his body, Rocky''s meridians felt relaxed and he felt no discomfort in the practice. The circulation of the spiritual power was also smoother than before.


    He was successful in restoring his spiritual power for a day and night. After fully recovering, Rocky left the tree hole along with the Rainbow Glow Unicorn and then continued to look for another opponent for the next morning.


    This time, he met a Thunderous Diabolic Leopard, famous for its speed and it was also at the third grade of four-star level.


    Rocky fought with his bare hands just like the day before. But unlike yesterday, he didn''t attack. Instead, he let the Thunderous Diabolic Leopard constantly launch the offensive upon him.


    The speed of the Thunderous Diabolic Leopard was almost as fast as the speed of sound, which meant its attack was impossible to get caught on human eye. In a flash, it pounced upon Rocky with its sharp claws. This resulted in several wounds on Rocky''s body.


    Although, he was not able to catch up with the speed of the Thunderous Diabolic Leopard, he was successful in dodging from many of its scathing attacks. He closed his eyes as it was useless against the pace of the Thunderous Diabolic Leopard, but in order to judge the direction of its attack, he strengthened his other senses like hearing, touching and perception of breath fluctuation.


    In such tricky encounters with such a fierce spirit-manipulated beast, it didn''t really make a difference between committing suicide and closing his eyes. But to be stronger, it was important for him to realize his full potential.


    However, something weird was just happening. Every single time the Thunderous Diabolic Leopard had hurt Rocky, it didn''t matter however small the wound was, he got wounds and blood all over his body within half an hour.


    But this didn''t stop him. He continued his fight again and again with the Thunderous Diabolic Leopard, judging an


    up his sleeves for battle and motioned the four beasts to take rest and make room for him. Then he remained where he was and crooked his fingers at the Four-wing Lame Dragon defiantly.


    On seeing Rocky infuriated and combat ready, the Four-wing Lame Dragon forced down from the air and pounced on him with shocking momentum.


    Rocky stared at the Four-wing Lame Dragon with cold eyes. When the dragon pounced on him, Rocky dodged it in a second and got past it. At the same time, quickly grabbing one of the dragon''s legs with his hand, he threw the dragon away with the help of his spiritual power.


    Immediately, the Four-wing Lame Dragon collided with a big stone due to its inertia. With a loud bang, it fell onto the ground.


    Upon seeing this thrilling move, the four beasts who were watching from aside cheered for Rocky.


    The Four-wing Lame Dragon seemed to be a little dizzy due to the impact. It rose to its feet and shook its head violently. Staring at Rocky angrily, it gave a loud scream. Then, it flapped its wings, causing sand to billow into the air and towards Rocky.


    Rocky split the sand wall apart with great force using the spiritual power in his arms. At the same time, he rushed towards the Four-wing Lame Dragon again.


    Furious, the Four-wing Lame Dragon also charged towards Rocky.

 Chapter 469 Physical Cultivation

    Rocky approached the Four-wing Lame Dragon with his hands outstretched in the shape of a Tiger''s teeth. The Four-wing Lame Dragon had three heads that allowed it to be on a wider lookout. Rocky reached out to aim at one of its heads. The Four-wing Lame Dragon was conditioned to attack its predators. And, surprised at Rocky''s attack, it automatically assumed offense. It let out a loud growl at Rocky and prepared to swallow Rocky alive. Once it had gathered its momentum, its wings flapped strongly enough for the dusts and leaves to dance around it.


    The strong winds attacked Rocky''s face, the dust and fallen leaves blinding his eyes. Still, he forced against the winds and lurched forward to attack the Four-wing Lame Dragon. He knew better than to retreat. When the Four-wing Lame Dragon approached, Rocky quickly held down one of its short necks, and, in one quick but sharp movement, pulled the whole body of the dragon up.


    The Four-wing Lame Dragon did not expect such strength to come from a little human. It stood awestruck until Rocky let out a loud shout and enabled a strong spiritual power. Instantly, the air Rocky touched turned into black smoke, then Rocky threw the dragon with full force.


    The giant body of the Four-wing Lame Dragon flew in the air before it hit the ground with one loud thump. Dusts filled the air and slight vibrations could be felt from the ground because of sheer force. Slowly, it slid off the ground and clouds of dust formed above it, disrupting the birds quietly nested in the trees.


    The Four-wing Lame Dragon let out a long enduring wail as if it was crying out for help.


    Rocky stared at his achievement, obviously proud about his improved strength. Half a month ago Rocky could only take on a third grade spirit-manipulated beast at four-star level. Now, he found himself winning against a fourth grade spirit-manipulated beast at the four-star level. He knew that this was not something any other spirit manipulator, even at the Heavenly Stage, could do.


    Rocky knew that his improvement was because of the rigorous training he had put himself through in the past half month. However, he also knew that a major factor to his new found strength was the magical saliva that was able to really tap into his potential. His body training only added to his growth.


    Even before he began his training, he already felt changed by the magical saliva. He was aware that he was much better than other spirit manipulators, including the royal ones. After the training, he felt like he was able to tap into his body''s full potential.


    At first, Rocky was confused as to why he did not feel completely changed by the magical sa


    aura signified that a spirit manipulator was improving in their strength. The range of the light grew as the spirit manipulator''s strength grew. An outsider could sense a spirit manipulator''s strength according to his aura. However, a spirit manipulator could only judge his own strength level based on the spiritual light emitting from his body.


    Rocky had been noticing his spiritual light slowly changing in the recent days. He could also feel his improvement and could sense that he was so close to breaking through his ceiling. He was hopeful and positive, but unsure if he was indeed breaking into a higher level.


    After what felt like a while, the Four-wing Lame Dragon''s body started to stir. It turned over, slowly rose, and then bared its teeth at Rocky. Rocky could see the anger in its eyes. It was obviously unhappy with what Rocky did and was now preparing for revenge.


    The dragon was getting ready to tear Rocky into pieces. Everyone knew that if a spirit-manipulated beast got angry, it could become even more violent. The best choice for a spirit manipulator in this situation would be to flee instead of fight. It was wisest to avoid its attack.


    However, Rocky stood still ready to fight. His stance suggested arrogance, as if he was not fazed by the dragon''s anger at all. It seemed as if fighting with the Four-wing Lame Dragon was a small feat for Rocky, a toy that Rocky played with. And should an owner be afraid of a toy? Rocky knew better.


    The Four-wing Lame Dragon became even more irritated by Rocky''s stance. With a new found motivation and hunger for vengeance, the Four-wing Lame Dragon shrieked. Suddenly, dozens of sharp silver threads appeared across the dragon''s body, interlaced with each other, and rushed towards Rocky in full force.

 Chapter 470 Rocky Was Taken Away

    Having seen how powerful the silver thread was last time, Rocky jumped up without any hesitation to dodge it. He would have gotten killed if he was not fast enough.


    The rumbling and clattering sound of the launching of the silver thread echoed in the quietness of the surroundings.


    As he stood on his feet again, Rocky quickly checked on the place he had just stood a moment ago. He could see several silver threads inserted onto the ground. Those were tough as thorns and seemed to possess astonishing power. If those silver threads would have struck on a person''s body, then that person would have succumbed to injury and long lost his life.


    Concomitantly, trying to avoid any injuries from the silver threads, Rocky pushed forward and kept approaching the Four-wing Lame Dragon. It was a breathtaking move, but he was quite relieved to find that the closer he got to the beast, lesser was the strength wielded by the silver threads.


    Sensing danger, the beast sprayed a viscous liquid from one of its mouths from among the three heads it possessed. Soon, Rocky realized that he had underestimated the beast''s tactics.


    At first, afraid that it might be corrosive, Rocky moved sideways in order to dodge. Although he was trying to avoid it from touching his body, some small quantity of it had fallen on the sole of his shoes. To his dismay, he realized that the sole of his shoes were like being nailed to the ground and he was not able to pull it out. On looking down to see what had happened, he found that both the shoes were struck to the ground as if they were stuck with superglue.


    Exactly at this moment, several threads of silver light were shot towards him, as if they knew he was unable to make a move.


    All of a sudden, his arms and legs were wrapped by the silver threads. Though Rocky tried to pull out the Frozen Wind Dagger from his body for cutting the threads, it was too late. Several more silver threads flew over and bound his arms and body tightly. He couldn''t move an inch, as his body was wrapped all over. Now, he was more like a mummy and all he could do was to roll his eyeballs.


    Seeing their master trapped, Uriah and Rubygon ran quickly towards Rocky hoping to get him out of the situation. However, the Four-wing Lame Dragon was well prepared. It spread its wings swiftly and then flew into the air along with Rocky.


    The two little beasts had to stop where they were. Standing on the ground, they showed their tee


    re was a lair on the top of the huge tree, which was two times larger than the rest of the remaining lairs. There was a Four-wing Lame Dragon standing right in front of it. It was a five-star and with just one glance, Rocky felt its overwhelming power. He held his breath and gazed at it without batting his eyelids.


    The fifth grade spirit-manipulated beast at the five-star level was like a master at the Divine Stage of humans, and it must possess the most terrible power. The only thought of confronting it made Rocky tremble all over.


    The dragon took him to a nest not far away from the largest one. As far as Rocky could see, there were three small Four-wing Lame Dragons in the nest, which were looking at their direction expectantly. The moment they spotted them, they waved their wings and screamed at them. Actually, they stared at Rocky with water dripping from their mouths.


    "Oh, God! I''m the dinner of these beasts! Oh, what can I do?" he shouted in his mind. Rocky twisted his body, only to find that he was tied very tightly.


    As expected, the dragon holding him echoed with the little ones in a gentle voice. Suddenly, the silver threads got loosened up and then he was getting dropped into the nest.


    Subsequently, the big dragon didn''t get inside the nest, but flew away.


    The three little beasts all came to him and surrounded him at the center. They might be babies of the Four-wing Lame Dragon, but they were much bigger than Rocky. The worst part was that now it was getting clear that Rocky was in fact the dinner their parent had brought. They just approached him with the expression of being served now.

 Chapter 471 Extreme Danger

    The situation was such that Rocky was left with no option. It was impossible for him to kill the three baby Four-wing Lame Dragons right away. Their mother had just flown away and if it perceived its babies were being attacked, it would turn back into the nest immediately. More importantly, this was the habitat of the Four-wing Lame Dragons. Once if he were to daringly create a bloodbath here, he was very likely to meet the siege of those Four-wing Lame Dragons.


    Being trapped in such a situation, Rocky knew that he had to resort to some alternative tactics. With that thought, he took out the bottle of magical saliva from his silk bag, and then, opened and threw it towards one side of the lair. The unique fragrance of the magical saliva immediately grasped the attention of those three Four-wing Lame Dragons. They were attracted to its smell and then they ran towards it all at once.


    It pained Rocky to sacrifice a bottle of the magical saliva, but here, his life was of prime importance. As soon as the three Four-wing Lame Dragons moved away, he grasped that opportunity and jumped upon the lair. But, unfortunately, he found out that the lair was at least dozens of meters high above the ground. If he jumped out of the lair without any protection, it may result in breaking of his arms and legs or in the worst case could even result in his death.


    Rocky immediately raised his head and looked at the bough connecting to the lair. It was as thick as a pillar, directly joining with its giant trunk. The trunk was tough and big, and straightly stretched down to root firmly in the ground. Evidently, the trunk was the only access for him to reach the ground.


    However, the Four-wing Lame Dragons were present in the vicinity, and there was a possibility of him getting found once he showed up.


    Rocky turned around his head and observed the surroundings. It was very clear in his mind that he had to fight his way out from here!


    With all those thoughts in the back of his mind, without any hesitation, Rocky boldly jumped out of the lair and landed on the trunk. However, the trunk was round and was not wider than a bridge. The experience of walking on it was equal to walking on a single-log bridge.


    At that moment, a gust of strong wind blew and with a tremble, Rocky was almost blown ou


    zen Wind Dagger and infused spiritual power into it. The blade of the dagger extended in an arc shape, and then formed into a Flaming Blade.


    However, avoiding to make things worse, Rocky took the initiative to fight against the dragons, and he prepared himself to fight to the death.


    Upon getting close to the dragons, Rocky rushed suddenly towards his left and was successful in avoiding the dragon at the fourth grade of four-star level. Then, he stabbed the dragon at the third grade of the four-star level with a thunderously roaring Moon Blade of Evil Flame.


    The Four-wing Lame Dragon at the third grade of four-star level dodged the attack sideways. Since Rocky had rich experience in fighting against his enemies now, he immediately seized the opportunity and rushed forward. The spiritual power all over his body was enhanced with the interlaced dark and red light. As the light was flickering, he crashed into the abdomen of the dragon at the third grade of four-star.


    Being bumped, that dragon got inclined to its left with its wings getting rubbed off with several dead trees and then finally fell on to the ground.


    As the saying goes, "Strike while the iron is hot", Rocky waved his Flaming blade of Frozen Wind Dagger and rushed towards the dragon. He wanted to take advantage of this moment and kill the Four-wing Lame Dragon at the third grade of four-star level.


    However, at the same time, the other dragon shook out a few silver threads, which turned into streaks of silver radiance and came to entwine Rocky.

 Chapter 472 I Want To Be Stronger

    Rocky brandished the Flaming Blade of the Frozen Wind Dagger and suddenly, the Evil Flame shielded off several silver threads.


    The Four-wing Lame Dragon at the third grade of the four-star level rose up. Roaring out loudly, it flapped its wings and then pounced upon Rocky exactly at the same moment when he was slightly distracted.


    Rocky smiled. Instead of moving backward, he decided to fight back. When the dragon lunged at him, he suddenly lowered himself and waved the Flaming Blade of the Frozen Wind Dagger. The blade scratched across a wing of the dragon.


    All of a sudden, the Evil Flame began to burn, and a cloud of smoke with the smell of burnt meat rose up. The wing suddenly got transformed into a roasted one, and the evil flame on it was still burning.


    The Four-wing Lame Dragon at the third grade of the four-star level roared and began to roll on the ground in a desperate attempt to put out the Evil Flame.


    Although Rocky''s attack was successful, he was not eager to carry out more attacks. His real rival in fact was the Four-wing Lame Dragon at the fourth grade of the four-star level.


    The moment Rocky steadied himself, the Four-wing Lame Dragon at the fourth grade of the four-star level rushed down from the sky, generating air waves that engulfed the sand several feet away.


    For a second, Rocky got lost in the sand and instantaneously, a silver thread was shot at him.


    Realizing the intention behind the Four-wing Lame Dragon at the fourth grade of the four-star level, Rocky suddenly closed his eyes. In the recent period of time, as an effect of past encounters, Rocky had gotten well trained with abilities such as amazing hearing, sensing and perception abilities. He soon sensed that a silver thread was coming, and he also could tell its exact direction. In a flash, he waved the Flaming Blade of the Frozen Wind Dagger, and the Evil Flame burst out, thus directly blocking the silver thread.


    All of a sudden, several silver threads were shot from different directions, but were easily eschewed by Rocky.


    Failing to harm Rocky, the Four-wing Lame Dragon at the fourth grade of the four-star level was infuriated. It quickly flapped its wings and dashed against Rocky with its huge body.


    Rocky


    due to this, he also gained a lot of powerful spiritual power. The spiritual light from his arms was glowing.


    Soon, he became so powerful that it was possible for him to even move the huge body of the Four-wing Lame Dragon, as if he was a man of great force!


    Rocky had turned himself into a superhero. He lifted up the huge body of the Four-wing Lame Dragon at the fourth grade of the four-star level, shook it with great force, and dashed toward the other one at once.


    The Four-wing Lame Dragon at the third grade of the four-star level didn''t actually realize that Rocky had suddenly gained great strength. Before it could do anything, it was hit by the Four-wing Lame Dragon at the fourth grade of the four-star level that was held by Rocky, and flew in the direction of the cliff.


    After the Four-wing Lame Dragon at the third grade of the four-star level was thrown to the edge of the cliff, it screamed out terrified and flapped its wings forcibly. Unfortunately, one of its wings was burnt by Rocky and therefore it couldn''t flutter it normally anymore. That was to say, it lost the power of one pair of wings, which made it impossible to fly. After struggling for a while, it finally fell down from the cliff, turned into a black dot before disappearing.


    The Four-wing Lame Dragon at the fourth grade of the four-star level raised by Rocky also was startled. It hurriedly flapped its wings and forced itself to fly in the air, trying desperately to break free from Rocky''s arms.

 Chapter 473 Fainted

    At this moment, Rocky had already reached the third grade of the Heavenly Stage. The furious evil spiritual power was rushing through his body. He kept on staring at the Four-wing Lame Dragon at the fourth grade of four-star which was flying up slowly. Rocky was worried about the dragon launching an attack while he was in bad state. So, every move of the Four-wing Lame Dragon mattered and could even result in making him die in the battle.


    However, to his surprise, the Four-wing Lame Dragon did not linger there. It turned around and flew away after staring at Rocky for a while.


    Seeing this, though Rocky was confused, he sensed it was his best chance. Now, he was getting time to deal with his own problem. But he did not realize that the evil spiritual power had already spread out of his body and had become stronger and denser than ever before. It seemed, even the Four-wing Lame Dragon was afraid of this evil spiritual power. Otherwise it would never have flown away without hesitation.


    In fact, with Rocky''s current strength, it seemed impossible for him to crack the second layer of seal. Neither his body nor his meridians was in a position to withstand the evil spiritual power suppressed by the second layer of seal.


    But now, in order to yield stronger power, Rocky was willing to take risks and break through the second layer of seal, and thereby forcibly increasing his strength and breaking through to the third grade of the Heavenly Stage. But, the critical problem here was addressing the evil spiritual power in his already overburdened body.


    Rocky was already in serious pain and hurt due to his breaking through into the third grade. He was not at all in a position to upgrade to the higher grade. In the case of inability to move into the higher grade, his body would not be in a position to accommodate the excessive evil spiritual power.


    Rocky''s body was like a water tank filled to its maximum capacity. Any extra water dropping into it would result in continuous outflow. However, once the second layer of seal was released, it would also release a portion of the Holy Dragon Bead''s power. As a result, his body would not be able to withstand the energy that had been sealed.


    But here, his body was more like a water tank placed under a giant waterfall. Even if he were to temporarily release all the evil power out from his body, it would soon get filled back to the brink, as the tank was too small.


    her hand, Rocky was feeling a strong sense of weightlessness. He was feeling dizzy while falling down. All he could do was to hold his dagger tightly. It was his best companion. He had so much trust upon it that he never wanted to lose it, not even in the extreme case of his death.


    ''It seems I''m not so lucky this time, '' thought Rocky. Rocky stretched his whole body, and his eyes constantly reflected the view of the regress. He was getting further and further away from the sky, and, was closer and closer to death.


    At that moment, some beautiful faces were coming to his memory. First, it was Lena, then followed by Marcia, Marin, Isis, Sabina, Mia, and Laney...


    He suddenly came to this world. It turned out that he was fortunate in love affairs after he possessed the body of the good-for-nothing prince. He had met so many beautiful women with varying characteristics and beauty. It seemed that he didn''t have many regrets in his short but vivid life.


    However, all people had some grudges more or less, so did Rocky. He still had not been completely relieved from his guilt for Lena and his hatred for Alston. But it didn''t matter how grudging he was, God was not giving him a second chance. He was going to die anyway.


    Unless or otherwise there was a miracle!


    Suddenly, a bright light gleamed upon Rocky and he saw a delicate butterfly appearing in front of him. The wings of the butterfly were glittering in the sunlight. A delicate fragrance came towards him.


    However, as soon as the butterfly shadow was getting closer to him, Rocky reverted back to his senses, but then got fainted in an instant.

 Chapter 474 Alyssa Set Traps to Mislead the Enemy (Part One)

    Half a month ago, Isis had pretended to attack the Dead Silence Mount according to Rocky''s plan of action. It had pushed the Timber Deity Empire''s main force to stop their plan to attack the Crimson Dragon Army front-line, which was considered a brilliant combination of tactics and action. Consequently, Isis ordered all of the troops to come to guard and defend the Dead Silence Mount.


    Isis then commanded the main force to retreat from the Dead Silence Mount while the Timber Deity Empire''s army withdrew to their main camp. She then made a detour to occupy the Nine Grottoes which made the camp''s dangerous situation safer.


    However they found that the Timber Deity Empire''s main army did something astonishing after they returned to guard the Dead Silence Mount, ¡ªthey gathered the guards in the Dead Silence Mount, left the mountain as soon as they arrived there and gathered all their forces in the Deity Unicorn Valley.


    As soon as the Timber Deity Empire''s army stepped out of the Dead Silence Mount, Lance took advantage of this and ordered his army to occupy the said place immediately.


    Nevertheless, it seemed that the tables had been turned for now, and only the Deity Unicorn Valley remained in control of the Timber Deity Empire. With this being said, it relieved the Crimson Dragon Army that had been in the long-range raid for so many days.


    Ever since they took back the Hippo Land, the Crimson Dragon Army had already regained their rations and forage supply. Soon, Lance had a build-up of troops that comprised about thirty thousand soldiers. These soldiers, on the other hand, would be led by Isis who was planning to the win the Deity Unicorn Valley back without any failure. She inclined to launch the attack as soon as possible so that their enemy would not h


    s, there was not even a single flaw that we could take advantage of..." said one Elite Commander, in a worried voice.


    "Yes, and where did the Timber Deity Empire get the ten Huge-horned Rhinoceroses? They were extremely precious, and yet the Timber Deity Empire actually had ten! So many soldiers were killed by those beasts!" another commander agreed with him.


    "With our troops at the present, our chances of winning are so far not very high. If the Commander in Chief can send more troops to help us, we will be able to pierce through their defense line."


    The commanders talked to each other as they waited for Isis'' idea.


    "If only Commander Rocky were here, then he may come up with an idea to deal with the enemies." Dunn suddenly voiced out his mind.


    Upon hearing what he had just said, all the commanders immediately looked towards Dunn, and so did Isis. All of them became silent as they were not able to utter a single word.


    As soon as Isis heard Dunn mentioning Rocky, her face turned red in anger. With a cold expression on her face, she looked around the commanders and said domineeringly, "Do you all agree that only Rocky can find a way to deal with the enemy?"

 Chapter 475 Alyssa Set Traps to Mislead the Enemy (Part Two)

    Which was along the lines of, "Are you commanders that useless? Are you sure that Rocky is the only capable one to lead the whole army to victory?"


    The commanders realized and understood what she meant. They began to talk about their strategies and recommended themselves with no intention of being looked down upon.


    In fact, ever since Rocky had gained so many wonderful achievements, most of the commanders of the Crimson Dragon Group were a bit ashamed. After all, most of them had already risked their lives for the Crimson Dragon Group in order to gain the fame and the position that they currently had. But in the end, they had to rely on a little boy at a crucial time. In fact, they were so indignant into wanting to find a chance to prove themselves. They couldn''t be defeated by these problems. Otherwise, they could not strive for higher ranks and lead their own soldiers better in the future.


    Seeing that the commanders were so active in discussing the strategies that they had planned, Isis nodded with satisfaction. She did not want to see those commanders develop the habit of relying on Rocky for everything, because she believed that both soldiers and commanders should realize that they could only rely on themselves in the battle. Especially the commanders who were the elites of the army, and who burdened the lives of their soldiers with making decisions in every critical moment should know this perfectly.


    However, she also realized that even she couldn''t think of how to break through the indestructible defense line of the Timber Deity Empire, let alone these commanders. From her standp


    uld then find out more of our spies. They are not that stupid. Then that would be a great risk for our plan. I am not sure whether we have made a good decision," said Alyssa. Knowing her sister, he knew that Alyssa was a cautious person.


    "Don''t worry. It''s a good deal to sacrifice a worthless chess piece in exchange for such an important hostage. Of course, maybe you can see the person you are curious about this time. Come on, don''t tell me you don''t want to see him. If I can take this opportunity to persuade him to join us, with the hostages in our hands, the Crimson Dragon Army will definitely lose in this fight!" Woods said in a firm and determined voice.


    "Ha-ha! If you succeed in confusing them, then I''ll reward you for a job well done." Upon hearing what her brother said, Alyssa gave a mysterious smile. In the end, she decided to take this task and to seduce that mysterious person out.


    Upon developing and finishing their plan, Woods smiled in a menacing way. With a figure flashing through his mind, he then said to himself, ''We''ll meet again soon!''

 Chapter 476 Saving Rocky

    Rocky felt heaviness in his head the moment he regained consciousness. It was as if he had been in deep sleep for a long time. He felt his lips were warm and wet, and something was wriggling on them. His body felt stiff. Finally, the evil spiritual power in his body was calming down.


    The moment he opened his eyes, a ray of light overwhelmed his vision. He blinked several times, his vision slowly unveiling a beautiful face of a fairy who seemed to be standing in front of him.


    The fairy''s eyes were closed, her long eyelashes flicking lightly against the light. Her strands of red hair hung on the tip of his high nose. And, to Rocky''s surprise, her small and soft lips were resting right on top of his.


    "Am I dreaming?" Rocky wanted to say. ''Am I dead?'' he thought. When he fully regained his vision, Rocky was overwhelmed by the beauty of the woman. He couldn''t believe his eyes. All of it felt like a dream.


    Rocky recalled falling from a cliff previously. He must have fallen far from the others. Despite everything feeling dreamy, Rocky also knew that things felt real.


    The woman seemed to have felt Rocky stir. She raised her head and opened her eyes, revealing a flash of sliver light that made her eyes look like ripples and made Rocky''s heart swoon.


    Rocky regained his composure and stood up in a hurry. He was in a dense forest and, in between trees, he saw the cliff where he jumped off from.


    "I''m not dead," Rocky realized. Rocky felt his flesh but was caught off-guard by the beautiful woman. He noticed a pair of butterfly wings softly fluttering on her back making her look like a fairy. When his eyes drew to her face, he immediately recognized her. "It''s you," Rocky asked.


    She was the woman who saved him previously as well.


    The woman stood up in front of Rocky who was slowly regaining full consciousness. She smi


    cation.


    He looked around once more and, once he decided he was clear of danger, he moved forward in the direction where he sensed Uriah to be.


    Rocky braced himself for an encounter with a spirit-manipulated beast. However, he did not encounter any despite the fact that he had been walking around for half a day. He did not even meet a four-star animal, nor a two-star one. He sped up until he found himself in a wide plain area, away from the forest.


    He walked until after sunset and until he found a slope to build fire on. His plan was to settle in for the night and resume journey tomorrow, in fear of encountering wild spirit-manipulated beasts that lurked at night.


    After Rocky had set up the fire, he noticed bright lights flickering through the distant. From where he stood, it looked like fireflies.


    Rocky tried not to pay mind to it and sat down cross legged to begin the cultivation of the third stage of Demonic Fire Skill. After which, he felt something strange inside him. The evil spiritual power that had long calmed slowly flowed out of his body. The evil spiritual power danced with the Fire spiritual power completely unaffected by each other''s presence. Rocky was convinced that it was all very strange.

 Chapter 477 Give You A Warning!

    The overloading problem of Rocky''s evil spiritual power was resolved due to the existence of the light soul. It acted like a container which was separated from the outside world, letting the overloaded part of evil spiritual power not directly affect his body but rather allowing it to circulate normally in his body. To his surprise, the light soul had the ability to withstand and resist the evil spiritual power.


    Of course the light soul definitely had a source. After Rocky thought for a while, the butterfly woman came to his mind. When he had waked up, the butterfly woman had kissed him. Rocky was convinced that, the butterfly woman in fact had done something mischievous to his body while she kissed him.


    Besides, the butterfly woman was very mysterious as well as powerful. She had the ability to freely come and go in the dangerous Myriad Beasts Ground without anyone''s notice. So, who could she be?


    Her sudden appearance out of nowhere and taking initiative in saving Rocky also added to the mystery. If the first time was a coincidence, while the second time was another, it would be too farfetched.


    Rocky was deeply confused with the unexpected appearance of the light soul as well as the identity of the butterfly woman, which also made him distracted from cultivation.


    It was hard for Rocky to even imagine that the butterfly woman was in fact a spiritual race, something that appeared only in the legends. Indeed, Rocky was lucky for two obvious reasons. Firstly, he was able to meet such a legendary figure, not once, but twice and secondly, his life was saved by her.


    Just as Rocky opened his eyes, he could see a butterfly figure standing beside the fire. Her hand was twirling in the flame. To his surprise, the flame was actually twirling following the hand and then it sparked like fireworks!


    "Look out! You may get burnt..." As he saw the butterfly appearing out of nowhere, Rocky though stunned initially, then said with a serious look.


    She was the butterfly woman.


    On hearing Rocky''s voice, the butterfly woman looked up at Rocky with her bright eyes, moved backwards, and then disappeared into darkness.


    "Is she playing hide-and-seek with me? One moment she appeared and the next she disappeared. Oh, so she h


    er. They moved towards the butterfly figure, just like loyal servants, with awe in their eyes.


    The figure was none other than Cherry!


    Cherry stroked the two beasts and then looked up at Rocky who was walking towards her.


    The four beasts screamed in excitement as soon as they saw Rocky and rushed towards him.


    "It''s hard for you." Upon seeing Uriah and Rubygon covered with many scars, Rocky felt a little guilty thinking about the strong enemies they had encountered along the way.


    "Thanks for your help." Rocky then looked up at Cherry and said gratefully. Although he didn''t know the purpose of Cherry protecting him, he knew without her assistance he could not have met his four beasts once again. She was basically his great benefactor.


    "Here... It''s dangerous. Get out of here right now..." Then she winked her eyes and said with minimal expression. She flapped her wings, getting ready to leave.


    "Cherry, wait!" Rocky called out her suddenly.


    Then, Cherry turned to look at him.


    Rocky after taking out a bottle of magical saliva from the silk bag said, "This is your two favors for saving my life..." After finishing his words, he cast the magical saliva to Cherry.


    Meanwhile, Cherry raised her hand and then the magical saliva flew into her hand like being supported by the wind.


    "Be careful with the power in your body. If you can''t control it, you may fall into a situation which is beyond redemption..." After saying that, she turned into a light and disappeared.

 Chapter 478 Disappear Without A Trace

    The two armies were in a stalemate at the Deity Unicorn Valley. The Crimson Dragon Army led by Isis still couldn''t breach the solid defense mounted by the Timber Deity Empire''s army.


    Isis was alone at the commander''s camp racking her brain to draw up a strategy. The defense of the Timber Deity Empire seemed like a great copper wall and the Crimson Dragon Army was feeling absolutely helpless. Therefore, she was in hope to bring up a counter strategy to breach their defense.


    "Should I call him back?" Her thoughts were towards calling Rocky back. But it was not long ago, she had told her commanders that the Crimson Dragon Army in fact had the capability for doing everything they wanted without Rocky. However, now, when she had failed to think of a strategy to defeat the enemy, she was completely uncertain about it.


    The fact of the matter was that, she was actually mad at Rocky for running away from the war. But she also knew that the Crimson Dragon Army needed the services of Rocky.


    A strapping man walked into the commander''s tent while she was in her indecisive thoughts.


    On hearing the sound, she looked up and saw Dunn walking in.


    "Commander Dunn? What''s up?" Isis asked while slightly blinking her eyes.


    "Deputy Commander in Chief, I just received a letter." Dunn bowed and presented the letter in his hands, with a strange look on his face.


    "A letter? Where did it come from?" Isis asked noticing Dunn''s strange look.


    "Please check it yourself." He handed the letter to her.


    She took it over and unfolded it. It was written, "I am trapped on Mount Clouds." The letter ended with the signature of Rocky.


    "When did you receive it?" Isis asked upon seeing Rocky''s signature.


    "An hour ago..." Dunn replied.


    "Are you sure that this is Rocky''s handwriting?" she asked, because she was worried if it was a conspiracy of the enemy, who might pretend to be Rocky an


    spiritual power between the pillars forming a net.


    "It''s a trap! ?" She was frightened and hopped on to her beast without hesitation.


    Flapping its wings, the Silver Wind was about to fly into the sky, but when it just flew over the pillars, the six pillars suddenly shot it down with a lightening spiritual power.


    As a result, the Silver Wind fell on to the ground, with a howl, rising up a cloud of dust.


    Luckily, Isis reacted on time and she immediately jumped off the Silver Wind and stood on the ground.


    "Silver Wind?" Looking at the painful Silver Wind on the ground, Isis became cold and a little angry. The spiritual light from her delicate body rose up instantly. Then, a cyclone with strong momentum began to whirl around her. The cultivation base of the eighth grade of the Heavenly Stage was immediately shown out. Brightly shining strong spiritual power was spreading from her delicate body.


    As she raised her arm, the wind glittered above it. A strong spiritual spiral wind whirled out of her arm. The wind got transformed into a wild dragon which was roaring and rushing to one of the six pillars.


    After the wind dragon was hit on a pillar, it should have brought a very strong destructive power, but it had disappeared without a trace.

 Chapter 479 You Are The Bait

    Isis couldn''t help but freeze and seemed irreconcilable. Her body began to dance trippingly. All of a sudden, dust began to swirl on the ground. As she swayed, a spiritual power storm formed just like a spinning top.


    "Wind Wrath¡­" she shouted. Suddenly, the rotating spiritual power storm erupted with great power, almost like a rainstorm of pear flowers, and rushing towards the wooden pillar.


    Bang! Bang! Bang...


    A dull sound was produced as soon as the wind force hit the wooden pillar. The pillar remained unharmed and intact.


    After seeing this, Isis had to spread her spiritual power. She looked towards the column carved with a totem in utter disbelief. She didn''t know what magic was hidden in the column and could easily counteract her spiritual power.


    "Deputy Commander in Chief, don''t bother yourself. You cannot break the Evil-trapping Formations with your strength." At this moment, a haughty and imposing voice appeared.


    As she heard the voice, Isis saw several figures appearing from the side. The woman in front was cold, gorgeous and arrogant. She was also strong and aggressive like a queen. She was just a perfect existence and moreover with an extremely beautiful face hard to overlook.


    "You are..." Isis asked in a cold tone though she had guessed it.


    "Alyssa." She had a soft, but authoritative voice.


    "You are Alyssa, the princess of the Timber Deity Empire, and the Commander of the Timber Deity Empire''s army¡­" Although Isis had already guessed that the woman was Alyssa, she was quite surprised when Alyssa admitted it. She was not expecting to see the Timber Deity Empire''s legendary great figure so soon.


    Earlier, she was very curious about Alyssa, but after seeing her, she couldn''t help but feel inferior. It was extremely rare to see a Divine Stage master who was well proficient in military strategy. In addition, Alyssa was so fascinating in both charm and temperament. Even Isis, who herself had a high grasp of her beauty, felt she was unable to keep pace with Alyssa.


    "I''ve long heard about the beauty of the Deputy Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Army. Now it seems to be well-deserved." Just then, Woods who had also come along with Alyssa seemed to have been so charmed by the beauty of Isis that he could


    trouble because of her actions.


    "Deputy Commander in Chief, even if you die, no one is going to know. As soon as the Crimson Dragon Army hears about your disappearance, they will certainly try all means to find you. Of course, only one person could find you and only he knows the place you are trapped," Alyssa sneered.


    "What do you mean? But somebody does know that I am here. If I am missing, how would the Crimson Dragon Army not know?" Isis frowned and suddenly had a bad omen.


    "Deputy Commander in Chief, can''t you guess it?" Alyssa said upon raising her eyebrows.


    "Is Commander Dunn your spy?" Isis was shocked to realize that.


    "I have made arrangements for someone to tell the news about you being trapped here to the man with the surname Bai. He will surely come to save you as soon as he gets the information. Then we would be the winners," Alyssa said thoughtfully.


    "Brother, take care of her," Alyssa said, looking towards Woods.


    Woods nodded back immediately.


    Alyssa then turned towards the Heavenly Stage masters behind her and said, "You guys stay here and protect Woods. If the man with the surname Bai appears, kill him immediately if he dares to do anything to Woods!" Upon finishing those words, she left lightly.


    As soon as Alyssa left the place, Isis bit her lips with anxiety. If Rocky came to save her, he would definitely fall into the trap set by the Timber Deity Empire. So, all she could do now was to pray, ''You bastard, don''t come to save me! Or I will hate you!''

 Chapter 480 Its A Trap

    After successfully leading the four beasts to the edge of the Myriad Beasts Ground, Rocky paused to consider his next steps. He knew that his power had reached the third grade of the Heavenly Stage, and he had reached his goal of coming to Myriad Beasts Ground.


    He thought of the Crimson Dragon Army, but they had been quiet and had indicated no threats or issues. Wanting to do something productive with his time, he decided to continue his cultivation in the Myriad Beasts Ground. He also took his time to scavenge for rare treasures and Beast Spiritual Pills.


    ''I wonder if Cherry is nearby, '' Rocky thought to himself. Rocky had spent every day thinking about the girl who saved him from his fall from the cliff. He was aware that he was starting to feel something for her. It was as if there was a thread that connected them together.


    What Rocky did not know was that Cherry did more than just rescue him from the fall; she also fed him spiritual soul that restrained the evil spiritual power in his body. That way, his second life came from the spiritual soul. This soul was what gave Rocky the impression that he could sense Cherry, like she was with him all the time.


    Rocky''s deep thoughts were interrupted by a tiny beast that flew directly over him and landed on his shoulder with a howl.


    "Perhaps this is the news I''ve been waiting for from the Crimson Dragon Army," Rocky said with amusement in his voice. Rocky smiled at the sight of a letter under the feet of the Carrier Beast. It looked like it was a letter from the Crimson Dragon Army. Rocky assumed it was merely asking for his help as they must had encountered a crisis. However, the first line of the letter shocked Rocky.


    "Isis'' army is trapped in Mount Clouds." Rocky read the first line multiple times. The letter reassured him that troops from the Crimson Dragon Army were on their way to Mount Clouds. However, Rocky knew that it was still best if he could go there himself.


    Interestingly, the letter ha


    d rescue her, he might have a chance to win those masters with her help.


    At the thought of this, he turned into a light and flew towards three different directions.


    Instantly, the Heavenly Stage masters also scattered in all directions.


    In an attempt to confuse them, Rocky went back to where he started and then disappeared. Before the masters could react, Rocky flew towards the totem wooden pillar, pulled out a Frozen Wind Dagger and turned it into a Flaming Blade. All of a sudden, his body was black and red all around, and he looked sinister.


    Finally, Isis woke up. The moment she opened her eyes, she saw a figure with a strange glow sped towards her. She was shocked to realize something unavoidable was happening


    "Rocky," she shouted, "why are you here?" Isis panicked. "This is a trap!" she warned. She let out a loud scream.


    Her scream stunned Rocky but he was able to regain composure easily. Suddenly, the Flaming Blade burst into flames.


    Rocky threw the Evil Flame towards one wooden pillar. It turned into a moon-shaped knife and pierced the pillar upon contact.


    It merely broke through the pillar. "This is useless," Isis said in frustration. Isis was panicked. She knew Rocky was trying to save her.


    However, an electric light came up from the collision and swallowed the Evil Flame.

 Chapter 481 Come For You

    "What a powerful array!" Rocky shouted out in surprise, as he scratched his head to find a solution.


    "Well, the dagger in his hand looks familiar and I''m sure that I''ve seen it somewhere before. It must be a spiritual weapon. But this kind of spiritual weapon is extremely rare. Where did he get it from?" Isis murmured as she noticed the Frozen Wind Dagger in Rocky''s hand. But she was unaware about why it looked quite familiar to her. At the same time, she was also surprised at the fact that Rocky was actually strong enough to own a spiritual weapon.


    By this time, several masters of the Heavenly Stage had found out where Rocky was. They surrounded him from all directions, sealing off his escape route.


    As those men were getting closer, Rocky retreated to a wooden pillar. Upon reaching the wooden pillar, with her eyes fixed on those men, Isis blamed Rocky, "You shouldn''t have come here. This is one stupid decision of yours!"


    "Hey, I''m here for you. Why don''t you say something nice?" Rocky replied with raised eyebrows, content to see her annoying face, which was always adorable to him.


    "Who wants you to save me? I don''t need your help, and I hate to see you. You''d better disappear from here right away..." Isis replied like a spoiled child. Though she insisted stubbornly that she hated him, she was also worried about Rocky falling into the hands of the Timber Deity Empire.


    "Right, I know we both are trying for a way to escape from here, but now, do you think we have the chance to escape?" Despite the covetous eyes falling on them, Rocky talked calmly as if they were chatting after a good dinner under the moonlight.


    Isis sighed repeatedly after sweeping her eyes across the masters around them. Each of them were stronger than Rocky, and it was impossible for them to escape that easily. Even if they were to try, using all their might, there wasn''t even a slim chance.


    "As I said, you shouldn''t have come here. It''s a trap. You should have guessed it before you came..." Isis couldn''t help but reproach him in a low voice.


    "I can''t help. I can''t help but I came here as soon as I know you''re trapped. I need to do something," Rocky sighed too. Before even starting his journey to the mountain, Rocky had already thought of this possibility. But he decided to come here anyway, as he could never stand aside, when Isis was in danger


    o time.


    Rocky after taking a small step back, waved the dagger in his hand. Threads of Evil Flame rose and formed a curtain of swords in front of him. After the spiritual column rushed up to the curtain, it immediately intertwined with the Evil Flame, as if two fierce beasts were biting each other.


    Of course, the Evil Flame was better, and it quickly swallowed the spiritual column.


    "How is that possible?" The short man stared at him in disbelief as he saw Rocky breaking his two martial arts skills.


    The rest of the masters were also looking towards each other in dismay. They couldn''t understand why Rocky was able to fight easily against the spiritual martial arts of the Heavenly Stage. He seemed absolutely impeccable.


    At the same time, they had also noticed the Frozen Wind Dagger in Rocky''s hand. It was a very rare spiritual weapon. Consequently, they attributed his success to the performance of the dagger.


    On the other hand, Isis was still in shock seeing Rocky defeating the two strokes from the short man. Then she began to analyze the whole situation. Even though he had reached the first grade of the Heavenly Stage, he must have achieved it recently. Thus, it was unlikely for him to be stronger than the short man.


    Obviously, the short man couldn''t accept the truth. He changed into a shadow and rushed towards Rocky, who was standing unmoved.


    As the short man reached closer, he swung another punch at Rocky. His plan was to take Rocky by surprise. To make it better, he used his utmost strength in that punch, which sounded like a thunder.

 Chapter 482 I Want to See the Princess

    As the short man drew closer, a sinister smile had spread across Rocky''s face. He waved the Frozen Wind Dagger and then instantaneously the strong wind began rolling up.


    At the next moment, Rocky who was fearless as always, confronted the wolf shadow rushing towards him. The ferocious wolf shadow approached him in a flash. It was so fast that, for a moment it seemed that Rocky had no opportunity to hide.


    "Bastard! Go to hell!" The man shouted at Rocky and then prepared for using his deadliest skill ¡ª the Wolf-slaying Palm. He then punched out another wolf shadow towards Rocky. He had been practicing this skill for quite a while and he was confident that this would maul Rocky heavily. The wolf shadow moved fast and caught up with the former one. They were racing together and bridling towards Rocky.


    In the twinkling of an eye, the two wolf shadows appeared in front of Rocky. But he didn''t make the slightest of a move. It seemed that he didn''t get enough time to figure out a strategy to deal with the dangerous onslaught.


    "Look out! Move, Rocky!" Isis shouted at the top of her voice. Seeing this, Isis couldn''t help but scream, as her heart began to pound faster and faster. But Rocky didn''t have time to respond to her. However, Isis was shocked by what she had just spoken out. She wasn''t sure about why all of a sudden she was worried about Rocky. This guy was obviously arrogant, rogue and despicable. He was clearly an annoying guy. She had even thought about beating him down one day in order to make him more humbled and disciplined. However, when she saw that Rocky was in danger, she couldn''t help feeling nervous. This was not usual for her.


    But the situation took a quick reverse. As the ferocious wolf shadows pounced on Rocky, the spiritual light suddenly brightened and it instantly shrouded Rocky, submerging him into it. Isis was so nervous seeing this that she didn''t utter a single word which would divert his attention. She was just biting her lips tightly and staring at the spiritual light, hoping that Rocky would come out of it safely.


    "Well, let me see how you are going to escape this time!" the man said with a smirk. The man was pretty confident that it was impossible for Rocky to escape from the attack.


    But the situation had indeed reversed! All of a sudden, a weird figure surrounded by black and red spiritual power staggered out of the flame light. His spiritual power was burning with black and red flames. It was Rocky! He walked out in a casual manner with a mysterious smile on his indifferent face. Isis felt a surge of relief when she saw him. She was also very surprised to see him out in such a short time.


    On the sight of this unbelievable scene, several spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage, including the short man were shocked. No one had expected that Rocky would be able to walk out so quickly and safely. This was something beyond the reach of an ordinary spirit manipulator.


    As all the people present were stunned upon seei


    age. It wouldn''t be a problem for her to fight with three of them at the same time. Besides, it was also obvious that they didn''t have any advantage since Rocky was there by her side to help her.


    So they were forced to wait outside the formations. However, they kept a close watch upon Rocky and Isis, just in case they made an attempt to escape from the Evil-trapping Formations.


    "Well, it seems we are left with no other choice but to wait." Noticing that the spirit manipulators neither moved themselves nor were trying to call the Princess, Rocky turned towards Isis and said.


    "Wait for what? Do you want to continue waiting until they would kill us eventually or take us as their hostages?" Isis was still a little angry due to Rocky''s rashness. So she immediately gave a cold word and sneered.


    Rocky gave her a glance, curled up his lips but didn''t say a word. Then he went to Silver Wind, found a comfortable place and sat down against it. He stretched his body as if he wanted to lie down and have a good sleep there.


    Isis went back to Silver Wind too. She glanced at Rocky in an angry way and sat on the ground with her legs crossed, closing her eyes for rest. She needed to be prepared for the coming fight.


    But a moment later, she couldn''t help opening her eyes and looked at Rocky. "Where have you been for the past half month? We didn''t have any clue about you. If you had sent a message to us, I would not have gotten trapped here!"


    "Was it because the Timber Deity Empire used my whereabouts to lure you into here?" Rocky asked with frozen eyes.


    Isis nodded without saying a word. She was so annoyed at being cheated.


    "It must be the work of a betrayer who had sent you the false news. He lured you into this formation, and then sent me with another message to let me take the bait! It seems that the traitor knows us very well. He should be the one who had often contacted us during this period. Is it¡­" After thinking for a while, Rocky gathered up all the threads.

 Chapter 483 I Surrender

    "It was Dunn," said Isis. When she was trapped here, she had doubted Dunn, especially when she heard what Alyssa had said. As she recalled, it was nobody but Dunn who passed the false news to her. Then everything was clear enough.


    "Just like I thought," Rocky confirmed by nodding his head. Dunn had been cottoning up to him all the time and it made him feel creepy. Rocky paid attention to Dunn and found out that he was keeping eyes on him. He was confused why Dunn acted so weirdly. Now the reason was clear enough.


    "Right, then everything made sense. Alyssa knew all the things around you and how to deal with you because of him. Everything is crystal clear now," said Isis thoughtfully. She was joining the puzzles, event by event to get clarity.


    "But I don''t understand. Dunn has been promoted to the main camp just a short period ago and he''d been staying in the small military camp. How did he manage to know everything?" questioned Rocky. He was unable to figure out the situation. He wanted answers to all the questions in his head.


    "That''s right. Since Timber Deity Empire knows everything about our Crimson Dragon Group, the traitor must have been worked in our camps for ages. Otherwise they wouldn''t have learned so much about us. Also they might have been keen observers," said Isis. She agreed with Rocky and was lost in her thoughts. They were inspecting layer by layer in their heads.


    ''It seems that things are more and more complicated than I''ve thought...'' Rocky said in his mind and knitted his eyebrows. He was still figuring out as it was a huge reveal. Then he put his eyes on Isis and asked, "Tell me, are you always a good fighter? How did you fall into their trap so easily? Was there anything wrong? Why did you come here alone in the first place? Don''t you know that it''s dangerous?"


    "Oh! It''s a long story. Can''t wrap it up soon. Forget it. I got nothing to say," said Isis. Isis was too embarrassed to tell him that she got caught in their trap because all her heart had been concentrated on him. She would rather die than telling him right in his face and decided to keep it a secret until it was the right time. Isis didn''t want to tell Rocky about how her thoughts got fixated on him every time. It was embarrassing to accept.


    However, Rocky understood what was going on from the hesitating look on her face. She was caught because she was distracted worrying about him. But on the other hand, he thought that it was not a wise decision for her to come alone as it was unsafe. Rocky always had a soft corner for Isis. He respected her bravery.


    "Listen, ride Silver Wind to leave here if you get a chance later, and I''ll cover you," said Rocky seriously and looked into her eyes.


    "No, I won''t. I''ll stay here with you. Maybe I can help you out," said Isis hesitantly. She refused to leave and wanted to support him. After all she hadn''t taken all the trouble to leave the situation the way it was.


    "Drop that stupid idea. It''s not the right time to be cranky. You are more important than me to the Crimson Dragon Army. If they take you as a hostage to threaten the Commander in Chief, it will be a heavy blow to the army. The Comman


    power the last time and was still a little scared of him. Thus he looked at him with a weird expression. Rocky had made a very solid impression last time. He was indeed a brave person.


    "Being highly appreciated by the prince makes me feel flattered," replied Rocky with an exaggerated look on his face. He was glad that he performed well last time. Getting a compliment from a prince meant a lot to him.


    "It''s good of you to say so and I really appreciate it. But don''t you think it''s rude of you to invite me here this way? I think we''d better find a place to sit down and have a cup of tea. We need to discuss and decide many things as it is a matter of complexity," said Rocky calmly. He seemed to be negotiable and interested in their suggestion.


    "Good idea. Now that Mr. Bai has suggested, why not? Let''s go ahead," said Woods.


    "Your Highness, do you really believe that he will join us?" asked Liam. He didn''t believe anything Rocky had said. He found it to be very uncertain.


    "Don''t worry about that. I''m a coward and always fond of all kinds of treasures. You guys still remember the battle last time? The Command in Chief of Crimson Dragon Army guaranteed me one supreme Dark Heaven Egg, one yellow spiritual crystal and plus one high-level Dark Heaven Egg. That was the reason why I was there to fight for them. Therefore I am a man who''s ready to talk and negotiate if necessary. If the Timber Deity Empire wants me, then show your sincerity. I''ll join you as long as I get what I want. By the way, I promise I can help you to destroy the Crimson Dragon Army in a month. Deal? I always want to challenge myself," said Rocky with a cunning look. He wanted to be sure of what was happening.


    "What are you talking, Rocky? Come on! Have you lost your mind?" Isis shouted. She turned pale as if she was struck by lightning. She couldn''t believe her own ears. This man had agreed to save her life just an hour ago. But now he surrendered to their enemy. She couldn''t understand what was happening and wanted clarity. It was controversial. Isis felt betrayed for some reason because she trusted Rocky a lot.

 Chapter 484 Glory, Wealth and Rank

    "Deputy Commander in Chief, it seems I have no other choice, now that disaster is imminent. However, I''d rather join the Timber Deity Empire than die here alongside you," Rocky said wistfully. "At least there, I can enjoy a few precious moments of glory and wealth." Upon seeing that Isis was seething at his words, Rocky remained calm.


    "I must have misjudged you," replied Isis haughtily. She felt rage surging within her; she knew she shouldn''t have trusted him from the very beginning.


    Woods and Liam sensed the tension between Rocky and Isis. They exchanged glances.


    "Commander Bai, if you are truly willing to join Timber Deity Empire, you have to prove your loyalty to His Royal Highness. If you can fulfill my request, I will believe you." As Isis had begun to fume at Rocky, Liam had been observing them coldly.


    "Fine then, what is your request?" Rocky asked nonchalantly.


    "Kill her!" Liam said with a flourish, pointing a finger at Isis.


    Rocky turned to face Isis, a frown planted firmly on his face.


    "Liam..." Woods was stunned. He knew it was not in their best interest to have Isis killed, so he was dubious as to why Liam would test Rocky''s loyalty this way. After some thoughts, however, he realized that this might be the only way to test Rocky, thus he allowed Liam to have his way.


    "You evil bastards!" Isis spat at Liam. She glared at him, her eyes filled with rage.


    "Commander Bai," ignoring Isis, Liam turned to Rocky. "If you kill her, I swear I will introduce you to the lovely princess. I promise you a life full of luxury." Liam''s eyes shone mischievously.


    "But I''m no match for her," Rocky answered reluctantly.


    "That''s easy," Liam replied with a devious smile. He nodded towards the only girl among the Heavenly Stage masters.


    The woman acknowledged him by gently waving her slender arm. A wooden mark climbed up seemingly from nowhere, like vines intertwined. At its peak, a tender flower blossomed. The flower glided through the air, entering the magic array. It seemed to be making its way towards Isis.


    Upon seeing the approaching flower, Isis stepped back, gathered her spiritual power, and infused it into her arm which turned into a wind dashing toward the flower in a flash. Hit by the blow from Isis, the flower exploded into


    gic Spiritual Space opened by Rocky. Colorful clouds appeared on the unicorn''s forehead, and Rocky immediately pressed his hand on it.


    By the time Liam and the other Heavenly Stage masters realized what was happening, Rocky and Isis had vanished like vapor.


    "Where are they?" Liam roared furiously. Liam''s eyes widened in shock. He desperately looked back and forth, unable to grasp their disappearance.


    "I didn''t expect Commander Bai to perform such a strange feat," Woods commented in wonder. "How interesting!" As opposed to his people who were furious and anxious, Woods appeared to be very calm despite the fact that Rocky had vanished from thin air.


    "They can''t be far. Find them for me right now!" Liam demanded.


    Just then, Silver Wind, who had been lying on the ground all the whole time, suddenly came to trouble them. It rushed towards Liam and other Heavenly Stage masters to block their way.


    Two masters quickly summoned their spirit-manipulated beasts to attack Silver Wind.


    The rest of the masters split up, trying to find Rocky and Isis.


    "Your Royal Highness, you knew that Rocky was lying. Why did you let him go?" Liam asked, confused and frustrated.


    "The poison in Isis could lead to her death if her burning sexual desire cannot be satisfied. So the only way to save her is..." Woods said with a mysterious smile. "We don''t need to search for them. Instead, inform the Crimson Dragon Army of the news that Isis is captured in Mount Clouds and then wait for an excellent show," he added.

 Chapter 485 Help Me

    At the same moment, Rocky was flying like a flash through a forest while carrying Isis in his arms. He kept on looking back to ensure that nobody was chasing after them.


    At the present time, Isis'' body was covered by her own sweat. As the poison spread through her body she moaned out of pain, which made Rocky feel uncomfortable.


    "Can''t you just be quiet and stay still? You need to conserve your energy," he said. Laying his eyes at the woman in his arms, Rocky noticed that her face glowed like a rose and her eyes were glistening.


    "It''s... It''s none of your business, you idiot! Aren''t you supposed to be going somewhere? You were on your way to the Timber Deity Empire! Then, why? Why would you do something like that? Why did you even bother to save me?" The poison inside Isis'' body made her delirious. After hearing what he said, she immediately raised her fist and punched him but her strength only lasted for few hits.


    "Putting up an act like that was th


    tual power. If spiritual power was used against the poison, it would make her misery even more painful. Magical saliva was powerless as well.


    "To cleanse her body from the poison as soon as possible, I''m afraid the only way is..." Rocky gazed at her with hesitation.


    "Please save me..." Isis said weakly.


    "I want to save you, but it worries me that you might regret it as long as you live if I do it," Rocky replied. In a matter of life and death, Rocky was shattering into pieces inside disconcerted with the right decision to make. If he rescued her by entering her womanhood, Isis would resent him very much when she came into her senses.

 Chapter 486 We Shall Talk About This After She Is Awake

    Rocky tried hard to pull himself away from Isis. He couldn''t resist. Her immense beauty tempted him. Her misted eyes, alluring red lips and breathtaking gasp induced more desire and he couldn''t suppress his feelings. His strong desire for sex revealed his evil side and his eyes suddenly changed.


    He wrapped his arms around her and pressed her against the ground. He couldn''t control himself anymore and wanted to own this woman.


    Instantly their lips pressed together and everything happened swiftly.


    Rocky moved towards Isis and they kissed for a while. She could hear the whispers of his breath and fast heart beats. Isis sobered up in a while as her lust was greatly satisfied.


    Rocky was on top of her when she opened her eyes. He looked very sexy and charming while looking directly into her innocent eyes.


    Isis subconsciously found Rocky handsome and deeply attractive. But she had never accepted it. Now entire scenario seemed to be quite shocking. Rocky continued kissing her looking right into her eyes, trying to claim his right on her. They couldn''t stop what they were doing and she surrendered herself to his gentle dominating kisses.


    Isis drowned in the wave of joy. She couldn''t restrain her feelings with the immense lust she had. Her desire enhanced and she decided to give Rocky whatever he wanted.


    At this moment, there was a flash of complexity in her eyes. Isis did not anticipate her relationship with Rocky would be sensual.


    Suddenly, a happy smile spread over her face.


    However, Rocky was drenched in the moment and didn''t notice that Isis had regained consciousness.


    She remained silent as she didn''t intend to let him know that she was awake. The effect of the philter powder had reduced by then.


    At last, she made a decision that was beyond her mere expectation.


    She let herself indulged in Rocky''s touch and kiss. At last, she felt a sting, and her beautiful face slightly wrinkled.


    The effect of the philter powder got stronger again, drowning her again into the wave of lust. She was in a dreamy world, feeling every stroke on her skin.


    The Crimson Dragon Army was in a mess after Isis had disappeared for two days. No one knew the reason of her missing.


    They couldn''t find enough clues of her disappearance as the hidden spies had covered them up quickly. It was a puzzled situation with no ends to join.


    When Lance got the news, he rushed over from the main camp and immediately sent his men to look for Isis. But they still couldn''t find her after searching for days.


    Lance became worried about his


    hurt?" questioned Marin. She wanted answers. Seeing the expressions on Rocky''s face, Marin asked him hastily. She was pretty sure her cousin was badly hurt.


    As Rocky remained silent, Marin became more worried and rushed into the cave without wasting any more time.


    Rocky could do nothing but let Marin run into the cave.


    "Aaahhhhhhh!" screamed Marin alarmingly. Rocky had anticipated this as he knew that anyone would be shocked seeing Isis in that state.


    On hearing this, Lance and Sabina rushed into the cave. They saw Isis lying on the rock.


    In astonishment, Marin saw that Isis wore nothing but covered with her clothes.


    Some of her clothes were scattered on the ground. Hickeys were scattered over her body, so that they could see some of them on her uncovered arms.


    This sight enraged the commanders. Lance turned his face right away as he saw this scene. He couldn''t bear seeing his one and only daughter lying half naked in a terrible condition.


    At this time, Rocky also came into the cave. He didn''t know how to act upon the misery.


    Lance turned around, grabbed Rocky by the collar and asked him angrily, "What the hell is going on? Why would Isis be in such a bad condition? Why is she naked? What have you done to her?" Rocky froze and didn''t move for a moment. He knew that he was furious.


    Both Marin and Sabina looked at Rocky with violent rage, eager to know what had happened to Isis. They were expecting him to reply.


    Knowing that it would be useless to explain anything to them now, Rocky said calmly, "Even if I want to explain to you, you won''t believe what I say.


    Let''s talk about it after she wakes up." Rocky hoped to make them understand everything in peace.

 Chapter 487 The Philter Powder Aftermath

    "Commander in Chief, he was right. Once Isis wakes up, there''s ample time to discuss it. Thanks god, she''s fine. If Rocky has wronged her, it won''t end well for him."


    Sabina directed her furious, ice-cold gaze towards Rocky.


    Hearing this, Lance released Rocky from his grip. "Take care of her," he said as he turned to Marin and Sabina. After voicing out his order, pure, boiling anger shot out from deep within his heart. He waved his sleeves as he came out of the cave. Isis was used to be a proud person. But this time, he found her lying on the rocky ground, nearly naked. No one who dared to hurt her would be spared from his wrath.


    Seeing this, Rocky took Uriah and Rubygon into his Magic Spiritual Space.


    Seeing Rocky open the Magic Spiritual Space with such ease baffled Lance.


    "How did you break into the Heavenly Stage so quickly?


    You''ve only been gone from camp for a few days!" asked Lance. ''If he didn''t have any treasure to help him in cultivation, he certainly took the time to become a genius!'' thought Lance.


    "It didn''t take that long, to be honest," Rocky answered. With nothing to hide, Rocky replied casually.


    Lance couldn''t help glancing at Rocky. He knew that Rocky was just at the eighth grade of the Earthly Stage.


    In a short period, he advanced from that level to the Heavenly Stage. Lance couldn''t help but be amazed at his progress.


    Then Lance wondered, ''How long has Rocky been hiding his strength?


    It''s unbelievable!''


    Within the cave, an exhausted Isis was in a deep slumber. Marin and Sabina didn''t intend to wake her up. They quickly snatched up the clothes on the ground and proceeded to help her get changed.


    Upon lifting Isis'' clothes, they noticed something on her inner thighs. It was a dark red bloodstain.


    An enraged Marin rushed out of the cave.


    As they were about to wrap up their conversation, Rocky and Lance overheard Marin screaming angrily from behind, "Rocky, you bastard!"


    Turning on his heel, Rocky was met with a harsh slap across the face from Marin. He didn''t respond, for he knew it was what he deserved.


    "What happened to Isis, Marin?" Lance frowned at Marin''s sudden yet violent mood swing.


    "Isis has been... has been... sleeping with him." Marin stared at Rocky like a ferocious dog¡ªbaring and gnashing its teeth.


    Anyone who saw the rage in her eyes wouldn''t be surprised if she killed Rocky right then and there.


    Even with the few words that Marin shouted, Lance clearly knew what she implied. Lance''s expression changed.


    The now irate Commander in Chief''s face was distorted in anger. Without warning, he swung his palms and out came a huge wave of spiritual power that was ready to strike Rocky down.


    Instantly, he came up with a thousand ways to torture Rocky for taking advantage of Isis.


    Likewise, Rocky''s expression changed as he immediately gathered his own spi


    care of an old experienced military doctor, her tent was guarded by Lance, Marin, and Sabina.


    The doctor was quite familiar with Isis'' normal health conditions since he often treated her.


    Upon completing his examination, he stood up with a strange look on his face.


    "How is she, doctor?" Lance quickly asked the doctor.


    "Her pulse is quite odd. It appears she has been aroused by a lust inducing poison.


    Moreover, the poison has hindered her spiritual power''s circulation and blocked her meridians. Even with its release, the fire of lust has left her gravely injured.


    She''ll wake up in around two to three days and will need even more time to heal.


    Don''t worry too much, Commander in Chief. She''ll be fine." The doctor saluted them before explaining the situation.


    "She''s been poisoned?" They were all confused. Who would poison Isis? She was always cautious of those she surrounded herself with.


    However, they had yet to know the truth.


    "Did Rocky poison and take advantage of her?" Lance asked himself and wondered.


    "Rocky had no valid reason to do such a thing. It''s more likely the siege is to blame for the Silver Wind''s injury. Rocky couldn''t hurt Silver Wind like that by himself.


    Its wounds were caused by the spiritual power from different sects," Sabina confirmed. Aside from Silver Wind''s wounds, Sabina was also concerned about Rocky''s silence. It was all so complicated.


    If Rocky had anything to hide or did something wrong, he would''ve tried to escape. But he didn''t. He came back to the camp with them instead.


    "But why was he in the Mount Clouds? And¡­" Lance failed to finish his next sentence.


    He trembled in anger and shouted, "I have to deal with Rocky right now.


    Otherwise, all of our reputations will be ruined if this news spreads." He left the tent swiftly.


    Marin and Sabina looked at each other and knew for certain that Rocky was in deep trouble.

 Chapter 488 What Is Your Purpose

    At the next moment, Marin and Sabina were following Lance, who just reached outside Rocky''s tent. The two guards on duty outside the tent were trembled at the sight of Lance''s spectral look. They bowed to him in a hurry, "Commander in Chief!"


    "You may leave now." Lance waved his hand.


    The two guards left in a hurry, as if they received a decree after years of waiting.


    Lance then walked straight into the tent, in a rage as if he was going to kill his enemy in the battlefield. However, both Marin and Sabina knew it wasn''t the best thing to do. They looked at each other for a while, and then hastened into the tent.


    At the same time, Rocky who was cultivating in the tent suddenly sensed the strong aura of Lance. As he opened his eyes and stood up, he saw Lance walking into the tent and staring at him. As a result, his pressure surged up.


    If it was an ordinary spirit manipulator, his whole body would have trembled owing to his weakness. However, this was Rocky, who looked calm and fearless as always. He just stared back straight into Lance''s eyes.


    Lance walked up to Rocky and shouted with his husky voice, "Rocky, this is your chance. Explain to me why you did that to Isis. If you are to hide anything from me, then I will kill you with no mercy."


    On hearing the tone in which Lance spoke, Marin and Sabina were quite shocked.


    "Haven''t I told you? Everything would be clearer as the Deputy Commander in Chief wakes up. And even if I were to explain now, the Commander in Chief is not in a position to understand my explanation, as he is too angry," Rocky responded calmly.


    "Although Isis has been detoxified, it will take at least two to three days for her to wake up. But, I don''t want to wait anymore." Lance was always cautious. But he found it hard to tolerate that Rocky, who he had trusted the most, had indeed done such a vile thing to his daughter. So now, he was curious to


    ith no other options." Rocky quickly had a glance at Lance and hesitated for a while before saying. Now, the only remaining option for them was to verify the situation. Even if Lance didn''t believe what Rocky had said, he could delay the investigation till Isis woke up.


    Just when Rocky was about to explain, a voice came up from outside the tent. "Commander in Chief, I have something to inform you."


    "Come in." Hearing this, Lance gestured.


    A figure then walked in and it was the Frontline Commander, Tod.


    "Commander, what''s going on?" Lance asked with his darkened eyes.


    "Commander in Chief, these two belonged to the Deputy Commander in Chief. A female guard found it from her perfume bag. Due to the disappearance of the Deputy Commander in Chief, I thought I should have them examined by you." Finishing his words, Tod immediately handed over two crumpled letters.


    While handing over the two letters to Lance, he gave a strange look at Rocky.


    At this time, Lance took over the two letters. He was in shock with his eyes widely opened. Then he shouted at Rocky at the next moment, "It seems you are the arch-criminal responsible for Isis'' disappearance. It was you who lured her to the Mount Clouds on purpose. Now tell me what your purpose was for this."

 Chapter 489 Was He Going To Die

    Lance held the two letters in his hands and stared at them with angry eyes. He said it was Rocky who led Isis to Mount Clouds. Marin and Sabina were worried he may tear the letters apart. They were curious of what was in the letters, but afraid to ask further because Lance seemed to be fuming.


    "Commander in Chief," Marin asked. "What''s in those letters?" Marin waited for a response.


    Lance looked up from the letters and stared directly at Rocky with piercing eyes. Rocky glanced at the two letters. He started to feel like it was something about him.


    "Read them yourself." Lance dropped the letters. Marin caught both of them.


    Sabina joined Marin in opening the letters. After reading the letters, they both let out a gasp.


    "I am trapped in Mount Clouds," one of the letters said. It was signed by Rocky. The other letter had an entirely different message, yet they seemed to have been written by the same person because the handwriting of the two were the same.


    The letter that bore Rocky''s signature suggested that Isis went to Mount Clouds in the first place because she received a letter from Rocky.


    "Perhaps someone pretended to be Rocky? Maybe they used Rocky to lure Isis into a trap," Sabina speculated.


    "Everyone knows that the Deputy Commander in Chief wouldn''t be gullible. Maybe Isis held on to the other letter to compare the handwriting. We could always ask Commander Rocky directly." Tod joined the group.


    "Was this letter written by you?" Marin handed one of the letters to Rocky.


    Rocky did not deny that the letter was written by him. It was a letter he wrote to Camp Director Louis when he was still in logistics camp.


    Marin then switched the letter in her hands with the one that said, "I am tra


    ragon Army.


    Rocky knew that he was powerless against Lance. He no longer tried to defend himself. Still, he found it disappointing that Lance was gullible enough to fall for this.


    "Commander in Chief, let Rocky explain himself." Marin tried to calm Lance down. "It will be too late if you kill him." Marin was breathing heavily. She couldn''t handle the idea of Rocky being killed. She felt deep sadness and heaviness in her heart.


    "No need." Rocky seemed calm. "I don''t need to explain myself. But I will not go down without a fight." Rocky''s mood shifted. Rocky hated that Lance did not trust him enough, but he had enough pride in him to not beg to be believed. He knew that Lance was now deaf to his explanations. The only option he had was to flee.


    He knew that he had to fight with Lance. However, Lance was already at the Divine Stage. It would be impossible for a spirit manipulator merely at the third grade of the Heavenly Stage to defeat someone of that power.


    Rocky''s mind was spinning. He had to quickly make a decision. Was fighting him worth it? Did he have time to flee? Lance could easily kill him with a flick of a hand. What should he do?

 Chapter 490 To Protect Rocky

    At the same time, the spiritual power around Rocky surged sharply. Spiritual power in interlacing black and red colors enveloped his body like raging flames, increasing his might.


    Lance was also shocked when he saw the color of Rocky''s spiritual power. He had never seen this kind of spiritual power before. It was different from any other type of spiritual power¡ªit was suffused with Fire.


    "You are a royal spirit manipulator?" Lance asked. Astonishment was etched on his face. Although he didn''t see the Dragon Spirit Mark on Rocky''s arm, his cultivation stage allowed him to perceive that Rocky was a royal spirit manipulator.


    Rocky raised his eyebrows and sneered, "Whether I am or not, does it matter? Now that Commander in Chief wants to kill me, he shouldn''t ask too many questions."


    "Young man, you''re already at death''s door, but you still have your nose in the air¡­" Lance was quite riled by Rocky''s arrogance. Had Rocky begged or explained to him humbly, he might''ve hesitated. But Rocky''s attitude was still so full of defiance and thus his anger burned even fiercer.


    Lance''s stare towards Rocky sharpened. The strong spiritual power his body emitted suddenly shrouded the whole tent. This made Rocky, Marin, and Sabina feel much more pressured.


    Marin knew that Lance wanted to kill Rocky and that it was already too late to stop him now. She, however, didn''t want to kill Rocky. She thought that it wouldn''t be too late to make a decision after her cousin woke up. Moreover, Rocky hadn''t given them any explanation. It was as if he was faced with some hard problems he couldn''t tell others. Therefore, it was a little hard for her to judge his crime only by those two letters.


    But once Lance made up his mind, no one could change it.


    At this moment, Lance made a slight move, and in the next second, he already stood before Rocky. This scene didn''t scare Rocky in the slightest. Even though he knew he wasn''t a match for Lance, he wouldn''t sit still and wait


    happened between him and Isis. Only when she wakes up can we know all the truth."


    "In addition, judging from the injuries on Silver Wind, it is obvious that it had a fierce battle with some kind of masters. In other words, something else might have happened before we met Rocky and Isis, and it was what caused Silver Wind to be seriously injured." After a pause, Sabina made a bold guess.


    Lance thought that what Sabina said made sense. He was impulsive just now, but he still thought that Rocky was to blame for what had happened to his daughter.


    "For the sake of you and your master, I will spare his life for the time being. Though he can be spared from death, he still has to be punished! Now, I am announcing the cancelation of Rocky''s duty as an Elite Commander. He is to be relegated to the logistics camp as a breeder, effective immediately. Furthermore, Commander Marin, from now on, you should keep watch on Rocky. He cannot leave the logistics camp even for half a step. He won''t be convicted until Isis wakes up and we know the truth," Lance ordered grudgingly, all the while glaring at Rocky.


    "Going back to the logistics camp? That''s great¡­ However, you''ll definitely regret this!" Upon hearing what Lance said, Rocky sneered and cast a playful look at him. When he spoke, however, his tone sounded firm.

 Chapter 491 He Is Unpredictable

    Irritated by Rocky''s arrogance, Lance suddenly thought of something. Thus, he said in a deep voice, "I think you owe me something."


    Upon hearing this, Rocky raised his eyebrows. Of course, he was aware of what Lance meant. He took out the Crimson Dragon Token from his pocket and then threw it back to Lance. And then, he walked towards the exit of the tent with his hands clasped behind his back.


    "From now on, I am no longer a Commander of the Crimson Dragon Group," Sabina declared, nodded to Lance, and left along with Rocky. Since the purpose behind her visit to the Gehenna Border was already revealed, she didn''t need to act in a disguised manner and could stay with Rocky to protect him.


    "Commander in Chief, can I then¡­" Marin hesitated, and looked at Lance, revealing her difficult situation.


    "Just follow him. Don''t let that guy slip away under your eyes," Lance ordered and waved his hand.


    Marin nodded her head and left the tent as well.


    After everyone in the tent made their exit, Lance looked at the Crimson Dragon Token in his hand and sighed. He was aware that he too was responsible for the events that had taken place. It was he who relied too much upon Rocky, thus resulting in the irreparable tragedy happening to his daughter.


    Yet, Lance was unaware of the entire truth of the matter. It was more complicated than he had imagined. His current decision was something the Timber Deity Empire had been expecting.


    After leaving the tent, Rocky summoned his war beast, Rubygon and was about to leave the Crimson Dragon Army camp.


    At that moment, Sabina and Marin caught up with Rocky.


    "Hey, where are you going?" Marin asked as she saw Rocky''s movements.


    "Back to the logistics camp," Rocky said upon turning back. Then he jumped onto Rubygon''s back and gave it a gentle pat.


    Rubygon gave out a loud roar, moved its long and strong limbs and ran at full speed. Marin and Sabina too followed Rocky and rode their own spirit-manipulated beasts.


    After travell


    by her imposing manner and arrogance, he knew the woman was out of ordinary. He asked respectfully, "Excuse me, but may I know who you are?"


    Sabina just nodded without any reply.


    "Camp Director Louis, this is Officer Ji." Seeing this, Marin introduced Sabina to Louis. Although Sabina had removed herself from the position of Commander, she was still one of the Deputy Commanders in Chief of the Rime Army. Holding such a high position, she should definitely be regarded as a big shot.


    "Camp Director Louis, have all the spirit-manipulated beasts injured during the recent period been sent to the logistics camp?" Rocky asked abruptly.


    "That''s right. They all are at the beast farm in the west. Since the farm hasn''t been taken care of by anyone yet, those injured spirit-manipulated beasts that have been sent into it can''t get any treatment. After all, they are all just rubbish spirit-manipulated beasts. No one wants to take care of them¡­" Louis replied while nodding his head.


    "I know. I''ll go there first. You can just continue with your conversation¡­" Rocky smiled and walked out after taking a glance at Marin and Sabina.


    The two women were left confused, seeing that Rocky was actually in a good mood. They could notice that after returning to the logistics camp, he was not being disturbed with any previous incidents.

 Chapter 492 Call Me Captain

    Rocky walked out of Louis''s tent and proceeded towards the beast farm of the logistics camp. When he arrived at the beast farm, he observed that the whole farm was filled with all kind of articles, almost like a dustbin. All round it was a mess and he could also hear fitful howl coming from inside.


    "It''s unbelievable to see the beast farm left over like this¡­" Rocky frowned with discontent. He walked into the stable and there was a strong odor of the spirit-manipulated beasts'' excrement. It was obvious that no one had ever cleaned it.


    About twenty to thirty injured spirit-manipulated beasts were crowded in the stable. Their gaunt and fleshless appearance proved that they hadn''t eaten for days. It was evident that they were abused heavily.


    Rocky gazed with coldness for a while. Then, he walked out of the stable and stopped at the door. He looked at the articles lying outside and then burned them off into ashes by unleashing several Evil Flames towards them. He didn''t bother whether those articles were of any use or not, but just wanted to empty some space outside.


    Then he walked into the stable and led all the spirit-manipulated beasts into the space outside. He called in Uriah and Rubygon and instructed them to watch over those beasts. Then, from the ditch beside, he fetched several buckets of water and washed the stable thoroughly. After washing, he splashed the ashes of the burned articles over the whole stable in order to absorb the odor.


    Then Rocky walked outside the stable and asked Uriah and Rubygon to help him in cleaning the spirit-manipulated beasts. After that, they checked the wounds of those beasts and rearranged them into different stables. The rearrangement was done according to the condition of their injuries as this would help in treating them in order.


    It was almost dusk as they finished all their work. The afterglow of the sunset scattered on the open space outside the stable.


    Just then, two beautiful figures, quite charming against the light, approached towards Rocky.


    They were Marin and Sabina.


    As Ro


    ief wakes up. What I had done may not be right. But in that situation, I had no other option." Rocky said to the two women. The look on his face revealed the seriousness of his words.


    The two women were stunned upon hearing Rocky''s words. They didn''t fully understand the depth of his words, but when they came back to their senses, he had already gone.


    After a while, Rocky went back to Louis''s tent.


    "Commander Bai¡­" As soon as Louis saw Rocky, he saluted with respect.


    "I''m not a commander anymore. I''m just a breeder. Therefore, just call me by my name," Rocky replied while folding his arms across his chest.


    "I don''t think it''s proper." Louis knew that irrespective of whatever he was informed, Rocky was somebody who made great contributions to the Crimson Dragon Army. Although, he was unaware about the reason for Rocky''s return to the logistics camp, he felt that Rocky would definitely stay there for a short time and would probably go back to the front line to fight soon.


    "Then call me whatever you like except Commander," Rocky said, with raised eyebrows.


    "Then we should call you Captain Rocky," Louis answered after thinking for a while.


    Rocky shrugged with no objection.


    "Captain Rocky, you came back just in time. Actually, I''m really troubled with the order from the Commander in Chief," At this moment, Louis arched his hand and said.

 Chapter 493 Rocky Smiled

    "What order can make you so worried, Camp Director Louis?" asked Rocky. Looking at Louis, Rocky knew that Louis seemed really in a dilemma.


    "Commander in Chief ordered a few days ago that the logistics camp should speed up the supply of grains and materials. However, now the battle line of the Crimson Dragon Army is too long and scattered. With the current capacity of the logistics camp, it is almost impossible to speed up the supply of the grains and materials," Louis replied.


    "You can report the actual situation to the Commander in Chief and ask him to increase the soldiers of the logistics camp," suggested Rocky after thinking for a while. He knew that he should definitely find a solution to the problem to help them.


    "Easier said than done. In order to attack the Deity Unicorn Valley, the Crimson Dragon Army has gathered thirty thousand soldiers and ten thousand reinforcements. The rest of soldiers have to guard other strategically important places. There are no extra soldiers for the logistics camp. The Commander in Chief also knows this situation. But he still hopes the logistics camp can figure out a way to solve the problem," sighed Louis hesitantly. Solving the problem was a matter of urgency and Louis was quite considerate about the issue.


    "Lance is really good at forcing others to do what they can''t do!" Rocky sneered.


    Louis was surprised to hear Rocky calling out Commander in Chief by his name. After all, this showed disrespect towards Lance. Seeing Rocky''s look, he guessed that Rocky had quarreled with Lance and that was the reason for Rocky''s return to the logistics camp. But Louis looked up to Rocky with high respect as he was known for his achievements in the past.


    It was just a mere guess, so he didn''t ask much. He hoped that Rocky could come up with an idea to transport gains and materials to solve the current issue. Louis believed that Rocky could come up with an action plan which was far more effective than anything anyone in the camp would think of.


    Noticing Louis''s worries, Rocky said with hesitation, "Let me see, but I''m afraid it''s going to be very difficult according to the current situation."


    Rocky knew that he had to find a solution spontaneously and there was no more time to waste. He knew that loss of time meant loss of resources for the army.


    "Thank you! Captain Rocky," replied Louis delightedly. He was thankful for the sheer


    isdainful look at Rocky. She thought he was really not affected by the dismissal at all. After returning to the logistics camp, he felt at home. He was at peace. Besides, he did not feel guilty about his actions done to her cousin. Unless he was heartless, he would not have been worried. This made her more curious about what had happened and what Rocky meant by saying that before.


    "If you have nothing else to say, I will continue with my cultivation. If you want to spy on me, go ahead! I''m very generous. I won''t mind you taking advantage of me," said Rocky. Rocky turned around and jumped onto the stone. He closed his eyes and started to cultivate himself. It was a practice that brought him concentration.


    Marin was a little hesitant seeing him so indulgent in the process. She did not know whether she should continue to spy on him. But she stayed and sat beside the fire.


    When she saw the Frozen Wind Dagger near the fire, she felt the unique spiritual power released from it. The golden light gleamed and this made her curious. Marin couldn''t help but reach out to pick it up. She turned around to take a peek at Rocky as she didn''t want him to know.


    ''From where did he get such a rare Spiritual Weapon?'' Marin wondered. She observed it and was intrigued by its beauty. Soon her eyes caught its delicate handle. At the end of the handle there was a mark resembling a snowflake. She happened to recall this mark and knew that only one person in the Holy Dragon Empire had this mark. The person was Marcia, one of the Three Great Generals of the Holy Dragon Empire! She was struck realizing this.

 Chapter 494 A Man of Mystery

    "Why is there an inscription of General Marcia''s Snowflake Mark on this Spiritual Weapon?" Marin wondered while holding the Frozen Wind Dagger in her hand. At the back of her head, she knew the answer to her question, but she was still in disbelief. It was obvious that the Frozen Wind Dagger belonged to Marcia. Otherwise, it couldn''t have Snowflake Mark. Besides, Frozen Wind Dagger was a very special Spiritual Weapon, which was extremely rare. The Frozen Wind Dagger with the Snowflake Mark on it meant that it was Marcia''s favorite.


    An even bigger question for Marin then was what Rocky had been doing with the weapon. In the first place, how did he even acquire it? Marcia should have been carefully protecting such a precious weapon. It would have been impossible for Rocky to get a hold of the weapon. Unless Marcia willingly gifted the dagger to Rocky. But why would Marcia even do that?


    "Does it have anything to do with his secret identity?" Marin''s hand scratched her chin. Marin thought there was something more to the story. Sabina had been tasked to protect Rocky. Perhaps he had a special relationship with Marcia. And so Marcia sent Sabina to protect Rocky.


    Sabina was Marcia''s apprentice. If she sent her apprentice to protect Rocky, he must have been special to her.


    Marin''s mind was in places. She felt like she barely knew who Rocky was. He had too many secrets. Much more, she could not comprehend what Marcia, one of the Three Great Generals from Holy Dragon Empire, had to do with him. The Commander in Chief used to speculate that Rocky was a member of the royal family. It


    instinct was to deny everything that Sabina said. But even she knew everything Sabina said was true.


    "You''d better go back. Keep a distance between you and him. It''s what''s best for you," Sabina added.


    "But," Marin insisted, "I had orders from the Commander in Chief." Marin knew that the sight of Rocky distracted her.


    "Don''t worry about him. I''ll look after him. Just take care of Isis. When she wakes up, you will know the truth. Prepare yourself," Sabina advised.


    "Do you think Rocky really did that?" Marin asked. Deep down, she knew what Sabina meant.


    "All I know is that Isis holds the truth. Right now, the Commander in Chief might be regretting his decision, just like Rocky predicted. This is a terrible thing for the Crimson Dragon Army. Maybe..." Suddenly, something occurred to Sabina.


    "Maybe what?" Marin''s curiosity was piqued.


    Sabina shook her head. "Nothing. Please message as soon as Isis wakes up." Sabina wanted to know the truth as well.


    Marin wanted to ask more, but decided against it. She summoned Verdanim and left.

 Chapter 495 She Really Lost It

    The wind caressed the grass gently like the touch of silk on the skin. The sky was bright with the morning sun, not too harsh but not too cold either. It was a perfect day in the Deity Unicorn Valley. It was a complete contrast to the palpable tension that escalated by the minute in the Crimson Dragon Army''s camp.


    Inside the temporarily-built beast stable, Lance paced restlessly. He looked anxiously at Silver Wind whose injuries were gradually getting worse since it arrived. Its health deteriorated in every breath it took while the beast curer of the army was too dim-witted to heal it.


    "Where are the beast curers of the main camp? Shouldn''t they have arrived by now?" Lance asked the guard furiously as he passed that corner of the stable for probably the fiftieth time on that day.


    "They are on the way," the guard answered hesitantly. He cowered away from Lance''s restless movements, afraid he would anger him if he gave the same answer to his repetitive questions.


    Lance didn''t notice his guard''s reactions, of course. He was too preoccupied with Silver Wind''s condition, worried it could die at any moment. It was his daughter''s beloved spirit-manipulated beast. His daughter''s condition was already grim; if something happened to her precious beast, it could be detrimental to her. The last thing he wanted for her was to suffer more.


    Soon, a commotion sounded from outside. Three people were rushed in, escorted by several guards. Before the guard even announced their presence, he was on his feet.


    "Commander in Chief, the three beast curers of the main camp have arrived."


    "Commander in Chief..." The three beast curers went to Lance and bowed in homage.


    "Enough of this courtesy. Go and check the injuries of Silver Wind," Lance immediately ordered them.


    The three beast curers surrounded the dying Silver Wind and scrutinized its injuries. They looked at each other and shook their heads in resignation. However, they all looked reluctant to tell Lance their diagnosis.


    "How is it?" Lance asked. He glared at the three beast curers who were as useful as a bag of rocks. They were just standing around when he expected them to be healing Silver Wind.


    "Commander in Chief, all the organs of Silver Wind have been damaged. Its heart, its arteries, and its veins have all been torn into tiny fragments. I''m afraid..." One of the curers started talking but trailed off as Lance''s face darkened with every word he uttered.


    He glar


    . However, she didn''t know that Rocky didn''t tell her father what truly happened back then.


    "What? He... he saved you?" Lance stuttered in surprise.


    "Yes, he did that to save me. Besides, I did it voluntarily, so it''s not his fault. Timber Deity Empire would have captured me if he hadn''t arrived on Mount Clouds in time. He saved me," Isis explained. She wondered what her father knew already and what she could tell him.


    "What happened when you were on Mount Clouds?" Lance was starting to realize that he had made a mistake. He was beginning to see that he did not know the whole story and he had judged Rocky prematurely.


    Isis patiently told him the whole story. She told him how the Timber Deity Empire used Rocky to seduce her and then used her as a bait to lure Rocky out until he was tricked into joining the Timber Deity Empire. Rocky pretended to join the Timber Deity Empire to save her without any hesitation, no matter what the cost. She explained that the reason that Rocky slept with her was that she was poisoned by the aphrodisiac powder. He could have left her and she would have died of her sexual desire.


    Lance felt more and more embarrassed as Isis told him the whole story. He thought that Rocky had done something unforgivable to his daughter, but it turned out that Rocky had actually saved his daughter. His daughter lost her reputation but, more importantly, she was alive. His daughter didn''t even blame Rocky, instead, she saw him as her savior. Despite all that, Rocky never protested. He kept his peace even when he was sent back to the logistics camp and even when the Crimson Dragon Token was taken from him.

 Chapter 496 Hes A Spy

    "You might''ve owed Rocky a lot for saving you. But your virginity, Isis? What on earth would convince you to¡­" Lance suddenly asked Isis with a strange expression. He was beginning to sense something.


    "I¡­ Father, please. Stop asking these ridiculous questions. You know that Rocky was unjustly accused. He has done nothing wrong. Besides, I''ve already uncovered the spy sent by the Timber Deity Empire. He''s been hiding in the Crimson Dragon Army for a long time. If he hadn''t set any traps, I would''ve never been given any clues to unravel his true identity. He was the spy who sent me the fake message that led me to the Mount Clouds," Isis explained to her father.


    "Who was it?" Lance asked, visibly irritated and angered. Rocky, as it turned out, was not the guy to be blamed.


    "It was Dunn," Isis confirmed.


    "Dunn? But why?" Lance inquired in confusion. Dunn had recently been promoted to Frontline Commander due to his high reputation. He had gone through all the necessary background checks and examinations, so there was no reason to believe he could be a traitor. However, Lance also knew that Isis would never lie to him on such an important matter. If she was right, then the Crimson Dragon Army was inevitably in danger. Being a Frontline Commander, Dunn was aware of the military secrets and all the attack plans they had. No wonder they couldn''t defeat the Timber Deity Empire even after many days'' fierce battles!


    "Didn''t Rocky tell you? He knew about it, as well." Surprised at her father''s reaction, Isis began to wonder why Rocky didn''t tell her father first.


    "All he asked of me was to find Dunn and confront him. He never told me Dunn was a traitor. As far as I know, Dunn was injured several days ago and returned to the main camp for treatment." Lance shook his head after his reveal.


    "Then why didn''t you listen to him?" Isis asked with a frown.


    "It was my fault. I didn''t take Rocky''s word seriously. He never told me Dunn was a spy. My judgment was clouded because of what he did to you." Like his daughter, Lance''s face darkened at the realization. His impulsive tendencies had gotten the better of him and led him to blame everything on Rocky and send him away to the logistics camp.


    "Father, you have to hurry and send out the order for Dunn''s arrest to the main camp immediately! However, I''m afraid he''s already left since my return." Isis hurried her steps. Even if the chances of Dunn still being in the camp were slim, they could still catch him if Lance just sent out the order. That would give Rocky enough time to confront Dunn.


    "I know. But you should get some rest. I''ll deal with it." Lance nodded before comforting Isis as best as he could. There was no turning back now. All that remained was to m


    " said Lance. Lance began to comfort his daughter.


    Isis knew that Sheridan was experienced in healing various spirit-manipulated beasts. He''d surely help Silver Wind get better in no time.


    Meanwhile, Sabina had just realized that Rocky was nowhere to be found the next morning. Sabina had looked for him multiple times at the logistics camp but to no avail.


    "Where on earth has he gone?" Sabina stared at the ground, exhausted from her search. Yesterday, she promised Marin that she would keep a close eye on him. Now Rocky was gone without a trace! How would she explain this to Marin and the Commander in Chief?


    "When I find you Rocky, I''ll make you wish you never left!" sworn Sabina. Wasting not a single second more, Sabina left the logistics camp quickly.


    Not far from the logistics camp, in a hidden forest, multiple trees were being cut down and dragged into a Magic Spiritual Space.


    Somewhere within the Magic Spiritual Space, three Dark Heaven Insects were busy pulling those trees into their designated positions.


    Rocky was keeping himself busy by processing some trees in his Magic Spiritual Space. Currently, he was in front of a building that began to take shape. This would soon be the laboratory that he had designed earlier.


    Rocky had planned on building a joint experiment base with various facilities¡ªa huge project that would consume a lot of his time. Up until now, he had only figured out the facility sizes along with some preliminary construction in his Magic Spiritual Space. This was going to take a while.


    His top priority at the moment was the laboratory. He needed to finish this first before continuing with his gene research. Although he tried his best to hide it, he was ecstatic that Lance had relocated him to the logistics camp. This gave him more time to do what he needed to do.

 Chapter 497 A Lofty Magic Spiritual Space

    Rocky wasn''t sure if the war would benefit him, but he did know that he would need the support of the Crimson Dragon Group in the future. Taking part in this war would help foster his relationship with them. If not for that, this war would merely be a revenge tactic against him.


    He wasn''t afraid he''d lose the trust of the Crimson Dragon Group. If Isis woke up, Lance would then realize he was wrong and want Rocky back. But he didn''t intend to intervene anymore. Timber Deity Empire was after him and they were now more dedicated in capturing him. Given his current state, trying to fight them would have been suicide. And so he decided to lie low and not intervene for the time being. He decided that he would only intervene if the Crimson Dragon Army seemed desperate.


    Rocky was deep in contemplation when he heard heavy breathing sounds around him. Before he could react, he saw someone enter his Magic Spiritual Space.


    Rocky quickly entered his Magic Spiritual Space and, true enough, he saw a delicate figure entering it. ''How did she find me?'' he thought.


    It was Sabina.


    Sabina was as confused as Rocky when she was inside the space. She thought she had entered a Magic Spiritual Space of a Divine Stage cultivator with as much power as her master. To her surprise, she found herself in Rocky''s territory.


    Sabina blinked. "Is this your Magic Spiritual Space?" She asked Rocky. The two stared at each other in disbelief.


    "Is there any problem?" Rocky asked in way of response. Sabina''s reaction reminded Rocky of Sheridan''s the first time he also came to the same place.


    "How is this


    pulated beasts. It would be a great honor to have had such a big Magic Spiritual Space.


    Sabina was a master at the Supernal Stage. She could only open a Magic Spiritual Space as large as an ordinary house with a limited capacity.


    For someone like Rocky to build a house inside his Magic Spiritual Space was unbelievable. Sabina was convinced more and more that he possessed unusual power and that nothing about him could be comprehensible with simple common sense.


    "You also deserve a large Magic Spiritual Space," Rocky remarked in an attempt to calm the envy in Sabina''s eyes.


    "Mine is nothing compared to yours. I''m really not sure how to feel after seeing yours," Sabina stammered. She tried to say something more, but instead decided to leave. Rocky was left alone.


    Rocky smiled. He couldn''t understand Sabina, but he felt at ease that she was protecting him. What he wanted to know was who was behind all of this. He had heard about her master from Sabina. He didn''t know who her master was, but he believed it must have something to do with her master.

 Chapter 498 What To Do

    "Although Sabina was sent to protect me, she seems to not know who I am. Perhaps the person who sent her knows, otherwise a person at the Supernal Stage wouldn''t have been sent to protect some random person. Who could her master be? Could it be Lena?" Rocky guessed. The beautiful image of Lena crossed his mind.


    The next day, Marin arrived at the camp near the Deity Unicorn Valley. She went straight to the tent of Isis knowing that she had woken up. When she got there, Isis was nowhere to be seen. Later, she was informed that she had been with Silver Wind.


    Marin went to the beast stable that was set up for Silver Wind and that is where she found Isis.


    "Isis," Marin called. She was relieved to finally see Isis safe and sound. But before a smile could form on her face, she noticed that Isis was sad.


    Isis looked up. "Marin," she started, "aren''t you supposed to be at the logistics camp? My father said you were sent there. Why are you here? My father''s message hasn''t been delivered yet."


    "I came back because I was worried about you," Marin reasoned.


    "I''m fine." Isis managed a small smile. She touched Marin''s forehead to comfort her.


    "Are you really fine? Do you recall what happened to you?" Marin wasn''t convinced. She assumed Lance hadn''t told Isis what had happened.


    "Yes, I do. I know that I lost my virginity." Her eyes gave no hint of any emotions. Calmness enveloped her face.


    Marin was surprised that Isis knew but, even more so, she was skeptical of her calmness. I


    from her father who made her feel a special kind of affection.


    "What were you trying to say?" Marin tried to read Isis'' weird expression.


    Isis shook her head. "It was nothing." She allowed her mind to wander off.


    "Are you sure you''d be okay confronting what happened between you and Rocky?" Marin confirmed. Even if Rocky had good intentions, being forced to have sex still wasn''t a small thing to take. But Isis was surprisingly calm.


    "Why wouldn''t I be? He saved me." Isis blushed. Rocky was the first man she had been with. Maybe that''s why he was so dear to her. He gave her indescribable feelings.


    Marin was silent. She realized that Isis looked like a woman in love. She knew Isis well. She knew that Isis wouldn''t have the heart to see him if she resented him. But now, Isis was even willing to go look for Rocky.


    Marin panicked. It looked like Isis was growing a crush on Rocky, just like her.


    She wouldn''t want both of them to fall for the same man. She wouldn''t know what to do.

 Chapter 499 He Is Excellent

    Another day passed in a twinkle of an eye. Time flew from dawn to dusk.


    Without even taking a sip of water, Sheridan rushed over from the headquarters in a long distance. He immediately rushed to the beast stable which was temporarily set up for Silver Wind to check its condition.


    Lance, Isis and Marin were waiting fretfully outside the stable. They all expected Sheridan could give them a good news. They were desperately waiting for the news that would bring a wide smile on their faces.


    It had been a while before Sheridan came out of the stable.


    "How could Silver Wind be so badly hurt?" Sheridan asked, frowning.


    "Is there any way to cure him, Sheridan?" asked Lance. "We need it to be alright, can''t bear if it is hurt.


    Sheridan...Tell us!" said Marin. Isis looked at Sheridan with a hint of hope on her worried face as she knew that she would break out if she heard something negative.


    "I''m afraid I can''t. It''s already a miracle for Silver Wind to be alive till now as its heart has cracked into tiny fragments. It''s because of all the prayers that she has lived after the disaster," sighed Sheridan. His face darkened and hands shivered.


    Lance''s face darkened when he heard this and Isis looked like she was going to tear apart. It was undoubtedly a grievous news for her. Silver Wind was like family to them and this news was indeed disheartening.


    "Don''t be so worried. Maybe we have other solutions. We will do our best," said Marin. Seeing this, Marin grabbed Isis'' right hand and comforted her in a soft voice. Isis was more attached to Silver Wind. She couldn''t control when she heard this news.


    "Is that true that you can do nothing to this, Sheridan?" asked Lance. He wanted to know all the possibilities to help Silver Wind.


    "The best I can do is to make Silver Wind survive for some more time, but after that, I am afraid it would still can''t survive. Poor thing!" Sheridan shook his head. He looked at the wounds on Silver Wind and felt that even the great God was powerless to save its life. He was badly bleeding and time was ticking.


    "Sheridan, please think of another way. You must save Silver Wind ...He is our family," cried Isis. She begged as if her heart was broken and couldn''t stand this anymore.


    "Isis, it''s not that I don''t want to help. It''s that Silver Wind was badly injured. You know that I would use every drop of my sweat to rescue it," said Sheridan. His old face wrinkled in regret. "How could he not want to save Silver Wind? After all, Sliver Wind and Verdani


    onsiders this issue and tries to help Silver Wind," Lance sighed. He had no choice but listen to the god''s order. However, if something bad happened to Silver Wind, he would surely be blamed by his daughter. He knew that he wouldn''t be able to justify.


    After a day and night journey, Isis and Marin arrived at the logistics camp.


    The appearance of two women immediately caused a sensation in the whole logistics camp. Following the arrival of the cold and stunning Sabina last time, the show up of two great military flowers of the Crimson Dragon Group was news among the generals of the logistics camp. They were a feast in their eyes as women rarely visited the logistics camp.


    At this moment, Sabina who was cultivating in the camp, heard the noise outside and went outside to have a look. Seeing it was Isis and Marin, she went straight to them with a strange look as their sudden visit was a matter of suspicion.


    When the generals saw Sabina, they immediately made way for her. After a while, the logistics camp was displaying the beauty and the spring scene, which made all the generals salivate and fascinated. They were mesmerized by the beauty of these women.


    "Sabina, where is Rocky? Tell him to meet me right now!" ordered Isis. She was woman of power and knew exactly what to do.


    "Maybe in the beast farm. Are you okay?" asked Sabina, glancing at Isis from head to toe. She looked thinner than before, but it seemed that she was fine.


    Not answering her question, Isis walked towards the beast farm restlessly. She was full of despair, but decided not to show it out.


    "What happened?" asked Sabina. She looked at Marin expecting her to reply as she was confused.

 Chapter 500 Rockys Surprise

    "Silver Wind was injured. Even Sheridan didn''t know how to heal it. Sheridan advised me to go to Rocky," Marin explained.


    "He also knows how to cure spirit-manipulated beasts?" Sabina asked in surprise.


    "Yes. He is a disciple of Sheridan. When Verdanim was injured before, Sheridan told me it couldn''t be cured. But Rocky was able to treat Verdanim into complete healing." Marin shared.


    "Wait, you mean Sheridan?" Sabina pointed out. She shared a knowing look with Marin.


    "Yes," Marin answered. Her lips formed a tight smile.


    "You mean Rocky is a disciple of the most powerful beast tamer in the Holy Dragon Empire and the Wild Spirit Land," Sabina gasped. "That is impressive!" It turned out Rocky was more than just a simple commander. Sabina was in full shock. She had been hearing about Sheridan since her youth. Legend had it that he shared the same master with the priest of the Holy Dragon Empire. He was extremely powerful and he was well-known across the land. Then, for reasons unknown, Sheridan disappeared. It would have been great to have met Sheridan during his peak, and lucky to have met him after his seclusion. For Rocky to have him his guide, he must have felt a huge honor. Sabina felt a tinge of envy. Even if Sheridan had been under the radar for a while now, no one had surpassed his Beast Taming Skill and Beast Curing Skill.


    "Sheridan has passed on all of the Beat Taming Skill and the Beast Curing Skill to Rocky. Rocky had learned all of that excellently already," Marin added.


    Sabina stiffened. "Marin, did Isis say anything after she woke up?"


    "She admitted to knowing what happened between her and Rocky. But she held no resentment. She talked about Rocky really calmly. It was strange." Marin was confused. Isis never liked Rocky, perhaps much more now that he took her virginity like that. It was odd for her to spare him.


    "Really? Then she also confirmed that Rocky really did that to her," Sabina said coldly.


    "She claimed that Rocky only did it to save her. She would have been dead if he didn''t comfort her desire," explained M


    her spirit manipulator.


    Before Isis could say anything, Rocky was already inside. She did not expect Rocky to be so reckless.


    She feared that the space would weaken Rocky, so she followed him inside. Once inside, she was baffled to find Rocky standing calmly, looking completely undisturbed.


    Rocky was observing Isis'' Magic Spiritual Space. He was surprised to find it to be much smaller than his. He figured that it wouldn''t be able to accommodate Silver Wind and a few people.


    "This place is quite small." Rocky looked at Isis.


    "Small? Are you serious? I doubt yours isn''t anywhere a tenth as large as mine." Isis did not look pleased. She thought her Magic Spiritual Space was large enough to even accommodate a huge war dragon.


    However, perhaps it was much smaller compared to Rocky''s.


    "Are you okay? Entering my Magic Spiritual Space with your current strength must have been difficult for you." Isis looked genuinely concerned at Rocky.


    "I''m fine," said Rocky. Indeed, he looked quite composed.


    Isis stared at him from head to toe. She couldn''t understand how at ease he was. Any other ordinary spirit manipulator would have felt suppressing power as soon as they stepped inside her Magic Spiritual Space.


    But if Isis knew that Rocky had been in the Magic Spiritual Space of a spirit manipulator at the Divine Stage, then she wouldn''t be surprised this time.

 Chapter 501 Be In Control

    Right at that moment, Rocky also noticed that Silver Wind didn''t move a single bit in the Magic Spiritual Space. In fact, with its vital signs, it was very evident that its health was deteriorating very quickly. Therefore, he immediately went to Silver Wind and used the Stroking Evaluation Skill and the Mysterious Visual Evaluation Skill to check its injuries.


    A glimmer of home suddenly rose from Isis'' heart upon seeing that Rocky was very professional in what he was doing.


    "Silver Wind''s meridians are almost broken, and his internal organs are also seriously damaged. Moreover, there are symptoms of internal bleeding..." Rocky furrowed his brows as soon as he found out that Silver Wind''s wounds were worse than he expected.


    "Save me the explanation. I just want you to tell me if there''s a chance to save Silver Wind." The more Isis heard about the situation, the more desperate she felt.


    "There''s a way, but I''m afraid it''ll require a lot of effort and would be very tedious," Rocky said as he touched his chin. Although Silver Wind''s injuries were very serious, it was still too early to say that it was hopeless. It was just very unfortunate that it was in the brink of life and death. He had to do the operation as soon as possible, otherwise, it would be too late to save it.


    "So you are telling me that you can save Silver Wind?" surprised, Isis asked as soon as she picked up Rocky''s tone.


    "I''m not quite sure, but I''ll do my best and give it a try..." Rocky said in all honesty.


    "Are you saying that you are willing to save Silver Wind?" Isis asked with surprise in her tone.


    "Why? Is there any problem with that?" Rocky smiled as he asked.


    "But you know that my father..." Although Isis didn''t finish her sentence, she had already made it clear to him.


    "But those are two different things. Regardless, I''ll try to save Silver Wind." During that time, Rocky felt the guilt of robbing Isis of her virginity under that kind of situation, which was why he wanted to make it up to her.


    "Please, I will do anything if you save Silver Wind''s life." Desperate for a cure, she couldn''t help but make a promise.


    "You''ve already said that before. It seems that Silver Wind is really that important to you..." Rocky looked


    Space.


    Afterwards, Rocky ordered a few of the soldiers to get a few buckets of water and sent them into the Magic Spiritual Space.


    "Commander Marin, I need you to do me a favor." Rocky suddenly thought of an idea.


    "What is it?" Marin asked.


    "Get a big tank and draw blood from those spirit-manipulated beasts in the beast farm. Fill the tank, but do not hurt those spirit-manipulated beasts. You should be careful," Rocky warned.


    "Got it." Marin nodded immediately as she understood that it must have something to do with saving Silver Wind''s life.


    Rocky gave Sabina a hint as soon as everything was all set and ready. He carried the operation tools and some necessities into Isis'' Magic Spiritual Space, followed closely by Sabina.


    Right after entering the Magic Spiritual Space, Rocky immediately walked up to Silver Wind and put down the operation tools. He wiped Silver Wind''s body with alcohol to disinfect it. Then he fed Silver Wind with a few mouths of Centipede-snake''s venom as an anesthetic. Since it was not possible to stitch all the broken bones and muscles of the patient in a short period of time, Silver Wind had to be anesthetized. Otherwise it would definitely feel a lot of pain.


    However, this operation was absolutely a relatively big one that Rocky had performed on a spirit-manipulated beast. Being seemingly difficult, even he himself could not guarantee it would be successful. But now, the pressure was all on him as Silver Wind''s life was under his control.

 Chapter 502 The Surgery

    "I''m ready to start the surgery. As my assistant, you would need to give me the operating tools and other materials that I need so that we could all save some time. Moreover, you would have to keep an eye on Silver Wind and pay good attention to its temperature. If the effectiveness of the anesthesia in its body starts to weaken, give it a little more Centipede-snake''s venom..." Rocky solemnly instructed Sabina.


    As she listened to his instructions, Sabina was not able to help but stare at Rocky coldly. In fact, this was the first time that she had looked at him with so much gravity. That was because this time around, he seemed like he had control of everything, along with the aura that was quite invincible.


    "Now, remember these operating tools and materials..." reminded Rocky. Then, he laid out all the tools and materials that they needed for surgery and introduced them to Sabina one by one so that she could be familiar with them.


    Being a good listener, she took some notes so that she could not forget them.


    "Are you able to remember all of them?" Rocky asked Sabina as he finished instructing her what to do.


    After hearing what he had just said, Sabina nodded in agreement.


    "Okay, then. Now it''s time to start the surgery," Rocky uttered. After he finished his words, he turned to Silver Wind and reached his hand out to Sabina, and ordered, "Give me the scalpel."


    Immediately, Sabina picked up the scalpel and some of the hemostatic cloth, and handed them over to Rocky.


    Rocky immediately took the tools and cut Silver Wind''s belly. However, the skin of Silver Wind was too thick and solid that it couldn''t be cut through by just a simple scalpel. Rocky tried for a few more times to cut through the tough layers of skin, but to his dismay, the result was still the same.


    "Let''s use the Frozen Wind Dagger." Upon seeing the situation, Sabina immediately reminded him about another solution.


    Running out of options, Rocky then had to pull out the Frozen Wind Dagger. He disinfected it, and then swept it at Silver Wind''s belly. This time around, it was just like cutting through butter as he was able to slice open its skin


    orever.


    "Please lower the temperature of Silver Wind and let it get into a state of shock for a while." Rocky instructed Sabina after careful consideration. As an Ice royal spirit manipulator, Sabina was able to lower the temperature of Silver Wind directly with the use of her spiritual power.


    "Shock?" Sabina asked. Lost in translation, she didn''t understand what this modern term meant.


    "It means that the blood circulation in Silver Wind will slow down, so that its heart cannot get enough blood to deliver, and thus making it suspended in animation," explained Rocky.


    "But isn''t that very dangerous?" Sabina frowned and asked after hearing what Rocky said.


    "This is the only way on how we could safely stitch up Silver Wind''s heart meridian. Otherwise, it will cause great damage to its heart if the stitches are forcefully done. Moreover, it might even kill Silver Wind," Rocky replied with a serious look on his face.


    "Are you entirely sure that this is necessary?" Sabina asked with uncertainty. Even if only she knew very little about Beast Curing Skill, she had the basic knowledge. Therefore, she knew that it was risky for Rocky to do such a move.


    Without hesitation, Rocky nodded.


    Seeing that Rocky had already made up his mind, Sabina hesitated for a while and then raised her jade palm. Soon, her palm was surrounded by freezing ice air. Afterwards, she hovered her jade palm on Silver Wind''s frail body.

 Chapter 503 What A Sweet Smile

    Soon after, Silver Wind''s whole body became cold as ice at a very fast speed. With its limbs getting cold, its blood circulation slowed down with it. After a while, its faint heartbeat stopped, until it didn''t make a sound.


    "It''s okay." Rocky checked Silver Wind''s state, and then gave Sabina a quick nod.


    Sabina immediately withdrew her hand upon hearing this. She looked at the seemingly dead state of Silver Wind and was not able to help herself but feel nervous. Being anxious, she even thought that if the operation were to fail, which would result in Silver Wind''s death, then she would be marked as an accomplice. Rocky, on the other hand, was very devoted into stitching up Silver Wind''s heart meridian. Sabina looked at him and felt relief for she very well knew that Rocky would be able to save the patient on the table.


    Time passed by quickly and Sabina was very focused and drawn to the surgery. Whatever Rocky wanted, she gave it to him right away. This fast paced system was all for the patient, because if Silver Wind was in shock for a long time, then it could die.


    As the surgery became more intense, Rocky''s forehead began to form tiny beads of sweat. Being the assistant, Sabina then hurriedly took out her handkerchief and wiped the sweat off his forehead so that he could focus more on saving the patient''s life.


    Rocky was very focused on stitching up the patient, hence, he was not able to respond to what Sabina was doing. On the other hand, it seemed that Sabina was dumbfounded at what she had just done. Ever since she was a child, this was the first time that she had to wipe sweat off a man on her own initiative.


    Being born with immense talent, Sabina had always seen men as losers. She looked down upon them and never looked at them in the eye, let alone act intimately with one, as if to wipe off some sweat. With that being said, it only proved that her disgust and disdain for Rocky had subtly changed over time without her noticing. Moreover, she had the guts to now admit to herself that Rocky was indeed, charming when he was serious and focused. With her feelings changing, she suddenly understood why Marin was not able to help but fall in love with th


    ind''s heart was still not responding, its heart still not showing any signs of beating.


    Bewildered, Sabina looked at the frustrated and frowning Rocky who was trying his best to revive the patient.


    "Silver Wind, come on. You must wake up! Your master is waiting for you outside," Rocky yelled as he tightened his grip and continued to put force onto its heart.


    Right at this moment, they heard a faint gasp. Soon, Rocky felt Silver Wind''s heart beating violently, which then regulated after a while. Upon seeing this miraculous feat, Rocky immediately heaved a sigh of relief.


    "Wow, that''s great!" At the very moment, Sabina''s cold face suddenly morphed into a smiling one. She could not help but cheer at the success of the surgery.


    Upon hearing Sabina''s cheerful voice, Rocky was not able to help but turn his head to look at her. To him, her big smile resembled a spring flower that blossomed. In fact, Rocky couldn''t help but stare as she looked quite gorgeous with that smile.


    "You know what? You look so beautiful when you smile..." exclaimed Rocky.


    Hearing Rocky''s praise, Sabina realized her slip, and immediately returned to her usual cold demeanor. However, although she wanted to display her coldness, her cheeks were reddish. Giving a slight glare at Rocky, she said coldly, "What are you looking at? Be careful. I can dig your eyes out."


    "Come on, can you smile again? I didn''t see it clearly just now..." Rocky said mischievously.

 Chapter 504 It Was Unusual

    "You¡­" Sabina gave a cold stare at Rocky. But, upon looking at the Silver Wind, which had regained its heartbeats, she couldn''t help but ask, "Can Silver Wind survive this way?" While speaking, she looked at the Silver Wind. Although, it was weak and in coma, it looked much better than before with an increase in power in its body.


    "Theoretically, you can say so. However, the damage to its organs is rather serious. Even if it survives, it may just remain alive bleakly. To make it regain its ability to fight, it is important to prevent its organs from getting worse," Rocky replied seriously.


    "Then how can we prevent this from happening?" Sabina asked in confusion. To her knowledge, any damage to the internal organs would be persistent and extremely difficult to get healed.


    "It''s not that difficult to deal with. Just remove the necrotic tissues of its organs before the infection spreads. Then the resilience of Silver Wind will heal its organs," Rocky said calmly.


    "I didn''t understand what you were talking about, but it''s very great of you to save Silver Wind''s life. Even your master, the famous Sheridan, failed in doing so. It seems that your ability surpassed him!" Sabina exclaimed. It was rare for her to be so amazed, especially by a man.


    "It is just the beginning. My aim is not only saving Silver Wind, but also to cure it completely," Rocky said firmly.


    "Is it possible? As it was injured badly." Sabina was skeptical on hearing that Rocky could cure Silver Wind completely. She had just witnessed Rocky bringing the Silver Wind back to its life with her own eyes. But it would be a miracle if he could really cure it completely.


    "I have a secret weapon," Rocky said, while raising his eyebrows mysteriously. Normally, it was indeed impossible to completely cure the Silver Wind, because removing the damaged tissues could hinder the normal functioning of the organs. Even the spirit-manipulated beast had a strong ability to heal on


    agical saliva? That''s impossible, because I am the only one who could possess this magical saliva in the whole world!" The words of Sabina also surprised Rocky.


    It turned out that Sabina had already seen the magical saliva before and even had used a few drops. It was her master Marcia, who gave it to her. At that time, she felt the miracle liquid to be indeed magical and enquired about its source. However, her master informed her that it was just gained by accident.


    That was the reason for Sabina getting surprised when she saw the magical saliva in Rocky''s possession. However, with what Rocky had disclosed, it seemed that the liquid was unique to only him.


    "If he was indeed the one who gave the miracle liquid to my master?" Sabina guessed. After all, according to what she had known, the relationship between her master and Rocky was quite out of ordinary. And his Spiritual Weapon was a treasure of her master. These facts indicated that the miracle liquid of her master was actually given by Rocky.


    The more she thought about it, the more curious she was about the relationship between her master and Rocky. Quite evidently, they were not just friends, because either her master had given the most precious Frozen Wind Dagger to Rocky, or Rocky had sent the mysterious miracle liquid to her master!

 Chapter 505 Her Futures Destruction

    Meanwhile, Rocky dripped a few drops of magical saliva into a bowl before diluting it with water. He then smeared the mixture onto the organs that just had the necrotic tissue cut off.


    "You''re too kind using that much. Why were you so willing to use that many drops for Silver Wind''s wounds?" Sabina asked him. She was a little surprised at how much he gave without any hesitation. As far as she knew, the miracle liquid was no less precious than the rare treasures. In fact, using the liquid together with the rare treasures would help amplify the effect¡ªan effect that Sabina realized Rocky was clueless about and led him to use it so carelessly.


    What she didn''t know was that the magical saliva was extremely easy for Rocky to extract and obtain.


    "It''s alright. It''s just a few drops. Besides, it''s a form of¡­compensation for the owner," Rocky explained in a low voice.


    "What do you mean by compensation?" Upon hearing this, Sabina paused for a moment and then finally understood. She turned to Rocky and said, "But you''ve saved Isis'' life. You had no choice but to ensure her safety, right?"


    "Yes. But I''ve realized now that I''ve also ensured her future''s destruction." Rocky was well aware that any woman who lost her virginity in this era would not only lose her future but be looked down upon by society as well.


    "If you feel guilty for what you''ve done, then marry her," Sabina suggested.


    Rocky was taken aback by her proposal. He turned to her, his face surprised.


    "Don''t give me that look. You''ll be one lucky man if you can accomplish that. Besides, even if you did want to marry her you don''t know yet if she''s willing to be your wife. Look at you. Dirty. Shameless. Do you really think you''re good enough to be her husband?" Sabina spat the words out of her mouth¡ªpurposely insulting him.


    "Am I really that...unworthy?" Hearing this placed Rocky at a loss for words. He didn''t know whether he should laugh or cry at the fact that Sabina saw him as good for nothing.


    "At least


    s hope, shall we? Marin, have you finished collecting the blood?" Sabina inquired Marin with raised eyebrows.


    "Yes, I have." Marin turned to look at and check the blood tank.


    Sabina stood in front of it. As she placed her hand on the tank, ice began to form between the tank and her palm. She lifted the tank into the air and returned it to the Magic Spiritual Space.


    Back in the Magic Spiritual Space, Sabina placed the blood tank in front of Rocky.


    "You''re really strong. If I didn''t know you, I''d have thought you were a man hiding in a woman''s body." Rocky joked as he observed Sabina''s unusual strength.


    Sabina rolled her eyes in reply.


    "Although the blood varies among the different spirit-manipulated beasts, they all share a common ingredient that allows me to mix different blood types in certain circumstances. Finding a compatible blood match for Silver Wind is quite tough. This blood is our only option." As he spoke, Rocky withdrew a thin, jade-colored vein derived from another spirit-manipulated beast. It was elastic yet tough, which made it perfect for blood transfusions.


    One end of the vein was attached to a hollow, sharp tooth while the other was immersed into the blood tank. The tooth was inserted into the artery located in Silver Wind''s neck. As Rocky squeezed the tube, the blood transfusion began.

 Chapter 506 Acceptance

    "Please take good care of it. Make sure that the blood is not transfused too fast..." Rocky reminded Sabina.


    After taking a close look at how Rocky did it, Sabina seemed to finally understand how it was done. She then took over the blood transfusion tube and continued with Silver Wind''s blood transfusion.


    Afterwards, Rocky then used the Stroking Evaluation Skill and the Mysterious Visual Evaluation Skill to look for any of the broken meridians in the patient''s body. He needed to use the skills due to the fact that those meridians were attached under the skin and were more slender than the ordinary ones, hence, making them more difficult to spot than the ordinary ones.


    Seeing that Rocky''s Beast Evaluation Skill was very powerful, Sabina was immediately overwhelmed. Moreover, being so skillful of Rocky made her wonder how many more skills was the guy hiding. To her, seeing Rocky perform powerful skills was always surprising to her every time.


    Time flew by and Rocky kept looking for the meridians with great patience. Once he found them, he would accurately cut a small mouth from the outer layer of its skin. Then, according to the conditions of the wounds, he would either stitch it, or use the diluted magical saliva to heal it.


    He continued to do this repetitive cycle of searching and healing for six hours.


    Both Rocky and Sabina were very tired as the whole operation took them nearly all day to perform.


    "It should be okay now." Rocky felt relieved after he finished suturing the last meridian. At that moment, sweat was all over his body as he was tired to his core for it was really exhausting to perform the operation. After all, it almost consumed their whole day, which an ordinary human would be unable to do.


    Turning his head, Rocky then took a look at the blood vat and saw that the blood had almost met the bottom. Then, he reached his hand to feel Silver Wind''s temperature and found out that it had already returned to normal.


    "Thanks for all of your hard work," Rocky said as he acknowledged Sabina''s hard work. She was a good assistant¡ª patient and careful. Although it was her first time to do so, she looked very experienced.


    Humming, Sabina then turned around and walked out of the Magic Spiritual Space.


    Soon, Rocky began to clean the Magic Spiritual Space thoroughly. He threw the used styptic cottons along with some other wastes into the empty vat. Then, he put away his surgical tools and relevant m


    r in Chief, because I have indeed caused irreparable harm to you. Moreover, I also know that he loves his daughter very much, so he totally had every reason to do so. I am not that petty, you know," explained Rocky sincerely.


    "Then why won''t you go back with me? If you come back with me, I will definitely ask my father to return the Crimson Dragon Token to you and resume your post. Or, if you want, I can even let you be in my post¡ª to be the Deputy Commander in Chief..." Isis said excitedly as she laid out his options.


    "I have my own considerations. In fact, I don''t think I''m suitable to lead my soldiers to fight in battles. From the beginning, I never thought of getting involved in the war between the Holy Dragon Empire and the Timber Deity Empire," Rocky said firmly.


    "But it''s true that you have helped the Crimson Dragon Army out of traps many times, haven''t you? If you didn''t want to get involved, then why did you do that?" confused, Isis suddenly asked.


    "So, I regret it now. I won''t do the same thing again," Rocky calmly replied.


    "You..." stunned, Isis said upon hearing what he had just said.


    "After all, I''m already the target of the Timber Deity Empire. This time, they used you to seduce me, and it is possible for them to do it again. Moreover, if they can''t get me after trying any more methods, then the only way to stop me from helping the Crimson Dragon Army is to get rid of me. Can''t you see? There is no good option for me!" Rocky explained his situation in all honesty.


    Falling into silence, Isis suddenly realized that Rocky was right all along. He was indeed, in a very dangerous situation!

 Chapter 507 The Secret plan

    "Then you should come back to the Crimson Dragon Army with me!" Isis cried. "They can protect you. It''s also extremely risky for you to stay here, with your current condition!" She hadn''t thought to consider Rocky''s safety. Now that she could see how precarious his condition was, she felt a bit worried. She also felt it would be dangerous to leave Rocky in the logistics camp.


    "As long as I don''t interfere, the Timber Deity Empire won''t do anything to me, because they''ve already reached their goal," Rocky replied. "In fact, during the time on Mount Clouds, the prince withdrawing the array that had trapped us not because he believed that I would betray the Crimson Dragon Army, but it was because he had wanted to take this opportunity to trap the Crimson Dragon Army. Now, the Timber Deity Empire has succeeded. I believe that once they find out I have been relegated to logistics camp, they will probably lower their guard. So, if I lie low for a while, they will forget about me. Besides, at the moment, I have another master at the Supernal Stage to protect me," Rocky finished with a shake of his head. In fact, he had already figured out the prince''s plans after he saved Isis. However, he had been more worried about Isis'' safety, so he didn''t think too much at the time.


    "Are you really not going back with me?" Isis pleaded. Seeing Rocky''s disposition, she knew that he had made up his mind--but this didn''t stop her from trying to reason with him.


    "You should go back. The Crimson Dragon Army needs you, Deputy Commander in Chief¡ª more than they need me. It''s time for you to go back and lead the troops. Otherwise, the Crimson Dragon Army will be seriously disadvantaged, fighting against Timber Deity Empire!" Rocky dodged the topic by shaking his head once more.


    Judging from Rocky''s words, Isis knew he was too stubborn to go back to the Crimson Dragon Army with her. Her eyes flashed a strange color in anger, but later grew bleak in her he


    past years. I won''t treat you shabbily!" Alyssa nodded with a flourish.


    "Thank you, Your Royal Highness," Dunn raised his head and said, "After I pretended to be injured and went back to the main camp of Crimson Dragon Army, I heard that Rocky was relegated to logistics camp and removed the position of Crimson Dragon Army Elite Commander. It seems that he won''t be helping the Crimson Dragon Army anytime soon."


    "Brother, you seem to have succeeded in your plan." Alyssa immediately turned to Woods, a shrewd look on her face.


    "Didn''t you blame me for sending the tiger back to the mountains?" Woods looked at Alyssa smilingly. After she heard that he released Rocky and Isis, she thought they were releasing the tiger back to the mountains. She didn''t know it was a plan until Woods told her the truth.


    "You didn''t tell me your plan! If you told me in advance, how could I have blamed you?" Alyssa replied sulkily. She looked at Woods reproachfully.


    "Now that Rocky has been wronged by Lance, he must be full of resentment. It''s doubtful he''d continue to help the Crimson Dragon Army after what happened. This is a great opportunity for us. I can try to draw him over to my side. I''m going to see him..." Woods said confidently. It was obvious that Woods was dead set on getting Rocky to join him.

 Chapter 508 Surprising History

    "Without Rocky''s interference this time, I will definitely tell the Crimson Dragon Army that it is doomed to fail!" Alyssa sneered. In the past, Rocky had constantly ruined her plans, which almost made the Timber Deity Empire lose its power. If it weren''t for Rocky, then her plan might have been successful and they would have become an overwhelming threat to the Crimson Dragon Army.


    "If we can defeat the Crimson Dragon Army this time and I can get Rocky, then I would have killed two birds with one stone," Woods said confidently upon hearing Alyssa''s words.


    "Your Royal Highness, I have something to say. However, I''m afraid whether I should say it or not." Suddenly out of nowhere, Dunn asked for his permission.


    "Come on, just spit it out!" Alyssa turned to look at Dunn.


    "This guy, Rocky, is probably not an ordinary person. And keeping him is not a good thing for the Timber Deity Empire. Moreover, Your Royal Highness may not have complete confidence in bringing him back to the Timber Deity Empire. Which is why I think..." Dunn hesitantly said as he glanced at Woods.


    "Wait, what do you mean by Rocky ''not an ordinary person''?" confused, Alyssa couldn''t help but ask.


    Right after the much confusing statement, Woods, along with the other commanders also looked at Dunn with bewildered faces.


    "The Crimson Dragon Group has many rumors about Rocky. As far as I know, he was initially banished to the northeast military camp, and stayed unknown in the said camp since then. It was only when he showed his military talent that even Lance had thought highly of him in the Army Flag Contest. He later challenged me in the competition in which he had defeated me. But to everyone''s surprise, he refused Lance''s promotion offer and headed back to the northeast military camp. And Your Royal Highness has already known almost everything that had happened since then..." Dunn told them all the information he knew about Rocky.


    "Even so, I still don''t understand why you would brand Rocky as someone who is not an ordinary person." Alyssa''s eyes widened at the thought of it.


    "First of all, Rocky was banished to the army which clearly means that he must have done something unforgivable. But as far as I know, even Lance doesn''t know where Rocky was banished from, not even the reason behind it. From this, we can infer that Rocky''s identity was strictly confidential.


    targeted Rocky again, he was doing his old business in the logistics camp. He was both the breeder and the beast curer who treated the injured spirit-manipulated beasts. After all, his laboratory was continually being built in the Magic Spiritual Space.


    "Oh, Camp Director Louis asked me to help him figure out how to speed up transportation to the frontline. Oh boy, I almost forgot about it," said Rocky, who had just finished the surgery and was walking out of the beast farm.


    Afterwards, Rocky immediately returned to a tent that Louis specially arranged for him near the beast farm. After entering, he saw that the map and sand table in the tent were well equipped, and all kinds of information that came from the battlefield were carefully prepared for him so that he would be able to know the progress of the battle between the Crimson Dragon Army and the Timber Deity Empire at any given time.


    But of course, Rocky realized that it might be an order from Isis before she left.


    Rocky casually unfolded a map of the seven strategically important areas including the Deity Unicorn Valley and started to make a detailed analysis of the troop deployment of the Crimson Dragon Army. To be honest, Lance had made a wrong formation from the very beginning, which was why the Timber Deity Empire had the opportunity to capture three strategic areas one after the other.


    However, the spreading of the battle line would surely expose its own disadvantages. With that being said, it was no easy job to speed up the transportation of their supply of food and materials at that given time.

 Chapter 509 The Transport Dilemma

    "Lance''s troops were spread out, making it difficult for the logistics camp to move. Now, speeding up the front line transportation will be difficult. Even if transporting via Hippo Land will be easier, it can''t be moved to just anywhere since it''s carried by water. Especially considering the ships full of provisions, the weather will have a great influence. As soon as the wind and the waves pick up, it''ll be impossible to navigate and the provisions will go bad due to the moisture¡­" Rocky shook his head and sighed.


    In short, the Crimson Dragon Army''s main problem was its front lines. Because they were scattered in all directions, this weakened the transportation rate of the logistics camp''s escort forces. Without support from the front line, the logistics camp couldn''t find a way to accelerate transportation.


    "Tricky indeed¡­" Rocky pondered. If only he had known better, he would''ve never agreed to Louis. He was asking for trouble.


    Just when Rocky was observing the map, Sabina breezed in. Her willowy body and aloof face made for an irresistible combination that would lure in any man on the planet. In fact, numerous soldiers and generals of the logistics camp couldn''t stop dreaming about her in their dreams ever since her arrival.


    Noticing the deep furrow in Rocky''s brows, Sabina asked, "What''s gotten you so troubled?"


    "Perfect timing Sabina! I need your help in figuring out how to accelerate the front-line transport." Rocky waved his hand, urging her to come over.


    "You''re smart, aren''t you? Then this will certainly be a piece of cake." Sabina''s brows wrinkled.


    "Cleverness makes no pottage these years. Clever ones may get bald. Better not be too clever!" Rocky mocked himself. All Rocky wanted was some solid advice. After all, he was still a rookie in numerous aspects whereas Sabina was much more experi


    luxury," Sabina concluded.


    "Forget the animals. What if we changed them to spirit-manipulated beasts instead?" Rocky voiced out his brainstorm.


    "Replace them with¡­ No, it''ll be too impossible and risky. Spirit-manipulates beasts need to be controlled by a spirit manipulator¡ªwhich we only have around 20 to 30 in the logistics camp. Do you want all these spirit-manipulated beasts to pull cars?" Hearing his idea, Sabina thought he was just joking. Even if it could work, no spirit manipulator would allow his beast to become a cart pulling animal. What''s more, the spirit-manipulated beast''s powers would be dulled down.


    "We won''t know until we try. As long as we can capture some spirit-manipulated beasts and paralyze parts of their lobes, even an ordinary man could rein them easily since they can''t think on their own. Of course, it comes with a price. Losing their powers and thought means that they''ll become as harmless as ordinary livestock," Rocky warned. In the modern world, his experiments often resulted in abnormal genetic beasts with odd behavior and a fierce temper. To avoid being hurt, he would cut off portions of the lobes so that they would think less, kill less, and better suit for anyone''s disposal.

 Chapter 510 Be The Tour Guide

    "What do you mean we have to narcotize their lobes?" It was the first time that Sabina was encountering such medical terms.


    "Yes, we have to narcotize them. If we are able to narcotize the lobes of spirit-manipulated beasts with great strength and good physical condition, we can train them to transport food and materials for us." Rocky rubbed his chin. Due to Sabina''s reminding, he could figure out such a way that used the spirit-manipulated beasts to provide better transportation in comparison to ordinary animals.


    Sabina stared blankly, still trying to comprehend what Rocky was saying.


    "Let''s go." Rocky clasped his hands together. He was brimming with confidence.


    "Where are we going?" Sabina asked.


    "We need to catch some wild spirit-manipulated beasts and conduct experiments. We may have a shot at solving the transportation issue we''ve been facing," Rocky replied matter-of-factly.


    "But only beasts with three-stars are suitable for transportation. The chance of catching such beasts is slim. This place near the logistics camp barely has any beasts that would qualify." Sabina figured Rocky was thinking of heading to the area around the logistics camp.


    "I know that. That''s why we''ll go to the Myriad Beasts Ground." Rocky looked playful, as if he did not just suggest for them both to risk their lives.


    "The Myriad Beasts Ground? Are you serious? You want to traverse to the Myriad Beasts Ground, one of the most dangerous places on the Gehenna Border and put our lives at risk?" Sabina looked fearsome. Even masters at the Supernal Stage or even the Divine Stage did not dare go to the Myriad Beasts Ground. Everyone knew it was dangerous. Even if Sabina allowed herself to be confident about her skills, she just wouldn''t have the guts to go there, u


    w and then let out a chuckle. He had been accustomed to her harmless threat.


    "You..." Sabina rolled her eyes. Sabina was too infuriated to continue. Rocky''s patronizing look pissed her more. She clenched her first and gazed coldly at Rocky.


    "Anyway, enough talk. We have work to do. Put away your Duchess Silver. It''s scaring the spirit-manipulated beasts," said Rocky seriously and abruptly. If he hadn''t interrupted, Sabina would have gone off with a polemic.


    But seeing the seriousness on his face, Sabina set aside her anger. She quickly got off her beast and followed Rocky''s instructions.


    "Just follow me. I can tour you." Rocky gestured towards the deeper part of the forest and began flying forward.


    Sabina followed suit.


    "This is the forest leading to the Myriad Beasts Ground," began Rocky. "It is home to dozens of wild spirit-manipulated beasts. Here, you can mostly find two- and three-star beasts. If you''re lucky, you might also catch some rare beasts such as the Trunk Giant. If we can capture some Trunk Giants, that would be great." Sabina was impressed by Rocky''s knowledge of the place. True enough, he acted like a tour guide of the Myriad Beasts Ground.

 Chapter 511 Matter Of Principle

    "You seem to be quite familiar with this forest..." Sabina said softly as she watched Rocky waltz freely in the forest without hesitation. She figured he must have known the forest like the back of his hand, as he easily avoided running into spirit-manipulated beasts.


    "Of course!" he answered cheerfully. "I could navigate this forest with my eyes closed," he said with twinkle in his eye.


    Sabina glanced at Rocky dubiously. Upon locking eyes with her and seeing her doubtful expression, Rocky threw his head back and laughed.


    They continued to walk for about an hour.


    "It should be around here," Rocky said as he stopped abruptly.


    "What do you mean?" Sabina scanned their surroundings, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.


    With a mischievous smile, Rocky summoned Uriah from the Magic Spiritual Space. He then reached into his bag, and pulled out a bottle containing magical saliva. He gingerly loosened the cap on the bottle and then darted off, leaving Uriah with the opened bottle.


    Soon after, roars from beasts nearby thundered throughout the forest. So thunderous was their animal cry, the very trees of the forest seemed to quake in fear.


    Eyebrows knitted, Sabina suddenly noticed a scent in the air-- then, 20 to 30 wild spirit-manipulated beasts gathered before them. She couldn''t hide her shock, wondering how so many beasts could materialize all at once. Of course, she didn''t know that the magical saliva actually had fatal attraction properties. No spirit-manipulated beast could refuse it; even the Dark Heaven Insects couldn''t escape from its tantalizing scent.


    At this point, Uriah had returned, followed closely by a group of two-star and three-star wild spirit-manipulated beasts¡ª at least thirty in total, all fierce, forming quite the spectacular scene.


    Even an ordinary spirit manipulator of the Earthly Stage would be scared to bits!


    But before Rocky and Sabina, these spirit-manipulated beasts didn''t pose a threat.


    "Let''s race to see who can disable the most


    iva. You have seen the miracle liquid and its abilities," said Rocky as he kept eating.


    "Ten drops?" Sabina''s eyes lit up. She now realized the true value of this miracle liquid. She knew this would be extremely useful to any spirit manipulator. And yet, Rocky gave her ten drops as a gift.


    Of course, if Sabina knew that Rocky had been taking the miracle liquid every day for a while now, her reaction would''ve been different.


    "Why did you give me such a precious gift?" Sabina asked, confusedly.


    "Precious?" Rocky shook his head with a smile. To him, the magical saliva was easy to replenish, so to him, this was nothing special.


    "You saved me twice!" Rocky paused to think, then responded.


    "I don''t need that." As much as Sabina wanted to take the previous bottle, she was a woman of principle. She refused to accept an item so valuable that easily.


    "If you don''t need it, just throw it," Rocky said nonchalantly. "I never take back what I have given. Thank you for cooking dinner." Rocky stood up and walked to a relatively secluded spot in the forest. He then sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began the process of cultivation.


    Sabina watched him leave, too dumbfounded to speak. Thoughts raced across her stunned mind. Tightening her grasp on the bottle of precious magical saliva, there was a twinkle in her eye.

 Chapter 512 More Types

    The next morning, as the bright light slanted through the trees, the sound of beasts around could be heard from time to time. As she opened her eyes, Sabina looked subconsciously towards the direction where Rocky was sitting cross-legged and cultivating the previous night. However, now he was nowhere to be found.


    Immediately, Sabina got up and looked around. She found that Rocky''s two spirit-manipulated beasts had also disappeared.


    "Where did they go?" With knitted eyebrows, Sabina thought for a while, and then she disappeared in a flash.


    Soon after, she was able to find out that Rocky was fighting against several two-star and three-star giant Horned Lizards in a forest of phoenix trees not far away. Uriah and Rubygon were also present.


    Rocky and his two spirit-manipulated beasts were fighting in good coordination. Thus, even though the Horned Lizards had numerical superiority, they could not defeat Rocky and his team and were hit down on the ground one by one.


    "How does he manage to manipulate the two spirit-manipulated beasts at the same time?" Sabina was totally puzzled to see the two spirit-manipulated beasts assisting Rocky during the fight, because it was just abnormal. However, she knew that Rocky was the disciple of Sheridan, who was known as the most powerful beast tamer of the Wild Spirit Land. But, it turned out that, even Sheridan was incapable of doing that himself.


    However, Rocky''s ability to manipulate the two spirit-manipulated beasts was not surprising news in the Crimson Dragon Group. Most of them, including Sabina, had seen that in person, so even if it seemed impossible, it was indeed a truth.


    If Sabina had known that there was a Rainbow Glow Unicorn and a Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf hidden in Rocky''s Magic Spiritual Space, she would have probably felt it to be unbelievable!


    Sabina observed every movement of Rocky thoughtfully, not intending to help him. Since she had witnessed the evil and terrible power hidden in Rocky, she became more and more curious about him. Not to mention the fact that Rocky was somebody with a lot of incredible secrets. Some of these included his secret identity, his relationship with her master, his ability to control two spirit-manipulated beasts, his excellent medical skills and so


    learn about which part of the brain lobes of different spirit-manipulated beasts controlled their nature and thoughts.


    After paralyzing the brain of a wild spirit-manipulated beast with the surgical tools, Rocky used identification techniques to find that this wild spirit-manipulated beast had two brains, one big and the other small.


    "It may be that the beast''s small brain might have appeared and grown up naturally. In this case, this wild spirit-manipulated beast should be in a stage of transformation, and it is going to reach the higher star level. It is in a state of mutation, with the second brain growing," Rocky analyzed calmly. The three heads and six arms of the spirit-manipulated beast didn''t appear all of a sudden and had a process of growing.


    Then, Rocky''s attention was drawn towards the big brain of the beast. The brain was divided into three parts, resembling a cake that had been cut into three parts. On the surface of the brain, there was a layer of faint spongiosum, and the spiritual source as tiny as the vein covered the bottom of the spongiosum.


    Beneath the transparent spongiosum were the uneven sulci and gyri. Apart from the brain''s shape which was different from that of the human brain, the actual structure of the beast''s brain seemed to be similar to the human brain''s structure. However, all the human brains had only four brain lobes. But, the different spirit-manipulated beasts'' brains might possess two brain lobes, four lobes, perhaps eight brain lobes, or even more.

 Chapter 513 Chasing in a Hurry

    As Rocky peered at the brain of the wild spirit-manipulated beast, he noticed that it was lobed. He proceeded to test every lobe on the brain, to confirm the functions of each lobe. He concluded that it functioned very similarly to that of a human''s.


    The frontal lobe in a human brain has an important role in controlling human''s behaviors, thoughts, and so on. If the frontal lobes were damaged, people''s thoughts, behaviors, and their self-controlling abilities would be greatly affected. In the modern world, some mental patients or patients with other recurring diseases would be treated by slicing off their frontal lobe. However, once the lobes were cut off, they would lose their own thoughts and free consciousness--whatever made them human. This meant they would live like the walking dead for the rest of their time on this world.


    Although there were still differences between a beast''s brain and human brain, the spirit-manipulated beasts had their own kind of intelligence. Which would explain why their brains¡ª from the lobes to the lobes'' functions¡ª were similar to human brains.


    After certain tests, Rocky soon was able to pinpoint the specific lobe in the spirit-manipulated beast''s brain which acted like a frontal lobe in a human brain.


    Then, Rocky cut off this part of lobe to test if doing so produced a similar effect as that in humans¡ª the loss of thought and consciousness.


    However, he couldn''t sever the lobe completely. Once completely severed, the functions of some other lobes were very likely to be affected. Because the lobes worked in harmony through the nervous system, Rocky postulated that if he were to cut off a lobe completely, the system would go haywire¡ª and worse, the beast could lose control and go ballistic.


    So, the solution: cut off half of the lobe, leaving the rest of the nervous system undisturbed. However, this required extremely advanced surgical skills.


    Of course, this was easy for Rocky. He picked up the scalpel and pointed it at the part he was to make an incision. He paused for a second, took a deep breath, and quickly but precisely swiped


    y appear if something truly precious lay ahead. After all, it was the first time the Rainbow Glow Unicorn came and went in such a hurry.


    "What did you say?" Sabina asked, unable to decipher Rocky''s murmur.


    "Nothing," Rocky said hastily. "Let''s go to have a look." Of course, he didn''t want to leave the Rainbow Glow Unicorn alone in a quest to look for the treasure.


    "Let''s go take a look? This is the Myriad Beasts Ground we''re talking about¡ª it''s famed for being full of danger. Don''t take sacrifice your life for your curiosity!" Sabina shouted coldly.


    "You''re coming with me, aren''t you? I think it would be much safer if we held hands," Rocky responded nonchalantly.


    Sabina paused, turning to look at the ice blue light that pierced the sky. She was admittedly curious, too. However, the Myriad Beasts Ground wasn''t a place that could be entered on a whim, and even for her, the slightest carelessness might end in her demise.


    "Well, I''m going even if you aren''t," Rocky declared firmly. He was worried that the Rainbow Glow Unicorn had run too far away for him to catch up, so he summoned Rubygon and Uriah to leave with him at once. He climbed on Rubygon''s back and chased the Rainbow Glow Unicorn, using its scent as a lead.


    "Hey!" Sabina cried, but Rocky was already out of earshot at that point. Without further hesitation, Sabina summoned Duchess Silver and hurried after him.

 Chapter 514 Flocked In

    Right at that time when Rocky was chasing after the Rainbow Glow Unicorn, he ran wildly all the way through the peripheral forest. Following him closely behind, Sabina was all sorts of confused as she saw that Rocky seemed to be chasing something that was invisible to her.


    Ever since the Rainbow Glow Unicorn had been through animalization, it developed some kind of connection with Rocky, similar to a spiritual contract. Therefore, whenever the Rainbow Glow Unicorn hid itself, Rocky was the only one who could still feel its breath. However, this was only possible now that it had undergone animalization.


    Oddly enough, just right after the strange light appeared, the entire peripheral forest suddenly fell into silence. In addition, all of the spirit-manipulated beasts in the said area had also disappeared.


    Meanwhile, Rocky and Sabina finally reached the end of the peripheral forest by midnight. From where they stood, they saw the Myriad Beasts Ground which could be where the strange light was coming from.


    Right at that moment, Rocky could feel that the Rainbow Glow Unicorn had entered the Myriad Beasts Ground. But when he was about to chase after it, Sabina stopped him.


    "Are you crazy? Once you enter that place, there is no assurance that you will see the sun the next day!" Sabina shouted as she warned him.


    Rocky hesitated for a while right after he heard Sabina''s warning. Truth be told, Sabina was right about what she had just said. After all, it was late at night and dangers lurked in every corner of the Myriad Beasts Ground. If he went into it now, then it would be no different from a suicide mission. However, he was torn about it because he couldn''t just leave the Rainbow Glow Unicorn alone.


    "If you really want to go in, then you will have to wait until dawn. Moreover, we don''t know what exactly is that unearthly light. We should wait until the sun comes up so that we could see what''s going on. Otherwise, we will gain no benefit by taking action rashly," Sabina said calmly. But of course, she also felt that Rocky had something in mind for he looked like he was worried about something.


    Rocky glanced at Sabina and thought some more with his head down. After a few moments, he had finally decided that the Rainbow Glow Unicorn''s invisibility should be enough to protect itself, so he nodded and agreed that they would wait until dawn.


    Afterwards, they found a small cave near the edge of the Myriad Beasts Ground which they used to rest while they waited for dawn.


    "It seems that someone might come over here to look for the treasu


    ur mind," curious, Sabina asked him.


    "Well, are you ready to go? If yes, then I think we''d better leave now." Right after he finished his words, Rocky strode toward the Myriad Beasts Ground with Uriah and Rubygon.


    Sabina was so angry that she clenched her fist into a ball for she was quite displeased with Rocky''s act. He didn''t even wait for her answer and just went on his way. However, her task was to ensure Rocky''s safety. Hence, she could not let him go to such a dangerous place alone under any circumstance. With that being said, she had no choice but to be Rocky''s shadow and follow him immediately wherever he went.


    On the other hand, the news regarding some unusual light appearing above the Myriad Beasts Ground spread around. This news was very hot that it was able to immediately reach the border of every country.


    Meanwhile, in the Timber Deity Empire, Alyssa heard about the news and had already summoned a few masters at the Heavenly Stage and more than a few spirit manipulators at the Earthly Stage, to head for the Myriad Beasts Ground.


    Aside from them, the Crimson Dragon Army also heard about the news. In response to the promising story, Lance also sent the Elite Regiment to the Myriad Beasts Ground to check it out.


    Soon, it was not only the people of the Timber Deity Empire and the Holy Dragon Empire who rushed toward the Myriad Beasts Ground, but also the spirit manipulators who lived on the borders of the other countries.


    With the volume and influx of people going towards the Myriad Beasts Ground, it would not be so surprising if there would be a messy and violent struggle all for the sake of obtaining the rare and valuable treasure buried deep in the Myriad Beasts Ground.

 Chapter 515 The Sea Blue Magic Jade

    Meanwhile, Rocky and Sabina entered the Myriad Beasts Ground as they went towards the magical icy blue light.


    However, just as they entered the edge, they noticed that the spirit-manipulated beasts were oddly violent, revealing that everything within the area was in a complete mess¡ªtrees were destroyed, huge stones cracked, and the ground collapsed. What was worse was that some wild beasts were killing each other. It was such a bloody scene in front of them.


    Unexpectedly, there was a roadblock in front of them.


    Bang! Suddenly, a loud noise echoed throughout the valley, just when they were entering a turning point.


    At that moment, a four-star Eight-tentacled Fish Dragon at the fourth grade suddenly sped up and stopped before them. Just like an octopus, it had eight tentacles which waved in the air along with its four slender legs that supported its fish-shaped body.


    "Okay, I''ll leave it to you." Rocky smiled as he said to Sabina. Stepping aside, he gave way to her and acted as if he had nothing to do with it. But right at that moment, deep in his heart, all he ever wanted was to sit on a mountain and watch a tiger fight.


    As a response, Sabina gave him a glare. With such a strong rival ahead, she did not have too much time for him. Instead, she focused real hard on thinking of ways on how to deal with the overwhelming eight-tentacled creature in front of her, which was shaking one of its tentacles violently as it destroyed all the trees nearby. But Sabina was quick witted as she summoned Duchess Silver immediately. At the same time, her ice spiritual power rose rapidly until a cyclone formed around her, freezing into her bones. It was truly a breathtaking scene.


    Eager to slay the enemy, both Sabina and Duchess Silver dashed forward and started a fierce battle.


    To be honest, as a master of the Supernal Stage, Sabina had the power to win against the four-star wild spirit-manipulated beast so easily. Moreover, she was also supported by Duchess Silver, which made the result all too obvious.


    Soon, the Eight-tentacled Fish Dragon was covered in a layer of ice. Then, before it could even whine in pain, it fell to the ground with a loud thud.


    Watching on the side, Rocky clapped his hands over Sabina''s easy victory. However, Sabina only gave him a cold look in return


    was a peculiar light coming from here. I don''t think it''s a coincidence!" Erica, the older lady, replied.


    "Erica, if we can find out Sea Blue Magic Jade, then that will be a huge achievement for us! Come on, let''s hurry up. I am sure we will be rewarded by our master," cheered the girl. Her sweet and innocent voice sounded like a child.


    Eavesdropping from the conversation made by the two women, Rocky couldn''t help but wonder, ''Why are these woman spirit manipulators here? It seemed that they already knew what kind of treasure they were after in the Myriad Beasts Ground.'' Confused, Rocky asked himself, "What the hell is this magic jade?"


    Driven by curiosity, Rocky couldn''t help but get closer. He then pushed away a bunch of leaves as he wanted to see these women more clearly.


    He was careful not to make any sound when all of a sudden, he heard a vigilant voice, "Who is there?" Very quickly, a strong breath rushed to him.


    Rocky stopped immediately for he sensed that one of those women was at the Supernal Stage.


    Seeing that the situation was unfavorable for him in every way, Rocky dared not take the risk. In a blink of an eye, he retreated and disappeared from the area so as not to make any trouble.


    Tracing the road he took, Rocky returned to where he stayed and noticed that Sabina was looking for him.


    "And where have you been?" Sabina frowned and asked.


    "You are right. Some people have come here for the treasure, and they are all women. I just went there to see if they were beautiful," Rocky joked.

 Chapter 516 Whatever You Want

    "So soon?" Sabina frowned. The strange light had flashed yesterday, and people from all over had already come to search for it. She imagined they must have been prepared for this.


    "By the way, they mentioned something," Rocky suddenly remembered. "They called it the Sea Blue Magic Jade. Do you know what that is?" Rocky turned to face Sabina.


    "Sea Blue Magic Jade? Are you sure they said that?" Sabina asked in disbelief, unable to contain her shock.


    Rocky nodded, confused. He wasn''t sure why she was so surprised. "What exactly is this jade?"


    "This jade has absorbed the essence of heaven and earth. Thus, it possesses a spirit. It stays hidden, deep under the earth ¡ª it emerges only every three years. If a spirit manipulator is able to obtain it, he won''t have to cultivate for at least ten years!" Sabina exclaimed with certainty. "It is a rare treasure that every spirit manipulator yearns for."


    "You have got to be kidding me!" Rocky raised his eyebrows. If what Sabina said was true, he''d be able to reach the Supernal Stage in no time, if he could get his hands on that jade.


    "This jade is so special, it can absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, manifesting it into spiritual power for spirit manipulators to cultivate. It is said that across the Wild Spirit Land, no one but a man of the Immortal Stage owns a Sea Blue Magic Jade. Rumor has it, he is only able to reach the full potential of his supreme strength because of this very jade. Therefore this jade is invaluable." Sabina paused. "Or well, at least, that''s what I have heard. We don''t know whether or not the jade is actually that powerful, but surely, it is a useful treasure!" Sabina''s eyes twinkled as she explained this to Rocky.


    "No wonder it left me behind to look for the jade," Rocky muttered under his breath, scratching his chin.


    "It? Who is ''it''?" asked Sabina, unable to decipher Rocky''s murmur.


    "Nothing," Rocky said hastily. "We''d better leave as soon as possible. It would be a pity if someone else found the jade earlie


    t''s impossible to get to it unscathed," Sabina said with a scowl.


    "It''s not bad to have more people chasing after it. After they fight amongst themselves, we can sneak in and get it easily." A mischievous smile crept up the corners of Rocky''s mouth.


    "It''s not that simple to obtain the jade," Sabina sighed exasperatedly. "Like a spirit-manipulated beast, it chooses its owner. Therefore, even if you did find the jade, it will be useless to you if it doesn''t allow you to own it." Sabina glanced at Rocky and shook her head.


    "Choose its owner?" Rocky scratched his chin. He hadn''t expected that this jade was that hard to utilize.


    "But even if the one who finds it can''t use it, he can trade it for some other rare treasures. This jade is still invaluable, and spirit manipulators will be willing to get it at any cost. So, there is no need to worry about how we''ll handle it. But that also means these treasure hunters will definitely try their best to get the magic jade." Sabina rubbed her temples.


    "If I got my hands on the magic jade, I would make it choose me as its owner," Rocky said confidently.


    "You seem to be very sure of yourself," Sabina said, with her brow raised slightly.


    Rocky gave her a determined smile.


    "Well, I can help you get the magic jade if you want it so much," Sabina paused. "But only on one condition."

 Chapter 517 Please Follow Me

    "Will you help me? Don''t you want to get the Sea Blue Magic Jade?" Rocky looked at Sabina in confusion. He was not able to figure out why Sabina would help him in getting the Sea Blue Magic Jade, which was a treasure every spirit manipulator in the world dreamt of.


    "Even as of now, there is only one spirit manipulator in the Wild Spirit Land who has owned the Sea Blue Magic Jade. The Sea Blue Magic Jade is very rare, and the way it recognizes its owner is even stranger, something which is hard to imagine. Therefore, its owner is definitely out of ordinary! There is even a prediction in the Wild Spirit Land that if a spirit manipulator was successful in getting his hands on the Jade, he would become an overlord!" Sabina suggested.


    "Really? That''s excellent. But how is it possible to make it acknowledge me as its master?" Rocky asked in confusion, as Sabina''s guess was absolutely not based on evidence.


    "Because..." Actually, Sabina herself didn''t know the truth. She had a presentiment due to the strange things that had happened to Rocky and also due to the evil power hidden in his body. Of course, she was just trying her luck as she didn''t have the confidence to make the Sea Blue Magic Jade recognize her as master. One must remember that Sabina was somebody who possessed some extraordinary talents. She was successful in becoming a spirit manipulator of the Supernal Stage at her young age, which only a handful of people in the Holy Dragon Empire were successful in achieving. Even though her talent was unquestionable, it was far from enough to make the Sea Blue Magic Jade recognize her. It was also not unknown that once upon a time there were people who were far more powerful than her. But, even those masters of the Divine Stage were unable to make the Sea Blue Magic Jade recognize them. Thus, it could be seen that the condition for the Magic Jade to admit the owner was not itself based on the strength of the spirit manipulator.


    "Never mind. It would be better if you tell me regarding the promises you would like me to keep," Rock


    e a few of the Heavenly stage. The remaining ones are of the Earthly Stage. Even if you suppress the spirit manipulator of the Supernal Stage, the leftover ones would be difficult to deal with," Rocky said and rubbed his chin.


    "You are right. But don''t forget that this is the Myriad Beasts Ground. Even for the spirit manipulators of the Magic Phoenix Empire, it would be very difficult for getting closer to the weird light. The closer they would approach to the weird light, more would be the danger. So, we must be more cautious," Sabina said.


    "Don''t worry. I have walked in and out of the Myriad Beasts Ground on several occasions. It would be alright to come with me," Rocky said with confidence and raised his eyebrows.


    Sabina snorted. But she had to admit the fact that despite being in great danger all along the way, they didn''t encounter any extremely complex situations and moreover, they didn''t have to encounter any spirit-manipulated beasts. Because those beasts were above three-star or four-star, it would have been extremely difficult in defeating them. This showed the sublime capability of Rocky!


    Then, Rocky and Sabina continued to move carefully towards the direction of the strange light. But it was unknown to them that up next they were to encounter some ghastly and dangerous situations. The trip to the Myriad Beasts Ground had just begun.

 Chapter 518 The Deadly Incidents

    Shortly after noon, Rocky and Sabina trudged through an ominous swamp, until they stumbled onto a peculiar landform.


    This area had a strange aura. It was dead silent. The ground was covered in dirt as grey as soot, as though raging fire had ravaged the land. Nothing was there, save for some boulders sprinkled throughout. Perched on top of the boulders were grotesque, bird-like spirit-manipulated beasts.


    The bird-like spirit-manipulated beast was called the Black Vulture. At first glance, it looked like any normal vulture. However, upon closer inspection, one would notice their slightly bigger build. Rocky and Sabina gauged that its strength couldn''t be higher than the three-star level, which was considered as a low level in the Myriad Beasts Ground.


    Of course, even so, it was still quite the ferocious beast, especially when in groups. A coordinated attack from a group of these vultures could tear apart a wild spirit-manipulated beast at the fourth grade of the four-star level in the blink of an eye.


    However, when it came to feeding, these vultures'' diet was limited to meat on dead bodies, especially rotting ones. The more disgustingly rotten bodies, the more satisfied they seemed to be. The vultures didn''t usually attack other wild spirit-manipulated beasts. They would only fish in troubled water. Thus, they usually preferred to perch at a safe distance, quietly watching the other beasts mangle each other. The vultures would patiently wait for a beast to fall dead. Immediately, they would swoop down and surround the corpse, guarding their prey. However, they''d wait a few days, enough to let the carcass rot to their satisfaction. Only then would they feast on it.


    Thus, the vultures had the most morbid sense of taste compared to all the other beasts in the Myriad Beasts Ground.


    Rocky and Sabina pondered on this as they cautiously took some steps forward, vigilantly eyeing the vultures.


    The vultures haughtily returned their gaze. Some grew nervous, screaming suddenly; some nervously flapped their wings, as if they want


    .


    This made her uncomfortable. All of a sudden, Sabina felt a shiver down her spine. Her face turned bright red with anger. She turned to glare at Rocky and shouted, "Shut up!"


    Rocky was confused by her reaction, but before he could reply, he sensed something behind him. When he turned to look, his face grew pale. He abruptly whipped his head forward and wrapped his arms around Sabina''s waist tightly.


    "You...!" Sabina was stunned. She hadn''t expected Rocky to suddenly hug her tight, and she felt her body become warm suddenly. She felt outraged. The spiritual power with Ice nature emanated from her body, enveloping her in a cold chill.


    ''He just wants to take advantage of me!'' Enraged thoughts raced through Sabina''s mind. She hadn''t been touched by a man since she was a child, so she was not used to the idea of being touched so suddenly. ''Is he molesting me?''


    But when she opened her mouth to give Rocky an earful, the world suddenly got dark. A shadow enveloped the sky, covering the sun. As she turned around and checked what had caused such a thing, her mouth dropped open in shock.


    Hundreds upon hundreds of Black Vultures gathered in the sky, their beady eyes staring right at them. They had an ominous, starved expression, and instantly, Sabina knew they were their prey. As instantly as she realized this, the horde of vultures charged after them.

 Chapter 519 Pity

    "Watch out!" Rocky immediately lowered Sabina''s body while his arms were around her waist and protected her body with his.


    Rocky''s reflexes were almost as swift as the flock of vultures diving towards them. But because of this, some of the vultures ended up swiping his back with their sharp talons.


    In the blink of an eye, his back was badly mangled with blood. He released the evil spiritual power a bit too late, causing him to fall one step behind the vultures.


    It wasn''t until then that Sabina realized that Rocky wasn''t drawing her closer to him to take advantage of her. It was to protect her. With the amount of strength she had, she was ready to take on the vultures before they could attack.


    "Go, Duchess Silver!" As she noticed that they were surrounded by vultures, Sabina''s expression changed drastically. Not risking carelessness, she called out for Duchess Silver.


    Duchess Silver moaned deeply as it raised its head. It rushed swiftly towards the vultures like an arrow released from its bow.


    The vultures, however, were relentless in their chase.


    But Duchess Silver was able to drive them away thanks to its speed.


    "Are you alright?" Sabina asked Rocky who still held her when they managed to get to safety.


    "Don''t worry. It isn''t fatal." The calm fa?ade he tried to put on was broken by the twist of pain that spread across his face.


    Worried, Sabina ordered Duchess Silver to land at once.


    "Can you get your hands back?" Sabina asked assertively as Duchess Silver began to land.


    With a bitter smile, Rocky did as she said. Unfortunately, the injuries on his back caused him to lose his balance. His whole body trembled before falling from Duchess Silver''s back to the ground below.


    Seeing this startled Sabina.


    ined through gritted teeth. But as the magical saliva began to work, the coolness it provided canceled out the sting his wounds brought.


    Hearing his complaint, Sabina smiled as if the gentlest wind just caressed her face. However, it left as quickly as it came.


    The magical saliva worked tremendously. Most of Rocky''s wounds had already healed and he could even move freely now.


    "We have to learn to be more careful next time. The Myriad Beasts Ground is full of hidden dangers. We''ll never know what we may encounter next," Rocky uttered with narrowed eyes. Looking back on what had just happened, he knew that they wouldn''t be as lucky the next time. The only other time Rocky considered himself lucky was when he had the mysterious woman named Cherry to help him. Rocky was fully aware of Sabina''s power¡ªthe preliminary level of the Supernal Stage. However, this didn''t matter when they were in the Myriad Beasts Ground where she could protect herself at most. It would be a challenge to protect someone else in this stage.


    Only one word was fit to describe the Myriad Beasts Ground, a horrific and dangerous place¡ªthat was hell. Danger and crisis were infinite here.

 Chapter 520 A Strange Sound

    Some two days later, two figures could be spotted hastily running across a rocky valley. They were in an obvious rush and refused to stop to rest until they were safe.


    They were Rocky and Sabina. For a random passer-by, they would both look like they were fleeing for their lives.


    "Let''s rest here. We may have lost them now," said Rocky as he slowed down.


    "I was hoping we''d get to a safer place. But it seems like we just keep on encountering more danger as we get closer to the peculiar light." Sabina frowned with fear.


    Two days ago, Rocky was injured by a dangerous encounter they faced. Compared to that, the recent encounters were much less life-threatening.


    "The last beasts were just a few Single-eyed Moths. They were just at the fourth grade of the four-star level. They aren''t as dangerous as the Four-wing Lame Dragons that chased me off a cliff," Rocky explained. Recounting the Four-wing Lame Dragons reminded him of Cherry, the mysterious woman who saved him. He wondered if she was still in the Myriad Beasts Ground.


    "Four-wing Lame Dragons?" Sabina gasped in disbelief.


    "Yes. I had a quick detour around their habitat in the Myriad Beasts Ground," Rocky replied casually.


    "You''re just bragging!" Sabina rolled her eyes at Rocky. She figured he was just showing-off and it wasn''t as bad as he''s narrating.


    "Look," Rocky said. "We''ve been going around in circles. We haven''t reached the peculiar light at all." Sabina looked around. Seeing the skepticism on her face, Rocky smiled. He gazed at the direction of the peculiar light. For the past two days, they have encountered many great dangers such as spirit-manipulated beasts. They felt as if they weren''t getting closer to the light.


    Just that morning, th


    ust have taken another route. Anyway, if a couple of wild spirit-manipulated beasts at the fourth grade of the four-star level frightened someone of your great strength, then I bet they are having an even more difficult time than us," remarked Rocky.


    "This is your fault. If you gave me a bit more time to prepare, I could easily beat two wild spirit-manipulated beasts at the fourth grade of the four-star level at the same time," Sabina said defensively. She knew it was true. If she and Duchess Silver worked together, even two wild spirit-manipulated beasts were no match with them. But she knew that if she involved herself in the battle, then no one would protect Rocky.


    Rocky was strong. But even with Uriah and Rubygon, they could only beat one wild spirit-manipulated beast at the fourth grade of the four-star level at most. Anything more than that would be beyond him.


    Rocky smiled. He knew he was being a burden to Sabina.


    Then, a shrill scream pierced through the silence of the night.


    Rocky and Sabina''s eyes widened. They glanced at the direction where the scream came. It was the other end of the valley, and it sounded like a woman''s voice.

 Chapter 521 The Arrogant Woman

    "Let me take a look." Rocky got up with a deep breath.


    "I''ll go with you." Sabina stood up alongside Rocky. She didn''t want to let him go alone.


    Rocky didn''t refuse. Together, they walked towards the direction of the voice.


    A few steps in, the ground beneath them vibrated as if something huge was approaching them.


    "Wait, could these be related?" The two felt worried. They stopped in their tracks and waited for the vibrations to stop.


    Suddenly, they saw a woman appear at the foot of the valley. She had a small and dainty face. She would have been pretty, if not for the blood running across her face and on her shoulders. The red color of the blood was a stark contrast against her pale skin. She looked weak and injured.


    As soon as the woman walked forward, the trees behind her collapsed. Dust rose from the ground as it was hit with a heavy thud.


    The girl continued walking towards Sabina and Rocky almost nonchalantly.


    As she got closer, Rocky let out a small gasp. She was truly beautiful. Rocky guessed she was perhaps seventeen years old. Black hair framed her face and her clear eyes offered a sharp gaze. She wore a pink gauze dress with a phoenix emblem pinned on it. But Rocky wasn''t just awestruck at her beauty; he was also stunned because she looked familiar.


    "She is a spirit manipulator of the Magic Phoenix Empire." Sabina interrupted Rocky''s thoughts and pointed at the pin on her dress.


    "What is she doing here alone?" Rocky craned his neck to see if anyone else was following her. He only saw a three-tailed fox and no one else. What was strange about this was the fact that Rocky spotted at least five spirit manipulators of the Magic Phoenix Empire gathered together before. If she was one of them, it was curious that she was left alone.


    "Maybe she was ambushed and separated from the others," Sabina guessed.


    "Should we help her?" Rocky asked, taking note of the woman''s nearing presence. It wo


    he girl demanded. She was acting like royalty.


    "Let''s make something clear," Rocky said. "It wasn''t my idea to save you. My beautiful bodyguard asked me to. I am not attracted to you nor do I find any compelling reason to protect you." Rocky was furious. This girl was playing with him and wasting his time as Sabina battled a difficult monster.


    The woman blinked. "Do you want to die?" she said with a cold glare.


    "I am not threatened by you," Rocky sneered. He really could not comprehend this woman''s arrogance.


    "Oh please, if I wasn''t injured, I''d be much stronger than you. You''re lucky I do not have my full strength," she threatened.


    Rocky gazed at her from head to toe. He assumed she had the strength of the second grade of the Earthly Stage. She seemed strong enough to stand out among her peers.


    Rocky decided to no longer indulge her and gestured Rubygon to leave.


    At this sight, the woman called the attention of her three-tailed fox. "Go after him!" she ordered. The three-tailed fox hesitated not a single second and immediately pounced on Rocky.


    Rocky had enough of it. His eyes flashed and he released his aura. He was at the Heavenly Stage and his aura easily enveloped the girl. The woman looked stunned and then her body collapsed to the floor as she trembled.

 Chapter 522 Flying Sand And Rolling Stones

    The aura of the Heavenly Stage that was unleashed by Rocky was incredibly powerful. The three-tailed fox that was harassing him yelped in fear, retreating behind the lovely young maiden.


    "You..." The little girl quaked in fear, staring at the man who was radiating the Heavenly Stage aura. She had clearly misjudged him. He initially looked like he was at the first or second grade of the Earthly stage, that''s why she thought she could take him. Never in her wildest dreams would she have expected he was a master at the Heavenly Stage!


    "So this is what the quote, ''There''s always someone stronger than you'', means," she said to herself softly.


    "If you keep on messing with me, I will spank you," warned Rocky coldly. He hated it when people were unreasonable. Although this fine maiden was still young and ignorant, she should know her limit. Her unreasonable behavior was beginning to get on Rocky''s nerves.


    "How dare you!" the pretty girl cried timidly, obviously flustered. She hoped Rocky was bluffing.


    Seeing that the little girl didn''t believe him, Rocky sneered. In a flash, he vanished from atop Rubygon.


    Before she could react, she sensed the tall, strong figure materialize from behind her. Too stunned to respond, she was overwhelmed by his powerful aura. As soon as she was about to turn around to face him, a hand suddenly grasped her by the arm. She was yanked forward so abruptly that she fell on her face, with her butt sticking out.


    Slap! A sickening sound rang through the air.


    "Ouch! That hurts!" The beauty cried out in pain. Her cheeks burned red with embarrassment. Biting her lower lip, her eyes welled up with tears, her delicate shoulders trembling slightly. She looked at him as though she had suffered a great injustice.


    "If you even think about crying, I''ll strip you naked and leave you in this dangerous place..." Rocky felt exasperated


    have seen him before..." Watching Rocky''s figure shrink as he grew farther and farther, she shook her head in disgust. "Why should I care about who he is? This guy had the audacity to spank me! I need to tell Erica. She ought to teach him a lesson." She danced giddily at the thought.


    Meanwhile, Sabina had attracted the Furious Long-nosed Bear at the fourth grade of the five-star level. In a violent battle, Sabina and Duchess Silver fiercely fought with the bear.


    "Frost Blade Dancing..." At the simple wave of her hands, Sabina conjured the ice spiritual power. Instantly, several frost blades were summoned and rained upon the Furious Long-nosed Bear.


    The spirit-manipulated beast lifted its long nose to block the frost blades.


    Puff! Puff! Puff!


    Despite its attempt at parrying the blades, the Furious Long-nosed Bear didn''t come out of that attack unscathed.


    In severe pain, the bear roared ferociously, swiping its nose toward Sabina, attempting to knock her over. As Duchess Silver rushed to her side, a cyclone suddenly formed. All of a sudden, a strong, howling wind whirled from the cyclone, hitting the long nose of the beast in midair.


    The next moment, the waves around were surging, throwing sand and stones in all directions...

 Chapter 523 Fighting Like Kilkenny Cats

    The Furious Long-nosed Bear let out a loud thud as it hurled its body towards Duchess Silver. Luckily, the Duchess Silver was able to evade it by the hair. Sabina waved her hands and released Ice spiritual energy. Two Ice Whips shot out from her finger tips and pierced towards the Furious Long-nosed Bear.


    Slap! The Ice Whip from her right hand pierced the bear. And then the left one followed with a loud slap.


    The Furious Long-nosed Bear groaned, its face now marked with ice.


    Sabina was already at the Supernal Stage. She was strong. The Furious Long-nosed Bear, on the other hand, was huge. Instead of being threatened by its size, Sabina found the bear''s enormity to be its weakness. It was too exposed. It was easy for Sabina to take it down.


    But now, the Furious Long-nosed Bear was even more agitated. It stomped loudly on the ground and caused the earth beneath them to shake. Its nose swung up and dove down with enough force to split a mountain in half.


    The Duchess Silver was already at the fourth-grade and it already had four stars. However, it was still inferior to the Furious Long-nosed Bear. The force of the bear broke the wind cyclone that protected the Duchess Silver, and the Duchess Silver collapsed to the ground.


    Before Sabina and the Duchess Silver could retaliate, the nose of the Furious Long-nosed Bear shrank then released several invisible wind bombs. It attacked Duchess Silver which was already struggling to get up.


    "Duchess Silver!" Sabina stretched her arms out and her eyes froze to the sky. "Icy Dragon Dancing!" she shouted.


    Frosty powers like snowstorms burst from her arms. It danced and swiveled around Sabina before it col


    g-nosed Bear was more difficult to deal with than she thought. Even with the help of the Duchess Silver, they wouldn''t have stood a chance.


    The Furious Long-nosed Bear did not just have the advantage of physical strength. It was also able to manipulate the wind and create wind bombs from thin air. Wind bombs were forceful enough to compete with the blow of spiritual martial arts.


    "Do you have any ideas?" Sabina waited for Rocky to respond. They couldn''t just run away and they knew they had to fight back. The only way to win was to get rid of the Furious Long-nosed Bear.


    "There are two of us. If we take Uriah and Duchess Silver with us, we may stand a chance against the beast. But we''re taking a big risk. We are at the Myriad Beasts Ground; we might end up calling the attention of other wild spirit-manipulated beasts. We have to fight smart," Rocky analyzed seriously. Wild spirit-manipulated beasts had not been tamed by any master. They got mad easily and were more dangerous when angry. They also did not easily give up.


    Therefore, if they keep fighting the bear, they might all end up seriously hurt.

 Chapter 524 Prey

    "If you have any idea, just say it directly. Don''t beat around the bush." Sabina glared at Rocky, suspecting that he must have come up with an idea. She raised her left eyebrow, as if encouraging Rocky to open his mouth. After staying together with Rocky for some time, she knew Rocky''s personality well. There were a lot of moments where he looked cynical, but internally, he had already controlled everything secretly. Sabina was used to it. Rocky tended to surprise the people around him with his organized thoughts. So when she saw the serious look on Rocky''s face, she knew that he had already come up with a solution. This thought gave Sabina some relief.


    "If the Furious Long-nosed Bear can''t attack us from a distance, we can leave with the help of Duchess Silver. But the problem is that the wind bomb released by the bear is powerful, so we can''t take the risk to let Duchess Silver take us out of here. The only thing we can do is to take advantage of the terrain of the place where we are now..." Rocky turned towards Sabina and gave out a cunning smile. When Sabina saw this, she knew her hunch about Rocky''s ideas was right.


    "Take advantage of the terrain?" Sabina felt a bit relieved upon hearing Rocky''s plan. However, she didn''t immediately get how they would be able to make use of the terrain of the valley. She then took a long look at their environment, paying attention to the landform surrounding them. After a few minutes, she began to grasp Rocky''s suggestion.


    "When I arrived here, I observed the valley carefully. The valley is like a group of gourds, from wide to narrow, and from narrow to wide. Some areas are so narrow that only two people can walk side by side at the same time. If we consider this to our advantage, it''s not difficult for us to get rid of the Furious Long-nosed Bear. Once we are able to run away and keep a distance from it, we can let Duchess Silver take us out of the valley." Rocky told Sabina his plan calmly. His eyes were gleaming and he looked so hopeful despite the fatigue showing on his face.


    "It sounds like a good idea!" As Sabina responded, she looked up at the Furious Long-nosed Bear which suddenly had become quiet. It just rolled its big eyes, staring at them from af


    ectly like a large mountain.


    "Get away!" Rocky shouted at Sabina the moment he realized what happened.


    The two of them dodged and slid to opposite sides at the same time. In a blink of an eye, the huge body of the Furious Long-nosed Bear slammed into the ground like a meteorite. The mountain walls around them trembled all of a sudden. The rubbles scattered and dust flew violently. Within a dozen meters radius, the ground was shaking violently.


    Several cracks appeared at the place where Furious Long-nosed Bear fell down, and ground sank for three meters. The strong downward momentum spread directly around, causing an astonishing force, like a torrent. The dust and sand were stirred up.


    Both Rocky and Sabina were affected by the force. They rushed towards the two sides. After a while, they stopped. However, at this moment, the Furious Long-nosed Bear''s huge body was between them.


    The Furious Long-nosed Bear suddenly swung its thick nose and smashed it towards the entrance where Rocky and Sabina had just come in. Rocks began to fall down and blocked the entrance.


    The most frightening thing was that they found themselves in a dead end. There was no exit for them to escape to.


    Adrenaline was running through the veins of both Rocky and Sabina. Everything happened so quickly. Panicking, they had realized that the Furious Long-nosed Bear drove them into this place on purpose. Then, it would trap them there, so that they could not escape and become its prey!

 Chapter 525 Survival Of The Fittest

    "It seems that this bear is smarter than we imagined. It knew quite well of our intention to get rid of it and now has taken advantage of it. It deliberately drove us here in order to catch us!" It was totally out of Rocky''s expectation. This Furious Long-nosed Bear not only had strong limbs, but was intelligent too. It had even lured him into a trap.


    At this moment, Rocky and Sabina were in deep trouble.


    "Call out Duchess Silver." Sensing that the situation was getting worse, Rocky immediately shouted at Sabina from the other side of the bear. If both of them had gotten trapped there, then the consequences would be really unthinkable.


    When Sabina heard Rocky''s voice, she called out Duchess Silver. Immediately, she jumped onto the back of Duchess Silver and flew into the air. But instead of flying away directly, she flew towards Rocky.


    On seeing this, trying to stop Duchess Silver, the bear swung its long nose and shot out several wind bombs.


    The power of the wind bombs was not something which could have been taken lightly. But both Sabina and Duchess Silver decided to take the risk and then they flew towards Rocky. However, since Rocky was at the other side of the bear, it was not easy to save him.


    "Don''t try to save me now. You should go first!" Rocky shouted at Sabina upon seeing this. He knew the risks behind Sabina attempting a rescue.


    However, it was impossible for Sabina to leave Rocky alone there. Her sole purpose of going to the Gehenna Border was to protect Rocky. If something had happened to him, it meant that she had failed in fulfilling her obligation and that she was unable to complete the task that her master had assigned.


    Therefore, Sabina continued to ride Duchess Silver without hesitation. She rushed towards Rocky, trying desperately to fight the bear and take Rocky away into safety.


    While Sabina was dodging the wind bombs released by the bear, she employed the ice flowers of the spiritual martial arts and condensed countless frost blades which rushed towards the bear at high speed. She was hoping to buy some time to let Duchess Silver try its best to rush towards Rocky.


    fare for distracting and causing panic. In this way, they might expose their flaws.


    "This Myriad Beasts Ground is indeed very terrible. Even an ordinary five-star wild spirit-manipulated beast can push us into this bad situation..." exclaimed Sabina. The situation might have been different if she had been more powerful. Unfortunately, she was just at the first grade of the Supernal Stage. She might be an outstanding spirit manipulator, but in this dangerous Myriad Beasts Ground, she seemed powerless to deal with any situation.


    Of course, judging from the previous encounters, the strength of this bear was at least equivalent to that of a spirit manipulator at the third grade of the Supernal Stage. Without Duchess Silver''s help, the gap between Sabina and the Furious Long-nosed Bear was very huge.


    Rocky just reached the third grade of the Heavenly Stage, but it was difficult for him to cause any injury to the bear. During his last encounter with the bear, he was in great danger. If the Rainbow Glow Unicorn hadn''t appeared and helped him, he might have died at that time.


    "It seems that we have no choice but to go all out! Either it dies, or we are unlucky..." Now that things had come to this end, Rocky was left with no other option but to use the best of his abilities against the bear.


    The survival of the fittest and the selection of natural laws were the common phenomenon of the Myriad Beasts Ground!

 Chapter 526 Eve Of The War

    Rocky immediately summoned Uriah from the Magic Spiritual Space and prepared himself to fight with all his might.


    Although Uriah was only at the third grade of the three-star level, its combat effectiveness was still very strong because of its rarity and the amazing fire power. It was still far weaker than Duchess Silver at the fourth grade of the four-star level. However, since it possessed more combat power, it had a better chance to win.


    "Is this beast of yours a spiritual beast?" Sabina asked glancing upon Uriah. She was very curious about Uriah right from the moment she saw it. Uriah also had a very unique smell as if it had integrated the auras of the war beast and the spiritual beast. The auras released by a war beast and a spiritual beast were different. The aura of the war beast was a little rigid, while that of the spiritual beast was softer. But the aura of Uriah was neither tough nor soft, making it so special.


    However, Uriah had an obvious spiritual beast feature, which was the fire power. So Sabina concluded that Uriah was a spiritual beast.


    "At this instant, do you still care whether my Uriah looks like a spiritual beast?" A bitter smile emerged on Rocky''s face as he turned his head to look at Sabina. Now, in this desperate moment too, Sabina still had the heart to care about his Uriah.


    "Who cares? I just asked casually, because I have seen a lot of the spiritual beast illustrations, and I do know most of them. But I have never seen your spirit-manipulated beast, and neither have I found any similar race¡­" Sabina answered staring coldly at Rocky.


    Hearing this Rocky shook his head with a smile. As Uriah was never recorded in the Beast Encyclopedia, it was normal for Sabina to feel surprised.


    At the same time, the Furious Long-nosed Bear got ready to enjoy its delicious food. It slowly approached Rocky and Sabina, with its two big eyes rolling on both of them, as if to pick one of them first.


    Seeing the approaching bear, Rocky and Sabina looked at each other and got ready to


    !"


    In an instant, thick and long ice thorns rushed out and directly hit the lower abdomen of the bear. The skin of the bear was invulnerable, but after constantly hitting with the ice thorns, its skin was still blooming.


    The bear made a terrible shriek and swept off the back part of its body. Then the ground was shaken apart by the great force, which counteracted the spiritual power from the freezing thorns.


    As she saw that she was successful in her first attack, Sabina immediately took advantage of the situation. The purple light was like a rainbow, which turned into a beam of ice light and then went directly straight at the bear. Wherever it passed, a thin layer of ice was instantly formed and the ground was covered with white snow.


    However, at the next moment, the bear suddenly howled and took a deep breath with its mouth wide open. Then, its thick nose continued to swell up like a balloon.


    Puff!


    With a deafening thud, a huge wind ball rushed out of his thick nose and whirled around ceaselessly. At the same time, it used its amazing suction force and caused a collision with the ice colored light that Sabina had shot.


    After a moment of stalemate, the spiritual power of the ice colored light was suddenly getting weak, and it was getting sucked in by the wind ball. And then, the wind ball continued to rush towards Sabina.

 Chapter 527 The Intense Fight

    Sabina''s face turned grim when she saw the wind ball dashing towards her. She flipped her palm and launched a fast palm shadow attack with ice element against the wind ball which had strong suction power.


    However, the palm shadow was sucked into the wind ball after it hit the ball.


    The wind ball continued hurling towards Sabina and, when it was just an inch away from her, it flopped onto the ground.


    Bam!


    The ground thumped. With a streak of spiritual light shining abruptly, the spiritual power inside the wind ball was then released.


    Such strong power was equal to the power launched by two moves of the spiritual martial arts. With the impact power of the wind ball itself which was burst out at the same time, the power of the wind wall was quite amazing.


    Sabina resisted its formidable power with all her spiritual power but failed. Her body trembled and was thrown backwards. Instantly, she spat out a mouthful of blood.


    The Furious Long-nosed Bear took the opportunity to attack Sabina again. Without missing a beat, it slapped its two huge palms directly where Sabina stood.


    Slap! Slap! Slap! The earth shook violently.


    Sabina used all her remaining energy to evade it. Soon, she found herself driven into a corner. As the bear gained momentum and raised one of its giant palms to attack her again, she bit her lips and, with what was left of her, used all her spiritual power to fight back.


    Then, a figure appeared near the armpit of the bear. It was Rocky and he was waving his Flaming Blade, releasing a stream of black Evil Flame and hurling it right at the armpit of the beast.


    The moment the bear''s giant palm was directly over Sabina''s head, ready to hit her violently, it was hit by the Evil Flame and got frozen in the air.


    Sabina took her chance. She released her Ice spiritual power, injected it into her ice bracelet and then stretch


    r of flaming wings. Uriah flew as quickly as a flash towards the bear and, once near it, slapped the bear with its wings.


    The bear whipped its giant nose and swatted Uriah away, as if it were merely a fly.


    Rocky appeared beside Uriah and, with his Flaming Blade, created a stream of black-red Evil Flame. The Evil Flame hit the bear''s nose and blocked it in the air.


    Uriah jumped up and began spinning fast like a spinning top. Then, its flaming wings turned into a wave of fire like a dragon and dashed towards the bear. Soon, the bear''s skin was set in flames. The air began to smell like burning flesh.


    However, the beast refused to give up. It pounced forward and rushed towards Rocky. Before Rocky could dodge, the bear struck its nose down from the air with lightning speed.


    Rocky raised his Flaming Blade in an attempt at defending himself. However, the bear''s giant nose merely crushed the spiritual power condensed by the blade. Rocky looked grim. He tried his best to avoid the bear''s strike, but it was just too late. His left abdomen was hit violently by the bear. Then, he fell to the ground, beginning to feel hopeless.


    In one fell swoop, the bear raised its nose again and slammed it on Rocky''s feeble body crumpled on the ground.

 Chapter 528 Cooperation

    Meanwhile, Sabina''s heart raced as soon as she saw that Rocky was in trouble. Using her intuition, she suddenly raised her arm, ready to use the ice bracelet''s power at any given time. However, Sabina was already too late to take any action as the long nose''s impact was all too abrupt. In a blink of an eye, sand flew everywhere which made it easier for the long nose to dash towards Rocky.


    But just when Rocky was about to get hit, a beast shadow hastily rushed over him with the fierce flame light.


    With a loud bang, the Furious Long-nosed Bear''s nose heavily collided with the beast. Afterwards, the flames flickered brightly and shot at all directions, making the air waves surge with heat.


    After the standoff, the Furious Long-nosed Bear''s power and force prevailed and knocked the beast flying into the air. It flew so far that it glided on the ground for more than ten meters before it came to a halt as it could not get up anymore.


    "Uriah!" Rocky yelled seriously. Still feeling sore after the bout, he stood up once he had the chance. Seeing the wound on his left abdomen, he gritted his teeth in pain.


    Usually, during a dangerous situation such as this one, Rocky would conduct the Spirit Possession with Uriah. However, when faced with such a powerful opponent, the Spirit Possession would be of no great help to them. On top of that, the skill''s side effect could also become a fatal weakness to them. That was why he had decided not to take any risks at that moment.


    On the other hand, the Furious Long-nosed Bear didn''t seem to let go of Rocky easily. Right after hitting Uriah, it curled its nose up and shot two wind bombs that were directed towards Rocky.


    Fortunately, Rocky was quick on his toes as he immediately stepped back upon seeing what was coming for him. And in a flash, the two wind bombs exploded just beside him. The impact was so strong that it made him stagger right after he kept his feet. Afterwards, the Furious Long-nosed Bear''s huge body dashed towards him madly.


    Meanwhile, Uriah, which had just been knocked away, stood on its feet as it dashed over again like a brave soldier. Without any fear, it once again blocked the Furious Long-nosed Bear with much more power and strength than it had before, baring it


    that the dark and evil power inside Rocky was bursting out again.


    All of a sudden, with black flames all over his body, Rocky waved his hands and then released the spiritual power that filled his body again, which made the black flames around him also soar. They turned into black flame flows which then intertwined with each other and gathered into the Dragon Flame Pearl in the air.


    The Dragon Flame Pearl spun rapidly in the air, and the black flame flows kept on condensing and covering the Dragon Flame Pearl completely. After some time, it formed a huge black fireball with surging spiritual light.


    As Rocky waved his hand, the black fireball appeared. It seemed like it was a black version of the sun that had been shot down, which shone brightly and fell toward the Furious Long-nosed Bear.


    Seeing this, the Furious Long-nosed Bear was frightened by Rocky''s unfathomable strength. It ceased rushing as it looked at the falling black fireball. Roaring loudly, it suddenly opened its mouth and took a deep breath, sucking in a plentiful stream of air. Simultaneously, its nose swelled and rose, shooting out a wind bomb that was almost the same size as the black fireball that was about to land on it. With this skill, the wind bomb flew upward, aiming towards the fireball.


    Right at the next moment, the black fireball and the wind bomb suddenly collided, boasting a dazzling and eye-catching feat. Afterwards, a powerful shock wave burst out, sweeping and sending dust and debris into the air.

 Chapter 529 Black Power

    "It''s strange why his spiritual power couldn''t be devoured by that wind ball." Sabina was surprised as she saw the black flaming ball released by Rocky was not getting swallowed by the wind ball. This was because all the spiritual martial arts she had displayed had already been swallowed up by the wind ball and returned in the same way. While she was too weak to withstand the power of the wind ball, it''s reasonable to say that Rocky, who was far away from her, couldn''t fight against the wind ball either.


    But Sabina saw with her own eyes that the black flaming ball released by the Dragon Flame Pearl fought against the wind ball without showing any sign of being devoured. This was quite unusual.


    What she didn''t know was that Rocky''s evil spiritual power exceeding his current strength. Moreover, the evil spiritual power from the Holy Dragon Bead itself had a special ability of devouring. So it counteracted against the devouring power of the wind ball and initiated a counterattack that Sabina saw.


    The impact of the two forces was too strong that the effect could be seen at least a dozen meters around. The dusts were surging and the wind blew hard like a knife cutting the skin.


    When the black flaming ball and the wind ball were fighting each other, it could be seen that Rocky suddenly flashed like a wind and rushed forward like a flying bird. He was seen jumping high and approaching towards the black flaming ball that was fighting against the wind ball. A hand rose in the air seeming like it was holding up the sun. Then directly it went deep into the black flaming ball, and sent the evil spiritual power into the Dragon Flame Pearl.


    At the next moment, the intensity of light from the black flaming ball became even brighter and it overtook that of the wind ball.


    "From where did he get this sort of power?" Sabina was stunned to see this as Rocky was only at the third grade of the Heavenly Stage, but the spiritual power released by him seemed to have already surpassed his own. Moreover, this time, the evil powers released by Rocky showed no sign of descend. He was still very much rational and manipulated this evil power.


    ds were sweeping around. The strong power had instantly spread around resulting in stones being flown away and the entire area was filled with dust dozens of meters high.


    Under such a strong impact, even the giant bear couldn''t help but lean forward. The body which was as large as a hill was suddenly lifted up revealing a crack.


    On the other hand, Sabina had already gathered all her spiritual power into the ice bracelet. The ice flowers on the bracelet began blooming again, sparkling holy and translucent. After a few steps, the ice flowers gradually rose up and floated in the air. A beautiful arc flew across the sky, and then a light flashed which shot towards the bear.


    Bang!


    The frozen ice flower beat on the body of the bear. In an instant, the icy light glittered and a strong ice force shot around the bear. At the same time, the blood column rushing out of the bear could also be seen. The bear roared miserably and fell on to the ground at once.


    Seeing that the bear had finally fallen down to the ground, Sabina released a sigh of relief. Since she had reached her limit, she knelt down on to the ground, panting for breath.


    At the next instant, the heavily wounded bear was struggling to get on its feet and it was letting out deafening roars. It limped as a bull with its eyes widely open, as if it was struggling for its last breath. However, it was heading towards the place where Rocky had just fallen...

 Chapter 530 The Super Pill

    Meanwhile, Rocky temporarily lost the ability to act due to the amount of pressure that was on his body. He was just there, lying on the ground, unable to move a muscle.


    When the Furious Long-nosed Bear was about to rush toward him, a beast suddenly stood in between them, as if protecting him. The beast, flickering with a faint flame light all over its body, had many scars. It looked beaten, with its hard scales broken and bruised. Even so, it still stayed in front of Rocky, guarding him like a royal warrior with its aura as imposing as the storm.


    "U...Uriah..." Rocky stuttered upon seeing what was in front of him. With mixed expression, he didn''t expect that Uriah would still try and protect him from danger despite its current state.


    However, during this time, Uriah was not able to resist the enemy''s attack at all and might even die because of it.


    "Uriah, stay away!" Rocky yelled and ordered at once.


    But, Uriah remained still as it did not take any actions.


    Regardless of the damage that he had received, Rocky just clenched his teeth as he struggled to stand up and teeter towards Uriah.


    Rocky pulled his way as he got close to Uriah. Then, the strong black light and red light from their bodies shone at the same time, as if in unison. Simultaneously, the two kinds of light added radiance to each other.


    During that time, the evil spiritual power, which emerged from Rocky''s body, connected with Uriah''s light.


    The red flames that Uriah released from its body gradually changed color and then slowly fused with the black evil spiritual power, becoming as sparkly as the Evil Flame.


    Suddenly, Uriah''s body flashed with the dazzling and blinding light. Then, a strong whirl appeared around it. The Evil Flame spread out of its body and encapsulated itself like the tornado. This, however, displayed such an incredible sight that it radiated such a horrifying aura.


    Surprised to see what had just happened, Rocky understood what was happening right away. As a response, he then stretched his hand out to touch Uriah.


    But the moment he touched Uriah, both of them burst out the strong Evil


    ous power that came from Rocky.


    In any case, all that had just happened made Sabina feel astonished. It never occurred to her that she and Rocky would work together to defeat a Furious Long-nosed Bear at the fourth grade of the five-star level, which was equivalent to defeating a spirit manipulator of at least the third or fourth grade of the Supernal Stage.


    She never thought that this day would come. After all, this kind of thing was almost impossible, but they actually made it happen!


    Of course, the consequences would have been too terrible if it hadn''t been for the formidable power from Rocky in the final stage and Uriah''s breakthrough to the four-star level at such a critical time.


    Taking a drop of the magical saliva, Rocky then quickly sat down with his legs crossed. After recuperating, he immediately stood up and walked to the Furious Long-nosed Bear that he had just defeated. Then, he picked up the Frozen Wind Dagger and cut the bear''s belly wide open. He touched it for a while and took out a Beast Spiritual Pill with the strong scent.


    The Beast Spiritual Pill''s power and potency was much better than the two pills that Rocky had acquired before.


    "Well, at least all our efforts were not in vain." Rocky stared at the pill and then immediately placed it into his Magic Spiritual Space. He then put away the Frozen Wind Dagger and Dragon Flame Pearl and walked towards Sabina afterwards.

 Chapter 531 Really Killed It

    "What are you doing?" Sabina asked when Rocky picked her up.


    "Can you walk all by yourself? Or do you prefer if I leave you alone out here with that huge beast''s stinking corpse?" Rocky carried Sabina effortlessly while looking at her with that evil smile of his.


    After hearing the choices Rocky laid out for her, Sabina was speechless. Although, being in Rocky''s arms right now, she felt warmer and it made her reluctant to leave this fortress of safety which was Rocky''s embrace.


    "You''ll be dead if you dare to get physical with me," Sabina warned Rocky with a killer glare. Contrary to her words though, she clutched at Rocky''s clothes tighter and leaned closer to him, feeling more of his warmth.


    Seeing Sabina''s duality in personality, Rocky shook his head with a smile. When they rode Uriah, Sabina was left wondering how Rocky managed to ride the beast without putting Sabina down first.


    When they were finally settled, Uriah flapped its wings and took them away.


    Their flight didn''t take long before Uriah landed to the safe place where Rocky had sent Tasha.


    Staying with Rubygon, Tasha remained alert about her surroundings. Her mouth was wide open, her jaw left hanging when she spied Uriah''s amazing wings as it flew down from the sky.


    The mutation made Uriah look more breathtaking. The color of black and red enchantingly mixed with a pair of bewitching flaming wings made Uriah the most beautiful beast.


    Of course, it was worth mentioning that Uriah had reached the fourth grade of the four-star level now, and it was probably the first ever spirit-manipulated beast that had been more powerful than its owner.


    However, there were good reasons why Uriah would choose to break convention. One reason was that when Rocky was in danger, the spiritual power connection between Rocky and Uriah was forced to finish in advance. With the spiritual power connection finished, Uriah was


    ok.


    "Uriah, the little girl is so annoying. Throw her to a nest of some wild spirit-manipulated beast and then we''ll be fine." Rocky ordered Uriah in that uncaring manner of his.


    Uriah made a sound and started walking towards Tasha.


    "Fine. I''ll stop asking." Tasha surrendered and quickly took a few steps back to get away from Uriah out of fear of what the powerful beast could do.


    "Why were you chased by a Furious Long-nosed Bear?" Rocky asked when Tasha had finally calmed down from her fear of getting thrown by Uriah into some beast''s nest.


    "You don''t let me ask you questions, so I choose not to answer you either," Tasha declared arrogantly.


    "Uriah..." Rocky called out his beast in warning to Tasha who was testing his patience.


    Uriah got close to Tasha right away, frightening her. "I''ll tell you. I''ll tell you... It''s because I met a group of powerful wild spirit-manipulated beasts with Erica and other people not long ago. When we retreated, I accidentally got lost with them. But unfortunately, I met that beast..."


    "Erica? Is she... that Erica?" Rocky immediately thought of the beautiful lady who he had defeated before. Erica, the first master of Magic Phoenix Empire and the high-profile genius spirit manipulator of the Wild Spirit Land.

 Chapter 532 I Doubt That

    "You know Erica?" Tasha asked in surprise. She never expected Rocky to call out Erica''s name. ''Have they ever met before? Or did he just hear about her?'' she asked herself.


    "Know her? I guess you could say that¡ªif defeating her in combat counts, that is," Rocky replied with a wry smile.


    "Liar! Are you delusional? How could you possibly be on Erica''s level? She''s in the Supernal Stage and can knock you down with just the twitch of her finger," Tasha said with doubt. Tasha was quite apprehensive of Rocky''s words. Little did she know that she was conversing with the man who not only won over her and various phoenix spirit manipulators at the Holy Dragon Empire''s national celebration but defeated Erica alongside Mia as well.


    "The Supernal Stage? You mean she finally managed to break through and reach it?" Now it was Rocky''s turn to be surprised. He was awestruck by the fact that Erica managed to upgrade from the Heavenly Stage to the Supernal Stage in just one year. Everyone knew just how difficult it was for spirit manipulators in the Heavenly Stage to break through the bottleneck into the Supernal Stage. Going as far back as ancient times, countless spirit manipulators in the Heavenly Stage had yet to break through into the Supernal Stage up until now¡ªa regret many of them had to live with for the rest of their lives.


    At a young age, Erica had managed to break through that very bottleneck that even her own predecessors couldn''t overcome. Along with proving her unquestionably strong talent and intelligence, her rapid progress had made it hard for many experienced spirit manipulators to keep pace with her. All of this made her worthy of being called one of the rarest spirit manipulators in the Magic Phoenix Empire.


    "So she scares you? Well then, you ought to be kinder to me. Otherwise, Erica won''t spare you once she finds out about us," Tasha threatened with a triumphant note in her voice. Her face lit up with joy at the surprised look on Rocky''s face.


    "I already have you in the palm of my hand. Why should she scare me? Besides, a naive girl like you? Before she finds out, you might just¡­" Rocky stopped and then gave her a wry smile tinged with arrogance.


    "I might just what? What are you planning to do with me?" Tasha asked fearfully. She became more alert upon seeing the smirk spread across Rocky''s face.


    "Don''t you think you owe me something in return for saving your life?"


    your spirit-manipulated beast?" If Rubygon wasn''t his, then he must have a way with spirit-manipulated beasts.


    Raising his head, he looked at Tasha and thought, ''This girl is so curious about everything, isn''t she?''


    "Both," Rocky replied casually.


    "Impossible! How could you manage two spirit-manipulated beasts?" Tasha asked surprised. Of course, she didn''t believe what he said.


    Unperturbed, Rocky asked Tasha, "Impossible? I only have two spirit-manipulated beasts. What''s so strange about it?" In reality, Rocky actually controlled three spirit-manipulated beasts if he were to include Rainbow Glow Unicorn. Besides, there was a Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf waiting for him to train.


    Upon hearing this, Tasha''s eyes opened as wide as saucers. The disbelief on her face was so obvious that Rocky could already tell exactly what she was thinking.


    "You don''t believe me?" Rocky asked her. ''Of course not!'' Tasha thought. Sensing her doubt, Rocky whispered something to Uriah and Rubygon.


    Instantly, Uriah and Rubygon rushed towards Tasha, pinned her down, and started licking her face with their tongues. It seemed as though they wanted her to play with them.


    "Don''t! Please! It tickles!" Shaking her head, Tasha giggled and had to beg for mercy. "Alright, I believe you! Please, just tell them to get off of me! Please!"


    Once she begged, Rocky called Uriah and Rubygon back to his side.


    Tasha got off the ground. Her expression had changed from annoyed to confused. It was still so hard to believe that a spirit manipulator could control two spirit-manipulated beasts with as much ease as Rocky did.

 Chapter 533 The Dangerous World

    A thought struck Rocky. He folded his arms across his chest, looked at Tasha for a few seconds and asked, "By the way, I know that you are going after the Sea Blue Magic Jade, but how will you know if it''s actually that which will appear in the Myriad Beasts Ground?"


    "How did you know about the Sea Blue Magic Jade?" Hearing Rocky mention the Sea Blue Magic Jade startled Tasha. Logically speaking, only those phoenix spirit manipulators from the Magic Phoenix Empire who had come to the Myriad Beasts Ground knew about it.


    "When you came to the Myriad Beasts Ground, I happened to be nearby, so I overheard some of your conversations," replied Rocky honestly. Rocky was looking down to his feet, but he did not look even a bit ashamed of eavesdropping.


    "Oh, I see. You were the one who was tailing after us." Rocky could not gauge Tasha''s tone in her response, but he waited for her to say more. Tasha was still taking her time to absorb what Rocky had revealed. Then what Erica had said earlier suddenly dawned on her.


    "You haven''t answered my question yet. How are you sure it''s the Sea Blue Magic Jade?" Rocky leadingly asked, obviously eager to get an answer.


    "I can''t tell you that. Otherwise, Erica would scold me and hate me for it. It''s a secret between us!" Tasha shook her head violently, with her hands and lips tightened.


    "Then I guess I will have to ''torture'' you and force you to say it. Well, I do have plenty of time. Let''s think about just what I will do to you... Huh, how about I take your clothes off, hang you upside down on the tree, and then apply magical saliva, which madly attracts the spirit-manipulated beast. Are the wild spirit-manipulated beasts around here? When they come, I will cut the rope and watch you fall to the ground as the beasts salivate and eat you up. I can''t wait to hear your miserable shrieks..." Rocky rubbed his chin and said with a devilish look.


    Tasha trembled after hearing Rocky''s words and she stared at him as if he were a monster. It was as if all her blood left her and she was pale as ice. She was already convinced Rocky would do everything he said, maybe even worse. She lifted her head up and winced at the sight of Rocky as she already saw him as a demon.


    "If you tell me about what I asked, you won''t have to suffer. Aside from that, I can assure you that you will see Erica again." Rocky continued to tempt Tasha.


    "Actuall


    she was worried it would also be depressed after everything that had happened.


    "Well, I think it definitely feels horrible as it hasn''t protected its master well!" Rocky glanced at Duchess Silver and said bitterly.


    "What do you mean?" Sabina was confused by what he said.


    "When Duchess Silver was hurt, you took it back to the Magic Spiritual Space right away, which is not really a good move. On the contrary, it makes it feel that its master doesn''t trust it," Rocky explained in a very professional manner.


    "But it was already injured. If I didn''t take it back to the Magic Spiritual Space, how could it fight? Should I have just forced it to continue fighting?" Sabina asked back.


    "The purpose of spirit-manipulated beasts is to protect their master. If it cannot protect their master, their existence is meaningless. Just like my Uriah, it won''t give up on protecting me even to the last minute. And it is because of this that it can inspire its great potential in critical moments..." Then Rocky gave a sigh. In fact, he just understood this not long ago.


    After hearing that, Sabina was silent for a few seconds while glancing worriedly at Duchess Silver as she tried to absorb what Rocky had just told her. However, for her, Duchess Silver was not only her spirit-manipulated beast, but also a good friend who had always been by her side. She did not see Duchess Silver as a servant, but as someone she truly cared for. Sabina didn''t want anything bad to happen to it.


    They had this sort of pampering relationship. In fact, this was something many spirit manipulators committed to.

 Chapter 534 The Master Had Been There

    "If it recovers much better, we can continue to set out on our journey," Rocky said to Sabina. It had taken them almost a day to fight the Furious Long-nosed Bear. So, a lot of spirit manipulators would have overtaken them.


    "Okay." Sabina nodded her head and looked up towards Tasha who was unable to move and put on the back of Rubygon.


    It seemed that Tasha was tired of scolding, so she merely stared at Rocky with rage. She seemed quite eager to bite him to death.


    "Why are you controlling her and letting her stay with us?" Sabina asked.


    "From now on, she is our chip," Rocky replied raising his eyebrows.


    "Chip?" Sabina was confused after hearing his words.


    "This girl is the precious disciple of the imperial preceptor of the Magic Phoenix Empire. If the Magic Phoenix Empire gets the Sea Blue Magic Jade, we could exchange it with her. Then we may be unrequired to take any action," Rocky said shrewdly.


    "You are so despicable!" Sabina said with total contempt.


    "Thank you so much for your compliment," Rocky responded calmly in agreement.


    "But it seems that it is indeed a good thing for us to save her risking our lives," Sabina said of the thought that Rocky''s idea was great. After all, they had saved Tasha at the risk of their own lives. Hence, it was reasonable for them to get some benefits back from her.


    Then Rocky threw the three-tailed fox, which curled up beside, into his own Magic Spiritual Space. After that, he continued moving towards the peculiar light along with Sabina, Uriah, Rubygon and Tasha, who was carried on the back of Rubygon.


    Simultaneously, the phoenix spirit manipulators of the Magic Phoenix Empire led by Erica were also looking for Tasha.


    "Erica, what should we do now? If we are unable to find Tasha, the imperial preceptor would blame us," a woman spoke while walking in front of Erica. Dressed in blue, she looked quite matured.


    "We will find her out for sure. She is extremely clever and knows how to act according to the changing circumstances." Even though worried, Erica obviously was not thinking about extreme situations. In fact, she shouldn''t have taken Tasha along with her this time. After all, as Tasha was not that powerful, it was not that safe for her to enter


    and even dead.


    However, there were still many spirit manipulators who were unafraid of death. They bravely continued moving towards the peculiar light.


    The next day, Rocky, Sabina, Tasha and their beasts arrived at the river valley not far away from the peculiar light.


    "Hey, let me go, you bad guy..." Tasha, who was on the back of Rubygon, kept shouting, while the rest of them were crossing the river.


    "This girl is full of energy. She seems not to be thirsty despite yelling from this morning." Rocky gazed at Tasha on the back of Rubygon. She seemed to have cursed him for countless times.


    "In fact, you don''t have to do that. Just place her down and keep watch on her. She can''t run too far anyway." Maybe since both of them were girls, Sabina sympathized with Tasha.


    "She is a smart girl. Who knows what tricks she might come up with if I let her go? The lesser the trouble would be, the better. We have almost arrived at the destination anyway," Rocky said while looking towards Sabina.


    "As you like." Sabina didn''t say anything else.


    After the life and death situation they encountered yesterday, their relationship had suddenly become very subtle and Sabina was no more indifferent towards Rocky.


    Just then, both of them felt a strong vibration. The river under their feet had suddenly seemed to be boiling and surging.


    Upon seeing this, the two raised their heads towards the peculiar light. They saw that the light, which was not far away, was shrinking constantly.

 Chapter 535 Spirit Manipulators Gathered

    "It seems that the treasure will appear soon. We should be there when it does. Even if it isn''t the Sea Blue Magic Jade, it should still be a valuable treasure. All our efforts will still not be wasted," Sabina said. A thoughtful gleam brightened her eyes.


    "Then we should not waste time anymore. Let''s hurry up," Rocky said.


    Sabina nodded her head. The two of them and the three beasts sped up.


    After a short while, the sky above them was engulfed in darkness. Sabina and Rocky looked into the sky, their eyes filled with alarm. A dozen Four-wing Lame Dragons flew in the air above them in groups towards the peculiar light like a hoard of locusts that would destroy everything in their paths.


    At the same time, a commotion from below caught their attention. Wild spirit-manipulated beasts were running towards the strange light from all around the valley.


    "It looks like we are not alone. It seems that even these wild spirit-manipulated beasts are interested in the treasure." The sight paralyzed Rocky with shock. He stood still as the commotion caused chaos around them. He would have moved, but his mind struggled to absorb and process the scene in front of him.


    After they passed the valley, they came to an elevated land that was dense with trees. The thick forest swallowed the light and made the terrain almost impassable. Their once quick pace slowed to a crawl.


    "Don''t just stand there. Set up those traps quickly! Don''t let the spirit manipulators from other countries pass through and challenge us for the treasure!" All of a sudden, a cacophony sounded from ahead of them. The darkness that engulfed the forest blinded them to the dangers in front.


    With a wary glance thrown at each other, Rocky and Sabina quickly ordered the three beasts to stay where they were. Then, they moved swiftly so that the shadows hid them and allowed them to sneak stealthily forward. They walked for a short while and came upon more than a dozen figures who were moving about busily ahead of them. Thankfully, the figures were too preoccupied with their preparations to notice that they were being stalked.


    "These people must be spirit manipulators from other countries," Sabina said when she noticed the similar clothes and badges wore by those people. Her eyes sparkled with the curious desire to gather information from the strange men. These people could have information that could prove invaluable to them.


    "One is at the Heavenly Stage and another one is at the seventh grade of the Heavenly Stage. Two are at the fourth grade of the Heavenly Stage while the rest are at the advanced stage of the Earthly Stage. It seems that they are all well prepared," Rocky said immediately after a perfunctory glance at the figures. His array of experiences came handy at times like these, where he was able to quickly categorize the strange people.


    "Let''s take a detour to avoid confrontation," Sabina suggested. She knew that if


    ulator at the Supernal Stage appears, the situation will just grow more complicated and troublesome. After all, the disparity in power will be astounding if a spirit manipulator has reached the Supernal Stage. Even one grade higher would be a great jump," Sabina said with a frown as she thought of the possible consequences that the events could bring.


    "We have to play it by ear. Let''s go inside after the others go in," Rocky said wisely. The look reflected in his eyes was intense as determination burned brightly inside him.


    "Aren''t you worried? Someone could take the initiative and take the treasure before us. If they go in first, we will miss our chance to get the treasure," Sabina asked Rocky.


    "This deep valley is filled with wild spirit-manipulated beasts. If we go in first, we''ll just be courting death. It''s better to sit and watch the others fight. We won''t strike until we see the best opportunity." A sly smile crept up on Rocky''s face as he explained his thoughts to Sabina.


    "That''s what we think and I assume the others might think the same," Sabina protested. She shook her head as hesitation clouded her mind.


    "Don''t worry. Not everyone is as patient as we are," replied Rocky confidently.


    As expected, some spirit manipulators lost themselves in the temptation of the treasure quickly and rushed into the valley.


    In sharp contrast, the spirit manipulators from other countries seemed to be more patient.


    After about two to three hours, the phoenix spirit manipulators of the Magic Phoenix Empire finally arrived. The person that was leading the team was none other than Erica.


    "Tasha, Erica is here," Rocky said. He looked back at Tasha whose mouth was still gagged with grass.


    As soon as she heard the name, she became restless with obvious excitement. Unfortunately, she couldn''t ask Erica to save her, not with her mouth still bound. Tasha glared at Rocky hatefully, but no sound could escape her gagged mouth.

 Chapter 536 Everyone Is Gone

    "Aren''t they the phoenix spirit manipulators of the Magic Phoenix Empire? Why are they here?"


    "These women are so beautiful. They look like angels from paradise."


    "Who is this beautiful woman walking in front?"


    "She looks as beautiful as a fairy. Her eyes are so mesmerizing and she has such beautiful lustrous hair," wondered the spirit manipulators.


    After the phoenix spirit manipulators of the Magic Phoenix Empire led by Erica appeared, all the spirit manipulators in the front of the valley turned to them immediately. Most of the spirit manipulators were men.


    They were immensely greedy for the beauty of the phoenix spirit manipulators. Their eyes were glued to the adorable beauty of the ladies. Seeing a lady was a rare sight for these men. Hence they couldn''t stop staring.


    As a matter of fact every one of the phoenix spirit manipulators was beautiful in their own way. They were either from a small family or from an elegant and elite family. Status, beauty and power defined these women.


    Erica was the most fascinating beauty famous all over the Wild Spirit Land. Her elegant body language and eyes were the most attractive. She was considered to be the beauty with brains.


    Soon a spirit manipulator who had fortunately seen her recognized and cried out, "Oh! She... She is...Erica...The leader of phoenix spirit manipulators. The bravest woman I know."


    All of a sudden the entrance of the deep valley was in an uproar. Many of the spirit manipulators were stunned. Everyone was waiting to know about the situationship.


    "It turns out that she is the most powerful master and the most beautiful woman of the Magic Phoenix Empire, Erica."


    "I''ve heard of her name long ago. Now I finally met her. She deserves the reputation. After all if she can lead a team of spirit manipulators here, I believe in her true potential."


    "I''m fortunate to meet her. I''m willing to lose fifty years of my life if I can marry her. She is a rare personality and being with such a person is a blessing."


    Many spirit manipulators had been infatuated by Erica. But unfortunately they had never seen her before. Her beauty attracted them and they were eager to get her. But she was not so easy to get as she was a person with strong opinions and leading goals. She would need someone who resonated with her in every way.


    The appearance of Erica and all the other phoenix spirit manipulators turned the atmosphere to be strange. Everyone''s eyes gathered on Erica. Their eyes were glued to her appearance and were looking at her every move. She


    shed to the valley with great hope.


    After a short while in front of the entrance to the deep valley, there were only a few phoenix spirit manipulators of the Magic Phoenix Empire which were led by Erica as well as the team of the Timber Deity Empire and the Elite Regiment led by Sheehan.


    When the warriors of the Timber Deity Empire saw that the Magic Phoenix Empire and the Holy Dragon Empire had been helped by masters of the Supernal Stage, they paused for a moment. Then they followed the large group into the deep valley as they wanted to take immediate action to acquire the treasure.


    "Miss Erica, you are indeed a beauty. I am Sheehan, the deputy head of the Elite Regiment of Crimson Dragon Group from the Holy Dragon Empire. It''s my honor to meet you here. I have heard a lot about your victory," introduced Sheehan. He strode up and stopped in front of Erica. Then he gave a flattering look as his eyes apparently were coveting Erica''s beauty. Sheehan was enamored by Erica''s beautiful body.


    Erica just snorted and ignored him by glancing at him coldly. Then she waved her hand and led the phoenix spirit manipulators to the deep valley. She never gave unnecessary attention to men.


    "This woman is so cool and proud. How dare she ignore me? I agree she is powerful. But that doesn''t mean she can look down on me," said Sheehan. Sheehan was frustrated and smiled insidiously as he saw Erica leading to valley. Then he led the members of Elite Regiment into the deep valley. He was a bit confused by the reaction she gave as he was expecting her to reply in a generous way.


    Everyone was gone in the blink of an eye in front of the entrance to the deep valley. There was no time left.

 Chapter 537 Following Up

    "It''s time for us to show up!" Seeing that no one was in front of the deep valley, Rocky curled the corners of his mouth and nodded at Sabina as a signal. Then, they, along with Tasha and three beasts arrived at the entrance of the deep valley.


    They both simultaneously looked toward the deep valley that was covered with dark, cotton-like clouds. They could see the strange light shining and towering amongst the clouds.


    "Uriah," Rocky called as he slowly turned his head towards Uriah.


    Letting out a whine as if it were irritated, Uriah walked ahead. The Evil Flame was shining around its body as it led the way.


    Rocky and Sabina, together with Rubygon, who was carrying Tasha, followed closely behind Uriah. Duchess Silver was ordered to make sure their paths were safe. In a steady and careful pace, they all began to move further into the valley.


    After going down the steep slope, they went into the valley. Not long after, they saw the bodies of several spirit manipulators and wild spirit-manipulated beasts through the thick fog. They assumed that these were the firsts who entered the deep valley and seemed to have been attacked by the wild spirit-manipulated beasts.


    As they walked further on, they would see the more bodies of spirit manipulators and wild spirit-manipulated beasts from time to time. Some of them were still alive, but had been broken into pieces. Their viscera and intestines were all over the ground, and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood, which the travelers found quite disgusting.


    However, as a large number of spirit manipulators had entered the deep valley before they had, Rocky and Sabina did not encounter any attacks throughout the long walk. Most wild spirit-manipulated beasts in the way had been almost destroyed.


    But they still took careful steps, and continued to walk gingerly towards the light.


    About an hour later, Rocky noticed that his view on forward was a vast desert without any creature in sight.


    Just after a few more meters forward, Uriah, who was leading the way, took an abrupt stop and looked around vigilantly.


    "What''s wrong?" Rocky moved to the side of Uriah and quickly noticed the sand rose and fell as if there were somethin


    ting with her, but also making her feel embarrassed when he was the one who touched her body. What a jerk!


    Seeing Tasha''s angry face made Rocky genuinely laugh. He then jumped from the back of Uriah and released her from spiritual power.


    Realizing that she was free again, Tasha straightened her body and ran her hands through her body, patting the dirt off from her. Remembering the subtle flirting, she tried to hit Rocky''s chest with her fists.


    Rocky blocked her fist with a quick move. Before she could take her fist back, Tasha tried to kick Rocky, but he was able to dodge.


    "Little girl, if you keep touching me, I will leave you here," warned Rocky. The reason why he untied Tasha was that without the protection of Sabina, Myriad Beasts Ground was a dangerous place for Rocky alone. Although Tasha was not powerful enough, she still might be able to lend a hand when necessary.


    "Humph!" As soon as she heard that, Tasha shook Rocky''s hand off and said with a pout, "Just leave me here. It is better for me than letting you to threaten Erica with me."


    "That''s a deal," Rocky sneered and left Tasha alone. He walked into the forest with Uriah.


    "Hey, do you really want to leave me alone here?" Tasha thought that Rocky was just bluffing. She didn''t expect that he would really leave. She looked around at the dark forest. The wind howled and the hair on her arms stood up. She trembled a little and rushed to catch up with Rocky, just like a shadow following him.

 Chapter 538 You Are A Good Man

    Knowing that Tasha would follow up, Rocky walked straight ahead without turning back and looked up once in a while at the direction of the strange light.


    Just then, two figures appeared from the mist and blocked the way. It was hazy, so Rocky couldn''t see clearly.


    Rocky took a close look at the two huge beast shadows and found that they were a male and a female Heavenly Poisonous Manticore. Both of them were of the third grade of the four-star level which were highly powerful.


    Tasha was startled when she saw two four-star Heavenly Poisonous Manticores.


    She seized Rocky''s sleeve and shouted, "Run! We need to get out of here immediately."


    "Run? Why? Why should we run?" asked Rocky desperately. Rocky turned round and looked at Tasha. He immediately opened the Magic Spiritual Space to summon Rubygon.


    "Do you want to fight them? You want to die?" asked Tasha surprisingly. She was amazed by his action as it was impossible to fight them. Everyone knew how massively powerful these creatures were. Tasha had heard stories about its power and was amazed by Rocky''s guts.


    "Stay here, don''t run or I will really leave you alone if you get caught. I can''t risk this," said Rocky. Then he commanded Uriah and Rubygon to join him. All three were fighting with the Heavenly Poisonous Manticores at once. They had to use their best abilities to fight such powerful creature.


    If someone dared not to fight, he would be trapped in a hazardous situation as wild spirit-manipulated beasts wandered in the deep valley all the time.


    When one was powerful enough, the best way was to attack and defend oneself. There was no choice as it was a do or die situation.


    Now Uriah had risen to the fourth grade of the four-star level and its power had increased significantly along with Rocky and Rubygon. It wouldn''t be too difficult to deal with two four-star Heavenly Poisonous Manticores.


    Actually Rocky felt that they were lucky enough. If there was one more beast, it would have been an uncontrollable situation.


    Rocky was smart to take the decision to attack these beasts with the support of Uriah and Rubygon. Their power all together was massive that there was hope to defeat the enemy creatures.


    Tasha did not dare to run. She could only stand there like a still tree. Looking at Rocky and the two beasts who were fighting with the two Heavenly Poisonous Manticores, she was unsettled and nervous. If Rocky, Uriah and Rubygon were not able to defeat the Heavenly Poisonous Manticores, she might not be able to see Erica any more. This thought brought a depressed exp


    s you are grumpy!" said Tasha by turning towards Rocky. She spoke her mind out and was extremely thankful for what he had done.


    "Oh! Really? Ahhh...I can''t accept this," said Rocky with a smirk.


    He loved taunting Tasha and playing games with her mind. "I saved you because you are an important chip of mine. If you die, all my previous efforts would be in vain!" taunted Rocky. He raised his eyebrows and showed a cunning shrewd.


    "Humph! I know it!" said Tasha hearing his reply.


    "Let''s go. The longer we stay here the more dangerous it will get. We need to rush," said Rocky with a serious face.


    Tasha stood up immediately.


    Rocky let Uriah and Rubygon lead the way and told Tasha to follow them closely. They continued to pass through the horribly withered dark forest. It was pitch dark that they couldn''t see clearly. The destination seemed to be far away.


    The whole valley was shrouded in mist and they didn''t know the time. They just felt that the light went dim. But in the position of the strange light, the sea-blue light was getting more dazzling and lightening the foggy sky.


    The strange light was beaming closer and more corpses were witnessed including bodies of wild spirit-manipulated beasts as well as spirit manipulators and their spirit-manipulated beasts. All of them died miserably. As Tasha had never seen such a bloody scene like this before, she clung to Rocky''s body with one hand seizing his sleeve to get a sense of safety. She was extremely scared seeing such a deadly scene.


    "Almost there. Don''t worry," said Rocky. He wanted to comfort Tasha. After going through a heap of messy stones, Rocky looked up and saw that the strange light not far away had become quite clear.

 Chapter 539 Strange Building

    The mist in front of Rocky seemed to have outlines of building facades. From the south to the north, they formed an endless view in perspective. It looked magnificent and symbolized an unknown civilization.


    "We are here. The treasure is in front of us. Finally!" He heard an alarming scream from the nearby area. It sounded unfamiliar.


    In no time Rocky saw the fog with flashes of figures around him. He guessed that they were a lot of spirit manipulators rushing towards the area. It was like an unclear hazardous scene as all their spirits were uncontrollable.


    "This is my treasure. Nobody dares to take it from me. I own it," yelled a spirit manipulator. Before long, greedy voices sounded.


    "Damn it! The treasure is ours..."


    "Who the hell are you? How can you acquire what is ours?"


    After a while sounds of fighting came from all directions. It was dark and scary.


    Those spirit manipulators had already killed each other for the treasure without even knowing what it was. They wanted to establish their power and take away the treasure.


    Acquiring the treasure would elevate their power and they wanted it at any cost.


    There were also many people with their spirit-manipulated beasts rushing forward. In an instant figures in the dim fog kept flickering and moving in the direction of the strange light. It was a hay wire scene.


    "At this time it''s better to keep a low profile. Stay calm," said Rocky. A sly smile crept up on Rocky''s face. Then he sent Uriah and Rubygon into the Magic Spiritual Space to check the situation.


    Taking a look at Tasha who was following him closely, he said, "Come with me if you want to see Erica. I shall take you to her safely." After that they rushed forward immediately.


    Tasha knew it was very dangerous to stay there as spirit-manipulators were wandering wildly. But she didn''t know where Erica was now. The best option was to stay with Rocky as he was brave enough to protect her and take her safely to Erica.


    "Wait for me...wait I''m coming," said Tasha. She immediately followed up Rocky with a girlish cry.


    Along the way there were several bloody spirit manipulators. There were also warriors who desperately tried to block the two. But the result was pretty obvious.


    After a while, the outline of the buildings in front of Rocky gr


    l have to confirm," said Rocky coldly to himself. Rocky picked up his pace. Although he had originally planned to observe calmly, if the person who got the Sea Blue Magic Jade was not from the Magic Phoenix Empire but the other countries or the Elite Regiment, his chip would be useless. He decided to play it by ear and gradually try to figure out the situation.


    Rocky doubted whether Sabina had reached there before him. She was known for her bravery and fast action.


    After a long time they finally reached the top of the stairs. Tasha was hiding behind him reluctantly. She was gasping for breath with sweat dripping all over her body. Tasha was in shock and couldn''t do anything.


    The magnificent building stood on the top of the steps. Though it was covered with mist, it looked like a temple used for sacrifice in ancient times. The whole building was covered with moss and vines which twisted around each other. The mist was looming making it mysterious.


    At that instant, Rocky clearly felt the strong spiritual power that the grand building was releasing. He was amused by its massiveness and magic.


    Suddenly several figures and shadows flashed and stood in front of Rocky and Tasha. They were stunned for a moment.


    Rocky looked coldly at the men who were standing in front of them. They were wearing clothes that were embroidered with snowflakes. By judging their appearance, he assumed that they must be some spirit manipulators of clans. They seemed to have come with vicious purpose to destroy or to acquire something.

 Chapter 540 The Rare Treasure Emerged

    "Get out of here," the clan spirit manipulators shouted at Rocky. "You are not allowed here!" Their faces were scrunched up into a fierce frown. They carried a sense of overflowing confidence. It was obvious that they did not take Rocky seriously; perhaps they assumed that he was merely a fighter of the Earthly Stage.


    Suddenly, their faces lit up. They averted their deathly gaze from Rocky and all looked behind him where Tasha stood. The clan spirit manipulators hurried towards her.


    "Wow, what a beautiful woman," remarked one clan spirit manipulator. "Although not as pretty as Erica." The group chuckled.


    "She looks young. She must still be a virgin," added another.


    "Being posted as a guard here, I thought it was bad luck not to be able to see the treasure... I didn''t expect to encounter such beauty. We must enjoy ourselves."


    "Let''s waste no time. Let''s kill this man and feast on this woman."


    The clan spirit manipulators gazed longingly at Tasha.


    Tasha was infuriated, but she also knew that if she fought back she wouldn''t win. The clan spirit manipulators were stronger than her. Then, Rocky''s presence gave her an idea. "You''ll never win against my brother," she hollered at the spirit manipulators. "He''s much stronger than you!"


    The clan spirit manipulators felt insulted. They did not appreciate anyone looking down on them. They returned their deathly stare towards Rocky.


    "What are you trying to do? When did I become your brother?" Rocky looked at Tasha.


    "You''re much more powerful than them. Go teach them a lesson," Tasha replied sweetly. "I''ll give you a handsome reward after." When she said the last line, she made sure that the spirit manipulators heard it.


    The spirit manipulators perked up. They became more angry and more motivated to defeat Rocky.


    "Get ready to die!" one of them shouted. Then, he ord


    spirit manipulators of at least the Heavenly Stage crowding the building. Rocky could see Erica and Sheehan, masters at the Supernal Stage, in the crowd. Oddly, he could not seem to find Sabina.


    Everyone was huddled into groups. All of them had their eyes toward a single direction. They were all staring at the blue jade emitting blue light that was sitting on the altar.


    "Is that the legendary Sea Blue Magic Jade?" spirit manipulators whispered among themselves.


    "We''re luck. This is the rarest Sea Blue Magic Jade in the world," Sheehan remarked with a light laugh. He looked confident and determined to obtain the jade.


    The room was tense. Everyone knew that they could not all share the rare treasure. Only those who would obtain it would get out of the magnificent building with a smile.


    Some clan spirit manipulators looked at their team and felt regretful. They had travelled all that way only to be faced in competition with other strong spirit manipulators. If they had known of the true value of the treasure, they would have brought more martial artists with them. But they were already there, and so they had no choice but to fight with all their might.


    A fierce battle to obtain the treasure was about to break out!

 Chapter 541 Wait A Moment

    Meanwhile, at that moment, many spirit manipulators gathered in the hall of the magnificent building. Among the spirit manipulators that were present, it was the Magic Phoenix Empire''s treasure-hunting team that was the most powerful. The members included Erica, who was at the Supernal Stage, two phoenix spirit manipulators at the advanced grade of the Heavenly Stage, and three other masters at the lower grade of the Heavenly Stage. Clearly, these members had an obvious advantage over the other spirit manipulators in the gathering.


    The Elite Regiment, on the other hand, was led by Sheehan. It consisted of five members and was only second to the Magic Phoenix Empire''s team which had one more member than their team. Sheehan was able to release the aura of the Supernal Stage, while several Elite Regiment members were at the Heavenly Stage, and two of them were the royal spirit manipulators at the advanced grade of the Heavenly Stage. With that being said, it was clear that they were not much weaker than the total power radiated by the Magic Phoenix Empire''s team. In fact, the Elite Regiment was the only team which had not lost any member as they successfully arrived at the Myriad Beasts Ground.


    In addition to the aforementioned teams who clearly had an advantage when it came to strength, the Snow Ease Clan was also considered to be powerful in its own way for it had four masters at the Heavenly Stage, one of which had almost reached the Supernal Stage.


    Aside from that, the Timber Deity Empire also had four masters at the Heavenly Stage, with one of them already at the seventh grade of the Heavenly Stage. Therefore, the entire strength of the Timber Deity Empire''s team was only slightly inferior to that of the Snow Ease Clan''s.


    Meanwhile, most of the other spirit manipulators from other empires and clans, along with those disengaged spirit manipulators, were above the Heavenly Stage. However, they were weaker than the spirit manipulators of the Magic Phoenix Empire. It was said that when their team entered the deep valley, they encountered the strong resistance from the wild spirit-manipulated beasts, and the attacks of the other spirit manipulators. Sadly, they suffered great losses. They even had a threat of annihilation with only a few of them surviving and truly making it to the destination alive.


    By all means, it didn''t matter to the remaining spirit manipulators how many people were sacrificed as long as they could get the rare Sea Blue Magic Jade. To them, if they got it, then everything was deemed to be worthwhile.


    In fact, there was no other clear propagator for the disregard, greed, and ruthlessness of human nature for they were vividly reflected by these spirit manipulators!


    A


    e.


    It was not long after the battle among a group of three-star and four-star spirit-manipulated beasts was already filled with the smell of blood.


    At the same time, under the same endless dazzling light, every master at the Heavenly Stage also tried every single way on how to approach the Sea Blue Magic Jade. However, despite trying ever single way they could think of, no one was successful as they were not able to get close to the Sea Blue Magic Jade. In fact, it was only a foot away them, but for them, the distance was like a gap that they couldn''t cross.


    Despite the brawl, Erica''s team had not yet made a move as they still seemed to be waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.


    On the other hand, Sheehan''s face suddenly gave a sinister smile. Just as he was looking at the brawling masters at the Heavenly Stage, a hint of malice suddenly flashed across his eyes.


    Right at that time, two figures flew quickly side by side in the jungle which was a few miles away from the building where the Sea Blue Magic Jade appeared. One of the figures looked worried.


    The figure was no other than Sabina who got separated from Rocky before.


    "Damn it! Who could be so daring enough to even pretend to be me?" A bald man flew next to Sabina, looking embarrassed as he only wore a thin shirt and trousers, which exposed his furry chest.


    "Sheehan, do you really have no idea who secretly attacked you? I mean, you are so powerful. How could it even be possible for someone to attack you so easily?" confused, Sabina asked as she looked at the bald man.


    The bald man together with Sabina was no other than the deputy head of the Elite Regiment. However, if the bald man who flew beside with Sabina was the real Sheehan, then who could be the impostor right in the hall where the Sea Blue Magic Jade was?

 Chapter 542 Seize the Fruits

    Right after Sabina and Rocky got separated from each other, Sabina did not approach the peculiar light because she feared that Rocky might be in a dangerous situation. Instead, she went back and traced the same path she took in search for Rocky''s trail. Unfortunately, she was not able to catch up with him, but she saw someone else. Sheehan, who was trapped by several wild spirit-manipulated beasts, was not powerful enough to defeat these beasts nor did he have the energy and power to get rid of them on his own.


    Considering that Sabina had been acquainted with Sheehan right when they were still in the main camp, she immediately recognized him. However, she realized that something was greatly wrong. She knew that Sheehan had been with some members of the Elite Regiment when she met him not long ago. If that were the case, then how could Sheehan appear in front of her alone in such a short span of time?


    Moreover, Sheehan''s aura was completely different from how it was before. During that time, his aura indicated that he was at the Supernal Stage. However, the Sheehan in front of Sabina was only roughly at the eighth grade of the Heavenly Stage, which was obviously very strange! What the hell had happened to Sheehan? She knew that she must figure it out as soon as possible.


    Therefore, Sabina helped Sheehan to chase away the wild spirit-manipulated beasts so that they could both find out what was going on. After all, having to deal with the wild beasts didn''t cost her a lot of time for the beasts were very shrewd. Knowing that they could not defeat her, they just all backed out and withdrew their threat.


    Sheehan, on the other hand was completely surprised and was very happy that someone was there to help him out. After being rescued, Sheehan suddenly recognized that the one who helped him was Sabina, and told her something out of the ordinary.


    As it turned out, shortly after Sheehan successfully led a few members of the Elite Regiment to the Myriad Beasts Ground, he was raided, robbed, and even had his clothes stolen.


    It would explain why the ''Sheehan'' in the Supernal Stage that Sabina and Rocky had met before was the bogus.


    But the question still remained the same¡ª who was the fake Sheehan and why did he do it?


    At that time, Sabina had a lot of questions in her mind. However, she sensed that something wrong was about to happen. Worried that such an unfortunate event might happen soon, Sabina, together with Sheehan, dashed to the direction of the peculiar light at full speed.


    When they arrived at the hall, it was in complete chaos. Spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage were at war and kept pushing the hall to the point that it could collapse at any second.


    However, none of those spirit manipulators had been able to approach the Sea Blue Magic Jade which was on the altar. Although the precious and rare jade was already within their reach, no one had been able to get it for the competition


    ce. Once she heard what Rocky had said about Tasha''s whereabouts, she immediately stopped her original plan of seizing the jade from him. After all, Tasha was so important to her, but if she found Rocky had lied to her, then she would not spare him mercy!


    "Yes, that''s right!" Rocky nodded in an aloof manner.


    Upon hearing Rocky''s confirmation, the other phoenix spirit manipulators also turned their eyes to Rocky, doubting that what he said was true.


    "Don''t believe him, Erica. He could be just buying some time for himself. Come on, let him hand over the Sea Blue Magic Jade first," said one of the phoenix spirit manipulators. She refused to believe Rocky''s claim and quickly reminded Erica.


    Narrowing her eyes, Erica asked Rocky, "if what you''re saying is true, then do you have any proof?"


    A smile appeared on Rocky''s face. Then, he unwrapped the handkerchief on his left shoulder and said, "This. This is the evidence." He then sent the handkerchief through his spiritual power gliding into the air until it reached to Erica.


    Erica then took the handkerchief from him. Stunned, she was shocked to her core when she recognized that it was, without a shadow of a doubt, Tasha''s handkerchief. Not long ago, Erica made two handkerchiefs, one of which was beautifully embroidered and was the one given to Tasha.


    "I can''t believe this. It''s really hers. Tell me, where is she?" Erica asked with a sharp tone to her voice. Not hearing anything in response, Erica then raised her head as she gave Rocky a cold and murderous stare. In her mind, she suspected that Rocky had deliberately hidden Tasha so that he could use her to force them to help him.


    "Tell us where she is, or we''ll teach you a lesson," one of the phoenix spirit manipulators threatened Rocky.


    "I can''t tell you now," Rocky replied with an evil smile. Rocky was not that stupid. ''Tasha is my precious chip. If I tell them her whereabouts, then everything would be in vain, '' he thought.

 Chapter 543 Erica Was Enraged

    "I''ll make sure that you would suffer terribly first before you tell me." Erica appeared to be enraged as those sharp arrow-like eyes of hers were both aimed towards Rocky.


    "Oh really? You better think about that careless remark. If I were to be killed, Uriah will surely do something bad to Tasha. Biting her ear or nose off can be easily done," Rocky said with a calm yet scary voice.


    The threat made Erica''s face turn pale. As she realized that Rocky came prepared, a resigned look painted her face. After she hesitated for a while, she reluctantly asked, "What do you want?"


    "I just want you to let me leave here safe and sound. Don''t even bother to follow me," Rocky replied with a callous tone.


    "I can''t just let you off the hook so easily. Unless you give me the Sea Blue Magic Jade and Tasha''s location, you won''t be going anywhere." Apparently, Erica wouldn''t let Rocky leave with the Sea Blue Magic Jade. Rocky had already threatened her with the life of Tasha, which made her infuriated. Letting him escape would be the biggest compromise she could make given her difficult situation.


    "It seems that I can''t negotiate with a stubborn person like you. It''s such a pity that Tasha has such a cruel and remorseless senior sister apprentice. You don''t even give a damn about saving her! She had just told me that you would spare no effort in her rescue. Sadly, it looks like her expectations about you were wrong." Rocky shrugged with a disappointed look.


    After Rocky''s hurtful remark, Erica couldn''t but get furious. Anger enveloped her and turned her face red. The bastard in front of her threatened her with Tasha''s life, but he dared to put all the blame onto her.


    All of a sudden, four masters of the Heavenly Stage from the Elite Regiment had appeared. Along with them were several spirit manipulators with higher grades of Heavenly Stage. The group of warriors had easily blocked all of Rocky''s escape routes.


    "Haha, you cheeky brat! Give me the Sea Blue Magic Jade now!"


    "You are not worthy to have this. I''ll surrender this once pigs can finally fly, you incompetent bastard!"


    "This is just bullshit! It''s easier to take it once he''s dead."


    The other powerful masters of the Heavenly Stage also decided to rush over. Anger and resentment were seen in their eyes as they glared daggers towards Rocky. It was as if they all wanted to cut him into pieces due to their jealousy. They envied the fact that Rocky obtained the Sea Blue Magic Jade. Even though they risked their lives, they couldn''t


    or. With a proud voice, he said, "Protect me and I''ll tell you Tasha''s location."


    Even after she heard what Rocky said, Erica still gave him a murderous glare. Finally, some masters of the Heavenly Stage had approached them, so she began her battle motions. The other five phoenix spirit manipulators who surrounded Rocky had also formed a protective formation around him.


    Spiritual power began to surge in Erica''s body. Almost immediately, lightning flashed and the power of the Supernal Stage electrified around her, which gave her a rather galvanic aura. Those who wanted to rush over their location grew scared.


    The gap between a spirit manipulator of the Supernal Stage and a spirit manipulator of the Heavenly Stage was like heaven and earth. Their power levels were just too far apart.


    "Let''s go, now!" At her command, Erica tried to forcefully break out of their encirclement as the other five phoenix spirit manipulators protected Rocky.


    With a simple wave of her palms, Erica easily summoned a few dragon-like rays of lightning. The rays immediately electrocuted nearby enemies. A constant crackling sound accompanied each flash of lightning, as the warriors around them continued to be electrified.


    Several of the weaker spirit manipulators of the Heavenly Stage were thrown away by the strong spiritual power of Erica. All that was heard was their blood-curdling screams as lightning enveloped their bodies. Eventually, the encirclement revealed a gap for escape.


    Finally, Erica, followed by the other five phoenix spirit manipulators and Rocky, broke out from the siege. With haste, they dashed towards the door of the hall to finally escape their predicament.

 Chapter 544 The Spiritual Race

    "A bunch of useless guys..." With a heavy face, the fake Sheehan suddenly turned into a fast light and then disappeared in the blink of an eye. He moved so fast that the spirit manipulators of the Heavenly Stage never got a chance to stop him.


    Those masters at the Heavenly Stage could already see that Erica along with the other phoenix spirit manipulators was already protecting Rocky, who had obtained the Sea Blue Magic Jade. They had helped him in fleeing from the encirclement and thus the masters at the Heavenly Stage certainly didn''t give up but began to follow up immediately.


    While Erica and the other phoenix spirit manipulators along with Rocky were rushing out of the hall, a strange spiritual light like a bolt of lightning suddenly fell from the sky, causing a loud cracking sound.


    This was followed by a streak of bright silver light shining, along with a loud bang. After the spiritual light fell to the ground, it instantly burst into a strong light. Then, strong waves were rolling up, stirring up sand and stones. Suddenly, the ground around dozens of meters suddenly cracked and emitted white smoke. Obviously, the attack was extremely powerful, and it seemed that the one who had launched the attack was far more powerful than those of the Supernal Stage. Therefore, even Erica got shocked upon seeing the scene.


    At this time, a figure just flew past above Erica and the others. The figure flashed with a strange green light and directly landed in front of them.


    "It''s not that easy to leave from here!" As soon as the figure had fallen to the ground, he showed his appearance. It was none other than the fake Sheehan. With hands held behind his back, he looked at Erica and the others with a sneer. The green light and aura emitting from him looked quite strange.


    Seeing the fake Sheehan who had stopped them, Rocky frowned and immediately felt something was wrong. Earlier, he had met Sheehan in the main camp in the front line, and had even quarreled with and made a bet with him. Logically speaking, Sheehan should have immediately recognized him as soon as he saw him. But since he appeared, this ''Sheehan'' didn''t even give him a look. Two of the four Elite Regiment members tha


    even seemed to have been in control from the very beginning. But who the hell was this fake Sheehan?


    The phoenix spirit manipulators, including Erica, and the masters at the Heavenly Stage, who had just rushed out, were stunned to see that the fake Sheehan had transformed into another person. Obviously, the situation in front of them was completely out of their expectation.


    "Are you from the spiritual race..." Suddenly, after staring at the fake Sheehan who was in front of her, Erica said these astonishing words.


    "Ha-ha, you''re indeed very smart. No wonder you are the woman to arouse my interest. As long as you are willing to please me and serve me well from now on, I, the Dark Lord, will not kill you!" The fake Sheehan laughed and then stared at Erica with a lascivious expression in his eyes.


    Upon hearing that the guy named Dark Lord was actually from the spiritual race, the masters at the Heavenly Stage were all dumbfounded.


    Although there were a lot of members of the spiritual race living in the Wild Spirit Land, they rarely appeared in front of human beings. They were always extremely mysterious while taking actions and therefore almost all the spirit manipulators had never seen them before.


    However, they couldn''t believe that there was a member of the spiritual race in front of them. However, for all the human spirit manipulators present, there was a huge crisis waiting for them as they were on the verge of their death at this moment.

 Chapter 545 Leave Now

    "Could he be a member of the spiritual race?" Rocky speculated as he observed the Dark Lord from the distance.


    Rocky could tell that it was the Dark Lord behind the identity of Sheehan. But what was he doing in a treasure hunting team? Rocky could not comprehend.


    Before exposing himself as the Dark Lord, Sheehan took part in the treasure hunt. He also fought his way through a crowd of greedy spirit manipulators and worked towards obtaining the Sea Blue Magic Jade. However, as soon as the jade was going to be acquired by masters at the Heavenly Stage, Sheehan merely stood on the sidelines and observed everyone trying to kill each other.


    If he was really the Dark Lord, one of the rare spiritual race, then he would easily be stronger than the spirit manipulators. He could have easily killed all of them as soon as they were in the Myriad Beasts Ground and no one would know he was at fault.


    But instead, the Dark Lord chose to hide among human spirit manipulators and reveal himself only at the hall with the masters of the Heavenly Stage.


    And he only revealed himself when Rocky grabbed the Sea Blue Magic Jade.


    It was obvious that the Dark Lord did not want to kill them. He must have had some other plans.


    "Return the Sea Blue Magic Jade to me," the Dark Lord commanded Rocky. He said it with such authority. It was as if the rare treasure was his.


    If it was indeed his, then perhaps he staged the gathering at the hall to trigger a battle among masters at the Heavenly Stage. Perhaps the Dark Lord merely wanted


    been better if you all were stronger, unfortunately there''s only one beautiful girl here who is at the Supernal Stage." The Dark Lord snickered with a devilish laugh.


    The anger in the crowd turned to fear. The spirit manipulators realized that the Dark Lord in front of them would willingly kill people without blinking.


    "I won''t let him win, and I definitely won''t let him take the Sea Blue Magic Jade back." Rocky muttered to himself as he stared at the jade that was now at his possession. He tried to feign confidence but he also knew that the Dark Lord was much stronger than him. He looked around. He needed someone to distract the Dark Lord and give him an opening to leave with the jade.


    The Dark Lord stomped and caused the earth to shake. They were unable to confront him.


    "I need to distract the Dark Lord." Rocky repeated to himself. Since he was faced with one from the spiritual race, he needed to take advantage of every opportunity presented at him. He was determined to leave with the Sea Blue Magic Jade.

 Chapter 546 Being Trapped

    Rocky passed through several phoenix spirit manipulators and walked towards Erica. Seeing Rocky, Erica furrowed her eyebrows, which looked like a crescent moon, showing a hint of disgust towards him. Naturally, not to hate him was a tough job for her. After all, at that moment, she was being threatened by him with Tasha, so she didn''t have a pleasant impression of him.


    But after she took a close look at him, it seemed to her that she had seen him somewhere. Yet, she couldn''t recollect where it was!


    If Erica realized that Rocky was Basil, the one who made her lose the competition in the celebration ceremony of the Holy Dragon Empire, her first reaction would be to slay him.


    At that instant, the strong warriors at the Heavenly Stage from the various forces of various empires who were panic-stricken by the Dark Lord''s words gazed at each other helplessly. Most of them were terrified of the Dark Lord. To them, their lives were far more important than the Sea Blue Magic Jade. No matter how much treasure they acquired, it would be useless if they had lost their lives.


    Consequently, some warriors at the Heavenly Stage of some clans planned to flee as they thought they were not spied by the Dark Lord. Soon, they tried their best to fly away with their spiritual beasts in one direction. Before long, Rocky found them out of his sight, lost in the mist.


    Witnessing this, some warriors at the Heavenly Stage who did not belong to any organizations were flustered and fled in all directions.


    ''These idiots...'' Sighting them running desperately for their lives, Rocky cursed them in his heart. He knew that the Dark Lord must have configured a tight encirclement and would never allow them to escape easily.


    As expected, a scream of unbearable pain suddenly rang out from the faint mist. In an instant, a head covered in blood fell from the mist, in front of the warriors at the Heavenly


    earing this, Erica was stunned and scrutinized Rocky from top to bottom, as if she couldn''t believe he would propose to sacrifice his personal safety. But she was more practical and would not easily believe him!


    "Do you think I would believe you?" Erica sneered.


    "If you still want to see Tasha, you have to trust me. You know, this Dark Lord is not an ordinary person. His power is beyond our reach. If we don''t join hands, we will die!" Rocky said in a serious tone as he was telling the truth.


    His words made Erica ponder carefully. She had to admit that he was right. The Dark Lord was not something they could deal with. Additionally, they were trapped by a group of wild spirit-manipulated beasts, and there was no way out.


    And the Dark Lord had also said he would take them as the spiritual power gathering pots which could aid him in cultivating the spiritual power in the Sea Blue Magic Jade and absorb all of their spiritual power and blood essence. It was apparent that they would die!


    Therefore, if they wanted to get out there alive, the only thing they could do right now was to unite with the forces of various empires on the spot and risk their lives to fight. Perhaps, in this way, they would have a chance to break through the siege and escape.

 Chapter 547 A Melee

    The Heavenly Stage masters from various forces were gathered in front of the hall. With wild ferocious spirit-manipulated beasts surrounding them from all sides, a look of nervousness and fright was painted on all of their faces. Even a few Earthly Stage masters were trembling in fear and too scared to leave the hall.


    Suddenly, a booming voice exclaimed in reassurance, "Don''t panic! Only when we link hands can we all have a chance at survival. From now on, everyone must follow my orders." It was Erica. She had thought long and hard about their current situation and concluded that the only way to solve their problem was the union of all the Heavenly Stage masters across all the forces.


    All the Heavenly Stage masters'' attention was drawn to Erica. Whether or not it was because of her power of the Supernal Stage or her natural charm, many of the Heavenly Stage masters began to gather around her with only two or three of them smirking in arrogance and unwillingness to yield to her. They stayed in their places instead.


    Seeing that Erica had taken his advice, an evil smile crept into the corners of Rocky''s mouth. He realized that now would be the best time for him to escape as long as she and the others were busy trying to break through their encirclement.


    Although everything was ready, he still required one final step.


    ''"Where are you greedy Rainbow Glow Unicorn?" murmured Rocky as he looked around. If his research was correct, Rainbow Glow Unicorn should be nearby. It was known for its ability to hunt for treasure, and so it should have arrived here long ago. However, to his surprise, he didn''t see Rainbow Glow Unicorn at all. Because the spiritual power between both of them had not completely connected yet, he couldn''t figure out its exact location.


    Rainbow Glow Unicorn was superb at hiding¡ªa skill that came in handy when it needed to escape. Otherwise, it would''ve been easily noticed by others.


    "You human spirit manipulators


    master, its aura matched hers.


    "A Demonic Scorpion of the fourth grade of the five-star level," Rocky muttered with a frown. Although this Demonic Scorpion wasn''t as powerful as the Furious Long-nosed Bear that he had slaughtered in the past alongside Sabina, this scorpion was a killing machine that shouldn''t be underestimated.


    Erica was appalled upon seeing the scorpion. The Heavenly Stage spirit manipulators following her from behind stopped dead in their tracks. They knew that rushing towards that beast meant instant death for anyone who dared to draw near.


    Two more screams rang out¡ªthe screams of two Heavenly Stage masters who were left behind and killed by the Dark Lord.


    ''This is no way to die, '' Rocky thought to himself. After a moment''s hesitation, he reached into his pouch and withdrew a bottle containing a few drops of magical saliva. He quickly rushed towards Erica.


    "There you are! Let''s lure the big fellow away first," he said to Erica. He placed the bottle of magical saliva in her hand before taking a glance at the scorpion that blocked their way.


    As soon as Erica received the bottle, the scorpion was immediately attracted to its scent. The other wild spirit-manipulated beasts followed soon after, gathering towards it like moths drawn to the glow of a lit candle.

 Chapter 548 Just In Time

    Seeing this, Erica was surprised. Although she had no idea what the bottle contained, it obviously garnered the attraction and attention of the spirit-manipulated beasts.


    She didn''t think about it too much. After glancing at Rocky, she winked at the Glint Phoenix. The latter floated into the air, not wanting to fly too high due to the thick fog in the deep valley and the wild spirit-manipulated beasts that roamed it.


    After flying a little higher, Erica ordered the Glint Phoenix to speed up. Together with twenty or thirty wild spirit-manipulated beasts, the five-star Demonic Scorpion at the fourth grade was chasing after them.


    "If you don''t wish to die here, attack now!" Rocky shouted upon seeing that the Demonic Scorpion was distracted.


    Noticing that it had been drawn away, the Heavenly Stage masters took command of their own spirit-manipulated beasts and rushed forward into battle with fierce, brutal force.


    After charging forward a little, a five-star wild spirit-manipulated beast leading a pack of other beasts caught up with them from the side. They blocked the Heavenly Stage spirit manipulators'' paths, including Rocky''s.


    Suddenly, the Dark Lord appeared along with a sinister smile painted across his face.


    "Surrender now with your hands up! In exchange, you''ll receive a less painful death," he added darkly. Turning to face Rocky, he called out, "You bastard! It''s time you return the Sea Blue Magic Jade to me. I am its rightful master. You''ll never have it."


    "I''m on the verge of death anyway. You can rip it from my hands once you kill me," Rocky responded with a cold smile in spite of his growing desperation. Unfortunately, his only chance of escaping¡ªthe Rainbow Glow Unicorn¡ªwas nowhere to be seen.


    "Since you''re so willing, let me help you!" the Dark Lord sneered as he crooked his finger. Instantly, the five-star wild spirit-manipulated beast roared and dashed to


    e Dark Lord approaching.


    "It''s about time you go to hell you bastard!" The ferocious Dark Lord''s bony hand turned into a claw. With it, he gathered the green light and used it to strike Rocky in the chest.


    Rocky blocked it with the wave of his Flaming Blade which in turn created a Moon Blade for added resistance.


    But the moment the curved Moon Blade was summoned, it was immediately shattered into pieces by the Dark Lord''s claw.


    Knowing he had nowhere to hide, Rocky braced himself for the attack. Suddenly, a wave of cold spiritual power came from a distance. Everything in its path ended up overwhelmingly covered in ice and snow.


    Within the blink of an eye, the icy spiritual power got closer to the Dark Lord. A hint of fear momentarily spread across his face. After a moment''s hesitation, he withdrew his hand in the hopes of blocking the icy spiritual power. With a single wave of his hand, the icy spiritual power disappeared without a trace.


    "Who are you? Show yourself!" the Dark Lord demanded as he scanned the mist where the icy spiritual power came from.


    Upon speaking those words, a graceful figure emerged from the mist. Gliding across the ground, she eventually positioned herself beside Rocky. In a sweet voice, she exclaimed, "Just in time!"

 Chapter 549 Find A Way To Flee

    "I thought you''ve heartlessly abandoned me already," Rocky sneered with an evil smile on his face. Seeing the slender image appeared in front of him, he breathed a sigh of relief.


    The image gave him a cold glance, but was also evidently relieved upon seeing him safe and sound.


    The image was no other than Sabina, who had accompanied the real Sheehan before.


    Meanwhile, the masters of the Heavenly Stage could not help but be astonished at the sight of Sabina''s manifestation. Just after the presence of the five-star Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf, another manipulator of the Supernal Stage came to save Rocky''s life. Having seen the woman''s kind attitude, they could not help but wonder who she was. Not only did a powerful spirit-manipulated beast come to assist him, but also a powerful beauty of the Supernal Stage sacrificed her life to protect him.


    "How lucky could I possibly get? Another manipulator of the Supernal Stage came, and luckily, she is also a beautiful woman. Ha-ha, Don''t worry about it. I will take you and another beautiful woman back to my cave later..." the Dark Lord uttered with desire as his eyes lit up the moment he saw Sabina.


    Surprised to see the Dark Lord, Sabina then asked coldly, "Aren''t you from the Ghost Master Clan?"


    "How did you know that I am from the Ghost Master Clan?" Bewildered, the Dark Lord didn''t expect that Sabina was so well-informed that she had recognized which clan of spiritual race he came just from looking at him.


    Sabina recognized him immediately because she had already seen so many clans of the spiritual race, among which was the Ghost Master Clan. And after she became Marcia''s apprentice, she traveled with her to the Wild Spirit Land for two years. Marcia took her to places that were beyond any ordinary human''s reach. Some of them were even the places where the clans of the spiritual race lived.


    The Ghost Master Clan was famous for its ugly ghost-like appearance, and was also known for the ability to manipulate magic, such as the Spiritual Ghost Skill and Magic Spiritual Technique. That was why when Sabina cast a glance at the Dark Lord, she knew at an instant that he was from the Ghost Master Clan.


    "


    lver were both unprepared for the sudden shift that upon hearing the loud noise, both of them were knocked a few steps back.


    All of a sudden, she saw a figure from a distance. But before she could do anything, she felt that she was stuck and could not move. At the same time, she saw a horrifying scene before her, as if she were in another world. It was like hell¡ªthere were a mountain of swords, along with the sea of flames that made the hairs at the back of her neck stand in horror.


    Right at that moment, Rocky turned his eyes to Sabina, only to find out that she could not move a single muscle. But it was worse than what he thought¡ªthe Dark Lord stood in front of Sabina, giving her a lewd smile. Rocky hesitated to flee for a while, but then found himself coming back.


    "Hey! Didn''t you want the Sea Blue Magic Jade?" exclaimed Rocky as soon as he returned.


    Turning around, the Dark Lord found that Rocky had returned. With a wicked smile, he said, "You had a chance to live a little while longer, but I didn''t expect you to come back so soon and meet your doom."


    "Let her go, and I''ll return this jade to you." Rocky then waved the Sea Blue Magic Jade. Although the Sea Blue Magic Jade was very important to him, he couldn''t leave Sabina behind. Without a doubt, he wouldn''t give the Sea Blue Magic Jade to the Dark Lord so easily. However, at the back of his mind, he knew well that he should buy some more time so that he could save Sabina.

 Chapter 550 Its Mine

    "The Sea Blue Magic Jade is mine. Don''t forget that the Sea Blue Magic Jade will act according to its master''s orders and I''m its master. So, even if you take it, it''s still useless," Dark Lord said and laughed boisterously loud. Suddenly, his eyes turned green, and the Sea Blue Magic Jade in Rocky''s hand shone and grew in harmony with him.


    Rocky''s face also changed drastically at the statement. He silently scolded himself for not considering this kind of situation.


    "I just want you to be my first spiritual power gathering pot," Dark Lord said. He suddenly raised his left hand and pointed his five fingers at the Sea Blue Magic Jade in Rocky''s hand. Then, he murmured something like a chant.


    All of a sudden, the Sea Blue Magic Jade produced a strong sucking force. It didn''t take long before the evil spiritual power and the spiritual power with the Fire nature in Rocky''s body were triggered and started flowing along his arm towards the Sea Blue Magic Jade.


    Meanwhile, the Sea Blue Magic Jade also gave out a blue spiritual light which was projected to the palm of Dark Lord. Streams of spiritual energy were continuously flowing to Dark Lord. With that, the spiritual power in Rocky''s body also decreased at an extremely fast pace.


    All of the spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage were surprised to see what was happening. But they couldn''t protect themselves, and none of them could help Rocky.


    Having been controlled by Dark Lord''s Magic Spiritual Technique, Sabina had no idea that Rocky was taken as a spiritual power gathering pot by Dark Lord while his spiritual power was being sucked out in the process.


    The Rainbow Glow Unicorn was not strong enough to fight against Dark Lord, so it could only stay aside whimpering with worry.


    Rocky couldn''t recall how long they had been in that situation, but it felt like it had been hours and he could feel that almost all of the spiritual power inside his body had been absorbed. Meanwhile, seeing that the spiritual power within Rocky''s body seemed to have been sucked up by the Sea Blue Magic Jade, Dark Lord believed that Rocky was of no use anymore as a spiritual power gathering pot. He could kill Rocky after absorbing his blood essence.


    But the truth was, the Sea Blue Magic Jade hadn''t absorbed all of Rocky''s spiritual power. The strong evil spiritual power in the container made up of the mysterious power remained inside him. Strangely enough, the evil spiritu


    of the spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage were shocked and bewildered by the scene. This was the third time that they had seen such a thing. Every time Rocky''s life was in danger, there would always be a string of unexpected things bound to happen.


    After the cherry blossoms in the deep valley started flying all over the sky, the wild spirit-manipulated beasts that were fighting madly with the spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage started letting out cries. They seemed to be frightened of something and ran away in a hurry.


    Two five-star wild spirit-manipulated beasts were also among them.


    In the blink of an eye, most of the wild spirit-manipulated beasts had retreated, leaving only the spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage. Confusion was written all over their faces. They didn''t know what happened.


    Seeing that the wild spirit-manipulated beasts chasing after her suddenly disappeared, Erica felt rather strange. But she immediately returned and joined the other phoenix spirit manipulators. Then, she saw Rocky, who was protected by the cherry blossoms, and the Sea Blue Magic Jade, which was constantly changing its color.


    Meanwhile, Sabina, who had been under the Magic Spiritual Technique, seemed to have sobered up. She took a deep breath and immediately turned to get a good look at the whole situation. She was also shocked.


    Almost at the same time, everyone''s eyes turned to focus on Dark Lord and Rocky, who were less than half a meter away from each other. Rocky was enveloped in cherry blossoms, and in his hand was the Sea Blue Magic Jade which was still constantly changing its color.

 Chapter 551 Absolute Power

    At this moment, no one knew what happened. It seemed as though everyone forgot that their lives were in danger. Rocky''s strange change attracted their attention as well.


    Rocky looked particularly weird at the moment. Apart from the ferocious black spiritual power that surrounded his body like a raging fire, he was covered in cherry blossoms.


    "Brat, do you want to let the Sea Blue Magic Jade admit you as its master? Ha! Ridiculous! You could never do that on your own. How could the power of a human spirit manipulator ever surpass that of a spiritual race member?" the Dark Lord said with a long face. He also seemed to be afraid of the cherry blossoms which protected Rocky, so he didn''t move forward.


    Upon hearing his words, the spirit manipulators including Erica and Sabina were shocked to know that the treasure they were fighting for belonged to the Dark Lord. He was the Sea Blue Magic Jade''s master and it meant that it''d be impossible for anyone else to possess it.


    Everyone present felt that all Rocky had done was now useless. What the Dark Lord had just said was right. No human spirit manipulator stood a chance against a member of the spiritual race. Even if the Dark Lord didn''t exert too much effort, his power would still be equivalent to that of a human spirit manipulator at the Divine Stage.


    On top of that, the spirit manipulators at the Divine Stage were known to be extremely formidable in the Wild Spirit Land, only second to the several spirit manipulators at the Immortal Stage.


    It was hopeless to believe that Rocky had a chance at retrieving the Sea Blue Magic Jade and claiming ownership over it from the Dark Lord. Only a miracle could make that happen.


    With each passing moment, the evil spiritual power within Rocky began to wane as it was being sucked out by the Sea Blue Magic Jade. The jade was relentless, some might even say unsatisfied, as it continued to absorb the lim


    had no problem absorbing all forms of spiritual power regardless of strength. The power that emanated from Rocky was once again absorbed by the stone.


    At the same time, the Sea Blue Magic Jade began to deepen in hue along with a glow that went back and forth between dim and bright.


    While the Dark Lord was seeing this, his expression quickly changed. He rushed towards Rocky, and several beams of green light were produced with the wave of his hand. These beams then flew towards the cherry blossoms that protected Rocky.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    A series of deafening thuds let out, the lights shot out in all directions, and the spiritual power surged, which made all the spirit manipulators present constantly retreat. They simply couldn''t bear the impact of the shocking spiritual power.


    But after the smoke dissipated, the cherry blossoms were still intact, and Rocky, who was protected, was unhurt.


    "Damn it!" The Dark Lord was now livid.


    Soon after, an astonishing spiritual light glowed from the Sea Blue Magic Jade in Rocky''s hand. Without warning, it shot up into the sky like a rocket and emitted a ray of light similar to the black flame. It began to spin like a top and grew larger and larger as it began to form new shining light spots. This was quite odd!

 Chapter 552 Saved By The Master

    "Damn it!" Dark Lord seemed to have panicked a bit upon seeing what was happening. At that very moment, he knew that the Sea Blue Magic Jade had finally acknowledged its rightful owner.


    However, Dark Lord knew that he could do nothing at this moment unless he could break the stream of cherry blossom that kept Rocky protected.


    "You little bastard!" Dark Lord trembled with rage as he glared at Rocky. He didn''t know how Rocky did it, but it was obvious that he had help. With the help of a strange force from nowhere, Rocky forced the Sea Blue Magic Jade to recognize him as the owner even though it had already belonged to Dark Lord.


    Meanwhile, all of the spirit manipulators had their eyes wide open as they were shocked when they saw what was happening with the Sea Blue Magic Jade. They all stared at Rocky in a daze, as they had vaguely felt that Rocky seemed to have done something very extraordinary with it.


    A moment later, the glory that got shot out from the Sea Blue Magic Jade rapidly retracted. After that, the huge dark-blue ray faded and the jade returned to the original sea blue color. However, this time around, the Sea Blue Magic Jade in Rocky''s hands had started to shine in harmony with the spiritual power on his body.


    "Does that mean that you are now its new owner?" Sabina suddenly asked in surprise upon seeing this.


    Instantly, the people around the area were shocked for no one had thought that Rocky would be able to make the Sea Blue Magic Jade recognize him as its owner. And besides, it was very out of the ordinary because its original owner was a member of the spiritual race. With that being said, Rocky was able to grab a rare treasure from the spiritual race by using the power of a human spirit manipulator.


    Everything happened so unusually that no one dared to believe it.


    However, the reality was undeniable. Dark Load was furious and disappointed as he could do nothing about it.


    However, while everyone felt surprised, Rocky was still in danger. Although the Sea Blue Magic Jade had recognized him as its owner, the evil spiritual power overflowing from the third layer of seal still filled his body, which he was unable to take out. His physical load


    life. I expected that you would return the favor by not killing other creatures." At this moment, a delicate butterfly-like figure appeared from the mist. However, she did not come close, as she just stood there as if she were surrounded by a layer of light fog.


    But as soon as the butterfly shadow appeared, everyone felt a great suffocating pressure.


    Right at that moment, everyone realized that the butterfly shadow was extraordinary!


    The Dark Lord was shocked at the sight of the delicate body. Dazed, he exclaimed, "It''s you!"


    "Cherry?" Rocky cried out unconsciously right after he saw the butterfly shadow in the fog. In fact, he had so many mixed emotions that his heart throbbed in a strange manner.


    The butterfly shadow couldn''t help but tremble after it heard Rocky''s voice, but still kept silent, as it did not utter a single word.


    "Everyone, get out of here!" Cherry''s voice echoed all throughout the whole space, as if it were the ultimatum.


    Everyone there felt as if thunder had crashed their ears. However, this was also like a decree for pardon for them. Most of the Heavenly Stage masters looked at each other and led their respective spirit-manipulated beasts to hurriedly leave the area. They knew that their lives were more important than the Sea Blue Magic Jade that they had been risking their lives for.


    Soon after, only several people stayed motionless¡ªRocky, Dark Lord, Sabina, Erica and several other phoenix spirit manipulators.

 Chapter 553 Not Eighteen Yet

    There were also four members of Elite Regiment who just walked out of the hall. But now they were all confused and had no idea of what had happened.


    Formerly, these four members were controlled by the Dark Lord as zombies with the help of Magic Spiritual Technique. And when the Dark Lord chased after Rocky out of the hall, they stayed back in the hall waiting for the order and did not wake up until just now.


    Therefore, the four members of the Elite Regiment were unaware of anything.


    "You four idiots!" a voice accursed.


    The four looked in the direction of the voice, and saw a bald man in a very thin shirt and trousers, glaring at them.


    "Deputy... Deputy Head Sheehan..." The four members were startled at first and then called out with a puzzled look.


    Before the four members, it was Sheehan who came along with Sabina.


    Not long ago, as Sheehan and Sabina arrived, they sensed a strong aura emanated from Dark Lord. Suddenly, as if worried about something, Sabina rushed toward the strong aura. It was certain Sheehan was not seeking any trouble, but was wandering around as if he was waiting for a chance to find his four subordinates.


    "Deputy Head Sheehan, why are you here? Look at you..." one of the four men asked, staring at Sheehan.


    "You didn''t even realize that I was being attacked and how dare you to follow a guy who pretended to be me here?" Sheehan shouted with anger.


    Hearing his words, the four members of the Elite Regiment looked perplexed at each other. In fact, they couldn''t recollect what they did in the past because of the Magic Spiritual Technique of Dark Lord. Even when they woke up, they didn''t understand why they were there.


    "Very well. It seems that you have been brainwashed by someone. Otherwise, how can you not recognize the fake one?" Sheehan knew the man who disguised himself must have used some kind of bewitching skill. O


    his mind.


    After a while, a beast shadow was flying over in the air and it soon landed besides Rocky. Its wings were raised high, and its head was raised up. The beast shadow also had a petite body on its back.


    The beast was none other than Uriah.


    Right from the moment, Uriah had appeared, it was immediately able to capture everyone''s attention. Perhaps it was because Uriah didn''t look like a normal spiritual beast. Even the Dark Lord looked strangely upon it, let alone Erica and others.


    However, as soon as Erica saw the shadow on the back of Uriah, she quickly called out with a girlish surprise, "Tasha."


    At this moment, Rocky then walked towards the side of Uriah, lifted Tasha off and untied the spiritual power on her. As soon as Tasha regained her freedom, she snorted at Rocky and then ran like a wind towards Erica.


    "Erica..." As she returned, Tasha''s little face was filled with tears, giving the impression that she had suffered a lot.


    Seeing this, Erica was of the belief that Tasha had been bullied. So she stared at Rocky angrily and asked, "What have you done to her?"


    "Don''t worry. I''m not at all interested in a teenager like her. Besides, she''s malnourished as well as boring¡­" Rocky curled his lips and gave out a smile.

 Chapter 554 The Holy Land Of The Butterfly Divine Clan

    Rocky''s words provoked a burst of anger in the crowd of phoenix spirit manipulators behind Erica. Even Sabina gave a contemptuous look at him as she felt that his words were inappropriate.


    "Tasha, if this guy has done anything bad to you, just tell me. I will surely seek justice for you. I am with you on this. Don''t be afraid to open up," said Erica. She looked at Tasha waiting for her reply. If Rocky really did something horrible to Tasha, she would not let him off easily.


    "He... he didn''t do anything to me. Also, he saved me twice," replied Tasha. After hesitating for a while, she still told the truth although she hated him. Yet, she didn''t tell them that Rocky had spanked her.


    Hearing this, Erica and the other phoenix spirit manipulators were shocked. They thought that they had misheard something. Rocky held Tasha as a hostage. But he had saved her twice. It was obviously not something that could be understood by their common sense.


    "By now, you should have realized that I am a good person," said Rocky. He looked at Erica with a playful smile and folded his arms across his chest. He knew that Tasha had a kind heart and she wouldn''t say anything that was wrong.


    "You are a good man? Do you think so? Then the good people in the world must have been dead," Erica retorted without any hesitation. She always spoke her mind out loud.


    Rocky shrugged and smiled. It seemed that he had been listed as an evil man by her. It would be more difficult to change her impression of him than touching the sky. So he didn''t bother to defend himself. He knew that the best option was to stay quiet.


    "Can you leave now?" the butterfly shadow uttered again.


    "We are leaving right now. Again, thank you so much for saving our lives. We are grateful," said Erica sincerely as she bowed to the shadow. The other phoenix spirit manipulators followed suit.


    After that, Erica suddenly thought of something. She opened her palm and held the bottle that Rocky gave her earlier to attract those wild spirit-manipulated beasts.


    She raised it and said to him, "I return it to you. It belongs to you now."


    "You don''t have to give it to me. It''s my gift for your protection just now. I am offering this with my whole heart," said Rocky, waving his hands.


    y good cultivation treasure and extremely rare. Owning such a treasure signified superiority and power.


    "You asked for it. Ten years ago, you used this jade to cultivate evil spirits. However, you failed and this jade consumed all your strength. In the end, you had to put it here to gather the essence of heaven and earth. This clearly shows that you don''t deserve it. Don''t blame him for grabbing your treasure. It has been here for ten years. Its ability to recognize you as its owner was gradually lost. Thus it chose him as the new owner, who is much more eligible," the butterfly shadow replied coldly. But her tone was supporting Rocky.


    "It was all your fault. If it hadn''t been the critical moment when I was cultivating the evil spirit, you showed up and ruined my cultivation, I would have possessed the evil spirit long ago," the Dark Lord shouted angrily. Consequently, the wind blew heavily around.


    "This is the holy land of our clan. How could I let you cultivate evil spirit here and sully our sacred place?" the butterfly shadow shouted angrily.


    "Ugh! It is not a damn holy land at all! It''s just a dead tomb. Don''t say crap!" shouted the Dark Lord furiously. "The people of your Butterfly Divine Clan were already slaughtered during the last war among clans of spiritual race five years ago and you are only a descendant of your surviving people. What''s so special about you?" Although he was a bit scared of the butterfly shadow, nothing stopped him from making such extremely arrogant remarks.

 Chapter 555 Ill See You Again Some Other Day

    "It turns out that she is also from a clan of the spiritual race." Rocky''s eyes flew open in shock when he heard this.


    "The Butterfly Divine Clan? It''s unbelievable! She''s actually a descendant of the Butterfly Divine Clan," Sabina exclaimed.


    "What is the origin of the Butterfly Divine Clan?" Rocky inquired immediately. This piece of information was not enough to satisfy his need to understand. He knew he needed to probe more.


    "It is said that the Butterfly Divine Clan used to be an extremely powerful clan of spiritual race from the Wild Spirit Land. There were stories that said they were so strong that they could even contend with the Dragon Master Clan, the Phoenix Master Clan and other top-level clans of spiritual race. However, in the last war among the clans of spiritual race on the spiritual continent which happened five years ago, the Butterfly Divine Clan was attacked by many clans of spiritual race, including the Dragon Master Clan and the Phoenix Master Clan. It''s ironic, but they were attacked for the reason that they were so strong. Those battles brought an end to the superiority of the Butterfly Divine Clan. Only a few masters were lucky enough to survive, and the Butterfly Divine Clan was almost wiped out. But my master told me that the real reason why this clan was exterminated was that they had a very powerful holy treasure. This object terrified clans of spiritual race, even the powerful one. The other clans of spiritual race were afraid that the Butterfly Divine Clan would use this object to rule over the Wild Spirit Land, so..." Sabina explained. Of course, it was just a rumor she had heard from her master Marcia. She had no idea whether it was true or not.


    "I see." Rocky nodded and looked at the butterfly shadow in the mist. The event from Sabina''s tale was playing in his mind.


    "Dark Lord, I don''t want to get into any disputes with any other clans of spiritual race because I must obey the last will of the Butterfly Divine Clan. However, you uttered rude remarks on our holy land and insulted our clan, and that is unforgivable. For that, you shall pay. Get ready to die!" the butterfly shadow in the mist rebuked in anger. In an instant, the wind was howling. It had suddenly become colder. Looking around, leaves from trees and petals from cherry blossoms in the deep valley were flying around rapidly. The atmosphere changed and it was a


    unimaginable. I''m afraid that this is the most thrilling experience I have ever had since I became a spirit manipulator," Sabina said. She hadn''t fully recovered from earlier experience and was still trying to catch her breath.


    "But we have to be careful. The Dark Lord won''t let me go easily." Rocky was still worried that the Dark Lord would come back. After all, he had robbed his treasure. Rocky was certain the Dark Lord wouldn''t let him off the hook that easily.


    Sabina nodded in agreement.


    "Now we have another problem." Not far away from them, Rocky saw the mother Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf nursing the little Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf. Rocky frowned. He guessed that the Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf must want to get back with her child. This means he might not be able to keep the little Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf any longer. Besides, he only got the little Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf by chance. Moreover, the Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf had saved his life just now. Therefore, he had to make a decision.


    Making up his mind, Rocky walked towards their direction slowly.


    When the Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf saw Rocky coming, she let out a growl.


    "Don''t worry. I''m not coming to take your child away from you. I just wanted to tell you that I didn''t mean to take your child away. The situation was critical. I had to do that. But now that I''m here and I met you again, I will give back your child to you. Take him back and take good care of him. He was a good friend," Rocky said to the Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf calmly, but despite his sincerity, he couldn''t hide his reluctance to let the little Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf go.

 Chapter 556 A Miracle

    The Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf suddenly lowered its head, as if to thank him, for it seemed to understand what Rocky had meant. Then, it shouted to the little Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf, turned around and left.


    The little Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf followed the Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf for a few more steps until, it turned around to look at Rocky. Like a child, it then cried its heart for it had gotten attached to him, showing that it was being reluctant to part with Rocky.


    But the Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf was having none of its tantrums. Turning around, it shouted at its little one in a low voice. Immediately, the little Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf turned around and continued to leave unwillingly.


    Meanwhile, Rocky had tears in his eyes upon seeing such a touching scene. Although he had not spent too much time with the little wolf, he knew and felt that he already had a deep connection with it, which was why he was also unhappy to see the little Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf leave like this.


    Sabina looked at Rocky''s face that was streaming with tears. At that moment, she felt that for the first time ever, she saw the other side of Rocky¡ªtender and vulnerable.


    Suddenly, the Rainbow Glow Unicorn showed up. It walked its way up to Rocky and rubbed its head against him, as if to comfort him. Trying to make Rocky feel better, Uriah and Rubygon joined them. Now, the three beasts surrounded him as if they were all in a group hug.


    Sabina, on the other hand, was shocked to see the complete appearance of the Rainbow Glow Unicorn. She had seen it before, but due to the chaos, she wasn''t really able to see it very clearly. Even for the Heavenly Stage cultivators including Erica, none of them were able to recognize the Rainbow Glow Unicorn under such circumstances before. Otherwise, it would certainly have made a scene.


    Sabina could not help but feel startled upon seeing the Rainbow glow Unicorn, all because it was all too rare to see the beast. After all, it was ranked third in the list of spiritual beasts. Besides, this Rainbow Glow Unicorn was still underage, and it would be a huge potential to subdue it if possible.


    "Come on guys, I''m fine." Rocky smiled in a jiffy upon seeing the three beasts that were huddled around him and comforting him.


    "Enough, guys, I thi


    ng the news. Shocked to his core, his body could not help but tremble.


    "How could this be possible? We have controlled the whole military forces of the Timber Deity Empire at the Deity Unicorn Valley, haven''t we? In that case, then where did this thirty thousand warriors of the Timber Deity Empire come from?" Isis asked in amazement.


    The Commanders inside the camp looked at each other in dismay as they also heard what had happened.


    "Is it another trick up the Timber Deity Empire''s sleeve?" one of the Elite Commanders exclaimed hesitantly.


    Lance''s face sank while he clenched his fists as he heard this. Then, he immediately asked the spirit manipulator who had delivered him the news, "When will the thirty thousand army of the Timber Deity Empire arrive at the Evian City?"


    "I''m afraid that they will arrive in two days," the spirit manipulator immediately responded.


    "Father, the Evian City''s army, including the rest of the forces of our headquarters, is less than fifteen thousand. It''s quite impossible and probably too late to send the forces from other border cities to the Evian City in two days..." Isis said anxiously. After all, the Evian City was the headquarters of the Crimson


    Dragon Army. If anything happened to the city, then it would directly affect the Crimson Dragon Army. Moreover, the Evian City was the most important border city to the Holy Dragon Empire. Once the city was attacked by the Timber Deity Empire''s army, there would surely be unimaginable consequences...

 Chapter 557 The Predicament

    "It appears I''ll need to return to Evian City and take command there. No matter what, we must defend the city before the reinforcements arrive," Lance decided. With their current circumstances, the only solution to keeping Evian City safe was to rush back to the city and become commander there. Otherwise, the city would perish within two days under the fierce attack of the whole thirty thousand troops of the Timber Deity Empire. They would need at least four or five days before the reinforcements from other cities could arrive. Lance needed to buy more time for them. The current state of Evian City was akin to that of a fat chunk of meat that was half chewed and swallowed by the Timber Deity Empire. If the Crimson Dragon Army failed to defend it, then the Holy Dragon Empire would lose the battle between the two empires. What was worse was that it would mean utter defeat for the Holy Dragon Empire even though its remaining troops were more than those of the Timber Deity Empire.


    "Should we order the army at the Deity Unicorn Valley to retreat?" Isis inquired quickly.


    "No. Keep fighting! Withdrawing our army now would only make the army more afraid and cause further trouble. And even if we could, it would be too late to rush back and rescue Evian City. Let''s not be passive and do all that we can while we''re still here. If we succeed in guarding the city and breaking the Deity Unicorn Valley''s defenses, then we have a chance at destroying the Timber Deity Empire''s plans," Lance explained and shook his head decisively.


    The Timber Deity Empire ordered thirty thousand troops to secretly attack the Holy Dragon Empire while the Crimson Dragon Army''s forces were locked in the combat at the Deity Unicorn Valley. After successfully breaking through the three passes behind the Crimson Dragon Army at lightning speed, the thirty thousand troops were to attack Evian City. This left the Crimson Dragon Army in quite a predicament. However, this attack of the Timber Deity Empire proved to be a double-edged sword. While taking over Evian City would ultimately help them win the battle a


    that her cousin treated men like dirt. But now, with her becoming more dependent on Rocky, she didn''t know what to say.


    Of course, Isis wasn''t the only one who grew a liking towards Rocky. Marin admitted that even she fell in love with Rocky at one point. It was a feeling that was hard to suppress.


    "I''ll see to it immediately." Marin said nothing more. Her cousin had made up her mind. Summoning her war beast, Verdanim, she mounted it and flew away.


    As soon as Lance and the other commanders were on their way out of the Deity Unicorn Valley, a dragon-shaped spirit-manipulated beast appeared before them. It was nearly the same in size as the dragon they rode. Its skin was tinged with orange and yellow and it moved at an amazing speed. It exuded the same aura as Lance''s dragon. He suspected that both of them were beasts of the same star-level. An army of thousands of soldiers and a few warriors of the Heavenly Stage awaited from the ground below.


    Riding on the back of the dragon-shaped spirit-manipulated beast was a delicate figure languidly leaning back with a noble, cool demeanor and arrogant temperament. Each move she made exuded a powerful aura. Although she didn''t smile, her face alone was enough to charm even the most stubborn man.


    Once Lance laid eyes on her, he immediately knew who she was: the Commander in Chief and princess of the Timber Deity Empire, Alyssa Mu.

 Chapter 558 A Fierce Fight

    "You must be the very famous Princess Alyssa, right?" Lance said calmly, staring at Alyssa on the dragon-shaped spirit-manipulated beast. He knew not only her, but her reputation as well.


    "Why, thank you for your appreciation, but I don''t think I''m famous. I am nobody compared to you! You have already fought in the battlefield for dozens of years and made a lot of achievements!" Alyssa responded modestly with a faint smile, but her eyes were full of arrogance. She hid her sarcasm well, as if she had been doing it a lot. Obviously, she didn''t take Lance seriously.


    Lance, of course, was able to look beyond this. He certainly knew what she meant. She just wanted to satirize how he was not able to defeat a young and inexperienced person. Clearly, Alyssa thought he didn''t have the qualifications to get that tittle. However, Lance kept his calm and responded, "I wonder why you are here waiting for me?"


    "You are going back to the Evian City, right? I just wanted to see you off." Alyssa stared at Lance, her eyes glinting of hidden sarcasm.


    "You are too polite. You don''t have to send me off. I just hope you can let me pass here," Lance answered with a sneer. He knew that what Alyssa meant by her so-called farewell was to see him lead his way to his death.


    "I''m not the one who owns and controls this path. You can leave if you want." Alyssa waved her hand, and the dragon-shaped spirit-manipulated beast moved a little.


    "I''m afraid there is no way ahead!" Lance knew just what Alyssa was up to. Obviously, she wanted to stall them so that they couldn''t rush back to the Evian City in time. If he couldn''t guard the Evian City, and there was a lack of soldiers, the city wouldn''t be able to resist attacks for a long time. Very soon, they would be defeated by the 30, 000 soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire.


    "Actually, I don''t want to fight you either. Please stay in the Deity Unicorn Valley for another two days. After our Timber Deity Empire''s forces conquer the Evian City, I will let you go back to the city to clean up the mess..." Alyssa giggled. She wore an attractive smile, but the vicious expression in her eyes and her cold voice made people tremble with fear.


    "If you want to keep me here, you should have enough strength to beat and stop me from leaving!" Lance couldn''t stand it anymore. He was amped up, looking v


    eally extraordinary. As it moved to attack, its raging power was formidable enough to make the master at the advanced grade of the Supernal Stage tremble with terror and turn pale.


    Under the protection, those Commanders of the Crimson Dragon Army began to run for their lives.


    "Stop chasing them," Alyssa said to the troops and the masters at the Heavenly Stage when she saw that the Crimson Dragon Army Commanders had gone far away. In fact, her plan was just as Lance expected. She just wanted to stall Lance, and prevent him from returning in time. Without Lance in the Evian City, it would be easy for the Timber Deity Empire''s forces to attack and destroy the city.


    Of course, Alyssa was sure of that. Besides, she knew another reason why the Evian City would be easily conquered: she had received the information that Rocky, who had ruined her several plans, was relegated to the logistics camp because he had been unjustly wronged by Lance. Considering this, she thought that Rocky was no longer a threat.


    Without Lance and Rocky, the Crimson Dragon Army was a sitting duck, waiting to be slaughtered by her.


    After witnessing that the Commanders had successfully escaped, Lance asked the Roaring-thunder Dragon to spread its wings and soar into the air.


    Alyssa saw Lance''s move and she immediately rode on her spirit-manipulated beast and charged towards him.


    Without a sign of fear and hesitation, Lance ordered the Roaring-thunder Dragon to rush towards Alyssa. This was the start of a fierce fight between the two masters at the Divine Stage.

 Chapter 559 Think Of Rocky

    "Deputy Commander in Chief, I''ve gotten some bad news... When the Commander in Chief and the other Commanders were just five miles away from the Deity Unicorn Valley, Alyssa''s troops stopped them..." a Deputy Commander announced in panic after he rushed into the Commander''s tent.


    "What?" Isis, along with the Elite Commanders and the Frontline Commanders in the tent, were all surprised upon hearing the fresh news.


    "But, is the news accurate?" Isis asked immediately.


    "The news came from the spirit-manipulated beast of Commander Wang who went together with the Commander in Chief," the Deputy Commander responded as he gave her a nod.


    "So what''s the current situation? Do we have any casualties? Any dead soldier on the field?" Isis asked in a worried tone.


    "According to the information from Commander Wang''s spirit-manipulated beast, they have escaped under the Commander in Chief''s cover, and are now heading to the Evian City under the Commander in Chief''s instructions. However, in order to cover them, the Commander in Chief resisted Alyssa and her troops all by himself..." But before the Deputy Commander could even finish his words, Isis and the other Commanders immediately felt terrified. Although Lance''s strength had already reached the Divine Stage, he would still be no match for Alyssa who was also at the Divine Stage and helped by the troops of the Timber Deity Empire. Therefore, it was impossible for Lance to resist them alone for a long period of time.


    "I want you to gather two thousand soldiers to assist the Commander in Chief right now..." Isis ordered straight out.


    Soon enough, two thousand soldiers gathered in the Crimson Dragon Army''s camp.


    Afterwards, Isis personally left the camp along with an Elite Commander, three Frontline Commanders, and two thousand soldiers, heading for the place where Lance and the several Commanders were intercepted.


    However, as soon as Isis arrived with her people, there were already two corpses lying on the ground. Her father, along with Alyssa and the troops of the Timber Deity Empire, had already gone. Nevertheless, the place had been destroyed and the ground was cracked, which meant that there was a fierce battle that happened in the area not long ago.


    Upon seeing this, Isis got a bit worried. After all, Alyssa was also at the Divine Stage, and although she didn''t know how strong she was, she knew that she was at least powerful enough to fight


    unpleasant experience, they would surely be very indignant, not to mention Rocky who had helped the Crimson Dragon Army get rid of danger for so many times, but was still treated unjustly.


    Louis was not able to say anything for a while. But Marin lost her patience and asked, "Do you have any way on how to get in touch with Rocky right now?"


    "Yes, but I can''t make sure that I can get in touch with him in time. And besides, there is a chance that I can''t locate him!" Louis said with concern while he nodded his head.


    "Please help me send him a message. I want to ask him to go back to the Evian City as soon as possible. Tell him that this is what the Deputy Commander in Chief said. Let him go back to the Evian City no matter what happens... Please, I am begging him..." Marin said anxiously.


    Hearing what Marin had said, Louis was shocked as well. He didn''t expect that the Deputy Commander in Chief would even deliberately beg Rocky. However, he was a clever man, as he thought there must be a hidden reason behind it. Therefore, he nodded without asking for any more details about the matter.


    "By the way, please tell Rocky that I will wait for him in the Evian City. I hope he won''t let me down!" As soon as Marin finished her words, she left Louis''s tent. Then, she rode on Verdanim, which was waiting outside, and headed straight to the Evian City.


    Seeing Marin leave, Louis wrote down on a small piece of paper everything that Marin had just told him. As soon as he finished writing, he asked some people to bring the letter to the Carrier Beast which would then send the letter to Rocky as soon as possible.

 Chapter 560 Fighting The Dark Lord Again

    "But it''s not really a good way to go on like this," Sabina whispered as she winked her cold eyes.


    "But how about if we break out now? With the fast flying speed of Duchess Silver and Uriah, I guess we can get rid of him quickly," Rocky proposed.


    "We should wait a little while longer. If only the predecessor of the spiritual race who helped us before was still here!" Sabina cautiously said as she did not want to take so much risk at that moment.


    At that point, Rocky also got worried that if the Dark Lord really followed them all the time, then they might not be able to walk out of the Myriad Beasts Ground in one piece.


    All of a sudden, a small beast suddenly fell from the sky which then stood in front of him.


    "Whoa, s Carrier Beast!" Rocky exclaimed. However, his eyes narrowed. Somehow, he had a hunch that something urgent and dangerous was about to happen. He then picked up the beast at once, and took out a letter from a scroll tied to its leg. But when he opened the letter, his face changed abruptly.


    "Hey, what''s wrong?" Sabina asked as she stood up and walked towards his side.


    "The thirty thousand troops of the Timber Deity Empire have already broken through three passes of our empire, and is now approaching the Evian City as you read this letter." Rocky read what was written in the letter, which then made him look serious all of a sudden.


    "What?" Sabina was a little shocked. Before this, the Crimson Dragon Army had occupied the military advantage. At the Deity Unicorn Valley, they were suppressing the Timber Deity Empire. How could the latter break through three passes in a short time and put the Evian City in danger all at the same time?


    "It seems that the Crimson Dragon Army must have fallen into Alyssa''s trap. It could be that Alyssa had already foreseen that the Crimson Dragon Army would attack the Deity Unicorn Valley. This could be the reason why she deliberately pretended that she did not have any support and insisted on defending the valley. As a matter of fact, the extra troops of the Timber Deity Empire had already arrived at the three passes without the Crimson Dragon Army''s guard and broke through the three defenseless barriers with lightning speed!" Rocky said as he tried to figure it out.


    "The Evian City is the Crimson Dragon Group''s headquarters. If the city lost the battle, then it will undoubtedly be a very serious blow to the group. And the city is also one of the most important strategic


    ew quickly towards the Dark Lord. Meanwhile, the Flaming Blade in Rocky''s hand released arc-shaped Moon Blades, which whistled in the air.


    "You are just biting off more than you chew!" the Dark Lord sneered, as if he belittled Rocky''s attacks. And with a flick of his hand, a green light shot out towards the flying Moon Blades like a long bow.


    When the arc-shaped Moon Blades touched the green light, they suddenly disappeared in the air. But the green light only became larger, which gradually transformed into a ferocious skeleton, opening a large bloody mouth. Its black eyes emitted a chilling green light, which then directly rushed towards Rocky.


    Feeling a strong wave of spiritual power coming towards him, Rocky became more cautious as his tactics changed slightly. Immediately, he cooperated with Uriah and activated his two skills to fight against the skeleton¡ª Burn Heaven and Earth, and flame ball.


    Soon, everyone heard an ear-splitting boom as soon as Rocky''s attacks collided with the skeleton.


    In an instant, flames started to pour on the ground as if it were raining.


    Unfortunately, the skeleton appeared not to be hurt at all. In the blink of an eye, it was dashing towards Rocky at full speed.


    Simultaneously, a delicate shadow and a beast shadow flew behind Rocky. Moments later, there was a fierce storm that rushed forward without warning, crashing into the skeleton that was in front of him.


    Again, another shocking noise was heard. But the skeleton was so thick-skinned that it was left standing up, without a scratch. It kept on rushing towards Rocky, Sabina, and their respective spirit-manipulated beasts.

 Chapter 561 No Leader

    Rocky''s face darkened at the realization that his power was no match for this.


    "Run!" Sabina shouted at Rocky. She predicted that the outcome wouldn''t be in their favor. Their top priority now was to stay alive.


    Out of nowhere, a green light burst out of the skull''s mouth. An intimidating spiritual power appeared before them. It looked as though it was about to swallow both of them whole.


    Realizing that there was no time to dodge the attack, Sabina unexpectedly stood in front of Rocky alongside Duchess Silver with arms wide open. Gathering her spiritual power, she quickly formed a large and thick wall of ice in front of her.


    However, the seemingly sturdy fortress of ice was easily devoured by the green light and continued to spread rapidly towards Sabina and Duchess Silver.


    "Go!" Sabina quickly turned around and urged Rocky to hurry up. The summoning of the ice wall utilized all of her spiritual power, and her delicate face was bloodless. Knowing that she had reached her limit, she knew she couldn''t defeat this power on her own.


    Rocky wouldn''t back down so easily, nor would he run away alone. Suddenly, a black glow burned all over his body like a blazing flame.


    Known as the Evil Flame, this was produced by the fusion of evil spiritual power and the spiritual power of Fire nature. Once Sabina''s ice wall disintegrated, the Evil Flame gushed forward like a black torrent and crashed with the approaching skull and its green light.


    Instantly, the entire sky was filled with blinding, dazzling light.


    Unfortunately, that didn''t hold on too long either. The green light devoured the Evil Flame with ease. It had now extended itself to cover more than a dozen meters around them.


    "Hell awaits you!" The Dark Lord cackled with a sinister smile as he noticed Rocky growing weaker and on the verge of death.


    It looked as though all hope of surviving the green light was lost for Rocky, Sabina, and their spirit-manipulated beasts.


    As they hanged on to the thread, a cu


    Deity Empire''s thirty thousand troops had already broken through three passes two days ago and were heading in the same direction as well.


    It was too late for them to get to Evian City before the Timber Deity Empire attacked.


    Within Evian City, the Crimson Dragon Group headquarters was in chaos. All of them were full of panic seeing Lance absent and the Timber Deity Empire troops drawing closer.


    At the moment, ten commanders were sitting on either side of the headquarters'' meeting room. Among those ten commanders were those who Lance covered and saved, and the Elite Commanders and Frontline Commanders, who had been guarding the headquarters, and Marin who didn''t find Rocky in the logistics camp and returned to Evian City first.


    Upon Marin''s arrival at the city, she learned that Lance and a few other commanders had been blocked by the Timber Deity Empire troops led by Alyssa as they were leaving the Deity Unicorn Valley. Lance held off Alyssa and her troops on his own so that the other commanders would be covered.


    It was worrying that no news had been sent from the Deity Unicorn Valley regarding Lance. They couldn''t confirm if he would be able to return to Evian City before the Timber Deity Empire''s thirty thousand soldiers attacked the city.


    No wonder all the commanders present appeared worried and anxious.

 Chapter 562 Pass The Buck

    "If the Commander in Chief can''t make it in time, someone must command the garrisons of Evian City," Elite Commander Ron said steadily.


    "Didn''t the Commander in Chief make it clear that if Rocky could get back to Evian City, he should have the Crimson Dragon Token and the command to defend the city?" Commander Wang interjected as he pulled out the token from his pocket, eyeing it as though it were a holy treasure.


    Upon seeing the Crimson Dragon Token, all the commanders were shocked. A few days earlier, when Lance declared he would give the token to Rocky, they were in a dire situation and didn''t have the time to react. It was only when they returned to Evian City safely did they start doubting Lance''s decision.


    The Crimson Dragon Toke was the commander''s seal of the Crimson Dragon Group. Anyone who possessed it would have command over thirty thousand soldiers. Of course, it was also a status symbol, as it was so rare. Apart from the Commander in Chief, only Deputy Commander in Chief Isis possessed one. Thus, presenting Rocky with a Crimson Dragon Token meant he was entrusted with an important responsibility.


    This was precisely why the commanders were puzzled.


    "Wasn''t Rocky just demoted from Elite Commander to logistics camp by the Commander in Chief? So why would the Commander in Chief hand over the Crimson Dragon Token and the right to command the city to him?" a commander pondered aloud.


    The commanders exchanged glances with one another, each one unsure as to why Lance would make such a contradictory decision. Of course, they hadn''t known that the Crimson Dragon Token was Rocky''s all along. It just so happened that after the accident with Isis, Lance took it back as he wronged Rocky.


    "Rocky hasn''t shown up yet. What a coward! Hmm, just let him command the city garrison of Evian City. I really don''t know what Commander in Chief was thinking." All the Commanders including Flank, who had a deep resentment towards Rocky, were annoyed when they heard that Lance actually handed Crimson Dragon Token to Rocky and let him command the city garrison. Thus, everyone silently hoped Rocky wouldn''t show up.


    Among everyone in the room, only Marin knew Lance''s reasons. However, because Rocky still hadn''t shown up, she was a bit worried. With the thirty thousand men of the Timber Deity Empire


    in scoffed arrogantly.


    Whispers filled the room. It was clear that the other commanders also felt that Marin wasn''t suitable for this important task.


    "You..." Hearing these words spoken from the mouths of these cowards made Marin seethe with anger. Her beautiful eyes glared fearsomely at each Elite Commander before she abruptly turned around and left the hall.


    The sun set in the distance, and darkness crept over the city. Two miles outside of Evian City, a line of torches dotted the land in a zigzag manner, like a snake of fire. Countless figures formed a black mass, rushing towards Evian City which was barely illuminated by the fire snake.


    Once the guards spotted them from atop the city wall of the south gate of the city, they were filled with fear. They hurriedly lit the beacon to inform the base camp of the arrival of the Timber Deity Empire troops. The sentries from the base camp were alerted by the lit beacon from the south gate. They knew what this meant, and immediately headed to the meeting hall to deliver this information.


    The commanders, who had been waiting idly in the meeting hall, were shocked when they heard the news. They nervously glanced at each other, yet still no one wanted to step up.


    Just then, a guard rushed in hastily. "Commanders, Commander Marin gathered five thousand troops and is now headed towards the south gate. It seems she is going to face the enemy head-on!"


    Everyone in the room was stunned. No one could believe that Marin was reckless enough to lead her troops into a suicide mission.

 Chapter 563 She Was Playing With Fire

    "What is Commander Marin up to? How can she take five thousand soldiers to fight outside the city? She is certainly playing with fire." All the commanders seemed extremely worried.


    "It''s no use to say anything now. Who would take the initiative to go to the south gate and stop Commander Marin?" Commander Wang asked. His face turned pale immediately.


    "Me," Elite Commander Ron volunteered after slight hesitation.


    Then he proceeded out from the meeting room and went hurriedly towards the south gate to stop Marin.


    When Commander Ron reached at the south gate, he couldn''t find any sign of the five thousand soldiers. What he could see was Marin standing on the city wall and looking at the army of the Timber Deity Empire that was constantly gathering outside the Evian City.


    "Commander Marin, what is going on here? Just now, a guard informed that you had gathered five thousand soldiers and were getting ready to fight outside the city," Commander Ron asked uncomprehendingly after getting on to the city wall.


    "If I didn''t say that, then you all would have been still shirking your responsibilities and wouldn''t even dare to fight even when the army of the Timber Deity Empire arrives in the city," Marin replied with a sneer.


    Upon hearing this Commander Ron got a little embarrassed.


    "Commander Marin, whether or not we would be able to defend the Evian City this time is a matter of great importance. It is associated with the reputation of the Crimson Dragon Group and also the safety of the Holy Dragon Empire. So, we may have to think twice before we make our move," Commander Ron explained. The Elite Commanders were not at all cowards. But, at the time when the Evian City was in danger and also when many people''s life was involved, it was natural for them to have a slight hesitation.


    "Now we are not having enough soldiers to protect the Evian City. However, if we can defend it by all means, then it wouldn''t be that easy for the army of the Timber Deity Empire to conquer the city in a short period of time. Since none of the Elite Commanders were willing to command the army, I had to protect the city in my own terms. Kindly convey my words to the other commanders after you get back. I will stand guard tonight. The army of the Timber Deity Empire most certainly would launch an attack tomorrow or in two days'' time. I hope you would bring up a strategy to defend the city before tomorrow," Marin said seriously.


    Commander Ron didn''t


    nd soldiers began to form an eight-trigram formation with Marin at the center.


    At the same time, the army of the Timber Deity Empire had already gathered at a place two miles away from the south city gate.


    "Your Royal Highness, the Crimson Dragon Group seems to have formed a formation outside the city," a commander informed respectfully to a handsome man who was sitting on a high horse and was surrounded by masters of the Heavenly Stage.


    This handsome man was none other than Woods, the prince of the Timber Deity Empire.


    This time it was Woods who was commanding the thirty thousand soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire.


    "Oh, really? What''s their strength?" Woods looked calmly at the direction of the city gate of the Evian City, and literally saw a large crowd outside the city gate.


    "About five thousand," the commander reported.


    "Five thousand? According to our intelligence, there are just fifteen thousand soldiers to protect the Evian City, which in comparison to our soldier strength is too low. They have actually dared to fight outside the city with five thousand soldiers. They are really bold. Are they looking down upon our army?" Woods said with a cold smile. He then narrowed his eyes and continued, "Send up five thousand soldiers to size up the situation."


    "Yes sir." The commander left immediately.


    Half an hour later, the Timber Deity Empire''s vanguard consisting of five thousand soldiers and spirit manipulators were rushing towards the army that was going to protect the Evian City outside the city gate.


    Soon, the two armies began the battle and the air was filled with the sound of the battle cry.

 Chapter 564 Safeguard The Gate

    All of a sudden, sand flew in the air and the blood flowed like rivers. Screams and cries filled the air, you could almost sniff the smell of death. The cruelty of the war was undeniable at that moment.


    On the other side, the Deputy Commander had also arrived at the meeting room. He walked firmly towards and reported to the Commanders, who were in the middle of a serious discussion about battle strategies. Their voices were low and serious. When the Deputy Commander joined them, he then reported to them about how Marin led her army to fight the enemies.


    This revelation shocked the Commanders. At first, they assumed Marin was bluffing again, but the Deputy Commander told them that she had secretly trained five thousand soldiers last night. This confirmation made them realize that she was serious this time.


    The mentioned five thousand troops were about one third of the Evian City''s forces, which were responsible for protecting the city. If they let Marin horse around, losing so many warriors would definitely cost them a lot, which would obviously be a bad thing for the city!


    "Let''s go and have a look. We can''t let Commander Marin mess around like this anymore..." Commander Wang immediately said to the other Commanders.


    The other Commanders nodded one after another in agreement.


    They stood up abruptly then hurriedly went to the south gate. When they arrived there, they saw that the vanguard of the Timber Deity Empire had already fallen into the array arranged by Marin. On the ground were many dead and wounded. However, the five thousand soldiers led by her didn''t suffer at all. Seeing this bewildered the Commanders.


    "This array..." Commander Lin, one of the Elite Commanders, uttered softly as he suddenly felt that the array used by Marin was very familiar.


    "Isn''t it the same array that Rocky used at the Army Flag Contest?" Commander Wang announced to the others.


    It was exactly the Eight Heaven Locks Array used by Rocky before.


    The Commanders looked at each other in disbelief. They were thinking the same thing: when was she able to learn about this mysterious and complicated array? Obviously, the array was handed over to her by Rocky. But that would mean they had a somewhat special relationship.


    It was during the war at the Rough Slope that Rocky taught her the array. But at that time, Marin was a beginner and therefore was not able to use it very well. But she took her time, exerted hard work and studied it secretly. Fortunately, she made some gains. If it were not for the safety of the Evian City, she would not have used this hidden skill.


    Four hours of battle between the two sides brought heavy damage to the vanguard from the Timber Deity Empire, which had lost nearly two thousan


    r all the guards to the city gate and guard the city wall," Commander Wang immediately ordered.


    Because the soldiers of the Evian City were attacked so abruptly, Marin''s desperate commands were almost useless. It was impossible to get rid of the five rhinoceroses, who were huge and powerful. The array was about to collapse any minute now. Meanwhile, the ten thousand forces of the Timber Deity Empire had taken the opportunity to attack the wall of the south gate fiercely.


    What was worse was that the Timber Deity Empire still had another twenty thousand soldiers awaiting their chance to make a move and attack.


    "Commander Lin, you and I should go down there to help Commander Marin," Commander Ron said at once. After seeing that the array was about to be crushed by the sharp collision of the rhinoceroses, he knew he had to act quick. The array was their last hope they could rely on. If it were completely destroyed, the powerful army of the Timber Deity Empire would be able to break through the defense of the Evian City.


    Commander Lin nodded immediately. He and Commander Ron summoned their three-star spirit-manipulated beasts, jumped down from the city wall, entered the array, and rushed to Marin''s side.


    "Commander Marin, please keep on commanding. Commander Lin and I will work together to get rid of the two giant rhinoceroses..." Commander Ron said to Marin urgently. Then, the two Commanders rode towards the two rhinoceroses trapped in the array.


    They were both strong warriors at the Heavenly Stage. Luckily, through their combined efforts, they were able to pin down the two rhinoceros.


    Despite their combined strength, the impact from the three rhinoceroses outside the array still managed to seriously damage the array. Surely, the array would give up and completely be broken down at any minute.

 Chapter 565 Sudden Attack

    At noon, the Eight Heaven Locks Array laid by Marin still couldn''t withstand the raging attack of Huge-horned Rhinoceroses. It was close to the brink of collapse, with countless deaths and injuries, and the deaths were extremely tragic. Disemboweled bodies were scattered everywhere, making the scene extremely bloody and terrifying!


    The two Elite Commanders relied on their own strength to resist the power of two Huge-horned Rhinoceroses. However, no matter how hard they tried, they couldn''t change anything.


    On the other hand, the Timber Deity Empire had the situation under control by using only several Huge-horned Rhinoceroses. Not long ago, the army of the Timber Deity Empire suffered a great loss under the Eight Heaven Locks Array. Now suppressing the Eight Heaven Locks Array meant giving the army of the Timber Deity Empire a chance to take advantage of the situation.


    Of course, it wasn''t a result of the Eight Heaven Locks Array being so vulnerable, rather, it''s because Marin hadn''t fully understood the depth of the Eight Heaven Locks Array. Therefore, under the crazy attack of Huge-horned Rhinoceroses, the array began to panic and would definitely lose soon.


    The southern wall of Evian City had turned into a sea of fire, igniting everything that it touched. Thousands of soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire climbed up the stairs and kept attacking the defensive soldiers.


    On the city wall, each of the commanders led over a thousand city guards, and also tried their best to repulse the attacks of the Timber Deity Empire one after another, barely forming a stalemate. Evian City had already deployed over ten thousand forces, but they could only scantily defend against the attacks of the Timber Deity Empire. There was another wave of twenty thousand forces of the Timber Deity Empire, and they were about to make a move.


    The guards of Evian City were in a complete disadvantage.


    In the midst of the chaos, Woods saw that it was almost time. The city guards of Evian City were noticeably having a hard time fighting against their strong offensive, and if the grueling attacks continued, they would definitely collapse.


    Therefore, Woods immediately ordered the deployment of additional military forces into the battlefield, including over ten thousand soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire and teams of spirit manipulators. They immediately rushed towards Evian City, determined to defeat Evian City in one go and take it.


    As the military forces of the Timber Deity Empire rose to an unbelievable number, their attacks also became fiercer and more brutal than before.


    During the menacing attacks, a Huge-horned Rhinoceros sudd


    own, directly falling into the city wall of Evian City. In an instant, it exploded, and the flames soared into the sky. Several soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire who couldn''t escape the city wall were left speechless, shock was evident on their faces. In the blink of an eye, their bodies were swallowed by the black flame while screaming in pain.


    The aura of the beast shadow with the flaming wings grew stronger at the same time. The black flame turned into a sudden rain of fire and poured onto the city wall. In an instant, the entire city wall turned into a sea of raging fire, and the black flame was ferocious. The soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire would burn into ashes once they touched the wall.


    "Get away from the city wall!" The commander of the Timber Deity Empire, who stood on the top of the city wall, immediately ordered. He didn''t dare to be arrogant.


    The soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire obediently withdrew from the city wall immediately.


    The other beast shadow flew down from high up in the sky and stopped in the air in front of the city gate. The strong energy exuding from the beast had spread out almost instantly. Suddenly, a strong storm started to form on the ground, raging and drifting. The cold wind piercing and the frost eerily chilling. Wherever the storm went through, the frost was formed.


    Since the army of the Timber Deity Empire was constantly rushing into Evian City, at least a thousand soldiers were crowding at the gate, they were stuck there helplessly. As soon as the storm was unleashed, the soldiers were turned into countless ice sculptures at the gate, and then the storm finally crashed them into tiny pieces of ice.


    The unexpected attack momentarily interrupted the Timber Deity Empire from attacking further.

 Chapter 566 I Have no Intention of Helping You

    Despite still being in shock over what happened just now, the people on the ground below could not help but look up at the sky. The two spirit-manipulated beasts were now flying low. Each was carrying someone on their back¡ªone was carrying a man, while the other was carrying a woman.


    They were amazed not only by the aura of four-star spirit-manipulated beasts but also by the aura of the Supernal Stage spirit manipulator riding one of the beasts.


    "They''re here!" At the sight of the beasts, as well as the familiar figures on their backs, flying above the fort wall, Marin froze for a moment then cried out in surprise.


    "Commander Marin, who is he?" Commander Ron asked in bewilderment. Obviously, he had yet to recognize the people who had suddenly appeared to attack the army of the Timber Deity Empire.


    The people riding those beasts turned out to be Rocky and Sabina, who had just rushed back here from the Myriad Beasts Ground.


    "Charge!" Marin suddenly commanded. She led more than two thousand soldiers of the Evian City to charge towards the city gate and break through the enemy''s siege.


    The sudden, horrible blizzard a moment ago had frozen many soldiers and forced the army of the Timber Deity Empire to retreat to both sides of the gate, hence a gap emerged in their formation.


    Marin, along with Elite Commander Ron and Elite Commander Lin, seized this chance to breach the enemy''s defense from this very gap and easily fought their way to the gate.


    However, just as they were about to enter Evian City, five Huge-horned Rhinoceroses ridden by their masters also rushed towards the gate, seemingly wanting to stop them from entering the city.


    "Where did the Timber Deity Empire get these five gigantic fellows? They''re almost as huge as dragons..." Rocky said in awe. As these five Huge-horned Rhinoceroses charged towards Marin''s troop, Rocky immediately took out a bottle of magical saliva and gave it to Uriah. "Distract them quickly," he said while patting Uriah. Rocky then jumped to a protuberant stone on the fort wall and stood there with his hands behind his back.


    Uriah dived towards those Huge-horned Rhinoceroses, all the while holding a bottle with its mouth.


    The moment the Huge-horned Rhinoceroses smelled the scent of the magical saliva, they ignored their maste


    k their laughter as they watched this exchange.


    "Hey, she is a girl after all..." Sabina whispered to Rocky with a frown etched on her face.


    "Ro... Commander Rocky, you are finally here!" A man''s voice suddenly broke the awkward silence. Commander Wang squeezed himself into the crowd and shoved his way towards Rocky. Since Rocky didn''t have a title, Commander Wang had paused for a moment but quickly decided that he''d better call him "Commander".


    As he tried to catch his breath, he took out the Crimson Dragon Token given by Lance and offered it to Rocky. "The Commander in Chief asked me to give it to you. Now that you''re here, you''ll be in charge of the Evian City''s garrison from now on¡­ Please accept this token..."


    "It seems you''ve misunderstood me. I return to the city not because I want to command the Evian City''s garrison, but because I have a private matter to handle. Now, if you''ll excuse me..." Rocky said coldly. Without even taking a look at the Crimson Dragon Token, he walked away straight through the crowd.


    All of those commanders were struck dumb. They did not expect that Rocky would not want to lead the Crimson Dragon Group or the Evian City''s garrison. What he did was publicly going against the Commander in Chief''s order. Ordinary people would never have the courage to do so.


    Marin was more shocked than anyone else. She thought that they had hope now that Rocky had arrived. She never expected that he would be unwilling to be the commander of the Evian City''s garrison and even turn his back on them.

 Chapter 567 No Reason

    "I''ve told you that he is a coward. At least now you believe me." Flank, who was one of the Commanders, took the opportunity to sneer against Rocky.


    "Commander Zhao, have you forgotten the lesson I had taught you the last time?" Upon hearing this, Rocky turned his head and looked coldly towards Flank who was standing by his side.


    Flank felt a chill running down his spine as he trembled. He immediately looked petrified and even didn''t dare to look straight at Rocky.


    After giving a glance at Flank for a second, Rocky turned back and continued to walk forward.


    At the moment, everyone was staring at Rocky. They were quite surprised as they were not able to understand Rocky''s act. Even if he didn''t want to take control over the defenders of Evian City, what surprised everyone was that, at least he should have taken the Crimson Dragon Token. After all, the Crimson Dragon Token was not something ordinary people could even think of having it to themselves. And if anybody had the Crimson Dragon Token in their possession, he would become one of the most powerful men in the country. But this precious opportunity was disdained by Rocky, which was hard for people to imagine.


    "Stop, Rocky!" All of a sudden, Marin rushed towards Rocky and shouted angrily.


    Even though Rocky heard Marin, he didn''t stop, but continued to move forward. When Marin stretched out her arms in front of him to stop him, she glared at him. "Why didn''t you take over control of the defenders of Evian City?"


    "Commander Marin, didn''t you understand what I just said?" Rocky responded with a darkened face. Marin was somebody who was really hard to deal with. It didn''t matter whatever he had expected, Marin would always outdo all his thoughts. Predicting her seemed to be harder than he had imagined. It was obvious that Marin actually wanted him to take over the army and guard Evian City for the Crimson Dragon Group.


    "I don''t understand, I just don''t understand what you are doing." Marin shook her head in disbelief and then continued, "Can you tell me the reason for turning it down?"


    "No reason," answered Rocky. He just didn''t want to get involved in any trouble. Ever since what had happened to Isis, Rocky realized th


    After Rocky and Sabina had left, all the Commanders on the city wall sighed with despair with their faces turning deathly pale. Now that their hopes for the future were shattered, it was impossible to guard this city.


    "What can we do now?" Commander Wang sighed deeply. Looking at the Crimson Dragon Token in his hand, he felt it was merely like a hot potato.


    All the Commanders looked at each other, completely speechless.


    On the other side, when Sabina climbed down the city wall and caught up with Rocky, she observed that he was still expressionless. Sabina was silent for a moment and then she asked, "Are you really not going to help the Crimson Dragon Group to get out of this crisis?"


    "You have heard what I just said, right?" Rocky turned to have a glance at Sabina and then answered coldly.


    "But I''m afraid Evian City would get captured tomorrow..." Sabina clearly understood that with their current strength, it would be impossible for the Crimson Dragon Group to be a match against the Timber Deity Empire, not to mention that they even didn''t have a leader.


    "There is a huge military disparity between two armies, and I''m not confident about guarding the city. I don''t want to do any of these sorts of things any longer. I don''t want to get involved in the battle between the Crimson Dragon Army and the Timber Deity Empire any more. Since the city is going to get captured tomorrow, I would be leaving Evian City with Sue tonight," Rocky replied plainly.

 Chapter 568 Hello, Mr. Bai

    Noticing that Rocky had already made up his mind, Sabina didn''t know what to say, so she just kept her mouth shut.


    Meanwhile, the moon shone bright along with the sweet cold wind.


    Together, they walked along the quiet and somewhat chaotic street as they headed for the base camp of the Crimson Dragon Group. Back in the Evian City, everything was quiet, dark, and full of horror. There were even some people who rushed towards the north gate in panic.


    Upon their arrival at the base camp, they noticed that there weren''t any guards watching the door. It could be because almost all of the soldiers of the base camp had already been sent to the south gate to defend against the Timber Deity Empire''s attacks.


    On the other hand, as Rocky entered the base camp, he immediately made his way to the Isis Pavilion.


    "Sue! Sue!" Rocky shouted for several times as he walked into the courtyard in front of the Isis Pavilion, as if looking for the person.


    But no matter how many times he tried, there was still no answer.


    Dismayed, Rocky frowned and went straight to the Isis Pavilion. He searched every corner, but never found Sue. Therefore, he just had to get out and look for her some more.


    Seeing that Rocky was upset, Sabina could not help but ask, "Aren''t you looking for someone?"


    "Yeah, but I can''t seem to find her. Where did Sue go?" Rocky replied worriedly.


    "Could it be that she has already left?" Sabina responded, after thinking for a while.


    "Knowing her, I don''t think so." Although Rocky was still unsure, he still believed that Sue would never leave all by herself. Last time he came to the base camp, he explicitly asked Sheridan to take care of Sue in his absence, which was why he thought that Sue might be with Sheridan at the moment.


    With this in mind, Rocky immediately rushed towards the base camp''s beast farm.


    ''I have never seen this guy get worried about someone so much. Who is Sue and why is she so important to him? Who the hell is she?'' Sabina thought to herself. She gave him a cold look after she saw him leave without saying a single word.


    It was not long before Rocky showed up at the entrance of the beast farm.


    "Sheridan!" Rocky shouted at the top of his lungs just as he set foot in the beast farm.


    "You brat! Keep your voice down f


    lky hair.


    Meanwhile, Sabina, who was just watching everything unravel right before her eyes, found Rocky''s tenderness as he was so nice to Sue. After all, her surprise was very valid for she had never seen Rocky act like that before. Itching to know who Sue was, she found out that Sue was just a nice young girl. Although she appeared to have such a close relationship with Rocky, she knew that Sue was not a threat. In fact, it could be that she and Rocky were just best friends, or maybe even like siblings looking after each other.


    "I just have to tell you that the Evian City is very dangerous now, so I''ll take you out of the city as soon as possible," Rocky said to Sue with a serious look on his face.


    "Leave the Evian City?" Sue asked as she was stunned by Rocky''s words.


    In response, Rocky nodded.


    "But I don''t want to leave this place..." Sue said as she raised her head after hesitating for a short while.


    "But I have no other way around this. The Evian City is going to be invaded soon, which is why you must leave this place immediately," Rocky responded.


    "You are very powerful, aren''t you? If you are, then why can''t you protect the Evian City?" Sue asked with a bit of expectation in her voice. She had heard a lot about Rocky''s achievements during this period of time. Whenever the Crimson Dragon Army was in deep crisis, the crisis would be easily solved as long as Rocky appeared to help them. That was why she believed that as long as Rocky was there, there must be a way to protect the Evian City.

 Chapter 569 It Would Be Tough

    Rocky was taken aback by what Sue said. He had never expected that she would be so confident of him. He heaved a slight sigh.


    "I''m not God. I don''t think I can save this city under such a situation. Don''t expect such extraordinary things from me," Rocky went straight to the point. There''s no use beating around the bush.


    Sue looked away, as she felt a little sad upon his words.


    "You brat! I know you''re a modest man but we need hope. And now, it seems that no one can save us in this city. Someone told me that Lance was attacked by Timber Deity Empire on the way here, I hope he is safe and unharmed..." Sheridan mumbled, suddenly sounding sober.


    "I don''t have any idea about what happened to him," Rocky answered while shaking his head, disbelieving all the misfortunes that had come their way. A moment ago, Commander Wang gave the Crimson Dragon Token to him, and mentioned that it was Lance''s order. By doing so, Lance passed the message that something bad had taken place unexpectedly, and he was unable to make it to Evian City as planned.


    "I know you''re here to pick up Sue. You need to hurry. Please take off as soon as possible. The enemy''s at the door. Since Lance couldn''t do it, it''s my turn to get the work done," Sheridan grumbled in an imposing manner. A drunken old man he might be but he was still sharp in mind and his senses were always alert.


    "Okay, well then. Take the girl with you, Rocky. I''ll stay here. I just can''t stand by and watch them break the city. Go and wait for me at the north of the city. If we lose, I''ll go and join you there," Sabina cut in after thinking for a few seconds, considering all their choices and its consequences. She gave Rocky a determined look, one that would not entertain any arguments.


    Rocky got what both of them meant, and he instantly set his mind with the task at hand. He nodded at them and whistled, calling for his majestic beast, and Uriah came down from the sky immediately with a beautiful descent.


    "Oh, when did this beast break through to the four-star? So unbelievable!" Sheridan exclaimed, shocked by the sudden appearance of Uriah. It had been a while since the last time he saw Rocky''s beast, no wonder that he was surprised to see it again. Uriah was flapping its giant flaming wings in the air. Sheridan was left speechless by the beautiful and glorious results of Uriah''s mutation.


    "Oh, only recently, I guess..." Rocky replied.


    "It is indeed a splendid spiritual beast, just like what I said before, and I would like to say that you''re so lucky to have such a rare species. It''s very talented. Just think about it. It only t


    down, and then landed so swiftly.


    On the ground, the civilians caught sight of the flames caused by the flying beast. Next they saw a dragon flying down from the sky. Frightened, they scattered in all directions, making an open space on the ground perfect for Uriah''s descent.


    Uriah took the time to land on the clearing. The civilians around them were stunned. They stopped all their arguments, even the children stopped crying, and all their eyes turned to Uriah and its two riders. No one dared to take any step closer to the beast.


    Not far away, the soldiers in front of the gate also saw the beast landing, but they were unable to get a closer look because of the crowd in front of them. But they guessed that it was a spirit-manipulated beast.


    Rocky jumped down from Uriah''s back, and walked with grace and confidence towards the gate through the parted crowd and stood his ground without outwardly speaking his power, leaving the crowd astounded. Soon, he came face to face with the city guards.


    "Open the gate..." Rocky told to the soldiers coldly. He didn''t raise his voice, and it remained monotone and he sounded calm but there was power and pressure in his words.


    "Who the hell are you? Fuck off!" The tall thin man, who looked like the leader of the troop and also a spirit manipulator, challenged Rocky. He burst into curses as soon as he heard Rocky order them to open the gate of the city so arrogantly without looking him in the eye. Of course, he was not able to detect Rocky''s hidden power because he was so consumed by the thought that he was more powerful than anyone there.


    Rocky narrowed his eyes, and the captain immediately sensed the overwhelming power coming from him. He stepped away from Rocky subconsciously.

 Chapter 570 Close The Gate

    "Open the gate," Rocky repeated firmly.


    The captain was afraid. However, he still responded in a snobbish manner, "It''s the order of the lord prefect to close the gate. If you are capable enough, ask the lord prefect to open the door for you..."


    Rocky sneered at the rudeness of the man. With the shining of spiritual light, he quickly drew out Frozen Wind Dagger. The dagger instantly turned into Flaming Blade. Rocky wielded it in the air, and marched straight forward.


    The captain was stunned and froze in place when he saw the extraordinary power emitted by Frozen Wind Dagger in Rocky''s hand. His face was as white as paper, but he kept on warning Rocky as if he were so sure he would still win this if they fought, "If you get any closer, don''t blame us for your injuries."


    However, Rocky turned a deaf ear to him. He directly rushed to the city gate, towards the city guards blocking the way.


    "Stop him!" seeing that the situation was unfavorable, the captain ordered his men instead.


    Instantly, several city guards rushed towards Rocky, trying to stop him.


    But in the next second, Evil Flame was burning all over Rocky''s body, it made him look as if he were possessed by a devil. It was so frightening that the city guards didn''t dare move forward, not wanting to get any closer to Rocky. Their legs turned jelly and they fell into their knees.


    Then, with the public watching, Rocky moved his Frozen Wind Dagger into the air, following a cross shape. In an instant, flame roared out in the form of a cross and directly slammed into the city gate.


    With a thundering noise, the gate exploded into splintering pieces.


    Seeing that the city gate had been broken, people had no time to rejoice. They quickly rushed towards the city gate desperately.


    The city guards were stunned by Rocky''s power. But before they could react and fight back Rocky, the citizens were trampling them down and ignoring their commands.


    Rocky put away the Frozen Wind Dagger, and walked straight back to Uriah''s side and jumped onto it.


    "Mr. Bai, if the city is taken, these people will become homeless. Can you do something about it?" Sue suddenly asked Rocky when she saw the people escaping from the city. She was frowning.


    Rocky stared at the throng of people running desperately out of the city but didn''t answer her.


    "Mr. Bai, I don''t really want to leave. Miss Isis was so kind to me, so


    be able to keep it.


    "But with the current situation, it''s truly impossible for us to guard the city," Commander Wang countered helplessly.


    "If Rocky is here, he might find a way out. But he¡­ I''m so disappointed with him." At the mention of Rocky, Marin''s heart sank. Here they all were, waiting and hoping for Rocky to save the city.


    "I think he is just a coward," Flank mumbled scornfully.


    "If he were a coward, Crimson Dragon Group would have lost as early as when the three passes were in danger," Sabina refuted angrily.


    Hearing this, all the commanders took on a ghastly expression. They knew Sabina was right. Without Rocky, Crimson Dragon Army would have been instantly defeated at the three passes.


    "Since we still have time, let''s think about what we can do to face our enemy. Even if we lose, our loss must be of value. From now on, I will command the city garrison..." Sabina said boldly. She was the Deputy Commander in Chief of Rime Army, one of the four legions in Holy Dragon Empire. At this critical moment, no one was better suited to take on the role but her.


    Hearing this, all the commanders gave her an encouraging nod. After all, Sabina''s power was undeniably strong. Hence, hope may exist if Sabina commanded the garrisons of Evian City.


    "Ha-ha, Sabina, you are really my kind of person. I will make an exception this time to help you..." Sheridan laughed but it was evident that he admired her boldness.


    The commanders were surprised, but they gained confidence seeing that even Sheridan, who had been living in seclusion for a long time, was willing to help.

 Chapter 571 He Caused Quite A Stir!

    After Sabina took over the command authority of the Evian City, unity was reflected among the camaraderie of the Commanders. They themselves were able to realize how their solidarity was much better than before. Nevertheless, all of them felt at ease because they thought as though the heavy burdens on their shoulders were lifted and transferred to Sabina instead. The Commanders felt unbounded thinking that they would no longer be blamed if they could not defend the city.


    Of course, Sabina knew what was on the Commanders'' minds, but the city was currently in danger. What they thought hardly mattered. All Sabina thought was if no one stood up to lead, the city would be lost without any doubt. Moreover, there was another reason why she took over the command authority of the city: it''s because of her little hunch. She was expecting something from someone. It was weird and unanticipated. What drove her to that expectation baffled her as well.


    Because of Sabina''s presence and command, all the Commanders were enthusiastic. The Commanders offered advice actively, and even recommended themselves to offer their service. Most of them wanted to show off their skills and impress Sabina. However, only a few of the Elite Commanders knew a little about the background of Sabina, while the rest of the Commanders did not know her background at all. Because of her identity alone as a strong warrior at the Supernal Stage, she was able to outperform all the others.


    "Commander Wang, how many soldiers are there left in the Evian City after today''s battle?" Sabina asked immediately after she and Sheridan sat down to take a break.


    "About eight thousand," Commander Wang responded, cupping his hands.


    "Eight thousand? How about that of the enemy?" Sabina continued after thinking a while.


    "More than twenty thousand," Commander Wang answered after a moment of hesitation. He didn''t need to elaborate just how much advantage the enemy had with this much manpower.


    "So, we don''t even have half of the military power of the Timber Deity Empire?" Sabina raised her eyebrows in disbelief. She had expected the difference in their military power, but the gap was much larger than she had imagined. It was also crucial to note that the Timber Deity Empire had five giant Huge-horned Rhinoceros that were as powerful as divine weapons on the battlefield. The five rhinoceros were able to break any defense line for the Timber Deity Empire, making


    ang was in a dilemma. At such a critical moment, he had no one to spare and assign to the prefect to arrest anyone. However, if this person who took down the gate was a spy from the Timber Deity Empire, he couldn''t just sit still and do nothing. This would put the people and the city at great risk.


    Commander Wang was lost in a hesitation. Just then, a deep and familiar voice came from outside, "Who wants to arrest me?"


    When the people in the room heard the sound, they immediately turned their heads and saw a figure walking in with his hands clasped behind his back. The man was wearing a cold and ruthless face. His tall figure looked restrained and intimidating.


    "Prefect, it''s him! It''s him!" the captain screamed and pointed at the man walking towards them. He was trembling with fear at the sight of the figure.


    When the Commanders saw who was coming, they had different reactions. Most of them were surprised, as the comer was an unexpected visitor.


    As soon as they were able to see who it was, Sabina''s cold face suddenly became a little warmer, and a faint smile played at the corners of her mouth. Her smile was so genuine, and you could tell it from how her smile reached her eyes.


    "Brat, it''s about time! You''re finally here!" Sheridan laughed.


    The one who showed up abruptly was no other than Rocky.


    As for the prefect, he soon recognized that Rocky was the mysterious young man who had fought with him. It annoyed him how much trouble he went through because of Rocky. Moreover, it was also Rocky who had shown him the Crimson Dragon Token before. Because of this, he, too, was startled to see him.

 Chapter 572 The Plan

    "Sir, I''m the one who broke through the north gate. I''m here already. You don''t need to search for me anymore," Rocky said as he approached the prefect of the Evian City. His expression was stone cold.


    "Ahem!" the prefect coughed. He seemed to fear Rocky, hence the intentional cough. "There seems to be a misunderstanding, right?" The prefect smiled nervously in a feeble attempt to drop the matter. He didn''t want to make matters worse. After all, he did see Rocky with the Crimson Dragon Token.


    "Misunderstanding? Sir, the Evian City is about to fall into the hands of the enemy. Yet, you''ve asked your men to shut the gates, trapping the citizens inside. What do you want? If the army of the Timber Deity Empire had attacked the city, do you know how many innocent people would have been killed by them?" Rocky''s eyes burned with intense fury.


    The prefect grew sulky upon hearing Rocky''s words. A moment of silence passed, as he had no retort to what Rocky said.


    Meanwhile, the other Commanders present were stunned. They couldn''t believe Rocky was bold enough to question the decision of the prefect. The prefect was the leader of the city; everyone was meant to respect him. Save for the Commander in Chief and Deputy Commander in Chief, everyone in the Crimson Dragon Group including the Elite Commanders dared not offend him.


    "Rocky Bai, quit being so arrogant. You are just a breeder of the logistics camp. How dare you be so rude to the prefect! You are courting death," Flank reprimanded angrily. He had a good relationship with the prefect, so he rushed to defend him, even if it meant being rude to Rocky.


    "A breeder? This man is just a breeder? But he showed..." The prefect trailed off in disbelief. He was utterly confused. If Rocky was just a breeder, then where did he get the Crimson Dragon Token? Could he have been fooled by Rocky? Was his Crimson Dra


    Token back to Commander Wang. He then strolled to Sabina and whispered something in her ear.


    Listening carefully, Sabina was initially shocked at Rocky''s words, but quickly nodded.


    After having said his piece to Sabina, Rocky left the room without looking back, leaving the crowd stunned.


    "Commander Sabina, what did Commander Rocky say to you just now?" Commander Wang asked Sabina with a raised eyebrow. Watching Rocky leave, Commander Wang glanced at the Crimson Dragon Token in his hand.


    The other Commanders also looked at Sabina, curious to hear what Rocky whispered.


    "He told us to not think about any plans anymore," Sabina answered coldly.


    "That naughty boy! He is trying to be mysterious again." Sheridan tilted his head back and laughed. He still sat cross legged, looking very relaxed, unlike the rest of the Commanders who seemed to be very anxious.


    "What''s that supposed to mean?" The Commanders looked to Sabina for answers.


    "Rocky has already made a plan for tomorrow. I will explain the plan to all of you," Sabina declared proudly.


    All the Commanders were stunned. Didn''t Rocky initially say he didn''t want to issue orders regarding the defenses of Evian City? Why did he suddenly strategize an operation now?

 Chapter 573 Puzzled

    "That''s to say, Commander Rocky is willing to command the Evian City''s troops. But why did he leave so suddenly?" Commander Wang asked, confused and surprised.


    Of course, it wasn''t just Commander Wang. The other commanders were just as puzzled. Rocky came up with the battle plan, but why did he only share it with Sabina and let her inform them?


    "Rocky explained that his plan isn''t for the Crimson Dragon Group. He just doesn''t want to see the citizens of the Evian City homeless. He refused to give orders to the Evian City''s soldiers and they are under my command..." Sabina finally explained.


    This left all the commanders even more baffled than they already were. They had no idea what Rocky was thinking. Since Sabina was carefully following the battle strategy he had laid out, Rocky still commanded the Evian City''s troops after all. Whether Rocky or Sabina gave the orders, it didn''t matter.


    Marin, on the other hand, still wasn''t quite sure what was going on. Although Rocky left without a trace, Sabina insisted that Rocky had left them with a battle plan for the Evian City''s soldiers. Although it angered Marin because he never showed an ounce of care for the city, her rage had now dissipated.


    "What the hell is he doing? This is so unlike him," Marin said as she pursed her lips together.


    "Listen carefully. Here''s the plan," Sabina announced as she gave the commanders a cold, assured glance. She continued, "Once the Timber Deity Empire begins its attack, Commander Wang will lead two thousand troops to the south gate to fight. The other areas won''t require any defending. You and your troops just need to lead the majority of the enemy soldiers to that specific location.


    As for the other three Elite Commanders, they''ll be leading two thousand soldiers who''ll be waiting at that s


    Why would he care now? This all might be a trap!"


    Immediately, the commanders began to murmur and discuss the reliability of the plan.


    "Don''t be so quick to judge. Sabina hasn''t even finished explaining the whole strategy yet!" Marin exclaimed above the noise and stood up.


    "Correct, Marin. I have only explained the first step of the plan Rocky has come up with," Sabina reiterated.


    "The first step?" All the commanders focused their attention back to Sabina.


    "Yes. Now, as I was saying, the second step will be as follows. Fetch me a topographic map of Evian City," Sabina ordered.


    Soon, a detailed map of Evian City was handed over and laid out before her.


    "Once the first step is completed, we move on to this¡ªstep two. We will make use of the Evian City''s terrain. Its winding alleys and paths will be advantageous once we lay down traps common in guerilla warfare. These will serve to slow the enemy down." Pointing at the map, Sabina added, "Tonight, we will be arranging various traps in the streets and alleys nearest the south gate. I will leave Commander Marin in charge of this."


    "Right away." Upon hearing this, Marin nodded in approval. She was the first to leave the room.

 Chapter 574 The Operational Plan

    "The second step of the operational plan isn''t bad, but it won''t let us defeat a large number of enemies at once," said a certain Commander.


    "That''s why we still have the third step." Sabina once again dropped a bomb with her statement.


    All Commanders were stunned and looked at each other in confusion.


    "After completing the second step, every soldier of Evian City will have to gather at the square at the west side of the north gate," said Sabina while pointing at a certain position on the map before her. Of course, it was Rocky who had instructed her to say so.


    "Commander Sabina, why must we gather there?" asked Commander Wang in bewilderment.


    "I don''t know either. He didn''t tell me the reason. He just asked me to tell you so," Sabina said with a shrug. In fact, she also wanted to know the reason, but Rocky left without saying anything.


    "What the hell is Rocky trying to do? He''s making such a messy plan and acting all mysterious." Flank pursed his lips and complained.


    Some of the Commanders also looked rather dissatisfied.


    "If any of you feels that Rocky''s plan isn''t good, then please come up with a better plan than this. By the way, I''ll also give the right to command the Evian City''s soldiers to anyone who can," Sabina said coldly. That was to say, if anyone dared to challenge Rocky''s plan again, she would no longer command the Evian City''s soldiers. In other words, whoever had the ability could command the Evian City''s soldiers.


    The Commanders naturally understood what she meant. They looked at each other for a while, but to be honest, they could not think of a better plan than Rocky''s. Sabina even said that if anyone dared to question Rocky''s plan, they would command the Evian City''s soldiers. As a result, they did not dare to question the plan again.


    Of course, the Commanders were also surprised at the fact that Sabina would be so supportive of Rocky''s plan. They dared not have any further objections against Rocky since he had a spirit manipulator at the Supernal Stage to back him up. However, apart from the fact that they did not know the third step of the operational plan, the first two s


    of Crimson Dragon Group was that there were intelligence leaks. In other words, besides Dunn, the Crimson Dragon Army might still have moles from the Timber Deity Empire," said Rocky with his arms folded across his chest.


    Sabina was dumbstruck.


    "Therefore, the third step must be kept confidential. Otherwise, everything will just be in vain," said Rocky. Of course, he also had his own considerations.


    "Even so, it wasn''t me who did that. It doesn''t matter if you tell me," Sabina said discontentedly and shot a disgruntled glance at Rocky.


    "There''s no point in telling you. You only need to command the Evian City''s soldiers for me. I gotta go!" Soon afterward, Rocky straightened his posture and left like a gust of wind.


    "This guy''s so annoying!" Sabina bit her lips as she gazed at Rocky''s receding figure, gradually losing herself in her own thoughts. Rocky was only a spirit manipulator at the Heavenly Stage, yet he treated her, a spirit manipulator at the Supernal Stage, like his subordinate. But to be honest, every time she was faced with danger, she inexplicably had a hunch that Rocky was reliable and could save her. For some reason, she could not help but trust him. It was as if he had a kind of inexplicable attractive force that drew her to him.


    As a result, Sabina grew more and more curious about the secret identity Rocky kept hidden. This was the first time in her life to feel so interested in a man.

 Chapter 575 Embattled

    At the same time, the troops of the Timber Deity Empire were already setting up tents two miles away from the south gate of Evian City to have a rest. They were all waiting for tomorrow to capture Evian City at one blow.


    In a tent inside the camp, Woods was in discussion with seven or eight commanders of the Timber Deity Empire about the war plan for the next day.


    Just then, a spirit manipulator who was dressed all in black entered the tent.


    "Your Royal Highness, according to our investigation, there haven''t been any reinforcements to the Crimson Dragon Army in Evian City," the spirit manipulator dressed in all black reported.


    "Really?" Hearing this, Woods breathed a sigh of relief. If the Crimson Dragon Army had their reinforcements, it would then be more difficult for them to take down Evian City.


    "However, Evian City seems to have been stirred up," the spirit manipulator continued his words.


    "It looks like Evian City is arranging and mobilizing the troops overnight for guarding the city," uttered one of the commanders.


    "With the current strength of the troops in Evian City, it seems the city has paper wall defense and it wouldn''t matter however hard its troops fight. We could occupy it easily," another commander said with arrogance.


    "Although we are sure of victory, we still need to be cautious. It''s a pity that Rocky is not in the city. It''s kind of boring," Woods sighed.


    "Now that we know the Crimson Dragon Army didn''t have any assistance, then who really attacked us before?" a commander soon questioned.


    "I''m sure that one of them should be a master at the Supernal Stage."


    "A master at the Supernal Stage? The Crimson Dragon Group really had many undiscovered talented people. But a master at the Supernal Stage can''t really make up for such a huge gap between their military power and that of ours," Woods said with a calm face.


    "All commanders can go back and have some rest," Woods said while waving his hand.


    Then the commanders bowed and retreated immediately.


    To the west of the north gate of Evian City, the entire world had slept, and it was pitch black. A cold wind was blowing and even the atmosphere was a little gloomy.


    All of a sudden, a figure appeared out of darkness and stepped on the ground.


    "Let''s get started!" As the figure spoke, he began to gather the spiritual power and opened the Magic Spiritual Space. Then, three huge black shadows came out of the space one by one.


    "Be good, and work hard. I''ll treat you well enough,"


    und. Those Timber Deity Empire soldiers who didn''t get down from the city wall or were crowding at the foot of the city wall were all buried alive in the stones. As a result, at least a thousand of them were dead or injured instantaneously.


    Besides, as the city wall collapsed, tens of thousands of troops of the Timber Deity Empire were immediately blocked outside the city and they were separated from the troops that had already entered the city.


    At this time, with Commander Wang at the helm, his troops led thousands of enemy troops and placed them at the designated position. Then they stopped.


    The three commanders of the Timber Deity Empire, who were leading thousands of troops to catch up, heard a violent explosion behind them. As they turned back, they saw a huge cloud of dust in the direction of the south gate, and immediately felt that something was wrong.


    However, before any of the three commanders could react, they were suddenly attacked with arrows from all directions. At the exact moment, a large crowd of people emerged from their left, right and back. They were instantly surrounded.


    "Charge!" Commander Wang waved his sword and commanded.


    The four squads guarding Evian City immediately began to fight with the thousands of soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire. Because of the small space, these two armies nearly jostled each other in a crowd. Being surrounded from all directions, the Timber Deity Army was not in a position to exert their full fighting power.


    On the contrary, the Evian City soldiers besieged their enemies on all sides. The well-coordinated direct and remote attacks made the Timber Deity Army extremely passive all of a sudden.

 Chapter 576 Battle In The Tunnel

    Meanwhile, just outside the city, Woods was also very alarmed to see the city wall blown up so suddenly. In fact, this city wall was intended to serve as the defense of the city. Confounded, he found it very unreasonable that it was the Evian City garrison who blew it up.


    "Open up a path on the hole on wall, quickly!" Woods ordered. Although he was very confused as to why the Evian City defending troops did it, he still gave his order directly to his army. For one, Woods clearly knew that with the sudden wreckage of the city wall, his army in the city would definitely not receive any help. If that were to happen, then they would clearly lose the advantage. Moreover, if the Evian City troop took advantage of this, then it would surely pose a big problem for them.


    On the Evian City''s side, as the first combat plan had already been successfully completed, the city garrison immediately took the temporary advantage, thus, making their whole troop''s momentum soar high.


    "Wow, I can''t believe that this guy is really awesome! Although it was a simple plan, it actually worked! Not only did it make the Evian City garrison regain their morale, but also made the Timber Deity Empire''s army so messy..." Seeing the result of the plan, Sabina could not help but praise Rocky as she rode at the back of Duchess Silver, watching the two armies fight below her feet. Soon, she and Duchess Silver descended from the air and joined in the fight, too.


    There, thousands of military forces of the Timber Deity Empire were thinning exponentially. The commanders of the army looked green, but there was nothing they could do aside from waiting for their support to come.


    Two hours later, the Timber Deity Empire''s army had finally opened a path, all thanks to the help of several Huge-horned Rhinoceros. Then, crowds of thousands of soldiers poured into the city as they quickly rushed to support.


    "Disperse! Now!" Sabina ordered immediately after seeing the Timber Deity Empire''s army rush in at full speed from outside the city.


    In an instant, four Evian City Elite Commanders led their teams to retreat in four different directions. However, by the time another three commanders of the Timber Deity Empire, together with thousands of their military forces finally arrived, they found that all the city garrison had already retreated.


    "What in the world are these bastards doing? They dare beat up my men and then run away


    oored. Looking at the map, he saw that the terrain of the tunnel had already spread all over the city. Other commanders also joined in and had a look of amazement in their faces upon seeing the map.


    Never had they ever imagined that Rocky was successfully able to dig so many tunnels under the city all by himself. Initially, they had thought that there was only one passage, so they felt that it would not accommodate thousands of people. But this time, they had completely underestimated Rocky for his skills.


    Contrary to what they had thought, the map had so many tunnels that it could surely accommodate every single one in the army.


    At this moment, the commanders looked at Rocky with such praise. They were all out of words to say as they looked at Rocky like he was a god!


    Without time to spare, Commander Wang soon commanded all of the city guards to enter the tunnel from the three holes by rope.


    Upon entering the tunnel, they found that it was wide and interlaced. It was so huge that they were sure that not only could it accommodate all of the Evian City garrison, but even double its size.


    In their heads, they were all thinking of the same thing¡ªhow could Rocky have possibly done it alone?


    About half an hour later, all of the city guards and their respective commanders had already gone and entered the caves. The whole square was now empty, but there was still a delicate figure who did not come down from the cave.


    "Why didn''t you get off?" Rocky asked coldly as he looked straight into the eyes of the figure in front of him.


    In front of him, was no other than Commander Marin!

 Chapter 577 A Man And A Woman

    "Why did you come back?" Marin asked with a slight quiver in her voice.


    "Why do you need to know?" Rocky responded coldly.


    "I know I wasn''t my best self yesterday, but you know it''s partly your fault too." Marin wanted to say more but she stopped herself for a while. "Forget it," she remarked sadly. "I understand if you''re still angry."


    "Just stop it," Rocky said with a sigh. "If you say anything more, I''ll throw you into the tunnel." Rocky concluded with an eye roll.


    "If you stop being angry with me then I''ll crawl into the tunnel," Marin bargained. Her voice was more cheerful than before.


    "I''m not mad. Why would I be mad?" Rocky remarked, his voice sounding impatient.


    "Are you sure?" Marin knew that she was being unreasonable the day before and that she had treated Rocky wrongly.


    "Just go down now. I will have to block these holes." Rocky ignored her questions.


    Marin took a quick look at Rocky and observed that he was starting to look less cold. Feeling relieved, she grabbed the rope and went into the hole.


    All the Evian City guards had entered the premises. As soon as Rocky noticed this, he summoned three Dark Heaven Insects and commanded them to fill the three holes. After that was accomplished, he disappeared with the three Insects.


    On the other side, the Timber Deity Empire forces were being gathered by Woods at the south gate. After half an hour, they were all finally gathered where they had to be.


    "What about the casualties?" Woods asked.


    He had a deep frown on his face and evident worry in his voice.


    "We lost nearly four thousand soldiers. Perhaps it''s time to accept that the Evian City guards are stronger than we thought." Woods'' face darkened, and he then ordered, "Investigate the current position of the Evian City guards."


    The group scattered in different directions. Spirit manipulators ran off with their spirit-manipulated b


    "What about you? What will you be doing?" Sabina asked honestly, hoping not to offend Rocky.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll be busy," Rocky said with an ominous smile before he left the inn.


    He returned quietly into the headquarters but, before he could, he noticed a soldier peeping at the corner.


    Rocky grabbed him by the arm and demanded that he should give his commander''s name. The soldier trembled in fear. Rocky was prepared to use force, but quickly the man confessed, "It''s Commander Woods!"


    Rocky slowly put the man down. "Commander Woods?" he asked in shock. The man attempted to flee but Rocky quickly beat him up. As soon as he was done, he left the place.


    Rocky arrived outside a palace in the headquarters. He quietly approached the main hall but stopped at the sight of the guards and the three Heavenly Stage masters.


    Before he could be noticed, Rocky ran to the side of the hall and hid underneath a window. From his hiding spot, he heard a man and a woman talking.


    "Our plan worked," the woman''s voice declared.


    "Yes, thanks to your hard work," the man answered. "We easily broke through the three passes without even alarming the Crimson Dragon Army. Soon, we''ll take over Evian City." Rocky stopped his breath. The man sounded like Woods.

 Chapter 578 The Midnight Talk

    "I just did something within the limits of my abilities. It''s no big deal," the woman replied in a calm yet sincere tone.


    ''Who the hell is this woman? According to Woods, the three passes were conquered due to her contributions. In that case, she should just be another spy that was planted in the Crimson Dragon Group. However, except for Marin, there was no other female Commander in the Crimson Dragon Group. Who could this woman be? How did she get to know the secrets that only the Commanders were aware of?'' A bewildered thought came upon Rocky''s mind as he eavesdropped on the conversation between Woods and the unknown woman.


    "Finally, we have conquered the Evian City. Since you have finished your mission, you can return first. You will be celebrated as a heroine! My sister will surely be happy to see you," said Woods joyfully.


    "Let''s talk about that later. If you have no more business with me, I''d like to leave now." After the woman finished her words, Rocky suddenly heard soft footsteps.


    Naturally, he was very curious about the identity of this woman. As such, he immediately snuck to the door of the hall to see who the woman was. If he could find out the identity of the woman, all of his doubts would certainly be addressed.


    However, just when he approached the door, a patrol suddenly appeared. In an authoritative tone, one of them asked, "Who''s there?" The patrol spotted Rocky so quickly!


    The shout immediately alerted the three powerful warriors at the Heavenly Stage who were guarding at the entrance of the hall. Instantly, the three warriors disappeared from their initial location. In the blink of an eye, they were already in the rush towards Rocky''s position.


    When he saw this, Rocky remained calm but his eyes grew cold. Suddenly, the spiritual light over his body shone brightly. In a flash, he jumped up and rushed directly at the entrance of the hall.


    With a quick glance, he saw a delicate figure that had just walked out of the hall. The figure rushed to the other side of the hall as if it realized that Rocky was on its trail. However, when Rocky decided to catch up, the figure disappeared into the darkness.


    On the other hand, when the three warriors saw that Rocky did not escape but instead, rushed towards them, a surprised look


    ttle between our two empires won''t happen," Rocky sneered with cold eyes.


    "I''m very sincere about my actions. You may think that my method is a bit despicable. However, please believe me that what I did was just to protect you. You have already attracted the attention of my sister. If you help the Crimson Dragon Army again, my sister will do everything in her power to take your life," warned Woods in a sincere voice.


    "It''s such an honor to be regarded as a strong enemy by Princess Alyssa. You said you would protect me, but how can you treat me like this? With such a devious plan, you had set me up. If I wasn''t lucky enough, I would be dead right now. You might as well talk to my ghost," said Rocky sarcastically.


    "Even if you have done something unforgivable to his daughter, Lance would still think twice about killing a genius like yourself. Additionally, you only did that to save his daughter, right?" Woods was already aware of everything that happened to Rocky. Everything had happened according to his plans.


    "What a perfect plan!" Although Rocky had guessed about it before, he had a different feeling when he had heard it from Woods himself.


    "It was not very perfect. However, at least Lance had paid for his mistake. Without you in the Crimson Dragon Army, he wouldn''t be able to defeat my sister. Now that we have conquered the Evian City, it means that the Crimson Dragon Army has lost to us," said Woods firmly.


    "Do you really think so?" A trace of shrewdness flashed through Rocky''s smile.

 Chapter 579 Getting Caught On The Hop

    "Of course, it is true that now I''m at the base camp of the Crimson Dragon Group and we were successful in completely occupying the base camp of the Crimson Dragon Group. So, it would be indeed very difficult for you to win this time," Woods replied noncommittally. Apparently, he was in full of confidence, but what he was unaware was that he had already walked into Rocky''s trap.


    "Don''t you feel confused about my presence here?" Rocky asked with his eyebrows raised.


    "Of course it''s strange and I think there are only two reasons for you to come here. One is that you may have happened to pass by here just by chance. The other is that Lance might have asked you to help out the Crimson Dragon Army. However, it doesn''t matter what the reason is. What''s more important is that we meet again, so I am getting the chance to persuade you again..." Woods wasn''t sure about the reason for Rocky''s presence here. Even though he was here to rescue the Crimson Dragon Army, it was too late. On the contrary, Rocky''s presence there saved Woods the trouble of finding him out. Woods originally had planned to talk to him only after the conquest of the Evian City, and then persuade him at all cost to join the Timber Deity Empire.


    "To be honest, I am not here to help out the Crimson Dragon Group this time," Rocky responded while crossing his arms in front of his chest.


    "I''m so glad to hear that. Even you wouldn''t be able to turn defeat into victory. Moreover, the soldiers of Evian City have already retreated." Woods'' words were filled with confidence.


    "However, I have promised a person that I will protect the Evian City. So, I can''t let the city be seized by the Timber Deity Empire..." Rocky made a sudden statement, changing the topic.


    "So, you are going to protect the Evian City, that too all alone?" Though Woods was quite surprised by Rocky''s words, he thought that Rocky was just reckless to say that.


    "What if I trade myself for the Evian City?" Rocky made another astounding statement.


    "You want to trade yourself for the Evian City?" Those words were another shocker for Woods. It never occurred to him that Rocky would have such an idea.


    "So, Your Royal Highness, what is it that you are going to choose? Are you going to choose me or the Evian City?" Rocky already knew that Woods was inclined towards recruiting him to the Timber Deity Empire. So, he was deliberate in


    ouse near the base camp observed the commotion inside the base camp. She thought with a frown, ''Oh, he is using himself as a bait. I hope he is careful enough not to fail!''


    "It''s about time." The woman looked up towards the moon. With her hand turning over, a red signal soared up into the sky.


    At the same time, the soldiers of the Evian City, who were located at all four directions in the tunnel under the base camp, were getting ready to fight. When they saw the red signal rising up, they immediately began to counterattack the troops of the Timber Deity Empire, thus besieging the whole base camp.


    About half an hour later, in the west of the base camp, several flames flew to the sky. And then the air was filled with sounds of fighting and screaming.


    The soldiers in other three directions, east, south and north, also let out the daunting cries in unison, with an astonishing momentum.


    In an instant, the whole Crimson Dragon Group''s base camp was filled with soldiers. They were rushing towards the military camp of the Timber Deity Empire, with a series of fires lit around the whole place.


    The troops of the Timber Deity Empire had fought for the whole day, so almost all of them in the camp were tired and were sleeping. They were totally off guard as they never expected the Evian City''s soldiers to attack them by surprise in the night.


    The Evian City''s soldiers were all prepared to fight till death. They were not going to retreat unless they were to taste success. Their momentum was as astounding as the wave as they caught the Timber Deity Empire''s troops on the hop.

 Chapter 580 Pretty Cherished

    Rocky held Woods tightly, as he flew to a ten-meter-high tower not far from the base camp. From there, they could see the base camp that was overrun with flames and people.


    "What''s going on?" Woods stared in shock at the chaotic scene in front of them.


    "The whole base camp is now surrounded by the guards of Evian City," Rocky explained calmly. Woods hungrily took in the noise of the commotion, the smoke, and flames that almost reached where they stood.


    "What?" Woods immediately shook his head in denial and said, "That''s impossible! Haven''t the city guards already withdrawn from Evian City? I also gave the order to the whole city after I entered. I haven''t seen any traces of the city guards. Where did the rest come from?"


    "If you had realized where they were coming from, all my plans would have been in vain." The corner of Rocky''s mouth twitched as if he was hiding a smirk.


    "Your plan..." Woods froze for a moment, but he quickly recovered and said, "Have you been secretly commanding the garrison of Evian City since the beginning?"


    "No. Evian City had almost fallen by the time I arrived. Fortunately, your men had retreated by nightfall. Otherwise, I couldn''t have saved the city," Rocky said with a shake of his head.


    "You were the one who attacked our army at that time!" Woods suddenly exclaimed. He stood up straighter, as he remembered the events from that time.


    Rocky tilted his head in assent but otherwise stayed quiet.


    "But how did you hide the guards of Evian City?" Woods asked once again. He couldn''t figure out how Rocky made the guards of Evian City disappear and re-appear under the watchful eyes of the people. They even ambushed the base camp!


    "The only solution is to dig a few underground tunnels under Evian City." Rocky finally offered with a small hidden smile. He was quite amused to see Woods stunned by his tactics.


    "Tunnels? How could the guards dig a tunnel that can accommodate thousands of people in such a short time?" Woods marveled at the tactic Rocky had employed. No ordinary person would have thought of such a thing.


    "I have my ways! Now, we''re going to watch a good show. Your men won''t come after us so quickly," Rocky said confidently. H


    e of murderous intent from you. I''m sure that you won''t kill me." It seemed that Woods could see right through Rocky''s plans.


    "I can''t hide anything from you, can I? I don''t intend to kill you, because your sister will surely not let me go if I kill you. I am not stupid enough to provoke a master of the Divine Stage for the sake of the Crimson Dragon Group," Rocky said bluntly. He could imagine what would happen if he killed Woods. He would become an enemy of the entire Timber Deity Empire. Moreover, Woods'' elder sister was a master of the Divine Stage, and she was not someone to be trifled with.


    "Lance is one of the Three Great Generals of the Holy Dragon Empire, but he didn''t know the value of a genius like you. You are wasted in the logistic camp. However, I didn''t expect you to help the Crimson Dragon Army again. I would have been careful if I knew you were my opponent," Woods sighed dejectedly. He had been too careless this time. He had mistakenly believed that Rocky would not help the Crimson Dragon Army anymore, but it turned out that Rocky still made a move.


    "As I said, I didn''t do this for the Crimson Dragon Army," replied Rocky calmly.


    "It does not matter why you made your move. The fact is that if you guard Evian City, it is equivalent to siding with the Crimson Dragon Army. Even if you did not do it for them, in the end, you still helped the Crimson Dragon Army," Woods confessed.


    "Well, this is the last time," Rocky said, shrugging.

 Chapter 581 The Savior

    "For the last time? Are you willing to be friends with me if we were ordinary people?" Woods asked suddenly. He looked at Rocky sharply.


    "It seems impossible at the moment." Rocky shrugged indifferently. He looked at the distance with his hands held behind his back.


    "I think there are many similarities between us. Unfortunately, we were rivals when we first met each other." Woods sighed. He was looking at Rocky, but he didn''t seem keen to meet his eyes.


    "Similarities? Really?" Rocky looked at Woods in surprise. That was the last thing that he had expected for Woods to notice.


    Woods nodded assuredly. He was sure that if they had met in different circumstances, he would have been friends with Rocky.


    "Frankly speaking, we do have some similarities." Rocky frowned thoughtfully. He and Woods were both princes. However, he was not a real prince anymore.


    At this time, a commotion sounded from the streets below. A group of people were rushing toward the tower, their flames were flickering like stars in the darkness of the night.


    "Your men are not as slow as I expected. They came so quickly." Rocky gazed down at the ruckus they were causing. His eyebrows raised in surprise when he ascertained that they were Woods'' soldiers.


    "You can continue to hold me as a hostage and buy some time," Woods suggested. Rocky wondered why he wanted to stay longer but didn''t linger in that thought. He focused on the battle that was up ahead.


    "I''ve already won enough time. When you call in the forces of the north and the south gates and surround the base camp, the battle will be almost over. It will be time for a decisive battle," Rocky said seriously. His brows were furrowed while he looked around them warily.


    "Are you going to lead the garrisons to defend Evian City? You''re likely to fail as I will also do my best to take it." Woods'' hesitation showed on his face. After all, he didn''t want to fight with Rocky to their deaths. He felt that unless a miracle appeared, there was no chance for the garrisons to keep the city.


    "If you are so confident, you can try!" Rocky provoked him with a self-assured smirk.


    "Of course, I will succeed. You better be careful," Woods answered with the same confident


    the start, they were suspicious of Rocky''s plan. They all thought of him as mad and not the genius that he truly was. As the plans unfolded after them, they began to admire Rocky for his military strategies. That was why despite their fears, they no longer dared to question Rocky. They knew that without him, no one could hold Evian City.


    "Timber Deity Empire will soon surround the base camp. Our next step is to defend it with all our might. We cannot let the enemy in," Rocky said with a somber look. Woods would not make the same mistake again, so the only thing the city garrisons could do now was to defend the base camp.


    The commanders stared at Rocky in shock. They looked at each other and waited for the others to comment. With less than four thousand soldiers, it was almost impossible to defend against the attacks of Timber Deity Empire. After all, they still had more than ten thousand troops.


    "Everyone has to follow my orders. There is no room for mistake, understood?" Rocky finished with a question. He stared at them intently, as he waited for them to air their concerns. His tone and manner were that of a king who could conquer the world with just his word. It was obvious he would not tolerate petty mistakes or disobedience.


    The commanders looked at each other in speechless despair but nodded in the end. Rocky was their last hope. Even if they had their doubts and misgivings, they had no choice but to trust and obey him. He was their only chance of survival.

 Chapter 582 Deep In Thought

    "Which Commander knows most about the defense of the base camp?" Rocky asked intently, not wasting any time. It encouraged him to act more as a leader after seeing that the Commanders had no objection and were all obedient to him.


    "Commander Lin used to be responsible for the defense and arrangement of the Evian City and the base camp," Commander Wang said to answer Rocky''s question.


    "Well, then please tell me how many defenses there are in the base camp that we can use..." Rocky turned to Commander Lin to ask, nodding. Rocky needed everyone''s input to construct a plan that would work.


    "I have a map of the base camp''s defenses distribution. Aside from Commander in Chief and Deputy Commander in Chief, others including Elite Commanders can''t see it without Commander in Chief''s permission. But now the situation is quite special, so... " Hesitating for a while, Commander Lin took out a folded parchment of a sketched map from the pocket of his uniform and handed it to Rocky.


    Rocky took the parchment and opened it. He spread it closer to the light and leaned in to look at it closer. His brows were crossed and he was tracing his pointing fingers in the map from one area to another. After a moment of contemplation, he looked up at Commander Lin and asked, "Are there any traps at all the passages in the base camp?"


    "Yes, there are some. These traps have been designed by the Commander in Chief in case the Evian City would be conquered one day. Thus, the base camp can also become a defense barrier. The main gate, the west gate and the north gate also have traps, which can help strengthen the overall defense of the city," Commander Lin responded firmly.


    "Huh, it''s as if the Commander in Chief can foresee the future. With these traps, it would be difficult for the troops of the Timber Deity Empire to attack. This can buy us some time," Rocky responded with a serious look on his face. He turned to Commander Lin and said, "Please activate all the traps right away. It won''t be long until about ten thousand soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire surround the whole base camp."


    The moment those Commanders heard Rocky''s words, worried expressions stirred on their faces. Once the Timber Deity Empire''s soldiers besieged the base camp, it would mean that they and the Evian City''s garrison would be trapped in the camp. With the remaining about ten thousand soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire, they would be able to break through the defense of the base camp sooner or later.


    "I''ll do it right now." Commander Lin led two soldiers


    not what she would have done before. It seemed that she was not aloof and ruthless anymore when she was with Rocky.


    "It''s too late to back down now. Moreover, if the Evian City is conquered, it is not just the matter of several thousand lives. The reason why the Timber Deity Empire attacks the Evian City is because they want to use this city as their bargaining chip..." After having his conversation with Woods, Rocky learned that the real purpose of the Timber Deity Empire wasn''t to attack and occupy the Evian City. Instead, what they were planning to benefit from the city came after conquering it.


    "Chip? Is it possible that the Timber Deity Empire intends to use the Evian City to threaten the Holy Dragon Empire?" Sabina guessed after hearing Rocky''s words.


    "I don''t know. However, I promised Sue that I will protect the Evian City. I will definitely go all out and do my best not to let the Timber Deity Empire succeed..." Rocky said with a firm look on his face.


    "Sue? That girl?" Hearing Rocky''s response startled Sabina as she didn''t expect that he made up his mind to protect the city just for a girl named Sue. Rocky even ignored the order of Lance, the Crimson Dragon Group''s Commander in Chief, but he was willing to risk his life for a girl who had no blood relationship with him. This fact amazed Sabina, but at the same time, made her curious about Rocky and Sue''s relationship.


    ''What kind of person is he?'' she thought to herself. All of a sudden, she realized that she knew nothing about him. However, she understood that the fate of the Evian City and the crisis the Holy Dragon Empire was facing were on the hands of Rocky, and his thoughts were set because of this girl...

 Chapter 583 The Crazy Attacking Plan

    At the same time, under the command of Woods, the Timber Deity Empire army who were stationed at the north and the south gates, rushed to the headquarters of the Crimson Dragon Group and surrounded it.


    Soon, Woods and several other Commanders led over three thousand troops, and arrived at the main gate of the headquarters. Meanwhile, its west and north gates were surrounded by another four thousand soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire respectively.


    "Your Royal Highness, the current headquarters of the Crimson Dragon Group has been completely surrounded by us. Those guards of the Evian City are trapped and it''s impossible for them to escape. We must let them know how powerful we are..." one of the Commanders of the Timber Deity Empire, who was next to Woods, immediately shouted. He looked very excited. It seemed that he was exasperated because the mighty army of his own empire was set up by Rocky resulting in the loss of thousands of soldiers.


    The other Commanders also revealed a look of righteous indignation. Even with their greater advantage, the guards of the Evian City were successful in setting up them earlier. Not only did they suffer heavy losses, but their enemies also managed to reoccupy the headquarters of the Crimson Dragon Group, and even built a defensive barrier there.


    On the other hand, Woods, the Commander in Chief of the army of the Timber Deity Empire was quiet and calm. His eyes looked cold and sharp. The reason that his empire had suffered such a great loss, in fact, was also partly due to his inability to assess his enemies. If he had been more cautious before, he might not have made such a mistake. Of course, it never came to his mind that Rocky would make an intervention this time. Moreover, Rocky was able to inflict such a heavy blow on the Timber Deity Empire army in such a short period of time. If it wasn''t for the huge disparity between the original military forces of the two sides, it was likely that the Timber Deity Empire would lose the battle again.


    However, it was difficult to change the fact. Besides, Woods was well aware that his opponent this time was Rocky, the man who had defeated him at the Hippo Land and also made his army suffer several defeats. He was like a nightmare for the whole Timber Deity Empire. Therefore, in the face of such an opponent, Woods must be prepared to go all out. A minor


    because I want to directly hurt the morale of the Holy Dragon Empire''s guards. If we could break open the main gate, which itself is the hardest target, then the morale of the city guards will definitely get affected. Their military forces are greatly different from ours, and if they lose their fighting morale, they will definitely fall like a pack of cards." A trace of shrewdness flashed through Woods'' eyes. Sometimes, to win battles, mere knowledge about the military tactics or strategies was not enough and crushing the enemies by manipulating their mental state was also important. The reason that the city guards could annihilate seven or eight thousand forces of the Timber Deity Empire by just using half of their military forces was that they relied on the night raid, the special trick they had, and their powerful mental state. Therefore, he had also thought of using the same way to defeat the confidence of the city''s garrison. In this way, it would be impossible for Rocky to lead a group of people who were lacking in confidence to defend the city.


    The Commanders of the Timber Deity Empire felt that their prince was actually making sense, but they still felt it strange and illogical. However, since the prince insisted on fighting his way, they couldn''t say no, despite their difference of opinion.


    "Get ready right now. If the five Huge-horned Rhinoceroses attack them repeatedly, we should be able to break through the main gate very soon," Woods said firmly.


    The Commanders still looked at each other in dismay before retreating to prepare for the attack.

 Chapter 584 It Was Strange

    Soon after, driven by their own masters, the five Huge-horned Rhinoceroses went into Evian City. Their huge bodies almost occupied half of the street. As they walked, the buildings around trembled, as if tottering.


    Roughly an hour later, the Huge-horned Rhinoceroses reached the front gate of the Crimson Dragon Group''s headquarters. The five spirit-manipulated beasts stood side by side, poised and ready to strike.


    Behind the five Huge-horned Rhinoceroses marched the Timber Deity Army. Tens of thousands of soldiers surrounded the Crimson Dragon Group''s headquarters, resembling a fearsome dragon eying its prey.


    "Charge!" Woods, who was situated towards the back of the army, abruptly shouted with a wave of his hand.


    The next moment, the five Huge-horned Rhinoceroses charged in unison into the front gate of the headquarters. Their heads bowed to reveal fearsome, thick horns, plowing into the steel gate, denting it immediately.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The deafening noise continued as the rhinoceroses relentlessly charged at the gate. With each charge, the walls flanking the gate trembled violently. The areas of the gate that were hit were completely sunken in.


    It was evident the front gate was about to fall any moment.


    At this time, Rocky and Sabina, who were in the meeting room, immediately caught wind of how the Timber Deity Empire was attacking the front gate of the headquarters.


    "The Timber Deity Empire really acts fast..." Even though Rocky had already anticipated that the Timber Deity Empire wouldn''t give him any time to come up with a plan, he was still surprised that they had launched an attack so soon. They even had the audacity to attack through the front gate!


    Rocky and Sabina hurried to join the other Elite Commanders and Frontline Commanders who were already positioned at the front gate.


    "Commander Rocky, the Timber Deity Empire troops are using the Huge-horned Rhinoceroses as a battering ram to destroy the front gate. At the rate they''re going, it seems the gate won''t stand for long," Commander Lin said with authority, as he was quite familiar with the defensive capabilities of the headquarters.


    "I can''t believe that Woods chose to attack us from the front gate! It''s as though he wants to destroy the morale of the


    later, Rocky materialized in a secluded place and quickly opened the Magic Spiritual Space. Immediately a towering beast with long limbs emerged, colorful lights radiating from all over its body. The Rainbow Glow Unicorn neighed excitedly, pawing the ground.


    "Hey, you glutton! I don''t have time to play with you right now," Rocky grumbled exasperatedly as the beast emerged. He posited that the Rainbow Glow Unicorn came out because it felt lonely in the Magical Spiritual Space, and wanted to get some fresh air.


    Suddenly, the Rainbow Glow Unicorn growled fearsomely. Then it abruptly turned around and galloped towards the front gate of the headquarters, where the Huge-horned Rhinoceroses continued to charge.


    "This beast!" As soon as Rocky realized where the Rainbow Glow Unicorn was headed, his expression changed. He immediately summoned Uriah, and in an instant mounted it to chase after the Rainbow Glow Unicorn.


    The Rainbow Glow Unicorn was quickly approaching the front gate. There was no way Rocky would make it in time.


    At the same time, Commander Wang, Commander Ron, Marin and several Frontline Commanders were leading two thousand soldiers and guarding the front gate of the headquarters. In a feeble attempt to deter the Timber Deity Army, they would launch a volley of arrows at them every so often.


    The Commanders and soldiers of Evian City were startled at the sudden appearance of the Rainbow Glow Unicorn. ''What''s this colorful, glowing spirit-manipulated beast doing here?'' they wondered.

 Chapter 585 A Change In The Rainbow Glow Unicorn

    "What? Is this some sort of peerless spiritual beast?" exclaimed the well-informed Commander Wang with an exaggerated expression as soon as he saw the Rainbow Glow Unicorn. The Rainbow Glow Unicorn was a rare spirit-manipulated beast, and no one had seen it before. However, from the colorful glow on its body, one could tell that it was not an ordinary spirit-manipulated beast.


    It was not just Commander Wang, but Marin and all the other Commanders were also shocked to see the Rainbow Glow Unicorn, and they didn''t know what just happened.


    At this moment, the Rainbow Glow Unicorn, which was about to get to the main gate, suddenly burst into a colorful glow. The glow was indeed dazzling, and then a cloud of mist appeared beneath its feet. It suddenly rose up into the air and reached the top of the gate.


    At the same time, Rocky, who was running after the Rainbow Glow Unicorn, saw the beast flying high in the sky. His eyes widened as he saw the strange state the beast was in. Then something dawned on him and he murmured in surprise, "Is the Rainbow Glow Unicorn growing into its adulthood?"


    In general, when a spirit-manipulated beast entered its adulthood, it showed obvious features and it would be easy for people to tell its star and grade. Of course, the aptitude of it would also show a great increase, and there would be even unforeseeable change. A spiritual beast, in particular, would not only strengthen its own aptitude, but also would enhance its abilities when it reached the adult state. Entirely new abilities might even begin to appear.


    For example, when Uriah accidentally ate the yellow spiritual crystal, it suddenly began to grow up. As a result, its ability to produce the magical saliva was improved. Later, when Uriah reached the third grade of the three-star level, it suddenly had the power of Fire nature. Therefore, it was extremely difficult to estimate the potential of a spiritual beast.


    It was well known that the Rainbow Glow Unicorn was a rare beast which was even ranked third in the Spiritual Beast List. Its strong talent was undeniable.


    Therefore, nobody knew exactly what changes would happen to it when it reached adulthood. Of course, Rocky was also looking forwa


    cky asked after careful consideration.


    The Rainbow Glow Unicorn suddenly raised its head.


    "But how would you like me to help you? Offer you my spiritual power?" Rocky asked promptly seeing that he had guessed it right. When Uriah''s star rating was about to get enhanced, it was Rocky''s spiritual power that had aided it to upgrade.


    The Rainbow Glow Unicorn then shook its head.


    "No?" Rocky was perplexed.


    "Take out your Sea Blue Magic Jade." Suddenly, a sweet voice came all the way from behind Rocky.


    As Rocky turned around, he saw Sabina approaching him on the back of Duchess Silver.


    "The Sea Blue Magic Jade?" Rocky asked in confusion.


    "The Rainbow Glow Unicorn is not your spirit-manipulated beast, so it couldn''t absorb your spiritual power. However, the spiritual power of the Sea Blue Magic Jade was gained from the essence of heaven and earth, meaning any spirit-manipulated beast could absorb it," Sabina explained with detail.


    "So that''s how it is." Rocky suddenly had an essence of realization. Now, since he and the Rainbow Glow Unicorn hadn''t done the work of spiritual power connection, his spiritual power couldn''t be absorbed by the Rainbow Glow Unicorn.


    Hearing her words, Rocky immediately took out the palm-sized Sea Blue Magic Jade. As soon as the Sea Blue Magic Jade was taken out, strong spiritual power instantly began to spread all around. At the next moment, everyone''s eyes glued on to the Sea Blue Magic Jade in Rocky''s hand.

 Chapter 586 Begin To Mutate

    The people''s attention gravitated to Rocky, or more precisely, at his hand. He had suddenly taken out the Sea Blue Magic Jade, a very rare treasure. Generally speaking, no one would easily show off rare treasures, because it would surely make others jealous. The people''s eyes lingered at the rare jade, as they wondered what Rocky was planning to do with it.


    "What kind of treasure is that?" Even Woods, who was not a spirit manipulator, could sense that the Sea Blue Magic Jade in Rocky''s hand was an extraordinary rare treasure.


    "I don''t know, but it must be a rare treasure. What on earth is going on?" Liam was reeling in shock from the unexpected events that transpired. A rare spiritual beast had shown up all of a sudden, and then Rocky also brought out a rare treasure. He didn''t know what the rare treasure was for, but he was sure that it was bound to be a wonder.


    Of course, the Commanders and spirit manipulators of the Timber Deity Empire eyed the rare treasure greedily. They drooled over the Sea Blue Magic Jade like a morsel of delicious food. It was a good thing, but they were in the army and had to watch their actions. Otherwise, they would have rushed forward to snatch the treasure.


    Under the spectators'' watchful gaze, Rocky turned to the Rainbow Glow Unicorn with the Sea Blue Magic Jade in his hand. The moment that the Rainbow Glow Unicorn laid eyes on the rare treasure, it made a joyful noise in its excitement.


    However, Rocky didn''t immediately approach. He glanced at Sabina with a hesitant look, as if he was having second thoughts. After all, he didn''t know the function of the Sea Blue Magic Jade. He had never used it since he obtained it. This was why he hesitated now. He was worried that it could have a negative effect once it was absorbed by the Rainbow Glow Unicorn.


    Sabina seemed to notice Rocky''s worry. She met his eyes with her steady eyes and nodded at him. She also uttered, "The spiritual power of the Sea Blue Magic Jade is nourished by the essence of heaven and earth, so it is pure and will not have any impact. However, since such spiritual power is very strong, you should be careful not to get hurt. Remember that you should be composed and prudent. The Sea Blue Magic Jade may have accepted you as its owner, but you can''t control it completely with your current strength."


    "I got it." Relief


    e for the Evian City''s garrison to build up energy and strengthen their defenses. Woods would never give the Evian City''s soldiers any chance to counterattack. The single misstep in their plan could cause the whole situation to go against them.


    "Give them my order to beat that spiritual beast down in whatever way they could," Woods ordered in a cold voice.


    The Commander of the Timber Deity Empire immediately left to carry out Woods'' order.


    Before long, waves of flaming arrows were shot by the Timber Deity Empire troops. They flew toward Rocky and the Rainbow Glow Unicorn who were on the top of the main gate.


    Since the Rainbow Glow Unicorn was in the transformation stage, it must not be disturbed. As for Rocky, he was busy activating the Sea Blue Magic Jade''s spiritual power. Without him, the Rainbow Glow Unicorn could not absorb its power. On the other side of the main gate, Evian City''s soldiers watched helplessly, unable to defend them.


    Sabina noticed that the Timber Deity Empire troops had focused their attack on Rocky and the Rainbow Glow Unicorn. With a severe frown, she immediately drove Duchess Silver toward Rocky and the Rainbow Glow Unicorn. A strong cyclone spread around her. Its strong winds easily blew the countless arrows away.


    It continued for several attacks. The arrows were shot and then blown away by Sabina''s cyclone. It gradually became apparent that Rocky and the Rainbow Glow Unicorn were unhurt. On the contrary, some of the Timber Deity Empire soldiers were hit by the wayward arrows. There were many casualties...

 Chapter 587 Asked For Death

    Seeing this, Woods who was commanding the troops of Timber Deity Empire had a straight face. There were over ten thousand military forces of the Timber Deity Empire and they couldn''t even deal with a single person or a beast.


    "Liam, you guys go kill that spiritual beast. Don''t let it proceed further." Woods also sensed that the Rainbow Glow Unicorn was a threat to five Huge-horned Rhinoceroses. Only if he could kill the Rainbow Glow Unicorn, the five Huge-horned Rhinoceroses would be able to return to normal.


    "Killed? Seriously! Your Royal Highness, the spiritual beast is very rare. It would be a shame to even decide to kill it." Hearing this, Liam also felt a little pity.


    The other spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage also nodded indicating their agreement.


    "Do you want me to repeat it?" Woods glared as he said.


    "Yes, Your Royal Highness," Liam answered hurriedly and saluted as Woods got angry in the situation. Then he and several spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage showed up together and approached the main entrance of the camp.


    Two spirit manipulator squads were gathered under the main entrance of the camp to look up at the man and the beast above the massive main door.


    "Move! We need to hurry," ordered Liam. They immediately exerted their own spiritual martial arts as a striking team.


    "Rushing Thunder!"


    "Cloudy Mountain Palm..."


    "Spiritual Finger!"


    Within no time, all spiritual martial arts rushed towards the man and the beast above the gate. It looked like fierce magical forces that moved through the air.


    Seeing all the spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage attack together, Sabina''s face changed slightly. She looked cold and struck by the incident. But she immediately patted on Duchess Silver''s head. Duchess Silver raised its head and shouted furiously. In a flash, their spiritual radiance shone with each other like a magical mist. Then a fierce snowstorm burst out and the momentum was astonishing. It rushed towards the spiritual martial arts forces of those spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage.


    Bang! Bang! Bang...


    The magical lights flashed and vibrated constantly in the air. Sabina had extraordinary strength as she had blocked all the spiritual martial arts of masters at the Heavenly Stage.


    At the same time, few spirit-manipulated beasts with flight ability rose up to the top and bypassed Sabina. They rushed towards Rocky and the Rainbow Glow Unicorn from all directions.


    By seeing this Sabina was in rage, she gave several ice palm in succession to win over and tried to force the


    Liam due to her primary level of power.


    However, Marin was still gritting her teeth and didn''t make a sound. She insisted on staying with Rocky and the Rainbow Glow Unicorn. She knew that the best option would be stay her ground.


    However, Liam did not intend to give Marin a chance. He attacked with all his strength, forces of spiritual martial arts surging wildly. Liam had no mercy for Marin at that moment.


    Marin was petite and slender. Her whole body was enveloped in spiritual light and she waved all her strength to withstand the spiritual martial arts of Liam one after another. She tried hard with all her defense mechanisms to resist Liam.


    However after a short while, Marin was hit by the spiritual martial arts force of Liam on her left shoulder due to her inferior strength. Suddenly she spat out a mouthful of blood, seeming to be badly hurt. Her body shrunk and face turned ill.


    By this time, Liam had already passed through Marin''s obstruction, and approached the Rainbow Glow Unicorn and Rocky, accumulating strength to attack. However, his eyes were staring at the Sea Blue Magic Jade in Rocky''s hand, with greed and ambition flashing in his eyes.


    "I won''t allow you to hurt them. I''m here to protect," yelled Marin. Marin was anxious seeing that Liam was about to attack Rocky and the Rainbow Glow Unicorn. She struggled on her feet and let Verdanim catch up with Liam again.


    "If you want to be killed, I''ll do you a favor!" shouted Liam ferociously. His face covered by an aura of sternness as he saw Marin approaching to attack. Then he turned over his palms and two flashes of spiritual power rushed out like wild dragons. The spiritual glaze enveloped Marin and Verdanim at the same time...

 Chapter 588 Strange Phenomenon

    Liam was now at the Heavenly Stage, and he successfully overpowered Marin. She was in a worrisome and dangerous situation. Marin had been injured just now, so, it was impossible for her to deflect any more attack from Liam. At that moment, Verdanim saw Marin was in danger, it let out a loud dragon roar and stretched out its wings. It seemed to be trying to intimidate and warn whoever tried to hurt Marin. It raised its huge body and even used it to block the two strong spiritual powers.


    Bang! Bang!


    Verdanim''s chest collided with the two spiritual powers in the air. As the lightning flashed, Verdanim let out a pained scream, its body shaking violently. The dragon stopped moving, and stayed silent and immobile until it finally fell down straightly to the ground. It then lay there, unmoving.


    "Verdanim..." Marin was stunned and horrified, but she couldn''t do anything else but fall to the ground along with Verdanim. She stared at Rocky who was not far away from her, biting her pink lips tightly and looking frustrated.


    Boom!


    Both Marin and Verdanim fell to the main gate of the base camp, stirring up dust all over the air. Both bodies stayed limp and unmoving. Seeing that no one stopped him, Liam immediately approached Rocky and the Rainbow Glow Unicorn.


    Below the main gate, Sabina was fighting several Timber Deity Empire''s masters at the Heavenly Stage. She was all wounds and pent up frustration. Seeing that Marin was unable to resist Liam''s attack, she squinted her cold eyes and sent a strong chilling power to hit the two masters at the Heavenly Stage nearby. At the same time, she gave an indirect order to Duchess Silver.


    Duchess Silver instantly flew towards Sabina.


    Sabina immediately jumped on Duchess Silver''s back and chased after Liam. However, Liam was already only a few feet away from Rocky and the Rainbow Glow Unicorn, so Sabina thought she wouldn''t catch up to him.


    All the while, with all the chaos surrounding him, Rocky concentrated on stimulating and bringing out the Sea Blue Magic Jade''s spiritual power. If he stopped now, he would be the one suffering in the end. The consequences were unthinkable. He needed to keep on working on the task at hand.


    Since Marin went away to fight Liam, Uriah, which stayed nearby to protect Rocky, had to fight against several flying spirit-manipulated beasts that attacked it, so it was busy dealing with them at the moment. There was no one left to protect Rocky while he tried to stimulate the Sea Blue Magic Jade.


    Liam was already close enough to kill Rocky, his palm about to strike with the momentum of Rolling Thunder. He wasted no time and directly struck Rocky''s chest, his eyes flashing a strong killing intent and a ferocious gleam. It was obvio


    tack again and they might break through the main gate anytime now..." Sabina turned to look at the main gate.


    Hearing her news, Marin was surprised but she was more worried.


    At that moment, the Commanders and the soldiers in the Evian City were all extremely uneasy because they knew that the Timber Deity Empire troops might break through and conquer the city any second.


    It didn''t take long before the base camp''s main gate finally gave the smallest hint of collapsing and a fissure gradually appeared. It could be faintly seen that the troops of the Timber Deity Empire could not wait to launch an all-out offensive.


    "Commander Wang, prepare to fight..." Sabina and Marin returned to the spot where the soldiers of Evian City were waiting to be sent out into the battle field.


    Commander Wang nodded immediately, and with determination in his eyes, he ordered the two thousand soldiers to form a defensive formation.


    Sabina and Marin stood in front of the soldiers, looking unwavering and confident. Their behaviors made the morale of the Evian City''s soldiers improve a lot.


    The main gate of the base camp suddenly burst forcefully with a strong noise. A tall wall at the west of the main gate could not hold the impact and collapsed with a loud crash, creating large breach. A Huge-horned Rhinoceros rushed in fiercely like a hungry mutt about to get its first treat.


    Seeing the Huge-horned Rhinoceros finally breaking into the camp, the Timber Deity Empire''s troops immediately followed it aggressively, trying to rush in through the opening.


    But all of a sudden, a colorful bright light appeared, blinding the soldiers from the Timber Deity Empire while also blocking the Huge-horned Rhinoceros from invading the base camp. It seemed the light was protecting the base camp and everyone inside from the enemy.

 Chapter 589 Powerful Aura

    The scene stupefied all the Commanders and Evian City soldiers. They looked at each other, unable to speak in their astonishment.


    They continued to watch as the colorful lights turned into the figures of a man and a beast. They trembled as they beheld the beast in all its brilliance.


    A horn stood on its head, clear as the brightest day. Clouds and mists surged and gathered beneath it. The spiritual power around its body formed a spiritual belt. It floated in the air in seven colors. Its thin unicorn-like body had grown taller and sturdier. Its four limbs were slender and strong, and the beast shadow gave off the aura of a four-star spiritual beast.


    "After reaching adulthood, it has the power of a four-star spiritual beast. No wonder it is a peerless spiritual beast," Sabina exclaimed in awe. She let out a breathless gasp, as she sensed its power.


    Even Sabina, who had been calm in the beginning, was amazed by the transformation of the spiritual beast.


    Meanwhile, the others were rendered speechless by shock. All the Commanders and Evian City guards were completely still, as they stared at the beast with horrified expressions.


    Even the Huge-horned Rhinoceros that passed through the collapsed high wall suddenly stopped moving forward. It unintentionally blocked the gap, which also blocked the Timber Deity Empire soldiers who were about to rush in.


    The man and the beast were none other than Rocky and the Rainbow Glow Unicorn.


    "Hey, you!" Rocky saw the Huge-horned Rhinoceros that was standing tall amidst the damaged wall. He hastily turned to the Rainbow Glow Unicorn and gestured to the Huge-horned Rhinoceros.


    The Rainbow Glow Unicorn raised its head and hissed threateningly. It landed right in front of the Huge-horned Rhinoceros. Compared with the huge body of the Huge-horned Rhinoceros, the Rainbow Glow Unicorn looked petite, but it gave off a stronger aura. The Rainbow Glow Unicorn regarded it as a weak subject, arrogance evident on its domineering posture. Meanwhile, the Huge-horned Rhinoceros seemed almost meek, as if it was addressing an emperor instead of an enemy.


    Once the Rainbow Glow Unicorn got close enough to the Huge-horned Rhinoceros, the horn on top of its head discharged a strong spiritual light. It sparked like a laser toward the Huge-horned Rhinoceros. The short distance and speed made it hard to dodge. The Huge-horned Rhinoceros just stood in its way and wa


    is a trouble maker outside, so we don''t have to waste our troops here," Rocky said indifferently.


    The Commanders looked at each other in confusion. From the start, Rocky had surprised and shocked them at every turn. They were not able to respond for a moment.


    While the soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire dealt with the violent Huge-horned Rhinoceros, Rocky and the Commanders and the Evian City guards quickly retreated from the main entrance and pushed the defensive line a few meters back.


    The Huge-horned Rhinoceros was a spirit-manipulated beast that was very difficult to deal with. It had a very strong defensive power and impact force. Woods knew that if they didn''t quickly deal with it, it would exhaust his soldiers. It also gave more time for the Evian City guards to strengthen their defense. He exhaled harshly and ordered his soldiers to kill the beast.


    As they marched inside the abandoned gate, Woods surveyed his army. They had lost one of their Huge-horned Rhinoceroses. It was a big loss, but they soldiered on. The victory was right before their eyes. It was a sure success, once he got his army inside the camp.


    Before long, the main entrance of the camp had completely broken down. Woods led his eight thousand soldiers into the camp, while he left two thousand soldiers to guard the main gate. This way, the Evian City guards would not be able to escape.


    As far as Woods was concerned, only death was waiting for their enemies. The attacks of the Timber Deity Empire soldiers would pound them until there was nothing left. Only the heavens would know how they could defend themselves.

 Chapter 590 Divide The Soldiers Into Two Groups

    When the army of the Timber Deity Empire marched down and arrived at the base camp, Rocky had already ordered all their soldiers to retreat to the center of the base camp.


    "I will not repeat what I''m going to say. I demand your undivided attention, for this is very important," Rocky said seriously as he faced the commanders and the less than four thousand soldiers of the Evian City.


    The serious look on Rocky''s face made all the commanders nervous. They felt very intimidated as if Commander in Chief was standing in front of them. Nonetheless, they sat in their places still, intently waiting for what he had to say.


    "Commander Rocky, do you have any plans?" Commander Wang asked with earnest attention.


    "I will divide our soldiers into two groups later. One group will be led by me and Commander Sabina, and the other group will be led by Commander Wang and other commanders," Rocky said, instead of answering Commander Wang''s question.


    "Divide our soldiers into two groups? I''m afraid it won''t be advisable to do so, because we don''t have enough soldiers," Marin said worriedly.


    The other commanders also nodded in agreement. If they had to defend the city to death, they couldn''t divide their soldiers. If they did, it would be easier for the enemy to defeat them once the two groups were defeated one by one.


    "Let me finish," Rocky continued, "Commander Wang and the other commanders will lead the two thousand soldiers to lure the enemy to the southwest. After fighting for about an hour, they would surrender."


    "What? Surrender?" Hearing this left all the commanders dumbfounded. They couldn''t fathom why Rocky asked them to surrender when they agreed upon fighting to death and going all out.


    "Why do you ask them to surrender?" Sabina was confused as well. She asked Rocky in a puzzled tone.


    "Hey, make it clear," Marin urged anxiously.


    "After you surrender, at least two thousand soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire will surround you. Their remaining soldiers will then rush to our group. This way, you will encounter only two thousand soldiers. There was an


    distance between the two armies was closing.


    "Report!" On the other side, a spirit manipulator responsible for the investigation of the Evian City''s garrison came back and reported to Woods, "The Evian City soldiers have been divided into two groups: one group headed northwest, and the other group went southwest."


    "Your Royal Highness, it seems that they are already on the end of their rope, so they have to divide their soldiers into two groups and retreat. They are trying to buy time," said a commander of the Timber Deity Empire, cupping his hands.


    "They divide the army into two groups?" Woods whispered to himself. After thinking for a while, he ordered, "Let''s divide our army into groups as well. We must finish the battle as soon as possible. Let''s not give them any chance to attack us."


    Ordered by Woods, the eight thousand soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire were divided into two groups, with each group consisting of four thousand soldiers. The two groups headed northwest and southwest respectively.


    On the road to the northwest, strong black flames were burning fiercely in the buildings on both sides of the road.


    In the middle of the road, a man with two beasts stood side by side. The figure stood still, looking straight into the dark crowd that was gradually coming into view.


    "Now it''s show time." Looking at the approaching army, Rocky gave a chilling smile.

 Chapter 591 The Battle Of The Heavenly Stage Warriors

    The Timber Deity Empire army marched forward with great strength and vigor as they chased the Evian City garrison to the northwest. They intended to catch up with the vulnerable troops but then, out of nowhere, flames soared as high up as the sky in front of them. On both sides of the road leading northwest, a sea of black flames lit up the dim sky. It was quite distressing to witness.


    The center of the burning road stood three vague figures¡ªone man flanked on either side by two beasts.


    The two commanders of the Timber Deity Empire looked at each other, puzzled and dismayed. Sensing a trap, they ordered their soldiers to stop marching forward. The large group behind them immediately came to a halt.


    "Is that¡­" The commander in blue instantly recognized the hazy figures.


    "Yes, it''s him. I thought a spirit manipulator should have only one single spirit-manipulated beast. So why does he not only have one but two? What''s that other spiritual beast doing with him?" the commander in red asked, the questions pouring out of him in confusion and fear. Rationally speaking, Rocky was only supposed to have one spirit-manipulated beast. Plus, the other spiritual beast seemed to have no master. But why was this rare creature with him? Anyone who witnessed this would be just as perturbed and at a loss for words.


    The two commanders couldn''t help but think that this all had something to do with the treasure that Rocky had previously shown.


    Amongst the army were two strong Heavenly Stage warriors. Their eyes lit up when they saw Rocky. They remembered seeing him withdraw the rare treasure¡ªthe Sea Blue Magic Jade. Next, everyone present witnessed the extraordinarily powerful spiritual beast with him. All the spirit manipulators had longed for such a beast. No wonder the two strong warriors c


    is beasts to attack, the unicorn abruptly moved forward. Upon seeing this creature, the two three-star spirit-manipulated beasts appeared with trembling legs, just as the Huge-horned Rhinoceroses did before.


    "Damn, what are we waiting for? Go and attack!" It surprised the two warriors to see their spirit-manipulated beasts so frightened and to such an extent as this. They thought that although the rhinoceroses were strong and enormous, their strengths reached only the second or the third grade of the three-star level and their masters'' strength was only at the Heavenly Stage. Thus, the two warriors were puzzled as to why their beasts were still so intimidated.


    Even if the two beasts didn''t want to fight, Uriah still released its powerful aura and pounced towards the warriors'' beasts.


    For such a young age, the unicorn managed to showcase the power that was similar to that of an experienced adult unicorn. Moreover, it could make the rhinoceroses suddenly get out of control. Even though it possessed the potential of a four-star level unicorn, it wasn''t so strong yet and needed time to grow. But if raised right and encouraged for its natural abilities, it would grow to have unlimited power!

 Chapter 592 Two Arrogant Heavenly Stage Masters

    The Rainbow Glow Unicorn had a powerful potential that had never been seen before. This potential, when used properly, could help Rocky at the critical moment. Unfortunately, it did not recognize Rocky as its master. Thus, to some extent, there was a gap between it and other legendary spirit-manipulated beasts. It was a waste, but until it recognized Rocky as its master, its strength could not be used to its full potential.


    To put it simply, the Rainbow Glow Unicorn could only be used to bedazzle people. It was nothing special in its current state. Since it had recognized no master, it was still inferior to powerful spirit-manipulated beasts. On the contrary, Uriah had been together with Rocky for some time. They had fought with countless spirit-manipulated beasts. Compared to the Rainbow Glow Unicorn, Uriah was like a ferocious general who had experienced a lot of battles. After it had made a breakthrough and its star was raised, it became even more fearless and daring.


    Although Uriah was one against two, it was able to suppress two spirit-manipulated beasts of the third grade of the three-star level at the same time. Once it advanced to a spirit-manipulated beast of the fourth grade of the four-star level, its combat effectiveness improved by leaps and bounds. Even two spirit-manipulated beasts of the three-star level became timid when faced with Uriah.


    After the two cultivators of the Heavenly Stage realized how powerful Uriah was, they started to see Rocky in a new light. After all, they knew that only a strong spirit manipulator could own such a powerful spirit-manipulated beast. They stared at him as if they were guessing how strong he was. However, the aura around Rocky appeared weak in their eyes. It annoyed them but boosted their ego at the same time. They felt that they were better than Rocky, and they deserved a beast like Uriah more.


    The two masters glanced at each other with a confident smirk on their faces. They thought that even if Rocky was strong, he was probably on their level. It meant that if they were to fight, two against one, they definitely had the upper hand.


    In the blink of an eye, they dashed to Rocky in unison. Their momentum


    bly, as Rocky waved his arm in the air. Then, an Evil Flame rushed out like a dragon and enveloped the Heavenly Stage master in an instant.


    At that point, the cultivator of the Heavenly Stage realized that Rocky was infinitely stronger than him. He stopped fighting back against the Evil Flame. Instead, he backed away with shaky legs.


    However, Rocky stepped forward with every backward step he took. It was obvious that he was not about to let him go. Rocky waved his Frozen Wind Dagger with Flaming Blade at him, accompanied by the flickering Moon Blade. The cultivator of the Heavenly Stage had lost all his strength. He had no will to fight anymore. Under Rocky''s fierce attacks, he was at a grave disadvantage.


    However, he had no way to escape. The only thing he could do was fight. Not a second later, a booming noise sounded across the battlefield.


    It came from the Heavenly Stage master, who was thrown into the air by the impact. He fell heavily on the ground and blood spurted from his mouth.


    Now, he had to admit that Rocky was extremely powerful. He dared not fight back against him anymore. Awkwardly, he withdrew and stumbled away to join the other master. Hurriedly, both of them retreated to where the army of the Timber Deity Empire was gathered.


    "Commander, he is very powerful!" the two masters of the Heavenly Stage reported. They looked like two scared dogs with their tails between their legs. The scene was extremely hilarious!

 Chapter 593 The Moment Of Truth

    The two commanders of the Timber Deity Empire witnessed Rocky''s strength with their own eyes. Despite his weak aura, he seemed to be at least above the second grade of the Heavenly Stage. As for the two commanders, one was at the first grade of the Heavenly Stage, while the other was at the second grade of the Heavenly Stage. Even if they joined hands, they could only be on par with Rocky.


    "Don''t worry about him. Let''s go and see how he can hold off this many people." The commander in blue glared at the hesitant crowd. As a commander, he was afraid that if they delayed longer, the guards of Evian City could recover their defenses. They needed to catch up with the guards as soon as possible and kill them all.


    Under the command of the two commanders of the Timber Deity Empire, the army rushed into the avenue. Flames were ablaze around them, and smoke rose to the sky. The heat waves assaulted them from all sides.


    When Rocky saw the army of the Timber Deity Empire that was rushing towards him, a triumphant smile graced his lips. He quickly took out the Dragon Flame Pearl and infused all his spiritual power into it. As soon as this was done, the Dragon Flame Pearl swelled up, and several flame lights fluttered out.


    Then, Rocky threw the Dragon Flame Pearl into the air. It flew unsteadily as if it had a life of its own. The fire streaks it left behind swayed like the tail of a long dragon.


    At the same time, the flames on both sides of the road suddenly roared. It was like a volcano exploded, with all the flame and lava that scattered the streets. Flames swept across the air and rushed towards the road between the two sides. The sky turned grey with smoke, and was bathed in the red light of the flames.


    "Retreat!" When the two commanders of the Timber Deity Empire saw this, they quickly ordered their soldiers to retreat.


    However, a few soldiers of the army of the Timber Deity Empire had already rushed to the front. They realized that it was too late to retreat when the heat waves rushed from both sides. The whole army was thrown into chaos. Everyone wanted to escape, but they couldn''t find a way out. They couldn''t even organize themselves, let alone form a group.


    A moment later, the flames on both sides of the road


    eave two thousand people to watch the soldiers of Evian City that had surrendered. The rest of the troops should quickly assist the northwestern part." Woods could guess that the soldiers which surrendered had not included Rocky, so he was sure that Rocky was in the northwestern part. With Rocky''s ability, a few additional forces could do the trick. On the other hand, the northwestern part had created a tight defense which worried him. It could be difficult to defeat them quickly, while he recruited troops at the same time.


    With that thought, he decided that it was better to defeat the northwestern part with one blow. However, the worry lingered at the back of his mind. He carefully chose several bodyguards at the Heavenly Stage and commanded them. He would put that worry to rest by himself!


    Once they received the orders, the southwestern part of the army of the Timber Deity Empire left two thousand military forces and a commander to guard those who had surrendered. The other commander led the rest of the military forces to the northwest.


    On the flip side, the commanders finally admitted that Rocky was a genius. He was able to accurately foretell the movement of the opposing army. He had told them ahead of time that only two thousand military forces would be left to guard them. They sighed in relief, as they realized that things were going according to their plans. Now, they would have to lead the soldiers of Evian City to fight against the remaining army of the Timber Deity Empire.

 Chapter 594 Break Through The Siege

    The Commanders were finally done with their preparations. They were standing all together waiting for their leader''s orders. They exchanged nervous glances with each other and all at once looked at Commander Wang.


    Seeing that it was time, Commander Wang nodded at the other Commanders as a signal.


    As discussed during their previous plan, Commander Wang and Commander Ron led three Evian City soldiers to ''break through'' the siege under the watchful guard of the Timber Deity Empire troops, seemingly trying to escape.


    When the Commander of the Timber Deity Empire saw that there were several Evian City soldiers who wanted to escape from the encirclement, he immediately ordered a Deputy Commander to lead about one thousand soldiers to chase the said escapees. He then asked the rest of the soldiers to keep watch on the remaining Evian City guards. In the Commander''s eyes, although the number of Evian City soldiers who tried to escape was small, it would cause big trouble if they managed to escape.


    After Commander Wang and Commander Ron led several Evian City soldiers to rush out, they saw that about one thousand Timber Deity Empire soldiers were chasing after them. Hurriedly, they went to the direction of the arsenal.


    "Commander Ron, you know what else needs to be done!" Commander Wang said loudly when he got to the arsenal.


    "Be careful..." Commander Ron nodded and went towards another direction. He looked back to Commander Wang''s direction before he disappeared into the dark.


    Commander Wang continued to approach the arsenal accompanied by a few soldiers. Around one thousand soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire were trying to catch up to them. They were about to stop Commander Wang and a few Evian City guards, but Commander Wang suddenly led those several soldiers to the back of a stone wall beside the arsenal.


    The one thousand or so Timber Deity Empire soldiers followed to besiege them, surrounding the arsenal.


    Suddenly, with a deafening sound, the warehouse exploded. Black smog shot up into the sky and waves of flare spread the surroundings at an astonishing speed. The impact of the explosion was so extreme that it turned rocks upside down and burnt the leaves from trees. Harsh air blew sand violently.


    The Timber Deity Empire soldiers that surrounded the warehouse were injured and some were even killed by the impact of the explosion. Some of them were blown to pieces, and some had their limbs broken. Those whose arms or legs were broken were luckier than those who died.


    , but they were still unable to make a crack.


    "What is her background? Why does she stay with Rocky all the time?" Woods frowned after hearing the Commander''s words. Sabina had left a notable impression on him since he met her on the Hippo Land. According to the information he gathered, Sabina was not a member of Crimson Dragon Group, and she seemed to follow Rocky wherever he went. This made Woods more curious about her. He believed that if there was not any special reason, a master at the Supernal Stage would not always stay with Rocky to protect him. Then, if the relationship between the two was not so special, Rocky might have a special identity.


    However, Woods also knew that because Sabina commanded the Evian City soldiers, it was absolutely difficult to deal with them. Being a master at the Supernal Stage, Sabina had strong combat power to fight one thousand soldiers alone. Ordinary soldiers would not injure her at all. Among the troops of the Timber Deity Empire Woods brought, the most powerful one was Liam, who was at the fourth grade of the Heavenly Stage. However, Liam had already been hurt by Sabina and was resting and healing now. As for the other three masters at the Heavenly Stage, one of them was at the second grade of the Heavenly Stage, and the other two were at the first grade of the Heavenly Stage. It was impossible for them to defeat Sabina. This fact would make it difficult for them to battle and take down Sabina.


    "You, get there and help!" Woods hesitated for a moment and pointed to the three masters at the Heavenly Stage who were responsible for protecting him, ordering them to leave him unprotected and help win against Sabina instead.

 Chapter 595 Greater Losses

    The three masters at the Heavenly Stage looked at each other as their faces darkened. They knew that fighting with Sabina this time was equal to courting death. But they could not disobey Woods'' order and had to bite the bullet.


    "Keep attacking. Break their defense line at any cost. I won''t believe if you say that thousands of soldiers cannot defeat the army of less than two thousand people," ordered Woods. He waved his hands and stared at everyone seriously.


    After the Timber Deity Army intensified their offensive, the defensive force of Evian City soldiers also increased. Even with Sabina here, the disparity with the enemy''s forces had made their defense line a little vulnerable.


    Taking advantage of the flawed situation, the Timber Deity Empire quickly created a gap in the defense line. Within an instant the spirit manipulator squad and soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire invaded the gorge path like tides of an ocean.


    "Withdraw!" Seeing that their defense line had been broken, Sabina gave an order immediately and took her troops into the depths of the gorge. She was ready to take action and win over.


    At this moment, countless heavy rocks were falling down from above the gorge. Several soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire were smashed to death and badly injured by the rocks. Soon the path was blocked by heaps of rocks. In order to keep chasing the enemy, the Timber Deity Army had to remove the rocks first and clear the path.


    The Evian City soldiers, led by Sabina, retreated into the deep gorge and finally had time to gasp.


    "Why hasn''t that guy shown up yet?" Since Rocky didn''t show up after a long time, Sabina became a little anxious. She wondered if the plan that Commander Wang carried out went smoothly or not. There were only more than a thousand Evian City soldiers with her now. But the Timber Deity Army of five thousand soldiers were supposed to catch up with them. They were in a very critical situation.


    "Did something happen to him? I can''t stop over thinking," added Marin. She couldn''t stop worrying as the situation was quite crucial.


    At her words, the light in Sabina''s eyes dimmed. She couldn''t imagine not having Rocky there. They needed help.


    On the other side, Commander Wang and the other commanders led fifteen hundred soldiers into the training field and snuck all the way to the back of the Timber Deity Army.


    Later a hazy f


    kling Moon Blades. It shone like a new moon in dark midnight.


    On the other side, when Commander Wang saw that Rocky had drawn away some troops of the enemy, he and those commanders immediately led their forces to rush to their enemy from behind. The Timber Deity Army didn''t expect that there would be Evian City soldiers behind them. It was too sudden for them to react within a short time.


    Sabina and Marin who were standing in the gorge, looked at each other as soon as they heard an earth crackling sound of fighting. They were in utter shock for a moment.


    "Commander Wang seems to have succeeded in their plan." Marin showed a look of ecstasy.


    "Let''s join them!" Sabina''s momentum surged as she led the army out of the gorge. Then she launched an attack on the Timber Deity Army from the front. It was a scene of hassle.


    As the Timber Deity Army was waylaid from both sides, the formation was in a state of disorder and their morale began to slump. The Evian City soldiers were high in morale. They fought desperately with full exertion of their fighting capacities.


    By that time, the whole area was filled with flocks of people. The cries of killing, fighting and the horror screams could be heard continuously.


    Almost all the spirit manipulators of the two armies had been exhausted due to the previous battles. Thus the military forces of both sides rapidly reduced after a while. There were only a few Evian City soldiers left and the Timber Deity Army had less than two thousand people. The Timber Deity Empire''s losses were even greater and they were in a volatile position.

 Chapter 596 Absolute Power

    At this very moment, Woods'' face was extremely overcast. He could never figure out how thirty thousands of his soldiers led by him were almost completely consumed by the ten thousand soldiers in Evian City. They suffered great losses. If they were still unable to occupy Evian City, it would be resulting in a complete failure of his plan and the loss wouldn''t be of any worth at all.


    "Go and gather all the remaining soldiers who are outside the base right away," Woods ordered right away. Regardless of anything, he determined that the top priority at the moment should be to clean up all those guards of the Evian City.


    As the two armies were fighting desperately, Rocky returned back from far away with only a few followers behind him. After they joined in the cruel fight, Rocky was holding a head in his hand, which was actually from a previous fight.


    "This is for you, Your Royal Highness." Rocky then threw the head towards Woods.


    Woods'' face got suddenly darkened as he saw it. He could immediately recognize the head to be that of his Commander''s in the Timber Deity Empire.


    "Do you still want to continue?" Rocky''s words were merciless with a cold look in his eyes.


    "Of course I do want to continue this fight. You are left with minimal forces. I defy you to hang on with the few people left by your side. It''s only a matter of time for us to overrun the Evian City." Woods was still trying to keep his calm. He was certain that currently Timber Deity Empire was in advantage considering their military forces, and there were only a few people left on Rocky''s side. If everything went well, those defenders could be exterminated in less than two hours.


    "Oh, I see. But, if you continue fighting, I''m afraid you wouldn''t be able to even keep the remaining troops. As soon as one group of the Crimson Dragon Army comes to support, you will be forced to return this city just occupied by you." Rocky raised his eyebrows and said.


    Hearing that, Woods'' entire face couldn''t help but twisted. Rocky was in fact right. If he had continued to fight, his military forces probably wouldn''t survive. Actually, the original strength possessed by the Timber Deity Empire was thirty thousand. But it had been reduced to four thousand now. Although there were only few guards left to defend the Evian City now, they had used just less than ten thousand soldiers in total in order to inflict heavy damages to the Timber Deity Empire. This actually meant that the loss of forces for the Timber Deity Empire was three times higher compared to that of their opponents, which was quite unbelievable.


    The fact was that Rocky had used ten thousand city guards to bloc


    ed towards Liam.


    Although his strength was more or less affected due to his encounter with Sabina and had to sustain several injuries as a result, Liam''s strength was still at the same level as that of Rocky''s. Therefore, he could directly launch a thunder bolt which clashed violently with the black Moon Blade. Soon, a dazzling light flashed in the air.


    With that, the two shadows intertwined with each other. Every time they attacked, there was a strong aftermath that spread around. People who stayed even far away from them could still feel its power.


    For a moment, the wind and sand were dancing, thunder and lightning were surging, and the black flame was like waves threatening the surroundings.


    The two were locked in a stalemate for at least an hour and yet there was no winner or loser.


    Liam didn''t expect that Rocky would have made such an incredible progress in his strength since their last fight. Due to his injury, Liam was not able to take the upper hand.


    All of a sudden, Liam''s eyes flashed with a touch of haze. He shouted and the spiritual energy gathered. Then, a crack in the air abruptly opened up and suddenly, countless green vines like tentacles rushed out, dashing straight towards Rocky.


    Seeing the vines moving fast towards him, Rocky''s face changed. He immediately waved his Frozen Wind Dagger trying to make a heavy Dagger Dome. In an instant, the vines hit the Dagger Dome. Then, those vines suddenly released a shocking thunder force into the Dagger Dome and rushed overwhelmingly towards Rocky.


    Sensing that the situation was unfavorable for him, Rocky immediately took a step back. At the same time, he wielded a black Moon Blade for blocking that tremendous lightning force which was indeed close, and fortunately he succeeded.

 Chapter 597 Starting To Exercise

    All of a sudden, a Timber spirit-manipulated beast emerged from the crack. It emerged from beside Liam and was strangely surrounded by vines.


    As if that was not unusual enough, Rocky saw that there were lights appearing on Liam''s and the Timber spirit-manipulated beast''s bodies, connecting them with each other.


    Liam shouted as the radiating light all over his body shone with a stronger intensity. His breathing also enhanced. Although it was not like Spirit Possession, it had the same effect. No one knew what crazy trick he had used to have this effect.


    "Uriah¡­" Seeing that Liam''s strength had increased significantly, Rocky thought he''s at a disadvantage if he were to battle Liam in this state. Therefore, the only way for Rocky to deal with him was to summon Spirit Possession with Uriah.


    Uriah soared into the air and flew towards Rocky when it heard his voice. Lights around Rocky came out and merged with him, as if he was absorbing a glowing spirit.


    However, Rocky didn''t realize that while combining with Uriah, he was unable to sync with it, so he couldn''t integrate with Uriah into Spirit Possession.


    ''Is it because Uriah''s strength is superior to mine, so it can''t transition to Spirit Possession?'' Rocky thought to himself. This was not a good news for Rocky.


    By this moment, Liam had transformed into a flash of lightning, and rushed toward Rocky recklessly.


    "So quick!" Rocky was amazed by Liam''s move, it was unexpected. Seeing that Liam was in front of him in a blink of an eye, Rocky''s face suddenly changed, but he immediately waved his Flaming Blade to resist it.


    However, the moment the Flaming Blade was wielded, Liam suddenly disappeared. Before Rocky realized what happened, he felt a strong thunder force coming from behind. Liam''s speed was incredible, and his moves were unpredictable.


    Rocky felt that the coming thunder force was like a large net, which completely covered him and made it impossible to escape.


    What came next was another unpredictable move!


    A sudden burst of Evil Flame came out from all over Uriah''s body, and it dire


    ''s eyes lit up with coldness. Even when she saw that Rocky was about to turn defeat into victory, it was still difficult for the city guards of Evian City to win their battle.


    On the other side, Rocky, who was fighting with Liam fiercely, saw that the guards of Evian City seemed to be on the verge of collapse, and his face became dignified. He knew that Evian City would still fall into the hands of the Timber Deity Empire. Moreover, he didn''t know when the reinforcements of the Crimson Dragon Army would come, so his only choice was to kill Woods to baffle the Timber Deity Empire, then he could take the opportunity.


    "I can''t let Sue down!" Rocky was stunned for a while. Although he was starting to get tired, he had made his mind up. He summoned the container made up of some mysterious power in his body, then he released a strong evil spiritual power from the container, which was sealed in the second layer.


    All of a sudden, a strong spiritual power came out of Rocky''s body and turned into a chilling evil wind. The air around him also changed dramatically, and his expression became evil, as if he were a demon.


    Liam was taken aback when he noticed that Rocky''s aura had become more intense.


    Everyone, including Liam, who saw this scene was shocked and petrified.


    A strong wind swirled around Rocky, and there emerged a blast of energy that rushed towards Liam''s direction.

 Chapter 598 Coming To An End

    Liam had almost used up most of his spiritual power after fighting for quite a while, and what confused him the most was that Rocky''s power, on the other hand, seemed to increase. However, he had no choice but to continue. If he let Rocky see he had weakened, it could mean his defeat. Thus, he still fought with all of his strength. Suddenly Liam felt a strong, evil force gushing over him just as he laid his fingers on Rocky. The evil force covered his whole body, as if a ghoul enveloped him.


    ''How could that be possible?'' Liam couldn''t comprehend how Rocky was able to conjure this much strength, and even a new kind of power at this time.


    "Fire Dragon!" Rocky shouted, then widely opened his glowing eyes. Soon, the Evil Flame inside his body surged, and scattered with a flash of light radiating in all directions. He suddenly shape-shifted from human into a huge black flame dragon, rushing to swallow Liam.


    Then a flame light rose abruptly into the sky from the ground, and there appeared a dragon roar which shook the whole ground!


    "Ah!" a man screamed. Just then, a shadow of a black body was thrown out, dashing against a boulder. The impact shattered the boulder into pieces. It was Liam.


    "Is Rocky..." Sabina was taken aback by the scene. It was not the first time that she encountered such a situation, but it was indeed the first time that she saw Rocky control such unmanageable power. This meant that Rocky was starting to learn how to take control of the supernatural power inside his body.


    What Sabina didn''t know was that currently, Rocky had only mastered the second grade of the supernatural power, which was still evil. There were seven grades of supernatural power sealed inside Rocky''s body. So the current power Sabina saw was just at the initial level.


    Seeing Liam''s failure, Woods was so surprised that he felt blood drain from his face. As Woods stared blankly into the battle happening before his eyes, Rocky moved quickly like a flash of light in front of him, standing straight with a determined look. He was startled to realize Rocky was so close to him, but he could not move a muscle.


    The next moment, Rocky wielded his Frozen Wind Dagger towards Woods. He could feel the Flaming Blade against his skin, almost cutting his throat.


    Rocky was going to kill Woods! The commanders and soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire, who were busy fighting with the Evian City guards, were all shocked. They stopped their own fight and rushed to stop Rocky. Woods'' three Heavenly Stage masters did the


    ould easily take the Evian City down just by stopping the Commander in Chief from getting back? How silly! You have no idea what we Elite Regiment can do and just how far we can reach," he sneered, with his hands behind his back.


    "Did you just say Elite Regiment? So you are..." Elite Regiment? The two words took Woods by surprise that he froze a moment.


    "I am the head of the Elite Regiment," Allen introduced himself, confirming the assumption Woods had.


    Everyone on site was all surprised, just like Woods did, to hear what Allen said. Very few people had seen the face of the head of the Elite Regiment, not even the commanders of the Crimson Dragon Army. For most, this figure was just like a character in the myth. What they didn''t expect was that such kind of legend would show his face at this critical moment.


    Also, why did the head of the Elite Regiment stop Rocky from killing Woods? That didn''t make sense at all!


    Now, Woods knew who the man was. He was so terrified, and his face was white as a sheet. There was no chance for them to win this war since the reinforcements of the Crimson Dragon Group made it earlier than expected. There was nothing they could do to change the situation.


    "Withdraw your army now, or your casualties will increase," Allen said with a stern look.


    "All attention! Retreat!" Woods had to make this order as he realized it was all over, even though he was reluctant to admit it. He gave Rocky a glimpse, and said, "We will meet again someday!" Then he left with the rest of his army.


    "Why did you not let me finish him off?" Rocky turned to Allen and asked, seeing Woods and his army leaving the camp from the corner of his eye.

 Chapter 599 That Guy

    "He is the prince of the Timber Deity Empire! If he was killed, there would be dire consequences. It would be difficult to avoid war between the two countries. You did it because you had no choice. Now that the reinforcements have come, we don''t have to kill him," Allen responded calmly.


    Rocky didn''t respond. Instead, he put away the Frozen Wind Dagger and summoned Uriah. He immediately mounted Uriah and galloped away in a huff, feeling the stares of the crowd as he left.


    As Rocky left, Allen suddenly noticed that Sabina was standing nearby. At a loss for words, he stared at her in shock.


    Noticing Allen''s gaze, Sabina abruptly looked away unfeelingly and started in Rocky''s direction.


    "Sabina..." Allen tried to reach out to her.


    However, Sabina didn''t stop. Setting her eyes on Rocky''s diminishing figure in the distance, she vanished in the blink of an eye.


    "Sabina!" Allen immediately followed suit, vanishing into thin air.


    After the three had abruptly left, a silence fell over the site. The commanders and a few Evian City troops stood wordlessly, not knowing what to do.


    Sabina, who had left the training ground to chase after Rocky, was suddenly stopped by a shadow that suddenly appeared in front of her.


    "Don''t you recognize me? I''m your uncle!" Allen exclaimed.


    It turned out that, the head of the Elite Regiment was the younger brother of the master of the Ji Clan¡ª Sabina''s father.


    "I am not a member of the Ji Clan anymore," Sabina responded coldly.


    "Why do you say that? Your father has already..." Before Allen could finish, Sabina snorted incredulously. "''Father''? What father? I don''t have a father."


    "Sabina." Allen''s eyes were suddenly stern. He raised his hand in anger, about to strike the haughty girl, but immediately stopped when he noticed the look in her eyes.


    "If you promise you won''t mention him, I will still call you ''uncle''," Sabina said with cold eyes.


    This seemed to appease him somewhat. "After all these years, how have you been? I heard that you have already become an


    y could barely make out a delicate figure laying asleep on the belly of a beast. Beside her, there was some wild fruit laid out on a lotus leaf.


    Rocky''s presence instantly woke the beast; it raised its head vigilantly.


    "Hush!" Rocky harshly whispered, gesturing at the beast to calm down.


    But it was too late. The maiden was awoken by the sudden movement, and she raised her head sleepily to look at the man who disturbed her slumber.


    "Mr. Bai?" Sue exclaimed in a sleepy daze.


    She leaned on Rubygon''s back for support.


    "Did you wait long?" Rocky asked concernedly.


    "No," Sue shook her head. "How is Evian City?" She stood up.


    "It''s safe." Rocky smiled reassuringly.


    "That''s great! I knew you could handle it!" Sue cried excitedly.


    "Let''s go. I''ll take you home," Rocky said, reaching out a hand to her.


    As they emerged from the cave, they were surprised to be met by a person and her beast.


    "Why are you here?" Rocky asked, wondering why Sabina followed him.


    "You shouldn''t have left without saying anything. The army of the Timber Deity Empire has just retreated. You need to be careful! The prince might bear a grudge against you," Sabina whined.


    "Are you worried about me?" A playful smile spread on Rocky''s face.


    Sabina''s cheeks turned a bright red. She glared at Rocky, however her heart started beating much faster.

 Chapter 600 An Expectation

    By now, Sabina had realized that she overreacted. She internally reasoned with herself that this was all because she had been given orders to protect Rocky. That was all. However, she couldn''t ignore how her emotions bubbling up inside her heart.


    After a moment of hesitation, she stepped toward Sue and gingerly took her hand. "She''s going to ride back with me. It''s more convenient that way," Sabina said firmly, locking eyes with Rocky.


    Sue was taken aback by Sabina''s actions. Unable to utter a word, she embarrassedly looked to Rocky for further instructions.


    Seeing Sue''s worried eyes, Rocky gave a nonchalant laugh. "Relax! She might look like it, but she doesn''t eat people. Do what you''re told. Just follow her. Don''t worry," Rocky ended with a wink, crossing his arms over his chest. He didn''t seem to be bothered by Sabina''s suggestion.


    Sue apprehensively glanced between Rocky and Sabina a couple of times before finally resigning herself to Sabina. Looking to the ground, she said softly, "Thank you for taking care of me."


    "No one will take you for dumb if you don''t speak," Sabina said haughtily to Rocky, casting him another glare before mounting on Duchess Silver with Sue. Together, they took off into the sky.


    Rocky jumped onto Uriah, following closely behind them back to the camp.


    When they arrived, Rocky immediately had Sue sent back to Isis Pavilion, and then went in search of Sheridan. He hadn''t seen Sheridan since the battle started, and since Sheridan promised to give him a hand, Rocky needed to find him. After an intense search, Rocky couldn''t seem to find him, so he resigned himself to returning to the beast farm. Rocky figured he must''ve been in the beast farm, but to his surprise, Sheridan wasn''t there either.


    "The old geezer must be hanging around some women," Rocky surmised, shaking his head at the thought.


    He soon gave up searching for Sheridan and resigned himself to the idea of cultivating and studying the Sea Blue Magic Jade at the same time on Isis'' jade bed in the Isis Pavilion.


    Rocky couldn''t spare any


    o protect him.


    "So you mean, you have no idea that she''s the apprentice of Marcia, one of the Three Great Generals of the Holy Dragon Empire?" Allen asked incredulously, his confusion growing by the second.


    "What? Sabina is Marcia''s apprentice?" Rocky exclaimed in dismay. What he just heard was far beyond his imagination. If what Allen was saying was true, then it must''ve been Marcia who sent Sabina to protect him. But why would Marcia want to protect him? Rocky was in this difficult situation because of her, not to mention all the hardships he''d been through on the Gehenna Border. He couldn''t understand why Marcia would sent her apprentice to watch over him, unless maybe to spy on him or for some other reason.


    "You didn''t know that either?" Seeing that Rocky had no idea what he was talking about, Allen sighed. It seemed Allen wouldn''t be able to find the answers he was seeking.


    "Well, I know now," Rocky said coldly. Rocky felt rage surging within him, anger flashing on his eyes. With a stone-faced expression, he brushed past Allen, without bidding him farewell.


    "What the hell is this..." Allen could tangibly feel Rocky''s anger when he brushed against him, but he was confused as to why he was angry. He had just come here to find out about his niece, but now he was left more confused than before. He shook his head with a sigh, wondering where he went wrong.

 Chapter 601 The Misunderstanding

    With the stillness of the moon, the Evian City was as silent as death after the big battle, giving anyone a sense of desolation and sadness.


    On the ruins of the city wall, a woman and a beast stood side by side bathing in the moonlight. The woman''s cold and beautiful face was like an ice sculpture, and the sadness in her eyes made people feel pitiful. The woman was Sabina.


    Suddenly, a beast shadow with flickering flame light fell from the sky. Then, a figure jumped off from the beast, and in the blink of an eye, it came in front of Sabina.


    "Why are you here?" Seeing that it was Rocky in front of her, Sabina was surprised. But she soon found that Rocky was looking at her with rage as if he had been cheated, which made her feel uneasy.


    "Are you Marcia''s disciple?" Rocky asked as he glared at Sabina with a ferocious look.


    Sabina was stunned upon hearing that. She never expected Rocky would learn her true identity. Besides Lance and Isis, only her uncle knew that she was Marcia''s disciple.


    Of course, she wasn''t stupid. She soon guessed how Rocky knew about it. It must be her uncle who had asked Rocky about her business that revealed her identity. She then asked, "Did you meet Uncle Allen?"


    "You just need to answer me yes or no!" Rocky responded coldly.


    Knowing that she wouldn''t be able to hide the truth any more, Sabina just nodded in silence.


    "I never anticipated you to be Marcia''s disciple¡­" Suddenly, Rocky sneered. His laughter was wild as well as disappointed.


    "I didn''t mean to lie to you. It was because my master told me not to tell you my real identity," Sabina explained, as she saw the strangeness on Rocky''s face. She thought that the reason why the man was furious was that she had concealed her true identity.


    "Of course you are not going to tell me. Because you have been following me all the way just to keep watch on me, right?" Rocky questioned angrily.


    Upon hearing Rocky''s groundless accusation, Sabina was stunned and she asked back, "What did you just say? Keep wat


    girly figure sitting in the pavilion under the moonlight and playing the zither.


    "Why is she here?" When Rocky saw the beautiful figure under the moonlight, he was amazed, as the person who was playing the zither was none other than Laney.


    At that moment, Laney was continuously playing the zither as if no one was around. The melody was exciting, strong and solemn, like an elegy.


    Rocky didn''t try to interrupt her. He went towards the side of Uriah and listened carefully until the melody came to an end.


    As Laney finished playing the zither and slowly raised her head, she saw the silent people and beast in the yard. She was surprised first, and then she immediately recognized Rocky. She shouted in surprise, "Mr. Bai, how come you are here?"


    "Miss Laney, you do remember me." There was a slender smile on the corner of Rocky''s mouth.


    "How could I forget you? Mr. Bai, you have saved my life." After placing away the zither, she walked out of the pavilion and stopped in front of Rocky.


    "Miss Laney, why are you still staying here? Don''t you know that the Evian City was narrowly to be taken over by the Timber Deity Empire?" Rocky asked in a confused tone.


    "Of course I knew that. But I have nowhere else to go if I leave the city. So I was thinking of staying here and leaving my fate in the hands of god," Laney answered calmly.

 Chapter 602 Its Her

    "Miss Laney, you are so fearless. If the Evian City is conquered, the troops of the Timber Deity Empire will show no mercy to you. They will want to kill you the moment they see you," Rocky uttered with a smile. He got morose earlier, but now he felt relieved.


    "Mr. Bai, do you forget that I''m from the Timber Deity Empire? Even if the Evian City is captured, those soldiers would not do anything to me. This is for the mere reason that I am also a member of the Timber Deity Empire..." Laney replied in a soft, calm voice. Her eyes gleamed as she spoke.


    "Even so, it''s still dangerous for you to stay here alone." Rocky furrowed his eyebrows. His worries were visible on his face.


    "I have encountered many dangerous situations. This is not a big deal." Laney smiled and then asked, "The Timber Deity Empire troops have already retreated, right?"


    "How do you know that?" Rocky''s eyes narrowed.


    "There was a commotion in the base camp before, but now it has become quiet. Also, you came here so nonchalantly, which means that the city is safe now," Laney responded as she blinked.


    "You are so clever, Miss Laney," Rocky praised with a smile.


    "I assume you must have made the greatest contribution in protecting the Evian City this time," Laney spoke, staring at Rocky with her beautiful eyes. Her eyes were so mesmerizing, as if they were shining.


    "How are you so sure?" Rocky asked while raising his eyebrows.


    "I''ve heard a lot about you. What I know from the things I''ve heard assures me that you did," Laney replied.


    "What if I tell you I did not make a great contribution?" Rocky said with a slight shrug.


    "Then you must be lying to me," Laney said firmly. Rocky found her expressions delicate and her face attractive.


    Seeing this, Rocky couldn''t help but laugh and he began to be in a better mood.


    "What are you laughing at? Am I wrong?" Laney asked upon seeing Rocky laugh. She couldn''t hide her embarrassment.


    "It''s late now, Miss Laney. You''d better go to bed early. Don''t play the zither again. Otherwise, someone might harbor the malicious intention towards you when they hear your pleasant musical sound," Rocky uttered as he shook his head, noticing that it was late now and the surrounding was dark.


    "No, there''s no one in the Evian City. I''ve played the zither for so long, and so far,


    mpire, the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire, who hadn''t received the report of the battle of the Evian City yet, sat on his dragon throne in the Grand Holy Hall. He looked rather restless. Two days ago, he had received the message that the Evian City was going to be attacked by thirty thousand soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire, and that there were not enough Evian City soldiers to resist, so the city might be conquered soon. Because of this, he was very worried. After all, the Evian City was a border stronghold. If the Evian City was conquered, the territory of the Holy Dragon Empire would be under great threat. If that happened, the citizens of the city would suffer a lot of trouble and the war would take place. This was a burden for the whole country.


    The offciers of military affairs of the Holy Dragon Empire were also whispering their worries to each other, looking at each other in dismay. They knew that if they lost the Evian City, the Holy Dragon Empire would be in trouble.


    "Father, please let me personally head for the Gehenna Border," Alston uttered in a determined tone as he stood in front of the officers.


    ''I''m afraid that the battle might be over when you get there," the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire responded, waving his hand dismissively.


    When Alston heard his response, he seemed a little disappointed. Of course, he was just trying to look good and make a show by saying that. He would not go to the Gehenna Border anyway. But when the Gehenna Border was mentioned, he thought of his brother, Basil, who was also there.

 Chapter 603 He Went Missing

    One year ago, when Basil was sent to the Gehenna Border, Alston felt relieved since Basil was a big problem for him and his plans. Besides, Alston also knew that the spirit manipulators who were sent to the Gehenna Border seldom had chances to come back. Especially, with Basil''s strength at the first grade of the Earthly Stage, he might have already died in the battlefield. Alston had almost forgotten the existence of Basil. If it wasn''t for the battle between the Crimson Dragon Army and the Timber Deity Empire, he probably wouldn''t have remembered Basil.


    "Everyone, I''d like to hear your opinions," said the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire in a grave tone.


    "Your Majesty, according to the emergency report, General Lance is unable to return to the Evian City in time due to an ambush. I''m afraid the safety of the Evian City is fraught with grim possibilities. We should make a plan to deal with it as soon as possible."


    "Your Majesty, if the Evian City falls into the enemy''s hands, the Holy Dragon Empire will lose face. The Crimson Dragon Army is so useless! If they lose the Evian City to the Timber Deity Empire, they must take full responsibility."


    "If the Evian City falls into the hands of the Timber Deity Empire, they will definitely take the opportunity to make unreasonable requests, but we will never compromise!"


    The military officers also shared their own opinions, the aggressiveness never leaving their faces as they spoke their hearts out. But they all thought of one same thing: the Evian City was going to fall into the enemy''s hands.


    "Marcia, what do you think?" The emperor''s face turned solemn when he heard the military officers'' words. Then, he turned to a beauty standing at the corner, waiting for her reply. The beauty was none other than Marcia. She nodded to the emperor and took a step forward to make her presence known.


    "The reason why the Crimson Dragon Army suffered such a huge loss this time is that they underestimated the enemy''s capabilities. Moreover, the Commander in Chief of the Timber Deity Empire is Alyssa Mu. Have I mentioned her to you before, Your Majesty? Last time, when I was ordered to search for the treasure, I met her. She is not a simple and easy person!" Marcia said coldly. If it were not for Basil, also known to some as Rocky who had come in time to save her, the consequences would''ve been unthinkable.


    "I''ve heard of other things about Princess Alyssa as well. She was sent to the spiritual race at an


    ttlefield." Alston laughed like a devil.


    "That''s what you truly want, isn''t it?" said Priest Dean with an evil smile.


    "He deserves it. He overestimated himself and..." Thinking of what happened in the past, Alston felt deep resentment, and his eyes turned ferocious.


    "By the way, I received news from the Dragon Master Clan that Her Royal Highness has already finished her cultivation, and not long after that, she would return to the Holy Dragon Empire," said Priest Dean when he remembered the news.


    "Lena is coming back?" Alston was surprised. Lena left the Holy Dragon Empire and went to the Dragon Master Clan without telling anyone. She derailed all his plans.


    "Your Royal Highness, it seems that you need to work hard this time. If you can win Her Royal Highness''s heart, you will be in a stable position as the successor. The other princes do not have the strength to compete against you," Priest Dean reminded him.


    "I have my own plans. There''s no need for you to concern yourself with that matter," Alston replied and left silently.


    The next day after the victory of the Evian City over the war, Lance finally returned to the city. He looked haggard, as if he hadn''t slept for days. It seemed that a lot of things had happened to him during his disappearance.


    After Lance went back to the headquarters of Crimson Dragon Group, he didn''t have time to rest, and immediately summoned all the Commanders first thing.


    Many people gathered in the conference hall, including Sabina and Allen, the head of the Elite Regiment.


    "Where is Rocky?" Lance asked in confusion. Everyone was present, but Rocky was nowhere to be seen.

 Chapter 604 There Are Reasons

    The Commanders looked at each other in dismay upon hearing that. After all, they had never seen Rocky ever since the Timber Deity Empire had withdrawn their army. While they thought of this in their heads, they all turned their gaze at Sabina. They assumed she must know where Rocky was.


    Upon noticing everyone''s attention was on her, Sabina said coldly, "I don''t know where he is." When Rocky knew that she was Marcia''s disciple, he had lost his temper and left. Since then, she hadn''t seen him, and it had been two days and one night. She had gone to the Isis Pavilion to look for him, only for Sue to tell her that she had not seen him anywhere around that area.


    "Forget it. I''ll go and look for him later." Lance waved his hand, looked at Allen and continued, "Thanks for your help. I appreciate it. If it weren''t for you, the Evian City might have lost this battle."


    "I don''t deserve all this credit. In fact, I should give my utmost thanks to the Commanders and the Evian City guards. Without them defending the city to the last extent and waiting until the reinforcements'' arrival, I wouldn''t have been able to turn the tables regardless of my strength," Allen said humbly.


    "To be frank, this would have never happened if it weren''t for Commander Rocky. We would have already lost the Evian City without him," Commander Wang added. "By the way, Commander in Chief, this Crimson Dragon Token..." Afterwards, he took out the Crimson Dragon Token from his pocket and handed it to Lance with both of his hands.


    "Hasn''t Rocky accepted the Crimson Dragon Token?" Lance asked as he was shocked upon seeing the Crimson Dragon Token.


    "No. He hasn''t." Commander Wang shook his head in disappointment.


    Lance frowned, putting away the Crimson Dragon Token.


    "But Commander in Chief, Rocky has made great contributions this time. Shouldn''t you reward him well and better?" Commander Ron suddenly asked out of concern.


    "Of course I will!" Lance nodded his head. This time, he knew that Rocky had made great contributions not only to the Crimson Dragon Group, but also to the whole Holy Dragon Empire.


    "But I''m afraid that he won''t accept it. Don''t forget that he has already said before that he helped us protect the Evian City not for the sake of the Crimson Dragon Army, but because he didn''t want to see the Evian City citizens become poor and homeless. That was the only reason why he took action," said Marin, as her eyes turned dark.


    Upon hearing that, the other Commanders in the ro


    o completely suppress the remaining thousands of soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire. Perhaps if I caught the prince, it would be able to force his soldiers to retreat. But if it were the opposite and his soldiers fought to the death, things would have become worse. Therefore, in order to avoid unnecessary injury, I allowed the prince to retreat and bring the army with him," Allen pointed out. In theory, even if he didn''t kill the prince of the Timber Deity Empire at that moment, he should have caught the prince first. But he thought that the Timber Deity Empire still had nearly four thousand soldiers, which was why he decided to let the prince go according to the chaotic situation at hand. Of course, if the prince of the Timber Deity Empire were to persist in willfully and arbitrarily, he would definitely not show any mercy. It could be said that he let go of the prince of the Timber Deity Empire only for the sake of the entire situation¡ªhe knew that he had to protect the Evian City first.


    But in fact, Allen had another personal reason to let the prince of the Timber Deity Empire go. Three years ago, he had sneaked into the royal palace of the Timber Deity Empire for a mission in which he had been discovered after a while. He could have been able to escape with his strength, but unfortunately, he encountered a mysterious woman who was much stronger than him. He fought with the woman, but he sustained some serious injuries. However, that mysterious woman did not kill him, nor took him back for interrogation, but released him somehow. Later on, he knew that the mysterious woman he met was none other than the princess of the Timber Deity Empire, Alyssa.

 Chapter 605 Beyond Expectation

    This was why Allen decided to let go of the prince of the Timber Deity Empire, as if returning the favor of Alyssa letting him go in the past. Of course, there wasn''t a case where he would let Lance know about it.


    "Really? Your consideration is reasonable. Fortunately, the prince of the Timber Deity Empire was not held hostage. Otherwise, he could use this as an excuse to start a huge war. This would also give them the upper hand, allowing them to easily achieve what they want," Lance said and nodded his head in approval, showing that he believed what Allen had said.


    "However, Commander in Chief, I was just curious when I heard you mention Rocky before. After seeing him, I realized why you have been very impressed by him. He is indeed a talent. Considering his courage and strength, it is clear that he deserves to be promoted as a Commander. Moreover, he was able to block the attack of thirty thousand soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire with only ten thousand Evian City guards. Definitely not an ordinary person could do that. And yet he did." Allen expressed his appreciation towards Rocky generously.


    "That is why I placed the hope of protecting the Evian City on him. If he didn''t help protect the city, the Crimson Dragon Army would have been doomed." Lance nodded.


    "But his power doesn''t seem to be ordinary and is very strange. Who is he really?" Allen asked with confusion.


    "I don''t know either. From the day he was assigned to the army, his identity has been classified as top secret. We tried to know more about his past, but no trace could be found." Lance shook his head.


    "You don''t even know his true identity, Commander in Chief?" Allen was shocked.


    "When I came back to the Imperial City last time, I thoroughly inquired about it. Although I did not find anything concrete, I did find some clues. I suspect that he might be a royal member."


    "What? Why would a royal member be sent here? And, why does Sabina have to be with Rocky? Is it her own idea to stay by his side? Or is it General Marcia who asked her to do this? Being the disciple of General Marcia, Sabina would not have come to the Gehenna Border without any good reason." Allen had no idea what was going on. It was obvious that Rocky did not have an idea about Sabina''s identity at all. Suspecting this, Allen was even more puzzled.


    "I can only s


    ggs safely. He also constructed this so that it would be convenient for him to observe the process.


    Two days had passed, and the abdominal pain in Dark Heaven Insect Queen''s belly had aggravated. However, there was still no sign of spawning, which worried Rocky. He wondered whether the Dark Heaven Insect Queen was having difficulty in labor. Even so, there was nothing he could do. Moreover, any of his actions would affect the spawning process of the Dark Heaven Insect Queen. All he could do was watch and wait patiently.


    However, the situation of the Dark Heaven Insect Queen still made Rocky a little anxious. It felt as if he were waiting for his child''s birth. He went back and forth, inside and outside the beast stable to check on what had happened to the Dark Heaven Insect Queen.


    After another day, the Dark Heaven Insect Queen finally began to lay eggs. A day passed and the insect laid ten eggs, each of which was black and smooth. The eggs were as tall as Rocky''s knees, and they looked like dinosaur eggs.


    Rocky felt relieved and thought that he could rest after the Dark Heaven Insect Queen had given birth to its eggs. But unexpectedly, after a few seconds, the Dark Heaven Insect Queen started to tremble violently and its whole body convulsed. It fell down to the ground in a loud thud, and it was as if the beast stable was about to collapse.


    Rocky rushed to the side of the Dark Heaven Insect Queen. Its temperature was dropping at an alarming rate.


    "What''s going on?" Rocky panicked. He had never experienced anything like this before.

 Chapter 606 A Perfect Experiment

    When he saw what happened, Rocky immediately went to its aid. He began to apply a series of procedures that could help save its life. In spite of all his efforts, the body temperature of the Dark Heaven Insect Queen continued to drop after the operation. Slowly, its body turned cold while its breath gradually became weaker. Soon after, it breathed its last.


    "What a waste! In the end, I could not save it." Rocky appeared crestfallen as he stared at the remains of the Dark Heaven Insect Queen. It was indeed a very valuable specimen compared to the average spiritual beasts. He thought about how difficult it would be for him to acquire another one like it.


    But as luck would have it, the Dark Heaven Insect Queen was able to lay ten eggs before its untimely demise. It would make him feel a lot less burdened if those eggs were to hatch successfully. However, there was one thing that bothered Rocky. He was not entirely sure whether those eggs would survive and hatch without any difficulty.


    It was established that the eggs had a very poor hatch rate. He already did his best to develop the Dark Heaven Insect Queen''s ovaries and make it a hospitable environment capable of producing offspring. Despite that, it still was not determined whether the hatch rate had improved as well. For Rocky, it was extremely worrisome to think that he might end up with nothing if the hatch rate had not improved as he hoped.


    The safety of the ten eggs was now his top priority. To ensure that, he put them inside the Magic Spiritual Space as soon as he could and carefully organized them. As for the remains of the Dark Heaven Insect Queen, he brought it to a cemetery on the outskirts of the Evian City. There he found a patch of fertile land where he benignly buried it.


    After a while, he decided to return to the Super Beast Farm. It was then that he saw people moving about inside.


    "Can you check the shop thoroughly? See if there is anything missing. After that, check on the spirit-manipulated beasts on the beast farm as well. I''m afraid some of them may have gotten lost," Shawn, the branch store owner of the Super Beast Farm, ordered.


    "How are you, Mr. Huang?" Rocky called out as soon as he entered the store.


    Shawn spun around to see who it was. A look of immense relief swept over his face when he saw that it was Rocky. "Mr. Bai? How fortunate that you are here!" he said as they shook hands.


    "Have you finished making the things I asked of you the last time we talked?" Rocky asked.


    "Certainly. Two days before the battle began, they were sent here. I was deeply troubled th


    eal for hatching the delicate eggs. Thus, Rocky took it upon himself to develop the area and enhance it.


    He left the cave and started to chop some trees and made kindling out of them. After a while, he gathered the charcoals and stacked them neatly inside the cave. The hot embers began to raise the temperature of the cave. Soon, the whole place was filled with enough warmth suitable for hatching eggs.


    Rocky proceeded to meticulously examine each of the ten eggs. He recorded their initial statistics such as temperature and the frequency of their movements.


    "All I can do now is wait patiently and hope for the best results," Rocky murmured as he let out an audible sigh. With that said, he opened the Magic Spiritual Space and continued with the construction of his laboratory.


    Before any of this happened, the laboratory was almost close to finishing. It only needed a few more repairs and it would be good to go.


    To ensure that the lab would be impenetrable, he ordered a special batch of thin, soft iron sheets. Although these might look like wallpapers, they were surprisingly sturdy and durable.


    Both the interior and exterior of the laboratory were thoroughly covered with this material. The lab was, without a doubt, completely secured. Subsequently, Rocky installed a ventilation system he designed himself up on the roof. This was to make sure that there was an adequate circulation of the air inside.


    Finally finishing its construction, he permanently fixed the customized operating table and laboratory table onto the floor of the lab. Afterward, he added the operating machines. His different specimens and other experimentation paraphernalia were organized in the cabinets he also procured from Shawn.

 Chapter 607 Ten Dark Heaven Insects

    After about three or four days, the laboratory was all done. Because the previous samples had been destroyed, only some data was left in Rocky''s mind. As a result, he decided to spend some time collecting samples from some wild spirit-manipulated beasts and build a sample library, so that the samples could be tested at any time in the future.


    Although the laboratory was built smoothly, the hatch of ten eggs was not optimistic. The situation was worse than he had expected. It had been a long time, but the ten eggs still didn''t hatch. This made him very worried.


    However, based on Rocky''s experience, the Dark Heaven Insects must use their own strength to break the eggs. If the Dark Heaven Insects were affected by external forces like if Rocky tried to break the egg shell, it might frighten or even kill the insects.


    According to Rocky''s previous analysis, the reason why the hatch rate of the eggs was low was because the Dark Heaven Insects sometimes couldn''t break their egg shells. Sometimes the problem was the eggshell itself. The hardness of the egg shell determined whether a Dark Heaven Insect could break its egg with its own strength or not. This problem was caused by premature fetuses, which was the reason behind his efforts to improve the pregnancy environment in the Dark Heaven Insect Queen''s ovaries. But whether this solution could solve the problem with the egg shells was still unknown.


    ''If there is a way to strengthen the Dark Heaven Insects, then the egg shell will not be a problem, '' Rocky thought as he rubbed his chin. He was eager to make these eggs hatch successfully, so he allotted time to study it. However, it was impossible for him to strengthen the Dark Heaven Insects in the eggs. This thought was starting to frustrate him.


    Then, Rocky suddenly heard a noise at the entrance of the cave. He looked up and saw a colorful glow coming towards him.


    "Hey foodie! Why are you here?" Rocky greeted excitedly as he realized it was Rainbow Glow Unicorn.


    The Rainbow Glow Unicorn walked to the front of the ten eggs. It glanced at them for a while. Then it turned to Rocky and cried a few times, as if signaling for something. At first, Rocky was confused, but then he realized what was bothering the Rainbow Glow Unicorn.


    Rocky suddenly felt cold ice coming from his chest. He stretched out his hand and touched his chest. The ice power was produced by t


    seventh Dark Heaven Insect came out.


    However, there was no movement from the last three eggs.


    Rocky had no choice but to stop activating the Sea Blue Magic Jade. He used the Mysterious Visual Evaluation Skill to check the condition of three eggs. He felt that the eggs were very cold, and there was no heartbeat rate. The Dark Heaven Insects inside might have stopped breathing, probably because they had stayed in there for too long, and thus died of suffocation.


    Rocky stared at the three eggs that failed to hatch, feeling disappointed that he was not able to make all ten eggs hatch. However, there were seven of them that hatched successfully, which was already impressive. Generally speaking, only one or two of them were supposed to hatch successfully. But now seven hatched.


    It could be said that Rocky made a miracle. If anyone found out, they would be shocked to their core.


    Rocky then put away the three eggs that hadn''t hatched, and planned to make them samples later. The eggs'' research value was very high. They could let him know more about the Dark Heaven Insect, and allow him to raise the seven Dark Heaven Insects well.


    However, in order to prevent the seven Dark Heaven Insects from running away, Rocky had to keep them in a cave first. He prepared for them the nutritious soil and the diluted magical saliva.


    Rocky already had ten Dark Heaven Insects. In the eyes of other spirit manipulators, owning one Dark Heaven Insect was difficult. And yet Rocky alone had ten. This was enough to make all the spirit manipulators in the entire Wild Spirit Land jealous of him.

 Chapter 608 The Worrying Situation Of Rocky

    Three of these ten Dark Heaven Insects could already produce Dark Heaven Eggs. And as long as the other seven newborn Dark Heaven Insects grew up, Rocky would have inexhaustible Dark Heaven Eggs, which would strengthen him immensely. However, as the Dark Heaven Insects themselves could vary in stars or grades, naturally not all of them could be of the third grade of the three-star level so that they could produce high-grade eggs. If someone wanted these Dark Heaven Insects to be of the third grade of the three-star level, they had to break the star limit as Rubygon did. This was not an easy task to execute. The reason why Rubygon could break the star limit was only by chance.


    Therefore, if Rocky wanted all Dark Heaven Insects to grow well, he must find out a way to break the star limit, a way called gene transformation.


    Next, Rocky would have lot of things to do and his actions would change the knowledge of controlling spirit-manipulated beasts all over the Wild Spirit Land in the near future.


    When Rocky was not present, the Palace City of the Holy Dragon Empire had set off a huge wave because of his name.


    A few days ago Lance sent a secret letter back to the Palace City, telling the emperor that Evian City had already become safe and sound. He mentioned to the emperor about the achievements Rocky had made in the battle against the Timber Deity Empire. Lance praised Rocky''s abilities and how he had been brave throughout the battle.


    The emperor declared the news in public with highest pride. Thus all the ministers and royal members of the Holy Dragon Empire also knew the existence of Rocky. They were embraced by the news. Soon Rocky became the center of attention to all the people in the Palace City including the royal family members. His name and deeds were talked about among them.


    Everyone wanted to know where Rocky was from and his origin. Such an excellent talent could never come from a mediocre family. Everyone was interested to know about him and talked about his glory. But according to the information they got, no one from the most famous spirit manipulator families or even the royal family had ever heard of someone called Rocky.


    The origin of Rocky was a mystery.


    But as in other places, things in the Palace City would only last for a few days. Soon, people gradually


    na didn''t know where he was now.


    Of course, what Lance didn''t know was that as Rocky had known Sabina''s identity, he couldn''t keep Sabina by his side anymore.


    "Commander in Chief, Deputy Commander in Chief has sent a message to convey that she has taken her army back to the main camp. In addition, all our soldiers are also on the way to the main camp," a guard came in and reported.


    "I know. You can leave now," said Lance as he waved his hand.


    "Commander in Chief, since the Timber Deity Empire has already withdrawn their troops, it should be a good time for our counterattack. Why should we withdraw all our military forces?" asked Commander Wang, cupping his hands. He saw the golden opportunity to win and wanted to make use of it.


    "Although the Timber Deity Empire has retreated, we can''t guarantee that it''s not a trap. The Evian City has just been defended. But our army forces in the rear are still weak. If the Timber Deity Empire takes the opportunity to attack us again, we''ll be caught off guard again. So right now, we need to integrate our forces and give the long-term thought. Earlier because of the traitor Dunn, our intelligence leaked out. It made the Timber Deity Empire have the upper hand everywhere, so we need to make more solid plans. In addition, we haven''t gathered all the members of the Elite Regiment and there''s still some time left. We need to take this opportunity to adjust our forces and execute our existing plans accordingly," told Lance to the commanders.


    All the commanders nodded with approval.

 Chapter 609 The Disappearance

    While Lance was having difficulty locating Rocky, the latter was having no problem whatsoever within the Spiritual Fairyland.


    He spent several days in the Spiritual Fairyland hunting and collecting various spirit-manipulated beasts as well as studying their types of genes and basic genome sequences.


    As for utilizing the Sea Blue Magic Jade for cultivation, Rocky managed to unlock it along with results. He found the essential spiritual power within it and figured out that it was similar to a magnetic field, able to affect a certain area. Not only that, this area was able to absorb the Sea Blue Magic Jade''s spiritual power as well.


    Therefore, as long as the spirit manipulator cultivated enveloped by the Sea Blue Magic Jade''s spiritual power, their spiritual power would be affected and be enhanced, just as they cultivated in a place with abundant spiritual power. And the effect of the cultivation would be two or three times of that of the ordinary cultivation. In this case, if with the assistance of the mysterious treasure like the Dark Heaven Egg, the result of cultivation would be astonishing.


    Moreover, the Sea Blue Magic Jade could improve the spirit-manipulated beast''s strength as well. So during Rocky''s cultivation, four beasts, including Uriah, would surround him and enhance their individual strengths as well.


    This jade turned out to be a mobile, multi-purpose, and valuable power source. No wonder multiple spirit manipulators in the past had fought for its possession.


    The seven Dark Heaven Cubs grew up to be healthy thanks to Rocky''s attentive care. They were within close range of the Sea Blue Magic Jade before hatching, which led to them being born with strengthened physiques and growing at an alarmingly fast rate within a short amount of time.


    In order to take care of all seven Dark Heaven Cubs, Rocky needed to stimulate their brain nerves by training them to recognize their owner daily


    in the camp was delighted and excited upon seeing Rocky return. After all, Rocky protected the Evian City and assisted the Crimson Dragon Group. If it weren''t for him, the army would''ve been destroyed. He was deeply admired by the Crimson Dragon Group soldiers.


    Upon learning of Rocky''s arrival, many Commanders rushed to have a look including Sabina and Marin.


    "Where on earth have you been? You''ve disappeared for so long..." Marin asked as she rushed up to him.


    "What do you mean? I was always nearby," Rocky said calmly. Then his eyes fell on Sabina who stayed behind Marin. Immediately, his eyes flashed with a complex expression.


    Sabina, likewise, had a similar expression painted on. She guessed that the reason for his disappearance was that he wanted to avoid seeing her.


    Rocky stopped staring at her and proceeded to head towards the meeting room where Lance was.


    Hearing the news, Lance rushed to the meeting room door to welcome Rocky back. His face immediately lit up with relief upon seeing him.


    "If you all will excuse us, please. I need to speak with Rocky alone," Lance addressed to everyone in the room, gesturing them towards the exit. He nodded his head to signal Rocky to come in.


    Rocky took a few steps in before closing the door shut behind him.

 Chapter 610 I Have Made Up My Mind

    "Here, take a seat." Lance sat on his chair and gestured for Rocky to sit down.


    Rocky obliged. As soon as he was seated, Lance expressed his gratitude. "Thanks to you, Evian City was saved," he said. "I have made sure that His Majesty is aware of the contribution you have made to the Crimson Dragon Group."


    To Lance''s surprise, Rocky did not look pleased. He looked shocked, as if he was reminded of something. The emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire reminded him of his early days at the northwest military camp. Back then, he was known as Rocky instead of Basil. However, the military camp merged with the main camp and so Rocky figured his identity might have been known to some, including the emperor. After all, Marcia sent an apprentice to protect him in secret. Perhaps the emperor was also spying on him.


    "To express his gratitude, His Majesty had issued an imperial decree. You will be rewarded generously. I made sure that the reward is not anything you can say no to. I intend to restore you to Crimson Dragon General. This time, I will announce it to everyone," Lance stated.


    "There is no need for that. You shouldn''t have troubled yourself just to tell me this. If you have nothing else to say, I think I will have to excuse myself." Rocky was not interested in rewards. He got up and proceeded to the exit.


    "Please let me finish." Lance was familiar with Rocky''s cold attitude. He did not let himself be swayed.


    Rocky stopped in his tracks


    d felt that something was wrong.


    "What about?" asked Rocky.


    "I want you to marry Isis," Lance said.


    Rocky did not know what to say. He never would have guessed that Lance would make such a proposal. He was one of the Three Great Generals of the Holy Dragon Empire. Why would he want his daughter to marry a commoner like Rocky?


    "What do you mean?" Rocky looked perplexed.


    "As you heard, I want you to marry Isis," Lance repeated.


    "Are you serious?" Rocky could not think of any reason why Lance would force it. Obviously, there was a bigger reason behind it. Something was unknown to Rocky at that moment. Rocky guessed that Lance had known his real identity.


    But even then, the request was still ridiculous.


    "Why would I joke about this?" Lance said sharply.


    "Why are you forcing us to get married? Even if I am willing, I am pretty sure she would never agree to it. She does not like me," Rocky responded calmly and waited for Lance''s comeback.

 Chapter 611 Spare No Pains

    "I will talk to Isis. She is your responsibility now and I can''t think of any reason as to why you should decline. After all, you have slept with her already. I don''t care if you only did it to save her. You cannot escape from your responsibilities with her. This is about Isis'' future. Since she has lost her virginity, it is impossible for her to get married to others. I don''t think she''ll ever be happy with anyone else, anyway. I just want a good life for her," Lance said sternly.


    Rocky''s brows furrowed. He knew that virginity mattered to women, but it shouldn''t matter at this stage. He already felt guilty about what happened, but marrying Isis would''ve been an extreme thing to do.


    "You should be grateful I''m letting you marry Isis. Who else in the entire empire can compare to her?" Lance sounded proud.


    "Do I have a choice in this decision?" Rocky asked, narrowing his eyes. He could tell that Lance was very determined. Yet, even with Lance''s explanation, Rocky felt uneasy. There was still something strange about the sudden responsibility dropped on him.


    "No, you don''t," Lance said.


    "What if I don''t marry her?" Rocky inquired.


    "Then I would have no choice but to ensure that this world carries no memory of what happened to her. That means never letting anyone know of this and getting rid of your existence." At that point, Lance sounded angry.


    "Is that a threat? It seems that if I don''t agree, you might not let me leave here today." Rocky knew what Lance was trying to do. First, he tried to make him work for the Crimson Dragon Group, which Rocky said no to. Now, if Rocky married Isis, he would still be a member of the group. This was mainly just a ploy to make him s


    something special about you and that you are just hiding it. But I''m not here to pry about that. I just want you to help the Crimson Dragon Army win the war. Marry Isis and help us win the war and I promise that you would have the Crimson Dragon Group at your service," Lance said. He seemed more committed now to giving everything to Rocky just to get his assistance.


    "Commander in Chief, you really have your heart set on this. I understand you''d be very disappointed if I do not consider this." Rocky was on the verge of giving in but he wanted to give himself more time to think things through.


    "I''ll be fine. Just please, at the very least consider it." Lance felt satisfied that Rocky was lured.


    "I will, but I need more time to think about it." Rocky got up to leave.


    "I practically begged you," Lance murmured to himself. "You better agree to my request. We depend so much on you." Lance was very unsure about their chances in winning the war. But for now, he had to talk to his daughter because there was still a chance that she wouldn''t agree with the marriage. But even before that, he needed to get Rocky''s commitment.

 Chapter 612 She Even Got Into The Geisha House!

    Rocky saw Sabina as soon as he walked out of the hall. From her expression, she had been waiting for him for quite some time. However, he merely glanced at her, then walked away with an impassive expression.


    When Sabina saw that Rocky was leaving, she immediately tried to stop him. "Rocky!"


    "You should go back to your master''s place. Don''t follow me anymore," Rocky told Sabina coldly, without so much as a glance.


    "I won''t leave unless my master asks me to go back. No matter how much you hate me, I will continue to follow you," Sabina said firmly. She had received an urgent letter from her master, Marcia. The letter said that she should try her best to follow Rocky all the time, no matter what the cost. At any rate, she couldn''t stay away from him.


    "You are a strong warrior at the Supernal Stage. How could you be so clingy? Could you be secretly in love with me? Is that why you won''t leave me alone?" Rocky finally turned around fully and looked at Sabina mockingly.


    A frosty glare flashed across Sabina''s face. She could tell, that he was provoking her on purpose. Thus, she just gritted her teeth and put up with the insult. In the past, nobody had ever insulted her and gotten away with it. She had never been laughed at or mocked by others either. Naturally, if someone dared to do that to her, she would have broken every bone in their body. Thus, it took a great effort for her to let Rocky''s insult slide.


    When Sabina did not rise to his bait, Rocky just shrugged indifferently. He went back to ignoring her and went straight to the Isis Pavilion.


    After Rocky visited Sue at the Isis Pavilion, he went to the beast farm to look for Sheridan. However, he didn''t see him in person. He was told that Sheridan had not yet come back to the beast farm, and nobody had seen him since the battle at Evian City.


    "Where on earth has that old man gone? Anyway, I''m sure that with his strength, he would be safe and sound," Rocky murmured to himself, as he puzzled over Sheridan''s whereabouts.


    Then, he left the camp and went to the Super Beast F


    eks. It made her more attractive and tempting to all the men around her.


    The men''s eyes focused on Rocky too. They were jealous and hateful, as they cursed him for ditching such a gorgeous woman. They wondered how foolish he was to come to the Geisha House to play with ordinary women when his wife was more gorgeous than anyone else. His behavior generated great indignation.


    "Mr. Rocky." Yasmin recognized Rocky.


    Rocky glanced at Sabina and pretended not to know her. He didn''t even acknowledge her presence. Instead, he turned to Yasmin and said, "I''m here for Miss Laney. Please inform her that I''m here."


    "Laney told me that if Mr. Rocky came, I should invite you to her room," Yasmin replied immediately.


    Her words agitated the men once again. They knew that Laney was very rarely seen at the Geisha House. Most of the people came here for her sake, but they seldom had a chance to spend time with her alone. How come Rocky was invited directly to her room? First, a beautiful lady was chasing him, and now, he was the privileged guest of Laney. At that moment, all the male guests jealously perceived Rocky as their enemy. They also wondered why he was favored by the two ladies.


    "All right, I''ll go there myself." Without further ado, Rocky headed straight to the yard behind the Geisha House. The whole crowd watched his every step, their eyes filled with envy.

 Chapter 613 A Mental Connection

    Sabina saw Rocky leave and got up to follow him. However, she was stopped in her tracks by Yasmin.


    "That isn''t a place for women to go. In my opinion..." Before Yasmin could finish, Sabina made a sudden move. At the blink of an eye, she was gone, leaving others stunned.


    Rocky went through the front yard of the Geisha House and arrived at the back yard where he saw two maidservants standing by the widely open door of Laney''s room.


    "I''m looking for Miss Laney," Rocky explained to the maidservants.


    "Is that Mr. Rocky? Come on in. You two can leave now." Just then, a soft voice came from the room.


    The two maidservants bowed and left at once.


    Rocky looked back. Though he didn''t see Sabina, he knew she would follow, so he walked into Laney''s room. When he entered the door, he smelled a light fragrance, like the smell of mint, very refreshing. Through the gauze, he saw Laney in a light pink coat and a purple strapless dress leaning against the round table, seeming to have been waiting for him for a long time.


    "Miss Laney, did you know that I would come?" Rocky asked with arms folded across his chest.


    "Don''t you think that I''m good at predicting things ahead?" Laney flashed a sweet smile at Rocky.


    "If that''s the case, then I dare not sit down. If you tell me I could only live until tomorrow, I would not be in the mood to drink tonight," Rocky bantered.


    "Well, I am not that capable. I just heard that you went back to the headquarters and was about to send someone to invite you, but I didn''t expect you to show up here yourself..." Laney had a playful smile on her face.


    "I see. What a coincidence. I guess we have a sort of mental connection," Rocky joked.


    "It''s b


    ger and she could feel herself teetering off the edge of her self-control. She even wanted to kill them.


    "Rocky, I hate you! I don''t care what happens to you now!" Sabina hit the pillar with her hand and, in an instant, it froze completely. This meant that she was in total rage.


    Before it could go any further, Sabina disappeared.


    Rocky heard Sabina''s voice and froze for a moment. In a few seconds, there was silence and her aura disappeared.


    "Did she leave?" Laney asked.


    "Yes. Thank you for your help. That should get her off my back." Rocky nodded.


    Laney reached for the glass of wine on the table. "Drink this," she said. Laney put the glass in front of Rocky.


    Rocky picked up the glass and looked at Laney.


    "Drink. I''ll just go in and take something out." Laney waited for Rocky to put the glass near his lips. As soon as he did, she got up and went into her bedroom.


    At this time, Rocky, who was just about to drink up the glass of wine in his hand, looked up and glanced at the back of Laney. He was shocked a little, but then drank up the wine in his glass.


    After a few gulps, Rocky bent over the table.

 Chapter 614 Well Thought Out

    When Laney came out of the bedroom, she saw Rocky bent over the table. A sly smile appeared on her ruddy lips.


    "Mr. Rocky..." Laney sauntered to Rocky and shook him slightly, but Rocky didn''t react at all. She muttered quietly, "Don''t blame me. You shouldn''t have spoiled the princess''s plans. You will die now!" She quickly took out the dagger, which she had prepared in advance, from her sleeve.


    Everything happened so fast. The dagger glinted in the darkness of the room, as it headed straight toward Rocky. However, before it reached its mark, a hand stopped it from thin air.


    Laney was stunned for a moment. The man who stopped her was Rocky! ''Wasn''t he unconscious earlier?'' she thought.


    Rocky stood up. He eyed Laney coldly, as he took the dagger from her hand. With a swift movement, he threw out the dagger. It had landed beside her with a thud and deeply embedded into a wooden pillar.


    "Are you the one who is talking to Woods in the base camp of the Crimson Dragon Group?" Rocky asked as he studied Laney intently.


    "How do you know?" Laney gasped in surprise. She suspected that Rocky had already recognized her, but she didn''t know why he could spot her. She should have hidden it well. Besides, Rocky didn''t do anything strange until just now.


    "You mentioned that you knew the news of my return so quickly, which reminded me of what Yasmin had told me. Many of the Commanders of our base camp are your distinguished guests. One of them must tell you that I am back. I can guess that maybe the Commanders have said something to you, or maybe you seduced them and inadvertently revealed the secret of the Crimson Dragon Group. If my guess is right, it means that you know many secrets. In this way, you are very suspicious," said Rocky with a pensive look on his face.


    "So what? Those are just your suspicions. You do not have any evidence to support that." Laney scrutinized Rocky. She could tell that he had other reasons to think that.


    "Actually, y


    ation, His Royal Highness will have a chance to plead for mercy for you," Laney advised gently.


    "Do you think you can keep me here? With your strengths..." Rocky trailed off as he studied his opponents. Although there were a lot of people, they were inferior to Rocky in strength. He was confident that he could escape.


    "Do you think I just put medicine in the wine?" A shrewd expression crossed Laney''s face. Her beautiful red and purple eyes glinted intelligently.


    Rocky''s body suddenly tensed at Laney''s words. He suddenly became aware of the heaviness in the chest. He was further alarmed when the spiritual power circulation in his body seemed to be blocked.


    "I have put a Spiritual Power Interrupting Incense in my censer. As long as you inhale a little of it, your spiritual power circulation will be affected. The more you inhale, the greater the effect will be. The incense you have been inhaling from the start is enough to stop you from using your spiritual power for, at least, an hour. Without your spiritual power, you won''t be able to defeat any of them," Laney explained.


    "You are really well prepared! But I still have you. Will your partners do anything to you?" Laney gasped in alarm when Rocky abruptly pulled her into his arms. She inhaled sharply when he pressed one hand against her neck.

 Chapter 615 Prepare for Your Doom

    "Kill him now!" Laney''s smile looked sinister as she ordered the girls without any fear.


    Immediately, a group of girls rushed towards Rocky, completely regardless of Laney''s safety.


    As Rocky saw the scene, his face sank. He now realized that Laney was prepared to get rid of him by every possible means. Yet, he couldn''t kill her right now, because she was still useful to him.


    The group of girls were about to approach the two soon, but were abruptly stopped at the sight of colorful lights bursting from where Rocky and Laney were. The light was so bright that it hurt the girls'' eyes. When they regained their vision, the two were gone.


    A few moments after, a beast sped above Evian City.


    On its back sat two figures. One of them seemed imprisoned by the other.


    It was Rocky and Laney who just a few moments earlier were at the Geisha House.


    "How did you do that?" Laney asked in astonishment. One minute, she was in the Geisha House and then the next she was sitting behind Rocky on top of a beast. Although she sat behind him, Laney could tell Rocky was proud of himself. Once again, he escaped her trap.


    "Perhaps you don''t know me as much as you thought you did. If you only knew enough about me, I would''ve been in deep trouble now," Rocky said in an almost mocking manner.


    "Let me go! Or I''ll make you r


    lips and glared at Rocky furiously.


    "Let''s keep this short. Tell me everything about the Timber Deity Empire and I just might spare you," Rocky proposed.


    "No way!" Laney rejected firmly and turned her head.


    Rocky smiled and, with gentle fingers, grabbed her sleeve and slowly took her clothes off.


    "Ah!" Laney screamed. "You are a horrible man!"


    "Just like you," Rocky stated. "Didn''t you use me and almost kill me?" Rocky chuckled. "If you continue saying no, I''ll remove more of your clothes. I may not be a cruel torturer, but I do have ways to make sure my enemy gets bad endings."


    "I''m not afraid of you," Laney defended.


    "Then prepare for your doom."


    Laney tried to think fast. She couldn''t guess what Rocky had in mind. Last time, she was only ordered to test him but, no matter how bad things got, she couldn''t tell him anything about the Timber Deity Empire.

 Chapter 616 This Is The Price

    "I don''t have much patience. If you don''t mind me taking off all of them, I will just continue," Rocky threatened calmly.


    "No, no!" Laney cried out. She prayed that the ground would open and swallow her, just so Rocky''s humiliation would end.


    "Then say it," said Rocky coldly.


    "I will never betray the princess. My life belongs to the princess, so even if I die, I will not betray her." Laney glared at Rocky. Her loyalty helped her stand firm in front of Rocky.


    "It seems that you are loyal to your princess. She would be touched if she heard that. But unfortunately, she can''t save you." Rocky narrowed his eyes at her. He had hoped that she would be easily scared, but she was proving him wrong.


    "Just kill me," Laney begged. She was already ashamed of herself. She would rather die than continue to be insulted by Rocky.


    "That would be too good for you. I''ve never showed mercy to those who treated me wrongly in the first place," Rocky said coolly. His inscrutable expression only a


    le to move.


    "This is your last chance. You can leave if you tell me what you know. If you still refuse to tell me, I have no choice," Rocky warned for the last time.


    "No more excuses..." Laney responded with a giggle.


    It never occurred to Rocky that Laney would rather sacrifice herself than betray the princess, so he hesitated.


    ''Why didn''t he kill me?'' Laney wondered uneasily. Unfortunately, she wouldn''t get any answers.


    At this moment, a few women rushed into the cave. They were shocked to see Laney and shouted, "Miss Laney, are you all right?"


    "How did you find me?" Laney''s eyes widened in surprise when she saw that they were her subordinates.

 Chapter 617 An Expectation

    "We got a news that Miss Laney was kidnapped here, so... But what on earth happened? Miss Laney, why did you..." Those figures looked at the clothes scattered on the ground with little confusion and couldn''t guess at all.


    "I''m fine. My identity has been known to all, so I can''t stay in Evian City any longer. We have to go back to the Timber Deity Empire right now," said Laney. She shook her head very calmly and then went out of the cave while wrapping her robe more tightly. But soon she turned around and said, "You better forget what you saw just now. If anyone dares to disclose it, don''t blame me for being ruthless."


    "Yes, Miss Laney. We obey as you say." Those figures cupped their hands and bowed hurriedly.


    Soon Laney left the cave and disappeared in the dim moonlight under the protection of these figures.


    As Rocky walked out of the dense jungle with tall dark conifers, he looked at Laney and other figures disappearing. Rocky sneered and said to himself, "You must be curious to know why I didn''t kill you? You are still useful for me. I would rather keep you alive than kill you. Maybe you can be a trump card of mine." After that he disappeared from the land of tall trees in the jungle.


    Lance had already asked someone to deliver the information to Isis informing her that Rocky was back.


    Isis had been sending people to look for Rocky during the period that he was missing. So when she heard that Rocky was back, she finally felt relieved. Meanwhile, she went back to the base camp as soon as she got the news because Lance wanted to meet her urgently.


    After returning to the base camp, she went straight to Lance''s study.


    His study was this vast room with mild yellow light and wooden cabinets. Isis always met her father there when she had to talk in person.


    "Father... I''m here," said Isis as soon as she entered Lance''s study. Lance was stuck at a moment of contemplation when Isis arrived.


    "You are back! Thank God," said Lance. With a kind fatherly smile, he was very happy to see his daughter after long.


    "Is there anything important that you want to say as you asked me to meet you urgently?" asked Isis. She knew that her father would not call her back in such a hurry, unless the matter was of much importance.


    Isis raised her brows with desperation to know what he had to tell her. She was confused.


    Lance nodded gently. Then he stood up and walked to the bay window on the north. He sighed, looking a little bit worried. He tried to speak out, but ended up mumbling few words.


    "Father, what''s wrong with you? Is there anything bothering you?" Isis asked anxiously.


    "Isis, do you think we can win in this final battle? I know we have worked hard," Lance asked by staring into his daughter''s eyes.


    "If we use the power of the Elite Regim


    n exposed yet. I can tell from his eyes that he wants to get the forces of the Crimson Dragon Group..." Lance shook his head and continued, "Isis, if Rocky marries you, he will be able to get everything he wants and the Crimson Dragon Group will also have the trump card to defeat the Timber Deity Empire. Moreover, I believe that he is a nice person at heart and he will treat you pretty well. What more do you want? Besides, you can lie to others, but not to me, your father. I know that you liked him from the very beginning."


    On hearing this, Isis trembled with fear and anxiety. She didn''t dare to look straight into her father''s eyes.


    "Just as I expected." Lance was not sure about it before. But now he had known the answer from his daughter''s behavior and added, "Isis, my method may be a little sneaky. But I am willing to do anything for you and for the future of the Crimson Dragon Group. I have your best interests in mind. I won''t do any harm. So, please think about it seriously. If you still don''t agree with me, I will make another plan. But think!" Lance knew that he couldn''t force Isis to agree on this. He decided to leave her alone for a while to think in peace.


    Isis'' mind was very complicated at this very moment as she did not want to compel Rocky to do anything he didn''t like. But her father was right, at present the Crimson Dragon Group needed Rocky. Her feeling for Rocky was truly different from others. Although it was not that strong, it was undeniable that there was indeed a love relationship between them. She always liked for his bravery and strength.


    Isis lost her head when she realized that she was about to marry a man who was still strange to her. All of a sudden she didn''t know what to do with him at all. But at the same time, there seemed to be a glimmer of hope deep down in her heart. She didn''t know how to make a decision...

 Chapter 618 Agree With The Marriage

    "Isis, you can tell me after you consider it and make a decision. After all, it''s an important milestone in your life. You need to think it over first. Now, you must be tired from the long journey back. Go back to the Isis Pavilion first and have a rest!" Lance reassuringly told Isis. He didn''t want her to feel pressured or forced to make a decision.


    Isis decided not to say anything. She nodded at her father and walked out of Lance''s study in silence. She went straight to the Isis Pavilion to rest.


    Meanwhile, Rocky had just returned from the Spiritual Fairyland. He decided to go to the Isis Pavilion to visit Sue, but along the way, he happened to meet Isis. It turned out that she was on her way to the Isis Pavilion to rest.


    "You are back?"


    "Why are you here?"


    They greeted each other in surprise but happened to speak at the same time. They paused at first, but they couldn''t help but laugh at themselves.


    "You came at the right time. I want to talk to you about something." Isis'' smiling face suddenly turned grave. She gestured for Rocky to follow, as she walked into the Isis Pavilion.


    Rocky could guess from Isis'' expression that she wanted to talk about Lance''s proposal. From her behavior, he could sense her unwillingness to accept the marriage.


    They soon arrived at the Isis Pavilion. Sue shrieked in excitement when she saw Isis. She exclaimed, "Miss Isis, you''re back!"


    "Yes, I am." Isis gave Sue a gentle smile. She looked fondly at her like she was her younger sister.


    "Mr. Bai, you are also here!" Sue greeted Rocky politely when she saw him follow behind Isis.


    "Sue, I want to drink hibiscus tea. Can you go and pick some hibiscus flowers for me?" Isis sweetly asked Sue.


    "All right. I will go right away." Sue nodded her head at once. She took a flower basket from the corner and left the Isis Pavilion.


    Then, Isis went up to the attic, followed by Rocky.


    Isis suddenly stopped when they reached the attic. Behind her, Rocky stopped as well.


    An awkward silence settled over the roo


    Isis was completely lost. She found it extremely difficult to make a choice.


    "It seems that even if I agree, you won''t. It makes sense. With your character, you will never put up with anything you don''t like. There is nothing to stop you from finding someone who is better than me and wouldn''t mind your past," Rocky encouragingly said when he noticed that she was still hesitating.


    "Actually, after that event, I''ve decided not to marry anyone," Isis said with a resolute expression. Rocky looked at her in surprise.


    He was entranced by the fierce determination he saw in her eyes. However, he was also saddened by her answer.


    "Why not?" Rocky asked earnestly, though he could guess her reason.


    "I''ve lost my virginity, and I know that any man would prefer their wife to be a virgin. Whoever I marry, I may not be happy. If so, why should I look for trouble for myself? It''s better to live alone. Good men are very rare, after all." Isis smiled. It seemed that she was just making excuses for herself.


    "Since you say so, then I am at fault. After all, I''m the one who..." Rocky uttered, a morose expression written over his face.


    "I don''t blame you. It is the god of destiny that made fools out of us!" Isis spoke with a resigned sigh.


    "In that case, why don''t we have a fake marriage?" Rocky suggested after a short but thoughtful silence.

 Chapter 619 A Strange Atmosphere

    "A fake marriage? What do you mean?" Isis exclaimed. She was stunned. How could Rocky propose such a thing?


    "We will get married, but it''ll be fake. You will be my wife, and I your husband, but on paper only. In actuality, there won''t be a relationship between us. We will still live our lives separately," Rocky explained calmly.


    "Will it actually work? Doesn''t marriage oblige the new couple to worship heaven and earth? Marriage is not a flippant thing. How can it be a sham?" Isis'' jaw dropped in shock at the idea. After all, she did follow some conservative ideas. Rocky, on the other hand, was familiar with the idea of arranged marriages, only for the couples to secretly live separately.


    "If you don''t mind worshiping heaven and earth with me, it''s ok." Rocky winked. "As for the wedding night, nobody actually knows what goes on in the room. You mentioned you don''t even want to get married anyway, but you are responsible for your father. So, I propose that we pretend to get married, and your father will be able to rest easy. You can continue to live your life separate from mine, until you find someone you truly love," Rocky finished with a flourish, his eyes twinkling.


    "It sounds reasonable." Isis nodded in agreement. Even though she thought Rocky''s proposal was extremely bold, it seemed to make sense to her, and could solve the current bind they were in.


    "But you have to tell me first: why did you suddenly agree to marry me? My father said that you wanted to get the Crimson Dragon Group''s support. Is that true?" Even with slight hesitation, Isis knew she needed to know the truth.


    "The older, the wiser!" Rocky said with a smile. He thought he''d hidden it well, but of course, Lance had seen through it.


    "Yes, it''s true. I do ne


    rry you, it''s not too bad an exchange. My father has devoted his life to the Crimson Dragon Army. However, since the war with the Timber Deity Empire, we have lost our reputation. Only when we defeat the Timber Deity Empire will we be able to restore our honor," Isis replied matter-of-factly.


    "Really? Is there any other reason apart from that?" asked Rocky, frowning.


    Isis'' cheeks turned red hot. Although she had just delivered a grandiose speech, there was indeed an ulterior reason as to why she was willing to marry him. She glanced at her feet as her heart beat uncontrollably fast.


    ''I''m already yours, '' she thought to herself. If she could marry him, even if it was a sham marriage, at least she''d get to be with the one she loved.


    "I''ll ask Sue to prepare a room for you. Rest up today and we shall meet with my father tomorrow." Dodging Rocky''s question, she instructed him her plan.


    "Okay," Rocky replied meekly, dropping the subject. Although he was pleased things were going according to plan, he was not happy at all.


    A silence fell over them as they both were lost in their own thoughts. The strange atmosphere was only broken when Sue came back.

 Chapter 620 The Matter Happening That Year

    "Sue, don''t make tea now. Go to the opposite courtyard to prepare a room for Mr. Bai to rest. He has important things to do tomorrow," Isis immediately ordered.


    "Okay, Miss Isis." Sue nodded her head obediently and promptly turned to Rocky. "Come with me, Mr. Bai."


    With one last meaningful look at Isis, Rocky left with Sue.


    On the opposite side of the Isis Pavilion, there was a quiet quadrangle courtyard. After Sue took Rocky into the courtyard, she chose a quiet room and cleaned it up for him. After that, she asked some people to prepare the bathtub and hot water and send them to Rocky''s room.


    "Sue, you are so considerate. I haven''t taken a hot bath in ages." Rocky smiled at the comely sight of the hot water sprinkled with petals in the bathtub. He hurriedly took off his clothes and soaked himself. He felt peaceful, as he leaned comfortably at the edge of the bathtub. Before long, he was out like a light.


    He dreamed of a beautiful face filled with bitterness and hatred. The person in his dream glared at him hatefully, arms outstretched. He twisted awake from the distressing sight, mouth opened in a scream. "Lena!"


    At the same time, in the Palace City of the Holy Dragon Empire, the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire was discussing the state affairs with the ministers in the Grand Holy Hall. Suddenly, the captain of the guards hastily approached and knelt on one knee. "Your Majesty, Her Royal Highness has returned!"


    "Lena is back?" When the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire heard that, his face lit up with joy.


    The ministers also began to whisper to each other.


    Since Lena suddenly went to the Dragon Holy Land for cultivation a year ago, there had been almost no news about her. Therefore, many unsavory rumors circled throughout the Palace City. Everyone thought that something bad happened to Lena.


    Meanwhile, Alston, who was standing in front of all the ministers, beamed in happiness. He had been waiting for this day for a long time.


    Their heads turned when a beautiful woman sedately entered the Grand Holy Hall. Everyone was mesmerized by her graceful movements, her elegant temperament and exceedingly beautiful face.


    All the ministers and even Alston were bewi


    "If it''s just this matter, you could have said it in front of all the ministers earlier. Do you have something else to tell me?" asked the emperor, with a sly look on his face.


    Lena hesitated. Her body trembled slightly, as she tried to speak, "Basil..."


    The emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire was surprised to hear Lena mention Basil. It was hard for Lena to talk about what he had done to her, so the emperor didn''t expect her to mention Basil.


    "I know you can''t forgive him. Anyway, he is my son, and he was punished already. Just let bygones be bygones." The emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire sighed. He thought that Lena still bore a grudge from that event.


    "It''s not that I haven''t forgiven him. I''m just a little disappointed. I wouldn''t blame him if he came to explain afterward. After all, he was young and ignorant at that time, so it was inevitable for him to make mistakes. And..." Lena shook her head. She appeared to struggle for calm, as disappointment crept onto her face. "However, he didn''t even look for me. Instead, he chose to escape. He preferred to be punished and leave the Palace City."


    "Wait, Lena. Did you just say that Basil hasn''t gone to find you? What about the fight in front of the Witch Palace?" The emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire sensed that something was wrong. He thought that Lena knew about Basil''s fight in front of the Witch Palace. After all, Basil''s behavior at that time caused a great uproar, so Lena should have known that.

 Chapter 621 Lena Got To Know The Truth

    "What? The fight in front of the Witch Palace?" Lena asked. Doubt was evident in her tone when she responded after hearing those words.


    "So, you really have no idea of what happened before. Maybe I can enlighten you, back then..." The emperor then told Lena the whole story. At that time, in order to see her, Basil had to recklessly break into the Witch Palace. He even fought fiercely with a lot of royal guards at the Heavenly Stage. There was also an instance where he made the power of the Holy Dragon Bead lose control, and he almost became a devil.


    After Lena heard that, shock and disbelief were displayed on her face. What she could not accept was that she did not know all the truth until a year later. A year ago, Alston had only told her that Basil had pleaded guilty and was willing to be punished and leave the Palace City. However, what she didn''t know was that to see her, Basil had risked his life and tried to break into the Witch Palace.


    "Then, where is Basil now?" Lena couldn''t help but ask. Her voice sounded curious, and worried too. It had taken her quite a long time to adjust and forget him. Now, it was as if she lost her inner peace.


    "Back then, Basil''s power was sealed. Later, he was sent to the Gehenna Border for punishment. However, after the war between the Holy Dragon Empire and the Timber Deity Empire broke out, even I don''t know where he is now," the emperor responded with a solemn expression.


    "What?" Lena found it hard to believe what he just said. A surge of concern rose up inside of her. Her body trembled and she started to regret the time that had passed without seeing Basil. If she had just walked out of the Witch Palace even once, perhaps all this wouldn''t have happened. If she was willing to forgive Basil back then, the penalty for his crime would have been less severe. However, it was too late. It was only now that she knew all of this.


    "But you don''t have to worry too much about him. I have secretly sent people out to know about his whereabouts. As long as he is still within the Gehenna Border, he should be easy to track," the emperor stated as he tried to comfort her.


    But he didn''t know that he had been kept in the dark all this time. He couldn''t know anything about Basil.


    "Your Majesty, please find Basil! I want to see him! I must see him!" Tears welled up in Lena''s eyes as she pleaded. She felt horrible and thought that Basil had suffered a lot because of her. Now, she didn''t know where he was, and


    asil?'' Lena thought to herself. ''However, it is impossible for him to own such rare treasure. Perhaps someone sent it to him? But as far as I know, there are only two spiritual power gathering crystals in the Holy Dragon Empire: one in the hand of the Ximen Clan''s leader, and the other in the hand of Marcia. Is it possible...'' Lena continued to think hard. As a smart girl, she soon had some guess about the crystal. After a while, she turned away and walked out of the palace. The crystal was like a clue to her, which might be able to lead her to Basil.


    Although this crystal gave her a chance to find Basil, there was still no assurance that it was possible for her to reunite with someone who had been lost for nearly a year.


    The next morning, Rocky had just finished cultivating when he heard a knock on the door. "Come in!" he shouted.


    The door was pushed open. Sue walked in and was carrying a gorgeous robe and underwear in her hands.


    "Mr. Bai, Miss Isis asked me to bring these to you," Sue said calmly, and then put the items on the bed.


    "Okay," shortly replied Rocky.


    "By the way, Mr. Bai, is there anything important today? Why did Miss Isis dress up very early in the morning looking like a fairy? Her beauty made me so jealous. If I had even just one-tenth of her beauty, I would be satisfied!" Sue asked jokingly with a sweet smile on her face.


    "Really?" Rocky raised his eyebrows and smiled. He had guessed the reason. Today might be an important day for him and Isis.


    "Mr. Bai, hurry up then. After you change your clothes, please come to the Isis Pavilion," Sue said. Finishing her task, she turned around and left.

 Chapter 622 We Love Each Other

    Rocky finished changing his clothes and grooming his hair. With a smooth hairstyle, he made himself look more handsome and masculine.


    After leaving the room, Rocky went to the Isis Pavilion. As soon as he arrived at the door, he saw Isis walk out. She was dressed in a bright white elegant dress. The fabric was soft and it swayed when she moved. She was indeed as beautiful as a fairy, even the flowers in front of her house overshadowed by her beauty.


    "What are you looking at?" Isis asked when she saw Rocky was staring at her. She felt weird being stared at and she could not help but bow her head with shame.


    "Nothing," Rocky said almost too fast. He took back his gaze and smiled softly.


    "Let''s go." Isis invited Rocky. Without waiting for Rocky''s response, she went on to lead the way.


    Rocky followed her immediately. Although they did not converse as they were on the way, they occasionally glanced at each other out of the corner of their eyes. Tension rose every time their eyes matched.


    On their way, they naturally attracted a lot of attention. Both of them looked very attractive, more so being together in the same place. This sightings also caused many discussions and doubts among the people.


    Isis had already asked the servant to inform Lance beforehand, so Lance was already waiting for Isis in his study.


    When the two arrived at the study, Lance disregarded his supreme majesty and personally made a pot of tea. He poured tea for them, looking very happy.


    Lance already had a clue of Rocky''s presence. He confirmed his speculations when he saw him coming in with Isis on his side.


    "Commander in Chief, Isis has promised to marry me." Rocky didn''t waste time and spoke of the matter directly.


    "Really? That''s great!" Lance''s face lit up with a big smile upon hearing this from Rocky. It seemed that he was very happy to see Isis and Rocky were going to get married.


    "Father, are you in such a hurry to marry me off?" Seeing Lance''s reaction, Isis couldn''t help but complain.


    y, the surprise of everyone there was no less than that of Marin. No one had thought that Rocky would actually come to propose to Isis.


    Come to think about it, Rocky was just a little nameless man. It was just a daydream for him to marry the daughter of Lance who was one of the Three Great Generals of the Holy Dragon Empire. Isis was out of Rocky''s league for sure.


    This thought was made by everyone present in the hall. However, considering that the Crimson Dragon Army had gone through so many trials, and Rocky had helped them out again and again, he had gained popularity among the people. He had already established his own prestige, and even a few members of the Crimson Dragon Army who were seniors thought highly of him.


    All the people present were impressed by Rocky''s bold proposal, because not everyone would dare to do that.


    "In order to show my sincerity, I have specially prepared some betrothal presents..." Rocky said as he clapped his hands firmly.


    Then, as if on signal, a dozen people came in carrying several big boxes.


    Rocky asked them to open one of the boxes. They followed the order and opened it after laying it on the ground. The people leaned in to get a closer look and gasped as they saw a burst of golden light.


    All eyes focused on the box. Their jaws dropped as they saw that it was filled with gold.

 Chapter 623 A Thrilling Banquet

    "Take this fifty thousand taels of gold as a betrothal gift for marrying Isis," said Rocky as he showed the gold in the box.


    However, this scene shocked everyone in the room upon seeing what Rocky had just done.


    In that room, no one had ever thought that Rocky could be that rich. It was fifty thousand taels of gold! The money he gave was so huge that it had everyone''s jaws almost drop to the ground. In fact, most of the people in the room could not make that amount of money even for a lifetime.


    "Here. Take this box as well. It contains different jewelries for Isis." Right after he finished his words, Rocky asked the servant to open the other box that was beside the one containing gold. Inside the box, there were various pieces of valuable jewelry that could be worth a lot¡ªpearls, agates, emerald, and jade.


    And in no time, all the three remaining boxes were opened, brimming with treasures and valuable objects with so much worth.


    In total, all of the things inside the boxes were estimated at a worth of at least a hundred thousand taels of gold. Anyone with common sense could guess the amount for everyone knew how valuable each piece was. Everything Rocky had given Isis as the betrothal present was of so much value that it was equal to a huge sum of money.


    Seeing Rocky''s lavish presents, both Lance and Isis were also surprised. As a matter of fact, they had never heard Rocky mention anything about betrothal gifts. The proposal for today was supposed to just go through the motions, but Rocky had already brought such expensive betrothal presents without letting them know in advance.


    Rocky had initially intended to keep the whole thing as short and as simple as possible. However, right when he realized how Isis was very much willing to sacrifice her lifetime of happiness just to help him, he felt that he needed to do more and show his gratitude to her. After all, he knew that no one other than Isis could make a sacrifice this big. Feeling that he needed to give more to Isis, he wanted the proposal to be so eye-catching that it would certainly grab everyone''s attention. He thought that he could make a simple proposal even grander. Moreover, he thought that the gifts could also give Isis some comfort for all of her sacrifices. To make this happen, he went to the Super Beast Farm on purpose. There, he asked Shawn to prepare several boxes of betrothal presents for him. After all, he could actually afford several gifts for money was not an issue to him. It was no big deal for him since the treasures that he had put up for sale in the Super Beast Farm were several times more expensive than the total cost of the betrothal presents that he had just purchased.


    Despite of how all the people present there were astonished at the sight of the grand display of betrothal presents, they also thought that Lance would not think too much of those things. Being one of the Three Great Generals in the Holy Dragon Empire, Lance and his daughter were very known and popular with all the citizens. Even though Rocky gave his all, the citizens were still unsure if he would succeed with his proposal.


    But of course, none of the onlookers in the area kn


    epped forward to facilitate this joyous occasion gracefully.


    The whole room quieted down after that. It was such big news and nothing could ever change Lance''s decision. Seeing it as final, the onlookers had nothing to do but congratulate the future couple, Isis and Rocky, and also Lance, in succession.


    "And since there is a war approaching us, I will select their wedding day as soon as possible. By then, I will hold a grand banquet to celebrate this joyous occasion, in which all of you are invited to attend," Lance added.


    Meanwhile, after their play had ended, Lance and Allen went straight to the conference hall along with some Elite Commanders to discuss their current military situation. The onlookers left the hall, too.


    Suddenly, Isis walked up to Rocky as she looked at the boxes suspiciously. Curious, she could not help but ask, "Where on earth did you get all the money for this? You have never mentioned giving betrothal gifts before. And about that bottle of miracle liquid you gave to my father, I guess it was not the one I once took, right? That was a very unusual elixir, and yet you gave my father a bottle of it. And you also offered four middle-grade Dark Heaven Eggs. You are really generous!"


    "So what? You don''t mean you also want to take my private coffer, do you? You are not my wife yet," Rocky asked back. "Do I have to hand all the money that I earn to you for safe keeping from now on? Is that how it''s going to be, my future Mrs. Rocky? Yes indeed, it took me a significant investment of money and effort to marry you, my lady. Imagine that I only have four middle-grade Dark Heaven Eggs and now I gave all of them to you..." Rocky said as he joked around.


    "Stop kidding me, Rocky. I''m serious. You know that this is just a fake engagement between us..." But before she could end her sentence, Isis suddenly stopped talking for she saw a young woman walking towards them, glamorously.


    "Marin..." Isis called the lady at once.


    Turning around, Rocky saw Marin, who was already standing beside them. However, something was pretty odd as she didn''t look so well on her face...

 Chapter 624 The Final Battle

    "So, when did you two... fall for each other?" Marin asked in confusion, as she bit her pink lips. She had never expected Isis and Rocky to marry so soon. It hurt that she was kept in the dark, but the fact that she and her cousin fell in love with the same man made it even more painful.


    "We..." Not knowing how to react to Marin''s flustered face, Isis turned to Rocky hoping for an answer.


    "Never mind. Don''t tell me. Congratulations! I wish you... a happy life... together," Marin awkwardly congratulated before shaking her head. She began to sob as she turned away and left.


    "Marin..." Isis called out to her. She knew something was off.


    "Go. She needs you, Isis," Rocky told her.


    Isis immediately chased after Marin.


    "Now, we must prepare for the upcoming battle against the Timber Deity Empire." Rocky narrowed his eyes. No more regrets. No more wasted time. More focus and attention on the battle plan. Once they were married, Lance hoped to appoint Rocky as the new leader of the Crimson Dragon Army against the Timber Deity Empire. Rocky was fully aware of Alyssa''s mighty power along with her powerful Timber Deity Empire soldiers. She wouldn''t be easy to defeat. Although he had managed to lead a few strategies against her, he had yet to confront her face-to-face. Alyssa had placed the Crimson Dragon Army in extreme danger multiple times in the past. This further proved her extraordinary intellect and might on the battlefield. Thus, Rocky and the Crimson Dragon Army needed to prepare thoroughly if they wanted any chance of defeating her.


    After Isis caught up with Marin, she found her sobbing like a hurt child. Immediately, Marin threw herself into her cousin''s arms and sobbed harder.


    "Marin, what''s wrong?" Isis asked, worried and confused. She had not seen her cousin cry like that in so long. Marin''s normal reaction to hearing her cousin was getting married wo


    le and would never hurt her, she didn''t want a husband who was only forced to be with her. It was a life she didn''t want for either of them.


    After Lance announced the wedding, the matter caught on in the whole Evian City. Rocky used to be an unfamiliar name to the city''s citizens. Now, his name was known by all thanks to him saving the Evian City and because of that, he gained lots of support. Naturally, this marriage was the one that people would be happy with.


    When news of the marriage broke out, Alyssa was already returning with her troops to the camp located along the Timber Deity Empire''s border from the Deity Unicorn Valley. She was already planning her next attack on the Crimson Dragon Army.


    "Are you sure about this, Alyssa?" Woods confirmed with her regarding their battle strategy in the commander''s tent.


    "We could''ve achieved our goal by now if we successfully took over the Evian City. Our carelessness caused us to lose more than twenty thousand soldiers. And in a short period of time, we can''t gather more soldiers. Don''t worry. I have a plan. Consider this our final battle against the Crimson Dragon Army. More specifically, this will be the final battle... forever," Alyssa uttered with narrowed eyes and a face full of determination.

 Chapter 625 Congratulations to the Bride and Groom

    "This is all my fault," Woods lamented. "I should have been more careful." He was confident at first that he could successfully attack Evian City. However, his plans did not consider Rocky joining in defense of the Crimson Dragon Army especially when he was wronged by Lance.


    "Rocky should not have intervened. We underestimated him. He even managed to escape the assassination and successfully revealed Laney''s identity," Alyssa said with resentment. Hearing Rocky''s name made her flinch and triggered a deep anger in her. She could not wait actually meeting the man and giving him what he deserved.


    "I''ve warned you about him, Alyssa." Woods was only informed afterwards that Alyssa sent Laney to plan the assassination. When he found out, the plan was already in motion. He could only worry about Rocky. When Laney returned, she informed them that her identity had been exposed and that the assassination had failed. Woods felt a rock get lifted off his chest. Despite everything, he did not want Rocky to die like that.


    "He can''t run away forever," Alyssa remarked with conviction.


    "Your Royal Highness, the Evian City spy sent news." A guard came in with an armful of paper.


    Alyssa grabbed the papers and skimmed it. Her eyes widened as she went through the files.


    "What happened?" Woods asked after seeing Alyssa''s shocked expression.


    As a way of response, Alyssa passed the papers to him.


    "Rocky is going to marry the daughter of Lance?" Woods shared Alyssa''s surprise. "And it''s happening soon.


    We shouldn''t have let go of him before. We should have killed him earlier. As soon as he marries the daughter of Lance, he would become much more powerful than he already is," Alyssa said sternly.


    "Do you just want to kill him because you are afraid of losing?" Woods inquired. He knew that Alyssa was already determined to kill Rocky. And, if


    emed like it was just yesterday when she first met Rocky. It was at the Isis Pavilion and she caught Rocky peeping at her. And now, she was going to marry that man. They had been through quite a drama together it felt almost unreal.


    "Miss Isis, please look out for Mr. Bai. After all, he is quite irresponsible with himself. I hope you take good care of him," Sue said as she combed Isis'' hair.


    "I will." Isis nodded. She knew that it was her duty as a wife to take care of him and she accepted it wholeheartedly. Their marriage was inauthentic, but she was determined to act like a real wife.


    "The phoenix coronet and the gown are here. You can try it on. If it doesn''t fit, we''ll send it to the tailor." Two maids entered with the items.


    Isis admired the phoenix coronet and the gown and said, "It''s beautiful."


    "Oh my, you''d definitely look gorgeous in this!" Sue sweetly remarked.


    With the help of the maids, Isis tried the wedding garments. Everyone in the room stared at her with admiration. She looked like a peony in full bloom.


    "Wow," a man''s voice said. "My future wife looks beautiful. I wish there was a way for me to capture this memory." Isis looked up and exchanged glances with the person who just entered the room.

 Chapter 626 A Cooperation

    All the women turned towards the direction of the voice and saw the groom himself, Rocky, approaching Isis.


    "You can''t just pop out of nowhere! You almost scared me to death," Isis said with a playful tone. She was trying to mask the fact that she was feeling flustered at the thought of Rocky''s eyes looking at her with admiration. He was staring at her so blatantly that Isis almost felt embarrassed in front of the maids.


    "Mr. Bai, get out of here please. You''re not supposed to see the bride before the wedding, remember? It''s a tradition!" Sue shouted as she rushed towards Rocky and pushed him out of the door.


    Rocky shrugged and did as ordered. He proceeded to return to his room to continue cultivation but a guard stopped him in his tracks.


    "Commander Rocky! I am so glad to bump into you! The Commander in Chief asked me to look for you. Come, let''s go to him," the guard stated carefully not sound disrespectful.


    "Alright, let''s go." Rocky followed the guard towards the conference hall.


    A full conference hall welcomed Rocky. In the middle, Lance was seated with Allen, head of Elite Regiment. Beside him, a familiar bald man sat. It was the second chair of Elite Regiment, Sheehan. However, there was still an unfamiliar middle-aged man to the left of Lance. And the uniformed commanders did not look like members of the Crimson Dragon Army. Rocky stared at the middle-aged man across the room. He could tell that he was a cultivator of the Supernal Stage or at least a man of special position.


    As soon as Rocky stepped in, all the people in the room turned to look at him. Instantly, Rocky felt vulnerable. He could tell that there was tension in the room and that the people were not looking at him pleasantly. Sheehan, especially, stared at Rocky almost angrily. Rocky figured that he must have known that the Sea Blue Magic Jade was in his pockets. But that wasn''t too likely. Rocky never mentioned the Sea Blue Magic Jade to anyone. He knew that the mere possession of such rare treasure would make him lots of enemies.


    "Commander in Chief," Rocky addressed Lance with a curt bow.


    "Is this your future son-in-law? He looks quite dashing, if I may say so myself!" th


    contemplative. He knew he needed to expect the worst from Buff.


    "We need to get Buff on our side. He has powerful military skills. He could be helpful to us," Lance weighted his words.


    "How does he fare compared to you?" Rocky asked bluntly.


    "That''s not an easy thing to measure. In the military, each one has their own strengths and weaknesses. Buff is good at fast attacks. He can mobilize his soldiers efficiently, as if they have four legs. They can also be sneaky. He had already defeated quite a few well-known commanders of foreign countries. Don''t treat him lightly," Lance reminded.


    "Oh, I won''t," Rocky replied with a nod.


    "You''re a great man, Rocky. But try to be a little modest. At the end of the day, you''re the one leading the army," Lance added.


    "If I may ask again, are you really sure of handing over the leadership to me? I do hope you have thought this through," Rocky asked earnestly.


    "Of course I have considered this well. I will not just allow Isis to marry you based on my own hasty decisions," Lance affirmed.


    Rocky smiled. He was convinced that Lance expected highly of him. Losing against the Timber Deity Empire meant that Lance would also lose dignity.


    "Allen, your job is to assist Rocky from now on. Please don''t let me down." Lance turned to Allen and ordered him.


    "I won''t let you down," Allen said to Lance. "Commander Rocky, I look forward to helping you out." Allen got up and walked towards Rocky.

 Chapter 627 A New Couple

    "Head Allen, I''d appreciate your help in the future work!" Rocky bowed slightly. He thought highly of Allen, recognizing his strength and humility.


    "I haven''t seen Sabina these days. Do you know where she is?" Allen whispered.


    "Actually, I don''t know. Maybe she''s already gone where she needed to go." Rocky reflected for a bit. It was true that he hadn''t seen her in several days.


    "Really? Why didn''t she tell me before she left? This girl..." Allen trailed off with a sigh.


    As there was nothing else to do, Rocky nodded a goodbye to Allen and then walked out of the hall.


    But soon, his walk was interrupted by another man. "Hey!"


    Rocky turned to face the man who had called out to him.


    "Deputy Head Sheehan, can I help you?" Rocky squinted at him.


    "Don''t play dumb with me. Tell me the truth. Do you have the Sea Blue Magic Jade?" asked Sheehan pointedly, a tinge of jealousy coloring his voice.


    "Whether it is or is not, does it matter?" responded Rocky with a twinkle in his eye.


    "The fact that you are marrying the daughter of the Commander in Chief doesn''t mean you can act conceited. Let''s see if you will still have the chance once I tell people that you own the Sea Blue Magic Jade." Sheehan smiled menacingly.


    "Go ahead, Deputy Head Sheehan," Rocky replied with a smile. Then, he abruptly turned around and started walking away.


    "You brat, how dare you be so arrogant! You''ll hand over the Sea Blue Magic Jade one way or another..." Sheehan retorted in a huff.


    As if no time had passed at all, the day of the wedding came.


    Early that morning, the whole headquarters was in shambles. Everyone was running around, trying to get the wedding in order. As throngs of people streamed in and out, it seemed as lively as though they were in battle.


    Meanwhile, half of the headquarters was prepared, as Lance had a thousand tables set up for the banquet. Strolling down the wedding hall, inspecting the preparations, Lance donned an armor of gold, dragon bones, and silk. It was bestowed upon him by the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire himself, which made the armor so special that it was only brought out on important occasions.


    Guests soon began to trickle in. Aside fr


    portant moment in his life. This marriage was by no means simple. It involved a lot of politics. It was also a stepping stone for him to go back to the Imperial City. But no matter what, this was not a joke. Isis had sacrificed her life''s happiness to fulfill his wishes. Therefore, he was not going to take this lightly.


    As the crowd continued to clamor, Isis emerged from the sedan chair with the help of the bridesmaid.


    Just then, she suddenly felt the red veil before her eyes flutter, as though someone was pressed close to her. Then, out of nowhere, a strong figure picked her up. As her feet swung in the air, she felt confusion.


    "Don''t worry, it''s me." The voice of the figure who held her reassured her.


    "What are you doing?" Isis asked with a tinge of anger tainting her tone.


    The crowd went wild. The person who held Isis was no other than Rocky.


    Everyone was shocked at his unexpected act.


    "Groom, this is not the way you take the bride," the bridesmaid cried anxiously.


    "I want my bride to have an unforgettable wedding." Rocky let out a defiant howl of a laugh. Then, under the gaze of the public, he proceeded to march into the wedding hall.


    Hearing Rocky''s words, Isis suddenly felt her heart beating fast and her cheeks burning. At that moment, she felt that she was truly Rocky''s bride.


    As Rocky entered the wedding hall with Isis in his arms, the guests in the hall were also taken aback. They stared at the new couple, dumbfounded.

 Chapter 628 The Wedding Night

    Lance was visibly very calm. He wouldn''t be surprised even if Rocky flew in with Isis in his arms, because he knew that Rocky was born with a special way of doing things. Lance wouldn''t feel surprised at all anytime Rocky did anything unexpected.


    As for Isis, as she heard the noise of murmuring around her, she felt so ashamed. Fortunately, she was covered by a red veil and the people couldn''t see just how red her face already was. Maybe she was probably the only woman being embraced to the wedding hall by her husband in this era.


    Of course, in most people''s eyes, Rocky''s behaviors just revealed his feelings for Isis. To the public, his actions were unexpected but reasonable.


    After Rocky took her to the front of the wedding hall, he put her down on the ground to stand. Isis'' legs were wobbly, and she couldn''t stand still either because she was carried for a long time or she was too shy. Rocky pulled her closer and took her into his arms.


    "There''s no rush. Take your time." Rocky held her into his arms, supporting her as she tried to stand, and whispered.


    "Shut up!" Isis had been feeling ashamed ever since the celebration started, and now Rocky''s teasing her. She pouted at Rocky''s words and raised her fist, ready to punch him.


    Rocky tried to block her with little force while Isis fell into his arms and hugged him with her small hands.


    Their seemingly intimate movements made the wedding hall immediately become noisy. Everyone was swooning over them as if they were watching a good show. It was obvious how they all thought of this wedding as very interesting.


    Lance noticed the people''s reaction, and subtly coughed to remind them to behave well in public.


    After noticing Lance''s reaction, Rocky loosened his grip on Isis'' arms. Still hidden under the red cloth, Isis wasn''t sure whether she wanted to laugh or cry. ''This is literally killing me! If others knew about this, how am I going to hold my position in Crimson Dragon Army?'' Isis thought to herself.


    "It is time. The wedding is about to start." At that time, a majestic old man, who was invited by Lance specially, stood in front of the wedding


    hesitating for a while, Isis took the cross cupped wine from him. Her eyes were looking to the floor.


    "What are you thinking? Are you planning something?" Isis looked at him with vigilance.


    "What can I do with just a glass of wine? What? You can''t even drink a glass of wine with me?" Rocky teased and smiled.


    "I''m warning you, don''t have any bad ideas," Isis muttered in a definite tone. After saying that, she raised the glass of wine in front of Rocky.


    With an evil smile, Rocky raised his wine glass to her. Then they crossed their arms and drank the cross cupped wine.


    After that, they sat on the bed side by side in silence as they did not know what to say. After couples drank their cross cupped wine, they usually did what they were supposed to do on their wedding night. However, as they were a fake couple, the atmosphere was tense and awkward. So they did not say a word for a while. The two of them could only look at each other.


    Feeling awkward, Isis bit her lower lip softly. After all, they were a man and woman alone in a room. They were a married couple as well, which naturally made people feel embarrassed.


    "Well..."


    "You..."


    They both broke the silence at the same time. Both of them seemed to have thought of something. They turned around and looked at each other at the same time.


    The two were shocked again as they heard each other''s voices. They looked up to have their eyes met.

 Chapter 629 Loneliness

    Right at that moment, in Rocky''s eyes, Isis was as beautiful as a fairy that shone brightly like a diamond.


    As for Isis, it was her first time to see Rocky in such a close distance that she could clearly see his face. In fact, she had already seen him close, but it was only one time when she lost her consciousness and passed out. Now, she was completely aware of Rocky''s undeniable charm that came from his impeccable eyes. Right at that moment, Isis saw the numerous secrets that were hidden behind his eyes and she ultimately desired to explore more.


    The candlelight flickered and the couple gazed at each other silently, as if they wanted to say something but were too shy to express anything at that moment. Hence, the atmosphere became too awkward for them.


    All of a sudden, Isis looked the other way and placed her hand on her chest. She felt that her heart was beating too fast as if it wanted to jump right out of her body.


    "Hey, are you okay?" Rocky asked worriedly as he noticed how Isis was acting strangely.


    "Nothing." Isis shook her head. She tried to calm down by taking a deep breath, but to no avail.


    "Are you drunk?" Rocky wondered and asked as he noticed that Isis'' face was turning red, like a blushing rose.


    "I''m not! I''m sober! You are the one who''s drunk!" Pretending to be calm, Isis could not handle the tension as she was getting more and more uncomfortable and uneasy. Right at that moment, her eyes fell on the bottle of wine on the table. Gritting her teeth, she wanted to overcome her discomfort so she hurriedly went to the table and poured herself a glass of wine. She then emptied the glass as an attempt to boost her courage.


    Howeve


    a daze, she poured herself another glass of wine which she chugged until the last drop.


    Toasting to each other for several times, the couple had finally emptied the wine bottle.


    Isis'' face was now as red as a ripe tomato and seemed very drunk. Lazily, she then leaned herself against Rocky''s body.


    "I knew this was going to happen." Rocky shook his head in dismay.


    "Lady, I didn''t expect you would be unable to hold your drink." Rocky tried to push Isis away from him, but Isis refused as she bit right onto his hand.


    Flinching, Rocky withdrew his hand quickly out of the tremendous pain. However, a row teeth marks had already appeared on his hand. Shaking his hands in pain, he turned his eyes to Isis who had already taken off her wedding dress.


    Glancing at Isis with an awkward smile, he knew that she would get even with him tomorrow.


    "Fine." Rocky was not able to do anything but let out a deep sigh. He then got out of the bed as he looked for a quilt to cover Isis with.


    At last, the newlyweds finally fell asleep as they hugged each other, spending the memorable night together peacefully.

 Chapter 630 Mixed Feelings

    Opening her eyes, Isis was met by a burst of dazzling red light that made her squint. She felt a little headache, but she didn''t care about it. Although the room was dim, it was full of bright red, and happiness was all over the place. There was still white smoke on the table candlesticks, and the candle seemed to have just been extinguished.


    "I..." Her mind was so blank until she remembered that she got married yesterday.


    Upon coming back to her senses, she sat up and looked to the other side of the bed that was empty, yet was still warm, and had Rocky''s smell on it. She suddenly felt a little disappointed as she wondered when he left. ''Why didn''t I notice it at all? I didn''t expect that I would sleep so deeply...''


    At the thought of this, she couldn''t help shaking her head and smiling. Her beautiful face looked a little confused as she realized that it was the first time in her life that she was able to peacefully sleep. Last night was her first time to feel warmth and safety. She realized that sharing the night with someone made it seem shorter than it really was.


    ''He didn''t do anything to me when I was asleep last night, did he?'' Isis thought. She looked down at her messy clothes. Seeing that some parts of her body were naked made her shy to her very core like a young girl who had just had her first kiss.


    A knock cut her beautiful thoughts and brought her back from the heaven of her thoughts to her room. "Miss Isis, are you awake?" Sue asked.


    "Yes. Come in." Isis adjusted her clothes and got out of bed.


    Sue pushed the door open and came in with a bowl of soup in her hands.


    "Well, did you see Mr. Bai?" Isis wanted to call him by his name, Rocky Bai, but because she felt that it would be weird to call him that way, she didn''t know what to call him, and so she changed the way she addressed him.


    "Mr. Bai went to see the Commander in Chief in the morning. He specially told me not to disturb you and asked me to let you sleep a little longer. He also asked me to give you this bowl of sobering up soup once you wake up." Sue gave Isis the soup.


    "Oh, I see. How very considerate of him!" Isis


    , I''ve decided to appoint Rocky as Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Army. However, I think he is young and inexperienced, so you have to help him out. Besides, the Deputy Commander in Chief of the Magic Dragon Army is quite unsatisfied with Rocky, so I am afraid he might be picking on Rocky. You should also be careful and try to help your husband," Lance told Isis.


    "I understand, father." She nodded.


    "Also, you have been married now, so although you are the Deputy Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Army, you don''t have to do anything personally. You are my only daughter, so..." Lance said with expectation.


    "Father..." Isis understood her father''s idea, and her face blushed. However, she was afraid that she was in a dilemma now because their marriage was just a sham. How could they have their descendants if they were not really a husband and a wife?


    "Well, I know you are shy, so I will say nothing more. It''s good that you know it in your heart. You know that Rocky has a top secret identity, which I was so worried about. But I would not have blessed your marriage if I were not sure he is a good guy. Yet, as a father, I still have some concerns. Now that you have become his wife, he won''t keep his secrets from you. As long as he is not a traitor, I am relieved," Lance said with concern.


    After hearing this, Isis simply responded. However, her eyes could tell that she was confused.

 Chapter 631 He Was Serious

    On the other hand, Rocky chose not to go straight to the main camp right after he left Evian City. Instead, he went to the Myriad Beasts Ground and caught some wild spirit-manipulated beasts. There, he had conducted a series of experiments that involved the removal of the brain lobes of the wild spirit-manipulated beasts that he had just caught a while back. He wanted to manipulate the beasts so that they could transport food as conveyance which could actually help speed up the transportation process. But to his dismay, he did not succeed. Staying in the Spiritual Fairyland for more than half a month, he had discovered a new method of controlling the wild spirit-manipulate beast, making him want to catch some more for his further experiments.


    Right after catching more of the wild spirit-manipulated beasts, Rocky headed directly to the logistics camp.


    However, as Lance withdrew all the military forces to the main camp, the logistics camp was relocated to a few miles behind the said camp.


    Meanwhile, Rocky and Uriah''s arrival at the logistics camp had drawn so much attention from the crowd. Most of the people were actually fascinated by Uriah''s majestic look, but right after he dismounted from Uriah, the crowd suddenly went wildly excited.


    "He... Isn''t he Rocky?"


    "From what I''ve heard, he had made such a great contribution, and apart from that, he just married our Deputy Commander in Chief..."


    "So, does that mean that he is now the son-in-law of the Commander in Chief?"


    "Since he is now the Commander in Chief''s son-in-law, then that would mean that he now has the power of ordering everyone in the army except Commander in Chief! That would also mean that he might take over the Crimson Dragon Group in the future... "


    Upon seeing Rocky, the crowd started to discuss among themselves. At that moment, Rocky was deemed as a distinguished man in the camp that was envied by everyone.


    Soon, all of the people in the camp flocked towards Rocky, crowding him so much that it was already difficult to breathe in the area.


    "What on earth are you doing here? Don''t you have anything else to do?" Suddenly, a voice came out of nowhere.


    Curious to know whose voice it was, everyone turned around and saw Louis walking out of the camp with a serious look on his face.


    As soon as the people around Rocky noticed Louis, everybody left.


    "Commander in Chief! I heard about the news yesterday that you are the newly appointed Commander in Chief. I just didn''t expect to see you so early here today. Did you get married last night? I thought that you w


    th you when you come." After he spoke, Rocky left the camp, leaving Louis in a deep trance.


    Afterwards, Rocky headed straight to the main camp right after leaving the logistics camp.


    Lance announced the appointment yesterday, making the main camp wait for Rocky to assume office.


    Meanwhile, as soon as Rocky arrived at the main camp, three Elite Commanders with a few of their Frontline Commanders showed up in front of him. Simultaneously, numerous soldiers coming from all directions quickly gathered and arranged themselves in an orderly fashion as they formed an array in an imposing manner.


    "Greetings, Commander in Chief." Meanwhile, under the lead of the three Elite Commanders, the soldiers made ear-splitting cheers and shouts that reverberated through the whole main camp!


    Anyone would be shocked if they saw such a grand scene. However, Rocky kept calm. With finesse and power, he spoke, "To every soldier here today, I would like to thank you all for your hard work! From now on, I, the new Commander in Chief of Crimson Dragon Army, wish all of you can work together with me so that we could achieve greater things."


    As soon as his voice trailed off, the entire main camp cheered for their new Commander in Chief.


    "Come with me." Rocky walked towards his tent as he looked at the three Elite Commanders and the Frontline Commanders.


    Looking at each other, the Commanders felt surprised at how confident and competent of a general Rocky was. After all, their first impression of him was that Rocky could not take anything seriously, and was cynical to some extent. However, now, they could feel that Rocky had successfully conducted himself just like how a true Commander in Chief should be.

 Chapter 632 The Orders Of The New Commander In Chief

    Before, the Commanders had been quite puzzled when they learned that Rocky would take over Lance''s position as the Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Army. Although Rocky had made a lot of contributions to the army, he was still too young to be appointed as the Commander in Chief. They all felt that he couldn''t assume the responsibility that came with the position.


    However, their views against him changed tremendously when they saw his demeanor. Anyway, Rocky was now Lance''s son-in-law. In the whole Crimson Dragon Army, other than Isis, only Rocky was qualified to take over the position of Commander in Chief. Therefore, even if the commanders had any doubt, they would not display it in public.


    After Rocky married Isis, he was immediately appointed as the Commander in Chief. Of course, due to that, there were indeed many rumors about him. People thought that the reason why he married Isis was for the sake of his future career. There were even rumors that he had planned everything at the very beginning, and all his previous display of noble traits were just a ploy to win over the top post in the army.


    But the fact was, if Rocky was really too weak to be the leader, Lance would not have allowed him to take over the position. After all, he was not stupid and wouldn''t have placed the future of the Crimson Dragon Army to someone immature and manipulative.


    Rocky had already anticipated the resistance he would face after he took office. He knew that his every move and decision would definitely be questioned. Hence, he naturally wanted to develop his own force and exclude the people who opposed him. In this way, he would be able to strengthen his position within the Crimson Dragon Army.


    That was also the reason why he called all the commanders to his tent as soon as he arrived.


    As soon as Rocky entered the tent, he took his seat. He said to the commanders standing around him, "Please have a seat. We are going to have a long talk today."


    Hearing that, all the commanders looked at each other uneasily, not knowing what the meeting was all about.


    "Which commander can tell me how many soldiers, spirit manipulators, and spirit-manipulated beasts there are in the main camp?" asked Rocky after glancing at the commanders.


    The commanders exchanged a glance with each other, and then one Frontline Commander stood up and said, "Commander in Chief, the number of


    destined to lose the battle even before the battle starts!" said Rocky with a serious look on his face.


    Hearing this, all the commanders were speechless.


    "All of you shall report to me about the numbers of your own soldiers, the spirit manipulators and the spirit-manipulated beasts in detail tomorrow. I also want a report on all the casualties in every battle. This command applies to the three Elite Commanders also..." Rocky ordered solemnly.


    All the commanders nodded with gloomy faces.


    "From today on, all the commanders in the main camp must have dinners with the soldiers," Rocky continued with his orders.


    The faces of all the commanders turned ghastly pale. As the catering offered to the commanders was better than that of the ordinary soldiers, which included wine and meat, while the ordinary soldiers could only have simple meals. Hence, it was quite difficult for them, who had been accustomed to wine and meat, to have simple meals. They felt that such an order was equal to killing them.


    "Commander in Chief, it would be going too far if we were to have dinners with the soldiers. After all, we are commanders, while they..." an Elite Commander complained.


    "What about them? You are human. Aren''t they human too? Compared to you commanders, the soldiers actually decide the results in the real battlefield. In the battlefield, you just need to command them. But they have to fight with their flesh and blood. And what do they eat compared to you?" questioned Rocky.


    The commanders were dumbfounded by what Rocky said, as if everything they said was in the wrong.

 Chapter 633 Eating Together

    "That''s all for this meeting. Everybody, get back to work!" Rocky said with a smile while looking at the commanders in front of him who looked uglier than butchers.


    The commanders shook their heads, sighed, and bowed back.


    "During dinner, I hope that there will be no commander that will leave with some lame excuse. Even though I am laid back, I don''t like anyone to take my words lightly," Rocky added before the commanders left his tent.


    After hearing what Rocky said, the commanders trembled with fear and left quickly.


    "These commanders have been used to an easy life. But now it''s time for them to show their compassion for the soldiers. I will never think that they respect me. I know that they talk a lot about me behind my back. But it doesn''t matter, I will make these commanders obedient and they will follow me. But compared to these commanders, the most important thing was for the Crimson Dragon Army to be united," Rocky murmured with his eyes narrowed after the commanders left.


    For most of his time in the Crimson Dragon Group, Rocky stayed at the bottom. First he stayed in the northwest military camp, then he transferred to the logistics camp. With his experience, he knew that bullying was prevalent in the army, and it was always the weaklings who were bullied. This led to the disturbance of the army and their decreased combat effectiveness, especially in the face of danger where the army was shattered into pieces and they could not unite together. Rocky had helped the Crimson Dragon Army a lot of times and he knew what was happening inside the army.


    The biggest weakness of the Crimson Dragon Army was actually the arrogant commanders. In Rocky''s eyes, it was obvious in the war of Evian City that there were few commanders, the Elite Commander included, who dared to take the lead. Most of the commanders did not dare to step forward and shoulder responsibilities because they were too afraid of Lance.


    So Rocky changed to correct the Crimson Dragon Army''s ways. At first, he knew he needed to get solid foundation and support from the soldiers who were always at the front line. If he could get the support of thes


    o the cook, "Get vegetable porridge for them."


    The cook froze for a second, but then he hurriedly got a few bowls of vegetable porridge and brought them along with the buns to the commanders.


    The commanders looked at the vegetable porridge and the stale yellow steamed buns in their hands. Their expressions were painted with disgust and it''s as if it was worse than crying.


    "What are you doing? Eat your food," urged Rocky, as he fixed his eyes on the commanders.


    All the commanders looked at each other. They looked like they wanted to cry, but there were no tears from their eyes. They had no choice but to bite and cooperate with the army under the supervision of Rocky.


    And in the moment, the whole army was in an uproar.


    "Don''t stand still, eat quickly or the porridge will be cold," Rocky said to the many eyes that stared at him, then bit his bun.


    "From now on, before we send out our troops, every commander including myself will go to various camps. We will have dinner with the Crimson Dragon Army''s soldiers in turns, and enjoy the same food with you like equals. When we defeat the Timber Deity Empire, I''ll then invite all the soldiers to have a good meal," Rocky announced loudly.


    Every soldier in the camp was shocked by Rocky''s words. They had an incredible expression on their faces, and soon, they realized the oddness of the Commander in Chief. They raised their voice, for the majestic moment!

 Chapter 634 Great Confidence

    The following day, the news spread like wildfire and soon everyone knew that Rocky led the commanders to have meals with their soldiers. Evidently, a lot of arguments rose because of this matter. To some people, they saw him as a pretentious and easy going Commander in Chief, while to others, he was deemed to be an extraordinary leader. Moreover, more and more rumors about how he was doing his job spread around.


    However, Rocky was a man of both action and words as he proved everyone what he was capable of as a leader. In the next two days, right during every meal time, he would be seen by the soldiers, unlike some commanders who had failed to carry out this plan. Seeing him like this had won the hearts of the many as they knew that he was able to keep his promise. That was why in the next few days, it was no surprise that he had already gained the trust and support of almost all of the soldiers in the main camp.


    After a few days, Isis, along with the Elite Regiment and several other Elite Commanders and Frontline Commanders arrived at the main camp in the front line.


    But as soon as they arrived, many complaints from the commanders in the main camp were addressed to Isis.


    "Why don''t you rest for a while?" studying the terrain in his tent, Rocky asked upon noticing Isis entering the tent.


    "I heard that you have made the commanders suffer a lot as soon as you took office," Isis uttered in a calm tone. As far as Rocky knew her, it was deemed unusual for her to say that in such a gentle voice.


    "Well, if I don''t teach them a lesson, then sooner or later, they will become the ''pests'' of the Crimson Dragon Army, and you know that I can''t let that happen," said Rocky, as if nothing was wrong.


    "In any case, they have made very considerable contributions to the Crimson Dragon Army. Watch it, if they feel unhappy about you embarrassing them, then you will be in trouble," Isis reminded as she fixed her eyes on him.


    "Don''t worry about it. After all, our troops will be off to war in a few days," replied Rocky in a leisurely tone.


    "But from what I''ve heard, the soldiers of the Crimson Dragon Army support you a lot. Just on the way here, I heard many soldiers talk about you and say that you are very easygoing," Isis said with a playful smile as she added to the conversation. All she was worried about was that the change of


    h for Rocky. I guess the only way is to fight him by myself." Alyssa seemed to have planned every step of her scheme.


    "But don''t you want to know first how strong the Crimson Dragon Army is? From what I''ve heard, the Crimson Dragon Army only has around fifty thousand soldiers. But I''m afraid that they have gathered a strong force which is composed of their Elite Regiment. There are many powerful warriors at the Heavenly Stage. Aside from that, their leader is a powerful warrior at the Supernal Stage," Woods spoke.


    "Well, he''s only at the Supernal Stage. If I personally attack him, then it''s not even worth mentioning. And besides, the two warriors that I have specifically invited are already at the Supernal Stage. By that time, this Elite Regiment will no longer be a threat to us," Alyssa arrogantly replied.


    "My warning still stands. I still think you''d better be careful," Woods warned and reminded Alyssa.


    "Rocky is just a paper tiger, but when the time comes that I have to fight him, then he will surely die soon," Alyssa suddenly sneered.


    "You''ll know more right after you have a battle with him." Right at that moment, Woods seemed to be looking forward to watching the battle between Alyssa and Rocky.


    "By the way, is everything already settled there?" Alyssa asked with a chilly and murderous look in her eyes.


    "Be patient. It''s almost done. If you can stall the Crimson Dragon Army for ten days, then victory will surely be ours!"


    "Only ten days?" Alyssa asked laughing like a queen while her eyes were flashing with great confidence.

 Chapter 635 Who Is He

    As Rocky was leading the Crimson Dragon Army towards the border of the Timber Deity Empire, the mention of his name once again caused a stir in the Palace City. Even the royal family of the Holy Dragon Empire caught wind of it. Of course, this was all because of his marriage to Isis, as well as his appointment as Commander in Chief in the Crimson Dragon Army.


    Additionally, Rocky had just saved Evian City from the Timber Deity Empire, miraculously defeating their thirty thousand strong troops. This, in addition to his sudden marriage and promotion, was absolutely unheard of. In a short period of time, some nobody named had become the talk of the Palace City.


    In fact, Rocky was possibly the most famous man in the Holy Dragon Empire right now! The mere fact that he married Isis was enough to stun the royal family.


    Ever since she was young, Isis had been known to be the prodigy of the Holy Dragon Empire, thanks to her outstanding talent. In addition to her extraordinary skill as a spirit manipulator, she had grown to become a fine young woman who had mastery of military strategy and tactics. Isis was so impressive that she was deemed the most outstanding woman in the empire. She had been offered multiple arranged marriages by the emperor, but Lance had declined these. Knowing that Lance had only one daughter, the emperor never forced these marriages.


    Isis was also admired by the children of the royal family and the children of the famous clans in the Holy Dragon Empire. Even so, no one in particular seemed to impress her.


    But now, Isis suddenly married some nobody! Understandably, this made many people feel inconsolably jealous. Everyone wanted to know just who this "Rocky" was. How did he manage to win over Isis'' heart in such a short amount of time?


    However, what really surprised the emperor was not the marriage of Rocky and Isis, but the fact that Lance appointed Rocky as Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Army. Usually, it wasn''t so big a deal if someone was appointed as Commander in Chief, but since Rocky was some unknown character, the sequence of events were utterly unbelievable.


    Additionally, the Crimson Dragon Army was already preparing for their decisive batt


    rs were dedicated to sneaking into the Timber Deity Empire to spy on them, gaining military information. Each member was notably strong, at least at the eighth grade of the Earthly Stage. Thus, it was more efficient for them to collect the accurate and confidential information as opposed to ordinary spies.


    "Do you know the specific military distribution?" Rocky asked, squinting hard.


    "According to the information we have just received, the forty thousand troops are mainly distributed in these three areas." Allen pointed at the map of the terrain as he spoke.


    "The first is the White Water Mountain, located on the left of the defense line. Due to the high terrain and the bodies of water flanking the sides, it is easy to defend and difficult to attack. The Timber Deity Empire has deployed ten thousand troops there. The second area is the Misty Plain," he continued, pointing at another area on the map. "It would be difficult to attack here, as the fog remains thick all year round, forming a natural barrier. Only five thousand soldiers are deployed on this plain. The rest of the troops are on the right wing of the defense line, which is at Dragon Tiger Road. The Dragon Tiger Road is relatively flat and wide, so it''s easy to attack. Therefore, the Timber Deity Empire has gathered most of their military forces to defend themselves here." Allen nodded towards Rocky, indicating the end of his report.


    "I see." Rocky scratched his chin, lost in his thoughts.

 Chapter 636 Full of Confidence

    "The Dragon Tiger Road can be attacked easily but it is hard to defend. Our army have fought against the Timber Deity Empire here twice and have defeated them twice! It is a weakness of the Timber Deity Empire. Losing the fight here twice has traumatized their army. I am sure we can defeat them again with our experience and with a comprehensive plan," Isis said proudly and nodded.


    "I think we can still put our main offense on the Dragon Tiger Road. The scouts detected that the current forces of the Timber Deity Empire in this right-wing defense line are only twenty-five thousand soldiers. It will be impossible for them to resist our attack," Commander Ron, one of the Elite Commanders, suggested.


    The other commanders nodded in agreement. The Dragon Tiger Road was the obvious weakness of the Timber Deity Empire''s defense line. Moreover, the Crimson Dragon Army had defeated the Timber Deity Empire twice before in the Dragon Tiger Road. This fact made these commanders more confident in the future battle. Along with their military strength, it was a great chance to win the battle.


    "Rocky, what do you think of this suggestion?" Isis turned to look at Rocky who was silent as a rock. She wanted to see if Rocky had already come up with a better solution. Most of the time, Rocky''s plans were better than the rest of their plans.


    "If I were Alyssa, I would have tried my best to defend the Dragon Tiger Road since I knew it was the weak point of the defense line," said Rocky. Isis was right about Rocky. He was thinking indeed about the attack plan all along. Isis admired this about Rocky, his calm demeanor in times of battle.


    "But the forces of the Timber Deity Empire are weaker than ours. We have plenty of advantages over them. If we attack the Dragon Tiger Road by storm, I am sure that they won''t be able to withstand it for a few days," said one of the Elite Commanders confidently as if the upcoming battle was as easy as counting numbers.


    "Louis, what''s your opinion?" Rocky didn''t reply to the Elite Commander as he turned to look at his adviser, Louis, waiting for his opinion.


    Louis nodded, and said with full composure, "Although the Dragon Tiger Road is easy to attack, the rainforest behind it is so large that it would be easy for the Timber Deity Empire to retreat and hide there. If the Timber Deity Empire decides to withdraw their defense line and enter the forest, we will have only a few opportunities to defeat them even if we have the military advantages. Moreover, our advantages may turn into disadvantages if we fight against our enemy in this kind of rainforest where there are many swamps and spirit-manipulated beasts. It would be a dangerous place for our soldiers if they chase their opponents. Besides, we are not familiar with the terrain of the rainforest. It will be very easy to step into t


    Rocky ordered, ignoring the surprised expression of the commanders.


    "Yes." Commander Ron nodded. Even if he didn''t know what Rocky was thinking, he obeyed his orders.


    "Isis, you will lead twenty thousand soldiers as the vanguard unit to attack the right wing," Rocky said while looking at Isis.


    "Okay," Isis replied softly. She trusted Rocky since he had led them to win so many fights against the Timber Deity Empire.


    "The rest of our troops will stay put for the time being. You will stay where you are and protect both the left and right wing. You must support each other all the time," Rocky added.


    Even though the commanders were dissatisfied with Rocky, they swallowed their grievances since Rocky already made up his mind. The firmness of Rocky''s tone implied that they couldn''t change Rocky''s mind.


    "Head Allen, please stay here. For the other commanders, please go down to prepare for the battle," Rocky said and waved his hand in dismissal.


    All the commanders left Allen and Rocky in the tent.


    "Commander in Chief, it seems that many of the commanders are still not convinced of you!" Allen said in a calm tone.


    "That''s their business. As long as they obey my orders. Sooner or later, they will know the essence of my plan," Rocky said. He was not worried about his plan at all.


    "It seems that you are pretty confident in your own plan, Commander in Chief. Well, I can rest my heart now." Allen laughed.


    "Confidence is the foundation of victory. If you don''t have confidence, you will be far from success," Rocky replied calmly.


    "Any orders?" Allen knew that he needed to deal with something important since Rocky told him to stay, so he asked Rocky directly.


    "I wonder if you can send a few masters at the Heavenly Stage to the Misty Plain first. I need them to find a chance to sneak into the military camp of the Timber Deity Empire," Rocky asked.

 Chapter 637 Theres No Need To Rush

    "No problem. However, how do you plan to capture the Misty Plain with only three thousand armed forces, Commander in Chief? The Misty Plain is widely known to be easily defensible but virtually impossible to attack. Plus, there are five thousand soldiers from the Timber Deity Empire who are defending the place. We do not have even a dog''s chance of winning." Allen nodded at Rocky, but confusion and doubt still plagued his mind.


    "You will soon find out. Come with me then," Rocky said with a mysterious smile.


    "Okay. I''m looking forward to that." Allen was a little bit appeased when he saw the confidence that emanated from Rocky. He looked forward to finding out how he would accomplish that.


    After Allen left the commander-in-chief''s tent, Rocky continued to pore over the military topographic map.


    Soon after, Isis walked into the tent with a cup of tea.


    "I made ginseng tea for you. Drink it, while it is warm." Rocky looked up at her with an appreciative smile, as she served the ginseng tea to him.


    "Thank you, Isis." He took the cup carefully and drained the tea with one gulp.


    "Are you really confident about conquering the Misty Plain?" asked Isis. She could see, that there was no trace of hesitation or worry in his actions. However, she wondered if it was all an act.


    "What? You don''t believe me?" Rocky looked up at Isis, with a teasing glint in his eyes.


    "I do believe you. But it is no joke to fight on this Misty Plain! Even my father once suffered losses at the Misty Plain, so I was worried..." Isis wrung her hand anxiously. She was looking at the floor, so Rocky waited for her to look up before he answered. His voice was firm, and it soothed the anxiety in her heart.


    "Don''t worry. I won''t fight a battle carelessly. The Misty Plain is indeed dangerous, but it''s a double-edged sword. It depends on what advantage you make use of," Rocky explained with a smile. Then, he continued jokingly, "You made tea for me, and you''re worried about me. You would be a good wife. If I had known that earlier, I wouldn''t have agreed to a fake marriage. It would be great to be your real husband, instead."


    A blush spread prettily over Isis'' face. Although Rocky was praising her, the words sounded like he was flirting with her. She wondered if Rocky could hear the violent thuds her heartbeat made.


    "Don''t stay up too late," Isis said instead, as she looked coyly at her feet. She couldn''t meet his eyes, embarrassed further by the blush that she knew was on her cheeks. She could feel her cheeks and ears burning with it


    on the right wing of their defensive line. Her belief that she had complete control of the Crimson Dragon Army was bolstered when she saw the hostile forces were attacking from the right wing, exactly as she had expected.


    A day and a night had passed in fierce fighting. However, Alyssa was caught by surprise when Isis suddenly retreated with her vanguard soldiers. Since then, nothing happened at the right defensive line.


    "Curious, very curious! Why did the Crimson Dragon Army stop attacking? They ought to strengthen their offensive while they have the strength. Did they realize that the Dragon Tiger Road was a trap? But it doesn''t matter, even if they''ve found out. If they didn''t attack from the Dragon Tiger Road, they would end in a stalemate. They would just be wasting their time and effort if they attacked from the left or the middle of the defensive line. That would be extremely favorable for the Timber Deity Empire. That clever Rocky definitely knew this. I''m sure he would choose to strike from the Dragon Tiger Road in full force," Alyssa said as she analyzed the situation. She wondered what tricks the Crimson Dragon Army was up to, and why they ceased their attack on the right side.


    "Maybe, this is a trick by Rocky. He could be pretending to stop their attacks so that we would let our guard down. Then, they would attack with full force, hoping to catch us off-guard," said Alyssa, and her eyes narrowed suspiciously. She figured that she needed to block off the Crimson Dragon Army for ten days which would cause them the most damage. She didn''t have to rush to achieve success. She would just fight and steadily chip the enemies'' ranks until it was time to counterattack.

 Chapter 638 In the Dark

    Alyssa did not realize that Rocky and his troops outsmarted them. She thought they were just slow, when truth was that the vanguard troops led by Isis were merely buying time. The Crimson Dragon Army had studied their movements and knew that most forces of the Timber Deity Empire would gather on the right wing to launch an attack. Hence, they took their time until Rocky entered the Misty Plain and it was too late for the Timber Deity Empire to mobilize forces by then.


    In other words, the Crimson Dragon Army was purposely led into the Dragon Tiger Road. The vanguard troops who started the attack were merely a bait to lure them in.


    Day two into the Misty Plain, Rocky and his troops received information from a member of the Elite Regiment. It revealed their enemy''s patrol route.


    "If we take this road, we might meet the patrol of the Timber Deity Empire." Louis looked up from the map and into the ominous path ahead of them. His eyebrows furrowed.


    Rocky and Allen exchanged glances.


    "What do you suggest?" Rocky asked Louis. They needed to think of ways to be sneakier. They couldn''t risk being seen by the patrol.


    "The Misty Plain is too open. We may not be able to hide from the patrol forever," Louis said. "I can think of only one way but it might be too risky."


    "Tell us," pleaded Rocky.


    "The Timber Deity Empire only has one patrol roaming the area with thick mist. We can pass through the thick mist to avoid it. We need to be careful. It would be a big trouble for us if we are to be spotted," reminded Louis.


    "Allen, what do you think?" Rocky asked looking at Allen.


    "We don''t have much choice but to try it. Otherwise, we have to abandon our whole plan," Allen answered.


    "Commander Marin," Rocky called out. "Tell the whole army that we will be changing directions." Rocky gestured toward


    from him behind. He then opened his Magic Spiritual Space and summoned a wild spirit-manipulated beast. He broke one of its legs and threw it on the ground. Afterwards, he summoned Rainbow Glow Unicorn and disappeared by means of it.


    The patrol quickly reached Rocky''s previous spot, but they only saw an injured wild spirit-manipulated beast and quickly returned to their camp, seemingly with no suspicion.


    Overhead, Rocky was silently following the patrol.


    Upon sunrise, Allen and the troops finally arrived at their destination. It was a space large enough to hide three thousand soldiers, but safe enough from the camp of the enemy. It was the end of the Misty Plain two miles away from the Timber Deity Empire''s camp.


    Fortunately, the mist was a lot thinner where they were. They could clearly see the scene from a distance.


    Oddly enough, Rocky still hadn''t shown up.


    "Why hasn''t he come yet? Did anything happen to him?" Marin said anxiously.


    "Let''s wait," Allen said. He was trying to be calm so as not to cause panic.


    Around noon time, a figure appeared from the distance.


    "What took you so long?" Marin ran towards the figure and let out a huge sigh of relief.


    Finally, Rocky was safe.

 Chapter 639 All In His Plan

    "I casually circled around the military camp of the defenders of Timber Deity Empire and developed an attack plan..." Rocky said with a smirk smile.


    "What are you going to do? I mean, whatever you do, our army will still be outnumbered. Moreover, their military camp looks quite solid..." Allen was also curious about what kind of plan Rocky had to defeat the five thousand defenders of Timber Deity Empire with just three thousand men of their own.


    "Head Allen, is there a way to secretly send a message to the members of Elite Regiment in the camp and ask them to get a set of military uniform of Timber Deity Empire?" Rocky asked, completely ignoring Allen''s question. However, Rocky knew it wouldn''t be easy. Given that the Elite Regiment members were stationed in the enemy barracks, it was impossible for them to send messages through Carrier Beasts. Hopeful, he thought that the Elite Regiment were so powerful to the extent that they should have their unique ways to send messages to other people.


    "Of course I can do that." Allen nodded and opened the Magic Spiritual Space, only to find a pangolin-like spirit-manipulated beast with carapaces all over its body and a head like a drill.


    "Is this the Armored Burrower? This is one of the cunning beasts that love to live in caves. They are especially cunning because they are sensitive to smells. They are also not easy to capture." Rocky immediately recognized the beast.


    "That''s right. Thanks to its heightened sense of smell, it can find its targets using its smell-sensitive nose, after special training and guidance, of course. Sadly, though, training a single beast would at least take three years. This is why only Elite Regiment have three of this kind of Armored Burrowers, which are used to convey the information that can''t be transmitted through normal ways," Allen said.


    "Is it Sheridan who trained the Armored Burrower?" Marin asked.


    "Yes, he trained them specially for Elite Regiment." Allen nodded.


    ''I will then ask Sheridan to tell me the training method, and then I will do my best to improve it. Maybe this way we can get a new one in a few months, '' thought Rocky.


    Allen released that Armored Burrower and the beast sneaked in


    " the commander was embarrassed by the facts that Rocky was stating. So he didn''t doubt Rocky''s identity.


    Of course, Rocky did not leave anything to luck. He had learned the ancient medical skills of this era from Sheridan, so seeing the patient''s illness from his face was a piece of cake.


    "Are you sure you have seen Crimson Dragon Army?" the commander went on asking. Although he was tall and sturdy, he was extremely cautious in his actions.


    "Yes, sir. I''m sure, because I found a golden bill with the name of the branch of Super Beast Farm in Evian City on it. Isn''t this the city where the headquarters of Crimson Dragon Army is?" Rocky nodded, taking out a golden bill from his pocket and handing it over.


    The commander took the golden bill and inspected it only to find out that it was worth ten thousand taels of gold. He was shocked as he looked at it.


    "This golden bill is the one used in Super Beast Farm. Looks like Crimson Dragon Army did enter the Misty Plain. But there must be a small number of them, or else we should have found them much earlier," the commander said as he put the golden bill into his pocket.


    "Deputy Commander Ling, lead two thousand soldiers, and take him to the place where he found the enemy. If the Crimson Dragon Army was really there, stop them at once..." The commander thought for a moment before giving the order to the deputy commander who had just brought Rocky in.


    Commander Ling nodded and carried out the order.

 Chapter 640 Just Admit Defeat

    Not long after, Deputy Commander Ling quickly left the camp with two thousand Timber Deity Empire soldiers. He asked Rocky to lead them to the place where the Crimson Dragon Army appeared.


    ''Fortunately, I have learned the medical skills of this era from Sheridan. Otherwise, I could not deceive them so easily, '' Rocky thought, as his lips curved shrewdly. It was lucky that he reacted quickly earlier. If they figured out his trick, he would have been stuck in the enemy''s military camp, with no hope of escape.


    However, the ten-thousand golden bill that Rocky handed over was not a small sum for an ordinary person. He had taken it out without the slightest hesitation to use it as a bait. No wonder the commander fell for it.


    About an hour later, Rocky had brought the two thousand soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire to the predetermined place where he, Allen, and their troops had meet before.


    "It was right here," Rocky said as he turned to look at Deputy Commander Ling.


    Deputy Commander Ling looked around and saw many messy footprints, but there was no corpse to be seen.


    "Where are the corpses? Didn''t you say that your teammates were all killed?" Deputy Commander Ling asked suspiciously, as he stared at Rocky. From the beginning, he found Rocky bizarre and unfamiliar.


    "They must have been slaughtered, and all traces have been obliterated, without even a trace of blood. The Crimson Dragon Army probably didn''t want us to know that they have already arrived here," Rocky replied with certainty.


    "Check this place first," Deputy Commander Ling ordered with a wave of his hand. Once again, he believed Rocky''s words, since they sounded reasonable.


    The soldiers behind Deputy Commander Ling automatically fell into formation, and they began to advance in search of the Crimson Dragon Army. Rocky followed behind, with his arms folded across his chest and a weird smile on his face.


    They moved forward for a few meters, but there was no trace of the Crimson Dragon Army. Deputy Commander Ling immediately turned around and said to Rocky, "Are you sure they are here?"


    "Yes, but the Crimson Dragon Army might have moved to another place," Rocky responded earnestly as if he was telling the truth. Inside, he snickered, when they completely believed his lies.


    "This is so troublesome. Go back and report now." After Deputy Commander Ling complained, he pinned Rocky with an annoyed glare. He also ordered his soldiers to


    re with a triumphant smile.


    "Bastard, who the hell are you?" the Commander of the Timber Deity Empire shouted angrily when he recognized Rocky. He never thought that he would be fooled by such a young brat. However, it was all because of his carelessness. He felt that the Misty Plain was safe, so he let his guard down. Of course, he did not expect that Rocky would use such a bold trick. He disguised himself as a member of the Timber Deity Empire to report the false news. He even used a ten-thousand golden bill as a bait to deceive him.


    However, it was useless for the Commander of the Timber Deity Empire to regret it. Their military camp had been occupied by the Crimson Dragon Army, so the Crimson Dragon Army gained an advantage. The tight defense that the Timber Deity Empire soldiers had been counting on was now in their way, used by their enemies against them.


    "Admit defeat! Your camp is now occupied by the Crimson Dragon Army. There is no chance for you to win now," Rocky exclaimed. He eyed the commander coldly, no trace of sympathy in his eyes. It was his fault that he was too easily tricked.


    The commander was furious, and his entire body trembled with indignation. Of course, he wouldn''t give in so easily. He felt that the soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire were stronger than the Crimson Dragon Army''s soldiers. He was completely confident that he could fight them and take the camp back. With a ferocious roar, he ordered, "Attack them and get the camp back!"


    In an instant, three thousand soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire were attacking the camp that they should have used to defend themselves.

 Chapter 641 Entering The Rainforest In Advance

    Meanwhile, the Timber Deity Empire''s military camp had a very solid defensive barrier, making the Crimson Dragon Army just stay put instead of attacking. As a result, the Timber Deity Empire soldiers tried to take it back and had to forcefully attack the military camp. In this deadly scenario, major consequences could be imagined.


    At that time, the Crimson Dragon Army, with only less than a thousand soldiers, occupied the military camp. On top of that, they had already annihilated two thousand enemy soldiers. The Crimson Dragon Army now had more than two thousand soldiers, while the Timber Deity Empire had three thousand soldiers. However, this was still a far cry from the forces that they needed in order to fight against the Crimson Dragon Army.


    On the other hand, Rocky had already asked Allen to prepare simple yet tricky traps and waited for the enemy soldiers to fall into them.


    But the commander of the Timber Deity Empire was so irritated and annoyed by Rocky''s tricks. He ignored the enemy''s advantage and ordered his troops to storm the military camp. As a result, it had decreased the number of Timber Deity Empire soldiers sharply, causing them a huge loss.


    This went on for quite a while, making the Timber Deity Empire soldiers more and more frustrated.


    Meanwhile, on the watchtower, Rocky was commanding the soldiers to defend. While he was there, he saw that the Timber Deity Empire army had already collapsed. Seeing this, he immediately ordered the rest of the Crimson Dragon Army to rush out from the military camp and attack the Timber Deity Empire soldiers, with Marin taking charge of the battle. Marin was a good commander as she led the team of spirit manipulators to pin down the enemy''s spirit manipulators.


    "Get out of my way! I''m going to kill that bastard!" The commander of the Timber Deity Empire saw the military camp open and soon increased his momentum, releasing the strength of the Heavenly Stage. He rushed towards the military camp in an attempt to kill Rocky personally so that he could get back at him for the times when Rocky had seriously hurt him.


    But at that very moment, a cold wind suddenly blew at the commander, making him feel a strong pressure pounce on him. When he tried to look carefully at where this came from, his face suddenly sank and his body could not help but tremble in shock.


    "A Supernal... Supernal Stage... m...master," he stuttered. Seeing that the figures in front of him had auras at the Supernal Stage, the commander suddenly got weak in the knees.


    Right in front of him were Allen and his Elite Regiment. Besides Allen,


    Army to pass through the Misty Plain to support their forces in the fallen military camp of the Timber Deity Empire.


    In order to maintain the balance of the Timber Deity Empire''s entire defense, Alyssa had to call in five thousand troops from the right wing of the defensive line to rush directly to the Misty Plain, to prepare on getting back the military camp and consolidating the defensive line.


    With only more than a thousand soldiers left in the camp, Rocky still led them with dignity and pride.


    However, it was not in Rocky''s plan to make it in the beginning. Initially, his main purpose was just to attract the military forces of the Timber Deity Empire.


    On the other hand, Alyssa transferred five thousand troops from the right wing, making it more vulnerable.


    At the same time, Rocky had sent out a message to ask the reinforcement to join the right wing''s attack. In the end, on the right wing of the defensive line, the Crimson Dragon Army''s forces had risen up to more than thirty thousand, while the Timber Deity Empire had less than twenty thousand. As things went on like this, the defensive line on the Dragon Tiger Road was very soon on the edge of collapse.


    Making a lot of effort, Alyssa still failed to make up for the difference in military forces. Furthermore, it was Isis who led the Crimson Dragon Army to attack the right wing. Determined to wipe out the humiliation, she adopted a strong and steady strategy to fight against her enemies. On the other hand, Alyssa could not do anything about the situation, which was why she was forced to bear with it.


    Since then, the Dragon Tiger Road was invaded, causing the Timber Deity Empire soldiers to retreat and be forced into the rainforest in advance.

 Chapter 642 The Biggest Sensation

    By the time the five thousand soldiers arrived at the Misty Plain, Rocky had already withdrawn from there. He and his troops had joined the rest of the Crimson Dragon Army that continued to attack the right wing.


    This marked the fifth day of the battle between the two forces. The defensive line of the Timber Deity Empire was on the verge of collapse. It seemed the outcome was tipping in favor of the Crimson Dragon Army.


    Additionally, the news that it took Rocky only five days to break through the defensive line of the Timber Deity Empire spread like wildfire, immediately causing a stir.


    Lance, upon hearing this news, was decidedly pleased yet surprised. He didn''t expect Rocky would break through the Timber Deity Empire''s defensive line so soon. He immediately sent messengers to share this exciting battle report to Palace City. The emperor needed to hear this good news as soon as possible.


    Once Palace City caught wind of this, Rocky once again became the talk of the city. The past few months, the Timber Deity Empire had the upper hand. Yet, in the span of only five days, their defensive line was infiltrated by a nobody!


    The Crimson Dragon Army was filled with a sense of pride for having garnered respect for the Holy Dragon Empire, pleasing even the emperor himself. However, what was most important was the fact that the Timber Deity Empire''s defensive line was weakened. This signaled the war was coming to an end soon, and that peace would finally reign. Again, the Holy Dragon Empire would defeat the Timber Deity Empire.


    Others weren''t so pleased to hear the good news. Buff, who was seething with jealousy, immediately mobilized thirty thousand soldiers of the Magic Dragon Army. He didn''t want Rocky to win all the glory. As soon as his troops were ready, he led his army to attack the left wing of Timber Deity Empire''s defensive line.


    In the two days that followed, the Timber Deity Empire''s defensive line was weakened even more, what with being attacked from both the left and the right. Alyssa did her best to hold the Crimson Dragon Army off, but she was growing desperate. There was no room for


    a suing-for-peace letter from Timber Deity Empire. He then summoned Isis, Allen, and several other Elite Commanders.


    "Isis, what do you think?" Rocky turned to look at her.


    "Obviously, the Timber Deity Empire can''t contend with us anymore. It''s not unusual they''d sue for peace when they''re on the losing end," Isis replied after some thought.


    "Head Allen, what do you think?" Rocky asked, turning to look at Allen.


    "I think they may not be sincere, especially considering how stubborn they were before," Allen replied as he scratched his chin. He had a bad feeling about this.


    "What about you guys? What do you think?" Rocky turned to the other Elite Commanders.


    They all exchanged glances uncertainly, then said, "If we can, let''s end this war. We did invest a lot of manpower and material resources these past few months. If we keep on fighting, it will do us no good..."


    "But if we agree, doesn''t that give a chance for the Timber Deity Empire to retaliate?"


    "I think we''d better continue to fight until they can''t strike back, just in case."


    "No! We should seize the chance to impose compensation conditions on the Timber Deity Empire..."


    The Elite Commanders continued to argue amongst themselves.


    With each opinion that was thrown at Rocky, he sighed and studied the letter before him. "I think," he cleared his throat authoritatively, "that we should let the Commander in Chief decide."

 Chapter 643 Lets Negotiate

    Rocky immediately ordered someone to send the suing-for-peace letter to Lance. When Lance received and read it, he rushed to the camp of the Crimson Dragon Group stationed on the border of the Timber Deity Empire.


    "Father..." Isis got out of the tent when she found out that Lance was on his way to meet her. She greeted him as soon as she saw him dismounting from his Roaring-thunder Dragon.


    "Isis, my dear," Lance said. He was very happy to see Isis. He then asked, "Where is Rocky?"


    "He is in the tent. He is discussing how to arrange the troops with Allen and the other commanders," she replied seriously.


    Lance nodded at her and entered the tent with Isis.


    "Commander in Chief!" When they saw Lance, Allen and the several other commanders bowed and greeted him.


    "Commander... Father," Rocky said as he stood up. He wanted to call him Commander in Chief as usual, but he chose to call him father instead. He did not want Lance to be suspicious.


    "You''ve done a great job these days! You actually forced the Timber Deity Empire to make peace in such a short period of time." Lance praised Rocky. He walked over to Rocky, patted him on the shoulder. He was obviously in a good mood.


    Everyone took their seats. Rocky gave his seat to Lance and sat beside Isis.


    "Father, do you think we should agree to the peace request of the Timber Deity Empire?" Isis asked while she looked at Lance.


    "Since the Timber Deity Empire has intended to make negotiations for peace, we should agree to it. If we don''t, it will definitely affect the reputation of the Holy Dragon Empire. Besides, winning and losing is inevitable during wars between two countries. What we don''t want is to get things in an impasse," Lance answered thoughtfully.


    "However, I''m worried that the Timber Deity Empire doesn''t really want to make peace. I feel like they are just trying to buy time," Allen said apprehensively.


    "Even if the Timber Deity Empire can delay the battle for two or three days, the result would remain the same with their current military forces. The Timber Deity Empire will be defeated by Rocky this time. Therefore, we sho


    r with a smile, which made her feel shy.


    "It turns out that you worry about me so much. I''m so happy," Rocky joked.


    "You..." Isis stared at Rocky angrily when she realized that Rocky was just teasing her. Her cheeks were flushed which made her look seductive.


    "I never thought you would be shy after you got married," Allen said with a smile.


    And with Allen''s comment came a burst of laughter in the tent.


    "I''ll take a rest," Isis said as she stared at Rocky. She left in a hurry with her blushing face.


    The Crimson Dragon Army had already agreed to make peace, so they stopped attacking the defensive line of the Timber Deity Empire. However, the Crimson Dragon Army still maintained their defense to prevent the Timber Deity Empire from attacking. Besides, they were ready to fight according to the secret plan arranged by Rocky. If the negotiation failed, they would immediately try their best to attack the defensive line of the Timber Deity Empire which would make it a decisive battle.


    The time for negotiation had arrived. The Crimson Dragon Army decided the place of negotiation, so they chose a desolate village near their camp. The Crimson Dragon Army, for safety''s sake, had also sent people one day before the negotiation to roam around the village to monitor the situation.


    At noon, Lance, Allen and several members of the Elite Regiment came to the desolate village accompanied by guards.

 Chapter 644 Deliberate Provocation

    Even after several moments, the representatives of the Timber Deity Empire hadn''t appeared, so Lance sat down on the chair, which had already been prepared in advance.


    Then a figure emerged from the accompanying guards and stood next to Lance.


    "I think the peace negotiation should be conducted and finished as soon as possible. I''m worried that the Timber Deity Empire has a different plan..." The figure was Rocky, who was disguised as a guard. In his attempt not to get recognized, Rocky''s face was covered with a large helmet. It was difficult to recognize him if one didn''t look at him carefully.


    "I know." Lance nodded solemnly as he agreed to what Rocky suggested.


    Not long after, a group of people appeared at the entrance of the desolate village. Each of them was dressed in clothes with markings of the Timber Deity Empire. In front of the group was a beautiful woman dressed in a lavender dress. She walked with such grace into the village with an imposing aura.


    This figure who was leading the people was none other than Alyssa.


    The sight of Alyssa made Rocky raise his eyebrows and thought, ''I didn''t expect that Alyssa would be such a beautiful lady. She seems to be as pretty and aloof as Sabina, as elegant and gentle as Isis, and as arrogant as Marcia. She really is an attractive, confident woman...''


    "Nice to meet you again, Princess Alyssa," Lance greeted as he stood up and stared at Alyssa as she arrived.


    "Commander in Chief, please forgive me if I offended you so much last time!" Alyssa uttered in a sarcastic and arrogant voice.


    When Lance heard Alyssa''s disrespect in her words, his face darkened. He was one of the Three Great Generals of the Holy Dragon Empire, but he was chased and blocked by Alyssa. Surely, he had suffered a lot last time. If he were not as powerful as he was, he would have become a prisoner of Alyssa.


    "Ha-ha..." Lance forced a laugh and continued, "I have already forgotten it! I can''t even remember whether you had offended me or not..." However, Lance seemed not to bear this in his mind and just forcedly smiled. He didn''t intend to blame Alyssa. Besides, now, the most important thing was the peace negotiation.


    "Why is Commander in Chief Rocky not here?" Woods, who follo


    Rocky was watching Alyssa''s movements. It was obvious that Alyssa was deliberately provoking Lance.


    "Alyssa, there are many chances for you to compete with General Lance in the future. Now, we are negotiating peace. If you two come forward and take action to battle, it will destroy the harmonious atmosphere. How about both sides respectively send five spirit manipulators to fight against each other by using their spirit-manipulated beasts instead? What do you think?" Woods was worried that Alyssa''s provocation would bring them trouble. Their purpose was to stall for time, so it was not appropriate for them to act recklessly. They had to be careful.


    Alyssa turned to glance at Woods who nodded at her. Although she was deliberately provoking the Crimson Dragon Army, she was also afraid that if she and Lance had a fight, it might bother the Crimson Dragon Army and ruin the peace negotiation. Hence, she had no choice but to say, "Well, I''d like to see how powerful the spirit-manipulated beasts of the Crimson Dragon Army are..."


    "What do you think, General Lance?" Woods asked, looking at Lance.


    A look of hesitation appeared on Lance''s face, because he sensed that something was wrong.


    "Are you afraid? Do you think that the spirit-manipulated beasts cultivated in the Timber Deity Empire are better than those of the Holy Dragon Empire? Are you afraid yours are weaker and will lose?" Alyssa said to Lance with a smirk on her lips, deliberately goading him in a sarcastic tone.

 Chapter 645 Shocking The Audience

    "Commander in Chief, do you think we should negotiate peace first?" Allen reminded Lance.


    "You look quite familiar. Did we meet somewhere before?" Alyssa asked as she suddenly looked at Allen with cold eyes. She recognized Allen as the soldier who lurked at the Timber Deity Empire to carry out a secret mission for the Crimson Dragon Army. She remembered that she let Allen escape before. Woods informed her then that if it were not for Allen, he might have been killed by Rocky when he attacked the Evian City. Alyssa guessed that the reason why Allen let Woods escape was that he wanted to repay her. After all, she let go of him back then. That was why when she saw Allen trying to persuade Lance to start the peace negotiation, she said nothing but reminded him through her cold stare.


    When Allen looked at Alyssa, he suddenly knew what she was trying to tell him. He frowned and asked calmly, "Oh really? That''s weird since I''ve never seen you before."


    "Well, maybe my memory is wrong. But you do look like a person who was released by me before," Alyssa said as a shrewd look flashed through her eyes.


    The look on Allen''s face changed suddenly. After hesitating for a moment, he said to Lance, "Commander in Chief, since the Timber Deity Empire wants to compete, let the members of my Elite Regiment compete with their spirit manipulators."


    "Okay. We must convince princess Alyssa of our strength!" Lance nodded and looked at Alyssa with a cold smile.


    "Three-out-of-five sets. Okay?" Allen asked as he looked at Alyssa.


    "That''s fine with me. But if you are worried that the Crimson Dragon Army will suffer a crushing defeat, you might want to consider adding a few more rounds," Alyssa provoked him.


    The center of the desolate village was cleared up in no time. Alyssa and Lance sat on opposite sides with exactly ten meters away from each other.


    The atmosphere was peaceful before, but now it became tense.


    "Alyssa, you were too impulsive just now," Woods, who was standing beside Alyssa, whispered.


    "The negotiation is just a bait. We just need to buy more time,"


    his hands and asked, "Who is willing to fight against me?"


    The thought of Allen, a warrior at the Supernal Stage, fighting in this small competition absolutely frightened everyone. Allen was the strongest at the site except for Alyssa and Lance. Therefore, his spirit-manipulated beast must have reached the fourth grade of the four-star level or even the five-star level. However, there was no one else who had a spirit-manipulated beast that would be a match for Allen''s spirit-manipulated beast in the Timber Deity Empire''s side, except for Alyssa.


    Seeing that Allen was about to fight, Alyssa remained calm and smiled. She then shouted, "It''s your time to show up!" Her feminine voice was like the sound of a great bell that was heard from far away even beyond the desolate village.


    After a while, two men appeared at the entrance of the desolate village. Then all of a sudden, they appeared in the middle of the site. One was tall and thin with a long beard. He was about 40 years old and his eyes seemed so joyful and happy. He was holding a fan and looked plain, but the aura of the Supernal Stage he released was very strong.


    The other man was about 50 years old. He had grey hair, a radiant face, and two sharp insidious eyes. He was also at the Supernal Stage. His power seemed to be at par with Allen''s.


    The presence of two masters of the Supernal Stage shocked the audience.

 Chapter 646 The Magical Dragon

    Across the vast Wild Spirit Land, only a few warriors were determined to become masters of the Supernal Stage. Every once in a while, some of them would be seen around public places. However, the majority of them opted to live in seclusion. For this reason, seeing two masters of the Supernal Stage was highly extraordinary.


    Lance was incredibly surprised to find these two elusive warriors staying at Alyssa''s side. As he stood up, he looked at her with obvious annoyance. "What are you planning here, Princess Alyssa?" he asked.


    "Since you are able to summon the master of the Supernal Stage, I thought I''d invite two over here to have some fun. Is that bad?" Alyssa said as she let out a humorless laugh. She seemed calm and carefree. There were only a number of people in the Wild Spirit Land who could persuade a master of the Supernal Stage to just fool around. The princess was one of those.


    "Commander in Chief, I implore you to stay calm. Our forces have already been ordered to secure different areas. There is no need to worry. We will not suffer any loss even the they attempt to do anything unpleasant¡­" Rocky whispered as he stood behind Lance.


    After hearing that piece of information, Lance appeared irritated but merely grunted and sat down once more. Yet, he was still worried. The succeeding two battles would be rather suspenseful since the two masters of the Supernal Stage of the Timber Deity Empire had appeared unexpectedly.


    Lance''s original plan was to allow Allen to take over and win the fourth round, and then he would attend the fifth round. Consequently, the Timber Deity Empire would send Alyssa to contend against him. Therefore, he could take advantage of his strength to curb Alyssa''s insolence. However, Alyssa had already planned on not making an appearance.


    "I believe the two of you are Mr. White and Mr. Rufus?" The moment Allen saw the two masters of the Supernal Stage, he recognized who they were. This was due to the fact that both of them were undeniably well-known in the Timber Deity Empire. These two masters often made appearances to the general public. Thus, almost everyone knew who they were.


    "Well, this is surprising! Never did I imagine I would meet Mr. Allen of the Holy Dragon Empire here," Rufus said arrogantly as he saw Allen. Allen was a renowned person in the Holy Dragon Empire. He was a formidabl


    piritual martial arts of a Heavenly Stage master. It could easily achieve the power of the Supernal Stage in the event that Rufus decided to commence a full-scale attack.


    In spite of the threat before him, Allen seemed unbelievably calm. His expression remained impassive. Even as the wind vulture was rushing toward him, he did not move an inch. Then all of a sudden, huge amounts of crystal-like liquid gushed from the rift, which immediately assembled in front of him.


    As the crystal-like liquid melded together, it took the shape of a luminous shimmering mirror in front of Allen. The Fierce Wind Eagle shot a strong gust of wind at the mirror. However, nothing happened. It appeared as though the wind was merely a soft breeze and was as weak as cotton.


    At the sight of this, Rufus was stunned. He also felt overwhelmed.


    "All of the wind force unleashed by the Fierce Wind Eagle just disappeared. It is as if the mirror is able to absorb the attacks. Unbelievable. Is it likely that Allen''s spirit-manipulated beast is..." Alyssa was utterly perplexed by what just happened.


    The people watching still stood transfixed. Meanwhile, a small spiritual dragon arose from the open magical rift beside Allen. It was about two meters high. Hence, it was a lot smaller than the average dragons. The entirety of its body was covered in shining scales very much like a water dragon. It had a lengthy neck with an oval head. There was an absence of feet, therefore, it moved by wriggling and flipping its mermaid-like tail. Pools of water appeared wherever its tail touched.

 Chapter 647 Alyssa Meets Rocky

    "This creature is also at the fourth grade of the five-star level." Rocky paused, then smiled suddenly. "But I have never seen such a cute spirit-manipulated beast!" As those words left his mouth, information about the spiritual dragon suddenly flashed through his mind. Instantly, he was taken aback by this knowledge. According to the Beast Encyclopedia, it was a spiritual dragon with Water nature. Its name, Crystal Water Dragon, hadn''t been heard in a long time, as it was believed to have been extinct.


    "It''s the Crystal Water Dragon..." Alyssa exclaimed as her mouth fell agape in shock. As she too was knowledgeable, she also recognized Allen''s spirit-manipulated beast at once.


    The audience suddenly burst into an uproar. Their shouts were louder than when the Fierce Wind Eagle was summoned


    Even though he was very proud of his spirit-manipulated beast, Rufus''s expression darkened. He didn''t expect Allen would have such a spirit-manipulated beast by his side.


    Moreover, on the Spiritual Beast List, the Crystal Water Dragon absolutely ranked higher than the Fierce Wind Eagle. This dragon was particularly known for its perfect defensive posture. It was said that the dragon could conjure a perfect water mirror enchantment to resist any powerful attacks. This made it practically invincible against any opponent whose focus was attacking. But of course, no spirit-manipulated beast was perfect. The Crystal Water Dragon''s shortcoming was that its attacking power was only perfected on water. On land, it could only activate the water mirror enchantment. If its attacking power was not limited, it would definitely rank as one of the top ten spirit-manipulated beasts.


    That was why Allen''s dragon completely stole the thunder of Rufus''s Fierce Wind Eagle.


    Rufus''s face turned livid, but he refused to back down. He immediately commanded his eagle to begin an overwhelming attack on the dragon. With a thunderous roar, the three-headed eagle blew three gusts of spinning wind towards the dragon.


    As the wind whirled, sand and stones flew through the air. The audience quaked in their seats in anticipation of the dragon''s reaction.


    All of a sudden, a stream of water blue light crept along the sca


    ctory or defeat," Lance answered calmly, his face remaining expressionless.


    "Since you are already on the stage, I guess you wouldn''t mind if you fought with me instead." As Alyssa said these words, she had already flown to the middle of the arena. White stepped back at once.


    The audience held their breath. Of course, the competition had to be decided by the two supreme masters!


    "If you two fight, then this peace negotiation will never end. Just let me fight the spirit-manipulated beast of that warrior at the Supernal Stage," a voice said from the crowd.


    All heads swiveled in the direction of the speaker.


    Suddenly, a man emerged from behind Lance''s guards. All eyes fell on him. Who was this guy? How could he be so bold?


    Lance and Allen exchanged surprised glances, both evidently taken aback. Of course, they knew who this mysterious, audacious man was.


    Just as the crowd started to suspect the man''s identity, he took off the helmet.


    "Rocky Bai...!" Woods cried in utter disbelief.


    "This is the famed Rocky Bai?" A shadow fell over Alyssa''s eyes as she observed the man before her. She was surprised to find out that the famed warrior was so young, possibly around 20 years old. Yet, despite his youth, he had managed to rescue the Crimson Dragon Army from siege time and time again. He even managed to break through the Timber Deity Empire''s defensive line!


    Obviously, Alyssa didn''t expect that she''d have been defeated by such a young man.

 Chapter 648 Fantastic Species

    "How have you been, Prince Woods?" asked Rocky as he looked at Woods with a calming smile.


    "Well, if you hadn''t shown mercy to me last time, then I wouldn''t be here today," Woods replied in the same manner, not minding the fact that Rocky had wanted to kill him the last time.


    "Princess Alyssa, this is our first meeting, but I''m sure that you should have heard about me. Mind if I ask how everything is going on with Miss Laney?" Rocky turned his gaze to Alyssa as he gave her a subtle smile.


    As soon as Alyssa and Rocky''s eyes met, she sensed that there was something unique about the man in front of her, drawing her curious. She felt that this spirit manipulator was not very strong, but had something hidden inside of him, like a secret. As far as she was aware of, Rocky was only at the second or third grade of the Heavenly Stage. However, she could not ignore how calm and steady this man was in front of her. With Rocky being very sophisticated at such a young age, it was no doubt why Lance had risked to give the Crimson Dragon Army''s command to the guy.


    Moreover, Rocky should remain stoic while in front of a master at the Divine Stage.


    On the other hand, Alyssa could not help but wonder if Rocky was even afraid of anything on this earth.


    "Laney is very good. Thank you for asking and extending your concern," Alyssa responded indifferently.


    "Rocky, why so sudden..." Lance asked instantly. Apparently, he didn''t understand why Rocky would suddenly appear, and to top that off, he also didn''t know who Laney was.


    "Don''t worry about it, I''ll take care of it from now on," Rocky declared to Lance.


    Lance hesitated for a moment and took a few steps back upon hearing this. However, he still kept his distance from Rocky because he knew that Alyssa would have some ideas about Rocky the moment he showed up.


    "Since the Timber Deity Empire and the Holy Dragon Empire are still negotiating with each other for peace, there is no need to treat each other like enemies. And since we are all just riding with it and seeing how it goes, there is no need to ac


    ames suddenly rushed out of the space. Its brassy head rose high along with its wings that were covered with black flames, which set off a gust of hot wind in the air. Like a grand armor, its black and red shell covered its aggressive and impressive body that was no less inferior to the other two spiritual beasts in the prior battle.


    This shadow, however, was no other than Uriah.


    Meanwhile, the people present in the area were all shocked to see Uriah''s uniqueness. For one, Uriah seemed stronger than its master, which had never happened before.


    "It never occurred to me that Rocky''s spirit-manipulated beast has transformed to such a powerful one. How amazing! Within a few months, it made it to the fourth grade of the four-star level! Moreover, it''s even more powerful than its master! I have never heard about this before, but I''m sure that it''s a pure talent!" Being Lance''s first time to see such a thing, he immediately showed a touch of wonder as well.


    As soon as Alyssa laid eyes on Uriah, she was quite startled. In fact, she had not expected that Rocky would have such a special spiritual beast, which she had never seen anything like before. Judging from Uriah''s looks, Uriah was anything but a common spiritual beast. Apparently, it did not belong to any kind in the list of spiritual beasts, which made Uriah such a unique species of the world of spiritual beasts.

 Chapter 649 High Prospect of Growth

    "Could it be that this spirit-manipulated beast is¡­? If it really is, it should have some special abilities..." said Alyssa, who seemed to suspect something.


    Before the shock that the crowd felt upon seeing Uriah''s appearance faded, a silhouette of another robust beast dashed out of the Magic Spiritual Space, and the aura it emitted was also quite powerful. This newly appeared beast was precisely Rubygon.


    Rubygon''s appearance instantly confirmed the rumor about Rocky''s ability to control two spirit-manipulated beasts at the same time.


    The crowd was once again thrown into a fierce uproar. Those Heavenly Stage masters looked at each other in dismay. They had about the same power as Rocky, but Rocky could do something they could never do their whole lives.


    "He can actually control two spirit-manipulated beasts for real," Alyssa said in astonishment. It really was hard to believe. Other people might harbor doubts about it, but she could clearly sense the spiritual power connection between the two spirit-manipulated beasts and Rocky. With the existence of the spiritual power contract between the spirit-manipulated beast and its spirit manipulator, there would also be an invisible, string-like connection between them, though ordinary spirit manipulators wouldn''t be able to see it. Normally, only the spiritual race had the ability to see such connections clearly.


    Nevertheless, because she was the crossbred descendant of the spiritual and the human race, and thus possessed the bloodline of spiritual race in her body, Alyssa also had this ability. This matter was naturally a top secret of the Timber Deity Empire. According to the treaty of alliance between clans of the spiritual race, members of the spiritual race were not allowed to breed with members of the human race. Anyone breaking the rule would be killed along with their offspring. Besides, the success rate of such crossbreeding was extremely low. In the past few decades, Alyssa was the only crossbred progeny of the spiritual and the human race cultivated by the Wood Clan.


    Possessing the bloodline of spiritual race in her body was the very reason Alyssa could reach such an advanced level, which human spirit manipulators would have to consume decades to reach, at such a young age. This unparalleled bloodline was the reason she became so outstanding.


    And at this moment, she could clearly sense the subtle spiritual power connections between Uriah, Rubygon, and Rocky.


    As the sp


    its head and howled. Just like balloons, its limbs swelled twice bigger than before and brought about a violent whirlwind upon them. With a sudden burst of power on its feet, it leaped high and seized this chance to close in on Uriah, who happened to be rushing down towards him.


    That its opponent would jump so high caught Uriah by surprise. Although it tried to dodge, one of its legs was still caught by the Steel Armor Panther. Subsequently, the Steel Armor Panther took a spin in the air then flung Uriah to the ground with all its strength.


    With a loud bang, a huge crater more than ten meters in diameter was created on the ground, sending dust flying in all directions. The impact was so strong that an ordinary spirit-manipulated beast most likely wouldn''t be able to withstand it.


    The Steel Armor Panther then took advantage of this moment to dive from the air towards the crater.


    Right at this moment, however, a fierce black fireball suddenly zoomed out of the cloud of dust. The Steel Armor Panther suddenly opened its mouth and swallowed the black fireball whole. Right afterward, it burped loudly and let out a puff of black smoke.


    Just after the dust dissipated, Uriah climbed out of the crater in a rather miserable condition, seemingly having been thrown down quite hard. However, it was still intact, and its momentum didn''t decrease in the slightest.


    There was a burst of astonished cries among the crowd. It was hard to imagine that Uriah, whose strength was far lower than the Steel Armor Panther''s, could actually fight for so long. Undoubtedly, Uriah was a spirit-manipulated beast with a high prospect of growth!

 Chapter 650 Surrender

    "Impossible! How is it still standing on both its feet?" White shouted in disbelief. With no hesitation, he ordered the Steel Armor Panther to attack once more.


    The Panther quickly swooped in and swiped at Uriah who had no time to dodge and fell to the ground. Taking its time, the Panther pressed its front claws into Uriah''s chest with an insane look on its face.


    Lacking strength, Uriah was about to lose. Rocky concentrated his gaze on a certain point and from it emerged a colorful beast shadow that appeared near the two beasts locked in combat. Sensing the appearance of a new beast, the Panther roared as it jumped off Uriah.


    Everyone who was present was stunned by the colorful beast''s sudden appearance as well. One question was on all their minds¡ªwhere did this beast come from? Even Alyssa couldn''t tell. No one had ever seen this beast exist before up until now. Everyone held their breath, waiting for what would happen next.


    They didn''t have to wait long for the beast to show its true appearance the next moment. Like a proud king touring his land, it held its head up high and puffed out its chest with an elegant posture. As it stepped onto the clouds, a colorful aura spread out from the eye-catching crystal horn that adorned its head.


    "Is¡­" Alyssa''s face turned pale as she failed to finish her sentence.


    "Is that the¡­ the Rainbow Glow Unicorn?" Lance cried out in a quivering voice.


    Not long after, the sounds of great commotion came from all around. All of them called out the same name in disbelief¡ªRainbow Glow Unicorn.


    No one expected the legendary spiritual beast to show up in front of them alive. Ranking third on the Spiritual Beast List of the Wild Spirit Land, it was a rare stroke of luck for them to see the Rainbow Glow Unicorn with their own eyes.


    "Alyssa, what do you know about this Rainbow Glow Unicorn? Tell me more!" Woods asked eagerly. He was sure that the beast in front of them right now was the exact one he spotted last time.


    "You''re aware of the Spiritual Beast


    the seemingly impossible was possible for Rocky.


    "Impossible! It isn''t yours!" Alyssa continued to protest. She said this with confidence because she couldn''t find a connection between Rocky and the Rainbow Glow Unicorn that was similar to the one she found with Rocky, Uriah, and Rubygon. She felt that it was merely helping Rocky for some unknown reason.


    She was right to a certain extent. The Rainbow Glow Unicorn didn''t think of Rocky as its master. Rather, their relationship leaned more towards that of two friends.


    "We know that you have a hard time accepting defeat, Princess Alyssa. But you better watch your words!" Lance replied loudly as he strode forward to face her.


    "Tell you what, Commander in Chief. If Rocky can prove that he is the rightful master of the Rainbow Glow Unicorn, I will accept defeat. If not, then you shall surrender to me!" Alyssa proposed with confidence.


    Lance turned towards Rocky with a serious face. He confirmed that Rocky wasn''t the Rainbow Glow Unicorn''s master. Now he was confused. Why would the beast show up at such a convenient time when Rocky needed its help the most?


    "Commander in Chief Alyssa, I understand that you are just as confused as everyone else. I''m wondering how can I prove that it''s mine," Rocky asked in his calm voice. He gazed at Alyssa and calmly waited for her reply.

 Chapter 651 Breaking The Promise

    "It''s simple. Command it to kneel in front of you. If you are truly its master, it will follow your order. The Rainbow Glow Unicorn is the king of spiritual beasts; it will never follow an ordinary man''s order that isn''t its master," Alyssa suggested.


    Rocky hesitated. He didn''t want to force the Rainbow Glow Unicorn to do anything against its will. He knew that getting it to kneel down wasn''t easy, but that it would ensure that the beast was under Rocky''s command. If the Rainbow Glow Unicorn refused, then he would lose the battle and lose his face to Alyssa. He would have to order a retreat.


    ''Alyssa has always been a brilliant strategist. But that is a particularly clever one of her. She now has the ability to turn the tables in her favor, '' Rocky thought to himself. He was initially aiming to win this round of battle with the help of the Rainbow Glow Unicorn. Once they did, he could force the Timber Deity Empire to sign a truce agreement. However, Alyssa suddenly speculated that the Rainbow Glow Unicorn wasn''t truly Rocky''s rightful beast.


    "Alright, I''ll give it a try," Rocky said with conviction. He looked so self-assured that everyone looked at him with expecting eyes as he walked towards the Rainbow Glow Unicorn.


    "Foodie, get down on your knees if you are willing to make me your master," Rocky commanded the Rainbow Glow Unicorn.


    However, the imperial beast merely stared back at Rocky completely unmoved. It held its head high like the king that it was.


    "I don''t know how you managed to trick that beast into helping you, but it looks like you aren''t truly its master. But we have now seen through your trickery. You might as well give up now!" Alyssa sneered as if she was declaring victory.


    Rocky''s lips tightened. He stroked the unicorn''s head and exchanged smiles with it. "Don''t worry. I don''t want to force you. You are my be


    from the ground in astonishment.


    Below, Alyssa and Lance, two masters of the Divine Stage, engaged in their own battles. Their combined spiritual powers were so strong that stones flew left and right and dusts blanketed the area.


    Rocky stood in the vortex of the spiritual battle where spiritual pressure was the most felt. He looked fearless as he watched the fight between Alyssa and Lance.


    Soon enough, spirit manipulators from both sides joined the battle.


    "Commander in Chief Rocky, come with us. Let''s get you out of here." Allen appeared next to Rocky.


    Rocky agreed and proceeded back to camp. He knew he may cause more harm due to his poor condition. He also knew they needed to prepare another attack plan and break through the defensive line of the Timber Deity Empire.


    Of course, Alyssa would not let him off easily. She had a plan.


    Rocky and Allen''s escape was stopped by the sudden presence of Rufus and White, the two masters of the Supernal Stage.


    "I''ll stall them. Leave when you get the chance. Hurry. I can only distract them briefly," Allen whispered to Rocky anxiously. Allen knew that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to stop the two masters of the Supernal Stage by himself, but he had to try.

 Chapter 652 End Him With Immense Power

    Rocky frowned at what he saw. Looking up, he spotted a dozen spirit-manipulated beasts locked in an intense aerial battle¡ªand Alyssa''s spirit-manipulated beast was one of them. He realized that he couldn''t just dash out because doing so would expose his location. Now the only way to get out was to use the Rainbow Glow Unicorn''s special power.


    Rocky summoned the Rainbow Glow Unicorn. But before he could try and hide with the beast, Alyssa was one step ahead and began to gather her spiritual power. Instantly, a beam of red light surged out of the crack of the Magic Spiritual Space which shook the earth and the sky. The beam fell right in front of the Rainbow Glow Unicorn which caused the beast to roar strangely before disappearing.


    He could only stare in amazement as the Rainbow Glow Unicorn went missing. With no other option left, he ran away towards the other direction with Uriah. He planned to leave the village first and then rode astride Uriah. On the outskirts of the village, his army were awaiting his return as he had already anticipated the Timber Deity Empire''s plot. If he reached them in time, he would be safe.


    Just then, Allen summoned his beast¡ªthe Crystal Water Dragon. The dragon quickly rushed in front of Rufus and White to block their path.


    "You go after Rocky. Leave this to me," Rufus ordered White as he glared at Allen, not forgetting the shame and loss he caused him last time.


    Without another word, White sped up to catch up to Rocky.


    "Watery Ribbon!" Allen exclaimed as he waved his arm. A strong spiritual power was released in streams of ribbons which constantly twisted and twirled before intertwining around White and surrounding him completely to block his way.


    "Whiskered Fire Bug!" White immediately shouted and whipped out his feather fan to conjure up fire flows which looked like thousands of firebugs emerging from the ground. The fire flows immediately rushed towards the watery ribbons that Allen summoned.


    When the two spiritual powers made contact, an explosion of light illuminated the entire sky and shimmered for a while. Due to his lack of skill, White failed to release himself from the watery ribbons created by Allen.


    Just then, the shadow of an aggressive beast pounced up


    then launched his next attack of spiritual martial arts. The whole ground shook and dust clouds rose up from the rubble.


    Rocky failed to counteract the attack and ended up stuck in the air.


    In spite of this, he showed no sign of fear. He descended back to the ground and stood up firmly with a look of determination plastered on his face.


    "Let''s see how long you last this time," White snorted and launched a new move with his palm which managed to strike Rocky once more.


    After three attacks, Rocky was forced to retreat to the center of the village. His entire body turned black and blue but Rocky knew that White had intended to do much more than cause a couple of bruises.


    Lance and Allen were astonished at Rocky''s beaten state.


    Alyssa laughed scornfully and exclaimed, "Ha! You''re dead, young man!" White was annoyed at the fact that Rocky was still standing in spite of taking three of his attacks. Any other Heavenly Stage spirit manipulator would''ve begged for mercy at that point. ''How did he manage to still survive?'' White thought to himself with a murderous glare and his eyes blazing with hatred.


    White dashed forward with his palm to try to end Rocky once and for all with a single move.


    Rocky appeared to be too weak to try and dodge White''s move this time. Lance and Allen were busy fighting off other enemies and were unable to help him. The deadly palm steadily made its way across the field and inched closer towards Rocky in the hopes of ending him for good.

 Chapter 653 Everyone Was Totally Stunned

    The palm was so close to him that it could kill him at any moment. Rocky''s eyes widened when he saw the fiery palm. He knew deep inside that he mustn''t die here¡ªhe had to fight back. Nevertheless, the only thing he could do to fight White was to release his strong evil power. He certainly knew what consequences he would have to face in the future if he did so, but he really had no time to think further.


    "Ah!" A shout escaped his lips. The strong evil power, which had been sealed inside his spiritual soul container, suddenly burst. In an instant, the aura around his body skyrocketed, bringing about a demonic vibe to him.


    Upon seeing the sudden change in Rocky''s aura, White''s face darkened, but his power didn''t decrease in the slightest.


    Bang!


    A loud noise rang, and the next thing everyone knew, Rocky had once again survived White''s palm. Although Rocky did spit out a mouthful of blood, it was still incredible that he, who was at the third grade of the Heavenly Stage, could withstand the fourth palm attack from White, who was at the second grade of the Supernal Stage.


    Everyone else was also amazed that Rocky managed to withstand White''s palm attack.


    The attack was quite strong. In the blink of an eye, the impact had blown Rocky several meters away.


    "It seems¡­ This is still not strong enough¡­" Even though he had his evil power released from the spiritual soul container, Rocky still couldn''t stand his ground against White''s attacks. His complexion turned even graver. He knew that to get more strength, he must break the third layer of seal and release even more evil power. Otherwise, he would most likely have just one end¡ªdeath.


    However, the evil power he would get from opening the third layer of seal would be much stronger than the one he got from opening the second layer of seal. If he later failed to suppress this evil power, he would go insane and even become a bloodthirsty maniac whose thoughts only revolved around killing. He knew because such situations had occurred in history.


    But how could White possibl


    am of light already struck White before he could even realize what was happening. The moment the beam of light came into contact with his body, it grew sharply in size, swelling just like a ball and pressing White towards the ground.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    White didn''t even have the time to defend himself. He was knocked into the air, leaving a long mark on the ground. After being more than ten meters away, he finally managed to hold his ground and steady his footing. However, his skin was all charred and he could barely move. It was obvious how amazing the strength of that blow was. It could actually injure White, who was at the second grade of the Supernal Stage, so gravely!


    Upon seeing this scene, everyone was petrified. They could hardly believe what they saw. It had never once crossed their mind that Rocky could wound White so gravely with just one move.


    Moreover, no one ever imagined that Rocky, who was only in the Heavenly Stage, would easily defeat a master at the second grade of the Supernal Stage. But what they were curious the most was only one thing¡ªwhere did Rocky''s strong evil power come from?


    Alyssa was also astonished that Rocky suddenly became so sinister and much stronger, but she felt that Rocky had a very shocking secret which even the Crimson Dragon Army didn''t know about. Otherwise, Lance wouldn''t look as shocked as her.

 Chapter 654 The Guardian Beast

    As Alyssa thought of this, her eyes suddenly froze. She then stretched out her pale arms. In the blink of an eye, several vine-like spiritual marks appeared on her arms and blossomed into delicate buds. The buds started to bloom and tiny pollen was visibly blown in the wind. They came towards Lance''s direction in a powerful force.


    Startled, Lance took a step back immediately. He knew that the pollen was a secret poison made by the Timber Deity Empire. The moment he inhaled even just a little, it would cause him serious trouble.


    Seeing that Lance had retreated, Alyssa stopped what she was doing and rushed towards Rocky.


    Rocky was moving recklessly and was on the verge of losing control. By then, he could only maintain a trace of sanity. He was no longer himself. When he saw that Alyssa rushed over, he waved his hand and slashed. At once, the Flaming Blade of Frozen Wind Dagger in his hand slashed out a huge black Moon Blade, three times the size of the previous one. It was now huge and obviously powerful, as if it could cut the whole house down.


    Even after seeing the astonishing black Moon Blade rushing over, Alyssa remained calm. With a flip of her white hand, a wave of spiritual power surged out and collided with the Moon Blade. A strong streak of light shot to the sky and the black Moon Blade disappeared. Alyssa got closer to Rocky.


    "This guy''s power is really not a spirit manipulator''s power. It should belong to the spiritual race. Is it possible that he is also from the spiritual race''s bloodline?" As Alyssa looked at the man in front of her, confusion was visible on her face. But soon, she had composed herself, because she thought that Rocky would be a disaster if he still lived in this world. Besides, considering his present state, his condition seemed to be getting worse and worse. She had no clue on what would happen later. The only thing she could do now was to suppress Rocky''s strength first to stall, and then she would deal with him.


    Just at this time, Alyssa opened her Magic Spiritual Space and saw countless streaks of light bands inside, fluttering like ribbons. Then, a fiery red beast figure came out of it, shaped like a fox, and pranced in an overwhelming momentum. It did not appear to be an ordinary spirit-manipulated beast, becaus


    oment, Rocky had just come to his senses. At the sight of a familiar figure, he called out subconsciously, "Sabina!" But after that, the evil spiritual power which had been suppressed in his body exploded again and Rocky started to lose himself again.


    "How did you get yourself into this again?" A worried look flashed through Sabina''s face, reflecting on her cold eyes. She knew the consequences would be unthinkable if the evil spiritual power in Rocky''s body took over him completely.


    "If he goes on like this, he will surely die. But he deserves it," Alyssa uttered, glaring at Rocky, but her murderous intent had disappeared.


    "No need to concern yourself over it. I will save him. I won''t let you kill him," Sabina muttered as she glared at Alyssa.


    "What''s your relationship with him?" Alyssa couldn''t help but ask after seeing how Sabina protected Rocky. Sensing the aura of the Supernal Stage that Sabina was emitting, Alyssa couldn''t help but guess about Sabina''s identity, because as far as she knew, there was no woman who had reached the Supernal Stage in the Crimson Dragon Group.


    "It''s none of your business," Sabina responded coldly.


    "If you can save him, then do so according to your will. For the moment, I''ll keep him alive..." Alyssa said after a moment''s hesitation after noticing the anxiety on Sabina''s face. Obviously, she was a little concerned about what the Moon Fox had said. So she decided to let Rocky go first. After she figured out what the Moon Fox meant, she would take his life.

 Chapter 655 Have No Way

    Upon hearing Alyssa''s words, Sabina was surprised because Alyssa didn''t take the opportunity to kill Rocky even if she already had him. Even though Sabina wanted to protect Rocky, she was unable to do so because she could not fight Alyssa, who was at the Divine Stage. At that moment, it was just a piece of cake for Alyssa to kill Rocky. Sabina would try her best to keep Rocky safe at the expense of her own life. Although it was not Alyssa''s intention to do that, Sabina still kept standing by Rocky''s side as she looked at him with a determined look to keep him safe.


    "You are really brave, you know? You are so lucky this time..." Alyssa sneered at Sabina. Afterwards, she turned her look to Lance who was moving over.


    Suddenly, a figure appeared beside Alyssa, whispering in her ears.


    "Good." After Alyssa heard what the figure had just said, a sinister smile crept on her face.


    "Stop, let''s go!" Alyssa yelled.


    Instantly, all the spirit manipulators of the Timber Deity Empire who were fighting took back their spirit-manipulated beasts and quickly retreated to Alyssa''s side, disappearing from the village all together.


    At the same time, Lance and Allen had arrived at Rocky''s side. Shocked to see the black spiritual power flowing out from his body, they asked, "What is going on?"


    "Commander in Chief, would you please lead everyone away from this place?" Sabina immediately said to Lance.


    "You''d better let the Commander in Chief have a check first." At that moment, Allen thought that Rocky must have gotten into a spiral of madness, losing control of his strength.


    Lance also nodded upon hearing Allen''s words.


    "His situation is not as simple as you think. I am the only one who can help him," Sabina said firmly.


    Confused, Lance and Allen looked at each other with baffled faces.


    "Okay. Then we shall wait for you outside the village..." After he finished his words, Lance noticed Sabina''s determination and guided Allen and the others to leave the village.


    Meanwhile, Sabina quickly took Rocky to an abandoned house which was just nearby and took out the Dragon Twined Wood. Simultaneously, she took off Rocky''s clothes and saw his strong and muscular chest. Seeing him naked to the waist, Sabina could not help but blush. Without hes


    Rainbow Glow Unicorn glanced at Rocky before it went into Sabina''s Magic Spiritual Space.


    Riding Duchess Silver, Sabina let Rocky lean on her back as they all flew out of the village.


    "Sabina, how''s Commander in Chief Rocky''s condition?" Allen asked anxiously, as soon as he saw Rocky leaning against Sabina''s back and looking asleep.


    Concerned, Lance looked at Sabina.


    "He is out of danger for now, but he might not wake up until tomorrow," Sabina responded seriously.


    "So, he will wake up tomorrow?" Lance frowned as they really needed Rocky''s help now.


    "I''ll just send him back to the camp first." As soon as Sabina finished her words, Duchess Silver flew in the air, disappearing in a blink of an eye.


    "I think we should also go back now," Lance spoke to Allen as he summoned the Roaring-thunder Dragon. Afterwards, he and Allen rode the Roaring-thunder Dragon as they headed for the camp, following Sabina.


    Their shadows flickered, and instantly disappeared without a trace.


    After a short while, Sabina sent Rocky back to the Crimson Dragon Army''s camp. Upon hearing that Rocky was severely injured, Isis rushed to the camp to see how he was doing.


    "Sabina, why are you here? Rocky..." Upon entering the tent, Isis saw Sabina standing beside Rocky who was pale as a ghost, lying on the bed.


    However, as soon as Sabina saw Isis, she immediately narrowed her eyes and said, "He''s getting worse. If he continues to be like this, then I''m afraid that I cannot assure you anything good."

 Chapter 656 Clear Mind (Part One)

    "What do you mean by that, Sabina?" Apparently, Isis didn''t understand any of her words.


    "There is a very strong power sealed in his body that is completely beyond his endurance. So, once he overuses it, he can''t control his strength," after hesitating for a while, Sabina uttered under her breath.


    "But, how could he have such power? And how did you know about that?" At that point, Isis was still not able to understand. However, what shocked her the most was that Sabina knew everything about it while she didn''t have any idea.


    "That''s all I can tell you for now. And this will be just between us. You can''t tell anyone else what I have just said. You must take good care of him and keep him far away from danger. Otherwise, you will regret it!" After finishing her words, Sabina turned around and left.


    "Hey! Where are you going?" Isis asked at once as soon as she saw that Sabina was about to leave.


    "I''m the last one he wants to see when he wakes up. I can''t stay here." After saying that, Sabina left.


    "Oh, Rocky, why do you always make me worried?" Isis could not help but cry at the sight of the man who seemed to be sleeping so soundly in bed.


    Meanwhile, two figures came in one after another just from the outside of the camp.


    "Isis..."


    Isis wiped her tears as soon as she heard the voice calling her. Turning around, she saw Lance and Allen.


    "Where is Sabina?" Allen asked upon seeing that it was only Isis who was inside the tent.


    "She left a while ago," Isis replied.


    "Shouldn''t she be at the Imperial City? What was she doing here?" Allen asked in confusion.


    "Father, what happened? How is it going to be for Rocky from now on?" Isis could not help but anxiously ask as she looked at Lance.


    "It''s a long story. We talk about it later. What happened to the Crimson Dragon Army and the Magic Dragon Army on Timber Deity Empire''s left wing of the defensive line?" asked Lance.


    "Due to the fact that the enemy troops are superior, the Crimson Dragon Army and the Magic Dragon Army have retreated for two miles..." Isis responded.


    "Who have come to help the Timber Deity Empire?" Lance''s t


    joined in the conversation.


    Surprised, all three of them turned around to see where the voice came from, only to find out that it was Rocky''s.


    Upon seeing him, Lance and Allen heaved a sigh of relief, while Isis stood up the second she saw him and walked towards him.


    "When did you wake up?" Isis, like a gentle wife, walked up to Rocky and asked with deep concern.


    "Just an hour ago," Rocky replied and turned his gaze to Lance. "Commander in Chief, please order the Crimson Dragon Army and Magic Dragon Army to retreat from the left wing of the defensive line."


    "Retreat? But isn''t it a great chance for the Timber Deity Empire to recover?" Lance suddenly darkened his eyes. They had finally gained a great advantage, and they had almost broken through Timber Deity Empire''s defensive line.


    "But it''s not as simple as you think. The Timber Deity Empire has already planned everything from the very beginning. In addition to that, the support of the Roaring Flame Empire must also be part of the plan. The only reason why Alyssa proposed to make peace was that she just wanted to buy time for the Roaring Flame Empire to arrive. Ever since the arrival of the Roaring Flame Empire''s troops, she must have prepared for everything. And if we force to attack, then we will surely fall into her trap," Rocky explained. Hearing the conversation between Lance and two others, he soon figured out what had happened.

 Chapter 657 Clear Mind (Part Two)

    "But on the other hand, we will lose all the advantage if we give up. And besides, the forces of the Crimson Dragon Army and the Magic Dragon Army were not weak at all. They could definitely fight with the Roaring Flame Empire..." Lance still thought that it would be such a pity to withdraw the army.


    "The troops of the Roaring Flame Empire are currently defending, while the Crimson Dragon Army and the Magic Dragon Army have been offending for several days in a row. At this point, our troops are very tired. If the war continues, then we will be at a disadvantage," Rocky said as he shook his head.


    On the other hand, Lance thought that what Rocky said was reasonable, but he was very unwilling to be cheated by Alyssa again.


    "Although I have already mentioned that Alyssa made peace for other purposes, I didn''t expect that her purpose was to buy time for the army of the Roaring Flame Empire to arrive at the place. That''s surprising. This was probably her trump card. I''m sure that Timber Deity Empire had no other choice because we have driven them into an impasse. Otherwise, the secret of their alliance wouldn''t have been revealed so easily. This is the last plan she can make, so we can take it easy afterwards. Timber Deity Empire has no other choice. We just have to be patient and be steady in our fight. Only in that way can we maintain the advantage. However, they have the support of the Roaring Flame Empire now. Their military forces should be near to ours, so we can''t act recklessly. We''ll talk about it after we figure out more about the background of the Roaring Flame Empire''s army..." Rocky explained as he made an orderly analysis.


    "I see. Okay, I agree with you," Lance said as he thought that Rocky''s words made a lot of sense.


    "After the Crimson Dragon Army and the Magic Dragon Army withdraw from the defensive line, we will retreat from the camp. Now, all we need is to ensure that there are sufficient supplies for the army. It seems that this battle cannot be settled in such a short ti


    "Really? Is it extra service? In the past, she sealed my power in my body. And now she sent you to follow me. Is she really worried that my powers would be out of control? Or does your master have other plans..." Rocky sneered. In fact, he was a little conflicted about the whole scenario. He didn''t know whether what Marcia had done to him that year was for his own good or for other purposes.


    "If you only knew my master, then you would know that my master couldn''t be such kind of person." Sabina was enraged upon hearing this.


    "If not, then why did she conceal my identity from you? She could have told you straightforwardly. You have followed me, protected me, and even taken risks for me, but somehow, you don''t know who I really am," Rocky questioned her.


    After hearing what he said, Sabina was speechless.


    "Do you really want to know who I am?" he suddenly asked Sabina as he looked her straight in the eyes.


    After being silent for a while, she answered, "No."


    "Really? Are you sure about that? Well, I was just about to tell you. Although there was some resentment between me and your master, it has nothing to do with you at all, and I should not blame that on you. I''m sorry," Rocky said frankly as he had switched his attitude to Sabina at that moment.


    Shocked, Sabina never expected that Rocky would apologize to her.

 Chapter 658 There Must Be Another Scheme

    "I can only temporarily seal the rampaging power inside your body. If the seal weakens, the sealed power will erupt again. You mustn''t overuse that power any more from now on. Otherwise, not even I can help you. The deeper the crack of the Dragon Twined Wood is, the stronger the rampaging power in your body will be," Sabina, who had taken a moment to calm down, said earnestly to warn Rocky.


    "Really?" Rocky frowned. He knew how terrifying the evil power was. Before he could control the evil power of the second layer of the seal, it was impossible for him to control the evil power of the third layer. The evil power in his body was supposed to be unsealed step by step, but this process had been thoroughly spoiled by him. Hence the evil power in his body was in an infernal state. He understood this very well, but he could do nothing¡ªdesperate times called for desperate measures. Had he not released the evil power of the third layer, he might have already become a goner by now.


    One had to lose some to win some, so Rocky did not regret it at all. Nevertheless, he still had to man up, face the aftermath, and find a solution to it.


    "Is there any way to maintain the seal?" Rocky asked after giving the matter some thought. Sabina was more experienced than him in dealing with the seal. Besides, he believed that Marcia had told her how to deal with the rampaging power in his body.


    "Yes, there is a way, but..." Sabina said hesitatingly.


    "Just tell me. I''ll find a way to do it no matter how difficult it is," said Rocky, who thought that it would be hard to maintain the seal.


    "Actually, it isn''t difficult. If you use the power of the Dragon Twined Wood and the Sea Blue Magic Jade to consolidate the seal, the seal can be maintained. However, only I know how to use the Dragon Twined Wood, and there must be no mistake occurring when one''s using it, so..." Sabina said with a hint of hesitation.


    "That''s easy to solve. You should come with me then." Rocky smiled. He thought it would be very difficult, but it wasn''t.


    "I thought you didn''t want to see me." Sabina shot a death glare at Rocky.


    "I''ve already apologized to you." Rocky squeezed out a smile.


    "I hav


    n," said Marcia. She was standing indolently against a pillar, looking rather arrogant.


    "You mean¡­ the Timber Deity Empire was purposefully causing a war from the very beginning? But why? It would absolutely not benefit the Timber Deity Empire if a war broke between the Timber Deity Empire and the Holy Dragon Empire," asked the emperor while looking at her.


    "It''s very simple¡ªthe Timber Deity Empire must have a scheme," Marcia replied.


    Everyone in the Grand Holy Hall was shocked by her remark. If her guess was right, it meant the Timber Deity Empire had led the Holy Dragon Empire by the nose from the very beginning, and the Holy Dragon Empire was still absolutely clueless about the Timber Deity Empire''s purpose even until now.


    "Father, I think Marcia is right. We mustn''t show any weakness to the Timber Deity Empire. Instead, we should show the might of our Holy Dragon Empire," Crown Prince Alston chimed in. Although he was a calculating man, he was also very cautious when he dealt with state affairs.


    "That''s all for today. You may leave now. Let me think about it." The emperor could not immediately make a decision. With a grave expression, he waved his hand and left the hall.


    "Goodbye, Your Majesty." All the officials simultaneously bowed to see him off.


    After the emperor left, all the officials also left the hall.


    However, just right after Marcia walked out of the Grand Holy Hall, a delicate figure came towards her.

 Chapter 659 Dont Disturb Us

    "You are..." When she caught sight of the girl, Marcia immediately recognized her. The girl was named Randi, the maid of Lena. Randi always followed Lena with unparalleled loyalty.


    "Her Royal Highness has ordered me to come immediately. She wanted to invite you to the Witch Palace and take a seat there. With the grace of Her Royal Highness, please follow me, General Marcia," said Randi as she bowed towards Marcia. Randi''s tone was very respectful when she mentioned Her Royal Highness.


    "By the way, it is already one year since the last time I saw Her Royal Highness. It was a very kind invitation from her. If I don''t go with you, it would not only disappoint you but Her Royal Highness as well." With a faint smile, Marcia nodded. The two of them then left together. As they walked through the buildings, Marcia tried to guess why Lena wanted to see her.


    When Alston was walking out of the Grand Holy Hall, he saw that Marcia was leaving with Randi. He immediately guessed that Marcia was going to see Lena. A displeased expression suddenly painted his face. With a frown, he confusedly muttered, "I don''t understand. Why would Lena want to see Marcia?"


    All of a sudden, a figure appeared in front of Alston. A respectful look was seen on the figure''s face as it went down on one knee.


    "Why did you come?" asked Alston with haste. He immediately recognized that the person who just appeared before him was the one who served Priest Dean.


    "Your Royal Highness, Priest Dean asks you to go to the Mourning Temple as soon as possible." Almost as fast as it appeared, the figure had already left after it had said the message.


    Alston glanced as the figures of Randi and Marcia grew smaller to the distance. Afterward, he then headed to the Mourning Temple located in the southeast of the Palace City.


    The Mourning Temple was usually used by Priest Dean to refine elixirs. Additionally, it was also used to hold some mourning ceremonies. On one hand, it looked like a huge pharmacy; on the other hand, since it seemed to be a place for Priest Dean to perform magic arts, anyone who would step inside it would feel how gloomy and enigmatic the place was.


    The moment Alston entered the Mourning Temple, he saw another figure. It was Priest Dean who was walking back and forth with a worried look on his face.


    "Priest Dean, what''s going on?" Alston said arrogantly. A rather boastful character, he sat on a chair next to him. He was the eldest son of the king, so he had the right to be very arrogant. Nonetheless, Priest Dean was already accustomed to his proud manner, so he nodded and started to talk.


    "We might be in trouble, Your Royal Highness," said the priest with a serious and grim expression.


    However, Alston maintained his pompous expression. Not a single frown appeared on his face despite the rather bad news. He just asked with a callous tone, "What kind of trouble can make our priest have such a serious look?" A calm voice accompanied Alston''s query. He thought the Priest Dean was simply overwhelmed a


    have a chance to go back to the Palace City. He will eventually fight for the throne with Your Royal Highness. Maybe he thinks that he will have a chance to be the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire." The priest nodded and spoke out his concern.


    "Damn it! Curse him!" Alston shouted angrily. As his rage grew, his spiritual power burst out and all the tables, chairs and flowers in the Mourning Temple were instantly smashed into pieces.


    "As far as I''m concern, Your Royal Highness, you must stop him from returning to the Palace City. Otherwise, he will be big trouble for us. If what we have done to him is uncovered, I''m afraid that Your Royal Highness and I will bear all the consequences. We cannot handle such a difficult situation if it ever comes to that. Of course, even Your Royal Highness is unable to secure the position of heir to the throne," reminded Priest Dean with a grave expression.


    "I will not let him return to the Palace City. No matter the cost, I will stop his wretched plans!" Alston said resentfully as his eyes seared with strong murderous intent.


    On the other side, Marcia and Randi had reached the Witch Palace.


    "General Marcia, you are here!" Lena had been waiting for Marcia for a long time. When she saw Marcia, she walked up to her with a sentimental smile.


    "Your Royal Highness, how have you been since I last saw you?" Marcia asked politely as her face reflected a sincere smile.


    "I''m fine. Thank you for asking." Lena nodded to Marcia with an appreciative tone.


    "Randi, you can take your leave. I want to talk with Marcia alone. Don''t let anyone disturb us!" said Lena with a calm voice.


    Randi nodded and withdrew immediately.


    When Randi left the Witch Palace, the two girls suddenly burst into laughter. Both of them were like fairies that just came out from the wonderland. Their smiles made the palace more glamorous and majestic. Every move of them looked like beautiful scenery. They were amongst the most beautiful and gorgeous women in the Holy Dragon Empire.

 Chapter 660 No News Of Him

    "Why didn''t you visit me after you returned?" Marcia said to Lena. She looked at her as if they were sisters.


    "That would be inconvenient. You''re the one who requested to not let others know about our relationship. I am just trying to be cautious," Lena replied softly.


    Marcia and Lena were two of the most prominent personalities of the Holy Dragon Empire. One was the symbol and the other was the backbone. What was unknown to people was how close the two really were. They once lived in the Dragon Master Clan for a while and had fostered close relations with each other.


    Lena was only twelve or thirteen years old when she first met Marcia. The two girls had to part ways when Lena was sent back to the Holy Dragon Empire. A few years later, Marcia appeared there too and finally they were reunited. However, the two had to conceal their relationship and Marcia also asked Lena to keep her background a secret. They did not let people see just how close they really were, only meeting each other for a few times.


    Thus, Lena was one of the few people who knew the true background of Marcia.


    "Okay, I forgive you. I''m just afraid that this will be the same as last year. You left in such a hurry. I didn''t even have time to say goodbye. But what''s done is done. Let''s not talk about it." Marcia wanted to say something else but decided to keep it to herself. She did not want to surface bad memories.


    "Actually, I asked you to come here to discuss just that. Maybe it''s time we talk about what happened last year," Lena said, blinking her beautiful eyes.


    Marcia raised her eyebrows in apprehension. "Prince Basil went too far. What he did is unforgivable. I would understand if that makes you upset. After all..." Marcia sighed.


    "Honestly," Lena said, "I don''t blame him." She shook her head and seemed serious.


    "What do you mean? What he did is horrible. You should at least feel upset," Marcia suggested.


    "Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. Besides, I know Basil. He must have had a good reason for doing something that reckless," Lena said nonchalantly.


    "I can''t believe you''re letting it go so easily. His crime is unforgivable." Marcia looked angry.


    "I just have one question. Did Basil really break into the Witch Pal


    . Is that correct?" Lena inquired.


    "Only because he did something bad to you," Marcia responded firmly.


    "But no one knows anything about Basil now. Not even where he is. Do you know where he is now?" Lena was starting to feel anxious.


    For a brief moment, Marcia looked stunned. Then, a sly smile formed on her lips. "His Majesty doesn''t even know where he is. Why would I do?"


    "Really? I want to see him. I want to make sure he knows that I forgive him." Lena bit her bottom lip and tried to hold back tears. The past year had tested her and she was more mature now. However, the thought of Basil made her feel like a sad child again.


    "Don''t worry. He''ll come back to you if he knows you care about him." Marcia put her arms around Lena.


    "Yes. He will come back. He has to," Lena said, trying to convince herself.


    "Alright. I have to go now. I''ll see you again soon." Marcia got up and quickly turned to leave the Witch Palace.


    As soon as she stepped out, her eyes fell to the floor. "Lena, I hope you forgive me for lying to you," she muttered to herself. "It''s not yet time for you two to meet each other. You can''t forgive him yet. He might lose his motivation. In this way, he wouldn''t be able to control the strong and evil power of the Holy Dragon Bead inside his body. If that happens, he might die. But he would definitely come back. By then perhaps you find it in your heart to forgive me." Marcia''s body trembled before she completely disappeared from the Witch Palace.

 Chapter 661 Secret Plan

    Meanwhile, trouble found them as soon as Rocky and Sabina made peace with each other. The Deputy Commander in Chief of the Magic Dragon Army, Buff, was displeased with Rocky. Ordering the army to retreat, Rocky was a wanted man in Buff''s eyes as he asked several people to look for him.


    Right inside the Commander in Chief''s tent, Buff, who looked like a fierce debt collector, along with several masters of the Heavenly Stage gathered and discussed some pressing matters.


    "So, what brings you here, Buff?" Rocky asked, as he looked straight into Buff''s eyes as though he already knew the reason why he was there. But as far as he knew, the Magic Dragon Army had not completely withdrawn their troops from the defensive line of the Timber Deity Empire as per his order. As a result, there could only be one reason why Buff was there¡ªhe obviously wanted to argue with him.


    "No more of this nonsense. Why did you suddenly order the soldiers to withdraw from the defensive line of the Timber Deity Empire? What is your intention? The Timber Deity Empire''s line of defense is being weakened as we speak. If that would keep up, then we could surely defeat them very soon. Only a fool would make such a decision to withdraw the army at this time," Buff mocked.


    "Watch your tone there, Buff," Allen warned in a hushed tone. With Rocky as the Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Army, it was clear that Buff was being disrespectful to him and to the whole army when he talked to him in such a rude manner.


    On the other hand, this behavior made Isis and the other commanders very angry. However, in order to avoid any more conflict, they were forced to watch on the side patiently.


    "As you already know, the Roaring Flame Empire has sent fifty thousand of their soldiers to support the Timber Deity Empire, while also attacking the Magic Dragon Army. And if we continue to rashly attack the defensive line of the Timber Deity Empire, then we will also have to pay a painful price once we break through their defensive line. As of the moment, we don''t know much about the Roaring Flame Empire''s army, so I ordered our army to retreat as a precautionary measure," replied Rocky in a calm manner.


    "You are nothing but a coward. If you dare not take any risk in this battle, then what the hell is the point of battling in the first place?" Buff took advantage of the situation as he became vulgar with his words.


    "If you are not satisfied with the order t


    as totally absurd, but in reality, Rocky had made his decision decisively.


    "So, are you satisfied?" Rocky smiled as he looked at Buff.


    "Now that''s more like it," Buff answered proudly, as if he had gotten the good end of a bargain. Afterwards, he and his men left the tent with contented smiles on their faces.


    "Rocky, Buff''s request is totally unreasonable. How could you agree to such a request?" Isis blurted out angrily as she could not understand what Rocky was trying to do.


    "Don''t worry. I have my own plan. Isis, please dispatch ten thousand soldiers to the Magic Dragon Army," Rocky commanded.


    Knowing that Rocky had already made up his mind, she just nodded and proceeded to leave the tent.


    "Commanders, please prepare to send the Crimson Dragon Army overnight to the left-wing defensive line," Rocky said as he ordered the commanders.


    Right after following Rocky''s orders, the commanders left.


    "The right-wing defensive line of the Timber Deity Empire is already collapsing at this moment. Commander in Chief Rocky is sending ten thousand soldiers to the Magic Dragon Army, and will let them use forty thousand soldiers to attack the right-wing defensive line. Only a fool would do that. But I think you must have other plans. Could it be that you are using the Magic Dragon Army to..." Allen guessed as he saw that Rocky was so calm and unbothered by his sudden decision. After a few days of spending with Rocky, Allen thought that he had started to get to know the man well. As soon as Rocky made such an abrupt and rash decision, Allen could not help but think that he must have a secret plan behind it.

 Chapter 662 An Experimental Breakthrough

    "I planned on keeping it a secret," Rocky informed Allen with a faint smile.


    "I still don''t understand. I know you''re using the Magic Dragon Army for your benefit, but you don''t have to give up ten thousand Crimson Dragon Army soldiers. It''ll be a waste to order a total of forty thousand soldiers to attack only the enemy''s right wing," Allen protested, still not getting Rocky''s point.


    "The Timber Deity Empire''s right wing is weak compared to the left, thus forcing Alyssa to focus her attention on it. I suppose she isn''t worried at all about the left wing given that it''s guarded by fifty thousand Roaring Flame Empire soldiers. Even if Alyssa only appointed ten thousand soldiers to defend her right wing, she could still inflict great damage on her enemies. Hence, we must focus our fire on the left wing guarded by fifty thousand Roaring Flame Empire soldiers. Compared to the right wing guarded by Alyssa, it''ll be much easier to take down," Rocky explained to Allen. His reason for ordering Buff to use forty thousand soldiers to attack the right wing was to distract Alyssa and draw her away from the left wing. Through this, Rocky could concentrate on the fifty thousand Roaring Flame Empire soldiers on the left wing.


    "But since you''ve appointed ten thousand soldiers to the Magic Dragon Army, that''ll leave you with only thirty thousand soldiers or less to fend off the Roaring Flame Empire''s fifty thousand soldiers. You don''t expect another miracle like the one that happened in Evian City, do you?" Having witnessed the battle in Evian City, Allen believed in Rocky''s ability. However, he wasn''t sure why Rocky was so confident that he was able to defeat the enemy who outnumbered them.


    "The victory at Evian City was less of a miracle and more of luck. If your reinforcements hadn''t arrived in time, we certainly would''ve lost." Rocky, in fact, didn''t believe in miracles. He believed that nothing was impossible, provided you had the confidence to do it.


    "I''m curious about your plan," Allen admitted, wondering


    tch over the cubs as affectionately as mothers.


    Rocky walked over to examine all seven Dark Heaven Cubs. He made it a point to examine them every day by recording their growth no matter how busy he was. This was to ensure their health.


    After examining them, he walked towards another corner of the Magic Spiritual Space. A dozen two-star and three-star wild spirit-manipulated beasts were lying on the ground of a huge fenced area. They were brought back for experimental purposes from the Myriad Beasts Ground. They were all paralyzed due to the venom from the Centipede-snake that Rocky injected into them.


    Rocky picked one of the beasts and took it to the lab to continue his experiment on the spirit-manipulated beasts'' brain lobes. In previous experiments, he only considered the brain lobes'' controlling function and ignored its difference from the human lobes. Human brains stop developing at a certain stage and begin to weaken at a later point. What made the spirit-manipulated beasts different was that their brains would never stop developing. In fact, their brains would develop further with each upgrade they undertook and were likely to have an increase in brain tissue. However, the downside was that the brain would be more prone to develop disorders. That was the experimental breakthrough he had and why his previous experiments failed.

 Chapter 663 Marching Towards The Enemy Line

    Rocky discovered something new from the brain surgery he performed on the wild spirit-manipulated beasts in the Spiritual Fairyland. As it turned out, the brains of spirit-manipulated beasts were just like computers with self-updating ability. If some programs of a computer were damaged, the computer would neither work nor update its software. Similar things would happen to spirit-manipulated beasts'' brains if their cerebral cortices were damaged.


    Because of that, damages to a spirit-manipulated beast''s brain should be prevented by not stimulating its cerebral cortex. But not stimulating its cerebral cortex also meant that the wild spirit-manipulated beast could not be deprived of its self-consciousness. The only way Rocky could come up with to solve this dilemma was to block the cerebral cortices. Blocking some programs in a computer would disable some functions in the said computer, but the computer itself could still accept instructions given to it. Likewise, blocking a beast''s cerebral cortex would still allow the beast''s brain to read the instruction, but the cerebral cortex would be incapable of following it. This method would allow the beast''s brain to function normally and cause its cerebral cortex to lose its function at the same time.


    This kind of theory had undoubtedly gone out of the scope of science and technology. In other words, it was something that could not be resolved only with science and technology¡ªit would not be easy to put such theory into action.


    But this was not a problem for Rocky. He had already come up with a solution. He wanted to put something he had learned into use. It was a kind of masterstroke unrivaled in this era¡ªthe Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill.


    As everyone knew, the state of a spirit-manipulated beast''s spiritual source was closely related to the condition of its whole body, and the spiritual source also controlled the beast''s whole body¡ªincluding its brain¡ªthrough its spiritual meridians. The Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill was a miraculous skill that would allow one to go inside the body of a spirit-manipulated beast and access its spiritual source. What Rocky wanted to do was to use the skill to go inside the brain of the spirit-manipulated beast, find the spiritual meridian that controlled the cerebral cortex, and disable it, consequently blocking the cerebral cortex''s function. What would not change was that the cerebral cortex would still be under the control of the brain. It would just lose control of the spiritual source and could no longer follow the instructions given by the brain.


    However, everything was always easier said than done. Rocky was but an amateur regarding the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill. For him, to do such a detailed and precise operation was even more


    as quite like striking a rock with an egg.


    Nevertheless, Rocky had expected all of these.


    "Head Allen, how''s the investigation about the Roaring Flame Empire''s army going?" Rocky, who was poring over a topographic map of the area, asked when he saw Allen walk into the commander-in-chief''s tent.


    "Commander in Chief, I come to report something. The Elite Regiment''s scout we sent to the Roaring Flame Empire''s army base just returned with detailed information," Allen answered with a slight smile.


    "And?" Rocky raised his head and looked at Allen.


    "This time, the person acting as Commander in Chief for the Roaring Flame Empire''s army is some kind of big shot. People called him Blood Lord Leo, and he''s reached the fifth grade of the Supernal Stage already. Rumor has it that even the devil will take a detour when they see him. He''s just been conferred as Duke of Loyalty and Valor, and he''s even been granted a military right to lead an army of one hundred thousand men by the emperor of the Roaring Flame Empire," said Allen.


    "Blood Lord Leo? The name sounds creepy," Rocky said mockingly.


    "Blood Lord Leo is infamous for his cold-bloodedness. He can kill without even batting an eyelid. He''s wicked, merciless, and cruel. However, he''s indeed a competent and skilled army leader. When I was in the Roaring Flame Empire, I often heard about him too. It is said that Blood Lord Leo never lost even once in the wars against other countries during these past few years¡ªhe''s not one to be looked down upon," Allen continued to explain.


    "Is that so? It seems¡­ the battle against the Roaring Flame Empire''s army will be a very fierce one," Rocky said with a dry tone. And yet, there was nothing on his expression but utmost self-confidence. It was as if the fifty thousand men of the Roaring Flame Empire were not up too much in his eyes.

 Chapter 664 Experiment Results

    "This time, they have five warriors at the Heavenly Stage. Three of them are commanders, and the other two are the helpers of Blood God Leo. It seems that the Roaring Flame Empire has spared no efforts to support Timber Deity Empire this time," Allen continued in a steady tone. His face was serious, his eyes were gleaming under the light.


    "What do you mean? There are only five masters at the Heavenly Stage, this is less than a third of Elite Regiment members," Rocky asked in puzzled tone. He sensed the seriousness in Allen''s tone, but he did not grasp what he meant by saying these.


    "Commander in Chief, you know that Roaring Flame Empire do not have great power, and their spiritual race isn''t strong. So, there are less than thirty masters at the Heavenly Stage in the whole Roaring Flame Empire, even fewer at the Supernal Stage, and only one at the Divine Stage whom our Three Great Generals are much stronger than. No masters at the Immortal Stage are found there," Allen explained.


    "I see. It sounds like that the Roaring Flame Empire is inferior to the Holy Dragon Empire then." Rocky felt assured. He had stayed in Palace City for some time already and he knew that there were royal masters at the Supernal Stage, including Alston, the eldest prince. In the Holy Dragon Empire, besides Three Great Generals, several imperial family members were also at the Divine Stage.


    Besides, there was also at least one master at the Divine Stage in three greatest spirit manipulator families. Ximen Clan, the largest family in Holy Dragon Empire, had one of the top two masters at the Immortal Stage¡ªBryant, and a master at the Divine Stage. In addition, the chief of the Ji Clan was also a master at the Divine Stage. There were also some hermits. With this we can say that the overall power of spirit manipulators in Holy Dragon Empire was very strong. That of the Roaring Flame Empire was not comparable at all.


    However, powerfu


    resources. For example, the attack on Timber Deity Empire lasted for several days, and the casualties were less than 10, 000. Rocky made sure that the number of casualties was not devastatingly high.


    Because of this, Allen thought that Rocky was born to be Commander in Chief with so much vigor and power. Therefore, although he was a much more powerful predecessor than Rocky, he had confidence and adoration for him. He even thought Rocky was more charming and admirable than Lance.


    "Thank you, Head Allen," Rocky responded calmly.


    Then, Rocky had deployed military forces on the defensive line of Timber Deity Empire. He planned to attack on small scale constantly. By doing this, he would be able to gradually gauge their enemy''s overall defense system.


    At the same time, Rocky also did brain lobe experiments on another four spirit-manipulated beasts and examined the specimens.


    Three days later, nothing abnormal happened on three of them except No. 2 and No. 4 spirit-manipulated beasts after the experiment. Just as he expected, they soon lost self-consciousness completely. They were like docile and vulnerable sheep.


    Then, Rocky called on Isis, Allen and other commanders to gather in the supply warehouse. He was prepared to show them the results of his experiments.

 Chapter 665 The Special Training

    "Commander in Chief, why didn''t you go to the commander''s tent? Why did you choose to come to the supply warehouse instead?" Commander Ron asked, confused.


    The other commanders looked just as confused.


    "Is there anything wrong with the provisions and fodders?" Isis asked.


    "I summoned you all here to make an announcement. But before that, I''d like to show something," Rocky said mysteriously. Then, he summoned three wild spirit-manipulated beasts from his Magic Spiritual Space. All of the beasts looked like motionless puppets from recently undergoing surgeries.


    The others stared at him in astonishment, not knowing what was going to happen next.


    "These beasts recently went through surgeries. We can use them as transportation tools. This benefits everyone, including ordinary people. They will not attack anyone," Rocky explained, pointing at the three spirit-manipulated beasts.


    The audience looked at each other in surprise.


    "Are you serious? Can we really use these wild spirit-manipulated beasts for transportation? Even ordinary people? How is that possible? Not even spirit manipulators can tame wild spirit-manipulated beasts!" someone from the audience chimed in.


    The commanders murmured among themselves. They were all impressed by what Rocky just came up with.


    "You don''t believe me? Who would like to come up and have a try? Simply give it a pat for it to move. Pat twice to make it stop," Rocky announced as he demonstrated.


    "I''ll give it a try," Isis volunteered. She was a bit skeptical of Rocky''s confidence.


    "Are you sure it will listen to me?" She stared at Rocky with skepticism as she walked in front of one of the beasts. It was two meter high. Normally, she wouldn''t have dared come this close to it.


    "Don''t worry," Rocky said, smiling confidently.


    "Let''s go." Isis took her place on top of the beast and ordered it to move with a quick pat.


    As Rocky


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    o stand in defense," Isis stated.


    "Sure, they are on the defensive now. But once they weaken, they would have to launch an attack eventually. The Commander in Chief of the Roaring Flame Empire would not be that patient. All we need is a good bait to trick them into launching the offensive." Rocky had a sly smile on his face.


    "But what good would it do? We are heavily outnumbered by them. The only way we can win is to transfer at least ten thousand Crimson Dragon Army soldiers to join us," Isis remarked.


    "We have no need to do that. What we have is enough. I''ll go into battle tomorrow." Rocky had an inscrutable smile. It was obvious to everybody that he was cooking up a plan.


    By night time, flames from a bonfire illuminated the camp.


    Rocky''s shadows could be seen leaving the camp alone. He wanted to look for a quiet place to do more surgeries on the remaining wild spirit-manipulated beasts.


    As he settled in, a woman appeared in front of him. Without a word, she extended her hand and laid it on his chest. Instantly, a beam of light was released from her palm.


    Rocky merely stared at her familiar face, without doing anything else.


    "The seal is starting to weaken," the woman said. She looked up, and Rocky could see the worry in her eyes.

 Chapter 666 Two Kinds Of Spiritual Power

    "Why has the seal weakened in just a few days?" Rocky asked Sabina. As far as he knew, the seal had just completed. It was too soon for it to weaken.


    "This seal is much stronger than the last time that even I can''t control it with my power," Sabina replied honestly. She was surprised too. Once, she was able to seal Rocky''s power with the Dragon Twined Wood. This time, however, she could clearly feel Rocky''s body resisting her power.


    Then, it finally dawned on Rocky. The evil spiritual power was released from the third layer of the seal, unlike the old one which was released at the second layer. The one he now had was much stronger.


    "We don''t really have much choice. From now on, you have to use the Dragon Twined Wood to consolidate the seal," Sabina said seriously.


    "Okay," Rocky agreed with a nod.


    "This looks like a quiet place to do it. Let''s do it now," Sabina decided. It was a quiet night and only the rustling of the leaves could be heard. "Take out the Sea Blue Magic Jade," Sabina commanded.


    Rocky obeyed and held the rare jade on his hand.


    "Let me help you with the treatment," said Sabina. In the dark, her cheeks turned into the color of roses. She felt something stir inside her as her skin brushed against Rocky''s arm.


    "It''s my pleasure," Rocky replied playfully.


    Rocky''s skittish response ticked off Sabina. "Behave well," Sabina ordered. "Otherwise, I will leave you alone and let you die."


    "Can you do that?" Rocky teased with a deep gaze.


    Sabina gritted her teeth. She was torn as to whether she wanted to cry or laugh.


    "Sit down!" she demanded in response. She moved directly across Rocky and sat cross-legged. Sabina could feel the tension between them and so


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    Amazingly, Rocky felt the spiritual power was getting stronger after every cycle, which in return began to stimulate his body. Each time the spiritual power blended with the Fire spiritual power in his body, he felt as if he was conquering both the elements of fire and ice.


    Both the frosty spiritual power and Fire spiritual power were increasing in power inside Rocky as each cycle concluded.


    The cycle repeated until Rocky felt the frosty spiritual power escape him. When it did, he opened his eyes but to see a beautiful face full of amazement in front of him.


    "What''s the matter?" Rocky asked.


    Sabina was quiet. "Why are these two different types of spiritual power in your body? You used the Fire spiritual power to cultivate with me, and it turns out you have two kinds in your body at the same time. And you didn''t often use the Fire spiritual power, but a mysterious power hidden in your body. That''s amazing," said Sabina in disbelief.


    She had never known of any spirit manipulator applying two spiritual powers at the same time. As far as she knew, it was impossible. Clearly, Rocky was more special than he seemed to be.

 Chapter 667 Someone I Trust

    "Is there any problem?" Rocky asked calmly when he saw that Sabina was still in shock.


    "You are a royal spirit manipulator, so your Fire spiritual power should be from the Dragon Spirit Bead. If that''s the case, the mysterious spiritual power in your body which is very powerful is supposed to repel the Fire spiritual power. However, the two forces in your body complement each other. How is this possible?" Sabina asked. It was obvious that she did not understand the situation inside Rocky''s body.


    But what she didn''t know was that the power Rocky absorbed was not the Dragon Spirit Bead''s power. It was the power of the Holy Dragon Bead which was considered as a holy object by the Holy Dragon Empire. The Fire spiritual power in his body was actually from the power of the Holy Dragon Bead, and it was also a part of the Holy Dragon Bead''s power. The mystery of the Holy Dragon Bead was something that the human mind did not imagine.


    "Actually, I have no idea either," Rocky said. He didn''t explain too much about the Holy Dragon Bead because he also knew very little about it.


    Sabina glanced at Rocky suspiciously. She didn''t ask anymore when she saw that Rocky didn''t seem to be lying to her. After all, it was one of Rocky''s secrets.


    "By the way, the mental cultivation method you just taught me was very unique and special. It could combine two different spiritual powers together and enhance these spiritual powers significantly. This couldn''t be achieved when these powers are cultivated individually. What''s the name of the method?" Rocky asked curiously.


    "This cultivation method is called the ''Yin-Yang Formula''. It combines the Yin and Yang together. Meanwhile, the spiritual power of both bodies are exchanged, circulated, and combined with each other. At the same time, when the Yin and Yang are practiced together, you will only exert half the effort but twice the results compared to a single cultivation," Sabina explained thoroughly.


    "I see. It seems that the cultivation method is really extraordinary," Rocky said with his eyebrows raised with curiosity.


    "Of course. The cultivation method


    he blue spiritual crystal for Rubygon and Rainbow Glow Unicorn. The blue spiritual crystal was his only spiritual crystal left. The yellow spiritual crystals he acquired from Lance had already been used up. As the spiritual crystal was very rare, added to the fact that it was a rare blue one, he occasionally brought it to Rubygon and Rainbow Glow Unicorn. As for Uriah, it didn''t have to be improved recently since it has already evolved to its limit.


    "After winning the war against Timber Deity Empire, I need to spare some time to study the stone refinement and quickly find out a way to refine the spiritual crystal. Otherwise, after Robin enters its adulthood its growth speed would definitely be much slower without the help of spiritual crystal," Rocky said to himself.


    After that, Rocky performed brain surgery for two spirit-manipulated beasts. He planned to transform all the existing wild spirit-manipulated beasts as soon as possible, and then send them to the logistics camp for use.


    After the day broke, Rocky went back to the Crimson Dragon Army camp and made some preparations. Then, he led five thousand troops with Isis and marched towards the position where thousands of troops of the Roaring Flame Empire were held.


    However, Rocky did not want to fight today. He only wanted to meet the Commander in Chief of the Roaring Flame Empire and see what kind of big potato the Blood Lord Leo was!

 Chapter 668 You Brat

    Rocky stopped five meters before they reached the enemy. He said to Isis, "I can go there alone."


    "You''re going alone? No, it''s too dangerous. We''d better take some people there," Isis immediately protested. Her brows knitted in worry for Rocky.


    "No." Rocky shook his head firmly, but he also gave Isis a reassuring smile. When Isis didn''t say anything more, he left alone for the enemy.


    In the blink of an eye, Rocky was now one meter away from the enemy.


    "Who are you?" the commander of the Roaring Flame Empire shouted at the sight of Rocky.


    "I am the Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Army. Please let me talk to your Commander in Chief!" Rocky replied politely but authoritatively.


    At this time, the array erupted in turmoil. They didn''t believe that the Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Army would break into the array without any back-up soldiers.


    "You brat, you dare to pretend to be the Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Army? You are too naive! Go home to your mother!" the Commander of the Roaring Flame Empire shouted disdainfully.


    The enemy soldiers burst into laughter. Nobody believed his words at all.


    "Well, then, come out and fight with me. If I win, you should let me talk to him." Rocky expected to be doubted, and he was willing to fight his way in. There was no doubt that he would win anyway.


    "How dare you, you brat! Shoot him!" The Commander of the Roaring Flame Empire reddened in anger. He couldn''t believe that a mere boy would challenge him.


    With a wave of his hand, a multitude of arrows rained over Rocky.


    With a sneer, Rocky gathered his spirit to open the Magic Spiritual Space. Uriah rushed out, flapped its flaming wings and rolled up heat waves. In the blink of an eye, it blocked the arrows.


    Uriah''s appearance intimidated the enemy array on the opposite side. It was obvious that the beast was rare and strong. After a moment of silence, the commander of the Roaring Flame Empire suddenly ordered, "Go and take him down for me."


    At this order, several spirit manipulators of the Roaring Flame Empire rushed out of the enemy array with a few spirit-manipulated beasts. The power of these spirit manipulators ranged from the Mortal Stage to the Earthly Stage. However, in Rocky''s eyes, they were just small fries. He wouldn''t even break a sweat if h


    to see you, not for anything else, but to tell you something," Rocky said calmly.


    It was surprising that Rocky could be so calm in the face of Blood Lord Leo, a powerful man of the Supernal Stage. He was better than Rocky in both strength and momentum. If it were an ordinary person, he would have been scared to death. However, Rocky wasn''t an ordinary person. He didn''t even flinch.


    "I want to inform you that in three days, the Crimson Dragon Army will break through the defense line of the Roaring Flame Empire," Rocky announced impassively.


    When he heard this, Blood Lord Leo burst into laughter. He was stunned by the boy''s daring. Suddenly, his smile turned into a murderous smirk. He said, "You brat, don''t you have a brain? The strength of the Crimson Dragon Army is not enough to break through the defense line of the Roaring Flame Empire. You won''t manage that in a year, let alone three days."


    "Believe it or not, you have to be careful, or you will lose," Rocky sneered defiantly.


    "You brat, I think you are tired of living. I can kill you now." Blood Lord Leo smiled ferociously. It would be easy for him to kill Rocky with his strength.


    "Are you afraid that you can''t defeat the Crimson Dragon Army, so you want to kill me before that happens? I used to think that you were quite a character. I wanted to know how powerful you were, but it seems that I expected too much. You are even afraid of a young boy!" Rocky continued to provoke. A teasing smile made its way to his lips, as he waited for the Commander in Chief''s reply.

 Chapter 669 A Wonderful Scene

    On the third day, it wasn''t even before dawn when the Roaring Flame Empire launched a fierce attack. The attack came abruptly and crushed the second defense line of the Crimson Dragon Army. So far, the Crimson Dragon Army had lost more than eight thousand troops, while the Roaring Flame Empire lost less than five thousand.


    As soon as the second line of defense had broken down, the remaining troops of the Crimson Dragon Army immediately retreated in a chaotic manner, running along a river that ran through the east and west. Later, they retreated into a depression, which was a low terrain with dense vegetation, struggling to form the third line of defense.


    This depression was originally a large lake that connected the river, but because of the frequent flood during the flood season, this area was inconvenient for battles. So people constructed a dam to prevent natural disasters such as mountain flood and debris flow, which might be triggered during the flood season. As the time went by, the lake was drained and here the depression was formed.


    Not long after the remaining troop of Crimson Dragon Army retreated into the depression, the leading army of Roaring Flame Empire arrived there too. They were the Blood Lord Army, pride of the Blood Lord Leo. Their advantage was that their number of warriors was far more than the Crimson Dragon Army''s, having nearly twenty thousand. Now, in several groups, they were rushing into the depression like tidewater, shuttled through the dense woods, and surrounded the third line of defense of Crimson Dragon Army. Their intention was to annihilate the rest them in one go. There, they went straight to the camp.


    Just when the Crimson Dragon Army formed their defensive line, the Blood Lord Army caught up. Then, the Crimson Dragon Army started a fierce offensive and defensive battle. There were flashes and glints of light everywhere.


    Taking the advantage of arriving here first, Isis, the commander of this troop, was trying her best to lead her soldiers to resist the fierce attacks by mobilizing her troops and generals.


    "Marin, go and take two thousand soldiers and these commanders. Retreat as planned. Hurry up, and I''ll cover for you!" Isis instructed Marin in a controlled voice. Marin was standing firmly beside her. The expression on her face was trying to hide how worried she really was.


    "No! You go first. I''ll stay. It''s too dangerous, and if we won''t make it, then..."


    e all very scattered and were in disorder. Therefore, they were panic stricken and did not hesitate to run for their lives as the water dashed towards them.


    At this time, the Crystal Water Dragon had arrived at the depression along with the flood. Following within several square meters, water columns burst out with an astonishing sound. The Dragon spewed out one water bomb after another, constantly attacking the Blood Lord Army, who were retreating to higher grounds nearby, and crushing them.


    Since the area of the depression was small, the Crystal Water Dragon was unable to attack with all its might. At least half of the Blood Lord Army were retreating hurriedly to the higher places of the depression, more scared than hurt.


    Then, a silver beast shadow unexpectedly fell from the sky and swept over the Blood Lord Army, which were retreating to the higher place of the depression. The silver beast shadow raised its head and growled. The three sharp corners on the top of its head rotated with strong force. In an instant, a strong wind howled reaching a few meters, blowing sand and stones, like a typhoon passing through.


    Many of the soldiers of the Blood Lord Army lost their footing and were blown back to the depression. Because of the strong wind, it was difficult for them to move. In no time, the rising water line had already covered their feet.


    "Freeze!" the person on the silver white beast shadow shouted, though the voice was soft. Her spiritual power was fully activated, and her arms were spread like butterfly wings when it was about to fly. Everything looked so magical, it was like an illusion.

 Chapter 670 The Blood Lord Army Is Almost Annihilated

    The next moment, a huge icy spiritual butterfly shadow was born between her palms. After every second, it grew larger and larger, then fell from the sky and instantly divided into numerous butterfly shadows. Those shadows aggressively dived into the depression on the ground. However, they did not rush towards the Blood Lord Army, but directly fell into the water that covered the feet of the soldiers instead.


    The moment the shadows touched the water, it began to sparkle like stars. In an instant, the surface instantly turned into hard, thick ice. The frost continued to spread around, freezing at least thousands of soldiers'' feet, making it difficult, or even impossible, for them to move.


    The rest of the Blood Lord Army soon withdrew from the depression by this time. Since at least more than ten thousand soldiers had been trapped in the depression, the remaining forces were less than seven thousand.


    On the other side, in front of the dam that had just been destroyed, several spirit manipulators of the Heavenly Stage appeared and met with Allen.


    "That''s enough. Let''s stop here." Allen nodded to the rest of the spirit manipulators, giving them his orders.


    They nodded in return and worked together to perform their own spiritual martial arts. As they began, there was constant exploding in the earth and stone on the edge of the dam. The upstream river, which acted crazily unusual earlier, was gradually restrained and it was no longer spreading to the direction of the depression.


    However, half of the depression had already been covered by the river at that moment, and countless dead bodies were floating on the surface of the water. Many soldiers of the Blood Lord Army were struggling in the water, trying desperately to swim to the edge. Moreover, thousands of soldiers were already frozen into place, panicking to get out.


    Only less than seven thousand soldiers had withdrawn from the depression. They all had thought that they were lucky to survive. But unexpectedly, what was waiting for them as they got out was the dust flying violently, hurting their skin and eyes, and countless black figures coming from all directions.


    "Finish them all." Isis led all the troops of the Crimson Dragon Army and rushed to the remaining soldiers of the Blood Lord Army, who were fully surrounded soon.


    Of course, another fierce battle went on without suspense.


    At the same time, another division of the Roaring Flame Empire army, which was su


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    mentum.


    "Commander in Chief, this time, your plan was quite smart. The Blood Lord Leo never expected that his Blood Lord Army would have been almost annihilated by us..."


    "Yes, Commander in Chief! You are a hero and you have made such a great achievement at such a young age, which makes us all feel inferior!"


    "Now, the Roaring Flame Empire army has no advantage. It''s all due to Commander in Chief''s wise command..."


    The commanders witnessed Rocky''s plan with their own eyes and couldn''t be more amazed at how it turned out.


    "Next, the Roaring Flame Empire will no longer look down upon you for they have seen how great you are." Isis smiled at Rocky. She thought that Rocky''s plan was too risky before, but after this battle, she had to admit that the risk was worth it, just like the saying¡ª"How can one obtain tiger-cubs without entering the tiger''s lair?"


    "Everyone should be acknowledged for the success of the plan. If Louis hadn''t found such a good location with great conditions, and without the full help of Head Allen... as well as the cooperation of the other commanders and the whole army, we wouldn''t have reached victory. Let''s raise our wine bowl and toast for everyone''s contribution!" Rocky picked up a bowl of wine, raised it high as he shouted, and then drank it up.


    "Commander in Chief!" The whole army was chanting in a merry tone again.


    After the celebration, the whole camp returned to peace. Because the soldiers were so exhausted during the days of battle, they almost immediately fell asleep on the ground.


    Rocky, Allen and Isis walked together to return to the tent of the Commander in Chief...

 Chapter 671 An Urgent Task (Part One)

    "Commander in Chief, what are your plans in the coming days? By the look of things, Blood Lord Leo would prepare for retaliation. It''s unlikely that he will eat humble pie. Also, with less than twenty thousand soldiers on our side, the Roaring Flame Empire must outnumber us by far. And that should be another source of concern, even though we are close to catching up with their forces. But I''m sure as hell, if he were to confront us head-on, the war would go either way, with heavy casualties on each side. Whichever way, it would be hard to get a clear winner," Allen assessed, with his trademark attention to detail.


    "If your observations are correct, I can almost assure you we have the upper hand," said Rocky, encouraged by Allen''s words. Then a little more thoughtfully, he added, "With barely thirty thousand troops, our first target should be defeating the Roaring Flame Empire''s fifty thousand plus. If we can achieve that, then the left-wing defense of the Timber Deity Empire will be a no-brainier. So for now, the Roaring Flame Empire is a nagging problem. More so, we should be mindful of how they might respond when cornered. We cannot underestimate their capabilities, even when it looks like we have got them with their backs against the wall. They might still pull off surprises and put up stiff resistance. By and large, they are capable of holding us to a protracted war," Rocky said worriedly. Although the main unit of the Roaring Flame Empire, the Blood Lord Army, had already been reduced to a pale shadow of its former self, Rocky still could not underestimate them. The Roaring Flame Empire was still a force to reckon with. On any day, a significant threat to the Crimson Dragon Army. As well, Blood Lord Leo had learned from his mistakes and had a better grip on the enemy''s tactics. Now, he was more cautious, even retreating, just to trick the enemy. This tactic was effective as an endgame. It threw a spanner in the works for the Crimson Dragon Army, forcing them to rethink their next move.


    "I am also worried that this battle will attract Alyssa''s attention. She will not just sit by and watch as


    even the right-wing defense is under immense pressure right now. Although you are capable of fending off tens of thousands, I fear we may soon reach our limits. If both the right and left wings are broken at the same time, it will be too late for us to retaliate and make up for it." Woods analyzed the situation calmly. What he said hit the nail on the head.


    "As long as Rocky is not in charge, the right-wing defense has a chance. What worries me is the left-wing defense which Blood Lord Leo has now ruined because he underestimated Rocky''s cunning ability." At the beginning of the war, Alyssa had planned to use the force of the Roaring Flame Empire to defeat the troops of the Crimson Dragon Army gradually. With time, they would join forces between Timber Deity Empire and the Roaring Flame Empire. Had things panned out according to her plan, they would have posed a grave danger to the Crimson Dragon Army. However, she didn''t expect that the Roaring Flame Empire would lose more than twenty thousand troops in a single battle. Her plan for success was now compromised. All of a sudden, she realized that if they let Blood Lord Leo continue fighting on his own, without reinforcements, the Timber Deity Empire would be in danger. After thinking it through, she concluded that Blood Lord Leo was an unreliable piece in the puzzle. Now, there was no other option but to force him into submitting to their wishes.

 Chapter 672 An Urgent Task (Part Two)

    "It seems necessary to send someone to keep an eye on Blood Lord Leo and monitor his every movement. He has to be prevented from messing up again," Alyssa suggested after thinking for a while.


    "Then who do you suggest we send? Blood Lord Leo is a master at the Supernal Stage. Ordinary spirit manipulators are no match for him and are not the right people for the job," Woods said. He couldn''t figure out who could be sent to watch over Blood Lord Leo.


    "Of course, you are right about ordinary spirit manipulators," said Alyssa. "They are not the right people for the job. But you seem to forget something very important. It seems you underestimate the power of women and how easily they can bring down a great man." She then paused for a moment. Just enough to let that sink in. Then nodding with satisfaction, she added, "It should be a cinch. Let''s find a girl within our ranks. A slick girl, clever enough to play Leo like a fiddle, and have him do whatever she wants." From the look on her face, you could tell she already had a suitable candidate in mind.


    "Are you thinking of letting Laney go and have a try?" Woods ¡ª Alyssa''s brother, alongside whom she had fought for a long time, immediately guessed what she was thinking.


    "You got it spot-on. If you need someone to play hooker, look no further. Laney is the real deal," Alyssa enthused.


    However, Woods was doubtful and did not seem to agree with Alyssa. He voiced out his thoughts. "I''m afraid it might be a dangerous idea for us to do this. Leo might not be as gullible and easy to deal with as we think. What if Laney''s cover is blown, and Leo learns of what we have been scheming. You can imagine his anger and disappointment with us. That will mean the end of trust between him and us. Such a fallout is not something you would wish for, I guess. Of course, I am not doubting Laney''s abilities. I believe in her, but after her mission


    on the whole army." The mere mention of Rocky''s name stung at Alyssa''s heart, reigniting the fire that had always burned inside of her. It was like adding gasoline to hot coals. Her fists began to clench. A fit of rage gripped her heart so viciously that in a moment, even her knuckles turned white from clenching. Right there and then, she promised herself she''d find that prick, no matter what it took. And if she got hold of him, she''d make him pay a dear price. She felt she could rip him to pieces, yanking off pieces of flesh with her bare hands as if they were the powerful claws of a beast.


    However, since the last battle in the desolate village, she hadn''t figured out what Moon Fox meant by saying that. She had tried to get more information from the beast but to no avail, which bothered her so much. To win the battle against the Holy Dragon Empire, they had to get rid of Rocky¡ª their most stubborn obstacle. He was no doubt a source of concern in their quest for victory. If they could get rid of him, his death would also put paid to all other threats, once and for all. Yet, strangely, Moon Fox warned her not to harm Rocky in any way. And it bothered her what would happen if she ignored Moon Fox. She was unsure of what to do for the next couple of days.

 Chapter 673 A Troubled Heart

    The look on Laney''s face changed when she heard Alyssa mentioned Rocky''s name. She bit her lips as memories came flashing back into her head, knowing she could have erased it long ago. This was something she must keep from Alyssa, because Alyssa would end her life if she found out.


    "I''m afraid that Blood Lord Leo will continue to act on impulse, and if he does, it will ruin our plan. You need to join the left wing defense as soon as possible. Go there and act as an emissary of Timber Deity Empire. Stay around Blood Lord Leo and keep an eye on him. Make sure you are always one step ahead of his plans. If possible, use your charm to control him and make him listen to whatever you may say. I don''t care what method you will use. Just make sure that he will not get in my way and ruin my plan," Alyssa ordered Laney with a deep, serious voice.


    "Copy that. I will go right away." Laney switched her thoughts back to reality and nodded at Alyssa in agreement.


    "There''s another thing. Since you know Rocky very well, give Blood Lord Leo a hand if necessary. Make sure he will not fall into Rocky''s hands once again. Stay focus and always keep our plan in mind. We will destroy Crimson Dragon Army little by little and we will use the Roaring Flame Empire to accomplish that," Alyssa added.


    Laney nodded again, then turned around and left.


    "Brother, did you finish the letter I asked you to write?" Alyssa asked as she fixed her eyes on Woods.


    "Yes, it''s done," Woods replied.


    "What are you waiting for? Have it sent out right away! The Holy Dragon Empire is enjoying too much peace. It''s time to cause a little trouble for them." An evil smile spread across Alyssa''s face. A wicked idea just entered her mind, and it would surely stir up troubles in the Holy Dragon Empire.


    Meanwhile, under the leadership of Rocky, the Crimson Dragon Army defeated Roaring Flame Empire with a loss of about ten thousand troops. The casualty from the Roaring Flame Empire had doubled, and most of them were from Blood Lord Army. The fighters were trained by Blood Lord Leo, and this meant that the combat power of Roaring Flame Empire was by now reduced to less than a half.


    It was a striking success for Crimson Dragon Army. The battle plan they used was very impressive, however, Roaring Flame Empire remained superior in terms of number. Blood Lord Leo had been fooled once, and he swore to himself that it would never happen again. A tougher and more dangerous battle was sure to come.


    Another thing that Crimson Dragon Army had to worry about was Blood Lord Leo''s wrath. The heavy loss infuriated Blood Lord Leo to the core, and his remaining forces were all set to make a move. The entire army had prepared themselves to attack the


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    your plan?" Rocky thought for a while and asked.


    "I don''t know. I don''t have the heart to tell him that our relationship is fake. That we got married for a different reason, other than love. I''m afraid that it will break his heart into pieces. He might blame himself if he thinks that I married you because of the Crimson Dragon Group. I really don''t know what to do!" Isis said with a bitter smile. Confusion was written all over her pretty face. She felt torn between Rocky and her love for her father.


    In truth, Isis was not bothered by this arrangement with Rocky before. It was only after she had a talk with her father that she realized the complications. It was only now that she realized the things that she had to consider and the possible consequences of her actions. She was resolved not to spend her life with another man, even after Rocky had fulfilled his dreams. Even after Rocky left her one day. She planned to spend the rest of her life pretending to be his wife. But now, she realized, it was not that easy. People expected something else from her and Rocky, especially her father. Everything was real to him.


    "If you have any idea, just tell me. I will cooperate with you as much as I can. That''s a promise," Rocky said sincerely. Isis had done so much for him, and he wanted to do something for her in return. Anything to make her feel or live her life better.


    Isis was speechless after she heard what Rocky said. She had an idea, but it was difficult and too embarrassing to say.


    "If there is nothing else, I will have to go now. Once you get an idea, come to me and tell me right away, okay?" He then smiled at her and left her alone at the gate.


    Isis could not help but turn around and stare at the fading figure of Rocky. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she felt more depressed than ever.

 Chapter 674 Mixed Emotions

    After going through a long and difficult journey, Laney, the emissary of the Timber Deity Empire, arrived at the military camp of the Roaring Flame Empire. She then settled on the left defense line of the Timber Deity Empire.


    When Laney got off the carriage, a valiant and fearless looking man stepped forward to greet her.


    "Commander-in-chief Leo." Laney recognized the man right away. With her hands folded in front of her, she bent her knees and bowed to him in respect.


    "You must be the famous Miss Laney." The moment Blood Lord Leo saw Laney, his eyes lit up and a blush of red colored his cheeks. He was a ladies'' man, and Laney''s presence took his breath away.


    "Friends told me that Miss Laney from the Timber Deity Empire is a beautiful lady with great musical skills. Now that I met you, I could say that you really deserve the reputation. You''re truly beautiful, Miss Laney!"


    "Commander in Chief, thank you so much! I am very flattered!" Laney''s beautiful eyes sparkled as she smiled. Her smiling face and kind words delighted Blood Lord Leo to no end, and he could not stop looking at her.


    "I have arranged a banquet for you. Miss Laney, this way, please." Blood Lord Leo led the way and gestured for her to follow.


    Laney nodded softly and followed him with a smile on her face. The attention warmed her heart, and she was excited to see what they had prepared for her.


    Blood Lord Leo and Laney walked into a bright tent. It was surrounded by fresh flowers and long tables filled with excellent wines and generous servings of food.


    "Forgive us, if this is the most that we could offer to welcome the beautiful Miss Laney. You know that we are located at the outermost edge, and in this area enjoyable things are hard to come by. Please take a seat and enjoy the food that our people had prepared for you." Blood Lord Leo bowed his head as he finished his emotional welcome speech for Laney. He then sat down and gestured her to sit.


    "You are so kind, Commander in Chief. I am just a humble envoy. You don''t have to treat me like this," Laney said with a polite smile as she sat down.


    "Miss Laney, you are the most cherished person of Princess Alyssa. You deserve every honor and respect," Blood Lord Leo replied.


    Laney smiled to herself, flattered with the commander''s words. She then picked up the wine pot, filled the glass in front of Blood Lord Leo, and then poured wine for herself. She raised the glass in front of her and said, "On behalf of our princess, I salute and thank you Commander in Chief." Without another word, Laney finished the wine on her glass.


    "Ha-ha! I did not expect Miss Laney to be so bold and outspoken." Blood Lord Leo also f


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    il smoke came out.


    Laney, who was now out of the tent, looked back and shook her head in disgust. "I thought Blood Lord Leo was an amazing man. It turned out that he is just an old skirt-chaser. I could not rely on such people. I don''t even think he was half as good as that Rocky. No wonder he suffered a crushing defeat the last time!


    This trip is in vain! Maybe I should just take this chance to meet that Rocky and settle our matters before I leave." Hatred filled Laney''s heart at the thought of Rocky. She clenched her fists as she tried to get hold of her anger.


    The following day, Blood Lord Leo took Laney''s advice and stopped the attack preparation for Crimson Dragon Army. He asked his army to return to the left wing of the defensive line and to hold their position there. Rocky became curious and felt annoyed when he learned about the news. But what made him more annoyed was the news sent by Allen.


    "The emissary of the Timber Deity Empire is someone called Laney?" Rocky was surprised when he heard the name "Laney" and frowned for a while.


    "That name sounds so familiar. I''m sure this was not the first time that I heard that name!" Isis could not remember where and when she heard this name, but it did sound very familiar.


    "She used to be the belle of the Geisha House in Evian City, and she was very famous then. Several commanders from our Crimson Dragon Group were her guests. But she also has an undercover identity. She is a spy of the Timber Deity Empire," Rocky explained as he tried to calm himself. He did not tell anyone about Laney, because he never had the reason to tell anyone about her. Also, he had a strange relationship with Laney, which made things very complicated.


    Allen and Isis stood in amazement as Rocky explained everything to them.

 Chapter 675 A Beautiful Night

    "All the while we thought that it was just Dunn who leaked the intelligence of the Crimson Dragon Group. Now, we found out that someone else was behind it. The reason why the Timber Deity Empire obtained so much knowledge of the Crimson Dragon Group was because of their spy, Laney. This girl went undercover as the top courtesan of the Geisha House in the Evian City for several months. Numerous commanders of the Crimson Dragon Group became  her guests, and they were the best source of information," Rocky explained briefly.


    "How did you know she was a spy?" Isis asked, confused. She never heard about this from him before.


    "Alyssa had once sent her to assassinate me, but she failed. After that, she escaped to the Timber Deity Empire," replied Rocky.


    Isis and Allen felt uneasy as they grasped the information. They never expected that Alyssa would send people to assassinate Rocky.


    "Since Laney had the chance to assassinate you, then you must be one of her distinguished guests, right?" Isis asked. She fixed her eyes on Rocky as if he was a double-crossing husband.


    "I met her a few times, and I had a good impression of her. But, I did not expect that she was a spy from the Timber Deity Empire," Rocky answered. He turned his face away as he tried to hide the smile and the red blush that crept on his face as he remembered Laney.


    However, the look on Rocky''s face did not escape Isis'' angry glare.


    "This only proves that Alyssa has been targeting you for a long time. No wonder she was so determined to kill you at the desolate village. Not only did you hinder the plan of the Timber Deity Empire, but you also discovered the identity of their spy on the Crimson Dragon Army," said Allen. All of this could explain why Alyssa wanted to kill Rocky.


    "You mean Laney is a dangerous woman?" Isis asked after a moment of worry.


    "I think Alyssa sent her to the Blood Lord Leo as an emissary of the Timber Deity Empire to prevent him


    "Then I have to excuse myself now," Rocky said, but did not move away from her.


    "Men are always deceitful, and you''re no difference." Laney took  a step forward and was an inch apart from Rocky. Her small hand wandered on his chest expertly.


    "You''re right. After reading your message, I was eager to see you right away," Rocky said with a playful smile. He made no attempt to stop her wandering hand.


    However, it wasn''t long before he felt a cold dagger dangerously pressed on his neck.


    "Come on, do you have to do this now? It''s a beautiful night. Let us not ruin this magical surrounding with my blood," Rocky continued, enticing Laney with his voice.


    "I did not expect that you would come. You should know that I really want to kill you. Why are you here?" Laney could not restrain her anger.


    "Considering what I did to you, I am aware of the danger in coming here to see you. I have to remind you that you may have lost important things, but I left you alive and breathing," Rocky reminded her in a calm tone.


    "Why didn''t you kill me?" Laney had been wanting to ask him this question. Her hand trembled as she waited for his answer. She never really figured out why Rocky did not kill her at that time. In her heart Rocky was up to something and she needed to know the reason.

 Chapter 676 Laneys Mixed Feelings

    "Well, lucky for you I don''t have the heart to kill such a beautiful girl like you," Rocky joked, giving Laney a wide smile.


    "Cut the crap! Tell me the real reason! Why?!" Laney couldn''t help but exclaim. She stared at him while adding more strength on the dagger, making Rocky''s neck ooze with a river of blood.


    "You want the truth? Okay, let me tell you. We have grown very close despite being enemies before. Although I will stop at nothing to achieve my goal, I''m not ruthless enough to kill a woman to whom I made love. Besides, I don''t think you deserve to die. You are just Alyssa''s pawn. If I kill you, someone else will still take over your post and continue to assassinate me. So, there is really no difference whether I kill you or not, right? And to tell you honestly, I was more than excited to meet you," Rocky informed. His eyes were intense as he stared at Laney with a grin painted on his lips.


    "Did you already know I would come for you?" Although quite surprised, Laney understood what he meant by that.


    "Of course, I knew you would come for me, especially when I knew Alyssa sent you to the side of Blood Lord Leo to help him deal with me. I think you wouldn''t miss such a good opportunity for revenge!" Rocky''s tone was nonchalant.


    "So why did you still come here alone? I''m well-prepared this time. You are closely hemmed on all sides that I doubt you could still escape even if you grew a pair of wings. The threat on the Timber Deity Empire will only be gone once I finally kill you," Laney sneered, tilting her head to get a clearer view of the expression etched on Rocky''s face.


    However, while staring at him, she felt a hand tightly wrapping her waist and pulling her to a firm chest. Suddenly, she felt a soft breath against her hair. Their distance was just too close, causing her to hold her breath. Her cheeks popped red like a cherry, and her legs wobbled like jelly.


    "Let go of me, or I will kill you!" Laney snapped


    on, Isis couldn''t help but be worried.


    "It was not easy for our Crimson Dragon Army to gain the upper hand. But the Roaring Flame Empire army attacked us first, and now the army of the Holy Sea Empire broke the non-aggression pact and attacked us. I''m afraid our advantage will be significantly weakened while the Timber Deity Empire will benefit greatly," said Marin worriedly, who was also in the camp.


    "The Commander in Chief wrote that he had sent a message to the Palace City, hoping that His Majesty would order other troops to help us with Mont City. But he also told us to be prepared to retreat anytime, if anything goes wrong. If we can''t obtain assistance, then we''ll probably give up on attacking the Timber Deity Empire''s defense," Rocky stipulated, slightly shaking his head out of disappointment.


    "Damn it! We are so close from breaking through the defense line of the Timber Deity Empire, but the Holy Sea Empire attacked us!" Unwilling to give up the battle, Isis couldn''t help but curse out of sheer frustration.


    "I don''t think this is a coincidence. I bet it''s Alyssa who''s behind all this! That woman is really cunning!" Rocky exclaimed. Although frankly annoyed, he had to admit that Alyssa was a great scheming woman, who always had a way to deal with the Crimson Dragon Army.

 Chapter 677 The Devious Alston

    Just when the Crimson Dragon Army was in a dilemma, news that the Holy Sea Empire was attacking Mont City reached the Palace City. This naturally caused an uproar among the people.


    In the Grand Holy Hall


    "What is going on? First, the Roaring Flame Empire attacked us. Now, Holy Sea Empire is attacking us too. Is our Holy Dragon Empire an easy mark that every country wants to bully us?" The emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire was outraged. He already accepted the fact that the Roaring Flame Empire wanted to cause him trouble, but now the Holy Sea Empire wanted to destroy the Holy Dragon Empire as well.


    "We have signed a non-aggression pact with the Holy Sea Empire. No one expected the Holy Sea Empire to break the pact. I don''t understand what made them do this to us."


    "Even if the Holy Sea Empire is just a small country, it has a strong economic force. For the past several years, it has seldom engaged in wars and remained focused on building up strength and storing up energy instead. Their troops are well-equipped, well-trained, and have a high morale. They probably think our defense has weakened because of the Roaring Flame Empire''s attack, and they obviously want to take advantage of the situation and fish in troubled water."


    "Currently, the forces of the Crimson Dragon Army have gathered at the defense line of the Timber Deity Empire. If the Crimson Dragon Army retreats now, the previous attacks will all be in vain. But if they don''t retreat, the Holy Sea Empire will get what they want."


    The ministers looked at each other and gossiped among themselves. They were all aware of the present situation and started to panic. The disturbance caused by the Roaring Flame Empire had not been resolved, and now the Holy Sea Empire started to stir up trouble. The Holy Dragon Empire was at the brink of a total disaster at this point.


    "Father, I have a suggestion. Maybe it can solve the serious problem we are faced with right now," Alston, the eldest prince, said as he stepped forward and saluted.


    "Go ahead, I''m all ears," the emperor nodded and signaled to Alston to continue.


    "We can mobilize 10, 000 of our soldiers to support the Mont City. Once the Mont City is safe, we can negotiate with the Holy Sea Empire and find out what they really want. We can try to buy them off to side and make a deal with us. In the end, they could help us deal with the Timber Deity Empire. Even if we fail to convince the Holy Sea Empire, we can at least buy time for the Crimson Dragon Army," Alston suggested.


    "I think the suggestion of His Royal Highness is excellent. We won''t have to battle with the Holy Sea Empire, and we can even use their army to fight the T


    attacking the right wing defense of the Timber Deity Empire, still could not break through the right wing defense with forty thousand soldiers, and they even have lost countless soldiers already. The Timber Deity Empire is very much prepared, and we have not discussed their left wing defense yet," Alston said seriously.


    A dark shadow fell on Lance''s face. Alston had a point, and his explanation was accurate. There was no word to contradict him at this point.


    "This matter has been dealt with by the Crimson Dragon Army from the very start. Now that I am being ordered by my father to deal with the matter of the Holy Sea Empire, I hope to get the command of the entire Crimson Dragon Group. This will include the mobilization of the entire army and personnel. This way I can have all the information that I need and deal with the situation more effectively." Lance was taken aback by this request. Alston was asking for something beyond his imagination.


    "I don''t understand what you mean, Your Royal Highness," Lance said, confused. He wanted to know why Alston asked for the command of Crimson Dragon Group. Once they surrendered the command of the Crimson Dragon Group to Alston, everyone in the Crimson Dragon Group except Lance had to obey Alston''s orders.


    "I think you know what I''m asking. I need not repeat what I said for a second time. I am hoping for your cooperation, Commander in Chief Lance. Just think about the consequences. If we lose the Mont City, it will devastate the Crimson Dragon Army!" Alston said as he fixed his eyes on Lance.


    Lance remained at a loss for what Alston wanted to do. He could feel that something else was behind Alston''s request to command the entire Crimson Dragon Group, and it had nothing to do with the matter of the Holy Sea Empire.

 Chapter 678 Im A Bit Worried

    Although skeptical of Alston''s reliability, Lance had no choice but to pay him respect. After all, Alston was the eldest prince of the Holy Dragon Empire, and no matter what he was up to, he would never allow anything bad to happen to their empire.


    "I understand, Your Royal Highness. I''ll inform the troops that you are now in charge of commanding the Crimson Dragon Army." Lance evidently hesitated for a while, but after gauging the matters at hand, he finally conceded.


    "Thank you for your cooperation, Commander in Chief Lance. Rest assured that after I''ve successfully dealt with the Holy Sea Empire, I will definitely help the Crimson Dragon Army in defeating the Timber Deity Empire. And don''t worry, all credits will surely be yours. I won''t ask for any recognition," Alston said in his utmost diplomatic tone, slightly chuckling before turning around and walking away.


    Even with the verbal assurance, Lance was still perturbed. His sullen face displayed how he remained anxious and alarmed as if something was urging him into paranoia.


    "By the way, where is Rocky? My father has specifically told me that he is the primary reason why the Crimson Dragon Army has turned the tide this time. I must see him and personally express my gratitude," said Alston as he stopped, turning around to give Lance a stern smile.


    "But Rocky is currently in the front line, directing military operations. I don''t think he can leave the battlefield and be here at this moment," Lance answered after thinking for a while, heaving a deep breath at the sudden request of the prince.


    "It''s only a day. Without him, the Crimson Dragon Army would not collapse. Alright? Go and get him. I will leave this to you, Commander in Chief Lance." As soon as he gave out that order, Alston stormed away from the camp.


    A day later, Rocky received a secret letter from Lance. Upon reading its content, his face suddenly turned very cold, his sharp eyes fumed with anger, and his extremely furrowed brows almost met at the center. As he tightly clutched the letter in his hand, a murderous aura enveloped his entire body. Whatever was in that letter surely did not make him happy at all.


    "Rocky, what''s wrong?" asked Isis. She just arrived at the tent, and seeing the dark aura surrounding Rocky somewhat worried her.


    However, the latter kept his mouth mum, not minding the surrounding, and only blankly stared at nothing with evident fury.


    This was the first time she had seen Rocky this fuming mad, even looking as if ready to slaughter anyone on his way.


    "Rocky, hey! Are you okay?" Isis asked again, now in a softer voice, mindful not to agitate him


    is'' voice; obviously, she didn''t expect her husband to be so young.


    "Ha! That means I''m a few years older than you." With widened eyes, her jaw dropped open in sheer surprise. Spirit manipulators didn''t care about their ages so much because they had longer lifespans than ordinary people. Even at the age of forty, female spirit manipulators looked like young girls.


    "Is there any problem?" Rocky asked, seeing the change in Isis'' expression. He only sounded worried, but the smile he was trying to cover gave away how amused he was right now.


    "If others ask you how old you are, remember to always say that you are the same age as me," Isis reminded in a firm tone. It seemed like every woman cared about age differences, especially when her husband was much younger than her. Frankly, it was only because she felt quite old.


    "Oh, okay." Rocky also knew what Isis was thinking. So, shaking his head, he responded with a smile while gently staring at the cute pout on her lips.


    "There! You are finally smiling," Isis uttered, clapping her hands at once. She almost jumped from bliss before continuing, "You have been frowning since we left the camp. I don''t know what''s bothering you, but I don''t like seeing you like this. If you get into any trouble, just tell me. Our marriage may not be genuine, but I am still your wife. And I want to be a good wife to you." Ever since she married Rocky, they had always treated each other with respect and proper distance. Although they were closer now, she still did not feel fully connected to him. Rocky was reserved in sharing everything with her, and Isis¨C¨Cbeing the woman that she was¨C¨Cwanted to be of help to her husband. Whatever it was that was bothering him, she wished to know and help him overcome it.

 Chapter 679 The Irony

    Rocky soon realized that Isis only asked about his age to divert his attention, attempting to stop him from sulking with his brooding eyes. Although it looked a little clumsy, her sweet gesture definitely moved him.


    After a few hours of riding on Uriah, the two of them finally arrived at the main camp of the front line. As soon as they got off Uriah, a guard approached and greeted them, "Greetings, Commander in Chief Rocky and Deputy Commander in Chief Isis. His Royal Highness and Commander in Chief Lance have been waiting for you in the tent."


    "Let''s go." Rocky nodded at Isis and then strode forward. Although a fierce storm would come his way, he still appeared calm and collected.


    Upon arriving inside the tent, they caught sight of Lance, Alston, and several Elite Commanders of the Crimson Dragon Army. Apparently, Alston was going to dominate this meeting.


    The moment Rocky set foot inside the tent, Alston''s eyes turned sharp, like two daggers aiming at him. Although Rocky had physically changed a lot, there was no way Alston couldn''t recognize him at first sight.


    As for Rocky, he had mixed feelings about this. Although they had different mothers, the two were half-brothers by blood. And yet, Alston still had set up a trap to frame him shamelessly. No matter how angry and vengeful Rocky was, at this moment, he chose to calm down. After all, he couldn''t act on impulse. Much to Rocky''s expectation, Alston was nowhere near surprise to see him. This only meant that Alston must be fully aware of his identity and prepared to take him down. Although quite alarmed, Rocky knew better than to act recklessly at this point.


    However, as soon as their eyes met, sparks instantly flew out, as if the two distinct forces collided violently. The atmosphere inside the tent seemed to gradually turn dark with the two of them exuding dominant and regal auras that could only be carried by royalties.


    Everyone else inside felt slightly intimidated¨C¨Ceven Lance, who was familiar with the two, was utterly silent. In their eyes, the


    nted Rocky to die, the latter wouldn''t survive a second.


    But of course, Alston wouldn''t just recklessly kill Rocky out in the open. He was Lance''s son-in-law and the Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Group. If he died unexpectedly, the morale of the entire army would suffer significantly. The Crimson Dragon Group was currently in a war with the Timber Deity Empire, and if the Commander in Chief died, it would turn battle around, with the enemy possibly taking advantage of it. Although he wanted to kill Rocky as soon as he could, he couldn''t risk it and let the Timber Deity Empire take this opportunity to threaten the Holy Dragon Empire. Therefore, Alston was more than eager to defeat the Timber Deity Empire and utterly make Rocky disappear from the world. This way, he''d practically hit two birds with one stone¨C¨Cgaining the support of his people and eliminating the imposing threat to him.


    However, much to Alston''s bewilderment, Rocky had always been aware of his plan. Although the time was yet to be set, Rocky knew that an unavoidable fight was destined to befall on them. And fighting a conniving and scheming influential man like Alston would definitely not be a child''s play.


    Yet, no matter what tricks Alston had up his sleeves, Rocky would find a way to get even with him, making sure that the former got a taste of his own medicine.

 Chapter 680 A Malicious Smile

    While the two of them were intensely indulged in their own thoughts, a spirit manipulator suddenly barged into the tent. "We received an important report from Mont City, saying that the Holy Sea Empire has rallied its forces again."


    Everyone ultimately fell silent at the unexpected report, and their heads slightly tilted to one side. It seemed that the Holy Sea Empire was determined to take over the Mont City.


    Apart from Rocky, everyone else''s attention was fixed on Alston, who was supposed to deal with the Holy Sea Empire after he went to the Gehenna Border. But now, it seemed that the enemy had no plans of negotiating and even plotted to go against them, the Holy Dragon Empire.


    "Damn it! The Holy Sea Empire has gone too far!" Alston exclaimed, stomping his right foot hard while rubbing his temple with his right hand.


    "Your Royal Highness, I think we should try to recruit more reinforcements. If the Mont City can last for a few days until the defense line of the Timber Deity Empire breaks, the Crimson Dragon Army will be able to assist the city," Lance proposed, mustering his courage with a heavy breath and intently looking at Alston.


    "It will take at least two or three days even if we transfer reinforcements now, and the Mont City can''t last for that long! Once the Holy Sea Empire army puts its stake on it, the Mont City will be destroyed!" Alston answered with finality, now with both his hands on his waist.


    "Maybe it''s better to have Commander in Chief Rocky go to the Mont City and command the city guards. With his ability, he may be able to lead them to last for a few more days," Elite Commander Lin suggested with a hopeful smile as if a bulb had lit up on his head.


    Hearing this, everyone suddenly turned to look at Rocky, waiting for his response.


    "Yeah! That''s a good idea!" The other Elite Commanders agreed, nodding frantically in utter expectation.


    Meanwhile, Lance and Isis kept their mouths shut, denying their opinions to be expressed. If Rocky went to the Mont City, then who was going to command the Crimson Dragon Army to break through the defense line of Timber Deity Empire? Without him, it would be more challenging to achieve that.


    "I''m afraid this won''t be good. We still need Commander in Chief Rocky to lead the Crimson Dragon Army in penetrating the left wing defense line of the Timber Deity Empire. He has just frustrated the Roaring Flame Empire army, and it''s a perfect time for him to take advantage of that victory. If we send him to the Mont City at this moment,


    "Commander in Chief Lance, you heard Commander in Chief Rocky''s words. You must know how to deal with him better than I do." Scheming as he was, Alston was obviously trying to put pressure on Lance, forcing him to send Rocky to the Mont City.


    Lance raised his head to look at Rocky, his brows slightly furrowed as he took his time to think. After a few seconds of contemplating, he then cocked his head to Alston and asked in a serious tone, "Your Royal Highness, if you transfer Rocky to the Mont City, who would replace him in leading the battle against the Timber Deity Empire? I have fought with Princess Alyssa many times, but I have never won, not even once. Commander in Chief Rocky, on the other hand, has won so many battles against her, and even I feel ashamed of my inferiority. If only there is someone who can take over Commander in Chief Rocky''s position in dealing with the Timber Deity Empire, then I''d be more than eager to send him to Mont City without any hesitation. Your Royal Highness, if you have someone in mind, you have to guarantee that he can break the defense line of the Timber Deity Empire. And if he fails, will you be fully responsible for it? If that happens, I will report everything to His Majesty."


    Lance''s snooty inquest immediately made Alston''s face grim and his eyes stern cold. The prince could tell that Lance was siding with his half-brother and even protecting him. He even had the guts to frame him into taking responsibility if he would push through with his idea of sending Rocky to Mont City.


    ''I didn''t expect that Lance would be so protective of Rocky, '' Alston thought to himself, flashing an evil smile as a vile idea came to his head.

 Chapter 681 A Hidden Danger

    It stunned Rocky that Lance sided with him. Apparently, Lance trusted him more than he trusted Alston. Even if Alston was the eldest prince and next in line to the throne of the reigning emperor, Lance did not have second thoughts. This was both surprising and unexpected. Given Alston''s position as the eldest prince, Lance could have rooted for him. Doing so would earn him favor from the future emperor. Alston was obviously against Rocky, and his decision could put him in a troublesome situation. Nevertheless, Lance stood by Rocky.


    Still, Rocky knew that Lance''s decision would not change Alston''s mind. Alston is ruthless and deceitful. He would do whatever he wanted. Rocky recognized the  evil look on Alston''s face.


    Alston remained calm and smiled to the surrounding people. He fixed his eyes on Lance and addressed him in a commanding manner. "General Lance, don''t worry, I will not replace Commander in Chief Rocky with anyone else. I have decided to go to the front line myself. I will take charge of the Crimson Dragon Army and lead them in the battle against the Timber Deity Empire."


    His words shocked the surrounding people, including Lance. It was unexpected for the eldest prince of the Holy Dragon Empire to go to the front line and command the army in person. It was too risky, and his decision was unprecedented.


    Rocky saw through Alston''s charade and pretension. He remained calm as Alston declared his decision to go to the front line. Alston would not give up on the opportunity to fight against him. He had anticipated Alston''s move, and he was right. From the start, Alston had planned to deploy Rocky to the Mont City. It was his deepest desire to command the Crimson Dragon Army and take credit for all its achievements. He could not let Rocky lead the Crimson Dragon Group into victory, especially one against the Timber Deity Empire. If Rocky succeeded in achieving victory against the Timber Deity Empire, he would become a legendary figure in the Holy Drag


    usted Lance''s decision on the matter. He knew it was a hard decision for Lance and he was in a precarious position. First, he did not have enough powerful forces to wrestle with Alston. Second, his defiance could be used against him by Alston. He knew Alston too well. He was ruthless and cunning. He had to be careful and could not act on impulse.


    Rocky knew he had to prepare. The deployment was just the beginning. And now, he needed to convince Alston that his plan was working.


    Alston stared at Rocky with an evil look on his face. He knew Rocky had no choice but to go to the Mont City. He thought, ''Boy, how dare you fight against me! You''d better give up now, before it''s too late! This is just the beginning. Soon, I will make you beg for death!''


    Rocky glanced at Alston then nodded towards Lance. Without a word, he turned around and walked away from the tent.


    "Rocky!" Terror-stricken, Isis bowed to Alston and then turned around to chase after Rocky.


    The tense atmosphere in the tent had now disappeared.


    "Much as I respect the decision of Your Royal Highness, I have to remind you that victory is the only acceptable result of your battle with the Timber Deity Empire!" Lance said to Alston and left.


    The Elite Commanders followed and left the tent. Before long, only Alston remained in the tent.

 Chapter 682 It Was A Set-up

    In a flat tone that didn''t betray any hint of emotion, Alston suddenly called another man to out. Obediently, the man stepped in front, bowing in deference.


    As he stood there, Alston ordered him, "Go to Mont City right away, and do as I told you." He was one of the most mysterious people around Alston. All year round, he''d go about his business stealthily. Only in the most critical times would he show up. Seeing Alston giving him orders right now, he knew there must be a serious issue.


    Without a word, he nodded and left immediately.


    Meanwhile, Isis had caught up with Rocky after coming out from the tent.


    "Rocky, is everything okay?" Isis asked. Straight away, she suspected there might be an emergency. Even though Rocky looked unflappable, she had somehow learned to read his highly layered character. From the time she met him, she decided to watch out for the slightest clues in whatever he did. A hard job, but once in a while, Isis had gotten things right. Also, she trusted her own hunches in situations like this. And as she watched him walk away, her gut feeling told her something was up.


    "Take it easy and don''t follow me. I just want to be alone for a while," replied Rocky coldly. At this moment, he didn''t want to talk to anyone.


    "I know you must be mad at His Royal Highness for transferring you to Mont City all of a sudden. But the current situation over there is quite scary. Maybe you are the only one who''s able to rescue the city. If you can help out, it will be a significant step forward for the Crimson Dragon Army," explained Isis. She had feared that Rocky was angry, so she tried to comfort him.


    "It''s not as simple as you think," said Rocky, still in a firm voice. As he spoke, his eyes were cold, showing no hint of agitation.


    "I don''t understand what you mean. But to be honest, I feel that His Royal Highness has a strange attitude to you. I don''t know if I''m being a little too sensitive about it." Isis couldn''t describe her feelings towards Alston. From the way he had been treating Rocky, she suspected there was some bad blood. But it was only the first time Alston was meeting Rocky, so she couldn''t figure out what exactly was the problem.


    Hearing what she said, Rocky stopped suddenly and turned around to look at her. Isis also stopped, unsure if he had gotten her right.


    "Hey, listen! Please, don''t follow me anymore. Is that clear?" he warned. The grim face he made as he spoke meant he was not kidding. But Isis couldn''t understand why he was angry at her. Had something changed between them in a flash?


    Everything about him looked strange. His words, the look on his face and body language¡ªeverything. Was he always this unpredictable?


    While she brooded over what was happening, Rocky turned around and left, without another word.


    ''Why has he suddenly become like this?'' she wondered. It took her a while to come back to her senses, an incredulous look clouding her face. In a few minutes of Rocky''s departure, his actions made her feel as though there was a big rift between them. Why did he act as if he was hid


    bilitation, living in the Palace City still?" Sabina wondered. Could a person recover so soon from an injury sustained by deviation in power cultivation? Even more puzzling was the fact that Rocky, as she knew him, had already graduated to the Heavenly Stage. Heck, he had even led his army to several victories!


    "Forget about those reports of injury. That was just part of PR from the palace. How else was the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire supposed to cover up, after banishing his son to the Gehenna Border?" Rocky responded with a sneer.


    "Hell no! You want to say, His Majesty, the emperor, sent his own son to the dangerous Gehenna Border?" That came as a shocker to Sabina. How on earth would the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire think of such a thing?


    "Because I made a huge mistake. But it wasn''t my fault at all. It was a set-up." As Rocky spoke, his mind flashed back to the face of Lena. The memories of how he got framed flooded in, so raw that they made him tremble. But he quickly calmed himself down.


    "You were framed? You are a respectable prince. Why would anyone do that to you?" Sabina could not help asking.


    "You don''t need to know the details. But it''s a really long story. In short, I have real enemies, all around, baying for my blood. If ever you''re going to be of help to me, I want you to be careful and on the lookout at all times. Unfortunately, there aren''t many trustworthy people around me. So, I''ll need your hand in this. But thank goodness, there''s no one as capable as you. And having you on my side is a great encouragement." Rocky couldn''t reveal too many details to Sabina. All the same, he tried to be as honest as he could so that he could gain her trust. Once she got to believe him, Rocky knew the girl would go out of her way to help him.


    "Then how can I believe your words?" asked Sabina. Rocky had not shown her any evidence to prove that he was Basil. She was not sure whether what Rocky said was true or not. If it was, Sabina knew she had a real fight on her hands if she was to be of help to him.

 Chapter 683 Waiting For Me

    "You should ask your master. After all, she has sent a master at the Supernal Stage here for my protection. I''m starting to think that perhaps she wants to protect me because I am Prince Basil." Rocky knew that Sabina wouldn''t believe him so easily, but if she asked Marcia, then there''s a chance that she would be able to understand it.


    Sabina thought that Rocky''s interpretation was quite reasonable. After all, she had been suspicious about why she had been sent to protect Rocky. To Sabina, everything would make sense if Rocky turned out to be Prince Basil. However, more confusion arose as she guessed.


    "What mess did you make back then? Why did His Majesty banish you to the Gehenna Border?" Sabina couldn''t help but ask.


    "I can''t tell you the reason. But your master proposed to send me to the border..." Rocky shook his head with conviction as soon as he realized that this secret had something to do with Lena''s innocence. Apart from that, he also knew that the emperor must have concealed this fact so that few people knew about it.


    "If you are really Prince Basil, then the mysterious power in your body must be the power of the Holy Dragon Bead, correct? I heard many stories of how powerful and sacred the Holy Dragon Bead''s power is. But why did your body exude such evil and horrible power?" Sabina wondered.


    "Somehow, the power of the Holy Dragon Bead in my body has become evil. I don''t know exactly why, but you can ask your master if you need more details. After all, she was the one who sealed my power, so she should know the matter better than I do," Rocky answered, shaking his head. He didn''t know what the power of the Holy Dragon Bead was capable of, nor was he able to control it. The only thing he knew was that the Holy Dragon Bead was far more mysterious than he ever imagined it to be.


    "You should have told Isis or the Commander in Chief and not me. You should have reached out to them instead of me because I know that they would be more helpful. And besides, how can you be sure that my master sent me to protect you? To be honest, I don''t even know why I should protect you," Sabina


    ed to tell Allen, she immediately summoned her spirit-manipulated beast, Duchess Silver.


    "Oh, and by the way, if you will send a letter to your master, please give her my regards, and tell her that what happened is written off and that she still owes me an explanation." In fact, Rocky wanted to know why Marcia had insisted that his father send him to such a dangerous place. He thought that she knew something.


    "Sure," Sabina answered slightly and then disappeared with Duchess Silver.


    Afterwards, Rocky walked back to the main camp. However, he was stopped by a strong figure at the door of the main camp. The man was looking at him with a ferocious and malicious smile, piercing Rocky with his sharp thorn-like eyes that were filled with envy.


    "Your Royal Highness, I didn''t notice that you were here. Are you waiting for me?" Rocky sneered calmly as he glared at the man. There was nothing more infuriating than facing Alston in the same room.


    "Stop it. No one else is here. Even if you identify yourself freely, no one would even know," Alston said with contempt. He looked like a beast, wanting to swallow Rocky in one gulp.


    Right at that moment, these two people stared at each other with overflowing hatred as they hid both of their schemes. Although they gave each other their best poker face, it was still very evident that they despised each other and wanted to rip each other into pieces.

 Chapter 684 I Am Really Worried

    "Don''t look at me this way. I know you badly want to eliminate me by all means because you''re afraid of me now. But I''m no longer the person I used to be. No matter what tricks you will play, you cannot stop me from doing what I want to do anymore. I will not back down," Rocky said calmly. The calmer he was, the greater threat he was to Alston. Alston was very careful around Rocky because Alston couldn''t guess what was in Rocky''s mind.


    "What are you going to do? What a joke! What can you do with this?" Alston said disdainfully, but he looked at Rocky uneasily. Because from the beginning until the present, Rocky had been very calm and collected. No matter how Alston was confident when he dealt with Rocky and forced him into a corner, Alston had to admit that Rocky was not as simple as he used to be and he was not easy to deal with.


    "What can I do? Perhaps you don''t know? Of course, you must know. Otherwise, why did you try everything to transfer me to Mont City? I am amused that you seem to be really terrified of me... One year ago, you would not expect that this day would come," Rocky said before he burst out a presumptuous laugh.


    "Why should I be afraid of you? I am the eldest prince of the great Holy Dragon Empire. You think that you can compete with me because you have become Lance''s son-in-law and the Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Group? Don''t even think about it! You will never be a match for me even in a thousand years!" Alston said angrily.


    "If you were not afraid of me, why are you here on the Gehenna Border? Don''t use the excuse that you are dealing with things related to the Holy Sea Empire. I know you very well to fall for your excuses. You simply know that I am Basil. That''s why you are terrified and have come to find me. Then, you will try to treat me in the same way as you did in the past," Rocky said straightforwardly.


    "So what? Your status does not make you a better warrior than me. Dealing with you is as easy as killing an ant, just like what I did last time. At that time, I planned to let you dishonor my father''s concubine, so you would be condemned for heinous crimes. However,


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    red to Rocky, "My father wanted to talk to you alone."


    "Okay," Rocky answered and then he brushed past Alston with Isis.


    They glared a sidelong glance at each other for a second. Both of them were full of intense hatred and anger, and there was a terrible and invisible storm that surrounded them.


    After entering the main camp with Isis, Rocky asked, "The Commander in Chief is asking me for what?"


    "Actually, father didn''t look for you. He had something to deal with so he was back to the headquarters. I just made an excuse to separate you from Alston." She looked at him with a serious look on her pretty face. After hesitating for a moment, her beautiful eyes sparkled and she said with an innocent tone, "I know you are hiding something from me. But if you don''t want to tell me, I won''t force you. I also know that you don''t like to be restrained, but you have made me really worried before!"


    The once noble and admirable woman, who had been admired by countless men, now revealed such an expression for a man. It was unimaginable!


    When he saw that Isis was so gentle to him, Rocky''s heart softened. He sighed and said, "I shouldn''t have said that. Don''t mind it."


    At that moment, Isis was as mild as the spring water which made Rocky unable to keep calm. He found that it was hard to explain the feeling when Isis was beside him. He couldn''t just ignore her and leave right away at his will as he used to do!

 Chapter 685 Escape From The Mont City

    "It''s good that you know that. But I will not be angry with you," said Isis. If this happened in the past, Isis would have ignored Rocky completely. She was not the soft-spoken type and would never submit to a man. Especially to someone who had treated her wrongly. With Rocky, she was a different woman. She was softhearted, vulnerable and understanding. She was a fighter in the battlefield. As the Deputy Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Army, she was admired by soldiers for being aggressive, determined, and for being a compassionate leader.


    "Thank you for understanding me," Rocky said as he searched her eyes for forgiveness. Rocky smiled to her. His relationship with Isis was complicated, and this current issue had given him a headache. But her words eased his mind and erased his worries.


    "But before my father returned to the headquarters, he left a message for you," Isis continued. Her face became serious when she thought of her father''s words.


    "What did he say?" asked Rocky.


    "He asked you to be careful of His Royal Highness- Alston. He had a grim feeling that Alston may have planned something evil against you. He had no idea why His Royal Highness wanted to harm you, and there was nothing much he could do to protect you. So please, stay vigilant and be on guard against him," explained Isis, as she fixed her eyes on Rocky. She herself doubted His Royal Highness, and her  father''s advice validated her fear.


    ''I''m glad Lance recognized his false colors. To deal with me, Alston could not even hide his disgusting, true nature, '' Rocky sneered in his heart.


    "I understand." He nodded and did not show his emotion. He did not want her to worry any further, so he chose not to say a word.


    "Well, let''s get ready. It''s time to go to the Mont City. We just received some news saying that the situation in the Mont City is getting worse. We must get going!" she said in a hurry.


    "Us? Are you coming with me?" Rocky frowned.


    "Of course! Did you think I will let you go there alone? If you will stop me from going with you, I will never talk to you for the rest of my life!" Isis suddenly returned to her commanding nature. She stood straight and glared at Rocky. The look in her eyes reminded him that he owed her, and she was not taking no for an answer.


    Rocky did not know whether to force a smile or reprimand her. Mont City was a dangerous place, and he did not want her involved in the battle. However, the look on her face made him realize that she had decided to do so. If he refused her again, she may not forgive him this time. Rocky knew that would be difficult for him to handle.


    He had no choice but to let Isis go with him.


    There was also no time to argue. The Mont City was in a critical situation, and they had to get there as soon as possible. Otherwise, the Crimson Dragon Army would be i


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    t, greasy man with a bulging belly sat comfortably inside a carriage. The fat man wore a silk, white robe that glittered under the sun. He was surrounded by a few ordinary spirit manipulators and some guards. He was among the first ones to have escaped and was far away from the crowd that were trying to escape the city by this time.


    "Hurry! Move faster!" the fat guy ordered his men.


    "Prefect Liu, this is the fastest we can go," answered a petite man that was also inside the carriage. He was the butler of Prefect Liu.


    "I did not expect that the Holy Sea Empire could break into the Mont City so soon. It did not give us enough time to gather more money and valuables," said the prefect, as he looked at the enormous suitcases behind him with regret. He wished he had moved faster and carried off more treasures with him.


    "Prefect, it''s a good thing we were able to escape. Money is not the most important thing. Your life is precious than any other thing in the world," the butler blurted out in a cold sweat. He could not believe that the prefect was not content with all the valuable things they stole from the civilians.


    At this moment, a violent force shook the carriage and made it stop suddenly. The strong impact terrified the prefect and the butler.


    Soon enough, they heard a commotion outside the carriage. Curious, they checked and saw a figure rushing towards them.


    "What happened? Did the enemy arrived so soon?" Fear spread across Prefects Liu''s face. He ordered his butler right away to check what was going on. "What are you waiting for? Go down and have a look!"


    The butler had lost the color on his face. He was too afraid to check, but could not refuse the order from his master. He got off the carriage in a hurry. What he saw was not the enemy, but a stranger stood in front of the carriage. Several spirit manipulators and guards were surrounding the man.

 Chapter 686 Dont Block My Way

    "Maybe he''s tired of living! Hurry up and drag him away already. How dare he block Prefect Liu''s way?" the butler ordered with a domineering attitude. However, his forceful words didn''t seem to do much, as nobody moved from their positions.


    His face reddened in anger and embarrassment when, as he was about to shout more orders, he was interrupted by a condescending voice. "Such a shameless man who cares for nothing but his hide doesn''t deserve to be called the prefect. He''s no better than an animal."


    All heads swiveled towards the direction of the voice. It was none other than Rocky, who finally caught up with them from behind.


    Meanwhile, the butler was taken aback by his rudeness. He spluttered with his mouth agape in embarrassment, "How dare you speak so brazenly against the prefect! I''ll teach you a lesson you''ll never forget!"


    Several self-righteous spirit manipulators immediately rushed forward at his words, ready to teach Rocky a lesson and incensed that Rocky was not acting according to his station. To them, he was nothing but a ruffian, lower than trash, and should act as such.


    The scene devolved into chaos, as Rocky was engulfed by more and more spirit manipulators until he was overwhelmed. Screams echoed from inside the circle of manipulators, and some vivid lights flashed inside, but they couldn''t see enough to be sure what was going on.


    "Such an idiot! Now, he''s getting the lesson he deserves!" The butler smiled and leaned back with great satisfaction, and he looked very much like a cat that got the cream.


    Suddenly, the guards inside the circle retreated backward, fluttering like panicked birds. He straightened in confusion and strained his neck to look at what was happening. Lo and behold, it was Rocky who was supposed to be getting a beating, and he was standing confidently and without any visible injuries. Instead, it was his spirit manipulators who were scattered on the ground, black and blue with blood all over their bodies.


    He turned pale as a sheet, especially when Rocky started walking towards the carriage. His head swiveled side to side, looking for back-up.


    "What are you standing around for? Stop him!" the butler hurriedly called.


    However, none of the guards dared to move. They stared, ashen-faced, at the broken bodies of their comrades that Rocky had easily thrown aside. Besides, even if they wanted to, their feet refused to move in fear as if their shoes had been laced in lead and steel.


    By then, Rocky had reached the carriage and was standing right in front of it. He faced the carter who had been cowering at a corner and snarled, "Get off!"


    Rocky hadn''t even finished shouting when the carter hurr


    round. His face reddened in fear and shame and confusion, as he looked up at their furious leader.


    "You don''t know him? All right, let me introduce him to you! He is the newly appointed Commander in Chief of Crimson Dragon Group and my husband. Watch yourselves!" Isis announced as loud as she could, as she pointed a finger at Rocky.


    The noisy crowd suddenly fell silent, their mouths agape in shock at the news. The whole place was as silent as the grave as if no one even dared to breathe.


    They had never expected that this young man was the rumored Commander in Chief of Crimson Dragon Army, Lance''s son-in-law, and Isis'' husband.


    Meanwhile, the prefect who had been acting high and mighty earlier, was now on his knees, as his body trembled all over. He reached for Rocky''s feet and begged, "I''m sorry for not recognizing you, Commander in Chief! I may have eyes, but I failed to see. Please forgive me! Please!"


    "Take him out of my sight," Rocky said coldly, as he swept his eyes across the crowd.


    All the people gathered around them gasped at his words.


    "How dare you... Think about what you''re saying! I work for the eldest prince..." the prefect hastily shouted, with the hope that his patron could save his life at this point.


    But Rocky only sneered in response, as he stepped forward and kicked him on his head. As the prefect groaned in pain, he turned to the deputy commander.


    "Why are you just standing there? I said, take him away!" The deputy commander immediately nodded and shouted orders to the soldiers.


    A couple of them collected their courage and dragged the prefect away.


    "Okay, now that the Elite Commander has died, where are the Frontline Commanders?" Rocky asked while looking around, and once again his eyes fell on the deputy commander.

 Chapter 687 Peerless Master

    "Commander in Chief Rocky, our three Frontline Commanders are gone. One of them died in battle not long ago and one surrendered to the Holy Sea Empire. The final commander is missing," the grim-faced deputy commander answered, cupping his hands in front of his chest.


    "Didn''t you have reinforcements? Why was Mont City lost so quickly?" Rocky asked with a serious look on his face.


    "Because..." the deputy commander trailed off.


    "Tell me." Rocky fumed.


    "The five thousand soldiers that were supposed to guard the east gate retreated unexpectedly and the Holy Sea Empire attacked the east gate. The commander who led these soldiers was the one I told you went missing earlier," the deputy commander responded.


    "What''s his name?" Rocky asked.


    "Flank," the deputy commander uttered his name.


    "It''s him." Rocky''s eyes darkened.


    A few moments later, a great commotion occurred in the west gate. People cried out, "The Holy Sea Empire army is coming. Run! Save yourselves!"


    A stream of people began to run, which caused the crowd to grow bigger with each second.


    "What''s your name?" Rocky asked the deputy commander.


    "Fleming," he replied.


    "I''m appointing you as the Frontline Commander, Fleming. Gather all the soldiers that retreated from the city and make sure they protect the civilians and lead them to safety. If any soldiers try to escape, kill them. Do you understand?" Rocky asked in a commanding tone.


    "Yes, sir." Fleming bowed with renewed confidence at the fact that he''d just been promoted to the position of Frontline Commander.


    "Deputy Commander in Chief Isis and I will try to block the oncoming forces first. Once you retreat, instruct the army to hide while waiting for Isis and me to return," Rocky instructed.


    "Isis, let''s go." Rocky gave Isis a nod as they vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving those who were left behind baffled.


    Within a few moments, Rocky and Isis returned to the west gate where the Holy Sea Empire army proceeded to kill soldiers and innocent p


    rned his head toward the loud crash and saw the blocked gate. His face now appeared ashen and distraught. The delicate figure from earlier now appeared, flowing gracefully down from the gate and dancing in the air.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    A strong spiritual power cascaded across the sky before it proceeded to crash into and kill several enemy soldiers on the ground below.


    The Holy Sea Empire commander turned pale. He never expected two Heavenly Stage masters would suddenly show up at the battle.


    Upon seeing that the gate had been blocked by Isis, Rocky whistled to Uriah. Realizing what it needed to do, Uriah flew to catch Isis who was about to fall and then it rushed towards Rocky.


    "I''m not here to play your games. Tell your Commander in Chief that I''ll take back Mont City soon." Rocky waved his hands and shook away the other three spirit manipulators of the Earthly Stage. Then he mounted Rubygon and rushed out of the encirclement quickly. He, along with Isis mounted on Uriah, flew towards the direction of the Crimson Dragon Army that was escorting the civilians.


    "Get him!" the Holy Sea Empire commander ordered. With his army of three to four thousand people, he wouldn''t let the Crimson Dragon Army get away.


    The Holy Sea Empire army surged forward like a torrent towards Rocky as he and Isis left with their two beasts.

 Chapter 688 To Survive

    On the other side, after they threw off the army of Holy Sea Empire, Rocky and Isis arrived at a hill outside of Mont City as fast as they could. It was a good place for an ambush. The terrain, the sparse woods and its rocky land-form would help then be concealed before they launched an attack.


    When they arrived, Rocky found the rest of Crimson Dragon Army. The group was under the command of Fleming. The warriors were concealed around the dense terrain and were ready to attack.


    "Commander in Chief! Deputy Commander in Chief!" as soon as he saw Rocky and Isis, Fleming immediately greeted them with a respectful tone.


    "How many soldiers do you still have here?" Rocky asked with authority.


    "Less than three thousand," Fleming replied.


    Rocky''s eyes widened in shock. Such a small force could not defeat the army of Holy Sea Empire that chased after them. Additionally, there might even be other forces of Holy Sea Empire that would join the fray.


    "Even if we ambush, I don''t think we can repel them. If we fail to repulse them on our attack, then the situation would be more disadvantageous for us," Isis said with a worried tone.


    "Then, where are the civilians who have already retreated?" Rocky understood exactly what Isis said. After he thought for a while, Rocky immediately raised his head and asked the whereabouts of the others.


    "They''re just down that hill, over there." Fleming pointed at a hill not far away from the camp.


    "Commander Fleming, cooperate with Deputy Commander in Chief and continue the preparations for the ambush. We need to deflect back the attackers. The troops of Holy Sea Empire will come soon. Only when we beat them can we retreat safely," Rocky ordered Fleming. Afterwards, he gave Isis a glance.


    "I''ll be fine. Just go ahead and do what you need to do." Isis had already guessed what Rocky was going to do. As such, she replied knowingly.


    Then Rocky turned around and immediately walked towards the hill. Soon, his figure receded in the distance.


    "Deputy Commander in Chief, may I ask what Commander in Chief is going to do?" Fleming''s curiosity got the better at him. With a respectful tone, he asked Isis about Rocky''


    ple complained a lot and they didn''t believe in Crimson Dragon Army anymore.


    Nonetheless, since he had expected such negative reactions, Rocky was still very calm. Even before he approached them, he already realized that it was not easy to persuade the crowd. However, because of lack of time, it seemed that he had to say some harsh words.


    "Are you finished with your complaints?" Rocky suddenly shouted as he widened his eyes.


    When they saw Rocky''s expression, the people seemed to be scared. All of them shut up immediately and fixated their eyes on him.


    "You are right. The Crimson Dragon Army did something wrong this time. But do you really think it''s time to affix the responsibility? The Crimson Dragon Army can protect you. However, even if we punish them now, you''ll just complain more in the future! So, if you want to survive, stop complaining. Just think of your family members who are still alive. Think of your future! You are not fighting for Crimson Dragon Army, nor for Holy Dragon Empire, but for yourselves and for your family members! Even if you may die, your wife, your mother, and your children can survive because of what you have done. It should be worth to sacrifice your lives if they can continue to live..." Rocky was a very passionate speaker. Every word he said hit the hearts of these people like a hammer. They understood that in order to survive, they had to join the army, instead of just whining and complaining.

 Chapter 689 Gaining The Upper Hand

    All the citizens fell silent at Rocky''s words. They agreed with Rocky and thought that his advice made sense. They had no time to waste in complaining right now, instead, they should think of how they can survive.


    "I won''t force you to do anything. If you don''t want to fight alongside us, I won''t blame you for that. We, the Crimson Dragon Army, have the responsibility to protect you, but we are not almighty. You must stand for yourself too if you want to survive. And I, as the Commander in Chief, promise you that the Crimson Dragon Army will be your solid shield in this trying time. Believe in me! Let''s beat the enemies together!" Rocky pronounced solemnly.


    "Commander in Chief Rocky, I trust you. I am ready to risk everything for my wife and kids." A plain-looking man stood up. He stared lovingly at his wife and children and stepped closer to Rocky.


    "I''ll follow you!"


    "Count me in!"


    "Those Holy Sea Empire assholes killed my wife. I will crush them!"


    One by one, the other young men among the citizens also stood up and volunteered.


    In just a short while, nearly more than one thousand people had come forward. Only those who couldn''t fight, such as the elderly, the women, and the children were left.


    It just showed how powerful the desire to survive could be. After all, no one wanted to die. This desire was a great fuel, an undeniable motivation, which could push nearly anyone to fight for themselves and to fight well.


    "Let''s move!" Rocky declared. He nodded contentedly at the brave volunteers he had gathered, then he turned away to lead them forward into victory.


    Later, Isis and Fleming, who were about to complete the ambush deployment, caught sight of Rocky. He was walking with a vast group of people towards the hillside, and everyone they passed was rendered speechless in shock.


    "He made it!" Isis cried out in relief and joy.


    "Commander in Chief Rocky is so awesome. He even eliminated the resentment of the people against the Crimson Dragon Army," said Fleming, who was also watching the scene with eyes widened in surprise and admiration.


    Without wasting another second, Isis and Fleming hurried over to greet Rocky and the people''s army, as they arrived.


    "Commander Fleming, can you spare some of our weapons for these citizens? If there are not enough, then give them the shields or wooden sticks as weapons. Anyway, make use of anything useful and make sure that they are provided with weapons. They will be fighting with us," Rocky ordered Fleming.


    "Yes, Commander in Chief." Flem


    was approaching from three directions, there was still a staggering gap between the two sides. The Crimson Dragon Army should have owned less than three thousand military forces, while the Holy Sea Empire owned nearly four thousand forces. Besides, the morale of the Crimson Dragon Army was dismal while that of the latter was soaring since they had just captured the Mont City. So, due to the wane and wax, they gained the upper hand in the battle.


    The commander of the Crimson Dragon Army was Isis, who was highly skilled in military strategies. Even though their forces were at a disadvantage, they could still face the enemy army without failing.


    Soon, the two sides were caught in a deadlock!


    "Hold your formation..." The Commander of the Holy Sea Empire saw that the Crimson Dragon Army was more difficult to deal with than he imagined, so he took note of the charming lady who was leading them. He guessed from her strength and intellect that she was the Deputy Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Group. She was also the daughter of Lance, who was one of the Three Great Generals in the Holy Dragon Empire and was sort of a big shot, so the Commander was feeling uneasy that he had to fight Isis. He had no doubts that she would be a terrible enemy.


    The two sides fell into a standoff for half an hour. Then finally, it seemed that the army of Holy Sea Empire was gradually gaining the upper hand because of their superior forces.


    "Retreat!" They were startled by Isis'' shout. They didn''t expect that as they were gearing up to crush their enemies, Isis would suddenly order her men to retreat. They watched in stunned surprise, as she quickly led her men away from the battle.

 Chapter 690 Arrival At The Heaven Unicorn City

    "Stop them at once!" The commander of the Holy Sea Empire ordered his soldiers sternly without any hesitation when he saw that the enemies were retreating. He thought that the Crimson Dragon Army could not withstand their attacks. So, he immediately thought he should chase after them and kill them all.


    Soon, Isis led the Crimson Dragon Army to withdraw five meters. They went back to the place as they had planned. The troop of the Holy Sea Empire also came after them. When the enemies approached, Isis changed her strategy of retreating and began to attack them again.


    "What''s going on here?" the commander of the Holy Sea Empire asked. He was confused when he saw the Crimson Dragon Army counterattacking them again.


    At this moment, people from the north and the south suddenly surged.


    "The enemies are on the hook! Again, they are on the hook!" The sounds of shouts and laughter were heard from the north and the south. The trees in the south rustled, while there were figures that loomed on the slope in the north. Then, the sound of local weapons colliding and crashing against each other rang out one after another.


    When the Holy Sea Empire army, who was violently fighting against the Crimson Dragon Army, heard this they suddenly felt that the whole place around them was surrounded by so many people. All at once, they were not willing to fight anymore. The Crimson Dragon Army, led by Isis, took the opportunity to fight more bravely.


    "This must be a trick. Be smart and don''t fall for their trap!" the commander of the Holy Sea Empire said decisively. After all, he was not stupid.


    However, when the members of the Holy Sea Empire army steadied themselves, two beast shadows flew towards them from behind and then began attacking them violently.


    "Commander, I have to inform you that there is a surprise ambush behind us as well..."


    The commander immediately looked over to the back of the troops. He saw with his eyes sand and dust flying around as well as several beast shadows looming with their ear-splitting sound.


    "Unbelievable! What sort of trick is this? Why are there so many spirit-manipulated beasts here?" When the commander saw the situation, he also changed his face, obviously feeling confused.


    "It seems that our Elite Regiment has arrived. This is great news! Now we can eliminate all of our enemies," Isis called out. Her voice was loud and clear that all the people on the battlefiel


    "Prefect Garrett, you don''t have to be so courteous to us," Isis replied at once.


    "I got the news yesterday that Mont City was taken over by the Holy Sea Empire. I was worried since I thought the Crimson Dragon Army in the Mont City had been completely annihilated. But I didn''t expect that you two commanders were able to be discharged with so many soldiers and civilians." Garrett was surprised to see the long row of people behind Rocky and Isis.


    "Prefect Garrett, please take good care of those civilians from the Mont City. It is important to attend to them immediately. And I wonder if there is a place in the city where the Crimson Dragon Army can set their camp," Rocky said as he looked at Garrett seriously.


    "There is a big piece of barren land in the southern part of the city. This part is close to the military camp of our city," answered Garrett.


    "Well, then please show us the way there." Rocky nodded in agreement.


    "I''ve arranged rooms for you two to rest. Would you like..." Before Garrett could finish his sentence, Rocky waved his hand and said, "You don''t have to do that. We can build our tents near the Crimson Dragon Army and live there. But I''m afraid that I have to bother you to arrange the tents and food for us. We didn''t bring anything with us when we withdrew."


    "Okay, I''ll arrange all the things the army needs right away." Garrett nodded and then left at once for the preparations.


    "Commander Fleming, come with us." Rocky signaled to Fleming and then glanced at Isis.


    Then, the three of them entered the Heaven Unicorn City first, and directly went up to the city wall.

 Chapter 691 Give Him An Award

    "Commander Fleming, now that the Mont City is taken, what do you think is the next move of the Holy Sea Empire?" Rocky asked as he was walking along the city wall. With wary eyes, he looked at the direction of Mont City.


    "With my understanding, the Holy Sea Empire will take advantage of the victory to chase us. In addition to the Heaven Unicorn City, there are other two small cities surrounding the Mont City. Those three small cities are close to each other. If the Holy Sea Empire can take them down, then they can use those three small cities to defend the Mont City," Fleming replied with a serious voice.


    "Is that so? Then, which city do you think the Holy Sea Empire will attack first?" Rocky asked as his eyes squinted at the man.


    "Hmm... Judging from the terrain of the three small cities, the Holy Sea Empire should first attack Yu City in the southeast of Mont City. That city was built by the river, and there is only one way to get to the city. It''s very easy to defend. If the military forces are equally powerful, the advantage will definitely fall to the defenders. However, the recent military forces of the Holy Sea Empire can easily take Yu City down. Therefore, if the Holy Sea Empire brings Yu City down first, then it would be difficult for us to take it back," Fleming analyzed with serious eyes.


    "I understand. After that, which city will be next?" Rocky asked as he nodded.


    "After they secured Yu City, they''ll definitely conquer Heaven Unicorn City next. You have also seen the terrain of the Heaven Unicorn City. It was surrounded by high slopes on all sides, which impaired its vision on the surrounding area. Therefore, it is very difficult to defend. Moreover, it''s easy to be attacked from three sides. Its land features make it an easy target for a surprise attack. Therefore, the Heaven Unicorn City is the easiest to attack of the three cities and the hardest to defend," Fleming continued with a grim tone.


    "Then, what about the last city?" Rocky continued to ask for more information.


    "The last city is Grande City. It''s more difficult to attack than Yu City because it was built on the waist of a cliff. The terrain is high, which means that if an enemy appears, they can immediately notice it. And there''s only one way leading to the city, and it''s steep and narrow. It''s not a suitable place to fight. As such, the city is easy to defend and stable," Fleming said with admiration.


    "With the exception of Heaven Unicorn City, how many soldiers are stationed in the other two cities?" After he heard the information about the terrain of the cities, Rocky asked about the warriors in the cities.


    "Sadly, no more than two thousand," Fleming estimated as his face r


    ven Unicorn City," reported a spirit manipulator at the Heavenly Stage who was cloaked in a black robe as he stood in front of Alston.


    "Ha-ha, pathetic! They have less than three thousand soldiers? I want to see how the bastard uses only three thousand warriors to take Mont City back. If he fails to take back Mont City he''s over. However, it would still be an arduous task to use three thousand soldiers to protect Heaven Unicorn City. Of course, I hope he can hold on and defend. As long as the three cities are kept up, it should be beneficial for me. After I defeat the defense line of the Timber Deity Empire, I will immediately lead my army to take back Mont City. At that time, all the credit will be mine! Even if he doesn''t die, he will surely lose his reputation..." Alston sneered as his eyes revealed contempt. Actually, he had planned for this for a long time. He wanted to take advantage of the chance to deal with Rocky when the Holy Sea Empire was attacking Mont City.


    "By the way, where has the traitor commander led his soldiers of the Crimson Dragon Army?" Alston then asked the spirit manipulator.


    "It seems that they have gathered at Grande City. The Grande City is easy to defend but difficult to attack. As long as it is kept, it would be difficult for the Holy Sea Empire to defend Mont City," with a plain voice, the spirit manipulator in black robe responded.


    "Well then, after everything''s done, make sure to give that man an ''award''," Alston said with a cold tone.


    "Okay, sir." The black robed spirit manipulator nodded in agreement and then immediately left.


    "Well then, Basil, let me see how you are going to fight with me!" Alston laughed wildly as if he was sure that he would emerge victorious.


    However, it was still unknown who would be the winner in the end!

 Chapter 692 Had Another Plan

    Another day passed in Heaven Unicorn City. In the temporary camp of the Crimson Dragon Army located inside the city, Rocky was occupied with studying the terrain map of Yu City.


    "Senior Commander Rocky." He looked up, as Fleming walked in with a somber expression on his face.


    "Do you have any information?" Rocky asked immediately, to which Fleming nodded enthusiastically.


    "Yes, sir. It''s from Mont City." "Mont City?" Rocky remarked with an eyebrow quirked up in interest.


    "What''s it about?" He probed further when Fleming didn''t speak at once. "According to our intelligence officers, more than two thousand soldiers of Crimson Dragon Army and three thousand common people were captured when the Holy Sea Empire occupied Mont City."


    Fleming paused, breathed deeply, and then continued, "There are some survivors. It appears that the Holy Sea Empire has shown them mercy and didn''t kill them all."


    Rocky nodded with an impassive expression. He was relieved that there were survivors, but it was too early to celebrate. More than that, he needed to make sure that the information was reliable, so he asked, "Where did they get this information?"


    "It came from a deputy commander who has been captured. He learned that we withdrew the army to Heaven Unicorn City, so he secretly sent us this information," Fleming readily replied. "That''s good."


    Rocky nodded, as some tension drained from his stiff posture. "Try to keep in touch with him so that we can get more information about Mont City and the Holy Sea Empire''s army," he added.


    "Yes, sir!" Fleming saluted before he bowed and left the room to do as he was bid.


    As soon as Fleming stepped outside, Isis rushed in with a panicked expression on her ashen face.


    "What''s wrong?" Rocky asked, immediately alarmed. After all, Isis wasn''t someone who was easily shaken, so to see her in such a state was disquieting.


    She had a letter clutched to her hand so tightly that Rocky was afraid it would be torn to pieces. He reached out and gently took it from her.


    His face darkened, as he read further into the letter. It informed them that the Crimson Dragon Army couldn''t send them reinforcements, and Rocky was ordered to buy time and defend Heaven Unicorn City. A quick look at the bottom told him that it was Alston who gave the order.


    "What the hell is the crown prince doing? The right-wing defensive line has ten thousand soldiers available.


    " said Rocky casually.


    "Really?" Isis exclaimed in surprise. She was starting to realize that maybe there was hope after all.


    "They are all collected from the Myriad Beasts Ground..." A smirk started to form at the corners of Rocky''s mouth, as he waited amusedly for Isis'' reaction.


    "Myriad... Myriad Beasts Ground! When did you go there?" Isis asked in surprise. Even the spirit manipulators of the Supernal Stage feared to set foot in the Myriad Beasts Ground. But now, it seemed that Rocky went there and survived.


    "I have been there several times, although I almost died as many times too," Rocky said with amusement but in a self-deprecating way.


    "That''s not funny." Isis stared at him with a mixture of anger, worry, and fondness. She had always hated it when Rocky needlessly put his life in danger.


    "Don''t look at me like that. I''m fine now," Rocky immediately reassured her, although, from her expression, he could tell that she wasn''t happy with him.


    "Stop risking your life so needlessly. Promise me! Don''t forget that you''re not alone anymore," Isis said so seriously that Rocky couldn''t say anything more.


    He just nodded awkwardly, so Isis followed up with a light smile, "And if you don''t have a place to keep your money, I can keep it for you."


    Rocky burst into laughter at this and shook his head. "Can I say no?"


    he asked with a bitter-sweet smile. There was no way that he would be a hen-pecked husband after all.


    "Are you worried that I''ll appropriate your money? I resent that," Isis protested with a slight frown, although her lips were being pulled into a smile.

 Chapter 693 Lets Fight Then

    "Of course, I know you don''t need my money. You can keep all of it if you want. But at this moment, we have to recruit soldiers as soon as possible," Rocky said so they could get back to the point. He didn''t know when the Holy Sea Empire would attack Yu City, but he had to finish recruiting before they attacked. It didn''t even matter if they couldn''t recruit a force that can defeat the enemy. What was important was that they could at least fight.


    "I''ll take care of recruiting for the military. I know you''re already working on the plan to fight against the Holy Sea Empire, so there''s no need for you to worry about the recruitment," Isis said considerately, which elicited a tender smile from Rocky.


    "All right, just wait for me here. I''ll go to my Magic Spiritual Space and bring you the things we talked about. Tonight, you can call together all the rich men of Heaven Unicorn City to hold a small auction. I think they will be sold faster that way." With that decided, Rocky opened the Magic Spiritual Space and walked in.


    Isis sighed. It had been a while since Rocky entered the Magic Spiritual Space, and he hadn''t come back yet. At the same time, she couldn''t help but wonder how his Magic Spiritual Space could hold so many spirit-manipulated beasts. Although she knew that she should respect Rocky''s privacy, she couldn''t stop herself from entering the Magic Spiritual Space out of curiosity.


    As soon as she stepped foot inside, she froze in shock and looked around in disbelief. She was as shocked as Sabina, that time when she accidentally entered Rocky''s Magic Spiritual Space. It was eerily similar to a farm. There were houses and beasts, and there were even three gigantic figures not far away. Uriah and other beasts were there as well.


    "Are those..." Isis studied the three giant figures intently and gasped as if she had just realized something.


    But before she could do anything else, somebody coughed behind her. "Ahem!"


    The sound pulled Isis out of her mind to find Rocky, who was standing in front of her with a bamboo basket in his hand. Inside the basket, there were a lot of materials and rare items collected from wild spirit-manipulated beasts. As a regular customer of Super Beast Farm, Isis knew that these materials an


    sis left Rocky to give him some peace. So, he immediately returned to studying the terrain of Yu City. But since he wasn''t familiar with the terrain, and Yu City had an especially difficult terrain, it wasn''t a walk in the park. He couldn''t easily figure out which terrain they could take advantage of. Unfortunately for him, he wasn''t an expert on the topic, and the said expert was still on his way.


    As it was getting dark, Rocky sighed deeply and finally took his attention away from the terrain map. He found that the terrain of Yu City was quite unique. It was surrounded by water, and as such, there was only one way to get to the city. That made it very difficult to fight against the army of the Holy Sea Empire.


    "If only Louis was here," Rocky groaned.


    Just as the words came out of his mouth, a figure walked into the tent.


    "Commander in Chief." The figure stepped forward quickly and bowed respectfully to Rocky.


    "Louis? You came just in time!" Rocky was overjoyed. He instantly got up and drew him to his seat with a bright smile, then he pointed at the terrain map on the table and said, "This is the terrain map of Yu City. Will you check it out for ideal places to conduct our attack?"


    At once, Louis nodded, as his whole focus shifted to the terrain map, and he started carefully examining it.


    Meanwhile, Rocky turned back to the door, only to find a girl there. It seemed that she had followed Louis into the room, and he just failed to see her in his excitement for Louis.

 Chapter 694 Hellish Training

    "Thank you so much! I appreciate it," Rocky said. He looked at Sabina gratefully.


    "You can be assured that I have told him everything you said. Uncle Allen asked me to inform you that he will do his very best to assist you," Sabina said peacefully.


    "By the way, how did you know that I''m in the Heaven Unicorn City?" Rocky asked as he nodded.


    "When I arrived at the Mont City with Louis, the city has already been unfortunately occupied. So instead of leaving immediately, I sneaked into the city and inquired about the situation. I learned that some remaining soldiers of the Crimson Dragon Army along with other civilians escaped to Heaven Unicorn City. Therefore, I guessed you might be here," Sabina responded.


    "It''s glad to hear that. You brought Louis here at the right time," Rocky said with a smile.


    "How is the situation now?" Sabina inquired.


    "It is not the ideal situation. I wanted the Crimson Dragon Army to send some reinforcements at the start, but Prince Alston didn''t agree to send any soldiers. Therefore, I can''t count on them anymore. The soldiers, including the Heaven Unicorn City''s garrison, are less than five thousand," Rocky said as he shook his head. There was a bitter smile on his face.


    "I am worried that there are too few soldiers. In this case, how could they fight the enemy troops if worse comes to worst? I''m really afraid that these soldiers can''t even protect the Heaven Unicorn City..." Sabina frowned when she heard this news. She learned that there were more than thirty-five thousand soldiers of the Holy Sea Empire in the Mont City. Even if only twenty thousand soldiers were sent to attack the Heaven Unicorn City, the soldiers in the city could not resist them at all.


    "So what we can only do is to recruit more soldiers here in the Heaven Unicorn City. Even though we can only recruit two or three thousand soldiers, this can totally improve the current situation," Rocky said hopefully as he shrugged and smiled.


    "That''s a good idea indeed!" Sabina nodded her head in approval and then glanced at Rocky. "Is there anything I can do for you?"


    "I hope you can safely escort Louis to the spot for investigation after he finishes studying the terrain map of the Yu City," Rocky replied after thinking thoughtfully for a while.


    "No problem, we can handle it. Now if there is nothing else, so shall we..." Sabina left the tent after making an eye contact with Rocky.


    A smirk crept up at the corners of Rocky''s mouth. After saying his goodbye to Louis, he walked out too. In t


    almost done. Now I''m thinking about how we will do the training. I am worried that since we don''t have enough time, it is impossible to train these soldiers. I''m afraid they can''t bear the pressure if they go to the battlefield directly without severe training. And it''s also easy for them to be scared and even desert during the battle..." Isis said with a worried look on her face.


    "It doesn''t matter. Don''t worry. I will train them using a special training method of mine. Please gather these soldiers this afternoon," Rocky uttered calmly. He had expected this situation, so he prepared and came up with a special training method.


    After Isis heard that, a curious look appeared on her face. She was curious about what special training method Rocky would use to make these soldiers, who did not receive any training prior their recruitment, fight bravely and not run away on the battlefield.


    Afternoon came and all the newly recruited soldiers were gathered at the training ground of the military camp.


    Not long after, Rocky and Isis appeared in front of the newly recruited soldiers.


    "Today, I summon you here to complete a test. Those who can pass the test can officially join the Crimson Dragon Army and those who fail will have to go back home. In addition, those who can pass the test will be rewarded with an extra thirty taels of silver coins..." Rocky declared directly.


    At this point, the soldiers in front of him immediately roared in excitement. If they passed the test, they could get thirty taels of silver coins which was a very generous incentive. They itched to take the test, but what they did not know was that they would face a hellish test and training next.

 Chapter 695 A Brilliant Plan

    "Now, all of you go to the basket over there and get a piece of black cloth. Then return to your position and cover your eyes with the cloth. If I catch anyone cheating, he shall be punished severely!" Rocky shouted as he pointed at the two baskets on a corner. Both were filled with black cloths.


    At once, the soldiers raced to the baskets. Each of them took a piece of black cloth and followed Rocky''s instructions, they returned to their positions and quietly covered their eyes with black cloth. After making sure everyone''s eyes were covered, Rocky signaled with a nod. Soon, dozens of soldiers appeared from outside the training field, and each one carried a basket filled with wooden knives in their hands. They then handed out the wooden knives to the soldiers, and they also checked if their eyes were covered properly.


    When they finished, they nodded at Rocky and then positioned themselves behind him. They accomplished the task in silence.


    "Listen up! By now, each of you is holding a very sharp knife in your hands. Trust me when I said the knife is sharp enough to cut through an iron. The knife has no master and will not spare you if it touched your body. We are about to start the test. I want you to attack anyone close to you. The moment you hit and wound anyone, it means you pass the test and are now an official member of the Crimson Dragon Army. You will each have a chance to become a commander and I promise a bright future ahead of you. You have thirty minutes. If none of you succeed, it will be a pity. You will go home because of your incompetence. Let me remind you that this is not a game. You are all under attack. Make others bleed and avoid getting hit at the same time. You don''t have eyes, and the knives do not have mercy. This test may kill you if you are not careful. Don''t worry, I have prepared enough financial support and benefits for your family members. They will never suffer from a shortage of food and clothing for the rest of their lives. So if you wish to see your family later, focus and do your best to pass the test. War is not for the weak and faint-hearted. You have to be skilled in killing people, and protecting yourself at the same time. This is all I have to say. Please get ready," Rocky said in a calm voice. His message echoed in their ears like a wave of deadly warning.


    Rocky then stopped talking and examined the faces of the soldiers one by one. Each face showed a different emotion. Some looked  anxious and afraid, while s


    "Those who failed the test should quit now. Those who want to leave are allowed to go home, I will give you your freedom. Isis, they are all yours." Rocky gave his final words, then turned to Isis before he left the training ground.


    Rocky bumped into Fleming, who was waiting for him in front of the tent.


    "Commander in Chief, we have news from Mont City," Fleming reported.


    "Holy Sea Empire is dispatching more troops?" Rocky asked right away. It was something that he was expecting to happen.


    "That''s right. Holy Sea Empire will send more troops by sunset, and they will attack Yu City the day after tomorrow," Fleming reported everything in details.


    "Did you find out how many?" Rocky asked, crossing his hands behind his back.


    "We did not get the exact number, but at least 20 thousand," Fleming estimated.


    "Then we need to prepare and set out as soon as possible," Rocky decided. The Crimson Dragon Army would have about eight thousand forces, including the newly recruited troops and the remaining forces from the Mont City. If the Holy Sea Empire would have about 20 thousand troops, there was still a chance for them to win this battle. But if Fleming was wrong, and the arriving troops were over 25 thousand, it would be extremely hard for them to defend the city. Also, defending Yu City was just the first obstacle. Even if they triumphed in defending the city, then the next battle was for the Heaven Unicorn City, where there were lesser troops to help them. Therefore, he must come up with a brilliant plan. They had to weigh everything and plan carefully. One false move could ruin their plan and mean death for all of them.

 Chapter 696 Now Or Never

    The priority at that moment was to hang on to Yu City, so they could impede the attacking plan of Holy Sea Empire. As long as their attacking process was interrupted, Rocky would be able to take control of the situation.


    Not to waste any time, Rocky immediately called together all the soldiers in Heaven Unicorn City to get ready, and they were marching to Yu City over the night. Since it was supposed to take them less than one day to get there, they should be able to arrive earlier than the troops of Holy Sea Empire, and with this time difference, they would get sufficient time to prepare to fight. And they must have a miraculous trick to defeat the enemy. Otherwise, all their previous efforts would come in vain.


    As the night was getting dark, Rocky left Heaven Unicorn City with the eight thousand soldiers. With great haste, they immediately headed to Yu City. In the meantime, Rocky also sent spies to monitor the movements of Holy Sea Empire''s troops. The spies were preventing that their enemy feinted and pretended to go east while in reality, they were attacking west.


    Rocky and his soldiers arrived at Yu City as planned. While on the other side, the news that Mont City had been occupied by Holy Sea Empire alarmed everyone in Palace City.


    The position of Mont City was important, and taking it, Holy Sea Empire could attack surrounding small cities with little efforts, which would consolidate their advantages. On the other hand, Crimson Dragon Army was concentrating on fighting with Timber Deity Empire and was unable to spare any time to get Mont City back. The emperor might be able to call forces from other legions, but it would take them at least a couple of days to get there. At that time, the small cities around might have been controlled by Holy Sea Empire already. In that case, it would be hard and would take time to take them back.


    The emperor hurriedly called the Priest Dean and several other chief officers, which included Marcia. All of them together had an emergency meeting to decide their next plan.


    "Your Majesty, the loss of Mont City puts our country in a dangerous position. We need to do something to get out of such an unfavorable situation as soon as possible. In my opinion, we need to make another negotiation with Holy Sea Empire. This is probably the best choice for us now," the foreign minister suggested as he bowed to the emperor.


    "Foreign minister, I''m afraid that I can''t agree with you. Don''t you see that Holy Sea Empire has clearly shown that they won''t negotiate. The eldest prince has presented himself in the front-lines, but they didn''t give a damn about it. I suggest it''s better to gather our men from Gehenna Border and take Mont City back. The only way to keep our country and people safe is true military strength. Negotiation won''t do this time. Trust me!" The military officer had a completely different opinion.


    Soon, the officers were divided into two parties. One supported to solve the problem with diplomatic measures while the others advocated force. As the two parties tried to win the emperor''s agreement to their suggestion, t


    e''ll just have to wait and see," Priest Dean said once again with a confident tone.


    "Priest Dean, leading an army is not as simple as you thought. We need to pay close attention to the Timber Deity Empire. Otherwise, we will suffer a tremendous loss," Marcia sneered as she stared daggers at the priest.


    "You are thinking too much, General Marcia. Actually, I''m more worried about Commander in Chief Rocky than the eldest prince. He may think that he can save the small cities, but I think that he is just overconfident about his abilities. In case he fails to save one of them, what can you say about it?" Priest Dean continued to mock Marcia and her belief in Rocky.


    "Military officer, how many of those small cities are around Mont City?" After he thought for a while, the emperor asked impatiently.


    "There are three of them, Your Majesty," without any hesitation, the military officer immediately replied.


    "If the Holy Sea Empire marched to attack all of them, how long will it take them to capture them all? Do you have any idea?" a grim expression painted the emperor''s face as he asked once again.


    "At least ten day, Your Majesty," after he thought for a moment, the military officer replied honestly.


    "Then, we still have some time. Let''s see what Alston will do first. If he can break through the defense line of the Timber Deity Empire and still have time to mobilize soldiers to support Rocky, then he might be able to take Mont City back," a firm decision was said by the emperor. It seemed that he also chose to believe in the eldest prince.


    Marcia bowed to the emperor and left the hall without saying anything more. A troubled expression painted her pretty face as she stopped right in front of the gate and looked at the direction where the war was going on. With her soft lips, she murmured, "Hold on, Basil! Don''t let me down. Don''t let Alston win over you! If you lose this time, it will be impossible for you to start over. It''s now or never!" A deep sigh escaped her mouth. Then, she cracked a mysterious smile and suddenly disappeared.

 Chapter 697 The New Strategy

    The next afternoon, Rocky got to the Yu City with his army of eight thousand soldiers. They were joined by Louis and Sabina, who had arrived earlier to explore the terrain of the city for their new strategy.


    After all the troops encamped, Rocky gathered a few people to discuss the strategy that would be used to deal with the Holy Sea Empire''s army.


    "Louis, have you found the terrain that can be used to separate the forces of the enemy? This detail is crucial to our new strategy," Rocky asked as soon as they sat down. He got a report from their spy that the forces of the Holy Sea Empire were more than twenty thousand. While at the moment, Rocky''s current forces were only about ten thousand including the troops of the garrison in the Yu City. He was certain that if the forces of the Holy Sea Empire couldn''t be divided, they were obviously at a disadvantage. With this, they needed a new strategy since he couldn''t risk to be defeated by the Holy Sea Empire. The risk of this plan was that the Holy Sea Empire troops might dispatch forces to attack the Heaven Unicorn City. Rocky was worried that even if he could resist the attack from the armies of the Holy Sea Empire, the Crimson Dragon Army would be unable to spare any part of it. And if worse comes to worst, all of their forces might be consumed later. At the time being, his countermeasure was to actively attack the enemy to have a breakthrough. So it was important to find a good terrain to distract the forces of the enemy.


    "Yes, but you should know that we found there''s still difficulty in it," Louis answered as he nodded his head.


    "Tell me what it is then," Rocky said abruptly.


    "The three sides of Yu City are surrounded by the river, so the only direction that the Holy Sea Empire army can attack us is through the fan-shaped area in the south side. This fan-shaped area is basically a plain terrain, so it is almost impossible to have an ambush. It will also be hard for us to dispatch the forces of the enemy there. With this, the south side is not the best option for us to station our troops. But upon my analysis of the city, I still found an ideal place which we can make use of to separate the enemy in two. If we succeed, then I am sure we will have an advantage," Louis said as he analyzed the situation. He pointed to the relief map around the Yu City.


    "Where is this ideal place?" Rocky asked immediately. He was interested in it and got closer to the map.


    "That area is in front of the city gate. The soil in this area is soft, and it is very close to the river in


    a Empire panicked.


    "Don''t panic. The Crimson Dragon Army is no match for the mighty Holy Sea Empire troops. Our backup will come up soon. In the meantime, kill them all!" the leading commander of the Holy Sea Empire shouted to stabilize the situation and uplift the spirit of the army.


    All of a sudden, a delicate figure appeared in front of the commander. Her strong aura of the Supernal Stage was revealed, shocking the commander to death.


    And before the commander could react, a fierce frost power attacked him. Although this commander was a master of the Heavenly Stage, he was instantly frosted into an ice sculpture with his horse and then was smashed into pieces like a glass due to the big gap in the strength between them.


    "The commander died! What are we going to do now? The commander died... " the soldiers around shouted desperately.


    When they saw that their commander died, the Holy Sea Empire army fell apart abruptly and lost all hopes as well as their desire to fight.


    Under the attack of the Crimson Dragon Army led by Isis and Sabina, the vanguard of the Holy Sea Empire had no chance to resist at all.


    And because of the obstruction by the ditch, the main force of the Holy Sea Empire army could not do anything but watch their vanguard being tortured and slaughtered. The two commanders of the Holy Sea Empire troops had to adjust their forces immediately. And they tried their very best to bypass the ditch to attack the Crimson Dragon Army.


    By the time the army from the Holy Sea Empire bypassed the ditch and arrived, all the members of the vanguard had been completely annihilated. While only less than a thousand Crimson Dragon Army soldiers were injured or killed.

 Chapter 698 A Heavy Blow

    "All soldiers, retreat!" At this point, Rocky commanded the Crimson Dragon Army and they retreated quickly into the Yu City.


    The soldiers of the Holy Sea Empire, who just arrived in the city, failed to attack the Crimson Dragon Army. However, the two commanders of the Holy Sea Empire didn''t want to give up that easily. They immediately commanded their troops to attack the city.


    After a day and a night, the troops of the Holy Sea Empire lost another three thousand soldiers without even breaking through the city gate. Because of the heavy losses, the Holy Sea Empire troops stopped attacking.


    The next day, the Holy Sea Empire troops, worn out and defeated, suddenly left the Yu City.


    At that point, when Rocky saw from the wall of the Yu City that the troops of the Holy Sea Empire had retreated, he immediately turned to Isis and the others. He said, "My guts are telling me that the Holy Sea Empire soldiers may be heading towards the Heaven Unicorn City. Isis, you and Commander Qin lead three thousand soldiers to guard this city. Sabina and I will lead the remaining five thousand soldiers to go back to watch over the Heaven Unicorn City."


    "But are five thousand soldiers enough to protect the Heaven Unicorn City? I am worried that we may be outnumbered," Isis spoke worriedly. The Heaven Unicorn City was easy to attack but hard to defend. And they only had five thousand soldiers there, while the Holy Sea Empire had at least twelve thousand soldiers. Even if they defended till death, they might not be able to protect the city.


    "We have to at least try our best. I believe in the capabilities of our soldiers. As long as we can protect the Heaven Unicorn City, the three cities will be safe. Besides, I think the remaining fifteen thousand soldiers or so will definitely not be sent out that easily if the Holy Sea Empire wants to defend the Mont City," Rocky stated firmly and assertively. He firmly believed that as long as they could defend the Heaven Unicorn City, they would have the upper hand during the battle.


    "Okay, just please be careful in dealing with the Holy Sea Empire. I''ll recruit more soldiers in the Yu City to assist you..." Isis said. Her face was really painted with worry.


    Rocky and Sabina hurried to the Heaven Unicorn City after the discussion. They led five thousand soldiers to defend the city.


    One day later, the two commanders of the Holy Sea Empire along with twelve thousand soldiers arrived at the Heaven Unicorn City. When they saw that there was no one guarding the city wall, they immediately launched a


    "Your Royal Highness, I am afraid to tell you that something terrible happened." Just then, a Frontline Commander rushed in hurriedly.


    "What is this terrible thing that happened?" Alston shouted angrily as he glared at the Frontline Commander.


    "I have received the information from the right-wing defense line that thirty thousand Timber Deity Empire soldiers suddenly appeared at the right-wing, and the soldiers of the Magic Dragon Army were attacked as they were off guard. They suffered a great loss..." the Frontline Commander reported in a trembling voice. He seemed scared by the situation.


    "What?" Alston was completely shocked.


    "Your Royal Highness! Grave news!" Just then, another Frontline Commander rushed in.


    Alston''s face darkened. He stared at the Frontline Commander with raging anger in his eyes.


    "The Roaring Flame Empire soldiers have suddenly launched an attack..." the Frontline Commander, who just came in, uttered in a low voice as he trembled with fear.


    These pieces of bad news were undoubtedly a blow to Alston. He was confident that it was a piece of cake to deal with Rocky. And since the Crimson Dragon Army was in a dominant position, it would be easy to break through the Timber Deity Empire''s defensive line. However, he didn''t expect that the situation would suddenly change into something terrible like this.


    Two days later, when the Timber Deity Empire troops got their reinforcements, they joined hands with the Roaring Flame Empire troops to fight against the Crimson Dragon Army. The soldiers of the Crimson Dragon Army were forced to retreat back. In desperation, Alston had no choice but to gather all the soldiers and retreat to the front-line main camp.

 Chapter 699 A Slouch In The Army

    On the other side, just as Rocky had expected, since the Holy Sea Empire had lost twenty thousand soldiers, the massive loss left their morale so badly battered. For the time being, they could not even dare to attack the three cities anymore. Their remaining fifteen thousand troops stayed back in Mont City.


    Still stationed in Heaven Unicorn City, Rocky had also received the news from Allen. He learned that Alston had failed to break the defensive line of the Timber Deity Empire. Furthermore, the Timber Deity Empire had gained reinforcements and counterattacked Crimson Dragon Army with the help of the Roaring Flame Empire. With their backs against the wall, the Crimson Dragon Army had now withdrawn to their main camp.


    "Alston has always been such a slouch!" Rocky snorted in disappointment. As he spoke, a chilling coldness suddenly clouded his eyes. With great efforts, he had established an advantage for Crimson Dragon Army. But now, all that cushion was gone¡ªeasily given away by Alston, as if it didn''t mean anything to him. But Rocky had foreseen the disaster. For all he knew, neither had Alston showed any particular skill nor a real personal drive to succeed. He may have had his strengths, but that burning desire as you''d expect of a great army general, Alston never had.


    "Besides reprisals by Timber Deity and Roaring Flame Empires, there is another big problem. The Mont City has fallen to the Holy Sea Empire. We have to take back the city as soon as possible. Otherwise, we may have a hard time if we sit back and watch. Once the Holy Sea Empire brings in reinforcements, it will not be easy for us." Isis worried.


    "You could be right in what you are suggesting, but as things stand, our forces can''t take on the Holy Sea Empire army at all. Already, we have lost thousands of our soldiers while fighting in Heaven Unicorn City," Commander Qin said.


    "The terrain of Mont City is easy to defend and launch attacks. As such, it will be difficult to retake the city without enough military forces," Louis added.


    "That''s right. Our forces, including those recruited in Yu City, and the garrison, are no more than five thousand. We should not even imagine taking them on, without further reinforcements and a pretty good strategy," agreed Rocky, nodding solemnly. With the current situation, he knew it would take nothing less of a miracle to launch a successful attack. Without major changes in tactics and massive revamping of their forces, such a bold step was almost unthinkable.


    "Our best bet at the moment is, if we can force Flank to surrender the five thousand soldiers of Grande City. That way, at least, we''d have some momentum going for us. In any case, Flank is deserving of such severe action against him. For heaven''s sake, he disobeyed our or


    ommander, you deserve capital punishment for fleeing with your soldiers on the spot. It''s shameful that you made our armies look as though we enlisted flower girls, instead of people who would die defending their flag," Rocky said expressionlessly.


    "His Royal Highness promised me he would not hold me accountable for what happened when I ignored your orders. Otherwise, I would not have dared, I swear!" Flank said. But there was a phony tinge to his words. It was as if he was not worried. Not the least bit.


    "Are you sure of what you''re talking about? Do you know why Alston let you flee?" Rocky quizzed further, squinting in suppressed anger.


    "Eh..." Flank really had no idea of it. Sheepishly, he just followed contradictory orders. And he was swayed by Alston''s empty promises so he had hidden his five thousand soldiers in Grande City.


    "He wanted to take revenge on me, so he intentionally forced you to withdraw the army, which led to the loss of Mont City. So I should take responsibility for the loss. However, if he wants to cover up for the treasonable offence, I''m pretty sure your life would be on the line. If you leaked the secret someday, it would be dangerous for him! I am sure he will kill you afterwards. Are you still back him?" Rocky sneered.


    At those words, sudden panic gripped Flank''s heart like a hurricane. In his stomach, it was as if the glass of wine he had taken was heating up. A discomfort that felt like a cluster of spark plugs had gone off, making things boil and roil in his tummy. On his face, the tension grew, thoughts whirling in his head, as though a maniac had hijacked his faculties. But pulling himself together with great effort, he steadied his breathing. "No way," he blurted, animatedly shaking his head. "I''m very loyal to His Royal Highness. I would bet my bottom dollar that he won''t kill me!"

 Chapter 700 A Promise

    "Really? Are you certain? I don''t think that you are responsible for the ambush outside," Rocky said as a sharp light flashed in his eyes.


    "What did you say?!" Flank''s eyes widened and he immediately stood up in shock.


    After a while, a few figures started to break in via the side hall''s window and door, scattering shards of wood everywhere on the floor. With no time left to spare, they surrounded Rocky and Flank. All of them exuded an aura of the Heavenly Stage. In fact, one of their members had even reached the seventh grade of the Heavenly Stage.


    "Now that you have seen it with your own eyes, you have to believe it. It appears that Alston plans to frame you right after he takes my life," Rocky added as he looked calmly at Flank.


    Seeing the evidence right in front of him, Flank suddenly came into his senses that Rocky was indeed, telling the truth. His once lively face had turned ashen in fear, for he finally realized that he would be the next one to be killed.


    "I can save you, Flank. But only under one condition: give me five thousand of your mighty soldiers, and I will help you." As soon as he saw a window of opportunity, Rocky began to strike a bargain with Flank.


    "Really? Can you save me?" Flank got even more confused. These Heavenly Stage masters who ambushed them were very violent and intense. Knowing this, Flank thought that there was no easy way for Rocky to escape with him. In fact, they could only get away from them safely if Rocky was a master at the Supernal Stage.


    "So, is it a deal or not?" Rocky asked as he gave a smirk.


    Flank was out of options. If he wanted to stay alive, then there was no other choice for him but to trust Rocky at the moment and gamble at this time. Soon, he nodded his head and accepted Rocky''s terms.


    "Kill them all!" the black-robed spirit manipulator commanded the masters at the Heavenly Stage. Soon, these masters flocked towards Rocky and Flank and began to attack.


    They cooperated in such a harmonious way that they were able to block Rocky and Flank''s way instantly, leaving them unable to escape.


    Meanwhile, an ear-splitting sound came from the ceiling of the side hall.


    It was a wreck¡ªshards of ice were splashed all over the place, and the tiles were blasted, leaving bits of broken ceramic lying on the floor. These damages created a massive hole in the ceiling. Not long after, a graceful figure with a Supernal Stage aura flew down from the sky. As she twirled and turned, strong icy force roared out of her body, shocking the Heavenly Stage masters to t


    could come up with a plan to deal with Rocky.


    But in Alston''s view, it was nearly impossible for Rocky and his troops to take Mont City back. After all, it was so secured all thanks to the guarding forces of fifteen thousand soldiers from the Holy Sea Empire. As long as the Holy Sea Empire did not initiate the attack, Rocky had no chance of taking Mont City back, giving him the chance to deal with him personally.


    "Watch Rocky closely. From now on, report his every move to me." Alston knew that if he wanted to deal with Rocky, he had to know more about him, especially his weakness. Obviously, he already knew that Rocky was no longer the weak and feeble Basil that he could deal with in a breeze.


    Meanwhile, Rocky had already led the Crimson Dragon Army as far as two miles away from Mont City. In that area, they set up a camp and discussed their plans.


    "Rocky, the Holy Sea Empire has outnumbered us. It looks like we have no advantage if we take the city by force. In this case, we have to find a way to close the gap," reported Isis.


    "So this time, we will try our best to make the Holy Sea Empire expose their weakness to us. This is the only way if we want to succeed in our plans!" Rocky uttered with a nod.


    "I have studied the terrain around Mont City. In general, we have a lot of terrains that we can utilize. However, it has its own pros and cons primarily because the enemy can take advantage of it too," explained Louis.


    "Do you have any idea if there is any terrain that is unknown to the enemy but suitable for an ambush?" Rocky asked, raising his eyebrows. Deep in his brilliant mind, Rocky already had a plan that might make the Holy Sea Empire fall into a trap.

 Chapter 701 A Midnight Raid

    "Yes, it is the area south of Mont City. As a rugged terrain sprinkled with cliffs and alleys, this area is perfect for laying an ambush on the enemy," said Louis, pointing at the area on the map.


    "Perfect! Exactly that''s the kind of battleground I need. My plan is simple. Lure part of the Holy Sea Empire army into this area and fight them. The terrain alone should be enough to throw them off balance. Once they take the bait, the current slim advantage they have will be as good as gone. They''d need nothing short of a miracle to win a battle here," Rocky declared, rubbing his chin.


    Thinking through Rocky''s proposal, Isis wanted to make sure they had an airtight plan. "But how will we manage to lure only a part of the Holy Sea Empire army there? We should not assume that it will be a walk in the park, if they deploy huge numbers, beyond our normal capacity," Isis asked.


    "Credible sources indicate they have taken many prisoners of war. Both civilians and military, the prisoners, are now held captive in Mont City. We can save the prisoners and fool the Holy Sea Empire army into deploying forces to this area. I''m sure they won''t realize it''s a trap we are setting." Rocky put aside the map and squinted, leaving Isis time to ponder too.


    "Sneaking into Mont City is risky business, let alone saving the prisoners of war. Besides, we don''t have enough people. Only Sabina, you and I can sneak into the city," Isis said, scratching at her temple.


    "It''s not as hard as you think!" someone quipped¡ªa man''s deep voice that resonated, from behind her.


    She turned to check who had spoken at the back. "Head Allen," she called out cheerily. She was stunned to see him.


    What time had he walked in?


    "Thanks for coming, Head Allen." Rocky gave Allen a grateful smile. Actually, he had sent a message to Allen on his way to Mont City, hoping Allen could bring a few members of the Elite Regiment to help him.


    "It''s my pleasure," Allen replied, still walking with relaxed strides.


    "How many members did you bring along?" asked Rocky, straight away.


    "Well, I brought only five. The crown prince would notice it if I bring too many people. You said we shouldn''t let him know," Allen explained.


    "Five is enough." Rocky nodded, holding his hands loosely behind the back. Sure, he didn''t need too many people.


    With the help of Allen and the five other members of the Elite Regiment he had brought, it would be easier for them to carry out the plan. Encouraged by that extra team he now had at his disposal, Rocky began preparations for the rescue operation.


    Leaving nothing to chance, Rocky planned to take action before dawn. The timing was essential, and his chance of success would depend on a quick


    cter and abilities. So he chose not to badger her with endless questions. Instead, he assured her of his willingness to help her, just in case she was in trouble. He wished her well, and let her go.


    At midnight, the moon was silent.


    Outside Mont City, a group of eight men found an unguarded section of the wall. Stealthily, they made their way through. Then quickly, they moved on to another section, sneaking up on the soldiers on duty unawares. Deftly they killed the guards without raising an alarm. Then they dispersed quickly and began a rescue operation.


    Two of them quickly ran towards the market in the western part of the city. According to their intelligence, the captured soldiers and civilians were all locked up in the temporary cell at the market.


    Of the eight-man squad running the operation, it was Rocky and Sabina took the responsibility of breaking in at this particular cell.


    Quickly, they got to the market, and crept up the roof. At long last, they reached the center of the market, where thousands of prisoners were crammed into one fenced area. On seeing the two strangers, the prisoners nervously huddled up together. They looked so feeble and famished. It was clear some of them had been physically tortured, judging from their painful groaning. It was a heartbreaking sight of pain and misery.


    There were about a hundred soldiers, among them a few spirit manipulators, on duty guarding the place. However, they were spaced too far apart and most were asleep, so they couldn''t notice any unusual activity.


    "I''ll sneak in and meet the commander," Rocky whispered to Sabina.


    Sabina nodded in agreement.


    Quickly, Rocky climbed down the roof and went straight to one corner of the fence. Carefully dodging the guards, he soon sneaked inside the fence without their knowledge.

 Chapter 702 The Rescue Plan

    Rocky whistled three times. This was the signal they agreed upon, and from out of nowhere someone whistled three consecutive times to acknowledge Rocky.


    After he had figured out the direction, Rocky quietly made a move to approach a man in armor. The man was sitting on the ground. His body was covered in bruises, while his hands and feet were tied with iron chains.


    "Are you Commander York?" Rocky asked in a low voice.


    "Yes." The man nodded.


    "I''m Rocky," Rocky said, as he introduced himself to the man.


    "You are Commander in Chief Rocky? Finally, you''re here!" Commander York''s dark face lit up in excitement.


    "We''re trying our best to get you out of here, but I need your cooperation," Rocky whispered.


    Commander York nodded.


    Rocky then told the commander about the rescue plan.


    "Do you understand?" Rocky asked.


    Commander York nodded in agreement.


    "I will meet you at the south city gate later. Don''t worry. Someone will protect you once you get there. I promise, I will get you out of here alive!" Rocky looked at Commander York sincerely as he promised.


    Rocky untied the iron chains and before long, freed Commander York from the spiritual power which sealed his meridians. He then quietly sneaked out of the fence to meet Sabina.


    "Sabina, everyone is ready. I will go to the south city gate now. Please stay on guard here," Rocky instructed.


    "Okay," Sabina agreed, as worry filled her heart. It was a daunting task, but this was all part of the plan.


    "Be careful," Rocky said as he saw the worry in Sabina''s eyes. He then left the market and rushed towards the south city gate.


    Soon after, a loud explosion was heard on the east side the Mont City. Wild, angry flames rose to the sky, and startled the people all over the city.


    This caught the attention of the Holy Sea Empire soldiers who were guarding the Mont City. The soldiers assumed it was an attack from the enemy, so a large number of them immediately rushed towards the east side of the Mont City. A moment later, another violent explosion was heard. This time, it was at the west side of the Mont City. Rows of houses burned to the ground as smoldering fire consumed the streets. Alarmed, numerous soldiers swarmed towards the west side of the Mont City.


    This was Sabina''s signal. Hidden somewhere in the market, she stepped out and made her move. In the blink of an eye, she was in front of the guards.


    "Who are you?" The guards were startled with her sudden appearance.


    "I''m the one who will kill all of you,"


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    oved closer, and this move was enough to scare the pursuing soldiers. The terrified soldiers retreated out of the city gate, screaming.


    At that exact moment, Rocky''s figure appeared like a ghost. His entire being illuminated by a black light that seemed to come out of his body. He walked behind the three beasts, swinging the Frozen Wind Dagger in his hand. He then released the Moon Blades as he walked forward.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    A series of violent explosions resounded in the air, followed by a black, thick smoke that rose from the ground.


    Rocky appeared out of the smoke and approached the city gate.


    "Stop him!" the guard leader shouted. Several Holy Sea Empire soldiers continued to guard the city gate.


    After Rocky took out the Dragon Flame Pearl and injected it with the spiritual power. It instantly became bright and dazzled. On Rocky''s signal, the Dragon Flame Pearl flew into the air, and released countless beams like fire dragons in the atmosphere. It danced in mid-air, releasing powerful heat waves that swept the ground like bushfire.


    In a flash, the Dragon Flame Pearl dashed towards the gate like a falling meteorite.


    The guards were too stunned to move.


    Bang!


    Wild flames rose into the air as the Dragon Flame Pearl burst open the city gate. The impact threw the surrounding guards hundreds of meters away from the gate.


    Rocky took back the Dragon Flame Pearl and signaled at the enormous figures behind him. The ground trembled as the three beasts rushed towards him in an instant.


    Pursued by thousands of soldiers from the Holy Sea Empire, the captives were now close enough to the city gate. Escape was now possible and within reach.

 Chapter 703 Get Him Right Away

    "Commander in Chief Rocky!" As soon as Commander York saw Rocky at the city gate, a joyous expression appeared on his face.


    "I''ll stay here to block the pursuers for some time. While I hold them off, you then take these people all to the south. Someone will pick you up then," Rocky immediately ordered Commander York.


    "Yes, sir!" As he bowed, Commander York immediately took the order. Then with a wave of his hand, he continued to rush out of the south gate with the flow of people.


    At that time, several thousand troops of the Holy Sea Empire army were coming. But along the way, they met with a fierce resistance. Due to that, they didn''t catch up with the flow of people for the time being.


    Under the moonlight, a slender figure and a silvery beast shadow were swaying gracefully in the sky. The figures were almost as majestic as fairies. Each time they moved, they carried an astonishing deadly skill. Wherever it passed, the frost condensed and the wind furiously roared.


    When he saw that the Holy Sea Empire army was approaching, Rocky waved his Flaming Blade of Frozen Wind Dagger again and rushed forward like the wind. The three beasts around him also charged towards the enemy.


    With an unstoppable momentum, Rocky''s enemies perceived that he was overpowering.


    Wearing a ferocious look on his face, Rocky raised his dagger and slashed it remorselessly. The deadly slashes violently displayed his ruthless nature. Akin to a god of war, he wreaked havoc in the battlefield. Wherever his figure appeared, blood splashed out, and hysterical screams echoed.


    The soldiers of the Holy Sea Empire were all stunned and completely frightened by Rocky''s imposing momentum. They felt that the person in front of them was not a human at all, but the incarnation of the Devil!


    Even the commander of the Holy Sea Empire army did not dare to personally join the battle. As he stayed in the back lines, he commanded the spirit manipulators and soldiers to fight against Rocky.


    Unfortunately, with the help of the three beasts, Rocky was so powerful that he rushed from one end of the battlefield to the other without difficulty. Wherever he went, there were dead bodies scattered everywhere. Chaos and blood trailed his every charge. Although the Holy Sea Empire army had thousands of soldiers, they could do nothing to stop Rocky.


    "Although that fellow''s strength i


    on a cliff ahead of the army.


    "Damn it! They''ve lured us into a trap. Everybody, focus on escaping first!" The commander was startled. However, he immediately gave the order and led his army to break out.


    "Now!" A fearless command echoed from Rocky''s mouth. After they heard Rocky''s order, the people who surrounded the Holy Sea Empire army retreated all of a sudden. They all dispersed from where they were before.


    When they saw that the attackers retreated, the Holy Sea Empire Army thought their enemies were afraid of death. As such, the warriors of the Holy Sea Empire army rushed out like a headless fly. However, after they rushed for a while, their commander was completely lost. Because of the panic, the forces behind were dispersed unconsciously.


    At that time, screams and fighting could be heard from all directions. Chaos and blood were everywhere. Soon, the whole place became a hell-like battlefield.


    Hours later, the thousands of soldiers of the Holy Sea Empire were completely eliminated while the Crimson Dragon Army had only lost less than two thousand soldiers. It could be said that the Crimson Dragon army gained a great victory!


    Not long after the battle, Allen and the five members of the Elite Regiment came back almost unscathed.


    "Allen, thanks for your hard work," Rocky said in a sincere tone. If Allen and the five members of the Elite Regiment hadn''t tried to pin down other troops of the Holy Sea Empire, the enemy''s reinforcements would have arrived. Therefore, Allen and his people had made great contributions to the success of the plan!

 Chapter 704 A Completely New Appraisal

    "Commander in Chief, the Holy Sea Empire seems to be aware that they fell into a trap, so they didn''t dispatch reinforcements. It looks like they have learned from their mistakes. They should have roughly ten thousand soldiers left in Mont City, while our soldiers are only ten thousand. To say the least, even though we have the same strength of troops as that of the Holy Sea Empire, it will be difficult to take Mont City back," Allen reported to Rocky.


    "I see... It''s time to have words with the Holy Sea Empire," Rocky replied as he folded his arms across his chest.


    "Rocky, are you planning to negotiate with them?" Isis couldn''t help but ask.


    Likewise, the others turned their gaze to Rocky in astonishment. After all, none of them believed that the Holy Sea Empire would be willing to negotiate, so they didn''t even think of it as an option.


    "I have to try. If we end this battle through negotiations, it will be a win-win situation." Truthfully, Rocky also felt uncertain about his idea. Like them, he doubted its feasibility, but he was more concerned about the people who could lose their lives if the battle continued. Besides, the Holy Sea Empire had also sustained great losses, so it was the best time to do it.


    Four hours later, Rocky arrived at the broken south gate of Mont City with Isis, Allen, and Sabina in tow.


    The broken gate was so heavily guarded by the soldiers of the Holy Sea Empire that even a fly wouldn''t be able to get through. And as they walked and saw all the heavy security, Rocky felt better about his decision.


    The guards tensed and stood at the ready when Rocky and his companions approached from in front.


    "I''m the Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Army. We came here to negotiate with your Commander in Chief!" Rocky called out, as soon as they were within hearing distance. He kept his expression confident, and he infused his voice with as much calm as possible.


    Murmurs echoed from the soldiers but no one replied to Rocky.


    "It looks like they''re not willing to negotiate with us," Isis murmured in disappointment. She had been hopeful when they approached, but nobody dared to acknowledge them now. How could she even think that this idea was plausible?


    "Don''t worry, just wait." Rocky remained calm beside her as if he was still waiting for som


    .


    Meanwhile, Clark didn''t know how to react. He was astonished that Rocky, who was so young, could be so confident and aggressive.


    He gaped in shock when Rocky turned to walk away without an ounce of hesitation. He called out, "Please wait a moment!"


    Rocky who still had his back on Clark, let a cunning smirk curve on his lips. Clark was just bluffing, and the soldiers of the Holy Sea Empire had lost their confidence. He knew that they had no will to fight, even though they had conquered Mont City. Thus, he anticipated that Clark would stop him from leaving.


    "Any advice?" Rocky turned to Clark and asked.


    "I have two conditions. If you fulfill them, I will withdraw our army," Clark hesitantly proposed.


    "I''m listening." This time, Rocky turned his full attention to Clark and sat back down.


    "First, we will continue our alliance," Clark started. When the Holy Sea Empire started this battle, they had essentially broken their alliance with the Holy Dragon Empire, which was a reasonable excuse for the Holy Dragon Empire to attack them in return. If that happened, the Holy Sea Empire would not be able to bear the consequences, as they were just a small country.


    "No problem." Rocky nodded easily.


    "Second, we hope that the Holy Dragon Empire could protect the Holy Sea Empire from danger and provide reinforcements if needed in the future," Clark added. This time, he had a worried look on his face, as if he was especially concerned with this condition.


    Of course, this detail didn''t escape Rocky''s attention.

 Chapter 705 The New Situation

    Rocky asked immediately, "What''s the reason for the second condition?"


    "Our Holy Sea Empire attacked the Holy Dragon Empire because the Timber Deity Empire threatened us," Clark, the Commander in Chief of the Holy Sea Empire explained.


    "I see. Alyssa used such a vicious method. I wonder what kind of threat it was! It must have been serious as it caused your empire to break our alliance and even attack us!" Rocky wondered. He wanted to know the truth so that he could understand Alyssa better, but even without the truth, he already saw her as the cruelest and most unscrupulous woman in the world.


    "I am sorry but I can''t explain more to you. I hope you will agree with the second condition, '' Clark replied as he shook his head. He seemed to have some secret that he was not allowed to let Rocky know.


    Meanwhile, Rocky was studying him intently, as if he was searching for something, and then he nodded to himself after a short tense-filled silence. After all, he didn''t want to lose his focus on what was more important, which was to take back Mont City. "Okay, I accept. I promise to do so, on my honor as the Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Army."


    "I believe you, Rocky. I hope you will fulfill your promise!" Clark said happily, once the agreement passed through Rocky''s lips.


    And Rocky nodded solemnly, but inside, he was truly relieved that they had solved their problem.


    Only a day later, Clark and the other troops of the Holy Sea Empire had retreated from Mont City, and they were headed back to the border of their empire. Finally, the Crimson Dragon Army had successfully taken back Mont City and saved the lives of many people.


    Once he had dealt with the matters of Mont City, Rocky asked Louis to return to the main camp on the front line, together with Allen and the members of the Elite Regiment. Meanwhile, Isis and Sabina went back to the headquarters in Evian City with him.


    They arrived at the headquarters quickly, where they went to meet with Lance. "Father," Rocky and Isis greeted him tiredly. They hadn''t had the opportunity to rest yet, so they were running a bit ragged.


    They were in Lance''s study, and Rocky was reporting to Lance about his conversation with Clark and all the things that he had learned. Lance was listening to him with full focus, outraged and surprised by the information he managed to obtain.


    "I can''t believe that the Holy Sea Empire was threatened by the Timber Deity Empire," Lance murmured, almost to himself, as he shook his head. They originally thought that the people from the Holy Sea Empire planned to take advantage of the situation and loot, but now it seemed that it wasn''t that simple.


    "The


    rdered by the emperor to be exiled to the Gehenna Border. Thus, he wasn''t permitted to go back to the city without the order of the emperor, or he would risk violating the emperor''s order, which meant that he would be doubly punished. In his mind, Rocky knew that it wasn''t the right time yet. Although Lance trusted him, he still couldn''t fight Alston by relying on the forces of the Crimson Dragon Group alone. He still needed the support of many forces, such as the spirit manipulators'' clans of the Holy Dragon Empire. Otherwise, he wouldn''t be able to defeat Alston, and he couldn''t take back his identity as the prince. All his previous efforts would all be in vain.


    "I told you that I''ll handle it. You can rest easy and go to the Imperial City," Lance repeated with a trace of annoyance and confusion in his voice. He expected that the two of them would at least feel more comfortable in the Imperial City, away from the eldest prince who was targeting Rocky, but he had the impression that they didn''t want to go. He wondered what could be stopping the two from leaving. If Rocky was truly a member of the royal family, then his secret identity would be revealed if he returned to the Imperial City.


    He observed Rocky, who looked like he had more to say, but Isis stopped him by pulling his sleeves. She whispered to him, "Rocky, just listen to what our father said. It''s for our own good."


    At this, Rocky settled down, but he was caught in a dilemma. He couldn''t refuse Lance''s proposal directly, but he couldn''t go back to the Imperial City either. He sighed as he felt a headache coming on.


    "You can go and rest now." Lance waved his hand and said, effectively dismissing any more protests from Rocky.


    At this, Isis nodded respectfully at her father, and left with Rocky.

 Chapter 706 I Want A Baby!

    The two walked along a long corridor silently after they went out of Lance''s study. Suddenly, Isis finally broke the silence as she couldn''t help but look up at Rocky and asked, "Don''t you want to go back to the Imperial City?"


    Rocky agreed with a solemn nod.


    "Well, I don''t think it''s not a good idea to go back to the Imperial City. You already have so many contributions to the Crimson Dragon Group. Additionally, you are the Crimson Dragon Envoy. After you return to the Imperial City, the emperor will definitely give you the title of some official. If you want to form your own force, it''s easy for you to realize that after you go back to the Imperial City." Although Isis was not interested in such political affairs, she was still aware that compared with Crimson Dragon Group, it was easier to cultivate one''s own power in the Imperial City.


    "Isis, it''s not that easy. With my present identity, I still can''t go back to the city. We need to wait a bit more. The timing isn''t ripe..." Rocky said hesitantly as a conflicted expression painted his face.


    "You look anxious. What are you worried about?" Isis asked in a concerned tone.


    "I''m okay. I''ll just talk to the Commander in Chief about it later." Rocky immediately avoided Isis'' question.


    When she realized that Rocky didn''t want to tell her, Isis didn''t force the issue. However, she still hesitated for a while before she continued, "I have something to talk about with you."


    "Hmm... What is it?" Rocky asked seriously.


    "You heard what my father said just now. He wants us to go back to the Imperial City. If you don''t want to go back, it''s fine. But you should at least give my parents something to comfort them." Isis gave Rocky a rather vague hint.


    "If you have something to say, don''t mince words. Just say it," Rocky pointed out. He already knew that Isis had a hidden meaning in her words.


    "Well, I want... I want a child... I want to be pregnant with our child!" Isis awkwardly said after her cheeks became red due to shyness.


    "Wait, what?!" When he heard her suggestion, Rocky was stunned and wondered if he just misheard Isis.


    "I don''t want you to take responsibility for me. I just want my father and my mother to be reassured. After all, if we continue to be in such a relationship for a long time, my father will surely be suspicious of us. However, if we have a ch


    out. At the same time, a touch of agitation appeared on Sabina''s cold face.


    "No! I have already decided that I will get married only once in my life. Even if he leaves, I won''t get married again!" Isis replied in a determined tone.


    "Well, if you have a child together, it will burden him. He won''t be able to easily leave you and your child behind." After she knew the identity of Rocky, Sabina was also aware that he had too many secrets. Additionally, she also learned from her master that Rocky was in a very dangerous situation and that she must never let the royal family know his true identity. If there was really no other resort when he was in danger, she had to immediately take Rocky away. Therefore, Sabina knew there was a good chance that Rocky would ultimately leave Isis. That was why she didn''t want to give Isis any chance to get too trapped in their relationship. Such false hopes would only hurt her more.


    "I won''t be a burden to him. It doesn''t matter if he leaves me behind." A determined tone accompanied Isis'' voice as she already made up her mind.


    "Isis, don''t tell me that you''ve already fallen in love with him too?" Isis'' abnormal attitude confused Sabina. As such, she asked such a straightforward question.


    "I..." Isis couldn''t deny it. However, she didn''t want to admit the truth either.


    "Ha! That explains everything. You''re deeply in love with him!" Sabina blurted out. Isis'' behaviors were not like what she used to be. The only possible reason for all her recent actions was that she did have affectionate feelings towards Rocky.

 Chapter 707 I Cannot Stop Loving Him

    "Keep this secret between us. You can''t tell him, or else, he''ll get annoyed. I know this sounds ridiculous, but he and I are not a real couple. What everyone thought of us was a sham. Our relationship was only a deal," Isis pleaded Sabina. She grabbed her hands and asked for understanding, making it hard for Sabina to refuse her request.


    "I promise you that I won''t tell a single soul. But you have to think it over. It''s your own life that''s at stake here," Sabina replied with a heavy sigh. Now that things had gone this far, she was in no position to judge Isis or Rocky in what they had done. After hesitating for a while, she took a fancy bottle from one of her pockets and handed it over to Isis. "The powder inside this bottle can wipe away a part of his memory. With only a small amount of it, people could forget what they have done during the past two hours. Should you decide to do this and at the same time not cause him any trouble, it is best that you let him take just a tiny dose. In this way, he''ll never know what he''s experienced. But you still have to promise me that you will keep this secret until you die. Rocky must never know about it. And I am the only person who can tell him."


    On the other side, Isis was confused as she did not expect that Sabina would even help her with this. But as much as Sabina was so eager to help her, Isis could not help but feel upset about her suggestions.


    "I won''t let him know. I swear," Isis replied with certainty as she took the bottle in her own hands.


    Sabina gave her a cold glance and then vanished in an instant.


    Meanwhile, Alston was frustrated with the enemy as days went by. Being at the front line against the Timber Deity Empire, he became furious when he heard the news that Rocky had won Mont City back from the Holy Sea Empire. Words could not explain how dejected and disappointed he was that Rocky could make winning seem easy. Alston had tried his very best to destroy any possibility that would make Rocky return to the eyes of the people. But no matter how hard he tried, his efforts were still in vain. Rocky had made such a huge achievement, but things were not good for Alston. He was nothing but a pathetic and ambitious leader who could not even settle things in the Crimson Dragon Army.


    "Your Royal Highness, I just got the news. General Lance has announced the removal of positions of both Rocky and his daughter. The couple will be heading to the Imperial City soon." One of Alston''s henchmen came in and reported.


    "What did you say?" Alston''s face froze for a moment as he was in disbelief. ''This is the last thing I want to happen! If Rocky and Isis are planning to go to the Imperial City and see the emperor, then the emperor would probably recognize that Rocky is no other than Prince Basil!'' Alston thought. With Rocky''s popularity in the Crimson Dragon Group plus the great contribution he had just made, the emperor would most certainly forgive


    he lacked in the number of forces that he had, Rocky was still at ease that he had successfully taken the first step.


    Later, Rocky returned to his room to pack up his things as soon as he finished his chat with Lance. But as soon as he was about to inform Isis, she already came to him with Sue, who held a tray in her hands. On the tray were wine cups and a wine pot.


    "Father mentioned that you are going to the main camp to help the eldest prince," Isis asked and looked at him straight in the eyes.


    "Right. You know I won''t go back to the Imperial City. That''s a perfect excuse for me. But if Alston keeps on acting like that, then the Crimson Dragon Army will lose. I''m not going to help him. Instead, I am keeping my word on helping the Crimson Dragon Army defeat the Timber Deity Empire. And besides, if I refuse, Alston will look for more trouble from your father," Rocky explained to Isis patiently.


    "But what about the thing that I have asked you to consider? Have you decided on it?" Isis asked directly, gluing her eyes on Rocky.


    "I can''t, Isis. I''m sorry, but can''t agree with you on this one," Rocky rejected her offer, after hesitating for a while.


    "I knew you would say that. Forget it, I won''t force you any longer. After all, this is just my opinion. Naturally, you turned me down based on your perspective," Isis said softly, with a little bit of regret in her voice.


    "Thank you for your understanding." Rocky might have rejected the offer as peacefully and as kindly as possible, but he felt a kind of inexplicable guilt coming up in his heart.


    "And by the way, do you have a minute to spare? Can we talk for a while before you go? I''ve decided to go back to the Imperial City without you. And I don''t know when, but I''ll surely meet you again next time," Isis asked and at the same time instructed Sue to put the tray on the table beside Rocky.


    Without hesitation, Sue put the tray down, bowed to them, and left the room.

 Chapter 708 Stop Talking Nonsense

    "Do we really need to drink wine?" Rocky asked as a confused look painted his face.


    "Why are you so reluctant? Are you worried that I poisoned the wine?" Isis asked with a faint smile on her beautiful face. With the wine in her hands, she poured on to two cups and then gracefully sat down.


    Rocky shrugged with an awkward smile. Afterward, he also sat down.


    "Hey, do you remember our wedding night? We drank up the whole pot of wine." Isis looked sincerely at Rocky. With her cup in her hand, she raised it and proposed a toast.


    "Yes, I do. A drunk woman held my hand so tightly. Ah, it was like torture for me," Rocky joked with a grin.


    "You took advantage of me that time. You should drink a cup of wine as punishment!" Isis said with a petty yet charming voice.


    When he heard such a remark from Isis'' petite lips, Rocky was immediately aroused. However, when he met her charming eyes, he had no choice but to raise his cup and gulp down the wine.


    After he drank the whole cup of wine, Rocky felt something was wrong with him. However, he didn''t take it seriously. Isis just made up an excuse and proposed a toast to him. Suddenly, Rocky''s eyes became blurry as he started to lose consciousness.


    "I feel a little..." As his mind got a little hazy, Rocky shook his head. His eyelids became rather heavy, as if he was very tired.


    A cold look flashed through Isis'' eyes when she noticed Rocky''s eyes were dimming. As Rocky was about to lose his consciousness, Isis whispered to herself, "Rocky, don''t blame me."


    Then, Rocky lost his balance. With a thud, he fell over the table.


    Isis then caressed him and held him to bed.


    After a long time, Rocky finally woke up. A wet sensation coursed through his body as he found himself in the bathtub. Haziness still filled his mind. All he remembered was that he was drinking with Isis before. However, he could not remember anything after that, as if he had lost his memories.


    Just then, the door was pushed open. A figure suddenly walked in. It was Sue with a stack of clothes in her hands.


    "Excuse me, Mr. Bai. Are you awake?" Sue said shyly as she noticed Rocky had opened his eyes.


    "Why am I in the bathtub?" Confusion painted Rocky''s face.


    "Don''t you remember what happened? You drank some wine last night with Miss Isis. However, you got so drunk and said that you wanted to


    e had a scheme behind such words.


    "It''s rather rare for you to say something like that." Rocky coldly snorted. However, he still didn''t believe that Alston would be so friendly and reasonable. Thus, Rocky guessed that Alston had a plan in mind.


    "Anyway, you are my brother. I hope that you can make more contributions. This will be a great opportunity to make amends for your previous faults. Perhaps you will even obtain a chance to return to the Imperial City." Alston immediately extended his arms as a sign of his brotherhood.


    "Save it! Deep inside, you wish I would never come back to the Imperial City. But it''s not going to happen." Rocky looked straight into Alston''s cold eyes. No matter what tricks Alston played, nothing could prevent him from returning to the Imperial City. As sure as the sun would rise, Rocky vowed to take back everything that belonged to him.


    "If you can defeat the Timber Deity Empire, I will immediately take you back to the Imperial City. I''ll even plea with father to forgive you and absolve you of your sins," Alston said in an unusually kind and pleasant manner. However, his eyes blinked constantly as if he was trying hard to hide something.


    "Hmm... I think that''s a good offer." Rocky pretended to be satisfied with their agreement. In fact, he was sure that Alston had some evil schemes planned. However, he couldn''t just watch the Crimson Dragon Army be destroyed by Alston. Therefore, Rocky not only had to lead the Crimson Dragon Army to defeat the Timber Deity Empire, but also had to be careful of Alston''s plot.

 Chapter 709 A Surprise Attack

    The following day, Alston declared that Rocky would continue to lead the entire Crimson Dragon Army. This decision was greatly received by the soldiers who obviously preferred Rocky over Alston.


    As expected, Rocky surpassed everyone''s expectations. He dispatched military forces to counterattack the Timber Deity Empire and the Roaring Flame Empire. Additionally, he was able to transform and transport more than a dozen spirit-manipulated beasts to the logistics camp quickly and effectively.


    Finally, the Crimson Dragon Army was able to stabilize their situation. They successfully stopped the Timber Deity Empire and the Roaring Flaming Empire armies from crossing their defensive line in the Deity Unicorn Valley. Rocky then ordered a force of twenty thousand soldiers to deploy three lines of defense in the Deity Unicorn Valley. By taking advantage of the terrain, he was able to slow down the joint army and make it difficult for them to advance even a single step further.


    Rocky was surprised that Alston had never once appeared or tried to meddle in his affairs ever since he gained command of the Crimson Dragon Army again. Nevertheless, he remained cautious of Alston and made sure to keep a safe distance from him at all times.


    As soon as everything was under control, Rocky came up with another bold plan which he discussed in the Commander in Chief''s tent with Allen and other commanders. They had to make sure the plan was practical and as fail-proof as possible.


    "Although I appreciate your boldness with this plan, Commander in Chief, I have to point out that it''s also quite risky. We will be sending our forces into an abyss alone. One wrong move could mean the end of them all."


    "That''s too risky. Now we have everything under control as long as we don''t rush in. The Timber Deity Empire and the Roaring Flame Empire won''t be able to harm us..."


    "Everything is possible as long as Commander in Chief is here. There is no need to take such a risk."


    Most of the commanders expressed their doubts about the plan''s feasibility.


    "I am well aware that everyone is worried. But if we wish to dest


    ere, they immediately attacked the defensive line of the Timber Deity Empire.


    Meanwhile, Alston, who was missing for a few days, appeared at the main camp along with some trusted subordinates once Rocky left. He soon found out about Rocky''s plans through the other commanders.


    "It appears our time has come." Alston flashed his scheming smile as he left with his subordinates.


    Additionally, the Timber Deity Empire also managed to obtain information that Rocky had advanced toward their defensive line.


    "An unexpected attack on the Timber Deity Empire''s defensive line. It must be Rocky who thought of such a clever plan," Alyssa said as the details became clearer to her.


    "You have managed to take advantage of the Holy Sea Empire to distract the Crimson Dragon Army. However, word has spread that the Holy Sea Empire has suffered a great loss at Rocky''s hands," Woods added with a smirk.


    "I did initially plan to cause a bit of trouble to the Crimson Dragon Army. However, I didn''t expect Rocky to go to Mont City. Thanks to him, I have time to recruit 30, 000 more reinforcements." Alyssa felt that luck was on their side once the Timber Deity Empire managed to successfully get out of the deadlock.


    However, Alyssa was unaware that all of this was caused by the grudge between Rocky and Alston. In fact, Alston had managed to pull off a huge favor for the Timber Deity Empire this time around.

 Chapter 710 Real Intentions

    "By any means, we should not underestimate Rocky. He might have seen through our current line of defense, meaning he knows our weak areas. If that''s the case, then most likely, he will attack us on our border this time. The thirty thousand soldiers we called in for reinforcement are all deployed to attack the Crimson Dragon Army. So our defense on the border is compromised. If Rocky attacks us there, our cities on that end behind the defense will fall like a house of cards. There wouldn''t be any resistance." Woods, tapping his right foot, considered the possible real intentions of Rocky.


    "No, I don''t really think Rocky''s first idea is to attack us only on one side. By the look of things, he''s out to hit us from every possible position. The plan is to cripple our military, leaving us downright incapable of a counter-attack." Alyssa seemed to have wider grasp of Rocky''s real intentions.


    "Okay then. What do you think we should plan? How about letting Blood Lord Leo personally take charge of this particular battle? It''s a big fight on our hands that we cannot afford to gamble on. Among all the generals in our Timber Deity Empire, no one can compete with Leo," Woods proposed. Previously Blood Lord Leo had lost a battle or two to Rocky. But Woods believed he had learned priceless lessons from the mistakes of those defeats.


    "After failing on his previous attempts, Blood Lord Leo might tend to panic and switch to impulsive action instead of sticking to the strategy. Sly fox that Rocky is, such a weakness he will want to exploit for his advantage. Also, in our planning, we should simulate all possible scenarios with Rocky. To crack all the tricks he might have up his sleeves, we need to think out of the box," Alyssa objected, shaking her head. But as soon as she finished speaking, an unexpected light flashed in her eyes. Woods could tell, she had come up with a brilliant idea.


    "So you mean..." Woods couldn''t help but ask.


    "I will personally take charge of the army and face them," Alyssa decided.


    "Why do I have a feeling, you have a personal grudge against Rocky? Anyway, it''s also a good countermeasure. After all, you''re the only person we''ve had who has ever challenged Rocky with success. And for that, I''m very proud of you! If you want guaranteed fail-safe strategy, it''s alright to go out and do it personally," Woods nudged, smiling calmly. He knew how hardheaded Alyssa could be. Like Rocky, she was a difficult person to deal with.


    "If I had known better, I should have killed him last time,


    d twenty thousand soldiers on her side too. And taking personal charge of the Timber Deity Empire troops, she set off to confront Rocky and his Crimson Dragon Army.


    Alyssa supposed she had seen through Rocky''s plan, but in fact, she just fell into Rocky''s careful trap.


    When Alyssa''s army of twenty thousand soldiers blocked the troops of Rocky, they found that Rocky''s troops were not twenty thousand, but only ten thousand. At the beginning, there were indeed twenty thousand soldiers of the Crimson Dragon Army going straight to the Timber Deity Empire''s border. However, half of the military forces led by Commander Wang had to return on the way and encircled the rear of the united forces formed by the Timber Deity Empire and the Roaring Flame Empire.


    At the same time, the Crimson Dragon Army deployed on the line of defense in the Deity Unicorn Valley suddenly turned defense into attack. They joined forces with the ten thousand troops in the rear of the united forces to launch pincer attack. As twenty thousand forces were dispatched by Alyssa, the forces of the united army did not have an advantage. In addition, as they were attacked by Rocky''s army from both sides at once, their losses were devastating.


    When Alyssa realized that she had once again fallen into Rocky''s trap, she immediately regretted her decision. She was infuriated and wished to tear Rocky into pieces. Theoretically, she should withdraw her forces back to the Deity Unicorn Valley to help, but unexpectedly, she continued to chase the Crimson Dragon Army led by Rocky with her twenty thousand soldiers.


    Obviously, Alyssa''s persistence in her counter-measure was also out of Rocky''s expectation...

 Chapter 711 A Betrayal Of Information

    At the onset of darkness, Rocky and his army stationed themselves on a small hill, right across the campsite of the Timber Deity Army. The air provided a cool breeze as the bright moon settled above them.


    For the past few days, Rocky and Alyssa had each displayed exceptional skills and leadership. It was a wild race, as Alyssa chased after Rocky relentlessly. Much as they had fought several minor battles, Rocky and his army were always one move ahead. This left Alyssa angry and frustrated.


    Inside the tent, Rocky, Allen, Marin, Louis and the others spent the night discussing what to do next.


    "Contrary to what you said, Alyssa did not retreat. Instead, she and her army chased after us. Commander in Chief, I think you underestimated her this time!" Marin said in a sarcastic tone.


    "It looks like Alyssa will not give up on the chase. She will try to capture Rocky, no matter what," Allen said as he fixed his eyes on Rocky. This was within reason, because Rocky was a vital figure to the Crimson Dragon Army. If Alyssa wanted to defeat the Crimson Dragon Army, she must first deal with Rocky and defeat him. Even if there was a slim chance for her to win, she would not give up easily.


    "Am I that charming?" Rocky said with raised eyebrows. A teasing smile spread across his face as he looked at the surrounding people.


    "Commander in Chief, if we do not get rid of them, we will soon break into the defense line of the Timber Deity Empire," Louis said as he pointed at the location on the terrain map. Since Alyssa''s army hunted them down persistently, they had no choice but to advance towards the Timber Deity Empire''s defense line. If this went on, they would eventually be cornered and have no choice but to break into the enemy''s defense line. Although the defense line did not have enough military forces, it was a point of no return the moment they got in.


    "That is a serious problem," Rocky said in a serious tone and nodded.


    "Do you have any suggestions, Louis?" Allen asked.


    "For now, our only chance is to take advantage of this area which is less than three miles away from the Timber Deity Empire''s defense line." Louis pointed at an area and continued, "The terrain in th


    ignorant and unsuspecting; they could easily fall into your trap." The black-robed spirit manipulator delivered the information to Alyssa and left right after.


    "Who is he?" After the black-robed spirit manipulator disappeared, Alyssa stayed inside the tent and did not pursue him. His identity puzzled her and made her wonder why he shared the information. She suspected that it was one of Rocky''s schemes, but then realized it was unnecessary for him to play such a trick.


    Alyssa was troubled. She was at a loss whether she should believe the information or not.


    The next morning, Rocky continued to lead the army forward, while the Timber Deity Empire army chased after them closely. After a few days, Rocky and his army arrived at the said area. From a bird''s-eye view, the entire terrain was like a spinning top with complicated twists and turns. It was surrounded by a dark, dense forest, and there were dangerous-looking streams and valleys everywhere.


    "Louis, it depends on you now," Rocky said to Louis. He knew only Louis could navigate through the complex terrain with absolute precision. They could not afford to get lost or go around in circles. They needed to get away from the Timber Deity Empire army as soon as possible.


    Louis nodded. He took out a compass from his pocket and started leading the way.


    After a few hours of walking, the spies watching behind them reported to Rocky that the Timber Deity Empire army was no longer chasing them.

 Chapter 712 Being Ambushed

    When it was dark, Rocky told all the soldiers to rest where they were. It was already too dark and it would be dangerous for them to continue to march. They would move forward again after dawn.


    When he saw that Rocky was leaning against a tree all alone, Allen walked over immediately and asked, "Commander in Chief, I heard that you would immediately return to the Imperial City after winning against the Timber Deity Empire, is this true?"


    "I have no comment on that matter. Let''s wait first until we win," Rocky said and smiled. In fact, he didn''t plan to go to the Imperial City so soon. The reason he had promised Lance that he would return to the Imperial City was that he just wanted to satisfy him.


    "After you return to the Imperial City, I wonder when I will have the chance to work with you again. It''s really a pleasure to work with you, Commander in Chief! I will never forget this." The two hadn''t spent a long time together, but Allen felt like they had been through life and death together for decades already. Even when he was working with Lance, Allen didn''t have this kind of feeling. This feeling was new and pretty strange.


    "Do not worry, I am sure that there will definitely be an opportunity for us to work together again in the future. But after winning against the Timber Deity Empire, won''t you also leave the Crimson Dragon Group too?" Rocky knew that someone like Allen would not participate in any of the small battles. After the fight with the Timber Deity Empire, Allen would not stay either.


    "The plan is that I might go back to the Ji Clan first. If only Sabina could come with me. My brother is always so concerned about her. He regretted that he let Sabina run away from home back then," Allen said as he let out a deep sigh. He really wanted Sabina to come home with him. He knew that his brother also missed Sabina very much.


    "If you don''t mind me asking, why did she run away from home?" Rocky asked curiously when he heard what Allen said.


    "It''s all because of my brother. And actually, it also has something to do with Alston," Allen said warily.


    "Oh, can you tell me about that?" Rocky questioned closely.


    "Frankly speaking, I shouldn''t have told you


    ve noticed that you are more talkative now than before. You have never acted like this before," Rocky said. He looked at Sabina with a sly smile on his face.


    Upon hearing that, Sabina gave him a cold and dark look and turned to leave.


    "As a matter of fact, you are so much better now than before. I really prefer the present you," Rocky shouted at the back of Sabina.


    "Oh, who cares!" Sabina turned and retorted. Then she quickened her pace and left.


    "It''s amusing how women always say yes and mean no." The corners of Rocky''s mouth lifted into a playful smirk.


    After dawn, Rocky continued to lead the army forward. After several hours of marching, they were about to leave the area. As long as they left the area, they would be able to completely shake off the pursuers of the Timber Deity Empire.


    However, everything seemed to go so smoothly that Rocky had a feeling of uneasiness.


    Just as they were about to leave a pathway, three streams of people suddenly appeared from the three forks at the end of the pathway. They looked rather fierce and intimidating.


    "Alert! There''s an ambush!" Rocky was startled and planned to retreat. But they found that there were also a group of soldiers coming at them from their rear.


    "Let''s see where you are going to flee this time, Rocky Bai! You cannot escape."


    At this moment, a beautiful figure appeared above Rocky''s head. Then, the figure dropped from the sky like a fairy and landed in front of him.

 Chapter 713 Unafraid Of Death

    "Alyssa..." Rocky''s eyes shuttered immediately at the sight of Alyssa, and all emotions were wiped off his face.


    "Surprised? I saw through all of your plans," Alyssa taunted him. All the while, she had on a wide and menacing smirk that set off her lovely murderous eyes.


    "How did you get here so fast? Your troops should''ve fallen behind a while back," Rocky asked although he didn''t expect an answer from her convoluted mind. It did surprise him that the Timber Deity Empire forces could ambush them so accurately. The enemy forces should have already been left far behind, but no, they were right there, where they shouldn''t have been. The only way that the enemy could arrive earlier than them¡ªand with enough time to spare that they could lurk around in ambush¡ªwas if they knew the path that they would take. But how did they know which route they would take?


    "Did you think that I would fall for your petty trick?" Alyssa fixed Rocky with an icy, unimpressed glare, as one would give a misbehaving child. But although she belittled his plans, she knew that they would probably have fallen for his trick, if not for the mysterious, black-robed, spirit manipulator who revealed the intelligence to her. It happened this way: one day, a spirit manipulator clothed in black robe gave her the information about the Crimson Dragon Army. She doubted the information at first, but then, she decided to divide her army into two. She set aside one group to pursue the Crimson Dragon Army led by Rocky, while the other group was sent on a roundabout way to this route, where she predicted that the Crimson Dragon Army would pass by in their effort to avoid the defense line of the Timber Deity Empire.


    "I didn''t expect that this game of cat and mouse would end so soon. But, even if you have caught me, there is no chance that the Timber Deity Empire would win," Rocky said with a cold smile. Even though they were caught off-guard by Alyssa, who had seen through their plans unexpectedly, he appeared calm and level-headed. There was no trace of anxiety or weakness in his unruffled appearance. But internally, his mind was running in circles, as he tried to figure out how Alyssa saw through their plans.


    "You are wrong. If I get rid of you, the Crimson Dragon Army will fall under my control sooner or later. You were lucky that you escaped last time in the desolate village, but this time, your luck can''t save you anymore!" Rocky''s shoulder tensed minutely. It seemed like Alyssa was dead-set on killing him, and this time Rocky didn''t have any back-up plans.


    "Commander in Chief, we have no choice. We need to break through the encirclement with our full efforts," Allen, who was


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    y, Rocky felt this loss to his core. He was used to seeing blood and sacrifices in battles, but it didn''t mean that he had grown callous. He still wanted to protect the surviving soldiers.


    "There should be no problem." Louis nodded.


    "If we go directly to the secret route, we will be easily detected. We should leave some soldiers here to distract the enemy''s attention to make sure everything is safe. I could take some soldiers to attract them and cover you and the others so that you can secretly leave," Allen suggested.


    "No, you don''t need to do that. I am Alyssa''s target, and she won''t be tricked like that. It has to be me." Rocky shook his head firmly.


    "You''re the commander in chief of the Crimson Dragon Army. How could you be the bait? And it''s a suicide mission to attract the enemy''s attention," Marin immediately protested. She couldn''t just watch, while Rocky decided to do something so dangerous.


    "Marin is right. Commander in Chief, please let me do it," Allen agreed with Marin.


    "I am the commander in chief. I make decisions," Rocky answered firmly before he stood up and walked towards the soldiers who were resting. He called out to them and said, "To ensure the safety of the whole army, I need fifty people together with me, to draw back the enemy. This is a dangerous mission, and I cannot assure your safety, so I won''t force you. Remember, this is not an order. This is only a personal request!" Rocky studied his soldiers with an intense expression. He didn''t want to risk any more of his soldiers, but he needed more people to complete this task.


    Meanwhile, all the soldiers fell silent when Rocky spoke, but as soon as he was done speaking, a ruckus immediately erupted. They exchanged uncertain glances, as nobody dared to stand up at first.

 Chapter 714 Live And Die Side By Side

    "Commander in Chief, please let us go with you..." At that moment, two men stood up as one of them spoke with a sincere tone.


    "You two..." With curious eyes, Rocky looked over to the direction where the voice came from. To his surprise, Rocky saw that the people who stood up were Thor and Joss.


    They hadn''t often seen each other even since Rocky had transferred Thor and Joss from the logistics camp to here. However, whenever Rocky needed them, they would definitely show up. Although they used to live under the same roof, they were of totally different status now. Nonetheless, Rocky had always appreciated their enthusiasm and persistence.


    "I swear to follow you anywhere, Commander in Chief."


    "Me too!"


    "I don''t care even if we need to risk our lives. I''m ready to risk everything!"


    After Thor and Joss took the lead with their bravery, a group of people also stood up. Several moments later, almost most of the soldiers and generals of the Crimson Dragon Army stood up. All of them were willing to follow Rocky to perform the dangerous task.


    "You guys..." When he saw how many were willing to support him, Rocky was quite moved. He didn''t expect that even in the face of danger, the soldiers would still support him and be willing to risk their lives with him.


    Seeing this, Allen and the others did not say anything. They knew deep inside that Rocky had become the soul of the Crimson Dragon Army and he was even more important than the Commander in Chief Lance. The soldiers of the Crimson Dragon Army supported him very much. Of course, it was because of Rocky''s charm and the courage he exhibited every time there was danger. That was also the reason why the soldiers of the Crimson Dragon Army could escape from death every time and turn the tide against the Timber Deity Empire.


    Because of the limited time, Rocky quickly started his plans. With a quick glance, he immediately selected fifty soldiers with good physical strength. And since Thor and Joss bravely insisted on following him, he also took them with him.


    "Commander in Chief, I, along with four other members of the Elite Regiment, am in charge of protecting you..." As he noticed that Rocky was ready, Allen proposed at once. After all, the top responsibility of the Elite Regiment was to protect the Commander in Chief.


    "No, you guys must be respo


    a-ha!" Rocky immediately shouted out loud as soon as he saw the giant shadow approached them from afar.


    After she heard what Rocky had just said, Alyssa trembled with anger. With furious eyes, she immediately ordered all the soldiers to surround them.


    When he noticed that the soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire were about to surround them, Rocky and his men, led by Louis, immediately headed to the west. Nonetheless, they were followed closely by the soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire.


    However, Alyssa was well prepared. She had dispatched some troops in advance to ambush Rocky and waited for him to fall into the trap.


    But the strange thing was that Alyssa didn''t chase after Rocky herself. Otherwise, it was not that difficult for her to find him. Obviously, she had other plans or she just wanted to torture him slowly to vent her anger.


    In that way, Rocky and his companions were attacked continuously as they ran west. However, with the help of Sabina, they were able to break out of the encirclement. Nonetheless, some of the fifty people were still injured or even killed after a day of struggle.


    "Commander in Chief, after climbing over this mountain, we should be able to leave this place," Louis said as he stared at the long mountain range before his eyes.


    Rocky nodded and turned back to look at the exhausted soldiers behind him. A frown painted his weary face as he was not sure if there would be any more enemies ahead. They were already too weak to defend themselves from any other attacks. The situation was too critical!

 Chapter 715 Gave Away Their Whereabouts

    While Rocky was being attacked by the pursuers of the Timber Deity Empire, the news about him shocked the Palace City of the Holy Dragon Empire.


    After Rocky successfully attracted twenty thousand military forces of the Timber Deity Empire, the Timber Deity Empire became weaker than the Crimson Dragon Army in battle in the Deity Unicorn Valley. Thus, the Roaring Flame Empire suffered a great loss. In order to keep military forces, the Roaring Flame Empire announced to withdraw the army.


    As the Roaring Flame Empire withdrew the army, the military forces of the Timber Deity Empire in the Deity Unicorn Valley became weak. The Crimson Dragon Army once again gained a huge advantage and they successfully defeated the Timber Deity Empire.


    When the news reached the Palace City, the emperor and the military officials of the Holy Dragon Empire heaved a sigh of relief. They were impressed once again by Rocky''s capacity and leadership. Back then Mont City had been occupied and Alston had been dreadfully defeated by Alyssa. Therefore, they lost the advantage that the Crimson Dragon Army fought hard to win.


    This defeat resulted in some royal family members and people in the Palace City doubting Alston''s ability. As a matter of fact, losing the battle between the Holy Dragon Empire and the Timber Deity Empire was worse than losing Mont City. After all, losing a battle could cause many problems. It could even cause the success of the Timber Deity Empire''s secret conspiracy.


    Alston was unable to keep the advantage of the Crimson Dragon Army. What''s worse he had given the Timber Deity Empire a chance to turn the tables. If the Holy Dragon Empire had lost the battle, Alston would have undoubtedly been the one to blame.


    Besides, Lena told the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire that there would be a catastrophe in the Holy Dragon Empire. He was worried that the catastrophe might be a result of being defeated by the Timber Deity Empire.


    Therefore, the emperor and the military officials of the Holy Dragon Empire had been worrying about it even before the news came. They prepared for it and they


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    the very beginning, and he was sure that he knew who this someone was.


    "Alston. I am quite sure that it must be Alston!" Angry as he was, he was determined to get themselves out of the situation first.


    Rocky looked around and found that Woods had brought a few people with him, including three masters of the Heavenly Stage. Obviously, they were much more powerful than Rocky''s team.


    Under this situation, it was too difficult for Rocky to break out of the encirclement!


    "Rocky, you can''t get out of this situation. I am telling you that you''d better surrender! As long as you surrender, take my word that I can guarantee the safety of the others." Woods stared at Rocky and tried to persuade him since he knew that it was a good chance to make Rocky pledge allegiance to him. He would not miss this opportunity for any reason.


    After saying that, Woods looked at Sabina who was next to Rocky. Sabina didn''t say anything, but she was staring at the three masters of the Heavenly Stage. He knew that Sabina was too strong for the three masters of the Heavenly Stage. But as long as they could stall Sabina, Rocky and the others would not be able to escape.


    "Are you out of your mind? No way!" Rocky''s face darkened with rage, and he nodded at Sabina.


    Sabina summoned Duchess Silver to help her. At the same time, Rocky summoned Uriah and Rubygon. They tried to break through from the west side.

 Chapter 716 You Have Guts

    Woods had long set up an invisible net, both in the air and on the land, so he could prevent Rocky from escaping. He cast a glance at the three masters of the Heavenly Stage, who summoned their spirit-manipulated beasts to fight Sabina and her Duchess Silver with a joint effort. Sabina was busy fighting with them, which slowed her progress in breaking out of the encirclement.


    At the same time, arrows were raining in all directions like a storm, and even though Rocky and Uriah tried to protect others with all their might, people were falling like flies beside them. Soon, most of them had died, leaving only about twenty of them.


    "Surround them!" Woods ordered his men when he felt that it was the right time. Numerous figures barricaded Rocky and his soldiers so tightly that it was impossible to break out.


    Just a few feet away, Sabina was still fighting with the three master-hands. Although she successfully injured one and she wasn''t in any danger of losing, their fight had been going on for so long that it had cost her too much physical and spiritual power. Thus, her combat power had been greatly weakened, and now, she was unable to back Rocky up.


    "Commander in Chief, please leave us and get out of here with Commander Sabina!" Thor, who was covered with wounds all over his body, shouted to Rocky, as he helped Joss who was badly-injured. It was a calculated move on his part, and what he believed was a necessary sacrifice, as it would be much easier for Rocky and Sabina to escape on their own.


    "Please go, Commander in Chief. Please leave as soon as you can! We will cover for you!" The rest of the soldiers also shouted. None of them looked scared at the thought of death. Instead, they appeared calm and focused on the fight and Rocky''s survival.


    Rocky felt warmth envelop him. His hands were trembling as he held the Frozen Wind Dagger, and it was the first time that he had felt loved and cared for. At such a crucial moment of life and death, his men were willing to save his life at the cost of theirs. But he couldn''t just go alone. No, he couldn''t leave these people behind.


    "Rocky!" Sabina also shouted, which added to the pressure that he was already feeling. No decision could make both sides happy at that point, as Rocky couldn''t leave all the remaining soldiers behind, but he couldn''t brin


    do it quickly. I will kill all these people, one by one, in front of you. I believe it will be a feast for you to watch their blood run from their bodies. By then, you will be begging me to kill you! How about that?" Alyssa said with a crazed expression on her face as if the very thought of Rocky suffering brought her ecstasy.


    "The truth is I never entertained the idea of leaving alone. I am here. If you want my life, come and take it. And since every minute I live seems like torture to you, why don''t you kill me now?" Rocky knew that it would be a mistake to show his care for the others, so he decided to provoke her instead. At least, in that way, there would be a slim chance for the others to live.


    "You have guts! Unfortunately, you''re going to die soon, so I''ll be merciful and let you live longer. Don''t you appreciate my kindness?" Alyssa let out a pleasant laugh. It looked like she was having the best time of her life at that moment.


    "You''re such a freak. I don''t think you''ll find a man who will want to marry you! If any man will be blind enough to fall in love with you, he will lead a life that''s no better than death!" Rocky sneered, glaring at Alyssa.


    Alyssa''s beautiful face twitched upon Rocky''s words. Immediately, she waved her hand and a strong spiritual force turned into a light shadow, which rushed to Rocky at an extreme speed.


    Bang! He didn''t even have enough time to react, before the spot where he was standing suddenly flashed with a vivid light that razed the ground, as far back as a dozen meters around.

 Chapter 717 He Was Crazy

    Rocky suddenly felt a cramp in his chest. Afterward, a strong momentum pushed him. He flew out and knocked straight into a big tree, which broke the whole tree to its waist. It could be seen that Alyssa''s attack had just released a fierce power!


    After falling to the ground, Rocky knelt on one knee and trembled in pain. Blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. Even if it was not the first time that he had fought Alyssa, he had indeed felt the gap between his strength and Alyssa''s. With her current power, Rocky knew that Alyssa could kill him with that blow just then if she wanted to.


    "Commander in Chief..." When they saw how easily Rocky was trashed, Thor and the others shouted with concern.


    Anger crept down Sabina''s heart as she clenched her fists. But she could only watch from the sides as Rocky was tortured by Alyssa.


    However, after Rocky wiped away the blood, he immediately stood up.


    At the same time, both Uriah and Rubygon had rushed in front of Rocky. With determined face, they tried to protect him from the next attack.


    "I''m fine. Don''t worry about me. You guys go back to the Magic Spiritual Space first!" Seeing this, Rocky immediately opened the Magic Spiritual Space and sent Uriah and Rubygon back.


    "Unexpectedly, your bones are quite sturdy. They don''t even break after being hit by me..." It seemed that Alyssa was a little surprised that Rocky''s body could bear the impact of her spiritual power. With the strength of her previous attack, she could''ve easily broken several bones of an ordinary spirit manipulator at the Heavenly Stage.


    "Well then, I will at least give you the chance to save these guys..." Alyssa said with a sadistic smirk.


    Rocky''s eyes immediately became sharp. Although he knew that Alyssa wouldn''t do such a thing just out of good intention, he still wouldn''t let go of any chance to save those people. "Okay, you must keep your words!" he said in a determined voice.


    "Sure! They''re just nobodies anyway. There is no difference whether I kill them or not. However, if I can make use of them to let you die in pain, that would be great! If you can take an attack from me, I''ll let off one of them," Alyssa said scornfully as a sadistic expression painted her face. "If you can take two attacks, then you can save two people..."


    When she heard such a violent condition, Sabina trembled. With


    damaged his body constantly. The spiritual power could blow him up at any time.


    "Ah!" Rocky couldn''t help but cry in agony. Horrendous pain coursed through his whole body. As he screamed in pain, he felt like he was being crushed by something.


    Right then, Rocky released all the spiritual power sealed in the second layer of the spiritual soul container, and the spiritual power spread all over his body. He used the evil spiritual power to resist the strong impact. Although the amount was small, to everyone''s surprise, he didn''t fall down this time. He was seriously injured and his body was shaking violently. He was about to fall down, barely able to keep his feet. However, he managed to stand still with his amazing willpower.


    "Ha! Good, you can still take some hits. There are still a few attacks left!" However, Rocky was already on the verge of losing his consciousness. His body was powerless to support himself, but the evil power sealed in his body became restless. If the evil power sealed in his body exploded again at this time, his body would definitely not be able to withstand the impact. If that happened, he would surely die.


    Of course, even if the evil power didn''t explode, the next attack from Alyssa would kill him. Thus, he was truly at death''s door.


    "Rocky, please stop! Are you crazy?" Sabina shouted hysterically. Blood trickled down her lips as she bit them out of fear. Her eyes had already become red and been filled with tears.


    When they saw Rocky exchange his own life for theirs, Thor and the others also started to cry bitterly!

 Chapter 718 Make The Difficult Decision

    "Alyssa, please stop. That''s enough already!" Woods shouted in desperation. Of course, he didn''t want Rocky to die in such a miserable way.


    Meanwhile, Alyssa didn''t expect that Rocky could survive her recent attack. She already used a move of the spiritual martial arts at the Divine Stage to attack Rocky.


    "Never mind. I''ll just give you a quick death!" Alyssa suddenly said in a remorseless manner. With sadistic eyes, she waved her hands without mercy. A small light like a raindrop shot out and rushed towards Rocky.


    The light of the raindrop frantically flew to the front and back of Rocky. Suddenly, it shone brightly and covered him.


    "No! Please don''t do that..." Sorrow and guilt were written all over Sabina''s face. Misery crept in her heart but she could do nothing.


    The group of warriors including Thor also cried out with anguish. Their wails of agony were so loud that they seemed to be able to penetrate the clouds in the sky.


    They all feared that the next moment, Rocky would be shattered into ashes.


    However, at that critical moment, a red light suddenly shot out from the Magic Spiritual Space of Alyssa. The red light intensified and crushed the spiritual light that enveloped Rocky.


    All the people present were shocked. Nonetheless, Alyssa revealed the most surprised expression.


    Soon, a huge fox shadow leaped out from her Magic Spiritual Space. An arrogant look painted the beast''s face. The fox shadow was Moon Fox, Alyssa''s guardian beast. The fox''s cat-like eyes narrowed as it spoke, "No... You can''t... kill... him!"


    "Why are you stopping me? I must murder this bastard with my own hands!" Alyssa called out with confusion. A bewildered expression painted her face as she didn''t understand why her guardian beast tried to protect Rocky twice.


    However, the Moon Fox didn''t respond to Alyssa. The beast continued to stare at Rocky as if it was checking something.


    However, Alyssa had already made up her mind to kill Rocky. Without any consideration for the fact that her Moon Fox was trying to stop her, Alyssa immediately flashed and disappeared from where she had been. In the blink of an eye, she arrived in front of Rocky. The spiritual flame on her jade-like hand s


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    nd then walked back to the Magic Spiritual Space. As it approached the Magic Spiritual Space, it wiped away the red light around the spot.


    When he noticed that Alyssa suddenly stood rooted on the ground, Woods walked up to Rocky, who was kneeling on the ground and panting. Silently, Woods put his cloak on Rocky''s body.


    All of a sudden, Rocky raised one of his hands and grabbed Woods by the shoulder. With intense and complex eyes, he stared at Woods. Then, he struggled and said with great effort, "Please don''t... hurt... them. I... will do anything... you ask..."


    "If you are willing to join our Timber Deity Empire, I can promise you that I will protect them," Woods proposed in a serious tone.


    Rocky grabbed Woods''s shoulder with great force. Complicated emotions and thoughts tortured him. Nonetheless, he had to make a compromise to save his companions. The recent attack made him realize that he was going to die a moment earlier. Yet, he still had a lot of things to do. He knew he couldn''t die. Even if he chose a more dangerous road, he must survive.


    "Rocky, don''t agree to their demands... Please, don''t!" After she heard what Rocky said, Sabina shouted to him desperately with all her strength.


    After a short pause, Rocky turned around and saw Sabina, Thor and the others. Haziness enveloped him as his eyes started to dim. Then, he nodded and said to Woods, "Take me away!"


    In a convicted voice, he finally made a painful and difficult decision.

 Chapter 719 A Man Of His Word

    On hearing what Rocky said, Woods looked at her sister with a concerned look. "Alyssa, you''ve already vented your anger. Please, rest easy now," he advised. Then he turned around and took Rocky by the arm, ready to lead him out.


    When Alyssa came back to her senses, she looked at Rocky with a complicated expression on her face. "Don''t let him die. I''ll ask him something some other day. For now, just bring him to the Timber Deity Empire first," she cautioned as she bit her red lips. Then she went straight to Sabina and sealed her spiritual power. As soon as she finished, she summoned her spirit-manipulated beast and vanished in a blink of an eye.


    "Take them to the nearest camp and closely watch them. After three days, if you don''t find anything unusual, you may let them go," Woods instructed, glancing at Sabina who was staring back at him angrily. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "If you want to talk to him, you may as well do it now. You may not have the chance to meet him again." Then he walked away.


    "Why did you do that?" Sabina looked at Rocky, trembling.


    "Because I... must be alive. And I can''t... let you and them die for me..." Rocky replied with effort.


    "But if you go to the Timber Deity Empire, you''re betraying the Holy Dragon Empire. You''ll lose everything you have now, including me... and everyone," Sabina said with her teeth clenched.


    "I know... I will... I will go back to the Holy Dragon Empire again... Without me, you will be free... You don''t have to... follow me every day..." said Rocky, managing a smile.


    "You bastard... Bastard! You must stay alive. I will look for you. I will..." During the scolding, Sabina lowered her head so that Rocky wouldn''t see her tears.


    "When you are free... go home. Anyway... you have your family... Don''t live alone... It can be too lonely..." Before Rocky could finish his words, he fell to the ground and lost consciousness.


    "Rocky!" Sabina cried out, fearing he was dead.


    Alarmed, Woods, who was standing beside them, went up and checked what was happening. Much to his relief, Rocky''s condition wasn''t critical. Looking at Sabina, he consoled, "He''s not in any danger. He just passed out, but that''s nothing t


    g.


    "Relax. You let me get off the hook before this, and being an honest man, I have kept my promise to you. I already sent them to a camp of the Timber Deity Empire. Come with me, and I will let them go back to the Holy Dragon Empire," Woods calmly explained.


    Rocky put down his hand and sat up. He brought out the magical saliva from his brocade bag, took two drops, and began to circulate the spiritual power in his body to treat his internal injuries.


    Aware of what was happening, Woods let him be. All he could do was to simply stay by quietly watching.


    About four hours later, Rocky''s face turned ruddy again, his internal injuries gone, and his spiritual power stabilized. Apart from physical injuries, he was fine.


    Finally, he opened his eyes and stared at Woods.


    "It might feel like I''m forcing you to join the Timber Deity Empire, but I''m sure you won''t regret it. I''m doing this because I believe you are a trustworthy person. If you help me ascend the throne, I can guarantee, I will make you my second in command," Woods promised solemnly. Woods believed that with the help of Rocky, his influence over the empire would shoot up. Besides, he could also count on his sister''s power. That backing would make him raise him a notch above the other princes of Timber Deity Empire.


    "Sorry, I don''t think I''m interested at all," Rocky sneered. After all, he only pretended to betray the Holy Dragon Empire. He did this just to save Sabina and others.

 Chapter 720 Lets Run First

    "Ha-ha, I knew you would say that. Anyway, it does not matter. You will have a lot of time to think about staying in the Timber Deity Empire. I''m sure of it. If not, how could I offer you such a thing?" Woods said patiently.


    "Aren''t you afraid that when I''ll find an opportunity to escape after you let my friends go?" Rocky asked seriously to break Woods'' confidence.


    "The problem is, where are you going? I have already ordered my people to spread the news that you have betrayed the Holy Dragon Empire to join the great Timber Deity Empire. Soon, the whole Holy Dragon Empire will come to know you as a traitor and will never have you back!" Woods had expected Rocky to refuse, so he had devised an alternative way to prepare for it.


    "Of course, in order to be safe, upon arriving at the Timber Deity Empire, I will have to ask my beloved sister to seal your spiritual power. I''m sorry, but I have to do so," Woods said honestly with a smile. He had long planned for Rocky to submit to him by hook or by crook. He never desired to have Rocky''s strength; instead, he wanted Rocky''s mind power. Thus, Woods had no problem with sealing his captive''s spiritual power.


    "It seems that you have planned it all out," Rocky said through gritted teeth. If Sabina and his other friends were not still in Woods'' hands, he would have already knocked him unconscious.


    "Hey! Don''t forget that I saved your life. You can call me your savior from now on. Of course, Moon Fox has helped in the rescue as well," Woods said boastfully.


    "Moon Fox? That strange but powerful spirit-manipulated beast?" Rocky asked. He was sober at that time, so he remembered what happened vividly. However, he did not understand why Alyssa''s spirit-manipulated beast would go against her master''s will and save him instead. In fact, it had saved him from danger more than once.


    "A guardian beast, to be exact," Woods replied.


    "What? A guardian beast?" Rocky had never heard of anything about a guardian beast. Guardian beasts could only be owned by the spiritual race. They were different from the spirit-manipulated beasts since they were much


    s injuries. Then, he saw the barricade of mysterious spirit manipulators who had apparently blocked their way.


    "Is this your rescue team?" Woods asked as he turned to look at Rocky. He knew his question was silly, but he had to ask anyway.


    "No, I think they might have come here to kill me," Rocky said with furrowed eyebrows. He had heard from Woods why he and the Crimson Dragon Group soldiers were ambushed by Alyssa and why they were also pursued by the forces of the Timber Deity Empire. Apparently, someone had secretly revealed the information of their location. Rocky was certain that Alston was behind all of it.


    ''These spirit manipulators might be sent by Alston too. He wants to kill me now and take advantage of my injury, '' Rocky thought to himself.


    "They are here to kill you? Are you sure?" Woods was shocked. He did not know why someone would send so many mercenaries to kill Rocky. He thought that the news of Rocky being a traitor must have spread to the Holy Dragon Empire like wildfire. However, it was impossible considering the time it should take for all of that to happen.


    "Ask your men to block them. Let''s run first!" Rocky told Woods after giving the matter some thought. He was seriously injured, and his spiritual power had not fully recovered yet. If those people were sent by Alston, he could only rely on Woods and his three bodyguards at the Heavenly Stage to protect him.

 Chapter 721 Too Crazy

    Suddenly, the mysterious mercenaries had also begun to attack Woods and his men. Without hesitation, Woods immediately ordered his people to resist them. The soldiers of the Timber Deity Empire and a few spirit manipulators rushed forward and started to fight the mercenaries.


    "Your Royal Highness, maybe this is a trap set by him. We better not bring him with us!" A wary remark came from one of the bodyguards at the Heavenly Stage. In an anxious tone, the bodyguard hurried persuaded Woods into leaving Rocky alone, as he didn''t seem to believe Rocky.


    "Are you kidding me? If I set up a trap like this, I''d be courting death!" Rocky retorted back and rolled his eyes at the bodyguard.


    "You must think that His Royal Highness won''t dare to kill you. As such, you used this opportunity to deceive us!" another bodyguard at the Heavenly Stage agreed as well.


    "Never mind. You can say whatever you believe. I''m so happy that you don''t want to take me with you. I can finally leave you guys once and for all," Rocky said in a cold tone. If it weren''t for the fact that Sabina and the others were still in the hands of Woods, he would have already taken advantage of the Rainbow Glow Unicorn''s ability and left.


    "I believe in you. Let''s survive this together!" Although he thought for a while, Woods still told Rocky that he had faith in him.


    "But, Your Royal Highness¡ª" The three bodyguards still wanted to say something. However, before they could even finish their sentence, Woods cut them off.


    "Let''s go!" After he signaled to them, Woods took the three bodyguards and Rocky and headed quickly to another direction.


    "Why would people from the Holy Dragon Empire want to kill you? Is it because you betrayed the Holy Dragon Empire? But the news of your betrayal just came out. It''s impossible that they would come this soon and..." Woods frantically asked Rocky as they ran for their lives. The more he thought about it, the stranger he felt about their situation.


    "I''ll tell you everything when we''re finally safe at the Timber Deity Empire," Rocky said in a dismissive tone.


    While Rocky, Woods and the three bodyguards at the Heavenly Stage were running for their lives, two people appeared behind them out of nowhere.


    "Your Royal Highness, it''s just as you expected. They took away Rocky," a spirit manipulator in a black robe said as a weird smile appeared on his face.


    The other person was none other than


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    shouted as he trembled in anger. A furious expression accompanied his murderous stare at Alston.


    "I don''t want your pathetic life. You will die sooner or later anyway," Alston sneered in a boastful tone. "I have a proposal for you. I can let this woman go if you want. However, you have to kill the prince of the Timber Deity Empire first."


    "What do you mean by that? Don''t you want to kill me?" Rocky didn''t understand why Alston asked him to kill Woods. If Alston wanted Woods to die, he could just kill him by himself. There was no way Woods could escape death given the gap in their strengths.


    "Kill you? Ha-ha, I want you to die, but I want you to be utterly discredited first. I want to burn your reputation to the ground. Now that the news that you betrayed the Holy Dragon Empire has spread to the Crimson Dragon Group, it would surely soon reach the Palace City. At that time, you will be the traitor of the whole Holy Dragon Empire. Everyone in the Holy Dragon Empire will hate you. If you also kill the prince of the Timber Deity Empire, then Alyssa won''t let you go alive. In this way, you are surely doomed. The best part is that I don''t need to get my hands dirty to kill you myself. After all, as long as I beat you half dead and throw you to the side of Woods'' dead body, Alyssa will surely avenge her brother in person." Alston had already planned everything for a long time. With his evil scheme, he wanted to force Rocky into a hopeless situation so that he would die with hatred and agony. Only in that way could Alston vent the hatred in his heart. After all, Rocky had sex with the woman he loved.

 Chapter 722 We Are Brothers

    "Alston, if I kill Woods, it will provoke a huge war between the Timber Deity Empire and the Holy Dragon Empire. You are the eldest prince of the Holy Dragon Empire. Don''t you care about the safety of the people in your empire?" Rocky asked. Alston would endanger the entire Holy Dragon Empire just so he could kill him. This was truly insane.


    "Yes, you''re right. Only in this way can I even the score with you!" Alston laughed. He failed to use Mont City to crush Rocky; instead he had made him more famous. The battle at Mont City brought out the best in Rocky and his army. Alston himself, however, had ruined the advantage the Crimson Dragon Army had built and was thoroughly discredited.


    Because of this, Alston needed a big war to prove his ability. He would not hold back on any opportunity to stir up a conflict between the Timber Deity Empire and the Holy Dragon Empire.


    "You''re out of your mind! Alston, this idea is insane," Rocky shouted. It was only now that he saw through Alston''s motives. Apart from trying to get even with him, Alston also had a foolish plan that could backfire if he was not careful. Just to save face, he would stir up a war between the Timber Deity Empire and the Holy Dragon Empire.


    "I never thought the eldest prince of the Holy Dragon Empire would be so despicable and shameless!" Woods mocked Alston. A bitter smile swept across his face.


    "Your Timber Deity Empire started this war. You are the one who should be ashamed," Alston sneered, staring at Woods.


    "The reason I said you''re despicable is not because you want to start a war between the two empires, but because you will go to great lengths just to exact revenge on Rocky. You want to start a war so you can vindicate yourself from all the embarrassment. I''m sure it was you who leaked the information of the Crimson Dragon Army to us. It never entered my mind that the eldest prince of the Holy Dragon Empire would betray his own country just to settle the score with a man. I truly feel sorry for the Holy Dragon Empire!" Woods glared at Alston with hate.


    "Shut up!" Alston said furiously.


    "You have the boldness to start a war, but you don''t have the courage to let the others know? As the eldest prince of th


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    ards Rocky slowly until she was more than ten steps away from him.


    "That''s enough!" Alston shouted and gestured for her to stop.


    Sue stopped and fixed her eyes on Rocky.


    Rocky could see Sue''s body shaking, and he could read the fear in her eyes. He hated seeing her like this and tried to assure her, "Sue, do not be afraid. I will let nothing happen to you."


    "Mr. Bai, please don''t do this. Just go! They will not let you go even if you kill Prince Woods!" Sue tried to convince Rocky. She knew this was part of Alston''s plan. He would kill Rocky, come what might.


    "It doesn''t matter. I will take you away." Rocky understood the truth behind Sue''s words and fear. All the same, he had to make sure she was safe.


    He then turned to look at Woods.


    "Just do it. We will meet again in the afterlife. I hope next time you will not refuse my kindness," Woods said calmly. His words pierced through Rocky''s heart. He was not afraid of death. His sad fate had been written in the stars, and there was nothing else he could do right now. His three bodyguards were useless, unable to protect themselves. He himself did not have the strength to defend himself. He just wanted to die swiftly and avoid the pain that came with death.


    At this moment, Rocky finally realized the reason Woods wanted to take him back to the Timber Deity Empire. It was not just a gesture of appreciation, but also trust. But unfortunately now he needed to make a choice and protect Sue from harm.

 Chapter 723 Play With You

    "Are you really not afraid of death?" asked Rocky. He was disturbed by Woods'' action, rather the lack of it, as he was about to kill him. Woods was strangely composed as though he had accepted his fate.


    "The fear of death does not make me immune to it. So why not accept it as a part of life and die peacefully?" Woods replied with a reassuring smile.


    "Well, you at least resent me, curse me, haunt me till the end of my days. If it weren''t for me, you wouldn''t be here in the first place," Rocky said, still confounded by Woods'' calmness. He knew what Alston was planning. He was just a bait to lure Woods into the trap. Woods should have known this as well. He should have hated Rocky for it, but still he didn''t.


    "Maybe I should hate you. But then again, if I didn''t insist on catching you, things might not have ended like this. But who knows? There is no ''if'' in this world. And what has happened is already in the past. It''s impossible to go back in time. Plus, you are doing this to save the person you care for. It''s one life for another," answered Woods in a tranquil tone.


    "If I don''t die, I owe you my life," said Rocky. He then stretched his hand into his arms as his spiritual power began to rise. He made his way to Woods.


    The faces of Woods'' three bodyguards changed when they saw this. They wanted to rush forward in order to save him, but they were tightly surrounded by their opponents. All they could do was watch helplessly.


    Just as Rocky was in front of Woods, he suddenly shouted and pulled out his hand from his arms. Strong waves of beast-like energy shrouded Woods, and a bright, dazzling light appeared out of his chest.


    Blood spurted out of Woods'' mouth as he howled in pain. He was sent flying b


    rned inside him, giving life to his frozen body.


    "You? Kill me? Ha-ha! You must be joking!" Alston didn''t falter at the threat made by Rocky.


    "Hey, foodie! You''re not my spirit-manipulated beast yet. I don''t want you to get caught up in this battle. If I die, then you''ll be set free. You''re grown up now, and you can take care of yourself," Rocky said to the Rainbow Glow Unicorn. After he was done speaking, he forcefully closed the Magic Spiritual Space. Although he knew its ability would be somewhat of use during a fight, he knew that the battle did not favor him. The chances of him surviving the battle against a spirit manipulator at the Supernal Stage and five at the Heavenly Stage were slim to none.


    At the same time, Alston''s four spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage rushed to Rocky after getting rid of Woods'' three bodyguards.


    "You have two spirit-manipulated beasts? It turns out the rumor is true, but so what? I''ll let my men play with you first," Alston sneered. He then turned to the four spirit manipulators and gave them a look with his eyes. "Just beat him half to death. His life will be left at the hands of Alyssa."

 Chapter 724 Is He Asking For Death

    The four masters at the Heavenly Stage immediately summoned their spirit-manipulated beasts to surround Uriah and Rubygon. Although the four masters'' beasts were only war beasts at the third grade of the four-star level, they weren''t weak, and with four against two, it was doubly difficult for Uriah and Rubygon. Despite these odds stacked against them, Uriah and Rubygon were fearless and tenacious.


    Of course, it was scary that Rocky, who was at the third grade of the Heavenly Stage, was going to fight against four masters of the Heavenly Stage. Also, among these four masters, only one was inferior to him, and the rest were either one or two levels higher than him. No matter how you looked at it, Rocky had no chance of winning at all. What made it worse was that, at that moment, Rocky hadn''t recovered his spiritual power, and he could barely use half of his strength.


    Despite all these disadvantages, there was no trace of fear nor hesitation in Rocky''s eyes. He didn''t even glance at the four masters that surrounded him, as his eyes were set on one person alone, his goal, Alston.


    At that point, a bright light suddenly flashed from Rocky''s body, as he rushed toward Alston, who was dozens of meters away from him. Two weaker masters rushed to stop Rocky, blocked his way and launched their unique spiritual martial arts skills.


    "Thunder Leg Attack!"


    "Nether Ghost Finger!"


    Soon, there was a shadow of a leg that was surrounded by the sound of thunder as it flew, and at the same time, there was a spiritual beam that rapidly approached Rocky. These two spiritual skills immediately blocked Rocky''s way forward.


    "Fire Dragon!" Rocky snarled. Instantly, his spiritual power gathered around his arms, and two streams of Evil Flame formed on his arms like two scorching dragons and whistled out.


    These dragons rushed towards his opponents'' attacks quickly, as whistling sounds made by its nimble movement echoed around. Bang!


    The three martial arts skills collided with an explosion of brilliant light. The spiritual energy from all the attacks began to spread in all directions, as the wind picked up and stirred the dust.


    But Rocky wasn''t done, for in the next moment, he rushed out of the sand and slashed a Moon Blade bathed in black flame at the two Heavenly Stage masters. He moved so fa


    ed his way, he had no means to block them.


    But just as he was about to fight with his last strength, Rubygon, who was covered with wounds all over its body, rushed over to shield his body.


    Before Rocky could react, four streams of strong spiritual power struck Rubygon''s body. And even if Rubygon had a body made of steel and iron, it wouldn''t be able to resist that much spiritual power. Rubygon''s blood splattered all over the ground, and at that point, there was more blood outside than inside its body. It let out a pained whine and collapsed in front of its master, Rocky.


    "Rubygon!" Rocky let out a pained howl, his eyes strained on Rubygon, as it struggled in its pool of blood. It gave one last look at Rocky and then fell, unmoving.


    "Ah!" Rocky screamed wildly. Regardless of the burden that his body was on, he instantly released all the evil spiritual power sealed in the second layer of his spiritual soul container. The strong evil power began to spread out from his body, and black spiritual power began to burn around him like a flame. His strength began to improve sharply, and his power surged around him like a huge wave.


    "Has the power of the Holy Dragon Bead inside his body gone berserk again? Does he want to kill himself?" Alston stared at Rocky, startled at his strength that was rapidly increasing. His eyes grew somber, and he couldn''t help but recall that time when Rocky killed two masters at the premium level of the Heavenly Stage, even while his strength was at the preliminary level of the Earthly Stage.

 Chapter 725 Evil Power

    "Kill him!" Alston was well aware that it would be hard for them to kill Rocky once the power of his Holy Dragon Bead broke out again. In that case, the only way for him to succeed was to kill Rocky as soon as possible. He would also spread the false news that both of them had suffered a great loss, and that Rocky was responsible for Woods'' death.


    The four masters at the Heavenly Stage were shocked. They wanted to end Rocky, so they immediately took action. Without delay, the powerful masters employed the intimidating spiritual martial arts, and released a striking spiritual light towards Rocky.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    A series of violent and deafening sounds clamored in the air. The strong impact had caused the earth to shake vigorously. Then, a large amount of smoke and dust had formed and had scattered around twenty meters from the epicenter of the attack.


    "Is he dead?" Alston eagerly said. He was restless as he did not want to repeat the same mistakes again.


    Just as the four masters at the Heavenly Stage had performed their gestures, a black shadow unexpectedly came into light out of the smoke and dust. Without hesitation, he rapidly grabbed the collars of the two relatively weaker masters at the Heavenly Stage. Then, a configuration of two evil flames suddenly transformed into two fire dragons that wrapped around his arms.


    Before the two masters at the Heavenly Stage could counterattack, the two fire dragons had already hit them with a heavy blow.


    Since he had completely released the evil power of the second layer of the seal, Rocky was able to surpass the seventh grade of the Heavenly Stage. Therefore, the two weaker masters at the Heavenly Stage were not able to withstand such a formidable energy. In addition, the deadly Evil Flame had disadvantaged them greatly. Thus, both of them got seriously injured.


    They immediately spat blood because of the strong impact they had endured.


    However, it was n


    that he did not deserve such a quick death.


    Rocky raised his hands and roared to summon the streaks of Evil Flame. Sharp arrays of the Evil Flame shot out from the sky and instantly enveloped the retreating master.


    The strength of the master was not that weak, but he was definitely frightened by Rocky. Therefore, when he was facing the attack of the Evil Flame rain, his anxiety got in the way. He tried his best to resist the shooting flames, but the power of the Evil Flame rain was too strong.


    In an instant, a sea of flames slowly engulfed the surviving master. Miserable screams were ceaselessly heard. Moreover, the Evil Flame''s power was much more powerful than a regular fire, which caused the master to be in a lot of hellish pain.


    At that time, Rocky''s ghost-like figure approached the master. He evoked the Frozen Wind Dagger in his hand and drew a graceful arc to cut the master into two pieces. The master''s blood savagely splashed out everywhere.


    When Alston saw Rocky kill the four masters, his face turned deathly pale and his body trembled slightly. Rocky didn''t go berserk like he did years ago. Instead, he was better at managing and controlling the evil power now. What Alston did not know was that Rocky was just able to master a small part of the evil power...

 Chapter 726 A New Shadow

    Once he killed the four masters of the Heavenly Stage, Rocky turned to Alston once again. He walked with a menacing glare, his Frozen Wind Dagger with Flaming Blade held adeptly with steady hands.


    It was at this time that the black-robed spirit manipulator, Barry, blocked Rocky from moving forward. He had seen Rocky''s fierce power before, so he didn''t even think of underestimating him, as he tried with all his strength to take up the gauntlet. He summoned his spirit-manipulated beast that resembled a three-head cow, tall and strong, with nostrils that blew hot air as it breathed, and a body that emitted heat and steam. It was a Flaming Minotaur, a spiritual beast at the fourth grade of the four-star level.


    Meanwhile, the four spirit-manipulated beasts who were besieging Uriah went out of control, as soon as their masters, the four warriors of the Heavenly Stage died. They scattered like frightened sheep, as Uriah flew back to Rocky, but because of its battle with the four spirit-manipulated beasts, it was also exhausted and injured. Consequently, it had no advantage over the uninjured Flaming Minotaur that Barry summoned.


    Barry had reached the eighth grade of the Heavenly Stage, which meant that he was one level higher than Rocky.


    But all those odds meant nothing to Rocky since he was dead-set on his revenge. He swore that no one could stop what would happen next, not even if it was the gods themselves that had blocked his way, he would still fight back just to take his revenge!


    Of course, this battle was more difficult, since unlike the four masters of the Heavenly Stage, Barry wouldn''t give even an inch to Rocky. Before Rocky could move, Barry had flashed like a ghost and quickly appeared before Rocky. He threw a hard punch which was too quick to be seen with the naked eye, and within a second, it was just an inch away from Rocky''s chest. The spiritual power condensed and encircled Barry''s fist, and it formed a spiral force that appeared somewhat like a miniature drill. It pulverized Rocky''s clothes into tiny pieces, even when the punch was yet to touch Rocky in any way.


    But Rocky was also quick on the draw, as he immediately turned his hand and wielded his Frozen Wind Dagger. He cut along his chest which forced Barry to stop his fist, but at the same time, Barry launched another punch with the same strong spiral force with a


    x was absorbing some spiritual power which was too much for his body to bear, but when he was about to release the spiritual power, a lengthy dragon-like spear dashed over his throat.


    Rocky''s eyes widened in alarm, and he had to forcibly swallow the spiritual power. But it was too much, and he couldn''t help but spit it back out together with a mouthful of blood. He hastily retreated to avoid the long spear.


    "How could you withstand that?" Alston muttered in astonishment, the long dragon-like spear gleaming in his hand. He expected Rocky to have consumed most of his physical and spiritual power after he fought with Barry, so he didn''t expect him to withstand his attack.


    "That''s a Spiritual Weapon?" Rocky asked impassively. He wasn''t showing it, but he was exhausted and injured. He knew that with a Spiritual Weapon in the hands, Alston could be unbeatable.


    "What? Did you think you''re the only one who can handle one? Let me show you the power of my Thunder Dragon Spear!" Alston declared and immediately waved his spear toward Rocky. Instantly, spiritual power rushed out of the Thunder Dragon Spear, which turned into a dragon snake with its mouth wide open. It was accompanied by the sound of thunder, and electricity buzzed and covered it, as it extended its mouth to devour Rocky.


    Rocky immediately flipped his Frozen Wind Dagger and slashed out a black Moon Blade, and the Thunder Dragon Spear and the black Moon Blade collided with each other. Soon, the black Moon Blade was devoured by the spear, as the dragon snake shadow also rushed up to engulf Rocky.

 Chapter 727 Get Rid Of The Nightmare

    Meanwhile, Rocky was alarmed to see that dragon snake shadow was coming closer and closer. As a result, he immediately employed his Frozen Wind Dagger in order to make a solid Dagger Dome as his defense. However, Alston had already waved the Thunder Dragon Spear in his hand and dashed towards Rocky from the sky.


    Bang!


    A loud noise resonated throughout the area. At that moment, the Thunder Dragon Spear smashed through Rocky''s Dagger Dome, forcing its power on Rocky at the same time.


    Instantly, Rocky was sent high into the air and fell on the ground at breakneck speed.


    "Haha..." Seeing how pathetic Rocky looked like, Alston laughed loudly in triumph. To him, Rocky was powerless, even like a tiny ant that was ready to be stomped at.


    However, Rocky was nothing like what Alston pictured. Instead, he stood up and clenched his teeth in anger. The impact of the spiritual power on his body was so intense that his body got severely injured. At that time, Rocky was covered in blood, and his skin had started to split from his flesh. Although the pain seeped into his every nerve, he seemed to have forgotten about it because of his raging anger and killing intent towards Alston.


    In addition to that, Alston''s power was nothing compared to the spiritual martial arts skill at the Divine Stage that Alyssa had launched before.


    "You can still stand up!" Seeing that Rocky was still able to stand up, Alston glared at him with much hatred. A moment later, he waved the spear in his hand and rushed to Rocky again.


    Rocky might be able to stand on his own, but at that moment, his legs were so weak that they were not even able to hold him up for a long period of time.


    Meanwhile, up in the sky, there was a shadow of a beast that was surrounded by flame light. Swooping down from the air, it sped towards Alston in an attempt to block his attack against Rocky.


    "Uriah..." Rocky''s eyes widened as he called out. He didn''t expect that Uriah would come and help him.


    As a matter of fact, Uriah was already physically exhausted after a series of savage fighting. Despite the fatigue on its face, it still darted out to protect its master from harm. As long as it was breathing, it would do whatever it could to protect its master until its dying breath, just like Rubygon had done in the past.


    After all, it was its sworn duty as a spirit-manipulated beast!


    On the other hand, Alston was fur


    at most for half an hour.


    With that, he thought that he would have to kill Alston no longer than half an hour.


    "Come on, swallow me whole!" But he had no time to think about it carefully now. Raising his head, he put in great efforts to break through the third layer of the seal. Suddenly, a sea of evil spiritual power surged out, filling every corner of his body.


    In the blink of an eye, Rocky''s robe fluttered savagely in the air, and his eyes turned as dark as an endless abyss. His aura of the Heavenly Stage continued to increase, and he suddenly broke through to the Supernal Stage. Moreover, he was filled with a sinister aura that made him appear as if he were possessed by some kind of demon god. Like a raging fire, the spiritual power constantly overflowed from him and encapsulated his every bit.


    However, this scene was not at all surprising to Alston. But then, fright made his hair stand when he saw the coercive power that Rocky had shown. After all, there was no question as to how powerful the Holy Dragon Bead was.


    This unprecedented power that gathered in Rocky''s body rose gradually in the air, making it a wonderful sight to see even for his opponent.


    But Alston would never admit that Rocky was stronger than him.


    "Today will be the day of your death! Do you have any wishes before you die?" Alston cursed. He wouldn''t miss the rare opportunity to kill Rocky with his own hands. At that moment, it didn''t matter what the plan or plot was. All that mattered to him was getting rid of Rocky as soon as possible. Otherwise, it would be another endless nightmare for him.

 Chapter 728 Strength Devouring

    "That''s exactly what I wanted to say," Rocky managed to choke out. It was a struggle to grasp at the last bits of his rational thoughts with his head drowning under the impact of the violent evil force released from the third layer of the seal. Despite the pain, Rocky held on by reminding himself that he couldn''t be swallowed by the evil power before Alston was dealt with.


    No matter how hard he tried, he was also aware that he didn''t have much time. Either he ended Alston or Alston would end him.


    In the blink of an eye, Rocky disappeared and instantly showed up right in front of Alston, emitting so much evil spiritual power it immediately overwhelmed Alston.


    "That was fast!" Alston exclaimed but managed to quickly wave his spear to defend.


    Even though the Frozen Wind Dagger was always in the shape of a slim dagger, it suddenly changed into a giant flaming blade and chopped down lightning-quick towards Alston.


    A loud bang resounded when the flaming blade heavily slammed on the handle of the spear. On the other hand, the spear trembled under the tremendous pressure it endured and Alston lost all feeling in both of his arms.


    When they made contact, Alston immediately sensed the violent force warring inside Rocky, and he quickly paled. Even worse was that the power became even stronger by the second. There was no hesitation as Alston dragged himself away and stretched his hands out until countless green and purple spiritual swords appeared above him.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The spiritual swords shot towards Rocky and fanned around him, spreading their spiritual power that carried thunder. It was a unique martial skill for the imperial members, called the Green Thunder Sword. It compressed Thunder spiritual power into spiritual swords, and among the spiritual martial arts of the same level, Green Thunder Sword was definitely the top of its class.


    In the past, Alston had defeated Rocky with the same move. But Alston hadn''t mastered this back then, but now, the power of the Green Thunder Sword was much more powerful than before. Anything that came close was destroyed by the sheer impressive power it carried.


    For a moment, Rocky disappeared within all the thunder


    eters within its shadow, everything was burnt down. Smoke rose up and flashes of thunder sparked as the remaining spiritual power filled the air.


    Alston dropped to the ground not far from the burned area. A triumphant smile stretched his lips as the tension in his shoulders finally disappeared. He couldn''t sense Rocky no matter how hard he tried. It meant that Rocky perished under his powerful attack that even his bones had been burnt into ashes. He finally did it.


    The pride he felt didn''t last long as a figure appeared within the dense thunder. He approached slowly, step by step, and the thunder radiance disappeared, more exactly, was devoured by the flashing black Evil Flame around him wherever he moved forwards. Alston couldn''t rip his eyes away and he could only stare slack-jawed when he found something similar to the Dragon Spirit Mark all over his opponent''s body under his ragged clothes.


    Rocky could only adsorb spiritual power with his left arm before, but now, he could use every inch of his body. In just a moment, the surrounding spiritual power that Alston''s thunder left was all attracted towards Rocky and as time went by, the black Evil Flame around him rose higher and became even bigger.


    However, the more power he absorbed, the more lethal it would be to his body, not to mention that he was already halfway into the grave already. Everything was a blur to him except for Alston who was the one clear thing in his hazy surroundings.

 Chapter 729 Life And Death

    The shock on Alston''s face was as clear as day. He never expected Rocky to be able to fight back, after using one of his most powerful attacks on him.


    Alston felt his body quiver. Without warning, a beam of thunder radiance burst out of him. The spell was broken and he returned to his normal state.


    "Damn it!" Before he could make a move, Alston realized that he couldn''t. His range of motion was hindered due to the side effect of the Spirit Possession.


    "Kill... Kill... Kill!" Rocky shouted thrice in a row. Raising the Frozen Wind Dagger above him, he slashed at the open air with great speed and a strong whirlwind escaped the dagger''s sharp edge.


    Soon after, the Frozen Wind Dagger burst into flames and became a huge black torch that burned all the plants within a one hundred meter radius of it.


    Rocky then waved the dagger with all his strength. Like a huge black dragon spreading its wings, the black flame spread dozens of meters across the sky before reaching the ground and encasing the surrounding area. Alston now found himself trapped under this dome of black flame.


    Alston had no time to dodge. He was immediately consumed by the raging black flame that came crashing down from the sky.


    "Your Royal Highness!" the injured black-robed spirit manipulator screamed. He rushed towards Alston and summoned all of his spiritual power to try to resist the attack.


    But the black flame''s power was too much. Despite his determination, the spirit manipulator was no match. Nothing of him remained, except for a pile of ashes.


    "Damn it!" Alston cursed. Raising his right hand, he released the special power of the Thunder Dragon Spear.


    With help from the spear, a flickering barrier of thunder and lightning appeared in front of Alston.


    Boom...


    A gigantic mushroom-shaped cloud appeared and rose toward the sky. Looking down from above, the area that had been covered in the black flame earlier had now sunk three feet deepe


    he''s still... alive?" Rocky''s eyes widened in bewilderment. He struggled to get back on his two feet, but he just stumbled down again.


    "I have to rescue... Sue..." He was determined to save her. Using his hands, he slowly began to crawl and climb towards Sue.


    The ground he clutched on to as he crawled was smeared with his blood. The pain was almost unbearable. He would tend to his wound later. Right now, he needed to save Sue.


    Rain began to pour. As the droplets fell onto his injured body which was eroded by the spiritual power, they evaporated into thin air and surrounded him like a puff of smoke.


    After a while, he was getting closer and closer to Sue. But before he could, he let out an ear-piercing howl. After that, everything went dark. The Holy Dragon Bead''s evil power had devoured and annihilated the last of his senses.


    Sue seemed so far away, even though she was now just one step away from where he was.


    Black lines, like poisoned veins, began to run all over Rocky''s face. At the same time, the black spiritual power kept surging out of his body. His eyes were now the color of coal and he kept scratching the ground with his hands until his nails bled. He was in so much pain, which terrified him. He could do nothing but wait for death to take him out of this misery.

 Chapter 730 Whose Fault

    Just then, a butterfly shadow suddenly gleamed with a peculiar light from the sky. In the blink of an eye, it came down from the sky and quickly moved to Rocky''s side. The figure looked regretfully at Rocky, who had completely lost his mind. As he lost his sense, Rocky had already fallen into a devil, and was on the verge of death. Darkened eyes accompanied his demonic appearance.


    The figure was none other than Cherry, the woman from the spiritual race who had saved Rocky many times in the Myriad Beasts Ground.


    "I can''t believe it! Nonetheless, I can''t let you die. I''ll resurrect you no matter the cost!" A pair of crescent shaped eyebrows wrinkled on Cherry''s forehead. Immediately, she turned over Rocky. Then, she bent down and put her petite pink lips on Rocky''s mouth. All of a sudden, a strange light leaked out from the mouths of the two people. It shone brightly and was full of energy and colors.


    When the colorful light entered into Rocky''s body, the violent black spiritual power suddenly calmed down. At the same time, the evil power that had been sealed within the third layer was immediately wrapped in the light. It was like a container, the same as the one used to contain the evil power that had been sealed within the second layer.


    The colorful light was the unique spiritual soul of the spiritual race. It was known to be a powerful special force.


    Then, the spiritual soul container used to contain the evil power that had been sealed within the second layer suddenly burst into starry light spots and quickly spread over Rocky''s whole body. As soon as the light spots coursed through his body, Rocky''s injuries began to be healed rapidly. Even the grave injuries on the surface were healed instantaneously.


    "It seems that you have fully integrated your previous power. Every time you collapse, your strength grows stronger, but it will also put you to death. You possess such an amazing power. If I could get such power, perhaps I could finally complete the last mission of the Butterfly Divine Clan. It''s a pity that you have just begun to control this power and you''ve only integrated with a small part of it. Sadly, not until


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    ally sent to the camp of the Timber Deity Empire together. However, a few soldiers harbored malicious intent against her and attacked her on the way. In return, they were taken advantage of by Sabina and ultimately let her escape. Even though her spiritual power was sealed, she still intended to save Rocky. As such, she chased after the team of Woods without any hesitation.


    However, when Sabina saw the ghastly scene, regret filled her heart. She realized that it was already too late.


    "No... This is impossible!" As she shook her head in disbelief, Sabina moved closer and saw Rocky''s face. The misery took the better of her as she fell on her knees and reached out her trembling hands.


    However, the moment that Sabina''s slender fingers touched Rocky, the latter turned into ashes. Immediately, the remains of Rocky disappeared in the wind.


    "No!" Horrified of what just happened, Sabina unconsciously reached out her hands to grab something. Nonetheless, her palms remained empty.


    "Why has this happened? Damn it! It''s my fault. It''s all my fault..." Sabina could not help but cry as sorrow overwhelmed her heart. Tears continuously trickled down her cheeks. It was the first time she cried for a man, and perhaps the last time.


    After a while, she sensed a very strong aura approaching. Sabina gritted her teeth and still tried to look for Rocky who was already gone. With a strong sadness, she disappeared the next moment.

 Chapter 731 Rebirth

    The moment Sabina left, a giant shadow quickly appeared from the sky. The beautiful figure on the back of the shadow landed on the ground. As she looked at the bodies in front of her, the woman frowned. Then, she noticed another body that lay motionless on the ground not far away from her.


    "It can''t be. Woods!" with a worried expression, Alyssa frantically shouted and then she rushed up to Woods. As her hands trembled, she immediately checked his breath. However, to her dismay, Woods didn''t breathe anymore...


    Alyssa''s eyes suddenly widened in anger. Frustration enveloped her face as she shouted, "It must be Rocky. Rocky is the one that murdered my brother!" Sadness overwhelmed her heart.


    When Alyssa was about to take Woods'' body and leave, Woods suddenly let out a deep gasp. As he exhaled once again, Woods suddenly got up.


    "Woods? Thank goodness, you''re alive!" Alyssa exclaimed with a joyous voice. The sadness on her face was soon replaced by happiness. She felt that what happened just then was unbelievable.


    "Huh? I''m not dead?" After he finally woke up, Woods immediately stood up and stared at Alyssa in surprise. Then, he looked around curiously and asked, "Where is Rocky?"


    "That bastard escaped. But don''t worry. I won''t let him go. I''ll make sure he pays dearly for trying to kill you!" Alyssa said ferociously as she gritted her teeth.


    "No, he didn''t. Instead, he actually saved me," Woods said as he shook his head. Then, he felt something in his bosom. As he tried to catch his breath, Woods took the thing out and it turned out to be a red pearl.


    "What? Isn''t that the Dragon Flame Pearl?" A surprised expression painted Alyssa''s face as she noticed the pearl. Immediately, she grabbed it from Woods.


    "I believe Rocky used that to save me." Although he had no idea how it worked, Woods was sure that Rocky saved him with the Dragon Flame Pearl.


    "What? The Dragon Flame Pearl belongs to Rocky? That means the treasure map also belongs to..." Alyssa softly whispered to herself as a thought passed through her mind.


    "Alyssa, Rocky saved my life. Nonetheless, he might be in danger right now. Please send people to find him immediately!" Woods shouted frantically as he suddenly remembered that some


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    d to cease the battle and withdrew the troops to the main camp.


    As the news about the betrayal of Rocky was widely spread in the Holy Dragon Empire, a new beginning awaited from a faraway place. In a cave made of grotesque sandstone in a desolate desert, a man who seemed to be sleeping for a long time slowly opened his eyes. A look of confusion painted his handsome face. He stood up and looked around the boundless desert outside in bewilderment.


    ''What''s happening? I''m supposed to be dead. Where is this place? Why am I here?'' Rocky frowned and tapped his face to make sure that he was still alive. However, he was in a strange place. Everything seemed so inconceivable and his confusion grew even worse.


    "Sue?" Rocky suddenly called out with a surprised look. However, he immediately shook his head sorrowfully. With a sad tone, he said, "Sue has been dead. It''s all my fault. If it weren''t for me, she would still be alive. Actually, it''s Alston''s fault. That bastard! I''ll murder him even if it''s the last thing I do!"


    After he grieved, Rocky immediately stood up and dusted off his clothes. Dressed in rags, he looked like a beggar. Strangely, there were no injuries on his body. He was supposed to be seriously injured, yet even his internal injuries were gone.


    ''Someone must have saved me. That person must have also healed my wounds and brought me here. But who might he be?'' Rocky pondered with a confused expression. Nonetheless, he couldn''t find the answer at the moment.

 Chapter 732 In The Desert

    Rocky looked around and noticed an egg shaped object covered in a thick layer of dust sitting just beside him. He bent over, picked it up, and blew to remove the dust. He rubbed his thumb against the object to clean it and saw that it was red in color.


    "Could it be...Uriah?" Rocky murmured to himself. He remembered at once what had happened and thought that this red egg must be Uriah. At that time, he was out of himself that he did not understand why and how Uriah suddenly turned into a red egg.


    "Rubygon is dead, and Uriah seems to have transformed into this egg. It feels terrible to lose them all of a sudden," Rocky said with disappointment. Pain was evident in his voice, along with fatigue from everything that had happened. He touched the red egg with his right hand and it sparkled with a soft glimmer of light as if it were responding to him.


    Rocky squinted his eyes as if to see clearer when he saw that glimmer. He wanted to see what was happening inside the egg with his Mysterious Visual Evaluation Skill, but he couldn''t. It was as if there was nothing in it, and he couldn''t feel any sign of life. Obviously, he had never encountered such a situation before, so he had no idea what was going on. However, he believed that Uriah was not dead, and the egg in his hand could help Uriah come back to life.


    Of course, nothing was certain as it was just Rocky''s guess.


    Then, Rocky opened the Magic Spiritual Space and was prepared to put the egg into the lab. But, as soon as he entered it, he saw a colorful light gleaming, and it rushed directly towards him and held him down to the ground. A petite white figure flew over and licked his face.


    "Well, I know you are worried about me. You don''t have to, I am fine now, but Uriah and Rubygon..." Rocky''s voice choked with emotion. He sighed as he patted the Rainbow Glow Unicorn and Robin.


    The Rainbow Glow Unicorn and Robin gave out their sighs too, as if they mourned for Uriah and Rubygon.


    Rocky stood up and took the red egg to the lab and washed it. Then he fetched a container, arranged it, and carefully kept the egg in the container. After that, he changed into a new set of clothes and walked out of the lab.


    "I should figure out where I am now..." Rocky''s eyes narrow


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    the west of the village.


    After hesitating for a while, Rocky walked over towards the direction. When he was just about to get close to the mud house, he saw a black figure as tall as two people jumping out and rushing at him.


    Rocky immediately drew out the Frozen Wind Dagger in response to his shock and waved it. Suddenly, a black Moon Blade, which seemed a lot bigger than before, whizzed out. With a bang, it hit the black figure. The black figure was immediately knocked into the air, knocking down the mud house behind.


    Rocky was surprised as he found that the Frozen Wind Dagger had obviously changed. The Flaming Blade was much wider than before, now looking like a big sword. But before he could figure the rest of the differences out, the black shadow once again popped out from the collapsing mud house and revealed its original shape. It turned out to be a Deserted Sand Crab at the third grade of the four-star level. It waved its large and powerful claws in the air, looking rather intimidating.


    Obviously, the Deserted Sand Crab was disturbed by Rocky and it looked very irritable. It immediately waved its large claws and rushed toward him.


    "Hey, foodie. Did you really want to make trouble for me?" Rocky said in an irritated tone and gave a glare to the Rainbow Glow Unicorn, who was standing next to them and watching them fighting. Then, he fought the Deserted Sand Crab with all his might.


    As his strength had increased significantly, the match was very easy for Rocky.

 Chapter 733 Fodder For The Rumor Mills

    It didn''t take Rocky long to kill the Deserted Sand Crab at the third grade of the four-star level. He didn''t pant or sweat. Meanwhile, the Rainbow Glow Unicorn, who had been watching the fight, hopped next to the dead crab and with its foreleg, pointed at the shell.


    Curious to know what was going on, Rocky went over and poked the crab shell with the Frozen Wind Dagger. Immediately, a red-purple liquid gushed out.


    The Rainbow Glow Unicorn was thrilled. It let out an excited scream, immediately lowered its head and began to drink.


    "Jeez! You are such a hearty eater! You are even drinking blood!" Rocky couldn''t help but exclaim when he saw the Rainbow Glow Unicorn drinking the dead crab''s blood.


    However, when he saw the Rainbow Glow Unicorn drinking the blood happily, Rocky was tempted. For a few minutes, he tried to ignore the urge, but in the end, he just couldn''t resist anymore. Reluctantly, he leaned down and started licking blood from the crab too. To his surprise, the taste of the blood was as mellow and rich as wine.


    "Wow! This is amazing!" Immediately, Rocky''s eyes lit up. He got down to his knees and began to drink with glee, as if he was competing with the Rainbow Glow Unicorn.


    After he was full and refreshed, Rocky went into a mud house nearby. In the house, he immediately began to circulate his spiritual power. He wanted to find out why his power had been strengthened.


    "This is so strange! The evil spiritual power from the second layer of the seal has fully fused into my body. The evil spiritual power in the container made of the mysterious power is from the third layer of the seal. What''s going on?" he wondered aloud.


    ''This is no coincidence! Did she do this to me?'' he thought to himself, suspecting the only person he knew, who could have done that.


    "After fusing the evil spiritual power in the second layer of the seal, my strength has grown to the seventh grade of the Heavenly Stage. No wonder I found it so easy to deal with the spirit-manipulated beast at the third grade of the four-star level. After the incident that almost killed me, I could never have imagined this. My strength has grown beyond expectations. Anyway, I put my life on the line for this." True, he had reached the seventh grade of the Heavenly Stage in such a short period of time. But it came at a gr


    nt statement over.


    "Really? I''m touched!" Lance was excited to realize that Rocky was popular. Having the support and trust of the whole Crimson Dragon Group in such a difficult time was something that would give Rocky leverage.


    Relieved, Allen and Marin exchanged a smile. They hoped that with this joint statement, the emperor himself would see Rocky''s innocence.


    "Commander in Chief Lance, please give this joint statement to His Majesty. We believe Commander in Chief Rocky is an innocent man," the several Elite Commanders said in unison.


    "Don''t worry. I will deliver the joint statement to His Majesty in person." Lance nodded solemnly.


    Then, he, together with Allen and Marin, left for the Imperial City that very night. They arrived in the afternoon of the next day. Since Lance knew that Isis was worried about Rocky, he went back to his mansion first.


    When Isis heard that Lance was back, she rushed to the living room. She ran forward to greet the three of them. "Dad, there are rumors going around here about Rocky. They accuse him of betraying the empire. What''s going on?" she asked anxiously.


    "I didn''t expect the rumors to spread so fast." Lance frowned.


    "Tell me, what happened to Rocky, dad. I don''t believe that he would betray us," she pressed further.


    "Miss Isis, right now, we still don''t have any credible information about Commander in Chief Rocky. And Sabina is also missing. No one knows exactly what had happened. But I believe Commander in Chief Rocky has not, and will never betray us," Allen assured.

 Chapter 734 Weakness Lends Wings To Rumors

    "Even if we believe that Rocky is innocent, we don''t have any evidence to prove our claim. I hope he can come forth and prove himself. But no one has heard from him for a long time. I''m afraid something bad must have happened to him. For now, we will investigate and check into the incident thoroughly. And of course, we have to find out where he is. Let us keep our fingers crossed that he is safe and well," Lance said thoughtfully.


    "That''s right," Allen agreed with a nod.


    "I agree with you. I heard that His Majesty was furious when he heard the news of Rocky''s treachery. He plans to punish him. If they accuse Rocky of treason before he comes back, he will suffer injustice," Isis said, concern written all over her face. Rocky''s betrayal had been a hot topic ever since the news broke out and spread throughout the Imperial City. There were several allegations, and people had rumored about it incessantly. However, she remained clueless on what really happened, so it was pointless to see the emperor at this point. What she did heard from various sources was that Alston had summoned several officials to discuss with them about Rocky''s treachery. This alone made her worry and had given her sleepless nights.


    "I cannot just sit here and do nothing. I have to meet His Majesty right away and explain the situation. I think His Majesty is also waiting for me to explain everything to him," Lance said with a worried look on his face. After all, Rocky was his son-in-law. The emperor would not punish him just like that. What worried Lance was the fact that there were people who hated Rocky. The people who held a grudge against him would grab this opportunity to add fuel to the fire and sway the emperor. It was not surprising to see such things happen in the court.


    Much as Lance was one of the Three Great Generals of the Holy Dragon Empire, and also one pillar of the Holy Dragon Empire, he could not ignore the words that had spread against Rocky. The news that Rocky had betrayed the Holy Dragon Empire had already circulated to the entire empire. Lance had to explain everything to the emperor as soon as possible. Otherwise, the emperor might give in to the pressure around him and convict Rocky of treason. If that happened, Lance


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    out Commander in Chief Rocky''s treachery. Knowing it is of great importance, I came back as soon as possible," answered Lance. His voice was calm, and his face showed no emotion.


    "General Lance, please enlighten us. Why did this Rocky betray our Holy Dragon Empire and join the Timber Deity Empire? Is it true?" the emperor demanded. He wanted to know the truth once and for all.


    "Your Majesty, I can assure you that Commander in Chief Rocky will never betray us. There is no proof, and we cannot believe distorted rumors. Based on my investigation, the Timber Deity Empire released this information. That alone made the rumor extremely untrustworthy. I highly suspect that this is one of their evil schemes." Lance stepped forward and explained to the emperor.


    "Weakness lends wings to rumors. General Lance, we have no news about Rocky. He left without a trace. How do you explain this?" Alston asked immediately. He could not let Lance influence the emperor.


    "Your Majesty, there must be a reason behind Commander in Chief Rocky''s disappearance. I have ordered the Elite Regiment to search for him far and wide. I believe we will get some news soon. Please give me more time," Lance replied and saluted immediately.


    The emperor hesitated and felt inclined to believe Lance. After all, the people of the Timber Deity Empire never confirmed the information that Rocky had betrayed the country. His disappearance explained nothing either.


    For now, the truth remained hidden and elusive.

 Chapter 735 He Is Dead

    "General Lance, if Commander in Chief Rocky had not disappeared, the rumor would naturally be scotched. However, it only seems probable that he has indeed betrayed our country and joined the Timber Deity Empire. If it weren''t true, he would be standing here right now! If he really did submit to the Timber Deity Empire, it would be not easy to find him. But now, the problem is, the news of his treachery has already spread rapidly throughout the Holy Dragon Empire that our other neighboring countries may have already heard about it. If this is not taken care of immediately, it will cause a riot. When that happens, the consequences will be very dire," Priest Dean said after exchanging glances with Alston. He deliberately used a serious tone so that the emperor would be persuaded to announce Rocky''s treason as soon as possible.


    Priest Dean had always gained the approval of most ministers in the Holy Dragon Empire. Rocky''s treason had caused a great deal of impact on the country''s reputation. If the rumors had proven to be true, the whole empire would be greatly humiliated.


    "I agree with you, Priest Dean. It will be hard to deal with it once it gets serious," said the emperor with a nod. As the ruler of the Holy Dragon Empire, he had to ponder on the overall situation, lest unnecessary trouble would be caused.


    At that moment, Isis could not help but bite her pink lips in worry. All of a sudden, she knelt down on the floor and said to the emperor fervently, "Your Majesty, my husband would never betray our country. I can guarantee with my life that if it turns out that he did, I would be willing to take all the necessary punishments for him and kill myself without any complaints."


    In the eyes of all the people present, Isis looked pitiful. In the past, she was known to have been courted by many men from both the royal family and the noble clans. However, she turned all of them down for Rocky, who was essentially a person of no importance or authority. None of them had expected that the ruthless Deputy Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Group would be willing to appeal to the emperor''s mercy for a man. If her


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    Sabina?" Allen was the first to recognize the woman behind Marcia. Sabina had also been missing for many days since then, just like Rocky.


    Lance and Isis were thrilled to see Sabina. They believed that she was the only one who could prove that Rocky was innocent.


    Isis stood up and rushed towards Sabina. She held her hands and asked anxiously, "Sabina, where is Rocky? Why didn''t he come with you?"


    "Isis, please calm down and listen to me. Rocky...is already... dead." Just when Sabina spoke, her voice choked with sobs as she was gradually overcome with sadness.


    "Dead? Rocky, the guy who had always escaped death, has actually died?" Marin could not believe what she heard as she slowly began to sob too.


    "What? No... That''s impossible! How did he..." All of a sudden, Isis was at a loss for words. She stood there in a daze while her eyes started to fill with tears.


    "He''s dead?" Lance was shocked to his core.


    When the ministers heard this, they were also quite surprised. The first controversial thing they had recently heard about Rocky was his treachery, but now he was also dead!


    The emperor was dumbfounded in silence too.


    ''Damn it! How did Sabina know that Rocky was dead?'' Alston thought to himself. He recalled the last time he saw Rocky. ''Rocky and Sabina weren''t even together back then, and I thought she had been sent to the camp of the Timber Deity Empire. So how did she know he was dead?''

 Chapter 736 He Is Prince Basil

    "Sabina," Marcia called out. "Tell His Majesty everything that you know."


    Sabina looked up at Marcia''s impassive face, and then knelt on one knee. "Greetings, Your Majesty. I am Sabina Ji," she said respectfully.


    "Sabina Ji? That sounds familiar..." the emperor murmured to himself.


    "Your Majesty, she is the second daughter of the head of the Ji Clan, and also my niece," Allen told the emperor.


    "Oh, I remember you now, Sabina. I heard that you left the Ji Clan all of a sudden a few years ago, and I haven''t heard anything about you since then," the emperor remarked. At that time, Sabina deeply impressed him, because she was the only gifted spirit manipulator in the Holy Dragon Empire that was on par with Isis. However, he didn''t know much about why she ran away from home.


    "I took Sabina as my disciple several years ago, and she had been following me around all these years. Then, not long ago, she went to the Gehenna Border under my command. And after that, she followed Commander in Chief Rocky and had been with him all this time," Marcia explained shortly.


    "So that''s what happened." The emperor nodded to himself, satisfied with Marcia''s explanation. But then he asked, "You just said that Rocky was dead. What happened? Why are there rumors of his betrayal if he is dead?"


    "Your Majesty, here is the thing..." Thus, Sabina told the emperor the whole story, which included the fact that Alyssa had tortured Rocky and that he almost died in her hands just so they could live to see another day. After that, he pretended to betray them so that he could save them. She added that she saw Woods'' and his bodyguards'' dead bodies and that she also witnessed it when Rocky went to his doom right in front of her eyes.


    When the people heard everything that Sabina had to say, the whole Grand Holy Hall fell silent. It shocked them because they had never expected that there was such a truth hidden behind the rumor.


    And at that moment, almost everyone''s impression of Rocky had also changed. Previously, the people believed that he was a traitor, but now they saw him as a hero, someone who had chosen to die for the safety of his men.


    ''Damn it! Why did it turn out like this?'' Alston cursed inwardly, outraged by the


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    l himself, but why would he suddenly turn up as the Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Group? It was such a fantastical story, so much so that no one knew quite what to believe. "General Marcia, what did you just say? Rocky is Basil?"


    the emperor asked dubiously like he couldn''t understand what the words even meant. The news was echoed all through the crowd in waves, as everyone passed the news to another.


    Meanwhile, Lance and Isis looked at each other in dismay. They had been trying to uncover Rocky''s identity all this time, but they had never thought that he was Prince Basil. On the other hand, the emperor was still coming to terms with the truth. He looked helplessly at Marcia and the others, and his eyes were begging them to deny the truth. His son couldn''t be dead, right? "Does this mean that... Basil is dead?!" the emperor cried out brokenly, his voice hoarse and pained. There was a flicker of regret on his grieving face, and he flashed back to the last time that he had seen his son.


    "That''s right. He died for the Crimson Dragon Army and for the Holy Dragon Empire. And yet people even slandered him!" Marcia''s voice was steady, outraged by the people''s disrespect, but she couldn''t hide the sadness in her eyes.


    "What? Basil is dead?!" Just then, a woman''s cry sounded above all the others. Their heads swiveled at the same time, and they saw a delicate figure who was walking into the Grand Holy Hall. Her eyes were wide with shock and shiny with unshed tears.

 Chapter 737 A Grand Funeral

    Everyone snapped as one to where the voice came from and was faced by a delicate girl who trembled at the sad news. She hurriedly shuffled forward, and an incredulous exclamation left her lips again. "How did Basil die? That''s impossible! I haven''t even seen him yet! I still have a lot to say to him! Why did he die? Why..."


    Her wails became louder for every word she spoke. It was as if her heart had shattered into thousands of pieces within her chest. Everyone could only look on in shock at her grief.


    What shocked them the most was that she wasn''t just some girl; she was Lena, the Witch of the Holy Dragon Empire.


    "I should have told you earlier but...I didn''t expect that Basil would..." Guilt weighed heavily in Marcia''s heart when she looked at the grief-stricken lines on Lena''s delicate face. If she knew that something like this would happen, she would have told Lena that Rocky was actually Basil, but it was too late for that now.


    "You knew where he was from the very beginning?! Why didn''t you tell me? Why?" Lena turned to look at Marcia with burning hate. Not once had she considered that her close friend would have been hiding the truth from her all this time.


    Once she saw Lena''s face, Marcia hastily said, "Don''t say that, Lena. I''ll explain..."


    "No, I don''t want to listen. I want to see Basil. I want to see him even if he''s dead!" Tears streamed down her face.


    Both Isis and Marin carried a torch for Rocky, but even they were stunned by the gravity of Lena''s grief. It hit them that her love for him was deeper than theirs.


    "Your Royal Highness, the body of His Royal Highness is no longer there. It might be because the power within his body raged out of control, but as a result, he turned into ash," Sabina told Lena, nibbling on her lips.


    "What?" Lena could only sadly shake her head. In the end, she couldn''t even see Basil for the last time.


    When he saw Lena drown in her anguish, Alston could only grit his teeth. In the end, he still couldn''t get her.


    Besides Lena''s muffled sobs, the entire Grand Holy Hall fell into a solemn silence. Rocky was originally a hero died in the fight against the prince of the Timber Deity Empire, bu


    All the ministers immediately looked at each other and then said in unison, "Your Majesty, there''s nothing wrong with your decision."


    "Then do as I say. I''m a little tired. Send the Witch back first." After his final order, the emperor settled back down on his throne and cradled his forehead on one hand with his eyes closed. Every inch of him screamed of exhaustion deeper than just the fatigue in his old bones.


    Soon, several maids came in and held Lena, who was still too engulfed in her grief to care about anything, and they escorted her out of the Grand Holy Hall.


    Once they saw them left, the ministers also immediately retreated.


    Lance, his daughter, and Marin left the hall too. Now that the rumor that Rocky betrayed the country was cleared up and his identity was revealed, they had achieved their goal. Even so, Rocky''s death was still a blow which they needed to recover from, and it would take time for them to accept the truth.


    "Sabina, I have something to tell you," Allen said to Sabina as soon as they walked out of the hall. After sending a sign to Marcia, Sabina followed after him.


    Alston looked indignant and left in a huff. However, when he passed by Marcia, he heard a sweet voice whisper next to him. "I''ll find out the cause of Basil''s death. His death isn''t normal. Once I find out who killed him, I won''t go easy on that bastard!"


    Fear flashed across his face and Alston fled without daring to glance at her.

 Chapter 738 Got The Wrong Person

    Afterwards, Marcia and the emperor were left alone in the Grand Holy Hall. She glanced at the pale emperor before attempting to leave, but his grave voice stopped her, "General Marcia, when did you realize that Rocky was Basil?"


    "I sent Sabina to find Basil and protect him. Since then, I knew Rocky was Basil." Marcia turned around to reply to the emperor''s question.


    "Why didn''t you tell me? Why did you send Sabina to protect him?" the emperor demanded.


    "Your Majesty, the reason why I didn''t tell you is because I thought Basil had done something unforgivable and that you hadn''t forgiven him yet. So I didn''t say anything, just in case. As for sending Sabina to protect Basil, it''s because after he reached the Heavenly Stage, he broke the seal I had set in his body, making the Holy Dragon Bead''s power in his body harder to control. I feared that the Holy Dragon Bead''s power would go out of control again, so I sent Sabina to look for him and protect him. If his power went out of control, she could help him through the difficulty," Marcia explained.


    "Even a vicious tiger doesn''t eat its cubs. He is my child. Since Lena has already forgiven him, why wouldn''t I?" the emperor sighed tiredly.


    "I''m sorry, Your Majesty. I knew his identity and yet I didn''t tell you. Please punish me," Marcia said from her low bow.


    "Never mind. Now that Basil''s dead, there''s no point in punishing you. I worry about Lena. It seems that she has deep feelings for Basil." He could see from Lena''s expression that she loved Basil very much and he also knew that Basil''s death must be a heavy blow to bear.


    "Please leave this to me. I will be by her side. There''s no need for concern, Your Majesty!" Unknown to the emperor, Marcia''s eyes turned dark as she spoke and then she turned and left.


    When Rocky''s true identity as the prince was revealed to the public and most people grieved over his death, Rocky himself was m


    fth grade of the Earthly Stage at most. Even though the woman had partnered with a spirit-manipulated beast at the second grade of the three-star level, she was still at a disadvantage.


    Rocky couldn''t see her face because she had her back to him.


    Perhaps it was because the fight lasted for too long, her spiritual power felt weak. Soon, the beast managed to hit her right arm and leave a fierce injury. She retreated a few steps back because of the pain. In her thin sleeveless leather coat, leather pants, and a pair of high boots, she seemed so sexy. But more than her body, her face was even more striking.


    "Sue..." The name left Rocky''s lips when he saw her face. In his mind, they looked similar, but the woman in front of him was like a sexier and more mature version of Sue. Although she wasn''t very beautiful, it was charming enough to attract people''s attention.


    As soon as the wild spirit-manipulated beast saw that the woman was injured, it immediately launched a fierce attack. Her wound obviously hindered her and she reacted a moment too late.


    Rocky''s eyes rested on the woman''s face for a moment, and in the next moment, he pressed his right hand on the Rainbow Glow Unicorn''s forehead. In the blink of an eye, he and the Rainbow Glow Unicorn disappeared.

 Chapter 739 You Are So Lucky

    A moment later, the wild spirit-manipulated beast howled in pain, and was barreling towards the ground. When the woman saw this opening, she immediately called upon her own spirit-manipulated beast to attack the other, and easily killed it.


    "This is really strange. Why did the beast suddenly fall to the ground? Never mind. At least it''s done at last!" The woman was first startled, not sure what happened, but then she laughed out loud. She took out the tools she carried with her and began to dismember the corpse of the spirit-manipulated beast she had slain. Using her tools, she harvested rare and precious materials from the beast.


    "She looks like my counterpart," Rocky murmured to himself. He made sure to distance himself from the woman in order to not get caught. From there, his eyes were fixed on the woman, watching her as he was captivated by her looks.


    Not long after the woman had collected all the materials from the wild spirit-manipulated beast, she then left with her own spirit-manipulated beast.


    Rocky immediately trailed her. The reason he had helped her in the first place was that he needed her to lead him out of the rain forest.


    So, Rocky followed the woman as she went through the dense forest. Judging by her movement, he could tell she was very familiar with it. After only a short while, they were already out of the rain forest. And about two hours later, Rocky saw a city surrounded by walls as high as skyscrapers. Even from a distance, he could hear the bustling of the city. A stream of people fluttered in and out of the city gate.


    "Thank you so much, gorgeous!" Rocky said in a low voice. He took one last look at the beautiful woman before he disappeared.


    At the same time, the woman turned her head, scanning her surroundings with a strange look on her face. She couldn''t help but ask herself, "Why do I get the feeling that someone is following me?"


    Meanwhile, Rocky, who had already made it into the city, looked around and fo


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    the Magical Beast House and soon saw the signboard hanging at the entrance of the shop. The signboard read "Staff Recruiting" on it.


    "I am looking for a job," Rocky said. The corners of his lips curled.


    "A beggar coming to our shop to find a job? What do you think the Magical Beast House is?" said another man with a smug on his face.


    "Shut up!" The woman put the apple into the man''s mouth and asked Rocky, "Looking for a job? Our Magical Beast House is not an ordinary place. The people we need must have professional skills to work here, such as beast evaluation, beast raising, beast taming..."


    "I know how to do all of them... a little..." Rocky wanted to say he knew everything about beasts, but they might not hire him if they thought he was lying, so he added "a little" at the end.


    "Really?" The woman thought for a while and ordered the two men, "Take him to Willie and see what he can do." She then entered the shop.


    ''She is so hot. At first I thought she must be bossy, but it turns out she''s got a soft heart, '' Rocky thought to himself. The woman left quite an impression on him.


    "Boy, you are lucky you met Miss Juey. She has a heart of gold. If you met Miss Mary, she would have asked us to beat you up right then and there," said one of the two men, as they looked at Rocky with envy.

 Chapter 740 I Am Rookie

    One of the two strong men led Rocky into the Magical Beast House and guided him to a room on the second floor. Every inch of the room felt luxurious due to all its ornate decor. Behind the expensive square table sat a man who was furrowing his thin brows and squinting his already small eyes. He looked shrewd in every sense of the word and was engrossed in what seemed to be an account book.


    When the man raised his head and saw them, he immediately locked onto Rocky''s filthy clothes that made him look like a beggar. A frown formed on his face and he asked, "Who''s that?"


    "Steward Willie, he''s..." Rocky didn''t hear the rest as the man beside him went closer to Willie Wu and spoke to him in a low voice.


    "Oh, it''s Miss Juey again. She takes cats and dogs in, and now a person too. What''s more, we even need to find a job for him. Our Magical Beast House isn''t charity hall." Willie clicked his tongue and his tone alone was all Rocky needed to know that he held no respect for Juey. He glanced at Rocky again and his thin brows furrowed in disapproval. "It just so happened that a servant working in the beast farm just quit. You may take over the job," he instructed. He turned back to the man and said something in his ear.


    Afterwards, the man led Rocky out of the room, back down to the first floor, and out to the Magical Beast House''s backyard. It was surprisingly big, a vast area with plenty of houses. People in uniforms came and went, greeting each other with smiles just like a big family.


    They walked westward for a while and passed by a few rows of connected bungalows, all neatly separated from each other.


    The man led Rocky into one of the bungalows and said to him, "You can live here from now on. Stay here and wait for me." After his instruction, he left without a glance back.


    Rocky watched him go before entering the bungalow and checking his new home. The room was small but had a huge bed piled with several quilts.


    ''I have to leave. There''s no point in staying here, '' Rocky thought to himself. His original plan


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    he took him in or not, he still felt obliged to show his gratitude.


    "I often take in homeless animals; you''re not the first one I took in." She waved off his thanks and smiled brightly at him.


    Rocky was at a loss whether to cry or to laugh. ''So she''s treating me just like a homeless animal.''


    "By the way, I don''t know your name yet. What is it?" She peered up at him.


    "Miss Juey, you can call me Rookie." Rocky didn''t want to tell her his real name, lest it stir up some trouble.


    "Rookie? Why, it''s the same name as the dog I took in the day before yesterday! It''s also called Rookie." The girl chuckled to herself.


    Sweat broke out on Rocky''s forehead as his head pounded. ''What a silly girl she is!'' he thought. ''She''s all breast and no brain. She just talks and talks without a thought.''


    "Don''t get me wrong, I''m not making fun of you. It was just a coincidence," she quickly explained when she saw the look on Rocky''s face.


    "Never mind." Rocky shook his head.


    "You should work hard and don''t slack off! Otherwise, I''d be scolded by Willie. He''d blame me for taking you in." She made a face and left quickly after.


    Once she was out of sight, Rocky disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    While Rocky was testing the waters of his new life in a strange place, his grand funeral was being held in the Imperial City of the Holy Dragon Empire.

 Chapter 741 An Unprecedented Event In History

    At the break of day, the entire Palace City was filled with white flags. Even the entire Imperial City raised colorless banners. The death knell sounded incessantly as gloom lingered on. It was a time of sadness, and people from the city wore white clothes to express their sorrow. The streets were crowded with people, from the entrance of the Palace City to the west gate of the Imperial City. A lengthy procession covered the ten-mile long street. The scene was unbelievable. Such display of extravagance was only witnessed after the death of an emperor, and never for a prince.


    Before long, the sound of funeral music was heard inside the Palace City. The melancholy song did not offer any comfort to the people, because soon enough a golden coffin came into view. It was accompanied by thousands of people, led by the guards of the burial team. The golden coffin was carefully designed as ordered by the emperor himself. Even if the instruction was to finish it overnight, the golden coffin was not built in haste. It had a unique design and was exquisite in appearance. A coffin covered in elegance, fit only for royalty. Nonetheless, it was unoccupied. Only a few of Basil''s cherished possession was inside.


    The royal members and the burial guards all wore white underclothes, covered by a black robe. The attendees present during the funeral included the emperor and all the army generals. Most of them looked sad and silently wiped the tears from their eyes. However, it was not because of a personal loss or sorrow, but because of the underlying circumstances.


    Still, some people from the crowd grieved deeply and were heartbroken. Lance, Allen, and soldiers under the Crimson Dragon Army mourned in silence. Isis took it hard and was crying a river. The bravery that had always covered her beautiful face was now replaced with sadness and misery. The ferocity in her eyes had disappeared and was now replaced with longing and despair. Her eyes were red, swollen. People around her knew she spent the night crying in pain, and there was nothing they could do to console her. She looked tired and cried silently as she followed the golden coffin reluctantly. Every step was filled with anguish, and the pain in her heart was beyond words.


    Marin walked alongside Isis. They spoke no words. She did not look as distressed as Isis, but she too broke down at the thought she would never see Rocky again. She had always been infatuated with Rocky and it saddened her that he died at such a young age. Her heart stopped beating for a while and it was mostly for what her cousin was going through right now. It was just recently, when Isis married the man of her dreams, and now her husband was gone forever. She knew the relationship was not for real, but Isis'' swollen eyes told her everything. Marin realized that her cousin had fallen for Rocky. The sorrow that was painted all over her face was undeniable.


    However, something was amiss. There were three people missing from the crowd. Marcia, Sabina, and Lena were nowhere to be found.


    The golden coffin was quietly taken out of the Palace City, followed by the people f


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    n on the floor, and said in a deep voice, "I am too late." With her head bowed, she took a step towards Isis and sat on her heels next to her.


    The shock in the crowd had doubled. Beautiful women had appeared one after the other, and they all wanted to stay beside Rocky''s coffin.


    The woman in white was none other than Lena.


    "What is happening? What is Her Royal Highness doing here?" People whispered under their breath. They could not believe that Lena appeared and wanted to keep vigil beside Basil''s coffin as well.


    The noise inside the mourning hall intensified as the people chattered among themselves. The scene that unfolded before them was extraordinary and made them question Basil''s character.


    "Your Royal Highness, please..." Isis started to say, but stopped herself without asking why. She was a little surprised and flattered to see General Marcia, but it stunned her beyond words to have the Witch''s presence beside her. Lena held a very prominent position in the country. The authority that she possessed was next to the emperor himself. Isis did not dare to continue her question. However, all these confused her to no end. How many things did Rocky keep from her? Do these two most powerful women have something to do with him?


    Isis was not the only one at a loss. Everyone at the funeral were asking the same question.


    Far back from the crowd, Alston seethed with anger when he saw Lena sat on her heels for Basil. He never expected that Basil could still piss him off even after he died.


    The atmosphere inside the hall remained intense as five powerful and beautiful women sat on their heels beside the coffin. Each of the five women wore the same grief-stricken expression, as if pain and misery swallowed them.


    It was no big deal, if only they were ordinary women. However, all of them were renowned beauties from the Holy Dragon Empire. One of them was an acclaimed Great General, while one was the Witch. The rest were future successors of famous and high-ranking families. Any of them was enough to cause an uproar in the Holy Dragon Empire.

 Chapter 742 An Irreplaceable Disciple

    Apart from Marin, the other four girls were beauty queens, the most beautiful girls in the Holy Dragon Empire. One was among the Three Great Generals, and another was the renowned witch. They were very prominent figures. News of the General and the witch keeping vigil at Basil''s coffin, besides the other ladies, would shock the empire. With the perfect figures of an hourglass, the General and the witch stood out, even among other beauties. They were the kind of flawless faces with picture-perfect smiles that when they smiled, you couldn''t help but smile along too, as if they''d had you hypnotized.


    Sooner or later, their coming here would undoubtedly make headlines throughout the Holy Dragon Empire.


    At noon, the ceremony began.


    The first person to offer incense was the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire. He did not look his usual self, dignified, and peaceful. Sadness showed all over his face. As he stared at the golden coffin, tears welled in his eyes. Basil was his son¡ªthe only child with his deceased and beloved wife. Although Basil had committed a treasonable offense, the emperor had already forgiven him, from deep at heart. Had he not forgiven, after Basil was estranged, the emperor wouldn''t have sent the Priest Dean to look for him. But unfortunately, before they could reconcile, Basil died.


    After offering incense, the emperor turned around and looked at the people gathered. "For his loyalty to the Holy Dragon Empire and his dying a heroic death, I declare Basil Prince Crimson. I also confer on him the title of Great General," he announced with a heavy heart. Also, the emperor made Isis Princess Crimson because she had married Basil.


    The announcement caused a sudden stir at the solemn ceremony. Basil had made significant contributions to the Holy Dragon Empire, even paying the ultimate price in the process. But the emperor''s announcement was unprecedented. Making his son Prince Crimson posthumously was reasonable, but it was a bit unexpected to declare him Great General. If Basil were still alive, installing him to the two titles would make him an heir apparent to the emperor. Even Alston would have to accept the fact.


    However, now that Basil was dead, the titles were meaningless. Under normal circumstances, the emperor of t


    " Isis called out when she saw him rushing towards the mourning hall.


    Yesterday, when Sheridan returned to Evian City, he heard about Rocky''s betrayal. But he felt something was wrong somewhere. So, immediately, he rushed back to the Imperial City. But to his disappointment, he learned that Rocky had died. He was also shocked to learn that, in fact, Rocky was Prince Basil. When they told him the mourning hall was set up in the imperial tomb, he rushed there.


    "Isis, what happened? I left my disciple much alive and kicking. What happened to him? He couldn''t have died so abruptly unless something went terribly wrong." Sheridan cried like a child, overwhelmed by the sudden loss.


    The appearance of Sheridan and his exaggerated behavior surprised the people around him. After all, he was a sturdy, famed beast tamer of the Wild Spirit Land. For many, he had been living in seclusion. He lived his life without regrets, damn happy about freedom in the wild, far away from mere mortals. The most recent thing anyone knew about him was that Rocky was his only disciple. And Sheridan admitting anyone to be his disciple was a privilege that many would die for. Rocky must have been highly gifted and lucky as well.


    By now, the unrestrained way Sheridan mourned had already proven just how important Basil was to him. How could the most respected beast tamer and beast curer of the Wild Spirit Land be so affected by a mere disciple? For his matchless skill and rich modern knowledge, Rocky was irreplaceable.

 Chapter 743 The Ximen Clan

    "I didn''t expect him to come here..." Priest Dean stood in awkward silence for a little while, as he was caught off-guard by Sheridan''s appearance.


    "Master Sheridan, I''m sorry for your loss but you have to calm down." As surprised as he was, the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire couldn''t help but pacify him. Nobody expected Sheridan to come, as he was always hidden in seclusion, and it was even more unexpected to see him so stricken by Basil''s death.


    "Your Majesty, how did your son become my disciple? He shouldn''t have been allowed to fight on that dangerous border. And now, he''s gone..." Sheridan broke down and wailed, unable to choose his words properly over his grief.


    In a different setting, this could''ve caused Sheridan''s death, but this time, the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire only shook his head and released a deep sigh. He understood that Sheridan sounded impolite only because of his great love for Basil.


    "Sheridan, I''m sorry for your loss," Lance said as he hurried to Sheridan''s side. He laid a comforting hand on his shoulder and guided him aside.


    Sheridan let himself be led away, as he wiped his cheeks dry, but pain and heartbreak were apparent in his eyes. His shoulders curved inward as if he wanted to sink into himself and away from the world.


    Once Sheridan had settled at the side, and everyone settled down, the ceremony was allowed to continue. Then, an announcement came from the entrance to the tomb, "The chief of the Ji Clan has come to pay his respects!"


    Not long after, a thin and tall man with thick eyebrows and greying hair entered the imperial tomb. He was at the Divine Stage, and his majestic demeanor was enough to shock everyone present.


    It was Elvis, chief of the Ji Clan, and directly behind him stood Allen.


    Elvis''s appearance destroyed the frayed silence in the imperial tomb, as all at once the people began to talk.


    Although Basil had died protecting the empire, and he was buried with honors by the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire, only those in the Imperial City should know about this, as it would take time for the news to spread throughout the whole Holy Dragon Empire. But Elvis, on behalf of the Ji Clan, went all the way to the Imperial City to pay his last respects.


    If it was done by anyone


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    uld be in trouble now. What he did for the Crimson Dragon Group is beyond my imagination! I admire his daring and courage! He was the hero of the Crimson Dragon Group and my benefactor. My kneeling speaks for my immeasurable gratitude for everything His Royal Highness has done," said Lance, his voice firm and passionate.


    The people who heard his declaration whispered to each other in excitement and awe.


    And even the emperor was rendered speechless by Lance''s devotion.


    It seemed that Lance''s unexpected words and gesture moved all those who were listening. But suddenly, just before the end of the ceremony, a voice came from the outside of the imperial tomb, "The chief of the Ximen Clan and Miss Shirley are here to pay tribute..."


    The voice immediately attracted everyone''s attention. Their heads swiveled with one mind to the entrance at the same time.


    There, they saw two figures enter the imperial tomb. One of them was a tall man with sharp eyebrows and grey hair, and he seemed full of energy and vigor, and his power was at the Immortal Stage. It was Bryant, and following closely behind him was Shirley.


    For over a year, she seemed to have grown a lot, and she was now close to the Heavenly Stage, probably with the help of several treasures of heaven and earth. She gave off an impression of maturity and beauty that could even rival Marcia, and with her inherent pride, she stood out above all the other ladies.


    Bryant and Shirley''s appearance brought silence to the whole imperial tomb.

 Chapter 744 Wanting To Go The Holy Dragon Empire

    Bryant was influential in the Holy Dragon Empire, and he was a top master at the Immortal Stage. Even the royal family, including the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire, had great respect for him. Thus, it was evident that Bryant''s appearance was the last thing anyone could have expected.


    He was one of the Three Great Generals of the Holy Dragon Empire and the leader of the Ximen Clan. It could even be said that Bryant was qualified to be on an equal footing with the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire. His appearance was quite a shock, as more than one year ago, he went to the border along with the Sky Army to guard there, and he hadn''t been back for over a year. Besides, after Basil spiraled suddenly into madness and cultivated in seclusion to heal himself, his engagement with Shirley from the Ximen Clan was broken off. As a result, the relationship between the Ximen Clan and the royal family became very tense. Normally, Bryant had no reason to attend Basil''s funeral.


    However, to everyone''s surprise, Bryant had come back from a faraway place just to attend Basil''s funeral.


    Bryant and Shirley walked towards the emperor amid the whispered buzzing of the people around them. When they reached him, they bowed deeply in greeting.


    "Why did you come back?" the emperor asked. A year ago, he made an excuse to send Bryant''s Sky Army to a very remote border, so that he could prevent him from investigating the marriage. And now, he was somewhat embarrassed to see Bryant, because now that Basil had died, the truth about that matter would finally be revealed.


    "I heard that Prince Basil died for our empire, and all people in the empire are mourning for him. He and Shirley were engaged before, and although he has broken off the engagement, it is only right that we should come and attend his funeral," Bryant responded calmly.


    Meanwhile, behind him, Shirley barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes. In the past, Basil suddenly pretended to be ill and disappeared. As a result, their engagement was broken off, and she became the laughingstock in people''s eyes. Now, even though Basil had become a hero in the Holy Dragon Empire, she was still holding a grudge against him because of what he had done to her in the past. Ever since that happened, she had often dreamed of getting back at him, but she didn''t expect him to die so early. Now that he was dead, she couldn''t enact her revenge anymore, and that was the only thing that saddened her.


    It irked her that Brya


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    ay of Basil''s funeral, all the soldiers of the Crimson Dragon Group gathered together in the main camp, and they decided to spend three days fasting to mourn for their fallen Commander in Chief.


    The news reached the Imperial City after two days, and the emperor and the ministers were moved by their devotion. They didn''t expect that Basil would be so revered by the Crimson Dragon Group.


    On the other side, the empires in the Wild Spirit Land, including the Timber Deity Empire, also received the news.


    Alyssa and Woods were stunned when they learned that Rocky was the prince of the Holy Dragon Empire and that he was dead.


    "He died?" Woods murmured almost to himself, as his face was shrouded by darkness. There was a strange glint in his eyes, as he survived only because of Rocky''s mercy, and ironically, it was Rocky who had died.


    "How did he die? How did this happen?" To say that Alyssa was stunned was an understatement. She finally found the person who was related to her curse seal, but now he was dead. She shook her head in dismay.


    "It must be that man." A serious look suddenly appeared on Woods''s face as if he was remembering something.


    "What man? What are you talking about?" Alyssa asked in confusion.


    "Nothing." Woods opened his mouth but hesitated at the last second. He believed that since Rocky was dead, it would be useless, even if he knew who killed him. Besides, no one would believe him if he told them.


    At that moment, Alyssa looked a little absent-minded and restless. She seemed preoccupied for a while, and then she suddenly spoke firmly as if she had made up her mind, "I''m going to the Holy Dragon Empire."

 Chapter 745 Not In The Same League

    Rocky had been staying in the Magical Beast House for three days. During daytime, he had done some chores; and at night, he had collected samples of the spirit-manipulated beasts living in the beast farm. He had done some research on them, analyzed the data, and finally speculated the genome sequences of different spirit-manipulated beasts. He had now extracted more than seventy types of beasts'' genomes. Most of them belonged to the spirit-manipulated beasts from the Gehenna Border. Of course, there were still more to discover. The seventy kinds were only the tip of the iceberg in the whole Wild Spirit Land.


    So, all Rocky needed to do now was to collect the remaining genomes of spirit-manipulated beasts, and the Magical Beast House was the perfect place for that. This high-end beast farm was like a treasure house of rare and exotic beasts he had never seen before.


    The beasts provided by the Magical Beast House saved Rocky tons of sweat and time. According to his estimations, the Magical Beast House could provide him with at least fifty different genomes. However, it would take a long time to completely study and analyze all of the genomes at the same time.


    During these three days, Rocky had already found out that the city he was in was called Barren City because it was located right at the edge of a desert. It was a big city under the Timber Deity Empire which sat on the border between the Timber Deity Empire and the Magic Phoenix Empire. Therefore, it served as the prosperous trading hub between the two countries.


    The Magical Beast House was very famous all across the Timber Deity Empire and spawned 10 branches across the empire. Although it didn''t have as much branches like the Super Beast Farm in the Holy Dragon Empire, it still provided excellent quality beasts on sale. It even sold beasts from a two-star rating all the way to a four-star rating which were very rare for ordinary spirit manipulators.


    The reason why the Magical Beast House could sell a diverse set of beasts was because the Barren City itself was home to many kinds of spirit-manipulated beasts. Except for the southern part of the city, which b


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    o was the best and most powerful beast curer and manipulator in all of the Wild Spirit Land.


    Learning under the guidance of Sheridan and integrating it with modern technology allowed Rocky to surpass his teacher in terms of medical skills. In other words, working as a mere servant in the Magical Beast House of the Xiao Clan was nothing but a waste of time for Rocky.


    If only the chief of the Xiao Clan knew that he was Sheridan''s disciple, he would be shocked.


    The Xiao Clan''s current chief was Raef Xiao. He was a famous beast curer in the Timber Deity Empire, and his medical skill was comparable to that of the most powerful beast curers in the top three powerful clans in the Timber Deity Empire. Unfortunately, the strength of the clan only depended on his strength. If there were no powerful spirit manipulator in the clan, it was doomed to fall.


    Although the Xiao Clan was known among the spirit manipulator families, they never had developed any powerful spirit manipulators. Their most powerful member had only reached the fifth grade of the Heavenly Stage. Currently, there were only three masters of the Heavenly Stage in the clan. The strongest of which was an elder who was only at the third grade of the Heavenly Stage, while the clan leader was just at the first grade of the Heavenly Stage. In short, the Xiao Clan was miles away from the power of second-class clans in the country, let alone those big ones.

 Chapter 746 It Takes Time

    It took years for the Xiao Clan to advance their power. However, they belonged to the third class for a long time, and this was considered an inferior rank. Thanks to the favorable outcome of the Beast Curing Skill and the successful business of the Magical Beast House, the Xiao Clan now possessed a strong economic power. Otherwise, the more powerful families would have destroyed the Xiao Clan.


    The backyard of the Magical Beast House occupied part of the Xiao''s mansion. Rocky caught sight of houses that belonged to the disciples of the Xiao Clan. It was their place of work, and if you went further north, you could see the magnificent Xiao''s mansion.


    Rocky had been staying at the Xiao Clan residence for three days, but he never met the chief of it nor glimpsed him. He only heard bits and pieces of information from the servants. He knew that Juey, who took him in out of kindness, was the third daughter of Raef.


    Rocky also heard from the servants that Juey was not well-liked by the Xiao Clan. In fact, she almost had no status and had no position in the family business. Unlike Juey''s sister Mary, who was Raef''s second daughter. According to the servants, Mary was Raef''s favorite.


    This was because Mary had inherited the blood of Xiao Clan. She was also blessed with a remarkable talent for beast healing. Raef favored her above everyone else because of this and cultivated her while she was young. She was famous for her Beast Curing Skill in the Timber Deity Empire and she would most likely take over her father''s position. On the other hand, Juey did not inherit any of the Xiao Clan''s medical talents. They considered her dull and mentally deficient in the aspect of beast healing. So while Raef took excellent care of Mary, he ignored Juey completely as her daughter.


    Raef also had a sworn son, Travis. They said that he became a disciple of the Xiao Clan while he was still very young. He had an excellent medical talent, and since Raef did not have a biological son, he adopted Travis.


    Apparently, despite of Raef''s numerous disciples, only Travis mastered their Xiao Clan''s Beast Curing S


    spirit-manipulated beast, its strength and capabilities had a minor effect. It worried him that taking Rainbow Glow Unicorn to the desert could be fatal to him and the beast.


    But Rocky did not feel hopeless. He was sure to come up with a solution sooner or later. All he had to do was focus and finish his experiments in the Magical Beast House first.


    At this point, Rocky planned to explore all options to cultivate Rainbow Glow Unicorn. Fortunately, he still had a very rare blue spiritual crystal which had also stored a large part of his spiritual power. To make the beast absorb this part of power, he had to connect to the beast through spiritual power first. There was no room for error or miscalculation.


    Only after he had completed the spiritual power connection could Rainbow Glow Unicorn absorb the spiritual power of blue spiritual crystal. Without it, Rocky could not control how much Rainbow Glow Unicorn could absorb every time. For now, it could not absorb the blue spiritual crystal all at once. One false move could result in a deathly outcome despite the fact that Rainbow Glow Unicorn was a highly qualified spirit-manipulated beast of the King Level.


    Patience was of utmost importance for Rocky at present. Figuring out the situation at the Holy Dragon Empire, and promoting the advance of Rainbow Glow Unicorn and his research would all take a lot of time before they got resolved.

 Chapter 747 Mystery Of The Evil Power

    Beside, Rocky wanted to take this opportunity to adapt to the evil power sealed in the spiritual soul container. He knew that though the power sealed by the spiritual soul container was being suppressed, it could circulate together with the normal spiritual power in the body, without affecting the body. It could also be released at a critical time when he needed to improve his strength rapidly in a short period. But, of course, he knew it would be risky to enhance his strength that way, so he needed to identify the limit to the amount of evil power he could bear. In that way, his power would be advanced to a new stage.


    After fighting against Alston, Rocky felt that although the Holy Dragon Bead''s evil power was extremely powerful, it was not something the human body could bear. For now, he could only release the sealed power in the third layer, but after that, there was still the fourth layer, and then the fifth layer, and so on. There was no doubt that the next layer would be even more powerful than the previous one, but the danger was that this power was unbearable for human beings.


    And so, even though Rocky was lucky enough to survive this time, he still had some scruples about the evil power of the Holy Dragon Bead. And more than that, he didn''t have Sabina beside him to help, so he couldn''t release the fourth layer of the seal yet. Otherwise, his body would be unable to bear the great power, and it could break down.


    Thus, the first step for Rocky was to merge with the sealed power in the third layer. Now, this wasn''t something that could be achieved simply by words, but would take a lot of time and effort. This was also one of the reasons why he chose to cross the desert in the future.


    Rocky had been wandering around the auction house for a while, and he was beginning to feel bored, so he decided to go back to the beast farm. But just as he reached the first floor, a commotion was heard from the gate of the Magical Beast House. "Have all the members of the Magical Beast House been killed? Is anybody here?"


    Rocky immediately looked out and saw that a


    it out when he was asked to hold it earlier. In between the short period that he was asked to hold it, as they walked to the room, he had already determined the reason. But he didn''t say anything because he didn''t want to interfere, as that could arouse their suspicion, or at the worst, they could figure out his secret identity.


    "I thought the spirit-manipulated beasts bought from you were of authentic quality, and yet you sold me a dying one! You promise that if one fake beast is sold, you will give ten beasts as compensation. Well, I paid one thousand taels of silver coins for it, so you better pay me back ten thousand taels!" The black-bearded man was livid, as he shouted at the top of his lungs.


    "Sir, please wait a moment. I will send for a more competent curer to come here," said Willie. His voice trembled, as cold sweat broke out from his pores. That sum of money was so huge. And he could tell that there was something suspicious about the black-bearded man, but without any evidence, he couldn''t do anything to him. At that moment, he was desperate to find out what was wrong with the cub, especially since he was in danger of losing such a big amount. Ten thousand taels of silver coins were quite a lot for compensation after all.


    A short while passed, and two more beast curers came into the room by Willie''s request, but they still found nothing wrong with the cub.

 Chapter 748 No Evidence On The Table

    Willie hated lies, especially the ones that were so ridiculous. Yet here he was, having to deal with such from the man who had shown up at his doorstep. "Butler Willie, have you finished? In my opinion, you don''t have to pretend. Apparently, the Magical Beast House sold me a sick beast," the black-bearded man beat the gang and shouted impatiently. The man looked like someone who knew he was lying through his teeth. A fraud, trying to hustle the Magical Beast House out a healthy beast they had sold him. And the swindler was gutsy into the bargain. Even if he knew Willie could sniff out his lies, the ego would not let him apologize.


    "Sir, don''t worry. We''ll finish in a minute. Go to the mansion and ask Master Harry to come here." Willie hesitated, before calling out with a worried face.


    Soon, a young man in a green robe and square face walked in. He looked simple and honest, and his every move was steady.


    "Master Harry, the customer bought this baby Heaven Prestigious Tiger from us the day before yesterday, but it fell ill, after only two days. Do you know what might have happened?" Willie asked.


    The young man was Harry, a disciple of Raef. Raef usually accepted many disciples for training. But they only learned basic skills then left to start their own life. Some used the skills acquired under him, for sustenance, by treating beasts. Only a small number of disciples still stayed here to work for the Xiao Clan. Harry was one of those who stayed on. With his excellent work ethic, he put in extra effort, every day to study the art of Beast Curing Skill. As a result, Raef grew fond of him. Now he was the first beast tamer in the Magical Beast House.


    "Okay." Harry nodded and went to check on the Heaven Prestigious Tiger.


    "Master Harry is one of our promising disciples from the Xiao Clan who has also inherited many of our chief. He is the most skilled beast curer of our Magical Beast House. I''m sure he can tell what''s wrong with your spirit-manipulated beast," Willie said to the man with a black beard on purpose, giving him a hint.


    "Oh, really? Then let me see how powerful he is." Willie had intimidated the man into some semblance of sanity. But inside, the man was on pins and needles, especially from the time Harry ca


    a simple issue. This fellow is smart as a whip. The method he used is very simple, but it might leave these so-called beast curers helpless, '' Rocky wondered to himself. Rocky really wanted to save the Heaven Prestigious Tiger''s life, but he didn''t want to expose himself.


    "Don''t waste time. I have more important things to attend to," the black-beard man thundered, like the excitable person he had been earlier. He seemed to have planned this for a long time. He immediately stood up from his seat, looking very angry.


    "Wait a minute, sir!" Willie tried to pacify him.


    "What are you waiting for? The Magical Beast House sold a sick beast to me, but you pretended to be innocent. Do you think I''m easy to bully? Forget it. I''m in a good mood today. I won''t ask you for ten thousand taels. That''s a lot of bucks that could leave holes in your pockets. So I''ll just be a gentleman, and cut it down to five thousand," the man said as he raised his hand.


    "But you checked the beast before I sold it to you. If it were a sick beast, you would have known, and wouldn''t have taken it," Willie explained.


    "Who knows if you had done something fishy to it before you sold?" retorted the man. It was apparent the guy had come here with malicious intentions. He did not even pause to understand what Willie was saying.


    "You..." Although Willie was pretty sure that the man was a fraud, he couldn''t bring any evidence on the table. Now, his face darkened at the thought of someone trying to swindle him.

 Chapter 749 Miss Mary Is Coming (Part One)

    "If you won''t pay for it, then I''ll be forced to take my revenge. You can''t stop me now! I''ll go and tell the people about all the spirit-manipulated beasts your Magical Beast House has sold..." the black-bearded man threatened. Soon after, he walked towards the baby Heaven Prestigious Tiger who was on the brink of death.


    "If only our dearest elder master were there, then this wouldn''t have happened." Willie worriedly glanced at Harry. He knew very well that he was not able to compensate. However, it still remained a mystery on what the bearded man had done to it. He wished that Raef''s adopted son, Travis, had been there with them at that moment. A few days ago, Raef and Travis had gone to the capital of the Timber Deity Empire and hadn''t come back since then. If they had been here, then surely, this bearded man would not have been as arrogant as he was at that time.


    "But what about Miss Mary?" Harry asked immediately.


    "Miss Mary and Miss Juey went out early in the morning and have not yet returned. I wonder where they are now..." frowning, Willie replied.


    "So, are you done? Are you going to pay or not? If you won''t give me the money, then you leave me no choice. Don''t test me because I won''t spare you," the bearded man shouted in anger as he tried to intimidate.


    "What should we pay for? How dare you blackmail us!" Just then, a stern voice of a woman sounded.


    Upon hearing the voice, Willie and Harry turned around. Feeling that they had met a savior, they called, "Miss Mary..."


    At the same time, in the room, Rocky turned his gaze at the direction where the voice was coming from. There, he saw a soft and beautiful girl come in from the door. She moved elegantly, with grace and finesse, as if she was a daughter of a big and influential family. Her beauty was classic¡ª with delicate eyebrows like willow leaves, eyes sparkling like stars, and a dainty nose atop a small mouth. Apart from that, she also had the strength of a spirit manipulator at the seventh grade of the Earthly Stage.


    Although she was not at par with the standard of beauty that Marcia and Lena exuded, she was considered to be the most beautiful woman in the city. Her feminine aura was very prevalent, but there was one thing that she lacked¡ªher breasts ne


    l Beast House was at an obvious disadvantage.


    "Willie, give him 10, 000 taels as compensation." after giving it a thought, Mary ordered. This might be a huge sum of money, but it was not a big deal at all compared to the possible bad reputation that the Magical Beast House might have.


    "But, Miss Mary, he is totally a..." Willie reasoned out as he refused to accept what had happened.


    "Go. Just do as I said." Mary commanded.


    All of a sudden, Juey saw a figure appear from outside. Turning around, she saw that it was no other than Rocky. At that moment, he took a step closer and whispered something in her ear.


    "What?" Hearing what Rocky had said, Juey was stunned, and her eyes became wider. Then, she turned to look at Rocky.


    "If you really want to save that poor spirit-manipulated beast, then do what I said," Rocky murmured.


    "Okay." She gulped some air, feeling that what was about to happen was completely strange and out of her character. Meanwhile, as soon as she understood what to do to save the life of the baby Heaven Prestigious Tiger, she went up and said, "Willie, go to get some croutons, a bowl of water, and a bucket. I think I have a way to cure this poor little fellow."


    Hearing this, Willie looked at Juey with puzzled eyes.


    "Juey, is it true that you have a way to cure this spirit-manipulated beast? Are you sure about this?" Mary also looked at Juey with amazement. After all, she knew that her sister had no knowledge whatsoever about any Beast Curing Skill.

 Chapter 750 Miss Mary Is Coming (Part Two)

    Willie was no exception to this surprise. ''What is she planning to do?'' he thought.


    "Mary, let me have a try, please!" Juey looked at her sister with pleading eyes.


    "Okay, you may." Mary nodded after hesitating for a moment or two.


    Afterwards, Willie asked people to bring them some croutons, a bowl of water, and a wooden bucket.


    After getting the croutons she asked for, Juey pinched them with her little hand and used her spiritual power to crush them instantly. Then, she mixed the powder into the bowl with water, and fed it to the Heaven Prestigious Tiger.


    Afterwards, she picked up the baby Heaven Prestigious Tiger and lifted it above the bucket.


    After a while, the young Heaven Prestigious Tiger''s face showed nothing but agony. By how it looked, it seemed to be constipated. After a while, the young beast suddenly excreted what it was holding inside. To their surprise, it was not waste, but rather some red crystals. After these crystals were discharged, the dying young Heaven Prestigious Tiger came back to life.


    After witnessing this, the bearded man''s face turned pale with fear.


    Everyone was shocked. They didn''t expect that Juey, who didn''t know anything about Beast Curing Skill at all, could expose the trick.


    "Are these the Spiritual Power Swallowing Crystals? Unexpectedly, the spiritual power of the beast was absorbed by the Spiritual Power Swallowing Crystals, and exhausted its body. No wonder that it got worse when I massaged it with the Holy Life Saving Hand..." Mary realized as she looked at the red crystals carefully. The Spiritual Power Swallowing Crystal that Mary mentioned was a kind of mineral crystal that could absorb spiritual power. However, it was abundant only in certain areas. In surrounding areas of this desolate city, there was only one place where one could find this crystal, but it was perilous out there. Therefore, ordinary people found it difficult to obtain.


    That was why Mary was fooled upon ignoring this possibility. If only she paid more attention to it, then she could have found some more clues.


    The bearded man wanted to run away upon seeing the situation. However, he couldn''t stop Mary from attacking him. In a snap, a red silk flew out from Mary''s hand and entangled his hands and feet. Needless to say, the bearded man fell to the ground with a loud thud.


    Soon after, the bearded man was carried out by three strong men.


    "Juey, how did you know that the spirit-manipulated beast was fed with the Spiritual Power Swallowing Crystal?" Mary asked her sister with confusion in her face.


    Lena''s eyes dimmed. She might have been careful with her words, but she was not jealous. After all, she thought that she had no right to be. If it hadn''t been for what happened that year, then Basil wouldn''t have been sent to the Gehenna Border, nor would he have been killed there. In fact, she was the one to be blamed for all this.


    Hearing that, Marcia didn''t know what to say. She already knew from Sabina that the marriage between Basil and Isis was fake. In order to get the power of Crimson Dragon Group, Basil made a deal with Isis. If not for the deal, then he might not have had to work so hard. With this, she knew that Isis must be very guilty in her heart, but she could not deny that Isis must have had a huge crush on Basil, too.


    However, it seemed that it was not only Isis who was not able to escape this curse of love, but also her apprentice. Marcia could still remember that when Sabina returned to the Imperial City carrying the news of Basil''s death, she fell to the ground. Upon hearing the news, she was at a loss for words. Meanwhile, it was the first time when she saw Sabina so sad, so she understood that her feelings for Basil had been out of line.


    With a gentle sigh, Marcia turned and walked to the mourning hall. With a bitter smile on her beautiful face, she said, "You always bother me even in your death. Look at you. You died alone, leaving all things behind. Aside from that, you made so many people feel sad about your leaving. I hate this! You''re so bad!" As she spoke, a drop of tear fell down from her cheek, shining and glittering under the sun''s bright rays.


    After suppressing her sadness and feelings for several days, her tear suddenly turned into a drop of crystal.

 Chapter 751 Marcias Feelings

    "Marcia..." Lena''s voice turned soft at the sight before her. No matter the situation, Marcia was always strong and never shed a tear. But in this moment, tears streamed down her cheeks because of Basil''s death. Lena could only freeze in place while her hatred towards Marcia melted inside her heart.


    Sadness and anger flooded her when she learned that Marcia hid the fact that Rocky was Basil from her. After all, she treated Marcia as her own sister and so she didn''t expect that Marcia would hide something she wanted to know so badly from her. She didn''t even get to see Basil for the last time before his death. It was impossible for her to forgive Marcia so easily. Even though Marcia came to see her afterwards to explain why she didn''t want to tell her the truth, it was still too late and Lena couldn''t accept it.


    However, in this moment, Lena decided to forgive her. Just like her, Marcia worried over Rocky and even shed tears for him. Marcia was no longer the distinguished general of the Holy Dragon Empire, but just a normal woman. Marcia always treated Lena like her own sister too, so it was impossible for Lena to truly hate her.


    Many royal spirit manipulators and palace guards guarding the imperial tomb were also witness to the rare show of weakness. All of them could only turn to each other in shock and fill the tomb with whispers.


    More than her presence to personally mourn Basil''s death, it was her tears that shocked them to their core. She cried for him! Did this mean she have feelings for him too?


    If news of this spread throughout the Palace City and the Imperial City, it would surely cause a huge stir.


    Just when Marcia was being overwhelmed by her sadness, a huge beast emitting a strong aura appeared above the Holy Dragon Imperial Tomb and slowly descended from the sky.


    A feeling of familiarity hit Marcia when she saw the shadow of the huge beast. It was quickly replaced by shoc


    gon Empire. Now that you''re here, it''ll be hard for you to get out. Of course, I won''t let you walk out of here alive."


    As soon as she finished speaking, Marcia''s aura rushed out and made it clear that she was a spirit manipulator at the Divine Stage. All the imperial spirit manipulators and palace guards could do was stare at the strong spiritual light surrounding her that glowed like the radiance of the holy fire. For most of them, this was the first time they had seen Marcia put up a real fight.


    "I''m not here to fight you. I''m here to honor him," said Alyssa. When she glanced at the mourning hall and the gold coffin within, her face darkened. It served as proof to her that the news she heard was true. There was no doubt that Rocky, or Basil to them, really was dead.


    "Honor him?" Alyssa''s reply blindsided Marcia.


    "I didn''t expect him to be the prince of the Holy Dragon Empire. It seems I underestimated him from the very beginning. Although I don''t want to admit it, I really did lose to him," Alyssa gracefully conceded.


    The proud princess of the Timber Deity Empire, who was once the nightmare of the Crimson Dragon Army, personally admitted that she lost to Basil in front of so many witnesses. Everyone could only stare at her, completely dumbfounded.

 Chapter 752 Have A Crush On Him

    "Did you take a long trip to come over here, just to say in front of Basil''s mourning hall that you lost to him?" Of course, Marcia wouldn''t believe a word out of Alyssa''s mouth. If it weren''t for her, Basil wouldn''t have died. After all, it was all because of her that Basil risked his life to help the Crimson Dragon Army.


    "I don''t know... I just..." In fact, even Alyssa didn''t know the reason why she came. When she learned that Rocky was Prince Basil, she suddenly felt upset as if she became an entirely different person. An anxiety rose in her to confirm if Basil really was dead.


    "If it weren''t for the Timber Deity Empire, Basil wouldn''t be dead! You came here just to check if he really is dead, because if he''s still alive, you can personally avenge your brother, right?" Marcia angrily spat out and her spiritual power rose higher and higher. Pure anger sharpened her gaze at Alyssa.


    "Revenge?" A smothered giggle left Alyssa''s lips before she caved in and burst into a fit of laughter.


    "What are you laughing at?" Marcia asked coldly.


    "My brother''s not dead. There''s no need for me to take revenge." Alyssa shrugged.


    "Not dead? My disciple... she... she witnessed his death with her own eyes..." Marcia''s eyes widened when she heard Alyssa''s words.


    "It seems that you think that in order to keep a good reputation, Basil chose to perish with my brother instead of betraying the Holy Dragon Empire and paying allegiance to the Timber Deity Empire. I did guess that that''s what you thought..." Alyssa said indifferently. It was within her expectations before she even arrived that the Holy Dragon Empire thought that Basil died along with her brother.


    "Isn''t it true...?" Marcia couldn''t help but ask. Alyssa''s calm was unfeigned, which implied that her brother really might not be dead yet.


    "Although I really don''t know much about what happened, my brother really is still alive. Basil saved him. My brother said that on the way back to the Timber Deity Empire, they were ambushed by a group of powerful mercenaries. Th


    the Holy Dragon Empire was at Basil''s mourning hall. Both of them obviously had a close relationship with him. After Alyssa spoke, her body''s spiritual light suddenly grew even brighter and her aura became stronger.


    Bang!


    The golden orange light barrier was broken by the strong spiritual light in an instant. Even Lena was forced to take a step back at the invisible spiritual power''s impact.


    "If I can avenge Basil''s death, I''m more than willing to die, not to mention a mere shortening of life span. I can die early and be with him," Lena firmly and angrily uttered.


    "You''re so infatuated with him! It is unexpected that the Witch of the Holy Dragon Empire has a crush on him. But isn''t that a taboo for the Witch? I learned that it''s impossible for a Witch, who possesses the power of the spiritual race, to be in a relationship with a mortal." A sinister smile cruelly bloomed on Alyssa''s lips but she looked a little disappointed too. Even though a glimmer of hope blossomed in her, it was immediately destroyed right before her eyes. She didn''t expect that the Witch of the Holy Dragon Empire would be willing to sacrifice everything for revenge. It was clear for all to see that Lena loved Basil deeply and Alyssa couldn''t help but envy it, for she had never experienced that kind of love. She was unable to love someone the way Lena loved Basil.

 Chapter 753 A New Spotlight

    "It''s none of your business!" Lena shouted angrily. The only thought that ran in her mind was avenging Basil.


    "Hold on, Lena!" Marcia stepped in the way of Lena and prevented her from dashing out.


    "Get out of my way, Marcia! She''s the one who killed Basil. I''m going to end her! Even if it won''t bring Basil back!" Lena didn''t understand why Marcia stopped her, when Marcia should instead kill that woman with her.


    "Lena, please stop for a moment and think about what you''re going to do. If what she said was true, then we need to look into it first before acting hastily. It will also be disrespectful to Basil if you attack her in his mourning hall." Marcia analyzed the situation calmly.


    As Marcia said this, Lena stopped struggling. She sneered, as she kept her eyes on Alyssa, still casting her a murderous look.


    Alyssa also withdrew her spiritual power when she saw Lena withdrew hers. She only wanted to pay respects to Basil. Alyssa looked at Marcia as a sign of thanks as she walked inside the mourning hall. She then burned an incense to worship.


    "Why did you die? Every time I tried to kill you, you managed to get away. It''s like you have nine lives or something," Alyssa said teasingly. "But why can''t you stay alive this time? My only hope died with you. It''s not fair. I hate you!" She gritted her teeth while staring at Basil''s coffin, her eyes filled with resentment and her body shaking lightly.


    Marcia and Lena, who were watching from the mourning hall entrance, were very surprised to see Alyssa''s expression because as far as they know, Alyssa and Rocky were enemies.


    Out of nowhere, a group of dragons flew over, blocking out the sun and covering the sky. They were fast approaching the Holy Dragon Imperial Tomb.


    News of Alyssa entering the imperial tomb had already reached the emperor. He was shocked to hear this since Alyssa''s country was at war with them. The emperor burst into a fit after realizing that an enemy easily got through their defenses. He immediately called for a royal member of the Divine Stage to catch her with the help of several master-hands of the Supernal Stage. Meanwhile, dozens of spirit-manipulators of the Heavenly Stage from the royal family were already on their way to the Holy Dragon Imperial Tomb.


    After putting down the incense, Alyssa turned to Mar


    ced Sabina''s heart like a cold dagger. She made up an excuse and left the Crimson Palace.


    Meanwhile, Lance came to the Crimson Palace as soon as he heard the news. He let out a grin upon seeing the emperor. Nothing could make him happier than having a grandchild.


    When Isis woke up and found out she bore the child of Basil, she was flooded with conflicting emotion. She was happy for herself because she was going to be a mother, but at the same time she couldn''t help but feel sad for Basil because he didn''t have a chance to be a father, more so for the child who would grow up without a father.


    The news that Isis was pregnant with Basil''s baby spread like wildfire all over the Palace City, which shocked the citizens. Basil had been crowned Prince Crimson after he died, meaning the baby could inherit his title when it was born. If the baby was a boy, he would be the youngest one who got a title in the history of the Holy Dragon Empire. If it was a girl, she would be a princess whom the emperor would give everything she wanted. Regardless, if the child could inherit even just a bit of their father''s brilliant talent, the empire would have a promising future.


    In the following days, members of the royal family and military officials went to the Crimson Palace to greet Isis and her child. Not long after, the palace became completely flooded to the point that the emperor had to order a ban, worried that it might have a negative effect on his grandchild. Even still, the focus of the entire Imperial City was Basil''s unborn child.

 Chapter 754 Taming The Beast

    By now, Rocky was far away from the Holy Dragon Empire. He was in the Barren City of the Timber Deity Empire. Back home, the whole world was upside down, but Rocky had no idea. He didn''t even know that he had an unborn child with Isis.


    For the meantime, he went about his work as usual. He was cleaning the beast stable, his hair sun-bleached to a slight golden shade, beads of sweat breaking on his brow. He heard a sudden commotion from the entrance of the beast farm. Turning around, he saw a group of people walking in.


    Among them, Rocky could tell one had reached the Heavenly Stage, judging by the aura of the man. He was a tall, heavyset man, about forty years old and carried himself with the air of a naturally confident, courageous guy¡ªa born leader.


    Flanking him on either side was Mary and Willie. Right behind them followed a dozen spirit manipulators in black robes. Apparently, they were disciples of the Xiao Clan, almost all ranking at the Mortal Stage. Only one or two ranked beyond the preliminary level of the Earthly Stage.


    The group at the back was pulling a cage, in which a young spirit-manipulated beast was locked. The beast had just entered the primary stage. All over its body were fins, sharp as swords. Though it was still growing, it already had the shape of a huge leopard. Its four limbs were short but powerfully built. On the top of its head, there was a blade-shaped horn, with its sharp edge blazing. It seemed to be a difficult beast to fight head-on. Every part of its body was a dangerous weapon, which could slice an enemy to pieces.


    ''It is a Magic Sword Panther. In a place like this, it''s the kind of war beast that could reach a five-star level. Although, it comes in at a modest twentieth in war beast rankings, for ordinary spirit manipulators, it''s no doubt a top-grade war beast, '' thought Rocky. The moment he saw the creature in the cage, he immediately got a clue to its potential. To him, the Magic Sword Panther was just one kind of good war beast. But it was not good enough, compared to his own Robin, let alone Uriah and Rainbow Glow Unicorn. They were his best beasts. Top-notch beasts, by any standards.


    "Mr. Chris, I still can''t believe you caught such a rare Magic Sword Panther. If word of it gets out there, I''m sure spirit manipulators from the Timber Deity Empire will be at your door, scrambling for it," Willie complimented. His flattering face aside, what he said was true. The Magic Sword Panther indeed was a rare spirit-manipulated beast.


    As a highly respected leader, Chris was actually the second in command of the Xiao Clan¡ªRaef''s deputy.


    As the second in command of the clan, Chris''s responsibility was to evaluate beasts. He was also a very gifted disciple of a famous sect with a long-standing history. At the sixth grade of beast evaluation, he could identify almost any high-leve


    he panther run towards the beast stable, where a servant was standing, Mary''s face changed. She shouted at Rocky, warning him to run for his life, as fast as he could. If the beast got to him, she feared it would maul him to death. For Mary, Rocky was but an ordinary servant. If he faced off with the panther, it would not make light work of him. And Mary was not ready for more casualties to the same beast, as she had already lost dear disciples.


    However, the panther moved so fast that by the time Mary called out, Rocky was within an arm''s reach. Chris tried his best to catch up with it, but he was way too far behind. Rocky seemed to them a man doomed to die next second!


    Everyone watching was petrified, fearing the worst for Rocky. They all held their breath, seeing there was nothing they could do to save him. Unable to bear witnessing his tragic death, some of them closed their eyes. But what happened next took everyone''s breath away.


    Instead of attacking Rocky as they had also feared, the Magic Sword Panther crumbled to its knees. As though it were some powerless creature, it let out a weak cry, showing complete submission to him.


    Almost everyone present was shocked, including Chris.


    "Holy cow! What''s going on?" After a silent moment of awe, Mary stared at Rocky and the Magic Sword Panther in disbelief. Docile and tame, it was still kneeling there, right in front of him. Like everyone else around here, the surprised look on her face was obvious. She didn''t know why the panther did that.


    At her side, Chris, too, was dumbstruck. In all his years of hunting experience, this was the first time that he saw such a thing. ''How on earth did a bad-tempered Magic Sword Panther suddenly turn so weak and powerless? I mean, to the point of kneeling before an ordinary man?'' Questions ran through his mind. Questions that for the life of him, he did not even have the slightest idea.

 Chapter 755 Shes A Nice Person

    Puzzled, Chris shot his eyes at Rocky, as if looking at him would give answers. But suddenly a strange feeling came into his mind. Rocky looked like an ordinary folk, but there was something about him that was weird. It seemed as though he was hiding something from people. Because of his assumption, Chris thought that maybe he should pay more attention to Rocky.


    On the other hand, Rocky had already realized that Chris was suspecting something of him. The reason why the Magic Sword Panther stopped being furious at them was that Rocky tamed it with his spiritual power. To prevent Chris from further suspecting him, Rocky curled his lips, subtly stepped back a few steps and then sat on the ground. With a panic-stricken look, he trembled from head to toe and shouted, "What''s that? Is it going to eat me? Oh, I thought I was going to die here!"


    As he expected, his embarrassment made the disciples from Xiao Clan burst into laughter. They shook their head at Rocky''s ignorance, still laughing as they lowered their heads.


    Chris took a sigh of relief at his reaction. He thought it must only be his illusion to take Rocky as a cultivated warrior. He then gave several careful glances at Rocky, as if trying to figure him out. But no matter how hard he tried, Rocky just looked like an ordinary folk to him now.


    "Stop laughing at him. Hurry up. Just lock it up." Mary also heaved a sigh of relief. She cast a stern glance at these disciples. It was dangerous just now. They were fortunate to have faced just a young Magic Sword Panther. If it were more mature, then it would have taken someone''s life.


    Seeing Mary''s angry expression, the disciples stopped laughing and obediently became serious. They rushed up and locked the beast''s four limbs with iron chains.


    After the Magic Sword Panther was taken away, Mary walked up to Rocky and asked with a hint of arrogance in her tone, "How about you? Did it hurt you?"


    "Oh, it almost got me! I''m fine, I''m fine. Thank you, Miss Mary!" Rocky hurriedly stood up and replied. He tried to get the dirt off his clothes and met Mary''s eyes when he looked up.


    "I don''t think I have seen you before," Mary asked as she found Rocky quite unfamiliar. She gave him a head-to-toe look, trying to remember if they had already met before.


    "I just joined recently," Rocky replied respectfully, giving a soft nod and turning his eyes to look at the ground.


    "Oh, then it makes sense. Things like that are quite normal here, and I want to remind you that people lacking courage are not suitable to work here in the beast farm. Please be careful next time. You have almost been killed by it, but luck won''t be around a


    uted, looking into Rocky''s eyes, "Oh, what a surprise! This baby Magic Sword Panther acts like a spoiled child in your arms. I can''t believe it!"


    Rocky immediately came back to his senses. It slipped his mind for a moment. He shouldn''t have acted so naturally in front of Juey.


    "Magic Sword Panther is bloodthirsty, though it''s only at such a young age. We lost four disciples when Chris took them to capture it. But why is it so gentle to you now?" Juey explained and looked at Rocky with a puzzled look.


    Rocky''s heart missed a beat upon hearing her words. He thought as quickly as he could to come up with an excuse to get rid of her.


    A glimmer shone into Rocky''s eyes. He rubbed the head of the baby Magic Sword Panther softly and answered Juey with a serious expression, "You may not know all the things about this beast, Miss Juey. Magic Sword Panther is very sensitive to the smell of people. It can tell whether a person is good or bad from their scent. If he is a bad guy, it will become very fierce. If he is a good man, it will be as meek as a sheep then."


    "Really? That''s so awesome. But how do you know that?" Juey asked, fixating her eyes at the beast. Apparently, she didn''t believe all of his words.


    "It''s a long story. I happened to meet this kind in the small village I grew up. If you don''t believe me, you can have a try." Rocky continued his story, trying to dispel her doubts.


    Juey looked at the little Magic Sword Panther. She wondered whether Rocky was making any sense, but her curiosity gained the upper hand. She made a slight nod and reached out her hands to gesture the creature to come.


    "Hey, little guy. Go and take a smell of this young lady. Tell me whether she is a nice person," Rocky said to the beast and patted its head.

 Chapter 756 The Red Egg

    The Magic Sword Panther looked at Rocky in confusion at first, and then seemed to have understand what Rocky was implying. Then, it glanced at Juey and slowly walked over towards her.


    When Juey saw the panther approaching, she could not help but feel nervous.


    The panther turned its head to look at Rocky as if it was asking for his consent. When Rocky nodded, it immediately jumped at Juey and brought her to the ground. Then, it started licking her face playfully.


    Juey giggled and said, "It tickles! Ha-ha-ha! Please! Stop licking me... You naughty little one..."


    "It looks like the cub likes you very much, Miss Juey! It must have been attracted to your delightful personality." Rocky smiled intriguingly and folded his arms over his chest while he watched the two romp around.


    "Obviously! But can you please ask it to stop?" Juey could not bear the excessive enthusiasm of the panther. It played with her so rough that it started to rumple her clothes and slobber all over her face.


    Rocky grinned light-heartedly as he walked forward. He patted the panther in its back, and it immediately released its limbs from Juey.


    "Now you see?" Rocky said to Juey. Rocky then reached out his hand to Juey to help her. She instantly grabbed his hand and stood up from the ground.


    Juey did not expect Rocky to pull her so forcibly that when she stood up, she was standing face to face with Rocky. He looked at her surprisingly, and noticed that Juey bore a little resemblance to Sue. Then, he unconsciously touched her hair to remove the leaves on her head.


    Juey''s cheeks immediately turned red, and her heart beat fast. She was as bashful as a school girl.


    Juey was only nineteen years old who had no experience when it came to intimate relationships. When faced a man such as Rocky who possessed wit and charm, she had no idea what were considered as decent behaviors.


    "I... I can do it myself..." Juey took a step back in s


    er, this area was not fertile, and the soil was fundamentally dry; thus, it was not an ideal place for the insects who were very particular about food. They tried to gather food, but they seemed to have lost their appetite.


    "I''m sorry. I will have to find another place with fertile soil." Rocky shook his head as he saw the insects'' disapproval. Then, he sent them back to the Magic Spiritual Space. After that, he asked Rainbow Glow Unicorn to stay outside the Magic Spiritual Space to keep watch. Afterwards, he went to the laboratory and carried on with his research about the samples.


    Before he started experimenting, Rocky took a long look at the red egg in a container. Since several days had passed, the red egg had shown no signs of change or variation. It was like a fossil egg that contained nothing.


    For the past few days, Rocky had been trying to unravel the secret of the red egg that Uriah changed into. However, he still had not found anything about it, which made him very anxious.


    Without gaining any further progress with the egg, Rocky put it down and continued his scientific investigation on the samples. However, the moment he turned around, a transparent light suddenly appeared on the surface of the red egg. After a second, the glow immediately disappeared...

 Chapter 757 The Disciples Recruitment Day

    It was late at night when Rocky finished his sample analysis. Once he completed everything he wanted to do for the day, he took Robin out of his Magic Spiritual Space and found a place to sit down. Since Robin was about to enter the next stage of a young beast, he had to make it recognize him as its master more quickly, so he used his spiritual power to stimulate its brain for half an hour.


    For now, because he hadn''t found the secret of the red egg transformed by Uriah and how to make Uriah come back to life, he could only depend on the Rainbow Glow Unicorn and Robin.


    But in terms of combat power, Robin''s potential was higher than the unicorn''s. Even though the unicorn was a spiritual beast, it wasn''t the kind of spirit-manipulated beast that could fight. Its special ability was explanation enough. On the other hand, Robin inherited the excellent bloodline of both war beasts and spiritual beasts, as well as possessed a strong close combat ability. Moreover, once it grew to a certain level, its special power with Ice nature could be displayed. Therefore, Robin''s growth was also very important to Rocky.


    Rocky also realized a big problem when he conducted spiritual power connection with the unicorn. Once he entered the body of the unicorn with the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill, his spiritual sense could get to its spiritual sense but couldn''t reach deep enough where its spiritual source was located. The power of the unicorn''s spiritual source was much more powerful than he imagined. Whenever he tried to get close to its spiritual source, an extremely strong spiritual power storm would stop him in his path.


    Although the unicorn was willing to submit to him, it was still a King Level spirit-manipulated beast. It wouldn''t be easy to leave a mark on its spiritual source and finish spiritual power connection with it.


    More than anything, Rocky felt that there was another reason that made him fail. He had just reached the seventh grade of the Heavenly Stage, which meant he still had a long way to go before he reached the Supernal Stage. Normally, a King Level spiri


    the rest of them were ordinary people who came to try their luck.


    In fact, even though the interview was easy for Rocky, for ordinary interviewees, it was as hard as facing down a formidable enemy. Many of them trembled in nervousness and embarrassment. That was why even though dozens of people had participated in the interview every month, only a few of them passed.


    Of course, another reason many failed was because of Mary! Almost all the interviewees were attracted to her beauty when they first saw her, as if they had never seen a beautiful woman before. Many of them could only dumbly stare and was so stunned that they couldn''t answer. As a result, they failed the interviews.


    "Isn''t he here yet?" Rocky had been waiting for an hour but the disciple of Xiao Clan didn''t reappear.


    "Never mind. I''ll go back first." Rocky felt bored, yawned and turned around to leave.


    At that moment, his ears picked up a "Gee!" coming from the other side, and then he heard a sweet voice asking, "Rookie?"


    Upon hearing the voice, Rocky turned around immediately and saw Juey walking towards him.


    "Miss Juey," Rocky greeted with a nod.


    "It really is you. I thought I was mistaken. Why are you here?" she asked once she was close enough.


    "Well..." Just as Rocky was about to answer, Juey cut in, "I see. You must be here for the interview, right? You want to be a disciple of our clan?"

 Chapter 758 Not A Nobody

    "Actually..." Aware that Juey misunderstood him, Rocky wanted to explain his side further. However, Juey had already grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the interview area.


    "Miss Juey, you misunderstood me. I don''t want to..." Rocky was amused. Juey was too excited to let him finish what he wanted to say.


    When the disciples that were tasked to keep the order for the Xiao Clan saw Juey, they made way for her. Rocky did not have the chance to finish his words. She dragged him into the interview area as the surrounding people fixed their eyes on them, including Mary and several beast curers.


    Almost everyone in the crowd knew Juey. They whispered among themselves and speculated about the identity of Rocky and why he seemed to be so intimate with Juey. Their being together made most of the people jealous.


    Mary also became upset when she saw that Juey''s body was just an inch away from Rocky. She immediately walked towards them and scolded her sister, "What are you doing, Juey? How can you behave like this in front of all these people? Do you want them to gossip about you?"


    "Fine." Juey let go of Rocky.


    Mary then looked at Rocky with anger in her eyes. As she stared at him, she realized he looked familiar. She thought carefully and asked, "Are you the one working at the beast farm?"


    "You still remember me?" Rocky replied with a sheepish smile.


    "Mary, he wants to take part in the interview. Can you include him?" Juey asked.


    "Him? He is not even a spirit manipulator. He is not eligible for the interview," Mary answered without batting an eyelash.


    "We accepted an apprentice who was not a spirit manipulator before. He could learn the cultivation method once he joined our cla


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    into account the Xiao Clan''s reputation.


    "Mary..." Juey was about to say something, but Rocky spoke, "Okay, I hope you know how to keep a promise. There are several witnesses here."


    Mary looked around and saw that the people had whispered among themselves. She felt disgraced arguing with a servant like this. It was not her style, and she felt embarrassed. However, Rocky''s presence was disturbing. She felt uncomfortable at the very sight of him. She really wanted to get him out of her sight for good.


    She then turned around and went back to her seat. She asked the other interviewees to leave, and before long the interview area was empty.


    "It''s all my fault. I forced you to come here, and now Mary is pissed off with you. I don''t know how to fix this. She will definitely find fault with you." Juey blamed herself. She knew Mary would send Rocky packing if he failed the interview.


    To her surprise, Rocky smiled and walked towards the interview area.


    The surrounding people fixed their eyes on Rocky, expecting him to fail. Obviously, it was part of Mary''s plan to embarrass him and make him the laughingstock of everyone.

 Chapter 759 Overqualified

    Mary wasn''t confident in Rocky. All the interviewees looked at him like he was a joke and kept laughing in his face. None of them believed that Rocky was the one the clan was looking for.


    "Young man, what''s your name?" Harry asked.


    "It''s Rookie," replied Rocky impassively. He looked like he wasn''t affected by all the mocking stares the people were giving him.


    Meanwhile, as soon as Rocky said his name, the people around them burst into laughter.


    And Mary''s face broke out into a satisfied smile. She seemed to enjoy the sight of Rocky being humiliated.


    "Where do you live?" Harry continued to ask, heedless of the ruckus going on around them.


    "I''m from a remote country," Rocky added.


    "And your parents are..." Before Harry finished his question, Rocky chimed in, "If you want to test me, then do so already. I think Miss Mary can''t wait any longer to humiliate me."


    At this statement, Harry and other beast curers looked at Mary, whose face had darkened in an inscrutable expression. She nodded at them as if to say ''get on with it''.


    "It''s very important to have a solid foundation when learning the art of Beast Curing Skill, and the basic foundation is to be able to identify the herbs and flowers that are used for healing the wounds of different spirit-manipulated beasts. If you want to be a disciple of the Xiao Clan, you need to learn to identify more than ten kinds of herbs first," one of the beast curers said to Rocky.


    Then, a disciple of the Xiao Clan brought out ten kinds of medicinal materials from a plate and walked up to Rocky.


    He was about to show them to Rocky, but Rocky barely glanced at them and said, "You don''t have to do that."


    After hearing that, Mary said, "Now you know how naive you are. You can''t even recognize ten kinds of herbs. Don''t overestimate yourself." She sounded haughty and self-satisfied at that moment, as she thought that Rocky had given up.


    "Miss Mary, you misunderstood me. I said I don''t want to see them, but that''s because I already recognized them," Rocky said with a small smirk. He said that on purpose since he knew that Mary would misunderstand, and he wanted her to feel like she had won before he slapped her with the truth. T


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    '' she thought as she fumed in silence.


    Of course, if he was just an ordinary person, he would have been tricked. After all, no one would think that Miss Mary had such evil intentions. But Rocky was expecting that Mary would deliberately cause trouble for him, so he wasn''t caught off-guard.


    Mary grudgingly nodded at Harry and the other beast curers, who were looking at her expectantly.


    "All right, I guess he passed the first test. Harry, come and administer the second one." As she spoke, Mary didn''t take her eyes off Rocky. Both of them stared at each other, as they waited for Harry to speak.


    Harry also realized that Mary was deliberately creating trouble for Rocky, but he could tell that Rocky was quite skilled, as shown by his performance in the previous test. He studied Rocky for a moment then said, "Like doctors are to human beings, one should be cautious in treating spirit-manipulated beasts. To be a disciple of the Xiao Clan, one must understand some basic skills. Now, tell me, if there is a spirit-manipulated beast that has a cold stomach, in addition to swallowing hard, what does that mean?"


    "Well, I remember when the old sow in my family couldn''t eat, it often snored in the middle of the night, and its voice was as loud as thunder. If the spirit-manipulated beast couldn''t eat anything, does it snore at midnight?" Rocky made a face as if he was stumped by the question, and he frowned and folded his arms across his chest, deep in thought.

 Chapter 760 Difficult Questions

    A slack-jawed Harry could only stare at Rocky because he knew Rocky was completely correct. The spirit-manipulated beast''s spleen and stomach were weak to the cold, especially at night. Its inner organs would feel extremely cold. Thus, it had to work harder to breathe at night which caused it to snore.


    Even Mary was stunned when she heard Rocky took his sow as an example and managed to guess the correct answer. When she nodded towards Harry to signal him to continue the exam, her face grew dark because she didn''t believe that Rocky could answer correctly again.


    "Do you know what causes spirit-manipulated beasts to tremble and feebly limp? There are normally three possible causes. You need to tell me at least one." Harry continued the interview.


    "That seems difficult..." Embarrassment stole over Rocky''s face as he shook his head and carded his fingers through his hair.


    On the other hand, Mary''s face crumpled into a sneer. It wasn''t a difficult question but without frequent contact with spirit-manipulated beasts, it was impossible to answer. She heard from Willie that Rocky had only been working at the beast farm for less than ten days; therefore, it was impossible for him to know much about spirit-manipulated beasts.


    Other interviewees around the interview area also whispered to each other as they tried to guess the answer but obviously, not one of them had the answer.


    A few more quiet moments passed before Mary sniffed in disdain, "If you can''t answer the question, then get out of here now. Don''t make a fool of yourself!"


    Rocky clapped his hands and laughed to himself as if he remembered something amusing. He answered, "By the way, my sow had difficult labor two months ago. The piglets were so pitiful! They went to heaven before they could even be born! Before the sow gave birth, it trembled and its limbs were feeble. As a result, it was difficult for her to give birth. Is it possible that spiri


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    ary, this isn''t a good idea. Normally, candidates only have to answer three questions. If we give him five questions, people will inevitably talk..." Harry reminded her in a low voice, finally cluing in that something was wrong.


    "He''s from our Xiao Clan, so we should be more prudent. In this way, others won''t gossip and think that we cover up for him," Mary seriously responded.


    Once he heard Mary''s reasoning, Harry couldn''t help but glance at Rocky. He thought that Rocky must have provoked Mary, otherwise she wouldn''t be so difficult to deal with. However, Rocky seemed so talented and it would be a pity if he was kicked out.


    Although those words were on the tip of his tongue, he didn''t say anything. His family position wasn''t powerful enough to question what Mary said.


    Under the gaze of the crowd, Mary put forward her question which would decide whether Rocky could stay in the Xiao Clan as its disciple or to leave permanently.


    "There''s a kind of spirit-manipulated beast which can control its body to be as hot as fire in winter and as cold as ice in summer. It''s not a disease but seems to be a kind of disease. Can you tell me the reason why this beast has this kind of ability?" Mary stared at Rocky as if she wanted nothing more than to kill him where he stood.

 Chapter 761 Come On

    Several beast curers including Harry were stunned when they heard the question. It was so obviously beyond the scope of the examination. Even the disciples of the Xiao Clan weren''t expected to know the answer, not to mention Rocky who wasn''t even a veterinarian.


    The interviewees around them also felt that it was no normal test as this question was too difficult and noisily clamored together.


    "Come on, Rookie... you can do it," said Juey. She could tell that Mary was obviously making things difficult for Rocky and it was almost impossible for him to answer the question. However, despite her worry, she was looking forward to seeing him create a miracle again.


    Not a single word left Rocky after he heard the question.


    A smug smile crossed Mary''s face when she saw Rocky''s expression. A poor and self-righteous man like Rocky could never win against her.


    While everyone thought that Rocky wouldn''t be able to answer the question, someone burst into laughter. It was no other than Rocky, who had been standing there in silence for a while. Laughter spilled out of him as if he was going insane.


    Everyone else could only stare in confusion.


    "Don''t play dumb. If you can''t answer my question then get out of here. Don''t disgrace my family," Mary spat out. For her, it was clear that Rocky couldn''t answer the question and was playing the fool to buy time.


    "Miss Mary, you misunderstood me. I laughed not because I don''t know the answer, but because the answer is... It''s too easy." Rocky''s words stunned everyone who heard him.


    A moment of silence filled the interview area as everyone, including Mary, Harry, and the other beast curers, were stunned silly by Rocky''s words.


    "What did you say? It''s...


    argue.


    "Miss Mary, a promise is a promise. Do you want to go back on your word in front of us?" Rocky''s grin was wicked as if he gained the upper hand against Mary.


    Even the other interviewees began to hoot as the situation devolved into chaos.


    "Miss Mary..." Harry called out firmly. If she went back on her word, the Xiao Clan''s reputation would be damaged. After all, they were recruiting disciples, not simply making things difficult for their interviewees.


    "Today''s your lucky day. Just you wait. You''ll regret this soon," Mary whispered lowly to Rocky before she turned on her heel and left.


    "You passed the test. From now on, you''re a disciple of the Xiao Clan. Did you learn any medical skills before? If you haven''t, how could you identify nearly twenty kinds of medicinal herbs?" Harry curiously asked.


    "I know because my grandfather grew medicinal herbs." Rocky calmly spouted out another lie.


    "I see. You have talent and basic knowledge. Work hard." Harry happily patted his shoulder.


    When the interview commenced once again, Rocky walked out of the interview area.


    That was when Juey excitedly walked up to him.

 Chapter 762 Rockys Teacher

    "I didn''t let you down," Rocky said to Juey with a bright smile, his arms stuffed in his pockets.


    "Of course, I had no doubts. Don''t forget that I brought you here, and I wouldn''t have done that if I''m not confident in you," replied Juey drily. In contrast to her dry tone, was the warm and proud smile she levered at him right after. Of course, he didn''t need to know that she did worry for him earlier.


    "By the way, my sister Mary must be furious right now, so you must be careful from now on. I know my sister. Once she sets her mind on something, she won''t let it go. If she wants to drive you away, she will do whatever it takes." The cheery look that Juey was sporting earlier had been completely replaced by a darker expression.


    She was frowning in consternation, and although she wanted to stop her sister, all she could do right then was warn Rocky and hope that that would be enough. "Okay. I''ll go back to the beast farm first," said Rocky in an offhand manner. Honestly, Mary wasn''t big enough of a threat for him to take seriously, and he was confident that he could face whatever trouble she would throw his way. In the first place, he only took part in the interview so that he could reverse Mary''s momentum. He couldn''t care less whether he became a disciple there or not.


    The next day, a disciple from the Xiao Clan brought Rocky a set of clothes, and once he had changed into them, he was directed to the training field where he had been interviewed the day before.


    Rocky didn''t want to go, but he knew that Mary would just hassle him if he didn''t go. He wasn''t afraid of her, but the last thing he wanted was to be distracted when he was only halfway done with his research. It would take him at least fifteen more days to work on the samples of spirit-manipulated beasts in the beast farm, but once it was done, Mary wouldn''t even need to drive him away. He would disappear on his own.


    Thus, he put on the black and white robe with a heaviness in his limbs and languor in his steps.


    Every disciple of the Xiao Clan had the black and white robes as their official uniform, and if they showed an excellent performance and talent, they would be officially promoted to be a disciple of the clan after three years. That was the time when they would be allowed to wear the official green clothes that represented the identity of a di


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    are not the servant of the Magical Beast House anymore. It won''t be easy for you to be a disciple of the Xiao Clan, so you should cherish the opportunity and listen carefully. The Beast Curing Skill is the foundation. Don''t think that you are too smart for this, because if you are too self-confident, you are bound to fail."


    "But I was listening carefully!" replied Rocky with an innocent look on his face.


    "You were sleeping!" Harry told Rocky bluntly, seeing that he was still arguing.


    "No. I was listening... If you don''t believe me, Teacher, I will repeat everything you just said in class." Rocky didn''t give Harry time to answer, instead, he began to recite what Harry had been discussing, word for word.


    Harry''s eyes widened out of shock, and he was rendered speechless. The other disciples also stared at Rocky in astonishment. They had seen Rocky sleeping as well, and they thought that he wasn''t listening to the teacher at all. But to their surprise, Rocky was able to repeat exactly what he had just been taught, and not one word was missing.


    "Well, it seems that you did listen to me. Maybe I was wrong, but you''d better be more serious," Harry finally said after an awkward silence. He was dumbfounded that Rocky could understand and remember his lessons even while he was sleeping, so it made an impression on him. But he also scolded him because he couldn''t let him act out in class.


    Afterward, Rocky ignored Harry''s words, and he closed his eyes again to study the data in his brain. This time, Harry turned a blind eye on Rocky''s behavior.

 Chapter 763 Stir Up Trouble

    After class, Harry asked someone to lead the disciples of the Xiao Clan to the pharmacy where they were going to learn how to identify medicinal flowers and herbs under the guidance of a beast curer from their clan.


    Rocky''s face was blank as he joined the tail end of the group. ''If I had known this, I shouldn''t have gone to the disciples recruitment interview yesterday; I''d much rather be with the lonely beasts in the beast farm!'' he thought.


    At this moment, a figure approached Rocky. Rocky turned his head and recognized him¡ªJonas.


    "I don''t even know your name. Would you at least tell me that first?" Jonas asked with a smile.


    "You can call me Rookie," Rocky replied with one eyebrow arched. "Alright then, Rookie. By the way..." Jonas started but did not continue. He looked flushed as if he was embarrassed of whatever he was about to say.


    He was visibly hesitant.


    "Just say it. Suppressing your feelings will do you no good," Rocky remarked as he noticed Jonas'' expression.


    "I just wanted to ask how you were able to catch everything Master Harry told us during class. I barely remember half of it. Then I realized you were practically asleep during half the class," Jonas replied with a slight chuckle.


    "Maybe I''m just a bit cleverer than you." Rocky, of course, was being falsely modest. He knew he was more than a bit cleverer than Jonas. He was a gifted man with an extremely retentive memory.


    "Could you please share what you learned from Master Harry with me when you''re free? I could really use some help so I can understand it better," Jonas begged with a hopeful expression.


    "You seem like a diligent man," Rocky commented as he flashed Jonas a quick look.


    "To be honest, I had worked for a whole year before I finally became a member of the Xiao Clan last month. I was orphaned at a young age. My sister and I grew up with our grandpa. Our life wasn''t easy and it''s just getting harder. My grandpa is old and my sister is young.


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    ortunately, he did not have any money with him at that moment. He had to sell a few items and some rare objects of the spirit-manipulated beasts that he had collected in the desert. He didn''t want to have to sell any of the materials in the Magical Beast House. Those were rare and were at least at three-star level. He didn''t want anyone there to become suspicious of him.


    Rocky entered the main hall of the Magical Beast House. As he was about to get out of the gate, he heard a commotion on the third floor. "Hurry up!" a staff member shouted while running down. "Call Butler Willie over. Something bad happened."


    "What is it? Don''t make us nervous!" Willie appeared in the hall looking greatly displeased about being disturbed.


    That staff member walked up to him and whispered something to him.


    "What? How could that happen?" A shadow dawned on Willie''s face. He followed the staff member and they walked toward the stairs.


    ''Looks like something bad just happened, '' Rocky thought to himself. He figured that something was up in the auction hall on the third floor.


    Rocky tried not to be bothered too much for he didn''t want to waste his time. As he was about to leave, he heard someone shout, "Everyone, listen! The pill from the Magical Beast House poisoned my spirit-manipulated beast to death!"

 Chapter 764 The Poisonous Ethereal Spirit Pill

    The guests that were gathered at the first-floor hall of the Magical Beast House along with those who had just entered the gate heard the loud cry as well. With their attention caught, they all started flocking towards the third floor. Rocky found himself trapped in the sea of people that were making their way towards the third floor. He couldn''t summon his spiritual power without causing a scene in front of so many witnesses. Thus, he decided to blend into the crowd for now.


    The third-floor auction house was full to the brim with countless people.


    From the front of the dense crowd came a voice that scolded, "You, the Magical Beast House, dare to auction the poisonous pill that killed my spirit-manipulated beast! How dare you! My beast had cost me ten thousand taels of silver coins, and yet it was poisoned by that pill. If I don''t get any valid explanation, I''ll make sure that the Magical Beast House will be nothing more than rubble and ruin before the day ends!"


    "My dear guest, please. Quell your anger. Allow me to investigate first and then I will be able to answer your question," replied Willie, the Magical Beast House''s steward.


    ''Since I''m already here, I might as well get to the bottom of what''s going on, '' Rocky thought to himself. As he squeezed his way through the crowd, he finally made it to the front where the stage was located. Before him laid the dead body of a spirit-manipulated beast, its mouth covered with white foam and with purple splotches all over its skin. It looked as though it had been poisoned.


    Beside the spirit-manipulated beast''s carcass hovered a tall, thin, and aggressive-looking spirit manipulator who was flanked on either side by two other spirit manipulators. After assessing them, Rocky got the impression that they wouldn''t be a threat.


    "What pill did this gentleman buy?" Willie immediately inquired with the staff that led the auction.


    "It''s the Ethereal Spirit Pill of our Magical Beast House." The staff immediately took out the last Ethereal Spirit Pill from a box and handed it to Willie.


    "We only hand out three Ethereal Spirit Pills per month. We sold one just a few days ago. Nothing''s wrong with the pills


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    Curing Skills at all. She couldn''t provide the help they needed.


    "What happened?" Juey asked.


    "Miss Juey, even if I did tell you every detail, you wouldn''t be able to help. I''m afraid only Miss Mary could solve a problem as huge as this one." Willie shook his head as he realized the direness of the situation they were in. He never thought of how his words might have made Juey felt.


    "Alright," replied Juey, who didn''t seem to be irritated.


    At that moment, the three men noticed Juey. They approached her and asked, "Isn''t the Xiao Clan famous for their Beast Curing Skill? Being the Xiao Clan Chief''s daughter, you surely must know what the hell is going on."


    "I''m truly sorry, sir. I can''t answer that. I don''t possess any Beast Curing Skill," Juey apologized as she gestured with the shake of her hands.


    "You don''t know the Beast Curing Skill? The daughter of the Xiao Clan Chief doesn''t know the Beast Curing Skill? Unbelievable! Surely, as a representative of the Xiao Clan, you plan to fool us and then present me with some form of compensation for my loss, right?" The man raised his voice. It appeared he was trying to cause a scene.


    The onlookers took notice and began to murmur among themselves. Was the pill truly the cause of the beast''s death?


    Rocky, who had been quietly lurking in the background, turned towards the pill that Willie still clutched in his hand. After a few moments, he finally guessed what was going on.

 Chapter 765 Something Is Wrong With The Pill

    "Mark my words: I don''t have any problems with money, and I don''t want you to pay me either. I just want you to give me a reasonable explanation for my spirit-manipulated beast''s death. If you can''t, then I will not hesitate to destroy the Magical Beast House!" the man threatened. It seemed that he was not going to let the Magical Beast House go this time.


    "Hey, watch it! You''re going too far! When my sister comes back, I''m sure that she will give you a decent explanation about this fiasco. But if you dare lay your hands on the Magical Beast House, then I will not let you go so easily!" Juey spat and glared at the man angrily.


    "Oh, I''m so scared!" the man mocked with feigned terror. "Oh, look, everybody! The daughter of the Xiao Clan Chief is threatening us. We are the victims here. How shameless of the Xiao Clan to do such a thing!" As he finished his words, he pretended to lie weakly on the floor, as if he was a helpless old bloke.


    The crowd saw this and immediately pointed at Juey with contempt.


    "Miss Juey, please get a hold of yourself. Don''t cause any more ruckus. I think it''s best if you should go back first," said Willie as he broke out in a cold sweat.


    "I..." Juey bit her pink lips as she wanted to object to his suggestion.


    "Don''t keep us waiting! Give us an explanation now, or we will have to take action," the man insisted.


    "Master Harry, are you able to find the cause?" Willie asked as he turned to look at Harry and the other beast curers of the Xiao Clan.


    At this moment, Harry walked up to Willie and whispered in his ear, "Maybe it''s true that there is something wrong with the Ethereal Spirit Pill that we sold. But only the Chief, the young master, and Miss Mary know the formula of the pill. If you want to know if there''s anything wrong with it, then you have to wait until Miss Mary comes back."


    Crafted by the Xiao Clan''s ancestors, the Ethereal Spirit Pill''s formula was kept a secret. With this, it was said that only a few people knew about it¡ªRaef, the Xiao Clan Chief, Travis, the clan''s young master, and Mary, Raef''s daughter. Although Harry was regarded as the best beast curer of the Magical Beast House, he still did not know all the contents of the secret formula.


    "What should we do now?" At this moment, Wi


    case, then I''d rather take the chance."


    "Don''t blame me for not giving you a chance, Miss Juey. Now, I''ll give you half an hour. If within that time, you are able to come up with the cause why my spirit-manipulated beast died and that it has nothing to do with the Ethereal Spirit Pill that the Magical Beast House sold, then I will be convinced. If you can''t, then you know the consequences," the man said confidently with a wicked smile.


    "I believe that Miss Juey doesn''t need half an hour to do the task at hand," Rocky said and turned to look at Juey. "Miss Juey, you are very familiar with the Ethereal Spirit Pill, correct? Check this pill and see if there''s anything wrong."


    Afterwards, Juey did as what Rocky had instructed her to do. "Willie, give me the remaining Ethereal Spirit Pill," she ordered.


    Hearing her command, Willie went blank for a moment. Thinking that it might be the only way to save the situation, he obeyed her order. He thought, ''Miss Juey might still have a chance if she can buy time until Miss Mary returns.'' However, naturally, he didn''t expect that Juey could really find the reason.


    After Juey took the pill, she placed it in front of Rocky. After smelling the pill, he moved closer to her and said, "Miss Juey, it seems that there''s something wrong with the pill." After saying what he had observed, he again winked at her.


    After making eye contact with Rocky, she exclaimed exaggeratedly, "Yes! Something is definitely wrong with the pill. And this is a big problem!"

 Chapter 766 Search For The Truth

    "Miss Juey, we can use another spirit-manipulated beast to test if this Ethereal Spirit Pill is poisonous or not," Rocky suggested.


    "Willie, please send someone to bring a spirit-manipulated beast here," Juey instructed as she agreed with Rocky''s suggestion.


    Willie then sent someone to bring a worthless spirit-manipulated beast so they could check if the pill was indeed poisonous or not.


    The expressions on the three men''s faces immediately changed when they saw that Juey was going to try the Ethereal Spirit Pill.


    Guided by Rocky, Juey carefully fed the Ethereal Spirit Pill to the spirit-manipulated beast. After a short while, foam came out of the beast''s mouth, and it fell on the floor thereafter.


    "Look! The Xiao Clan''s Ethereal Spirit Pill is poisonous!" the man shouted and pointed his finger at the spirit-manipulated beast on the floor.


    "I never expected that the pills sold by the Xiao Clan are poisonous!"


    "I gave my spirit-manipulated beast pills from the Xiao Clan. Is my beast also poisoned?"


    "It looks like I will never buy any pills from the Xiao Clan again."


    The people who observed the event caused a commotion. They speculated among themselves and expressed their disgust.


    Disturbed, Willie shook his head and sighed. The more Rocky and Juey got involved, the more desperate they became.


    "Miss Juey, what did you say?" Rocky shouted when the voices around them were so loud, and deliberately leaned closer to Juey.


    Juey understood Rocky''s action. She smiled sweetly and pretended to whisper something in his ear.


    "Okay, I know." Rocky pretended he understood what Juey said and nodded his head. He looked around and said in a loud voice, "Attention everyone! Miss Juey has found the reason."


    Everyone''s eyes were once again focused on Rocky.


    Harry and the other beast curers of the Xiao Clan were all stunned when they heard the announcement. They themselves felt hopeless and could not figure out the reason. But Juey, who was clueless about the Beast Curing Skill, had the answer.


    "Miss Juey said the Ethereal Spirit Pill is indeed poisonous," Rocky declared with no hesitation.


    Because of this, the people in the auction house became more agitated. Admitting that the Xiao Clan''s pills were poisonous was like digging their own grave. The announcement did not help the situation a bit.


    "Howev


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    f the Xiao Clan did not dare to hide the truth. He hurriedly took out a bank note from his pocket and waved it in front of him.


    This confused the onlookers. They whispered among themselves and speculated about who was telling the truth.


    "Miss Juey..." Rocky turned to Juey and gave her another hint.


    For a moment, Juey stared at Rocky with a blank expression on her face. As she figured out what he was trying to say, she said in an all-knowing tone, "They gave him the Cyan Sulphur, I am sure they also smell of Cyan Sulphur."


    The man''s face turned pale as he heard Juey''s conclusion. He looked around him and realized that he was at a disadvantage. Without a word, he nodded to the two other men and pushed his way out of the crowd. Terrified, the three of them disappeared in a flash.


    "I think it is settled. Those three men devised a way to tamper with the Ethereal Spirit Pills. Obviously, their goal was to destroy the reputation of Magical Beast House and the Xiao Clan. Good thing, Miss Juey saw through their evil plot. Guilty, they panicked and ran away. Don''t you agree?" Willie explained as he put a lid on the case. He cast a stern glance at the fading figures of the three men.


    "Miss Juey, you have hidden your real strength and talent for a long time!"


    "They said that Miss Juey had no talent in beast healing. But now it seems like it was a piece of false information."


    "I agree with you. Miss Juey must be as talented as Miss Mary in the Beast Curing Skill."


    At this moment, the crowd showered Juey with unending praise and compliments.

 Chapter 767 Cover Up For Juey

    Juey knew that the Cyan Sulphur caused the pills to change in effect, which meant she knew the Ethereal Spirit Pill''s formula. However, Willie, Harry, and the other beast curers of the Xiao Clan had known her since she was a child. They knew she had no talent in beast curing, so they were caught scratching their heads, still confused about what was happening.


    "Miss Juey, how did you know that the Ethereal Spirit Pills were sprinkled with the Cyan Sulphur?" Willie asked Juey immediately with eagerness after the crowd dispersed.


    "Actually..." Of course, she couldn''t figure that all on her own. It was Rocky''s idea. She was about to say it, but before the words left her mouth, she pulled back. She believed Rocky didn''t want people to know that he had seen through the scheme of these three men.


    "Leave the rest to Mary. I have to go now." Juey immediately left in a hurry.


    Meanwhile, Rocky had already left the Magical Beast House and walked on the streets of the Barren City.


    ''I know I shouldn''t have helped her. It would only put me in trouble. But I can''t help it. She reminds me of Sue so much, '' Rocky thought to himself. He remembered what he had done just now and couldn''t help but let out a stupid grin.


    Then, Rocky went to a nearby store where he could sell the materials he collected from spirit-manipulated beasts. He took out several three-star materials and the store owner''s eyes immediately lit up.


    However, Rocky wanted to keep a low profile, so he sold the precious treasures at a low price. But it was enough to replenish his laboratory supplies.


    He continued to walk around the Barren City and bought all the things he needed. When he went back to the beast farm, he was greeted by a dirty and messy Jonas.


    "Hey, Rookie, you''re finally back! Look, I''ve cleaned up the beast stables for you," Jonas said, greeting him


    e had gotten herself in trouble this time.


    "Juey, how did you know the formula of the Ethereal Spirit Pill?" Raef looked at her seriously. Even though he was glaring at her, Juey could tell he was also very confused.


    "I... Well..." Juey feared her father ever since she was a little girl. If she told her father the truth that it was a mere servant who exposed the trick of the three men, he would be furious at her, as well as at Rocky. She couldn''t betray him.


    "Father, it was me who told Juey the formula," Travis said out of the blue.


    "You told her?" Intrigued, Raef turned to look at Travis.


    "Travis, was it really you who taught her?" Mary didn''t believe what Travis said.


    "Last month, when I was trying to make the Ethereal Spirit Pills, I found myself short of some medicinal herbs and flowers. I found that Juey was going out to hunt beasts, so I gave her the formula and asked her to bring back the ingredients I needed," Travis explained.


    "Really? Juey?" Raef looked at Travis, and then turned to his daughter.


    Juey was stunned at the fact that Travis would help her cover the truth. At first, she didn''t know what to answer. But after being startled for a while, she decided to nod her head in agreement.

 Chapter 768 Making Use Of The Daughter

    "Father, the guys who instigated the disturbance seem to be well prepared. They knew how to change the Ethereal Spirit Pill''s properties by using Cyan Sulphur. They could be hired by someone that is not ordinary," Mary reported while the others listened intently.


    "The Qi Clan must be behind this. I heard that they have started fighting with the Cao Clan openly and in secret in the coming of the Beast Master Contest," Raef said strongly.


    The Qi Clan and the Cao Clan were the two most powerful clans in the Timber Deity Empire. They were neck-and-neck in terms of strength, and they had a lot of outstanding Beast Masters from the three major professions: beast evaluator, beast tamer, and beast curer. The Timber Deity Empire held a Beast Master Contest every three years, and they summoned promising Beast Masters from several big clans of the empire to compete with each other. The clan who would win the title of the Best Beast Master would receive a great reward, and they could also represent the Timber Deity Empire in bigger contests where different empires sent their promising Beast Masters.


    However, for the top clans of the Timber Deity Empire, the greatest benefit that could be garnered from the Beast Master Contest was the improvement of their reputation and status in the empire, which meant that the clan''s performance in the contest had a direct bearing on the interests of the whole clan. This was because the clan that would win in the contest could gain the recognition and favor of the imperial family of the Timber Deity Empire. Its Beast Masters and highly-skilled spirit manipulators could be promoted as well. So, all the big clans took the Beast Master Contest seriously.


    In the previous years, only two clans stood out: the Qi Clan and the Cao Clan. The Qi Clan had the strongest beast tamer in the Timber Deity Empire¡ªSamson, whose strength was ranked only second to Sheridan, the best beast tamer of the Wild Spirit Land. Samson''s disciples were well-known and very powerful. On the other hand, the Cao Clan had the most powerful beast evaluator in the Timber Deity Empire. He was said to have mastered the eighth level of the beast evaluating power, and his disciples were also formidable. Of course, the other mediocre clans relied heavily on the two biggest clans, but sometimes, they would also discover great talents within their ranks.


    The Xiao Clan was one of


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    ouse, it will be a great advantage for us," Raef implied.


    "Father, do you mean..." Mary''s eyes widened in surprise when she understood what Raef was trying to say.


    "During the Beast Master Contest, I will find a way for you and Juey to meet Prince Woods. If either of you catches Prince Woods'' interest, it will be good for both the Cao Clan and the Xiao Clan. Do you understand what I mean?" Raef explained frankly.


    "I understand, father. But shall we tell Juey about this?" Mary asked.


    "No, at least, not now. The truth is I don''t want it to be you. I want you to lead the Xiao Clan in the future, so I''m hoping he will fancy Juey instead. Although Travis is also talented, he was not born as a member of the Xiao Clan. You would be a much better leader. But if Prince Woods doesn''t fall for your sister, or if he prefers you over her, then we''ll talk about it later," Raef further explained, but the expression on his face told Mary that he was planning something dangerous, "But..." Mary started to speak, but she didn''t know what to say. She didn''t expect that her father would resort to something like this.


    Someone had said that even a vicious tiger will not eat its cubs. But as she looked at her father''s expression, she feared that whoever said that was wrong. Her mind couldn''t conceive how Raef could stomach using his daughter just to gain Prince Woods'' favor.


    ''What a devious plan!'' she thought, as she felt her stomach turn. She breathed deeply to settle herself, but otherwise, she didn''t say anything more, as it was obvious that her father had already made up his mind.

 Chapter 769 Extraordinary Background

    Rocky spent three days rapidly performing experiments on the remaining spirit-manipulated beasts in the Magical Beast House. He was preparing himself to leave. Juey had come for him several times and Rocky hid from her. He was tired of that and thought it might be best for him to just wrap up his research and leave.


    "The qualifying competition is today. I guess I shouldn''t expect Jonas today," Rocky murmured to himself. Recently, Jonas went to him every day. He was very eager to be taught by Rocky.


    As if on cue, Jonas suddenly came in.


    "Hey!" Jonas''s eyes lit up the moment he saw Rocky.


    "You''re here," Rocky said flatly.


    "Rookie, why didn''t you attend the qualifying competition? I thought you would be there, but you weren''t," Jonas said. He''d only been with Rocky for a few days, but he knew that Rocky was knowledgeable when it came to beast curing. He even knew things that weren''t discussed by Harry during their class. Jonas had admired Rocky for that. He thought that he was an outstanding human and that he should take part in the competition. He was sure everyone would admire his extraordinary talents.


    "I''m not interested," Rocky responded. Then he quickly dropped the topic and asked Jonas to help him. He asked him to follow him into the beast stable.


    On the other side, an old man of about fifty years old and a young woman entered the gate of the Magical Beast House. The old man looked ordinary in his black and golden robe, but something about his eyes made him look sharp and mysterious.


    The young woman was about twenty-four years old. She was tall, slim, and fresh-looking. Her sparkling eyes and high-bridged nose were perfectly framed by her black and red hair. She was beautiful, and her golden dress made her look even more attractive. Even the two ladies


    n said, acting offended. She turned to her left and started pointing with her fingers. "That one in the first beast stable on the left is the Tattooed Crab, the one in the third stable is the Three-tailed Snow Monkey, and the one in the fifth stable on your right is the White Shadow Eagle." The woman concluded with a dramatic shrug.


    Willie was speechless. The woman was indeed correct.


    ''This woman is extraordinary! It seems that she is extraordinarily skilled in the aspect of beast evaluation. More than that, she is a master at the first grade of the Supernal Stage, but she is a little younger than Sabina. Definitely, she is not an ordinary spirit manipulator. She could be of noble descent, like from the great clan in the Timber Deity Empire.'' Rocky were enumerating possibilities in his head as he stared at the old man and young woman. The old man surprised him quite a lot. He was almost certain that he was just being modest. He was easily above the Divine Stage. He didn''t expect that there would be such an unrivalled master at the Divine Stage in the border city of the Timber Deity Empire.


    However, Willie seemed oblivious to just how powerful the two people in front of him were.

 Chapter 770 They Are All Trash

    "Queenie..." The old man called out, a gentle reminder to the girl to keep a low profile, and of course, he also hid his identity.


    Even as her perfect lips curled in displeasure, she turned to Willie and said, "Show me all the four-star and above spirit-manipulated beasts in your Magical Beast House. If I''m satisfied with any of them, I''ll buy it immediately."


    Even though what she said wasn''t pleasing to the ear, Willie saw how capable she was and the fact that she was willing to pay just cemented his decision. He''d do whatever she said as long as she had the money. So Willie ordered the staff to quickly bring out all eight of the four-star spirit-manipulated beasts from the beast farm.


    "That''s it?" The girl scoffed as she looked down at the spirit-manipulated beasts before her.


    "Young lady, do you think this is too few? In all the cities around here, our Magical Beast House is the only one that can take out eight four-star spirit-manipulated beasts in one go. You should know that it''s very risky to catch a four-star spirit-manipulated beast cub, let alone training them to adulthood..." When he saw the girl''s attitude, Willie couldn''t help but try to argue.


    Even though the Magical Beast House was a high-grade beast farm, the Xiao Clan didn''t have particularly powerful spirit manipulators. It was hard enough already to hunt down high star level young beasts, not to even mention all the effort needed to be poured in to cultivate them properly. Thus, it was difficult for a common high-grade beast farm to have eight four-star spirit-manipulated beasts at the same time.


    "If you don''t have the ability, don''t run such a so-called high-grade beast farm. I''m not interested in them. I don''t even bother to learn from the Beast Evaluation Skill that they''re all garbage. I thought these spirit-manipulated beasts had something special that could help me practice the Beast Evaluation Skill, but they''re all trash. I''m so disa


    lan sent someone to cause trouble but now another one comes again.'' A furious expression appeared on Willie''s face the more he thought of it. His glare worsened the more he dissected his guests and quickly called for a staff. "Tell Mr. Chris that the Qi Clan members are here to cause problems again!"


    The staff member ran like the wind out the door.


    "I''ll teach you two a good lesson so that the Qi Clan will finally realize how powerful our Xiao Clan really is," Willie scoffed at them.


    "The Qi Clan?" Both the girl and the old man looked at him strangely.


    "You must have misunderstood us. We''re actually..." Before the old man could finish his words, the girl next to him interrupted with a laugh, "Master, let''s have a look first. I''d like to see how powerful the Xiao Clan is."


    Irritation flashed across Willie''s face and he glared at her, straightening his back as they all waited.


    ''Is Willie an idiot? Why does he have to mess with them? The Xiao Clan is in big trouble, '' Rocky thought to himself as he shook his head from where he was hiding.


    Soon after, someone was bellowing from outside the beast stable, "Who dares to disobey the Xiao Clan''s orders?! Do you want to die?"


    A burly figure flashed into the beast stable and was followed by a few Xiao Clan''s disciples.

 Chapter 771 Unexpected Guests

    "Mr. Chris, look! It''s those troublemakers!" Willie pointed at both the girl and the old man as soon as he saw Chris.


    "How dare you return to this place! Last time, your people were just lucky enough that they were able to run away. But you won''t be able to get away this time!" Chris spat. Within his capabilities, he was not able to identify how strong the girl and the old man were. In fact, he would only be able to perceive their strength once they fought.


    "Master, it seems that all the members of the Xiao Clan are blinded," the girl said to the old man with a sneer, completely ignoring Chris.


    Hearing this made Chris'' blood boil. Wanting to start a fight, the Xiao Clan disciples also had the girl and the old man surrounded.


    However, the girl''s beauty stunned the Xiao Clan disciples. In their eyes, they thought that the Xiao Clan Chief''s daughters were the most beautiful, but they didn''t expect this girl to be as gorgeous as a fairy.


    "Stop it, Queenie! Did you already forget what the Chief told you before we came out?" the old man said calmly.


    "Don''t blame me. They started it." The girl laughed and then turned to Chris. "Come on, you are the strongest among them all! Although I see you as weak, I know that beating you can make me happy."


    Seeing that he was looked down upon by a girl, Chris immediately shouted angrily, "Don''t be so arrogant, you brat! Let me show you how powerful I am!" Without hesitation, he hurriedly reached out his hand in the air and released a palm strike. Infused with the spiritual power at the Heavenly Stage, the palm shadow dashed towards the girl like a blazing lightning bolt.


    Meanwhile, Willie felt nothing but pride upon seeing how powerful Chris'' palm strike was. In fact, he assumed that the girl would be badly injured by the blow. All the other disciples of the Xiao Clan were also thrilled to see such a magnificent strike from Chris.


    On the other hand, the girl''s left hand waved in a circular motion in the air. Suddenly, a blinding light, just like the Eight Diagrams, appeared. But when Chris'' palm shadow touched the light of the Eight Diagrams, something happened¡ªthe spiritual power in the palm strike bounced back to him.


    Chris'' face changed and he thought, ''Noth


    ere with my daughter Juey," he said. Then he winked at Juey. Obviously, he abandoned Juey and decided to protect Mary only.


    On the other hand, the members of the Xiao Clan were puzzled to hear this from Raef. Why did he lie about Mary''s whereabouts? What a partial father!


    ''What a liar! Does Raef know what Miss Queenie is going to do?'' Rocky thought to himself. Standing quietly in the dark, he frowned upon overhearing Raef''s words. With this, he could not help but give Juey a worried look.


    Meanwhile, Raef''s words struck Juey down to the gut. Glancing at Mary first, and then looking at her father, she stood up with pride and said to Queenie, "I''m Juey Xiao."


    "Wow, I can''t believe that a person could have such a perfect body! I envy you," Queenie mocked as she saw Juey''s breasts jiggle when she stood up.


    "Well, I''m giving the Xiao Clan a chance to apologize to me. If anyone in the Xiao Clan can tell which spirit-manipulated beast the thing is from, then I''ll forgive the whole clan. But if you fail to do so, then I''ll leave something on her face, so that your clan will remember it for eternity." As soon as her voice trailed off, she pulled out a dagger from her waist and pressed it against Juey''s pretty face.


    When Raef and the members of the Xiao Clan learned about the threat, all of them became worried but did not dare show any complaint for it could only make things worse for them.


    But no matter how intense the situation was, Rocky was still as calm as ever.

 Chapter 772 The Myriad Spirit Tomb

    Juey was held at knifepoint by Queenie. With the tip of the dagger pointed at her face, a bit of uneasiness ran through her body. But still, Juey remained calm and composed.


    "Queenie, you are going too far. If the chief finds out, I won''t be able to protect you," Lucas said in a reproachful tone. They didn''t mean to come to the Magical Beast House; they were just on tour and happened to pass by. They didn''t want to expose their identities, but they also didn''t expect that the Xiao Clan would be so rude to them.


    Queenie had the hobby of threatening and pushing people around, even powerful ones, which made her known as "Miss Troublemaker." But because she was the second daughter of the powerful Cao Clan, no one dared to fight back. The only person who could afford to do so was the clan chief herself.


    "Master, I know what to do. Let me have some fun first, and then we''ll go to the Black Sand Abyss and find the legendary Myriad Spirit Tomb," Queenie said. She seemed to have thought of something and her face flushed with excitement.


    ''Black Sand Abyss? Myriad Spirit Tomb?'' Standing in the dark, Rocky rattled his brain trying to think what these two places were. He knew he had already heard of the Myriad Spirit Tomb, but he couldn''t seem to recollect the memory.


    Rocky reached into his carry-on bag to get a small, folded parchment. He quickly spread out the parchment on which there was a painting that seemed like a treasure map. The patterns on the painting vaguely represented a terrain. A line ran through one end of the map to the northern, top part of it. On top there was a cross with three words faintly written. Rocky could barely make out the words, but he was certain they read "Myriad Spirit Tomb."


    ''This girl referred to the Myriad Spirit Tomb. Is it the same one on the map? Does it mean that the treasure map is actually leading to the Black Sand Abyss?'' Rocky thought


    isfigured by Queenie, a deep cold voice suddenly echoed in the area. "Isn''t that just a tendon from the Heavenly Wing Fish? That beast is not something rare."


    As soon as the voice came out, all eyes were immediately drawn to it, including Queenie''s and Lucas''.


    Instead of being angry, Queenie''s beautiful face showed a flash of surprise. She didn''t expect anyone to give the right answer. The tendon did come from a spirit-manipulated beast named the Heavenly Wing Fish that lived in a secluded and mysterious place deep underwater. This made the Heavenly Wing Fish very rare, and only a few knew where it lived. Even the best-known beast evaluators across the Wild Spirit Land might not have seen one before.


    "Rookie?" It was a very familiar voice for Juey. When she opened her eyes, she saw Rocky walking towards her. A sudden feeling of relief washed over her. However, she found that the man standing in front of her was different from the one she met before. His eyes were cold and scary.


    "Who are you? How do you know this is a tendon of the Heavenly Wing Fish?" Queenie was doubtful that this man was a member of the Xiao Clan. After all, she believed it was impossible for any member of the Xiao Clan to know about the existence of the Heavenly Wing Fish.

 Chapter 773 Unwilling To Admit Defeat

    When Queenie spoke, she had already taken the dagger away from Juey''s face. She did not show it, but she did not really want to hurt Juey. She just wanted to frighten her and give the members of the Xiao Clan a little lesson. What she didn''t expect was that there would be someone who would suddenly step in her way. This caught her off guard and ruined her plan.


    "I''m just a servant from the Magical Beast House," Rocky said calmly.


    At this moment, every Xiao Clan member looked at Rocky with shock. No one expected that he would say the origin of the tendon. Mary was taken aback as well. She let out a small gasp upon hearing Rocky''s words. Rocky had surprisingly passed the disciples recruitment interview and even embarrassed her in public. Ever since that happened, she held a grudge against him. Of course, she wanted to take her revenge. She wanted to find an opportunity and teach Rocky a lesson. However, now that he was able to answer Queenie''s question correctly and even saved Juey, she had mixed feelings. However, it didn''t change the fact that she hated Rocky.


    Raef, on the other hand, had never seen Rocky before. He stared at him strangely. His eyes wandered Rocky''s presence from head to toe. His brows were furrowed as if he was thinking of something. There were two reasons for Raef''s confusion. First, he wondered how Rocky had known that the tendon came from the Heavenly Wing Fish. Second, he felt as though Rocky wasn''t a servant at all. Indeed, he claimed to be a servant, but he was very calm and relaxed among their presence. Raef then wondered about Rocky''s background and what his purpose was for coming to the Magical Beast House.


    "A servant? How could a servant know about the Heavenly Wing Fish?" Queenie said in a tone which clearly sounded doubtful. She obviously didn''t believe that Rocky was just a servant and thought he was lying.


    Lucas'' shrewd and turbid eyes also started to examine Rocky. With his cultivation base, he could naturally perceive some hidden strength from Rocky, but he didn''t say it out loud and expose it to the public. He kept his calm, but he couldn''t stop his eyes from flashing with interest as he stared at Rocky.


    "I''ve seen it on a book," replied Rocky indifferently.


    "A book? So you didn''t actually know it, but guessed it right. I knew it." Queenie was a little surprised,


    d hesitate, because she didn''t want to lose out to Rocky.


    In Queenie''s opinion, Rocky was just an ordinary person, so she guessed that the fur must belong to some waste spirit-manipulated beast. She then boldly said, "It must belong to the Lion-headed Silver Dog."


    "I''m sorry, but you are wrong." Rocky shook his head as he heard Queenie''s response and gave her a smile.


    "What? I must be right. You can''t lie to me," Queenie said confidently.


    "If you don''t believe me, then ask your master." Rocky turned to look at Lucas. He noticed the subtle look on Lucas'' face when he took out the silver fur, so he knew that Lucas must be able to tell which spirit-manipulated beast the fur came from.


    "Queenie, he''s right. This is not the fur of the Lion-headed Silver Dog, but from a rare beast: the Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf. This Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf was born from a spiritual beast and a war beast, and it has inherited the bloodlines of both the beasts and has a very high talent. Its fur is soft, tenacious and would become thorns as long as it meets ice. Just like this!" Lucas said as he glanced at Queenie. At the same time, with a wave of his hand, an icy spiritual power brushed the silver fur on Rocky''s hand, which turned into an ice thorn in an instant.


    Everyone watching let out a gasp. They weren''t expecting Rocky to win. When Queenie saw what happened, she couldn''t help but open her mouth wide, showing her surprise. At the same time, she glared at Rocky with some hatred, because she knew that since she guessed wrong, it meant that she lost out.

 Chapter 774 Who Was Right

    The Xiao Clan members looked completely shocked. They did not expect Queenie to lose out to Rocky, but they also found Rocky''s choice of the rare Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf to be questionable.


    Seeing that Queenie didn''t guess right, Juey heaved a sigh of relief and looked at Rocky gratefully. Rocky had helped her for the third time.


    "As far as I know, the Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf is almost extinct. The last sighting of it was in the Myriad Beasts Ground of the Holy Dragon Empire''s Gehenna Border," Lucas explained as he stared at Rocky thoughtfully. Rocky had the fur of Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf. This meant that he had been to the Myriad Beasts Ground. Lucas knew how dangerous the Myriad Beasts Ground was. Not even he could go through it alive, and it would even be more impossible to secure the Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf''s fur.


    Lucas was the most powerful beast evaluator of the Timber Deity Empire, but he knew he had his limits. Yet Rocky was able to acquire it, which made Lucas confused. The only way he would be even more shocked was if he knew Rocky actually had a young Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf in his Magic Spiritual Space.


    "Miss Queenie, you can go now," Rocky ordered coldly.


    Queenie looked disgruntled. She had lost to Rocky and had made her lose face. She fought the urge to retaliate.


    "Queenie, give it up. We should go now." Lucas knew that Queenie had too much pride to simply accept the result, but he knew that she wouldn''t have the chance to win against Rocky.


    "I won''t give up so easily. Wait and see!" Queenie flashed a piercing glare at Rocky, and left angrily.


    "Young man, may I know your surname?" Lucas asked calmly as he approached Rocky.


    Roc


    use, Rocky went to the market of the Barren City. The desert had caused him so much suffering before, but he was now more prepared to visit it again. He decided to reach the end where the Black Sand Abyss was located.


    However, as he journeyed alone away from the Magical Beast House, he suddenly felt that someone was watching him.


    ''Where did these people come from?'' Rocky thought. He slowly panned his head to see who were there. He found an alley beside a street and started walking towards its end.


    Then, more than ten people tailed him and blocked his way.


    When he turned around, he saw over ten people. Three of them looked familiar. They were the men who came to frame the Magical Beast House last time. All of them were spirit manipulators at the Mortal Stage.


    "You and Miss Juey ruined my plan last time. I was reprimanded continuously because of what you did. Now, I can finally catch you and beat you to death!" the leading man shouted, daunting Rocky.


    Then, the man signaled the other more than ten spirit manipulators. Together, they gathered around Rocky until they had him surrounded.

 Chapter 775 The True Strength

    For Rocky, those spirit manipulators were as weak as  a baby. And to hide his true strength, he only used the strength of the first grade of the Earthly Stage.


    For spirit manipulators at the Mortal Stage, a warrior at the Earthly Stage was already very powerful, so the outcome was easy to imagine.


    Soon, more than a dozen injured bodies covered the ground. Their arms were fractured, while their hands and feet were disabled. Powerless, they could only groan in pain. Rocky hardened his grip on the leading man as he remained suspended in the air. His face was white as a sheet as he pleaded for his life.


    "I am so sorry! I should not have offended you. Please don''t kill me," the man begged.


    Rocky glared at the man and then threw him against the wall of the alley like a foul-smelling garbage. The man hit the wall so strongly that it created an enormous hole in the wall, and he fell on the ground with a thud.


    "Don''t let me see you again," Rocky warned the man, then turned around and left the alley.


    The man struggled to stand. He stared at the fading figure of Rocky and cried, "You are just at the first grade of the Earthly Stage. Just wait. I will kill you."


    As he left the alley, Rocky went straight to the market and bought all the things he needed. As he walked out of the market, he was confronted by the man once again. This time, there were no low-ranking warriors behind him. Instead, there were three spirit manipulators at the preliminary level of the Earthly Stage and three spirit-manipulated beasts behind him.


    "He ruined our plan," the man told the three spirit manipulators as he fixed his eyes on Rocky.


    The three spirit manipulators of the Earthly Stage advanced towards Rocky fiercely and stared icily at him, as if they wanted to slaughter him.


    "You are still tracking me? Don''t you ever learn?" Rocky shook his head, unable to believe the man''s nerve to follow him and show his face once again.


    In a fraction of a second, the three spirit manipulators and their spirit-manipulated beasts blocked Rocky''s way.


    Seeing this, the vendors around them immediately closed their stalls and t


    ded the overwhelming hidden weapons. Seeing that Rocky was distracted by the hidden weapons, a short man took advantage and approached him quickly. He swept his leg in the air and blocked Rocky''s way out.


    Seeing this, Rocky''s lips curled into a sneer. He shook his left arm, and the Dragon Spirit Mark that was under his clothes suddenly radiated with bright lights. In one swift movement, he raised his left arm to repel the man''s leg.


    Bang!


    Two powerful forces of the Heavenly Stage collided with each other. The impact caused spiritual waves that swept through the ground like wild fire.


    "Get out of the way!" Rocky shouted as he swung his left arm. The man''s leg was hurled away forcefully and he flipped over in the air before falling on the ground painfully.


    The man looked at Rocky in surprise.


    Rocky fixed his eyes on the man that attacked him. The short man in front of him was about 30 years old. He was thin and looked weak, but his aura revealed that he was a master of the third grade of the Heavenly Stage.


    "The guy told me that there was a master of the Heavenly Stage in the Xiao Clan, but I did not believe him. It turns out to be true. It''s rare for someone at your age to have such strength. Who are you? You can''t be a servant of the Xiao Clan. Unfortunately for you, someone who tries to ruin the plan of the Qi Clan will suffer," the thin man said as his eyes turned dark and murderous.

 Chapter 776 The Best Choice To Protect His Secret

    "The Qi Clan?" Although he wasn''t familiar with the Qi Clan, he frowned upon hearing its name. He seemed to attract a lot of trouble recently. He had been harassed by a group of guys and three Earthly Stage spirit manipulators, and now a Heavenly Stage master was blocking his way. Rocky was getting suspicious whether or not these events were just a coincidence or planned.


    "Don''t play dumb with me, kid. I know you''re a hidden spy sent by the Cao Clan! They must''ve known that we were going to deal with the Xiao Clan so they sent one of their people to help. Humph. I can tell that you''re just as strong as us. But if my brother and I work together, you''ll stand no chance." Right on time, a tall, fat man came out from behind a tree.


    Rocky threw a quick glance at the man that just appeared and thought he must be the one who had thrown the hidden weapons at him. He could tell that the man was also a Heavenly Stage master, although he was a little weaker than his brother.


    "You two are perfect for each other. Like peas and carrots!" Rocky said with sarcasm.


    "Come on bloke, just tell us how many people the Cao Clan are going to select from the Xiao Clan to the Beast Master Contest so that we can get this over quickly. Although the Xiao Clan is weak, their beast curing skills ain''t that bad. Unfortunately for them, they took the wrong side. So don''t blame us Qi Clan for showing no mercy¡­" the tall, fat man said arrogantly.


    "Sorry, I really don''t understand what you are talking about. I have nothing to do with whatever your feud is. Besides, I already handed out my resignation to the Xiao Clan. If you''re looking for trouble, just directly go to the Xiao Clan. Now if you can excuse me, I''m leaving!" Rocky didn''t want any trouble. Although he had exposed his Heavenly Stage strength to them, he did not want to take it seriously to fight with these people. After he finished speaking, he went straight ahead, hoping that the two would let him go.


    "You want to leave? In your dreams!" In a blink of an eye, the tall, fat man blocked Rocky''s way. Rocky was caught off


    , Rocky had already thrown the tall, fat man into a huge stone, breaking it into pieces due to the force of the impact. However, the fat man was much stronger than expected. After struggling for a while on the ground, he got up, looking embarrassed.


    "Brother, are you alright?" The short, thin man asked his younger brother, as he rushed towards his side.


    "I''m fine. This guy is stronger than we expected. Shall we retreat first?" the tall, fat man said as he saw that the situation was unfavorable.


    The thin man looked at Rocky hesitantly. He knew that even with their strength combined along with their spirit-manipulated beasts, they would not be able to defeat Rocky.


    "Let''s go." The brothers signaled their retreat.


    "Oh but you already know my true strength. You want to leave? In your dreams!" Now the tables had turned. The two brothers wanted to leave, but Rocky wouldn''t let them go. Rocky couldn''t afford everyone knowing of his true strength. Although he was neither a member of the Xiao Clan nor the Cao Clan, he knew that the Qi Clan would not let him get away so easily. The Qi Clan was one of the greatest clans in the Timber Deity Empire, so they would surely keep an eye on him. They might even try to kill him if they decided that Rocky would pose as a threat to their powerful clan. The best choice for Rocky to protect his secret was to kill these two brothers.

 Chapter 777 A New Journey

    "Are you trying to stop us? You might be more powerful than us as individuals, but you''ll never win against the both of us. You''d need to be a master at the Supernal Stage to do that!" the thin man sneered, thinking that Rocky was just boasting.


    "The Supernal Stage? If your last wish before your death is to see my strength at the Supernal Stage, then your wish is my command." Rocky flashed a sinister grin. The aura round him became dark and enveloped him in a cloud of evil.


    His aura was at the seventh grade of the Heavenly Stage. When his black spiritual power rose like flames, it could not be put out. Soon, the entire area was enveloped by the evil aura.


    Rocky looked evil, as if he just rose from hell. His face wore a cold, emotionless expression, and his eyes pierced with deathly glares. It seemed like he was preparing to destroy everything in front of him.


    He had fully transformed into a demon and was lingering between reason and madness. The audience in front of him trembled with fear.


    The thin man and his brother looked awestruck as they stared at Rocky''s rising aura.


    When the aura reached the eighth grade and then the ninth grade, Rocky''s black spiritual power burst and shone around his body. Then, the aura at the Supernal Stage rushed out of his body and shot in all directions, reaching everything within a radius of dozens of meters.


    "Is that... the Supernal Stage?!" the tall fat man uttered with a trembling voice.


    "He really is a master at the Supernal Stage!" the thin man exclaimed. He was still trying to comprehend the situation when he realized their lives were at stake. Unknowingly, they had provoked the wrong person.


    "Hurry up and run away," the thin man ordered the tall fat man.


    As they ran, Rocky''s lips curled into a cold and evil smile. He flicked his wrist and two black flame


    hen he should be able to find it.


    ''I wonder what kind of treasure is at the place that the map was referring to, '' Rocky thought.


    ''I need to find the place first. Then I can look for the treasure when collecting the experiment samples. I should also use my time to cultivate and fuse with the power on the third layer of the seal. It won''t be long before I can return to the Holy Dragon Empire.'' Rocky looked up at the boundless blue sky and sighed.


    He had not heard of any news pertaining to his betrayal of the Holy Dragon Empire, but it could just be because he was in the border city of the Timber Deity Empire, and he had stayed in the city for only a few days after all. The news might have not reached there. However, Rocky also hoped that Woods simply kept his promise and let go of Sabina and the others. Maybe they would clear his name after returning to the Holy Dragon Empire. Rocky figured he shouldn''t be too worried about being framed.


    But still, he knew he had a lot of things to deal with once he returned. The peace he felt was just temporary.


    Rocky shook his head. There was no use thinking about such things. He patted the Rainbow Glow Unicorn as they traversed the desert to look for the treasure.

 Chapter 778 Unknown Mysteries

    Everything went smoothly on the first day as they hadn''t met any powerful wild spirit-manipulated beasts along the way. At most, they encountered mostly three-star spirit-manipulated beasts and just a few of them were at the third grade of the four-star level. With the combined strength of Rocky and Rainbow Glow Unicorn, they had nothing to worry about.


    However, by the time the third day in the desert rolled around, their luck seemed to have run out. It was like everywhere they turned, many spirit-manipulated beasts at the fourth grade of the four-star level and some wild ones that he had never seen in the desert would welcome them.


    Fortunately, Rainbow Glow Unicorn''s ability to become invisible protected him from danger during the most crucial times. It would have been near impossible for him to cross the desert otherwise. Now and then, he''d feel a pang when he would reminisce his days with Uriah and Rubygon. There was nothing else he could do but shake his head and try to move on from their death.


    Not too long ago, Rocky killed a nine-section sandworm at the third grade of the four-star level and ended up being a mess because of its highly corrosive acid water vomit. He hadn''t gotten farther than a mile before a ten-meter-long Giant Earthworm Shape Snake emerged from the soft mountains of sand. A long shadow loomed over the sand as it blocked Rocky and Rainbow Glow Unicorn''s way. For every one of its four heads, a long red tongue poked out and its beady eyes, set against the soft earthworm-like flesh, lit up as if it saw tasty prey.


    "It looks like I have to..." Rocky shook his head and his fist tightened into a ball as he nodded to Rainbow Glow Unicorn.


    Both of them moved in a flash with tacit understanding as they rushed to the left side of the Giant Earthw


    fter he climbed over a sand dune, Rocky found that the seemingly boundless sea of sand disappeared and an endless sea of stones from the south to the north replaced it instead. Every stone was gigantic and blocked out the furious sun as it towered into the sky in various seemingly natural forms. However, Rocky could tell that within the sea of stones was an aura far stronger than that of a human spirit manipulator.


    In case something popped up, Rocky slowly walked through the sea of stones and kept an eye on his surroundings at all times. However, it seemed to be unnecessary anxiety because he reached the end of the sea of stones and nothing happened. Only the night wind and perpetual darkness enveloped him.


    A dark abyss welcomed Rocky and no matter how much he squinted, he couldn''t see anything within. It was almost as if the rest of the world fell into the abyss and the mere thought of it made fear race down anyone''s spine.


    Rocky gasped in astonishment at the sight and even though he imagined it before, he had never felt so horrible even when he went to the Myriad Beasts Ground.


    At that moment, Rocky felt that the abyss contained countless secrets and mysteries within.

 Chapter 779 Where Am I

    As Rocky explored the area near the bottom of the abyss, he was surprised to see numerous light spots like fireflies. Amidst the darkness, the specks of light looked like the Milky Way of the abyss. Rocky was in awe.


    "Hey, foodie," Rocky called, "let''s fly down and take a look." Rocky jumped on the Rainbow Glow Unicorn''s back.


    The unicorn roared as it flew into the air. With white clouds covering its feet, it rushed into the abyss.


    After they had been flying for what seemed like a while, Rocky was still unable to see anything notable. The abyss was beginning to feel endless.


    "How deep is this abyss?" Rocky muttered. It seemed like a dark tunnel without end. He was starting to lose his sense of space and time.


    Suddenly, he felt something approach him from above. He looked up and saw the specks of light like fireflies he saw earlier rushing towards him. He squinted his eyes to see them clearly, and was surprised to see that those weren''t light spots at all. They were bat-like spirit-manipulated beasts with bodies that emitted fluorescent light. They had no eyes and their bloody mouths covered half of their faces. They snarled and revealed two rows of sharp teeth, flapping their thin wings as they surrounded Rocky.


    ''Could these be the legendary and rare Fluorescent Ghostly Bats that could only grow in dark and special environments? The bats only have the strength at the first grade of the first-star level. Yet, they have the ability to reproduce at a very fast rate. They always attack their prey as a gr


    a beast. He opened his eyes and saw branches crisscrossed against a deep red sky. Everything seemed unreal to him.


    Rocky blinked trying to recall what had happened. He remembered falling into the abyss and releasing all the spiritual power in his body before he lost consciousness.


    He sat up and looked around. Then, he realized that he was sitting on top of a tree where he must have fallen. He was amused by his own luck. If there wasn''t a tree to catch him, he would have been badly injured even if he was protected by his spiritual power. Adjusting his body, he jumped to the ground. The moment he landed, he looked up and realized that the tree was at least a dozen meters high. The tree was considered as a giant one, almost as tall as the one inhabited by the Four-wing Lame Dragon in the Myriad Beasts Ground.


    He looked around and saw that the entire place was filled with extremely tall trees and plants. It looked like a place where giants lived. He suddenly felt that he was like a dwarf in such an area.

 Chapter 780 Into The Unknown

    "I can feel that the spiritual power here is extremely rich, maybe even richer than that in the Myriad Beasts Ground. Maybe that''s why the plants here have mutated to be so tall. But it may be because of their old age, the plant species here are much older than normal ones. This proves that this might be an ancient forest," Rocky analyzed. He could feel the strong spiritual power emanating from the forest. Fortunately enough, he was strong enough to withstand the power since he had already reached the Supernal Stage. Even spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage might succumb to the powerful spiritual power if they stayed in the forest for too long.


    In other words, one must at least have the power of the Supernal Stage in order to enter. This forest was even more menacing than the Myriad Beasts Ground.


    "Foodie¡­" Suddenly, Rainbow Glow Unicorn crossed his mind. He looked around the forest, surveying every inch closely. He could feel it in his guts that it was near, though he didn''t exactly know where.


    He took out the treasure map and saw the mark indicating the forest he was in.


    "From here, I should head north." After studying the map, he identified which path he was supposed to take.


    Rocky realized that the skies in the forest were as red as blood, making the heavens above look like hell. This was because of the strong spiritual power that condensed above, which made the whole area red. But why was the color red? It made the sky look like as if it was tainted red with blood.


    ''I should follow the route o


    To human spirit manipulators, these spirit-manipulated beasts were very powerful.


    That''s why only masters at the Divine Stage or above dared to enter this forest and survive in the end.


    Except for Rocky who was not afraid of death.


    But he was only at the starting point of the place shown on the treasure map. He couldn''t imagine what kind of powerful and sinister spirit-manipulated beasts lived further into the forest.


    Rocky had some guesses about what the place might hold for him. The place where he found the Sea Blue Magic Jade in the Myriad Beasts Ground was once a territory of a spiritual race that had died out several years ago. Therefore, he hypothesized that the place under the abyss was likely to be a territory of a spiritual race, and it might even be the home of their descendants. The magical beasts here which were more powerful than spirit-manipulated beasts could serve as a proof.


    Rocky''s mind began to wonder about what mysterious treasures might be buried inside the Myriad Spirit Tomb.

 Chapter 781 Entangled in Trouble

    Based on Lucas and Queenie''s earlier conversation, Rocky could tell that they were interested in the Myriad Spirit Tomb as well. Moreover, Queenie mentioned that it was supposedly a legendary tomb that had never been witnessed by humans before. Queenie''s speculations were later confirmed on the map. Indeed, it was the Myriad Spirit Tomb that no human ever had been able to reach and thus was labeled a legend.


    It laid deep within a dense, vast forest that not only covered the route to it but also would make for a difficult return as well. Flying was also out of the question due to the huge black shadows that soared through the sky and howled deafening screams at anyone who drew near them.


    In short, this forest would be a dangerous one to hike through. It would take a miracle for Rocky to get out of there alive.


    Of course, Rocky wouldn''t give up so easily.


    "Where''s foodie?" After a two-hour walk through the large, maze-like forest, Rocky sensed the presence of a particular beast nearby¡ªthe Rainbow Glow Unicorn. But he could not figure out his exact location.


    Because as he went deep into the forest, he could see a variety of spirit-manipulated beasts with high stars and at high stage, along with some other rare beasts. The number of those beasts was getting larger and larger, as if he had stepped into the enormous Jurassic Park. Those which had been deemed as extinct species in the Beast Encyclopedia were anything but extinct as they freely roamed and could be seen everywhere. Rocky realized that he could make a good fortune off of this discovery. As time passed, however, there were fewer paths left for him to choose from. His range of motion became more limited with each step he took and would make his search for the Rainbow Glow Unicorn a more challen


    Without resistance, she let Rocky lead her forward.


    She had more than enough strength to get rid of the beast. After all, she had gone on many tours accompanied by her master who had reached the Divine Stage. But she had only visited them and never got to have the proper combat training. While she could handle three to four-star level beasts easily, she just freaked out facing with the five-star beast and couldn''t handle it properly.


    At that moment, she couldn''t understand why she let Rocky lead her by the hand.


    Soon, the Combating Heavenly Robust Wolf was closing the gap between them. It was getting closer and closer.


    "It should be there." His eyes froze when he found the spot in front of them. It was a large pool of water that surged towards the sky as if a geyser had just erupted from deep within the earth.


    Luckily, Rocky had passed this pool a few hours prior, so he knew where to go in case he needed to escape danger.


    "Get off." After stopping in front of the pond, Rocky turned around and shouted at Queenie.


    "Wait... I can''t¡­ swim..." Queenie turned pale as she was pushed down into the pool, unable to catch a glimpse of who exactly was pushing her.

 Chapter 782 Forget Me

    Queenie struggled in the water helplessly. She was screaming and flailing; any hint of arrogance disappeared from her face.


    Rocky couldn''t help but chuckle at the sight of Queenie struggling. However, the moment he saw the Combating Heavenly Robust Wolf approach, he jumped into the water and pulled Queenie downwards to the bottom of the pond.


    When the Combating Heavenly Robust Wolf reached the edge of the pond, it stopped hesitantly. It was extremely powerful, but it had one fear that made it vulnerable. It was afraid of water, and Rocky knew it so he took advantage of it.


    But the spirit-manipulated beast wasn''t just going to give up. It swung its huge tail angrily and flapped it up and down by the pond.


    As Rocky and Queenie sank deeper into the water, Rocky realized that Queenie was struggling. She wasn''t able to hold enough air before diving and was struggling to control her breath in the water. She was at the Supernal Stage, but she couldn''t do anything about drowning.


    When she couldn''t hold it anymore, she grabbed onto Rocky and held on to him tightly as if he was her life ring, urging him to swim upwards.


    The bottom of the pond was dim so Queenie wasn''t able to see Rocky''s face. If she had known it was Rocky, then she would refuse to hold on to him. She would rather die than touch him. Queenie was struggling so much that she had started to fear for her life. The more nervous she was, the more flustered she became. She almost lost her grip but was able to grab Rocky''s shoulders tightly. Her face was flushing and she could feel her lungs were about to explode.


    "You are so..." Rocky was infuriated. He did not


    and was ready to attack Rocky.


    The reason why Queenie was making such a big deal out of it was because she had never been touched by a man. She was in her twenties and was a very powerful lady, yet she just had her first kiss with Rocky. Chastity was important for her, and so the kiss made her feel humiliated. Moreover, she hated that a stranger had taken her first kiss. If anyone found out, she would be extremely ashamed.


    "I''ll kill you! I won''t let you get away with this! Get ready to die!" Queenie cried out with clenched fists.


    "Wait a minute! I saved you out of kindness. I indeed have kissed you, but I only did it to save your life. I don''t think I deserve to die for saving you, Miss Queenie." While Rocky expected a little pushback from Queenie, he did not think she''d be that unreasonable. If he had known that she''d throw a fuss, he should have just let her get eaten by the Combating Heavenly Robust Wolf.


    "How do you know who I am?" Queenie was stunned.


    "Have you forgotten me?" Rocky was surprised. He did not expect that she''d easily forget him after just a few days.

 Chapter 783 Unwilling To Forgive Him

    When Queenie heard Rocky''s tone, she was stunned for a moment, but then she paused and carefully scanned him from head to toe. It was quite dim when they were in the water and she couldn''t clearly see him. Her indignation got the better of her when she thought that he took advantage of her, so she didn''t carefully look at his face.


    Most importantly, the water washed away all the dirt caked on him and revealed his good-looking appearance. It was near impossible to connect the disheveled servant-looking member of the Xiao Clan with the man in front of her.


    "It''s... It''s you..." No matter how much Rocky''s appearance changed, he was still the same person. Queenie quickly recognized him as the rude servant of the Xiao Clan. Even though her voice trembled, her murderous glare was unwavering.


    "It seems that you remembered me, Miss Queenie." The corners of Rocky''s mouth twitched even though he kept his voice light.


    "You shameless bastard! I haven''t paid you back for what happened in the Xiao mansion! You followed me and you even took advantage of me... Killing you isn''t nearly enough to let out my hate..." She was on the verge of going berserk as soon as she was forced to remember everything that happened between them.


    "Do you want to kill me? Why don''t you dry your clothes first? Though I don''t really mind if you fight me like this," Rocky laughed and wriggled his brows.


    Once she realized what he said, Queenie let out an ear-shattering scream and wrapped her arms around her body, staring at him like a frightened lamb in front of a hungry wolf. Just like a wounded kitten, she bared all her teeth and claws but couldn''t actually hurt anyone.


    "I saved you but I don''t expect that you''d be grateful to me. Hurry up and dry your clothes. There''s a lot of beasts here and you can''t reason with them. I can''t play with you anymore because I have to do


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    the young man''s kindness, as a master, he wouldn''t confuse right and wrong. There was no denying that his disciple was saved by the young man.


    "Master, please help me find him. I''m going to kill him," Queenie huffed and her voice was nearly loud enough to echo.


    "I planned to take you to the Black Sand Abyss and explore the Myriad Spirit Tomb, but it''s actually very dangerous. I walked away for a moment and you got yourself in danger. It seems that I can''t take you to go any deeper. We better leave first. The Beast Master Contest is about to start anyway and we have to go back to the Cao Clan to prepare for it..." Lucas ignored her request and went straight to the point.


    "No, I have to find him first. After I kill him, I''ll go back..." Queenie stubbornly insisted.


    "Queenie, this year''s Beast Master Contest is very important to the Cao Clan, especially for the chief. You know that, right?" Lucas'' voice became grave.


    An unwilling expression soured Queenie''s face but she nodded.


    "But that young man really is mysterious. I''d like to see him too..." Lucas mused in a different tone.


    "Then let''s find him first, okay?" Queenie whined at him.


    Once she found Rocky, she''d do everything to torture him and vent her anger...

 Chapter 784 In A Deserted Place

    "Queenie, you''ll probably meet him again in the Beast Master Contest. You don''t have to go to him," Lucas suggested.


    "Really?" Queenie''s eyes lit up with excitement.


    "You don''t believe me?" asked Lucas calmly.


    "Of course I believe you. But Master, if you are lying, I will shave your head when you sleep tonight," Queenie threatened.


    Lucas chuckled and then he left with Queenie.


    As Rocky dried himself, he kept on sneezing. He felt like it was a bad omen. He shook his head and shrugged his thoughts away. He didn''t really care about it. Instead, he focused on searching for Rainbow Glow Unicorn. He glanced at his map and walked towards the direction it pointed at.


    While in the depths of the forest, Rocky met rare spirit-manipulated beasts of high grade and high star level, many of which he had not seen before. He also encountered some rare beasts that were even stronger than the spirit-manipulated beasts. He was in awe of each creature he met and he knew that they would be of value to his research. But he was clear that his current strength would not allow him to do anything except protect himself. He wouldn''t want to be digging his own grave.


    Fortunately, there weren''t too many of them and the forest was very large. He just snuck behind trees and made sure he walked quietly.


    From where Rocky was, the sky remained the same shade. He couldn''t tell what time it was or whether it was day or night. He did feel like he''d been walking for two to three days already.


    Finally, Rocky reached the end of the forest. To his surprise, it turned into a dry boundless land with a violent sa


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    land had been formed. Perhaps it resulted from the huge destruction of these ten thousand beasts.


    ''What is beyond this land? It should be interesting.'' Rocky was deeply curious. Before this, he had already guessed that this abyss was the territory of the spiritual race, but he figured that anything beyond his imagination was now possible. He knew the dangers ahead of him, but he decided to continue moving forward.


    Strangely enough, Rocky walked peacefully amidst the fighting beasts. They were deeply immersed in battle and had ignored Rocky''s existence altogether.


    As Rocky was nearing the end of the battlefield, he heard loud bangs behind him. When he looked, he saw the ten thousand rare beasts'' skeletons collapse to the ground.


    Then, the air stirred the sand and dusts and pushed them towards Rocky.


    Rocky stared at the rushing sandstorm and panicked. He knew better than to underestimate its ferocity. He activated all of his spiritual power before running away from it.


    However, despite all his efforts, he was still submerged in the boundless dust.

 Chapter 785 A Magnificent Ice Tomb

    At last, the terrifying sand wave finally calmed down, and everything returned to normal. The boundless, barren land looked desolate as if nothing happened.


    "Ahem..." A man stood up from a pile of sand and removed the dust from his body. His hair was all messed up, and he looked dirty.


    It was Rocky. He was buried below the surface after the sand wave.


    "This place is really not suitable for human beings!" cursed him as he was shaking the sand off his body. But he was still covered with a layer of sand as if it was refusing to leave his body.


    Good thing he had escaped from the center of the sand wave. If not, he would have been buried alive.


    It was a dangerous situation, but the sand wave was not enough to stop him from hunting treasures. His adventurous nature pushed him to move forward. After all, he had come this far, and he was very close to the Myriad Spirit Tomb that was marked on the map. He could not give up now, otherwise his previous efforts and risks would all be in vain.


    After much thought, he left the battlefield of beasts and continued to walk towards the direction indicated on the treasure map. The landmark on the map was a historical building. This meant that the next place he would reach was a historic site.


    ''Is there any spiritual race there?'' Rocky asked himself. He speculated that since the abyss belonged to the spiritual race, someone from the spiritual race was likely to appear in this place. With this in mind, he knew he had to be careful. If a member of the spiritual race appeared, he must escape and avoid getting into trouble. Up to now, he had only met two members from the spiritual race. One of them was Cherry. She had saved him several times, and she was said to be a descendant of the Butterfly Divine Clan that had vanished. The other one was Dark Lord. He was the original owner of the Sea Blue Magic Jade Rocky


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    ds the scene that unfolded before his eyes. What he saw was a unique, spectacular scene on the entire Wild Spirit Land.


    It seemed like he was standing at the edge of a basin. Right at the middle of the basin was clear with frozen ice, just like a luminous mirror planted in an endless ring-shaped slope. It looked like a frozen lake.


    Rocky questioned the presence of a frozen lake in the middle of the arid place that was surrounded by ceaseless sand. The entire stretch of what appeared to be a frozen lake was as clear as a crystal and did not melt under the fiery heat of the environment.


    An ice road connected the south and north side of the ice surface and divided the surface into two parts. An altar occupied the middle of the road, and an ice tombstone more than ten meters in height was placed on top of the altar. Although there was no sun above it, the altar dazzled like a precious gem.


    Rocky held his breath with what he saw next. As he looked closer, he saw countless corpses under the ice surface. They were scattered underneath the entire ice surface as if they had been buried there. The scene was beyond Rocky''s imagination.


    What he saw was not an ordinary tomb. It was an extremely large ice tomb, and it was unbelievable.

 Chapter 786 A Mystery

    The scene in front of Rocky flashed in a thunder of lights and suddenly changed into a desolate landscape. The ice tomb was gone.


    "How could this be?!" Rocky froze in total shock then flew down. Just a moment before, he was staring at a huge ice tomb. All of a sudden, it was gone.


    Rocky pulled the treasure map from his pockets and looked at it again. It indicated that he was in the correct place.


    "Could the treasure map be wrong?" Rocky told himself as he stroked his own chin. "Emperors and ministers from the ancient times used to create simulated tombs to bait people and avoid the destruction of the real one. Does that mean that the Myriad Spirit Tomb is actually in a different place?"


    Rocky wondered how he could differentiate what was real or not. He closed his eyes and thought long and hard before jumping down from the sand slope.


    When he opened his eyes, the scene changed back into the original landscape.


    "This must be an illusion." Rocky leapt and landed on the huge ice tomb. On it, he saw countless figures of all shapes and sizes. Some of them were extremely tall, perhaps more than ten meters high, while others were only the size of a palm. Some had black faces and tusks, while others had wings like birds. None of them looked human.


    The creatures'' sight only reminded Rocky of one thing: the spiritual race.


    Rocky ran across the ice road that went through the entire ice tomb. He was shaking in fear. The ice tomb buried tens of thousands of members from different clans of the spiritual race. Why they were buried altogether, he did not know.


    As he explored further, he gained some answers. It looked like the clans had undergone a very fierce battle. Many of them only had fragments of broken bones while some were beheaded. All of them looked terrifying.


    "It looks like they went through an intense battle before dying," Rocky guessed. He could only imagine how i


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    could feel the beasts'' aura. It was at the Supernal Stage.


    The gravity of the situation dawned on Rocky. He was surrounded by a dozen strong warriors at the Supernal Stage.


    "Wait a minute. Are those Soul-shadow Beasts recorded by the Beast Encyclopedia? From what I know, those are souls without a physical body. They looked like shadows and possessed a power greater than that of a spirit-manipulated beast. It was said that the Soul-shadow Beast was refined by the soul of an ancient spiritual beast by the spiritual race, but without a lot of success. These are supposedly rare creatures. Only the spiritual race is able to control such a Soul-shadow Beast." Rocky recalled all the information about the beasts in front of him. He looked like he was in complete shock. He didn''t think he''d encounter such a rare beast, especially more than ten of them at the same time.


    However, it was also recorded in the Beast Encyclopedia that Soul-shadow Beasts were divided into two kinds. One was the Shadow Beast and the other was the Soul Beast. The latter was more powerful than the former.


    Rocky supposed that the dozen of black beasts in front of him were Shadow Beasts instead. If they were Soul Beasts, Rocky couldn''t even begin to imagine what would happen to him.

 Chapter 787 The Soul Beast

    Rocky knew this was no time to be surprised. The most important thing right now was to protect his own life.


    However, the Shadow Beasts that guarded the Myriad Spirit Tomb weren''t keen on keeping him alive. All who entered the tomb without permission were killed by them, which explained why no one was able to prove the existence of the Myriad Spirit Tomb. Even if they were powerful human spirit manipulators, no one managed to get out of here alive.


    Rocky knew he was in danger.


    The Shadow Beasts suddenly rushed towards Rocky which all had power equivalent to masters at the Supernal Stage. Rocky felt as if he was being charged at by rogue waves in the middle of the ocean. Even the sheer force of their movement was frightening enough to send a shiver down his spine. Even the most powerful spirit manipulators would have been scared to death.


    But Rocky couldn''t stand around and wait for that to happen. Without wasting a breath, his left arm swelled up, causing the sleeve to disintegrate, revealing his strong arm with the flashing Dragon Spirit Mark. Then, as if coming alive, the Dragon Spirit Mark on his left arm began to spin continuously. At the same time, he pushed his powers to the extremes, directly released the power of the seal''s third layer, and instantly broke through to the Supernal Stage. He was about to let go of his power and fight back.


    But still, Rocky felt his power was dwarfed by his enemies. Only a few seconds passed before his aura was suppressed by the dozen Shadow Beasts. Their gap in power was as big as the gap between heaven and earth.


    Under the siege of these Shadow Beasts that were all as powerful as masters at the Supernal Stage, Rocky was defeated in an instant. But before they could deliver the final blow, a deafening sound of a dragon rang, causing even the space around them to vibrate.


    Upon hearing the dragon''s roar, the Shadow Beasts yelped in fear. They all bowed down to the ground, facing the direction of the icy tombstone.


    Rocky''s eyes couldn''t help but gravitate towards the icy tombstone. Chills went through his body as he saw a huge dragon standing on top of the icy tombstone. Even though Rocky knew it was only a soul, it looked very much alive. Every detail of its body was clear and visible, but what was most astonishing w


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    y is solved, you will become an enemy of the spiritual race..." The ancient voice warned him.


    "Maybe it''s my destiny!" the woman sighed with emotion.


    At this moment, Rocky realized that he was experiencing someone else''s memory.


    A bright light flashed above him, and a huge dragon came descending down the sky. It was truly a sight to behold!


    "Again?" Rocky called out.


    As the dragon rushed towards him, it became smaller and smaller until it was the size of a normal spirit-manipulated beast.


    "Why did it suddenly become smaller? That''s good, though. If only I could make it my spirit-manipulated beast," Rocky murmured curiously, with some thoughts crossing his mind. After all, this dragon-shaped Soul Beast was much rarer than spiritual beasts, and more powerful than spirit-manipulated beasts. If he could subdue it, he would be able to travel across the Wild Spirit Land without fear.


    But, of course, this was only his wishful thinking. Rocky knew that it was impossible for him to tame the dragon-shaped Soul Beast with his current strength.


    Then the dragon-shaped Soul Beast turned around and walked away. It took a few steps before it turned back to look at Rocky. There seemed to be a certain fascination in its eyes.


    "Hey, don''t go..." Rocky couldn''t help but reach out to grab it.


    At that moment, Rocky''s eyes flew wide open. The sky was still red, and the icy tombstone was in the distance. The dragon-shaped Soul Beast had disappeared, and was replaced by a dragon shaped jade floating in midair.

 Chapter 788 Another Memory

    After getting back off the ground, Rocky felt an uncontrollable urge to reach out for the dragon shaped jade. As soon as he grasped it, the jade was illuminated in brilliant light. At the same time, he felt a sudden pain in his finger as if he had been pricked by a sharp needle. The resulting drop of blood was absorbed by the jade and soon, its deep crimson color spread all throughout the jade.


    Suddenly, a vision appeared within Rocky''s mind¡ªthe Myriad Spirit Tomb, as eerie as the last time he saw it.


    A dignified, robed woman who gave off a noble and sacred aura appeared before him.


    "It''s... she''s wearing¡­ the robe of¡­a Holy Dragon Empire Witch¡­" Rocky remembered that this was the exact same attire that Lena had donned before.


    ''Is she a witch from the Holy Dragon Empire?'' he asked himself as he tried to figure out what a witch like her would be doing in the Myriad Spirit Tomb.


    Despite the doubt, Rocky continued with the vision. He knew this memory wasn''t his, so it had to belong to someone else. But who exactly? He had not yet to figure it out.


    The witch knelt down in front of the icy tombstone and began to chant devoutly in a language that, although Rocky could clearly hear, he couldn''t understand. After a moment''s reflection, it seemed that this witch was chanting the language that Lena had used long ago to chat with the Dragon Master Clan emissary at the Grand Dragon Hall ceremony years ago. It was most likely the language of the spiritual race.


    Although Rocky couldn''t understand what she had said, he would never forget it.


    Once she finished chanting the rite, the witch stood up and gazed at the remains of the spiritual race that were buried all throughout the Myriad Spirit Tomb. In her hands, she carried a square sandalwood box as she made her way towards one side of the tomb. After a few steps, she froze.


    Beneath the witch''s feet laid the remains of a peculiar looking spiritual race member. Ta


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    er expected to become a grave robber one day. There''s a first time for everything, I guess." In order to get the box, he had to try everything he could think of.


    As he was about to begin, the dragon shaped jade he clutched began to shine brilliantly once more. The next moment, a light began to glow beneath the ice he stood on. Squinting his eyes to see what happened underneath, he could see the outline of a square growing bigger by the second¡ªthe sandalwood box was floating towards him.


    Indeed, this was a strange occurrence. Then again, he had already experienced many strange things. This wasn''t a big deal to him anymore. After tucking the dragon shaped jade away, he bent over to pick up the sandalwood box and began to open it.


    As soon as it opened, a ray of bright spiritual light escaped the box and momentarily blinded Rocky. Once the light died down, he looked into the box to find a triangular piece of iron with an eye-shaped hole in its center. It appeared to be a part of a mask.


    "Is this the holy treasure of the Dragon Master Clan?" Rocky picked it up and drew it nearer to his face for a closer inspection. He suspected that it used to hold tremendous power that no human had ever managed to possess. Now, however, it was nothing more than a piece of powerless debris.

 Chapter 789 Murmuring to Himself

    "Is it a fragment of the Dragon Master Clan''s holy treasure?" Rocky asked himself in amusement. After scrutinizing it, Rocky was so sure that what he was holding was just a fraction of the Dragon Master Clan''s holy treasure. Obviously, it was not a complete holy treasure so it was natural for him not to sense any strength from it.


    "But the witch of the Holy Dragon Empire was really something! I mean, she turned those useless fragments into some other good use. I guess she might have left other fragments like this to serve as clues. This is great! The spirit manipulators could follow these fragments that would most probably lead them to the Myriad Spirit Tomb. I bet that countless spirit manipulators would die just to have one," Rocky said to himself as he stared at the fragment in his hand. He felt lucky that the dragon-shaped Soul Beast showed up in time. If it weren''t for it, then he would have been killed by the Shadow Beasts. After it appeared, the Shadow Beasts got scared and ran off, vanishing into thin air.


    At that moment, Rocky was also interested in where the dragon-shaped Soul Beast and the Shadow Beasts had gone after the encounter. During the last minute, those Shadow Beasts had even threatened to swallow him whole! Struck with fear, Rocky could not help but gulp air and break out in a cold sweat. Next thing he knew, the Shadow Beasts disappeared, and he was free from trouble. He looked left and right, but they weren''t anywhere to be found. Feeling safe, he sighed in relief. But what really caught his eye was the miniature version of the dragon-shaped beast. He became obsessed with it, thinking that owning it would greatly improve his strength.


    Afterwards, Rocky put the fragment of the holy treasure inside his pocket and turned his gaze to the box. Inside this wooden box, there was a book with the words ''Dragon Magic Skill'' printed on its front cover. Curious as to what it contained, he picked up the book, blew out the dust on it, and opened the cover slowly. What he found surprised him because this ancient book turned out to be a secret book for the spiritual race. To be exact, it contained the basic spiritual cultivation method for the Dragon Master Clan''s spirit manipulators of the Supernal Stage. Anyone who laid eyes on this book could easily tell that it was valued due to its being ancient and mysterious.


    It was widely known that this kind of secret book was extremely rare for the spirit manipulators of the Supernal Stage. In fact, the book was such a treasure that everyone would surely be so eager to have one. However, only a few imperial spirit manipulators could learn the secrets of the secret book from the spiritual race in the Wild Spirit Land. One reason for this was that this kind of secret book was said to be, in no exaggeration, extremely rare. The other was that ther


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    ong to the witch of the Holy Dragon Empire, then it must belong to someone else. But who was that person?" asked Rocky. Although he had sorted out some things in his head, he was nowhere near clarity.


    After some pondering, Rocky realized that if he wanted to know who the person was, then he must collect the divine blood of nine legendary guardian beasts to reveal all of the memories. Moreover, he had concluded that all the memories might be hidden in the dragon shaped jade he just acquired. All he needed was to reveal all of the memories so that he would be able to track who owned them. Perhaps he could even learn about the astonishing secret of how the spiritual race perished.


    However, based on the conversation that he heard in the dark space, Rocky learned something unusual. It had come to his knowledge that the spiritual race was not the most powerful one in the world. If the Wild Spirit Land knew this, then he was sure that they would be shaken by this fact! However, this posed one question¡ªwhich race was stronger than the spiritual race who were the rulers of the human race a long time ago? At this time, it seemed impossible for him to dwell and unearth the secret of the spiritual race. All he could do at that time was to protect himself and solve the puzzle when the timing was right. He simply could not let go and forget about what the old voice had said in the dark space. If someone successfully solved this mystery, then he would become a public enemy of the entire spiritual race. To put it differently, the people of the spiritual race did not want to let the humans know about their secret.


    As the thoughts swarmed in his head, Rocky couldn''t help but take a deep and long sigh. At that moment, he was aware that if he really wanted to solve the mystery, then he would have to prepare himself to become an enemy of the spiritual race in the Wild Spirit Land.

 Chapter 790 Recommended By A Famous Beast Evaluator

    ''I better mind my own business and act like I don''t know anything.'' There was no way Rocky would be stupid enough to unwrap the mystery of the spiritual race''s death just to satisfy his curiosity. If he did, he''d possibly become an enemy of the spiritual race. For now at least, he''d consider when he got stronger. Since there was nothing else he could do, he''d just keep his head down and finish what he had to do.


    ''This place is weird. First, I have to leave. I know things that I shouldn''t and I already found the treasure anyway.'' Anyone would feel chills up their spine if they were in this huge ice tomb, Rocky was no exception and he just wanted to leave as fast as his feet could carry him.


    However, the mere thought of having to travel through the horrible forest again gave him cold feet. He''d been there before and the idea of having to do so again made him shudder.


    Thoughts filled his head so much that he nearly jumped in shock when a sudden warmth bloomed on his chest. A colorful light brightly shone from the dragon shaped jade through his thin clothes. Before he could even do anything, he felt as if he was dragged into a time whirlpool that made his head swim.


    When he came to his senses, he was no longer in the giant ice tomb, but was within a sea of stones in various sizes and shapes instead.


    ''This place is...'' It hit Rocky that this sea of stones must be the one he passed through before. He didn''t expect to be transferred here by some kind of power.


    He quickly took out the dragon shaped jade that was still slightly glowing. After a quick observation, his eyes spotted a transparent shadow swimming within the jade, but it disappeared in the next moment and the jade was restored to its original state.


    ''This really is strange. What''s it made of?'' Rocky turned


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    s notice to them? He thought that it was Queenie who was making things difficult for them, but the envoy informed him that it was actually Lucas who recommended Rookie to the chief of the Cao Clan. It was unbelievable.


    Raef didn''t understand why Lucas would recommend Rookie. Considering his status in the Cao Clan and his great reputation in the Timber Deity Empire, he wouldn''t randomly recommend a person to partake in the grand Beast Master Contest. Not when it was a gathering of all the outstanding Beast Masters within the Timber Deity Empire.


    "We''ve been looking for him for two days and we''ve even searched the entire Barren City. There''s not a trace of him left. Maybe he already left the city," Travis added.


    Raef''s face turned ashen. If he couldn''t find Rocky, the Xiao Clan would lose their qualification to take part in the contest.


    "Father, perhaps Juey knows his whereabouts," Mary, who had been silent all this time, suddenly piped up after a moment of hesitation.


    "You''re right. Maybe she knows. Go and ask Miss Juey to come here," Raef ordered. After Rocky left, he locked Juey in her room but in order to find Rocky, he had little time to care about her these days.

 Chapter 791 Rocky Was Back

    Soon afterwards, Juey entered the hall and curiously looked around at the gathered people. Barely any respect could be found when she spoke with a cold voice to Raef, "Father, what''s the matter?"


    "Juey, do you know where the servant called Rookie is right now?" Raef went straight to the point.


    "Rookie? How would I know? Wasn''t father who drove him away?" Juey sneered down at him.


    "What? What are you talking about? I''m your father..." Raef''s expression darkened even more as his irritation rose.


    "Did you ever take me as your daughter?" Bitter resentment colored her voice.


    Those words quickly rendered Raef speechless. He knew that he went too far that day, everyone of the Xiao Clan was all still secretly talking about his reaction on that day. Some even thought that Juey wasn''t his biological daughter. When Queenie wanted to disfigure Juey to humiliate her, a true biological father would have interceded on behalf of his daughter. However, Raef did nothing to save her and if it wasn''t for Rookie stepping forward, Juey would have already been disfigured.


    All the Xiao Clan members could only look on in surprise. None of them expected that Juey would question Raef so openly. This was nothing like the Miss Juey they knew.


    "Juey, how can you talk to father like that?" A flash of annoyance passed through Mary''s face.


    "How do you think I should talk to a father who watched his daughter being disfigured without saying a single word?" Juey spoke coolly and her sharp eyes drilled holes into Mary beneath her long lashes.


    When she met her younger sister''s eyes, Mary was frozen in her seat. It was the first time that she saw such a cold and lifeless expression on Juey''s face, as if this girl before her wasn''t her familiar younger sister.


    Anyone who experienced what Juey had to go through would also feel depressed and extremely disappointed.


    "Juey, in that situation, father had no choice for the sake of our Xiao Clan. You don''t think your face is mo


    . They stopped in their tracks and didn''t dare to get any closer to him anymore. The crowd parted like the sea before him.


    Once he got through the crowd, Rocky headed straight for the Xiao mansion but the Barren City citizens didn''t give up and trailed after him the entire way.


    Even the other Barren City citizens elsewhere flooded the streets to the Xiao mansion and caused a massive traffic jam. People from outside the Barren City would think that an important person arrived.


    Each one of them was eager to find out what kind of a person the Xiao Clan wanted so much that they posted a handsome amount of gold as a reward.


    Most citizens looked on in disappointment when they saw Rocky as he looked extremely average. Nothing about him looked like a peerless master at all. Even so, they still didn''t approach him in fear of the invisible force he was radiating.


    When Rocky walked leisurely in front of the Xiao mansion, even the Xiao Clan disciples were stunned for a moment before they scrambled to quickly inform Raef.


    Soon, Raef himself arrived at the entrance, followed by Travis, Mary, and other Xiao Clan members.


    "Well, Mister... Mr. Rookie... You finally... finally came back." For a moment, Raef fumbled on what to call him. His hands folded before him and a fawning smile appeared on his face.

 Chapter 792 A Small Request

    Surrounding the Xiao mansion, the citizens of Barren City were astonished to see how Raef respected Rocky. In fact, the citizens even thought that Rocky must be a big shot. Little did they know that Rocky was just a mere servant of the Xiao Clan before.


    At that point, both Travis and Mary had mixed feelings about what was happening. Mary used to despise Rocky, but now that he had become the Xiao Clan''s last hope, she could not help but resent him even more.


    "Chief Raef, I don''t know why you put so much effort as to offer a reward on me. Is it because I offended Miss Queenie of the Cao Clan and she planned to settle accounts with me?" Rocky asked bluntly.


    "You must be kidding me here, Mr. Rookie. Listen, I know I misunderstood you in the past, so please give me the chance to apologize to you in person," Raef immediately responded with a humble smile.


    "I won''t dare let the chief of the Xiao Clan to apologize to me. Chief Raef, you must have something else to tell me. Just say it. Don''t beat around the bush. I can take it," Rocky sneered. He thought that it was not Raef''s nature to apologize for what happened last time. There must be something wrong.


    "Okay, you got me. I''ll be frank with you, Mr. Rookie. Do you remember Master Lucas of the Cao Clan? The one who came with Miss Queenie the last time..." Seeing that Rocky was not easy to fool, Raef knew he had to tell him the truth, or he would find it out from other people.


    "Oh, Master Lucas! Yes, I do. So what''s wrong with him?" Rocky answered.


    "So, here is the thing. Master Lucas seems to appreciate your talent very much, so he particularly recommended you to the chief of the Cao Clan. After that, the chief of the Cao Clan decided to let you, Travis, and Mary attend the Beast Master Contest of the Timber Deity Empire on behalf of the Xiao Clan," said Raef with an optimistic expression on his face. On the other hand, he was also worried, because he didn''t know if Rocky would agree to represent the Xiao Clan to attend the contest.


    Surprised to hear such a thing, Rocky wondered why Lucas even recommended him to the chief of the Cao Clan in the first place. On another note, this might have something to do with how he had saved Queenie before. However, Queenie must be feeling nothing but hate for him. How could she let Lucas recommend him to the chief? In addition to that, he was sure that if Q


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    no price too high. But I can see that the guy seems to have a crush on Juey. Maybe we can make use of it while he still admires her," Raef said with an evil smile.


    "Father, do you mean that we are going to use Juey to our advantage? I don''t think it''s a good idea." Travis'' face changed dramatically.


    "It''s none of your business. Focus on getting ready to take part in the Beast Master Contest," Raef said. He glared at Travis and left afterwards.


    On the other hand, Rocky walked in the Xiao mansion along with Mary. They walked past an arched door that led to a long corridor surrounded by green trees and red flowers. After walking with such a pleasant scene, they arrived at the backyard of the mansion.


    "Where have you been these days, Mr. Rookie? It seems that you have set out for a long journey," Mary said. Seeing that Rocky didn''t talk much, she decided to initiate a topic that they could talk about.


    "I''m not that familiar with you yet, Miss Mary. I don''t think I need to tell you where I''ve been," Rocky replied coldly.


    Upon hearing his harsh words, Mary felt enraged. If it weren''t for keeping Rocky to stay and take part in the Beast Master Contest on behalf of the Xiao Clan, she would not display humility in front of him. In fact, she could not wrap her head around as to why a mere servant of the clan captured Lucas'' attention. Lucas had even recommended Rocky to the chief of the Cao Clan in person. Despite what Lucas thought of him, Mary sensed that Rocky was not a Beast Master at all. In fact, all she knew about him was that he was just a little smart.

 Chapter 793 It Really Is You

    "Miss Mary, there are no outsiders here, you don''t have to pretend. You wanted to keep me here by mentioning Miss Juey, didn''t you?" Rocky casually said, exposing Mary''s ulterior motive.


    "Then why did you follow me? Why didn''t you just leave? You have an ulterior motive about my sister. I''m not wrong." Mary didn''t bother pretending anymore and her face immediately turned into a sneer as she looked at Rocky, as if she had seen through all his layers into his true colors.


    "Even if I do have an ulterior motive, what about it? From what I can see, Miss Juey is much more likable than a scheming woman like you. Although you''re sisters, you''re very different from each other. If you were even half as kind-hearted as Miss Juey is, you might be a little bit more adorable," Rocky replied indifferently. He''d seen all kinds of women and most of them were obedient to him. If he got serious and flirted with her, Mary would be no match for him and would be easily manipulated.


    "Why would I want to be more adorable? I don''t want you to like me," Mary retorted, thinking that Rocky was deliberately making fun of her.


    "I''m not talking about me. To put it bluntly, I don''t have any interest in you, Miss Mary. Please don''t think that I do." Rocky looked down at her as if to say, "Don''t flatter yourself."


    An embarrassed flush climbed on Mary''s cheeks and her face twisted in anger. There was no way that she could beat him in words, so she just glared at him and snorted without saying anything more.


    Both of them continued walking in silence together for a while until they reached a quiet courtyard full of peach blossoms.


    "That''s my sister''s room. Go inside yourself." Mary pointed at a room within the yard and glanced at Rocky.


    A twitch pulled at the corner of Rocky''s lips when he saw the angry look on Mary''s delicate face. He went straight to Juey''s room, but half way there, he suddenly paused to turn to Mary and said, "Go back and tell your father, don''t w


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    eks.


    "I''m honored," Rocky joked and gave her a smile.


    Juey smiled sweetly back at him and her smile was very like Sue''s. Rocky could only stare at her, stunned. A hint of sadness flashed through his eyes.


    Juey also noticed the way Rocky looked at her and asked in confusion, "Is there something on my face?"


    "Nothing. I just felt a little sad." Rocky barely managed to whisper out the words.


    "Shouldn''t you be out of the Barren City already? Why did you suddenly come back?" Juey''s face was full of confusion.


    "I did leave Barren City to do something. After I was done, I came back and found that your Xiao Clan offered a high price on me. I had to come back to see what was going on," Rocky replied with a faint smile.


    "What''s wrong with my father? Isn''t it just the Beast Master Contest? To prevent the Xiao Clan from being disqualified from attending the contest, he even offered a reward on you. I can''t believe it!" Juey knew that the Xiao Clan offered a reward on Rocky. It was all because of her father''s selfish motive to make the Xiao Clan stand out. He''d do anything to make that happen.


    What Juey didn''t expect, however, was that Lucas would recommend Rocky to the chief of the Cao Clan and the latter ordered Rocky to participate in the Beast Master Contest on behalf of the Xiao Clan.

 Chapter 794 Much Needed Talent

    Although Juey hadn''t been to the Beast Master Contest before, she knew that the contest was one of the most renowned ceremonies in the whole Timber Deity Empire, even the emperor would take his time off to watch it. Thus, the contest held a huge influence over the empire.


    The ones who had the strength and guts to participate in the Beast Master Contest were the elite Beast Masters from the major clans of the Timber Deity Empire. They were the disciples of the most famous Beast Masters in the whole empire. There was no doubt that they had tremendous skill in this aspect.


    So naturally, Juey was utterly confused about why Lucas would recommend Rocky to take part in this prestigious, highly-skilled contest.


    "Rookie, I think Miss Queenie is behind the idea why Master Lucas recommended you to take part in the Beast Master Contest. This is her way of taking revenge on you. If that''s the case, you can''t go to the Cao Clan''s residence. Otherwise, she won''t let you go," Juey said worriedly.


    "There must be another reason why Master Lucas recommended me," Rocky said. Although Rocky only met Lucas once, he could tell that he was a man of principles and morality. He would never endanger Rocky just to help Queenie take revenge on him. The reason why Lucas recommended Rocky was that he had seen through Rocky and known he was a powerful man. After all, Lucas was a master at the Divine Stage and a powerful beast evaluator of the Timber Deity Empire. He had the skills to know how powerful Rocky truly was. Moreover, Rocky had saved Queenie in the dense forest. Lucas was also able to speculate that from his experience.


    Therefore, Rocky did not worry about Lucas'' intention, but Queenie should have known that Lucas recommended him. If Rocky went to the Cao Clan''s residence, she would surely not let him go.


    Rocky couldn''t help but smile at the thought of this.


    "Rookie, what are you laughing at?" Juey asked in confusion.


    "Nothing. I was just thinking about something interesting. Don''t worry about me. I''m not going there an


    learn. I know about medicinal herbs and flowers used to treat spirit-manipulated beasts and refine pills more than anyone in the Xiao Clan. But I don''t have the talent to learn the Beast Curing Skill of my clan. You should have seen it. My sister has performed it before. If I want to become a real beast curer, I must be able to learn the Beast Curing Skill..."


    "What''s the Beast Curing Skill of the Xiao Clan called?" Rocky did see Mary perform a Beast Curing Skill that was like using spiritual power to heal spirit-manipulated beasts.


    "Holy Life Saving Hand!" Juey answered.


    "Do you know the formula of the skill?" Rocky asked.


    "Yes, I do. But what do you need it for? It''s no use even if I tell you, because ordinary people can''t learn it," Juey said while blinking her beautiful eyes.


    "Just tell me." The corners of Rocky''s mouth curled.


    Juey hesitated to tell Rocky. The Holy Life Saving Hand was inherited only to Xiao Clan members. It was prohibited to teach it to an outsider. But deep down she knew she trusted Rocky, and she didn''t see him as an outsider. She only knew the first two grades of the Holy Life Saving Hand, and there were nine in total. Plus, even if he knew it, he wouldn''t be able to learn the skill. After all, only a really talented person could truly master the Holy Life Saving Hand and even Juey couldn''t master it.

 Chapter 795 Elope With Rocky

    "Okay, I''ll tell you the first two grade of the Holy Life Saving Hand''s formula. But you have to promise me that you will never tell my father about it," Juey said with a guilty conscience.


    After hearing Juey''s terms, Rocky nodded in agreement. It was said that each kind of Beast Curing Skill had its own advantages and functions. With this in mind, he wanted to know the formula of the Holy Life Saving Hand and learn its unique features. However, the most important thing was that Sheridan had never taught him any kind of Beast Curing Skill, such as the Holy Life Saving Hand. Instead, Sheridan taught Rocky his own skill¡ªthe Common Beast Medical Skill.


    The Common Beast Medical Skill was true to its mighty name. It was, as the name suggested, the medical knowledge of beast curing. Of course, such medical knowledge had gathered all of Sheridan''s experiences on beast curing, including his diagnosis and treatment of many rare spirit-manipulated beasts. It was regarded as the ultimate book, such that if one wrote down all of its contents, then a masterpiece would be produced.


    The Beast Curing Skill was deemed to be important to any beast curer, but a beast curer''s experiences in beast curing were also invaluable. In the Wild Spirit Land, it was only Sheridan who had the experiences in curing the rare spirit-manipulated beasts. Sheridan''s experiences were so rich that if normal beast curers learned even just a small part of his medical experiences, they would already benefit a lot from it.


    On the other hand, Rocky had remembered every single detail of the Common Beast Medical Skill, thus having excellent theoretical experience. Besides, his surgical skills and treatment knowledge were superb. In fact, he had already mastered the perfect Beast Curing Skill. However, the time a surgery procedure took to cure a beast tended to be longer than an ordinary Beast Curing Skill required. Moreover, it needed more time for recovery. Although the surgical treatment went well, he might still face some unexpected problems along the way. In the past, he could use the magical saliva to speed up a beast''s recovery time. But now that Uriah had turned into a red egg, he only had a little supply of that magical saliva. If Rocky wouldn''t be able to bring Uriah back to life, then he would run out of the magical saliva for good.


    In addition to that, the surgeries were mostly intended for beasts with serious external and internal injuries. However, the surgeries would not be so effective to so


    t''s good that you understand our dynamic. I only treat you as my sister, and I don''t want you to misunderstand my words and actions," Rocky replied feeling relieved.


    "In that case, can I call you Mr. Rookie from now on?" Juey nodded and asked.


    "Whatever you say." Rocky didn''t think much as he responded to the nickname she gave him.


    "Well, Mr. Rookie, when will you teach me the Beast Curing Skill?" Juey asked in a sweet voice.


    All of a sudden, Rocky got goose bumps upon hearing her statement. Juey looked a lot like Sue, but the former was deemed to be more gorgeous than the latter. At this rate, any man would be attracted to Juey without her even trying.


    "Well, I''ll teach you right now. I don''t have much time to stay in the Timber Deity Empire, so I will teach you as much as I can. The rest will be up to you..." Rocky didn''t want to waste his time either.


    Upon hearing this, Juey nodded her head in agreement.


    "What are you waiting for? Let''s go," Rocky muttered. With one of his hands placed on Juey''s shoulder, they disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    The moment the two of them left, Raef sent someone to invite Rocky to have a talk. Unfortunately, the man he sent wasn''t able to find them there, for they had already set off.


    The Xiao Clan was panic-stricken again.


    Soon after, numerous rumors about Juey and Rocky had spread throughout the Xiao Clan. Some people said that Juey might have gone to elope with Rocky. On the other hand, others guessed that maybe Rocky was the one who swindled Juey away. At that time, more and more speculations were being exchanged by the members of the Xiao Clan about what had happened to them.

 Chapter 796 Keep Learning

    To be honest, Raef couldn''t care less if Juey was missing, but if Rocky didn''t come back, the Xiao Clan would be in great trouble. And because he was the one who took her away, the Xiao Clan could suffer twice the loss.


    "Father, I knew it! He is an evil guy who came with malicious intentions. And now, he has taken Juey away to get back at the Xiao Clan," Travis spat out with much resentment.


    Raef''s face turned livid with rage too. He originally thought that Rocky would temporarily stay, and the rest of the pieces would fall into place afterward. The last thing he expected was that Rocky disappeared together with his daughter. If this matter was made known to the public, the Xiao Clan''s foothold in the Barren City would turn to ash. And to make matters worse, if Rocky didn''t represent the Xiao Clan in the Beast Master Contest, they would lose their qualification to participate completely.


    "Maybe they just went out for a while," Mary murmured hopefully after a long and awkward silence. She didn''t know Rocky well, but she knew Juey well enough to tell that she wasn''t this reckless. She wasn''t the type of person who would do something out of the blue without thinking of the repercussions, no matter how angry she was. And if Rocky wanted to take Juey away, he could just leave with her secretly. There was no need to go back to the Xiao mansion openly and take Juey away under the noses of members of the clan.


    Therefore, in Mary''s opinion, it wasn''t likely that Rocky had taken Juey away with no intention of coming back.


    "The others would have seen them if they went out openly, but I''ve asked all the disciples in charge of security at that time, and none of them saw Juey or that guy when they went out. They must have left secretly, while no one was paying attention." Mary''s eyebrow curved upwards when she noticed that Travis was absolutely convinced that Rocky really took Juey away.


    But he was missing one important piece of the puzzle. He didn''t know that it was a piece of cake for Rocky to enter and leave the Xiao mansion without leaving a trace.


    "Stop arguing! Let''s wait for a while first and see if they will come back." Raef breathed deeply and slowly, as he tried to calm his anxious mind. He couldn''t even begin to imagine the disaster that was destined to happen to the Xiao Clan. It was impossible to escape, but he couldn''t accept it yet. It was ironic how a servant, who used to do odds and ends in the Magical Beast House, had so


    iant gestures.


    "Sheridan? Actually, he fails sometimes..." Rocky murmured when he heard Juey''s words. He remembered when Marin''s and Isis''s spirit-manipulated beasts were seriously injured, even Sheridan couldn''t treat them. It was Rocky who healed them in the end.


    "You know Sheridan?" Juey asked in surprise, unaware that the one who was standing in front of her at that moment was Sheridan''s only disciple.


    "Oh, don''t listen to me. I am just talking nonsense." Rocky shook his head casually and changed the topic. Ever since Sheridan disappeared, he never laid eyes on him again, and he didn''t know his whereabouts until now.


    "Juey, you need to remember what I say and what I do, okay? They are very important, so you should take note of them," Rocky said to Juey seriously. He decided to show her the surgery and teach her the basic knowledge contained in the Common Beast Medical Skill at the same time.


    The Common Beast Medical Skill was like a book of theory. It was extremely difficult for ordinary people to master it all, but no matter how difficult it was, it could be learned through plenty of practice and training. Besides, the Common Beast Medical Skill''s theory could also be applied in many situations. And although the spirit-manipulated beasts were divided into different types, the basic structures of them were quite similar to each other, just like humans with different races. Thus, the theory of the Common Beast Medical Skill could be applied to spirit-manipulated beasts with high star level and low star level. And the best way to teach it to someone else was through practice and hands-on experience of surgeries.

 Chapter 797 Who Did It

    Rocky made huge progress in his Beast Curing Skill by integrating the Common Beast Medical Skill that Sheridan passed on him with his surgical skills.


    When she saw that he was serious, Juey nodded immediately. Rocky was doing her a favor when he agreed to teach her such a powerful Beast Curing Skill, so how could she let him down!


    "Next, I will teach you how to dissect. We will take spirit-manipulated beasts as humans, and study the function of each organ and nerve..." As Rocky spoke, he pressed one hand on the injured spirit-manipulated beast and shook his hand slightly. As a result, the beast''s meridians were immediately broken, which caused the death of the beast.


    Then, Rocky used his scalpel to dissect the body of the beast. The process was a little gory, and the pungent smell of blood made Juey frown deeply. However, she tried to ignore her disgust and discomfort, as she concentrated on watching Rocky''s every move. She also took extra care in writing her notes.


    After a short while, Rocky found that although she didn''t have a special talent in beast curing, she had a good memory. She went against the stereotype that most girls with big breasts had nothing else to offer. She showed him that besides her luscious body, she was also quite intelligent, and she had no trouble remembering everything that he taught her. It sure saved him a lot of trouble.


    They were so intent in what they were doing that they didn''t even notice that the sun was setting. As soon as they noticed though, Rocky took her back to her room in the Xiao mansion.


    When a maid caught sight of two figures in Juey''s room and the dim light that was coming from inside, she immediately reported to Raef.


    At once, the group of people who had been waiting anxiously in the hall hastily walked to Juey''s room. There was a lightness in their steps and new hope was shining in their eyes, as they felt that a disaster had been averted.


    The quiet in Juey''s room was broken, as the maid came and shouted, "Miss Juey, the chief is here."


    Inside the room, Juey whirled around to look at the door in alarm, then at Rocky, who was leaning against the window and gazing at the moon. She said


    nt, Travis rushed forward and threw a punch directly at Rocky. His punch contained the spiritual power at the eighth grade of the Earthly Stage in it, and it whistled fast towards Rocky''s face like a bullet.


    However, Rocky didn''t even flinch. He just slightly tilted his head, and Travis immediately missed his swing, and his fist hit air instead of Rocky''s angular face. Seeing this, Travis turned his fist into a palm, and as he looked back, he launched his palm attack, about to slap Rocky on the face.


    When it was about to hit Rocky, Travis suddenly stopped his attack before his face was several inches away from Rocky''s face. Then, he found that he couldn''t approach Rocky anymore.


    Of course, everyone was extremely surprised. With a closer look, they found that Travis'' hand was stopped by a single finger from Rocky. The whole counterattack seemed so easy for Rocky.


    "Get away from me!" Rocky roared. Then everyone present saw Travis, as he was blown away by an invisible force, was knocked backward like a doll.


    With a bang, Travis knocked into the peach tree in the courtyard, breaking the innocent tree. He fell heavily to the ground and stayed there for a long time. His clothes and face were covered with dirt, while his breathing was harsh and shallow.


    He struggled for a while but didn''t get up again, which took everyone by surprise. None of them had seen Rocky attack Travis, but if it wasn''t him, who sent Travis flying out?

 Chapter 798 No Intention Of Marrying Rookie

    While the entire Xiao Clan was still bewildered, Rocky took the chance to calmly walk up to Raef.


    At that moment, Raef had just come back to his senses. With a face full of dread, he shot a glance at Travis, and soon after, asked someone to help Travis get up from the ground. Bowing into Rocky''s presence, he said, "I sincerely apologize for what my son has done to you. Please forgive me, Mr. Rookie. I am at fault, for I did not discipline him well. I will teach him a lesson after this."


    "No, don''t sweat it. I did not take any offense at what he did," Rocky said calmly as he avoided meeting Travis'' eyes.


    Rocky''s cold and merciless words struck hard, like a hard slap on Raef''s face. Not knowing how to respond to the situation, Raef just let out a bitter laugh and continued to suffer in silence.


    Meanwhile, the members of the Xiao Clan could not help but look at Rocky in a bizarre manner. In fact, they were quite surprised at how the man in front of them was acting. Rocky did not look like a servant who had done odd jobs and errands for the Magical Beast House. Instead, what they saw in front of them was a man with valor and power, like someone who was in a high position.


    "Father..." Juey walked up and called Raef, but her expression was still as cold as ice.


    "Why didn''t you tell me that you and Mr. Rookie went out together? I got so worried that I have even dispatched all the disciples of the Xiao Clan to look for you. I''m worried about you, my dear daughter. I don''t know what to say to your dead mother if something happened to you," acting like a good father, Raef spoke earnestly and patiently as soon as Juey stepped in front of him.


    Juey could not believe what she had just heard from her father''s mouth. ''Is he concerned about me? Someone must have woken up on the good side of the bed!'' Juey thought. From the day she was born, her father had always shown indifference to her. Seeing her father''s concern, it seemed that this was way beyond what she was used to.


    But Juey was not a fool. In fact, when she noticed that her father could not keep his eyes off Rocky, she knew that her father might have thought that she had a special relationship with him. Acting like a good father was only a trick that he wanted to show Rocky.


    "Father, if you think that I can persuade Mr. Rookie into attending the Beast Master Contest on behalf of the Xiao Clan, then it''s a complete misunderstanding. Mr. Rookie won''t listen to me. Don''t bother doing this father-cares-for-his-daughter kind of thing. I know it''s ju


    ather marry a sow than marry you," said Rocky sardonically.


    Hearing how Rocky mocked her, Mary could not help but turn red as she clenched her fists in anger.


    On the other hand, the Xiao Clan members all laughed out loud upon hearing that Rocky compared Mary to a sow.


    Raef felt embarrassed, too, although he knew that Rocky was just playing with him. But he chose not to provoke him as if he was Buddha. At that moment, he had no choice but to see him behave atrociously in his own mansion.


    "Well, let me be straight with you. If you want me to go and meet the Cao Clan, okay, I''ll do it. But there''s a catch¡ªI would have to require you to do two things for me," Rocky said seriously, with an unkind look in his eyes.


    "Please go ahead, Mr. Rookie. I''m all ears." Seeing that Rocky suddenly gave away, Raef''s face lit up. He leaned forward as he was eager to know what Rocky wanted him to do.


    "First off, you need to give me ninth grade code of the Holy Life Saving Hand," Rocky suggested. Back when he taught Juey the Beast Curing Skill, he had done some research on the Holy Life Saving Hand. He found out that this skill was an excellent kind of Beast Curing Skill. Moreover, it was suitable enough for the treatment of spirit-manipulated beasts after surgery, relieving the pain and improving blood circulation.


    Raef was stunned upon hearing Rocky''s first demand. He never thought that this Rookie would be interested in their clan''s ancestral Beast Curing Skill, even devising a plan for it. However, this Holy Life Saving Hand was the Xiao Clan''s hereditary treasure. Moreover, passing the skill was limited to the inner members of the Xiao Clan as part of their tradition.

 Chapter 799 Come To The Cao Mansion

    "Chief Raef, how is it going?" asked Rocky, fixing his eyes on the chief of the Xiao Clan.


    Raef looked embarrassed and hesitated to answer.


    "Father..." Mary gave Raef a slight nod, signaling that he could accept Rocky''s request. She thought that even if Rocky could get the formula of the Holy Life Saving Hand, it was very unlikely for him to master it.


    "Well, seeing that you are very determined to learn our family Beast Curing Skill, I will impart it to you as a gift," Raef said, wincing as every word left his clenched teeth.


    "As for my second condition, I want you to publicly announce that Juey will be the heir of the Xiao Clan chief." Rocky calmly uttered the astonishing request.


    Every member of the Xiao Clan was dumbfounded and had their mouths agape upon hearing the second request.


    Mary did not know how to react. After all, she was the intended heir, not Juey.


    Of course, the one who was most surprised was Juey. She didn''t expect that Rocky would ask that for her sake. She couldn''t help but be deeply touched by his gesture.


    Rocky put Raef in a precarious spot. On one hand, Raef believed that Juey didn''t have the talent to be the heir of the Xiao Clan chief, but on the other hand, if he didn''t heed Rocky''s request they would be acquired by other big clans sooner rather than later.


    "Father, don''t agree with him. He just wants to destroy our clan." Mary pleaded to her father as she shot a glare of hatred towards Rocky.


    "Mr. Rookie, you should know that Juey doesn''t have the guts nor the talents to successfully lead the Xiao Clan towards a better future. Even if I do agree, most of the members don''t want her as the heir!" Raef racked his brain to make up an excuse.


    "That''s your business. As long as you agree with these two conditions, I will go to the Cao mansion with you." Of course, Rocky would not give Raef any chance to bargain.


    In the eyes of t


    or future experiments.


    Three days later, the Xiao Clan led by Raef arrived at the capital and then went straight to the Cao mansion.


    The Cao mansion covered a vast area in the northwest of the capital, with mountains and rivers by its side.


    The mansion looked like paradise on earth. Small bridges were built over crystal-clear rivers. There were pavilions and buildings that were dwarfed by the enormous mountainside. The place was like straight from a postcard.


    In the southern part of the mansion laid a magnificent siamese building which stretched a thousand meters from west to north. Here lay the power center of the Cao Clan, the Magnificent Hall. It was where the leader of the clan would deal with all kinds of affairs with hall leaders and cadres of the Cao Clan.


    The Cao Clan had five halls in total. In addition to the Magnificent hall, there were the Mystery Hall, the Ghostly Hall, the Drifting Hall and, the Dragon-trapping Hall. The latter four halls were responsible for implementing and upholding orders made by the Magnificent Hall. In addition to this, all four hall leaders were immediate family members of the Cao Clan.


    Raef, Travis, and Mary, were nervously sitting in the Magnificent Hall as they waited to visit the Cao Clan chief.

 Chapter 800 Youth

    "Chief is here!" A scream from the outside interrupted them.


    All of them nearly jumped out of their seats and peered out.


    Before their eyes was a charming figure who elegantly stepped into the hall. Every move showed the obvious sign of someone who came from a big clan.


    Even Mary couldn''t drag her eyes away from the lithe figure clad in elegant white clothes, it looked like it was shining on her smooth skin and made her look even more charming. Though her delicate face held no smile, her willow-leaf brows and sylphlike eyes sent shocks down people''s spine with every coy blink. Everyone was besotted and couldn''t look away for her. There wasn''t any make-up on her face yet she caught their eyes. Although some of them would like to approach her, with her aura in the Supernal Stage enveloping her, no one dared to come near.


    "Chief Lucilla, it is an honor to meet you..." Raef immediately politely saluted with his hands clasped in front of him.


    Both Travis and Mary bowed to her.


    Because this figure was none other than the chief of the Cao Clan, Lucilla Cao.


    "There''s no need to be so formal, Chief Raef!" As Lucilla spoke, she glided across the hall and settled down on the Heavenly Phoenix Chair and gestured to the three who remained frozen in their salute.


    Almost imperceptible tremors of fear ran through their bodies as they sat down.


    "This must be your daughter?" Lucilla''s eyes flickered at Mary''s direction.


    "Yes, she is." Raef nodded.


    "I''ve heard for a long time that the chief of the Xiao Clan has a pair of beautiful daughters. It seems the rumors are true." Lucilla''s smile was breathtaking.


    "Thank you for your praise, Chief Lucilla," Raef replied.


    "By the way, where''s Mr. Rookie? Lucas was very vocal in recommending him. I don''t think I see him..." It couldn''t be helped that Lucilla was curious about Rocky. After all, Lucas recommended him. She wanted to know what was it that Rocky had made Lucas admire him so much.


    "He..." Raef''s expression suddenly changed.


    "What''s wrong? Did he no


    spirit manipulators at the advanced stage of the Supernal Stage and famous throughout the empire. Instead of helping, once Jacob got in trouble, they began to secretly fight for the chief position and clashed so much that they almost split the Cao Clan into two.


    When Lucas saw that the Cao Clan''s business that took years to build was going to be destroyed in just a few short moments, he gave Lucilla, even though she was just a young girl, the chance to be the chief of the clan. Lucas was already famous back then and even the emperor of the Timber Deity Empire appreciated him. Since Lucas backed Lucilla, the collapse halted.


    Although Jacob''s two brothers didn''t want to submit to Lucilla, Lucas'' prestige, status, and influence made them dare not rashly act. Otherwise, neither of them would get anything in the future. Even though they put up with it on the surface, they spent the past ten years secretly cultivating their own factions as they coveted the position of the family chief.


    Fortunately, Lucilla was brilliant at her job even though she became the chief at the age of ten. She spent ten years of her youth rebuilding the Cao Clan''s reputation and made it recover from Jacob''s ''death''.


    However, despite her best efforts, the Qi Clan still managed to take advantage of the events and gain the strength needed to compete with the Cao Clan.

 Chapter 801 Lucillas Curiosity

    Lucilla was not just responsible for advancing the power of the Cao Clan, but also worked on improving her own strength for the past ten years. At twenty-nine, her strength was at the second grade of the Supernal Stage. She had made herself famous and people acknowledged her as a talented spirit manipulator in the Timber Deity Empire.


    Lucilla had to work hard to achieve power and success, but it was different for Queenie. Everything came up roses for her. Back then, Lucilla wanted to focus on the affairs of the Cao Clan, and she could not take care of this younger sister. She also did not trust any outsider to take care of her, because she knew very well that her two uncles lusted over the position of being the clan chief. For this reason, she asked Lucas to take care of Queenie and take her in as a disciple.


    Lucas was very fond of Queenie and treated her as his own granddaughter. She had inherited the impressive talent of the Cao Clan as a spirit manipulator, and she became a Timber spirit manipulator at the very young age of fourteen. Eventually, Lucas helped Queenie establish a solid foundation at the cost of his own spiritual power. In the span of three years, she gained the strength that others would need to cultivate for ten years. This was why she reached the Supernal Stage in her early twenties.


    Lucas had been protecting Queenie since she was a child, and this made her fearless. Except for her sister Lucilla, Queenie was not afraid of anyone in the Cao Clan at all. People regarded her highly, and she could always have her way the moment she said she was Lucas'' disciple. Sadly, this also turned her into a lawless and arrogant person.


    When Lucas saw that there were only three people from the Xiao Clan inside the hall, he looked at them briefly and asked Raef with a smile, "Has Mr. Rookie not arrived yet?"


    "That bastard! Where is he?" Queenie asked through gritted teeth. She wanted to know where Rocky was.


    "Chief Raef said that Mr. Rookie is on his way and will arrive soon," Lucilla answered as she gazed at Lucas and Queenie with her beautiful eyes.


    "Okay." Lucas nodded calmly.


    "I don''t think he''s coming. He knows that if he comes here, I will teach him a lesson," Queeni


    Juey from the Barren City all the way to the capital of the Timber Deity Empire. Together, they saw several exclusive spirit-manipulated beasts from the Timber Deity Empire. He took advantage of this time and collected countless samples that he had never seen before. It was a bountiful harvest, and it delighted him.


    Juey was on cloud nine. They had only spent a few days together, but Rocky exerted great efforts to teach her the basic principles of his Beast Curing Skill. As long as she had a solid foundation, she could still use the surgical treatment on spirit-manipulated beasts after he left.


    As for Juey, she was passionate about her studies and was a fast learner. It was easy for Rocky to teach her his Beast Curing Skill.


    Two days after Raef and his two children arrived at the Cao mansion, Rocky arrived with Juey.


    Since Lucas gave strict instructions to the servants to inform him if a young man named Rookie would arrive, he was notified the moment Rocky and Juey stepped into the mansion. Lucas wasted no time and greeted them in person at once.


    Several members of the Cao Clan were stunned when they heard that Lucas came out to receive a young man in person. They thought Rocky must be a very important person for Lucas to go out of his way to greet him and show great respect upon his arrival. Many people heard about the news and came immediately. Curious, they gathered outside the Cyan Dragon Hall to check the profile of this very important visitor.

 Chapter 802 Make Up For Her

    Rocky and Juey had been received by Lucas and entered the Cyan Dragon Hall.


    "Mr. Rookie, Miss Juey, please have a seat," Lucas greeted them as he signaled towards the seats and asked people to serve them tea.


    "Thank you, Master Lucas," Rocky replied politely.


    "Mr. Rookie, you must be wondering why I recommended you to the chief of the Cao Clan to attend the Beast Master Contest on behalf of the Xiao Clan." Lucas was quick to get to the point. He looked at Rocky with stern eyes as he surveyed him.


    But Rocky remained calm and composed. He even smiled at Lucas, as if to say that he was serious and had nothing to hide. But Lucas was sure that Rocky was deliberately hiding his true strength. That was why Rocky caught his eye.


    "Yeah, I''m a little confused," Rocky replied frankly.


    "I think you already know the reason, Mr. Rookie," Lucas answered back.


    "Are you referring to when I saved Miss Queenie, Master Lucas?" Of course, Rocky already knew that Lucas had seen through his true strength.


    "Mr. Rookie, you said you saved Miss Queenie. What happened?" Juey asked immediately in surprise. She didn''t know when and how he had saved Queenie. He mentioned nothing of the incident during the past few days.


    "I have forgotten to thank you for saving Queenie''s life, Mr. Rookie. The chief wants to thank you personally. That''s why she invited you here," Lucas said in gratitude.


    "Well, it was just a coincidence. I didn''t actually plan on helping her," Rocky said, still keeping a playful look on his face.


    Hearing that, Lucas didn''t say anything but smiled.


    "Does Miss Queenie know that I''m here?" Rocky asked. Logically speaking, if Queenie knew that he was here, she would be the first one to appear.


    "I''ve asked the servants to not tell Queenie


    Rocky said with a shrug. Although he didn''t say yes directly, it was a tacit consent. After all, this was the only way he could get what he wanted which was to let Juey take part in the Beast Master Contest.


    Of course, Rocky had already anticipated it. He could use this time to see Woods and ask him for a reward for saving his life.


    "Then I''ll arrange two rooms for you in the wing house where the Xiao Clan members live," Lucas offered now that Rocky had agreed to his term.


    "Don''t bother. Just arrange a room for Juey. I can find a place to live on my own." Rocky felt that it was inconvenient to keep staying in the Cao mansion. He''d rather live an idle life.


    "Mr. Rookie, please stay!" Juey was happy to be with Rocky during the past few days. She had already learned how to perform simple surgical skills, but she still wanted to be with him. Hearing that he''d leave her to be alone made her lash out like a spoiled child.


    When Rocky saw that Juey didn''t want him to leave, his heart immediately softened. He felt like he owed her something in his past life. Maybe he felt he owed Sue a lot, so he wanted to make it up to her by being nice to a girl who resembled her.

 Chapter 803 Elusive

    "Master Lucas, Mr. Rookie likes being alone. Could you please arrange two separate rooms for us?" Juey requested, casting a glance at Rocky.


    "Well, that''s not a problem. Miss Juey, do you have feelings for Mr. Rookie?" Lucas had observed how intimate Rocky and Juey were. He even thought they were a couple.


    "Master Lucas, you misunderstood. Mr. Rookie treats me like his sister." Juey''s cheeks flushed a deep shade of red.


    "Is that so? That''s a pity. You two could have made a perfect couple," Lucas remarked with a smile.


    Juey felt her face heat up as Rocky stood calmly.


    Later that day, Lucas requested two rooms in the remote wing house for Rocky and Juey. A servant led them to their respective rooms. As soon as they were settled, Lucas asked someone to inform Lucilla of Rocky''s arrival.


    Rocky and Juey followed the servant who directed them to their rooms in the Osmanthus Yard, which was clean and quiet. The smell of osmanthus filled the yard. No one else was there.


    "Juey, I have something to deal with later. Will you be alright here alone?" Rocky asked Juey before they separated into their own rooms.


    "This is the Cao mansion. Do you think anyone will hurt me here?" Juey joked with a smile.


    Rocky nodded and walked into his room.


    A few moments later, Rocky left the mansion. He was planning to ask if Woods was in the royal palace or another mansion so he could begin his quest to find him. From what he had gathered, Woods had his own mansion in the capital.


    Rocky went to Woods'' mansion and snuck in through the back door. When he saw a servant coming out of the exit, he flashed a smile.


    Then, he walked up towards the servant and started intimidating him with questions. Eventually, the servant gave him what he wanted. He said that Woods had been ordered to go to the flooded cities


    th to happen again.


    ''Alston, I hope you wait for me. We will meet again soon and I''ll make sure you know what it''s like to lose everything.'' Rocky gazed at the sky with clenched fist.


    When he returned to the Cao mansion, he went straight to the Osmanthus Yard to find Juey. But as soon he entered the yard, a beautiful lady holding an osmanthus flower stole his attention. She gently sniffed the flower as she stood.


    Rocky looked at her face carefully. He guessed that she was in her late twenties. She stood with poise and elegance, her body curved in all the right places. She had breasts that perked up and a bottom that arched her back beautifully. Her manner and poise made it obvious that she was from a noble family. She had a deep frown on her face, as if in deep thought.


    She wasn''t the most beautiful lady Rocky had met, yet something about her took his breath away. She looked gentle, yet strong and proud, like a peony flower.


    "Who''s there?" Lucilla felt a presence behind her. She turned to look and saw a man in plain clothes standing by the gate. He looked like an ordinary man. When she looked at his face, she noticed firmness and sharpness in his eyes. Something about him made him elusive.

 Chapter 804 No Need To Thank Me

    As the chief of the Cao Clan, Lucilla had seen a lot of people over the past ten years, and as a result, her insight had grown exponentially. Therefore, she could see at a glance that the man in front of her was not as simple as he looked. The reason why she came to the Osmanthus Yard was that Lucas had told her that Mr. Rookie had arrived and stayed in this place.


    Originally, she had planned to send people to call Mr. Rookie over, but she later changed her mind. If this he was indeed very different from others, and if he could be helpful to the Cao Clan, then she certainly needed to know who he was first. However, she was still on guard against him, as she had not yet discounted the possibility that her two uncles, who were after the position of the clan chief, could have arranged this whole thing. After all, it wasn''t the first time that something like this happened.


    When she arrived at the Osmanthus Yard, she was told that Mr. Rookie had gone out. She planned to leave and come back later, but she saw an osmanthus tree that was blossoming in the yard, so she decided to stop for a while and enjoy the flowers.


    Later, Rocky saw her admiring the flowers. At that moment, their eyes met underneath the shadow that the flowers cast, but they didn''t say anything.


    With her wit and experience, Lucilla immediately guessed that the man in front of her was the legendary Mr. Rookie.


    And when Rocky saw her, he could tell that Lucilla was not an ordinary woman and probably a lady of the Cao Clan.


    Silence reigned between them, but their minds were filled with questions, as they analyzed and observed each other. It was Rocky who broke the silence.


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to interrupt. The flowers are quite lovely, aren''t they?" Rocky said with a smile but didn''t bother to wait for a reply. He just nodded at her, and turned away to go back to his room.


    At first, Lucilla was caught by surprise when he suddenly appeared, so she couldn''t talk. But she was filled with confusion when he only made a passing comment and immediately turned to leave. After all, she was the chief of the clan, and most men would pay an arm and a leg just to get a moment with her. She was confident that she was alluring and irresis


    nd how could the Beast Master Contest match up to that?


    Rocky had recommended Juey to attend the Beast Master Contest because he had other plans since the beginning, and this was just a stepping stone.


    "Is that so? I think if you take this kind of attitude when you participate in the Beast Master Contest, Mr. Rookie, you could encounter some surprises. His Royal Highness admires people like you who are talented but indifferent to fame and wealth," Lucilla said once again, as she hadn''t given up yet.


    "Miss Lucilla, you misunderstood me. I don''t have any talent. Wait! Did you just say His Royal Highness?" Rocky exclaimed in surprise when he realized what she just said. ''His Royal Highness is Woods, right?'' he thought to himself.


    "Yes, I did say His Royal Highness." Lucila narrowed her eyes, as she noticed that Rocky''s reaction seemed somewhat strange.


    "Will His Royal Highness come to the Beast Master Contest?" Rocky asked suspiciously. The answer seemed obvious, as she wouldn''t have mentioned Woods for no reason.


    "The Beast Master Contest is of great importance to the royal family of the Timber Deity Empire, so His Majesty will attend it in person. And it won''t be His Royal Highness alone, Princess Alyssa, who has received the admiration of the entire Timber Deity Empire, will also attend," Lucilla answered with a nod. At the same time, she discreetly observed the expression on Rocky''s face, as she had a feeling that he was very interested in the prince.

 Chapter 805 Stay In The Cao Mansion

    "Alyssa?" Rocky couldn''t help but smile at the sound of Alyssa''s name. She was definitely going to be surprised at Rocky''s sight.


    "Mr. Rookie, what''s wrong?" Lucilla asked, noticing Rocky''s weird expression.


    "Oh, nothing. I''m just thinking of the Beast Master Contest," Rocky replied.


    "Do you want to be part of the contest?" Lucilla thought Rocky was acting strange. He already expressed disinterest, yet suddenly he was thinking about it. She would have doubted him if not for his earnest expression.


    "I don''t think I''m strong enough for that." Rocky did not want to be part of the contest. He just wanted to see Woods.


    "But Lucas thinks highly of you. I trust his judgment," Lucilla said with hesitation.


    "I''m afraid I might disappoint you." Rocky shook his head. "Anyway, it''s getting late. You better head back." Rocky directed his gaze to the sky. It was almost dusk. He smiled curtly at Lucilla before heading back to his room. Lucilla was left alone in confusion.


    "What a mysterious guy! I have a feeling he''s hiding something. I''ve never seen anyone quite like him. No wonder Lucas found him special," Lucilla muttered under her breath as she left the Osmanthus Yard.


    As soon as Rocky was back in his room, Juey showed up.


    "Mr. Rookie, where have you been? Why are you so late?" Juey asked.


    "Nowhere," Rocky replied, shaking his head.


    Juey asked Rocky something about the surgery. They talked until deep into the night.


    When Juey left, Rocky entered the Magic Spiritual Space.


    He''d been staying with Juey for a few days so he wasn''t able to release the Rainbow Glow Unicorn. That creature lost its patience easily. As soon as it saw Rocky, it ran excitedly towards him.


    "I know you feel bored here, but you have to stay


    the egg, but he couldn''t get it to react at all.


    A few moments later, Rocky decided it was time to leave and give up for the day.


    After he walked out, a red thread came out of the red egg and shot into the container. It absorbed a few drops of blood and quietly returned to the egg.


    When he was back in his room, Rocky began to cultivate by using the Sea Blue Magic Jade. Slowly, he fused with the power that had been released from the third layer of seal in his body.


    The day passed quickly.


    When morning came, Rocky immediately searched for Juey. He wanted to take her to the famous high-grade beast farm in the capital. However, when he went to her room, he only saw a maidservant cleaning the bed and arranging the sheets. Juey had already left.


    "Where is Miss Juey, the woman who was staying here?" Rocky asked the maidservant.


    "Are you Mr. Rookie? Miss Juey was summoned to meet the chief of the Xiao Clan. She said if you want to see her, you can go to the wing house of the Xiao Clan to look for her," the maidservant responded.


    Rocky nodded, asked about the location of the Xiao Clan''s wing house, and then proceeded to head for the wing house.

 Chapter 806 Molest Her

    The longer he spent with the Cao Clan, the more Rocky realized that it truly deserved its reputation as a big family of the Timber Deity Empire. Everyone was dignified and glowing. Their clothes were embroidered with patterns of Cao, announcing their discipleship with the Cao Clan. The Cao Clan was a big family. It had two to three thousand disciples under its control, and there were more affiliated second or third class families. All in all, it made for a powerful force.


    Rocky wasn''t new to big families. When he was the son-in-law of the Ximen Clan, he had seen just how big they were during his visit. He thought the Ximen Clan was even more powerful than the Cao Clan. After all, the former''s leader Bryant was the strongest cultivator of the Immortal Stage. The Ximen Clan, which was under his control, made various clans tremble when they heard its name.


    Rocky was almost at the wing house of the Xiao Clan when he saw a group of Cao Clan disciples standing in the middle of the path. They were laughing and joking as if they were seeing something funny.


    He looked at them and quickly averted his gaze. He didn''t want to involve himself in their idling around. As he walked away, an arrogant voice came from the crowd. "Is that how Cao Clan members treat guests?"


    The voice sounded familiar to Rocky. Then, a teasing voice erupted from the crowd. "Miss Mary, our Cao Clan knows how to treat our guests. We are very warm-hearted. In fact, why don''t you come with me and let me tour you around to show you our hospitality?"


    "Miss Mary, please don''t refuse our warm welcome." The crowd hooted.


    "Mary?" Rocky''s attention was finally caught. He walked towards the direction of the voice and saw Mary with three men besid


    ts.


    Mary was frightened. In panic, she reached out and pushed Conrad away using her spiritual power.


    Conrad didn''t expect that she would attack him. His face turned pale with shock. But Conrad, of course, was a powerful man. Her little attack barely fazed him.


    "How dare you refuse me! You two, take her back. I deserve any woman I want." Conrad had the arrogance to kidnap Mary in public.


    The two men behind Conrad, who were either at the seventh grade or even the eighth grade of the Earthly Stage, did as ordered.


    Mary realized that she had made a mistake. There was no good that would come out from enraging Conrad. She was ready to apologize when a figure stood in her way.


    "You!" It was Rocky. All that while he''d been standing by the sidelines.


    "You should head back." Rocky gave Mary a cold look.


    "This is none of your business!" Mary shouted angrily.


    "It''s none of my business. But they blocked my way." Rocky stared at Mary.


    Mary didn''t know whether she should laugh or cry.


    "Son of a bitch! How dare you!" Conrad shouted at Rocky.


    With a sneer, Rocky ignored Conrad. He walked passed him with his head held high.

 Chapter 807 A Hero Appeared

    Rocky struck Conrad''s nerves after arrogantly blocking his way. When Rocky turned around to leave, Conrad was quick to shout an order to his lackeys. "Well, what are you waiting for? Don''t just stand around there. Do something! Catch that guy and teach him a lesson. I''ll deal with Miss Mary myself."


    The two easily caught up to Rocky since they were both at the advanced grade of the Earthly Stage.


    However, Rocky, who was just walking, disappeared in a blink of an eye. Before they realized what happened, Rocky had disappeared from the alley between the two buildings.


    "Stupid brat! How dare he run away! Catch him!" Conrad would never let anyone who offended him get off that easily. He ordered his men to catch up to Rocky and then headed straight for Mary.


    The two men immediately rushed towards the direction where Rocky disappeared.


    "It turns out that he is just a coward..." Mary uttered angrily under her breath. She thought Rocky came to save her, but instead he ran away and left her to be on her own. Mary''s anger was quickly replaced by fear when she saw Conrad approaching her. She tried to turn around and run towards the opposite direction, but Conrad was too fast, and he had caught up with her before she could do anything.


    "Mr. Conrad, can you stop? You can''t bully me and force me to do things I don''t want to. If the chief of the Cao Clan hears about this, I think you already know what might happen to you." Mary tried to intimidate Conrad in order to get rid of the danger he posed.


    "Miss Mary, don''t be like that. You should feel lucky that I admire you. You kno


    nd shouted, "Why are you just standing there? Catch them! Otherwise, I''ll ask my father to expel you from the Cao Clan."


    The disciples looked at each other nervously. Since they knew Conrad wasn''t making empty threats, they had no choice but to halfheartedly charge towards Rocky and Mary.


    "This is such a pain in the ass," Rocky sighed. Before the disciples of the Cao Clan could even get close to them, they disappeared.


    Everyone fell silent until a scream pierced through the huge crowd. Rocky grabbed Conrad''s neck with one hand and effortlessly lifted him up.


    The disciples trembled in fear upon seeing how easy Rocky could grab their powerful master.


    "All of you, get out of here. Otherwise, he will end up with a crooked neck," Rocky shouted in a cold voice. He took a quick glance at the disciples and they all squealed in fear.


    "Why are you... standing still? Get out of here right away..." Fearing for his life, Conrad immediately ordered his people to retreat. He was struggling to accept the fact that Rocky was miles stronger than him.

 Chapter 808 Juey, Come With Me

    The Cao Clan disciples ran away in a hurry, abandoning Conrad in Rocky''s hands. Rocky lifted him up as Mary stood beside them, her heart fluttering in fear.


    "Boss, please! Have mercy on me. It''s all my fault! I failed to recognize you. I shouldn''t have offended you. Please! Please forgive me! Spare me, I beg you. If you want, I can give this girl to you instead," Conrad pleaded with desperation. Fear flooded his eyes. He was genuinely afraid that Rocky would harm him. Conrad was surprised at Rocky''s extraordinary strength even though he looked like an ordinary man.


    Not far away, Raef and other Xiao Clan members heard the noise. They rushed out to see what happened. They were shocked at the sight of Mary looking ravaged and Conrad being lifted into the air.


    "Mary, are you okay?" Juey stepped forward to ask.


    The rest of the Xiao Clan members turned to look at Rocky and Conrad.


    "Is that who I think it is? Mr. Conrad? The only son of the hall leader Tod of the Cao Clan?" Raef gasped as soon as he recognized Conrad. He was also the cousin of Chief Lucilla, the current leader of the Cao Clan. Conrad''s father was the elder brother of Chief Lucilla''s father. Raef looked at Rocky with horror. He knew Rocky shouldn''t have messed with the Cao Clan. How dare he harm Conrad?


    If only Rocky wasn''t affiliated with the Xiao Clan, then Raef could have easily turned a blind eye. But he knew that Rocky''s actions would also harm the entire clan. The Xiao Clan would be compromised.


    With that in mind, Raef stepped forward and called out to Rocky. "Mr. Rookie, please put him down!" he ordered. "We can''t hurt him! Don''t put the Xiao Clan in big trouble!"


    "Raef, is he your man? How dare he be so rude to me! If I tell my father, the Xiao Clan will be doomed!"


    o with it. He clenched his fists and bottled up a grudge inside him.


    "Juey, will you come with me?" Rocky asked Juey. He then turned back to look at Mary. She looked awfully distressed.


    Juey hesitated as she knew Mary was the one who needed her more. She must have been frightened. Juey looked at Rocky and said, "I''ll follow you later, Mr. Rookie." She had decided to attend to Mary first.


    Rocky nodded and proceeded to leave.


    Mary stared at Rocky as he walked away. She never thought she''d be saved by the man she loathed. She knew he must have done it for Juey''s sake. But she also acknowledged that if it wasn''t for him, she would have been in deep trouble.


    "Mary, are you okay?" Raef ran towards her with his eyes full of concern.


    "I''m tired. Accompany me to my room, Juey." Mary cast an indifferent glance at her father. She finally shared Juey''s feeling when their father just stood by and watched her be threatened by Queenie. But she also understood why her father could not stand up for her. They could not afford to offend Conrad. Her father was just trying to protect the entire clan. She shrugged it off instead and asked Juey to walk her back to her room.

 Chapter 809 Crazy Bear

    Rocky knew that Juey couldn''t come back for a while, so he decided to leave the Cao mansion. He wanted to take a walk around the capital, and along the way, he thought that he could buy something to use in the laboratory.


    However, just as he stepped out of the mansion, a fierce white bear suddenly rushed out from nowhere and lunged toward him with full-force.


    Rocky''s eyes widened in surprise, but he easily recovered and dashed away from it. Bang! The white bear smashed into the place where Rocky had been standing just a few seconds ago, and it left a deep ice pit on the ground. If its paws had hit Rocky, several of his ribs would have been broken.


    "It''s Furious Ice Bear, a rare spiritual beast." Rocky, who had already escaped its attack, looked carefully at the white bear. A faint smile appeared on his face, as he recognized the white bear.


    It was named Furious Ice Bear, a spiritual beast of ice nature. A beast that was among the top twenty spiritual beasts, it had an infinite strength and could even evolve in the middle of battle. In other words, when it was fighting, its power could increase exponentially. It was rare to see such a spirit-manipulated beast.


    "Stupid bear, teach him a lesson! I''ll reward you with the pork steak you like." A sweet voice suddenly echoed from above.


    Rocky looked to the direction where the voice came from, and his eyes narrowed at the graceful and proud figure of Queenie, who appeared on the roof of a building not far away.


    Upon hearing that it would be rewarded, the bear immediately screamed excitedly and rushed toward Rocky again. Its whole body was emitting freezing power that was shocking in its intensity.


    The bear was a spirit-manipulated beast in the fourth grade of the four-star level, and thus, it shouldn''t be underestimated. Rocky knew that he needed to fight back seriously, as Queenie would not let him go easily, even though Lucas promised that she wouldn''t do anything to him. Although she couldn''t deal with him in public, she could


    ainbow Glow Unicorn to go back to the Magic Spiritual Space, as soon as Queenie set foot on the ground.


    "Bastard, what on earth did you do to make my stupid bear sleep?" Queenie knew that Rocky must have done something to her beast, but she had no idea what it was. She didn''t know about the rare spiritual beast either, as she couldn''t even see it while it stood in front of her.


    "I didn''t do anything," said Rocky, who looked at her with widened eyes and pretended that he didn''t know what happened either.


    "I don''t believe you!" Queenie snorted.


    "Don''t you want to take revenge? Why did you stop?" Rocky challenged when Queenie stopped her attacks, a taunting smirk etched on his face.


    His comment greatly irritated Queenie, who narrowed her eyes at him sharply. The truth was that she ached to tear Rocky apart. Unfortunately, her sister had warned her that if she dared to hurt Rocky, she would be locked up for three months.


    That was unthinkable for her, as it was unbearable for her not to cause trouble in one day. She would go insane if she couldn''t go out for three months. And there was no doubt that her sister would do as she said. More importantly, even her master sided with Rocky and warned her not to bully him. It pissed her off even more, and she couldn''t understand why her sister and her master protected him.

 Chapter 810 A Fake Man

    It was for this reason that Queenie dared not to teach Rocky a lesson herself. She could not do it with her hands, but her sister didn''t say that the Furious Ice Bear couldn''t do it either. Thus, she took advantage of that loophole. She had been following Rocky since he had left the Osmanthus Yard earlier, so she also saw Conrad bullied Mary. She had wanted to step in and help Mary because she hated Tod and Conrad, and she couldn''t bear to see Conrad''s unruly behavior in the Cao mansion. She didn''t expect that Rocky would go and help Mary, and he also taught Conrad a lesson he would never forget, which pleased her greatly.


    Even so, what he had done was not enough to pull Queenie away from the idea of revenge. After she followed him all the way, she ambushed him with the full intention of letting her Furious Ice Bear attack Rocky. But she didn''t expect his petty tricks, and now, he had done something to her Furious Ice Bear that made the beast fall asleep.


    "It seems that you are hesitating." Rocky gave her a wicked smirk, assured by her hesitation that she couldn''t go after him personally.


    "You bastard, don''t be so complacent!" Queenie shouted in anger, as she was even more incensed when she saw how calm Rocky was acting.


    Because he knew that Queenie''s hands were tied, Rocky confidently turned his back on her and walked away.


    "Humph! How dare you leave the Cao mansion? You''re dead meat!" A mischievous smile flashed across her face when she saw that he was about to leave the Cao mansion. This was because once he left the vicinity, it would be more convenient for her to take action. By that time, nobody could pin it on her, even if she killed Rocky and especially if she destroyed his corpse.


    However, after he left the Cao mansion, he was able to sense that someone was following him, and it didn''t take too much thought to know that it was Queenie. However, since it was still daylight, he didn''t take her seriously because she couldn''t harm him anyway. He just continued walking towards the capital of the country.


    to give this tip to Rocky. Anyway, they were surely going to profit from this as well.


    "Auction them?" Rocky''s eyebrows furrowed in wonder.


    "If you don''t want to draw attention to yourself, you can commission our Spirit Treasure Hall for the auction, but the commission will be a little high," Rector said immediately.


    "Okay, I''ll leave it to you." Rocky quickly decided and threw the bag at him.


    Rector carefully opened the bag and found different materials and items, and all of them were very rare at the four-star level and above. Of course, he was greatly satisfied with them. After that, he ordered someone to send the items into the auction house, and at the same time, he took Rocky to a VIP room.


    Not long after, a handsome young man swaggered into the Spirit Treasure Hall. He looked around and asked with a menacing expression, "Where has that guy gone? I saw him come in just now." Meanwhile, she thought triumphantly, ''I knew there was something wrong with him! The Spirit Treasure Hall is owned by the Qi Clan, so is that guy actually a spy that the Qi Clan sent to our Cao Clan? Humph! I finally got some dirt on him. I swear, I will expose him this time.''


    The young men looked sharply around the hall, and although he looked like a normal young man, on closer look, it was none other than Queenie who was dressed up in men''s clothes!

 Chapter 811 Staging A Farce

    Since Queenie was a beautiful girl, she turned into a handsome young man when she dressed up in men''s clothes. As soon as she entered the hall, many people''s eyes turned to look and female receptionists caked in heavy make-up hurriedly ran up to her.


    "You''re so handsome. Is there anything I can do for you? Just say the word and I''ll do it!"


    "Back off! He''s my client. I saw him first!"


    "Oh, please. He''s mine!"


    Each one of them bickered against one another, pushing and shoving just to get Queenie''s attention.


    "Leave me alone! Get your hands off me!" Queenie''s face could have been chiseled from ice as she snapped at them.


    Their mouths quickly snapped shut once they saw their potential client get irritated.


    "I''m not here to avail anyone''s services, I''m just looking for someone. The person who can point me to his direction would get this one thousand golden bill." Queenie took out a golden bill and waved it at them.


    A light entered all the women''s eyes at the sight of the golden bill.


    As the saying goes, if you have money, even the devil will push the millstone for you. In just a few short moments, Queenie learned that Rocky was in a VIP room.


    Even though everyone''s impression of Rocky was that he was poor, here he was seated in one of their best rooms that only allowed VIPs in. By then, Queenie decided that her guess must be right that there really was something off with Rocky. She further believed that this was an incredible discovery.


    There was adrenaline pumping through her veins so she couldn''t hold herself back, much less could she give any consideration for her own status. She rushed to Rocky''s room without any hesitation, ready to find all of Rocky''s ins and outs, just like in order to catch a thief, you must find the stolen goods first.


    Meanwhile in the VIP room, Rocky sat across Rector and the tea had just been served. Rector chatted with him casually and often asked a few questions to get to know him better, like where he came from and what he was up to. No matter how much he pushed, Rocky only sipped at his tea and kept his answers short.


    As their meeting dragged on, Rector''s smile was becoming more and more strained until it morphed into shock when they were suddenly interrupted by the door slamming open. Queenie burst into the room like a typhoon who jabbed a finger right in Rocky''s nose and shouted, "You really are a spy! I finally caught you. You''re a spy sent by the Qi Clan to our clan! Humph! Now that I caught you, let''s see what you have to say."


    Ro


    "You''re right. I don''t. I''m not your future brother-in-law anymore." Tate sighed.


    Even within the chattering crowd, the sound of Queenie furiously gnashing her teeth could still be heard.


    "Future brother-in-law?" Rocky repeated to himself. It looked that the relationship between the two clans wasn''t as simple as he thought.


    "I haven''t seen you in years. You''re starting to look like your elder sister more and more. How is she? I wish her all the best." A tender expression softened Tate''s proud appearance.


    "It''s none of your business..." Queenie finally turned to look at him, shooting him daggers with her resentful glare. In one quick move, she turned over her jade-like palm and a strong ice force shot out, rushing towards Tate.


    Tate''s expression didn''t waver as he raised his right hand and shot out a strong flame, letting it swallow the ice in an instant.


    "Queenie! I don''t get into fights without a reason. Don''t try to attack me without saying a word! Even if you are obstinate, there should be a limit..." Tate scolded with the same pleasant smile but his words rang out powerfully.


    "How dare you ask me why? Don''t try to cover up! I caught a spy from your clan red-handed!" Queenie spat and jabbed at Rocky, filled with righteous indignation.


    Tate glanced at Rocky but he was certain that he''d never seen him in his life before. More than that, he hadn''t sent any of his men to the Cao Clan. He was completely bewildered at the accusation.


    Rocky could only shake his head and bitterly smile. ''When will this girl get smarter? She has no evidence of me being a spy of the Qi Clan. This is undoubtedly just staging a farce in Tate''s eyes, '' he thought.

 Chapter 812 He Is My Subordinate

    "Queenie, you must have misunderstood. But I have never sent anyone to spy on the Cao Clan. Besides, we both know that your sister is so intelligent and wise that she would never let her guard down to allow me to send a spy to the Cao Clan," Tate answered straightforwardly with a stern look.


    "Of course I know my sister is very smart and I knew you would say that," Queenie responded quickly with a look of disbelief.


    "Queenie, do you have any solid evidence that can prove that he''s a member of the Qi Clan? Do you really think he belongs to the Qi Clan only because he is in the Qi Clan''s Spirit Treasure Hall? Is that the only evidence you have?" Tate questioned immediately. The expression on his face was still hard as a rock.


    Queenie was also stunned. The words of Tate got her thinking for a moment. She couldn''t help but glance at Rocky. In all honesty, she did not have any solid evidence indeed to prove that Rocky was a spy. But if he was not a spy, why would he appear in the Spirit Treasure Hall?


    "Rector, would you tell us what is he doing in the Spirit Treasure Hall?" Tate asked, after he glanced at Rocky.


    "Well, he is supposedly here to sell different kinds of things," Rector replied quickly.


    "He''s here to sell things? Is that so? If that is the case, then why did he sneak into the VIP room?" Queenie asked. She still didn''t believe that what they were saying was true.


    "Well, it''s because he doesn''t like to expose his identity, so he handed over the items to us and asked us to help him sell them through an auction. Besides, these items are very rare treasures, so we treat him as a distinguished guest," Rector answered nonchalantly.


    Queenie was stunned when she noticed how easy it was for Rector to answer her questions. The way Rector answered made her wonder whether she really misunderstood Rocky.


    "Rector, I will leave the items here with you." Rocky didn''t want to get involved in such a predicament. He was already swamped with other matters, so he didn''t want to be bothered further. After he finished saying his words, he was ready to leave.


    As for Tate, he noticed that Rocky was different from the others as soon as he entered the room. Tate had a keen and observant eye because of his long years of experience in this country. In this country, everyone knew who Tate was. People would immediately show great respect when they met him. Some people flattered him, while others showed fear on their face because they were afraid to see him. However, Rocky had not looked at him from the moment he came into the room until now. Interestingly, his eyes were always fixed on Queenie. While Queenie had just suspected that Rocky was a spy sent to the Cao Clan by the Qi Clan, which meant that there was a possibility that he and Queenie knew ea


    d, Tate and the other members of the Qi Clan looked at her with a mix of astonishment and disbelief.


    "No... He is not mine... But you can''t arrest him," Queenie immediately added when she realized that she just said something completely wrong.


    "Queenie, I''m afraid we still have to take him away. Perhaps he is really the one who has murdered the two masters at the Heavenly Stage from my clan. We cannot risk letting him go without proving that he is innocent. Of course, your Cao Clan also has to give the Qi Clan an explanation..." Tate said seriously. His commanding voice could be heard loudly and clearly.


    "No. I''ll be the one to take him away." Queenie knew that she had caused trouble again this time. If her sister and master knew that she had put Rocky in danger, then she would get punished. So, without saying anything else, she immediately darted towards Rocky and was about to draw him away.


    "Stop them at once!" When he saw that Queenie was about to take Rocky away, Tate knew that the only choice was to stop both of them.


    "Then please don''t blame me for attacking you," Queenie said fiercely. She had a hot and short temper, so she was going to fight.


    Just as Queenie was about to attack, she suddenly felt an arm around her waist. She turned around and saw that Rocky was holding her in his arms.


    "Come out..." Rocky gathered all his spiritual energy and directly opened his Magic Spiritual Space.


    The Rainbow Glow Unicorn instantly rushed out of the Magic Spiritual Space. As the unicorn emerged, the colorful light all over its body suddenly brightened up the entire VIP room. It was so dazzling that everyone''s line of sight was blocked.


    With a loud bang, a big hole appeared on the top of the room. When Tate and the others realized what had happened, Rocky and Queenie had already disappeared right before their eyes.

 Chapter 813 No More Men

    As he raised his head to stare the hole in the ceiling, Tate''s nails dug deep crescents onto his palm. When he brought his gaze down again, his expression became a sneer. "Send someone to the Cao Clan and inform their chief."


    On the other hand, the sky and the earth spun around Queenie as she tried to figure out what happened. She found herself flying in the sky and the capital beneath her feet was as small as children toys. It wasn''t long before she discovered that she was on a spirit-manipulated beast that looked like a kirin. It was charming yet arrogant, an exquisite lifelike statue. Based on her experience and capabilities, she could immediately tell that it was unusual, obviously a spiritual beast.


    "Is this yours?" Queenie tilted her head and curiously asked Rocky who sat behind her. She didn''t expect that Rocky would have a spiritual beast, much less one that she couldn''t immediately recognize.


    However, Rocky was too annoyed that he didn''t answer her.


    "Just let it go! I''m sorry that I misunderstood you! But you shouldn''t go to the Spirit Treasure Hall. Not all of it was my fault!" Queenie hurriedly explained when she saw the still furious expression on Rocky''s face. When she recalled what Rocky did to her, she quickly added, "We''re even now."


    Rocky was rendered speechless at how evasive she was in admitting her faults.


    "It''s not my spirit-manipulated beast. It''s my friend," Rocky replied instead.


    "Your friend? I''ve never heard of anyone who made friends with his spirit-manipulated beast. It must be a spiritual beast, right? Spiritual beasts that can fly are very rare. My spirit-manipulated beast just eats and sleeps all day long, it''s stupid and slow..." She stroked Rainbow Glow Unicorn with no small amoun


    ughter of another big clan''s chief. She thought he betrayed her. As a result, her grudge against Tate ran deep.


    "I see..." Rocky didn''t know that they went through something like that. "


    That''s why my sister swore that she would never let any man into her life again," Queenie sighed tiredly.


    "That''s the right decision. She already has such a troublesome sister like you. Men would just add to her headache," Rocky teased with a small smile.


    "I really want to punch you." Queenie turned around and narrowed her eyes at him.


    "I''ll throw you out right away," Rocky threatened.


    As expected, she immediately wrapped her arms around Rainbow Glow Unicorn''s neck and glared at Rocky. When he saw what she did, Rocky couldn''t help but laugh. Although Queenie couldn''t be considered young, she still acted like a child and did whatever she liked, even though she was mature and contemplative when she was talking about her family''s past. Perhaps, for her, being spoiled and childish was just a cover.


    Unfortunately, Rocky wasn''t in the mood to deal with her anymore and once they landed back at the Cao mansion, he quickly sealed Rainbow Glow Unicorn away.

 Chapter 814 An Unknown Chess Piece

    Queenie, who had just got off Rainbow Glow Unicorn, didn''t seem to care at all and just rolled her eyes. Despite the mischief on her face, her voice was serious as she carefully spoke, "I didn''t expect you to be hiding such a powerful spiritual beast and it''s much more powerful than it looks. Although I don''t know why you''re hiding your real strength, you must have your reasons. I''ll help you keep your secret, if you let me play with your spirit-manipulated beast tomorrow."


    "No way!" Rocky turned her down immediately with a shake of his head and quickly left.


    "Stingy!" Queenie whined but didn''t give up as she gave chase despite his long strides.


    As soon as they entered the Cao mansion, two disciples of the Cao Clan hurriedly appeared before them. "Miss Queenie, you''re finally back. The chief sent people everywhere to look for you."


    "I screwed up. Tate must have told Lucilla!" Queenie immediately guessed that her sister had caught scent of her wrongdoings.


    Since there was nothing else for him to do, Rocky wanted to go back to the Osmanthus Yard first. But before he could take even one step away, Queenie grabbed onto his arm and said, "You have to go with me." Without another word, she dragged Rocky to the hall.


    Even though he didn''t want to be dragged into one more of Queenie''s escapades, it wasn''t wrong to say that Queenie caused problems this time because of him. Her original intention was to protect the Cao Clan anyway. Moreover, Queenie knew his secret, what if she revealed it? It would spell bad news for his future plans if the Cao Clan found out his stories. He couldn''t let them be suspicious either.


    "I''ll come with you but you have to keep my secret." Rocky walked alongside her as he laid out his conditions.


    "All right, all right. I''ll keep your little secret. Who wants to tell others anyway?" Queenie


    y in its last lap with the white line in sight. Any mistake, no matter how small, might have a great impact on the Cao Clan.


    "Don''t you dare cry. Do you know what you''ve done? Why did you go to the Spirit Treasure Hall?! You even got Mr. Rookie involved..." Lucilla rebuked her, every word laced with disappointment. She could forgive the fact that Rocky was exposed to the Qi Clan, but how would she explain to her dead mother and father if something happened to Queenie? The two clans were enemies now and the Qi Clan was ruthless and cruel, no one knew what they''d do. Queenie was her only sister, thus, when she heard the message from the Qi Clan, her fear and anger nearly drove her mad.


    "Chief Lucilla, Queenie knows that she''s wrong now. So this time..." Lucas pitied Lucilla who was desperately trying to fight back her tears.


    "Chief?" Rocky turned to look at Lucilla with widened eyes.


    "Mr. Rookie, it''s all my fault. I didn''t discipline her well. Please forgive me! Could we discuss the matter happened at the Spirit Treasure Hall later? For now I just want to deal with family affairs..." Lucilla dismissed Rocky because she thought it was inappropriate to say something in front of someone who wasn''t their family.

 Chapter 815 A Golden Opportunity That Everyone Wanted To Get

    With grievance on her face, Queenie''s eyes were red from crying too hard. Suddenly, Rocky gave her a quick gaze. Shaking his head, he began to speak, "Actually, it is not Miss Queenie''s fault..." After saying that, he simply narrated what had happened.


    "I see. So it is." Enlightened with the truth, Lucas nodded as he heard Rocky''s words.


    On the other hand, Lucilla realized that she had wrongfully blamed her sister. Immediately, she cast her eyes on Queenie''s small and woeful face.


    "Hey, I don''t need you to be so kind and speak for me. I know for a fact that I''m the one who got myself in trouble." Queenie''s sobbing stopped for a moment, for she had never expected that Rocky would even take the initiative to say any good thing about her. Although she still spewed hostile words, deep in her heart, she knew that she was pretty much grateful for him. Usually, Rocky spoke indifferently, along with his very annoying behavior. With this, she was quite stunned that he was willing to help her explain the context of the situation.


    "This means that you don''t have to feel guilty at all. In fact, it is only right that I should also take part of the responsibility," Rocky said in a calm voice.


    "But, Mr. Rookie, my sister almost involved you..." Lucilla was worried about Rocky being exposed. If it was him who killed the two Heavenly Stage masters from the Qi Clan, then surely, they would not take things lying down and would take revenge on him.


    "I am just a regular guy, Chief Lucilla. Please don''t worry about me. If you think that I killed the two Heavenly Stage masters and worry about the possible troubles that I may have caused the Cao Clan, then I will immediately leave without hesitation. I won''t let any trouble find you, Chief Lucilla," Rocky added. For him, there was no difference if he stayed or not in the Cao mansion. After all, he was only in the capital because he was about to meet Woods.


    On the other hand, Lucilla never had the impression that Rocky was a gentleman and as cool as a cat. Usually, people would be scared out of their wits if they got in trouble with the Qi Clan. But in Rocky''s eyes, the Qi Clan was not much of a respected clan. Seeing how Rocky behaved, Lucilla became more curious about him.


    "If you say so, Mr. Rookie. At this point, I feel ashamed to say anything. Queenie, I believe that you should thank Mr. Rookie," Lucilla immediately suggested to Queenie.


    "No,


    things. There''s a chance that the opposite happens, and we must take advantage of it. I heard that Prince Woods is not restrained and doesn''t like to stick to only one pattern. He has a sharp eye for discovering talented people and also likes to keep them. In this aspect, the Cao Clan has a natural advantage over the Qi Clan." Lucilla had her own considerations. Therefore, after giving it some thought, she still invited Prince Woods to her banquet.


    "I hope so." Lucas nodded.


    When the chiefs of the mediocre clans and their beast masters knew that Prince Woods would attend tonight''s banquet, all of them became so excited. With enthusiasm, they went to prepare all kinds of rare treasures, waiting to present to Prince Woods in the banquet.


    Meanwhile, in the wing house of the Xiao Clan, Raef paced back and forth in his room, looking very anxious.


    Suddenly, a delicate figure pushed the door open and came in. Mary entered the room and looked at Raef''s face, with her eyes slightly narrowed. At that moment, she seemed to understand her father''s plan.


    "Mary, here you are!" Raef called her daughter, with joy beaming all over his face.


    "Father, why did you ask me to come here?" Mary''s voice sounded cold. Obviously, she cared much about what happened this morning.


    "But where is Juey? Is she still in your room?" asked Raef.


    As a reply, Mary nodded.


    "Prince Woods is going to attend the Cao Clan''s banquet tonight. This is a great opportunity for the Xiao Clan. I heard that other clans also want to have his favor. In that case, we must play harder tonight," Raef said with treacherous eyes.

 Chapter 816 The Prince’s Arrival

    "Father, please. What did you need to tell me? Say it right now," Mary asked. Yet, she knew what her father always wanted. Since her father Raef had mentioned it before, she believed that he planned to take advantage of the beauty that she and her sister possessed.


    Unbeknownst to her, the "wise and necessary" measure he had proposed would be an extremely vicious one.


    "Father, please. Juey is your daughter. You can''t make her live in misery!" Mary pleaded fiercely.


    "It''s a necessary sacrifice for the Xiao Clan. Besides, it''ll do Juey some good to become the prince''s concubine. Plus, he''s wanted by many women. This is an opportunity that we must seize!" Raef declared firmly.


    "But, father¡­" Mary hesitated for a moment. ''Surely he must understand why I am against this? If we make one wrong move, the outcome will be horrible, '' she thought.


    "It''s settled. We''ll discuss this no more and I''ll leave it to you to deal with Juey''s part. I am doing this for our clan''s future. Once everything has been made final, Juey must learn to accept it." It appeared that Raef completely spiraled into unyielding madness. His desire to ensure and strengthen the power and influence of the Xiao Clan was so strong that he even went so far as to shamelessly take advantage of his daughter.


    Mary bit her lips at the insistence of her father''s words. She began to doubt herself.


    "Mary, I beg you, please. Help me for once by doing what you''re told! Our ancestors are watching you from up above. The fate of our family lies in your hands as well¡­" Raef pleaded in return, letting his words linger and sink in.


    Mary caught herself in quite a dilemma. If she agreed to carry out her father''s order, she would place her sister in misery. However, it was a rare opportunity for the Xiao Clan¡ªone that would ensure their future. If she didn''t catch it, she would fail her ancestors'' expectations.


    She finally yielded to her father''s wishes after a moment''s hesitation. While she stuck to her promise of doing anything for her clan, she also knew in the back of her mind that this would be something she would regret for the rest of her life.


    "I''ve discovered that the prince does not like to be accompanied by servants, which means that he won''t be bringing anyone to the banquet. I''ll arrange for you to sit beside him. That''ll serve as your opportunity to


    alizing that Lucilla''s eldest uncle, Tod, was not part of their entourage.


    At that moment, the chiefs surrounded them like bees to honey. This was no problem for Lucilla, as she was experienced in dealing with all kinds of masters in various situations before.


    Unlike her sister, Queenie appeared overwhelmed by all of the sudden attention. She immediately headed for the other side of the room to get some fresh air.


    Around half an hour later, a voice called out from outside. "His Royal Highness has arrived!"


    As if by magic, the rowdy crowd dispersed into two straight lines with Lucilla standing alone in the middle.


    A handsome, sophisticated looking figure made his entrance. It was none other than Woods, the prince of the Timber Deity Empire.


    "Greetings, Your Royal Highness," everyone chorused as they knelt out of respect.


    "You don''t have to be so courteous." Woods addressed the room with a charming smile and the wave of his hand.


    "We''re honored to have you at our mansion, Your Royal Highness." Lucille greeted him on behalf of the Cao Clan and the chiefs from the other clans as well.


    "Chief Lucille, it''s my pleasure to be here." Woods nodded with a smile.


    "Your Royal Highness, please follow me."


    Lucilla gestured Woods and went to the two tables in the front of the banquet hall. After Woods sat down, she sat down on the other side.


    What Woods didn''t know was that Rocky whom everyone thought was dead was disguised as a member of the Cao Clan. If he knew about it, Rocky would be curious to see the expression on his face!

 Chapter 817 Be Clear

    The rest of the Cao Clan members and the clan chiefs waited for Woods and Lucilla to sit down before they did.


    Meanwhile, Lucas took Queenie to the front of Woods.


    "Your Royal Highness," Lucas said curtly.


    Queenie let herself be led by Lucas, but hesitantly. She merely felt forced to comply. She felt like she had no choice but to obey her sister. She did something wrong, after all. Otherwise, she would never attend the banquet. If she had a choice, she''d prefer to go around on Rocky''s magical spiritual beast than attend a banquet.


    "Lucas, how are you doing? It''s been a few months since we last saw each other," Woods said with a smile. Lucas was one of the powerful masters of the Timber Deity Empire. Woods regarded him highly.


    Even when they were apart, Lucas kept a close relationship with Woods. They remained in contact with each other. That was the only reason he accepted Lucilla''s invitation to attend the banquet. He accepted for Lucas'' sake.


    "Yes. I heard that you have assisted Princess Alyssa on the Gehenna Border in the past few months. I was waiting for you to return, but I didn''t expect that you went to help the disaster relief under the command of His Majesty," Lucas responded with a smile.


    "Yes, I''ve been very busy in the past few months. But of course, I''d happily arrange a quick meeting with you so we could catch up and chat." Woods nodded and then looked at Queenie. "Miss Queenie," he remarked, "You''ve become even more beautiful since the last time we saw each other. But you seem to be in distress. How are you? You must be feeling anxious as you are about to meet someone you like."


    Queenie always went wherever Lucas went, so Woods had known her for a long time. He also knew just how stubborn she got, so he took the opportunity to tease her and break the ice.


    "You''re right. So does that mean you''re allowing me to see who


    eyes on Mary. She was a beautiful lady with a slender figure. "Your daughter is so beautiful!" he told Raef.


    "Thank you for your compliment, Your Royal Highness. I''m greatly flattered," Mary said in a seductive voice as she raised her glass.


    Woods also politely drank a toast in return.


    "Mary, it''s a great honor for you to see His Royal Highness. This means a lot for our Xiao Clan as well. Why don''t you just stay and serve His Royal Highness?" Raef finally said. He''d been waiting all night for an opportunity to say it.


    "Oh, she doesn''t have to do that!" Woods uttered, waving his hand to refuse. He looked at Raef''s eyes and saw his intentions clearly. He conveniently brought his attractive daughter for him to meet. He obviously had another motive apart from gratitude. Although Mary was a beautiful woman, she was not his type. Moreover, Woods did not want Raef to easily fulfill his sneaky intentions. He wouldn''t give them a chance. Now that he was competing with several princes of the Timber Deity Empire openly and secretly, he had to be careful. He didn''t want more gossip to form behind his back. More so, he had to avoid being in an intimate relationship with any woman. From his experience, some women could bring great trouble.

 Chapter 818 Everyone Has His Ambition

    As soon as Woods finished talking, Mary walked towards his direction and sat next to him. She was charming and elegant. Her every move captivated the surrounding people. Without a word, Mary picked up the wine pot and poured a glass of wine for Woods.


    Woods was speechless and could only stare at Mary''s graceful movements. He could not ward her off in front of so many people, so he just smiled and said nothing.


    Raef winked at Mary when he saw that his plan was successful. Satisfied, he went back to his own seat. Mary blushed and bit her lips. She was still a bit nervous, knowing that at this point, there was no turning back. The fate of Xiao Clan was now in her hands.


    As she watched Mary serve Woods, Lucilla saw through Raef''s plan. She did not agree with this kind of tactic, but she did not oppose either. If Woods fell for Mary, she knew she could not deny his interest. Left with no choice, she turned a blind eye and took no notice of what was happening.


    "Queenie, you have not given His Royal Highness a toast yet?" Lucilla asked her nervous sister gently.


    "You did that already," Queenie said at once. She never enjoyed this kind of occasion, and did not like to cater to any prince.


    Lucilla frowned and ordered Queenie in a low voice, "Just make a toast to His Royal Highness."


    "No, I will not do that!" Queenie shook her head.


    "You..." Lucilla was furious at her sister, but could do nothing about it.


    "By the way, why didn''t that guy come?" Queenie suddenly asked.


    "That guy? Mr. Rookie? Why do you call him that way?" Lucilla was lost for a while, but then she realized that her sister was talking about Rookie.


    "Why? What should I call him? Mr. Rookie? I would rather call him an idiot!" answered Queenie, scornfully.


    Lucilla was speechless. It was clear to her that she had failed as an older sister. She looked at Queenie and all she saw was a headstrong woman wrapped up in her own self and lack of manner.


    Lucas, who was at


    ey too have a beautiful daughter like Mary.


    The scene delighted some people from the crowd, while some started to worry. Raef, on the other hand, was confident that his plan was a success. He smiled to himself and thought about the future. If everything went well, the Xiao Clan would be ahead of the game and prosperous in just a matter of days.


    Meanwhile, Mary who was supporting Woods had slipped out of the Magnificent Hall. Her eyes darkened as she looked around. Quietly, she followed the maid as she led them to into the room arranged by Lucilla.


    Although Woods brought attendants with him, he didn''t allow them to follow him closely. This made it easy for Mary to move Woods inside the room with no commotion. She then instructed the two maids to close the door and wait outside the room.


    Before long, the windows of the room opened. A man entered, and he carried with him a large quilt.


    "Uncle Chris, is that you?" Mary whispered.


    "It''s me. Miss Mary, is everything all right?" the shadow replied in a low voice at once.


    It was Chris.


    He walked towards Mary and placed the quilt on the bed.


    "I will do the rest!" Mary said in a firm voice.


    Chris quietly left the room through the window.


    Mary took a deep breath and opened the bulging quilt. Inside, sleeping peacefully was Juey.

 Chapter 819 Who Is He

    Just then, Woods became delirious. He started muttering incomprehensible words.


    Mary glanced at Juey with a sense of guilt.


    "Juey, don''t blame me. I''m sorry but I have to sacrifice you for the future of the Xiao Clan!" Mary unfolded her guilt as she left Juey beside Woods.


    When Woods became conscious, his eyes flickered like burning flames.


    Juey remained unconscious because of the frame-up from her father and sister. Suddenly, a ghost-like figure entered the room. It reached out its arm and attacked the vital point on Woods'' chest to knock him out. It then picked up a quilt and covered Juey with it.


    ''I still can''t believe Raef had the audacity to target the prince. I''m sure he''s heard of the prince before, otherwise he wouldn''t have been so daring. He even used his own daughter! And Mary actually agreed to it. She is indeed a cold hearted woman. If I knew this earlier, I shouldn''t have rescued her from Conrad, '' the figure thought. The figure was no one else but Rocky. He''d been observing Woods secretly when he attended the banquet. Since then, he had also watched Mary''s every move. He saw Mary send Woods to his room. Rocky figured Raef was behind it, although he didn''t expect that his actions would be so low. He intended to threaten Woods with this, just so the Xiao Clan could gain reputation.


    Above all, Raef shouldn''t have taken advantage of Juey. She was already half an apprentice of Rocky. She also looked like Sue, to whom Rocky felt indebted. Every time he looked at Juey, he remembered Sue, so he could not help but treat her like his sister as well. Rocky couldn''t let Raef use her to achieve his evil goal. Soon, he''d suffer the consequences of Rocky''s rage.


    th a confused look on his face, he asked, "Who the hell are you?"


    "Do you really want to know?" There was a small chuckle in the man''s voice.


    "Have we met before? You remind me of someone I know. But he''s dead now and it''s impossible for him to come back to life." Woods shook his head dejectedly.


    "Perhaps God is just making fun of people. Nothing is impossible, after all," the figure mocked. "Actually, I wanted to spark some memories with you. But I have to deal with something first. If you want to know who I am, return to the Cao mansion. You''ll have to do it alone so you better wait until dawn. This mountain is crawling with beasts. It''s dangerous for you to go out now." After that, the figure disappeared silently like a ghost.


    Woods felt even more confused. As he stood alone in the mountain, he wanted to know the man''s identity, so he had decided to start his journey to the Cao mansion. His solitude made him think that maybe it was all just an illusion. Perhaps his mind was playing tricks on him, or that the person was just making an amusement out of him. Either way, he had to return to the Cao mansion.

 Chapter 820 Prince Woods Is Missing

    When the sun was about to rise, and the lights were at their darkest, the Cao mansion was suddenly plunged into chaos. The night had been quiet and serene just a few seconds ago, but the sound of quick footsteps and low whispers broke the peace.


    In front of the Magnificent Hall, some Cao Clan disciples who were on night patrol had found an almost unconscious figure tied up with rope. When they came close to investigate, they were shocked to see that it was the chief of the Xiao Clan, Raef.


    But this was not the only astonishing thing. There was a piece of paper on Raef, and written on it were the words that stunned all the Cao Clan members. It said, "Prince Woods is missing!"


    One of those disciples who were on duty immediately reported this to Lucilla. The moment she received the news, she rushed to the Magnificent Hall herself to find out what was happening.


    "Chief..." Once she got there, she only found the disciples who had found Raef, and they cried out her name at once.


    "Where is chief Raef?" Lucilla asked urgently, and her face was tight with worry.


    "We have taken him to the inside, chief!" one of them responded.


    Lucilla nodded at this and immediately proceeded to the hall where she found Raef on a chair. The disciples had untied him already and left him to rest, but he hadn''t regained consciousness yet.


    "Chief, here is the note that we found on chief Raef." At this time, a disciple handed over a piece of paper to his chief.


    Lucilla''s face darkened as she read the writing on the paper. She thought that it could be a trick, but she was also concerned about the one who had knocked Raef out. The fact that the person was able to knock him out and disappear without a trace showed that whoever he was must have been quite powerful. Besides, she wondered why the mysterious person did this to Raef instead of someone else.


    The words on the paper took her attention, and she couldn''t bear to neglect it, not if there was a possibility that it was true. She immediately motioned for one of the Cao Clan disciples to come closer and said, "You, go and find Master Lucas and take him to the Magnificent Hall. The rest of you, stay here and keep an eye on chief Raef. Make sure that the con


    r up, she failed.


    She let out a deep sigh. She had just discovered that Woods was missing just as the paper said, and nobody saw Mary leave. And now, her sister Juey was lying instead on the bed, naked. What exactly happened last night?


    She looked around for more clues, but there was no sign of any fight or struggle in the room. It was as if no one had ever been there. However, Prince Woods was missing, and he was most probably kidnapped.


    And there was another piece in the confusing puzzle: the person who left the paper and tied up Raef to draw the Cao Clan''s attention. If he was the one who kidnapped Prince Woods, then why would he leave the paper? If it wasn''t him, what was his part in all these? Did he deliberately provoke the Cao Clan? Or worse, could this be a conspiracy by the Qi Clan? But then, the Qi Clan wouldn''t do such a preposterous move as kidnapping Prince Woods, even if they wanted to overthrow the Cao Clan. They wouldn''t do such a stupid thing, because it would only bring them trouble.


    If it weren''t the Qi Clan, who else would target the Cao Clan? Her uncle Tod and uncle Freddy didn''t have any reason to do so. If something happened to Woods, the whole Cao Clan would be in big trouble, and her two uncles wouldn''t benefit from it at all.


    The more she thought about it, the more confused she became. She felt an oncoming headache from all the stress. In fact, she may not have realized she had fallen into a trap that someone had set for her.

 Chapter 821 The Big Lie

    "You two stay here and wait for her to wake up," Lucilla ordered. She was feeling very anxious after the event, but, as the chief of the Cao Clan, she had to fulfill her duties and find the prince as soon as possible. Unfortunately, only Raef and Juey had the chance of knowing the whereabouts of the prince.


    But Juey was still unconscious and not showing any hints of waking up. Lucilla would need to go back to the Magnificent Hall first.


    When she arrived in the hall, she bumped into Lucas by the door.


    "Chief, what happened?" Lucas asked urgently the moment he saw Lucilla''s grim expression.


    "Let''s go inside first," Lucilla said and then entered the Magnificent Hall.


    Lucas followed her closely. The moment he entered the room, he saw Raef. He looked like he had just woken up.


    When he saw the two, Raef popped out of his chair and fell to the ground. "Chief Lucilla," he cried. "I am innocent! I have nothing to do with the prince''s disappearance." His voice was shaking. "I don''t know what happened at all! I think I was framed!"


    "Is the prince missing?" Lucas asked as he looked at Lucilla with astonishment.


    Lucilla nodded coldly.


    "What on earth is going on?" Lucas asked seriously. How could the prince disappear from inside the mansion of the Cao Clan? It was a heavily guarded place. A big person couldn''t just disappear quietly. The prince wasn''t even a spirit manipulator so there was no way for him to disappear without a trace, unless someone had kidnapped him. But who was bold enough to kidnap the prince?


    When Lucilla told Lucas that she saw Juey in Woods''s room, it became clear that the Xiao Clan was involved. Lucas glared at Raef.


    "Guards, go and bring every single


    was something odd about the Xiao Clan. Juey was not supposed to be in the prince''s room, yet she was found there somehow. They definitely had something to do with the crime.


    "Well..." Mary hesitated then turned to look at Raef with pleading eyes.


    Raef shook his head. If the Cao Clan found out that they drugged the prince and used Juey as the bait, then they''d be doomed. It was best to act like Juey did it alone instead of destroying the entire Xiao Clan.


    "Chief Lucilla, I shouldn''t say anything because this is very shameful for our Xiao Clan, but I have no choice. My daughter, Juey, can be very audacious and liberated. She has long adored the prince. Last night, she snuck into his room and offered to serve him. Mary wanted to stop her from making a scene. The prince was drunk so Mary did not dare disturb him, and so she left Juey to take care of him. That''s why my daughter was in the prince''s room. I apologize for having such a shameless daughter! This was her doing! Please, punish her if you must, but do not fault the entire Xiao Clan for one woman''s doing!" Raef lied, his hands clasped together as if he was helpless.

 Chapter 822 Who Dared to Touch Her

    "Father..." Mary was speechless, as she didn''t expect that her father would put all the blame on her sister.


    "Is that so?" Lucilla''s beautiful eyes narrowed with suspicion, as she listened to Raef. She had heard from Lucas that Juey had a close relationship with Rocky, but she was not very close to the other members of the Xiao Clan. And when Raef pushed all the blame to Juey, something in her stirred with suspicion. Thus, she didn''t believe a single word that came from his mouth.


    She turned to look at Lucas and the other elders immediately.


    "In that case, I have no choice but to have Miss Juey come here so that she can face the chief of the Xiao Clan," Lucas said after a short silence, as he thought about what they could do next.


    "Go and check if Miss Juey has woken up," Lucilla instantly commanded.


    When Raef heard this, his heart skipped a beat and started beating fast. But it had come to this situation, so he would not show mercy, not even to his daughter. Anyway, he needed to ensure that the Xiao Clan would not be affected.


    About half an hour later, Juey was taken to the Magnificent Hall. She didn''t know what had happened last night, and she had been quite surprised to wake up in a strange room with two maidservants, who were looking at her strangely.


    "Miss Juey, why did you stay in His Royal Highness''s room last night? Do you know anything about the disappearance of His Royal Highness?" Lucilla asked as soon as Juey stepped her foot inside the hall.


    "Miss Lucilla, I have no idea about what you are talking about. I don''t know anything about why I woke up in that room or where His Royal Highness is." Juey frowned. No matter what she did, she couldn''t remember what had happened, and the only thing she could remember was that she had suddenly lost consciousness after she drank the tea that Mary gave her. She couldn''t remember what happened afterward.


    "Juey, don''t lie to us. I''m sure you sneaked into His Royal Highness''s room last night to take Mary''s place. How dare you! Don''t you know who you are? How could you take advantage of this to get yourself into the upper class? I am ashamed that I have a daughter like you!" Raef spoke harshly, and as soon as Juey heard his acidic accusations, she was struck dumb.


    Her face flushed in shame and anger, especially with how her father was treating her. Although she did not know what happened to her, it was clear that it


    ago, his son told him that there was a fellow from the Xiao Clan who humiliated him publicly. He had long planned to deal with the Xiao Clan, but when he heard that the guy who embarrassed his son was recommended by Lucas personally, he lost his confidence and couldn''t take any action. But now, the Xiao Clan had thrown themselves into the fire, which gave him a chance to exact his revenge.


    "Hall leader Tod, it''s her." A disciple who was standing behind Tod pointed at Juey accusingly. Tod had come well-prepared, as he had already figured out the ins and outs of the matter, and now, he eyed Juey like she was disgusting and quickly commanded the disciples with him to capture her.


    "I knew, from the very first time that I laid eyes on her, that she is an unscrupulous woman. Arrest her now! We won''t let her go until we find His Royal Highness."


    As soon as he finished speaking, two disciples of the Cao Clan came up behind him, ready to seize Juey. And when Lucilla saw this, she realized that her uncle wanted to take away the only clue that she had on Prince Woods''s disappearance, which he undoubtedly planned to put her in a disadvantageous position.


    She was about to stop Tod and the guards when a figure suddenly appeared. He was quite strong, as he flung away the two disciples who were about to arrest Juey like ragged dolls, and they landed on the ground a few feet away, whimpering like babies.


    "Who else dares to touch her?" the figure hissed quietly, but despite the low tone of his voice, there was a firm and ruthless quality to it, like a sharp knife that cut the air from the hall.

 Chapter 823 Hitting Her When She Is Down

    All the people who were present in the area were surprised to see that someone dared to hurt the two disciples of the Cao Clan in public. They turned their astounded eyes to the person who was walking towards Juey.


    "Mr. Rookie?" Lucilla was the first to recognize the approaching figure. It was none other than the famous Rocky. Prior to this moment, she had sent people to bring the members of the Xiao Clan to meet her and she had also ordered people to look for him. However, she was surprised when she found out that the man was not in his room. The situation made her feel strange towards him. Lucilla even suspected that he might have something to do with Woods'' disappearance. Since she had to interrogate the Xiao Clan members, she planned to order people to find Rocky as well and take him to her after the interrogation. But she was surprised since she did not expect that he would suddenly appear.


    "Mr. Rookie..." Juey felt her body tremble as soon as she saw Rocky. Her eyes began to turn red and her face was painted with the expression of despair and depression.


    "Don''t be afraid. You are safe. I''m here with you." Rocky walked up to Juey and gave her a comforting and reassuring look. He stared at Juey''s eyes as if he was saying that everything would be alright. When Juey met his gaze, she calmed down immediately.


    "Excuse me! Who are you? How dare you hurt my men..." As soon as Tod saw Rocky, he trembled as rage filled his body. He immediately glared at him and everyone could see the fury in his eyes. Of course, he also found out that Rocky was not a member of the Cao Clan. This looked a little suspicious for Tod.


    "Hall Leader Tod, that is the man who insulted and embarrassed Mr. Conrad," reported one of the several men who followed Tod. He was one of the two attendants who accompanied Conrad last time.


    "Oh, is that him? His arrival is perfect and just in time. What a man full of arrogance and gut! He even dared to insult and embarrass my son. He is just asking for a death sentence. Drag him out of here and cut his hands and feet immediately. I''ll deal with him when I get back." Tod stared at Rocky with fury in his eyes and continued, "Take these people of the Xiao Clan away too. I''ll punish them to pieces later."


    Raef was shocked when he heard what Tod said. He hurriedly stepped forward and pleaded, "Hall Leader Tod, the prince''s disappeara


    g to prioritize is to find the prince..." Lucas said in a low and hushed voice. Woods had disappeared, and some members of the Cao Clan began to rebel and riot. It would be extremely disadvantageous for the Cao Clan if they kept on fighting among themselves. Thus, Lucas thought that it was better and more strategic to put the interests of the whole situation above everything else.


    When she heard what Lucas had said, Lucilla stopped in her tracks and just stared at Tod furiously.


    "Take him away!" Tod shouted at his men as they were about to take Rocky away.


    At this moment, all the people present were worried about Rocky. The people knew that Tod was famous for his viciousness and ruthlessness. If people offended him by any means, they would be surely put to death. Hence, if Rocky was taken away by Tod and his men, he would probably be killed.


    Even Juey was looking at Rocky with despair and worry. But she knew she could not do anything because no one would even listen to her.


    Rocky was still standing there. He looked surprisingly calm, as if he was waiting for something.


    Tod even got more furious when he saw that Rocky was still composed and calm even though he was about to be taken away for interrogation. His men immediately took action as they were about to capture Rocky as Tod commanded.


    All of a sudden, a figure appeared outside the Magnificent Hall. The figure saw that Rocky was about to be captured. At that moment, the figure trembled and hurriedly entered the hall. Then, he shouted in a deep and booming voice, "Stop! Who dare to catch his man?"

 Chapter 824 Everyone Confused

    The scene they were witnessing seemed to be too familiar for everyone. Not long ago, Rocky also showed up in the same way as he did today.


    However, the people knew something was different this time around. When everyone looked to the direction where the booming sound came, the expression on their faces froze immediately.


    "Who the fuck is..." cursed Tod. But as soon as he turned to the direction of the sound, his face immediately turned from green to dark, which was unbearable to see.


    "Your Royal Highness..." The next moment, a loud scream broke out in the large hall for everyone to hear.


    The man who showed up in time was Woods that rushed back to the Cao mansion. At this moment, Woods looked somewhat discomfited, with his clothes all scratched and dirty.


    But at that moment, what concerned Woods was that the man''s back in front of him was the one he saw under the moonlight just a few hours ago.


    "Who are you?" Woods asked Rocky whose back was facing him.


    Everyone was confused when they heard what Woods said. They did not understand what Woods meant by his words.


    At once, Rocky slowly came to his senses. As his senses came back, a faint smile appeared on his lips because everything was going according to his plan.


    Rocky''s plan since the beginning was to set up a trap for Raef. His plan was to make the prince disappear in a disguise, and then return at the most critical moment. Rocky thought that Woods'' return and appearance in the hall would surely make the whole event turn around.


    Of course, the time Rocky was anticipating the most was when he showed his real identity to Woods. In fact, he was excited to see Woods'' reaction after knowing that he was still alive!


    As for why Rocky let Woods come back alone, it was also a part of the plan to test Woods. Rocky had come to the capital in an attempt to look for Woods'' assistance. Before that he needed to be sure whether Woods could be trusted. After all, what he asked Woods to do for him would have a great impact on him in the future, so he had to really make sure. That''s why he intentionally made Woods suspicious of his identity at first, but he also tantalized and asked Woods to return to the Cao Clan when the time was right. He wanted to see first how important he was to Woods. If Woods arrived at the Cao mansion as expected, it would mean that he still held an important positio


    ately said these words to embarrass and humiliate Tod in front of many people.


    Tod became scared when he heard what Woods said. He knew he had already offended Woods and Princess Alyssa was still behind him. Even if he dared to offend Woods, he couldn''t afford to offend the princess too, unless he wanted to die. He immediately knelt down to Woods and cried, "No, I won''t, absolutely not! I dare not!"


    "That''s good. Then apologize now!" Woods took Tod''s scared demeanor for granted and nodded.


    Tod turned around to look at Rocky. He knew he had no choice but to bite the bullet and apologize, "Mr. Rookie, please forgive me and the misunderstanding that happened between us just now! A great man rarely stoops to pettiness! I sincerely apologize."


    All the people felt astounded when they saw that Tod apologized to Rocky. After all Tod was famous for being arrogant and he didn''t even give a damn to Lucilla who was the chief of the Cao Clan. Of course, they didn''t understand the reason why Woods wanted him to apologize to Rocky. In addition to that, Tod was famous in the Timber Deity Empire. If this matter spread out like wildfire, Tod would surely become a laughingstock in the kingdom.


    What the people didn''t know was that Rocky was the savior of Woods. For Woods, Rocky was a treasure that was completely recovered. So Woods made sure to never allow anyone else to have a share of that treasure. He would never let go of anyone who dared to take advantage of Rocky, not to mention Tod, even if he was a chief of a clan or some important person in the Timber Deity Empire!

 Chapter 825 The New Chief Of The Xiao Clan

    Rocky was humming a cold tune when he turned to signal a small nod at Woods.


    "Take your people out of here!" Woods shouted at Tod.


    Tod felt a huge weight removed from his shoulder. He immediately did as ordered and took his men with him.


    "Your Royal Highness, where have you been? We thought something bad had happened to you," Lucilla asked, feeling a wave of relief overcome her.


    "When I woke up last night, I suddenly remembered that I had an appointment with a friend. I had to leave the Cao mansion early," answered Woods.


    The people exchanged confused looks. His answer was strange. If Woods did leave, it was odd that no one saw him. He wasn''t a spirit manipulator so he couldn''t have just left in secret.


    "Then what was Miss Juey of the Xiao Clan doing in your room? Miss Juey was the one standing beside Mr. Rookie. I heard that it was Miss Mary who went with you to your room last night," Lucilla continued to ask.


    Woods turned to look at Juey. It was the first time that he had met Juey. He was clever, so he had figured out what was going on last night. At the same time, he also noticed that the way Rocky looked at Juey seemed to be different. So he had known what he should do next.


    "Perhaps someone thought I''d easily be seduced by her. Maybe she was sent to me as a gift. I think the chief of Xiao Clan had something to do with it." Woods looked coldly at the kneeling Raef, and then looked at Mary. Rocky had told him that he was drugged. Raef was the only man he thought who could do it. He probably did it through Mary. After all, he sent her to serve him by his side during the dinner. Finally, Woods understood what had happened.


    Raef broke out in a cold sweat. He was trembling


    new that if the Xiao Clan would fall under Juey''s command, it would be doomed soon.


    But Mary supported Rocky. "Your Royal Highness, Juey is indeed the heir."


    "Mary, what are you talking about?" Raef shouted as he looked at Mary in astonishment.


    "Father, you have promised Mr. Rookie that Juey would take over the leadership." Mary''s face looked stern. She was being very careful. She could not risk making another mistake.


    Raef was rendered speechless. He looked up at Rocky.


    Rocky gazed at him with cold eyes. His face was expressionless, but deep inside he was sneering, ''Instead of correcting his mistake, Raef has the guts to use Juey. I need to make him resign from the chief in advance.'' Raef could have reigned longer if only he did not provoke Rocky. But because he did, he had lost his seat and would be punished. It''s what he deserved.


    "Then from today on, Miss Juey will take over the position of the chief of the Xiao Clan. You all can serve as the witnesses," Woods announced.


    The Xiao Clan members collectively gasped. Juey always held no status in the Xiao Clan, and then suddenly they were all under her command.

 Chapter 826 Lenient

    Anger burned in Travis'' eyes as he stared at Juey and Rocky.


    "Mr. Rookie..." Juey called out, looking for answers. She did not expect that she would be the chief of the Xiao Clan. Like a lost child, she looked at Rocky for help.


    "Why not express your gratitude to His Royal Highness?" Rocky nodded to Juey.


    After she got her bearings straight, Juey bowed to Woods and said, "Thank you so much, Your Royal Highness."


    "I look forward to seeing how you will develop the Beast Curing Skill of the Xiao Clan," Woods said with a warm smile. He was joyous not because he was happy for punishing Raef, but because Rocky was alive. Seeing an old friend who he thought died a long time ago, alive and well in front of him sparked an unmatchable joy inside his heart.


    "Your Royal Highness, as the chief of the Cao clan, I am also responsible for this accident. I am willing to accept any punishment!" said Lucilla. Though Raef acted on his own accord, his Xiao Clan was affiliated with the Cao Clan, which meant that the latter was also responsible for what transpired. This might make the Cao Clan lose Woods'' support, but still, she was adamant to receive the consequences.


    "Don''t worry, Chief Lucilla. I won''t hold you accountable. It''s lucky that you have invited me to come over. Otherwise, I''m afraid that I will regret not coming here for the rest of my life!" Woods replied with a grin and then looked at Rocky. If he hadn''t been here, he wouldn''t have found out that Rocky was still alive.


    Everyone was confused by what Woods had said. Even Lucilla was at a loss. She noticed that Woods'' grin was directed at Rocky as if they were old friends.


    "Your Royal Highness, please let the Cao Clan deal with Chief Raef. He endangered not only the name of his clan, but also ours too. For that, he sh


    down, Your Royal Highness!" Lucilla was a little surprised that Woods would be so forgiving towards the Cao Clan in spite of what happened. She expected him to be angry and cancel the Cao Clan''s rights to participate in the Beast Master Contest. However, except for punishing Raef, Woods didn''t show any dissatisfaction with the Cao Clan. Of course, she was grateful for this.


    After nodding his head, Woods cupped his hands toward Lucas respectfully. Then, he walked out of the hall in full view of the public, and when he passed by Rocky, he said, "See you at Willow Tea House in the north of the city."


    Although the voice was low, it was so close that Rocky could hear it. He couldn''t help but smile as he watched his old friend leave.


    "All the Xiao Clan members, please leave now." Seeing that Woods had left, Lucilla waved her hand to tell the Xiao Clan members to leave first.


    Soon all the Xiao Clan members, including Mary, retreated from the hall except Juey.


    "Miss Juey... No, I should call you Chief Juey from now on. You can go back and have a rest first," said Lucilla as she turned to look at Juey, who still stayed beside Rocky.


    "Chief Lucilla, I''ll leave too," Rocky said.

 Chapter 827 The Two Met Again

    Lucilla looked up at Rocky and hesitated for a moment. After going through this, she was a little suspicious of him. She felt that the things she had experienced seemed to be very strange, including the sudden appearance of Rocky and Woods'' unusual attitude towards him. She thought that everything that happened since Rocky came was truly dramatic. And somehow she found it strange that everything also seemed to be related to Rocky, yet she couldn''t tell clearly how.


    There were a lot of questions in Lucilla''s mind. First, who on earth had destroyed Raef''s plot? Second, how did Woods disappear? And how could the person behind these events take advantage of the timing of everything? It was like a perfectly planned prank. But in fact, this plan was perfectly executed that it revealed Raef''s plot against the prince and ruined Raef''s plan. Lucilla couldn''t wrap her head around this well-executed plan. She found that what happened was hard to comprehend.


    In all honesty, she wouldn''t know it was Rocky who had planned such an exquisite and wonderful scene.


    "Chief Lucilla, I suggest we let Mr. Rookie and Chief Juey go to rest first!" Lucas reminded Lucilla at this moment. This took her out of her train of thought on what had happened here today.


    Lucilla glanced at Lucas and nodded in agreement with his suggestion.


    Then, Juey and Rocky left.


    After a short while, Lucilla also dismissed the Cao Clan''s elders and hall leaders.


    And just like that, the big and noisy hall was left empty and quiet. The only people left behind the hall were Lucilla and Lucas.


    "Chief Lucilla, what are your thoughts on the disappearance of His Royal Highness? Do you think his disappearance is suspicious?" Lucas asked Lucilla as soon as he was sure that they were the only people left in the hall.


    "Yes, I find his disappearance really strange and suspicious. I certainly feel that His Royal Highness was concealing something from us. But I have to mention that there is another thing that is quite weird," Lucilla said to Lucas with a nod.


    "What is it? Tell me." Lucas narrowed his eyes in curiousness and asked.


    "It''s about Mr. Rookie. I noticed that the way His Royal Highness looked at Mr. Rookie was unusual. It felt like it was not the first time the two had met. It seems to me that they were like old friends who hadn''t seen each other for years," Lucilla answered as she remembered the peculiar interaction of R


    e, I will try my best to grant this to you! I will do my best to exceed beyond your expectations." Juey also nodded her head seriously. She realized that what Rocky had given her was not only confidence, but an opportunity to change her life. She didn''t want to let him down.


    Upon hearing Juey''s reply, Rocky nodded with satisfaction. Then he sent Juey back to the Osmanthus Yard and left the mansion of the Cao Clan by himself. He headed north of the capital of the country.


    Not long after, Rocky found a tea house along the river called Willow Tea House. The willows on the river swayed with the wind, and the scenery was pleasant. It was a refreshing sight after a tiring and hectic day.


    After Rocky entered the tea house, he found that it was empty. He found this strange since most tea houses should be bustling and crowded during this time of the day. But after he thought about it carefully, he knew the reason. Woods must have made a block booking in advance.


    A shopkeeper then came up to him. He took a long look at Rocky before he bowed and asked, "Sir, are you Mr. Bai?"


    Rocky nodded courteously.


    "Welcome, Mr. Bai. Please follow me upstairs." The shopkeeper greeted him with a big smile and led him up the old wooden stairs.


    On the second floor, Rocky saw Woods standing in the wooden corridor along the river. He was looking up the cloudless sky as if he was deep in thought.


    The shopkeeper retreated as soon as he led Rocky upstairs.


    Hearing the approaching footsteps, Woods turned around to meet Rocky. Although he looked very calm, there was a hint of excitement and joy in his eyes.

 Chapter 828 Reminisce

    "Are you surprised to see me again?" Rocky asked with a smile as he walked toward Woods.


    "How are you still alive?" Once he saw Rocky at the Cao Clan''s mansion, Woods felt as though he was in a dream. He never thought he would see Rocky standing in front of him again.


    "Lucky, I guess," Rocky answered nonchalantly as he approached Woods who stood with his hands behind his back, appreciating the beautiful scenery that lay before him.


    "What are you doing in the Timber Deity Empire? And why were you disguised as part of the Cao Clan?" Woods was finding it difficult to understand everything. He had a feeling that Rocky would have a lot to tell him.


    "It''s a long story. Perhaps the heavens meant for our paths to cross once more," Rocky sighed and turned to look at Woods. He was quite astonished with everything that happened, as well¡ªdying and then being reborn within the Timber Deity Empire. Without knowing it, he had managed to enter the Xiao Clan. He got lucky establishing relations with Lucas and Queenie because now he was able to connect with the Cao Clan and could meet with Woods to carry out his plans. Perhaps it truly was destiny.


    "Then don''t say anything." Woods quickly rushed over with a big stride to lock Rocky in a strong, friendly embrace that caught the latter completely off guard.


    With his cunning smile, Rocky replied, "Are you happy now? You''re lucky we''re the only two people here. Otherwise, people might get the wrong idea about us."


    Woods quickly released him and said, "Sorry! I''m just happy you''re still alive and kicking! Alyssa will surely be surprised and pleased when she hears about this."


    "Alyssa? Didn''t she always want me to die? She''ll want to murder me the moment she locks eyes with me!" Rocky spat and rolled his ey


    mething. Then I''ll leave the rest for you to do once I return to the Holy Dragon Empire," Rocky said with certainty.


    "After the Beast Master Contest? Do you want to help the Cao Clan win the Beast Master Contest? If that''s the case, it''ll be impossible. The Cao Clan doesn''t have a good chance of winning. The Qi Clan is better off since Master Samson from the clan has worked for my sister Alyssa and won her support. They''ll surely win this competition, if everything goes well," Woods uttered convincingly. Although he looked forward to the Cao Clan''s performance at this year''s Beast Master Contest, he knew that the clan winning the contest would be nearly impossible. The Qi Clan held a high position in the Timber Deity Empire due to the numerous powerful Beast Masters that joined their ranks. With Alyssa''s support, their win would be a certain one.


    As Woods gazed at Rocky, he suddenly remembered something that could possibly change his mind. Rocky was a disciple of Sheridan, the strongest beast curer in the Wild Spirit Land. If Rocky fought for the Cao Clan, then they surely had a chance at winning. But then there was another thing at stake¡ªRocky''s secret identity.

 Chapter 829 Looking For The Blood Essence

    "If the Cao Clan really wants to defeat the Qi Clan, then you have to take the action into your own hands..." Woods said in a low and hushed voice. It was obvious that he was getting excited. He believed that if Rocky made a move, then the Beast Master Contest would be more interesting and exciting.


    "You don''t need to worry about that. I have my own plan regarding this matter and I plan on executing it perfectly. However, I''m telling you now to lower your expectations. I''m not going to take action in person." It seemed that Rocky read Woods'' mind correctly.


    "For a moment there I thought I could finally witness personally the perfect performance of the one and only powerful disciple of Sheridan. Now it seems that it won''t happen. What a pity!" Woods shook his head in disappointment. Before Rocky became the commander in chief, he had become the disciple of Sheridan first. It was rumored that the Crimson Dragon Group achieved something great which caused a great uproar, and Rocky even had the ability to control two spirit-manipulated beasts at the same time. Thus, his ability in controlling beasts was undoubtedly unmatched and extraordinary.


    "You know it very well that we''ll be in trouble if I make any move. So it''s safer for us if I don''t do anything in person. Besides, it''s also bad for my plan if something goes wrong even in the slightest bit," Rocky said frankly. Before this meeting, he had already carefully created a thoughtful plan. Even though he would not take action, he had already rigorously trained Juey. Moreover, according to the plan, if Juey could successfully become the chief of the Xiao Clan and amaze everyone with her brilliant performance in the Beast Master Contest, then Rocky''s early-stage plan would be completed.


    "But, what on earth do you want to do? It sounds like a big and complicated plan," guessed Woods from Rocky''s words.


    "That''s true. It is big and complicated but it will be done. Moreover, this matter will be good for you. Didn''t you always hope that I help you take the throne? If this plan is successful, then the number of people who will support you would certainly increase immensely..." Rocky said with a touch of mysteriousness in his voice.


    "I can see what you mean. But tell me, what good does it do to you then?" Woods asked straightforwardly.


    "Oh, we can discuss that matter later." Rocky didn''t plan to tell Woods about it so soon. It was still to


    need to absorb different kinds of blood essence? It''s just like a human body which needs all kinds of vitamins and nutrition. Maybe my blood essence is not enough for the red egg..." As an expert in this field, Rocky quickly figured out what was going on with the red egg.


    At the thought of this, Rocky immediately went out of the lab and collected three drops of blood essence from the Dark Heaven Insect, Robin, and the Rainbow Glow Unicorn so he could test his theory. When he went back to the lab, he put the container with three drops of blood in front of the red egg. To Rocky''s amazement, the egg immediately made a reaction. It drew out three red threads and put them to the three drops of blood in the container. And just like that, all the three drops of blood essence were quickly absorbed. His theory was right.


    "Just as I expected!" Rocky immediately showed his excitement towards this new information. He now finally found a way to revive Uriah. It seemed that as long as he gathered different kinds of blood essence and let the red egg absorb it, there was a possibility that the red egg might mutate after a certain period of time. Perhaps Uriah could be revived in this way.


    In addition, he thought that the better the blood essence it absorbed, the better the effect would be. And the suitable blood essence included the powerful spirit-manipulated beasts'' and high-grade spirit-manipulated beasts'' blood essence. According to the change of the red egg''s size, it must have absorbed the spiritual power of the blood essence. Hence, the higher the blood essence''s grade was, the more useful it was.

 Chapter 830 The Complicated Experiment

    Even though Rocky finally found a way to raise the red egg using the blood essence of different spirit-manipulated beasts, he also found out a problem. That was, the red egg could only absorb a kind of blood essence once. Once he saw that the red egg absorbed his blood essence and no longer touched the remaining drops, it wasn''t difficult for Rocky to reach that conclusion.


    From then on, he''d have to collect the blood essence of different spirit manipulators or spirit-manipulated beasts for the red egg. How much needed to be collected and what he''d do after the egg got bigger were all questions to be answered on another day. As the egg became bigger and bigger, the higher the level of the blood essence it would need. It was a predictable outcome, so Rocky had to ensure that the blood essence he collected wasn''t ordinary, but was also not too strong. He needed to refine the specific process to ascertain that the egg would absorb the blood essence correctly. If he did everything correctly, he could breed the egg as a spirit-manipulated beast, so he had to pay attention to its changes after it absorbed different types of blood essence. He might have to find rare spiritual beasts, even especially rare ones like the beasts that were said to only appear in the forbidden area of the Black Sand Abyss, to feed the egg.


    It was definitely not going to be a walk in the park; the entire process was a lot to handle.


    "Looks like there''re lots of things I have to do." Rocky could only sigh as he looked despondently at the egg in front of him. There was little to nothing that he wouldn''t do to make Uriah come back to life one day.


    After a few silent moments, Rocky moved the egg to a wooden room that he used as a warehouse before. He knew that a spirit-manipulated beast needed a decent environment to grow up well and the egg wa


    aving the chance to go back with its mother, Robin chose him. That was why his love for Robin was no less than what he felt for Uriah, Rubygon, or the Rainbow Glow Unicorn. He wouldn''t allow Robin to get hurt in any way, so he came up with a different method for Robin''s experiment. If the experiment was successful, he might be able to perfectly fulfill his calculation of the original genome; if it failed, it wouldn''t cause any damage to Robin.


    But the method could only be used once and if he failed, he''d have to wait for quite some time before he could experiment again. Whatever time he would lose was just a small price to pay to ensure Robin''s safety.


    After a whole night, Rocky finally finished calculating the spiral sequence of the original genome that was to be verified.


    Once done computing, he drew it out on paper and then drew Robin''s genome below it.


    Even though his hands were shaking from his tiredness, he was still excited about carrying out the next step, the important experiment on Robin.


    Rocky pulled out the box that he obtained in the Myriad Spirit Tomb that contained all three items. From the box, he took out the magic pill that contained the same aura as that of the spiritual crystal.

 Chapter 831 Gene Mutation

    After Rocky got the magic pill, he wasted no time and tried to analyze it. He began working the moment he returned to the Barren City from the Black Sand Abyss. As he broke down its components, he realized he could not identify the raw materials that were used. It could be that the components used were extremely rare, or they only grew in places uninhabited by humans. He buried himself in studying the magic pill, but he did not recognize any of the materials. One thing he was sure of, the spiritual race made this pill, just as he had predicted.


    After he examined it further, Rocky realized that it was more magical than the spiritual crystal which was forged by nature. The spiritual crystals had different levels and consisted of undetermined spiritual power. If eaten by mistake, it could harm the spirit-manipulated beast. On the other hand, this magic pill had unique qualities.


    After Rocky used the Mysterious Visual Evaluation Skill to check its internal structure, he found that it had five layers of pills. This information astonished Rocky. Five unique kinds of pills wrapped together to form one exceptional pill. Each of the five pills contained a different level of power. The one on the outer layer contained a weaker spiritual power equivalent to that of a low-grade red spiritual crystal. The pill that was closest to the core had the strongest spiritual power.


    Rocky also determined that it did not respond to a human''s spiritual power. But it reacted and manifested spiritual power the moment he placed it beside a spirit-manipulated beast.


    Rocky concluded that this pill contained specific characteristics not found on the spiritual crystal. Its unique structure prevented spirit-manipulated beasts from absorbing too much spiritual power that could cause harm or damage. It was ingeniously crafted in such a way that the spirit-manipulated beast would absorb its power gradually and in steps. The magic pill had five pills of different levels. Only after the spirit-manipulated beast had absorbed the power of the first pill, could it ingest the second pill. It would take a while, but these steps would definitely protect the spirit-manipulated beast from the overwhelming power of the magic pill.


    With this design and the slow reaction of the pill, Rocky


    sted Rocky like a father. So it remained obedient and followed Rocky''s every instruction.


    At that moment, Rocky put the pill inside Robin''s mouth and used the Mysterious Visual Evaluation Skill. He watched the pill slowly slide inside the body of Robin. After the pill entered Robin''s body, it flickered, and soon bright, rounded lights spread out like halos.


    Before long, Robin felt uncomfortable. The spiritual power released by the pill caused painful spasm inside Robin''s body. It howled as its body convulsed in physical suffering. Obviously, it was difficult for Robin to absorb the spiritual power released by the pill. Robin was just a young beast, and its body had not achieved full growth. The spiritual power inside its body was much weaker than that of the pill, and it was not cut out for such strong spiritual power.


    As Robin struggled, Rocky tried to ease the pain caused by the pill. He knew this was all part of the process as the pill released the spiritual power inside Robin''s body. Rocky used the Holy Dragon Bead to absorb some spiritual power from Robin into his body.


    After it absorbed the spiritual power released by the pill, a transformation happened in Robin''s body.


    Robin''s frosty fur stood up like a pointed spine. Its body straightened and grew longer. Its gentle face became fierce, while its round eyes were ablaze with blue ice. Dazzling lights radiated out of its body like a flash of lighting.


    Soon, the entire ground was covered with ice and the air became piercing cold.

 Chapter 832 Robins Transformation

    Rocky immediately retreated to one side upon seeing the change in Robin. He activated his Radiance Evaluation Skill and the Mysterious Visual Evaluation Skill to know exactly what changed in Robin. He also analyzed the data he got during the changing process, which were the important data to identify the gene changing order of Robin.


    As Rocky was observing it, Robin''s transformation only became more and more intense. Its body twisted and turned as its height grew two meters. Its limbs were as strong pillars, and its whole body became toned with muscles. Although its size grew exponentially, its speed and quickness was just as intimidating as its strength. Its face also grew longer, resembling that of a wolf as two tusks began to grow from its upper jaw.


    It took only less than half an hour for Robin to grow from its youth to this much in power. The effect of this pill was truly extraordinary.


    However, Robin''s transformation seemed to be only an ordinary upgrade. The pill did accelerate its evolution, but it didn''t help Robin make a higher-level breakthrough or any sudden change. Of course, such evolution was within the expected range.


    Rocky recorded all the changes on Robin and noted down the data he needed.


    Robin''s evolution was going smoothly, an ideal case for Rocky. If any unexpected change happened, it might cause damage to Robin, so Rocky was very careful not to make even the slightest mistakes. But Rocky was disappointed that Robin''s star level didn''t improve. It meant that he had missed the chance of finding the order of gene change during higher-level breakthrough.


    However, Rocky was not in a hurry to fulfill the task. If Robin co


    Robin. Near its shoulder bone, there were two crescent-shaped teeth bursting out from its body. Its neck bone began to crack and from there, a head of a fox emerged. Robin''s legs also changed in order to support its gigantic body, which gave it an appearance of a wolf-like demonic beast in the shape of a human.


    Rocky was stunned. He knew Robin was having the second transformation. It was now seemingly exploding the hidden gene in its body. He knew Robin''s body wouldn''t be able to bear such changes, which might result in a bloody explosion. He had to stop it at all costs.


    The only way that Rocky could think of was to transfer all the spiritual power contained in Robin to him and return it back after the transformation stopped. However, with the violent momentum of the spiritual power, he was not certain if he would survive this plan of his.


    Time was pressing and Rocky had no time to think too much. When Robin completely stood up, he rushed to the front of it and raised his left arm. In an instant, the Dragon Spirit Mark flew in the air and a dark purple vortex appeared in the palm of his hand.

 Chapter 833 A New Species

    The next moment, Rocky pressed his palm against Robin''s chest. And in the blink of an eye, the spiritual energy that was surging in Robin''s body rushed from Rocky''s palm and filled his whole body like a huge wave crashing into the ocean.


    However, it didn''t take that long before Rocky groaned in pain and spat out a mouthful of blood. His face was obviously turning deadly pale which meant that he was in brutal shape. The spiritual energy he absorbed from Robin was equal to the spiritual energy in the blue spiritual crystal. Thus, it was easy to imagine how violent and harsh the spiritual power was. Before this encounter, there was already the evil spiritual power in his body. And that evil spiritual power was more than enough to be triggered like a massive bomb at any time. And now, there was no question that the impact of the newly absorbed spiritual power might cause great damage to his body.


    As expected, the evil spiritual power that was sealed in the spiritual soul started to move because of the new spiritual power''s impact dashing all over his body. The evil spiritual power was naturally a more aggressive and stronger power. It would never allow another foreign power to take its place. Therefore, it became more and more impatient and was gradually losing its control even though it was sealed and its force was contained.


    On one side there was the violent spiritual energy that rushed into his body from Robin''s body. While, on the other side, it was the evil spiritual energy which was about to explode like a bomb at any time. Rocky was greatly suffering from both coldness and hotness at the same time. His face changed dramatically, a picture of agony painted on every contour of his face. His body also began to tremble uncontrollably. It seemed like he did not have the capacity to control the situation anymore. Then just like that, the spiritual energy burst out all over his body. At first, he looked like a shining star that could blind anyone who looked at him, but then the blinding light suddenly turned into a fire like a burning house giving out black smoke.


    However, it seemed like there was no sign of Robin finishing its transformation. If Rocky returned the spiritual power back, then everything that he had done before would be in vain. So, he told himself that no matter how hard and painful it was going to be, he had to hold on as long as his strength could.


    Rocky felt that time passed by so slowly. He thought that he was being savagely tortured in what seems like a very long period of time. He was sweating all over his b


    utation took place was important and needed to be known. This mutant had specific unstable genes. Under a certain extreme condition, these genes modified. And during the time it had a genetic modification, there was also a genetic evolution that happened to its gene, and this resulted in the genetic mutation.


    In other words, the genetic mutation on Robin was a totally unexpected and unforeseeable accident. It was lucky that the result of the mutation was not bad. From what Rocky could see now, it was a perfect genetic mutation and there was no signs of rejection so far.


    What surprised Rocky the most was that Robin had broken the limitation of a half spiritual beast. Its aura was now stronger than that of spiritual beasts. And as a matter of fact, it was not that inferior to the Rainbow Glow Unicorn standing beside it.


    "I am speechless. What the hell is going on here?" Even Rocky couldn''t figure out what he had witnessed. Usually, even if genetic mutation happened on Robin, it wouldn''t break the limitation of its bloodline. Robin was only a half spiritual beast, and it was not supposed to change its genome sequencing. But the Robin right in front of him was possessing an aura similar to that of spiritual beasts. It meant that Robin was more outstanding on some aspects than the spiritual beasts Rocky saw before.


    Rocky could only think of one way to explain it. The genome of Robin had been rearranged just by chance. But theoretically, it was impossible to rearrange genome. If anyone could rearrange genome, then it would be no different from God who could make and modify any kind of creature as his wishes. Thus, based on the present cognition of the world, it would never be possible.

 Chapter 834 Before the Contest Started

    Rocky didn''t know what the magic pill that Robin took could do. He didn''t know that it did more than just improve the spiritual power of spirit-manipulated beasts; it also transformed them into superior ones. It was almost like gene modification but, instead of changing the gene, it directly changed the spiritual source.


    No human could change the spiritual source. Only a spiritual race with strong enough power could make any impact.


    Rocky made the mistake of giving the magic pill to Robin before he understood what it did. As an effect, Robin evolved into a guardian beast¡ªa spirit-manipulated beast owned exclusively by the spiritual race. While Robin was not as strong as a real guardian beast, the pill gave it the foundation. All it needed was that Rocky would help it become powerful as a real guardian beast if he acquired the gene modification techniques. With his help, Robin would certainly become a legendary spirit-manipulated beast.


    When Rocky realized what had happened to Robin, he immediately let it absorb all the spiritual power he had absorbed from it. Fortunately, no uncomfortable situation arose.


    Then, Rocky collected the sample taken from Robin''s body and went back to the laboratory to conduct a genome analysis.


    The results startled Rocky. By comparing the mutated genome with the original one, he found out that Robin''s mutated genome had been recombined.


    This demonstrated that the spirit-manipulated beast''s genome could be recombined in addition to its modification. Rocky had guessed that the genome''s recombination was beyond a human''s capacity.


    "There must be a certain kind of power hidden in the magic pill which I didn''t realize. It''s powerful e


    cials and significant personalities attended to watch. Even the royal families and members of the capital''s aristocrats had arrived.


    The Qi Clan mansion bustled with horses and carriages. The house was crowded with people in gorgeous costumes and attire.


    The mansion was an enormous place. It was home to large and ornate architectural pieces. It was a lofty and magnificent structure with great scenery more magnificent than that of the Cao Clan mansion''s. It was regarded like a small royal palace.


    Early in the morning, Lucilla and Lucas took their eleven Beast Masters to the Qi Clan mansion. These eleven masters were carefully selected from the Cao Clan and its affiliated clans. Their lineup included Queenie and Xiao Clan''s three siblings, Juey, Mary, Travis.


    They were supposed to bring twelve Beast Masters, but due to Rocky''s refusal to attend the contest, they only brought eleven. Rocky had recommended Juey to take part in the Beast Master Contest instead of himself.


    However, after a discussion with Lucas, Lucilla still reserved one empty seat in case Rocky was needed.


    The Cao Clan gambled on Rocky.

 Chapter 835 Fancy

    At the moment, Lucilla personally led eleven Beast Masters into the Qi Clan mansion. She walked confidently, with her head up in the sky as she marched forward. On the other hand, Lucas and Rocky walked side by side. As they took each step, they attracted a lot of eyes and started to stir up discussions. After all, it was well-known amongst the people that the only one who had the strength to fight against the Qi Clan in the Beast Master Contest was the Cao Clan. Needless to say, the rest of the big clans were also very powerful. However, it was impossible for them to surpass the strength of the Cao Clan and the Qi Clan.


    It was only natural that the appearance of the Cao Clan with Chief Lucilla attracted so much attention.


    "Mr. Rookie, I am guessing it''s your first time to take part in the Beast Master Contest?" Lucas spoke as he continued to walk forward. He asked in an indirect way, not even turning to face Rocky.


    "Yes." Rocky nodded as he responded. He had to speak loud enough for his voice to be heard as the surroundings were filled with chatter and all sorts of noise.


    "Mr. Rookie is indeed not from the Timber Deity Empire." Lucas laughed and guessed. He gave out a small smirk and tossed his head sideward to glance at Rocky.


    However, Rocky just smiled and said nothing.


    "But I can see that Mr. Rookie have traveled to many places..." Lucas continued. He gave Rocky a look from head to toe and nodded softly, as if agreeing with himself.


    "I am sure I can''t compare with Master Lucas," replied Rocky humbly.


    "At your early age, you''ve already been to the depths of the Black Sand Abyss, which makes you even out of my reach!" Lucas said meaningfully. From the start, Lucas had been certain that Rocky was not an ordinary person since he had dared to go to the Black Sand Abyss alone. He had even saved Queenie. However, he didn''t know how many secrets Rocky had hidden.


    Just then, Lucilla and the eleven Beast Masters who were walking in front suddenly came into a stop. And then, they heard someone started talking.


    After hearing the voice, Lucas and Rocky stepped forward.


    "It''s him." In a glimpse, Tate, the eldest son of Qi Clan that Rocky met last time, was standing in front of Lucilla along with a few bodyguards.


    "What can I do for you, Mr


    th birthday. Also, the Qi Clan had already become one of the leading spirit manipulator clans in the country. Their current power was almost equal to that of the Cao Clan, which had a history of several more years.


    It was not hard to imagine how powerful and great Alexander was.


    On the other side, Rocky had just entered his room when he saw Queenie rush in.


    "What''s up?" Rocky looked at Queenie with his brows furrowed and asked.


    "Lend me your spiritual beast friend," Queenie answered almost immediately, as if she did not have to think about what to say. It seemed that Queenie still couldn''t forget his Rainbow Glow Unicorn.


    Rocky kept silent. He walked towards the table, got a glass of water and drank it slowly.


    "Hey, did you hear me?" Seeing that Rocky ignored her, Queenie clenched her fists and gnashed her teeth in anger.


    However, Rocky still chose to ignore Queenie.


    "You bastard..." Queenie rushed towards Rocky. Her feet was stomping against the floor and she was breathing heavily.


    However, as soon as Queenie got close, Rocky took a step back and Queenie failed to grab him. She didn''t expect that Rocky would dodge so fast. Before she could regain her balance, she desperately tried to grab him, but accidentally stumbled over the leg of the table. In a blink of an eye, she pounced on him.


    Rocky had planned to avoid her and walk away, but unexpectedly, Queenie directly held his waist and put her whole body on him. He felt all her weight against his body. It was too late to dodge.

 Chapter 836 Explain To Juey

    "Oh, so you did it on purpose?" Rocky squinted his eyes as he looked at Queenie, who at that moment was on top of him. She had tripped over the table a while ago, but instead of dodging the accident like a strong cultivator that she was, she made use of this chance to lay over him. At this point, what she was up to was only becoming too obvious.


    "Humph! Let''s see where you''re going after this!" Pleased with her plan, she smiled mischievously. If someone happened to come in and see the position that they were in right now, it would be difficult for Rocky to defend himself that this was only an accident.


    Just when the timing could not get any better, the door made a sound, and a delicate figure came in. Screaming in shock, she turned around and covered her eyes at the sight of Queenie on top of Rocky. Soon after, she hurriedly ran out and dared to never look back at what she had just seen.


    "Juey!" Rocky shouted as he tried to call her, but Juey was too far away to hear him. Or it could also be that she pretended not to hear Rocky''s call. After all, she was scarred for life upon seeing what had happened with those two. At that moment, all that Rocky could do was heave a heavy sigh as he didn''t know what to do next about the matter.


    "Aha! You seem to look so annoyed. Are you afraid that your little sweetheart misunderstood you? Don''t worry. I know how to make things better for you. All you have to do is lend me your spiritual beast for a couple of days. After that, I can tell Juey the truth." Queenie gave a smirk upon stating her condition. In her eyes, there was no doubt that Rocky and Juey were close. In fact, Rocky had already saved Juey from her clutches, so she thought that Rocky might have a crush on Juey.


    "We''re not in a relationship, okay? I treat her as my younger sister," Rocky replied angrily. In fact, he was also sorry for letting her down.


    "Say anything you want to say. But I only believe what my eyes can see. Besides, aren''t all men in love with their


    eyes flashed with coldness and threw Queenie onto the bed.


    Being a petite girl, she floated onto the bed like a leaf as soon as Rocky threw her.


    "You fucking bastard!" Meanwhile, as soon as Queenie came back to her senses, she realized that Rocky had tricked her.


    "Seems like there is nothing in this world that I can''t get. Let''s wait and see, Rookie!" Queenie yelled as she stared hard at Rocky''s eyes. Being the fighter that she was, she didn''t know the meaning of giving up; instead, she vowed to herself that she would make him pay the price one day.


    On the other hand, Rocky shook his head as he walked out of the room. He wanted to find Juey first and explain to her what happened. After all, it was too embarrassing for him to let her see such a shame. Although, it had already crossed his mind that maybe Juey might not find it a big deal. He didn''t have anything to do at that moment, so there was no excuse on why he would not find Juey and sort things out.


    But when Rocky arrived in Juey''s room, she was nowhere to be found. Thinking hard, Rocky guessed that she might have gone to Mary''s. Heaving a heavy sigh, he had to find another thing to do to kill time. To avoid Queenie''s presence, he decided to look for a quiet spot in the mansion where he could cultivate for a while until Juey came back to join him.

 Chapter 837 Rockys Piece Of Advice

    As Rocky discovered a peaceful bamboo forest surrounded by several stone mountains inside the Qi mansion, he also heard a pleasant sound which seemed to be coming out of a leaf.


    He was drawn to the melancholy sound and searched where it was coming from. He soon saw a charming but lonely figure inside the bamboo forest.


    ''Lucilla?'' Rocky stepped closer and saw that it was Lucilla, who came to visit the chief of the Qi Clan a few moments ago.


    Just as he was about to approach Lucilla, another figure appeared out of nowhere.


    "Lucilla, here you are. I''ve been looking all over for you." It was from a low and gentle voice.


    "What are you doing here? You know that I don''t want to see you," Lucilla said in a bitter tone.


    The figure turned out to be Tate.


    "If you didn''t want to see me, you wouldn''t have come here. We often came here before. I taught you that song you played," Tate said. His voice was calm and reassuring as he recalled the old days with Lucilla.


    "Everything has changed. We are enemies now," Lucilla said coldly, then looked away from Tate.


    "Although we have only met a few times in the past ten years, you can see that my love for you hasn''t changed," Tate said affectionately.


    "We are not kids anymore. I''m not what I used to be. I had a crush on you, but that was a long time ago," Lucilla said frankly.


    "Then why do you hate me so much? I didn''t even see you for a long time..." Tate had to ask. Lucilla''s attitude confused him.


    "Since you want to know, I have to ask you one question. Did your clan secretly push my father into madness? I don''t believe my father would go insane suddenly. Someone was responsible for his mental illness," Lucilla asked candidly. She suspected that some people were involved with what happened to her father.


    Her question stunned Tate, and he did not know how to answer.


    "I knew it..." The look on Tate''s face confirmed Lucilla''s suspicion.


    "Lucilla, let it go or you will only put yourself in harm''s way. Live in peace and embrace your new role as the chief of your clan. Do not s


    not let the Cao Clan fall into the wrong hands. Their enemies would surely destroy it. She inherited the Cao Clan from her father, and she had sworn to protect its legacy and people.


    "But it''s too dangerous. Your enemies are heartless. What if holding on to the position will only cause you and the Cao Clan more harm?" Rocky had made sense of the situation. Lucilla was in deep trouble. For him, if Lucilla wanted to help the Cao Clan get rid of this situation, she must stop being stubborn. Winning the Beast Master Contest would not solve all of her problems. For one, it would not eliminate her enemies, and it''s one of her most serious problems.


    "What do you mean?" Lucilla asked. She fixed her eyes on Rocky as she searched for an answer. She felt that there was a hidden meaning behind Rocky''s remarks.


    "You are smart enough to figure it out. To survive in such a desperate situation, you cannot just rely on good luck. Besides, if someone from the Qi Clan pushed your father into madness, there should be a traitor. Find him. Only then can you reveal the face of your enemies and sort this out." Rocky gave his piece of advice then turned away quietly.


    Lucilla was deep in thought as she listened to Rocky''s words. When she came to her senses, Rocky was nowhere to be found.


    "Who is he? Why do I feel that I can trust him?" Lucilla asked herself, but had no answer.

 Chapter 838 The Contest Began

    After a day filled with meetings that were attended by all the large clans, the Beast Master Contest of the Timber Deity Empire, which was held every three years, finally kicked off.


    But even before the contest began, people had already started to guess who would win in the contest, as most of them had their favored clans and warriors. Most of them believed that, barring accidents, it would be the Cao Clan and the Qi Clan who would be competing for the championship at the end of the contest.


    The Cao Clan and the Qi Clan were famous for the fact that they each had a beast master who was regarded as a great master in the Wild Spirit Land. Since the contest included three events where they were to evaluate beasts, to tame beasts, and to cure beasts, of course, the Cao Clan and the Qi Clan had their advantages.


    Samson of the Qi Clan was a great beast tamer in the Timber Deity Empire, and he was next only to Sheridan in the Wild Spirit Land. Samson had a total of two disciples. The eldest disciple had worked for the royal family of the Timber Deity Empire, while the other disciple, Mabon Wu, would fight on behalf of the Qi Clan in this contest. He had taken charge of all the affairs in connection with taming beasts in the Qi Clan on behalf of Samson, and this was because Samson had gone with Alyssa to fight against the Holy Dragon Empire a few months ago.


    Mabon was a disciple of Samson, so the people expected him to be skilled in battle and formidable. It was rumored that the royal family had wanted to recruit him, so, his performance in this contest might be a chance for him to make a difference, just like his senior did.


    Although the Qi Clan had a great advantage in taming beasts, the Cao Clan should not be easily dismissed. They had Lucas as the backbone, and as he was the former imperial beast evaluator of the royal family, he had tremendous influence in the Timber Deity Empire and the Wild Spirit Land. Also, his ability to evaluate beasts was comparable to Priest Dean, who was the best beast evaluator of the Holy Dragon Empire.


    Lucas'' disciple, Queenie, was very likely to win in the beast evaluating part of the contest. Although she was capricious, she had become a seventh-grade beast evaluator under Lucas'' tutelage. It was rare to have such stre


    because evaluating beasts was their strong suit. According to Lucilla''s arrangement, the Cao Clan would first send a sixth-grade beast evaluator who was a weak one in the Cao Clan, but with his strength, he would be able to win against his opponent.


    In fact, a sixth-grade beast evaluator was very powerful even in the Wild Spirit Land. After all, for beast evaluators above fifth grade, there was a world of difference in strength between two grades.


    Soon Rocky, who had been watching the competition, found that the competition of the Beast Evaluation Skill was similar to the beast evaluation competition that he had seen in the Super Beast Farm in the Imperial City. The judges would pick out a spirit-manipulated beast, and the beast evaluators of both sides would evaluate it. Afterward, the side that could quickly and correctly identify the star level, grade, nature, and talent of the spirit-manipulated beast would win. Therefore, it required both speed and accuracy from each evaluator, and if there was a mistake, it would give the opponent a chance to win.


    As soon as the beast evaluators of the two clans came to the platform, the atmosphere of the competition hall changed. The lively scene became much quieter, as everyone looked forward to the match.


    Soon after, a spirit-manipulated beast was taken out and placed inside a locked cage in the middle of the round platform. Then, two beast evaluators were allowed to approach the cage, and they began to display their respective Beast Evaluation Skills.

 Chapter 839 Hidden Strength

    The beast evaluator of the Cao Clan came out as the winner of the fierce competition. He had won after the beast evaluator of the Huang Clan made a grave mistake.


    The chief of the Huang Clan, Yves, and the other beast masters of the clan looked grim. They had expected that their beast evaluator would lose, but it still made them uncomfortable.


    The big win against the Huang Clan boosted the pride of the Cao Clan. The audience chattered among themselves. They had expected the Cao Clan to win the first event.


    However, the Cao Clan did not expect that the Huang Clan would send a beast evaluator famous in the Timber Deity Empire for the next round. He had never worked for the Huang Clan before. It seemed that the beast evaluator had been poached by the Huang Clan. Although he was also a sixth-grade beast evaluator, he had mid-level strength. The strength of sixth-grade beast evaluators varied significantly.


    If not for Cao Clan''s aggressiveness, the Huang Clan wouldn''t have sent its best beast evaluator so early on. It could not risk getting defeated so soon. After all, the Cao Clan still had Queenie, the disciple of the great beast evaluator Lucas.


    The Huang Clan was prepared to beat the beast evaluator of the Cao Clan by surprise.


    "It seems that the Huang Clan is well prepared," Lucilla, who stood among the members of the Cao Clan, said in a calm tone.


    Since the Huang Clan had used its trump card, its beast evaluator was significantly more powerful th


    t he acted as if he had said nothing. This strange act confused Lucilla. Rocky continued to be shrouded in mystery.


    "Yes." Rocky nodded.


    "How do you feel?" Lucilla probed.


    "It''s really an eye opener!" Rocky replied with a calm smile.


    "Really?" Rocky looked nonchalant. The Beast Master Contest was an exciting affair, especially for first timers. To add to that, it was the first time for three beast evaluators of the Cao Clan and the three participants from the Xiao Clan, to participate in the contest. They could not contain their excitement.


    Compared to them, Rocky was too calm, as if what he was witnessing wasn''t new to him.


    Rocky had led a powerful army to fight against the Timber Deity Empire. The Beast Master Contest was nothing of interest to him, although it was known as the grand contest of the Timber Deity Empire. With his true strength, he would be able to defeat all the beast masters in the Beast Master Contest even if all his opponents joined hands.

 Chapter 840 A New Change

    On the other hand, Sam, a beast evaluator of the Cao Clan, attracted a lot of attention the moment that he stepped foot on the stage. Not many people knew him, but his skill couldn''t be underestimated, because he was sort of Lucas''s apprentice. He was recruited by the Cao Clan a few years ago, and since then, he had been working for Lucas. Those on the waterfront are the first to see the rising moon¡ªhe received Lucas''s instruction now and then, and in that way, his strength was never the same again. But as this beast evaluator always kept a low profile, people seldom heard of him, and no one could determine his real strength.


    As a result, the audience started to whisper to each other, as soon as they laid eyes on him. They had been wondering from the start if he would be present, and now that they had seen him, they were confused. After all, there were a lot of well-known beast evaluators in the Cao Clan, so they must have a sound reason to send such an unfamiliar one onto the stage. The audience couldn''t wait to find out what was so special about him.


    It didn''t take long for the audience to see what Sam was capable of. He put off their doubts with his amazing skills because as soon as the competition started, he quickly spread ten fingers, where ten silver threads shot out from, straight toward the spirit-manipulated beast in the cage. The ten silver threads wrapped around ten different body parts of the beast.


    Immediately after, the ten silver threads twinkled with silver light, a manifestation of the spiritual power that was flowing along the threads.


    "Spiritual Thread Evaluation Skill!" Rocky''s eyebrows shot up in surprise when Sam displayed his Beast Evaluation Skill, and he sat straighter amid the Cao Clan''s evaluators that were sitting around him. The Beast Encyclopedia he possessed recorded all the mysterious Beast Evaluation Skills, including the ones that were prominent in Wild Spirit Land, and this Spiritual Thread Evaluation Skill was one of them.


    According to the records on the Beast Encyclopedia, the cultivator needed to have superb medical skills, extensive familiarity with the law of acupoint, and mastery of the method of energy flowing before he could master this Spiritual Thread Evaluation Skill. In other words, he must have a solid medical skill foundation and a profound understanding of the body structure of the beast. However, that was the hardest part, as there were numerous kinds of spirit-manipulated beasts, and it would need a lot of practice before anyone could grasp the name and appearance of all the spirit-manipulated beasts, let alone their body structures. Thus, no beast evaluator could develop that skill without natural talent and diligence.


    If he


    , it was able to adjust and had gotten used to its new body. More than that, it also showed a vast potential that Rocky couldn''t wait to fully see.


    He gave it a thorough checkup, and although he couldn''t tell exactly what stage it was at that moment, he was sure that it had reached the level of a three-star spirit-manipulated beast. He was surprised to find that Robin''s power was increasing day by day, and by the time it could completely control its mutated body, he believed that it should have the power of a four-star beast. It could be on par with Uriah when that time came, and he was excited just thinking about it.


    He missed the days when Uriah and Rubygon were around. When they were gone, he felt weak, even if the Rainbow Glow Unicorn was there to help him. The Rainbow Glow Unicorn''s power was not powerful enough, and thus he hoped that Robin would be a great help to him in the future, after its mutation.


    He held this hope dearly in his heart. He planned to connect with Robin when it was ready, through the use of his spiritual power and the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill, and then it would be able to fight alongside him.


    On the other hand, Rocky was still puzzled by the change that the Rainbow Glow Unicorn had undergone last time, and he was still at a loss why that mysterious soul shadow showed up. The incident caused him to pay more attention to the Rainbow Glow Unicorn after, and he found that it had changed, and the fact that he couldn''t figure it out was killing him. He told himself to be patient, even though it barely helped.


    In other words, the Rainbow Glow Unicorn was undergoing imperceptible changes at present, and it amazed him to see it. But what these changes were, Rocky couldn''t put his finger on them, and he had no way of knowing what had changed exactly.

 Chapter 841 The Princess Is Coming

    After four days of fierce struggle in the Beast Master Contest, the result was just like everyone predicted before the event even began. It was another showdown between the two great clans of the Timber Deity Empire, the Cao Clan and the Qi Clan. Everyone within the capital was at the edge of their seats as they wondered who would come out on top.


    Since the former chief of the Cao Clan spiraled into madness ten years ago, the clan had been decisively defeated by the Qi Clan at previous contests. If the Cao Clan lost to the Qi Clan one more time, it would be a three-time defeat. No matter how strong and powerful the Cao Clan was in the past, outsiders thought that they weren''t on the same level as the Qi Clan and that was why the Qi Clan was worshiped by a great number of people. Once the Qi Clan won the Beast Master Contest, the title of the top clan in the Timber Deity Empire would belong to them and the Cao Clan would have to move a mountain to turn the tide in the future.


    Before the Beast Master Contest even formally began, rumors already spread far and wide within the empire, especially in the capital. If the Cao Clan lost once more, not only would they lose the title of the number one clan in the Timber Deity Empire, they might also fall into a decline and perhaps would never rise again. This cruel world follows the law of the jungle and since ancient times, it was impossible for two great powers to exist at the same time. For every defeat the Cao Clan suffered, the greater the power of the Qi Clan became and then they would make life even harder for the Cao Clan. It only took the Qi Clan ten years to surpass the Cao Clan. There was no doubt that once the Qi Clan surpassed the Cao Clan and left them eating dust, they would crush the Cao Clan by every means possible to ensure that they would never be able to compete against the Qi Clan ever again. Once that happened, the Cao Clan would fall victim to power struggles and it was very likely that they wouldn''t recover easily from it.


    Therefore, the Beast Master Contest was very important for Lucilla because she wanted to change their situation. It was clear to her that if she lost this game, their clan would suffer a big blow, moreover, the Qi Clan would come out on top and pu


    lowed Alyssa. Since these princes all had their unique power within the empire, most of the families participated in the Beast Master Contest had attached themselves to these princes. They all wanted a win-win relationship. However, none of the princes dared to act as arrogant as they used to in Alyssa''s presence. They kept as low profile as they could. After all, no matter how powerful they were, they couldn''t provoke Alyssa who was like the backbone of the Timber Deity Empire. Her status within the empire was not something they could easily shake. All of these spoiled princes had to be humble on this occasion.


    Of course, it was just a show in order to grab the Timber Deity Empire''s throne that they all openly and secretly fought over. Their greatest enemy was Woods, who was actually Alyssa''s younger brother. There was no doubt that if Alyssa gave all her support to Woods, he''d become the best candidate for the throne and none of them wanted that to happen. They needed to stop it before it was too late.


    However, the second prince Geoffrey had inherited the fine bloodline of the Timber Deity Empire''s royal family and had the strength of a spirit manipulator above the Supernal Stage. Coupled with his excellent talent and personal ability, he was outstanding and valued by the current emperor. On the other hand, since Woods was unluckily disabled, the emperor wasn''t fond of him at all. However, the emperor pretended to be fair and magnanimous, otherwise, he''d be risking Alyssa''s wrath.

 Chapter 842 Beyond Expectations

    During this moment, the second prince, Geoffrey, stood beside Woods. They walked alongside each other while Alyssa walked ahead of them. While Woods seemed to be soft, gentle and carefree, Geoffrey looked more strong, mature and elegant. Their looks and disposition were polar opposites. He immediately attracted the attention of the crowd because of his strikingly handsome face and kingly posture. The eyes of all the young ladies unsurprisingly followed him in every direction.


    Woods also flashed his signature gentle smile. His smile made many women swoon in admiration.


    Compared to them, the other princes who followed behind them were less attractive.


    After Alyssa and the princes passed through the crowd, they took their seats which had been prepared for them in advance. Then, the chiefs of the eight clans, including Alexander and Lucilla, as well as the five judges of the Beast Master Contest, including Samson and Lucas, came up to bow to show respect and courtesy towards Alyssa and the princes.


    "Good day, Princess Alyssa. May I ask where is the emperor?" Alexander asked respectfully. He was the chief of the Qi Clan and also the host of the contest. In the past, the emperor of the Timber Deity Empire always found a way to watch the final match no matter how busy he was. This was his way to show that he gave great importance to the contest. However, the emperor was absent today and only Alyssa and the other princes were present. It was a little bit confusing for him.


    "He doesn''t feel very well, so he can''t come today. Although, he wanted to say that he wishes that the two clans will show their unparalleled capabilities and strength today, and that both clans bring honor to the empire," Alyssa said in a cold and proud voice.


    Upon hearing what Alyssa had to say, the two chiefs immediately bowed to her.


    "Alright. What are we waiting for? Let''s get this started." And at her command, the final match of the Beast Master Contest began.


    Alexander and Lucilla went back to their resting area.


    After drawing lots, the task for the first round between the two clans was to evaluate beasts.


    "What a relief. It seems that we are lucky." Lucilla felt a little relieved when she knew that the first round was to evaluate beasts because it was one of the main strengths of the Cao Clan. If everything went well duri


    t her first show in the Beast Master Contest.


    Even though two beast evaluators of the Qi Clan were already defeated, Alexander looked very calm.


    "It''s time to shock the Cao Clan, Tate," Alexander said mischievously as he nodded at Tate.


    Tate then whispered something to the servant behind him. The servant turned around and left. A moment later, the servant escorted a stout man towards Alexander.


    "I give you my sincerest gratitude for fighting for us," Alexander said. His tone was surprisingly respectful and sincere.


    "You are more than welcome. But remember that I must get what I want if I win," the man said with a sly smile. Then, he walked away from Alexander and towards the round platform.


    Just as the stout man stepped on the platform, people started discussing among themselves in hushed whispers. Most of the people felt that he was quite peculiar and he didn''t seem to be a beast evaluator from the Qi Clan.


    "This man should not be the beast evaluator of the Qi Clan. Although I must say that I think his strength is undoubtedly strong," Lucas said when he saw the strange man on the round platform.


    "Maybe he was the beast evaluator secretly recruited by the Qi Clan. That''s why we didn''t know any relevant information about him," Lucilla said quietly.


    "Probably. But we still need to wait and see how capable and strong he is," Lucas said after a moment of hesitation. He already had a suspicious feeling about this strange man.


    And to everyone''s surprise, the results of the competition were beyond their expectations.

 Chapter 843 An Extraordinary Man

    Less than half an hour later, Sam was kneeling on the ground, his face pale as paper. He was breathing heavily, sweat dripping all over his body. He was defeated two consecutive rounds. His opponent had completed the evaluation of the spirit-manipulated beasts too quickly, with the speed which was faster than that of a beast evaluator at seventh grade.


    But that wasn''t even the surprising part. The room was buzzing with chatter. Everyone was surprised by the beast master with the surname Li that the Qi Clan had sent. He was unfamiliar to everyone, yet his use of the Radiance Evaluation Skill, the formidable Beast Evaluation Skill across the Wild Spirit Land, blew everyone away.


    It was known to all that the Radiance Evaluation Skill was one of the Beast Evaluation Skills on the Wild Spirit Land. It was also a deeply mysterious one. It was said that it was created by a beast evaluating family who lived in seclusion. Therefore, beast evaluators who were proficient in the Radiance Evaluation Skill on the Wild Spirit Land were very rare. Learning it required extraordinary talent. No ordinary beast evaluator could learn it.


    So when Sam used the Spiritual Thread Evaluation Skill, people did not even pay mind to it. It was overshadowed by the Radiance Evaluation Skill.


    It was no surprise the beast master Li easily defeated Sam. The skills they used were vastly different.


    Beast master Li piqued everyone''s curiosity. With the strength that he had shown, people guessed he was a beast master above seventh grade.


    However, beast evaluators of the Timber Deity Empire with a strength above seventh grade were supposed to be over fifty years old, while the rules of the Beast


    ocky just said.


    "What?" Lucilla and Lucas exchanged mortified looks. If Rocky was correct, then Queenie wouldn''t stand a chance against him.


    The Cao Clan felt blindsided. They had underestimated the Qi Clan. If Queenie could not win against Carter, then the Cao Clan would lose in the match of beast evaluation the Cao Clan was good at.


    "I''m not scared of him. Let me show him what I''m capable of. Sister, let me go on stage." Queenie ignored everyone''s fears. She stepped out and walked towards the round platform.


    "Indeed, we have underestimated the Qi Clan. Now, only Queenie can help us." Lucas''s face turned sullen. He really thought they were close to winning. The Qi Clan took them by surprise.


    A faint smile crept up on Rocky''s face.


    They had to admit that the Qi Clan was impressive for inviting a beast evaluator as powerful as Carter. Before him, Queenie was the only seventh-grade beast evaluator who took part in the Beast Master Contest. Without Carter, the Cao Clan could have won easily. The Qi Clan took advantage of the Cao Clan''s arrogance and pride and struck them when they least expected it.

 Chapter 844 Tougher Than Expected

    During the past two rounds, Queenie, the talented beast evaluator in the empire, had not shown up in the contest. On the other hand, this was the perfect time for her to show up, making her the focus of all the people in the audience. Right when she stepped onto the stage, all eyes were on her as she caused the crowd some excitement.


    Everyone''s attention was on Queenie. Even Alyssa and the princes who were present showed interest in what she was about to do. They found the previous performances boring. After all, as royalties of the Timber Deity Empire, they had already gotten used to seeing seventh-grade beast evaluators, not just the regular ones, but those who were top class. Therefore, the only competition that they were so interested to see was the final battle between Carter and Queenie.


    Meanwhile, up on the stage, Carter could not peel his eyes away from Queenie as soon as she showed up. Walking with a powerful stance, Queenie seemed to have made Carter salivate out of admiration on how she looked.


    "So, you must be Queenie, the second daughter of the Cao Clan, and the apprentice of the powerful and illustrious Lucas of the Timber Deity Empire. Am I right? Oh, you''re such a beauty. I have never seen such a dazzling woman like you before!" As preparation for the Beast Master Contest, Carter made sure that he had already learned a couple of things about his opponents in advance. For instance, he had previously known that Queenie was the strongest seventh-grade beast evaluator in the Beast Master Contest. However, there was one thing he didn''t know about Queenie¡ªshe was such a charming and gorgeous woman. It was as if she had cast a spell on him. As soon as he saw her, he was stunned and was unable to move any muscle of his body.


    "Hey, shorty! Keep your eyes to yourself and stop staring at me. I won''t hesitate to dig your eyes out if you don''t know what''s good for you!" Queenie sneered loudly as she got annoyed by Carter''s hideous appearance and how he looked at her.


    "Oh, my lady. I didn''t know that you have such a bad temper. But since I always care for pretty women such as you, then I will show you some mercy under one condition¡ª you will have to say good and positive words about me. If you comply, then I won''t let you lose badly, at least. Just think about it..." Carter said confidently, along with a mischievous and lustful smile on his face.


    "Excuse me? Screw you! Fuck off! If I lose to you, then I will never get married!" Queenie shouted angrily at the top of her lungs. Provoked by Carter''s words, Queenie could not help but tremble in fury.


    "Oh, please don''t say that. It will be such a waste for all men if a ravishing lady like you won''t get married. Okay, so


    beam of light into the spirit-manipulated beast''s body, causing it to glow in all sorts of different bright colors.


    A few moments later, Carter shouted in a slow irritating voice, "I''m done." However, Queenie was still there, unfinished with her evaluation, although she had started first. After his voice trailed off, he walked to the table and wrote his result down and gave it to the servant.


    Upon hearing that Carter had already finished what he was supposed to do, Queenie''s face became very anxious and serious.


    It was quite unexpected, but unfortunately, Queenie had already lost the first round defenselessly against Carter.


    Back in the resting area, the audience was just as stunned as Queenie as soon as they found the result. After all, they thought that Queenie had the edge in the competition since she was already a seventh-grade beast evaluator. But at that moment, she could not do anything in front of Carter.


    "It looks like he has gone more powerful than before," Rocky murmured in a low voice. Although he had already predicted that Carter would win the first round, his eyes still turned a little glum upon seeing that Carter had defeated Queenie effortlessly.


    However, it seemed that Lucilla, Lucas, and Queenie knew that they were no match for Carter. In fact, they had already expected the result before, and they were well prepared for it once it happened. Little did they know that the truth was apparently more cruel than they thought.


    During the second round, Queenie had accumulated all her strength to fight again. Straining every nerve, she wanted to show that she was not an easy opponent. But no matter how hard she tried, she was still unable to withstand Carter''s powerful blows.


    Therefore, after this round, she had already lost two rounds in a row to Carter.

 Chapter 845 The Last Hope

    At the moment, the crowd became very excited. They were blown away by Carter''s powerful strength. Meanwhile, the Cao Clan was pushed to the top of the mountain for everyone to see. Queenie, who was once admired and regarded as the most powerful seventh-level beast evaluator of the Beast Master Contest, could not win against Carter. The Cao Clan had always triumphed during the beast evaluation competition, and it seemed like for the first time they were at the losing end. For the people watching, the Cao Clan did not have any other powerful beast evaluator.


    "Damn you fat guy!" Queenie glared at Carter, as she walked down the platform fuming mad. It never entered her mind that Carter could easily defeat her. Carter''s strength was completely beyond her expectation.


    People used to admire her, but now she was just as good as her last victory. Today, Queenie came face to face with the painful realization that someone was stronger than her.


    Queenie''s defeat was a dead-end for the Cao Clan. Though there was still a beast evaluator from the Cao Clan who did not join the competition, there was no way this beast evaluator''s strength was stronger than Carter''s.


    Moreover, Queenie''s failure to win also determined the result of the competition.


    Lucilla and all the other members of the Cao Clan remained calm and dignified. At this point, it was impossible to find a beast evaluator who could defeat Carter. He was very strong, and not even Queenie could match his ability or competence.


    "Looks like it''s the end of the line for us." As she pored over Queenie''s fate, Lucilla could only shake her head in disappointment. She did not expect this kind of result. She was very confident that the Cao Clan would win the competition. Their victory on the beast evaluation competition was their only hope to defeat the Qi Clan, and it terrified her that the opportunity just slipped through their fingers today. The Qi Clan was sure to win in the upcoming beast manipulation competition, and even if Cao Clan could defeat them in the last beast curing competition, it was still useless.


    Lucas'' status in the


    lso surprised Lucas. He always felt something mysterious towards Rocky, and he knew he was a cut above the rest, but it was still impossible for him to win against Carter. After all, Queenie, whom he raised and cultivated, was not a match for Carter. She trained for this competition, but ended up being defeated. Moreover, for Rocky, he did not have the slightest chance.


    "I am aware of that. But I still want to have a try!" Rocky insisted.


    "Hey! You will only embarrass yourself. That short, fat man is really strong! This competition requires strength and not any magical or rare elements. Without powerful Beast Evaluation Skill, you cannot win at all!" Queenie did not want to admit it, but she didn''t think that Rocky was a match for Carter.


    Confused, Lucilla turned to Lucas and asked for help. Rocky''s decision baffled her. Previously, Rocky was so reluctant to represent the Cao Clan, but now he would risk embarrassing himself to defend the Cao Clan against Carter. None of these made sense for Lucilla.


    Lucas was also puzzled. He sensed Rocky''s extraordinary capabilities the first time he met him, and he was somehow convinced that he could help the Cao Clan. Now, Rocky just volunteered to fight for the Cao Clan. He suspected that Rocky had other intentions, but he was right, the Cao Clan had nothing to lose at this point. Rocky could be the miracle he asked for, so why not go for it.

 Chapter 846 Attracting Attention

    After giving it a thought, Lucas nodded to Lucilla.


    "Thank you for your willingness, Mr. Rookie." Lucilla chose to keep the other details to herself. It was pointless to say at that time anyway. No one would think that Rocky had a chance against Carter, but Lucas and Lucilla were hopeful. Rocky had been mysterious. Perhaps he would do something that would surprise all of them. Lucilla knew that she was probably holding on to empty hope, but she took any chance she got. As the chief of Cao Clan, she was willing to take the risk of being humiliated.


    Lucilla''s decision to let Rocky participate surprised everyone in the Cao Clan.


    "Are you sure you''re sending him on stage?" Queenie asked in disbelief.


    Lucilla gave Queenie a meaningful look then turned her attention towards Rocky. He gave her a slight smile and reached out his hand. Suddenly, a silver butterfly shaped mask appeared on his palm. It was a mask originally made for emergency, yet it looked like he''d be needing it soon.


    Rocky put on the mask in front of everyone from the Cao Clan. Under the mask, he could pass for a reputable general. Even Lucilla and Lucas looked impressed.


    Then, Rocky stepped out of the resting area of the Cao Clan. He looked up at Alyssa who was sitting on the platform. She was the judge of the beast evaluating competition. Rocky also noticed Woods who was sitting beside her.


    Woods waited for Rocky to appear. Suddenly, a figure walking out of the resting area of the Cao Clan caught his attention. The man piqued his curiosity. He wore a mask but Woods knew exactly who he was. A smile cre


    to display the Radiance Evaluation Skill. He shot a ray of spiritual light into the body of the spirit-manipulated beast so that the body of the beast reflected the light to the Eight-trigram Mirror.


    Everyone in the audience was rooting for Carter after seeing his first move.


    But then, a triangular light barrier suddenly rose under the body of the spirit-manipulated beast in the cage. Then, lights of multiple colors bounced off on its reflection.


    This was similar to the Radiance Evaluation Skill used by Carter. It was used to identify the star level and properties of the spirit-manipulated beasts.


    "Radiance Evaluation Skill? He can also do Radiance Evaluation Skill?!" someone shouted.


    Suddenly, the hall was in an uproar.


    All people''s eyes were focused on Rocky at once. They saw that Rocky''s hands kept twitching, and the light barrier around the beast kept rapidly changing. Everyone could see that this light barrier was released by Rocky.


    To everyone''s surprise, Rocky also used the Radiance Evaluation Skill but in a more direct way.

 Chapter 847 I Am Not Sure

    The crowd were shocked and stunned when they saw that Rocky exhibited the same Radiance Evaluation Skill as Carter''s.


    In the Wild Spirit Land, the Radiance Evaluation Skill was a very well-known Beast Evaluation Skill. Everybody knew that only beast evaluators from famous clans could learn the technique and no ordinary beast evaluator could learn it. Carter was able to do it because he was indeed from a famous clan. So, everyone was doubtful about Rocky. Not only was he from an unknown background, but no one also knew him that well. Not a single person had ever heard of his name before. However, it was shocking for everyone to see his unexpected performance of the Radiance Evaluation Skill which was as powerful as Carter''s.


    The powerful beast evaluators at present noticed that Rocky performed the Radiance Evaluation Skill without relying on any medium. It was obvious that what he did was more powerful and brilliant than what Carter did.


    However, if Carter''s Radiance Evaluation Skill was the authentic one, then what about Rocky''s Radiance Evaluation Skill? That was the question in everyone''s mind. It seemed that his skill was more intense and unfathomable than Carter''s.


    Of course, other members of the Cao Clan were also stunned at what happened. At this moment, the resting area of the Cao Clan was already a mess. Everyone stood up and looked incredulously at Rocky who was using the same Beast Evaluation Skill as Carter''s.


    "Master Lucas, I don''t understand. What''s going on? Tell me, why would Mr. Rookie..." At this point, Lucilla felt like she was dreaming. At first, she did not have much hope that Rocky would win the competition. However, what Rocky did as soon as he stepped on the stage made the whole audience gasp in astonishment.


    However, it was hard for Lucilla to imagine that Rocky was a beast evaluator who could use the Radiance Evaluation Skill. It only meant that Rocky''s beast evaluation ability was completely beyond what they expected. Naturally, they knew how powerful the Radiance Evaluation Skill was. They knew that as long as the people in the Wild Spirit Land could perform that kind of Beast Evaluation Skill, then they were definitely not ordinary people.


    In other words, Rocky was far m


    oophole!" Carter said with desperation in his voice.


    Rocky smiled menacingly but said nothing as he glanced at Carter. Then, he wrote down all the information about the beast and handed it to the servant.


    Of course, the evaluation result of Carter was also presented together with Rocky''s.


    When they were about to announce the result of the first round, the whole hall suddenly became quiet. Everyone could not help but guess who would come out on the stage. Would it be Rocky, the black horse, or Carter, the expected winner? However, no matter what the result was, Rocky''s performance just now had surely given everyone a very surprising impact!


    Chills went down the spines of every Cao Clan member. When she saw this, Lucilla couldn''t help but clenching her fists in nervousness. On the contrary, Lucas looked extremely calm on the surface, but he touched his beard from time to time. However, he was extremely worried and anxious deep inside. As for the others, they all stared at the stage as if butterflies filled their stomachs in excitement and nervousness.


    At this moment, Alyssa, who was sitting on the platform, couldn''t help but casting a glance at Rocky. Obviously, she had noticed him not only because he exhibited the same Radiance Evaluation Skill as Carter''s, but also because she felt that he had a slight resemblance to someone.


    When he saw that Alyssa had already noticed Rocky, Woods smiled as cunningly as a fox. He was excited to see Rocky reveal his identity.

 Chapter 848 Well-matched In Strength

    After a few moments, the result of the first round was announced right on the spot. However, the result was very unexpected. After the five judges discussed among themselves, they decided that the first round was a draw. This was because Carter and Rocky finished the evaluation at the same time, and the identification data of the beast attribute were just the same.


    As soon as the result was announced, the entire hall became wild again. There had never been a result of a draw before in the history of the Beast Master Contest. However, that was not the most surprising part. What was really surprising was how the Cao Clan turned the tables just when they were almost certainly defeated because of Queenie''s failure in the previous round. This twist to the competition was because of the appearance of a mysterious man¡ªRocky. A draw match showed that Rocky obviously had the strength and ability to compete against Carter.


    By this moment, everyone was curious about who Rocky really was and why he was so powerful. However, not a single person in the hall knew his true identity.


    All of a sudden, the spotlight shifted from Carter to Rocky. Everybody talked about the mysterious man among themselves in hushed voices.


    The second round started as soon as the first round ended. At this moment, another spirit-manipulated beast was put in the huge cage on the round platform.


    "It''s just beginner''s luck, boy. In this round, I''ll make sure that you''re out of dumb luck." Carter didn''t expect that the result was going to be a draw. He felt ashamed of himself because he was not able to defeat a nobody. So he snorted at Rocky as a declaration of war against him. He was really driven to completely defeat him this time.


    Surprisingly, Carter didn''t use his Radiance Evaluation Skill. Instead, he walked straight to the cage and raised his palm. All of a sudden, his palm was wrapped by a strange colorful light. His palm then turned into some sort of a magic hand that was able to control the movement of the spirit-manipulated beast.


    "What is he doing? Is he doing the Stroking Evaluation Skill? That Skill he is showing is a unique skill of our clan!" At this moment, a beast evaluator of a clan suddenly stood up and shouted in amazement.


    As soon as he was finished with what he was saying, the audience burst into an ear-splitting uproar. Everyone was dumbfounded by what was happening.


    The Stroking Evaluation Skill was also a very famous Beast Evaluation Skill in the Wild Spirit Land. Moreover, it was more abstruse than the Radiance Evaluation Skill. This me


    ough they knew that the match was really authentic. The last two rounds were very breathtaking and exciting for the whole audience!


    At this point, everyone in the Cao Clan resting area had a nervous expression on their faces. They didn''t know how to react with what was happening at all.


    Happy? Indeed, the Cao Clan was happy when they saw that Rocky cast the Stroking Evaluation Skill. This meant that he had a fighting chance against Carter. From the previous failure of Queenie''s round, he had brought the Cao Clan back at the top. Surprised? Of course. If this turn of events could not be called a surprise, then nothing could be considered as a surprise in the world. On the other hand, the Cao Clan members were deeply shocked at the moment because of Rocky''s real capacity. In this short period of time, he had given them a lot of exciting surprises which were beyond their expectation.


    As chief of the Cao Clan, Lucilla couldn''t sit still after Rocky showed his Stroking Evaluation Skill. She trembled ever so slightly and her face was painted with unspeakable excitement. Even Lucas, who was calm at first, couldn''t help but clench his hands. He did not in any way expect that the man, Rocky, whom he saw many times before was so great in concealing his real abilities. In addition, among all the young men like Rocky, no one had ever been able to accomplish such a great achievement!


    At the moment, Lucas, as one of the strongest beast evaluators in the Timber Deity Empire, was too surprised and impressed at Rocky. He exclaimed, "Mr. Rookie must have an incomparable talent for beast evaluation, otherwise at his age, he could never have been able to master the two powerful Beast Evaluation Skills."

 Chapter 849 The Mystery Man

    "Master, are you serious? Is he really that talented?" Queenie felt discouraged as she heard Lucas'' generous praise. She had always been Lucas'' favorite, and now she felt really worthless and inferior. People regarded her as a rare genius at evaluating beasts. But now, her master praised Rocky highly. He never used that praise with anyone else before and it seemed like Lucas was really impressed by Rocky''s ability. However, it was her turn to see Rocky in a new light after she saw him perform the  Radiance Evaluation Skill and the Stroking Evaluation Skill successively.


    Rocky''s amazing performance also caught the attention of Alyssa, who was seated at the judge''s platform. She stared at him with curiosity and felt that he looked familiar.


    Rocky had everyone''s attention, including all the other princes in attendance. They were all curious about his identity, most especially Geoffrey, who wanted to recruit such a low-key but outstanding talent like Rocky.


    Geoffrey gestured to the servant behind him. Immediately, the servant approached and bowed before Geoffrey. He then whispered something to the servant, and without a word, the servant turned around and left.


    "Alyssa, the man is amazing," said Woods, who already knew the identity of Rocky. He noticed that his sister had her eyes on Rocky the moment he went up onto the stage. He watched his sister''s actions and looked for clues if she still held a grudge against Rocky. He could not overlook the fact that Rocky destroyed her plan to fight against the Holy Dragon Empire. Although she freed Rocky twice, there was no guarantee that she would not try to kill Rocky once she recognized him. After all, Rocky was Timber Deity Empire''s number one enemy.


    He had to be cautious, and he needed to know what his sister was up to. He did not want to kill Rocky. He owed Rocky his life and in return he wanted to protect him. On top of everything, Rocky had a secret p


    . The prince used the Magical Evaluation Skill, which was never passed down to other clans for the last three hundred years. After he was defeated by Basil, he realized that if he wanted to become stronger, he must also learn skills of other clans. It was why he ignored his master''s instructions and learned the Stroking Evaluation Skill secretly. He wanted to strengthen himself.


    If he didn''t know that Basil was dead, Carter could easily assume that the mysterious beast evaluator in front of him was actually Basil. "It''s unthinkable. But who was this guy?"


    None of it made sense, but Carter was sure of one thing. No ordinary person could learn the Radiance Evaluation Skill and the Stroking Evaluation Skill. And the beast evaluator in front of him was someone important. This frustrated him further. He needed to gain grounds if he wanted to defeat his opponent and he had to take him seriously this time. He felt that he had miscalculated his strength after he fought with him twice in this competition. He promised himself not to make the same mistake in the next round.


    "Let''s wait and see. I will show you what the true Beast Evaluation Skill is!" said Carter as he stared at Rocky fiercely. A strong aura suddenly emanated from his body and surrounded him from all sides.

 Chapter 850 A Super Beast Evaluator

    Due to Rocky''s astonishing performance so far, the Qi Clan could no longer stay quiet, especially Alexander, who was so worried that he was on the verge of collapse. Thus, no one dared to make a sound.


    There was a reason why Carter had been asked to come to the Qi Clan as their ace against the Cao Clan, and that was because they aimed to beat the Cao Clan by surprise at the beast evaluation competition. In that way, they planned to destroy the morale of the Cao Clan. However, Alexander never expected that the Cao Clan would also invite a hidden and unknown beast evaluator who was as powerful as Carter.


    Apparently, the Qi Clan had not made any preparations in advance for this new change.


    Therefore, even though it made Alexander crazy, he couldn''t say anything about it. How could he, when they had Carter, who gave them a great advantage as a great master of beast evaluation?


    "Who is he? As far as I know, there shouldn''t be any beast evaluator under the age of 50 in the Wild Spirit Land who is better than Carter. Otherwise, our Qi Clan wouldn''t have gone all out to get Carter from the Roaring Flame Empire through the help of Princess Alyssa," Alexander muttered with a deep frown, his fists tightly clenched by his side, as he tried to get his anger under control.


    "I''ll send someone to look into it," Tate said. He understood what his father meant, so he nodded immediately.


    "You must check it carefully. We can''t allow this person to stay in the Cao Clan. Otherwise, it will be harmful to our Qi Clan!" said Alexander with a ferocious look, his eyes as sharp as blades.


    Since the first two rounds had ended in a draw, a third round was conducted. Although there hadn''t been a tie match before this year''s Beast Master Contest, the rules of the contest stated that the third round would decide which clan would win. But if the third round ended with another draw, this Beast Master Contest would become an unprecedented one.


    And if the third round ended decisively, it also meant that the contest had been concluded.


    So, when t


    ove. They knew that if he didn''t take further actions, this would be a dead end.


    Meanwhile, when Rocky saw that Carter was exerting all his strength, a small smile graced his lips. He didn''t want to be too conspicuous, but since Carter was giving his all, and his strength was beyond his expectation, Rocky needed to show his true power now.


    First, he used the Radiance Evaluation Skill, then he performed the Stroking Evaluation Skill. However, Carter''s identification seemed faster.


    Before anyone could react, Rocky took a deep breath and closed his eyes slowly, and in the next moment, his eyes opened and exposed his pupils, which had dramatically transformed as if they were covered with a thin layer of spiritual light.


    The audience grew restless in their excitement and exclaimed, "That''s the Beast Visual Evaluation Skill!" "Isn''t that an esoteric skill of Lucas?" "Is he a disciple of Lucas?"


    "He performed three types of Beast Evaluation Skills at the same time! How did he do that?"


    "Is he still human? I have never heard of beast evaluators who can perform three kinds of Beast Evaluation Skills, and they are all so powerful!"


    After Rocky employed the Mysterious Visual Evaluation Skill, all the spectators erupted in an uproar as if the entire competition hall was filled with roaring waves. Everyone looked at Rocky as if he was some monster.

 Chapter 851 A Huge Gap

    All the people from the Cao Clan were stunned speechless as if they had been struck by lightning and unable to talk or move.


    "How is this possible? How can Mr. Rookie know how to use my Beast Evaluation Skill? I can''t believe it... Did you guys see it? He''s capable of conducting three Beast Evaluation Skills at the same time. It''s impossible!" Lucas exclaimed, but he found that he could hardly find the correct words to describe his feelings. Nobody answered him either, as everyone was dumbstruck by the sight. If Rocky had used only the Radiance Evaluation Skill or the Stroking Evaluation Skill, then he could explain that he had learned from one of the top masters. But it was clear that Rocky was displaying Lucas''s exclusive skill, so how could he explain this? Besides, he should not be able to use three skills simultaneously, as each skill ran differently and consumed a lot of spiritual power. Even Lucas, a senior master hand, could only perform two different Beast Evaluation Skills at the same time.


    On the other hand, Lucas had no idea that, although the three Beast Evaluation Skills that Rocky was using at that moment appeared similar to the ones known by people in the Wild Spirit Land, they were more sophisticated than the latter. Rocky had learned all three of them from the Magical Evaluation Skill, and the three skills came down in one continuous line. As a result, it was not surprising that Rocky could perform three techniques simultaneously, even if it was unimaginable in their eyes.


    "Isn''t Mr. Rookie a real genius?" Lucilla sighed with a dazed look, as she outwardly gave Rocky a look full of admiration, and all the while, she completely ignored how inappropriate it was for her to do so since she was the chief of the Cao Clan.


    "When did this guy steal my master''s Mysterious Visual Evaluation Skill? What a bastard!" Queenie exclaimed angrily, as she looked like she swallowed a lemon. She remembered that her master once said that it would need a very high talent to learn the Mysterious Visual Evaluation Skill, and they could only come across one of these people once every one hundred years, but now, it looked like it was as easy as pie for Rocky.


    She couldn''t help but doubt her impression of Rocky. ''Is he the talent my master mentioned? Is this real?'' she couldn''t help but ask herself in her mind. At this thought, her sour expression slowly brightened, as she looked at Rocky as if he was a treasure for her to explore.


    "Awesome! You''re so great!" Juey shouted in excitement, momentarily forgetting herself in her happiness.


    Your Royal Highness would like to set a theme for the next round? I believe that we should be able to tell the difference between them by their next performance!"


    Samson''s reply was shrewd. From his position, he wished that the Qi Clan could win, but after three rounds of competition, the mysterious beast evaluator from the Cao Clan was too profound to be understood by them. If he supported the Qi Clan, it could go badly for them, because he had learned that Alyssa always stuck to her principles, and she always focused on what people could do and not on who they were. Rocky was someone whom Alyssa would think highly of, and he deserved her appreciation, as he had shown them that he could use three skills at the same time. Therefore, to be on the safe side, he decided to kick the ball back to Alyssa.


    Anyway, he believed that Alyssa just needed to go through the movements, but in the end, she would take the Qi Clan''s side. Otherwise, the final result could be questioned, and it would be a huge error for all the judges present and could greatly impact everyone''s reputation, not to mention the contest''s reputation as well.


    Alyssa listened quietly while Samson was speaking, and she glanced at Rocky when she heard his suggestion. She appeared to think about it for a while, but it didn''t take long before she summoned the servant who was in charge of announcing the result and told him what they had decided.


    Soon, the result of the third round was announced, and like the previous two rounds, it was still a draw.


    Thus, it was that day that a new record was created in the history of the Beast Master Contest, as it was the first time that two competitors were tied after three rounds of games.

 Chapter 852 The Final Test

    The people were dismayed when the result of the third round of the competition was announced. Everyone thought the third round was enough to determine the winner, but it was still a tie between the two opposing sides.


    The mysterious beast evaluator from the Cao Clan, was an amazing surprise. No one expected that he would be as strong as Carter. He even suppressed him at some point during the competition. Rocky showcased exceptional skills just now, including the unique skill of Lucas, a beast evaluator at the grand master''s level, and he even performed three different beast evaluation skills simultaneously. These were extremely difficult skills that even the best beast evaluators from the famous clans would admire.


    Even Lucas himself was amazed at Rocky''s unique talent.


    Since the three competitions ended up in a tie, the people could not help but feel excited and discussed among themselves on how the two would compete next. It was up to the five judges to decide. It was interesting to watch the two equally strong beast evaluators fight against each other, but this was a competition. At the end of the day, one of them had to be declared a winner.


    "Master Lucas, they already battled for three rounds, and it was still a draw. Should they continue to fight or have we reached a dead end?" Lucilla asked. She had never been in a situation like this before.


    "I''m not sure. Princess Alyssa is one of the judges; it''s up to her if we will continue the competition or not." His face became clouded with worry as he turned to look at Alyssa. It troubled him that Alyssa would decide in favor of the Qi Clan since she was on their side. Alyssa''s decision was paramount, and no one would dare question it on her face. If that happened, it would surely be unfavorable and could hurt the Cao Clan. There was nothing they could do but wait and watch which way the ball bounced.


    For now, Lucas remained confident that Rocky could turn the tables in favor of the  Cao Clan. Even if the


    said, "I caught this spiritual beast accidentally not too long ago, and haven''t had the time to identify it. Now, I need the two of you to help me evaluate it. Whoever can evaluate its origin, star level and nature, I will declare as the winner of this competition. Surely, there won''t be a tie in this competition, and I will personally decide on who will be the winner from the two of you. Do you understand what I mean? You two will only have one chance. May the best beast cultivator win!"


    "Your Royal Highness, please put this spiritual beast inside the cage, so I can identify it right away," Carter said, with a confident look on his face.


    "This little creature is terrified of strangers. If threatened, it will release a dominant spiritual power of Thunder nature, fiery enough to scorch anything within a few meters around it. As long as I hold it in my arms, you are safe, and it will remain friendly. However, if you got too close, it would panic and start to feel unprotected. Therefore, I cannot put it down. You have to stand far away from it and evaluate it from a distance." Alyssa''s eyes narrowed as she tried to act charming and innocent. She felt certain that this test would bring out the real winner in this competition.


    The crowd was dumbstruck as they heard the final test announced by the princess.

 Chapter 853 Anticipation

    A distance of ten meters separated Rocky and Carter from Alyssa. Evaluating the small spiritual beast that she cradled in her hands¡ªthe Fox Marten¡ªwould be an extremely challenging task for the duo.


    The success of performing the Beast Evaluation Skill would be based on the spiritual power one held. What made any evaluation skill difficult was taking into account both performing it and sustaining it at such a large distance. Moreover, the Fox Marten was in the hands of one of the most powerful masters of the Divine Stage. Thus, her powerful aura as well would influence the performing of the Beast Evaluation Skill.


    Now, Rocky and Carter needed to find a way to properly evaluate the beast from that distance while it was under Alyssa''s invisible influence. This proved to be more difficult than they initially thought.


    Carter was momentarily stunned, knowing that Alyssa deliberately created such challenges during competitions. Soon, however, he gave Rocky a cocky grin before confidently saying, "I''m afraid even a man as powerful as you is unable to summon the three Beast Evaluation Skills from this distance. Let''s see how you''ll beat me after this!" Upon saying these words, Carter lifted his Eight-trigram Mirror which began to hover in the air as he imparted his spiritual power into it before heading straight for Alyssa. An odd colored light beamed down from the mirror and surrounded the Fox Marten instantly like a cloak.


    Carter''s sudden attack caused quite a commotion and led to a heated discussion among the crowd. However, the audience also recognized that this round was one specifically tailored to Carter''s skills.


    On the other side, Rocky stood there, frowning slightly. The crowd saw his face, thinking that he must be at the end of his wits, awaiting his doom to lose the game.


    Carter spared some attention to see Rocky''s reaction. Whe


    n rigged to test him. That was why he was being careful with his moves. Alyssa wouldn''t let him go easily and he knew better than to carelessly do something that would reveal his true identity. He didn''t think that his prediction should prove to be true so soon in the competition.


    But the current situation he was in didn''t give him enough time to think properly. He needed to help the Cao Clan win, otherwise his plan would be in jeopardy.


    When everyone thought Rocky was doomed to lose, he suddenly narrowed his eyes and slowly raised his hands. Two globe-shaped black shadows full of spiritual power materialized in his palms. Electric currents with the color of obsidian danced and flowed through his fingers like black snakes ready to strike at any moment.


    "I wasn''t planning on using this¡­" As he gazed at the power he held between his hands, Rocky steadied his sharp gaze at Alyssa¡ªlike swords being unsheathed and aimed at the enemy.


    At the same time, Alyssa locked eyes on him and felt as though she was a prey that was about to be devoured by a ravenous predator.


    Rocky''s counterattack took everyone by surprise. They all had no idea what he was about to do, but they were eagerly anticipating to see what would happen next.

 Chapter 854 Legendary Skill

    The two black shadows full of spiritual power that Rocky held in his hands now rushed towards Alyssa.


    Everyone who witnessed this was surprised because none of them knew exactly what the two strange black shadows were.


    As the two black shadows flew above her, they swirled into each other before morphing into a brilliant explosion.


    This scene amazed the people watching in the hall.


    Suddenly, a black shadow emerged from these two shadows. It descended from the sky and covered Alyssa and the spiritual beast in her hand.


    Gradually, the black shadow increased its size and covered the area within a few meters around Alyssa.


    Everyone present saw the dark shadow raise its hand to wrap its arm around Alyssa and her spiritual beast.


    Its grip was similar to that of a man''s, overbearing yet gentle. Being a man-hater, it would''ve been unbearable for Alyssa. But to her surprise, the feeling this hug gave her was strong, familiar, and inviting.


    "What... What the hell is going on?" Alyssa was astounded. She immediately looked up at the masked mysterious man, knowing this must have something to do with him.


    Then, a figure came to her mind. It seemed to be the mysterious man in front of her.


    "That''s impossible..." Alyssa shook her head in denial. He was dead. He shouldn''t be here!


    Just as Rocky released the black shadows to envelope Alyssa and her spiritual beast, Carter''s Eight-trigram Mirror¡ªwhich was floating in the air¡ªappeared to be affected by some powerful force. It lost control and fell to the ground.


    Upon seeing this, Carter turned pale. He stared at the black shadow in disbelief as it began to expand several meters


    d the Wild Spirit Land that as long as Heavenly Shadow Evaluation Skill reappeared in the world, the Magical Evaluation Skill¡ªthe originator of all schools¡ªwould reappear as well.


    Therefore, those who would use the Heavenly Shadow Evaluation Skill would definitely use the Magical Evaluation Skill too.


    That''s why Carter suddenly broke down. He also knew that the Magical Evaluation Skill appeared a year ago. Of course, the appearance of this skill did not mean that the person who used it had totally mastered it. However, if anybody could use the Heavenly Shadow Evaluation Skill, he must be proficient in the essence of the Magical Evaluation Skill too. Moreover, he must possess the peerless talent. Otherwise, he would never be able to learn it.


    Therefore, Carter made it very clear that it was not a coincidence that this mysterious beast evaluator of the Cao Clan could use three kinds of beast evaluation skills simultaneously. He guessed this person could probably use the Magical Evaluation Skill. This was proven by the fact that he could use the Heavenly Shadow Evaluation Skill as well.

 Chapter 855 Life Saver

    On the other side, Rocky and Juey returned to the rest area. Upon returning, all of the Cao Clan members, including Chief Lucilla and Lucas, welcomed them with great enthusiasm, as if they were victorious heroes that returned from a battle.


    Thanks to Rocky''s amazing strength, the Cao Clan was saved from a dead end. The clan was grateful for a hero like him. They regarded Rocky as their life saver. It was of great significance for the Cao Clan to enter the next round and be able to continue the contest. This gave them a glimmer of hope that they could prosper once more.


    "Mr. Rookie, it was truly eye-opening!" Lucas exclaimed among the crowd. His eyes sparkled with excitement and emotions that couldn''t be put into words. Although he already knew that Rocky was an extraordinary individual with a unique ability, he didn''t expect him to be so powerful that he could display three kinds of Beast Evaluation Skills at the same time. Even more astonishing was the fact that he displayed the Heavenly Shadow Evaluation Skill that everyone thought had disappeared for 300 years. Lucas, the strongest beast evaluator in the Timber Deity Empire, couldn''t help but admire Rocky''s display of power.


    For now, Lucas was certain that he was still superior over Rocky. However, Lucas knew that Rocky could potentially surpass him one day and become a grandmaster. If the latter kept this up, it wouldn''t take long for him to become the only powerful beast evaluator in the Wild Spirit Land. In Lucas'' eyes, Rocky was like a piece of pure jade. Within a few years, he would be polished into one of the most outstanding talents and could potentially overshadow all the other beast evaluators in the Wild Spirit Land.


    Lucas sighed with slight envy at Rocky for being able to achieve so much at his age. He now began to appreciate Rocky less like a senior to a junior and more like a master to his apprentice. He hoped that Rocky would surpass him as well as the strongest beast evaluator in the Wild Spirit Land. Pushing himself beyond his limits would help him make progress. He hoped to witness this with his own eyes.


    Before Rocky, no other apprentice was able to make a grandmaster like Lucas set such high expectations. Lucas never recalled any similar experience, even when his apprentice was brilliant. Roc


    ing to the people he cared about instead.


    Smart as Lucilla was, she got Lucas''s words immediately and nodded in agreement.


    Right then, Queenie returned to them in a great hurry. She was looking all over for Rocky. "Where is that guy? I want to see him now!" she shouted when she failed to find him. She appeared anxious.


    "Don''t talk like that, Queenie. You''re being rude. Mr. Rookie is our honored guest now. Watch your words!" Lucilla reminded her, an unpleasant expression all over her face.


    "I don''t care about what he means to our clan. I just risked my life to help him ward off the princess, but he ran away. I need to find him and ask him to¡­hmmm¡­" Queenie mumbled and turned away. It seemed that she wouldn''t give up until she got exactly what she wanted.


    "Do you notice that Queenie pays lots of attention to Mr. Rookie? It''s weird. She doesn''t hate Mr. Rookie, but..." Being a woman as well, Lucilla could sense the slight shift in her younger sister''s tone of voice at the mention of Rocky''s name. She found it improper.


    "It isn''t a bad thing, especially for the Cao Clan. Please don''t worry," Lucas said meaningfully. He seemed to know something beforehand.


    Lucilla was a little puzzled hearing Lucas''s words. She had no idea what he was talking about. Her younger sister was changing suddenly. Queenie used to despise men like dirt, and she had lots of problems with Rocky before. But now she was thinking of him all the time and became impatient when he was not around. A girl''s heart was always a mystery.

 Chapter 856 Meet Again

    Carter felt so annoyed and bitter. He had never expected that his opponent was someone who had mastered the Magical Evaluation Skill. Not to mention that his opponent had also mastered even the Heavenly Shadow Evaluation Skill which had been lost for three hundred years and was the only advanced Beast Evaluation Skill in the Wild Spirit Land.


    Both the Magical Evaluation Skill and the Heavenly Shadow Evaluation Skill were considered rare treasures by every beast evaluator. These were the skills they had dreamed of acquiring ever since. However, this mysterious beast evaluator from the Cao Clan was able to grasp both and apparently, he learned something. Surely he would be able to become one of the best evaluators in the Wild Spirit Land in no time.


    Carter had no choice but to kneel down, submit to him, and admit defeat. He didn''t want to admit it to himself, but the result was crystal clear. As long as Rocky used the Heavenly Shadow Evaluation Skill, no one could compete and win against him anymore.


    Of course, everyone was deeply shocked. It was not just Carter, but all the people present, including Lucas and the other well-known beast evaluators of the Timber Deity Empire. Everyone did not expect what they just witnessed. It was hard to believe that the Heavenly Shadow Evaluation Skill, which had been lost for three hundred years, could reappear in the world. And what was more unbelievable was that it was used by an unknown young man.


    Suddenly, the competition hall turned deadly silent. All the people were staring at the man at the center of the round platform with surprise and fear. It was not like they were looking at a horrible monster, but as if they were looking at an omnipotent God who came down from the heavens. They seemed extremely anxious and they looked like they were about to worship him on their knees.


    Alyssa, who had witnessed how amazing the Heavenly Shadow Evaluation Skill was, also stared at Rocky in amazement. Her cold and arrogant face showed a little hint of surprise and extreme curiosity and speculation. The more she observed the man on the platform, the more she felt that he was somehow very familiar.


    "The evaluation is finished," Rocky said


    them. So, she immediately blocked Alyssa''s way without thinking about it. Queenie really wanted to play with Rainbow Glow Unicorn.


    "It is an honor to meet you, Your Royal Highness." Queenie saluted Alyssa.


    "Well, it is nice to meet you. You are one of Lucas''s disciples, aren''t you?" Seeing that Queenie suddenly appeared in front of her, Alyssa stopped on her tracks to look at her.


    "I didn''t expect you to remember me at all, Your Royal Highness." Queenie pretended to be very cheerful.


    Alyssa quickly nodded in dismissal, and turned to look at Rocky. When she saw that Rocky was about to leave with Juey, she wanted to say something to stop him. However, Queenie suddenly grabbed her attention, "I heard that you have an incredibly powerful Timber spirit-manipulated beast. Can you let me have a look at it, Your Royal Highness?"


    Alyssa glanced at Queenie, and then quickly said, "I''ll show you when I have the chance." But when she looked up from Queenie to look for Rocky, he was nowhere to be found.


    However, Alyssa knew that Rocky couldn''t escape that easily. If she really wanted to know about what really happened, it would be a piece of cake.


    While she was thinking whether she should chase Rocky, she noticed that everyone was watching her, so she had to turn around and leave.


    A meaningful smile spread across Woods'' face as he watched his sister. He couldn''t help but imagine what would happen when his sister met Rocky in the near future.

 Chapter 857 Foretell The Future Of The Xiao Clan

    Not long after walking out of the contest venue, Juey saw Rocky suddenly convulse with pain and let out a low groan. Blood trickled out from the corner of his mouth, in stark contrast to his pale face.


    Juey blanched in a mixture of shock and fear and immediately hurried over to support Rocky. "Mr. Rookie, are you all right? What''s wrong?"


    "I''m fine. I just didn''t expect the after-effects of using the Heavenly Shadow Evaluation Skill to be so severe." With a bitter smile on his face, Rocky shook his head to comfort Juey. As it turned out, it was very difficult for him to use the Heavenly Shadow Evaluation Skill with the amount of strength he currently had. The main prerequisite for performing the Heavenly Shadow Evaluation Skill was to have acquired the spiritual power at the Supernal Stage or higher. What was more, one should know to make their five sense organs work in harmony to ensure psychic communion. Therefore, it would take a lot of energy to cause even a little impact. In addition, the Heavenly Shadow Evaluation Skill also had a strong after-effect. Of course, no great power would come without limitations.


    "Let me take you back to your room," Juey offered worriedly. She wrapped her arm around his waist and put his arm around her shoulder. This way, she helped him walk back to the Osmanthus Yard.


    The Cao Clan had won the beast evaluation contest, putting them in the lead. Naturally, the Qi Clan had begun to feel the pressure.


    At the moment, in a magnificent hall on the east side of the Qi Clan mansion, the Qi Clan members had gathered around to discuss today''s contest. At the head of the table sat Alexander while the clan elders, Tate and Samson, sat on either side of him. Apart from them, there were a few other elders and executive leaders seated at the table.


    "Damn it! We never expected that the Cao Clan would have such a talented beast evaluator who could even defeat our beast evaluator at the seventh level! And to make things worse, we spent so much money on hiring him!" Alexander shouted in a rage.


    "Father, I have ordered people to investigate his identity," Tate said at once.


    "Check his background. It will be extremely unfavorable for us if he stays in the Cao Clan. I''ve heard that Princess Alyssa also seems to be curious about this guy. It will be ba


    an disputes are full of fraud and deceit. It will be hard for a girl like Juey to hold her own in such a sophisticated environment."


    "That''s why I''m asking you to help her. If someone with your level of shrewdness is by her side, she won''t suffer," said Rocky bluntly.


    "It seems that you do not have a good impression of me, Mr. Rookie," Mary joked.


    "Your nature is not bad, but you have an unscrupulous father who has influenced you since your childhood," replied Rocky.


    "Are you comforting me?" Mary was getting more and more curious about this man, who seemed to have a special way with words, especially when nobody else was around. Therefore, she also knew that he must have some secrets.


    "You can take it however you want. All I want to know is if I can trust you." Rocky stared intently at Mary with an indescribable look in his eyes.


    Mary stared back, lost in thought.


    When she finally came to her senses, she said, "I want to know the reason, Mr. Rookie. Why do you believe that Juey can be the chief of our clan? You should know that she doesn''t even know the Beast Curing Skill." This was one of the things that had always bothered Mary. Why did Rocky care about her sister so much? In any case, she was better than Juey.


    "Your question will soon be answered. If you don''t have anything else to say, you can leave now. People will start to gossip if a man and a woman are alone in a room." Rocky shot her an unfathomable smile.


    Mary let her gaze linger on him for a while before she nodded slightly and left.

 Chapter 858 Certain Feelings

    Rocky was persuasive in his efforts to turn the situation around. Fortunately, he helped the Cao Clan emerge victorious from the beast evaluation competition in addition to gaining a psychological advantage. However, this benefit completely vanished after one day.


    Unsurprisingly, the Qi Clan won the next day''s beast taming competition. This meant the two clans would have one last battle against each other to settle the score once and for all¡ªthe beast curing competition.


    In fact, none of the two clans had many advantages over the other in terms of beast curing. Finding several highly-skilled beast curers in the entire Wild Spirit Land would be difficult, let alone in the Timber Deity Empire.


    Even in vast empires such as the Holy Dragon Empire and the Magic Phoenix Empire, finding a batch of skilled beast curers would still be quite challenging.


    Just as Rocky''s master Sheridan had said, among beast masters of the Wild Spirit Land, the beast curers were rarest. Those that possessed great strength were even fewer. If judged with such high standards, then none of the beast curers that took part in the Beast Master Contest were qualified.


    Compared with their beast evaluation and beast taming skills, Alyssa''s people''s beast curing skills were at a serious disadvantage. Thus, it wasn''t hard to imagine how inferior the beast curers who attended the Beast Masters Contest were.


    Which was why Travis and Mary had the advantage of being in the limelight. Compared to the other beast curers who had no prior training or knowledge in terms of Beast Curing Skills, Travis and Mary had received medical training since early childhood. Coupled with the Xiao Clan''s ancestral Beast Curing Skill which was quite famous in the Timber Deity Empire, the duo naturally grew up with the advantage. None of the senior beast curers who participated in the Beast Master Contest stood a chance against them.


    A decade ago, the Cao Clan''s former chief was involved in an incident. Ever since the Qi Clan always had a slight advantage over the Cao Clan in each Beast Master Contest and this


    is unacceptable!" Lucas sighed and nodded. If the Cao Clan was defeated, they''d not only be trampled on by the Qi Clan, but also usher in a bloody storm of internal strife.


    "By the way, where is Mr. Rookie? I haven''t seen him for the entire day." Lucilla suddenly remembered and asked.


    "I heard from Miss Juey that Mr. Rookie was suffering from some internal injuries yesterday after he used the Heavenly Shadow Evaluation Skill. He required secluded cultivation to fully recover," Lucas explained.


    "Are his injuries serious? Is he all right?" Lucilla asked, the worry clear in her voice. She never expected Rocky to go all out and acquire internal injuries in the process to help assure the Cao Clan''s victory during the competition.


    "I think he''s fine. Queenie informed me that she visited Mr. Rookie yesterday and found out he was all right." Lucas nodded his head in reassurance.


    "That''s good," Lucilla commented as a wave of relief washed over her.


    "Chief, what do you think of Mr. Rookie?" Lucas asked abruptly while looking at Lucilla.


    "What do you mean, Master Lucas?" Lucilla asked in confusion.


    "You''ve done enough for the Cao Clan over the past few years. I think it''s time for you to get an assistant. I believe Mr. Rookie is a good choice. Besides, Chief, I can see that you have¡­certain feelings for him. So, I am thinking you two may..." Lucas said bluntly.

 Chapter 859 A Strange Feeling

    "Please don''t get the wrong idea, Master Lucas. I only admire Mr. Rookie for his ability. There''s nothing more to it," Lucilla explained hurriedly, her face flushed red out of embarrassment. She didn''t expect that Lucas would misunderstand that she had a crush on Rocky. But only she knew that she closed her heart long ago and vowed to never open it again for the rest of her life. Therefore, she would never fall in love with any man ever again.


    "Chief, you asked me before how to convince him to stay with our clan, right? Forgive my bluntness, but isn''t the only reason why we want Mr. Rookie to stay with us because he will be of great help in the future development of the clan? I''ve thought about it thoroughly over the past few days. I think the only way to keep him here is to win his heart. Believe it or not, if you placed mountains of gold and silver in front of him you still wouldn''t be able to change his mind," Lucas reasoned out with the facts.


    "If that''s the case, then there''s nothing we can do to change it. Mr. Rookie may possess extraordinary skills but he keeps a low profile. He''s not the type to fall in love and get into a relationship with another." Lucilla voiced out her perspective as a woman.


    "I disagree. We all see how kind he''s been treating Miss Juey. From the looks of it, he''s not as heartless as you think. Since ancient times, heroes have always associated with beauties. How can you know if you never try?" Lucas said as he stroked his beard.


    "Even so, it doesn''t have to be me! Our clan has no shortage of beautiful women. If Mr. Rookie is the type to fall for such women, then he can have fun with them for as long as he wants to!" Despite what she said, she was still repulsed by the idea¡ªnot of Rocky, but the idea of using a woman to seduce and corrupt him. If he did turn out to be such a man, then his image that she held in her heart would be ruined. Men''s minds were unpredictable. This was enough reason for her to refuse Lucas'' advice.


    "It seems you still haven''t understood, my chief. I never suggested that you try to seduce him. I j


    he disciple, who came to report the news, replied.


    Lucilla furrowed her eyebrows and paced back and forth.


    "Chief Lucilla, I''d like to take the lead to buy more time for the Cao Clan. I''ll do my best to delay the game. I hope that Yang can wake up in time!" Travis recommended suddenly.


    Lucilla stopped pacing and directed her gaze to Lucas for advice.


    "It may not be a bad idea," Lucas replied after a moment''s consideration. Technically, Travis was stronger than Mary so he had a good chance at extending the competition''s duration. If Yang woke up in time, then the Cao Clan still had a chance at winning.


    Travis immediately cupped his hands and bowed to Lucilla and Lucas. Without wasting another second, he headed towards the battle ring. But what people failed to see was the horrible smile that began to creep across his face the moment he turned away.


    Meanwhile, Rocky and Juey arrived at the Cao Clan''s waiting area and were surprised by the air of grief that hung over the people. They wondered what was going on.


    "There you are, Mr. Rookie. How''s your injury?" Lucilla asked as she stood up to greet him.


    "Nothing serious. What happened? I have this weird feeling¡­" Rocky immediately asked.


    Once Lucilla told him everything she knew, Rocky turned his gaze towards Travis who, with each step towards the ring, made the strange feeling within him grow stronger.

 Chapter 860 Know Nothing About Beast Curing

    Similar to the beast evaluation competition, the beast curing competition was to see who could best diagnose the injuries and illnesses of the spirit-manipulated beast and then administer proper treatment. The five judges would review the diagnoses and the treatment methods adopted by the competitors before coming to a conclusion about the winner.


    This competition also had three rounds, so the clan which won two or more rounds would become the ultimate winner. To be claimed the champion, a clan would need to defeat all three beast curers from the other clan.


    After the first beast curers of both the clans assumed their positions, two spirit-manipulated beasts, which looked rather weak, were brought out and placed on the table in front for them to make a diagnosis.


    Wasting no time, Travis and the beast curer from the Qi Clan immediately began checking their respective beasts.


    Amidst this tense atmosphere, the audience couldn''t help but notice something strange. Although the beast curer from the Qi Clan had finished his diagnosis and started administering the corresponding treatment on his beast, Travis was still taking his time on his diagnosis. He looked rather laid-back as if he was on vacation and not at a competition.


    "What the hell is our brother doing?" Mary asked with a perplexed expression on her face. She knew Travis''s ability well; by right, he should have finished diagnosing the beast long ago. So why was he standing there doing nothing?


    The members of the Cao Clan had also noticed Travis''s abnormal behavior and exchanged confused glances with each other. It almost seemed like he was slacking off on purpose.


    On the other side, Alexander, the chief of the Qi Clan, cracked a knowing smile in their waiting area.


    "I bet the Cao Clan won''t be able to figure out what''s going on even if they rack their brains for an explanation. Who would have imagined that something like this would happen at such a critical moment?" he sneered.


    "Those who do not have justice on their side will get little help. They should blame themselves for going against the will of the people," Tate added and cast a stern glance at the Cao Clan on the other side.


    "The princess has promised us that she will announce our clan as the first clan of the Timber Deity Empire if we defeat the Cao Clan this time. It''s a pity that the princess and the other princes aren''t here to watch the competition in person due to His Majesty''s sudden summon. If the princess was here, the Cao Clan would have to submit to us rig


    h a smirk, glancing at Mary. Then, he looked at Lucilla for her opinion. As long as Lucilla agreed, things would go smoothly.


    However, Lucilla still hesitated, unable to make up her mind.


    "Right now, we have no other choice but to try Mr. Rookie''s idea," Lucas chimed in from behind. Even if they called other beast curers from their clan now, there was no telling if they would be able to win the competition. Besides, they didn''t have the time. On the other hand, it was clear that Rocky had a plan. Lucas was inclined to trust him since he had witnessed firsthand how Rocky had won the beast evaluation contest for them the other day. If there was any chance of them winning, it would be because of Rocky. They had no choice but to place a bet on him.


    Lucilla trusted Lucas, so she was finally swayed by his words. She bit her lip and turned to Juey. "All right, Miss Juey, get ready for the coming round. You''re our only hope, so do your best! Don''t let us down."


    Although Lucilla''s words were meant to be encouraging, Juey became a little uneasy after hearing them. She had promised Rocky that she would go all out, but this was the first time she would ever participate in a contest, so she felt nervous. Besides, she was worried that she wouldn''t be able to win.


    Seeing the anxious expression on her face, Rocky walked over to her and smiled. He took out the surgical tools bag that he usually used and handed it to her. "Don''t forget your promise to me. Just do your best. I know you can do it!"


    Looking at the ground, Juey took a deep breath. Then, she raised her head and nodded firmly at Rocky. Slowly but steadily, she reached out her hands and took the bag from him.

 Chapter 861 He Is A Traitor

    At this point in the competition, Travis, who suddenly killed the spirit-manipulated beast, looked smug. To everyone''s surprise, he slowly raised his hand and said, "I am ashamed of my lack of capabilities and knowledge, so I choose to sit out this round!"


    As soon as Travis was done speaking, everyone suddenly burst into an uproar.


    It was the last decisive battle between the Cao Clan and the Qi Clan. The competition was so important that the final result would be a tremendously significant boost to both clans. With what Travis did by killing the spirit-manipulated beast, and announcing publicly that he would abstain in public, it was undoubtedly a great blow to the Cao Clan.


    The Cao Clan was well prepared because of Rocky''s warning, but it took a toll on them when they saw Travis gave up in public and went off the platform immediately. What was more intriguing was, Travis didn''t return to the waiting area of the Cao Clan. Instead, he went straight to the Qi Clan''s.


    At this time, everyone in the hall was also discussing. No one seemed to have expected that this would happen at such a critical moment. It looks like someone who was infuriated at the Cao Clan plotted this.


    Because of Travis''s abstention, the beast curer of the Qi Clan won by default. Then, they competed against the second beast curer of the Cao Clan.


    At the same time, Juey was already ready to go on the platform. She nodded solemnly to the crowd including Rocky. Then, she left the waiting area and walked towards the round platform at the center.


    When the Cao Clan decided to send Juey to fight, everyone was surprised. Juey didn''t show up in the first two rounds, and nobody even recognized her. Obviously, she was not a famous or talented beast curer.


    Therefore, everyone suspected that the Cao Clan already gave up the fight with the Qi Clan because they sent such a young girl at this crucial moment.


    "What? Isn''t that my sister? Why on earth did the Cao Clan send her on the stage?" Meanwhile in the waiting area of Qi Clan, Travis was surprised to see Juey as she went up the stage.


    "Really? She''s your sister? Isn''t that Miss Juey of the Xiao Clan?


    re for the Cao Clan, just sit there and watch since you are already here to see the drama. Otherwise, don''t blame me for not interceding in favor of you, the hall leaders..." Lucas said proudly. He showed them that he was not someone to be trifled with. He was just warning Tod and Freddy not to interfere; otherwise, he would be very rude.


    Although Lucas looked gentle most of the time, he changed his demeanor every time he needed to seriously deal with people. After all, Lucas had already been regarded as the superior of the Divine Stage in the Timber Deity Empire. So even though Tod and Freddy had great strength, they were as weak as ants in front of Lucas.


    Upon hearing this, Tod and Freddy exchanged glances with each other. They managed to restrain themselves and they sat down eventually.


    As soon as Tod sat down, he noticed that someone was standing at the corner. It was none other than Rocky. He was staring at the round stage, and his eyes were sharp like the sight of eagles. Of course, he had already heard about the fact that Rocky displayed his amazing strength and helped the Cao Clan out of trouble two days ago since the news had already spread throughout the whole capital. He hadn''t thought that this seemingly ordinary man would be a hidden great beast evaluator. However, it was also because of Rocky that he almost failed his plan to ask Lucilla to let him be the chief when the Cao Clan lost to the Qi Clan.

 Chapter 862 Dont Let Him Down

    However, Tod was secretly glad that Lucilla hadn''t been prepared for the Qi Clan''s tricks in the critical battle. Unless something unexpected happened, the Cao Clan would definitely lose this competition, putting them in a tough spot.


    At this moment, the sharp-eyed Freddy noticed that the participant the Cao Clan was sending on stage was Juey, of all people. "What? Isn''t that Miss Juey of the Xiao Clan? Why is she being sent on stage? From what I heard, she doesn''t know any Beast Curing Skill. Aren''t you just sending her to her death? Lucilla, even though you are the chief of the Cao Clan, you don''t seem to be worried about our clan at all. You''ve just set us up for failure by sending a girl who doesn''t know the Beast Curing Skill at such a critical moment!" he exclaimed aggressively.


    Lucilla''s face darkened with a hint of embarrassment, but she had no words to offer in response since she had just blindly trusted Rocky without knowing his plan. She couldn''t tell them the truth, either, because her uncles would use it as an excuse to ridicule her and take away her post as chief of the Cao Clan.


    "Lucilla, what do you have to say for yourself? If you don''t give us an explanation, we won''t let you go. If the Cao Clan loses the Beast Master Contest this time, you better retire from your position as chief. Otherwise, we will have to invite all the elders of the clan and tell them what happened. That will just cause embarrassment to everyone involved," Tod sneered, trying to drive Lucilla into a corner so that she would give up her position.


    "Uncle, why are you being so unreasonable?" Lucilla gave Tod an exasperated stare.


    "Lucilla, we''re not the ones being unreasonable. You should take responsibility for failing the Cao Clan!" Tod rebuked.


    "Tod, this is not the time or place for this conversation. We can talk about it after the Beast Master Contest," Lucas interje


    had developed an indescribable trust in this young man. Usually, he would never trust an outsider easily. After all, he didn''t know where Rocky had come from. However, he couldn''t help but think that Rocky was a good lad.


    Just then, a cry of surprise came from the crowd. A sharp, strange blade suddenly appeared in Juey''s hand and directly cut open the body of the spirit-manipulated beast that had been fed with anesthetic on the table in front of her, splashing blood everywhere.


    The stark contrast of a delicate girl cutting a beast like a butcher in full view of the public made everyone squirm in their seats.


    Even the people of the Cao Clan blanched in shock. What Juey was doing looked more like murder than treatment.


    "What the hell is she up to? Since the Cao Clan was already going to lose miserably, did you just want to make things worse?" Tod asked while looking scornfully at Lucilla.


    Lucilla ignored him and shot a surprised glance at Rocky.


    "Mr. Rookie, what do you think Miss Juey is doing?" Lucas couldn''t help but ask Rocky.


    All the people of the Cao Clan turned to look expectantly at Rocky. Since he was the one who had insisted on sending her on stage, he was the only one who might be able to explain what she was doing now.

 Chapter 863 Shocked Again

    "What you see now is a Beast Curing Skill that is beyond this era. This kind of Beast Curing Skill will become the most advanced one in the Wild Spirit Land in the future. Therefore, you and everyone here are lucky to witness this historical moment," Rocky said as the corners of his mouth lifted into a smirk.


    All the members of the Cao Clan frowned, feeling perplexed.


    "Advanced Beast Curing Skill? What nonsense! You must be a spy sent by the Qi Clan," Tod retorted immediately.


    "Uncle Tod, if it weren''t for him, the Cao Clan would have lost the competition. If he''s a spy sent by the Qi Clan, whose spy are you since you want the Cao Clan to lose?" Queenie immediately cut in. Obviously, she stood on Rocky''s side.


    "You insolent girl, how dare you talk to me like that?" Tod shouted in outrage.


    "Queenie''s right. If it weren''t for Mr. Rookie, the Cao Clan would have already lost the competition. Therefore, he''s the only one in the Cao Clan who definitely can''t be a spy," Lucilla remarked calmly. Everyone exchanged speechless glances. It was obvious that she would rather believe in Rocky than Tod.


    Tod fumed, but since Lucilla''s words made sense, he had no way to refute her.


    "Mr. Rookie, since you know what Miss Juey is doing, could you explain it to us?" Lucas asked politely, shifting the conversation to a more important topic.


    Everyone turned their gaze to Rocky again.


    "If I''m not wrong, the spirit-manipulated beast on Juey''s table must either have sustained internal injuries or be suffering from a disease that doesn''t show symptoms on the surface. So, she''s healing it using her own method," Rocky explained.


    "By slitting its belly?" Lucilla asked curiously.


    "Yes." Rocky nodded casually, as if slitting the belly was an obvious solution.


    However, the members of the Cao Clan were all shocked. No one had heard of such a method before.


    At this moment, all the eyes of the


    with a gloomy expression on his face.


    "You told me that that your sister doesn''t know any Beast Curing Skill!" Alexander yelled angrily at Travis. Obviously, he thought that Travis had fooled the Qi Clan.


    "Chief Alexander, everyone knows that my sister really doesn''t know any Beast Curing Skill. I don''t know how she won this round," Travis explained in a hurry, bowing.


    "Father, he''s telling the truth. According to our sources, Juey indeed doesn''t know about any Beast Curing Skill. As for how she won, there might be a different reason...or maybe she is just lucky," Tate said calmly. However, he had a weird feeling about this whole matter as well.


    Alexander cooled down a little after hearing this, but he still wasn''t satisfied with their answers. He had a feeling that Juey''s victory had to do with more than just luck.


    However, almost everyone else assumed that Juey had just gotten lucky.


    During the second round, Juey still used the same crude method to treat the spirit-manipulated beast and won.


    When she defeated the beast curer of the Qi Clan for the second time, they couldn''t help but wonder if it was truly just luck or something else.


    And if it wasn''t just luck, what was that strange and bloody Beast Curing Skill that Juey had displayed?

 Chapter 864 Absolute Expectation

    After two intense rounds of fighting, Juey suddenly became the center of the competition as the audience talked about her nonstop.


    Obviously, the Cao Clan found it hard to even acknowledge the fact. At that moment, all of them were stunned as they saw the mystery unfold right in front of their eyes.


    "Does that mean that all this time, Miss Juey is also hiding her true identity?" Lucas could not help but also doubt Juey''s knowledge and skill. He could not comprehend why someone who didn''t know much about the Beast Curing Skill could suddenly defeat a well-known beast curer from the Qi Clan in the Beast Master Contest. In fact, none of it seemed logical to him. To him, the only reasonable explanation would be that Juey intentionally hid her real strength. However, nobody else knew nor suspected her.


    "But how is that possible? As far as I know, Juey has never received any medical training in her life." Mary was also shocked to see Juey this way. But suddenly, Rocky''s words crossed her mind and she thought that he might have something to do with her sister''s strength. Rocky''s competence was really great and powerful. However, the beast evaluating and the beast curing were two different fields, which meant that it could have nothing to do with Rocky at all.


    On the other hand, the Cao Clan saw Juey as the person who gave them a big surprise, following Rocky''s move on giving the clan a new chance.


    Apart from Juey''s amazing performance, her blinding beauty had attracted many people.


    Soon after, the other beast curer from the Qi Clan was sent to the field. This beast curer was revered in the Timber Deity Empire. In fact, his strength was on par with the Xiao Clan''s chief, Raef. Needless to say, it would be very easy for this new player to defeat Juey.


    But to everyone''s surprise, Juey did something out of their expectation. With the help of her frightening method of the Beast Curing Skill, Juey had managed to win two rounds in a row against this second beast curer from the Qi Clan.


    Upon seeing her emerge victorious against a well-known beast curer, everyone in the area had all their eyes fixed on Juey.


    "I didn''t expect that Miss Juey can be so powerful. If I had known that earlier, then I wouldn''t have made fun of her on that trip to the Xiao Clan." Queenie started to reflect on her actio


    ould this be the Miracle Beast Curer, Immortal Hua''s doing?" Lucas''s face turned pale upon making sense of things.


    "I''ve also heard of this name." At the mention of this name, Rocky suddenly remembered that when Sheridan had taught him the Beast Curing Skill, he had once recommended a beast curer named Immortal Hua. It was said that Immortal Hua was only an ordinary doctor for a long time, but later, he seemed to have obtained something unusual which led to him becoming a beast curer. Having excellent medical skills, he was said to be the only beast curer that was as powerful as Sheridan in the Wild Spirit Land. But soon after, he was forgotten by everyone due to his living in seclusion. Undoubtedly, Immortal Hua''s strength was beyond powerful.


    "If Tate''s master is Immortal Hua, then I''m afraid that we would have been caught in the Qi Clan''s plan from the very beginning." Lucas''s eyes grew bigger upon the sudden realization.


    Initially, the Cao Clan underestimated the Qi Clan''s Beast Curing Skill and believed that they would win the fight with the help of the Xiao Clan. Little did they know that the Qi Clan had a powerful ace card up their sleeves. As it turned out, Tate was no other than the all-powerful Immortal Hua''s disciple.


    "Don''t worry, Miss Juey still has a chance," Lucilla said with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.


    Hearing this, the people of the Cao Clan nodded.


    "I don''t think Juey and Tate are a match in terms of power." However, Rocky''s words seemed to put out the hope of Lucilla and others of the Cao Clan.

 Chapter 865 Beyond The Anticipation Of The Audience

    "Tell me, what should we do now then?" Lucilla said anxiously as she gazed at Rocky intently.


    Rocky didn''t answer her as he was lost in his own thoughts.


    As for the Qi Clan, their hopes were high that Tate would be victorious as he was the last contestant of the competition. Moreover, they firmly believed that the Cao Clan could never find a beast curer who could compete against Tate.


    However, the Qi Clan thought wrong because they forgot one person who could crush them¡ªRocky.


    And because of Rocky''s strength, even if he could not beat Tate in the last round, at least he could let the Qi Clan''s plan end in complete failure. If the Qi Clan thought that they were sure to win the game, then what they were thinking about was complete idiotic nonsense!


    However, Rocky also had his concerns because he had grabbed the audience''s attention during the beast evaluation competition. Therefore, if he continued to fight and eventually won for the Cao Clan, then he would not only grab the audience''s attention, but would also make the citizens in the entire Timber Deity Empire be more curious about him. And if this happened, everyone would trace his identity.


    Rocky could not risk his real identity being exposed to the Timber Deity Empire. If anyone in the Timber Deity Empire knew that he was Prince Basil, the situation would turn against his plan and also the Cao Clan''s plan. And worse, his life might even be put in grave danger.


    Therefore, he had reached his limit to compete for the Cao Clan in the beast evaluation competition. If he continued to compete as a beast curer for the Cao Clan, then there would be massive consequences. But what bothered him the most was the fact that if he didn''t participate in the last round, then the Cao Clan would lose everything. Although Juey''s amazing performance was beyond his expectations and went according to plan, the rest of his plan relied on the victory of the Cao Clan against the Qi Clan. If this failed, then he would lose one of the most important key pieces in his plan. The Cao Clan played a very big part in his plan. In other words, without the Cao Clan, his plan would surely be affected and could even be in great trouble.


    The


    ing eyes seemed to recognize the Beast Curing Skill that Tate was using.


    In a flash, the news spread rapidly to every person in the audience. Most of the crowds were shocked when they noticed that the skill Tate used might be the signature skill of the Miracle Beast Curer¡ªImmortal Hua, who had been living in seclusion for a long time now.


    Most of them had heard of Immortal Hua. Back then, he was also a great and prominent figure in the Wild Spirit Land. His strength was almost equal to that of Sheridan, the most powerful beast curer in the land. It was said that Immortal Hua had the unique magical skill which could bring dead spirit-manipulated beasts back to life. Thus, he was called the Miracle Beast Curer. If Tate could cast the Beast-through Radiance Curing Skill, then he was very likely to be the disciple of the hermit Immortal Hua. If so, Tate was obviously powerful, and that perhaps was the reason why the Qi Clan sent him on the stage at such a critical moment.


    The whole crowd were excited about the news. It seemed that everyone was now betting on the Qi Clan to win the contest because of Tate. Juey had performed wonderfully and defeated two beast curers from the Qi Clan during the previous rounds. However, Tate was the disciple of the Miracle Beast Curer after all. If the Qi Clan was uncertain about his strength, then they would never have sent him on the stage.


    Thus, they were also anticipating that Juey would be crushed by Tate!

 Chapter 866 Throwing In The Towel

    However, since Tate performed the Beast-through Radiance Curing Skill, the result of the battle seemed to have already been fixed. Though it was only a short time since Juey learned surgery from Rocky, she had performed impressively in the contest. On the other hand, Tate had been trained on the Beast Curing Skill since childhood. With this, it was understandable that he had the competence and ability of more than an average beast curer. Needless to say, he was not at the same level as the other beast curers who participated in the Beast Master Contest, including Juey.


    In only half an hour, Tate had managed to beat Juey. Diagnosing and treating with utmost speed, Tate surely left the audience in awe. What was more amazing about him was that he didn''t even use his full strength! No wonder it was a piece of cake for him to win over Juey.


    Meanwhile, as Juey tasted defeat, she could not help but feel a little depressed. As the match ended, she returned to the waiting area of the Cao Clan with a guilty face.


    "Hey, don''t worry about it. I saw you there, and I think that you''ve done a good job." Lucilla walked up to her and gave her a pat on the arm in an attempt to comfort her.


    Hearing this, all the people of the Cao Clan who were there nodded in agreement. They knew if it weren''t for Juey, the whole clan would find it difficult to force Tate to go onto the stage and display his incredible strength.


    At that moment, the Cao Clan had to face a very brutal reality. Although they were still qualified to fight again, they could not find and send any beast curer that was on par with Tate''s abilities. Plus, they really could not count on Yang any longer. On the other hand, Mary''s strength was not as strong as Juey''s; thus the clan could not rely on her, either.


    But if the Cao Clan would not be able to send someone to represent them, then that would mean that they had already given up. In other words, the Qi Clan would claim the victory.


    Meanwhile, the entire Cao Clan was in a quandary on how they could save themselves from a brutal loss.


    Lucilla knew how to solve problems well under pressure. But at that moment, she could not seem to make up her mind. As a result, she asked Lucas for his thoughts about the matter.


    "I guess we have no other choice but to send Miss Mary to join the compet


    d have the opportunity to do everything beyond their imagination to repress the Cao Clan.


    "You bastard..." yelled Queenie. At that moment, she was about to burst in anger. She could no longer contain her rage anymore that she wanted to teach Tate a lesson. But all of a sudden, a figure walked up to Lucilla and said, "My dear Lucilla, how could you love such a man with this self-esteem? You shouldn''t have such a bad taste."


    Seeing this figure gave Tate and the members of the Cao Clan quite a shock. This was because the person who addressed Lucilla affectionately was no other than Rocky.


    Just like everyone else, Lucilla was also caught off guard. However, when she turned to look at Rocky, she noticed the calmness and confidence flashing in his eyes, which made her feel secured. After shaking things off, she responded subconsciously, "He always harasses me. I won''t accept a man like him even for free, over my dead body! There is no way he can compete with you..."


    "Really? Then this is only happening because of your incomparable beauty and charm, my dear Lucilla!" As he spoke, he stretched out one hand and wrapped it around Lucilla''s waist. Soon after, he raised her chin ambiguously with his other hand.


    "You..." said Lucilla shyly as she blushed. For a moment, she didn''t know what to do, nor did she even resist Rocky''s actions toward her. At that moment, she let Rocky take the lead and do whatever he wanted with her. Lucilla felt that she was in a trance, as if she could not take her eyes off him out of sheer attraction.

 Chapter 867 Deeply Into Heart

    Everyone in the Cao Clan was completely stunned by what happened. They wondered how Rocky suddenly became so close with their chief.


    And besides that, Rocky already declared that Lucilla was indeed his woman. And, Lucilla, her face flushed, also acquiesced in that. The two looked at each other affectionately, which further confirmed that they were indeed in a relationship.


    In the eyes of other members of Cao Clan, the sudden and inexplicable ambiance between Rocky and Lucilla was very intimate, as if it could not be disturbed.


    When he saw this, Tate suddenly burst into fury as he believed that Lucilla was his. He would never allow another man to touch her. However, he had never expected that Rocky would be so intimate with Lucilla in front of him. He couldn''t wait to crush him into pieces.


    "When did this bastard and my sister..." Queenie was also stunned at what she saw, but at the same time, a strange and unbearable feeling filled her heart.


    Unlike the other astonished Cao Clan members, Lucas displayed a warm and meaningful smile. He didn''t think it was such a terrible thing for Rocky and Lucilla to develop an actual relationship.


    "Lucilla, are you playing with me? Just send another member of your clan to defeat me, or else I swear I will definitely make you beg for forgiveness," Tate blurted out. His words were already a manifestation of how furious he already was.


    His cruel words brought Lucilla back to reality. However, she could not contradict him because it was true that no beast curer in the Cao Clan could defeat Tate. The fate of the Cao Clan had already been decided after Tate showed his greatly incredible power.


    All of a sudden, a wild burst of laughter broke the silence of the hall. The people of the Cao Clan looked towards the direction of the sound with immense surprise. They saw that the wild laughter was coming from Rocky, who had already let go of Lucilla. He looked at Tate with a disdainful face and said, "Defeat you? You really think that you are that strong? You make me laugh." His tone was full of arrogance, like a king who ruled the entire world.


    "What do you mean by that? Do you seriously


    She wanted to know the whole truth.


    Juey slowly nodded in agreement.


    Everyone in the Cao Clan was shocked because they did not expect that Rocky had really taught Juey the Beast Curing Skill. Of course, it was hard for them to imagine that besides his astonishing strength on beast evaluation, Rocky also had a hidden strength on curing beasts. What''s more impressive was he also prepared Juey, a disciple of his who gave them great honor because of her amazing performance in the contest just now. Everyone anticipated that Rocky''s strength on curing beasts was also beyond their imagination.


    "However, Tate is the disciple of Immortal Hua after all. His strength cannot be underestimated. Even if Mr. Rookie has outstanding strength in the aspect of curing beasts, I assume that he would not be able to harness such a unique skill as the Heavenly Shadow Evaluation Skill. Moreover, the battle between Tate and Miss Juey did not display Tate''s full strength. So, can Mr. Rookie defeat him?" Lucas said with utmost worry.


    "But now, Mr. Rookie is the only hope of the Cao Clan. We have to trust him with all our hearts..." Lucilla clenched her right fist and placed it on her heart. She could no longer look away from Rocky. She couldn''t even calm down either. Meanwhile, she still did not step out from the sense of security that Rocky gave her. It seemed that it had deeply penetrated into her heart, and she couldn''t get rid of it.

 Chapter 868 Lets Wait And See

    The entire hall broke into an uproar the moment that Rocky stepped foot on the stage, as the crowd practically hollered the roof down because they knew that it was him who defeated the mighty Carter two days ago with the Heavenly Shadow Evaluation Skill, which had been lost for years. The way that he displayed the unique skill was still fresh in their vivid memories. This time, they craned their necks and restlessly shifted in their seats, excited for whatever exciting tricks that he had up his sleeves.


    His appearance made the contest more interesting, and the audience exclaimed that their effort to come had certainly paid off.


    Until that day, none of them knew the real identity of this mysterious beast evaluator, except the members of the Cao Clan. They didn''t know who he was or where he came from, and he was an enigma for them.


    But regardless of who he was, he had taken part in the life and death battle of the two clans, and since it was regarding beast curing, then he must have come to fight for the Cao Clan as a beast curer.


    Of course, all the people were still puzzled about something. They had learned that Rocky was an outstanding beast evaluator, which he must have worked hard to become, but now it turned out that he was a beast curer too. Because of this, they were looking forward to what he was going to do next, as no one had ever played these two roles at the same contest. Anyway, there was no rule that competitors could not fight in two or even three contests. As the old saying went, every cultivator had their unique skills for hunt. As for a beast master, there were three completely different fields that they could participate in. These were beast evaluation, beast curing, and beast taming, and all of them were connected but also divided in a specific way.


    From ancient times to the present, it was very rare for a beast master to be good in two fields among the three, because all the three fields were broad and profound. It was enough for a beast master to study one of them for a lifetime, and in most cases, many beast masters couldn''t grasp all the essences of the field that they chose, even unto the end of their life. If there was any beast master who studied across the fields, he


    to Tate''s eyes calmly with a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.


    Suddenly, Tate raised his hands and conducted the Beast-through Radiance Curing Skill on the spirit-manipulated beast that was lying on his table, and it successfully aroused an uproar among the audience. Beast-through Radiance Curing Skill was truly a striking Beast Curing Skill.


    While Tate was strutting proudly, pleased that his unique skill had attracted the attention of all the people in the hall, Rocky was taking his time to observe the spirit-manipulated beast''s injury. He already realized what was wrong with the beast a while ago though, as he had mastered his beast curing skill to perfection.


    As the audience calmed down, some of them with sharp eyes had found that the method Rocky was using right now was similar to that of Juey.


    After the diagnosis, Rocky turned his hand over and the bag, which Juey had used in the previous round and had returned to him, showed up on his hand. Opening the bag, he took a scalpel and opened the spirit-manipulated beast''s belly with precise but light movements.


    A louder ruckus swept the audience in the hall. With Rocky''s actions, he had made it clear that Juey and he were from the same sect, which was a shocking revelation to everyone present.


    That was to say, Rocky also knew how to use the Beast Curing Skill which Juey used to defeat two of the beast curers from the Qi Clan before. And it was also likely that he could use it better than her.

 Chapter 869 Letting Win On Purpose

    "Did this mysterious master from Cao Clan come from the same sect as the previous one?"


    "Maybe they are fellow apprentices..."


    "But I have never seen this kind of Beast Curing Skill before. Who created it?"


    "From the previous rounds, although the Beast Curing Skill seems very cruel, it seems to have magical effects."


    At this time, everyone in the competition hall was talking about Rocky.


    All the people present were stunned when they found out that Rocky was practicing the skill much faster than Juey had. So much so that they couldn''t even see it clearly. During the continuous movement of Rocky''s hands, the spirit-manipulated beast''s wound, which was bleeding just a few minutes ago, was quickly sewn up.


    "How fast!" Many people let out shouts of disbelief and amazement.


    On the side of the Cao Clan, Lucilla and others were also shocked by the Beast Curing Skill that Rocky showed, although they knew that Rocky was the one who taught Juey her Beast Curing Skill. Indeed, they thought that the Beast Curing Skill that Juey performed was already amazing on its own, as she had already defeated two beast curers of the Qi Clan with it. However, they didn''t expect that Rocky''s ability to perform this Beast Curing Skill was above and beyond their imagination.


    "Where did Mr. Rookie learn the Beast Curing Skill?" At this time, Lucas was greatly shocked. Even a person like him, who had a wide range of knowledge, had never heard about this strange but extremely powerful Beast Curing Skill on Wild Spirit Land.


    Of course, he was not the only one who was suspicious. After Rocky performed his sensational skill in the Beast Evaluation Competition, he became even more skillful in the Beast Curing Competition, which startled all the audience.


    On the other hand, Tate had also completed his diagnosis and treatment at the same time.


    After the treatment, Tate saw that Rocky had also completed his task at the same speed, and his face fell in dismay. But he motivated himself with the thought that Rocky would not win this round because he had executed his skill perfectly, just as how it was done by its creator and his master, Immortal Hua. His Beast Curing Skill wa


    er of the Beast-through Radiance Curing Skill so easily.


    "The Beast-through Radiance Curing Skill is similar to Radiance Evaluation Skill if we look at the way both skills diagnose the symptoms inside the bodies of spirit-manipulated beasts." While everyone was practically in hysterics because of Rocky''s use of the Beast-through Radiance Curing Skill, he was standing on the stage with the air and posture of a scholar. It was like he was conducting experimental research rather than competing.


    Earlier, as Juey and Tate competed against each other, Rocky studied the treatment method of the Beast-through Radiance Curing Skill that Tate had used on the spirit-manipulated beast. He found that the technique was similar to the method of Radiance Evaluation Skill, so he was somewhat interested in it.


    Therefore, during the first round of the competition, Rocky didn''t put his mind on the diagnosis and treatment of the spirit-manipulated beast. He concentrated instead on observing the method of Beast-through Radiance Curing Skill and the circulation of the spirit-manipulated beast initiated by Tate, with his Mysterious Visual Evaluation Skill. After that, Rocky''s observation was recorded and imitated in his brain.


    That was why Juey didn''t think that Rocky was devoting all his strength. That was to say, Rocky deliberately threw the first round of the competition and let Tate win, just so he could study his Beast-through Radiance Curing Skill.

 Chapter 870 The Last Hope

    In the eyes of everyone watching, the result was that Rocky had successfully imitated the Beast-through Radiance Curing Skill, the same method that Tate had used before.


    In fact, what Rocky had performed was a diagnosis method based on the Radiance Evaluation Skill. However, it had the same effect as that of the Beast-through Radiance Curing Skill, so no one knew the truth except him.


    Naturally, this caused a great uproar in the competition hall.


    "It''s impossible! You couldn''t have used the Beast-through Radiance Curing Skill," Tate yelled. He was unable to believe what he had just seen with his own eyes.


    Rocky just shot Tate a dismissive glance before continuing his diagnosis. Soon, he found out that the spirit-manipulated beast before him had sustained internal injuries, causing it to have blood clots that blocked some of its crucial meridians completely. If the beast was not treated in time, it would end up permanently paralyzed.


    But as long as the surgery was performed soon, the beast would recover. However, the surgery was a time-consuming one. Even though the result would be positive, performing the surgery during the competition would be a bad idea.


    ''Luckily, I''ve made some preparations in advance, otherwise I might have been in trouble, '' Rocky thought to himself with a slight smirk. All of a sudden, his right hand glowed and his spiritual power began to flow through his right palm.


    "Isn''t that our Holy Life Saving Hand?" exclaimed Mary in the waiting area of the Cao Clan, covering her mouth with her hand in surprise.


    All the members of the Cao Clan were shocked to hear that. Rocky, who had just used the same diagnosis method as Tate''s, was now using the Holy Life Saving Hand of the Xiao Clan.


    It was extraordinary for a beast c


    cilla nodded appreciatively at Rocky. However, there was a complex expression in her eyes as she recalled what Lucas had said to her yesterday.


    Rocky nodded back, and then took his seat and closed his eyes in silence.


    Seeing that, the members of the Cao Clan quietly returned to their seats as well, not daring to disturb him.


    After about fifteen minutes, Rocky and Tate returned to the platform for the last round of the competition.


    "I won''t let you win. Both the Cao Clan and Lucilla are mine. You''d better disappear as soon as possible. Otherwise, I swear I will kill you," Tate threatened as soon as he stepped onto the platform.


    Rocky just glanced at him in response before walking to his table without a word.


    Soon, the two beasts for the competition were carried to the tables in front of them.


    The last round began.


    Rocky began using his newly-developed method to diagnose the spirit-manipulated beast in front of him by channeling his spiritual power into its body, but all of a sudden, the beast convulsed and died with blood flowing from its seven orifices.


    This was beyond everyone''s expectation. All of a sudden, the hall fell into pin-drop silence.

 Chapter 871 Resurrection

    The competition hall immediately broke into an uproar. Everyone looked at each other in dismay and began whispering. No one knew why the spirit-manipulated beast in front of Rocky had suddenly died!


    The members of the Cao Clan were equally shocked, but they were also overwhelmed with worry. According to the rules of the beast curing competition, if a spirit-manipulated beast suddenly died during treatment, its beast curer would immediately be disqualified as they must have made a big mistake. In that case, the beast curer of the opposite clan would automatically win.


    At the sight of the abnormal death of his spirit-manipulated beast, Rocky became serious and his eyes turned cold. He looked up at Tate and found him staring back with a sinister smile on his face.


    As soon as he saw that, Rocky knew what had happened. The Qi Clan had played a dirty trick because they were afraid that he would win the last round of the competition and lead the Cao Clan to victory. Since they planned to surpass the Cao Clan in the Beast Master Contest and replace it to become the largest clan in the Timber Deity Empire, they would obviously not allow it to happen.


    Upon seeing the sudden death of Rocky''s spirit-manipulated beast, the five judges on the platform immediately had a brief discussion. Then, they announced that the victory of the last round belonged to the Qi Clan due to Rocky''s fatal error.


    Hearing this result, the audience once again burst into an uproar, this time out of disappointment. The final round was supposed to be thrilling and exciting, but the inexplicable death of Rocky''s spirit-manipulated beast had led to the competition ending suddenly.


    Besides, many of them had their suspicions about what had gone on. After all, the Beast Curing Skills that Rocky had displayed in the first two rounds prove


    aising his eyebrows.


    "How dare you threaten us?" one of the judges asked softly. All of them were stunned and worried after hearing Rocky''s threat. The truth was, with their experience, they could immediately tell that something was wrong with the sudden death of Rocky''s spirit-manipulated beast. However, they had turned a blind eye to it. After all, the general public favored the victory of the Qi Clan. What was more, the Qi Clan had the support of Princess Alyssa.


    Never had the five judges imagined that Rocky would be bold enough to challenge them openly like this. But even though the fault was on their side, they were more likely to be questioned if they suddenly changed their judgment now, so they didn''t intend to give in.


    Therefore, the situation was deadlocked.


    Just then, a cold and arrogant voice rang out. "Let''s continue the competition!"


    Everyone turned toward the source of the voice in shock. They had not noticed the two figures that had appeared next to the platform in silence.


    And one of them was powerful, cold, arrogant, and exceedingly beautiful.


    There was only one person in the whole Timber Deity Empire who possessed such an imposing aura and stunning appearance¡ªAlyssa.

 Chapter 872 Witness Together

    Meanwhile, the once tensed atmosphere became bustling again after Alyssa''s sudden appearance. At that moment, people started whispering to each other and talked about why Alyssa was there, when in fact, she should have been with the emperor in the first place.


    Together with her was his younger brother, Woods, the sixth prince of the emperor.


    On the other hand, Rocky was also stunned to see the siblings. He gazed at them for a while until his eyes met with Woods'' and realized that Woods arranged this whole thing. As a result, Rocky could not help but heave a deep sigh. However, Rocky had to admit that the two siblings appeared in just the right time. If they came in later or never at all, then it would be much harder for him to turn the tide for the Cao Clan''s fate.


    "Your Royal Highness, what a surprise! What brings you here today?" All the five judges stood up and lowered their heads to Alyssa and Woods'' presence. They might look very welcoming, but deep inside, all the five judges could not wrap their heads around as to why these two showed up without any warning. In fact, these judges were ashamed to let the siblings see how Rocky was questioning them.


    But Alyssa didn''t utter a single word to them; instead, she placed her eyes on Rocky and examined him with utmost curiosity.


    "Please, allow me to explain the situation, Your Royal Highness," one of the judges said as he carefully chose his words in an attempt to please Alyssa. But Alyssa raised her hand and stopped him from talking further. "There is no need. I have seen and learned everything first-hand. Did you not hear what I had just said?" she replied. Afterwards, she slowly swept her eyes over the five judges in front of her.


    Meanwhile, the five judges could not help but stare on the floor and break out in cold sweat as Alyssa stared at them. Perhaps, they were ashamed at the thought that both Princess Alyssa and Prince Woods were there and witnessed the whole ordeal without letting them know. If that were the case, then the two siblings must have witnessed everything that happened just a while ago with their own eyes. Maybe, that was also the reason why the princess did not need their explanation.


    In this case, the judges felt afraid for their lives. After all, they knew that there were dirty tricks in the final round. They did not know what to do now that the princess was ordering them to continue with the competition.


    But since the princess said so, they had no choice but to obey her orders. Moreover, a lot of people were watching them, an


    g task I''ve ever had in my life so far, '' thought Rocky as be rubbed his hands together in preparation for the surgery.


    Meanwhile, without batting an eyelash, the audience had their eyes glued to Rocky as they were afraid to miss a single moment of it. Rocky''s hands flew above the lifeless beast, too fast for the audience to see clearly with the naked eye. His calmness, along with the organized way he did the surgery, made the people believe that he could bring the beast back to life.


    On the other side of the battlefield, Alyssa also fixed her eyes on Rocky as she nervously watched how he tried to cure the spirit-manipulated beast on the table.


    "I''ve told you that you will not regret your decision as long as you follow me here," Woods whispered from aside, laughing at Alyssa''s reaction.


    Going back, Woods came to see Alyssa after meeting the emperor. "Hey, do you want to go somewhere out of here?" Woods asked his sister. But at that moment, Alyssa had no idea that her brother was taking her to the Qi Clan''s place. Soon after, Woods slipped her into the contest hall and saw Rocky up on the stage again, representing the Cao Clan. But this time, Rocky had to face Tate, the apprentice of the Miracle Beast Curer. Seeing this, Alyssa became curious as to what Rocky could offer in the competition against such a renowned opponent.


    By the time Rocky''s spirit-manipulated beast died on the table, Alyssa had a hunch that something fishy was going on. She held on for quite a while and observed what Rocky would do next. But when she heard Rocky exclaim that he could bring the dead beast back to life, Alyssa''s interest peaked, pushing her to stand out and give him a helping hand.

 Chapter 873 Bring It Back To Life

    Alyssa doubted that Rocky could bring the dead spirit-manipulated beast back to life. After all, she had stayed in the territory of the spiritual race for a long time, and she knew that the dead couldn''t be brought back to life even with the skills passed down by the spiritual race, let alone with a Beast Curing Skill passed down by mere humans in the Wild Spirit Land.


    However, when she had been in the dark with Woods a while ago, she had seen Rocky openly challenging the authority of the five judges and claiming that he could bring the dead spirit-manipulated beast back to life. Judging from the expression on his face and the way he spoke, he seemed to have absolute confidence in his words.


    "Have you found out where he came from?" Alyssa asked Woods. As soon as she had seen Rocky''s amazing abilities in the beast evaluation competition two days ago, she had taken an interest in him and asked Woods to secretly investigate him.


    "Well, I haven''t, but I can assure you that he isn''t from the Timber Deity Empire," Woods replied. In fact, he was lying. He hadn''t investigated Rocky at all because he already knew the real extent of Rocky''s abilities. However, it was not the right time to expose his identity. Besides, he was sure that even if he didn''t tell Alyssa the truth, she would find out who Rocky was soon enough.


    Alyssa turned her gaze to Rocky and watched him intently. From the very first moment she had laid eyes on him, she had felt an inexplicable familiarity.


    At this moment, Rocky was completely immersed in the task ahead, devoting all his strength to it.


    Meanwhile, Tate, his opponent, also continued with the last stage of his treatment.


    Both of them were racing against time, and the one who could finish


    ition hall went deathly silent. No one could believe their eyes. Some of them even pinched themselves to make sure that they weren''t dreaming. Just as he had said, Rocky had brought the spirit-manipulated beast back to life!


    "It''s... it''s impossible." Tate, who had been beaming with pride, was astonished.


    The members of the Qi Clan, who thought that they would definitely win, suddenly became silent. Alexander clenched his fists, and the table beside him turned into powder in a flash.


    In the waiting area of the Cao Clan, everyone was in a daze. When they finally came back to their senses, they began exclaiming in awe.


    "He... really did it?" Lucilla breathed, trembling in surprise.


    "He really is a miracle!" Lucas gasped, his face filled with excitement.


    "Is there anything that he can''t do? Damn, why does he have to be so powerful? It seems that I can''t make fun of him anymore." Queenie pouted, furrowing her eyebrows.


    As for Alyssa, she was equally as stunned as everyone else. Even though she had been curious about what Rocky would do, she had never imagined that he could actually bring a dead spirit-manipulated beast back to life.

 Chapter 874 Take The Man Back

    "Fucking hell, this is just...an outrage!" Tate howled in fury, unable to hold back any longer. Everyone gathered within the competition hall stared in awestruck amazement at the incredible display of magical skill that Rocky had unveiled. He had brought a dying spirit-manipulated beast to life seemingly without effort, and Tate saw red as he glowered back at Rocky as though he''d burn him to the ground if he could.


    It was a masterstroke of excellence: Rocky''s strategy of reviving the spirit-manipulated beast had shaken Tate to his very core. And with the final decision still up in the air, this was enough to humiliate Tate in the finest fashion, being a prominent disciple of a famous beast-curing master. This display was all the proof needed to show that Tate was no match for Rocky, who could bring dead spirit-manipulated beasts to life with simplicity. This could be the biggest humiliation that he''d ever suffered. But beyond that, he was keenly aware that this could be Rocky''s finishing blow, with every likelihood of snatching victory by displaying such an impressive resurrection skill.


    It''s with that hellish thought that propelled Tate''s rage, fueling him into a desperate rush forward like a vicious bull rearing to tear someone from limb to limb. And he headed straight towards Rocky in a searing fury, his Supernal Stage spiritual power rippling and surging all around him with every murderous intent to tear Rocky apart.


    Tate''s sudden attack shocked everyone present as he rushed forward, causing screaming to erupt in the stands.


    The speed of the assault was so quick that no one could respond.


    Tate materialized before Rocky and screamed, "Ice Flowers Bury Sea!"


    Spiritual power erupted from Tate, transforming into beautiful, deadly ice flowers rapidly flowing out of him. Without warning, this avalanche of blossoms surrounded Rocky in all directions.


    With his strength already at the Supernal Stage, Tate''s attack was powerful. His full strength was hurled on Rocky in a single minded attempt to kill him.


    "Mr. Rookie, look out!" Lucas cried out from where he was positioned with t


    her shock.


    The people around them that beheld this scene looked at each other in confusion, unable to understand their reaction to one another.


    Because he seemed to be the only one in the area that knew the truth, Woods was deep in thought as he watched Alyssa and Rocky gaze at each other. He''d never quite seen his sister taken so aback, as she had always been so spirited and decisive in all of her actions. Nothing could''ve frightened her...until this moment.


    In a quick movement, Alyssa flashed up to Rocky. Without warning, she cracked open the Magic Spiritual Space. A massive figure stepped out of it, so tremendous that it blotted out the sky, with the aura of a six-star beast emanating from its form.


    The people in the grounds stood rooted to the spot in shock at the sight of such a powerful six-star spirit-manipulated beast. It was of such strength and power that it was an exceedingly rare sight.


    And without warning, Alyssa grabbed Rocky''s arm, dragging him onto that giant figure, and the massive beast rose into the air.


    "Brother, handle all of this! I''m leaving everything to you!" And with that command, Alyssa departed the area with Rocky in tow, both astride the spirit-manipulated beast.


    The onlookers were stunned beyond words. Alyssa had brazenly kidnapped Rocky in front of so many people, with the casual air of someone merely snatching their lover back out from a crowd.

 Chapter 875 Past Grudges

    "See you later, sister. Don''t come back too late." Woods was a little surprised that Alyssa had taken away Rocky in front of so many people. Since his sister saved Rocky from Tate, who was trying to kill him, he was assured that he didn''t have to worry too much about what his sister would do to Rocky after she abducted him. On the contrary, he thought that there could be something interesting that was happening between his sister and Rocky. Of course, it was none of his business, as he knew that it was just a grudge between them, and the doer was responsible for undoing what he had done. Therefore, he did not need to do anything, and he should just stay back and watch what would happen next.


    He walked from the judge''s platform to the round platform and soon arrived at its center, staring back at the people who were still in a state of shock. He declared with a smile, "Today''s competition is over. As for the result of the last round, it will be announced tomorrow. You all may leave now."


    The crowd burst in an uproar instantly, as no one seemed to be willing to leave because they wanted to know why Princess Alyssa of the Timber Deity Empire suddenly took away the mysterious Cao Clan''s beast master.


    Seeing that no one was willing to leave, Woods shook his head and grinned bitterly. It seemed that everyone was shocked at her sister''s actions. Who would not be? Their princess just kidnapped the man before their very eyes. But he had no intention of explaining for her.


    "Your Royal Highness, why did Princess Alyssa injure my son?" Alexander asked Woods in anger after he went to the round platform to check on Tate''s wound.


    "Why? Do you still need to ask why? Everyone here saw what he was about to do. You should ask your son why he suddenly attacked the beast master of the Cao Clan." Woods had planned to ignore the Qi Clan because what Tate did to Rocky was unforgivable, but for Samson''s sake, he planned to deal with


    ddy didn''t go with the crowd, as they seemed to have other plans. Alyssa and Rocky sat on the back of the giant spirit-manipulated beast far away from the Qi mansion, saying nothing.


    Although Rocky was kidnapped by Alyssa, he had looked very calm while it was happening. And Alyssa had stared at him with such a strange and complicated expression as if the single look amounted to a thousand words and years of history between them.


    It was natural for her to have that reaction because she had believed that Rocky was dead for a long time, and the clue that could remove the curse from her was lost. Hence, she felt discouraged. From an objective point of view, Rocky''s death was good for the Timber Deity Empire and its plans. But for her, his death was like her last hope that had been dashed, because Rocky, whom she had been trying so hard to look for, was the clue that could remove the curse from her.


    Hence, during the period of Rocky''s death, Alyssa had been disconcerted by a complex and strong feeling. It was the first time that she had felt it, and she had been so troubled like her heart was occupied by something invisible and untouchable.


    Although her mind settled as still water, she couldn''t help but think of Rocky from time to time. It had never happened to her before.

 Chapter 876 Complex Feelings

    Alyssa had had a rough time during the period when Rocky had been assumed dead. Even rougher than the immense dangers she had faced in the spiritual race land. She had turned into a completely different person in that period, and all was just for a man.


    The same man who was suddenly right in front of her after all she had had to endure. There had been no warnings, nothing to help prepare her for this moment, making it very hard for her to accept.


    Her initial instinct should have been to lash out at him in anger. Essentially, he had fooled her for all this time, playing dead and tormenting her in the process. However, seeing him in front of her, hale and hearty, none of her anger would stir to life. Instead, an overwhelming sense of pleasant surprise overcame her.


    All of a sudden, she wasn''t sure how to face Rocky. As happy as she was to see him, a part of her was still seething at the fact that he had faked his own death. The sane part of her mind knew she couldn''t just kill Rocky or do anything to punish him. After all, he held the only clue to help remove the curse on her.


    The other part, well, it couldn''t help but be elated to be able to see Rocky again. She blinked her lashes rapidly over her eyes, trying to obscure the complex feelings hiding behind them but failed.


    "Have you looked your fill? It has only been a little over a month since we last saw one another. Did you really miss me that much?" Rocky teased Alyssa who was now staring at him blankly. Seeing Alyssa so lost in thought appealed to him. It reminded him of a girl in her youth, longing for her lover. Once she was back to her senses, she slid back to her now-familiar arrogance.


    She snorted derisively, staring poin


    ed at her strange reaction to him while stroking his jaw.


    "Woods? When did you see him?" Alyssa perked up her ears hearing her brother''s name.


    "A few days ago." Rocky smiled.


    "He knew! He knew you were still alive, yet he didn''t tell me." Her face darkened in fury.


    "I told him not to tell you. I think he was also worried about what you would do to me if you found out. Anyhow, I saved his life." With a smile still drawn on his face, Rocky attempted to defend Woods.


    "Well, he doesn''t know that you are..." Alyssa stopped before accidentally letting out the secret she had been keeping.


    Noticing that Alyssa was trying to hide something from him, Rocky frowned. He asked, "Where are you taking me?"


    The question gave her a pause. She hadn''t really thought of where she was taking him, only that she wanted to get him out of here. Her body had been acting of its own volition in an instinct so she hadn''t had the time to analyze. Alyssa knew that this was nothing like her, and this wasn''t how she normally handled things. It didn''t take a genius to realize that it was Rocky''s effect on her that was making her act this way.

 Chapter 877 Were Being Followed

    "You should go back with me first. I have to verify something, but it may take some time to prepare," Alyssa demanded, thinking that this was a good chance. Now that Rocky had shown his face again, the riddle of her curse was likely to be solved, and she would never give up this opportunity.


    "Do I even have a choice?" Rocky protested. Although he didn''t know what Alyssa was up to, it wasn''t her style to be so nice to him, so he could not help but feel suspicious. She could be hiding something from him.


    "No, you can''t go anywhere else right now! Just follow me quietly. If I see that you have even the slightest intention of running away, I will break your legs," Alyssa warned him with a glare. "Of course, if you obey me, I won''t make things difficult for you. I will even allow you to leave as soon as I figure out what I want to know. That way, you can go back to the Holy Dragon Empire if you want..." Alyssa''s tone softened after she met Rocky''s defiant gaze as if she was beseeching him to cooperate with her.


    ''She wants something from me, '' he guessed. ''Otherwise, she would not treat me so politely.''


    "I''ll take your silence as an agreement then," Alyssa continued with a glance at Rocky, who was thinking hard.


    "I don''t have the right to say no, do I?" Rocky''s lips curled in a wry smile. He was lucky enough to be kept alive after he was seized by Alyssa. If she didn''t want to kill him, he might as well obey her for the time being and wait to see what exactly she was up to. Besides, he still had work to do. He needed to meet with Woods to arrange his plan.


    Alyssa only threw a heated glare in his direction but did not acknowledge his words. Just as she was about to make her spirit-manipulated beast fly towards her manor, which was located in the northern suburb of the capital, a burst of maniacal laughter surrounded them, echoing louder and louder with each second that passed by. It was followed by an aura of a powerful creature.


    As soon as Alyssa sensed the powerful aura, a look of alarm flashed across her face. Rocky frow


    he explosion was so powerful that it blasted the surrounding trees into ashes, and the thunderous noise shook the earth beneath their feet.


    However, before Rocky realized what had happened, Alyssa had landed on him. He felt the softness of her body in his arms, and his nose was filled with a whiff of her womanly fragrance.


    After a short pause wherein she was too surprised to react, she hurriedly got up from the ground. Her cheeks were delightfully flushed. And for a moment, Rocky was distracted because she was a woman who was normally cold to men. It was strange to see her acting so shy. And if it were any other man who touched her as Rocky did earlier, although it was no fault of his, he would have been killed as soon as their skins touched.


    Rocky was just about to get up when she shushed him with one hand and pressed the other against the ground.


    "Distort the space and help hide us." Alyssa whispered the spell hastily. A unique spiritual power burst from Alyssa''s hand and spread on the ground quickly, and strange runes rippled around them like cobwebs. In the next breath, the environment within a ten-meter radius transformed as if the previous place did not exist.


    Hardly had the change taken place when those two from the spiritual race arrived. They looked around for the trace of Rocky and Alyssa who were hiding only several steps from them.

 Chapter 878 The Two Spiritual Race Members

    Rocky examined them carefully and discovered them to be hideous.


    One of them was a dwarf with a rough face and fangs. His height was only half of a normal man''s height and he even had a sharp tail behind him. The other one had a more normal look than his partner, but his face was so rough and uneven as if it had been hit by something. He was dressed in leather clothes with a scale on his chest that was as big as a coin.


    "It''s strange. The smell was here not too long ago. How could they just suddenly disappear?" the dwarf asked immediately after landing.


    "They must be somewhere nearby. Let''s look for them separately," the other replied.


    Then, the two spiritual race members split up and disappeared in place.


    When the two of them left, Alyssa was relieved. She looked up while smoothing her messy hair, and met Rocky''s eyes. She suddenly remembered that she was in his arms earlier and she felt a little embarrassed.


    "Which clan of spiritual race are they from?" Rocky asked curiously.


    "They are from the Heavenly Demon Clan," Alyssa responded.


    "Are they strong?" Rocky asked.


    "They''re just ordinary. However, they''re not that easy to defeat for most of the spirit manipulators. And their strength is only a bit weaker than mine," Alyssa said contemptuously while her face looked otherwise.


    "If they''re weaker than you, why did you run away as soon as you saw them? Why didn''t you just beat them up?" Rocky questioned as he sensed that something was on Alyssa''s mind.


    "It''s none of your business!" she exclaimed impatiently.


    "I know why you''re afraid of them. It''s because you don''t think you can defeat them, do you?" he asked, deliberately provoking her.


    "I''m not afraid if it''s a one-on-one match. However, considering you''re not helping me and that would make


    r. However, this wasn''t the first time these two spiritual race members named Earthrise and Skyfall bothered her.


    "Now, Princess Alyssa, we won''t put you on the spot as long as you obey us and allow us to take your guardian beast Moon Fox back to our lord. After all, we''re just following orders," Earthrise, the dwarf, explained with his face twitching and his mouth wide open like a wild boar. However, his eyes were filled with lust as he stared at Alyssa. Although the spiritual race was strong and extraordinary, they still possessed the same desire as humans.


    "I''ve already told you that I''m not giving up my Moon Fox," Alyssa answered coldly.


    "The Demon Lord told us that if you were unwilling to submit, then we''d invite you to our Heavenly Demon Clan where he will personally talk to you. However, the lord has no patience and isn''t as soft-hearted as we are. He may be rude and use rougher means of convincing you. So please, Princess Alyssa, think over all of this and choose very carefully," Skyfall threatened in a low, hoarse voice.


    "And what makes you so certain of your words? Take me back to your clan with just you two? I''m afraid you''re both delusional!" Alyssa sneered.

 Chapter 879 Danger All Around

    "You son of a bitch! You are not even qualified to lift my shoes!" Alyssa said haughtily, in a manner that showed that she was, indeed, a princess.


    "Stop talking nonsense with her. Just take her back to the Demon Lord." It seemed that Skyfall had grown tired of arguing, as he was ready to just lug her around like a sack of potatoes.


    At this time, Rocky was silently watching the two members of Heavenly Demon Clan. They were similar to the Dark Lord he had met before, and their strength was also above the Divine Stage. Although he didn''t know which level they were at, their aura was just a little weaker than Alyssa''s, so she was probably right when she said that it would be difficult to win if she fought against the two.


    At this moment, Rocky suddenly heard a mosquito-like voice in his ear, and he resisted looking around for its source, as he already knew who it could be. "Listen, I will stall them later, and you should take that chance to get away from here. Their Divinity Surrounding Enchantment will only work on me, so it should not affect you. Once you escape from here, head to the Qi Clan''s mansion, and I will catch up with you there. But if you dare to disappear again, I will find you and kill you myself, even if I have to turn the entire Timber Deity Empire upside down to do so!"


    Hearing that, the corners of Rocky''s mouth curled up into a smile. He looked at Alyssa and met her eyes then nodded slightly.


    When she saw that Rocky had understood her words, Alyssa immediately turned to summon her spirit-manipulated beast. In an instant, the sky was covered by a huge shadow, and the aura of six-star power was everywhere.


    Seeing that Alyssa didn''t want to yield, Skyfall and Earthrise looked at each other, and without any more words, they rushed toward her at a speed that was several times faster than lightning with the Divine Stage spiritual power.


    "Go!" Alyssa immediately called out to Rocky and then went up to the enemies with her spirit-manipulated beast.


    Since Skyfall and Earthrise''s target was Alyssa, they didn''t take Rocky seriously. So, in a blink of an eye, Rocky left easily and disappeared into the distance.


    Now that Rocky was gone, Alyss


    Of course, Alyssa knew that she could not summon Moon Fox now, because if she did, it would give a chance for Skyfall and Earthrise to take it away. However, Skyfall was right. With her strength, she could never beat them and the two guardian beasts.


    At this moment, Alyssa was in unprecedented danger.


    "It seems that I have to give her an even harder time!" Earthrise smirked and rushed toward Alyssa with his Crouching Demon.


    "Ghost Hand Trap!" Earthrise motioned with his hands and created an enchantment, then he took out a few demon runes which were unique to Heavenly Demon Clan from his pocket. He burned them with his spiritual power and then sprinkled its ashes into the wind.


    Wherever the ashes touched the ground, countless ghost hands erupted from within and reached out to grab Alyssa.


    She turned at the last second and dodged the phantom hands, but Earthrise''s guardian beast, the Crouching Demon, suddenly appeared in front of her. It caught her off-guard, as it launched a fierce attack with its hawk-like claws.


    She hastily folded her hands and released her spiritual power, which instantly turned into a shield shadow with dazzling light. The flaming balls crashed onto the shield and triggered an explosion of sparks and vivid flashes of light. However, she was forced back to the ground by the fierce attack of the Crouching Demon. As soon as she fell to the ground, her feet and arms were captured by the countless phantom hands¡­

 Chapter 880 Be Good

    "Oh, my!" Alyssa shouted. Her face turned pale, as her feet were entangled by the hands coming out from the ground. She immediately increased her spiritual power to get rid of those hands with all her strength.


    Seeing that Alyssa was trapped, the Demonic-skeleton Wolf took the chance to approach her, and it waved its claws, shooting out one powerful attack after another toward her. The stones broke and the earth cracked as it passed by, whistling.


    "All wooden spirits! Unite!" Alyssa declared as her eyes opened, and her hands turned over. Instantly, her spiritual power came out and circled her body with the grace of an ethereal dancer.


    In an instant, the ground within a radius of a dozen meters began to tremble, and the thick roots of countless trees flew out from the ground as if they were granted life. All of these began to intertwine with each other, wrapping around Alyssa like a cocoon. Soon, a tight enchantment was formed.


    It happened in the blink of an eye, and the Demonic-skeleton Wolf had no time to hold back. Its attacks hit the enchantment made of wooden roots one after another, and loud crashes were heard as they collided, but none of its attacks successfully reached Alyssa. Irritated, the Demonic-skeleton Wolf launched more attacks in a faster tempo, and its claws hit the enchantment like furious raindrops upon a metal rooftop. But still, it couldn''t get any closer to Alyssa or even land one of its blows.


    "I heard that the most powerful skill of the Wood Clan is their enchantment. I''ve seen it today, and I can say that it deserves its reputation!" Skyfall''s face looked impassive despite his admiring words. In the past, the claws of his Demonic-skeleton Wolf had easily broken a lot of enchantments, and even though some of them were extremely difficult to break, his wolf would break it eventually. However, it seemed like Alyssa''s enchantment was impregnable, as it did not even budge under the attack of the wolf''s steel-like claws. No matter how hard the wolf tried, it stood intact, and even Skyfall began to recognize its astonishing defensive power.


    "Crouching Demon!" Earthrise summoned his guardian beast when he saw that the Demonic-skeleton Wolf could not break Alyssa''s enchantment right away.


    Immediately, his guardian beast jumped into the air


    such a beauty in my entire life. It''s a blessing from the gods! Maybe we should keep her. What do you think, Skyfall?"


    "Our job is not yet done. Let''s catch her first before we talk about that!" Skyfall replied with the same poker face, but the way he looked at Alyssa changed a little.


    The two of them looked at each other as if they were engaged in a telepathic conversation. It looked like they had come to an agreement, as both of them smiled greedily when their eyes fell on Alyssa.


    Meanwhile, Alyssa felt like the earth had been pulled from under her upon hearing their words. However, she did not intend to just wait for death to come, as she was a cultivator who grew up in the spiritual race, and she was trained in an environment where those who were superior survived, and those who showed weakness perished. Even though her spiritual power was at its lowest point at that moment because of the enchantment that she made, she wracked her brain to come up with an idea to escape.


    "Princess Alyssa, I advise you not to waste your energy on running away. Be good! Maybe you can keep your life." Earthrise smirked and moved his short body toward Alyssa like a hungry tiger.


    She clenched her fist and gritted her teeth in response. She would rather die than be touched by these two from the Heavenly Demon Clan. Just as the two of them were about to pounce on Alyssa, and as she was about to attack them with the last strength she had, a figure materialized beside her soundlessly, like a fog that innocently flowed in.

 Chapter 881 New Heights

    Immediately after the flash, a colorful light as dazzling as the sun appeared and covered the surrounding area.


    Earthrise, who was lunging at Alyssa, reflexively brought his hand up to block his eyes from the light. When he put it down and opened his eyes, however, Alyssa had completely disappeared without a trace.


    "Where is she?" he growled. He looked around the empty place and then turned his head angrily at Skyfall.


    Skyfall was just as perplexed; he hadn''t been able to see anything clearly just now either. With the level of strength that the two of them possessed, there was no way Alyssa could have slipped out of their fingers unless she had been rescued by someone even stronger than them.


    "I picked up on a new aura just now. It must belong to the person who rescued her. But who would dare to risk his life for her?" Earthrise glowered.


    "Could it be the boy from before? But it''s impossible for him to pull off such a stunt with his current level of strength," Skyfall said, thinking aloud.


    "Humph! No matter who it is, as long as the Divinity Surrounding Enchantment remains intact, they won''t be able to take Princess Alyssa away from here. They must have hidden nearby. I remember the aura we felt just now. They can''t get away from us!" Earthrise disappeared with Skyfall after finishing his words with a vicious scowl.


    At that moment, Alyssa, who had been determined to fight against Earthrise before suddenly seeing a flash of light, was confused. When she came to her senses, she found herself in the arms of a man. Her face was close to his strong chest and she was immediately enveloped by a familiar aura.


    When she ra


    him. She hadn''t expected that the man she regarded as an enemy would save her, let alone hold her in such an embarrassing way. It must be her bad fate.


    "Foodie!" shouted Rocky.


    At this time, the Rainbow Glow Unicorn, who had been following behind Rocky, appeared.


    "This Rainbow Glow Unicorn seems to be more powerful than last time," Alyssa noted in awe. Her eyes lit up in amazement¡ªnot because of the unicorn, since she had already seen it before, but because of how much stronger it seemed to be now.


    Only about two months had passed since Alyssa last saw the unicorn, but in such a short period of time, the Rainbow Glow Unicorn seemed to have reached new heights. It was a curious thing. Even a spiritual beast like the Rainbow Glow Unicorn couldn''t grow that fast unless it had gone on an adventure.


    When this thought occurred to her, Alyssa couldn''t help but turn to look at Rocky. If something unexpected had really happened to the Rainbow Glow Unicorn, it might have something to do with what Rocky had experienced in his so-called fake death. So, all of a sudden, she was curious.

 Chapter 882 Treating Wounds

    With the lead of the Rainbow Glow Unicorn, it wasn''t long before Rocky, still bearing Alyssa in his arms, found a cave for sanctuary. It was tucked away under dense bushes beneath the foot of a cliff.


    Opening the Magic Spiritual Space, Rocky then sent back the Rainbow Glow Unicorn, before he turned back and took Alyssa into the safety of the cave.


    As they entered the cavernous space, Alyssa grasped his arm with a gasp, "Wait!"


    Rocky instantly stopped and looked down at the figure in his arms.


    Taking a sharp bite from her own finger to draw blood, Alyssa set down an enchantment around the cave entrance. And upon setting that safety barrier down, she let out a small cough before finally collapsing back against Rocky, limp and completely drained.


    Rocky was terrified upon seeing her pass out like that. He rushed further into the cave and laid her down on the flattest space he could find. Alyssa was covered in blood and bruises, completely beaten.


    ''She''s hurt just about everywhere and she''s covered in injuries... I can''t even imagine the kind of pain she''s in. I don''t even know how she managed to hold up this long, '' Rocky murmured to himself as he assessed her situation with wide eyes. He couldn''t believe Alyssa''s determination.


    He then began settling things into the cave around her. He opened the Magic Spiritual Space once more to enter his lab and fetch some things for medical use: his sutures, alcohol, cotton gauze, and other items set to treat and disinfect prior to surgery. He was almost about to head back when something came to mind, and he fetched a vessel that had been tucked away before he made his way back. Leaving the la


    e was every likelihood that her first order of business would be to kill him.


    But as she stared at him, her eyes clearly livid, she made no move to attack him. She just stared angrily at him.


    Seeing that she wasn''t about to kill him anytime soon, or maybe cut out his eyes or lop off his hands, Rocky sat puzzled instead. He wondered if she was more injured than he thought, or if she wasn''t quite up to murdering him just yet. ''She''s really going to be quiet? Seriously?'' he asked himself.


    "What are you still doing here?" Alyssa finally demanded, her tone arrogant and disdainful as she addressed him the way a princess addressed a peon. She wasn''t angry at Rocky because he''d healed her. She may be, in many ways, quite unreasonable, but she couldn''t possibly overlook what Rocky had just done for her by healing her the way he did. Were it not for him, after all, she would already be in the clutches of the two men from the Heavenly Demon Clan. No, there certainly was no reason to be angry. In fact, she had every reason to thank Rocky. But there were just some things that pride would never allow.

 Chapter 883 You Get The Jade!

    Alyssa seemed to be acting quite normally again, so Rocky just shook his head and smiled. He opened the Magic Spiritual Space and momentarily stepped in. Fortunately, he still had some clothes left in the lab from the time when he''d gone into the depths of the Black Sand Abyss.


    Drawing out those clothes from the space, he turned and handed them to Alyssa. Then he turned back around prudently to allow her to change into them.


    As he heard the sound of rustling clothes behind him, he tried to organize his thoughts to things more rational; there were just too many things he could imagine happening right now.


    "Alright, you can turn around," Alyssa finally spoke behind him.


    Rocky glanced back and found Alyssa dressed in men''s clothes rather charmingly. Her messy mop of hair was pulled back now, making her appear almost too pretty to be a man.


    "How long had I fainted?" Alyssa asked immediately as she made the final touch-ups to her appearance.


    "Just two hours. Not too long," Rocky replied.


    "Well, the enchanted barrier I''d set up can at least stand for another four hours. That gives us two hours to figure out a plan to get out of this place," Alyssa sighed in response.


    "First things first. The spiritual power inside you is still a mess. You''ll be unable to use the power temporarily. So you''ll have to come up with some way to get out of here without using it." Crossing his arms, Rocky eyed her.


    At that, Alyssa gritted her teeth and looked frustrated, shaking her head. "Damn it. Then we''re not getting out of here unless the Divinity Surrounding Enchantment vanishes. But the enchantment can hold for about eight hours. And starting from the moment it was placed until now, it''s only been four hours. Counting the time span on the enchanted barrier outside, it can only protect us for another two hours. We''ll have to try and hide for another two hours, hoping those two guys outside don''t find us. Or else..."


    "It does sound hard... The thing I don''t understand about all this is why they want your Moon Fox so badly. Don''t they have their own guardian beasts? Or is there something particularly special about your guardian beast that I don''t know about?" Rocky asked curiously. He had been wondering about all of this for some time now.


    "Alright, well... How much do you know about the guardian beasts?" Alyssa finally asked.


    "Not much. I only heard Woods mention them before," Rocky replied with a shrug. He owned the fa


    l have a chance..." Alyssa said in a worried tone. But the more she thought it over, the worse her worry became. Shaking her head, she added, "It won''t be possible to regain that much spiritual power in two hours, though."


    At that, Rocky frowned slightly. Still, he hesitated before finally taking out the Sea Blue Magic Jade, shining in its crystalline brilliance. "I think you can make it easily, if you use this jade."


    "What is this?!" Alyssa''s eyes widened to their limit as she felt the emanation of strong spiritual power from the jade.


    "I guess based on how experienced you are, you already have an idea of what this thing is." Rocky smiled.


    "Is... Is this the Sea Blue Magic Jade that showed up in the Myriad Beasts Ground?" Alyssa asked, jaw hanging open. She was knowledgeable enough to appraise the jade and its origins immediately. Prior to this moment, she herself had sent out a team of spirit manipulators to seek out the treasure in that area, but she hadn''t known that it was this particular jade. Had she known, she would''ve gone to search for it herself. It wasn''t until later on that she received a report back from the returned team, telling her that what they found in that area was the legendary Sea Blue Magic Jade itself and that the jade was a bait. It was used by a spiritual race member to attract the spirit manipulators sent out by numerous empires there for him to gather their spiritual power. In fact, the spiritual race member almost killed all of them. It was a mysterious woman that had prevented him from doing that.


    But never did she imagine that Rocky would have such a thing in his possession.

 Chapter 884 Another Alyssa

    "Clever guess. You''re right about that!" Rocky said as a wicked smile formed at the corners of his mouth.


    "But isn''t this Sea Blue Magic Jade supposed to belong to the spiritual race member? How did you get your hands on it?" Alyssa asked curiously. As far as she knew, the Sea Blue Magic Jade chose its owner, and once it picked its owner, it would never serve another person even if ended up in their hands. Besides, how had Rocky gotten it from a member of the spiritual race in the first place?


    Gradually, her opinion of Rocky was changing. Instead of being annoyed by his presence, she was delighted and even felt somewhat lucky that he was the one who was with her now. If someone else were in his place, she couldn''t imagine what would have happened to her. She might have died a long time ago.


    "Princess, please use this time to recover your spiritual power. Don''t waste it on other people''s business! Hurry up. I am counting on you to take me out!" Rocky subtly changed the topic. The answer to Alyssa''s question was a long story, and besides, he didn''t want to mention Cherry, whom he had decided to keep a secret in his heart forever.


    "I know, and I want my spiritual power back again more than you do! But the jade is yours. Even if it can accelerate my spiritual power circulation, it can''t help me recover my spiritual power in two hours unless I can absorb the spiritual power directly from it. But I''m not its owner, so forget about it," Alyssa retorted. She understood that it was nice of Rocky to take out the Sea Blue Magic Jade to help her, but since she was not its owner, it would be impossible for her to directly absorb spiritual power from it and recover her spiritual power in two hours. Then, thinking of something, she knitted her eyebrows and bit her lips hesitantly.


    "You are right." Rocky nodded thoughtfully.


    "Actually...there is another way to help me recover quickly. You can absorb the spiritual power from the jade and then send it to me." Thanks to her rich experience, Alyssa came up with the idea immediately, but the look on her face as she spoke was very different from the usual look of pride she wore.


    "I know what you''re talking about," Rocky murmured. He remembered the time when he a


    ediately coughed to conceal her true feelings. She hesitated for a moment before saying, "It''s impossible for common people to use the metal cultivation method of the spiritual race. I guess the one who cultivated together with you was Isis, or the woman who risked her life to protect you. I heard that she''s the apprentice of Marcia Mu. Then it makes sense to me! Marcia had the chance to obtain the metal cultivation method of the spiritual race." Alyssa wore a confident expression.


    "Does it really matter who it was? I don''t think it''s a big deal. The important thing is, you''re the one who is going to cultivate together with me now," Rocky replied calmly with a smile.


    "Are you kidding? It''s not like I''d like to cultivate with you if there was another way," Alyssa scoffed and rolled her eyes at Rocky.


    "Oh, then I must have misunderstood you. If you''re so reluctant to cultivate together, I won''t force you. Farewell, Prince Alyssa. I''m leaving now. I''m afraid that you have to stay here until those two come for you!" Rocky then playfully turned away to leave.


    "Hey, where are you going?" Alyssa was stunned by this abrupt change. If Rocky left her alone, she would end up dead for sure. She grabbed his hand in a hurry and lowered her voice. "Please don''t leave me."


    Rocky felt his heart skip a beat upon hearing her pleading voice. He stopped and turned back to her. With a smirk on his face, he said, "Then beg me. I will consider your request as long as you beg me."

 Chapter 885 I Was Just Joking

    "You..." Seeing that Rocky was insatiable, Alyssa felt unwilling. Even though, she never used to depend on anyone, she knew that she had to rely on Rocky and Sea Blue Magic Jade to recover her spiritual power and escape. If she was arrogant enough not to rely on Rocky, she would lose her only chance of fighting against those two men from the Heavenly Demon Clan.


    Of course, Alyssa was on her wit''s end at that time and she had to beg the shameless Rocky. She was really worried what would happen if she refused because she knew that Rocky would do anything he wanted when dealing with his enemies. Back then when Rocky was still a member of the Crimson Dragon Group, the army of the Timber Deity Empire had suffered great losses. Plus, she couldn''t forget that because of him, she had also suffered the biggest defeat in her life.


    If only Rocky wasn''t the one who could remove the cursed seal on her, she would have gladly killed him. He was an invincible rival of hers, anyway. But still, there was something about him that she couldn''t quite understand. Had they not been enemies, she would have felt completely safe on his side even if they were in danger.


    Anyway, the important thing was that Alyssa had confidence in Rocky. Although she didn''t observe this feeling, her intuition told her that if she wanted to escape, she must ask Rocky for help.


    "Well, I beg you. You''re the only one who can help me this time. Please!" After pondering for a while, Alyssa put down her pride and pleaded in a sweet voice.


    You''d think that this wasn''t much of a sacrifice but, for her, it was. If she was forced to make compromise again, she would rather die in the battle with the tw


    ly want a kiss, and I definitely didn''t expect you to take it seriously." Rocky didn''t expect that in order to escape, Alyssa would sacrifice her kiss.


    "Joking?" Alyssa was angry and surprised that Rocky fooled her.


    "Believe it or not, I will kill you right now!" Alyssa shouted at the top of her lungs.


    "Then we have to be a desperate couple." Rocky shrugged indifferently, making her even angrier.


    Seeing that Rocky was not scared at all, Alyssa was stunned, but she couldn''t kill him. At this moment, she was angry and embarrassed, especially when she thought of the moment when she kissed him. The only thing she could do was tremble with regret.


    "Well, let''s start!" At this moment, Rocky''s face suddenly turned cold and serious. His eyes narrowed and he looked completely different.


    Alyssa was stunned, but before she could react, she saw that Rocky had sat down with his legs crossed. After a while, she came back to her senses and immediately sat down in the same manner of his in front of him.


    However, as soon as her eyes met Rocky''s, she was deeply touched, and unable to keep calm anymore.

 Chapter 886 Dont Look Around

    Deeply unsettled, Alyssa quickly drew a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself. She couldn''t afford a distraction right now, not when she had found that everything had gone crazy ever since she''d met Rocky again. She was no longer the stone-cold princess from before. There was no way to maintain control in a situation like this one.


    "Aren''t you going to tell me your mental cultivation method first?" Rocky asked, looking at her straight into the eyes. His expression was deeply grave.


    "No, just... Go ahead and follow the cultivation method you''ve already got. I''ll assist you," Alyssa replied, somehow managing to get her wits back.


    With a nod, Rocky agreed and immediately closed his eyes. Almost instantly, the Fire spiritual power in his body began circulating. He injected it straight into the Sea Blue Magic Jade cupped in his left hand. Now, he was connected to the jade and it began glowing in a brilliant blue light, lancing in all directions like the scattering sunlight through ocean waters.


    Alyssa watched as the blue light began to spread and quickly turned her palms over. The vine-like spiritual mark emblazoned on her arm came to life and it began to squirm and crawl as though it were a living being. She then pressed her palms against Rocky''s chest, and he could feel the sensation of an incredible spiritual power flowing into his body to race with his own.


    But it wasn''t long into the process when Alyssa found a problem from within Rocky.


    ''Is that...a spiritual soul? Oh my god! He''s drawing the power of a spiritual soul hidden in his body! And there is some kind of tremendous evil power that has been sealed away down there! And it''s not just that... There seems to be the power of a primordial spirit manipulator also tucked away here. How is this even possible?! How is he able to hold onto three different incredible powers at the same time? Only the power from the primordial spirit manipulator makes sense here... But the other two... the other two shouldn''t be in human beings at all!'' She carefully schooled her face into a look of complete indifference, as though she had found nothing whatsoever. Meditation had trained her well in maintaining composure. But the shock to her system nevertheless caused a strong wave of energy through Rocky, revealing the discomfo


    o her almost comfortingly through the darkness.


    "Rocky? Is that you?" The light cleared before her eyes and she realized that it really was Rocky, enveloped in fire.


    "What are you doing in here, Alyssa?" Rocky''s shining, blazing form asked. It looked like Alyssa wasn''t the only one stunned by the revelations. Rocky had found himself undergoing the same experience that she had. His spiritual sense was towed elsewhere into this vast darkness, as though he were driven to it by an unknown force beyond his control.


    "I...I don''t know! I don''t have the faintest clue of what''s going on! I was just about to ask you the same thing, and... Oh my god, just look at you!" Alyssa stammered in shock, unable to even look at him directly now, even as her lips formed a pout.


    "Hey, don''t blame me for any of this. We''re in the same boat here," Rocky replied, the corner of his lips curled as he watched her.


    "Look, we''re both in a state formed only by our own senses. You know what I mean, right? This is what people call that moment when one''s spirit has come untethered from its body," Rocky explained simply.


    "Yes, I know very well what that is," Alyssa replied with a twist in her gut. He was lying, and she knew it.


    Still, the atmosphere was unbelievably strange and the air between them was an awkward one. As though to alleviate this embarrassment, a column of brilliant blue light came blasting down from above, covering them both in illumination. Both Rocky and Alyssa gasped as they gazed up at its incredible radiance.

 Chapter 887 Its Only An Illusion

    Feeling spiritual power as soft as water surrounding them, Rocky and Alyssa bathed in the unprecedented sensation of the spiritual rain.


    Alyssa felt as if she were being touched by a gentle hand. The feeling gradually spread from her body to her heart, and her eyes became blurred. Rocky, who was in front of her, suddenly seemed to be shrouded in a sense of familiarity, as if she had known him for a thousand years.


    Of course, Rocky was experiencing the same thing as well. He could see Alyssa stripped down to the petite and delicate girl that she was, with no arrogance, indifference, or disguise.


    ''This seems to be the second stage of cultivation, harmony of spiritual power and sense between the two warriors. We have actually crossed the first stage and reached the second one! How is that possible?'' Alyssa wondered in awe. She had originally suggested cultivating together with Rocky only to recover her spiritual power, but the result was beyond her expectations.


    Her mind seemed to reflect reality. Even though she was not really naked, she could feel Rocky''s skin against hers. She had never imagined that they would break through the first level and directly reach the second one.


    In fact, there were three stages that two cultivators would cross when cultivating together. The first stage was a harmony of spiritual power, where the two people would let their spiritual power merge and circulate in their bodies. When Rocky had cultivated with Sabina, they had cultivated in the first stage. The second level, the spiritual realm he was in now with Alyssa, was a harmony of spiritual power and sense. It was not only the spiritual power of the two warriors merged into one, but also a fusion of their spiritual sense in a state of quiet calmness. It was like the two cultivat


    ct, she was glowing, as if she was surrounded by a silhouette of light.


    This was the first time that she had cultivated with someone else. Until now, although she had known about it in theory, she hadn''t known how it would really feel. Now that she had personally experienced it, she couldn''t help but miss it, even if the things she had seen and felt had all happened in her head.


    "What are you looking at?" she suddenly asked. When she came back to her senses, she noticed Rocky staring at her, so she immediately straightened up and concealed her feelings.


    "It''s not like you''ll become any less attractive if I look at you. In fact, I was going to compliment you just now, but now, I feel like you''re still that fierce woman from before," Rocky said playfully.


    Alyssa''s eyes widened the moment she heard his words. Before this, anyone who dared to offend her like this would come to no good. Rocky, of course, had always been an exception, but even he couldn''t keep disrespecting her without rousing her temper. However, now, things had changed. Since she had cultivated together with him, he had become very important to her. Her perception of him gradually cleared up in her mind.

 Chapter 888 The Moon Foxs Protection

    Just when both Rocky and Alyssa were quarreling, a loud noise suddenly resonated, causing the whole cave to tremble severely.


    "Come out this instant! We know you are there. You can quit hiding now. The jig is up!" Soon after, angry cries were heard outside the cave. Needless to say, Skyfall and Earthrise had successfully followed and located Rocky and Alyssa''s traces.


    "So, what should we do now?" Rocky asked as he looked at Alyssa''s eyes with a hint of worry.


    "We should go out first and show ourselves. There''s no other way to do this. They have found us," Alyssa replied with narrowed eyes as if she had already made up her mind.


    "But before anything, let''s make a deal. If ever you get taken away, don''t expect me to save you. And besides, with the current condition that I am in, I don''t think I have the strength to do that. When that happens, you can count me out. I want to stay out of this mess," Rocky declared with resolution.


    "I never asked you to save me in the first place. Don''t flatter yourself too much, Rocky!" Alyssa gave a scornful hiss as she stood up and walked out of the cave''s entrance.


    Seeing this, Rocky followed suit and stayed close behind her.


    Soon after, they were out of the stone cave. Just then, Skyfall and Earthrise, along with their guardian beasts, had made some sort of powerful net around the cave that even flies could not come out of it.


    However, as soon as Skyfall and Earthrise had a glimpse of Alyssa coming out of the cave, they instantly felt something strange¡ªthe spiritual power that came out of her body suddenly improved. They placed their eyes on Alyssa and noticed that she was wearing men''s clothes. On top of that, they also saw Rocky behind her, making them think that something was definitely going on between the two.


    "So, you like bad boys, huh? I didn''t expect you to be that kind who would take advantage of this rebellious boy to recover your spiritual power. I can''t believe that you really let him do it! In that case, then he must have enjoyed whatever happened inside that cave just now. But I don''t think he was able to do much with his current strength." Earthrise mocked with a sinister smile.


    Hearing this, Alyssa could not help but look at Rocky. Of course, she would not let Skyfall and Earthrise know that she had already absorbed the spiritual power of the Sea Blue Magic Jade to recover. If Skyfall and Earthrise knew about this piece


    ike a magnet.


    But unexpectedly, the Moon Fox raised its head and roared into the sky. Behind it, its nine tails extended quickly, forming a red barrier around its body and protecting itself from Earthrise''s seal.


    Alyssa burst into laughter upon witnessing such an embarrassing scene in front of her.


    "What do you think you''re doing, Bitch? What tricks are you playing this time?" Skyfall glared and shouted at Alyssa immediately.


    "Huh? I''m not doing anything, see? The only thing I forgot to tell you about is that although this Moon Fox is my guardian beast, it is not under my control, because I am not from a spiritual race. If it doesn''t want to go with you, then I can''t help you with that." Alyssa shrugged her shoulders and responded.


    "Do you think your little trick can frighten us? Watch us weaken its strength and take it away," Earthrise muttered angrily.


    "Do whatever you want!" Alyssa taunted.


    "Skyfall, I handle this woman. Go and deal with the Moon Fox. It''s obvious that she wants to hold us back on purpose, and then wait for the effects of the Divinity Surrounding Enchantment to disappear, so that she can take her little lover to escape!" Earthrise turned around and hinted Skyfall, as he took a peek at what was happening in Alyssa''s mind.


    "Come on, let''s go!" Alyssa grabbed Rocky''s hand and broke through in one direction after realizing Earthrise''s intention.


    On the other hand, Earthrise and his guardian beast, Crouching Demon took action and immediately blocked their way, leaving Skyfall and another guardian beast, the Demonic-skeleton Wolf, to deal with the Moon Fox.

 Chapter 889 Surpass The Power

    "You might want to use the Moon Fox as bait and distract their attacking power, so one of them and the other guardian beast will stay to deal with the Moon Fox. That way, you can divide them and conquer them easier." Rocky grinned as he ran full speed ahead, a playful look on his face.


    "You are smart, so you should know that is the only way that you can win this. If they work together with their two guardian beasts, none of us can win against them, not even if I have recovered all my spiritual power. But if we fight them one on one, I am confident that I can take down one of them." The moment that Alyssa walked out of the cave, she already had a plan set aside for everything. The two members from the Heavenly Demon Clan didn''t know that she had fully recovered her spiritual power, so they must have thought that she would be easy to deal with. Of course, that was all part of her plans, as she had used her opponent''s arrogance to set her plans into motion.


    Alyssa''s plan worked. Skyfall and his guardian beast were left to deal with the Moon Fox, while Earthrise and his guardian beast chased after them and blocked their path.


    "But the opponent''s guardian beasts are not easy to deal with. Your six-star spiritual beast has been injured, and you don''t have the help of the Moon Fox. Do you plan to fight against the two alone? I''m afraid our odds of winning are not very high!" Rocky immediately expressed his doubts. He thought the idea was quite good, but he knew that it would not be easy. After all, the worst thing that they could do at that moment was to underestimate Earthrise and his guardian beast.


    "I have you," responded Alyssa firmly, and it felt like her voice had been laced with steel, as her determination made itself known.


    "Somehow, I just knew you would say that." Rocky sighed, although there was a small smile that pulled at the corner of his lips. He was not surprised at all, as he had guessed Alyssa''s plan earlier, and he just knew that she would use him when it came down to it.


    "I suppose you have a way to deal with Earthrise''s guardian beast," Alyssa probed lightly, trying to sound as casual as possible.


    "It seems I''m going to be your bait." Rocky smiled calmly.


    "It won''


    ctions fell to the ground, they kept moving with nonstop and struck continuously. The fire waves surged, and the smoke spread thickly everywhere. Everything within a radius of ten meters became a sea of raging fire that devoured all living things in its path.


    The flame balls were so powerful that even a six-star spiritual beast like Alyssa''s couldn''t have withstood it, let alone a weak cultivator like Rocky. Luckily, the Rainbow Glow Unicorn helped him, or he couldn''t have dodged in time.


    The Crouching Demon saw them escape its attack and let out a weird scream. It looked like it went berserk, looking around for them desperately.


    "Don''t look for me there. I am here!" All of a sudden, Rocky and the Rainbow Glow Unicorn appeared beside the Crouching Demon.


    Seeing this, the Crouching Demon launched another fierce attack toward Rocky and the Rainbow Glow Unicorn, but just like the last time, they both slipped away easily.


    In this way, Rocky and the Rainbow Glow Unicorn played with the Crouching Demon, as they repeatedly attracted its attention and disappeared from its path, and every time, they let it pounce on an empty space.


    Suddenly, Rocky, who had just escaped from the Crouching Demon''s attack with the Rainbow Glow Unicorn again, heard a deafening explosion from hundreds of meters away. At the same time, two strong lights staggered and burst into the air. Despite the long distance, he could still vaguely feel the spread of two very powerful auras...

 Chapter 890 A Breathtaking Battle

    "Did they start their attack?" Rocky murmured to himself. His face was cold and serious. Now that his task was to deal with the powerful Crouching Demon, he should focus on this fight. He had a hunch it would be a tough one.


    The urgent call from the Crouching Demon''s master seemed to have made it more impatient and it strengthened its attack. The flame balls it shot were getting even bigger and more powerful than before.


    The constant attack of flame balls had caused the fire to spread quickly around them. The sea of fire threatened to swallow everything it touched, making the battleground hot and dry.


    Rocky was grateful that it was merely a guardian beast. While clever, there was still a gap between its intelligence and that of human beings. Still, avoiding the Crouching Demon''s powerful attack was no easy task. Rocky and Rainbow Glow Unicorn had no choice but to keep running to avoid the fierce flame balls or they''d end up dead.


    However, using the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill to help the Rainbow Glow Unicorn turn invisible had its limitations. Not to mention it forced the Rainbow Glow Unicorn to exert a lot of energy and spiritual power to use it. That is why they both looked a little tired right now.


    In contrast, the Crouching Demon seemed to have an endless supply of power and energy. Its powerful offensive attacks were still drastic. The flame balls came one after the other, and the fire was blazing rapidly. A dense column of smoke rose several miles into the air, making it difficult for them to breathe.


    Rocky realized that hiding wasn''t the best strategy in this situation. He took out the Frozen Wind Dagger and turned it into the Flaming Blade. Then he dashed towards the Crouching Demon. Confronting it head-on was the only way until he was able to find an opening.


    Seeing Rocky''s new tactic, the Crouching Demon''s ruby-colored eyes narrowed from under the hood of its lids. Suddenly, it closed its claws together and then opened them again and a new flame ball appeared in its grip. This new flame ball was rather different. It was as strong and violent as numerous flame balls all combined. It would be hard to survive such a disastrous flame ball.


    Even knowing how dangerous the new flame ball was, Rocky didn''t stop. Instead, he kept moving


    fell. He immediately asked Robin to step back, but it was still one step too late. In an instant, the fire wave shrouded Robin. Its body was thrown into the air, covered entirely in both fire and smoke.


    "Robin!" cried Rocky anxiously. His heart clenched, but he was no longer in the mood to deal with the beast. The fire waves were now targeting him.


    Rocky retreated with the Rainbow Glow Unicorn. However, Rocky and his spirit-manipulated beast had rattled the Crouching Demon. Full of rage, it had every intention of torturing them. It rushed out of the sea of fire, its body bursting with fire flames. The flames seemed more powerful than that of Uriah''s.


    Although Rocky tried his best to avoid the attacks, the Crouching Demon didn''t seem to have a problem following him. It was determined to set him ablaze.


    Facing this crazy creature had Rocky at a loss of what to do. If the Crouching Demon continued its ruthless attacks, there would be no saving them. The guardian beast of the spiritual race was not to be trifled with. Rocky just hoped he could survive.


    In a moment of distraction, the Crouching Demon sent out fire waves hoping to envelope Rocky in them. The attack left him with nowhere to hide.


    Rocky knew that he would be in big trouble if he couldn''t get rid of the fire. He tried to figure out what to do next. As he thought of how he was going to save himself, the Rainbow Glow Unicorn suddenly turned around. It blocked the Crouching Demon with its body, facing the fire waves shooting towards Rocky.

 Chapter 891 Colorful Space

    "Foodie!" Rocky didn''t understand why the Rainbow Glow Unicorn would suddenly do this, for he knew that it couldn''t withstand a heavy blow from the Crouching Demon. As he watched this unexpected move, his face also changed drastically in surprise. The deaths of Rubygon and Uriah flashed before his eyes, and an unspeakable feeling filled his body, making him feel like thunder had struck his soul.


    Just then, the strong fire waves released by the Crouching Demon were rushed toward the Rainbow Glow Unicorn, intending to swallow it whole.


    "No..." Rocky''s body trembled as he cried out hysterically. At this moment, he thought that he should never let anything happen to Rainbow Glow Unicorn. And with that thought, the evil power sealed in the spiritual soul container burst out, wildly impacting his body, as if an explosion had burst inside him. The Evil Flame, like a huge wave, surged wildly and roared, meeting the fire waves of the Crouching Demon.


    In the next moment, the two strong flames collided with each other with a dazzling light, as a black and red pillar rose into the sky, forming a violent fire hurricane.


    But obviously, Rocky''s evil spiritual power was still slightly weaker. In no time at all, the Evil Flame was suppressed and gradually devoured by the fire waves that the Crouching Demon had released.


    Now, Rocky had reached his limit. He was aware that even if he released all the evil power in the third layer, he still could not win against the powerful guardian beast.


    That meant that the Rainbow Glow Unicorn was still in danger.


    Thus, between one breath and the next, he decided on something that bordered on dangerously brave and dangerously stupid. His eyes flashed uncontrollably, as he forcibly removed the seal on the fourth layer. Before long, evil power burst out from the seal like a volcanic eruption.


    At the same time, Rocky felt like a devil was living in his body and was trying to control him from within. This feeling felt even stronger compared to that time when he fell into a devil the first time. This time, he seemed to have completely fallen into the darkness and was swallowed up by the endless night.


    However, the evil spiritual power that surged out from the fourth seal also streng


    er too much strain because of it as well. He could no longer bear even a single attack from the Crouching Demon.


    At this time, just as Rocky was about to fall into danger, the Rainbow Glow Unicorn stepped in. It had been standing still for a long time, but suddenly, a burst of blinding light exploded from its body.


    It was as bright as the early morning sun, and it illuminated everything in its path. At the same time, everything that light touched ceased all its movements, including Rocky and the Crouching Demon, who was attacking Rocky. Both of them stood still like sculptures under vivid yellow rays.


    Almost at the same time, Rocky suddenly felt like he had fallen into an unknown place, and a colorful space appeared in front of his eyes.


    "It looks so familiar!" He could not help but think about where he had seen this place, as it seemed so familiar to him.


    Before long, Rocky saw two figures in front of him, one was old and the other was young. They resembled human beings quite closely, but they looked more like the spiritual race. Moreover, they looked very similar to each other, almost like they were twins. The older one seemed more amiable because of his white eyebrows that looked like a cat''s whiskers, and a pair of eye-catching crystal antlers on the head. With the contrast of his colorful robe, the antlers shone intensely. On the other hand, the younger one looked even more familiar, especially those innocent eyes which were the same as Rainbow Glow Unicorn''s.

 Chapter 892 A New Force

    "You and this kid were brought together by fate. It''s time for you to take care of him. He has inherited the power of a guardian beast, and thus, he has a grand destiny to fulfill. This kid is still too young to use the power of a guardian beast for now, but if you two unite as one, you may be able to activate a part of the beast''s power. However, I advise you not to try to use it unless you are in life-and-death situation because it is still too powerful for you and this kid," the old man said suddenly.


    "Who are you? Who is the kid?" Rocky asked, although deep in his heart, he already knew the answer.


    "The ancestor of the Rainbow Glow Unicorn is a legendary guardian beast, and it was a very powerful guardian beast of the spiritual race. For some reason, they lost their original guardian power and degraded to a spiritual beast. However, maybe God has willed for this to happen so that the kid can return to that place. Anyway, whether it was fate or it was an accident, he has inherited the blood of a guardian beast when he came to that place." The old man didn''t answer Rocky''s question but told him a story that he had never heard of.


    It turned out that this Rainbow Glow Unicorn''s ancestor was once the guardian beast of the spiritual race, and it turned into a spiritual beast because it lost its guardian power.


    "That place? Are you talking about the Black Sand Abyss? Is the kid foodie? This is amazing! How did it get the power of a guardian beast?" Rocky asked questions one after another, as he was enthused to learn something new. By now, he had confirmed that the child beside the old man was the Rainbow Glow Unicorn. He had seen it once a long time ago, but back then, it looked a little younger.


    Thanks to the old man''s explanation, he was able to understand why the Rainbow Glow Unicorn gave him a very strange and subtle feeling after they came back from the Black Sand Abyss. The Rainbow Glow Unicorn had experienced something unusual there, and it inherited the power of a guardian beast, which its ancestor used to possess and had lost by accident. But apparently, this profound change continued happening in the background without him noticing, and he was a bit ashamed that it


    ame by then. It pierced the Crouching Demon''s body with a loud crash.


    Bang!


    The Crouching Demon hit the ground heavily, which created a big pit of a few meters wide.


    The figure was still up in the air, but the original evil power was gone, and the black wings had disappeared. Instead, he wore a colorful robe made of cloud gauze, which seemed to be made of colorful silks. The robe looked bright and stunning, as the figure shone with a brilliance that seemed to emanate elegance and pride. On a closer look, he was not just floating in the air, but a cloud beneath his feet was supporting him, so he could hover over the earth. He looked like a god that had come down from the heavens.


    It was Rocky, who the Crouching Demon had thought to be dead, and strangely, no one could sense him now as if he was being covered by an invisible layer of protection, which was shielding him from the outer world.


    ''Only a small part of the guardian beast''s power was triggered just now, and yet, it is overwhelming. Its strength is far beyond my imagination! It''s enough to suppress the evil power sealed in the fourth layer already! How marvelous!'' Rocky was shocked too. He had successfully stimulated part of the guardian beast''s power that Ken obtained from its ancestor, a guardian beast, by uniting with Ken, as the old man had told him. It turned out that it not only helped him defeat the attack of the Crouching Demon, but it also suppressed the evil power inside him.

 Chapter 893 Danger Is On The Way

    What Rocky didn''t know was that the guardian beast was born to protect the spiritual race. It was very powerful in and of itself, and its power could even surpass the power of the spiritual race. The evil power that had been awakened in Rocky''s body was only in the fourth layer, so it was not very strong. Therefore, after merging with Ken, who had inherited the power from the guardian beast, the power he got could suppress the evil power in the fourth layer, and that would temporarily save him.


    But the guardian beast''s power could not be used for an extended period because both Ken and Rocky could not bear to be fused for long. So once their fusion came to its unavoidable end, Rocky would still be in a very dangerous situation.


    However, the fusion also gave Rocky enough guardian beast''s power to hurt the Crouching Demon. And although this power was relatively small, it could still cause damage to the Crouching Demon, whose power was equal to a supreme master of the Divine Stage. It also meant that the guardian beast''s power Ken possessed was far stronger than the Crouching Demon''s.


    In other words, Ken''s grade was far higher than that of the Crouching Demon, and it was like the difference between the war beast and the spiritual beast of spirit-manipulated beasts.


    Although Rocky''s strength had surpassed that of the Crouching Demon''s power after they fused, he knew that it would not be easy to kill a guardian beast. Sure enough, the flame light in the pit shot up like a rocket in an instant. The fire went wild and spread out like waves toward Rocky.


    He paused in the air for a moment, but at the last minute, he disappeared into thin air.


    In the instant that Rocky disappeared, his aura also dissipated into nothingness. The Crouching Demon paused in confusion, as it lost its target, for after all, what could it do against an enemy it could not see? It could not hurt them, so it just threw flame balls into the air and burnt everything to the ground.


    But because of the injury that Rocky had inflicted on it and the consumption of soul from the previous fight, the strength of the Crouching Demon seemed to have lost its edge, and its dazzling attack speed had slowed down as well.


    seal had already rushed out of his body. As a result, his body was surrounded by a strong black gas, like the appearance of a devil.


    Seeing Rocky''s current situation, anxiety started to creep up in Ken''s and Robin''s minds, but they could do nothing to help him at all.


    "Come back inside!" Rocky was also worried that the matter would get Ken and Robin into trouble, so he spared no efforts to open the Magic Spiritual Space, where they could stay safe. Once they had gone inside, he closed the Magic Spiritual Space with a relieved sigh.


    Soon, it was difficult for Rocky to resist the evil power. His limbs refused to follow him, as he trembled and sweated all over. He fell on his knees, and his eyes gradually surrendered to the darkness. His facial muscles twitched convulsively, which was a horrible scene to hold.


    "Aaah!" Rocky couldn''t help but raise his head and roar to the sky. Then, a strong evil spirit spread around, causing a burst of cold wind, which was both amazing and frightening!


    When his body was about to be completely occupied by the evil power, a delicate shadow suddenly flew out from somewhere, and with a flip of her palm, a dark green spiritual power flashed directly into his chest.


    "Sacred Wooden Spirit!" In an instant, the dark green spiritual energy converged on her palms, and then it spread out like vines and plunged deep into his body. It was like a chain, tying up the evil spiritual power that was about to rush out of his body.

 Chapter 894 Almost Falling Down

    Rocky was gasping for air as though he had just experienced a moment of life or death. A twinge of fear was glimmering through his expression in spite of having overcome the situation. And yet most of the feeling rushing past the adrenaline was the simply boundless relief of having survived.


    "Oh god, thank you... Thanks, you saved my life!" He panted heavily as he felt his nerves start to relax from the strain and the rush. He took a glance at the person who had saved him, even though he already knew who it would be without having to look up.


    It couldn''t have been anyone but Alyssa, and there she was.


    "That power that you''ve got hidden inside you... I want to know where it came from. And why is it so...evil? When I felt it, I felt that malice run through to my bones. It''s beyond anything I can truly understand. This kind of power isn''t something humans should ever possess!" Alyssa''s questions all came out in a rush, her voice shaking with shock.


    "Look, just don''t ask, okay? Please. None of this has anything to do with you. It''s better off staying that way." Rocky''s tone was cold and sullen, and he couldn''t meet her eyes. There were just some things he hadn''t been prepared to talk about.


    At that, Alyssa''s eyebrows knitted into a frown. With a harsh exhale, she replied, "I''ve sealed that...thing! I sealed it using my skill of our wooden spirit, but I can''t really tell you how long that will last. If I had to guess, I''d say about three days. But if I don''t help you seal it back down again, you''re going to be in serious danger. You can''t do this on your own, Rocky. Now, I can''t help you if you don''t tell me more about what is going on here. And you know what will happen if I can''t help. Are you still going to try and keep me in the dark about all this, knowing all of that? Look... I know this is a terrible situation especially for you, but please. Please! I''m the only person here who can really help you right now! I''m not trying to invade your privacy or force you to do this, but we just don''t have a choice anymore. I need to know. If you tell me, we might be able to figure out a better solution on how we can deal with that thing!"


    She meant every word, even as her breath heaved with the passion of her statement. This was all for Rocky''s sake in the end, because he would otherwise be in vast jeopardy. If Rocky would just give her a little more information to go on with, or at least tell her what kind of evil they were dealing with, she might be able to find a better way to seal whatever he was hiding in his body.


    The truth was that she was already aware of that evil power nesting within Rocky. She had felt and seen it when they were cultivating together. But it wasn''t until just now that she realized exactly how immense this evil power was. It was more than she could comprehend, and almost beyond her power to entirely seal it. If she was going to continue to aid Rocky in sealing


    elped him settle down onto the ground. As soon as she was certain he would be alright by himself, she leapt into the air and materialized standing in front of Moon Fox.


    As soon as Moon Fox saw Alyssa, it let out a mournful wail.


    Skyfall stood flabbergasted as he hadn''t expected Alyssa to make it back in time, or at all. His face morphed into rage as he looked around the area and found his partner missing. Earthrise could be dead for all he knew.


    "If you had even the slightest brains in your head, Skyfall, I''d imagine you''d take my advice and leave right now! Unless you want to end up like your partner Earthrise." Alyssa sneered, raising an eyebrow at him.


    "Humph! You don''t think this is going to go your way that easily, do you? There''s no way you''ll be able to beat me if you''ve spent all this time fighting Earthrise. It won''t be long before Moon Fox collapses too. It''s been fighting me and my guardian beast for a while now. Trust me, you''ve no hope of winning, even if the two of you pour every last drop of energy that you have left!" Skyfall grinned with almost psychotic glee, anticipating the taste of victory. He had apparently seen right through Alyssa''s bravado, knowing that after such a battle with Earthrise, she would have already expended far too much energy to win.


    For a moment, Alyssa bit back her retort, knowing that he might have determined that he had the advantage of her. But rolling over and playing dead? That just wasn''t her style.


    "Get that bitch!" Skyfall snarled out the command to the Demonic-skeleton Wolf.


    Immediately, the beast rushed over ground like an avalanche, launching itself straight to Alyssa along with Skyfall in a brutal attack.


    "Go!" Skyfall cried out. Dark clouds flooded the skies, and instead of thunder, there was the sound of bone-chilling shrieking and wailing from the agony of ghosts. Black shadows formed in the air and whirled down screaming towards Alyssa and Moon Fox.

 Chapter 895 The Trace Of The Spiritual Race

    Meanwhile, a powerful explosion took place as soon as the black shadows were cast. Instantly, the blown-up spiritual power spread around like withered flowers and dead willows. The atmosphere became more dangerous than ever as sand and stones turned into disastrous powder, causing havoc within a radius of ten meters.


    Simultaneously, Moon Fox also scattered its red light enchantment in an attempt to repel the dense black shadows. But, no matter how hard it tried, it still found it difficult to defend its position.


    Meanwhile, as Moon Fox held the attacks, the Demonic-skeleton Wolf suddenly dashed towards Alyssa and waved its claws in the air savagely.


    "Demonic Wood!" Alyssa shouted as she saw the Wolf approaching her. Leaning over, she punched her open palms on the ground and initiated her spiritual power inside. Soon after, a demonic wood in the shape of a human came out of the ground. Standing as tall as two ordinary people, it had thick whiskers around its mouth that spread all around and formed a huge web.


    Bang! Bang! Bang...


    In a snap, the phantom-like claw shadows struck the demonic wood consecutively, instantly cutting off its whiskers that blocked their way. Despite this, the whiskers immediately regenerated after falling out.


    At this moment, the two parties were at a stalemate as each opposing side continued to resist each other''s attacks.


    Meanwhile, both Alyssa and Moon Fox had managed to successfully block numerous rounds of attack without talking to each other verbally. Despite this, Skyfall and the Demonic-skeleton Wolf seemed to have the upper hand in the battle due to their spare power that boosted their current strength.


    Pretty soon, Alyssa ran out of spiritual power, and the demonic wood was not able to hold on any longer. As a result, it vanished into thin air. Grabbing the opportunity, the Demonic-skeleton Wolf pounced on her, slashing its claws in poor Alyssa. It was not long before blood started flowing from Alyssa''s shoulder.


    At that moment, Alyssa''s face was twisted in agony. On the other hand, the enchantment of Moon Fox couldn''t resist Skyfall''s offense and disappeared in an instant.


    "After I kill you, I will make sure to take your Moon Fox and report to my lord!" Skyfall sneered. Realizing that Al


    piritual Space and disappeared slowly.


    Everything seemed to become quiet right after Moon Fox left that Rocky and Alyssa couldn''t help but look at each other in silence.


    Despite having messy faces, torn clothing, and unruly hair, both Alyssa and Rocky knew that they had survived such a great disaster caused by two masters of the spiritual race in the Divine Stage. They could not feel any luckier having to escape death from their opponents, especially when there was a big glaring gap in power between them.


    "You..."


    "I..."


    Both of them uttered at the same time after having enough of the deafening silence. Both of them froze in embarrassment, with their cheeks blushing like wild tomatoes.


    "Uh, no, you go ahead!" Alyssa shyly gave way.


    "Okay, if there''s nothing else, then I''ll go first," declared Rocky. Soon after, he turned around and left.


    "Hey, wait. Where are you going?" Alyssa asked anxiously.


    "I''m going to look for a place to heal ourselves. Don''t you want to go with me?" asked Rocky slyly.


    "Nope. I think I would rather stay here." Alyssa shook her head.


    Hearing her answer, Rocky just shrugged his shoulders. He was about to turn around and leave when he heard her say, "But Skyfall could not be that far away from here. I think it will be safer for us if we are together. Plus, I am the reason why you are here. I took you here, and I am the one responsible for bringing you back in one piece. I can''t leave you here alone, so you will have no choice but to follow me."

 Chapter 896 Deserved To Be The Winner

    When Alyssa finished speaking, she walked straight ahead and brushed past Rocky. Seeing that he remained frozen in place, she urged, "Let''s go. What are you waiting for? If you don''t come, I''ll just go without you." Then, she turned around and continued walking.


    ''Why do women always say one thing and mean another?'' Rocky wondered, shaking his head with a bitter smile as he watched Alyssa''s back. It would save him a lot of trouble if he could heal his wounds with Alyssa, and he had been hoping that she would have the same line of thought.


    He knew that Alyssa already knew a lot of his secrets, so she might "torture" him to find out more, but he still followed her because he needed to confirm a few things.


    At dawn the next day...


    In the Qi Clan''s mansion, many people had stayed up all night because Alyssa had suddenly taken Rocky away and hadn''t returned. Needless to say, a lot of rumors would spring up about the two of them if they didn''t come back soon.


    Besides, the final result of the competition had not been announced by Alyssa yet, so the winner of the Beast Master Contest was still uncertain, and no one knew who would win.


    In the wing house where members of the Cao Clan lived, Woods and the members of the Cao Clan had also stayed up the whole night, waiting for Alyssa and Rocky to return. Their disappearance had put all of them on edge.


    "Your Royal Highness, why haven''t Mr. Rookie and Her Royal Highness come back yet? Could they be in trouble?" Lucilla asked worriedly. As the chief of the Cao Clan, she was the most concerned about their disappearance. After all, to the Cao Clan, Rocky was like a priceless treasure. Even if the Cao Clan did end up losing the Beast Master Contest, it would not be a bad thing for them, since they had gotten this chance to find out about Rocky''s hidden talents and abilities.


    Woods shook his head, frowning. He also had a feeling that something was wrong. He knew that no matter how much his sister and Rocky had to talk about, they couldn''t possibly talk all night long. What was more, his sister was so decisive tha


    r continued.


    "I''ve already told you that it will be announced when my sister returns," Woods said impatiently. "I know.


    But people all over the capital are talking about what happened yesterday. I think it''s better if the result was announced as soon as possible in order to avoid unnecessary suspicion and trouble. Don''t you think so?" Samson asked.


    "Master Samson is right. Since Her Royal Highness has not shown up yet, it is likely that she will not come back anytime soon. We are the five judges of the beast curing competition, so it is reasonable for us to announce the result in her place," one of the five judges said, rising to his feet.


    "Then what''s your decision?" Woods asked, raising an eyebrow.


    The judge who had spoken looked at his companions before turning back to Woods. "Although the beast master of the Cao Clan managed to bring the spirit-manipulated beast back to life and completed the competition, we can''t overlook the fact that he caused the beast to die first, whether accidentally or deliberately in order to attract attention. Therefore, to ensure the fairness of the competition, we''ve decided after a night of discussion that the final winner should be the Qi Clan. After all, the beast master of the Qi Clan, Tate, didn''t make any mistakes in the last round of the competition, and his performance was outstanding. So, he deserves to be the winner."

 Chapter 897 The Complicated Situation

    Once the judge finished his statement, the hall erupted into an uproar and everyone in the crowd looked at each other in shock and astonishment. Alexander and Samson stood tall, with satisfied smirks gracing their faces, as everything was happening just as they had planned. No one knew when Alyssa would reappear, after all. They could make the most of the opportunity to determine the final result. Anyway, in their opinion, Alyssa would side with the Qi Clan. They were pretty sure about that.


    "I object!" A powerful voice broke through the din. Lucilla protested and looked indignant. "I can''t agree to this. I think the final result should be decided by the princess herself!" She was certain at this point that this had been part of some kind of secret plot laid down by the Qi Clan.


    "Chief Lucilla, you''ve made your discontent rather obvious. Are you saying that you believe that the five judges'' assessment is unjustifiable? Or you are just unwilling to admit that the Cao Clan is inferior to the Qi Clan?" Alexander sneered as he looked to her direction.


    "Let''s not pretend, Chief Alexander. You and I are both well aware of exactly why I''m objecting to this farce," Lucilla replied in an icy tone.


    "Regardless of the Cao Clan''s objection, you do realize that this is all in vain, don''t you?" asked one of the judges as he looked at her doubtfully. "We five judges have made a unanimous decision. In accordance with the rules of the Beast Master Contest, no clan has the right to question our final decision once we make it. Otherwise, their qualification to attend the next year''s contest will be canceled. We''re certain such an outcome isn''t what you want."


    At such a pronouncement, Lucille felt the fury rising up to her throat. She knew that the judges had taken the Qi Clan''s side and colluded with them secretly. Yet, they still pretended to be so justified and upright. To them, the Cao Clan certainly wasn''t a threat.


    "Your Royal Highness, as the five judges have made their decision, you''re willing to personally make this official with a formal announcement, aren''t you? Your Royal Highness, you agree that the Qi Clan deserves this victory, right?" Samson implored as he looked towards Woods. His words held an unseen weight. If everyone was certain that Alyssa would take the Qi Clan''s side, then it stood to reason that Woods would take their side as well.


    "If that''s the case, then you should announce it yourselves. Yet, you shall hold responsibility for whatever consequences that follow," Woods replied indifferently and abruptly.


    Both Alexander and Samson looked at each other after such a pronouncement from


    lready made their decision. They believe that our clan''s beast master, my son Tate, performed magnificently in the last round. Therefore, they''ve decided that our Qi Clan should win the contest. According to the rules, as long as a high-ranking member of the royal family proclaims this result, it will be made official and announced to the public," Alexander explained, gesturing fervently.


    "Oh, is that so? Woods, as you''re so concerned about upsetting Alyssa, I''ll take over the responsibility from your shoulders and announce the result instead. That way, if anything untoward happens, I''ll take responsibility for it." A cunning smile crept onto Geoffrey''s face.


    Seeing the smirk, Woods was certain that Geoffrey wasn''t here by chance. This was Geoffrey''s intentional attempt at subterfuge, and he was well-prepared for it. Clearly, the Qi Clan had its sway on Geoffrey. They had the leverage for it too; should they win the competition, then the Qi Clan would likely become the biggest and most vital clan in the Timber Deity Empire. And with all that might push its support for Geoffrey, Woods would be in jeopardy.


    Still, even though he already divined what was going on, Woods had no way to stop Geoffrey''s plan directly. If he rejected Geoffrey''s proposal, everyone might think that he was favoring the Cao Clan. Then, he would fall into an awkward situation and someone might use it against him someday.


    For Lucilla and Lucas, the realization that Geoffrey was predisposed to siding with the Qi Clan shocked them. But they were helpless. There was nothing they could possibly do to stop Geoffrey. All they could do was to watch in abject horror as these people made the movements with the aim of trampling the Cao Clan soundly beneath their feet.

 Chapter 898 Announce The Result

    "Well then, suit yourself!" Woods acted as if it was none of his business but soon added, "Though I have to tell you that my sister suddenly came to the Qi Clan after the emperor summoned her yesterday, not just to see this final competition. You must be careful. If you disrupted her plan, don''t tell me that I did not warn you!"


    Hearing this, the look on Geoffrey''s face changed as well. If what Woods had said was true, then it would be troublesome because he knew Alyssa''s status in the Timber Deity Empire. Her every move would affect the entire empire, so if she planned to make any move in the Beast Master Contest again, and he accidentally got in her way, the consequence would be unimaginable.


    "Thank you for your warning!" At that moment, Geoffrey couldn''t help but hesitate.


    And when Alexander noticed this, he could not help but feel anxious too.


    Woods'' eyes narrowed, as he had to put off the matter until Alyssa had returned. He didn''t know who would be declared as the winner, but he knew that her decision wouldn''t be as sure as before, and the reason was self-evident.


    The entire hall''s atmosphere was heavy with tension, and all of them wore varying expressions of concern. No one dared to speak for fear of censure, but in fact, all of them had their self-serving interest to protect.


    In the end, Geoffrey couldn''t help but say, "I don''t think Alyssa will come back, so instead, I will witness the final result of the Beast Master Contest, on the behalf of the second prince!"


    A few minutes later, Alexander ordered someone to bring the prepared announcement, as Geoffrey brought out his jade seal. And once he put the jade seal on the announcement, the Qi Clan would be declared the winner of the contest.


    Although Woods knew that they had planned this, he couldn''t do anything to stop him, as that would undoubtedly offend Geoffrey. He couldn''t fall out with Geoffrey just because of that.


    At this moment, all eyes were on Geoffrey. He was about to use the jade seal, and the announcement was on his lips. All around him, the people from the Qi Clan already wore jubilant smiles on their faces. Seeing that, Lucilla and Lucas could not help but sigh in defeat.


    When Geoffrey''s jade seal was about to touch the notice, a man r


    umors just now, so I came here to have a look. If it weren''t for your strange behavior yesterday, there wouldn''t have been any gossip, would there? All the chiefs are waiting for you to announce the final result of the Beast Master Contest!" Geoffrey joked with a smile, but beneath the happy mask was the venomous fangs of a snake.


    "Well, I am here now." Alyssa glanced at Geoffrey and then turned to ask Alexander, "Chief Alexander, is your son alright now?"


    "He is fine. Thank you for your concern, Your Royal Highness." Alexander bowed and answered.


    "I was too imprudent yesterday. But your son started a fight in public, which was such an improper thing to do, especially by the young master of the Qi Clan," Alyssa berated coldly.


    "Your Royal Highness, please forgive my son! He just got carried away at that time! Please forgive him!" Alyssa''s expression sent intense fear into Alexander''s heart, and his whole demeanor changed. He looked less smug than before and pleaded for Alyssa''s mercy.


    "Make sure that this does not happen again next time!" Alyssa waved her hand and responded.


    "Your Royal Highness, it should be the time to announce the final result of the Beast Master Contest, right? Who will be the final winner between the Qi Clan and the Cao Clan?" At this time, Samson spoke up and asked, giving Alexander a reprieve that Alyssa, immediately, allowed.


    She turned away from Alexander and turned to address the people, as everyone waited for her to talk with bated breaths.

 Chapter 899 It Was Not An Accident

    "Before that, I want to say something." She looked around the crowd thoughtfully then continued, "In this year''s Beast Master Contest, both the Qi Clan and the Cao Clan have shown excellent performance. Tate from the Qi Clan and Beast Master Rookie from the Cao Clan have shown their great strength, especially in the final competition. This is why it is very difficult for me to choose a winner between them. Tate from the Qi Clan is a disciple of Immortal Hua, the Miracle Beast Curer. His medical skills were superb, and the Beast Curing Skill he practiced was also quite mysterious. He will contribute a lot to our Timber Deity Empire. I plan to recruit him to the royal family."


    As soon as Alyssa finished speaking, all the other people in the hall became excited. They all thought that she was saying all these because the Qi Clan had won.


    "Thank you for your appreciation, Your Royal Highness." Alexander''s face lit up with joy. Like the other people in the audience, Alyssa''s remark made him think that the Qi Clan would win in the end.


    "He does have great medical skills but he is not honest. Even if he''s talented, he''s still a despicable man! Am I right, Your Royal Highness?" A man''s mocking voice suddenly echoed from behind them.


    Everyone''s jaw dropped in astonishment, as they wondered who would have the audacity to say such things. They turned around only to find that the man was Rocky.


    "How dare you talk to Her Royal Highness that way? Do you want us to end your miserable life?" Alexander was furious. His reddened face was distorted by his rage after he heard the way Rocky talked to Alyssa.


    The others also thought that Rocky was bold for even daring to question Alyssa in public.


    On the other hand, Lucilla and Lucas were worried about Rocky. If Alyssa''s temper was stoked by his disrespect, it was not only Rocky who would be in trouble but also the whole of Cao Clan.


    "Ahem!" Alyssa cleared her throat and glared at Rocky who, in return, gave her a meaningful smile. Seeing that smile, she felt unc


    he spiritual pressure that was rushing to Rocky.


    "Chief Alexander, Her Royal Highness is not even angry at him. You''re overreacting," said Lucas who was sitting next to Rocky. It looked like he was the one who just saved Rocky.


    "Your Royal Highness, he is so rude to you. You shouldn''t be lenient with him for the sake of the royal family''s reputation." Alexander turned to Alyssa angrily, hoping that she would punish Rocky.


    "Your Royal Highness, I''m innocent! I hold you in considerable respect," cried Rocky in an exaggerated way.


    At the sight of the exaggerated look on Rocky''s face, she couldn''t help but giggle, and everyone swooned at the sight of her smile as if there were a hundred of flowers in full bloom. She was so charming and gorgeous. Even the beautiful flowers in the hall seemed dull beside her radiance and beauty.


    The others were shocked to see Alyssa smile and giggle like a child. She had never smiled in public like this, but now Rocky''s words were like a balm to her irritated mood. At that moment, they thought that something must be going on between Alyssa and Rocky, as that would explain why she suddenly took him away for a whole night.


    However, they couldn''t figure out the relationship between the two that could influence Alyssa''s behavior and even make her chuckle in public. That wasn''t an accident at all.

 Chapter 900 The Final Winner

    The scene in front of Geoffrey gave him doubts. It was obvious that the relationship between Alyssa and Rocky was more complex than he had thought.


    Even Alexander had grown nervous at the sight of Alyssa''s abnormal performance.


    "Your Royal Highness, who is the final winner in the competition between the Cao Clan and the Qi Clan? Please announce it now!" Samson urged. It didn''t matter to him to know what Alyssa was actually thinking. The most important thing was to know the result.


    "I will now declare the winner." As she spoke, Alyssa glanced at Alexander and Rocky.


    "Your Royal Highness, it appears that you left something behind last night." Rocky extended his hand and held out a beautiful flower hairpin.


    Seeing Rocky''s interruption with such ambiguous words grabbed everyone''s attention. The flower hairpin in his palm even looked very familiar.


    Alyssa froze when she caught sight of the hairpin. Such an intricate pattern was unique to the whole Wild Spirit Land. Only she had such a pin, and anyone with discerning eyes could tell that it was hers.


    "This guy..." She cursed him in her mind. There was no way Rocky would have done this without a reason. But she decided on a feeble attempt to protect her pride by saying quickly, "It''s not mine."


    "It isn''t? Oh!" With that, he replaced the hairpin in his pocket with a raised brow. "Your Royal Highness, the final winner should be the Cao Clan, right?"


    The onlookers were all shocked by Rocky''s audacity as Alyssa had not announced the result. But his declaration proved how little he cared about Alyssa and all those present.


    Then, something even more surprising happened.


    "Yes, the final winner is the Cao Clan!" Having made her announcement, Alyssa stood up and glared at Rocky. She then turned away with everyone shooting glares in her direction.


    "Sister, wait for me


    e that the Cao Clan would lose considering they''d arranged everything. The loss of the Cao Clan would have given them the chance to force Lucilla to hand over the position of the clan chief to them. But to their dismay, the Cao Clan had won the contest foiling their scheme.


    While the Cao Clan had a great time celebrating their victory, the man who made the greatest contribution to the victory, Rocky, found an excuse to go back to his room. He told the others not to disturb him.


    Rocky then snuck out of the Cao Clan and went to Hidden-spirit Mountain in the north suburb of the Timber Deity Empire. A quiet and elegant temple-like building was located on the mountain.


    After Rocky arrived at the mountain, he saw a woman dressed in the garb of a Taoist nun at the gate. Once he uttered his name, the woman took him around the building and went to the back of the mountain. Soon after, an imposing waterfall like melting Milky Way came into view.


    In a stone pavilion not far from the waterfall, a girl sat cross-legged with her eyes closed.


    The woman soon left, while Rocky headed straight to the stone pavilion. As soon as he entered, the girl immediately opened her eyes, reached out her hand, and said, "Give it back..."

 Chapter 901 Absolute Curse

    Rocky waved his hand and the hairpin soon flew into the woman''s hand. He then asked, "You are the princess of the Timber Deity Empire. How could you be threatened by a flower hairpin?" A smile crept on his face, as his amusement made itself known.


    The woman in front of him was Alyssa.


    As a matter of fact, before they went back to the Qi Clan, they had made an appointment to meet here once the matter was over.


    "This flower hairpin belonged to my mother. I thought I had lost it." Alyssa rolled her eyes at Rocky and gently touched the flower hairpin in her hand.


    "I took it off when I was healing you," said Rocky, raising his eyebrows.


    "You know, I intended to let the Cao Clan win, so you did not need to threaten me with the flower hairpin..." Alyssa suddenly spoke up, raising her head, as she leveled a fierce glare at Rocky.


    "But aren''t you on the Qi Clan''s side? If you had told me earlier, I wouldn''t have taken it out..." Rocky was a little surprised by her words since he thought that Alyssa would still take the Qi Clan''s side. He only came up with this plan with that assumption, as he had never expected her to side with the Cao Clan.


    "Why should I tell you? Should I tell you everything I do?" Alyssa reproached.


    But Rocky was not discouraged by her temper, and he asked bluntly, "Did you side with the Cao Clan because of me?"


    "Who the hell do you think you are? Why would I do it because of you?" she muttered in a disdainful voice, frowning sternly at him.


    "What do you want from me? I think we''d better be honest with each other. That will be better for both of us in the long run," Rocky finally asked after a moment of hesitation.


    "Then tell me first, how did you get the evil power in your body?" Alyssa frowned at Rocky''s question, but she immediately recovered. In return, she answered with a question of her own.


    "I can''t tell you that," answered Rocky. The evil power in his body was from the Holy Dragon Bead, which was a fact that should never be known, especially to the princess of the Timber Deity Empire. She was not his enemy, but she was by no means his friend.


    "Who sealed t


    t''s the curse?" Rocky didn''t expect that the whole thing was this complicated.


    "I can''t tell you that... It''s my biggest secret! But you have to know..." Alyssa said hesitantly as she still didn''t know if she should tell him everything. If Rocky was the only clue to unlock the curse seal, then he would find out her secrets sooner or later. However, it was also a risk for her. If he didn''t want to cooperate, then it would be a great disadvantage for her if he knew her secret.


    But for some inexplicable reason, Alyssa trusted Rocky, so in the end, she told Rocky her secret, including her identity that was a combination of human and spiritual race, as well as the curse and seal on her body.


    And now, Rocky knew the reason why Alyssa was so powerful. It turned out to be because of the blood of the spiritual race.


    "But you and Woods are siblings. Why are you so powerful, while he isn''t even a spirit manipulator?" Rocky asked in confusion.


    "Humans and the spiritual race are not supposed to get involved from the very beginning, and of course they shouldn''t have babies. Normally, if a human and the spirit race have babies, their children won''t be able to survive in the world. Even if they can survive, they will be cursed forever and unable to have any power. As a result, although Woods is the son of a human and a spiritual race, he can only lead an ordinary life because of the curse," Alyssa explained.

 Chapter 902 Alyssas Secrets

    "So that''s how it began," Rocky exclaimed as he finally came to understand the ins and outs of Alyssa''s problem. But there was still one thing that was bothering him. "How did you and your younger brother survive when the curse was clearly working against you? How did you escape it? Moreover, look at you now. You have the power of a spirit manipulator and the spiritual race at the same time, while Woods is another story, right?"


    "There are exceptions in this world, no matter they are humans or of the spiritual race, and I am one of them. Generally, kids born between the human race and the spiritual race are not supposed to survive. For a time, the Wood Clan cooperated with the royal family of our Timber Deity Empire secretly to cultivate more powerful spirit manipulators. They ordered members of the Wood Clan to mate with the royal members, and that gave way to the birth of many babies. However, except for me and Woods, none of them lived long, as they all died not long after their birth. Because of the failure of these experiments, the Wood Clan soon called for its end. Thus, we''re the only survivors. Although I was cursed when I was born, I was endowed with a half-spirit body. Besides that, I also had a guardian beast, Moon Fox, who followed me when I came into this world. Because of all these circumstances, I was able to succeed. Since then, I am firmly believed to be a human who has inherited the blood power from the spiritual race," Alyssa narrated.


    "Maybe there are other reasons to explain it," Rocky suggested after a short pause in their conversation.


    "They also thought the same way. The Chief of the Wood Clan and several elders continued to conduct studies afterward, and they concluded that it might be because of Moon Fox. After all, Moon Fox is a reincarnation of a legendary guardian beast, and it may be the reason that I can live in this world and possess the power of the spiritual race. You know what? As soon as Moon Fox showed up, a seal, which can break the curse, appeared on my body. Logically speaking, it was impossible, but it indeed happened," Alyssa continued to explain.


    "It''s a really long and complicated story!" Rocky cut in. "Is Woods aware of all these? It seems to me that he knows nothing about it."


    "He doesn''t know. What he knows is that I was sent to the Wood Clan when I was a child. Both of us were born in the spiritual race, but he was sent back to Timber Deity Empire while I stayed and grew up there," Alyssa replied with a slight nod.


    "I''m curious. Is there anyone like you who has the power of the spiritual race?" Rocky asked again.


    "Yes, there is. As far a


    t a glance at Rocky before continuing, "Until I met you."


    "You mean I''m the one you''re looking for? And I can remove your curse?" Rocky asked immediately.


    "I''m not sure yet, but Moon Fox has saved you twice. It told me that you''re the one, and the curse has given me a strong indication that it is indeed you. Every clue indicates that you have something to do with it, and even if it''s not you, at least you have some clues that may lead me to it. That''s the reason why I didn''t kill you and allowed my younger brother to take you back to Timber Deity Empire. However, I didn''t expect what would take place later. You created such big trouble for me," Alyssa said as her eyes darkened briefly.


    "No wonder you were so agitated to see me back then, so much that you even took me away in front of so many people." Now, Rocky finally understood another piece of the puzzle.


    "Now, it''s my turn to ask you. You need to be honest," Alyssa said lightly, and hesitation flashed across her face but it disappeared in an instant.


    "Well, I will do my best," Rocky answered with a mock bow. However, he frowned inwardly, as he wondered where she got so many questions to ask.


    "After we cultivated together for the first time, I found the power of spiritual soul inside your body, apart from the evil power and the seal Marcia applied to suppress it. This power controls the evil power which you''re unable to command. It''s not Marcia''s though, and I know that she can''t possess such a strong and pure power. So, tell me honestly. Have you met anyone from the spiritual race, or have you been saved by them before?" Alyssa continued.


    Rocky hesitated for a while, unsure whether to tell the truth.


    But in the end, he nodded his head, not meeting her eyes.

 Chapter 903 Are You The Enemy

    After Rocky answered her, Alyssa immediately asked more questions. "Then what''s the relationship between you and that member of the spiritual race? Why was one of them willing to expend their spiritual soul to help you? The spiritual soul is their source of power. Once the spiritual soul is damaged or consumed, their strength will gradually weaken, so the spiritual soul is very important."


    "Really? I didn''t know that," Rocky answered honestly, shaking his head. He had had no idea what the spiritual soul was until now. After hearing Alyssa''s explanation, he was sure that the spiritual soul in him was from Cherry.


    "It''s okay if you don''t want to tell me. Anyway, I have one last question for you. Do you have the treasure map with you?" Alyssa asked directly, instead of asking him further questions about the spiritual soul.


    "Why are you so interested in the treasure map?" asked Rocky tentatively.


    "There is a secret on the treasure map that the spiritual race doesn''t want the rest of the world to know, but I have no idea what it''s about. Besides, there''s something in the place mentioned on the treasure map that I can use to deal with the Holy Dragon Empire," Alyssa stated bluntly.


    "Are you still planning to take on the Holy Dragon Empire?" Rocky''s eyes widened in surprise.


    "Yes. Even if I don''t do anything, the Holy Dragon Empire will soon deal with the Timber Deity Empire. Therefore, I have to make the first move and find a way to suppress the Holy Dragon Empire," Alyssa said without hesitation. The reason why she had provoked the war before was because the emperor of the Timber Deity Empire was about to abdicate, and the Holy Dragon Empire would certainly take this opportunity to do something harmful to the Timber Deity Empire. Moreover, her brother was most likely to claim the throne, so she had to make sure that his empire was stable.


    "Then it seems that we''re going to be enemies after all." The two of them had started out as enemies, but had just ended up declaring a truce for the sake of convenience. So, Rocky wasn''t surprised that Alyssa still had hostilit


    rangements.


    Of course, he had many things to do at the moment. He had completed the primitive genome before. Moreover, he had gotten a series of data from Robin about the magic pill. Next, he was going to do related gene experiments on other spirit-manipulated beasts to improve the primitive genome. In addition, he needed to continue the cultivation of the red egg. For that, he needed to collect as much blood of the spirit-manipulated beast as possible to cultivate the red egg.


    And he also needed to further train Robin. After the battle with the spiritual race, he had realized that Robin already had a very good foundation after its transformation. If it could further evolve, maybe it could attain the strength of a guardian beast of the spiritual race.


    For spirit-manipulated beasts, the object most helpful for their evolution and growth was a spiritual crystal. However, naturally occurring spiritual crystals were extremely rare, so he had to find other ways to obtain one. Suddenly, he remembered the notebook he had found in the valley in the Myriad Beasts Ground, which had been left by a predecessor. The notebook had talked about making spiritual crystals. Although the predecessor had failed in producing a complete spiritual crystal, the notebook had recorded the precious details of the process.


    This was undoubtedly the greatest help to Rocky, who possessed modern knowledge.

 Chapter 904 Alyssa Is Strange

    Of course, refining the spiritual crystal required a lot of raw materials, and it was not an easy thing to collect all of them in such a short time, especially for one person alone. But it just so happened that Rocky had a very valuable resource now?¡ªthe Cao Clan. With their help, he could easily obtain the raw materials.


    He knew that he was so important to the Cao Clan that they would be willing to do anything for him. In fact, they would try their best to fulfill all of his requests and please him so that he would stay.


    So, after going back to the mansion of Cao Clan, Rocky went straight to the Magnificent Hall, knowing that he could find Lucilla there.


    When he arrived there, he asked someone to go in and inform Lucilla. Lucilla was surprised to see that he had suddenly taken the initiative to come to her. Earlier, when Rocky had come back, he had told everyone not to disturb him. Ever since then, Lucilla had been worried about how he was doing. Now that she saw he was well, she felt relieved.


    A few seconds later, as per Rocky''s request, the two of them were alone in the side hall of the Magnificent Hall.


    "What''s the matter, Mr. Rookie?" Lucilla asked gently. Even though Rocky was standing in front of her as usual, she felt like he seemed shining as brightly as the sun.


    "Chief Lucilla, excuse me for my abrupt visit, but I have a favor to ask of you." Rocky came straight to the point.


    "Please don''t be so courteous to me, Mr. Rookie. You are our Cao Clan''s savior now. If it weren''t for you, we would have lost this year''s Beast Master Contest. So if there is anything I can do for you, please let me know." Lucilla was someone who knew how to appreciate others'' kindness. Since the Cao Clan had won the Beast Master Contest with Rocky''s help, they would surely do something for him in return.


    "Then I''ll be straightforward! Chief Lucilla, I want you to prepare a spacious house for me. It will be better if the house is located in a secluded environment. In addition, please help me collect a few things..." Rocky listed them out.


    d be the downfall of the Qi Clan.


    At that moment, the important figures of the Qi Clan, including Alexander and Samson, were gathered in the meeting hall. In addition, Tate, who had been hurt by Alyssa before, was also there. He seemed to be recovered now.


    "Damn it!" yelled Alexander with a ferocious look on his face.


    When the others saw this, they pulled a long face and shook their heads with a sigh.


    "I really don''t understand why Princess Alyssa is on the Cao Clan''s side all of a sudden. She used to favor our clan very much and even promised me that if the Qi Clan could win the Beast Master Contest, she would make our clan the number one clan in the Timber Deity Empire," Tate said, feeling extremely puzzled.


    "Who knows what she was thinking about? Or maybe she was just playing a trick on our clan all along," said Alexander resentfully, gritting his teeth.


    "Prince Alyssa''s announcement was indeed very strange, but what was more strange was her attitude towards the mysterious beast master from the Cao Clan. Moreover, she suddenly disappeared with that man for a whole night and then came back with him the next day. I can''t help but feel that there is something wrong with the whole thing Maybe they already knew each other before, or maybe they are hiding some secrets." Samson, who sat beside Alexander, had an equally puzzled look on his face.

 Chapter 905 By Fair Means Or Foul

    "Tate, have you found out the background of that mysterious beast master?" asked Alexander with his thick eyebrows furrowed.


    "Not yet. There''s no trace of information about him. The members of the Cao Clan don''t seem to know his background or even his name. They just call him Mr. Rookie!" Tate shook his head.


    "Where on earth did he come from? Besides the relationship between him and the princess, his skill in evaluating and curing beasts is amazing. I have never heard of such a young and extraordinary beast master in the Wild Spirit Land. He''s incredibly strong and has made great achievements in both domains." As one of the best beast masters of Wild Spirit Land, Samson kept track of all the other skilled beast masters in every country. However, this mysterious beast master had seemed to appear out of nowhere.


    "No matter where he came from, as long as he stays with the Cao Clan, it is a great disadvantage for us!" Alexander said with a scowl on his face.


    "How about we send someone to kill him?" Tate said insidiously. In the final round of the competition, he had been humiliated because of Rocky, and even been badly wounded by Alyssa. Therefore, he attributed all his misfortune to Rocky. Besides, he also knew that Rocky would totally win Lucilla over since he had helped the Cao Clan win. Therefore, the more Tate thought about him, the more he wanted to get rid of him.


    "No, we can''t do that. He obviously has some kind of secret relationship with the princess. If he dies, the princess will probably be infuriated, and it will do no good to our clan," Samson said seriously, waving off Tate''s suggestion.


    "Do you have a better solution?" Alexander asked. He knew that Samson was right.


    "Since we can''t get rid of him, we have to try every means to win him over." There suddenly came a steady voice. A moment later, a new figure walke


    who is popular among the people of the Timber Deity Empire. In the future, you will definitely become a superior master above the Divine Stage. Thus, Prince Woods is definitely unable to compete with you," Alexander said fawningly.


    "Everyone knows that, right? If that piece of garbage becomes the emperor, then people all over Wild Spirit Land will think that the Timber Deity Empire has been driven to a dead end!" Geoffrey said gloomily.


    "But I''m afraid that without Princess Alyssa''s support, it might be difficult for Your Royal Highness to secure the throne," Samson pointed out the key point.


    "That''s true, but the most important thing now is to weaken the power that Woods has as much as possible. Our first step should be destroying the Cao Clan! Anyway, I should go now. You carry out your task properly and don''t let me down again!" After that, Geoffrey stood up and strode away, disappearing in the blink of an eye.


    "It seems that we have to get rid of the Cao Clan by fair means or foul. As long as Prince Geoffrey becomes the emperor, our clan will certainly become the most powerful one!" Alexander said with full confidence.


    It seemed that a secret war was about to break out between the Qi Clan and the Cao Clan!

 Chapter 906 Great Ambition

    Soon after Rocky returned to his room, Lucilla sent an attendant to assist him. There, Rocky immediately arranged and prepared the things that were needed and gave them to the attendant.


    "Send me a pen, ink, and some paper," ordered Rocky to a maid. He was going to write down some plans for Juey, and when she returned to the Xiao Clan, she could carry out his plans.


    But before Rocky could do anything, he heard a gentle knock at the door. Not long after, the door opened, and Juey entered the room slowly.


    "Mr. Rookie..." Juey blinked her gorgeous eyes and called out charmingly.


    "Come in!" Rocky called as he looked up at Juey.


    "What are you doing there, Mr. Rookie?" Curious, Juey went up to him when she saw that he was about to write something down.


    "I''m designing a plan. That reminds me. I hope you won''t mind helping me with something after you return to the Xiao Clan," Rocky replied as he raised his eyebrows.


    "But I want to see it first..." Without thinking twice, Juey leaned towards Rocky enthusiastically and squeezed herself into his arms.


    At that moment, Rocky stood up and asked her to sit down on his chair. With a serious voice, Rocky said, "Now that you''re here, I''ll tell you everything. Listen very carefully. If there''s anything that you don''t understand, just ask and I will explain things to you."


    After hearing his words, Juey nodded and started to write.


    Rocky began to talk about the plan, while Juey wrote down the whole thing. Rocky also encouraged her to ask him questions when she did not understand a certain topic.


    "So, Mr. Rookie, what is this beast hospital? I''ve never heard of such things..."


    "Well, let me put it this way. The beast hospital is specially designed to treat spirit-manipulated beasts. In fact, it is similar to the Xiao Clan''s Magical Beast House, which has a special service for spirit-manipulated beasts. However, the beast hospital has a more comprehensive system for treatment, which can be divided into many departments, such as medicine, surgery, orthopedics, and other services..."


    "I see... But what about the chain operation? What is it?"


    "The chain operation is just like the branch operation of the Magical Beast House, and it is also a form of program management. It keeps a medical record for each client and assures them that the related medical record could be found out, no matter which chain hospital they are in."


    In fact, Rocky''s initial pla


    ut it for the time being. He could not let others know that he was the real mastermind behind such a smart plan. Therefore, the most appropriate place to carry out his plan was in the Timber Deity Empire. There, no one would suspect that the prince of the Holy Dragon Empire would be brewing such a big plan in a country they held grudge against.


    However, the only thing that worried Rocky was the relationship between the two countries. If it ever so happened that these two countries fought again, then his plan would be in shambles. With this, he also planned to keep the peace between these two countries.


    Rocky would only think more about his plan after returning to the Holy Dragon Empire, if he could make his way back home safe. After all, given his current physical condition, if he couldn''t merge the evil power in the third grade in time and suppress the evil power in the fourth grade with the spiritual soul power, then he would probably end up being controlled by Alyssa. But since he had already understood how Alyssa behaved, he knew that if she did not get what she had wanted, then she would not let him go back to the Holy Dragon Empire.


    At that moment, Rocky was in a very delicate situation. Any minor mistake could jeopardize his situation, so he had to be careful with his actions. After winning against the Qi Clan, he sensed that the Qi Clan would never let him go and might plot something against him secretly.


    Of course, he had to be very careful with suspicious people around. After all, his plan was so precious to him that he would never let these external forces affect his huge plan in any way.

 Chapter 907 Be My Friend

    Meanwhile, night fell, and Rocky had almost finished dictating the whole plan to Juey while she wrote it down.


    "Did you understand? Is everything clear?" Rocky asked as he fixed his eyes on Juey.


    "Yes. But I''m afraid that I can''t carry out this complex plan with my current state. You, on the other hand, can carry it out easily," Juey responded as she doubted her abilities. Meanwhile, Juey was surprised by Rocky''s plan. In fact, she had always thought that ordinary people could not even begin to devise such an elaborate plan. But when it came to Rocky, she never even doubted that he was able to construct a huge plan with ease.


    "I just want you to know that I cannot stay in the Timber Deity Empire for too long. If it weren''t for some particular reasons, then I might have already left this place. That''s why you are here today. I am training you with the hopes of helping me with the things that I can''t do once I leave the Timber Deity Empire," Rocky said in a straightforward manner.


    "I am willing to do anything for you no matter how difficult things get as long as you believe and trust in me. Mr. Rookie, I will do anything. But the only thing I don''t ever want to do is... to let you go," Juey said in a melancholic tone. Although she had not spent that much time with Rocky, she had already begun to be reliant on him in some way. At that moment, all she knew was that she didn''t want to leave him, even though she knew that one day, he would leave her.


    "Don''t worry. Just do what you need to do, and I will meet you again one day," Rocky replied smoothly. In fact, giving her that kind of assurance made Juey feel a sense of relief.


    "Take good care of yourself, okay? I''m leaving tomorrow, and I won''t come and say my goodbyes personally. I''m worried that I''ll..." Just when Juey was about to say something more, her eyes started to well up with tears. But somehow, she managed to hold them back in the end. After all, saying goodbye was never an easy thing to bear


    ore and even after she took over being chief at the age of 19. Before all of this grandeur, she used to wear simple and elegant clothes. However, she made an exception just today, all for the sake of one man.


    "Well, Chief Lucilla, my clothes seem a little shabby compared to yours. Don''t you think so?" Rocky joked in an attempt to break the embarrassing silence that flooded the entire room.


    "As a matter of fact, I don''t think so. I''m very honored that you were able to come. By the way, please don''t call me Chief Lucilla anymore. Just call me by my name, Lucilla," Lucilla answered back.


    "But I''m afraid that it''s a little bit inappropriate for me to address you in a first name basis." At that moment, Rocky seemed to have realized something upon noticing that Lucilla''s tempting words.


    "It''s okay. You told me that if I couldn''t support the Cao Clan, then I should give up the position of the chief. And now, I want to give it up. So please, starting now, just treat me as your friend, Mr. Rookie," Lucilla said with finesse.


    "All right. As you wish." Rocky nodded as a reply.


    Soon after, Lucilla sat down beside Rocky, instead of sitting opposite to him. But after they sat side by side, the small table suddenly seemed even smaller.


    As a result, the atmosphere of awkwardness suddenly filled the room.

 Chapter 908 Shall We Continue

    "Mr. Rookie, please allow me to propose a toast for you first!" Lucilla poured a glass of wine for Rocky and then for her.


    With a polite nod, Rocky picked up the wine glass that she poured for him. They clinked their glasses together then gulped the wine.


    Along with all these actions, Lucilla never took her eyes off Rocky, which he, of course, noticed immediately. "Miss Lucilla, why are you looking at me like this?"


    Rocky asked, laughing awkwardly, but she did not seem to mind, as she just shrugged and answered, "I just wanted to see if you have any more secrets..."


    "Can you even tell if I have a secret? Anyway, some secrets can hurt people if they find out about them, so maybe you are better off not knowing about them," replied Rocky. His eyebrows were raised as if to criticize her, and inside


    hen he saw that she had somehow gotten lost in her thoughts.


    Gnashing her teeth, Lucilla struggled out of Rocky''s arms and turned around to face him. At that moment, she felt both ashamed and angry, although it was not him that she was angry at but herself. She had planned to take advantage of him because she didn''t expect that he had seen through her tricks. She was worried that Rocky would look down on her and think that she was a very flirtatious woman. It would be a nightmare for her if she gave him such a bad impression of her!

 Chapter 909 A Beauty In Design

    "You don''t have to dishonor or sacrifice yourself in order to win me over. I admit that you are an attractive woman, but this kind of thing is inappropriate for you to do!" Rocky''s gentle voice lifted Lucilla''s spirits. She felt relieved, like a huge burden had been lifted off her.


    "Mr. Rookie, actually, I..." she turned around and started to speak, but she was stopped by Rocky. "I know what you''re going to say. Don''t worry about what happened just now. There was no harm done. But never do that again," he said, smiling lightly.


    "I won''t." Lucilla had a guilty look on her face as if she was a child who had eaten too many sweets. If Rocky hadn''t forgiven her so readily, she would have regretted it forever. It seemed that she really didn''t know about Rocky''s personality. If she had known that he couldn''t be seduced, she would never have used such an unwise method. In the end, she had paid double and gained nothing.


    At this moment, Lucilla didn''t care at all that she had been taken advantage of. Perhaps she didn''t even realize it. All she was worried about was making sure that Rocky wouldn''t misunderstand her.


    "What about having a drink with me? It''s been a long time since I drank, especially with a woman..." Rocky found that something would happen to him every time he drank with a woman.


    Lucilla nodded and took a seat. The two of them chatted while drinking.


    Since she had just overcome such an embarrassing incident, Lucilla drank a lot. After a while, she began mumbling randomly in a drunken haze. Although her words were


    "To sacrifice you, of course!" Alyssa responded dramatically.


    "Be serious. Do whatever you want to do quickly. I have other things to do!" said Rocky, looking around with feigned impatience.


    "Today, I want to make sure if you really have something to do with getting rid of the curse on me. In the situations before, you appeared in very chaotic circumstances, so I might have misunderstood." Alyssa was a cautious person. Although she believed that Rocky had something to do with the curse on her body, she wanted to make sure, just in case.


    "Then I''d better pray that I have nothing to do with your curse, so that I can return to the Holy Dragon Empire right now," said Rocky teasingly.


    Alyssa glanced at Rocky and then looked away, pretending not to hear him. Then, she opened the Magic Spiritual Space and called out her guardian beast, Moon Fox.


    Covered in a red glow, Moon Fox gracefully floated out from the Magic Spiritual Space like a queen. Its nine tails swayed softly in the air, giving it an ethereal charm.

 Chapter 910 There Are Reasons For That

    "To be honest, the Moon Fox looks really different," Rocky said as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Compared with the two guardian beasts of the Heavenly Demon Clan he had seen before, the Moon Fox was extraordinary.


    "Actually, you should thank the Moon Fox. If it weren''t for it, I would have killed you by now," Alyssa grumbled.


    "Then, we are lucky that the Moon Fox is here, or else, you would have to live with regrets for the rest of your life," Rocky answered snappily.


    "Humph! If you don''t want to help me, I can find another way," Alyssa responded, trying to save her dignity.


    "Didn''t you say that the only way to remove the curse on your body is to find the one destined to do this?" Rocky asked shrewdly with one eyebrow arched in criticism.


    "That person is not necessarily you. Who knows, maybe you are just a clue. If you are a clue, I will kill you after I make use of you." Alyssa threatened Rocky coldly as if she was a devious woman.


    "Before that, you have to keep your promise and send me back to the Holy Dragon Empire. By that time, even if you want to kill me, I will open the door to welcome you," Rocky teased. Somehow, he had gotten used to her threats, and now, he did not mind them anymore.


    "You..." Seeing that Rocky was not afraid of her at all, Alyssa was furious. She wanted to kill him right on the spot, but she couldn''t.


    While the two of them were bickering, the Moon Fox walked out of the Magic Spiritual Space. Its huge body occupied almost half of the ancient temple, and it was standing on the spiritual mark in the center.


    "What is the spiritual mark used for?" asked Rocky curiously.


    "It is used to improve the Moon Fox''s ability to foresee what will happen. There is a spiritual cave under the temple, and the spiritual mark can gather the spiritual power that can be provided to the Moon Fox. Under your influence, the


    are reasons for that," Rocky said as he nodded his head subconsciously. He didn''t expect that she would ask him about it.


    "If you''re willing to talk about it, I don''t mind listening," Alyssa said arrogantly although she was very curious about it.


    "There is nothing special about it, so I would rather not talk about it." Rocky didn''t want to bring up the past now, as he was the kind of person that was always looking ahead to the future.


    "You are so stingy!" Alyssa complained and then asked, "Did you really marry Isis out of love?"


    "When have you become such a gossip?" Rocky raised his eyebrows. He didn''t expect that Alyssa would ask such personal questions. After all, she was not the kind of person who was curious about other people''s private affairs.


    "I''m just asking. I think it''s a waste that a talented girl like Isis married you," Alyssa said in a sarcastic tone.


    "Yeah, it''s not fair to her." Rocky felt a little sad. After all, his marriage with Isis was entirely based on interests, and she deserved much more than that.


    Seeing this reaction, Alyssa suddenly felt hesitant. She could tell that he seemed to be blaming himself about something, and it looked like their train of conversation had unearthed a can of worms.

 Chapter 911 You Are The One

    An indescribable feeling rose from the bottom of Alyssa''s heart when she saw what he looked like now. As if overwhelmed by the feeling, she heaved a sigh and unconsciously put her hands on her chest, as she grabbed her clothes, wrinkling it. She bit her lips until it turned red and puffy, and she worried it almost to the point of drawing blood.


    At this moment, Moon Fox, who was in the middle of its business suddenly threw its head back and let out a long bark, which rushed up and resounded through the whole temple. Along with its deafening bark, it gave out a very strong aura, and the red light around its body became stronger and stronger at every passing second.


    As the strong aura swept over the old temple, it began to tremble as if hit by an earthquake.


    "What the hell is going on? Why is Moon Fox giving such a strong reaction?" Alyssa uttered in a low voice, and in the next moment, her eyes widened in great shock. She remembered the last time that Moon Fox had acted like that! It was when it conducted the prediction using Rocky''s blood for the first time.


    "What''s wrong with Moon Fox? Is it okay?" Rocky approached her and asked, looking concerned.


    "I don''t know. It is reacting more violently than the first time. I think... I think it is resonating with your blood," Alyssa replied even while she shook her head in disbelief. She understood that the more violent Moon Fox acted, the bigger the impact that Rocky''s blood had on it. That was the only explanation.


    Under the continuous impact of Moon Fox''s power, the old temple began falling apart. Its ceiling started cracking as the pillars fell, and the fragments of the tiles shattered to tinier pieces and scattered all over.


    "Let''s get out of here!" Rocky shouted, seeing that the situation was not good.


    Alyssa nodded her head reluctantly, still lost in her thoughts, so he grabbed her arm and jumped out of the temple as quickly as possible.


    The moment that they jumped out, the entire building crumbled to the ground with a big bang behind them, and they kept their heads down, as it stirred up all kinds of dust and debris that flew in all directions. Shocked by the sudden noises, all the beasts and birds ran for their lives in turmoil. At the same time, Moon Fox quieted down, but they couldn''t see what it was doing, as it was still within the confines of the ruined temple.


    Rocky and Alyssa


    ith you for the first time, so I think maybe we can find a way to remove it when we cultivate together," Alyssa suggested after a long moment of thinking.


    "I hope so!" Rocky said unpleasantly. The uncertainty on Alyssa''s face made him worry that they were nowhere on the right track. However, this was not what worried him the most. After all, her curse had nothing to do with him at all. The problem was that they might not be able to completely lift the curse by the end of the month. Although Alyssa had promised to let him go back to the Holy Dragon Empire, she might not keep it if they failed to solve her problem. He needed to come up with some other plan just in case things did not go as they planned it to be.


    He was sure that she wouldn''t hurt him at that moment, and not until her curse was gone. After all, she had been going through untold hardships for the same reason, and she had to stay patient when she was close to what she wanted.


    Meanwhile, Alyssa needed to pay attention to something else besides the curse. She had cultivated together with Rocky with him as the spiritual vessel, and he was the only one that she could cultivate together in this life. Unless she stopped the idea of cultivating together, she would have to ask Rocky for help.


    For now, they decided to try cultivating together, but after one night of cultivation, Alyssa still could not find a clue. On the contrary, Rocky benefited a lot from it because Alyssa''s cultivation base was much higher than his. Unconsciously, it hastened the speed that he integrated the evil power in the third layer.

 Chapter 912 My Idea

    The next morning, after parting with Alyssa, Rocky went back to the Cao Mansion and learned that Juey and her sister had already set off for the Barren City.


    After Juey''s departure, Rocky thought that he could enjoy solitude, but he didn''t expect that the following days would drive him up the wall.


    As soon as he returned to the Cao Mansion, Lucas suddenly came to see him.


    "Master Lucas, what brings you here?" Rocky knew that Lucas must have something important to discuss with him about since he had taken the initiative to come and meet him.


    "I''ve always regarded you as a friend, so I''ll come straight to the point." Lucas seemed to be up to something. He continued, "I have a favor to ask you."


    "What is so important that you came to ask me for help in person?" Rocky raised his eyebrows. With Lucas'' position in the Cao Clan, many people would be willing to do anything for him as long as he asked them to. The fact that Lucas had come here to see him told him that it couldn''t be good news.


    "It''s not anything important. I just wanted to ask you to teach Queenie," Lucas said.


    "Teach her? What do you mean?" Rocky asked in confusion. He was starting to get a bad feeling.


    "I really admire you for your achievements in the field of curing beasts, which has always been the weakness of our Cao Clan over the years. Ever since I saw the peculiar Beast Curing Skills that you performed, I''ve been hoping that Queenie could learn some basic knowledge of Beast Curing Skills from you before you leave the Cao Mansion," Lucas explained.


    "You want me to teach her Beast Curing Skills?" Rocky was surprised. He hadn''t expected that Lucas would come to him with such an idea. Of course, it made sense. After all, even Tate, the disciple of the Miracle Beast Curer Immortal Hua, had been defeated by Rocky. Lucas naturally hoped to use Rocky''s Beast Curing Skills to help the Cao Clan, but he knew that


    l the tasks that he had given the steward had been completed.


    Next to the Fallen Flower Lake in the northeast corner of the Cao Mansion, there was a large old building that resembled a warehouse. Rocky and the steward were standing inside.


    "Mr. Rookie, this place was built for the workers to rest when they were digging the lake a few years ago. After the lake was completed, this house served no purpose anymore. Since then, it has been used as a warehouse. What do you think of it? If you are not satisfied with it, I will find another place," the steward said in a respectful tone.


    "It''s good. I like it. Thank you, Thomas." Looking around the spacious place, Rocky nodded with satisfaction.


    "Then I will go and ask some workers to bring the supplies and materials that you''ve collected here. But if those things were put here in this bad weather, I''m afraid that..." Thomas trailed off with a concerned expression.


    "It doesn''t matter. Just bring them here as soon as possible. I can take care of the rest," Rocky said as he waved his hand.


    "Okay, I''ll bring some people here this afternoon." Thomas immediately nodded and left.


    "I wonder if I can finish refining a spiritual crystal before I return to the Holy Dragon Empire," Rocky murmured to himself.

 Chapter 913 This Is A Test

    Time flew quickly and before he knew it, it was already nearing dusk. Rocky had been staying in the room by the lake, and as he was relaxing in the silence, he heard some noise from outside. When he went out, he saw the steward had arrived with a group of workers, and they were pushing several big carts, which were filled with many things. There was a circular stove bigger than those stoves used to refine pills, and it was what Rocky had especially ordered. Besides those, there were also bottles, containers, and other kinds of tools. The two carts in the last row were all wrapped in cloth, but the smell that was coming from it was overwhelming. The workers had scrunched up their noses, and their faces were distorted by their pained expressions as if they were trying very hard not to breathe in the foul air.


    Thomas and the workers soon finished pushing several carts out of the building.


    "Mr. Rookie, will we carry all these things in?" Thomas asked respectfully once he saw Rocky standing in front of the door.


    Rocky nodded, gesturing into his place.


    Thomas told the workers to remove the items carefully and motioned for them to put all of it inside his room.


    The workers were half-way done when a voice came from a distance. "What''s the smell? It''s so stinky!"


    Since Rocky was standing near his door, he heard it clearly and turned his head. He saw a delicate and beautiful figure who was walking towards them with an arrogant look. Her little face was wrinkled with pride, and her tiny hands were constantly flapping in front of her nose as if she was trying to drive the bad smell away.


    "Here you are!" As soon as his eyes laid on her, a bright smile flashed across Rocky''s face, and he said, "Thomas, you can leave the rest there, then you can go ahead and go home."


    "Aren''t we supposed to move all of them in?" Thomas asked, puzzled.


    "It''s okay. I will handle it." Rocky flapped his hands in a dismissive gesture, and the workers could see that he was determined to send them away.


    Thomas knew he had no right to question Rocky''s decision, so he just led the workers away.


    At the same time, the little girl walked to Rocky, pouted


    en spirit-manipulated beasts. Some of their bones and muscles were completely exposed. No wonder that they smelled so awful. She immediately felt nauseous and hurried to vomit.


    "What the hell?! You bastard! You did that on purpose, didn''t you?" Queenie stared angrily at Rocky, feeling that she had been tricked.


    "What are you doing? Move those bodies in and then freeze them..." Rocky went on to instruct her with what to do with the bodies, ignoring her violent reaction.


    "Do you want me to bring these disgusting corpses in? I don''t want to... No way!" Queenie refused without hesitation. She was the second daughter of the Cao Clan! And yes she could bear it if she had to move the heavy items, but this was different because Rocky was asking her to move these disgusting and rotten corpses inside. She, who had been born with a silver spoon, definitely could not stand it.


    "Okay, but remember that it''s you who wants to give up now. Don''t blame me because I already gave you a chance. Go back now and don''t come here anymore!" said Rocky ruthlessly.


    "You..." Only then did Queenie realize why Rocky had said that she only had one chance. It felt like she had been duped, as he undoubtedly planned this from the beginning. She shouted angrily, "If you do not want to teach me your Beast Curing Skill, then just go ahead and say it. Don''t make things difficult for me! I don''t want to learn your stupid Beast Curing Skill anyway..."

 Chapter 914 Keep Learning

    "Who said that I was planning on making things difficult for you? Do you think my Beast Curing Skill is the same as practicing veterinary medicine? I am not like the other vets who just casually use mental cultivation methods once they learn them. My Beast Curing Skill is not like that. To learn it, you must start with these corpses of the spirit-manipulated beasts. If you can''t even handle them, I can bet that you won''t be able to get far with my Beast Curing Skill. If you don''t think you can manage that, you better admit it now and leave. There''s no point in wasting your time. I used to think highly of your abilities before. But it seems that I have overestimated you," Rocky said coldly.


    "You are lying! You are just trying to get back at me!" Of course, Queenie refused to believe that Rocky was only testing her. He had some sort of ulterior motive.


    "You''re free to think what you like. Anyway, my Beast Curing Skill is not suitable for a noblewoman like you," Rocky said indifferently.


    "Juey is also of noble birth. Will she still suit, then? I refuse to believe that''s why you''re doing this," retorted Queenie unconvinced.


    "She is quite different from you. She had nothing before, not even being treated as a member of the Xiao Clan. She''d been looked down upon by everyone. Therefore, she knows exactly how to fight against adversity and is working hard on proving herself! As for you, you have been revered by others from an early age. Everyone believes that you are a genius, but you are nothing in my eyes. Perhaps you think the Beast Curing Skill will be easy to learn merely because you can evaluate beasts brilliantly. I hate to tell you this, but you are overconfident. In my eyes, you are nothing but a loser. Compared to Juey, you are a no one worth mentioning." Rocky continued his verbal attack.


    Queenie''s anger flared. She couldn''t put up with his cruel words. Biting her pink lips tightly, Queenie glared at Rocky. For some reason, Rocky''s words had driven a knife into her heart, hurting her badly. That quickly sobered her up. The worst part was, Queenie could have avoided it all by walking away and leaving Rocky alone. She wou


    t tools to dismember it.


    "What are you doing?" Seeing this, Queenie couldn''t help asking.


    "Don''t you want to learn my Beast Curing Skill? I''m going to now demonstrate my basic Beast Curing Skill. You should carefully observe what I''m doing and try not to even blink." With that, Rocky took out a sharp blade and began to cut the corpse wide open. He started by taking out the internal organs one by one then shelling the skin and bones. The whole process was extremely bloody and cruel, normal people wouldn''t be able to stand it.


    Seeing this, Queenie couldn''t help but cover her mouth. A sour taste surged up in her mouth, but she didn''t want Rocky to think her weak, so she endured her discomfort.


    However, the more dismembered the body got, the more horrible it looked. After Rocky broke open the head and took its brain out, the thick and sticky brain matter spilled out and flowed everywhere. Queenie felt the urge to run to the side and started vomiting violently. Her face had paled.


    Rocky turned to her and said, "Do you get it now? That''s more or less how the process goes. Your task today is to dismember the body of a spirit-manipulated beast. Don''t be lazy!"


    Queenie frowned. It was easier for her to kill a beast than to dismember it. Moreover, it was almost impossible for her to effectively dismember the body of a spirit-manipulated beast to the bone. Almost no one would be able to finish such an abominable task.

 Chapter 915 A Great Ambitious Plan

    Before Queenie could say no, Rocky added, "If you can''t finish it today, don''t come tomorrow!"


    "How can you..." Queenie started to grumble in anger, but when she turned around, she saw that he had already left.


    Thus, she could only look at the remaining bones and the blood plasma on the table with a bitter expression on her face. If she had known this earlier, she would not have been so rash. But now, it was too late. She knew that if Rocky found out, he would just laugh at her again. The only thing she did not want was to give him a reason to look down on her. She had to prove that she was better than Juey. Otherwise, she wouldn''t be able to swallow the humiliation.


    Anyway, she knew she had no choice but to move another body of the spirit-manipulated beast to that table, and she started to work slowly, following the technique that Rocky had taught her.


    After leaving the house, Rocky didn''t go far, but walked along the lake to a hidden part of the woods. There, he opened the Magic Spiritual Space. He summoned the Rainbow Glow Unicorn and let it stand guard before entering the Magic Spiritual Space.


    First, he went to the house where the red egg was placed and observed their growth. Although the red egg seemed to have grown a little bigger, he felt that their growth rate was slower than it used to be. Before the Beast Master Contest, he had specially traveled all over the country and collected the blood essence of more than 30 kinds of outstanding spirit-manipulated beasts to feed to the red egg. However, the results proved that the blood essence of those beasts was not as effective as that of Rainbow Glow Unicorn and Rubygon.


    After pondering it over for a while, Rocky took out the drop of Alyssa''s blood essence that he had "stolen" from her last time. He believed that Alyssa''s blood essence must be more useful than that of ordinary spirit-manipulated beasts because of her power of the Divine Stage as well as her original physique of the spiritual race.


    Rocky put the vial of Alyssa''s blood essence in front of the red egg. Sens


    star level of the larvae of Dark Heaven Insects was only three-star, the Dark Heaven Eggs they produced were also divided into three levels. However, even the highest level of the Dark Heaven Eggs was only suitable for spirit manipulators from the high level of the Heavenly Stage to the primary level of the Supernal Stage. Once a spirit manipulator reached the middle level of the Supernal Stage, the effects of the high-level Dark Heaven Eggs would also gradually weaken.


    Of course, even so, most of the Supernal Stage masters still scrambled for the high-level Dark Heaven Eggs. After all, the Dark Heaven Eggs, which could help absorb spiritual power, were rare in the Wild Spirit Land. Although there were more superior spirit-manipulated beasts in the Wild Spirit Land similar to Dark Heaven Insects which could help with people''s cultivation, it was still unusual to come across even a low-level Dark Heaven Insect, let alone high-level ones. Therefore, an extraordinary treasure like a high-grade Dark Heaven Egg was still sought after by most spirit manipulators.


    Even so, Rocky was not satisfied with the result. He wanted to transform the genes of the Dark Heaven Insects to make them break through their star level limits so that the eggs they produced would be more valuable than even the current high-level Dark Heaven Eggs.


    This was his great ambitious plan!

 Chapter 916 A Breakthrough

    Whether the larvae of the Dark Heaven Insects could complete their gene modification and break through to the next level was crucial, and it was also the primary objective of Rocky''s experiment.


    In the blink of an eye, a few hours passed. Outside of the Magic Spiritual Space, the moon was shining brightly in the sky with stars twinkling around like diamonds.


    When he finally finished his work and called it a day, Rocky walked out of the Magic Spiritual Space, rubbing his temples. He ordered the Rainbow Glow Unicorn to return before heading back to the house. But when he got there, he was surprised to find someone who was up as late as he was.


    ''Why hasn''t she gone to sleep yet?'' he wondered. Queenie was sitting there with her forehead wrinkled in concentration. She was busy with dismembering the body of a dead spirit-manipulated beast. But because she had just begun her study on it, the body looked grotesque, with all its internal organs scattered around.


    He had intended to watch her from a distance, but when he saw her fumbling around helplessly, he could not help but let out a laugh.


    Upon hearing the sound of his laughter, Queenie came to her senses and raised her head. Her face immediately soured when she saw who was in front of her.


    "That''s enough for today. Go and take rest," Rocky said, the smile on his face disappearing.


    "No!" Queenie shook her head in a huff and then lowered her eyes to the body of the beast again. She refused to believe that she wouldn''t be able to finish it today.


    "If you go on like this, I''m afraid that you won''t be able to dismember the carcass until dawn," Rocky remarked.


    "It''s none of your business," Queenie replied, slightly pouting. She was only in this embarrassing situation now because of Rocky, so she wouldn''t be tricked by him, even if he was pretending to be nice to her now.


    Rocky chuckled to himself. Since Queenie insisted on struggling on, he felt obligated to help her out. After a moment of hesitation, he strode forward.


    "Here, you should star


    e had to be in charge of many of the state affairs of the Timber Deity Empire. Nevertheless, her priority was still to get rid of the curse. She was so obsessed with it that she wasn''t able to have a sound sleep at night. She had no choice but to squeeze out time to focus on getting rid of it as soon as possible.


    Seeing the expression on Alyssa''s face, Rocky waved his hand and said, "Never mind; just forget it."


    "Let''s go," Alyssa said flatly.


    The next moment, the two of them turned into shadows and disappeared from where they were standing.


    As usual, they spent the whole night cultivating together.


    Alyssa tried some new methods, but still made no progress. The curse had responded during the first time they had cultivated together, but it had stopped responding after that. Needless to say, she was frustrated. Success seemed to be in sight, but it refused to come closer. Trying to remove the curse was like torture.


    When they finished their cultivation and were about to return, Rocky suddenly stopped and grinned as if something had just occurred to him. "By the way, I have a small request. I wonder if Your Highness can grant it," he asked.


    "You know there is no such thing as a free lunch. Whatever it is, you have to pay. I''m guessing it''s something very troublesome." Noting the wide smile on Rocky''s face, Alyssa grimaced.

 Chapter 917 One Step Closer To Uriahs Resurrection

    "It''s nothing much. It''s just a small request. I want a drop of blood essence from Your Highness''s six-star spiritual beast and one from Moon Fox. Can I have that?" Rocky proposed all of a sudden.


    "And what are you going to need them for?" Alyssa asked with doubt.


    "Well, it''s nothing dangerous." But of course, Rocky was surely not going to let her know that he intended to use the blood essence to feed the red egg that might bring Uriah back to life.


    "If you''re not going to tell, then forget it," Alyssa dismissed him outright.


    "Come on, I am just going to use them for a little research. That''s all." Being quick on his feet, Rocky immediately found an excuse.


    "And what is this research all about?" Alyssa narrowed her eyes and gave him a suspicious glance.


    "The research about the Beast Curing Skill..." Rocky replied, while avoiding eye contact with her.


    "Is that so?" At that moment, Alyssa fixed her eyes on him and continued to stare at him with much doubt. Deep inside, she sensed that Rocky must be up to something.


    Rocky, on the other hand, nodded his head slowly as he faked to be serious about the matter.


    "Fine. You can have the spiritual beast''s blood essence, but no Moon Fox. Who knows what kind of bizarre research you''ve been doing! And besides, I am sure that Moon Fox won''t come with you in the first place," Alyssa answered back after a moment of consideration.


    "But how do you know that Moon Fox doesn''t want to come with me if you haven''t really asked it first?" Rocky asked as he tried to urge Alyssa into asking Moon Fox firsthand.


    "Oh, there''s no way I''m going to do that!" Alyssa replied monotonously as she had her apprehensions.


    "Okay, fine. Now hand me over your spiritual beast''s blood essence." Given that Alyssa won''t crack into his persuasion, Rocky was left with no choice but to compromise.


    "Stay here. I''ll be back in a moment." Soon after, Alyssa entered the Magic Spiritual Space and soon walked out with a small bottle in her hand.


    "Here, take this. Three drops should be enough for you," Alyssa said as she handed the bottle over to Rocky.


    "Wow, thanks for this! I guess I''ll leave then," Rocky said as he took the bottle and left. Meanwhile, Alyssa''s eyes followed Rocky righ


    yssa was even more stunned. If this was the condition of breaking the curse, then it would be next to impossible.


    "If he can give up his identity as a prince, then perhaps everything will become easier. But, is it really possible for him to do so?" At that moment, Alyssa thought that the biggest obstacle between them was their social status. If she didn''t want to give up everything that she had, then she needed to persuade Rocky to do it instead. But knowing Rocky, it was almost impossible for him to give up his identity as a prince.


    "Oh, Moon Fox, what should I do?" Alyssa asked helplessly.


    However, Moon Fox didn''t reply, because Alyssa had to find the answer by herself.


    Meanwhile, in the house of the Cao Clan, Rocky went straight to the big room where he saw Queenie working on the dead body of a spirit-manipulated beast. Looking energetic and excited, she looked as if she was playing with a toy¡ª full of curiosity and completely different from her unhappy face the day before.


    Seeing how happy she was, Rocky didn''t want to disturb her, so instead, he turned around and left for the secluded bushes where he opened the Magic Spiritual Space. Soon after, he took out the six-level spiritual beast''s blood essence and fed it to the red egg. After a few moments, the egg turned into a yellow-ish hue. However, at that moment, Rocky still didn''t know what it meant when the egg turned from red to yellow. All he knew was that he was one step closer to resurrecting his beloved Uriah.

 Chapter 918 The Spiritual Crystal Refinement

    Soon after, he continued his genetic modification experiment on the two larvae and didn''t leave his Magic Spiritual Space until noon. Once he returned to his house, he witnessed Queenie dismember the body of a spirit-manipulated beast.


    "Wow, now you''re quite skillful at that," Rocky remarked as he raised the corner of his mouth. With a sense of accomplishment, Queenie proudly replied, "Humph! It''s a piece of cake!" She seemed to forget that, yesterday, she was actually quite disturbed by the corpse of the spirit-manipulated beast. If it wasn''t for Rocky''s careful guidance, she wouldn''t have mastered dissecting so quickly.


    "Hmmm. Remind me again who was vomiting at the beginning yesterday?" Rocky deliberately teased.


    "Not me!" Queenie stubbornly refused to admit her loss of composure yesterday.


    "I never said it was you!" he retorted with a snicker.


    "I think you need a punch in the gut!" she threatened angrily with a raise of her fist.


    "That''s all for today. You can go home now." Rocky shrugged and smiled.


    "Aren''t you going to teach me anything else?" Queenie immediately felt unhappy when she heard he was dismissing her.


    "I have another matter to attend. Our lessons will continue tomorrow," he replied with a deep, serious look in his eyes.


    Queenie could do nothing but cast a glare at him before leaving the room.


    Once she left the room, Rocky began to prepare to refine the spiritual crystal.


    The reason why he taught her how to dismember a spirit-manipulated beast corpse was to save him the trouble of having to dismember the bodies himself. In addition to the one body he dissected yesterday, Queenie dissected an additional two bodies. This would be enough to refine the spiritual crystal.


    The internal organs, flesh, and other parts of the three corpses were classified and placed into several large pots. Next, these materials would putrefy into liquid.


    While the natural decaying of corpses normally took at least a few days, Rocky didn''t have much time. He extracted a chemical substance from certain plants and then injected it


    y does he collect so many corpses?" As Lucilla heard that, a confused expression spread across her face.


    "I''m not sure about that." Thomas shook his head.


    "You may leave now," Lucilla ordered with a wave of her hand.


    Shortly after he left, a disciple of the Cao Clan quickly walked in with a crimson invitation letter.


    "This is..." She took a glance at the disciple and then fixed her eyes on the red invitation letter.


    "Chief, the Qi Clan sent this," the disciple replied immediately before handing it over to her.


    Lucilla took it and read it carefully.


    "Humph! The Qi Clan truly is a wolf in sheep''s clothing! How dare they plot against us while inviting Mr. Rookie so blatantly?" Lucilla''s face soon turned as red as the letter out of anger. As she put down the invitation, she used a bit of her spiritual power to reduce it to a pile of paper scraps. The Qi Clan wanted Rocky to attend their banquet, and the purpose of this feast served was self-evident enough.


    "Do not let anyone find out about this, especially Mr. Rookie." She couldn''t risk any chance of Rocky having contact with the Qi Clan.


    The disciple nodded at once and withdrew.


    Then, Lucas came in. He noticed that Lucilla didn''t look well, so he immediately asked, "Chief, what happened?"


    Lucilla told him about the Qi Clan''s invitation. This enraged Lucas too, his face now dark with anger.

 Chapter 919 Deliberate Provocation

    "The invitation is just an excuse. I say what they really want is to see how we will react to this. Otherwise, the Qi Clan wouldn''t have been so stupid as to send it to our Cao Clan like this," Lucas surmised.


    "I agree with you. The Qi Clan probably wants to provoke us. Therefore, we have to be very careful from now on!" Lucilla nodded, aware of the gravity of the situation.


    "The Qi Clan will surely try their best to ingratiate themselves with Mr. Rookie. Chief, I think it would be better for us to strike first. As for what we talked about last time, I don''t know..." Lucas started after giving it some thought.


    Remembering their conversation, Lucilla bit her pink lips with embarrassment. "I gave it a try."


    "You tried it?" Her answer surprised Lucas. She hadn''t mentioned to him she''d decided to go through with it.


    Lucilla went on to tell him that she''d tried to seduce Rocky with the honey trap. However, she left out some important details.


    "It seems that it won''t be easy to draw Mr. Rookie over to our side. We have to gain his support first. But if we want to win him over, I''m afraid that you''ll have to truly rely on him first..." Lucas surmised.


    "Master Lucas, what do you mean?" Lucilla did not understand what he meant.


    "I mean, chief, you should make yourself fall in love with him first. Of course, I don''t think it will be difficult, for Mr. Rookie is very attractive after all. I think any woman would fall in love with him. I am aware that you closed off your heart ten years ago and haven''t opened it to anyone since then. So, it won''t be easy for you to fall in love with Mr. Rookie, unless you..." Lucas said shrewdly, his turbid eyes gleaming.


    "Let me think about it." His words made her hesitate. She wasn''t certain if she could do it. Sure, it wouldn''t be hard to seduce him with her beauty or lure him with her body. But letting go of everything and falling in love with him was where she drew the line.


    "J


    e Fire and the smoke constantly coming from it.


    "It''s none of your business. From today onwards, you are not allowed to be within three meters of the circular furnace. If you failed to keep your promise, I will never teach you anything else." Rocky warned solemnly.


    "It''s not like I care. What will you teach me today?" Noticing the furtive look on Rocky''s face, Queenie went on.


    "Did I say that I will be teaching you anything? Continue to dismember the body of the spirit-manipulated beast," Rocky replied with his arms folded across his chest.


    "I have to continue doing that?" When Queenie heard this, her face immediately crumpled. Although she was accustomed to bloody scenes like this at that time, it was still difficult for her to accept it on a daily basis.


    "Of course. At your current speed, I''m afraid you can''t even cure an ant. If you can dismember a spirit-manipulated beast in half an hour, I will teach you something new." Rocky baited Queenie.


    "Half an hour?" His outlandish request stunned Queenie. Yesterday, it had taken her three to four hours to dismember a spiritual beast. She knew it wouldn''t be easy to dismember a corpse of the spirit-manipulated beast within half an hour.


    "It only took Juey three days to achieve that goal." Rocky deliberately provoked her.

 Chapter 920 Training Robin

    "Well, I will spend only two days finishing it. I can''t be beaten by her even if I die..." Queenie, clenching her teeth, gave a glare at Rocky and then fetched the body of the spirit-manipulated beast. She started her training again.


    Witnessing her take the bait so easily, Rocky couldn''t help but shake his head and smile before leaving Queenie behind.


    His experiments on refining the spiritual crystals and the larvae were already on the right track. It would take some time to verify the results. So in the meantime, Rocky planned on how to train Robin effectively to strengthen it in combat.


    The transformation happened not too long ago. Although Robin had adapted to its body, it still had little to no actual combat experience which was crucial in the early development of all spirit-manipulated beasts. It was very important because many spirit-manipulated beasts evolved during combat.


    However, Robin couldn''t improve its skills in such a short amount of time by just ordinary means. Rocky needed to remain in the Cao Clan for the meantime and couldn''t go too far away. Thus, he needed to figure out how to train Robin as best as he could by working with what he had.


    Rocky planned on using the Cao Clan''s resources.


    Suddenly, a disciple of the Cao Clan appeared in front of him, cupped his hands together and said, "Mr. Rookie, here you are. The sixth prince wanted to see you immediately!"


    "Okay." Rocky nodded and followed the disciple.


    Before long, Rocky saw Woods in the hall and, of course, Lucilla.


    When Lucilla saw Rocky enter, she immediately felt slightly awkward. She reminisced on the shameful day when she seduced him and kissed him fiercely. On top of that, she was drunk at that time, so her ghastly appearance was seen by Rocky, which m


    do, so going up against him will be quite a challenge!" Although Woods only met Alston once, he could immediately tell that Alston was dishonest and despicable.


    "So once I return to the Holy Dragon Empire, I''m afraid I''ll have quite a difficult battle to fight," Rocky responded with sharp eyes.


    "I''m afraid Alston doesn''t think you''re still alive. I''d be interested in seeing the look on his face once he sees you¡­" Woods uttered with a playful smile.


    "Now that you''re here, I''ll tell you my plan," Rocky said.


    "Before that, I''d like us to visit somewhere first." They had already walked out of the gate of the Cao Clan when Woods pointed to the carriage outside.


    "Where are we going?" asked Rocky.


    "Today, several princes will attend the royal family''s beast fighting game. I want you to know them first and advise me on which brother I''m going to deal with first; besides Geoffrey, my greatest opponent, of course. I''ll fight him until the last minute," Woods answered.


    "Don''t you have your sister? Are you still afraid of Geoffrey?" Rocky asked, puzzled. If Woods had Alyssa''s support, then the other princes, including Geoffrey, should pose no threat to him.

 Chapter 921 The Competition

    "My sister is an honorable woman. Although she supports me, her decisions will always be fair and will not be partial towards me. If she thinks I am not capable enough, then she will not help me ascend to the throne. Therefore, I have to rely on myself. My sister told me you would stay in the Timber Deity Empire for some time. You can help me while you''re here." Woods became excited. He could make use of Rocky''s help before he returned to the Holy Dragon Empire. He trusted Rocky, and he believed that Rocky could aid in his career.


    "All right." Rocky agreed. Anyway, he also needed Woods to help him. So, it would be a fair deal.


    Together, they got on the carriage and left.


    Along the way, Rocky explained his plan to Woods. It was brief, but Woods was clever enough to see the big picture right away. He saw through Rocky''s plan and discerned his grand ambition hidden in the plan. He knew that if his plan succeeded, it would shake the Wild Spirit Land, and Rocky would have an unimaginable influence over the entire land.


    "So you want me to help you secretly?" Woods asked as he understood the meaning behind Rocky''s words.


    "Yes. With your help, this plan will be carried out smoothly. The sooner we carry out the plan, the better," Rocky replied.


    "Sure! I''m in!" Without thinking about it, Woods agreed to help Rocky. He was convinced that if Rocky''s plan succeeded, it would boost his chance in ascending to the throne. Rocky was right. He would benefit greatly from his plan.


    "As for the details, I will just write it down and give it to you later. Once I return to the Holy Dragon Empire, make sure you do everything as planned. Be careful, we cannot afford to make a mistake," Rocky continued.


    Woods nodded his head in agreement.


    Before long, the carriage finally arrived at the north side of the capital. It passed through the high walls that extended from west to the east and halted at a magnifice


    ead.


    "Everyone has a weakness. As long as we find their Achilles'' heel, everything will come easy," Rocky said firmly.


    Just then, the audience began to cheer in the beast arena.


    "The competition begins," Woods said.


    Rocky fixed his eyes into the center of the beast arena. In the middle of the large open space, two ferocious spirit-manipulated beasts came face to face. They were both at the third grade of the four-star level, and their strength was equivalent to that of a spirit manipulator of the Heavenly Stage.


    "Does it have any rules?" Rocky asked with interest.


    "There is one rule. The master of the spirit-manipulated beast is not allowed to command the spirit-manipulated beast. This is a battle between spirit-manipulated beasts," Woods replied.


    "Just like beasts fighting by instinct?" Rocky asked.


    "The spirit manipulators of the royal family chose the game to be this way to inspire the potential of the spirit-manipulated beasts. Of course, there are risks. Spirit-manipulated beasts might get hurt by accident. Or worse, they die," Woods said with a smile.


    Rocky''s eyes lit up as he asked, "Can everyone take part in the game?"


    "Yes. All you need to do is sign up. Are you interested?" Woods smiled. He could tell what was on Rocky''s mind.

 Chapter 922 Robins First Surprising Display

    Rocky nodded evasively. In fact, he had planned to train Robin at that time to improve its fighting capacity. Therefore, Robin would definitely get excellent training if it participated in the beast arena.


    "What? Let Rainbow Glow Unicorn compete? What is its current strength? The spirit-manipulated beasts participating in the finals will be at least at the third grade of the three-star level," Woods uttered. Rocky had told him before that both Uriah and Rubygon died for saving him back when they were fighting with Alston. With this, Rainbow Glow Unicorn was the only spirit-manipulated beast that was left to stay with him. Therefore, Woods thought that Rocky might select it to take part in the upcoming competition.


    "But, I''m not choosing Rainbow Glow Unicorn this time," Rocky answered as he shook his head.


    "Then that would mean..." Woods'' eyes grew bigger in surprise. At that moment, he could not help but wonder how many spirit-manipulated beasts Rocky was keeping.


    Woods might be shocked, but this was not something new to him at all. In fact, he was aware that it was normal for someone like Rocky, who owned a spirit-manipulated beast of the King Level such as Rainbow Glow Unicorn, to have several other spirit-manipulated beasts. In addition, Woods had already witnessed Rocky control two spirit-manipulated beasts at the same time, so there was no reason to be surprised about Rocky''s capabilities anymore.


    "Woods, make an arrangement in the competition for me," Rocky instructed Woods.


    After shooting Rocky a glance, Woods sent for an arena steward to make an arrangement as soon as possible.


    Meanwhile, as soon as the fight at the beast arena was over, the man in charge appeared again.


    "See the man there? Go with him." Immediately, Woods nodded at Rocky.


    Rocky stood up and left with the person in charge. They went down a few steps through one passage and reached the bottom of the fighting beast field. An iron fence appeared in front of them, which led to the fighting field.


    "Release the spirit-manipulated beast, please..." The steward politely ordered Rocky.


    Without hesitation, Rocky nodded and then opened the Magic Spiritual Space to let Robin out.


    In an instant, the iron fence in front of them and the one on the opposite side slowly opened simultaneously. Soon after, a spirit-manipulated beast at the third grade of the three-star level came out of the holding area.


    "Hey, go ahead. Don''t forget to have fun!" Rocky gleefully said as he signaled Robin to start.


    As a response, Robin growled. Shortly, it passed through the iron fence and set its foot on the arena.


    Robin''s pr


    stage and announced the update on the competition.


    "All spirit-manipulated beasts at the third grade of the three-star level have competed today. The previous fight that you have all witnessed was the final round. The next competition will be between spirit-manipulated beasts at least at the third grade of the four-star level or above. With that being said, do you still want to participate in it?" the person in charge asked Rocky.


    "Go ahead!" Rocky nodded as he answered.


    "Are you sure about it? Your spirit-manipulated beast is only at the third grade of the three-star level... Are you really sure you want to do this?" the person in charge asked again after seeing that Rocky might not be aware of the potential mismatch of Robin''s opponent. Although Robin had shown remarkable strength in the previous round, it was still at the third grade of the three-star level and not of the same level as the spirit-manipulated beasts of the third grade of the four-star.


    "We are sure. Just go and arrange it," said Woods and nodded with resolution.


    Seeing that Rocky and Woods were quite confident of Robin, the steward bowed and left the area.


    On the other hand, as Rocky told the steward to continue the fight, the winner, Robin, didn''t quit the competition. Instead of resting, it patiently waited for its next opponent.


    Soon after, the iron bar on the opposite side opened gradually, and a spirit-manipulated beast at the third grade of the four-star level jumped out of it. With long and flat mouth, this spirit-manipulated beast resembled a crocodile. In addition, its whole body was covered in hard scales. It was about a meter in height, and its three of its tails resembling a crocodile''s wagged and hit the ground up and down continuously.

 Chapter 923 A Fierce Battle

    "It''s a the third grade of the four-star level steel armored crocodile. It''s good with both attack and defense. Seems like this will be a challenge for Robin." Rocky turned serious once he noted Robin''s opponent.


    When the spectators saw Robin remain on the stage, they were surprised. At the level of three-star, Robin was about to start a battle with a four-star level opponent. There was a one-star gap between their levels. No matter how good Robin could perform, there was a huge difference in levels. So in their opinion, Robin was definitely no match for the steel armored crocodile. It was like striking a stone with an egg.


    So, the royal family members and several princes took this opportunity to bet a fortune on the steel armored crocodiles. Yes, Robin had surprised them with its magnificent performance just now. However, its previous opponent was only a three-star level one with ordinary strength. It didn''t matter how well it performed before, facing a four-star steel armored crocodile was not the same. No matter what, it was doomed to lose this fight.


    As soon as the steel armored crocodile saw Robin, it sensed its weakness. So it became much more ferocious, sped up, and whirled around. Its three giant spear-like tails swept in all directions, fiercely attacking Robin.


    Noticing the steel armored crocodile''s rapid attack, Robin didn''t step back. It went straight ahead towards its tails.


    This was undoubtedly suicide in the eyes of the spectators.


    The spear-like tails spun at top speed, dazzling Robin, making it difficult for it to see them clearly. Moreover, three swift strikes would be impossible for Robin to withstand. Even it could take the first blow, the other two blows were enough to take it down.


    The two beasts collided with a loud crash. The potent force spread around,


    pikes. There was a pair of huge fleshy bat-like wings on its back, and its body was much smaller than Robin''s. But no one in their right mind would think the Ghost Lion was weak.


    The Ghost Lion could secrete a strong paralyzing poison. As a result, anyone affected by it would soon fall numb. If hit three times in a row, his body would be unable to move, and in the end, he would be slaughtered.


    So, defeating it would be difficult.


    And as soon as the Ghost Lion appeared, it immediately caused a large sensation. Everyone knew that the Ghost Lion was a natural winner used to winning every battle in the beast arena, only being defeated a few times. This would be one lethal interaction.


    Many people started quickly putting a lot of money on the Ghost Lion. That, again, included some members of the royal family and some princes.


    "How much can I bet?" Rocky turned to look at Woods and asked.


    "That depends on the odds. Now the odds of Robin are one to three, and the highest bonus is 300, 000 taels of gold. So you can bet 100, 000 taels of gold at most," explained Woods.


    "Then bet 100, 000 taels of gold on Robin for me," a sly smile curled over Rocky''s face as he said with conviction.

 Chapter 924 The Whole Arena Went Crazy

    "Do you think Robin can win? I think the odds are stacked against it," Woods remarked with a hint of concern. Although he did not often come to the beast arena, he had heard about the strength of the Ghost Lion. Only a few spirit-manipulated beasts at the same level or higher could defeat it, let alone beasts at a lower level.


    "I think you''re just worried about the 100, 000 taels of gold," Rocky teased. Of course, he knew that 100, 000 taels of gold didn''t mean much to a prince like Woods, and that Woods was genuinely worried that Robin was no match for the Ghost Lion.


    However, if Woods knew that Robin just appeared weak and that it hadn''t used its real power yet, he would not think so.


    Hearing Rocky''s words, Woods grinned. Since Rocky seemed quite confident, he said nothing more. Instead, he turned to his men and asked them to bet on Robin.


    The Ghost Lion strode forward majestically and, as soon as it reached the center of the arena, rose several meters into the air and hovered there. It lowered its head and focused its eyes on Robin, like a falcon that had targeted its prey and would attack it at any time.


    When the sound of the bell rang, the Ghost Lion suddenly swooped down from the air and opened its mouth with a harsh roar. Then, it shook all over, causing the countless tiny spikes like fine silver needles on its wings to rain down like arrows.


    Each spike was coated with a layer of smooth and transparent venom, so any beast that was pierced by one of these spikes would immediately be poisoned.


    Fortunately, Robin seemed to be aware of the venom on the spikes and spared no effort to dodge them.


    Thanks to its agile body and extremely fast speed, it managed to escape the attack from the Ghost Lion. However, the latter still had the upper hand. From this distance, Robin had no way of attacking the Ghost Lion, but the Ghost Lion could easily attack Robin, or at least corner it.


    If Robin wa


    acks. However, after being provoked, it had instinctively lost its rationality and wanted to beat its opponent at once. In other words, it had been fooled by Robin.


    After the Ghost Lion swooped closer, it delivered several rounds of attack but failed to hurt Robin. Then, something astonishing happened. Robin, which had dodged all of Ghost Lion''s attacks, suddenly bent its legs and pulled its whole body taut. The next moment, it leaped high off the ground like an arrow, soaring into the air until it was more than ten meters above the ground. It was as if it had broken free of gravity. All the spectators had their mouths open in shock after witnessing Robin''s unbelievable ability.


    When Robin reached its peak, it seemed to pause in the air for what seemed like several seconds, and the crowd collectively held their breath. Then, Robin came back down. With its momentum, it rushed down at the Ghost Lion like a cannonball.


    The Ghost Lion, which could not predict Robin''s attack at all, froze in confusion.


    Before it could react, Robin crashed straight into it, ramming it into the ground and sending dust flying everywhere.


    When the dust finally settled, people could only see a deep pit in the ground.


    The whole arena went crazy after seeing such an unpredictable match.

 Chapter 925 See You Again

    As the dust dissipated, Robin slowly emerged forward with a swagger. In the pit behind it lay the Ghost Lion, badly mangled with countless wounds all over its body. It let out several pained howls before finally dying. Once the Ghost Lion went silent, Robin arrogantly looked around at the crowd, and then raised its strong front limbs in a victorious gesture.


    Upon seeing this, the spectators began cheering and applauding wildly. They could not believe that they had just witnessed Robin, a spirit-manipulated beast at the third grade of the three-star level, defeating a spirit-manipulated beast at the third grade of the four-star level. What was more, this particular Ghost Lion was far superior to the other Ghost Lions at the same level!


    ''Whoa, I won the reward of three hundred thousand taels of gold.'' As he watched the crowd go crazy over Robin, Rocky raised his eyebrows and smirked.


    "It seems that there is more to your spirit-manipulated beast than what meets the eye. What is its background?" Woods asked curiously, his brows furrowed in confusion. The way Robin had fought with the Ghost Lion made it look as if its master had been there to control it. However, the truth was that it had easily defeated its opponent, a spirit-manipulated beast whose strength was one whole star higher than its own, by itself.


    Of course, what Woods and the other spectators didn''t know was that Robin''s strength could no longer be measured by the regular spirit-manipulated beasts'' standards set by human beings, because after the transformation, Robin''s potential far exceeded those standards. Even most of the spiritual beasts would be no match for it.


    As a matter of fact, Robin''s actual strength was at least above the third grade of the four-star level. So naturally, it was a piece of cake for it to defeat an opponent like the Ghost Lion.


    Plus, with its increasing combat experience, Robin''s strength would continue to rise. Even Rocky didn''t know how much progress it could make in regard to its strength. But according to the previous assessment, if it continued to participate in similar combat, it would be able to reach the fourth gra


    tables. Although the guests were all dressed casually, it was obvious from their demeanor that they were powerful figures.


    Hearing Woods and Rocky walk in, the men sitting there immediately looked back at them. As soon as they saw Woods, they stood up and saluted him.


    Woods simply waved his hand and motioned for them to sit down. After that, they all continued to listen to the music.


    "These are highly-ranked officials, right?" Rocky asked casually after sitting down in a secluded corner with Woods.


    "The one in the colorful robe is from the military department. Sitting next to him is a member of the royal family. These are all important officials of the Timber Deity Empire," Woods explained briefly.


    "What on earth is this place?" Rocky asked curiously. No matter how he looked at it, this place didn''t look like an ordinary brothel.


    "It''s a place where officials come to have fun. But it is much safer than other brothels. Besides, most of them come here for the beauty who is playing the zither behind the curtain." Woods turned his gaze to the front of the room.


    Rocky followed suit and saw a beautiful figure sitting behind the gauze curtain. Her slender fingers were carefully plucking the zither. For some reason, she looked really familiar. When he recalled the plaque he had seen before coming in, he immediately realized who this beauty was. He smiled lightly and turned to Woods. "Why is she here?"

 Chapter 926 Meeting Laney Again

    "She is the owner of this house now. It would surprise her to see you here," Woods said playfully.


    "Wait! I thought you wanted me to keep a low profile. The fewer people who know who I am, the better, isn''t it?" Rocky asked, confused at Woods'' sudden suggestion.


    "You''re right, of course. At present, not only is the Qi Clan keeping an eye on you, but several princes are also inquiring about you everywhere they go. To prevent them from learning your true identity, I suppose it''s necessary for her to know who you really are," Woods explained his reasoning.


    "Then, what is your plan?" Rocky asked with a quirked brow.


    "Haven''t you noticed there''s a difference between this place and other whorehouses?" Woods recounted with a smile.


    Rocky scowled, understanding why Woods had brought him here.


    "Stop looking at me like that! Yes, this is not just a whorehouse for dignitaries and distinguished people to have fun. It is an important stronghold Alyssa set up to collect information, similar to what we had in Evian City. The difference is that the clients here are our own people," Woods lowered his voice while looking around.


    "Therefore, it''s necessary for her to know what''s going on. Then she will pay extra attention when people talk about you. We can learn who is interested in you and who is investigating you," Woods elaborated.


    His words sounded reasonable. Rocky had attracted a tremendous amount of attention in the Timber Deity Empire. People tended to regard him as one of the Cao Clan after he helped them defeat the Qi Clan and hold on to the seat of first clan in the Timber Deity Empire. In many people''s eyes, Rocky was too important to the clan. If anyone were looking for trouble or planned on defeating the clan, they had to know more about Rocky first.


    In other words, Rocky''s situation was more precarious than he had initially thought. Especially after the Timber Deity Empire''s emperor announced that he would be choosing one of the princes to be his successor. Although the Cao Clan had yet to plead their support to a particular prince, the princes would inevitably seek them out to win them over.


    "I see. But I don''t think it''s a good idea for her to see me now." Rocky shook his head with a bitter smile. If Woods learned that his relationship with that woman was much clo


    e flashed a lascivious smile. "Oh, please excuse my rudeness. I shall pay more attention to my words the next time. I wouldn''t want to offend you. But you must promise to have dinner with me tonight and after that, we can enjoy each other''s company."


    Laney mentally rolled her eyes. Even though she didn''t want to, it was her job. Besides, she was very familiar with the oldest prince''s temper. If she refused, it would inevitably cause trouble. Therefore, she stole a glance at Woods before responding to Algy. "Laney, I want to introduce you to a friend of mine," Woods cut in.


    "Really? And who would that be?" Laney asked softly.


    Woods immediately stepped aside and turned to look at Rocky, who was still sitting on the chair.


    Laney felt her heart miss a beat when she caught the familiar face. Not only did she have a hard time forgetting it, she dreamed of this face every night when she went to sleep. Now he was here, under the same roof, smiling at her.


    "Oh!" She exclaimed, unable to find the proper words to say, fixing her wide-opened eyes on that man.


    "Laney, I''m afraid you''re busy now. It would be rude for you to neglect your client like that!" Algy interrupted, too impatient to have this beauty upon in his arms.


    Laney, on the other hand, acted as if she hadn''t heard him. She headed towards Rocky and stopped right in front of his table, running her eyes over him from head to toes. To everyone''s surprise, she bent over and reached out a hand to touch his face, as if she wanted to make sure whether he was real.

 Chapter 927 The Legendary Heavenly Wolf

    "Re¡ª Really?" When Laney felt the warmth from Rocky''s face, she was sure that she was not mistaken. The man who should have been dead was now standing in front of her.


    The audience''s curiosity was suddenly piqued by her sudden movements, as if she was seducing Rocky on her own volition. However, they also knew that she would never take men seriously. She could seduce anyone that she wanted to, but if any man dared to touch her, they would come to no good end. So, this sudden provocative and comely behavior struck them by surprise, and they began to speculate if she had any dubious relationship with Rocky.


    When Algy saw this, he became even more furious. He clenched his fist and viciously glared at Rocky and Laney who were flirting. He hated Rocky to the core and wished he could cut him into pieces.


    "Miss Laney, long time no see! How are you?" Rocky greeted her with a warm smile.


    "Why are you still..." Laney was puzzled and just couldn''t figure out how Rocky managed to survive. She turned to Algy after a moment of hesitation and said, "I''m sorry, Your Royal Highness, but I''m afraid I can''t accompany you tonight. Maybe we can reschedule this for another day?"


    "Another day? How dare you demand that? Is it because of him? Guards, drag him out!" Algy finally couldn''t bear it and ordered furiously, as his eyes sharpened to an even deadlier glare, almost frothing at the mouth in anger.


    At once, the few spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage behind him rushed forward and surrounded Rocky.


    When Laney saw this, her face turned ashen, but Rocky did not seem to be intimidated by the show of force. He raised an eyebrow at Algy and cast a cold look at him.


    "Brother, hold on. My friend and Miss Laney are old friends. They haven''t met each other for a long time. You don''t have to make things difficult for them, right?" Laney''s behavior had taken Woods by surprise, as he never expected her to react like that. He only wanted her to see Rocky, and maybe the two of them could see each other again later, but to his infinite shock, Laney refused Algy in front of so many people because of Rocky. He knew that his brother wouldn''t give up easily, so he had to mediate before the matter could get any worse.


    "I don''t care if they are friends!" Algy shouted at Woods. Then, he turned to the other spirit manipulators and roared, "Why are you still standing there? Drag him


    impact of the spiritual power. The tables and chairs had been broken and scattered around, and some of them had even been ground into powder.


    Despite being attacked by the joined attacks of the several Heavenly Stage masters, Rocky was able to move freely and ward off their attacks easily. While enjoying the feeling of holding a beauty in his arms, he counterattacked his opponents.


    As for Laney, who was being held in his arms and moved around the air swiftly, she didn''t feel afraid. Even while the fighting was happening, and the spiritual power around her was flashing like lightning, she still did not have the slightest fear. On the contrary, she had never felt as safe and cared for as she was feeling now¡ªin Rocky''s arms, and in her mind, it was like an exciting and romantic adventure, as she knew that Rocky was protecting her.


    Actually, Rocky didn''t mean to fight, but Algy had pushed him too far, so he had no choice but to retaliate. However, he didn''t want to show his strength too much. Thus, he didn''t do his best and simply exerted a small part of his strength.


    Algy''s face darkened at the fact that his men had joined hands, and yet, they could do nothing against Rocky. Instead of teaching him a lesson, they were making him look like a hero!


    "Harold, get out there!" Algy immediately shouted, his face livid. Suddenly, a figure with a strong aura appeared behind him instantly like a ghost.


    "The Harold Leng, who is nicknamed the Heavenly Wolf? He is a strong master at the Supernal Stage..." Woods''s face turned pale as soon as he saw the figure that had come out.

 Chapter 928 Fight Outside

    As a candidate for emperor of the Timber Deity Empire, Woods naturally knew the powers possessed by the several princes and the powerful spirit manipulators they had recruited. He knew the information about warriors at the Supernal Stage very well.


    As soon as he heard a warrior''s name, he could summon to his mind any information about the warrior.


    That was why as soon as he heard this name, he immediately knew that this person who had appeared in front of him was one of the warriors at the Supernal Stage who worked for Algy. His strength had reached the second grade of the Supernal Stage, and he was also known as the Heavenly Wolf. He was known to be the strongest killer in the Timber Deity Empire before Algy had recruited him.


    ''According to the information I''ve got, Harold is always around Algy, like he was Algy''s shadow. Well, I can say now, it''s true! He really is like Algy''s shadow...'' Woods thought to himself. He knew that Algy summoned Harold to deal with Rocky, and worry began to course through him at this turn of events. He didn''t know the extent of Rocky''s strength, but he knew that Harold was a powerful warrior. What''s more, Harold was a killer. It was said that he once successfully assassinated a big shot from another country, even though the big shot was under the protection of numerous masters.


    "Your Royal Highness, what can I do for you?" Harold asked indifferently as he bowed, and at that moment, he looked more like a robot killer rather than a person. He was wearing a black suit, and a long and thin scar covered his left cheek, which made him look like a scar-faced monster.


    "I want him dead!" Algy ordered viciously, pointing a shaky hand at Rocky, who was under the siege of a few masters of the Heavenly Stage.


    "Algy, aren''t you making a mountain out of a molehill?" Woods said in a cold tone when he heard that Algy asked Harold to kill Rocky.


    "My brother, I advise you not to meddle. Otherwise, don''t blame me for whatever I''ll do despite our brotherhood. For your sake, I will let him die with his body in one piece," Algy replied with a sinister smile on his face.


    Upon hearing that, Woods'' face lit up with anger.


    n the air. Suddenly, an Evil Flame flew out.


    Bang!


    At the place where the Evil Flame exploded, a black shadow flashed, and at the same time, a pair of one-foot long crooked arm blades attached to the back of the figure''s palms appeared.


    "Split!" The blades cut through the Evil Flame like butter, and in a flash, the spiritual power turned into numerous soul cutting sickles. Shadows of sickles dazzled the spectators'' eyes, and in an instant, Rocky was engulfed by the strong spiritual power of the Supernal Stage.


    Despite the attack''s overwhelming power, Rocky stood tall. He did not seem to be affected at all.


    "Ha-ha! Go to hell, you brat!" Algy laughed out triumphantly as soon as he saw what Harold had done, as he thought that Rocky was frozen in fear.


    Meanwhile, Woods turned pale, as sweat poured out of him profusely.


    Laney also looked worried even though she should be the first to wish for Rocky''s death. With what he had done to her, she should be happy with what was happening. Besides, she even tried to kill him in the past. However, all these resentments had already vanished after she learned that Rocky was dead. The moment that she heard about his death, she realized that hate was not the only thing she was feeling for Rocky. Deep inside, a warm pulse throbbed for him, something that she had been trying to ignore in vain. And when she saw Rocky once again, this feeling surged out from the bottom of her heart.

 Chapter 929 You Are Such A Fool!

    When Rocky was about to be devoured by the interlaced spiritual blade shadows, he disappeared into thin air.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The spiritual blade shadows missed their target, rushed into the air, and exploded uselessly. The spiritual force rose like waves and rushed around, as all the broken tables and chairs in the hall were blown up. The whole hall shook lightly like the beginnings of an earthquake.


    ''Hum? When did this happen?'' Seeing this, Harold was also surprised. He did not expect that his attacks would miss Rocky, and even with his strength, he did not notice when Rocky managed to disappear.


    "Where is he now?" Astonished to see Harold missed the target, Algy looked around in wonder.


    "You only used half of your strength in that blow, right? Are you looking down on me?" At that moment, Rocky appeared beside Harold soundlessly like a ghost. He spoke coldly with a slight smile that was tugging at the corners of his mouth.


    "Sorry about that! Don''t worry. I''ll attack with my full strength this time!" As soon as Rocky appeared beside him, Harold bent down slightly and his whole body turned into a streak of light. It shone with the spiritual light, and its Wind nature made it flow smoothly like the wind. Wherever he passed, he left a residual light that trailed beneath his feet. He appeared in front of Rocky in the blink of an eye.


    "You''re a Timber spirit manipulator with Wind nature!" Rocky exclaimed with furrowed eyebrows. Obviously, Harold was much more difficult to deal with than he had expected. A spirit manipulator with Wind nature had the advantage of speed, plus from the movements that Harold showed just now, he seemed excellent in terms of speed attacks. Moreover, his attacks were soundless and almost invisible, so it was hard to see and even harder to figure out. This made him capable of killing people before they even noticed him, which made it difficult to retaliate against him.


    However, Rocky had already speculated that these things would happen. Harold appeared in front of him in the blink of an eye, and they were so close that the two of them almost collided with each other. At the same time, Harold''s crooked blade was placed at the back of his


    m to see what was happening at that moment.


    Only Harold knew what had happened. He wanted to kill Rocky but failed miserably.


    Just after Rocky forced Harold to retreat and escaped from his blow, he was hesitating whether to continue to make a move. Although he did not want to expose his strength, he knew Harold would not just give up easily.


    "You are such a fool..." All of a sudden, the voice of a woman sounded in his ears, which shocked him a great deal. At the same time, he felt something tighten in his chest, and it seemed that there was a force that was forcefully squeezing him. In an instant, the evil spiritual power he had released all collapsed as if it had been abruptly removed.


    Rocky was stupefied. When he recovered, he saw a delicate figure suddenly appear in front of him. Then, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, she grabbed his collar and proceeded to shake him angrily.


    This scene petrified the others on the spot. And when they saw the shadow clearly, a shocked expression involuntarily flashed across their faces.


    But soon, they greeted the figure with respect. "Your Royal Highness!"


    The woman who showed up was Alyssa.


    Algy and Woods went downstairs as soon as they saw Alyssa, as Woods hid the relieved sigh that was struggling to escape his throat.


    "Brother, the Laney Pavilion belongs to me. If you want to demolish it, you should at least inform me first," Alyssa yelled at Algy as she dragged Rocky by the collar.

 Chapter 930 She Couldnt Calm Down

    "You misunderstood me. I would not dare destroy the Laney Pavilion, I promise you. It''s just that, this boy does not know how to behave, so I want to teach him a lesson." As soon as Algy saw Alyssa, his demeanor changed drastically. He was no longer as arrogant as before and had immediately put on a friendly smile. He was inwardly rejoicing, for he saw Alyssa drag Rocky away, and he knew that Rocky was doomed.


    "He surely needs to be taught a lesson." Alyssa agreed to Algy''s glee. She turned back and glanced at Rocky, with one eyebrow raised critically.


    Rocky met her gaze head-on and shrugged, acting like he was innocent of whatever trouble he was in once again.


    "I will be glad to teach him a lesson for you. But your people also fought here, and they did a lot of damage..." Alyssa cast a sharp glare at Harold who had withdrawn his weapon and stood still there and the masters of the Heavenly Stage. None of them dared to look up and meet Alyssa''s gaze.


    "What are you waiting for? Apologize to the princess!" Algy turned his attention to his subordinates, shouting at them to appease Alyssa, as he knew that it wouldn''t be easy for him to leave if she got angry at him. Selfishly, he hoped that his men would suffer instead of him.


    As soon as they heard his reprimand, the masters hastily walked towards Alyssa with Harold bringing up the rear.


    "There is no need to beg for my forgiveness. Rather, go and apologize to him. It must be you guys who started the fight, right? Then it is only fair that you will be the ones to apologize, as those who started the fight should apologize first," Alyssa stated coldly before she suddenly released Rocky.


    "What?" Algy was stunned. He felt like he was being tricked.


    The masters also looked at her in surprise, then back at Algy, who looked like his head would explode in anger.


    "What are you waiting for? Get on your knees and apologize," Alyssa said seriously.


    Algy gritted his teeth and realized that she was obviously on Rocky''s side. He only pretended to ask his men to apologize just now, but now he was in a dilemma. If they didn''t apologize, Alyssa would make an excuse to make trouble for him.


    "Do what Her Royal High


    s, and it could even land Woods and her in hot water. Therefore, no matter what, Rocky''s true identity should not be exposed.


    "Sister, why are you here?" Feeling that the atmosphere was a little stiff, Woods immediately changed the subject.


    "I had something to tell Laney, but I didn''t expect you to bring him here. You should have told me about it in advance. If you did, we wouldn''t have had this problem," Alyssa blamed Woods. She knew that the conflict between Rocky and Algy would lead to more trouble for them in the future.


    "I didn''t know that Algy would come as well." A look of helplessness came over Woods'' face.


    "Your Royal Highness, what can I do for you?" Laney asked Alyssa, although her eyes lingered on Rocky alone. She still could not get over the fact that he was alive. When she heard that Rocky was Prince Basil and that he had died for the country, she realized that she had feelings for this man, so she grieved over him for a long while. She never imagined that she would see him again, alive and well, just a few years after his own funeral.


    "It''s something about him." Alyssa shot a glance at Rocky with a complicated expression on her face. Since the Moon Fox told her that he was the key to breaking the curse, she just could not calm herself down.


    Rocky felt that Alyssa was acting very strange, but he could not put his finger on it exactly. He stared at her pensively, with his brows furrowed and a deep frown on his face.

 Chapter 931 I Hate You

    "I''ve received information that Geoffrey has joined hands with the Qi Clan. He has also sent someone to secretly investigate your identity. Apart from us, no one in the Timber Deity Empire knows your real identity, but with Geoffrey''s resources, it''s just a matter of time before they find out!" Alyssa said, throwing a meaningful glance at Rocky.


    Laney frowned and bit her lip. "Your Royal Highness, if people find out that Mr. Rocky is actually Prince Basil, it will be a bad thing for you and Prince Woods. The other princes will use this information to turn people against the both of you!"


    "Exactly." Alyssa nodded.


    Laney turned to Rocky with a confused expression and asked, "But Mr. Rocky, how are you still alive? And why have you come to the Timber Deity Empire?"


    "Oh, it''s a long story," replied Rocky.


    "According to the current situation, I think we should send you away from the Timber Deity Empire as soon as possible," Laney suggested after giving it some thought.


    "I agree. Since Geoffrey has begun to investigate your identity, we have to send you away just in case. How about you go back to the Holy Dragon Empire?" Woods said to Rocky. Although he wished that Rocky could stay here and help him, it was not advisable in the current situation. If Rocky''s true identity came to light, it would only complicate matters. In particular, it would have a big impact on his fight for the throne.


    "No, he can''t leave the Timber Deity Empire yet," Alyssa said firmly, shaking her head. She couldn''t let Rocky leave before she made a decision. Since she already had a month''s agreement with him, she would not let go of him so easily.


    Both Woods and Laney were puzzled to hear this and waited for Alyssa to explain. When she stayed silent, however, they realized that Alyssa had a secret that she didn''t want to talk about. Whatever it was, if Rocky was to continue staying in the Timber Deity Empire, they would have to come up with an idea to conceal his identity.


    "May


    one will suspect you, Your Royal Highness, or Prince Woods," Laney said slowly.


    Impressed by this idea, Woods chuckled and nodded. "That''s a good idea. No one will be able to separate the truth from the lie."


    "All right, we''ll do that. If you get any information about him or his spies, just let me know as soon as possible," Alyssa said to Laney.


    "Yes, Your Royal Highness." Laney bowed her head.


    "Then I''ll leave first." Alyssa stood up, took a glance at Rocky, and then walked away.


    "Then we''ll leave too?" Woods asked Rocky now that Alyssa had left. But before Rocky could reply, Laney suddenly opened her mouth. "Your Royal Highness, I have something to tell Mr. Rocky. Can you let him stay for a while?"


    Upon hearing that, Woods turned to Rocky to see his reaction. Since Rocky didn''t object, Woods nodded. "All right, I''ll leave now. I''ll see you at the Cao Clan''s mansion soon." Then, he turned around and left.


    Now, only Rocky and Laney remained in the room.


    "What do you want to tell me?" Rocky asked as soon as Woods was out of sight.


    Laney suddenly stood up, walked to the door, and locked it. Then, she turned around with reddened eyes.


    "What happened? Did I do something wrong?" Rocky asked, feeling perplexed by the sudden change in her behavior.


    "I hate you!" Laney suddenly spat out.

 Chapter 932 Lost In Infatuation

    Meanwhile, Rocky could not help but shake his head and smile upon seeing Laney''s odd reaction. But since he had done something awful to her, he could not blame Laney if she wanted to say such words in front of him.


    However, to Rocky''s surprise, Laney leapt into his arms right at the next moment.


    "Hey, Laney, what are you..." Rocky was not able to finish his words as he got shocked by Laney''s surprising movements. Certainly, Rocky was not expecting this to happen. Perhaps Rocky was expecting that she would take out a knife and slash his throat instead. However, Laney did not do that. In fact, the total opposite just happened as Laney rushed over into his arms, making Rocky even more confused than he already was.


    "Shh...Keep your mouth shut." Laney pouted her lips and raised her eyebrows. Her lips suddenly became pink as she bit them while thinking of the hatred she felt for Rocky.


    As a matter of fact, Laney wasn''t a threat to Rocky. After all, Laney wasn''t a spirit manipulator. Even though she worked for Alyssa, Rocky had used some sneaky


    untarily sinking in the soft and tender arms of this man. At that moment, she knew that she couldn''t lose herself just because of this man. Most especially when she was working for Alyssa. To her, this man had been Alyssa''s enemy and was nothing but a dangerous person. Thinking of this, Laney knew that if she fell in love with him, she would be trapped in his spell and it would be almost impossible to get rid of him in her life.


    To Rocky''s surprise, he didn''t expect that Laney had such a strong willpower that she could recover from her infatuation toward him in a snap. But soon after, his worries went away as he came up with another idea. After all, he believed that women always favored bad men.

 Chapter 933 I Will Kill You

    It was the break of dawn when Rocky left the Laney Pavilion after making love the whole night with her. But as soon as he set foot out of the pavilion, he felt the presence of a person who seemed to be waiting for him nearby. This person suddenly went up behind him, and Rocky could feel this person''s breath on his nape. But Rocky chose to step forward and continued to walk with a foxy smile.


    "So, have you been waiting for me all night?" Rocky asked with an evil smile on his face.


    In no time, a figure emerged beside Rocky and walked beside him. At that moment, she did not say a single word, but the look on her face was somewhat perplexed.


    "Your Royal Highness, aren''t you going to ask me why I came out at this time?" Seeing that the figure did not speak, Rocky initiated the conversation.


    Meanwhile, this figure beside him turned out to be no other than Alyssa.


    "That''s your business. I don''t need to pry because it has nothing to do with me after all..." Alyssa snorted, but she could not hide the doubt that filled her eyes.


    "I could have killed Laney right after I found out who she really was. But I chose not to. Instead, I used a more wretched method..." Rocky said in a very low voice as if he was already whispering to himself.


    "And what kind of method is this?" Alyssa couldn''t help but ask upon hearing Rocky''s plan.


    "I took her virginity away," Rocky said, with a cold and despicable light in his eyes.


    "You..." Alyssa could not believe what she had just heard from him. She froze for a moment, but soon remembered something and then said angrily, "No wonder that when she came back, she looked preoccupied and often said that she felt guilty for me. I thought that it was just because she was exposed! I never thought that you could do something as vile as this! How low of you to do such a thing to a vulnerable woman..."


    "Oh, and the same goes to you," Rocky answered in a calm tone.


    "But why didn''t she mention that to me before? If I had known it, then I''m afraid that I wouldn''t have let you live for so long. What I hate the most is men like you who think they are superior to everybody else..." At that moment, Alyssa could no longer hide the anger that her face suddenly turned red, and her eyes full of murderous intent.


    "Then why don''t you thank me for sparing her life? If I didn''t do that, then you would lose a capable subordinate,"


    that instead of being happy with Alyssa''s answer, all he got was fright.


    "I''m not kidding around, Rocky," Alyssa answered with a serious look on her face.


    Seeing that there was no room for jokes, Rocky stopped making fun of her at once. Soon after, he looked at Alyssa and asked, "Why are you suddenly asking me to give up my identity as the prince of the Holy Dragon Empire? What''s up? Whether I give up my identity as a prince or not doesn''t have anything to do with you, right?"


    "I have my reasons, of course, and I don''t feel the need to explain myself to you. But if you don''t give up being a prince, then I''m afraid that you leave me no choice but to kill you. It doesn''t have to be right away. I can kill you anytime I want, and you won''t even see it coming..." Alyssa threatened. She knew that even if she didn''t make a choice now, she would have to make one sooner or later.


    "Didn''t you promise that you would send me back to the Holy Dragon Empire? Do you want to break your promise?" Rocky asked coldly.


    "As soon as the agreed time comes, I will send you back and fulfill my promise. But after that, I may kill you anytime I please if you won''t agree to what I am asking of you," Alyssa said truthfully. In fact, she could send Rocky back to the Holy Dragon Empire right at that moment, because she had already gotten the answer she wanted to hear from Rocky. In fact, she was not surprised for this was also the answer she had expected. However, in order not to arouse Rocky''s suspicion, she would have to fulfill her promise and send him back when the time was right.

 Chapter 934 A Perfect Place

    The truth was, Alyssa was still a little hesitant because she believed that she could think of a way to make the best of both worlds. For that, she still needed to keep Rocky by her side for the time being.


    "It''s definitely your style. But even so, I will fulfill my promise and try my best to help you remove the curse," Rocky replied calmly.


    "It can''t be removed if the two of us just sit here and do nothing." Alyssa sighed.


    "What do you mean?" Rocky asked, raising his eyebrows in confusion.


    "Nothing." Although her voice was indifferent, Alyssa was actually very upset. Ever since she had found out about the key to remove the curse, she had been struggling with herself.


    "Then what should we do now?" Rocky stared at Alyssa for her reaction. He enjoyed cultivating with her because it helped him improve his own cultivation. It would be a pity if he didn''t make good use of this opportunity.


    "I have to leave now." Alyssa hesitated for a moment before vanished in the blink of an eye. She didn''t want to be around Rocky for too long.


    "Something is wrong with her. She seemed a little absent-minded," Rocky murmured to himself with his arms crossed. Suddenly, something occurred to him and he immediately headed back to the Cao Mansion.


    When he reached his place, he saw that the round furnace had burnt out and shook his head. After spending so much time with Laney, he had almost forgotten the fact he was still refining the spiritual crystal.


    Fortunately, the refining process was periodic, so it didn''t matter if the fire died out from time to time. He started the Positive Fire again and then went back to his room to write down his plan.


    A few hours later, he returned to the round furnace and added some corrosive liquid into it. This was the last time that he would add the liquid. In just twelve hours, he would enter the last stage of the refining process, which involved refining the Beast Spiritual Pill that had absorbed all the elements in the liquid into a crystal that co


    furnace flashed again and again, as if it was being hit violently.


    An hour later, when his clothes were soaked with sweat, he finally stopped. After catching his breath, he opened the lid of the furnace. The Beast Spiritual Pill had turned into a translucent crystal, which was the rudiment of the spiritual crystal.


    Rocky took out the crystal and held it in his hand. He could sense a very weak spiritual power inside it.


    Although he had refined the rudiment of the spiritual crystal, according to the instructions on the notebook, he still needed to go through three more stages to refine a proper spiritual crystal. The last three stages seemed simple, but the conditions required were very harsh and bothersome. For example, in the next stage of absorbing spiritual energy, he had to put the crystal in a place full of spiritual energy and refine it for at least seven days and seven nights.


    But right now, he was busy with so many things that he didn''t have time to find a place full of spiritual energy. After thinking for a while, he finally remembered the ancient temple that Alyssa had taken him to before. According to her, there was a spiritual cave under the ancient temple that was full of spiritual energy. Moreover, it was a hidden place that no one knew about. It would be perfect for refining the spiritual crystal.

 Chapter 935 Birthday Banquet

    Rocky immediately left the Cao Clan for the ancient temple in the capital''s suburb. Not long after, he arrived at the ancient temple that had been turned into ruins because of the Moon Fox unleashing its eminent power there.


    Flying to the ruins, Rocky immediately raised his palm. The Evil Flame shone brightly, creating a sizeable hole in the center of the ruins. He then summoned a Dark Heaven Insect. After it dug a few meters deep into the ground, he found the spiritual cave where the spiritual power gathered and then buried the crystal rudiment inside.


    Once done, Rocky returned to the Cao Clan to continue his genetic research. The two larvae from the Dark Heaven Insect he''d been using for genetic experiments had begun its physiological change. His first discovery was that the speed of their growth had obviously increased. In just a few days, they had had a growth spurt, and they behaved differently from other larvae. In other words, the genetic modification had worked.


    However, Rocky could not predict what the end result would be.


    Three days passed quickly and Rocky spent them in peace. Though, Alyssa had arrived on the second day to help him merge the seal and left. Strangely, she hadn''t stayed to practice together. Of course, that made him a little confused, but the less trouble the better. In any case, once the appointed time arrived, he would return to the Holy Dragon Empire.


    However, without his practice sessions with Alyssa, bonding the evil spiritual power in the third grade had slowed down immensely. Rocky was on the verge of breaking through to the Supernal Stage.


    The Supernal Stage was a very important stage for a spirit manipulator. Many were forced to stop there because they couldn''t overcome it and reach the Supernal Stage. Therefore, he''d need to prove he was better than that.


    Night fell with stars scattered across the sky like diamonds.


    At this moment, the entire Cao Clan was brightly lit and lively, with guests wanderin


    simple and elegant dress she usually wore. She now wore a bright red robe like a peony flower. It set off her curvy figure, showing her striking beautiful side. Her petite face spattered with little makeup; purple eyes and red lips full of temptation. No one could look away.


    With such a beautiful face, Lucilla immediately attracted the attention of the men enamored with her. They were all practically drooling in an entranced daze.


    However, another stunning figure like a blooming lily followed closely behind Lucilla. Her delicate features, bright eyes, and perfect teeth held a subtle note of arrogance but still could not hide the young girl''s innocence. At first glance, she was like a fairy falling into the mortal world, pure yet seductive.


    Glancing around the crowd, the figure snorted coldly as she walked straight towards Lucas. In the Cao Clan, only Queenie dared to behave like this in front of so many important guests.


    "I''m sorry that I didn''t greet you all earlier!" Lucilla walked to the front of the Magnificent Hall and said politely. Then she sat down and began to accept the congratulations and salutes from everyone present.


    "Both the Qi Clan''s chief and young master are here." Just as everyone scrambled to congratulate and present gifts to Lucilla, a shout suddenly came from outside.

 Chapter 936 Every Gift Was Amazing

    When the people inside the Magnificent Hall heard the commotion, they all looked outside and saw Alexander, who was wearing black clothes made from pure silk with gold trimmings. He looked stately and full of authority. Tate was also there, in a blue and white robe, which made him look extraordinarily handsome. The father and son duo were walking side by side, as their momentum surged around them. Behind them were several spirit manipulators of the Heavenly Stage, and three of them were holding a box in their hands.


    Lucilla was surprised to see the father and the son from the Qi Clan. Although she had sent an invitation card to the Qi Clan, she only did so as part of good etiquette and conduct, as she did not believe that the Qi Clan would come to the banquet. After all, their loss from the Cao Clan was very fresh, so their pride must still be sore and aching. If they showed up, they would, undoubtedly, be the topic of most discussions, even within their hearing. With Alexander''s personality, he could not tolerate being around for that.


    But unexpectedly, both the father and the son of the Qi Clan came.


    As soon as the crowd saw the two, there was an uproar in the hall, as a flurry of whispers and exclamations floated from the other guests. They were surprised to see the two members of the Qi Clan appear in the Cao Mansion, so they speculated that the purpose of the two''s arrival would be something complicated but interesting.


    "They don''t come with good intentions." Lucas walked to Lucilla and whispered discreetly in her ear.


    Of course, she knew what he meant, but she still walked up to them gracefully and said to the two politely, "Thanks for coming, Chief Alexander and Tate. This is an honor for the Cao Clan!"


    "You''re welcome, Chief Lucilla. You are celebrating your birthday today, and your father and I have been friends for decades. Besides, I''ve always thought of you as my niece, so how can we not come?" Alexander immediately replied as an elder.


    When Tate saw Lucilla, he looked at her expectantly, as if he was waiting for her to meet his gaze, but she completely ignored him. She did not even glance in his direction.


    "I''m only a


    absorb spiritual power in it directly and take it as his own spiritual power. Therefore, the better the treasure was, the more spiritual power one could absorb. For example, the low-grade Dark Heaven Egg was only one grade lower than the middle-grade Dark Heaven Egg, but the spiritual power one could absorb from the two would be totally different.


    For spirit manipulators above the Heavenly Stage, if they improved their spiritual power and strength through the normal method of cultivation, they would improve at a glacial pace. And if their talent was mediocre, it would be even more difficult for them to improve their spiritual power and strength. It was already very hard for spirit manipulators of the Heavenly Stage to improve spiritual power and strength, let alone the spirit manipulators of the Supernal Stage. Therefore, if one could get the rare treasure, it could save him a lot of time and energy. For the spirit manipulators above the Heavenly Stage, the middle-grade Dark Heaven Egg was equal to more than half a year of ordinary cultivation, while for very talented spirit manipulators, especially those with the power of the spiritual race, it was even more helpful.


    It was a pity that rare treasures were not easy to find, especially the high-level ones. Because of this, a treasure like the middle-grade Dark Heaven Egg would be enough to make spirit manipulators of the Heavenly Stage or even the Supernal Stage scramble for it.

 Chapter 937 Surpass Everything

    At their age, Lucilla and Tate had already possessed a strength that many spirit manipulators dreamed of and spent their whole time working for. It was because their powerful families had enough financial resources and material resources to collect rare treasures. They used the wealth of their families to obtain the rarest of treasures, and with these treasures, they rapidly increased their strength.


    Therefore, if one was to put aside the first two treasures and look at the third treasure alone, which was a middle-grade Dark Heaven Egg, it was still grand enough to attract the attention of almost everyone in the hall.


    In sharp contrast to what everyone was feeling, Lucilla beheld the gifts with distaste, and the fact that Tate had gifted her with a middle-grade Dark Heaven Egg gave her a bad feeling. She believed that the Qi Clan must be up to something. Otherwise, they wouldn''t be so generous as to give her a middle-grade Dark Heaven Egg, which could be seen as the most precious gift among all the gifts.


    Lucilla immediately looked sideways at Lucas, but when she saw him shake his head in disapproval, she immediately replied with a smile, "These three treasures are too expensive. I am afraid that I can''t accept them."


    "Please take them, Chief Lucilla. The Qi Clan has many treasures like these. The Cao Clan is the largest clan in the Timber Deity Empire, so I was actually worried that you wouldn''t take these unimportant treasures seriously," Alexander replied with a smarmy smile. His words painted him as a rich fellow, and it was obvious that he was doing this not to be generous, but to show off in front of the other guests. Although he said they were unimportant treasures, the three treasures he was giving were invaluable, especially for spirit manipulators.


    "I believe in the saying that nothing is gained without merits. Even though they are unimportant treasures to you, they are more precious than the gifts sent by the others. If I take them, I''m afraid I can''t live with it," Lucilla steadfastly refused.


    Alexander''s face darkened with malice, as he winked at Tate secretly.


    "Lucilla, I am giving these three treasures to you from my own pocket. These have nothing to do with the Qi Clan


    eave it to your sister," Lucas muttered quietly beside them.


    Queenie pouted but quieted down, but not before glaring at Tate heatedly like she wanted to cut him into a million tiny pieces.


    ''Does the Qi Clan want to fight with our Cao Clan like Kilkenny cats?'' Lucilla thought resentfully. She didn''t expect that the Qi Clan would come up with such a dirty trick to tarnish her reputation. And she was worried that the consequences of this simple trick would be unimaginable.


    Sure enough, when she looked around, she felt like everyone was looking at her with a strange gleam in their eyes. Every time they whispered among themselves, it felt like they were talking about her. Obviously, they had believed Tate''s lies. From their point of view, Tate would not joke about something like this, as it would also tarnish the reputation of the Qi Clan. As a man, if he truly loved a woman, it was reasonable for him to announce it. Therefore, his statement made them think that Lucilla was, indeed, a home wrecker.


    "You are married. Please pay attention to your own reputation!" Seeing that Tate had misled the people, Lucas grew very angry.


    "Yesterday, I divorced my wife for Lucilla. Today, I come here not only to express my love for her but also to ask Lucilla for her hand." At once, the whispers that had begun to quiet down exploded into an uproar once again.


    Everyone was shocked, and Tate''s courage made them feel that his love for Lucilla would truly surpass everything.

 Chapter 938 The Unexpected Kiss

    Of course, it was just an illusion that Tate did on purpose. It was because he wanted to ruin Lucilla''s reputation by any means necessary. Now, in his mind, to protect the Cao Clan, she would be forced to agree to his proposal, and at last, the two clans would be united through their marriage.


    Of course, the Qi Clan had done this to help Geoffrey deal with the Cao Clan, who could cause trouble to him if they chose to support Woods. Also, Tate had done it because this was his long-cherished wish for many years, and that was to have Lucilla as his bride.


    The Qi Clan''s plan aimed to kill two birds with one stone, and they had caught the Cao Clan off guard, because they never imagined that the Qi Clan would be willing to sacrifice their reputation just to drag Lucilla down.


    But for the Qi Clan, they viewed it as a worthy sacrifice, for they were willing to let go of their reputation as long as their plan succeeded. Once the two clans were united by marriage, the Qi Clan would take advantage of the situation and they would reign supreme with their combined power. By that time, even if the Cao Clan wanted to support Woods, they would be restrained and unable to do anything.


    Lucilla was shocked when she heard Tate''s words because she never thought that he would divorce his wife because of her. In the back of her mind, she was sure that it was just an excuse, and what he really wanted to do was drag her through the mud. From the current situation, it was obvious that Tate had succeeded.


    Lucas''s face contorted in anger and frustration. He was caught off guard by the Qi Clan''s cruel plot, and he hated that he could do nothing to help Lucilla. The most troublesome thing about the whole mess was that Tate had divorced his wife because of Lucilla. In the end, the one who would become the target of public criticism was not Tate, but Lucilla.


    "Chief Lucilla, Tate loves you so much that even I can''t stop him. However, he doesn''t have any feelings for his wife. He still loves you so much despite all the years that have passed, so I took the liberty to come here with him. I hope you can agree to the marriage so that the Qi Clan and the Cao Clan can also take this opportunity to unite again and fulfill your father''s wish many years ago." Seeing that the opportunity was mature, Alexander immediately put forward his suggestion. It was supposed to be a scandal, but it was turned into a good thing after his few words. The old saying that "the elders turn out to be wiser" was proven right in this instance.


    What


    as he shouted at Tod and Freddy.


    "Master Lucas, you are wrong. Tate loved Chief Lucilla very much. Otherwise, how could he divorce his wife? And am I the kind of person who shows off the scandal of my own family?" Alexander said innocently.


    "You don''t have to say anything more. My dear niece, if you want to prove your innocence, you have to resign as the chief of our clan today. If this matter spreads out, our Cao clan will be dragged through the mud together with you," Tod said without hesitation.


    "No way!" Lucilla glared darkly at her opportunistic scum of an uncle.


    "If you insist on this, then I will have no choice but to invite some elders here," Tod added immediately.


    She could only remain silent with gritted teeth because she knew that if Tod invited all the elders out, they would probably make her resign before they clarified the issue. But if that happened, Tod and Freddy would take advantage of the opportunity to seize power, and then the Cao Can would never have a peaceful day!


    The same things were running through Lucas''s mind, but he couldn''t think of any solution for the time being.


    "Lucilla, if you agree to my proposal, everything will be easier for you," Tate insisted once again because he knew that she was not willing to hand over the chief position. Therefore, if she wanted to keep her position as the chief, she must agree to his proposal, and his ultimate goal would be achieved.


    But to everyone''s surprise, a figure suddenly jumped out of the shadows and landed by Lucilla''s side. Then, under the watchful eyes of the public, he lifted Lucilla''s chin lightly with his finger, pulled her closer, and pressed his lips against hers...

 Chapter 939 A Good Play

    "You bastard..." Shocked to the core, Lucilla couldn''t think of anything at that moment. There was only one person that Lucilla would call "bastard," and that was Rocky. She had feelings for him but couldn''t control him, like she absolutely had no idea what he was doing.


    "What are they doing?" Lucas asked in a mixture of annoyance and amusement as he watched Rocky and Lucilla kiss each other in a tight embrace. He didn''t understand why they were acting like this all of a sudden. Lucilla hadn''t asked Rocky to do anything, but there seemed to be a tacit understanding between them. The previously complicated situation now seemed to have spiraled out of control.


    Tate was equally confused as he watched the scene in front of him with his eyes almost popping out of his sockets. Just when he took a step forward to stop them, however, his father pulled him back.


    Alexander hadn''t expected this to happen, but he knew that they couldn''t panic now. A single misstep could cause their carefully crafted plan to go down the drain. Therefore, he couldn''t allow his son to do anything rash.


    By now, the whole Mag


    said, staring at the scene with a gloomy expression on his face. He was angry that a great opportunity had once again been destroyed by Rocky.


    Unable to control himself after hearing Lucilla''s words, Tate shouted, "You two must be acting. Lucilla, I know you must feel ashamed to have to rely on a man in order to protect your reputation and position of the chief of the Cao Clan, but there''s no need for that. As long as you marry me and let our two clans unite by marriage, I promise that no one can take your position away from you!" His eyes were red with fury. No matter what, he couldn''t believe that Lucilla and Rocky were an item. It had to be an act they were putting on in order to protect her reputation as well as the Cao Clan''s.

 Chapter 940 An Unexpected Change

    "Chief Lucilla, my son divorced his wife for you! We can all see how serious he is now. Besides, I believe that Tate is way better than a nobody like this guy, no matter what aspect you want to look at. Be the family background, or strength, or personality, he can never match up to Tate. There must be some reason that we do not know, because it doesn''t make any sense for you to choose that guy. Maybe he is forcing you?" Alexander said empathically, trying to paint a good case for himself, and along the way, he made it sound like Lucilla would be stupid if she turned Tate down.


    "My father is right, Lucilla. If you have any difficulty or trouble, please feel free to let us know. I won''t let him do as he pleases, and I will always take your side. Trust me!" Tate exclaimed passionately, as he cast a resentful glance at Rocky.


    By now, all the other guests that witnessed everything from the start were completely confused at the abrupt change. They wondered which one of them was telling the truth. Did Lucilla really step in Tate''s marriage that led to his divorce, or was the Qi Clan just doing this to drag her and the Cao Clan through the mud?


    "Lucilla, there''s only one way out today. To get rid of the accusation of stepping into other people''s marriage and to prove that I never forced you to do anything, please agree to marry me right here and right now! I can''t remember how many times I proposed to you, and today, let''s seal our fate with your sweet agreement. We both understand that we love each other, and we are going to spend the rest of our lives together, so please don''t hesitate anymore. In front of all these people, I promise that I will share in the responsibilities of your clan with you as much as I can. Of course, I have an ulterior motive in this. Please prove to me that you have nothing to do with this man, and I am the only one. Will you marry me?" Rocky said affectionately, looking into Lucilla''s eyes with an intensity that warmed her from the soles of her feet to the tips of her hair.


    He sounded so sincere and devoted that she was on the verge of believing him herself. His words seemed real and infectious that she wanted to believe, and if she didn''t know that he was just trying to get her out of the trap made by the father and son, she would have fallen for it, hook, line, and sinker.


    So she could not blame all the other people, who were gaping at them at that moment, eating all the lies that Rocky was feeding them.


    ''Are you kidding me? He''s asking my sister to marry him! When did they fall in love with each other, and how come I didn''t know about it? It can''t be true! Does my sister love him? Does he love her? Oh, forget it. It''s none of my business after all!'' The news hit Queenie like a thunderbolt out of a clear sky. Besides the tremendous shock that had struck her, she also felt a small sting that she was trying hard to ignore. It was easier to be angry, rather than acknowledge the hurt that was killing her inside. Unfortunately for her, she was quite gullible, so she


    ruly had nothing decent to offer, people would suspect the true intention of his proposal now, and that would be favorable for the Qi Clan.


    Just as he expected, people in the hall began to whisper to each other while they cast doubtful glances at Rocky. Some of them were curious about what Rocky would present as betrothal presents, while the others had followed Alexander''s train of thought. After all, because Lucilla was the chief of the Cao Clan, the presents needed to be grand and impressive.


    "I think we''d better stop here. At least we won''t be too passive now. Let''s think it over later," Lucilla whispered to Rocky, as she felt relieved that the most urgent problem was now solved. She didn''t want to embarrass Rocky because she believed that he hadn''t prepared any presents at all. She thought that what happened was just an accident brought on by his impulsiveness. If Alexander pushed Rocky and he couldn''t produce anything, things would become more complicated. She didn''t want people to laugh at him or her clan.


    "Mr. Rookie, there''s no need to rush into marriage anyway. After all, we all see your sincerity today. How about you propose to Chief Lucilla another time? Maybe you two want to make it more private!" Lucas suggested. He had the same thought as Lucilla, so he immediately found an excuse for Rocky.


    "Actually, I have already prepared the betrothal presents for the proposal. I hope that this would show you how serious I am," Rocky replied, to everyone''s surprise. He raised his chin a little confidently.


    Both Lucilla and Lucas were astonished at his answer. They exchanged a surprised glance, wondering how Rocky could foresee such a situation, and they wondered when he was able to prepare the presents and what they were.


    Alexander was even more surprised because he was thinking that his logic had been foolproof, and he began to doubt his conclusion. Rocky could not have prepared his presents in advance, so what could he be planning? Did he plan to propose to Lucilla all along?

 Chapter 941 The Three-color Ganoderma

    "Mr. Rookie, I didn''t expect you to be so prepared for this. But I hope you can take out some decent engagement presents. You will make a fool of yourself if you don''t!" Alexander ridiculed. At that moment, he wanted Rocky to take the hint that if his gifts were nothing but ordinary, then it would be better for him not to take them out than be ridiculed by people.


    Meanwhile, Tate had just calmed down when he gloomily said, "You could have at least offered something on par with me. Do you really think you are that qualified to take Lucilla''s hand in marriage with your gifts? I doubt that. Even if Lucilla finally agrees to marry you, I will never admit defeat. I know that I can offer her better than what you are offering her."


    "Mr. Tate, this is my private affair. And I believe that this has nothing to do with you. Why should I care if you approve or not..." Lucilla smiled indifferently. Now, she finally had the chance to fight back and make them feel her wrath. In fact, Tate even twisted the facts and implied that she was a slut. If it weren''t for Rocky appearing in just the right time and taking a hands-on approach to clear up the misunderstanding, then she would still be in a dilemma up until now. And if that happened, then she would be coerced by her elder uncles, Tod and Freddy, to resign from her position as the chief of the Cao Clan.


    "Lucilla, do you want to give it a try? If I can''t get you, then surely, no one else can." At that moment, Tate''s eyes narrowed and looked like the possessive man that he was.


    On the other hand, everyone who was there was satisfied to see this act of jealousy. It was surprising enough that two of the strongest clans of the Timber Deity Empire would fight this way, but what was even more unexpected was Rocky''s presence.


    However, Rocky smiled calmly and turned to ask, "So what did Mr. Tate prepare for this proposal? What did you get for Lucilla?"


    Hearing this, Tate immediately winked at the three servants who stood beside him. Soon after, the presents were shown to the people.


    "Wow, Mr. Tate, you are so generous. You even sent out the Dark Heaven Egg with the medium quality," Rocky said in surprise as he glanced at the gifts in awe.


    "Humph!" Tate heard what Rocky had said and thought that Rocky must feel so uncomfortable now that he knew how big Tate''s gifts were. After all, although Rocky was, without a doubt, a strong beast master and a


    at could produce rare treasures. However, the star level of the Three-color Spiritual Turtle could reach level five, so the treasures they were able to produce were naturally better than the Dark Heaven Eggs produced by the Dark Heaven Insect. In fact, a low-grade Three-color Ganoderma was comparable with a high-grade Dark Heaven Egg.


    Therefore, Tate had paid a fortune to get and offer the low-grade Three-color Ganoderma for his proposal. After all, a low-grade Three-color Ganoderma was a rare treasure for spirit manipulators above the Supernal Stage. Moreover, the chance of obtaining a Three-color Ganoderma was less than that of getting a high-grade Dark Heaven Egg. Therefore, everyone''s attention was taken away from Rocky''s eggs as soon as they had a glimpse of this very rare Three-color Ganoderma.


    But of course, the reason why Tate was able to show his ace card was to keep up with the audience''s favor and attention. Needless to say, he couldn''t let a nobody, such as Rocky, suppress the Qi Clan.


    Meanwhile, after seeing Tate pull out the impressive Three-color Ganoderma, Lucilla still couldn''t help but have her eyes fixed on Rocky. However, at that point, she seemed to have already made up her mind. Even though she would never agree to the Qi Clan''s proposal, she also knew that she would not agree to Rocky''s, because she knew that Rocky was only helping her, and not sincere in marrying her. If she agreed, then it would give Rocky a dilemma. Therefore, it was not a bad thing that Tate had taken out such an impressive present. In this way, Lucilla had an excuse to turn both of them down.

 Chapter 942 Dark Heaven Insect

    "Chief Alexander, no matter what you offer, I won''t accept Tate''s proposal or let go of the fact that your clan slandered me. However, we''re all here today to celebrate my birthday, so I don''t want to ruin it. I hope you won''t cause any more trouble either. As for Mr. Rookie''s proposal, I will have to think about it. Although I love him, I have a lot of responsibilities as the chief of the Cao Clan, so it''s not the right time for me to get married. Of course, I know he''ll understand that," Lucilla said, turning to Rocky with an affectionate look in her eyes.


    Her words came as a surprise to everyone, but they made sense. If Lucilla accepted Rocky''s proposal now, it would undoubtedly embarrass the Qi Clan and end up escalating the conflict between the two clans.


    "Wow, you''re so good at making excuses. To me, it looks like you''re just protecting Mr. Rookie because you''re afraid that he''ll be humiliated if he can''t take out a treasure that''s better than this Three-color Ganoderma. These three middle-grade Dark Heaven Eggs were probably just given to him by your clan in advance," Alexander said suspiciously, trying to embarrass Rocky and the Cao Clan. He wouldn''t give up so easily. But at this point, the only thing he could do was to boast about the Qi Clan. He couldn''t risk slandering the Cao Clan any further.


    "Lucilla, since Chief Alexander and his son send you valuable gifts like these and even think so lowly of me, it seems that I have to prove my sincerity." Seeing that Alexander did not plan to back down, Rocky decided to put him in his place by showing something more precious than the Three-color Ganoderma. He knew that he would cause a great uproar if he brought it out now, but since he had already began helping Lucilla, he wanted to do the job properly. Moreover, the Cao Clan was of great use to him, so he could not let them be humiliated like this.


    Of course, everyone present was confused after hearing Rocky''s words. They didn''t understand what he meant.


    Smiling lightly, Rocky continued, "I''ve specially prepared a birthday gift for yo


    the eyes of everyone present, a larva was actually more precious than a mature Dark Heaven Insect. It was extremely difficult to tame and keep an adult Dark Heaven Insect, and its death rate was very high. In contrast, the larva was young and could be raised by a spirit manipulator, which could improve its survival rate.


    Lucilla immediately took the larva from Rocky''s hands, smiling cheerfully as if she had just received a big soft toy from him. "It''s so cute!"


    "This is the first time I''ve seen a larva of the Dark Heaven Insect. I can''t believe it''s so small," Queenie remarked with her eyes wide open. Although she had seen many spirit-manipulated beasts, including the Dark Heaven Insect, this was the first time she had seen a larva of the Dark Heaven Insect.


    All of the guests, especially the chiefs of the big clans, looked at the gift in Lucilla''s hands with envious eyes. If they could raise such a larva, they would have countless Dark Heaven Eggs. And once the Dark Heaven Insect reached the advanced stage, it would lay high grade Dark Heaven Eggs, which were even more precious!


    "Mr. Rookie is actually able to raise a Dark Heaven Insect!" Lucas commented, shaking his head in awe.


    However, if all the people present found out that there were actually two Dark Heaven Insects and a few larvae in Rocky''s Magic Spiritual Space, they would be scared to death!

 Chapter 943 The Marriage Between Two Clans

    Although Alexander took out a low-grade Three-color Ganoderma, it was not more valuable than a living larva of Dark Heaven Insect. They were not even at the same level.


    Rocky''s generosity made Alexander''s face turn ghastly pale. And compared to his earlier proud attitude, he was now as quiet as a lamb. At that moment, he could not send anything that could be better than a living larva of the Dark Heaven Insect.


    Alexander stared at Rocky with a grim face. Geoffrey had previously told him to secretly draw Rocky over to their side before he dealt with the Cao Clan, but when they found that Rocky was very close to Woods, they chose to forget Rocky for the time being and carry out this plan to force the Cao Clan to unite with them through marriage first. However, they did not expect that Rocky would get in the way of their plans. From the very beginning, Rocky was like the Qi Clan''s nemesis, as he continuously ruined every plan that they had carefully arranged.


    Meanwhile, Tate was also staring at Rocky with a murderous expression. He knew that the Qi Clan had been completely overshadowed by Rocky and that Rocky had already won Lucilla''s favor. Of the two, the latter was the one that made him unbearably furious.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, I have to go and talk with Mr. Rookie privately. Master Lucas will entertain you in my place. Please forgive me!" After handing the larva in her arms to Queenie, Lucilla turned around and scanned the crowd, throwing Tate a passing glance. It pleased her beyond measure to see the hatred in his eyes, as she felt that he deserved the humiliation. She hated Tate since the day that he broke off their engagement, and she felt vindicated and overjoyed, for today she was able to pay him back.


    After hearing Lucilla''s words, the crowd looked at each other and discussed heatedly. The wonderful farce finally came to an end. What happened here was really exciting to them. Of course, the most important thing was that they had a new understanding of the mysterious Mr. Rookie of the Cao Clan. They learned that Mr. Rookie not only had the strength of a powerful beast master, but he could also


    as recruited by Woods, the Cao Clan would certainly side with Woods when the time came for it. Therefore, it was impossible to win over Rocky, so he could only deal with the Cao Clan directly.


    Geoffrey had expected that the Qi Clan''s plan would succeed, as they thought that if they pushed the Cao Clan into a corner, he could easily swoop in afterward and take action to control them. He didn''t expect that the Qi Clan would fail, so he had to come in person this time.


    "Isn''t today the birthday of Chief Lucilla? Why doesn''t it look lively at all? What happened?" Geoffrey looked around innocently, as he inquired with a smile.


    "Your Royal Highness, the truth is that my son just proposed to Chief Lucilla." Alexander seized the opportunity to tell Geoffrey what had happened.


    "Oh, really? A marriage between the two big clans will be wonderful for our Timber Deity Empire. If what he said is true, I, the second prince of the Timber Deity Empire, am willing to help the Qi Clan propose to you. I wonder if you will accept it, Chief Lucilla?" Geoffrey''s remarks caused another uproar in the hall. No one had expected that Geoffrey would propose a marriage for the Qi Clan in person. It was obvious that he wanted Lucilla to reconsider the proposal.


    At this time, Lucilla frowned. She didn''t expect that Geoffrey would meddle in this matter. It was obvious now to everyone that Geoffrey was siding with the Qi Clan.

 Chapter 944 Acting With Rookie

    However, Geoffrey was now the leading competitor for the emperor''s heir. And if he succeeded and became the emperor''s heir, the Qi Clan would certainly get his support and protection. If the Qi Clan gained the upper hand, the Cao Clan would most definitely lose.


    Therefore, Lucilla only had two paths in front of her. One was to unite with the Qi Clan by marriage, and by doing that, she would be on the same side as Geoffrey. With the support of the Qi Clan and the Cao Clan, Geoffrey would certainly win the throne. The other path that she could take was to draw a clear line with Prince Geoffrey and the Qi Clan. If she announced in public that the Cao Clan would support Woods, they would be putting the future of the Cao Clan on him. Undoubtedly, Prince Geoffrey would consider them his enemies from that moment on.


    "I feel so nervous that Your Royal Highness has personally proposed marriage for the Qi Clan, but I can''t force myself to do so. I don''t have any feelings for Mr. Tate, and there is already someone else in my heart," Lucilla said politely to Prince Geoffrey. She was now in a dilemma, especially in this case. She couldn''t refuse Geoffrey directly, or that might cause disaster to the Cao Clan. If she had known earlier that this would happen, she would have agreed to Rocky''s proposal then and there. At least, that way, Geoffrey would have no excuse to force her.


    "The one in Chief Lucilla''s heart... Could this be Mr. Rookie?" Geoffrey smiled and glanced at Rocky.


    "Yes, and he just proposed to me." Hearing this, Lucilla nodded noncommittally. At this point, she knew that she she was only delaying but the end was unavoidable.


    "Mr. Rookie is indeed a rare talent, but don''t forget, as the chief of the Cao Clan, you have to consider the interests and future of the Cao Clan. If the Cao Clan and the Qi Clan unite by marriage, it will be a good thing for the Cao Clan and the Timber Deity Empire. Moreover, I can guarantee that one day, the Cao Clan may get a better position than the present one. I believe that you will never regret today''s decision as long as you choose to stand by me." Geoffrey''s last words were undoubtedly a hint to Lucilla. If he got the throne, the Cao Clan, which was allied by marriage with the Qi Clan, would also benefit from him.


    The other people who overheard also understood the meaning of Geof


    ge. Among them, the oldest one was Elder Xia, who had also reached the Divine Stage, and he could be regarded as the founding member of the Cao Clan. However, because of his old age, he had been living in seclusion since the accident of the former chief of the Cao Clan, Lucilla''s father. Despite his life in isolation, his influence in the Cao Clan was no less than that of Lucas, and he had great sway in most of their decisions. That was why when Tod and Freddy suggested inviting the elders to come, Lucilla was a little worried. That was because if Elder Xia said something, it was very likely that she would have to hand over her position as the chief.


    "Chief, in this situation, if we don''t give Prince Geoffrey a reply tonight, I''m afraid the Cao Clan will be in danger," Elder Xia said in a hoarse voice after he had been briefed about the whole affair.


    "Maybe that is true," Lucilla said noncommittally.


    "It''s all because the young master of the Qi Clan and you, chief, have been having an amorous relationship. It''s your fault that the Qi Clan has something to take advantage of..." Tod cut in immediately.


    Hearing this, Elder Xia immediately looked at Lucilla, and the other elders also looked at her.


    "Elder Xia, it''s a conspiracy of the Qi Clan. Besides, I already have someone I love. Why should I have an affair with Tate?" Hearing this, Lucilla glared at Tod and explained immediately.


    "Everyone knows that you were just acting with that Rookie-person!" Of course, Tod didn''t believe that Lucilla was truly romantically involved with Rocky.

 Chapter 945 Who On Earth Was This Guy

    "Who said I was acting?" Of course, Lucilla wouldn''t admit it, because if she admitted that she was acting, Tod would catch her lying and use that against her.


    "Shame on you! You seduce men all over! The man named Rookie is not a good person. He only wants you because he wants to curry favor with our Cao Clan and use our power to his advantage. It is pathetic that you still fell into his trap," Tod spat at her. He looked at her with disdain, as if she was a grain of sand that had entered his eyes, which he wanted to wash away immediately. The earlier situation had been great for him, but to his dismay, that young man named Rookie had to come and destroy the Qi Clan''s plans.


    "Well, what''s the situation now, Tod? You know clearly what you have said in public just now. Do you want me to repeat it to Elder Xia?" Seeing that Tod was still making trouble, Lucas immediately looked at him with sharp eyes.


    His threat melted Tod''s fighting spirit and he shut up in an instant, backing off obediently.


    "Regardless of what caused this matter, the most important thing right now is to protect the Cao Clan. What do you think?" Elder Xia said as he stroked his beard.


    "I think we''d better agree to the Qi Clan''s proposal first. Since Prince Geoffrey is willing to propose a marriage for the Qi Clan in person, it means that the Qi Clan has already sided with him. If we refuse Prince Geoffrey, it would look like we are going against him, and with the current power of the Qi Clan, they could easily take action against us. We will definitely suffer losses," Tod said immediately. The truth was he also hoped that Lucilla could marry into the Qi Clan so that he would have an excuse to force her to hand over her position to him.


    "No! Once we agree to the Qi Clan''s proposal, our clan will be undoubtedly be controlled by Prince Geoffrey and the Qi Clan." Lucas''s face darkened at Tod''s suggestion.


    "Then what can you do to help us out, Master Lucas?" Tod asked with a sinister smile.


    Hearing this, Lucas frowned. He also knew that if they refused Geoffrey, there would be serious consequences.


    "It seems that we have to send for Prince Woods. Only he has the strength to fight against Prince Geoffrey in the Timber Deity Empire..." Lucilla suggested after thinking for a while.


    "I''m afraid that Prince Woods would not dare to confront Prince Geoffrey face to face. Everybody knows that Prince Geoffrey is the most popular candidate of the emperor. If it weren''t for Princess Alyssa, Prince Woods wouldn''t have had the chance to com


    denly appeared at the critical moment, and the one who had come in with him turned out to be Rocky.


    "Lucilla, since the Qi Clan invited Prince Geoffrey to propose for them, I took the opportunity to invite Prince Woods over. He will propose for me, and this way, you need not be ashamed to pick me," Rocky said to Lucilla, raising his eyebrows.


    "Mr. Rookie..." Lucilla was surprised at first, but then she was delighted. She didn''t expect that Rocky would invite Woods here at this critical moment.


    Meanwhile, Lucas breathed a sigh of relief and could not help the wide smile that pulled at the corners of his lips.


    Geoffrey didn''t expect that his brother, Woods, would come, and he was even more surprised that it was Rocky who invited him and not the Cao Clan. A displeased expression flashed across his face, but it disappeared quickly and he said calmly, "I didn''t expect that my dear brother would also come to join the fun..."


    "You are here too, aren''t you? I can''t believe you agreed to be the matchmaker for the Qi Clan. What a surprise!" Woods smiled at his brother, but apart from that, no other emotion could be seen on his face.


    When the two men''s eyes met, sparks flew in all directions, and the atmosphere in the Magnificent Hall suddenly became more intense.


    In everyone''s eyes, after the previous proposal contest, Rocky and the Qi Clan respectively invited the two most qualified princes of the Timber Deity Empire to back them up. They had never seen such a scene before!


    However, what surprised everyone the most was Rocky, and they could not help but wonder what kind of man was he that he could easily invite Prince Woods just to come here to propose for him.

 Chapter 946 Just Like A Real Battle

    However, the proposal seemed to be more like a real battle now. Tate and Rocky had used every resource that they had to fight for the right to marry Lucilla, be it their skills, treasures, or connections. However, since Prince Geoffrey and Prince Woods had shown up, it was not just a proposal anymore, but a battle between the two princes and the clans that were backing them.


    "Woods, no matter what, the only one who can match Chief Lucilla is Mr. Tate. This Mr. Rookie is just a beast master, and he is not even a citizen of our Timber Deity Empire. Why are you helping him?" Geoffrey sneered.


    "Brother, can''t you see that Chief Lucilla doesn''t like Mr. Tate? I can''t, in good conscience, force her to marry someone that she does not want to marry," Woods answered calmly.


    "You are too naive, brother. Love and other feelings can be cultivated. It is more important to make sure that the two parties'' backgrounds are well-matched. Moreover, it must be for the good of our Timber Deity Empire. I think the marriage between the Cao Clan and the Qi Clan is reasonable and necessary!" Geoffrey said with certainty. He was a little surprised that Woods would appear here and risk going against him, just because of an outsider, because Woods had been very low-key in gathering his power for the past few years. Woods had never fought against him directly, but now, he was openly opposing him. This seemed out of character for the brother that he knew.


    "I think that is just your wishful thinking, brother." Woods knew that Geoffrey wanted to use the marriage between the two clans to control the Cao Clan through the Qi Clan. Of course, he didn''t expect that Geoffrey would use the Qi Clan to deal with the Cao Clan so soon. It was very fortunate that Rocky supported him, or he would have lost the support of the Cao Clan.


    "Woods, are you sure you want to interfere in this matter?" Geoffrey was starting to get angry. He could tell that Woods was declaring war on him openly, and his audacity was annoying him very much.


    In that instant, the atmosphere in the hall shifted into a tightly coiled ball of tension. The tit-for-tat between the two princes was like a keg of gunpowder that could blow any minute, and the people inside broke out in cold sweat.


    "It depends on which proposal Chief Lucilla will agree to, the one made by the Qi Clan or the one that Mr. Rookie made," Woods said coldly.


    At this time, everyone''s eyes immediately turne


    vite Woods but also Princess Alyssa. The honor that he had brought was far greater than what she, the chief of the Cao Clan, deserved. Most importantly, with Alyssa''s position in the Timber Deity Empire, this sentence was like an imperial edict. And since she said that she would propose a marriage for Rocky, who would dare to oppose this?


    As soon as Alyssa''s words fell from her lips, Geoffrey, Alexander, and Tate trembled in their place. They were filled with frustrated anger, but they could not say anything.


    "I came here in a rush, so I didn''t prepare any gift." In the face of everyone''s surprise, Alyssa looked very calm as if her presence in that room was something normal. She turned to look at Lucilla.


    "Your Highness, please don''t say that. I''m already so flattered that you came here in person to help Rocky propose to me," Lucilla replied politely.


    "I have a Spiritual Weapon made of a hundred-year-old Airy Silk, which I used in the past. Although it is only a low-grade Spiritual Weapon, I am sure that with Chief Lucilla''s cultivation base, it will be easy for you to use. If you don''t mind, just take it." At this moment, as soon as she finished speaking, Alyssa gathered her spiritual power, and at the same time, a silver light shone over all of them. A silk-shadow darted out from the Magic Spiritual Space. It swayed in the air softly and unsteadily, and its power and beauty took everyone''s breath away. Finally, the Airy Silk fell into her hand, which she then handed to Lucilla.


    The moment that the other people realized what had happened, the entire Magnificent Hall fell once again into an uproar.

 Chapter 947 Jealousy

    For people in the Wild Spirit Land, Spiritual Weapons were more valuable than any other rare treasure. All spirit manipulators dreamed of having one. The weapons cast by humans could not withstand spirit manipulators'' power, so human spirit manipulators could not use them. Only Spiritual Weapons could handle spirit manipulators'' power and enable them to make use of their strength to a maximum level.


    However, only the spiritual race could forge Spiritual Weapons. Try as they might, human spirit manipulators could never cast Spiritual Weapons, and there were only two ways for them to obtain it. One was to hunt them, and the other was to be bestowed by members of the spiritual race. However, members of the spiritual race almost never gave Spiritual Weapons to human spirit manipulators, and the chances of obtaining Spiritual Weapons through treasure hunting was beyond the bounds of possibility. As a result, it was unattainable for an ordinary spirit manipulator to get Spiritual Weapons.


    Even in the entire Wild Spirit Land, very few spirit manipulators who had reached the Supernal Stage could possess Spiritual Weapons.


    If faced with a choice between a treasure and a Spiritual Weapon, any spirit manipulator would choose a Spiritual Weapon. A treasure could only be used once, while the Spiritual Weapon could reinforce their power and boost their strength.


    So when Alyssa presented Lucilla with a Spiritual Weapon just to help Rocky propose marriage, it stunned everyone that was present at the event. They all knew how priceless it was and her generosity astonished them.


    Alyssa''s proposal gift was given to express her support for Rocky. She may had given it to Lucilla, but it also showed that her relationship with him was extraordinary. Although, it could be because of Rocky''s special friendship with Woods. Nevertheless, the gift was way too precious and extravagant.


    At this moment, everyone''s eyes were fixed on the Spiritual Weapon that Alyssa handed to Lucilla. Their eyes lit up and everyone was consumed with the desire to own one. Unfortunately, an opportunity to get their hands on the Spirit


    ssed them to no end. They knew that Alyssa attached great importance to Rocky.


    After hours of entertainment, the celebration ended, and the people left. Finally, it was just Rocky, Lucilla and other members of the Cao Can that were left inside the hall.


    "Chief, you have to thank Mr. Rookie." Lucas walked towards Lucilla and reminded her.


    Lucilla nodded, but when she turned to look for Rocky she saw that he had just walked out of the hall. She wanted to stop him, but hesitated. She knew that even if she ran after Rocky, she did not know what to say to him.


    Rocky quickly disappeared after he left the Magnificent Hall. Soon, he was on top of a very tall building not far away from the Cao Mansion. A few steps away from him stood a delicate figure.


    The silvery moon illuminated the delicate figure, revealing an exquisite beauty. Her face showed no emotion, but her aura emanated with queenly radiance and arrogance.


    "Thank you for saving the Cao Clan today." In a flash, Rocky appeared beside the figure.


    "I told you to keep a low profile. Why do you have to stand up for the Cao Clan? Or you just want to win the heart of Lucilla. She is a beauty. Now you have achieved your goal. She will soon belong to you," said Alyssa as she turned to face Rocky. Her face was red and showed bitterness.


    "Your Royal Highness, are you jealous?" Rocky smiled to himself as he sensed jealousy from Alyssa.

 Chapter 948 Kind Of A Surprise

    Alyssa cast a cold glance at Rocky as if to say, "If you dare to say that again, I will kill you and let beasts and vultures feast on your corpse."


    However, Rocky just smiled calmly and continued, "The Cao Clan is of great use to me and also to Prince Woods. Naturally, we can''t let the Cao Clan fall into the hands of Prince Geoffrey. You must think the same way, right?"


    "But there is no need for you to stand out. Have you forgotten who you are?" Although Alyssa knew that Rocky was right, she wasn''t pleased about it, as it caused him to stand out and made things more troublesome and complicated.


    "I didn''t mean to stand out, you know. But everything happened so quickly that I had to act fast too. As they say, desperate times call for desperate measures," Rocky said helplessly. Of course, he didn''t do those things just to complicate matters. If he could, he would have avoided getting people''s attention, but he would rather expose himself rather than let someone be ganged up on and pushed to a corner.


    "I did not expect that Prince Geoffrey will do something like this just to deal with the Cao Clan. His move is risky and quite unexpected. If you hadn''t tried to gain more time in a hurry, I''m afraid he would have succeeded. In that case, if he lost the support of the Cao Clan, my brother would fall into a passive position. However, because things turned out this way, I would not be surprised if you will also be targeted by Prince Geoffrey and the Qi Clan. They might have planned to win you over before, but now, they probably want to de


    gathered around. They were bustling all over the room and were going in and out with wooden buckets in their hands. When he entered, he saw a big steaming bathtub inside the room.


    "I didn''t say I want to take a bath, did I?" Rocky asked one of the maidservants.


    "Chief Lucilla asked us to prepare this bath," the maid replied politely.


    Hearing that, Rocky''s eyes narrowed slightly in confusion, and as he entered the room, the maidservants left and closed the door.


    He looked at the big bathtub filled half-way with warm steaming water that looked very inviting. Petals were sprinkled around the water, which gave it a pleasant and calming scent. Since it was already prepared, he did not want to waste it, and he didn''t want Lucilla''s effort to be wasted either, so he hurriedly removed his clothes and soaked in the warm water.


    Rocky felt all his muscles soften as soon as he came into contact with the water''s warmth, and he was soon lulled into total relaxation. He leaned against the bathtub and closed his eyes to rest.

 Chapter 949 Favor Of Beauty

    After Rocky had finished taking a bath, he put on his clothes and relaxed with a cup of tea in his hand. Lucilla came in, just as he was savoring the bitter aftertaste of his tea, her eyes heatedly making way down his body.


    When she saw that he was fully dressed and drinking tea, she understood what he was doing, and her eyes reddened with unshed tears and shame.


    But she squashed all these feeling down and approached him with a spring in her


    outstanding man like Rocky would be favored by many beautiful women in his country, and it was not surprising for him to have a wife. Therefore, she immediately replied with a bat of her eyelashes, "I don''t care about that. I only know that if I can''t repay you, I will feel guilty and ashamed!"

 Chapter 950 The Best Reward

    "Do you think giving your body to me is the best way to thank me?" Rocky asked coldly.


    "To me, yes. Although I may not be as beautiful as Princess Alyssa, I am confident in my beauty. There are also many men in the Timber Deity Empire fighting for me, so I think giving my body to you is the best I can offer," Lucilla answered seriously. Rocky might think that she came here out of impulse, but the truth was she considered it carefully before she even stepped foot in his room. She thought that he was worth it, so she made up her mind despite the uneasiness and fear.


    Of course, this time, Lucilla didn''t just want to seduce Rocky like before, as her topmost priority was to repay what he had done for her and the Cao Clan. She considered herself to be an independent woman, so she hated the thought that she owed him for what he did, and she wanted to repay him as soon as possible. Rocky had helped her and the Cao Clan over and over again without asking for anything in return. This made her feel guilty, as she didn''t want to owe him anything.


    "Let me tell you that you are not the best among all the women I know, but I admire many things about you, such as your intellect, persistence, and fearlessness. As the chief of the Cao Clan, you are willing to sacrifice everything for your people, and that is worth appreciating. A chief of a clan really needs such courage and spirit. But I don''t like that you are willing to ruin yourself to get these benefits. You are a woman, and you should cherish yourself more. If y


    e for a few days.


    "Where are you going?" Lucilla couldn''t help but ask, and in the back of her mind, she wondered if he was going with another woman.


    "It''s a secret." Rocky smiled mysteriously, though truthfully, he didn''t even know where he was supposed to go.


    "Maybe you''re going to a dangerous place. I heard from Master Lucas that you even dared to go alone to dangerous places like the Black Sand Abyss. You are truly a courageous man, but you should be more careful..." Lucilla exhorted, like a gentle wife.


    "Okay. I''m leaving now." Rocky nodded in farewell then turned and disappeared from the room.


    After a short while, he quietly appeared in Queenie''s room. Coincidentally, Queenie was changing her clothes behind the screen. As soon as she saw a figure appear in her room, she immediately shouted vigilantly, "Who is it?" "It''s me. Are you changing your clothes?" Rocky asked with a teasing smile. He didn''t expect that Queenie was changing her clothes, but he wanted to tease her all the same.

 Chapter 951 Supernatural Beast

    Queenie was frightened at first when she felt that someone else was inside her room, but as soon as she recognized Rocky''s voice, she was relieved. She tried hard not to show it though. She shouted at him from behind the screen, with an exasperated and highly irritated tone, "You pervert! How dare you break into my room and peep at me while I''m changing clothes? Once I am done changing in here, I''ll kill you!"


    "I''m not interested in you," Rocky answered indifferently, rolling his eyes at her. He continued, "I don''t have much time left, so I don''t want to talk nonsense. I''m going to tell you about a few key points of raising the larva of the Dark Heaven Insect, so you''d better listen closely. Keep them in mind because you will be the one to raise the larva I sent to your sister from now on."


    Queenie was about to lose her temper, but when she heard how serious Rocky was, she shut her mouth automatically. Her ears pricked up when he told her that she would be the one to take care of the Dark Heaven Insect''s larva.


    Rocky nodded when he noticed that she was listening seriously, then he proceeded to tell her the key points of raising the larva.


    "Did you get everything?" Rocky asked after he finished speaking, studying her facial expression for any confusion.


    "Yes, of course. It was very easy to pick up. But..." Queenie trailed off, looking hesitant, as she bit her lip unconsciously. "Are you really going to marry my sister?"


    "Don''t worry too much about it, little girl. Just focus on taking care of your own business. I will leave the Cao Mansion for a few days, but don''t be lazy just because I''m not here! If you have nothing else to do, just practice hard." Rocky didn''t explain too much to Queenie, and it was evident that he was in a hurry.


    "Wait! Where are you--" She was about to poke her head around the screen, but he had already disappeared into thin air. So many questions were running in her mind, stirred by his sudden appearance and disappearance, but as usual, he liked to keep everyone in the dark. She bit out a curse in frustration, as anger boiled inside her. Her anger subsided as quickly as it rose, and soon, it was replaced by the bitter tones of sadness that weighed each of her steps like lead.


    As soon as dawn broke the next day, Alyssa appeared in a pavilion five hundred meters away from the south of the capital. Before she had even stepped foot on the ground, she noticed


    hree-star level. Some of them even reached the fourth grade of the four-star level, and each of them was unusually tall, while some were even stronger than the spirit-manipulated beasts of the same star level. It was a spectacular view, to see the vast fields filled to the brim with the wonderful beasts.


    "The Spiritual Pasture Valley is a place specially used by the Wood Clan for artificial reproduction, feeding, and training of guardian beasts. What you are seeing right now are only some cubs. There are more than a hundred guardian beasts in the valley," Alyssa said immediately when she saw the expression on Rocky''s face.


    "Did you say more than a hundred?!" Rocky was taken aback. It was not a big deal if there were one hundred spirit-manipulated beasts, but if there were one hundred guardian beasts, it would be a big deal. Guardian beasts were very powerful after all.


    "The Wood Clan is one of the most powerful clans in the spiritual race. There are more than three thousand spiritual slaves, ordinary spiritual beings, and spiritual masters in total and almost every one of them can control guardian beasts. These beasts are raised and trained in the Spiritual Pasture Valley, and they are provided to the spiritual slaves who have just reached adulthood or ordinary spiritual beings with poor strength. Powerful ordinary spiritual beings and spiritual masters usually go to very dangerous areas just to catch wild supernatural beasts, which they will then transform into their own guardian beasts," Alyssa explained.


    "Supernatural beasts?" It was the first time that Rocky had heard such a name.

 Chapter 952 Reclusive Elder

    "In the beginning, the spiritual race''s guardian beasts were obtained by capturing supernatural beasts and breeding them. Unfortunately, compared with the guardian beasts that were obtained through artificial reproduction, wild supernatural beasts have stronger abilities, but they are difficult to tame, just as it is hard for human spirit manipulators to tame spiritual beasts. If we are not strong enough, it is impossible to capture a supernatural beast alive, let alone tame it. However, once we capture a supernatural beast alive, we will be able to tame it, and it will become our own guardian beast," Alyssa explained.


    "I see..." Rocky nodded as he recalled the magical beasts that he had seen in the forest, back in the Black Sand Abyss, which emitted an aura that was comparable to that of a guardian beast. They must have been wild supernatural beasts.


    "By the way, you mentioned spiritual slaves, ordinary spiritual beings, and spiritual masters earlier. What are they?" Rocky asked again.


    "In the spiritual race''s clans, the clansmen are divided into different levels, just as the ruling class divides humans into different levels. Spiritual slaves are like ordinary people, and they are responsible for the daily life of the clansmen. Meanwhile, ordinary spiritual beings work specifically for the spiritual masters, and they control the spiritual slaves for the spiritual masters. Lastly, spiritual masters rule the entire clan and protect their clansmen from being invaded by other clans of the spiritual race. As such, only spiritual masters could be considered the real clansmen in the spiritual race''s clans, as they are powerful creatures standing at the top of the food chain. However, there are very few spiritual masters in each clan of the spiritual race, and that is why they are considered the most important parts of each clan in the spiritual race. In terms of their strength and function, spiritual slaves, ordinary spiritual beings, and spiritual masters are also divided into nine levels respectively. The level-one spiritual slaves are the weakest, while the level-nine spiritual masters are the strongest and real clansmen of the spiritual race," Alyssa continued to explain, as Rocky listened with his full attention.


    "You are saying that the term ''spiritual race'' that we, humans, use to call them has a very vague meaning. Does that mean that the real clansmen in the spiritual race''s clans are only a small part of them?" Rocky asked just to confirm, as he began to realize that what he knew about the spiritu


    "Tell the elder that Alyssa wants to see her," Alyssa said to the two clansmen in front of the tree house in their language.


    One of the clansmen walked in and returned a moment later. The other clansmen said something that they failed to catch before he left, just as Alyssa was turning toward Rocky.


    "Don''t talk nonsense after we enter the room!" Alyssa reminded him before they walked inside.


    The inside of the tree house was every inch as big as its outer appearance, and Rocky looked around in surprise when he found that although it was quite big, it was sparsely decorated. In the innermost part of the tree house, there was a cyan stone that continuously emitted strong spiritual energy, which was surrounded by a white curtain. An indistinct figure that looked vaguely like a human sat cross-legged on the cyan stone, and because of its skin tone, it easily blended to the cyan stone beneath. If one didn''t look carefully, he wouldn''t notice the figure.


    "How are you doing, grandma?" Alyssa walked forward and knelt respectfully in front of the curtain, while Rocky lingered by the doorway, studying their interaction.


    "Here you are! Is this young man the one who can remove your curse?" A hoarse but strong voice came out from behind the curtain, speaking human language.


    "Yes." Alyssa nodded.


    "Is this grandma the reclusive elder you mentioned?" Rocky walked to her and asked casually.


    "You can''t call her grandma!" She immediately hissed and glared at Rocky''s irreverence.


    "It doesn''t matter. Young man, can you come closer and put your hand in?" said the figure behind the curtain with a soft, calming tone, which could relax anyone from a vigilant state at once.

 Chapter 953 Magic Spiritual Spring

    Meanwhile, Rocky glanced at Alyssa and saw her gave him a quick nod. Soon after, he walked up and put his hand inside the curtain. At that moment, he felt his hand was getting frozen as the intense coldness crawled through his veins. The chill traveled through his body, making him freeze in an instant.


    At this moment, Rocky turned pale as he felt a strong and bizarre aura coming towards him. After a while, he began to feel pressure on his chest as if a big stone was pressing on him. He started to worry for what he felt was so foreign, something that he hadn''t felt before.


    However, the feeling passed, and everything returned to the way it was. Rocky tried to find the figure behind the curtain, but he could not find anyone behind it anymore.


    "Alyssa, just like you said, he indeed has a kind of power that does not belong to human beings. If I am not mistaken, this power is from the spiritual race. However, I find it all too evil," the figure behind the curtain said in a very serious tone.


    "Young man, can you tell me where this power in your body is coming from?" the figure behind the curtain asked Rocky directly.


    "If you are so powerful as you say you are, then you can guess yourself." Without a doubt, Rocky would not want to tell the others that easily that the power in his body was from no other than the Holy Dragon Bead.


    Hearing this, Alyssa got annoyed and grimaced at Rocky.


    "You seem so cunning at such a young age. But do you really think that I can''t try and guess? Alyssa mentioned that you were the prince of the Holy Dragon Empire. As far as I know, a prince of the Holy Dragon Empire inherited the power of the Holy Dragon Bead more than a year ago. So it is only right to assume that the evil power in your body must be the power of the Holy Dragon Bead. Am I right? However, I didn''t expect the power of the Holy Dragon Bead to be so evil. It seems that the Dragon Master Clan really does have an ulterior motive for giving a human such great evil power," the figure behind the curtain said deliberately.


    "Wow, you are really something, grandma!" At that moment, Rocky didn''t expect that the elder of the Wood Clan could immediately guess where his power came from.


    "So, you are the prince who has inherited the power of the Holy Dragon Bead," Alyssa yelled in surprise. All along, she was not aware that Rocky was the prince who had the Holy Dragon Bead. Although she learned about this more than a year ago, she didn''t pay attention to it. Soon after, she knew that Rocky was the prince of the Holy Dragon Empire, but only learned about it after R


    him and did not answer.


    After all, no one should know about it for it was a secret of the Timber Deity Empire. As a matter of fact, every clan in the spiritual race had to keep the identity of their spiritual masters a secret to protect their base. No one from the most ordinary spiritual beings, let alone spiritual slaves, knew about who the spiritual masters were, nor have they ever seen one. Only a few high-level ordinary spiritual beings knew and came in close contact with one or two low-level spiritual masters.


    Meanwhile, Alyssa and Rocky continued their journey, passing through a beautiful flower field and up a few rocks in the hills. After about fifteen minutes, they saw a stone valley full of mist and fog faintly, echoing the sound of spring water faintly.


    "Here it is, the Magic Spiritual Spring! It is one of the forbidden areas in our Wood Clan. The powerful spring before you can purify marrow, muscles and bones, and boost spiritual power. Cultivating in the spring for one day is equivalent to one year of normal cultivation," Alyssa said as she pointed at the stone valley.


    "Really? I guess that if I cultivate here for a year, I will surely be invincible and unstoppable!" Rocky said, raising his eyebrows in wonder.


    "Ha-ha! That''s a good wish, I have to give you that. But one can only soak in the Magic Spiritual Spring once a year for three days at most. If one cultivates for more than three days, the effect of increasing the spiritual power will not take effect." Alyssa grumbled to Rocky and then added, "Alright, take off all your clothes now." Alyssa''s cheeks turned pink right after she said those words. Soon after, she turned her back around Rocky and began to undress herself as well.

 Chapter 954 The Sealed Power

    Rocky looked at Alyssa, who had her back to him, and thought, ''In less than a day, I have to do the same thing again. And this time, it is Alyssa, a famous woman of the Timber Deity Empire and the goddess of countless men.''


    "Take off your clothes," Alyssa grumbled.


    "Yes, madam." Rocky glanced at Alyssa.


    As she was taking off her clothes, Rocky walked into the pool of water. His brows furrowed when he realized that the water was cold, contrary to what he expected from such a hot stone valley. It was strange, to say the least.


    But despite its low temperature, his body started to relax under the water, as his feet that were submerged under the water felt numb and limp. It felt like something was drilling into his skin through the pores and was entering his body from the water. As he slowly walked forward, the water got deeper and deeper, and soon it came up to his waist.


    "Can you feel it? That is the spiritual power of the spring water." The delicate voice of Alyssa sounded from somewhere behind him, startling him from his thoughts.


    "Do you mean the feeling of power?" Rocky asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise.


    "Yes. If you soak in this spring water for a day, the filth in your body will be cleansed, and the toxins that have accumulated inside you will be purified. This makes your body healthier and stronger. As you know, the stronger the strength of a spirit manipulator is, the higher the requirement for the body is. Many spirit manipulators'' bodies are too weak, so their strength is limited, especially when they try to break through to the Supernal Stage. Many spirit manipulators think that the reason why it is hard to b


    ave when there is no danger?" After hearing Alyssa''s plan, Rocky was somewhat surprised because he did not expect that she would suddenly change her mind. Not only did she want to help him break through to the Supernal Stage now, but she also wanted to help him merge with the power sealed in the third layer. If he could fully merge with the power sealed in the third layer, then his strength would be stronger than that of a warrior of the Supernal Stage!


    In addition, as long as the power sealed in the third layer was integrated, the power sealed in the fourth layer would be suppressed by the power of the spiritual soul container. In this way, he would be no danger of life for the time being.


    Therefore, no matter what, Rocky gained a lot of benefits!


    "It''s okay since you can''t escape from me anyway. If you escape from me, it will be easy to come after you because you are the prince of the Holy Dragon Empire. If you dare to break your promise, I will look for you even if I have to search every corner of the whole Holy Dragon Empire," Alyssa said spitefully; her eyes were as cold as ice.

 Chapter 955 Grew Exponentially

    Since Rocky knew Alyssa''s personality, he was certain that she was not at all joking. She had used every kind of trick and method just to deal with the Crimson Dragon Group. Before she dealt with the Crimson Dragon Group that way, he didn''t think of her as a ruthless woman. However, after spending some more time with her in their journeys, he had come to know her better. Just like what Woods had said, Alyssa''s brutality against her enemies was probably due to her previous experiences in life. Rocky was just fully aware that the spiritual race in the Wild Spirit Land was not as reverent as he thought. Moreover, he learnt that the spiritual race was actually more vicious than the human race. And since Alyssa, who was human, had lived with the spiritual race for more than twenty years, he thought that she must have had an inconceivably dreadful experience.


    "Sit down," Alyssa said gently as she held Rocky''s hand.


    At that moment, they both sat down face to face on some rocks amidst the hazy fog, while the spring water of the Magic Spiritual Spring reached their necks.


    Soon after, Rocky immersed himself in the spring water and felt his body starting to become numb. His pores were open as if he had goosebumps, and he felt that some unknown energy was entering his body.


    "After the dual cultivation starts, my spiritual sense will enter your body and temporarily replace your spiritual sense. Then, I will introduce my power into your body and use my power to lead your powers. So, you can''t reject me. Otherwise, all our efforts will be for nothing, and rejecting the process can hurt me, too," Alyssa said in a serious tone.


    "Okay, got it," Rocky responded.


    "You may relax now so we can start," Alyssa said and began to close her eyes.


    Rocky followed and closed his eyes, too. At the same time, the two of them activated the mind cultivation method and started to cultivate together. It wasn''t long before both of their spiritual senses entered an illusory space.


    As soon as their spiritual senses met, Alyssa made the first move and embraced Rocky tightly. Soon after, her whole body ex


    meet all the requirements needed to break through to the Supernal Stage. Breaking through or not will now depend on how lucky and determined you are. In fact, it is more difficult to break through to the Supernal Stage than the other previous stages. Moreover, it will make a significant impact on your body and will take a long time to perform. As such, many spirit manipulators could not hold on until the last moment, leading to their failure. That is why you have to be mentally prepared for it. However, what I''m most worried about is the power sealed in your body. Do you know if it will have an abnormal reaction when you break through?" Alyssa said with concern.


    "As far as I can remember, I have survived every dangerous situation I was put in. Besides, I encounter near-death experiences almost every time, so don''t worry about me. I can handle it," Rocky reassured.


    "I know that what you have experienced is really beyond anyone''s imagination. To be honest, I may not have the confidence to face such a powerful and evil power in your body," Alyssa said straightforwardly.


    After hearing her words, Rocky just smiled lightly and said nothing.


    As time went by, Alyssa''s spiritual power at the Divine Stage and the current circulation speed boosted the fusion of the power sealed in the third layer. Moreover, the weak nature spiritual power also grew exponentially under the fast circulation.

 Chapter 956 Breaking Through To The Supernal Stage

    The two forces within him began to increase, and the transforming of his body by the Magic Spiritual Spring was near the last stage. About 22 hours later, Rocky felt the two powers raging deep within him about to burst from his body like violent torrents.


    "It''s about time." Alyssa could feel the surge within Rocky as well. Immediately, she withdrew all her power from him and ended the cultivation between them.


    Alyssa''s eyes flew open the moment she quit the cultivation. The mist was blown away by the wind that Rocky''s Evil Flame brought about, revealing his current state to her.


    She saw the black flame wrap his entire body completely which caused the water surrounding him to boil. Alyssa could also feel his aura rising. She fixed her eyes on him, not wanting to miss a single moment.


    A moment later, something changed from inside the black flame around him. It was divided into two. One was the pure Fire spiritual power while the other was the power of the Holy Dragon Bead, which was wrapped by a special black flame.


    "The terrified black flame before was formed by the mixing of those two powers. And now, the Holy Dragon Bead has shown the original state of its power!" Alyssa couldn''t help but be curious and shocked at the fact that the power of the Holy Dragon Bead could combine with the Fire spiritual power and form another unique power as a result. Although the power of the spiritual race could combine with other powers as well, the effect wasn''t ideal. She tried to combine them herself, but the effect was nothing extraordinary, so she gave up. The Evil Flame power Rocky displayed was unlike anything she''d seen before. She witnessed how impressively it transformed the Fire spiritual power, which was beyond what the spiritual race could do. The Holy Dragon Bead possessed mor


    xhibited an imposing manner.


    "Finally," Rocky said with a bright smile on his face.


    "Well, congratulations! But could you please sit down?" Alyssa asked him as she turned away from him, her face blushing scarlet.


    Her reaction confused him. He then looked down at himself and realized that the mist that surrounded the valley had vanished and revealed that both of them now stood naked within the spring.


    Rocky coughed and sat back down.


    Hearing the subtle splash of water, Alyssa returned her gaze to Rocky. The blush on her face remained. This wasn''t the first time she saw him naked but it was definitely the most impressive time. Her imagination soon ran wild. She sighed inwardly at the feeling it brought out in her. For the first time in her life, she admired a man''s body like a majestic work of art.


    "Congratulations on your breakthrough. However, the power in the third layer of the seal within you hasn''t completely merged yet. We''ve already spent a single day and you only have two days left. There''s still a lot of things to do. So hurry up!" She ordered him as she finished briefing him on their situation.


    Rocky nodded in approval as he began to prepare for the next step.

 Chapter 957 Evil Power

    Alyssa continued to lead her power at the Divine Stage into Rocky''s body, as they started their dual cultivation once again. Rocky had reached the Supernal Stage, so she increased the circulation speed of the spiritual power.


    However, just after Rocky reached the Supernal Stage, she was shocked that the part of the powers that hadn''t fused in the third layer began to fuse together. Originally, it was rejected, but now, it was being absorbed quickly, which caused the fusion speed to increase more than she had expected.


    Another day passed in a blink of an eye. Rocky fused all the power sealed in the third layer at an astonishing speed, and his strength advanced to the third grade of the Supernal Stage just as quickly. Now his strength was comparable to Alston''s, if not better.


    Although Rocky''s strength had greatly increased, it was just a stepping stone for Alyssa, as she still needed to accomplish the most important thing, and that was to remove the seal that controlled the violent power in the fourth layer. At the same time, she would use her spiritual soul''s power to lead the power sealed in the fourth layer into the spiritual soul container in Rocky''s body.


    Compared with breaking through to the Supernal Stage, this was a much more difficult challenge. The power sealed in the fourth layer itself was breath-taking. Although that power was only close to that of the Divi


    into the spiritual soul container, Rocky would probably fall into the darkness, and he could even become a crazy devil. Therefore, she could not let herself be distracted. With her spiritual power at the Divine Stage and the spiritual soul''s power, she began to fight head-on with the violent power sealed in the fourth layer.


    While the power sealed in the fourth layer was going haywire, Rocky suddenly opened his eyes, which had turned cold and evil. It was as if he was possessed by an evil entity. His dark eyes stared fiercely at Alyssa with a gaze that promised pain and suffering.


    At this moment, he was on the edge of darkness and was gradually losing his mind. In a movement that was too fast for Alyssa to catch, he leaned forward and pressed his body to hers.


    Meanwhile, Alyssa, who was concentrating on suppressing the power sealed in the fourth layer, didn''t expect that Rocky would attack her all of a sudden.

 Chapter 958 They Were In Danger

    "You bastard..." Alyssa was starting to get annoyed because here she was, kind enough to help Rocky break through to the Supernal Stage and help him fuse with the power on the third layer of the seal, and yet, this guy repaid her kindness like this and put the two of them in danger.


    Of course, she also knew that Rocky had no control over what was happening in his body at that moment, so she should not blame him. After all, he was under the influence of evil power, and he was only acting by sheer instinct. Even so, she would still blame their current danger on him.


    "You look like you want to kill me in the most painful ways imaginable," she muttered unpleasantly, as she tried her best to suppress the power released from the fourth layer of the seal in Rocky''s body.


    In this way, she successfully stopped him from doing anything untoward to her, while she was also pulling the power toward the spiritual soul container.


    Rocky struggled again when she was so focused on her task, as the power was so close to being absorbed by the spiritual soul container. His sudden movement distracted her, and the power seized that opportunity to make a move. It broke through her suppression and was about to burst out of Rocky''s body.


    "Damn it!" Alyssa''s face grew somber because of the situation that was getting more and more dangerous by the minute.


    In the next breath, the power released from the fourth layer of the seal in Rocky''s body went berserk again. Unexpectedly, it even slowly devoured Alyssa''s power at the Divine Stage.


    "How is this possible?" Even Alyssa was startled. She didn''t expect that the power of the Holy Dragon Bead could devour others'' spiritual power, and it was obvious that there was a gap in power between them.


    Not long after that, her power began to decline because of the crazy counterattack of the power released from the fourth layer of the seal, and the latter easily reoccupied his body again.


    Just as she was about to fall unconscious, she felt a sharp pain from


    uries.


    When Alyssa regained consciousness, she slowly opened her eyes that felt too heavy to move. She won the battle with her eyelids that wouldn''t budge, and as she lifted them, she found herself lying on the soft grass in an abandoned tree house. She carefully stood up with the help of her surroundings, and as she looked around, she realized that she was alone.


    "Where is he?" Alyssa was surprised that Rocky had left, so she immediately got up and looked around. She walked out of the tree house, anxiously looking around for him.


    As soon as she walked out of the tree house, she saw a figure that was sitting leisurely on a thick branch beside the tree house. She felt relieved.


    "Phew, you are finally awake." When he saw that she had finally awakened, Rocky greeted her with a smirk on his face that promised her that he was probably up to no good.


    Seeing the expression on his face, especially at the impish grin on his lips, Alyssa subconsciously remembered what had happened before. She glared fiercely at him and immediately walked back into the tree house.


    Rocky just shrugged and smiled.


    After a long time, Alyssa came out again. It seemed that she had regained her usual cold and arrogant look, but the expression in her eyes as she looked at Rocky was not murderous. Instead, it seemed almost fond and tender.

 Chapter 959 The Members Of The Wood Clan

    "How long was I out this time?" Alyssa asked Rocky, her voice raspy from disuse. She was embarrassed, for she had fainted two times in his presence. And every time she fainted, it was in a compromising situation and a feast for his eyes, which he never failed to take advantage of.


    "You''ve been sleeping for about six hours," Rocky calculated roughly.


    "That long?" Alyssa narrowed her eyes in displeasure, both at herself and Rocky, then asked, "How are you feeling now?"


    "I feel all right," Rocky answered simply. He felt well enough at the moment, and besides, he had thought about the situation in his body while she was unconscious. He found that after he broke through to the Supernal Stage, his whole body had changed greatly, and the veins that could contain spiritual power had also become wider than before. It allowed him to use both the evil spiritual power and the Fire spiritual power at the same time, smoothly and freely.


    Alyssa nodded at his answer with a satisfied expression, as she was pleased that her efforts had paid off. She patted herself free of dust and dirt, as she said, "It''s almost time for us to see grandma." "Okay," Rocky answered as he stood up.


    Just as the two of them were about to leave, a strong earthquake suddenly occurred in the northeastern part of the Spiritual Pasture Valley. Everyone in the valley could easily feel it.


    "What''s going on?" Rocky turned to Alyssa and asked.


    "I don''t know. Earthquakes rarely occur here in the Spiritual Pasture Valley, and it had never been so severe before. It seems to be centered at the northeast, and that place is..." Alyssa seemed to think of something and her face turned serious. She flew down from the tree house and summoned her spiritual beast.


    "Come on," Alyssa shouted at Rocky.


    Hearing the alarm in her voice, he readily jumped after her and landed on her spiritual beast.


    Then, under Alyssa''s tight control, the spiritual beast flew to the northeastern part of the Spiritual Pasture Valley.


    Soon after, Rocky began to feel something strange. At the same time, the dragon-shaped jade hanging on his chest started warming up, until it became scorching hot as if it was sensing something.


    "What''s in front of us?" Rocky turned to Al


    al masters could find a way to destroy it, so they had no choice but to seal it in the end," Alyssa replied.


    "I want to see what this ancient spiritual beast looks like," Rocky couldn''t help but say.


    "Don''t even think about it. This cave is a forbidden area. You can''t just enter it because you want to. Just give up the idea, okay?" Alyssa glared at Rocky, but she was also worried about him. The Mysterious Cave was not only a forbidden area, but it was also very dangerous.


    In response, Rocky just shrugged indifferently as if he got bored with the topic.


    "The earthquake was very strange, so let''s go and check it out first. If there is nothing unusual, we can go back to see grandma," Alyssa continued.


    While the two of them were talking, Alyssa''s spiritual beast had flown to the area where the earthquake occurred. When Rocky looked down, he saw a large pit on the ground, as if the ground had been hit by a meteorite. The pit looked so deep that it appeared bottomless.


    At this moment, the entire pit and the surroundings were still shaking violently, as if they were affected by some kind of power.


    "The pit below is the Mysterious Cave where the ancient spiritual beast is sealed. But what happened here? Why is it shaking so violently?" Alyssa asked in surprise, as she gazed down at the pit.


    At this time, many clansmen of the Wood Clan flew over from another direction. Most of them were spiritual slaves, and only a few in the lead were ordinary spiritual beings.

 Chapter 960 Weird Changes In The Mysterious Cave

    Led by several ordinary spiritual beings, the several members of the Wood Clan took flight and hovered near the Mysterious Cave. They saw that the cave was moving back and forth, and it terrified them.


    As the cave trembled, many spiritual slaves descended and knelt on the ground. With their bodies hunched, they stretched their hands and bowed their heads as if imploring the divine gods for help.


    "What are they doing?" Rocky asked curiously.


    "They''re praying. It''s a tradition of the Wood Clan. When they see something bad is happening, they will kneel and pray to the heavens," explained Alyssa.


    "We cannot escape whatever is bound to happen. But if praying comforts them, I will let them be." Rocky shrugged and smiled.


    As the spiritual slaves finished praying, the Mysterious Cave also stopped trembling.


    The ordinary spiritual beings who led the group felt the surrounding atmosphere, and noticed that the ground had settled. Right away, they were about to take the spiritual slaves away.


    However, a pillar of black light blasted out from the bottom of the cave, and covered the entire cave with unearthly darkness. It surged out of the cave and rose into the sky like a giant fountain.


    The members of the Wood Clan who surrounded the cave were too shocked to make a move. They stood there with their mouths wide open and watched as the cave continued to spew the terrifying black light.


    "This is..." The look on Alyssa''s face changed.


    "Did the ancient spiritual beast break the seal?" Rocky asked jokingly.


    "Shut up! The ancient spiritual beast is sealed at the deepest part of the cave. This is a bizarre phenomenon, and this should not be happening!" Alyssa scolded Rocky. If the seal was indeed broken, the consequences would be beyond imaginable.


    "Wait for me here and don''t do anything stupid!" As soon as she finished her words, she took off and flew towards the ordinary spiritual beings. She appeared in front of them in an instant and drew them together for a talk.


    When they saw Alyssa, they all bowed their heads to show respect.


    After a short huddle, several ordinary spiritual beings immediately took some spiritua


    r!" the voice inside the palanquin answered.


    "Elder, I understand now," the ordinary spiritual being answered respectfully.


    "The most important thing right now is to find out why the Mysterious Cave threw a tantrum," the elder inside the palanquin ordered.


    "I will lead a group, and we will try to find out as much as we can." After the ordinary spiritual finished speaking, he and the others turned around and left.


    "Let''s wait and see what that young man and Alyssa would do to save themselves." The palanquin was then carried back by the several spiritual slaves.


    Meanwhile, after the fusion, Rocky now had the flying capability of Ken. Still, he kept falling deeper into the dark cave.


    Unaware of how long he had been falling, Rocky suddenly noticed what was ahead of him. Right below him were tall stone pillars with pointed ends. If he crashed into one of them, he would definitely not survive. With this, he released just enough amount of energy force to stop himself from falling and hitting any of the pointed pillars.


    The suction force at the bottom of the abyss was not as strong as before, so after stopping, Rocky stood and balanced himself in the air. He then saw a gap between two stone pillars and dived in. He jumped back and forth on the two stone pillars and was finally able to steady himself on the ground.


    As he landed, Rocky examined his surroundings and felt that the suction force had disappeared.

 Chapter 961 Search For The Ancient Spiritual Beast

    After that, Rocky undid the state of Spirit Possession with Ken, and because he didn''t use too much of his spiritual power in keeping the state, there was no obvious side effect on him. He could still move freely afterward, and he went to sit cross-legged on the ground, as he adjusted his breath for a while.


    "It is unbelievable that something so special is hiding underneath the Mysterious Cave! Where is that ancient spiritual beast sealed?" Rocky looked around and noticed that the hole above his head had shrunk to the size of a well''s mouth, and the light was so further up that it was almost too dark to see. Several stalagmites were scattered around him, but because of the dim light, he could not see much of the whole area.


    ''I can feel something... There is a breeze blowing from the right!'' Rocky noticed that there was a faint wind blowing from the right which was supposed to be the north direction. He looked that way, his eyes squinting in the darkness. When he could not make out what was there, he shrugged and started moving to the direction of the wind.


    After about five minutes, he noticed that there were fewer stalagmites on his path, and a big entrance loomed in front of him. A chill passed through him, as he peered inside and saw the pitch-black cave that laid ahead. Terrifying aura emanated from somewhere inside.


    "It looks very dangerous inside..." Rocky murmured to himself. Of course, it was a familiar feeling for him and was not intimidating in the least, even if the aura in the cave was stronger than the one he felt in the Myriad Beasts Ground or the Black Sand Abyss.


    Without a trace of hesitation or fear, he briskly stepped into the entrance of the cave and made his way along its tunnel-like passage.


    Before long, the tunnel widened into a spacious passage, and it was so big that he could not see the other end. Here, the rocks overlapped like countless underground hills, the ground rising and falling from time to time.


    At the same time, he also felt a strong aura hidden in it, which was no less than that of a spirit-manipulated beast at the fourth grade of the five-star level. It meant that there were powerful beasts in it, but unfortunately, because of its surroundings, the au


    s good as tickles on its rough skin, doing no damage at all.


    After a long while, as the supernatural beast seemed to be getting tired, it suddenly turned its huge body away from them and slowly squirmed to hide once again, forgetting its two opponents.


    After the beast had crawled away, Rocky breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, it had not lost its temper easily, and it reacted very slowly. Otherwise, it would have been difficult to defeat it, even if he used up all his spiritual power.


    "That supernatural beast is quite powerful. Even when I had Robin to help me, I could not even damage it at all," Rocky murmured to himself.


    After resting for a while, he continued to move forward with Robin. This time, he was smart enough to let Robin explore the way ahead. Since it had mutated earlier and reached the qualification of a guardian beast, it was very sensitive and could easily distinguish the position of a supernatural beast.


    With this outstanding ability, Rocky was able to go deeper into the cave safely. After Ken recovered, he also summoned it, and the three of them continued to advance into the depths of the cave.


    At the same time, a delicate figure seemed to be shuttling through the maze-like Mysterious Cave with a bit of anxiety.


    "Does that guy really want to go deep into the cave to see the sealed ancient spiritual beast? Is he stupid or maybe he has a death wish?" the delicate figure murmured to herself and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

 Chapter 962 The Power Of The Colorful Blade

    Rocky walked through the area for another hundred meters before he found an underground lake in front of him. It was oval-shaped and as big as half a football field.


    He moved closer carefully and looked around for a way through the lake. In the middle was a big whirlpool, making the water turbid and difficult to see what was under it. However, he could still see glimpses of something underneath the water every time the water rotated at a certain angle.


    On the opposite side of the lake, there was a tunnel as high as two people.


    But to his dismay, there was no way around the lake to get to the opposite tunnel. The only way he could think of was to fly across the lake, but he had to take into account the aura hidden under the lake.


    Considering the potential danger, he decided to put Robin back into the Magic Spiritual Space. After that, he got on top of Ken and flew to the opposite side of the lake. At the same time, he paid attention to the whole lake vigilantly in case of any suspicious movements. Soon, Ken had flown through half of the distance and was approaching the center of the lake, but suddenly, a water column with a diameter of at least ten meters rushed up from the whirlpool center in the middle of the lake. It soared up into the sky, and although Ken reacted in time, the strong impact caused by the water column still sent Ken and Rocky tumbling.


    As they were tumbling in the air and Ken was trying to stabilize its flight, a shadow that sparkled with blue light and resembled a gigantic shark, suddenly rushed out of the lake. It opened its bloody mouth, revealing two rows of extremely sharp teeth that glinted brightly in the darkness. It dashed toward the two intruders as if it wanted to swallow them in one gulp.


    When Rocky noticed the beast, his face took on an alarmed expression, and he immediately shouted, "Spirit Possession!"


    All of a sudden, Ken turned into a ball of bright colorful light and quickly integrated with him. Then, they disappeared from where they were, and the shark shadow missed its targets.


    "There are so many abrupt crises here!" Rocky said with a lingering fear, as he landed in front of the tunnel at the end of the lake. He


    d be undoubtedly difficult for Rocky to deal with. Although he was now in the state of Spirit Possession and his strength had reached the premium grade of the Supernal Stage, it was obviously not enough to fight this opponent.


    "There''s no way that I can defeat it! I need to escape!" Rocky looked around and hid immediately. He quietly approached the beast and planned to slip through the gap without being noticed.


    However, just as he was approaching the beast, it suddenly lifted a leg that was as thick as a pillar and stepped in his direction.


    His face changed dramatically, and he immediately floated to the right. He couldn''t help but mutter in his heart, ''This beast shouldn''t be able to see me, but it stepped so accurately towards me. I''m so unlucky!''!


    Just as he was about to fly to the right, the beast suddenly shook its body and rushed toward him again.


    "Damn it!" Rocky was stunned for a moment. It seemed that the beast could see through him, and it could also locate him wherever he went even if he was hiding. But how was that possible?


    At this point, he could not afford to be reckless. He quickly flashed out and waved the Frozen Wind Dagger, slashing out into the air.


    Bang!


    The dazzling blade of the Frozen Wind Dagger immediately collided with the supernatural beast''s gigantic body, and like a miracle, the blade''s power successfully stopped all its movement. He swiftly took this opportunity to disappear from where he was.

 Chapter 963 The Dragon-Shaped Jade

    After Rocky disappeared, the spider supernatural beast slowly opened its enormous mouth and let out a long, whip-like tongue.


    Rocky was about to pass through the gap and enter the spider''s gigantic body when he felt something smack his back. He turned around and saw the tongue of the spider was chasing after him. He tried his best to dodge it, but the tongue was relentless.


    "You are really annoying!" Rocky exclaimed. Since his invisibility ability consumed a lot of spiritual power, Rocky had to become visible and kept the tongue at arm''s length. With one rapid movement, he evaded the tongue and zoomed forward like a flash of lightning.


    After a fierce chase, Rocky finally made it to the enormous body of the spider, but its tongue circled in front of him and blocked him.


    As it sensed Rocky, the spider turned around and was about to pounce on him.


    Seeing this, Rocky poured all his strength into the Frozen Wind Dagger. Immediately, the Frozen Wind Dagger turned into a long sword. Its sharp blade sparkled in different colors.


    Before the spider could make a move, Rocky shouted and swung the sword with all his strength. However, he did not aim at the spider, nor at the tongue, but at the space above the passageway.


    As the colorful blade slashed through the wind, it sliced open a huge gap in the rock just above the passageway. Endless sands and stones rained down. Soon after, the stones collapsed and eventually blocked more than half of the passageway.


    After he successfully blocked out the spider, Rocky bravely faced the tongue in front of him. However, the tongue became distressed and quickly pulled back.


    Rocky breathed a sigh of relief and ran in full speed. He knew the stones could not block the spider for too long.


    After he had run for a while, Rocky found himself in front of an enormous building that was like an altar. It was majestic and floated between two rocky


    s skin. The moment his hand touched the dragon-shaped jade, he felt a piercing pain in his finger. Something nipped on his skin and a drop of blood was sucked into the dragon-shaped jade.


    Rocky was startled. Right before his eyes, the bright light dragon-shaped jade turned bloody-red. Before long, a beam of red light radiated from the dragon-shaped jade. It pierced through the enchanted barrier of the altar and went straight to the glabella of the huge statue.


    As the red light burnt through the statue, it triggered a tremor from inside the earth that shook the entire altar together with the statue. The totem stone pillars and thick chains did not escape the tremors and began to convulse. Soon, the enchanted barrier showed flickers of light.


    "Something big will happen." Rocky was so stunned that he could not move. He did not understand what was going on. The power of the dragon-shaped jade obviously damaged the enchanted barrier of the altar and stirred the dragon statue.


    "My descendant, wake up!" A loud voice commanded out of the dragon-shaped jade. The voice was imposing and was filled with power.


    Just as the voice rumbled like thunder, the enormous dragon statue opened its eyes. Its solid body cracked and stone fragments fell down one by one.

 Chapter 964 Dragon-shaped Soul Beast

    Rocky was a little shocked to see that the seal of the huge dragon statue had been removed. After all, it was a well-known fact that an extremely great amount of power was required to remove any seal set up by the spiritual race.


    The fact that the dragon-shaped jade was able to release that much power was truly inconceivable to Rocky. However, what came next surprised him even more, if that was possible. He suddenly heard a voice from the dragon-shaped jade!


    "Who are you?" he asked in awe. He had never expected the dragon-shaped jade to contain so much power, let alone a being that was able to speak human language. Although he did not know what it was, he knew that he was dealing with something extraordinary.


    All of a sudden, the dragon-shaped jade, which had been constantly emitting red light, flew into the air and hovered in front of him. Then, a beam of light was projected from the dragon-shaped jade, forming a dragon-shaped transparent light body, like an exquisite doll. Although it was only the size of a palm, it exuded an astonishing aura.


    "You... You are..." Rocky breathed in shock. In fact, he had seen this being before! It was none other than the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast he had seen in the Myriad Spirit Tomb. But he could not understand what it was doing here at the moment.


    "I don''t have enough power to show myself for long, so I''ll keep this short." Rocky suddenly heard a familiar voice in his mind. In fact, he had heard this voice a few times before, but he had always dismissed it as an auditory hallucination. Now, to his surprise, it turned out that someone had really been talking to him all along.


    "Why are you in this dragon-shaped jade?" he asked with a frown.


    "I am the one who formed it with my power," the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast replied.


    "I see. But why did you turn into a dragon-shaped jade? You wanted me to take you out of the Myriad Spirit Tomb on purpose?" Rocky asked suspiciously. He had a lot of questions in mind now.


    "You are already an inheritor. With me by your side


    beast such as the supernatural beast were not comparable to the Soul Beast at all.


    "You wish! I''m not something that you can control. Until now, you''ve only seen me at my weakest state," the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast said arrogantly, raising its chin at him.


    "Your weakest state?" Rocky said in awe. If he remembered correctly, when he had first seen the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast, it had emitted an aura that seemed to be of the Divine Stage, at least. If that was the Soul Beast at its weakest state, then its strongest state would be unimaginable. There was no way he would be able to control it.


    The Dragon-shaped Soul Beast nodded arrogantly. "So, don''t ever think about making me your spirit-manipulated beast."


    "Then there''s nothing in it for me." Rocky shook his head in disappointment and asked, "By the way, you have been in the jade for so long. Why did you come out now?"


    "That''s because your strength is too weak right now. In order to turn into this jade and follow you out, I used up almost all of my power. Therefore, I won''t show up unless I absolutely have to," the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast explained.


    "It''s all my fault, then," Rocky said, raising his eyebrows.


    While the two of them were talking to each other, the altar continued changing dramatically. It was as if the earth was collapsing and the mountains were shaking.

 Chapter 965 Stronger And Stronger

    At this time, the ancient spiritual beast, which was gradually unsealed in the altar, revealed a domineering black scale and shell. It was probably as strong as steel, and its shiny dark color reflected light in every direction. It had four wings that were poised as if it was about to fly at any moment. The huge dragon head was outlined by an armor that resembled a helmet, and the strong aura and power that it was exuding earlier seemed to have multiplied a hundredfold.


    The only pity was that after the seal was removed, the ancient spiritual beast did not move at all, but the aura and strength its body was releasing continued. Because of the overwhelming aura and strength of the ancient spiritual beast, the altar showed signs of collapse. The chains connecting the wood-shaped totem pillars had begun to break, tilting the pillars almost parallel to the floor.


    "My descendant''s soul has also been extracted. But still... I want to let it go," the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast roared and screamed wildly, as soon as it laid eyes on the motionless ancient spiritual beast.


    "You mean, this ancient spiritual beast is your descendant?" At first, Rocky didn''t get why the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast had such a strong reaction, but when he heard it speak, he realized that this ancient spiritual beast was actually its descendant. ''Even his descendant is so powerful!'' Rocky thought with awe. He could imagine how powerful this Dragon-shaped Soul Beast was when it was still an ancient spiritual beast before the evolution!


    "The spiritual race is so hateful!" the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast exclaimed. His hoarse voice was filled with resentment.


    "Even if you unseal it, the result will still be the same, so it is useless for you to be angry. It has lost its soul, so you can''t do anything more." Rocky shrugged calmly.


    "If you agree to be my heir, and if you can collect the divine blood of the nine legendary guardian beasts, I will fulfill your wish!" the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast suddenly said after a moment of silence.


    "My wish?" Rocky asked, a little bit confused and surprised by the sudden proposal.


    "Didn''t you want me to be your spirit-manipulated beast?" The Dragon-shaped Soul Beast reminded Rocky slyly. Its eyes glinted with newfound hope in the darkness.


    "Didn''t you say that I am still far too weak to control someone of your caliber?" Rocky asked with a smile, as he wondered why the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast was now contradicting itself.


    "I have a perfect idea.


    actually originated from the spiritual meridian. Therefore, the spiritual meridian space, where Rocky was now inside of, was full of risks and hidden dangers.


    At that moment, the spiritual meridian around them was crisscrossed and disordered, releasing violent spiritual currents from time to time. They resembled thunder and lightning, as they intertwined closely with each other. If Rocky and the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast were hit by these spiritual currents, there was no telling what would happen to them.


    Although what they were doing was very dangerous, Rocky felt that it was worth the risk to gain such a powerful ancient spiritual beast as his spirit-manipulated beast.


    Of course, there was nothing free in this world, so if Rocky successfully obtained the ancient spiritual beast, and if he promised to be the heir of the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast, he would probably get himself involved in the shocking secrets that were hidden by the spiritual race a long time ago. It would cause a great uproar and would probably turn his life upside down.


    With his skillful control, Rocky was approaching the spiritual meridian central pivot of the ancient spiritual beast step by step with the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast. Once he reached the spiritual meridian central pivot, the rest would depend on the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast.


    However, it was easier said than done. As he approached the central pivot of the spiritual meridian, the uncontrollable spiritual currents released by the spiritual meridian became stronger and stronger, making Rocky feel as if he was in a violent storm. If he was not careful, his spiritual sense could be seriously damaged.

 Chapter 966 Collapsing Speed

    "Your courage is extraordinary. It''s worth my appreciation!" Even the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast, which was closely following Rocky, exclaimed when it saw that he was calmly moving forward in the rampant spiritual power storm while using his spiritual power to build the bridge all the time.


    "While I appreciate your appreciation, it is no help at the moment. We should get to the spiritual meridian central pivot as soon as possible." Rocky was still in the mood to sass and joke, but only for a short moment, as he immediately redirected their attention to what was important.


    With his outstanding ability, they finally passed through the blockage of the spiritual currents, until they reached the central pivot of the spiritual meridian inside the ancient spiritual beast.


    "Please wait here for a moment!" The Dragon-shaped Soul Beast looked up at the glittering spiritual meridian central pivot, which looked like a gigantic tree that towered above them, and then it turned its head to look at Rocky.


    "Go ahead!" Rocky encouraged it with urgency because his power of the Spirit Possession was about to reach its limit.


    The Dragon-shaped Soul Beast immediately soared into the air and began to fly around the central pivot of the spiritual meridian. In the blink of an eye, its small body grew bigger and bigger until it was back to its original size when Rocky first saw it. Its momentum was like that of a king, and its transparent body was glinting like countless stars. If there were any people around, they would have marveled at this wondrous sight, but at the same time, they would have shuddered in fear in the face of this fearsome creature.


    As soon as the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast showed its original form, the spiritual meridian central pivot shone brightly as if it felt its presence. The spiritual currents that had been raging in the background took the form of numerous bright spirals, and they gathered around the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast at once.


    "I share the same soul with my descendant to fulfill the Spirit Possession..." As it muttered to itself, the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast seemed to realize something, as it suddenly flapped its wings. Surrounded by the strong spiritual currents, its whole body emitted a shocking luster, and it roared loudly.


    The central pivot of the spiritual meridian vibrated all of a sudden, creating countless new spiritual meridians. They began to wrap around the body of the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast as if the


    heard this, and she immediately thought that he must be joking. How could a human tame an ancient spiritual beast as his own spirit-manipulated beast? She was curious as to how the seal on the ancient spiritual beast was removed. Since the ancient spiritual beast''s soul should have been extracted, only a flesh body should have been left. And logically speaking, it should not be able to move at all, but the ancient spiritual beast in front of her was clearly alive.


    The scene in front of her was completely beyond her imagination and expectation. It could not be real!


    However, before she could figure out what was going on, the cliff where the two of them were standing began to collapse too, and the surrounding rock walls started trembling as if an earthquake had struck them. Sandstone was falling all around them, and they struggled to stay on their feet.


    "Is this place going to collapse?" Rocky murmured.


    "The Mysterious Cave was built to protect the sealing altar, and the power of the sealing altar also affected the entire cave. Now that the altar has been destroyed, the cave will surely collapse as well..." Alyssa informed him matter-of-factly.


    "Then how are we going to get out now?" Rocky''s face darkened, as he observed the gravity of the situation.


    "I''m afraid it''s too late for that." Although Alyssa was familiar with the terrain of the Mysterious Cave, judging from the speed of the collapse, it would be difficult for them to leave the cave no matter how fast the two of them could travel. She could not help the somber expression that settled on her face, as she realized that they would be buried alive soon.

 Chapter 967 Rocky And Alyssas Secret

    Rocky''s eyes narrowed as he heard what Alyssa had to say. He was not the type to give up easily, and there was no way he would sit around and wait for death. After a quick thought, he turned around and looked at the ancient spiritual beast manipulated by the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast. He stared at it for a moment and then looked at the endless black abyss under his feet. Without a word, he reached out and grabbed Alyssa''s waist.


    "What are you doing?" asked Alyssa. She was shocked by Rocky''s sudden boldness. Her beautiful eyes lit up as she felt Rocky''s arm around her. She wanted to protest, but she did not want Rocky to see the blush that suddenly colored her cheeks.


    "Take us up. I was just in the state of Spirit Possession, so I have little strength left. I need your help on this," Rocky said, as he pointed at the ancient spiritual beast.


    "Go up? Do you want the spiritual beast to take us out of here? Rocky, we are at the bottom of the cave. With its size, how can it take us out?" Alyssa shook her head as she tried to reason out. She could not imagine what Rocky was trying to accomplish.


    "You said so yourself. The Mysterious Cave would collapse anytime. Then that would be an opportunity for us to go out. After the cave collapses, the ground above it will definitely collapse as well. At that time, we can go out. But you have to hurry, or we will be buried alive," Rocky urged.


    This time, Alyssa understood what Rocky wanted to do. It was risky, but there was no other way. Calmly, she took him to the back of the ancient spiritual beast with her.


    "I''m counting on you." Rocky conveyed his trust with the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast using his spiritual sense.


    As it received Rocky''s message, the ancient spiritual beast spread its wings and took flight. Its four magnificent wings flew swiftly and with great power. The moment the cliff collapsed and fell into the black abyss, it left the ground and maneuvered carefully deep into the abyss.


    By this time, a large part of the altar had collapsed. Without the altar, the Mysterious Cave crumbled on a large scale, just as what Alyssa said. The massive cras


    iritual beast was unsealed and was removed from the abyss. No logic or reason would convince the Wood Clan to allow it to happen.


    Rocky shrugged and smiled, as if it was the most natural thing to happen.


    "By the way, the sealed ancient spiritual beast does not possess a soul. Why did it move freely? What did you do to it?" Alyssa was not convinced. She knew that Rocky must have done something to bring the ancient spiritual beast back to life.


    "You know I can''t tell you." Rocky answered Alyssa with a smile. He realized he could not fool her, so he used his charm on her. Anyway, he knew Alyssa would do nothing to harm him.


    Sure enough, Alyssa only glared at Rocky. She knew very well that she could not force him to admit anything. With a feeling of hopelessness, she gave up.


    Before long, Alyssa took Rocky to the tree house hanging above the moon-shaped lake. The two entered the tree house in silence.


    "I''m sorry. I made you worry." As soon as they entered, Alyssa knelt down in front of the translucent curtain.


    "I''m relieved that you came back safe and sound." The voice behind the curtain was very calm. Then it continued, "What exactly happened inside the Mysterious Cave? I felt another powerful earthquake just now."


    "This is what happened..." On their way to the tree house, Alyssa had already thought of an excuse. She discarded the truth, and in a calm voice narrated her made-up story.

 Chapter 968 Leaving Spiritual Pasture Valley

    "Did the altar just self-destruct? Or maybe it finally collapsed because of the ancient spiritual beast that had been here for all these years." The female voice behind the curtain hesitated for a moment after Alyssa spoke, and she sounded a little surprised. She asked hesitantly, "Where is the ancient spiritual beast now?"


    "It fell into the abyss together with the altar," Alyssa replied and cast a quick glance at Rocky at the same time.


    "Did it?" She sounded even more puzzled. The altar had been there for a long time, and yet nothing happened to it. So what prompted its self-destruction so abruptly? It was a question that she could not figure out.


    Seeing her confusion, Alyssa nodded her head solemnly. Although she felt sorry for lying to her grandma, she had no choice in the matter. She didn''t want to get Rocky involved, so it was worth the risk.


    "Then, I will report to the patriarch what I heard from you." The confusion in her voice was gone to Alyssa''s relief. It seemed that she trusted Alyssa enough to believe whatever she said. Alyssa was both pleased and wracked with guilt.


    "Grandma, do you have any advice for me? What should I do?" Alyssa asked, blinking her beautiful eyes innocently.


    "Young man, can you wait outside for a moment?" The voice behind the curtain said to Rocky this time.


    Rocky shrugged his shoulders casually, but he threw a questioning glance at Alyssa. When she inclined her head in a subtle nod, he turned around and walked out.


    "My dear, I have checked all the secret manuals of the spiritual race, but I haven''t found any other way to remove the curse. I''m afraid that it is the only way..." The voice from behind the curtain trailed off and released a sorrowful sigh.


    "Is that the only way?" Alyssa''s eyes darkened. If that was the only way, she would have to make a decision soon.


    "My dear, please do what your heart tells you to do. Don''t push yourself too hard. It might not be a good thing for you to become a member of the spiritual race. No one can promise you anything!" The voice spoke in a soft and comforting tone as if it was a mother pacifying her child.


    "Are you saying that I should just live my life as a normal human woman? I don''t think so. You know I can''t do that!" Alyssa replied with a bitter smile.


    "It''s hard to say, my dear. Some time ago, you believed that no one in this world can remove the curse on you, didn''t you? But do you see what faith had planned for you? You finally found him. What''s more, I can see that you care about him very much." The voice behind the curtain seemed to see through whatever was happening between Alyssa and Rocky, but of course, Alyssa was deep i


    thank you. But I''m more worried about you, Mr. Rookie. As far as I know, Tate will try everything he can to exact his revenge on you. You need to be careful too," Lucilla said worriedly.


    Rocky snorted dismissively. He didn''t see that guy as a threat to him at all. "I''m waiting for him. Let''s see what he can do!"


    Seeing this confused Lucilla though, for she did not understand where his confidence was coming from. She thought that he was still weaker than Tate. If Tate wanted to kill him, he would undoubtedly plan it well, so shouldn''t he be anxious? Of course, she had no idea that Rocky had become a master of the Supernal Stage in the three days that he was away. He was far stronger than Tate now.


    "I think I should send a few masters of our clan to protect you, Mr. Rookie. They can guard you against any attacks," Lucilla suggested after thinking for a while.


    "No, thanks. I don''t need any protection, but if you, the Chief of the Cao Clan, want to protect me in person, then I can think about it!" Rocky refused at once, but he also deliberately chose to tease her. He knew that Lucilla couldn''t protect him since she was way too busy.


    "Please stop teasing me! You know I''m too occupied with the clan affairs, but I do want to protect you personally! How about that? I''ll ask my younger sister to stay around you. Then she can learn the Beast Curing Skill from you, and protect you at the same time," Lucilla suggested this time. She grumbled a bit at the start because she felt that he was not taking her seriously, but her eyes showed that she was eager and sincere.


    "Your younger sister? There is no need for that, I assure you. I can''t afford it! In fact, I think I will be safer if she''s not around!" Rocky hurriedly shook his head with a bitter smile.

 Chapter 969 Made Good Progress

    Just as the two of them were talking, Lucas came in and saw that Rocky was back. His face lit up like the sky on new year''s eve. However, his movements slowed down as he approached, and his brows scrunched up in confusion, as he studied Rocky intensely. He gasped in shock and exclaimed, "Mr. Rookie! Your aura has suddenly..."


    "I can''t hide it from you, can I?" Seeing that Lucas had sensed the change in his aura, Rocky smiled calmly. With Lucas'' strength, it was easy for him to sense that his aura was stronger than before.


    However, because of the existance of the power of the Holy Dragon Bead in his body, even Lucas didn''t know how strong Rocky was now. He could only feel that Rocky''s aura was much stronger than before, which was the reason that he was so surprised.


    "Master Lucas, what''s wrong with Mr. Rookie?" Noticing the unspoken conversation between the two, Lucilla couldn''t help but ask.


    "Nothing. I just feel that I have a new appraisal of him since we haven''t seen each other for a few days." Lucas knew that Rocky didn''t like it when others probed into his affairs, so he didn''t say anything more.


    Lucilla seemed to realize that she would not get a straight answer, so she didn''t push for more. Instead, she walked back to her seat, as something suddenly occurred to her. "By the way, Mr. Rookie, the chief of the Xiao Clan sent you a letter," she said, rummaging the documents that were piled high on her table until she finally found what she was looking for. It was a letter addressed to Rocky.


    "Is this from Juey?" Rocky took the letter with a smile. Once he verified that there was nothing else they needed, he said goodbye and left the Magnificent Hall.


    On the way back to the big room, Rocky opened the letter and read it. Greetings of good fortune started the letter, and it was eloquently followed by Juey''s narration of how the beast hospital was progressing so far.


    He was pleasantly surprised that the beast hospital was progressing faster than he had expected. In less than half a month, the Xiao Clan had almost completed the first part of the construction plan, which was to establish the first beast hospital. From wha


    the dismemberment in an hour. Shouldn''t you teach me the real Beast Curing Skill?" Queenie asked, glancing at Rocky and pouting.


    He knew that she would not take no for an answer, so he just sighed and asked, "Can we do that tomorrow instead?"


    "Okay. Don''t go back on your word!" Queenie said before she left.


    As soon as she was gone, he immediately opened the Magic Spiritual Space and entered it. He saw the body of the ancient spiritual beast crawling in a corner. It looked very quiet without any sign of power that was out of control, and it did not have any impact on his Magic Spiritual Space.


    "Hello, can you hear me?" Rocky looked at the ancient spiritual beast and called out to see if the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast had any response. He was not sure if the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast was still attached to the body of the ancient spiritual beast.


    However, Rocky received no response after a long while.


    ''Maybe it is asleep...'' Rocky thought, raising his eyebrows. He observed how the two larvae of the Dark Heaven Insect were doing, as they underwent the genetic modification experiments. He found that in just three days, the two larvae had shown obvious changes, and their progress was very smooth.


    "It seems that good progress has been made. This means that I can continue to experiment with two more larvae." He studied his larvae for a while more before he took two of the remaining four larvae into the laboratory.

 Chapter 970 Geoffrey’s Challenge

    The next morning, Rocky went to the ruins of the ancient temple within the capital''s suburb. He excavated the crystal that had absorbed spiritual power for seven consecutive days and nights. Once it was revealed, the entire crystal overflowed with strong spiritual light.


    As Rocky bent over and picked it up, he could feel the abundance of spiritual power the crystal contained. Because it was still in its early form, the spiritual power couldn''t be released yet. Next step for it would be to enter the second stage of refining.


    A spiritual crystal usually needed to undergo years of testing before it finally became powerful. The same went for the artificial spiritual crystal.


    According to the refining notebook''s records, the crystal that sealed the spiritual power needed to be refined for three consecutive days and nights after the completion of the spirit absorption stage. The refining would be done under the conditions of the two opposing forces in nature: extreme Yin (the negative, feminine energy) or extreme Yang (the positive, masculine energy) to rid the crystal of impurities.


    So now, Rocky needed to find a place that with the most suitable refining conditions to carry out the crystal refining process.


    After some inquiry, he heard that three miles away from the north of the capital was the Fire Wave Mountain which was named for its extremely high temperatures. Supposedly, there was a fire cave located on the mountain''s hillside. The innermost part of the cave was the hottest area. It was scorching to the point that it could burn human flesh.


    Rocky had initially planned to go directly to the cave. However, Woods had sent a messenger to inform him that he was needed at his mansion regarding an urgent matter.


    He had no choice but to head to Woods'' mansion first.


    Being a sophisticated person, Prince Woods'' mansion naturally reflected his elegant magnificence. The entire mansion was a picturesque park filled with singing birds and fragrant flowers.


    Rocky was led through a peach blossom forest before finally arriving at the lak


    her Beast Curing Skills yesterday.


    Rocky began to teach Queenie some of the basic Beast Curing Skills, which meant he had no time to rest.


    At the same time, news of Geoffrey''s challenge against Woods began to spread throughout the entire capital like wildfire. To no one''s surprise, it drew much attention.


    Two days later, it was the day of the competition. It occurred in the early morning and was attended by other princes and other important figures from various clans. The entire beast arena was bustling with excitement and anticipation.


    Soon after, Geoffrey and Woods appeared with their respective entourages. This stirred up the crowd within the arena even further.


    Geoffrey was accompanied by none other than the masters of the Qi Clan. Apart from Alexander, there was also a peerless master of the Divine Stage as well as several masters of the Supernal Stage. To say their group was powerful would be an understatement.


    On the other hand, Woods'' entourage was led by the Cao Clan. They only had one peerless master of the Divine Stage, Lucas. The power they emanated was less intimidating. Fortunately, they had two masters at the high grade of the Supernal Stage, making their team not greatly inferior to Geoffrey''s in strength.


    Soon, the two groups met face to face on one side of the viewing platform. The suspense within the beast arena intensified.

 Chapter 971 The First Match

    "Woods, this is our first match. Don''t let me down!" Geoffrey exclaimed arrogantly. He seemed determined to win this beast duel. Of course, he wouldn''t have challenged Woods if he wasn''t sure.


    "Brother, please. I''m asking for your mercy," Woods pleaded with a nod and a gentle smile. However, by no means was his power inferior to that of Geoffrey''s.


    While he delivered his speech, Geoffrey also took a glance at Rocky who was beside Woods. Once he noticed Geoffrey stared at him, Rocky gazed back with eyes that were calm yet sharp as blades. This display of disrespect, domination, and fearlessness (as if Rocky himself was a prince) slightly angered Geoffrey.


    But what angered the prince more was that Rocky not only messed up his previous plan but embarrassed him in front of that many people as well. Although he never found it to be such a big deal, it never meant that he didn''t care. On the contrary, he cared very much. Prince Geoffrey simply didn''t want to make a fuss out of it for the time being. But after his incident with Woods, his second encounter with Rocky would surely teach him a lesson.


    Behind Geoffrey stood Alexander and Tate. They too gazed at Rocky with serious looks that suggested they were eager to get rid of him as soon as possible.


    After a short meeting, the two groups returned to their respective areas to prepare for the upcoming beast competition.


    This fight between the princes wouldn''t be an ordinary one. The stakes were high and a lot would be on the line for both of them. Naturally, some rules needed to be set.


    The competition would be divided into three rounds. Each round would limit both the star levels and the grades of the spirit-manipulated beasts to prevent any inequality between the competitors. The first round would be between the beasts of the third grade with three-star and four-star rankings. The following round would be between the beasts of the fourth grade with four-star and five-star rankings. Last, but certainly not the least, the third and final round would be between the beasts of the fifth grade above the


    te that could restrain others. In the case of being faced with a beast of the same level, this attribute was very important.


    Rocky, who was good at this point, almost predicted the result of the first match when the two beasts came on stage.


    "Your Royal Highness, it seems that we need to prepare the second spirit-manipulated beast," Rocky informed Woods after much thinking.


    "What?" The prince was stunned. The competition had barely begun, but Rocky was already telling him this. An ordinary person would think that he was deliberately causing Woods'' downfall. Fortunately, he knew Rocky well and that he had the right to suggest such a thing.


    Except for the two sisters of the Cao Clan and Lucas, the others present couldn''t help but question Rocky''s words. They began to whisper among themselves, signifying that they weren''t exactly onboard with his decision. Despite him being a superior beast master, it wasn''t enough to convince the people that Rocky could predict the outcome of the match at a glance.


    "Mr. Rookie, are you saying that the spirit-manipulated beast we summoned is no match for theirs? How did you know that? I think sending out the Nebula Python will play to our advantage," a surprised Lucas, who sat on the other side, questioned. He didn''t understand the logic behind Rocky''s quick judgment.


    Everyone turned towards Rocky and waited for his reply.

 Chapter 972 Demonic Spirit Flower

    "It''s because this Nebula Python is pregnant. Any ordinary spirit-manipulated beast will have considerably less strength while it''s pregnant. Besides, its priority will be to protect its baby at all times, so it won''t be able to exert all its strength while fighting the opponent. And the spirit-manipulated beast that the Nebula Python went up against was skilled at attacking," Rocky explained.


    Upon hearing this, all the people present were stunned. It was not common for someone to be able to tell that a spirit-manipulated beast was pregnant just by looking at it, so it was hard for them to accept Rocky''s words at face value.


    "It''s pregnant?" Woods asked the master of the Nebula Python, his eyes turning cold.


    The master of the Nebula Python reluctantly nodded his head, shifting uncomfortably under Woods'' penetrating gaze.


    Everyone present let out gasps of surprise. Their admiration of Rocky rose now that his words had been confirmed to be true.


    "Why didn''t you report it? Don''t you know how important this competition is?" Woods, who seldom lost his temper, yelled at the master of the Nebula Python. After all, this competition was of great importance and they couldn''t afford to make any mistakes. Before the competition, he had even specially ordered people to check the condition of all the spirit-manipulated beasts to ensure that they were in their best state. But somehow, the fact that the Nebula Python was pregnant had escaped his scrutiny.


    The master of the beast had no choice but to anxiously lower his head. His face had gone pale in a mixture of shame and fear. He had wanted to contribute so desperately that he had thought that he could somehow muddle through the competition without anyone finding out the condition of his beast. However, he hadn''t expected anyone to see through his lies.


    "It''s useless to scold him now. Is there any flying beast among the remaining spirit-manipulated beasts?" Rocky asked Woods at once.


    "There is a Snow Crow, but it''s weaker than the rest of the beasts, so it was listed as a standby," Woods answered after thinking for a while.


    "Snow Crow? That will do," Rocky said, nodding his head.


    Although the Nebula Python was powerful, it


    hurt it. However, because of its weakness, it could not even see the Snow Crow, let alone touch or hurt it. Meanwhile, the Snow Crow, relying on its advantage in speed, continuously attacked the Sky-barking Hound, leaving it no room to breathe, let alone recover.


    To the shock of everyone present, the Snow Crow, which was one of the weakest beasts, had easily defeated the Sky-barking Hound.


    The next few matches continued in the same line, with each side winning a few and losing a few. At last, they were at a stalemate.


    After the sixth match of the first round ended with a narrow victory for Woods, Geoffrey sighed. "It''s time for our protagonist to come on stage," he said with a small smirk at the edge of his lips.


    Not long after, when the iron fence of the beast arena was opened, a spirit-manipulated beast slowly wriggled its way in. Its head was like a carnivorous flower, wrapped completely in fleshy skin with two rows of sharp and tiny teeth in the middle. Numerous tendrils entwined its slender body.


    "Isn''t that a Timber spirit-manipulated beast?"


    "Yes, it''s the Demonic Spirit Flower. Among all the four-star Timber spirit-manipulated beasts, it ranks the third..."


    "It seems that Prince Woods has no chance of winning unless he can send out a spirit-manipulated beast that is more powerful than the Demonic Spirit Flower. But that''s impossible!"


    After the entry of the Demonic Spirit Flower, the spectators erupted in a heated discussion.

 Chapter 973 It Would Definitely Lose

    The Timber spirit-manipulated beast was a unique spirit-manipulated beast in the Timber Deity Empire. Just as dragons could only be manipulated by royal spirit manipulators of the Holy Dragon Empire, Timber spirit-manipulated beasts could only be manipulated by the Timber spirit manipulators. Its abilities were almost equal to that of a spiritual beast. Besides that, it was also extremely rare like the spiritual beast. Timber spirit-manipulated beast was the best at control among all spirit-manipulated beasts in the Wild Spirit Land. And the best part was it also had some kind of uniquely special ability.


    As soon as the Demonic Spirit Flower appeared, the people on Woods'' side were extremely worried. Although they also had a Timber spirit-manipulated beast, it was definitely not as strong as the Demonic Spirit Flower. It was obvious that Geoffrey wanted to end the battle as soon as possible, or else he wouldn''t have sent such a fierce Timber spirit-manipulated beast onto the stage so soon.


    Since the Timber spirit-manipulated beast''s strength was obviously incredibly strong, Woods soon lost his fourth spirit-manipulated beast. He was left with only one spirit-manipulated beast to fight. If the last one lost, then he would completely lose the first round. If that were the case, the situation would be greatly disadvantageous to Woods.


    Woods thought for a while. He looked at Rocky and said, "It seems that your spirit-manipulated beast has to fight."


    Woods'' words surprised everyone. None of them had ever seen Rocky''s spirit-manipulated beast before. They also did not know whether his spirit-manipulated beast was powerful or not. But Woods was going to willingly send Rocky''s spirit-manipulated beast in this important battle.


    "Your Royal Highness, are you sure about this decision? Mr. Rookie''s spirit-manipulated beast is not a Timber spirit-manipulated beast. Its abilities are no match for the Demonic Spirit Flower. Why don''t you just send our Timber spirit-manipulated beast to fight? Although it may be a little inferior to their Timber spirit-manipulated beast, at least it''s worth a try." It was natural that some of the people would doubt Woods'' decision. After all, they knew nothing about Rocky''s spirit-manipulated beast.


    "Go ahead and get ready," Woods said as he nodded at Rocky. He knew that if Rocky''s spirit-manipulated beast was not a match for the Demonic Spirit Flower, it would be hard for him to win. Bu


    ssibly possess.


    However, at this moment, the Demonic Spirit Flower''s wounds quickly healed as if nothing happened. This healing ability was the very unique special ability of the Demonic Spirit Flower. Of course, the healing ability had its own limits. It would slowly slow down when the Demonic Spirit Flower''s spiritual power weakened. However, this ability was extremely terrifying and really advantageous in a short battle.


    As soon as its wounds were healed, the Demonic Spirit Flower launched a counterattack against Robin. Its wide mouth suddenly opened, and suddenly spurted out a large amount of corrosive liquid with extremely strong acid.


    Immediately, Robin shifted and dodged its attacks. Then, it approached the Demonic Spirit Flower. Suddenly, several thin long branches and tendrils stretched out from the Demonic Spirit Flower and wrapped around Robin''s legs unknowingly.


    As Robin waved its claws to tear the branches and tendrils apart, several more branches and tendrils shot out and hooked its claws. Although Robin tried its best to break free from the branches and tendrils, it couldn''t do it because the branches and tendrils were tremendously pliable and tough.


    At the same time, the Demonic Spirit Flower took the opportunity to pounce on Robin and finally finish the battle. It ran towards Robin with its huge mouth wide open, as if it wanted to swallow Robin in one gulp.


    At that moment, almost everyone in the beast arena was at the edge of their seats as they anticipated Robin''s sure defeat. Once Robin was held off by the Demonic Spirit Flower, there was absolutely no way for Robin to escape.

 Chapter 974 A Scene That Had Never Been Seen Before

    Geoffrey thought that the victory had been set, so he leaned back with a slight smirk on his face, glancing at Woods sharply. He had long predicted that Woods would not be his opponent, and this time, he was very confident in the beast competition.


    However, just when he and all the audience in the beast arena thought that Robin was about to lose, something unexpected happened. It suddenly let out a deafening wolf roar, and in the next moment, a cloud of white mist covered its whole body, accompanied by small flecks of ice that spread all around. Its fur transformed into sharp spikes, and its breath came out as white, icy wind.


    Everyone watched the transformation with slack jaws. They didn''t know where this power came from.


    At the same time, the air around Robin turned frigid, and the branches and tendrils that wrapped around its limbs were instantly frozen in the blink of an eye, and they shattered into a thousand harmless pieces.


    "That is a strong spiritual power of Ice nature... Is it a spiritual beast?" someone suddenly shouted.


    Then, the crowd burst into an even bigger uproar.


    Even the people who sided with Woods were looking at Rocky in surprise, as none of them expected that Rocky''s spirit-manipulated beast was a spiritual beast.


    "No, Mr. Rookie''s spirit-manipulated beast is not a spiritual beast. However, seeing as it can use the spiritual power of Ice nature, it should be the descendant of a spiritual beast and a war beast, which makes it a half-spirit beast..." Lucas immediately shook his head when he heard the people''s remarks since he knew that they were wrong. He was an expert in beast evaluation, so he could tell at a glance that Robin was not a spiritual beast although it also surprised him that Rocky owned a half-spirit beast of the spiritual beast bloodline, as opposed to an ordinary spirit-manipulated beast.


    "Mr. Rookie, is that true?" Lucilla asked Rocky with curiosity. It was the first time that she had seen Rocky''s spirit-manipulated beast, and it was so special that it naturally piqued her interest. She was especially curious about things that were related to Rocky, for they were all shrouded by an indescribable mystery.


    "Master Lucas is correct." Rocky nodded and agreed, but he did not volunteer any more information.


    "It seems that it is not only you that like to hide your real strength but also your spirit-manipulated beast, Mr. Rookie," Lucilla remarked.


    tasted. Robin''s blood flowed like a crimson river, dyeing the ground red in its wake.


    Robin immediately let out a pained howl. All the people thought it had died, but in the next moment, its eyes filled with rage and strong fighting spirit, as its whole body suddenly tensed up.


    "It should be happening any moment now," Rocky suddenly murmured, as his eyes narrowed intently at Robin.


    In the next moment, Robin, who was still wrapped up like a mummy, suddenly burst out icy light all over its body, resembling a night-luminous pearl that flashed in the darkness. It caught everyone''s attention at once. Soon after, a layer of frost appeared on the ground where Robin was standing. It started in the middle and gradually spread around to all directions, while at the same time, the temperature inside the beast arena suddenly dropped. Soon, the spectators began trembling from the cold.


    Just as everyone was looking around in surprise and confusion, sharp icicles burst out from the ground and instantly surrounded Robin and the Demonic Spirit Flower. The whole scene looked like an ice funeral.


    The Demonic Spirit Flower jumped out of the numerous icicles like a wary beast, and it backed away as if it had sensed that something was seriously wrong.


    At this time, frost and snow suddenly fell from the sky. Among the countless icicles, Robin lay in a pool of blood, while its body continuously emitted a strong vibrant light. However, the aura on its body had dissipated as if it was already dead.


    This development stunned everyone in the beast arena, for none of them had ever seen such a strange scene before.

 Chapter 975 Robin Joined The Competition Again

    "Hey, is your spirit-manipulated beast dead?" Queenie asked tactlessly without any hesitation, voicing out what everyone was wondering in their heads.


    Everyone else curiously turned to Rocky, but to their surprise, he was smiling with a calm expression on his face.


    It was only then that a remarkable thought occurred to Lucas. His heart began pounding at the mere possibility as he put it into words. "Mr. Rookie, rumor has it that some spiritual beasts die before they evolve. By any chance, is your spirit-manipulated beast...?"


    Before he could even finish his sentence, the icicles surrounding Robin suddenly began vibrating and shot into the air from all directions, as if they were being attracted by a magnetic force. They all gathered in the air and formed a small iceberg before suddenly falling and smashing right into Robin.


    The iceberg made contact with Robin''s body, but it did not pierce or harm it anyway. Instead, it clung to Robin''s body tightly, reflecting the ice radiance within.


    A moment later, the iceberg suddenly cracked and turned into countless shards of ice that scrambled to cover Robin''s body. Then, these shards unexpectedly merged with Robin''s body, causing the wounds on its body to heal at an extremely fast speed.


    When the final wound disappeared, Robin stirred and slowly stood up. With a vindictive look in its eyes, it began to walk towards the Demonic Spirit Flower step by step.


    As it walked, its body began to transform. The original spikes all over its body turned into crystal-clear ice spikes, making it look as if it was wearing armor made of ice. Its strong body continued to expand as if it had been puffed up. Its limbs were thicker than before, and there were six-inch-long spikes protruding from its shoulders and limbs, making it look much more menacing than before. It was as if a beast king had descended from heaven.


    And yet, the most astonishing transformation was of its aura, which was developing at an extremely fast speed at the moment. Robin leveled up from the third grade of


    nced at Alexander and waved his hand coldly. "Let''s talk about it later. The most important thing now is to win this competition. We can''t lose the next two rounds."


    The Demonic Spirit Flower had been his trump card. Now that it had died, he felt rather helpless.


    In the next few rounds, Robin easily defeated all its opponents and remained as smug as ever.


    By the time the first round of the competition came to an end, Woods and his companions had successfully turned the tables.


    Fifteen minutes later, the second round of the competition began.


    This round was limited to beasts which were at anywhere between the fourth grade of the four-star level and the fourth grade of the five-star level, so everyone was eager to see what powerful beasts the two sides would send.


    But to their shock, Robin appeared once again! It was true that Robin had shown exemplary strength in the previous round and had even made a dramatic breakthrough of a caliber that no one had witnessed before. Nevertheless, it had only just reached the fourth grade of the four-star level, which was the lowest requirement for entering this round. No matter how strong it was, it would definitely be inferior to the beasts sent out by the opposing side.


    Therefore, all the spectators, including Geoffrey, stared in disbelief when they saw Robin come out onto the arena again.

 Chapter 976 Take The Opportunity To Get His Revenge

    "Your Royal Highness, please send my spirit-manipulated beast onto the stage," Tate asked, stepping forward with a flourish. He knew that Robin was Rocky''s spirit-manipulated beast, so he wanted to take this opportunity to get his revenge.


    Geoffrey hesitated for a moment but nodded his permission in the end, as he dared not to be careless after he saw what Robin was capable of just now. Although he didn''t plan to send Tate''s spirit-manipulated beast onto the stage so soon, he had to play it safe and send it onto the stage now. It could be the only way that they could win the second round.


    The iron fence on the opposite side opened slowly as soon as Robin stepped foot on the stage, and a blue tiger-shaped spirit-manipulated beast walked out. It was huge and muscular, standing at almost the same size as Robin. It had the power and influence of the king of beasts.


    "It is the Divine Water Tiger, one of the top twenty spiritual beasts on the Spiritual Beast List of the Wild Spirit Land." As expected of the fine beast, many of the spectators recognized what kind of spirit-manipulated beast it was.


    Most of them were already familiar with the Divine Water Tiger, and they all knew that it was Tate''s spirit-manipulated beast. Although it was only in the fourth grade of the four-star level, its strength had reached the peak of this level. It was much stronger than ordinary spirit-manipulated beasts at the same level. What was more, it was even able to fight with a war beast in the fourth grade of the five-star level.


    As soon as the Divine Water Tiger appeared, it stole the limelight from Robin. Many people began to feel confident that Tate would win.


    "Mr. Rookie, this Divine Water Tiger belongs to Tate," Lucas said with his eyes fixed on the arena before them. He would have kept quiet, but he thought that Rocky might not know who owned the beast.


    "I didn''t expect him to have such a good spiritual beast. How wasteful... A brute like him does not deserve to have such a fine beast," Rocky answered, not looking threatened at all, as he gave the beast an admiring look.


    "Don''t underestimate the Divine Water Tiger. Even my stupid bear is no match for it," Queenie grumbled from behind him, a beautiful pout on her face. A year ago, her bear fought with Tate''s tiger on the beast arena, but it was


    the same time, it turned around and rushed to the Divine Water Tiger. However, the water whips converged in the air and shot towards Robin like waves.


    It seemed that Robin had sensed them coming, for it turned around, opened its mouth, and spat out a cloud of ice mist, freezing the water whips in the air.


    While Robin was distracted by the wave, a pool of water stealthily materialized under its feet. Robin was emitting a strong ice power, so the water that was sneaking beneath it was quickly frozen. By the time Robin realized there was water beneath its legs, it had already been frozen.


    But because Robin could command the Ice spiritual power, it could easily remove this. However, in such a fierce battle, any distraction could be detrimental because its rival could seize the opportunity to counterattack. Therefore, as Robin broke free from the frozen water, the Divine Water Tiger seized this opportunity to pounce on it, knocking it to the ground with a solid thud.


    After that, palm-sized water balls quickly formed around the Divine Water Tiger and bombarded Robin at a very close distance.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Deafening explosions burst out in the beast arena, and the water from the palm-sized water balls permeated the air, creating a thick mist.


    Rocky''s eyes narrowed as he watched all this. He was suspicious when he noticed that the Divine Water Tiger''s attack suddenly became so orderly, and when he looked at Tate, he saw him playing some sort of musical instrument. At once, a knowing expression settled over his face.

 Chapter 977 The Power Of Robins Ice Strike

    ''I had planned to let Robin experience and overcome all the trials on its own. But now, it seems that I should step in and help, '' Rocky thought to himself. He stood up and said to Woods, "I have to leave now. I''ll be back in a while." Then, he turned around and walked to a remote corner at the bottom of the beast arena.


    Once he was sure that no one else was around, he began to use the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill to activate the spiritual power connection between him and Robin. A glowing light enveloped his whole body.


    At that moment, Robin was struggling in the beast arena, unable to defend itself against the Divine Water Tiger''s continuous attacks. All the spectators were excitedly whispering among themselves, certain that the victory had been decided. After all, no matter how strong a spirit-manipulated beast was, it would not be able to resist the strong and violent attacks from such a powerful opponent like the Divine Water Tiger.


    However, to everyone''s surprise, the Divine Water Tiger suddenly shot out of the water mist in the middle of the beast arena and fell to the ground as if it had been hit by a strong force, leaving two long grooves on the ground.


    The spectators gasped in surprise before going deathly silent.


    In the arena, a figure similar to a wolf slowly walked out of the mist, emitting a strange light that was pulsing with power. In the meantime, the ferociousness on its human-like face disappeared and was replaced by a calm expression. The figure turned out to be Robin.


    "Release your power further." Rocky, who was standing at the bottom of the beast arena, suddenly opened his eyes.


    The very next moment, Robin raised its head and lifted its thick upper limbs as it roared to the sky. Its aura, which was at the fourth grade of the four-star level, suddenly burst out and increased again, breaking through to the fourth grade of the five-star level.


    The spectators all held their breath as they watched Robin, unwilling to miss even a split-second of the amazing scene that they were witnessing. It was shocking enough that Robin had directly broken through to the fourth grade of the four-star


    the Divine Water Tiger. It crossed its two claws and then shining icy light burst out. With the constant gathering of strong ice force, both of its claws fiercely and suddenly slashed out a huge cross-shaped ice strike.


    The strike broke through the air and shot toward the ice shied at an astonishing momentum. Immediately, the frozen shield that protected the Divine Water Tiger broke into pieces.


    It all happened so fast that the Divine Water Tiger wasn''t able to produce another water shield in time. Hit by the ice strike, it flew back and landed on the ground. The ground sank under the impact, sending dust flying everywhere. The Divine Water Tiger rolled on the ground a few times after landing, but it was so badly injured that it wasn''t able to get up again.


    The whole arena instantly buzzed with noise. It was hard for the audience to believe that a spirit-manipulated beast could launch such complicated attacks. First, Robin froze the Divine Water Tiger''s water shield. Then, it launched ice claw attacks as bait to confuse its opponent. Next, it used the icy mist caused by the ice claw attack to hide its body and silently approach the poor Divine Water Tiger. Lastly, it launched a fatal attack.


    The last blow had been the most unexpected one. The power of Robin''s ice strike was comparable to the power of spiritual martial arts at the Supernal Stage, which was enough to petrify any warriors at the Supernal Stage.

 Chapter 978 Queenies Furious Ice Bear

    Tate''s face darkened as soon as he saw Robin seriously injured his spirit-manipulated beast. He stood up and felt right away that Robin''s attack was not of a spirit-manipulated beast. It was as if Robin was being controlled by someone else. With this in mind, he turned around and gazed at Woods. Rocky had just returned to his seat, and he was staring at him. For a moment, he saw the fierce, cold-hearted look in his eyes.


    "Damn it!" Tate knew Rocky was behind all of it. He wondered how Rocky did it and how his spirit-manipulated beast broke through the limit of strength again at this critical moment. But what humiliated him most was the fact that not for the first time after the Beast Master Contest, Rocky defeated him.


    Tate was a conceited man, and the chain of failures tormented him. He hated Rocky, and it filled his mind with savage thoughts on how he was going to destroy him.


    A strong killing intent flashed through his eyes.


    The Divine Water Tiger appeared to have lost its fighting power after it was quickly attacked by Robin, and it gave up in the end.


    So for the first round of the second competition, Woods'' camp won the first prize. It was unexpected, and the result was damaging to Geoffrey, who had already lost one round.


    Audience in the beast arena was filled with excitement as they fixed their eyes on Robin. For them, it was the most peculiar spirit-manipulated beast they had ever seen. Even a spiritual beast could not break through from the third grade of the three-star level to the fourth grade of five-star level in a short time. This astonished them, and they expected Robin to accomplish more in the competition. In their eyes, Robin was a rare beast.


    The fight between Robin and the Divine Water Tiger consumed most of Robin''s spiritual power. Besides, at the final moment, Rocky activated its potential power by using the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill, and this had a harmful side-effect. It weakened Robin and it could not fight in the next batt


    "Are you kidding? How could a weakling defeat my Furious Ice Bear?" Queenie replied. She was furious with Rocky''s comment.


    "Queenie, Mr. Rookie might be correct," Lucilla said immediately.


    "Sister, how can you agree with him? I''m your sister." Queenie felt resentful as her sister sided with Rocky.


    She wanted to argue further, but the second round of the second competition had begun.


    As soon as Queenie''s Furious Ice Bear came up on the stage, it displayed a strong momentum and boasted its capabilities. It roared and then pounced on its opponent aggressively.


    The opponent appeared to be terrified. The moment it saw the Furious Ice Bear rush forward, it quickly turned around and ran away like a scared rat. The two beasts chased around the arena as if it was a test of endurance.


    However, the Furious Ice Bear was so fat that it could not run for a long time. It became agitated and was furious when it could not grab its opponent.


    Soon the Furious Ice Bear grew tired and could not catch up with its opponent. It became disoriented and lost its focus.


    As soon as the audience realized what was happening, they whispered among themselves and started laughing. Much as the Furious Ice Bear was a spiritual bear, it looked ridiculous at the moment and the scene in front of them was entertaining and hilarious.

 Chapter 979 We May not be Able to Win

    "You stupid bear, what the hell are you doing?" Queenie shouted angrily, feeling humiliated. She gritted her teeth, as she internally urged her Furious Ice Bear to launch a more ferocious attack.


    The Furious Ice Bear seemed to have sensed its master''s anger. It immediately gave a blood-thirsty roar, as its whole body was engulfed with dense ice power. It inhaled deeply and blew a strong gust of icy wind towards its opponent, slowing it down.


    The Furious Ice Bear took this opportunity to catch up and finally ended the chase. It stood face to face with its opponent, snarling and growling. It was an excellent strategic move, and it was impressive that Queenie did not even need to give it detailed instructions to do that. It was obvious that the Furious Ice Bear had a great advantage in close combat, so it quickly gained the upper hand in just a few minutes. The whole battleground was full of its ice power, which appeared like millions of needles that stuck into every pore of that spirit-manipulated beast. It was shaking in the ice fog, which made the Furious Ice Bear howl with joy.


    However, when it seemed like the Furious Ice Bear was about to win, its opponent, which was a spirit-manipulated beast at the fourth grade of the four-star level, suddenly found new strength. Energy exploded all over its body, and its spiritual power instantly soared, blowing the Furious Ice Bear away. The bear, like a huge ball, drew an arc in the air and was slammed into the ground, forcefully smashing the ground, which then turned into a big pit.


    The four-star spirit-manipulated beast suddenly burst out such a strong power that it shocked everyone present. They didn''t expect that the spirit-manipulated beast still had so much power left.


    All of a sudden, something even more shocking to them happened. The aura of the spirit-manipulated beast suddenly got stronger, and it broke through to the fourth grade of the five-star level. Now, it would be even harder to deal with.


    A thick silence descended in the arena, for none of them could say a word in their utter surprise. They were witnessing something incredibly rare at that moment.


    "It''s a spirit-manipulated beast in the berserker stance... It seems that her fat bear has no chance of winning," Rocky commented nonchalantly. He was relatively calm because he had already foreseen the result of this battle.


    "Geoffrey is a scheming bastard. He even sent such a rare spirit-manipulated beast in the berserker stance to beat us. This kind of spirit-manipulated beast doesn''t look very powerful in an ordinary battle with other ordinary spirit-manipulated beasts, but when it meets a strong opponent, its hidden potential will instantly burst out, and it will exert extraordinary power. I didn''t expect that Geoffrey would have such a spirit manipulator who had this kind of spirit-manipulated beast." Lucas shook his head and sighed. He thought that he had known almost everything about Geoffrey, but now he knew that Geoffrey had kept his own counsel. Both his and Rocky''s face darkened because of their hopeless situation.


    "It is obvious that he has tricked us." Woods frowned and looked at Geoffrey sharply. He was unhappy about this situation, but there was nothing he could do, and he hated that.


    it in a fight, so he could not gauge how strong it was. However, he heard that the Dark Ghost Shadow was very powerful. Some said that even a Timber spirit-manipulated beast at the fourth grade of the five-star level was no match for it. Although he still had a certain advantage, as soon as the Dark Ghost Shadow appeared, his advantage would definitely disappear. If they lost the ninth round, the only one who had the strength to fight was Lucilla''s spiritual beast. However, although Woods did not want to admit it, Lucilla''s spiritual beast was no match for the Dark Ghost Shadow.


    Woods frowned as he considered their situation thoroughly. An idea came to him, and he quickly turned to look at Rocky, as he realized that he still had a chance to win.


    Seeing that Woods was looking at him, Rocky immediately understood what he wanted to say. A thoughtful look settled on his face because he knew that Woods hoped that Ken could fight in this round. However, if he let Ken fight at this point, it would probably shock the whole Timber Deity Empire, because Ken was one of the five strongest spiritual beasts at the King Level in the Wild Spirit Land, with peerless talent and power. If he sent such a spiritual beast to fight, it would cause a sensation in the entire Timber Deity Empire, and countless suspicions would be pointed at his true identity. That would be big trouble for him.


    "If we lose the second competition, it will be a very disadvantageous situation for us at the third competition. Geoffrey has two spirit manipulators at the Divine Stage, but we only have Master Lucas," Woods said with a frown. He knew that Ken should be used only as a last resort, but he could not come up with a better idea to solve this thorny problem.


    Hearing the hopelessness in Woods'' voice, Rocky''s face turned more serious. He knew that even if he sent Ken to fight, it might not be able to win against the Dark Ghost Shadow, because it only had a strength between the third and fourth grades of the four-star level. Besides, it was not an aggressive spirit-manipulated beast, so it could lose easily. Indeed, winning the last round would be a great challenge for their team.

 Chapter 980 The Rainbow Glow Unicorn

    "It may not work because of the difference in strength. Unless..." Rocky wanted to say something else, but he stopped at the last minute. If he wanted to ask Ken to fight, he might have to use the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill to activate the power of Ken as a guardian beast. In that case, he would definitely have a chance of winning. However, with its current condition, it was too difficult to activate such power.


    While the two of them were talking, the ninth round of the competition came to an end. With an absolute advantage, the Dark Ghost Shadow defeated the Timber spirit-manipulated beast without any effort, of which the latter had consumed a lot of its strength in the last round.


    During this time, Geoffrey suddenly stood up and walked straight to Woods.


    Seeing that his brother was coming over, Woods also stood up to meet him. As he approached, he said to Woods arrogantly, "Brother Woods, I don''t think you have to compete in the last round. I''m sure I''ll win the second competition anyway. Why don''t we just enter the third competition directly? We don''t have to waste our time."


    "Brother Geoffrey, don''t you think you are being too confident? Even though the Dark Ghost Shadow is indeed extraordinary, it is not the strongest in the world," Woods replied with a sneer. Of course, he would not admit defeat so easily.


    "You should know that my Dark Ghost Shadow is the only spiritual beast at the King Level in the Timber Deity Empire. Even the strongest one, the Timber spirit-manipulated beast at the fourth grade of the five-star level is no match for the Dark Ghost Shadow. Why do you insist on humiliating yourself?" Geoffrey said arrogantly.


    "It''s just a Dark Ghost Shadow," Rocky remarked with a disdainful sneer. He was standing behind Woods, and he could not help but overhear their conversation. He didn''t intend to intervene at first, but Geoffrey''s arrogance annoyed him so much.


    "Mr. Rookie, it sounds to me like you have a more powerful spirit-manipulated beast than the Dark Ghost Shadow. However, everyone here has seen your spirit-manipulated beast just now. Although it has some power, it is not worth mentioning compared to my Dark Ghost Shadow." Geoffrey looked at Rocky with contempt.


    "Who told you that I only have one spirit-manipulated beast?" Rocky replied, laughing at him condescendingly, which irritated him


    eed the Rainbow Glow Unicorn. The biggest dream in my life is to see the five spiritual beasts of the King Level, but I have only seen one until now..." Lucas felt excitement, unlike anything he had ever felt before. So much so, that his tears were about to fall. For a beast evaluator who had already become famous and had evaluated countless spirit-manipulated beasts, the only thing worth pursuing for him was to see the rarest spiritual beasts in the Wild Spirit Land, which were the five King-level spiritual beasts.


    However, these five King-level spiritual beasts were so rare that countless spirit manipulators could go through their whole lives without ever seeing them. Even the spirit manipulators at the Divine Stage or even the Immortal Stage might not have the chance to see them.


    At this moment that was witnessed by the watchful eyes of those below it, the Rainbow Glow Unicorn, one of the five King-level spiritual beasts, shone brightly above them like a star. Now that they had seen one, it felt like they could die with no regrets after this battle.


    In the next moment, all the people in the beast arena stood up and went crazy. Screams and wild cries came one after another, exploding like thunder in the arena. Some people were even crying with joy and excitement. To say that the rare spiritual beast that created a great impact on the people was a big understatement.


    Meanwhile, Ken, who was still floating in the air, seemed to enjoy being worshiped by tens of thousands of people. It remained motionless, as it became the focus of the entire audience.

 Chapter 981 A Crucial Battle

    Seeing that Rocky had summoned a spiritual beast?¡ªand not just an ordinary one but one of the five King-level spiritual beasts, the Rainbow Glow Unicorn?¡ªGeoffrey was shocked. No beast from the Wild Spirit Land could compete with the Rainbow Glow Unicorn, let alone a beast from the Timber Deity Empire. Naturally, the Dark Ghost Shadow had no choice but to get out of the way.


    But once the initial shock dissipated, Geoffrey''s eyes narrowed in anger. It was obvious that Rocky''s aim was to publicly humiliate him and steal his limelight. And Geoffrey wasn''t someone who would sit back and take a punch like this. Whoever dared to provoke him would pay dearly. At this moment, all he wanted to do was to make Rocky disappear off the face of the earth.


    However, he was shrewd and poised enough to maintain a calm exterior even though he was burning with fury on the inside. If he exploded in front of so many people, he would definitely become a laughing stock of the Timber Deity Empire in the future. Therefore, he just snorted coldly and said, "I did not expect you to have a King-level spiritual beast, but it doesn''t matter. Since you''re already the owner of a spirit-manipulated beast, it will be impossible for you to control this King-level spiritual beast. You can show off with it as much as you want, but in the end, it''s as useless as an embroidery pillow that boasts a beautiful cover but is stuffed with dried straw."


    Upon hearing that, Rocky smiled but said nothing. The truth was, he had summoned Ken just to get on Geoffrey''s nerves, so he was just happy that his plan had worked.


    "Brother, are you jealous of Mr. Rookie''s King-level spiritual beast?" Woods joked, discerning the hint of jealousy in his brother''s voice.


    Geoffrey''s face darkened at once. It was as if they were all teaming up to embarrass him.


    However, what Woods had said was right. It was the dream of every spirit manipulator to own a King-level spiritual beast, but it was extremely rare even for a spirit manipulator above the Divine Stage to own a King-level spiritual beast, because getting such a spiritual beast did not depend on power alone. One had to be lucky enough to encounter such a once-in-a-century opportunity. Therefore, like most other spirit manipu


    think it''s better to let Chief Lucilla''s spiritual beast participate," Lucas quickly chipped in. Although the Rainbow Glow Unicorn was a King-level spiritual beast, it was still young and hadn''t reached the peak of its strength yet. At this time, it was obviously no match for the Dark Ghost Shadow.


    "It''s up to you, Mr. Rookie," Lucilla said. She could see that although Rocky looked very calm, his eyes were full of arrogance. And she had known him long enough to know that he would not allow Geoffrey to provoke him. Of course, she also believed that he would make the wisest decision by himself.


    Rocky glanced at Geoffrey before turning to Ken with a small smile tugging at the edges of his lips. "Ken, go and have fun then."


    With a roar, Ken soared into the air again. After circling in the air for a while, it swooped down and landed in the beast arena.


    Seeing that Rocky had decided to send out a King-level spiritual beast to fight the last crucial battle, all the spectators gasped in a mixture of surprise and excitement. Judging by the Rainbow Glow Unicorn''s aura, it was obviously not a match for the Dark Ghost Shadow. However, it was very rare for one of the top ten spiritual beasts of the Wild Spirit Land to fight against a rare King-level spiritual beast. Regardless of their different strength, this would definitely be a very eye-catching battle. In particular, everyone was looking forward to seeing what kind of magical ability this King-level spiritual beast would display.

 Chapter 982 Striking First

    On the other hand, Geoffrey was a little surprised to see that Rocky accepted the challenge. But, it was what he wanted in the first place. The next thing that he needed to do was to annihilate Rocky without any mercy.


    "Your Royal Highness, I have a suggestion. Since this competition is extremely crucial, how about we try to use our beast taming skills at the same time?" Rocky suddenly said.


    "What? Our beast taming skill? Are you saying that we should do the competition with our spiritual beasts? Is that your suggestion?" Geoffrey was actually a little surprised at Rocky''s proposal. If they brought their spiritual beasts to fight, then Rocky''s chance of winning would definitely be smaller.


    All other people around were also surprised to hear Rocky''s suggestion. They all thought it was ridiculous of Rocky to have even thought of this idea. No one should put himself in an unfavorable position, especially when there was so much at stake. They believed that Rocky must have lost his mind. Although he had a spiritual beast of the King Level, it was still far inferior compared to Geoffrey''s. It would be a totally different story if it was the spirit-manipulated beasts that fought alone. If that were the case, then Rocky''s beast might be able to take on Geoffrey''s by surprise. However, Rocky was suggesting to fight with the spiritual beasts, and it was completely insane. The Dark Ghost Shadow''s strength was immeasurable. In addition, Geoffrey''s driving skill couldn''t be ignored either. It only meant that Rocky''s own proposal had ended his chance to win.


    Lucilla and Lucas were completely shocked and confused, too. They couldn''t believe what they had heard.


    "Yes, that is my suggestion. What do you think about it, Your Royal Highness? I don''t think it will cause any trouble to Your Royal Highness, will it?" Rocky replied lightly, without hurry and haste.


    The calmness of Rocky made Geoffrey more suspicious. He wondered what Rocky was plotting in his mind. However, he shrugged all of his thoughts off. After all, it was clearly obvious that his Dark Ghost Shadow was much stronger than Rocky''s spiritual beast. Thus, no matter what Rocky was plotting, the result would remain the same. Rocky had no chance to win at all. Geoffrey was more than confident that he would win since the competition between spirit-manipulated beasts was always decided by their strength. And this time, their masters would go to fight with them. Geoffrey thought that he would ace this competition without e


    travel a thousand miles with the help of the wind force. Besides, it could also control anything visible through its Wind skills. When contained by its Wind skills, any beast would lose its mobility. Thus, one could only imagine what would happen if a spirit-manipulated beast unfortunately confronted the Dark Ghost Shadow.


    Right now, it was using its Wind skill to turn the entire arena into its domain. In other words, any opponent within its domain would lose their power to move.


    The spectators tried to open their eyes despite the strong wind, to see what was happening inside the arena. They all broke into a cold sweat for Ken''s sake. Since the Dark Ghost Shadow had shown such an impressive strength this early in the competition, how could Ken manage to survive it? It was totally impossible for Ken to win in this situation. The most important thing for it and its master was how to save some face and somehow at least survive in this battle.


    "Prince Woods, what do you think Mr. Rookie will do? Do you think that he has another plan?" Lucas asked, unable to restrain the tension in his heart.


    Meanwhile, the spectators around them heard Lucas''s question and turned to Woods, too. They were anxious to hear his reply.


    "Tell me. Have you ever seen him fail to meet our expectations before?" Woods asked instead of giving him an answer.


    All the other people looked at each other, confused upon hearing Woods''s words. They then turned their eyes at the beast arena again. They glued their eyes onto Rocky, afraid of missing any movement he made. They wondered what he and his spiritual beast would do to recover from the Dark Ghost Shadow''s first blow.

 Chapter 983 Enveloping Ken

    "Ken, come on! Show him what you''ve got! Teach that wretched guy a lesson!" Queenie shouted as she clenched her fists. She really wanted to encourage Ken.


    "Queenie, did you already know that Mr. Rookie had a spiritual beast at the King Level?" When she saw the excited look on her sister''s face, Lucilla thought that there was something going on and asked Queenie immediately.


    "Yes! I already know. I used to ride it before! It was amazing!" Queenie enthusiastically said as she nodded.


    "Huh. When did you get along so well with Mr. Rookie?" Lucilla asked. She was really confused. She knew that her sister hated Rocky very much before, but later on her attitude towards Rocky suddenly changed drastically. Although she still called him "bastard", she somehow had long known that he had a spiritual beast of the King Level. It was difficult for Lucilla to understand the situation.


    "What? Get along well with him? Are you kidding me? I hate him so much!" Queenie retorted as she shook her head.


    "Well, you always say that you hate him, but why do you still play with his spirit-manipulated beast and learn the Beast Curing Skill from him? Answer me honestly, do you really hate him?" Lucilla asked immediately.


    "Hmm, well... I just really hate him." Queenie was speechless. Although she thought she did hate Rocky, she didn''t hate it when she was with him. On the contrary, she always felt that there was something about Rocky that attracted her. It made her feel that there was something blossoming between them.


    "Queenie, tell me the truth. Do you like Mr. Rookie?" Lucilla asked in a low voice. When she saw her sister''s incoherent and flustered look, she thought that this might be the reason why Queenie suddenly changed her attitude towards Rocky.


    "What? How could you even think that?" Queenie was stunned by her sister''s question. But, she immediately replied, "No. How can I even like him? I would die first before I even like him. Besides, he is your fianc¨¦. The both of you will get married soon..." As she spoke, her eyes flashed with a bit of hurt and sadness.


    "You actually don''t have to care about me at all. It''s impossible for me to be together with Mr. Rooki


    the dust. Geoffrey instantly caught the trace of the figure with his sharp eyes. The next moment, the Dark Ghost Shadow immediately condensed its wind swords, and quickly chased the figure through the wind barrier.


    Suddenly, a violent storm appeared in the arena.


    A light shadow shrouded in fog appeared out of nowhere. It seemed to be affected by the power of the wind swords, so it took a few shaky steps back.


    "Now you can''t hide from me!" Geoffrey roared with a ferocious look on his face. Then the Dark Ghost Shadow launched an overwhelming attack. Since sand and dust pervaded the arena, when Ken used its hiding ability, there was an extremely visible trace left behind. But if Ken didn''t hide, it would definitely have nowhere to escape in the domain of the Dark Ghost Shadow. It would surely be a live target.


    The Dark Ghost Shadow was so powerful that Ken was absolutely unable to withstand its fierce attacks.


    The audience also noticed what was happening. They thought that if Ken didn''t have any other more powerful abilities, it would definitely be dead.


    However, in the face of the Dark Ghost Shadow''s attack, Ken did not disappear or dodge at all which was unexpected. Instead, it stood its ground with an arrogant expression on its face.


    The next thing the audience saw was that the attack finally reached Ken. The wind force, like raging waves, pounced over towards Ken. It was countless wind blades, completely enveloping Ken.

 Chapter 984 A Strange Light

    At this moment, something unexpected happened. A strange light suddenly burst out from the body of Ken. And at the same time, the exact same light shone on Rocky on the other side of the arena.


    Everyone was surprised when they saw what was happening. They didn''t know why there was a strange light emitting on both of them at the same time.


    Just as the strange light flashed, the clouds and mists around Ken suddenly became stronger and thicker. Soon enough, Ken''s body was completely covered by the clouds.


    At this time, the Dark Ghost Shadow quickly rushed over and hit the clouds and mists around Ken. Then, another violent wind explosion came crashing in the arena. The whole place trembled under the impact of the incredible spiritual power.


    Just when everyone thought that Ken might not be able to withstand such an impact, the action that was happening in the arena completely stunned them. The sand fog dissipated, and the clouds and mists surrounding Ken did not completely vanish. Most importantly, Ken was still standing strong surrounded by the clouds and mists.


    Geoffrey was also completely shocked at what happened. He didn''t believe what he saw. He didn''t understand how even though there was a huge gap in strength between the two beasts, the attack of the Dark Ghost Shadow was not able to break through the clouds and mists which was protecting Ken.


    It really stunned Geoffrey and everyone else in the arena.


    However, this was just the beginning of the battle. All of a sudden, the clouds and mists surrounding Ken began to slowly circle around it. The clouds and mists mixed together, like a magical illusion.


    Then, an aura of growing strength was emitted from the clouds and mists. At the same time, there was light with very dazzling colors that shone in the air. It made the midair look like there was a magnificent rainbow streaking through the air.


    Just as everyone was bewildered at what they were seeing, a fearsome roar suddenly sounded up from the sky. The circling clouds and mists suddenly came to a halt and gradually shrank back, as it turned into a normal form. As this was happening, a beast shadow suddenly appeared from the clouds and mists.


    When everyone saw the beast shadow more clearly, they were all speechless. They didn''t believe that in such a short time, Ken suddenly changed into another figure. And its appearance had undergone a shockingly drastic change. Its slender and elegant body was even taller than before. It was also wearing a colorful dreamlike gauze, which m


    lated beast in this world that could control other spirit-manipulated beasts with its mind. But I never thought I would ever see it! The turn of events today was really an eye opener!" Lucas couldn''t help but get excited again. He knew Rocky wouldn''t let him down.


    "This is definitely a very terrifying ability! Imagine if it can control all beasts? That would be totally wicked!"


    "This King-level spirit-manipulated beast is really extraordinary."


    "If I could have such a King-level spiritual beast, I would have no regrets in my life!"


    At this time, the masters sitting around Woods, including several ones of the medium and premium grades of the Supernal Stage, also looked envious.


    However, compared with everyone''s surprise, there was no one that could compare with Geoffrey''s startled look. He had never thought that his spiritual beast would be controlled by the King-level spiritual beast. What was more dismaying for him was that Ken did that as easily as blowing off dust. He gritted his teeth in thought. Then, he immediately opened the Magic Spiritual Space to call back the Dark Ghost Shadow.


    "Now is finally the time to admit that you are completely defeated," Rocky said in a very calm voice. He knew that it was over as soon as he saw that Geoffrey withdrew the Dark Ghost Shadow.


    At this moment, fury coursed through the veins of Geoffrey. He thought that Rocky was too arrogant. As the second prince of the Timber Deity Empire, he couldn''t bear to be defeated and embarrassed by some unknown beast master. Under the watchful eyes of the public, his breath rose rapidly, and the next thing everyone saw was that he rushed over to Rocky at lightning speed.

 Chapter 985 A Rare Event

    It shocked the people from the crowd when they saw Geoffrey stormed towards Rocky. The murderous look on his face showed how infuriated he was. The famous Prince Geoffrey, who had always been calm and level-headed, was suddenly violent and seemed to be acting on impulse. This was unexpected, and it took the people by surprise.


    People from Woods'' camp were on the edge of their seats as they watched the sudden change in Geoffrey''s behavior. Lucilla and Lucas looked at each other with a terrified look on their faces. Confused, they both turned to Woods in search of an answer.


    "Your Royal Highness, do you want me to stop him?" Lucas asked Woods with a worried look on his face. He was not worried about Rocky''s welfare. He was more afraid of his temper. He knew Rocky would strike back if Geoffrey attacked him, and it would definitely create a scene.


    Woods himself was startled. He did not expect Geoffrey would attack Rocky in public. Geoffrey was deceitful, but he never acted this way in public. Still, he remained cool and said, "Let''s remain calm. Maybe my brother just acted on impulse. I don''t think he would really hit Rocky. Let''s wait and see."


    By this time, Geoffrey was near Rocky. He released his strong spiritual power at the Supernal Stage and in an instant, dazzling water lights surrounded him. Without a doubt he was a Timber spirit manipulator of water nature.


    Rocky remained calm even as Geoffrey made a move. With his current strength, someone like Geoffrey could not harm him. He could easily kill Geoffrey with a single move if he wanted to.


    Geoffrey became more furious as he saw the self-assured look on Rocky''s face. Enraged, he shouted, "Since you have a powerful spiritual beast of the King Level, I bet you must be very powerful. Let me see your real strength." Without another word, Geoffrey raised his hands in the air. Immediately, the water spiritual power gathered behind him and turned into a majestic water tiger shadow. It was tall, vicious, and emanated an overwhelming spiritual power.


    "Water Tiger Roars!" Geoffrey shouted. As he pushed his hands forward, the water tiger shadow


    Cao Clan. He must be so influential to be protected by the chief of the Cao Clan and the second daughter of the Cao Clan. To have the two most prominent and beautiful girls in the Timber Deity Empire was the dream of every man in the entire empire. To have them protect you was beyond their imagination.


    "You two go down there to help! Do everything to protect Mr. Rookie!" Woods saw that the situation was now out of control. After a moment of hesitation, he ordered his two spirit manipulators at the medium grade of the Supernal Stage to protect Rocky. Since he could not think of a peaceful resolution, he had to protect his men first, especially Rocky. If anything happened to Rocky, his sister would not forgive him.


    The two spirit manipulators at the medium grade of the Supernal Stage of Woods were both famous figures in the Timber Deity Empire. They were elders in their respective clans and were highly respected by the people. They, too, could not stand Geoffrey''s foolish behavior, and they were grateful for Woods'' order. Without hesitation, they rushed towards Rocky, ready to come to his aid.


    Soon, ten masters who were all above the Supernal Stage stood in the center of the beast arena. Not more than thirty masters at the Supernal Stage existed in the Timber Deity Empire. Now, except for Rocky, nine of them came face to face. All were ready for a fierce battle. This was definitely a rare event.

 Chapter 986 The Fierce Confrontation

    However, the audience was also in a wild uproar because of the tense atmosphere in the arena. Most of them were truly worried that the two sides would engage in a fierce fight and make things even worse. The battle of the masters at the Supernal Stage should not be taken lightly, especially when there were nearly ten masters present. If the entire arena was destroyed, the audience would not be surprised about it.


    Of course, there were also a few people who were excited to see the fight between the two sides, especially the several princes who were present. They seemed to quite enjoy watching the fierce head-on confrontation between Woods and Geoffrey.


    ''I want them to fight! I must see them fight until their last breath! It will actually be better if a few people are even killed...'' Algy clapped his hands and laughed grimly at this thought. Geoffrey and Woods were both powerful enemies, so he obviously wanted to see both of his brothers severely injured. In this way, he knew he could benefit from it.


    Meanwhile, at the ongoing stalemate at the center of the arena, Tate stared at Rocky viciously. This was the perfect time for him to get rid of Rocky and unleash his hatred towards him, so he definitely would never let this opportunity go.


    After a short stalemate, Tate immediately looked at Geoffrey. He was looking for a sign of permission from the prince. He saw that Geoffrey was silent, completely deep in thought. Then finally, Geoffrey nodded his head ever so slightly.


    With the prince''s acquiescence, Tate instructed the three masters at the Supernal Stage beside him, "Attack!"


    The four masters at the Supernal Stage, with Tate as the leader, immediately rushed up. They were aggressive in their movements to show to everyone that they would not back down.


    "Chief Lucilla, you two sisters should immediately protect Mr. Rookie," one of the two masters at the medium grade of the Supernal Stage from Rocky''s side immediately said to Lucilla. Then, he walked up with the other master to fight against the two masters at the Supernal Stage who were equally powerful as them.


    On the other hand, Tate and the other master continued to rush towards Rocky. They were focused to reach Rocky to finally defeat him.


    "Sister, we don''t have much time. You need to decide. Which one do you choose?" Queenie asked as she pointed her fingers at Tate and the other master. In such an urgent and dangerous situation, adrenaline was pumping through her vei


    will definitely have a bright future with us!" Alexander came straight to the point with his offer. Obviously, he wanted to recruit Rocky because he was a serious threat as an opponent. So, if he could recruit Rocky, it would be advantageous to his force. He thought it would be a pity to kill Rocky instantaneously and not use his power for his own benefit.


    "If you want to attack me, then please go ahead!" Rocky arrogantly said with an evil smile.


    "You''re very brave and I commend you for that. But you must know that you''re digging your own grave!" As soon as Alexander heard Rocky''s words, his face darkened immediately. He suddenly gave off an aura of the Divine Stage. His aura alone was as strong as raging waves. It was as if it were powerful enough to cover the sky and the sun.


    "Chief Alexander, please calm down! Don''t you think it''s too much of you to hurt a young man?! Let me play with you for a little bit..." Just as Alexander was about to attack Rocky, Lucas had arrived and attacked Alexander first with all his might.


    However, just as Lucas made his move, another old man with the aura of the Divine Stage appeared out of nowhere. The old man immediately stopped Lucas''s attempt to knock off Alexander.


    "Master Lucas, I''m sorry to interrupt your attack. But you have to fight me instead." The old man was obviously well prepared for the fight. As soon as he launched his attack, he shot out a ball of lightning which was massive and extremely bright.


    Lucas''s expression changed ever so slightly, but he immediately raised his finger and a ray of light shot out. The next moment, it collided with the ball of lightning.

 Chapter 987 Great Shock

    Bang!


    The whole beast arena suddenly shook, as the two forces of the Divine Stage collided. The opposing spiritual waves surged everywhere like a hurricane, forcing the people inside the arena to hunker down and hold on to anything they could. Its power was truly astonishing!


    The masters at the Supernal Stage who were fighting in the field also felt the impact, as the two strong forces met and tangled with each other. Their eyes met, both with somber expressions.


    In a battle of the Divine Stage masters, each move could easily shake the earth!


    Lucas returned to the ground, as the winds and debris gradually died down around him. He looked up from his prone position at the old man in front of him, his eyes wide and mouth agape. "It''s... It''s Master Sherman!"


    Master Sherman was one of the most powerful masters on Geoffrey''s side, and he was also a member of the royal family. He held such an important position in the empire that if he stomped his feet, the whole Timber Deity Empire would quake in their boots. No one dared to provoke him.


    "Master Lucas, we haven''t fought for more than ten years, have we?" Although Master Sherman was a little older than Lucas, his bright eyes and strong body made him look younger than he really was. He was not inferior to those who were younger than him.


    "Master Sherman, you should be the first to keep the peace in this situation. Don''t encourage Prince Geoffrey and Prince Woods to fight! Please step away now," Lucas said politely, though his tone was backed by steel. He hoped that Alexander and Master Sherman would refrain from opposing him. As he spoke, he kept his eye on Alexander vigilantly, because he thought that Alexander might attack Rocky, who was standing near him at that moment.


    "Master Lucas, we are very good friends, aren''t we? I just want to exchange some friendly blows with you and maybe a little sparring? I''m old and I can''t get involved in the fight between young people. So, why don''t we leave the decision in the hands of His Royal Highness, Prince Geoffrey?" Master Sherman remarked with a smarmy smile. Of course, he also knew that it would be a great advantage for Woods if Rocky stayed with him. On the other hand, he could take advantage of the chaos to get rid of Rocky, and that would also damage the morale of Woods'' camp.


    Lucas glared at him fiercely. From what he was saying, it was obvious that he also wanted to kill Rocky, so, of course, Lucas had to come to Rocky''s rescue. Without hesitation, Lucas gathered his


    r the sky and the sun. It opened its mouth and shot out a streak of lightning, rushing down to Rocky at the speed of light.


    Rocky''s face darkened at the sight, which others might incorrectly interpret as fear, if not for the bloodthirsty grin that hid in the shadows. He would not sit still and wait for death, and Ken was also itching for a fight. Even though he could rely on Ken''s ability to avoid the attack, he could only avoid it for a short while, but the problem would not be solved at all. This time, he needed a great power to help him¡ªone that could frighten everyone here, even the strongest beasts.


    "Let me help you!" At this time, a voice echoed in Rocky''s mind.


    "Can you?" Hearing the voice, a happy smile pulled the corners of Rocky''s lips. And he immediately gathered his spiritual power and opened the Magic Spiritual Space.


    In the next moment, a deafening dragon roar rang out from the Magic Spiritual Space. Then, a huge black dragon shadow slowly came out from the Magic Spiritual Space, but only half of its body was exposed. Although no one could see its whole body yet, its aura was stronger than the aura of the three six-star spirit-manipulated beasts. It towered over its competitors like the sun in the sky.


    The Sacred Timber Galaxy Colossus and the Sky-swallowing Dragon King all showed a trace of fear, as soon as the huge dragon shadow appeared. They all stopped in their tracks like prey that sensed a predator among them. Meanwhile, the Triple-headed Vulture fell from the sky, as it dared not to move as if it was afraid to get the attention of the beast that had just come out.


    Everyone was shocked and astonished to see this scene!

 Chapter 988 The Emperor Is Coming

    Just as the huge black dragon shadow appeared, the streak of lightning that rushed towards Rocky disappeared in an instant. As if on a mission to save Rocky, it delivered some kind of energy that turned the streak of lightning to dust.


    Overwhelmed by the appearance of the black dragon shadow, the entire arena fell into a silence.


    After the three spirit-manipulated beasts at the six-star level showed up, no one expected that another spirit-manipulated beast would surface. Furthermore, it seemed more powerful than the three spirit-manipulated beasts at the six-star level. The one who summoned it was no other than Rocky. He possessed Rainbow Glow Unicorn, one of the three spiritual beasts at the King Level in the Wild Spirit Land.


    People at the arena wondered how Rocky could summon such a powerful spirit-manipulated beast, whose aura was stronger than the three spirit-manipulated beasts at the six-star level.


    However, the huge black dragon shadow that emerged from Rocky''s Magic Spiritual Space was vague. As if covered by a black fog, only half of its body was exposed from the Magic Spiritual Space. The people could not see its entire body, but they could feel its mighty power. Sometimes they could sense its aura superior to the spirit-manipulated beasts at the six-star level, but sometimes they couldn''t, but people believed that this huge black dragon shadow might possess dominant power.


    Still, no one could identify what kind of rare spirit-manipulated beast it was. Try as they might, the people could not see the entire body of the huge black dragon shadow clearly. All they knew was its overwhelming presence, and they could not deny that it possessed a king-like aura.


    The mysterious black dragon shadow became the focus of everyone''s attention, including the three peerless masters at the Divine Stage and the masters at the Supernal Stage. They all stopped fighting and became fixated on the huge black dragon shadow and Rocky.


    The entire arena was suddenly clouded in mystery. The people whispered among each other, trying


    ummon such a powerful spirit-manipulated beast. Its presence impressed the entire audience, but they had no idea of its origin. The entire arena was in silence.


    At this time, Lucas took the opportunity to send a signal. Soon, Lucilla and the other four powerful warriors at the Supernal Stage returned to Rocky. They surrounded him on all sides to protect him.


    The appearance of the huge black dragon shadow also shocked Alexander and Master Sherman. They did not have time to react. Their faces darkened when they saw that Lucas and the others had gathered around Rocky. They knew that they missed a good opportunity.


    "Come back!" Geoffrey shouted. He knew that his plan had failed, and it was meaningless to keep on fighting.


    Alexander and the others quickly returned to Geoffrey. Tate himself felt resentful.


    Woods breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that if the fight continued, it would cause a big trouble. Much as he was not afraid of Geoffrey, he felt that it was not the right time to confront him.


    The princes on the viewing platform were disappointed to see that the intensity inside the arena had subsided, and there wouldn''t be any fierce battle. They were excited to see Geoffrey and Woods fight with each other and watch them get injured.


    The embattled beast arena gradually became calm.


    Then a loud voice shouted, "Our emperor is coming!"

 Chapter 989 A Peerless Master

    Hearing this, all the people present were struck dumb. The emperor of the state, who hadn''t left the royal palace for nearly a year because of illness, suddenly came, which was naturally very surprising.


    Everyone was standing now, and their eyes were all focused on the direction of the voice, including Rocky, Geoffrey, and the others who were still confronting each other.


    Soon, a group of silver and golden armored guards rushed into the beast arena like golden waves, and they lined up on both sides of the arena. It could be soon seen that golden decorations were floating over them like clouds, and under the layers of these decorations, several figures slowly emerged and walked toward them.


    The man who stood in front of the crowd was wearing a fine wooden cyan robe with a golden crown on his head. He was about sixty years old, and his sideburns were tainted with gray and white. Even though he looked a little stooped as if he had been seriously ill for a long time, it did not hide his innate royalty, which made him appear imposing despite his age and weakness. His eyes were as bright and sharp as a young man''s.


    "Master Lucas, is this the emperor?" Rocky whispered to Lucas, who was standing beside him. As the prince of the Holy Dragon Empire, he didn''t expect to meet the emperor of the Timber Deity Empire in such a situation. As he spoke, he called Ken back to the Magic Spiritual Space.


    Lucas nodded immediately.


    After that, Rocky noticed that Alyssa was also following behind the emperor of the Timber Deity Empire. Besides them, two old men had arrived as well, and both of them looked more powerful than Alyssa. He could tell at a glance that the two old men were big shots from the powerful auras they had.


    "The one in the white robe seems to be as powerful as Bryant. Is he also a peerless master at the Immortal Stage?" Rocky murmured to himself, as his eyes fell on one of the two old men. He was dressed in a white robe, with sharp eyes, a full forehead, and silver-white hair. Despite the hair, he didn''t look very old.


    Rocky''s guess was right. The old man in a white robe was one of the spirit manipulators in the Timber Deity Empire who had reached the Immortal Stage. He was one of the most powerful men in the Wild Spirit Land. And he was also one of the senior statesmen of the Timber Deity Empire royal family and known as the ''Holy Lord in Surplice'' in the Wild Spirit Land. His n


    re''s no need to send so many people into the field!" the emperor said in a domineering manner.


    "You two better stop covering up the truth! Your Majesty, Geoffrey and Woods almost had a big fight just now. They are going to tear down the beast arena." At this time, Prince Algy, the eldest child of the emperor, exposed the two, just to add fuel to the fire.


    The other three princes followed their eldest brother and nodded in agreement.


    The face of the emperor darkened, and he looked like a volcano that was about to explode.


    Seeing this, Geoffrey and Woods immediately broke into a cold sweat. Since the emperor saw them break the ban with his own eyes, it was not easy for them to muddle through. Moreover, several other princes were waiting to see their fate. Tomorrow, if they were still alive, they would be the butt of every joke.


    At this time, Alyssa''s eyes fell on Rocky. She had guessed that it must be because of Rocky that Geoffrey and Woods were having such a fierce fight. She said to the emperor, "Your Majesty, Geoffrey and Woods are just fighting for fun. With Master Lucas and Master Sherman present, I doubt that a real fight would start..."


    The emperor nodded at this. He restrained his anger and said, "I will let you two go this time, but make sure that this won''t happen again! Otherwise, you should know the consequences of doing this! You are brothers and not enemies. It does not matter who will become the new emperor in the future, you must try your best to help whoever he is. If you fight with each other now, how can I rest peacefully when I pass the throne to any of you?"

 Chapter 990 The Hell of Dragon Fang

    "Yes, Father. Rest assured that we will always keep that in mind," Geoffrey and Woods responded as they bowed to their father.


    "But Father, I heard that you are not feeling well these days. How are you doing now?" asked Geoffrey. He was trying his best to pretend that he was actually concerned about their father.


    "I already knew that you will all be here today. I wanted to take a walk, so I asked Alyssa to accompany me. Today, I will announce the task that you are going to complete. Everyone must keep in mind that the task will be very crucial. If a prince completes the said task, I will be inclined to choose him as my successor." As soon as the emperor of the Timber Deity Empire broke the news, the crowd fell into complete silence.


    Several princes, including Geoffrey and Woods, looked at each other in utter surprise. They didn''t expect that their father would decide his successor in this way.


    "Alyssa, I''ll leave the following things to you now! Please go ahead," said the emperor directly to Alyssa.


    Alyssa nodded at her father''s orders. Then, she took a step forward, stood in front of everyone and looked around the crowd coldly. Next, she looked at the princes seriously and started to explain the task, "I have to tell you first and foremost that this task is very difficult, and it is also very dangerous. It has a great impact on our empire. Therefore, this is absolutely a huge test for you!"


    "Alyssa, stop beating about the bush. Just tell us what the task is, so we can start already!" Algy demanded. His tone was very eager with a hint of arrogance.


    Glancing at the eldest prince with a cold look, Alyssa continued, "This task requires you to enter an incredibly odd place to look for a spiritual treasure. The task will be completed once the treasure is found."


    "What? The task that decides who will be the successor to our father is just a treasure hunt? That''s too simple for me," Algy said scornfully. He was extremely appalled that the task seemed too simple.


    "Alyssa, please tell us where is this place that you are talking about," Woods asked. He thought about the task which seemed too simple, but realized that the key point was the place that they would be going. He knew that the task was not that simple because of the serious expression on Alyssa''s face.


    "The Hell of Dragon Fang!" As Alyssa uttered those words, her face became hard as steel.


    All of a sudden, the crowd burst into an uproar. Everyone knew that the Hell of Dragon Fang was one of the most dangerous places in the Wild Spirit Land. Only the powerful wa


    at, they didn''t win any favor from strong backers at all. With their inferior abilities, it was almost guaranteed that the two princes wouldn''t be able to find any spiritual treasure. If that were the case, then they surely wouldn''t have any chances to inherit the throne.


    But of course, luck was a big factor in this competition since the mission was to look for the treasure. Therefore, every prince would have a chance which was extremely fair!


    "The task will begin exactly three days from now. You can set off to the Hell of Dragon Fang in the afternoon of that day. All of you must do your preparations before that. I am warning you, the Hell of Dragon Fang is far more dangerous than you think. You must be fully prepared and make all kinds of plans to deal with any dangers you may encounter there. In addition, I advise you all not to bring weak spirit manipulators with you. Otherwise, you would only be weakened and you don''t want that to happen. Try your best to reduce the number of soldiers that you will bring. It may not be a good thing to have more people in the Hell of Dragon Fang!" Alyssa reminded the princes.


    "Alyssa, you haven''t even told us what kind of spiritual treasure it is that we need to find," Algy suddenly asked as he processed all the information in his head.


    The remaining princes also looked at her. They were also thinking about the same thing.


    "No one knows what kind of spiritual treasure it is. You need to judge it by yourselves." Alyssa simply answered the question.


    The six princes were aghast. If they didn''t even know what the spiritual treasure looked like, how could they even find it, especially in such a dangerous and odd place as the Hell of Dragon Fang?!

 Chapter 991 Inside The Fire Wave Mountain

    Alyssa glanced at the emperor of the Timber Deity Empire for his opinion.


    "Let''s go back," the emperor said. He took a look at all of the princes before turning away.


    Then, together Alyssa and two elders, he left the beast arena, escorted by the guards in silver and gold armor.


    Four of the princes also quickly left the beast arena with their own people, leaving only Geoffrey and Woods behind.


    "I didn''t expect the emperor to choose a successor so soon. I wanted to compete with you and give you some chances, but now it seems that I can''t." Geoffrey smiled with feigned sincerity.


    "Same here. See you three days later, brother." Woods smiled back gently in response. Then, squinting his eyebrows as if he had just remembered something, he said, "By the way, when you go back, don''t forget to send the contract of ceding the three cities to my mansion. I''ll treat it as a gift from you."


    Upon hearing this, Geoffrey''s face darkened. He snorted coldly and left the beast arena with Alexander and the others.


    At this moment, Rocky, Lucas, and the others returned to the viewing platform.


    Woods took a deep breath and turned to them. "Let''s go to my mansion." There were only three days left before they went to hunt the spiritual treasure, which meant that they only had three days to prepare to go to the Hell of Dragon Fang. Therefore, they had to discuss the matter as soon as possible.


    Rocky and the others followed Woods back to his mansion.


    Once they had all settled down in the hall, they began to discuss the details of the trip, such as which equipment and assistants they were going to bring, as well as what measures they would use to deal with potential problems.


    Rocky didn''t say a word during the whole discussion. As someone who was used to acting alone, hunting the spiritual treasure with a team felt foreign to him. Moreover, the time limit to complete this task was a month. If they was lucky, they could finish the task in advance. But if they couldn''t finish it in a month, he w


    d been able to tell the importance of the spiritual treasure from Alyssa''s words, but she had also mentioned that no one even knew what the spiritual treasure looked like. It was shrouded in mystery.


    "You can ask your sister yourself. If there''s nothing else, I''ll leave now. I''ll be back in three days." Rocky had a few important things to do before going to the Hell of Dragon Fang, so he turned around and left at once.


    After leaving Woods'' mansion, he headed to the Fire Wave Mountain, ready to refine the spiritual crystal for three days and three nights. The spiritual crystal had absorbed spiritual energy.


    When he arrived at the Fire Wave Mountain, he saw that, save for some heat-resistant plants, the ground around the mountain was almost bare. The cliff rock was steep and very dangerous.


    Rocky immediately summoned Ken and flew around the mountain. Once he landed at the entrance, he sent Ken back into the Magic Spiritual Space and summoned Robin instead.


    Then, he gathered his spiritual power to protect himself. The air outside the mountain was scorching, so he had no doubt that the inside of the mountain would feel like a furnace.


    Sure enough, after walking for a while, Rocky felt waves of heat hit him, making him feel like his skin was burning. The inside of the mountain was really hot, just like a big steamer.

 Chapter 992 Treasure Hunting

    After walking a few meters inside the mahogany brown cave, Rocky saw the narrow stone road spiraling downward in twists and turns. From all the way up here, he couldn''t see how deep down the road went or where it ended.


    Amidst the clouds of steam that rose up from the depths, Rocky walked down along the narrow stone road with Robin. The deeper he ventured into the cave, the hotter it became. Soon, he was drenched with sweat, despite being protected by his spiritual power and having Robin around to cool him down.


    It was so hot that he could barely breathe. He frustratedly wiped the sweat off his head. It was obvious that he had underestimated the high temperature in this Fire Wave Mountain. However, since he was already here, he didn''t want to go back empty-handed.


    Mustering all of his strength, he continued down the road. He felt so hot and uncomfortable that he couldn''t even keep proper track of time. He could have been walking for five minutes or for five hours, he did not know. When he finally reached the end of the stone road, he found himself standing on a stretch of flat stone. There were many small holes on the ground. From time to time, magma spurted out of these holes and splashed on the ground, causing steam to rise up.


    Across this dangerous stretch of stone lay his destination: a magma lake in the center of the Fire Wave Mountain.


    "Let''s go." Rocky nodded at Robin. Both of them instantly turned into shadows and dashed toward the other side as soon as they could. However, as if the mountain had sensed their presence, magma began to spurt continuously out of the holes, splashing in all directions.


    Robin immediately let out a howl of warning and, at the same time, sent a gigantic claw made of ice to protect Rocky from being burnt by the magma. It then spewed out a stream of cold air to counteract the splashing magma. They sped up their pace and successfully passed through the dangerous stretch of stone, finally arriving at the magma lake.


    "I''m afraid it won''t be easy to stay here for three days." Rocky felt heat rolling off him the moment he got close to the magma. Even the air here was distorted by the heat waves.


    However, he had no other choice. In order to refine the spiritual crystal, he would have to endure this torturous environment.


    Without any delay, he took out the spiritual crystal, threw it into the air, and sent it flying above the lake with his spiritual power. Then, he gradually withdrew his spiritual power, letting the crystal descend bit by bit unti


    way for three days." Woods shook his head with a frown.


    "Three days? I hope he''s doing okay," Lucilla said, worried that something would happen to Rocky while he was away.


    "Come on. He''s more cunning than a fox. Even if something happens to him, he will get away before anyone else!" Queenie said indifferently. However, she couldn''t help but glance at the gate from time to time.


    "Your Royal Highness, I suppose we''d better set out as soon as possible. As far as I know, the other princes set out a couple of hours ago. Maybe that Mr. Rookie will catch up later," an old man in a yellow robe said. He was the other master at the Divine Stage.


    "Elder Brook, I think Mr. Rookie will be here soon. Let''s wait a little longer," Lucas cut in before Woods said anything.


    This master of the Divine Stage was an elder from another big clan which supported Woods. Although the strength of their clan was modest, this old man was by no means ordinary. Otherwise, he would not have become a master of the Divine Stage, and Woods would not have asked him to come. Because of his power, he was arrogant in every aspect and seldom took anyone seriously.


    In fact, there was another elder in the Cao Clan whose strength was not inferior to that of Lucas and this elder. But it had been a long time since he had made a public appearance, so Woods had ended up choosing this elder instead.


    Among all the treasure hunting teams led by the princes, Geoffrey''s team was the most powerful one, while Woods'' team was the second strongest. With the help of these two unrivaled masters at the Divine Stage and eight masters at the Supernal Stage, Woods hoped that he could get what he wanted.

 Chapter 993 Peculiar Topography

    After a few minutes, Rocky finally arrived. Lucilla and Lucas let out a sigh of relief when they saw Rocky.


    "Are you all ready?" Rocky asked Woods as he looked around the treasure hunting team.


    "Yes, we''re all set. We''re just waiting for you to arrive earlier." Woods firmly nodded at Rocky.


    "Alright then. If we''re all set, then let''s start this treasure hunt. Let me go ahead first." However, Rocky actually just came to meet them. He had told Woods already that he would not join the treasure hunting team.


    "What kind of manners do you have, young man? You are too impolite, and you are alone as you come and go. This is a clear manifestation that you do not respect us." When Elder Brook, who was standing beside Lucas, saw that Rocky was not behaving properly, he immediately shouted angrily at him. Elder Brook wanted to clearly assert that he was the superior and Rocky was just some guy who would join the treasure hunting team.


    Rocky glanced coldly at Elder Brook. He didn''t want to waste energy on him, so he decided not to talk to him. He summoned Ken instead and jumped on it.


    When he realized that Rocky didn''t take him seriously, Elder Brook immediately glared at him. He was about to say something more, but he was immediately stopped by Lucas. Lucas said, "Elder Brook, Mr. Rookie has a bad temper. As a senior, please try to forgive him. Our quest to find the spiritual treasure may depend on him!"


    "What? Depend on him? Humph, how could it be possible that this mission depends on him?" Elder Brook certainly didn''t believe what Lucas said.


    "I assure you that you will know in time," Lucas said calmly with a soft smile. He had heard that the five spiritual beasts at the King Level in the Wild Spirit Land liked to collect all kinds of spiritual treasures. Moreover, they could sense all kinds of spiritual treasures. Although it was definitely just a rumor, it was not entirely groundless. Therefore, he believed that Rocky, who had one of the five spiritual beasts at the King Level, might have a greater chance of finding a spiritual treasure more than anyone else.


    When Rocky rode Ken and was about to leave, he suddenly felt a delicate body gently pressing on his back. He turned to look and saw that Queenie was sitting behind


    agon Fang from the sky. Everyone who dared to enter the place could only do so from the ground.


    However, the mountain that isolated the Hell of Dragon Fang was a rock mountain which completely surrounded the place. Therefore, the only passage to it was a secret natural tunnel. If one hadn''t come to the Hell of Dragon Fang before, he might not be able to find the entrance even if he had searched every corner of it.


    Therefore, it was totally helpful that he brought Queenie who had been to the Hell of Dragon Fang before.


    Under Queenie''s lead, the two of them and the beast found the secret entrance. After getting down from Ken, Rocky turned to look at Queenie and said with a faint smile, "For the first time, you were finally useful."


    "Well, at least now you know how capable I am!" Queenie said proudly.


    "But that''s all you can do," Rocky said sarcastically.


    Immediately, Queenie cursed angrily at Rocky''s jab.


    While she was cursing, the two entered the tunnel. After walking about a hundred meters, they finally entered the Hell of Dragon Fang, one of the most dangerous places of the Wild Spirit Land!


    The whole area in front of them was full of mountain rocks, and there were many gullies in the sea of rocks. Violent flames were burning in the gullies and these flames could not be extinguished.


    It was the first time that Rocky had seen such a peculiar topography ever since he came to this world. The flames in the Hell of Dragon Fang seemed to be inexhaustible and vigorous.

 Chapter 994 Deep Into The Hell Of Dragon Fang

    "It''s so hot!" Queenie broke out in sweat the moment she entered the Hell of Dragon Fang. The thin fabrics of her clothes became soaked with sweat as it turned translucent. Any surrounding men couldn''t help starting daydreaming, and Rocky noticed it.


    "Don''t you know how to protect yourself with spiritual power?" Rocky glared at Queenie. He had been to the Fire Wave Mountain, and he learned an important lesson from his previous experience. Because of this, he gathered his spiritual power to protect himself from the heat even before they went into the place.


    Compared with the Fire Wave Mountain, the heat inside the Hell of Dragon Fang did not scorch his body, but it made him feel uncomfortable. As if his body was on fire.


    "Oh, I forgot." Queenie stuck out her tongue and gathered her spiritual power to protect herself. A light breeze touched her skin, and she felt much cooler.


    "Just wait for Prince Woods and the others here," said Rocky as he turned to Queenie.


    "What about you?" Queenie asked immediately.


    "I will go inside alone," Rocky answered with a frown.


    "No way! It''s too dangerous inside. We should wait for my sister, Prince Woods, and Master Lucas to come!" Queenie had been here before. She had only been to the edge, but all the spirit-manipulated beasts that she had encountered were fierce and troublesome. She knew that if anyone went deep into the Hell of Dragon Fang alone, he or she would court death.


    "No. I will not wait for them!" Rocky said as he walked straight forward.


    "Hey!" Stunned, Queenie followed him. Somehow, she was worried about Rocky going in alone. After all, Rocky would soon become her brother-in-law, so she could not let him put himself to danger.


    Rocky knew Queenie followed him. He turned around to scold her, but she quickly stopped and acted as if she was not following him.


    Rocky was aware of Queenie''s stubborn nature, and there was no way she would obey his order. So, as Queenie turned around, he made a move and disappeared from where he was.


    Queenie was furious when she realized Rocky had disappeared. She stamped her foot on the ground and was about to follow him when a delicate figure appeared beside her and pressed her shoulder.


    Startled, Queenie quickly turned around.


    e Magic Spiritual Space and dragged the corpse of the Fire Diabolic Leopard inside it. He then asked Robin to freeze it with cold air.


    After he was done with the Fire Diabolic Leopard, Rocky continued to walk forward with the two beasts.


    Meanwhile, the treasure hunting team led by Woods had also entered the Hell of Dragon Fang through the tunnel at the entrance.


    "Queenie, where is Mr. Rookie?" As she entered the Hell of Dragon Fang, Lucilla, who was also a member of the treasure hunting team, immediately looked for her younger sister. She saw her leaning against the Furious Ice Bear alone, and with an angry look on her face.


    "He left me alone and ran inside by himself! What a bastard!" Queenie said with clenched fists.


    "By himself? But this place is extremely dangerous!" Lucilla asked as worry splashed across her face.


    Except for Woods, everyone in the treasure hunting team was also surprised to hear that Rocky went deep into the Hell of Dragon Fang alone.


    "How arrogant! I doubt he would survive the cave!" Elder Brook exclaimed in triumph.


    "Your Royal Highness, should we send someone to chase after Mr. Rookie?" Lucas immediately looked at Woods and asked.


    "No need. Mr. Rookie told me of his plan. He will act alone in this month. He knew what he''s doing, so do not worry about him. All of you be prepared. The next few hours will be filled with danger and trials," Woods said to warn them.


    Woods then led his treasure hunting team deep into the Hell of Dragon Fang.

 Chapter 995 Magical Saliva

    Since the treasure hunting teams led by other princes departed earlier than Woods'' team, they also arrived earlier. Woods'' team, who was the last one to arrive, found them scattered already, all over the Hell of Dragon Fang. The Hell of Dragon Fang was immense, and the six teams had made their routes ahead of time to avoid confrontation with other teams. This was because any meeting between them could lead to a fight, and that could waste their precious time even more. They decided to focus on their hunting and hoped that lady luck would be on their side today. Besides, if any conflict arose between the princes, they would be forced to leave this place, and they would lose the chance to be the emperor''s successor.


    Located on the southern side of the Hell of Dragon Fang was a modest camp. Here, several spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage patrolled with their spirit-manipulated beasts. Meanwhile, the treasure hunting teams focused on their hunting, as they headed deeper into the land.


    Alyssa was inside one of the tents, sitting by a square table, along with two elders and a couple of Supernal Stage masters. They were studying a map that was spread on the table ¡ª a topographic map of the Hell of Dragon Fang.


    "Prince Algy is heading south, while Prince Geoffrey is searching in the west. Prince Woods was the last one to arrive, and he is leading his team to the east," a spirit manipulator at the Heavenly Stage reported. He was standing a few feet away from her, and his eyes were respectfully trained on his feet.


    Alyssa and the senior masters checked the map once they heard this information, and from time to time, they talked to each other with whispers that were impossible to overhear.


    "Copy that. Tell the vanguards to keep a close eye on all the teams. Keep us updated with all the progress they make. Also, remind the vanguards to take care of themselves," Alyssa requested before waving her hand to discharge the reporter.


    "I just can''t understand it, Your Royal Highness. Why does His Majesty insist on using such a dangerous treasure hunting task to test the princes? There are so many unknown dangers ahead! More importantly, this concerns the secrets of the Wood Clan, so we can''t afford for anything to go wrong. In my humble opinion, His Majesty should send Your Royal Highness for it in the first place, as that would be much quicker and safer!" Nester remarked with his eyebr


    The egg had turned a little dimmer from its original bright yellow, but the change wasn''t that obvious, after absorbing all the blood essence Rocky fed.


    "What''s wrong? Seriously? I gave it so much blood essence already!" Rocky frowned and then said to himself, "I don''t know how the blood essence of the ancient spiritual beast will affect you, but I''m eager to find out. Maybe it will change the egg''s color again... However, I need to be careful, so I can''t feed it to you now."


    After feeding the egg with all of the blood essence, he took two drops of the magical saliva. He noticed as he took the drops, that the bottle felt very light. This was the last bottle he had. If he used it up, there would be no magical saliva to assist him for a long time. Fortunately, after integrating the evil power at the third layer, he had reached the third grade of the Supernal Stage. After that, he would take his time to integrate that at the fourth layer, and he believed that his strength would also increase day by day. He also had the supreme treasure of cultivation, the Sea Blue Magic Jade, so he expected that the lack of magical saliva wouldn''t affect him too much. However, the magical saliva had an irreplaceable effect. It could attract any spirit-manipulated beasts to a great extent, and because of this special aspect, it could play a crucial role at certain moments.


    "I''ll save this for special occasions then," Rocky said to himself after thinking for a while.


    Then, he sat down crossed-legged and adjusted his breath. After that, he took out the Sea Blue Magic Jade to recover his spiritual power.

 Chapter 996 Fire Rock Turtle

    After six hours, Rocky recovered more than half of his spiritual power, thanks to the help of the Sea Blue Magic Jade. With that done, he got up and checked on the four larvae of the Dark Heaven Insect, which were undergoing genetic modification experiments. He checked their progress carefully, as he recorded it.


    There was a process of change during the experiment, and this change would not show anytime soon, so it would take some time to know for sure whether the experiments were successful or not.


    Once he finished with that, Rocky walked out of the Magic Spiritual Space. Seeing that Ken and Robin had almost recovered, he and the two beasts continued their journey.


    Although Ken was very sensitive to all kinds of spiritual treasures, it was not omnipotent. Moreover, any treasure with spiritual power would attract its attention regardless if it was Rocky''s target or not, so, to his frustration, they had taken many unnecessary detours. They found some low-grade treasures, which were quite useless for someone with his strength. But then, this was better than nothing. At least, it could make up for his hard work.


    By now, they had wasted almost the whole day walking and looking for the spiritual treasure, but they could not find even a sliver of its shadow. Sure, they did kill many spirit-manipulated beasts and collected a lot of blood essence and low-grade treasures on the way, but they were useless in the long run.


    The strength of these spirit-manipulated beasts had increased from the fourth grade of the four-star level to the fourth grade of the five-star level, which put a lot of pressure on Rocky and the two beasts.


    "Ken, can you please fight harder? If it goes on like this, I''m afraid I''ll be exhausted before I find the spiritual treasure," Rocky remarked with a bitter smile after they had killed a spirit-manipulated beast in the fourth grade of the five-star level.


    On the other hand, Ken also raised its head with an annoyed expression as if it was saying, "It''s not my fault." Of course, it wasn''t Ken''s fault at all. The Hell of Dragon Fang was too big, and the areas that they had visited in the past two or three days were only the tip of the iceberg. He hadn''t met any treasure hunting teams, including Woods'' team.


    lat body appeared under the big crystal. Its body was similar to the turtle. Obviously, it was a spirit-manipulated beast.


    Rocky observed the beast and reviewed the Beast Encyclopedia in his head carefully to search for information. Soon, his eyes lit up with surprise. "Is this the Fire Rock Turtle?"


    Like the Dark Heaven Insect, the Fire Rock Turtle was a rare spirit-manipulated beast that could produce rare treasures. It was even rarer than the Dark Heaven Insect, as there were very few of them in the entire Wild Spirit Land.


    The treasure produced by the Fire Rock Turtle was a turtle shell-shaped crystal, which was called an ethereal crystal. And the lowest-grade ethereal crystal was equivalent to an advanced Dark Heaven Egg. However, Fire Rock Turtles could only produce low-grade ethereal crystals after reaching the third grade of the three-star level. It could also be upgraded to a five-star level at most, and the advanced ethereal crystal that was produced by a Fire Rock Turtle at the five-star level could be considered a great treasure among the middle-grade treasures.


    From its shape and the change of its appearance, he deduced that it was just a Fire Rock Turtle at the three-star level. Thus, it could probably produce low-grade ethereal crystals.


    "What a coincidence! We didn''t find any spiritual treasure, but we met a rare Fire Rock Turtle first." Rocky knew how precious the Fire Rock Turtle was, so he wanted to capture it and then raise it like the Dark Heaven Insect.

 Chapter 997 The Capture Of The Fire Rock Turtle

    "However, according to the records of the Beast Encyclopedia, the Fire Rock Turtle is born timid. If it senses any movement, it will immediately run away and hide. Compared with the Dark Heaven Insect that likes to live at the bottom of caves, the Fire Rock Turtle likes to stay in places with very high temperature, just like the fiery pit it just came out from. So, once it runs away, there is no chance that we can chase it at all. Unlike the Fire Rock Turtle, it''s impossible for us to jump into the fiery pit..." Rocky thought for a while and began to analyze the Fire Rock Turtles'' habits based from the Beast Encyclopedia''s records. He had to consider every way there was to capture the Fire Rock Turtle, because he might only have one chance. If the Fire Rock Turtle escaped into the fiery pit, there would be no chance for him to capture it. It would take an extremely long time before the Fire Rock Turtle came out again from the fiery pit.


    Currently, the Fire Rock Turtle was still slowly climbing out of the fiery pit. Its movements were terribly slow, which was natural since it was indeed a turtle. A spirit manipulator who was clueless of the Fire Rock Turtle''s habits would have pounced on it impatiently. However, if that happened, then the turtle would definitely be scared away.


    With rich experience in capturing the Dark Heaven Insect, Rocky was not in any rush to make a move. He first took out the magical saliva that could attract any spirit-manipulated beast and transferred one drop into an empty bottle. Then he gently put it on the ground, trying not to make any noise. After putting the bottle down, he began to step back slowly.


    Since the magical saliva was incredibly irresistible to any spirit-manipulated beast, the Fire Rock Turtle immediately reacted to the magical saliva. Its round head reached out so high to take a look around. It was definitely searching for the magical saliva.


    However, the Fire Rock Turtle was a very timid and highly vigilant kind of beast. It kept searching for the magical saliva with its eyes, but its body did not move at all. It was standing very still as if it was too old to move.


    "What? Even the magical saliva cannot make the Fire Rock Turtle relax a little?" Rocky murmured to himself. He was dismayed when he saw that the Fire Rock Turtle was not moving towards the magical saliva at all.


    A half hour later, just when R


    Dagger''s movement. It was also terrified of the dagger which was an alien object to it, like a creature from the outside world. It immediately became alert. It was getting ready to spit out magma. However, a wolf shadow had already flown out of the Magic Spiritual Space. It was the magical Robin. Robin opened its mouth, and spewed out cold air. In an instant, the ground was completely frozen. Robin stopped the Fire Rock Turtle from taking any opportunity to escape.


    Seeing that there was no way to escape, the Fire Rock Turtle immediately turned around. The short tail behind it suddenly swung like a vicious wind-fire ring. Then, its whole body rapidly rushed forward, as if a rocket was installed behind its body. Its speed totally changed compared to its slowness earlier.


    However, Rocky, who had expected that the Fire Rock Turtle would use its other skills to escape, had already rushed to the other side of the fiery pit as fast as he could after he released Robin out.


    In fact, Rocky intentionally alerted the Fire Rock Turtle just now to make it panic. Then, he used Robin to block the Fire Rock Turtle from escaping. This forced the Fire Rock Turtle to leave the protection of the fire pillars and escape to the fiery pit. Of course, his ultimate goal was to lure the Fire Rock Turtle into his trap.


    Although the Fire Rock Turtle was indeed smart, it was still just a spirit-manipulated beast at the end of the day. Therefore, it would instinctively run towards its lair when threatened.


    Rocky had already studied this and used this knowledge to block the Fire Rock Turtle.

 Chapter 998 Delay In Rockys Journey

    Based on his previous experience, Rocky was certain he and this Fire Rock Turtle would end up in a fight. He was not worried, because his current strength was more than enough to deal with such a creature. Without a doubt, it would surrender or crumble under his power.


    However, the fierce fight that he expected did not happen. The Fire Rock Turtle did not advance to challenge him. Instead, its body started to shrink and slipped back into the ethereal crystal which served as its shell.


    Before long, the crystal gave off a strong spiritual power and became ablaze with radiant spiritual flame. It spread like wildfire and burned the ground several meters from where he stood. The flame was so fierce, Rocky could not go near it. The situation just became more difficult for him.


    Rocky''s head began to ache. He could not attack the ethereal crystal, even if it would force the Fire Rock Turtle to go out. Blasting the crystal would cause it to break and could hurt the Fire Rock Turtle. If that happened, all his efforts would be in vain. It was just too risky.


    "What a weak creature! Shame on you!" Rocky felt so frustrated, he could not help but curse. Back when he tried to capture the Dark Heaven Insect, it required a lot of force. After all, it was a brutal confrontation. But it was not as irritating as this. This creature hid itself inside the shell and did not respond despite his efforts. Everything he did was pointless, and it annoyed Rocky.


    Rocky needed to get on in his journey and hunt the spiritual treasure as soon as possible. He could not afford to waste so much time with the Fire Rock Turtle. With this, he focused his mind with the task at hand, hoping to come up with an idea on how he could seduce it to come out. A moment later, he took out the few magical saliva he had kept, and placed the bottle right in front of the turtle. If it relented and dared to come out, he would knock it out at once.


    However, the Fire Rock Turtle was more cunning than he expected. It resisted the temptation of the magical saliva and did not made a single sound, let alone come out. It was


    s Ken who made it all possible. It was Ken who discovered the cave, and it was its extraordinary ability that captured the turtle. If it wasn''t for Ken, catching the Fire Rocky Turtle would remain a dream for Rocky.


    Another day had passed, and there was still no lead to find the spiritual treasure. Rocky had to go on with his journey. After he had secured the turtle, he moved on to explore the Hell of Dragon Fang.


    Meanwhile, the treasure hunting teams led by the six princes lingered around the Hell of Dragon Fang. They were scattered in different places in search of the treasure the emperor asked them to find. There were so many of them, that even the smallest team had more than 20 masters. The Hell of Dragon Fang was a habitat of spirit-manipulated beasts, and the treasure hunting activities disturbed them.


    Soon, all the teams were too exhausted to continue hunting. They had fought all kinds of spirit-manipulated beasts, and several men were wounded or had died. The teams led by two princes suffered the most, because of their lower strength.


    No one really knew what kind of spiritual treasure they were looking for. It was a dark and extremely dangerous place. As if they were looking for a needle in a haystack. Grand masters like Lucas could only assume the location of the treasure based on their experience and training. Nothing was certain, and it was impossible to succeed.

 Chapter 999 The Gathering Of Beasts

    Over the span of a few days, many perished.


    Each treasure hunting team lost around ten or more members to injury or death. Only Geoffrey''s and Woods'' teams each had only five casualties, which could show just how strong they were.


    However, the deeper they trudged into the Hell of Dragon Fang, the stronger the spirit-manipulated beasts they faced. Even more casualties were to be expected as the situation grew more and more dangerous.


    Just now, Woods'' treasure hunting team had the misfortune of stumbling into the habitat of the Demonic Rock Dogs. They were violently ambushed, and the battle was fierce.


    Among the Demonic Rock Dogs, their leader was the strongest, at the fifth grade of the five-star level. Few of them were at the fourth grade of the five-star level, and the rest were at the fourth grade of the four-star level. Together, they attacked fiercely, like a pack of wolves defending their territory.


    Two peerless masters at the Divine Stage, Lucas and Brook, had spirit-manipulated beasts at the six-star level. However, the Demonic Rock Dogs stood over two meters tall, with rock-hard skin. Lucas'' Sacred Timber Galaxy Colossus was fighting neck and neck with the leader of the Demonic Rock Dogs. While the leader might''ve been a star lower than Lucas'' spirit-manipulated beast, it still put up one hell of a fight. Meanwhile, Lucas, Brook, and Brook''s spirit-manipulated beast fought against the few Demonic Rock Dogs at the fourth grade of the five-star level; the warriors at the Supernal Stage and the masters at the Heavenly Stage all struggled against a dozen Demonic Rock Dogs at the fourth grade of the four-star level.


    Although the eight warriors at the Supernal Stage and eight spirit-manipulated beasts at the four or five-star level were strong enough to survive their attacks, some of the Demonic Rock Dogs broke through their defense line. To their horror, these scoundrels headed straight for the weaker spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage.


    Chaos ensued. Several spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage lay moaning on the ground, having been mangled violently.


    "Your Royal Highness, I''m afraid things aren''t looki


    e sky, he suddenly felt the ground beneath his feet tremble violently, as though tens of thousands of beasts were galloping nearby. Sure enough, it wasn''t long before countless shadows of various beasts surrounded them.


    Rocky turned pale. There was no way he could face these beasts all at once. Immediately, he hid with Ken.


    Suddenly, a shadow fell over the land, as though something massive had blotted out the sky. Looking up, Rocky saw a group of spirit-manipulated beasts of different shapes and sizes flying across the sky, all heading towards a certain direction.


    "What is happening? Are these spirit-manipulated beasts in a hurry?" Rocky was puzzled. Out of curiosity, he decided to follow the beasts closely, although he and Ken remained carefully hidden.


    After flying about five hundred meters and passing through a dense forest of dead trees, Rocky found himself at a circular valley. The valley was not very large, and three sides were surrounded by steep cliffs.


    The beasts of all sorts of shapes and sizes filled up the valley, and even the cliff sides were crowded. Everywhere he looked, there was a spirit-manipulated beast.


    Rocky held his breath. The scene was quite spectacular!


    Suddenly, Rocky noticed a protruding arched stone hanging at the end of the valley, which led to a cave entrance.


    Then, a human-like figure emerged from the cave. The figure wore a tattered black robe that swayed with the wind.

 Chapter 1000 A Beauty From The Spiritual Race

    The figure in black robe slowly raised his hands, and the hundreds of spirit-manipulated beasts burst into an uproar. The sound of their cries was deafening. Anyone who witnessed such a scene would''ve been scared to death!


    When the chaos began to die down, the figure in black robe suddenly uttered a strange tone, and all the spirit-manipulated beasts immediately shut up.


    The figure in black robe then began to speak in a tongue Rocky wasn''t familiar with.


    ''Is it from the spiritual race?'' Rocky thought to himself. He figured this was the most logical answer, even though he hadn''t seen which spiritual space the figure came from. If anyone could control all these spirit-manipulated beasts, it must be someone from the spiritual race.


    ''I wish I could understand what he''s saying...'' Rocky couldn''t help but feel frustratingly curious. What on earth could he be talking about?


    "Your homeland is being invaded by the despicable human race, and they''re going to destroy everything. You can''t sit still and wait for death. You must drive them out!" Suddenly, Rocky heard the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast talking in his head. It seemed to be translating the words for him!


    Rocky''s expression turned cold when he heard the words. Obviously, the mysterious figure wanted to provoke these spirit-manipulated beasts to attack the treasure hunting teams led by the six princes.


    The mysterious figure suddenly waved his hand dismissively, and all the spirit-manipulated beasts in the valley immediately dispersed. But their movements were controlled, and they seemed to march in a formation as they retreated.


    "Prince Woods might be in trouble, but I have no idea where he is now. I need to warn him," Rocky said anxiously. "If only I brought a spirit-manipulated beast that could send them a message..." Rocky frowned at the sudden turn of events. Not only was Prince Woods in danger, but his quest to find the spiritual treasure just got a whole lot more dangerous, with all these spirit-manipulated beasts roaming around. After weighing his options, he figured his best bet would be to keep on treasure hunting. After all, Woods was not alone, and the cultivators who were with him should be able to protect him. And with that, he turned around abruptly, with th


    n her.


    "Why shouldn''t I? This is strange. To be honest, I''ve even seen the members of Heavenly Demon Clan!" Rocky replied with a faint smile.


    "Oh, it seems that I have underestimated you. Who the hell are you? If you were able to see people from the spiritual race, you must be quite powerful," the girl asked hesitantly, driven by curiosity.


    "Beauty, tell me your name first, and I''ll tell you who I am. Otherwise, I refuse," Rocky said shamelessly.


    "Humph, why should I tell you? I don''t care who you are. You''re about to die, anyway. I don''t want to get all sentimental." The girl cast him an indifferent glance, and puckered her lips snootily.


    "Oh, please don''t be so cruel," Rocky coaxed gently. "Since I''m about to die, you''re the last person I''ll ever see. Why don''t you just tell me your name? You must have incredible, supernatural power since you can drive so many spirit-manipulated beasts." Narrowing his eyes slightly, Rocky continued cautiously, "And I suppose that you must know about the spiritual treasure hidden in this Hell of Dragon Fang too, right?" Batting his eyelashes innocently, Rocky pouted at her, trying his best to look helpless.


    "Of course I know!" the girl said indignantly.


    "So it''s real! There truly is a spiritual treasure here! Can you tell me where it is?" Rocky asked excitedly.


    "Why should I tell you? Are we friends?" the girl asked coldly, not falling into his trap. She rolled her eyes at him.


    "You don''t know, do you?" Rocky tried to goad her.

 Chapter 1001 Your Spiritual Soul In His Body

    The beauty of the spiritual race snorted and said with certainty, "That''s where you are completely mistaken! No one knows about it except me."


    "Hmmm. Really? I''m about to die anyway, so you can already tell me where the spiritual treasure is. This secret will be buried with me. Otherwise, I will die and enter hell with regret," Rocky said. He tried his best to pretend that he was sad.


    "You''re totally doomed today. If you find out, then I guarantee that you''ll die with regret even more. How about I give you a quick death instead? That sounds better." Obviously, the beauty was not easily fooled by Rocky''s words.


    Rocky narrowed his eyes in suspicion. He felt that the beauty had already made up her mind. She was definitely going to kill him.


    Sure enough, the beautiful girl waved her hand. The cage of spiritual power that trapped Rocky immediately disappeared.


    Seeing this, he immediately held his Frozen Wind Dagger around his waist and was ready to fight, because he knew that the beauty was far stronger than him. For her, killing him was as easy as killing an ant. However, he still had his trump card up his sleeve. As long as the beauty made a move, he would immediately activate the Spirit Possession and try his best to avoid her.


    Although he had his trump card which was the ancient spiritual beast, he could only use it when he had no more options left. Activating the spiritual beast needed a lot of effort because he needed the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast to control it. And every time he activated the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast to control the ancient spiritual beast, it would consume a lot of his strength. That was the reason why it was his last option.


    However, it was finally the time to use his last resort. If he could not avoid the beauty''s attack, then the only choice for him was to release the ancient spiritual beast. That would be Rocky''s only chance of survival.


    At that time, the beauty was staring at him with her eyes full of killing intent. Her lovely face suddenly became serious and she seemed to be about to make a move. But right on cue, she seemed to sense something unusual. Feeling strange, she approached Rocky in no time.


    As soon as the beauty pounced, Rocky immediately became alert and was preparing to merge with Ken through the Spirit Possession. However, he found that the deadly aura emitted by the beauty had disappeared. The previous aura was replaced instead by a pu


    three-dimensional reflection in the air, it formed a blurry figure which looked magnificently beautiful and elegant.


    "Hey. What is the matter? We have not contacted each other for so long. I think it''s been decades, right?" The delicate figure in the ball said in a hushed and soft voice.


    "I encountered a man just now who has your spiritual soul in his body. So, I wanted to ask you if there was something going on between you and him. Or have you forgotten the last words of our ancestors? Do you need me to remind you? They specifically directed us not to do anything with any human being. But somehow you..." the beauty said with a frown. She was totally dismayed at the figure in the ball.


    "What? Is he in the Hell of Dragon Fang now?" the blurry figure said in complete surprise.


    "So, you confirm that you know him," the beauty suddenly blurted out. She could not contain her disappointment. Her face was a mixture of anger and dismay.


    "Tell me, what is he doing there?" the figure asked insistently.


    "It seems that he and a group of humans are looking for the spiritual treasure that is hidden here," the beauty replied briefly.


    "What? He is looking for that spiritual treasure? This secret should only be known by the spiritual race. This group of people must have been instigated by some spiritual race, right?" the pretty figure asked after thinking for a few moments.


    "If my guess is right, the Wood Clan started this. Not long ago, several members of the Wood Clan came here to investigate something. But I drove them all out of here," the beauty guessed. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

 Chapter 1002 The Dreadful Secret

    "The Wood Clan? Are you sure? The Wood Clan wants to get the spiritual treasure so badly. They must have some ulterior motive and scheme behind it. It never occurred to me that they would use humans to enter the Hell of Dragon Fang and look for the treasure. Chances are that they could not break through the forbidden spell, so they had to use humans to do it for them. But the guardian beast that protected the spiritual treasure was too powerful for humans to handle," the delicate figure commented as she saw through the whole situation. "But if it was a human, you could not kill him, right? Based on our ancestral teachings, we are not allowed to harm any human beings."


    "To deal with those simple obstacles, I don''t have to do it myself! I already activated the spirit-manipulated beasts of the Hell of Dragon Fang to deal with those humans," the beautiful figure from the spiritual race snorted.


    "Where is that man? You did not kill him, did you?" the figure suddenly asked.


    "Is he your lover? Why did you give your spiritual soul to him?" the beauty asked. Her face showed concern as she waited for an answer.


    "Of course not! It''s just that he is valuable at the moment and may come in handy in the future," the figure replied softly, but her tone sounded cold and murderous.


    "What do you mean he is valuable? Is he so important that you would go against the teachings of our ancestors and get involved with a human being? You even gave him your spiritual soul! You are completely aware of what the other spiritual races, especially the major spiritual races, would do to us if they found out the traces of our race!" the beauty reprimanded the figure in the projection.


    "I know. But I trust that this person can help us open the sacred place. I had to take the risk!" the figure insisted.


    "How can a mere human open our sacred place?" The beauty of the spiritual race was taken by surprise. She was not convinced that a mere human could help them.


    "Didn''t you sense the power that is hidden inside his body?" the figure pointed out.


    The beauty thought about it and replied, "Yes, I did. But I was worried that your spiritual soul is inside a human body at that time and did


    ocky walked for two days before he finally reached the flame mountain. It looked like an elegant piece of art, connected by four huge pillars. In between the gaps were wild, smokeless flames, blazing out of control. The entire place was majestic and emanated with magnificent aura.


    The flame mountain was said to be the hell on earth. Spirit-manipulated beasts at the fifth grade of five-star level or even six-star level protected the entire mountain from intruders. They were mighty guards that patrolled around the blazing mountain, ready to pounce on anyone who came near. There were hundreds of them, and not even a fly could go near.


    "I don''t know if I can do this..." The only way for him to enter the mountain was through Ken''s invisibility ability. However, he was worried about the countless spirit-manipulated beasts that kept the surrounding area under surveillance. The stronger ones would definitely have razor-sharp senses, and could detect him despite Ken''s invisibility ability. This happened when he entered the Mysterious Cave. He encountered a guardian beast that could see through Ken''s invisibility ability. It terrified him that if it happened again, it would be disastrous for both of them.


    Still, the spiritual treasure was now within his reach. The danger was not enough for him to give up. With this, he pulled himself together and instructed Ken to activate its invisibility ability. Rocky then walked towards the mountain stealthily.

 Chapter 1003 The Shocking Temperature

    After walking for a bit, Rocky saw two spirit-manipulated beasts at the fifth grade of the five-star level approaching him. They seemed to be a couple, with their necks intertwined and their temples rubbing against each other''s.


    Of course, Rocky didn''t want to disturb the loving couple, so he and Ken quietly moved to the side. However, just as they evaded the two, another spirit-manipulated beast appeared out of nowhere and came charging towards them. It darted all the way like mad, leaving a cloud of dust in its trail.


    Fortunately, Rocky reacted on time, and just narrowly dodged the angry beast. Rocky hated to think of what would''ve happened if they had collided. Shaking his head slightly, Rocky motioned for Ken to keep moving forward.


    Both of them determinedly trudged forward, keeping an eye out for other spirit-manipulated beasts. Carefully, they made their way around stealthily, until they finally reached the edge of the flame mountain.


    As they got closer, Rocky felt something strange. It seemed as though the mountain was emitting a strong spiritual power, but that something simultaneously was blocking it.


    ''The beauty didn''t lie to me, '' Rocky thought to himself. ''The flame mountain should be the place where the spiritual treasure is hidden away, but I don''t think things will be that simple.''


    He immediately surveyed the side of the mountain, looking for an entrance. But after a long search, he found none.


    As he scratched his chin, Rocky''s gaze shifted from the foot of the mountain to its top. He saw that there were some sparse gashes in the air a hundred meters above the ground, like ventilation openings.


    ''It looks like I''m going to have to fly there, '' he thought to himself. However, if he wanted to fly at all, he would need to untie the state of invisibility first. It was incredibly risky, considering they were surrounded by spirit-manipulated beasts. They would be in immediate danger the second they let go of the invisibility.


    Gritting hi


    enly roared to life and expanded across Rocky''s skin. Then, as he raised his right palm, a purple vortex appeared, which sucked part of the flame quickly.


    Because of everything that just happened, Rocky had a bitter taste in his mouth. "Bleh!" He spat out a mouthful of blood.


    As though that wasn''t enough misfortune, he tripped over something and fell deeper into the hole, tumbling against the rough stone floor.


    When he finally reached a stop, he couldn''t help but curse out loud. "It''s so fucking exciting!" Picking himself up awkwardly, he brushed the dust off his clothes. Looking around him suspiciously, Rocky felt as though he''d fallen into the depths of hell.


    The mountain interior was filled with tower-shaped buildings of various sizes, which made him feel like he just entered a Buddhist sacred place. However, the serene scene was constantly disrupted by columns of flames violently bursting out of nowhere on random areas on the ground. It seemed hot and powerful enough to melt all the buildings.


    Moreover, the temperature inside the mountain was shockingly high. Even the spiritual power that was protecting his body could not defend him from such high temperature. It seemed Rocky was stuck in an endless cycle of sweating profusely, then being completely dry, as his sweat was immediately evaporated.

 Chapter 1004 I Dont Want To Stay Long

    Rocky walked with quick steps around the tower-shaped buildings, going deeper with no hesitation. His movements were fast and determined because he didn''t want to spend more time here than was needed. The temperature was too high. He needed to find the spiritual treasure as soon as possible. After walking for a while, he came upon a wide stone path with stone doors that were almost ten meters high. At the end of this path were huge stone steps, and a circular altar with a diameter of a hundred meters stood at the end.


    This altar was surrounded by blazing flames that reached dozens of feet high, and it was emitting a strong spiritual power.


    "It seems like the flames around the altar is an enchanted barrier. If so, then the spiritual treasure should be inside it," Rocky murmured thoughtfully.


    As he approached the altar, a powerful aura fell from the sky, stopping him on his tracks. In the next moment, the ground shook up and down as if an earthquake had struck.


    Rocky looked around wildly and saw a figure that was even bigger than a spirit-manipulated beast at the six-star level on the right side of the altar. It landed somewhere amid the tower-shaped buildings. Based on what it looked like from a distance, it could be an eagle or a phoenix, as it had feathers that glinted and shone like they were on fire. It also had three heads that resembled an eagle''s, while its eyes were as sharp as a hawk''s. Three thick, long tails helped it steer mid-flight, and like its feathers, its tail was brightly shining as if it was alight with flames. The creature''s flaming visage left burn marks wherever they passed.


    Of course, the most amazing thing was the aura it released. Its aura was above the seven-star level, and it was a guardian beast.


    It was said that the strength of a spirit-manipulated beast at the seven-star level was equivalent to that of a spirit manipulator at the Immortal Stage, let alone a guardian beast. Therefore, the strength of this guardian beast must be off the charts.


    "No wonder that beauty said that no one could get close to the spiritual treasure. With a guardian beast like this guarding the spiritual treasur


    merged from the ground around the enchanted barrier, and they began to rush toward the enchanted barrier one after another.


    As each human-shaped plant collided with the enchanted barrier, it exploded, and the explosion twisted the flames of the enchanted barrier.


    Some time passed, and it felt like more than a hundred had exploded. But still, the enchanted barrier that surrounded the flame altar remained intact.


    Seeing this, Alyssa frowned. Even though she had expected that the enchanted barrier would be tough to break, she was dismayed that her wooden spirit skill didn''t damage it a little.


    However, Alyssa didn''t give up and continued attacking.


    Meanwhile, Alyssa''s spiritual beast at the six-star level was at a disadvantage in its fight against the Fire Phoenix Eagle. After all, its enemy was a guardian beast at the seven-star level which was far stronger than a spirit-manipulated beast at the seven-star level. Therefore, its enemy could easily deal with a spirit-manipulated beast at the six-star level.


    It wasn''t long before Alyssa''s spiritual beast was too exhausted to fight, and it began to retreat from the Fire Phoenix Eagle''s powerful flame attack.


    Suddenly, the Fire Phoenix Eagle shot out an intense flame and forced back Alyssa''s spiritual beast. It flapped its wings of fire, and its force threw back the spiritual beast. The latter crashed into a tower-shaped building, raising dust dozens of feet.

 Chapter 1005 Came Into The State Cultivated Together

    Then, the Fire Phoenix Eagle soared into the air and rushed towards Alyssa. When she saw that the Fire Phoenix Eagle was flying over her, Alyssa''s face suddenly changed. The Fire Phoenix Eagle suddenly spewed out several flame bombs while it was flying in the air. It looked like as if meteorites were continuously falling to the ground. As the flame bombs hit the ground, it automatically exploded which was an effective attack.


    Alyssa didn''t dare to be careless especially with these kinds of attack. So, she began to fly around the altar to avoid the attack of the Fire Phoenix Eagle. However, the Fire Phoenix Eagle suddenly raised its head as it flew and roared towards the sky. All of a sudden, the enchanted barrier around the flame altar unleashed strong flame waves as if it was affected by the Fire Phoenix Eagle''s roaring.


    Alyssa didn''t expect that the Fire Phoenix Eagle could manipulate the power of the enchanted barrier. Caught off guard, she was directly hit by the scorching flame wave. The power of the flame wave was naturally strong, so it threw Alyssa more than ten meters away in a matter of seconds.


    Fortunately, Alyssa''s spiritual power of protection was not broken by the waves, or else she would have been seriously injured. At this time, the Fire Phoenix Eagle seized the opportunity to pounce on top of Alyssa''s head. It was flying so fast towards her, as if Alyssa was like its game.


    When she saw that she was surrounded by the guardian beast, Alyssa realized that she had no chances of going back. So, she calmly used the wooden spirit skill to activate the wood enchanted barrier to escape from the vicious attacks of the Fire Phoenix Eagle.


    Although Alyssa was already very powerful, the Fire Phoenix Eagle was frightfully more powerful as a guardian beast. So, the wood enchanted barrier couldn''t resist the attacks for long and soon showed signs of collapse.


    With a few loud thuds, the flame balls from the Fire Phoenix Eagle finally broke through Alyssa''s enchanted barrier and massively exploded.


    Due to the excessive spiritual power, Alyssa was directly thrown out. Her body slammed into a tower building, which caused the building to shatter into pieces.


    Alyssa''s face turned deathly pale, and blood spilled from the corner of her mouth. It seemed that the impact seriously injured her. The mere fact that a master at the Divine Stage like her could be seriously hurt by the Fire Phoenix Eagle


    ber Deity Empire. And to be frank, you are still my enemy to some extent. So, how can I tell you this secret?" Alyssa grumbled, she was annoyed that Rocky was questioning her.


    "Oh! So, it''s a secret? Well then, I guess it must have something to do with the Wood Clan! This spiritual treasure is the same thing that the Wood Clan wants, right? That''s interesting. However, if the Wood Clan sent some spiritual slaves or ordinary spiritual beings here, they might have already found the spiritual treasure. So, why did they send the people from the Timber Deity Empire to look for it?" It was very easy for Rocky to guess that the search for the spiritual treasure was related to the Wood Clan, and that the Timber Deity Empire was only obeying their order. But why didn''t the Wood Clan do it themselves? This was the part that Rocky couldn''t guess. Of course, there must be some reason for this.


    "This place has been cursed a long time ago. No spiritual race can ever enter this place. Only humans can." Alyssa didn''t expect that Rocky was smart enough to guess everything. So, Alyssa subconsciously told him a little about the secret.


    "Ah, I see." Rocky nodded thoughtfully.


    "Is that enough information for you?" Alyssa menacingly glared at Rocky and then sat down with legs crossed.


    Rocky immediately untied the state of Spirit Possession when Alyssa sat down. He first sent Ken back to the Magic Spiritual Space for a rest, and then called out Robin to protect them. Then, he sat down with his legs crossed just like Alyssa. He took out the Sea Blue Magic Jade, and entered the state of dual cultivation with Alyssa.

 Chapter 1006 The Invitation

    Time flew so fast, no one noticed that more than ten hours had passed. Alyssa''s injury turned out to be more serious than they had expected. Fortunately, with the help of the Sea Blue Magic Jade, together with the magic effect of the dual cultivation, she recovered within a day.


    Alyssa became even better after the dual cultivation. Her wounds were completely healed and her pale face was now tinted with a red blush on her cheeks.


    "I think you became more beautiful. As if nothing happened to you," Rocky teased.


    Alyssa made a face as she heard Rocky''s words, then turned away from him to hide the faint smile that crept on her face. They were still in a dangerous situation, and she knew that it was not easy for Rocky to crack a joke at this time.


    "What should we do now?" Rocky stood up and asked.


    "The purpose of this task is to get the spiritual treasure, but the guardian beast guarding it is stronger than I imagined. It looks like that if we want to get the spiritual treasure, I have to deal with this seven star guardian beast first. But I''m afraid I can''t do it on my own. I have to send out a signal and gather a few treasure hunting teams to help me capture the spiritual treasure!" Alyssa thought about it carefully. Rocky was right, the seven star guardian beast was more dangerous than she had expected, and she herself could not break the enchanted barrier that sealed the spiritual treasure. The only way was to gather the power of several treasure hunting teams.


    "What about this task? If they all turn up, then the task will be meaningless." Rocky could not help but express his worry.


    "We can decide after we get rid of that seven star guardian beast," Alyssa answered calmly. For her, the most important thing was to get the spiritual treasure.


    "But even if we send out the signal, the treasure hunting teams may not survive the danger they need to face just to get here," Rocky said bluntly. His eyes filled with uncertainty.


    "What do you mean?" Alyssa looked at Rocky in confusion.


    "The spirit-manipulated beasts of the Hell of Dragon Fang did not seem happy with our presence. I doubt they would gladly welcome the treasure hunting teams, regardless if they were led by several


    ld like to give Alston some advice. After all, Alston is the remaining heir to the throne of the Holy Dragon Empire. It''s very gracious for the head of the Dragon Master Clan to do that," the emperor replied with great regret. For him, Basil was the rightful heir to the throne and not Alston.


    "But this never happened before. Your Majesty, are you really going to send Prince Alston there? I''m afraid that the Dragon Master Clan might have other intentions..." One of the royal founding members objected to the idea. There was no apparent reason for Alston to go to the Dragon Master Clan. Moreover, the Dragon Master Clan had never invited a successor of the Holy Dragon Empire before they took over the throne. It was always the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire that was invited and allowed to go to the Dragon Master Clan. Because of this, they could not understand why the Dragon Master Clan would request the presence of Alston, the eldest prince, to their palace.


    The other founding members nodded in agreement.


    "I think we should be cautious about this." No one was more knowledgeable about the Dragon Master Clan than Marcia, and she did not feel comfortable with the Dragon Master Clan''s invitation at all.


    "Since it is the order of the head of the Dragon Master Clan, we have no reason to refuse, nor can we refuse!" The emperor was also reluctant to send Alston, but since the Dragon Master Clan had already sent its people, it was impossible for him to refuse.

 Chapter 1007 None Left

    "Your Majesty, I don''t think it''s a good idea to worry about trouble that may not possibly come. After all, it''s believed that the Dragon Master Clan and our Holy Dragon Empire share a lot in common. In fact, we owe it to them, for we can''t have made our nation so prosperous without the Dragon Master Clan''s backup. Therefore, I believe that they will never do anything unfavorable for the benefit of our nation." Priest Dean immediately took a step forward and expressed his support to Alston. Moreover, this was his way to urge the emperor to allow Alston''s trip to the Dragon Master Clan.


    After thinking about it carefully, the emperor nodded his head. He glanced at Alston and asked him, "So, what do you think, Alston?"


    "Father, I cannot agree more with Priest Dean''s opinion. The Dragon Master Clan''s invitation may be a little abrupt, but I suppose that they got their own reasons for doing so. Maybe they just want to learn more about me before I take over the throne and see for themselves if I really have what it takes to become an emperor. Even though the Dragon Master Clan never intervenes in the state affairs of our nation, I have observed that they always send emissaries to test the heir to the throne. Am I right? I suppose that they just chose a different approach this time, and I don''t see anything inappropriate with it, Father." At that moment, Alston was not at all worried about his coming trip to the Dragon Master Clan. In fact, he was actually excited, because this was an opportunity for him to be on the good side of the Dragon Master Clan and gain their appreciation. He knew that he would benefit a lot from this in the future if he got their attention.


    Some of these benefits were, for instance, the privilege of the heir to the throne to visit the Dragon Master Clan once a year to improve their strength. From the previous experiences, the heir could break through at least one grade higher. In such a case that the heir was gifted, it would be possible for him or her to break through two or three grades in one blow. Moreover, there was a chance for the heir to receive valuable gifts from the Dragon Master Clan.


    Therefore, Alston made up his mind not to miss a precious opportunity, such as this one.


    "Well, since you''re all so confident about it, then I suppose that it''s alright for Alston to go with the messenger." After careful consideration, the emperor finally nodded as a sign of approval.


    "Thank you for this. I won''t disappoint all of you!" Alston said with determination. However, a sinister smile was hiding beh


    g teams in front of her.


    However, her presence surprised the six teams. But all of them had gathered around her first.


    Shortly after, the incoming beasts barricaded all the people in the area.


    Apparently, all the teams were just waiting for Alyssa''s instructions. Just like a born leader that she was, Alyssa didn''t think twice and immediately took the position. As the master soul of the current Timber Deity Empire, her appearance alone could strengthen the worried hearts of the people.


    Meanwhile, Alyssa ordered the elders led by Lucas and the six-star spirit-manipulated beasts to spread out in an arc to form a defensive barrier to resist the attacks of the incoming beasts.


    At the same time, she commanded these manipulators of the Supernal Stage to disperse in the arc line. Their goal was to suppress the spirit-manipulated beasts that broke into their defensive line. On the other hand, spirit manipulators of the Heavenly Stage were left to protect the princes and the injured ones and, at the same time, assist the defense.


    At that moment, all the anxious people calmed down and took their proper places under Alyssa''s command. Soon after, they blocked the desperate attacks of the spirit-manipulated beasts efficiently by bringing their excellent fighting power to their peaks.


    After being at a stalemate for two hours, the insane spirit-manipulated beasts suddenly retreated like the tide. Not long after, they were out of enemies. Moreover, it was so strange that even the more advanced spirit-manipulated beasts hanging around the mountain were nowhere to be found. The place suddenly became extremely quiet, leaving only Alyssa, the six princes, and their treasure hunting teams.

 Chapter 1008 Suspicious Of Their Relationship

    "Alyssa, what are you doing here?" Some of the princes came forward with puzzled looks on their faces. They rushed to Alyssa''s side, then turned their curious gazes toward her. Geoffrey asked first.


    "The spiritual treasure is buried inside this mountain," she declared as she pointed to the flame mountain behind her.


    When the six treasure hunting teams heard this, they were taken aback. They had been searching for the spiritual treasure tirelessly, so it was a surprise that they came upon it entirely by accident. Despite finding the hiding place of the treasure, they still weren''t happy because the six treasure hunting teams had all gathered here. It meant that they were back into the starting line.


    Therefore, the princes started furiously thinking of what they should do. They wondered if they should summon their team members now, so they could rush in and grab the spiritual treasure first.


    "However, you can''t get the spiritual treasure alone. There is a powerful guardian beast inside. No team can deal with it alone..." Alyssa had seen through the princes'' minds at once, so she immediately dispelled their thoughts of monopolizing the treasure.


    The princes looked at each other with disappointment.


    "Hey, bastard..." At this time, Queenie''s sharp eyes noticed that Rocky and Ken were standing a hundred meters away from them.


    Everyone immediately looked up and saw that Rocky was also there. They, too, were surprised because none of them noticed him arrive.


    "Sister, why is Mr. Rookie here?" Woods asked immediately.


    "He is the first one to find the place where the spiritual treasure is," Alyssa answered straightforwardly.


    Her words surprised everyone present. They didn''t expect that Rocky would find the spiritual treasure faster than Alyssa and the six treasure hunting teams. Moreover, he went deep into the dangerous area alone. It was simply unimaginable!


    They were far from impressed, however, since all the princes knew that the final result of this mission depended on the performance of the six treasure hunting teams. Rocky, who was the first one to find the spiritual treasure, would give Woods'' tre


    ams are very powerful, so their performance will naturally be better than ours. If you want to decide the winner by that, I will be the first one to disagree," Algy immediately protested. He was not stupid enough to give up his opportunity.


    The other three princes also expressed their disagreement. Of course, they were all on the same side as Algy.


    Their inability to work together was beginning to annoy Alyssa. If the other four princes did not cooperate, they might not be able to obtain the spiritual treasure. She couldn''t do this with just the power of Geoffrey''s and Woods'' treasure hunting teams. With the two teams, it would be tough to break the enchanted barrier that was protecting the spiritual treasure around the flame altar. Not to mention, it would be impossible to defeat a seven-star guardian beast with their strength.


    At this time, Rocky, who was standing quietly away from the crowd, was lost in thought. An idea came to his mind, so he approached Alyssa nonchalantly and whispered something to her ear.


    Alyssa seemed to like his idea, judging from the way her eyes lit up happily. She gave Rocky a faint smile, which threw everyone for a loop. They had never seen her smile like that before! Neither have they seen her look so comfortable with other men, except for her brother, Woods. What was special about this guy? At that moment, everyone began to doubt the relationship between Alyssa and Rocky.

 Chapter 1009 A Good Chance

    Alyssa looked around the crowd before she turned to the four princes. Then, she relayed what Rocky had told her. "Mr. Rookie has just put forth a suggestion. He proposed that since Prince Algy and the other three princes were worried about losing the opportunity to compete, we can just take the following performance as the judgment basis. What do you think, brothers?"


    When they heard this, Algy and the other three princes looked at each other to gauge each other''s reaction. Then Algy said, "It sounds good, but with what criteria will you be judging us? What do you consider good performance and bad performance in action? Besides, the treasure hunting teams under Geoffrey and Woods are obviously stronger. If we take action at the same time, they will still have an advantage."


    "Mr. Rookie has also considered that." Alyssa raised an impatient eyebrow, as she waited for them to say anything more. And when they didn''t, she continued, "Since the seven-star guardian beast is very powerful, it is unlikely that we can defeat it completely. We have to work together so that we can, at least, obtain that spiritual treasure, while the others are actively distracting it. Therefore, we have to divide into two groups. The first team will be responsible for keeping the seven-star guardian beast at bay. In contrast, the other side will be responsible for breaking the enchanted barrier that protects the spiritual treasure. And for the sake of fairness, the people who will be fighting the seven-star guardian beast will be chosen according to the strength of your treasure hunting team. The strong teams will be chosen with more people than the weaker teams. Through this, we will make sure that all the treasure hunting teams are equally strong."


    "If that''s the case, then I have no objection. But there must be a standard for the assessment of good performance, right?" Algy said shrewdly.


    "The remaining members of the six treasure hunting teams can choose where they will break through. But be aware that as soon as the enchanted barrier is broken, the spiritual treasure will naturally lose its protection. In this way, each treasure hunting team will have a chance to obtain the spiritual treasure. Therefore, the team that can get the spiritual treasure first and bring i


    r Royal Highness say to you just now?"


    Rocky glanced at her and smiled, "She asked me when I plan to marry you."


    Lucilla blushed heavily at this remark, and she answered awkwardly, "I''ll explain it to her later. Please don''t take it seriously, Mr. Rookie, and don''t feel pressured to do as they wish. I''ll handle it myself."


    "I believe it''s a great fortune for any man to marry you, Chief Lucilla. Why, a lot of them are chasing after you," Rocky said frankly.


    "Unfortunately, Mr. Rookie is not one of those men. Maybe it''s just because I don''t have the luck!" Lucilla sighed.


    "I''m not a good man, Chief Lucilla. I don''t deserve you," Rocky answered earnestly, suddenly meeting Lucilla''s soft gaze.


    Her eyes flashed as she steeled herself to say something, but before she could, Queenie came rushing in.


    "Hey, bastard! Cover me later so that I can grab the spiritual treasure. I''m sure I can get it..." "Queenie, don''t be so rude," Lucilla reprimanded immediately.


    Meanwhile, Rocky only smiled at Queenie''s rudeness. "Okay, you can grab it later as you wish," he said, still smiling.


    "Mr. Rookie, you can''t just let her do whatever she wants. It will just reinforce her bad behavior! Don''t expect her to get the spiritual treasure..." Of course, Lucilla knew her sister well, so she knew that she was likely to fail.


    "The stronger they are, the more they will be targeted. So Queenie might have a chance..." Rocky said with a strangely knowing smile as if he already had a good plan in mind.

 Chapter 1010 Aggressiveness

    After preparing everything, Alyssa guided the three peerless masters at the Divine Stage and eight masters at the Supernal Stage to fake attack the flame altar. Soon after, the six treasure hunting teams stealthily approached the flame altar from various directions.


    However, when Alyssa and her team were only a few inches away from the flame altar, the Fire Phoenix Eagle had spotted them. In a flash, it flew out of its nest furiously, shooting up the sky and soon, landing on the ground.


    At that moment, the four masters at the Divine Stage, including Alyssa, gathered their respective spirit-manipulated beasts at the six-star level to deal with the seven-star Fire Phoenix Eagle. Not long after, the eight masters at the Supernal Stage with their beasts scattered around and surrounded the Fire Phoenix Eagle, ready to attack it.


    Alyssa and her team did their best to get the attention of the Fire Phoenix Eagle. After being successful in attracting it, she gestured her hand and ordered her people to withdraw from the fight and lead the Fire Phoenix Eagle to the tower-shaped buildings on the east side of the flame altar. Now, they had managed to get the Fire Phoenix Eagle away from the flame altar.


    Simultaneously, several princes directed each of their treasure hunting teams to the flame altar. Once they arrived in the area, they began to attack the enchanted barrier that surrounded the flame altar.


    As a result, strong flame waves exploded from it in an instant. But the treasure hunting teams were prepared in advance and already expected this. Therefore, several Timber spirit manipulators from each team utilized their own enchanted barriers to resist the counterattack of the enchanted barrier.


    In the blink of an eye, both parties were in a stalemate.


    Unfortunately for the spirit manipulators, this seven-star Fire Phoenix Eagle was really powerful. In fact, it was not at a disadvantage at all, despite being attacked by four six-star spirit-manipulated beasts, four peerless masters at the Divine Stage, and eight masters at the Supernal Stage.


    On the other hand, these treasure hunting teams also attacked the enchanted barrier. After bursting out non-stop severe attacks, the enchanted barrier began to


    king the Fire Phoenix Eagle were shocked to see a guardian beast at the seven-star level right in front of them.


    What surprised Alyssa and others the most was that after the Ice Phoenix Eagle appeared, the Fire Phoenix Eagle became more aggressive. The flames all over its body instantly soared, and its attack was still violent. At this moment, Alyssa and the others realized that one wrong move could send them to their graves, so they had to do whatever it took them to be careful. In addition, they knew they had to fight with all their strength, leaving them with no time to help the other treasure hunting teams.


    Meanwhile, the Ice Phoenix Eagle had landed on the ground. Although it stopped spitting cold air from its mouth, its huge figure directly blocked the flame altar, causing several treasure hunting teams not to get a single step closer.


    The guards who had retreated a hundred meters looked at each other as if no one dared to attack it again.


    "Brothers, let''s do everything in our power to fight together and hold the guardian beast," Woods said to the princes at once.


    "Woods, if you want to fight, then do it yourself. We don''t want to die today." Obviously, Algy was a little afraid of the power of the Ice Phoenix Eagle. In addition, he didn''t want to fight so that he could preserve his strength and snatch the spiritual treasure.


    As soon as Algy finished speaking, it seemed that he had convinced the other princes not to attack the guardian beast as well.

 Chapter 1011 Spirit Possession

    Alexander, who was standing next to Geoffrey, immediately turned to him with an alarmed expression. "Your Royal Highness, please wait for a moment," he said pleadingly.


    "No! If we can''t get the treasure, it will be more disadvantageous for us," Geoffrey answered at once. "We have to control this guardian beast, as Alyssa and the others have done. Only then can we create opportunities to break the enchanted barrier. Anyway, in terms of overall strength, we are still slightly stronger..." He knew that it would be challenging to deal with the Ice Phoenix Eagle even with their strength. If they didn''t work together, they would never get close enough to the enchanted barrier, let alone damage it. He was confident in the skills of his men, so he wasn''t afraid that they would be outshone. He immediately turned to Woods and said, "Woods, let us fight together."


    Hearing this, Woods nodded immediately.


    Thus, the two groups united as one. Their new team was exceptional, considering that they had Alexander and Elder Brook, who were both spirit manipulators at the Divine Stage. Together, they swarmed up and fought with the Ice Phoenix Eagle.


    The other three princes saw that Geoffrey and Woods were working together, which gave them a bit of hope. They looked at each other uncertainly, thinking that they might have a chance against the ferocious beast if they worked together. They were afraid that Geoffrey and Woods would take the lead to win the game, so they promptly ordered their men to follow them.


    Only Algy and his treasure hunting team stayed there.


    "You idiots! I''ll just wait here, while you people throw away your lives. When you''re done, I will take advantage and get that treasure," Algy sneered arrogantly.


    After that, a fierce battle broke out, and the five treasure hunting teams overwhelmed with numerical strength. Five peerless masters at the Divine Stage and a dozen masters at the Supernal Stage fought valiantly, while Algy stayed back, mocking them all the while. Logically speaking, their strength was not inadequate.


    However, most of them had already consumed more than half or even more of their spiritual power to break the enchanted barrier. Then, the masters started to lose focus and kept on making stupid mistakes. The Ice Phoenix Eagle was exceedingly powerful, and the five treasure hunting teams lacked good cooperation and tacit understanding, so they cou


    spirit-manipulated beasts, and they must have a profound connection with each other. All these conditions were indispensable. Therefore, even an ordinary master at the Supernal Stage might not be able to activate the Spirit Possession with his spirit-manipulated beast.


    Besides, it was well known that Spirit Possession was a perilous skill because its process had severe consequences. If there was serious injury while they were as one, it would damage the spirit manipulator himself. Besides, Spirit Possession had an astonishing side effect. Thus, it could not be used unless it was necessary.


    The battlefield was thrown into chaos. Even though Rocky''s sudden Spirit Possession was eye-opening, his actions were confusing for the other masters. ''What was he planning?'' the other masters thought.


    While everyone was still gaping in surprise, Rocky had turned into a shadow and flew towards the Ice Phoenix Eagle. At the same time, he pulled out the Frozen Wind Dagger. He looked at the peerless masters at the Divine Stage domineeringly and said, "Excuse me, everyone. Let me through."


    Hearing Rocky''s words, the several peerless masters at the Divine Stage looked at each other at once. Although they didn''t need to follow Rocky''s orders because of their seniority, they were shocked by the momentum that he was displaying. Their feet moved on their own to obey him.


    After the peerless masters had retreated, he flew to the top of the Ice Phoenix Eagle''s head. Then, he made a chopping motion with a moon-shaped, colorful blade in the air, which was a direct hit at the Ice Phoenix Eagle''s head.

 Chapter 1012 Run For The Treasure

    Surprised by the fact that Rocky dared to act so rude over its head, the Ice Phoenix Eagle immediately turned all its attention to him. It furiously stared at Rocky, who was flying right above it, and swatted its huge wing toward him heavily, only to find that he was no longer there.


    In a flash, Rocky showed up at the left side of the circular altar. The area was a relatively decent opening which gave him the opportunity to attack. So, he threw several colorful moon-shaped blades at the Ice Phoenix Eagle from a distance. He was filled with arrogance, confident that he could take down the Ice Phoenix Eagle.


    Completely outraged by Rocky, the Ice Phoenix Eagle waved its wings violently and dashed towards him immediately. It kept spitting out ice bombs while it was moving. The ice bombs exploded as soon as they reached Rocky, but most of the ice bombs could not get to him at all.


    When the Ice Phoenix Eagle drew near, Rocky suddenly stopped moving and floated in the air motionlessly. In the blink of an eye, the Ice Phoenix Eagle was almost a few meters from Rocky. But Rocky was still where he was a few moments ago. He did not move at all and he looked at the Ice Phoenix Eagle with perfect composure.


    Everyone had their hearts in their mouths as they fixed their eyes on Rocky. However, there were always exceptions, such as Geoffrey, and the father and son of the Qi Clan, who were more than eager to see the Ice Phoenix Eagle tear Rocky into pieces.


    "Oh, look out, Mr. Rookie!" Lucilla murmured to herself. Her heart and mind kept was about to explode at what she was watching. Although she knew that Rocky must have something up in his sleeve, she did not understand why he needed to put his life on the line.


    "What is this bastard thinking about? This is unbelievable! Is he out of his mind? Why won''t he dodge from the attacks?" Queenie also became extremely anxious because of the situation. She was breathing too hard and she could not quite control it. She coughed a few times to stabilize it, but her eyes did not leave Rocky for a moment.


    Everyone could not figure out why he stayed still even though there was an incoming attack. They all thought that he was asking for death, but then they saw that his eyes narrowed into slits. They did not expect that an evil spirit was quietly coming into being. In an instant, a mixture of the Evil Flame and a colorful spiritual light came out of him. It emitted an extremely strange color, which surprised everyone who saw it.


    Then, Rocky gathered his spiritual power and trembled. This caused a crack


    k dragon shadow. It was a power that would definitely make some of them unable to fall asleep at night.


    Because of the strong impact of the chaotic light, the enchanted barrier around the circular altar exploded like glass. Strong flames erupted everywhere, like volcanoes spewing lava from its crater.


    "Look! The enchanted barrier has been broken! Come on! Now''s our chance!" someone suddenly shouted out of nowhere.


    Everyone snapped out of their thoughts. They were shaking as they put their eyes on the altar. In the middle of which was a piece of spiritual treasure that was floating in the air.


    It looked like an ancient mirror, oval and set in a cyan wooden frame. The frame was not smooth, it was intertwined with branches and tendrils. The mirror was not smooth as well. It was a flat stone that emitted a faint green light and constantly rippled like a lake.


    Everyone who fixed their eyes on it knew that it was the spiritual treasure that they had been looking for these past few days. That was the very reason they came all the way here.


    "Well, what are you waiting for?! Go ahead! Someone take it!" Algy shouted immediately, his eyes filled with greed. As soon as Algy gave his order, the spirit manipulators around him rushed towards the altar.


    The masters of the Divine Stage who were closer to the altar had all dashed toward the spiritual treasure too.


    The spirit manipulators who were farther away didn''t hesitate and started to run as well. The spirit manipulators of the Heavenly Stage, who were very eager to show off their abilities, followed them closely.


    In an instant, over 30 figures were swarming towards the altar. They were all desperate to seize hold of the treasure.

 Chapter 1013 Retreat From The Flame Mountain

    At that moment, the Ice Phoenix Eagle dropped to the ground with a loud thud. Although one of its ice wings broke, it quickly got up and let out a sharp roar. Then it rushed forward to begin its slaughter.


    Everyone was focused on getting their hands on the spiritual treasure, so none of them heeded the Ice Phoenix Eagle. The resulting scene was extremely chaotic.


    "What a fearless bunch!" Right then, Rocky floated in the air. One moment he sneered and narrowed his eyes. The next moment, he vanished.


    Because they didn''t work together as a team against the Ice Phoenix Eagle, no one could get near the spiritual treasure and many of them ended up injured while fighting the beast.


    "Tate, go and attack it from behind!" Alexander commanded. Realizing they were in a dire situation, he worried it would only get worse.


    Tate nodded before approaching the Ice Phoenix Eagle from behind.


    "Everyone! We won''t get anywhere if we keep scrambling around for the spiritual treasure like this. Why don''t we make things easier by working together?" Alexander proposed loudly to several masters of the Divine Stage.


    Hearing his proposition, the masters of the Divine Stage glanced at each other before joining hands. This would give them a better opportunity to trap the Ice Phoenix Eagle and seize the spiritual treasure.


    Once Alexander and the other masters of the Divine Stage blocked the Ice Phoenix Eagle, around seven to eight Supernal Stage warriors proceeded to approach the spiritual treasure. This group of warriors included Tate, the two sisters from the Cao Clan, and Heavenly Wolf Harold (Algy''s subordinate and the first killer of the Timber Deity Empire).


    Depending solely on strength wouldn''t get them the spiritual treasure in such a chaotic battle. They''d also need a lot of luck.


    "Queenie, I''ll stop Tate. You go and retrieve the spiritual treasure," Lucilla instructed Queenie before heading for Tate. She''d rather have anyone else claim the spiritual treasure than allowing Tate to own it.


    "Lucilla, wh


    he eight-star level.


    This terrified all who witnessed it.


    "Run!" Alyssa shouted once she realized they were all knee-deep in a dangerous situation.


    Once the beasts successfully merged, their power would be heightened. Even if Alyssa and several other masters of the Divine Stage worked together, they might not be able to stop them.


    Out of nowhere, a spirit-manipulated beast resembling a crane flew over the flame mountain''s mouth. Two figures stood on the crane, and one of them donned a white robe and drew circles with his hands to conjure spiritual power.


    It was two powerful elders from the Timber Deity Empire.


    "Timber heaven and earth..." one of the elders named Nester shouted loudly before a strange light began to glow between his hands. Then, countless branches and tendrils quickly grew from under the feet of the two beasts who were now entangled and trapped.


    Meanwhile, the other elder summoned a giant spirit-manipulated beast that closely resembled a spider. It spat out golden threads that formed a web. Soon, both the Ice Phoenix Eagle and the Fire Phoenix Eagle were ensnared in the tight network of tendrils and threads.


    "Run! We can''t hold it for much longer," Nester exclaimed to Alyssa and the others.


    Quickly, Alyssa led her troops to the nearest opening and retreated from the flame mountain towards safety.

 Chapter 1014 The Forbidden Spell On The Spiritual Race

    Meanwhile, Rocky had already flown out of the flame mountain with Queenie. As soon as he noticed that no one was chasing them anymore, he landed swiftly and let Queenie go.


    As soon as her feet were on the ground, Queenie couldn''t stop herself from boasting, "Look! I did it! I grabbed the spiritual treasure. This is amazing!" She couldn''t take her eyes off the strangely-shaped spiritual treasure in her hand. It felt like a prize. But if it weren''t for Rocky, she couldn''t have done it. Worse, she would have been severely injured by the Heavenly Wolf.


    However, it didn''t seem like Rocky minded it, because he was silently smiling beside her. "Yeah, you are really something!" The praise easily left his mouth, as a warm smile brightened his face. He was glad that he had planned for this in advance, or else, he could have arrived too late to save Queenie. Thankfully, he appeared just in time to fight off the Heavenly Wolf.


    Now, Rocky''s mission was completed since he had gotten the spiritual treasure for Woods. Woods'' victory as the emperor''s successor should be in the bag now, thanks to the success of this treasure hunting mission. Thus, he could go back to the Holy Dragon Empire at ease.


    As he was reflecting on these things, he suddenly sensed a strong aura approaching him. When he looked up, he saw a delicate body that resembled a dragonfly, and it was rapidly falling from the sky in their direction. Thin gossamer wings were coming out of its back and sparkling under the rays of the sun. The figure''s beauty felt ethereal and dreamlike as if it was an embodiment of their dreams. Any man would have gone crazy for such a beauty.


    "It''s so beautiful! But it seems to be a spiritual race woman..." Queenie murmured in surprise, recognizing the woman''s race at a glance. She was a stunning beauty.


    Of course, Rocky was shocked as well, but it was for a very different reason. The figure looked vaguely familiar to him, and the sight of her gave him an inexplicably lousy feeling at the bottom of his stomach.


    Sure enough, when the delicate figure waved her hand, Queenie suddenly fainted and collapsed on the ground without any warning. The spiritual treasure in her hand flew directly into the delicate figure''s hand.


    "Hey, lady, couldn''t you have chosen a better time to rob us?" Rocky looked at the beautiful figure in front of him with a frown. The last thing he expected when he flew out here was to meet the woman from the spiritual race, whom he had met be


    ea that I refined in this bottle, which can help you boost your strength and integrate the hidden power in your body. The way to refine and digest the Holy Spirit Panacea is quite straightforward. Once you have taken it, your body will transform into a furnace, so you will need to completely refine and digest the Holy Spirit Panacea in your body with your spiritual power. However, with your strength, if you want to refine one Panacea, it will take a few months, at the very least, or a year at the most. It all depends on your fate. But as long as you refine these seven Panacea, your strength will reach the Divine Stage." After saying that, she threw the bottle to Rocky.


    He caught the bottle with a stunned look on his face. If the woman were telling the truth, then he would make a great fortune. However, he was still suspicious about her plans. If she had all the treasure, why did she want to hide half of the spiritual treasure? There was probably something more, and he would find that out.


    Rocky was a brilliant young man. Even though he was suspicious of the woman, he also knew that she would not prevent him from giving the whole spiritual treasure to the Timber Deity Empire for no reason. The Wood Clan sent the people of the Timber Deity Empire to look for the spiritual treasure, which was strange in itself because a forbidden spell was specially made for the spiritual race to prevent them from approaching the spiritual treasure. So it meant that the people who cast the spell didn''t want the spiritual race to get the treasure.


    However, the Wood Clan tried every means to get this spiritual treasure, which was already suspicious!

 Chapter 1015 Catch Up From Behind

    "I know you have doubts about me, and you are suspicious about my motives for being here. But if you have any ounce of trust in me, please do as I say. Of course, I won''t hurt you or make things difficult for you, even if you give the whole spiritual treasure to the Timber Deity Empire behind my back. You may not believe me, but you are one of the reasons that I am doing this. Keeping this Mysterious Raw Gemstone will be beneficial for you too. Who knows? Maybe you will need it at a critical moment someday, and it could save your life," the woman from the spiritual race explained lengthily. Amazingly, she was able to address most of Rocky''s concerns as if she had seen through his mind.


    "Since you have given me a choice, allow me to think about it for a while. However, I have one question. How did you know that there is a hidden power in my body? Is it because you touched me before?" Rocky asked with a frown.


    "I''m afraid you have too many questions, and I don''t have the time to answer them one by one. If you have any other requests, tell me now," the woman said impatiently. Rocky was quiet for a while, as he thought about his options.


    "Can I have a drop of blood essence from you and your guardian beast?" he asked.


    "Mine and my beast''s blood essence? What are you going to do with that?" the beauty from the spiritual race asked in confusion.


    "Nothing important. I just need them for something." Rocky thought that it was better if she didn''t know the particulars.


    It seemed that she was in a hurry because she didn''t ask any more questions. Instead, she promptly disappeared as soon as the word passed from Rocky''s lips. She reappeared a moment later with two drops of sweet dewdrops in each hand. She handed the blood essence in the dewdrops immediately to Rocky.


    "Are you satisfied now?" The beauty of the spiritual race looked at Rocky.


    "Yes. Well... Almost." Rocky was not a greedy person, but the beautiful woman from the spiritual race was willing to do whatever he wanted. He had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in front of him, so he would not dare waste it by being reckless and impulsive.


    The woman seemed to understand his intention, for she reached out and handed him the gemstone that Rocky had taken. "Put away this Mysterious Raw Gemstone first," she instructed.


    After Rocky got it from her, he opened the Magic Spiritual Space and called Robin. Then, he asked it to take the Mysterious Raw Gemstone to the laboratory.


    "Has your spirit-manipulated beast eaten anything so that it has the qualification of a guardian beast?" the woman asked curiously. She was eyeing Robin intently, not taking her e


    looking around the place. But Alyssa only shook her head and said, "Now isn''t the time.


    Let''s talk about it later." Of course, it was because Alyssa didn''t want to make a scene, especially when a stranger had just stolen half of the spiritual treasure. If the other princes found out, they would surely make a fuss about it. That would put Woods in a bad light. Therefore, it was better to hide the truth and explain it to the emperor in person.


    However, since several masters at the Divine Stage had come at the same time as Alyssa, they also saw the beautiful woman from the spiritual race. Thus, as soon as the treasure hunting teams had retreated out of the flame mountain, the other princes found out about it quickly, and they all went to Alyssa to ask what had happened.


    Alyssa kept her explanation short. She only told them that a spiritual race being had attacked Rocky and Queenie, but the spiritual treasure was safe and sound, and she had already put it away.


    The princes were skeptical at first. Fortunately, they were too preoccupied with the contest, which Woods must have won because it was Queenie that had snatched the spiritual treasure. Woods'' victory meant that he had the highest chance of succeeding the throne. Of course, the other princes didn''t want to admit defeat, especially Geoffrey, because he had put in a lot of effort to win the throne. None of them had expected Woods, who was behind them, to catch up.


    However, Geoffrey still hated Rocky the most, because he also realized that Rocky must be his nemesis. He thought that ever since Rocky appeared, he had never surpassed Woods. Besides, Woods would never have won today without the help of Rocky, and Queenie was able to grab the spiritual treasure with Rocky''s help as well!

 Chapter 1016 Back To The Holy Dragon Empire

    Nester and the other elder were the last to get out of the mountain after the others had run off.


    The moment they were out, the flame mountain shook violently as if smashed by a terrible force. Enormous stones rained down, followed by a surge of dust that covered the entire ground. It was followed by an intense energy that surrounded the entire area and released a powerful tremor underneath the earth.


    After what seemed like a lifetime, the destruction stopped and it was all calm and quiet.


    "Our work here is done, now that we have the spiritual treasure. We have accomplished the mission that His Majesty appointed us to do. The Hell of Dragon Fang is not a safe place. We have to head out as soon as possible. Once we''re far from here, then that''s the only time that it would be safe for us to relax." Nester suggested, and then looked at Alyssa for approval.


    Alyssa nodded in agreement. The Hell of Dragon Fang made her feel uneasy, and all she wanted was to get as far away from the place as possible.


    The treasure hunting teams did not waste any more time and hurriedly pulled out of the Hell of Dragon Fang. They were led by Alyssa and the two elders who were also very eager to leave the place.


    It took them three days and nights to leave that terrible place.


    After less than a day''s rest, Alyssa and the two elders went back to report that they had successfully completed the mission. The treasure hunting teams also went back to Timber Deity Empire. They were in high spirits and looked forward to a grand celebration.


    Woods was on cloud nine because it was his team who got the spiritual treasure. As soon as he and his team members arrived at the capital, Woods ordered his servants to set up a fabulous celebration party in the grand hall of his residence. He invited everyone that was part of his team to come.


    By nightfall, the entire mansion was adorned with bright, colorful lights. The servants were busy as a bee and made sure everything was perfect for the grand celebration.


    Inside the grand hall, members of the treasure hunting team sat on both sides of the table. In front of them was an array of all kinds of delicious food and expensive wines. Servants tended to their every need as they raised a toast to each other and chattered happily.


    "I am grateful to all of you! If it wasn''t for your hard work and determination, I could never get my hands on the spiritual treasure. I promise that all of you will be generously rewarded for your contribution tomorrow. With this cup of wine, I would like to thank you for your loyalty and support. Cheers!" Woods stood up a


    spirit-manipulated beast and it will stay in my Magic Spiritual Space just for a time," Rocky replied with no reservation. He told them part of the truth, but he could not tell them everything. The ancient spiritual beast was not his spirit-manipulated beast, but he could summon it anytime. It would come to protect and rescue him at any moment, with the help of the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast.


    Rocky''s answer astonished the surrounding people. It was not the answer they expected, but it made sense. Rocky already had two spirit-manipulated beasts, and both of them were extremely powerful and difficult to possess. It would be impossible for him to own a third one, especially when it was as powerful as a Divine Stage master.


    "That makes sense. Thank you, Mr. Rookie!" Lucas nodded.


    "Well, let''s not talk about business tonight. Let''s all have a delightful time. Please enjoy!" Woods quickly came to Rocky''s rescue. He knew Rocky wanted to keep his identity in the dark and discussion about the mysterious spirit-manipulated beast was a dangerous topic.


    With this, Woods instructed his servants to bring in more food and wine. Before long, the merriment shook off the people''s curiosity.


    Rocky never enjoyed such occasions. Shortly, he notified Woods, and then quietly slipped out of the hall.


    The air was fresh and a cool breeze accompanied Rocky outside.


    ''My time here is up. It''s time for me to leave. I need to go back to the Holy Dragon Empire!'' The radiant blue moon spilled light into the surrounding and his sorrow drifted away with the wind. Rocky''s thought of returning to Holy Dragon Empire was met with mixed emotions. He was excited to go back, but he knew he had to face Lena and other countless adversities.

 Chapter 1017 The Most Wanted Thing Was To Take Revenge

    "Mr. Rookie, is there anything bothering you?" A sweet voice came from behind Rocky, startling him.


    He whirled around and saw Lucilla, who walking gracefully toward him.


    "Chief Lucilla, what brings you out here?" Rocky asked with a faint smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.


    "Please, call me Lucilla. I just wanted to thank you for protecting Queenie that day. If it weren''t for you, Mr. Rookie, she would have been in danger," Lucilla said gratefully. She greatly appreciated what Rocky had done for her and the Cao Clan, whether it was intentional or not.


    "It''s no big deal. Anyway, it''s the last time." Rocky calmly shook his head.


    She couldn''t help the gasp that escaped her lips when she heard his words. Her face paled slightly, and her hands trembled by her side. Although she was mentally prepared, she didn''t expect that this moment would come so soon. "Are you leaving so soon?"


    "I have finished what I planned to do in the Timber Deity Empire. There is no reason for me to stay. Besides, I have other important things to do," Rocky said bluntly.


    "I see..." she murmured quietly, looking pitiful and sad.


    "What''s wrong? Are you missing me already?" replied Rocky jokingly, as his own way of lightening the mood.


    "Maybe you are right, but I know you won''t stay for me, Mr. Rookie," she answered straightforwardly. From the start, she had a feeling that Rocky could not be hers alone, so she did not harbor any illusions.


    "You are right. I cannot stay, but you can consider going with me, as long as you are willing to let go of everything you have now," Rocky said tentatively.


    "Mr. Rookie, you know I can''t do that... Even if I want to, I can''t!" grumbled Lucilla, frowning cutely at him.


    "That would be a pity. I thought something more could grow between us, Lucilla." Rocky pretended to be regretful, but Lucilla could see the boyish smirk he was hiding.


    "You are so mean. Stop teasing me! You are going to leave already, so why are you making me think about all these things?" As Lucilla spoke, she suddenly leaned forward in Rocky''s arms and continued, "When I''m with you, I feel safe. I feel at home. I can put down any disguise and act


    about the attack against Woods and Rocky? And the fake death that Rocky arranged was enough proof that there must be something wrong.


    Later on, she suspected that her brother must have been hiding something from her. When Rocky appeared later, she felt that all of these could not be a coincidence, so she also asked Laney to gather information secretly, especially information about him when he was still in the Crimson Dragon Group. As a result, she learned that when Alston was in the Crimson Dragon Army, he kept raising objections against Rocky and almost put the Crimson Dragon Army in trouble, which had nearly fulfilled the wish of the Timber Deity Empire. Therefore, after some speculation and analysis, she was sure that the one who attacked Rocky and her brother was the eldest prince, Alston. And it should also be Alston who leaked Rocky''s route to her to deal with Rocky. That was all part of his plan.


    In her opinion, the reason why Alston tried so hard to get rid of Rocky was that he was worried that Rocky would threaten his position as the successor, so he tried his best to deal with him.


    In this case, everything made sense.


    "I really can''t hide anything from you, can''t I?" Rocky said calmly although it seemed that Alyssa had already put together everything.


    "So, now that you are going back to the Holy Dragon Empire, your priority is taking revenge on Alston, right?" Alyssa asked as if she had seen through Rocky''s mind.

 Chapter 1018 Full Consideration

    Rocky wanted to shrug, but he thought twice about it and nodded noncommittally instead. On the other hand, Alyssa soldiered on despite his non-answer.


    "Then I want to ask you, why are you confident that you can take down Alston alone? I don''t think your power in the Holy Dragon Empire is enough to fight against him. Although the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire has given you some measure of power by naming you Prince Crimson, it''s nominal and barely enough to fight against Alston. The Crimson Dragon Group is probably the only force that supports you in the Holy Dragon Empire! Marcia seems to treat you favorably, but even her power in the Holy Dragon Empire is not enough to help you defeat Alston. Do you honestly believe you can shake Alston''s current position as the successor in the Holy Dragon Empire? You understand what I am saying, right?" Rocky raised one eyebrow at Alyssa. It seemed to him that she had given this so much thought, considering that it had nothing to do with her.


    "That''s enough. Once I return to the Holy Dragon Empire, I can use the power controlled by Marcia and the Crimson Dragon Group to continue to cultivate my ability. I believe that I will soon have the resources to compete with Alston. Besides, in terms of strength alone, I have already surpassed him," Rocky replied confidently.


    "Even so, do you think Alston will give you a chance? He is a despicable man who has even killed his brother for power. You are in danger as long as you are in his territory..." Alyssa insisted with a frown.


    "Maybe you are right. However, I am not the same Rocky that left the Holy Dragon Empire years ago. Even if Alston wants to deal with me, it won''t be that easy for him," he answered coldly.


    "If I were him, I will not deal with you directly, but I will start with the people around you." Alyssa was quite good at the strategy and psychological warfare. She could put herself in Alston''s shoes and tell what he would do next.


    "Then, I will protect them with all I have. This time, I won''t let anyone get hurt." Of course, Rocky would not make the sa


    anything, so take my advice as a reward for helping my brother. Even though we will be enemies after you return to the Holy Dragon Empire, you are here right now, and you are still a friend of my brother, so I want to return the favor." Truthfully, Alyssa wanted to think of him as her enemy, but she couldn''t do so.


    "Okay. What do you think I should do first?" Rocky knew that she probably had ideas that could help since she had thought about this a lot. Thus, he didn''t hesitate and promptly asked her.


    "From what I remember, you are on good terms with Marcia. And with her status in the Holy Dragon Empire, no one will doubt her words, right?" Alyssa asked, still deep in thought.


    "I suppose so," Rocky agreed, nodding lightly.


    "Then inform her that you are still alive and ask her to arrange everything for you. Of course, the most important thing is to protect Isis and her baby. You can go back to the Holy Dragon Empire once she has prepared for you in advance, and that will be the time to fight against Alston." Just as Rocky had expected, she had excellent insights on the matter.


    "That makes a lot of sense. But why are you helping me? What good will helping me do for you? After all, we will soon become enemies again." That was the elephant in the room. Rocky was grateful, of course, but he had grown used to this world where no one did anything just to help others.

 Chapter 1019 A Gift For Rocky

    "I hope you can do me a favor, but whether you agree or not is your own decision," Alyssa answered. Her voice was trembling, and her hopeful gaze was fixated at Rocky.


    "And what favor would that be?" Rocky asked doubtfully.


    "After you exact your revenge, I hope you can give the throne of the Holy Dragon Empire up," Alyssa said after a moment of hesitation. She then bit her pink lips, nervously waiting for Rocky''s answer.


    "Well, if that''s your request, I''m sorry, but I can''t promise you anything now," he said with a frown. If he defeated Alston, he would definitely become the heir of the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire. It was only natural that he would sit on the throne one day. He didn''t understand why Alyssa asked him to give up the throne, but he didn''t ask. Just like he knew that she must have her own reasons, he also knew that she wouldn''t tell him now. Alyssa obviously only wanted him to agree to her request with no question asked. Although he didn''t want to turn her down outright, his answer was actually already very clear.


    "It''s not too late to think about it after you have your revenge. I know that the chance of you agreeing to my request is very small, but I still have to ask." Alyssa understood very well that Rocky was most likely going to refuse, but she still wanted to try because once Rocky became the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire, they would probably end up as eternal enemies. Moreover, her only hope to solve the curse placed on her would be lost.


    "Have you decided whom you''re going to send to inform Marcia?" Rocky changed the subject. He planned to stay in Woods'' mansion and leave for the Holy Dragon Empire immediately after all the matters here were settled.


    "Just to be on the safe side, I''m going to send Laney. After that, she''ll stay in the Holy Dragon Empire and work for you. Although Laney isn''t a spirit manipulator, she''s someone who''s stayed by my side for years, and she''s also very good at collecting information. I believe that her ability will come in handy soon. Furthermore, if there''s ever the need to, you can also contact me through her." Alyssa had planned this for a long time. Of course, she also had another purpose for sending Laney to Rocky''s side. She wanted to keep an eye on every move he made in the future so that she could make corresponding actions whenever she had to.


    "Is this a surprise gi


    ginally occurred because of her provocation. Now that Alyssa was doing such a weird thing as sending Laney, who used to be a spy in Evian City, to meet her in broad daylight, she naturally had to be careful. She also had to think of their purpose, but she obviously couldn''t figure it out in such a short time.


    This wasn''t the first time that Alyssa had broken into their capital. Last time, she showed up at Basil''s funeral ceremony, and it really pissed all of them off, but at least there was still a valid reason for her to do what she did. Now, what did she send Laney to her for?


    "Her Royal Highness sent me here to bring news to General Marcia. Her Royal Highness told me that General Marcia will be more than happy when she hears it. However, Her Royal Highness also instructed me to keep you in suspense as long as I can. It can be regarded as our revenge to General Marcia for snatching away the treasure box," Laney explained bluntly to dispel Marcia''s doubts.


    "Is that so? What if I refuse to hear the news? I''m rather busy to accompany you to play games. And I doubt the news Alyssa brings me will be worthwhile. It feels more like a trick to me. I''m almost sure I want to hear it. By the way, did she send you here because she thought I won''t do anything to you just because you''re delicate and aren''t a spirit manipulator? You know¡­ she''s wrong. I''ve never shown mercy to my enemies!" Marcia said with a cold smile. She walked towards Laney in a calm and powerful manner. Her whole body seemed to emit a kind of oppressive feeling that could make Laney shudder all over.

 Chapter 1020 The Fifth Grade Of The Supernal Stage

    The calm smile on Laney''s face wavered a little, but she stood her ground. "I know that General Marcia won''t kill me. It''s common-sense that people don''t need to kill envoys between two fighting countries, not to mention that the two countries have already stopped fighting."


    Marcia smiled appreciatively at her wit and then moved to take her overwhelming power back. She praised her sincerely, "No wonder Alyssa trusts you so much! It is not often that a normal woman, who is not even a spirit manipulator, can keep her cool in my presence. You are a very rare creature, and it would be a pity if I have to kill you. So, I suggest that you tell me everything you know. Don''t test my patience, as I am sure you don''t want to find out what happens when my patience runs out."


    Laney didn''t seem the least bit intimidated by Marcia''s threat. She smiled pleasantly and took a sheath from her long sleeve, which she handed over to Marcia. "General Marcia, is this sheath familiar to you?" she asked.


    Marcia only needed a single glance before recognizing that it was the Frozen Wind Dagger''s sheath. She doubted her eyes for a second, so she stepped forward to get a closer look. "Where did you get this?" she asked, staring into Laney''s eyes.


    "Mr. Rookie gave it to me," answered Laney honestly.


    "Mr. Rookie?" Marcia was confused at first because she didn''t recognize the name. But suddenly, a powerful jolt passed through her body, as she connected the dots behind the name. This woman mentioned a Mr. Rookie, who must be Rocky, who was the same person as Basil. However, Rocky died a long time ago. When did he give the sheath to Laney, and why? Was there any message behind this action?


    "General Marcia, I know that you must have a lot of questions running through your mind right now, but before anything else, I need you to know this: Mr. Rookie is still alive. He is safe, and he is staying in the Timber Deity Empire right now," Laney replied, her tone soft and gentle as if she was talking to an animal that was easily spooked.


    "What did you say?! How is that possible? I can''t believe you!" Marcia exclaimed, her voice rising in pitch at every interval. She refused to believe whatever Laney said. Rocky was dead! They even held a tribute for him. Why did this woman come all the way here to tell her a poorly thought-out lie like that? What was she, and more importantly, her master, planning to do?


    "Mr. Rookie is still alive," Laney repe


    Rocky felt as if his whole body''s functions had been magnified infinitely, including his five senses. Every sound within a hundred meters reached his ears clearly in an instant, and the fragrance of various flowers in the garden reached his nose from more than ten meters away.


    Not only that, but the meridians in his body were also rapidly expanding and shrinking, making the evil spiritual power and the Fire spiritual power in his body accelerate their circulation. It felt like a boa constrictor was squeezing and digesting him. Soon, the power released from the fourth layer of the seal, which was imprisoned by the spiritual soul container, was guided and continuously flowed into his meridians. It merged with the original evil spiritual power.


    Rocky felt as if his body was expanding like the universe at an unknown speed. This feeling only appeared when he cultivated with Alyssa in the Magic Spiritual Spring. But what surprised him the most was that no matter how fast his body was circulating, he didn''t feel uncomfortable at all. On the contrary, he felt very comfortable.


    In the twinkling of an eye, two days and two nights had passed. And when Rocky opened his eyes again, he found that he had merged the power from the fourth layer of the seal in his body to the fourth grade of the Supernal Stage. The speed of the fusion was astonishing, and it was second only to when Alyssa and he were cultivating together.


    Moreover, Rocky could feel that the pill had not been thoroughly refined, and part of it was still in his body. If it was carefully refined, he could at least reach the fifth grade of the Supernal Stage.

 Chapter 1021 The Purpose of Laneys Visit

    Meanwhile, at Marcia''s mansion of the Holy Dragon Empire, the henchman sent by Marcia two days ago had just returned. In the study, he carefully handed over a small and delicate box that he brought back from the Ji Clan to Marcia.


    "You must be tired. Go and get some rest first," Marcia ordered in a concerned voice.


    Right after she saw the henchman close the door behind him, she picked up the delicate box and meticulously opened it slowly. As soon as she opened it, she took a closer look at what was inside. Out of the blue, her body began to tremble upon recognizing what was inside. At that moment, all she could show was a myriad of complex expressions. Soon after, a crystal tear suddenly fell from the corner of her eyes.


    "He''s really not dead. I can''t believe it... Really not dead..." Marcia murmured to herself in disbelief. At that moment, all that gave her hope were Laney''s words and the evidence in the box that she was holding.


    The object she was holding was exactly the Dragon Twined Wood to seal the evil power of the Holy Dragon Bead in Rocky''s body back then. Due to the close connection of the Dragon Twined Wood with the evil power of the Holy Dragon Bead in Rocky''s body, the Dragon Twined Wood would change no matter how far away it was from Rocky as long as the evil power had any change. The opposite could only happen if Rocky died.


    However, at that moment, the crack on the Dragon Twined Wood inside the box appeared to be deeper than before. This was an indication that Rocky had least removed the fourth layer of the seal in his body. This also indicated that the evil power of the Holy Dragon Bead was still changing, which could be positive proof that he was still alive.


    In fact, Marcia had a chance to find out the truth before. But after learning that Rocky had already died, Sabina put away the Dragon Twined Wood as a souvenir. She didn''t ask Sabina for it, making her miss the opportunity to find out the truth about Rocky''s death.


    But now that Marcia saw with her own eyes that the Dragon Twined Wood was still changing, she was now sure that what Laney had said before was true¡ªRocky was not dead.


    As a result, Marcia immediately ordered someone to call Laney to the study.


    "General Marcia, it appears that you now have the proof. Now, you know that I was telling


    t was because, at that moment, she saw how much Marcia cared about Rocky.


    "But why did Alyssa help him? He is the prince of our empire. What good will it do to her to help an enemy? Don''t you find that odd?" Meanwhile, Marcia was puzzled. What Alyssa did was obviously against common sense, and it was hard to believe that the princess of the Timber Deity Empire was helping the prince of the Holy Dragon Empire and even helping him hide his identity. Spreading this information would cause a great uproar in the two empires and even the entire Wild Spirit Land.


    "I don''t know about that. The princess said that even if Mr. Rookie returned to the Holy Dragon Empire, and told his father that Alston framed him, there''s a huge possibility that his father might not believe it. After all, no one would believe that the emperor''s successor would try every means to kill his brother. And with Alston''s brutal and sinister attitude, he would definitely never let Mr. Rookie off the hook once his plots were all exposed. With Mr. Rookie''s current power in the Holy Dragon Empire, it is obvious that he is not strong enough to fight against Alston yet. Therefore, our princess hoped that you could arrange everything for him before he returned to the Holy Dragon Empire. In her opinion, the only person who could pose a threat to him now was his wife and their unborn child. Mr. Rookie would come back at ease as long as the two can be handled well. And that is the reason why Princess Alyssa sent me here." Laney relayed Alyssa''s words to the general.

 Chapter 1022 Counting Down

    The room was tense, as Marcia stared at Laney down, her beautiful eyes narrowed in thought. "Does he know that Isis is pregnant with his child?" she asked.


    Laney nodded but didn''t say anything else.


    "I see. Let Rocky know that he doesn''t have to worry about anything. I will take care of things here, and I will protect Isis and the babe from Alston myself. Your princess is right, though. A despicable man like Alston will undoubtedly stir up trouble again if he finds out that his younger brother is still alive. We need to get ready for that." Although Marcia still didn''t know why Alyssa would help Rocky, she had to admit that Alyssa had a point.


    "General Marcia, I''ve told you everything I know. But if you have any questions, please don''t hesitate to ask. I will tell you everything I know!" Laney volunteered, looking into Marcia''s eyes to prove her sincerity.


    "Tell Alyssa that I will go to the Timber Deity Empire in person." As cautious as Marcia, she would never trust Laney completely. She would go to the Timber Deity Empire in person, and if they were telling the truth, and Rocky was alive, she would take him back then. But before anything else, she needed to confirm it first.


    "I will. If there''s nothing else, I''m leaving now. If you need anything from me, you can find me in the Fragrance House, where I will be staying for now." After that, Laney bowed respectfully and left.


    When she was gone, Marcia got up to leave the mansion and rushed to the Palace City to see the emperor. Even though she couldn''t completely believe what Laney had told her, she still needed to let the emperor know. After all, it was about his son.


    The emperor immediately summoned her when the servant told him that Marcia was coming.


    "General Marcia, is there anything urgent?" She had never shown up on her initiative in the Palace City unless something important came up. The fact that she was here told him that there must be something special going on.


    "Your Majesty!" Marcia greeted and cast a meaningful glance at the maids, who were standing behind the emperor.


    The emperor caught her gaze promptly, and his curiosity ratcheted up to ten. "Leave us alone," he immediately ordered, waving his maids outside.


    The maids left immediately, leaving only the two of them in the hall.


    "Go ahead. Do you need to tell me something important?" Seriousness also crept on the emperor''s face when he saw how serious Marcia was.


    "Yes, Your Majesty. It''s about Basil ¡ª he''s still alive!" Marcia said, unable to contain the emotions that stirred within her, making her voice tremble.


    The emperor looked at her in shock and fell heavily on his chair, his legs trembling weakly. The news was too much for him. First, his son had died, but now he was alive again?! Sabina, Marcia''s apprentice, had witnessed Basil''s death with her own eyes, so did she get it wrong? Or was this an elaborate prank on Marcia''s end?


    "General Marcia, what''s wrong with you? This isn''t a good joke. I won''t forgive you if you insist on saying these things," replied the emperor softly. He wondered what had provoked Marcia to do this cruel thing. Was she no longer a general he could trust?


    "Your Maj


    eyes were swollen, which made it obvious that she had been crying. It was noticeable that she had lost a lot of weight, and she seemed to be getting thinner every day.


    Basil''s death disheartened Isis, and if it weren''t for the fact that she was pregnant with Basil''s child, which pushed her to go on, she would have collapsed long ago.


    "Isis, I''m going to the Timber Deity Empire for something urgent. How about you going with me to the Crimson Dragon Group? You haven''t been back for a long time, have you?" Marcia asked Isis as she stepped forward so that Isis would look at her.


    However, Isis was blank-faced. She didn''t even glance at her when she shook her head and said, "I don''t want to go anywhere."


    "I think a change of environment would do you some good. Staying in the Palace City all day long isn''t doing you any favors, you know? Even if you don''t care about your physical condition, you need to consider the baby. I think that you should take him to the place where his father used to live and tell him what kind of person his father is. In that way, this child can be as brave as his father in the future. Besides, I think your father might also want to see you around," Marcia insisted once again. It broke her heart to see Isis in the throes of her despair.


    Meanwhile, Isis remained blank-faced and silent.


    Marcia continued to describe the good it would bring to her and the baby if she had a change of place. At last, Isis couldn''t resist the temptation and surrendered. After packing up her necessities, she left the Palace City with Marcia and went to the Gehenna Border.


    Marcia''s intention was not only to improve Isis''s moods. She was worried that Isis would be endangered once the news that Basil was still alive broke out, so she needed to bring Isis out of the Palace City. Just in case, she brought Isis to her father, who would protect her well. Besides, if Marcia could bring Basil back successfully, Isis could see him as soon as possible at this place because it was much closer.


    After Marcia departed from the capital, the countdown of Rocky''s return to the Holy Dragon Empire began.

 Chapter 1023 Queenie Was Attacked

    Rocky had spent most of his time in Woods'' mansion for the past few days. He focused on studying and refining the Holy Spirit Panacea, but inwardly, he was about as anxious as a raging river. Alyssa had not come to see him for a couple of days, and he was eager to know how things went on.


    It was already getting dark when Alyssa finally showed up, just as Rocky expected.


    "Hey, what''s up? Is everything all right?" Rocky asked as soon as he saw her.


    "Laney sent me a message earlier today. She said that Marcia is coming all the way here to see you in person." She paused when Rocky looked at her in surprise. "Are you surprised? I guess she is a very cautious person, which is wise of her. But I don''t think she needed to come here in person. All she needs to do is to prepare everything to make sure that you can go back smoothly and safely. On the other hand, this might be a better idea. This way, I can rest peacefully knowing that she can protect you from any danger on the way back!" Rocky heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing the news. Marcia wouldn''t come in person if she didn''t believe Alyssa. Thus, she must have thought that he was still alive, which made things easier for him.


    Even back then, he had been worried that Marcia would have found his death suspicious and would look into it, which would inevitably delay his return to his empire. Even if he tried to go back to the Holy Dragon Empire stealthily, it would still take a lot of time.


    "Marcia will be here soon. I suggest that you stay inside this mansion until she arrives. I just received information that Geoffrey may have discovered your real identity. Many commanders have seen you during the war between your country and mine. And even though most of them are on my side, and most of them are still at the border, one or two may have returned to the capital. If Geoffrey confirms that you''re Prince Basil, he will undoubtedly take this opportunity to kill you," Alyssa warned seriously.


    "Okay, I won''t leave this mansion," Rocky agreed, knowing that not only was his life at stake, but Woods and Alyssa could get in trouble too.


    "That''s it. This may be the last time we see each other in such a friendly atmosphere. If we get a chance to meet again, I''m afraid we''ll be enemies," said Alyssa with a sad smile on her face. "So long, take care of yourself!" Truthfully, she didn''t want to see Rocky anymore when she found out for sure that he was about to return to the Holy Dragon Empire. She couldn''t make up her mind with what she had to do for her curse, so in the end, she gave up trying to decide for now.


    "Please remember to pull you


    ion. Prince Geoffrey has found out about Mr. Rookie''s true identity. He is a very dangerous person, and a great threat to the Timber Deity Empire. Prince Geoffrey is now preparing to go to Prince Woods'' mansion to catch him," said Tate seriously.


    "Liar! How could that bastard be dangerous? There''s no way that is true! Are you kidding me? How could he be a threat to the Timber Deity Empire?" Queenie couldn''t believe a single word he said.


    "Believe it or not, it''s up to you. I came here to inform Lucilla in case your clan can make some preparation for it. I know Lucilla won''t see me, and won''t believe me even if I manage to see her. Thus, I came to you instead. Please do tell her!"


    As soon as he said his piece, Tate turned around and flew away as fast as he could. "Wait a moment!" shouted Queenie from behind him, but he was already gone. The things he had said made her mind wander. Coupled with the hasty way that he had left, Queenie couldn''t help but feel suspicious. She needed to know more about this!


    She got up to follow him outside, hoping that he would tell her more, but Tate was faster than she thought. Queenie ran after him with all her might, and as she was about to catch up with him, he suddenly disappeared.


    Queenie stopped short, looking around, but Tate had left no trace. The disappointment felt like a lead weight that had been tied to her hands and feet, making her movements sluggish and heavy. All of a sudden, the strong aura of a Divine Stage master approached her and trapped her where she stood. She could not even move, let alone look at the master, because he had locked her spiritual power inside her. In the next moment, her eyes rolled to the back of her head, and she fell to the ground soundlessly.

 Chapter 1024 His Real Identity

    Meanwhile, clouds obscured the moonlight, and the prince''s mansion was as quiet as it had always been.


    Inside the room, Rocky was busy refining the Holy Spirit Panacea when he suddenly heard a loud sound coming from outside the door. Immediately, he did not hesitate to go to the source of the sound. Soon after, he opened the door and saw a piece of cloth, making its way over to him. He took it and later identified it as a piece of broken cloth in good quality. However, when he put it close to his nose, his eyes became wider as he found the cloth''s scent to be very familiar.


    "This scent is Queenie''s..." Rocky mumbled to himself as he sniffed it carefully.


    Meanwhile, a black figure flashed through the courtyard just outside his room.


    When Rocky saw this, he immediately flew out. As a result, the black figure saw Rocky come out and quickly flew over the roof and walls and eventually left the area.


    "Is he trying to lure me out?" Even though Rocky knew he was not supposed to fall into the figure''s trap, he still cared about the cloth that he found a while ago. Moreover, thinking of what Alyssa had warned him about, he could almost guess the reason why the figure lured him out. As a result, he soon followed the figure without hesitation.


    Out of the mansion, he ran and chased this figure until he was out of the capital. But not long after, the figure halted.


    Of course, Rocky stopped, too. Looking around, he saw that the figure stopped near an old ancestral temple. Darkness filled the atmosphere, and there were no lights to shed illumination. Instead, the dim moon was the only source of visibility. Therefore, the whole ancestral temple looked gloomy, with some black shadows flying around it from time to time.


    Meanwhile, Rocky shifted his gaze at a delicate figure that hung on a tall locust tree just in front of the ancestral temple.


    After taking a good look at the figure, he found that it was no other than Queenie.


    During this time, it seemed that the black figure had already gone to the back of the ancestral temple while Rocky was distracted.


    However, Rocky didn''t put in an effort to chase the black figure anymore. Instead, he flew in the air and pulled out the Frozen Wind Dagger to cut the rope amidst the darkness. Soon afte


    was Prince Basil, who was a well-known hero of the Holy Dragon Empire in the Wild Spirit Land not long ago.


    "You... Y...You are a prince? The prince of the Holy Dragon Empire? Is this true? How is that even possible? A bastard like you can''t be a prince!" Queenie exclaimed in disbelief as she shifted her gaze to Rocky in astonishment.


    "Geoffrey, I don''t know what you are talking about. The idea is so delusional. How could I be the famous Prince Basil?" Rocky replied calmly with a smile. Although he was a little surprised that Geoffrey was so sure that he was Prince Basil, even if his identity had been exposed, he could at least try to go around this mess and attempt to reject the idea.


    "Yeah. How could he be a prince? Geoffrey, you must have made a mistake," Queenie yelled at Geoffrey.


    "Do you still want to deny it? I have solid witnesses. In fact, it''s not easy to find out your identity, but I managed to do it. When you led the Crimson Dragon Group to make a splash at the Gehenna Border, many commanders of the Timber Deity Empire had seen you. In fact, most of them were Alyssa''s subordinates, and Alyssa ordered them to keep it a secret. However, there are always people who don''t like the fact that the princess of the Timber Deity Empire has hidden the fact that a prince of the Holy Dragon Empire has sneaked into the empire and even posed a great threat to it," Geoffrey commented. At that moment, he had already expected that Rocky would not admit it, so he waved his hand immediately.

 Chapter 1025 He Was Far Outnumbered

    Soon, another figure came out of the ancestral temple. He was tall and robust, and his aura was of the Heavenly Stage.


    "Rocky, long time no see!" the figure called out to Rocky.


    "Dunn?" Rocky recognized that the man at once. Dunn was a spy in the Crimson Dragon Group for many years under Alyssa''s order. Then, after his identity as a spy had been discovered, he returned to the army of the Timber Deity Empire.


    Logically speaking, since Dunn was a spy arranged by Alyssa, he could be considered a trustworthy person for her. However, Rocky did not expect that Dunn would betray her. The traitor thought that he was doing the right thing by using the opportunity to improve his strength and social rank.


    "Now you can''t deny it, can you?" Geoffrey stared at Rocky gleefully.


    Rocky shrugged and smiled. Since Geoffrey had even bribed such an important witness, then Rocky had no reason to refute. Instead of responding, he turned to Queenie and said, "This is none of your business. Just go back to the Cao Mansion!" He wanted her to stay somewhere safe because he knew that a fierce battle could erupt at any moment. He didn''t wish to involve Queenie or the Cao Clan in his problems.


    "No, I won''t go back. I can''t let them gang up on you." Queenie didn''t care about Rocky''s true identity. Her only thought was that she couldn''t let Geoffrey and others browbeat Rocky.


    Of course, Rocky would not give her any chance to be willful. He seized her, released a wave of his domineering spiritual power to lock the spiritual power inside her body, and then summoned Robin.


    "Take her back to the Cao Mansion," Rocky ordered as he threw Queenie on its back.


    "No, let me go!" Since her spiritual power was locked, Queenie couldn''t do anything to fight back. That didn''t stop her from glaring at Rocky and struggling, albeit uselessly.


    Meanwhile, Robin looked around warily. It could probably tell that its master was in danger, so it was unwilling to leave him. However, under Rocky''s insistence, it howled mournfully, then took Queenie out of the crowd, quickly flying away with her on its back.


    On the other hand, Geoffrey didn''t order anyone to chase after Queenie because he didn''t want to get her involved either. After all, she was a member of the Cao Clan. Even if the clan wanted to protect Rocky, he had us


    uch a warrior in a few seconds. However, they took courage in the fact that they outnumbered him, and quickly regained their momentum. At the same time, they summoned their spirit-manipulated beasts to assist in the battle. Dozens of shadow beasts flocked to attack Rocky.


    With Rocky''s current strength, not even forty spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage were a threat to him, let alone just twenty of them. Thus, he met them in battle with courage and determination. This was the difference between the strengths at the Supernal Stage and the Heavenly Stage.


    Soon, more than half of the twenty spirit manipulators had been killed or injured, while Rocky was yet to break out in a sweat.


    "What are you waiting for? Attack him together!" Geoffrey''s face darkened. He signaled to the masters at the Supernal Stage who were still standing there furiously, trying to get them to attack Rocky.


    Generally speaking, spirit manipulators who had reached such a stage had great pride for their craft. It meant that they were rarely willing to attack weaker people, especially when there was only one spirit manipulator on the other side.


    Therefore, several masters at the Supernal Stage looked at each other, speechless. At first, they were unsure whether they should gang up on a single person. After a few moments of hesitation, two masters at the primary stage of the Supernal Stage took the lead to attack Rocky. Perhaps, in their opinion, with the help of the two relatively weaker masters, it would be more than enough to take Rocky down.

 Chapter 1026 Flaming Dragon Wrath

    The spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage were terrified of Rocky. But they were instantly relieved as they received assistance from two warriors who were at the primary grade of the Supernal Stage. This quickly boosted their morale. Once again, they charged towards Rocky with their own spirit-manipulated beasts.


    The two warriors at the Supernal Stage also summoned their own spirit-manipulated beasts. By this time, a group of people had already surrounded Rocky.


    All of a sudden, different forms of Heavenly Stage spiritual martial arts blasted all around Rocky. Dust covered the entire area as their spiritual powers shot in all directions.


    After about ten strikes of the Heavenly Stage spiritual martial arts, Rocky was instantly bombarded with two strikes of Supernal Stage spiritual martial arts. This move was as quick as lightning. This was considered as a deadly attack because it contained the full strength of the Supernal Stage.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    In the blink of an eye, a cloud of dust had risen two meters from where Rocky was standing. It reached the sky and there was a spiritual light shining in that exact spot.


    Those attacks from the warriors at the Supernal Stage were indeed extraordinary. The combined power of the two strikes was as strong as a dozen spiritual martial arts.


    At that moment, they detected no movement from Rocky. For a moment, everything remained still.


    "Humph! Is he already dead? I thought he''d put up a good fight. I guess I was wrong. I clearly overestimated his power. What a shame!" Geoffrey snorted derisively. He didn''t expect Rocky to be so weak.


    Without warning, a figure shrouded in black flame shot out of the dust and charged towards the nearest warrior at the Supernal Stage. It moved so fast that they barely saw who or what it was. Obviously, it was none other than Rocky. At first, the warrior appeared intimidated by Rocky''s momentum. Nonetheless, he immediately commanded his spirit-manipulated beast to block the attack. He was quite confident since his beast was at the fourth grade of the four-star level.


    Meanwhile, Geoffrey and the others were shocked. They couldn''t believe Rocky was able to withstand their combined attacks and remain unscathed.


    Rocky swung his Flaming Blade of the Frozen Wind Dagger in the air. Shortly after, an arc-shaped Moon Blade about two meters long shot out of it. It immediately shoved the spirit-manipulated beast out of his way. Afterward, he continued charging towards the warrior.


    "Take this!" Rocky muttered under his breath as he got closer to his chosen opponent. The warrior at the primary grade of the Supernal Stage was shocked when he realized that Rocky was already in front of him. His shock quickly turned to anger so he launched a full attack of the spiritual martial arts at the Supernal Stage. This move was supposed to push Rocky b


    r in the seventh grade of the Supernal Stage. They thought that Rocky was begging for death. According to their knowledge, Rocky was weaker than a warrior in the seventh grade of the Supernal Stage.


    But to everyone''s surprise, Rocky''s aura suddenly increased as he got closer to the warrior!


    It went from the third grade to the fourth grade... In an instant, it reached the sixth grade...


    Now, it was up to the seventh grade!


    In just a short span of time, Rocky''s strength had risen to the seventh grade of the Supernal Stage. Geoffrey and two peerless masters at the Divine Stage were flabbergasted. They had no idea how Rocky managed to do that!


    The warrior in the seventh grade of the Supernal Stage was also extremely surprised. It was incredible how Rocky''s strength had reached the seventh grade in a heartbeat. However, he maintained his composure and calmly directed his spirit-manipulated beast at the fourth grade of the five-star level to launch an attack. At the same time, he had rapidly gathered his spiritual power. He was ready to fight in full strength.


    Meanwhile, the three other warriors at the Supernal Stage chased after Rocky. They had planned to take this opportunity to attack him.


    A cryptic smile suddenly appeared on Rocky''s face. As soon as he gathered spiritual power, he opened the Magic Spiritual Space. A colorful shadow beast rushed out of it. The next moment, it just disappeared with him.


    The four warriors were taken aback as they lost sight of their target. He just disappeared into thin air!


    All of a sudden, they heard someone shout. "Flaming Dragon Wrath!"


    A split-second later, a figure unexpectedly appeared out of nowhere. At the same time, there were four aggressive red flaming dragons rushing out of the Flaming Blade of the Frozen Wind Dagger.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! The earth shook as loud booming sound reverberated throughout the entire area.

 Chapter 1027 Soar Into The Sky (Part One)

    Four loud bangs were shot one after the other, causing the four red flaming dragons to almost explode at the space between the four masters of the Supernal Stage.


    But before they could react, the spiritual power burst out on the ground while the flame light erupted out like a volcano!


    On the other hand, Rocky''s attack was somewhat subtle, which got four targets with one massive stroke.


    After the airwaves and the flame light dissipated, the four masters at the Supernal Stage found themselves covered in dust and in a mess. The impact was just too violent and intense that it was nearly impossible for them to avoid it.


    Meanwhile, three of the four masters were injured in varying degrees except for the strongest one among them, who was at the seventh grade of the Supernal Stage. The one at the second grade was badly injured; his face was pale, and a streak of blood came out of his mouth. Moreover, he might have to cultivate from the very start if his body conditions allowed.


    "Okay, three more to go." Although he had successfully paralyzed another enemy, Rocky was still worried. At that moment, he had just released the power at the fourth layer of the seal from the spiritual soul container to further improve his strength in a short period of time, but this instant increase could only be used for about three times. If used further, his body might not be able to bear it, even if he needed it badly.


    "What the hell is wrong with all of you? We have plenty of masters here, but you''re all unable to win the upper hand of a single enemy! What the damn hell are you doing?" Geoffrey couldn''t help cursing out of sheer anger. If it weren''t for Rocky''s weird strength, then he would have come to fight him himself.


    Obviously, Rocky irritated the remaining three masters at the Supernal Stage. Deep in their hearts, all they wanted to do was rip Rocky into pieces. In fact, with all their powers combined as well as the power of their respective spirit manipulated-beasts, they could surely crush Rocky at that moment. After all, Rocky was a lone enemy, and they outnumbered him. However, they didn''t expect the sudden increase in Rocky''s strength and his unforeseen trick of luring the enemy. This was the reason for their losses. But of course, they would not


    immediately felt his spiritual power run away.


    "Flaming arm!" As soon as he summoned his skill, a flame appeared on his left arm again and began to spread all over. Soon after, the flame roared savagely and spread all over Tate''s body.


    Because Tate lost his spiritual power, he didn''t even have the strength to resist. He could only watch the red flame on Rocky''s left arm spread to his arm at an amazing speed.


    A gut-wrenching noise aroused from his throat, causing him to struggle madly to get rid of Rocky.


    "Oh, please don''t! No!" Alexander shouted desperately. As the flame spread all over his body, he shot out a spiritual power of the Divine Stage at Rocky before he even got there.


    As a result, Rocky let go of Tate immediately. Knowing that it was too late for him to dodge, he directly slashed out three fire dragons using his Supernal Stage spiritual power.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    After a series of explosions rose up in the air, the residual power of the Divine Stage still rushed towards Rocky.


    But at that point, he had no other choice but to take the hit. As soon as the impact happened, he flew backward for more than ten meters before he finally stopped.


    As this happened, Alexander took the chance to get to his son and extinguished the flame on Tate using his Divine Stage spiritual power. At that moment, more than half of Tate''s body had been burnt, badly mutilated, and horrible to see with one''s eyes. His face, which used to be handsome and graceful, was now completely charred.

 Chapter 1028 Soar Into The Sky (Part Two)

    At that moment, Tate''s appearance brought a strong sense of fear to all other people on the spot, including the three masters at the Supernal Stage. They all hesitated and lost the courage to launch another round of attack towards Rocky, fearing that they would suffer the same miserable fate as Tate.


    On the other side, Alexander exploded in anger from inside seeing his son''s misfortune. He helped Tate to the side and fed him a few healing pills, and later cast a murderous glance at Rocky and snapped, "I''m going to kill you!"


    "Okay, go ahead." Rocky smiled carelessly at this master of the Divine Stage. Besides, he didn''t feel well because he forcefully released the power at the fourth layer of the seal a second time. At the same time, more than half of the spiritual power in his body had been consumed, and all he could do now was grit his teeth to alleviate the pain he was feeling.


    "Son, I will avenge you. I will kill him for you." Alexander sighed at Tate who was in a coma and then shifted his gaze to Rocky. He stretched out his body and rushed to him as fast as he could. At the same time, Thunder spiritual power sparked all over his body.


    But at that time, Rocky had no time to come across a better plan. Moreover, it was impossible for him to defeat Alexander with his current situation. As luck would have it, he held back a trick or two.


    "Spirit Possession!" Rocky''s eyes narrowed. Soon after, Ken, who had been following him around, turned into a ball of spiritual light and merged with him.


    The moment Alexander''s fist got him, Rocky vanished from where he was. When he reappeared, he had a different look. What was more, he gave out the peak aura of a master at the ninth grade of the Supernal Stage. He was more like a master of the Divine Stage now.


    As a matter of fact, Geoffrey and some of his henchmen had seen Rocky''s Spirit Possession back when they were hunting for the spiritual treasure. However, they all thought that Rocky was too bold to apply this movement now. Once the Spirit Possession reached its limit, Rocky would be sending his life away. To make matters worse, Alexander was his opponent, whose strength was far greater than his. Therefore, even in the state of Spirit Possession, it was impossible for Rocky to win unless a miracle happened.


    "Thunder leaping!" Alexander, on the other hand, had completely lost in his motivation of avenging his son. His eyes bloodshot and his face covered by a murderous lo


    it could spread further than any other kind of spiritual power, causing greater damage too.


    Now, Alexander was exhausting all his strength, and consequently, the damage he caused was much more severe than ever before.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The rest people saw Alexander running here and there at lightning speed, and throwing his thunder fist everywhere like a maniac. Each punch that hit the ground directly charred everything around it. In fact, the ancestral temple which stood near him had become ruins of smoke after Alexander''s hit.


    "Here we are." Rocky looked coldly at Alexander amidst the thunders that came all the way aggressively. At that moment, he was just waiting for the right time to display his trick.


    Alexander approached him again. He crossed his arms and released a beam of thunder with a diameter of half a meter. Soon after, Rocky widened his eyes and called out the sealed power at the fourth layer for the third time.


    In an instant, a strong Evil Flame rushed out of his body, intertwining with the strange colorful light around him. The flame ignited the original colorful light and burned fiercely in the dark night.


    As Rocky mixed the second grade of guardian power and the power at the fourth layer of the seal, he slashed out the Evil Flame and the colorful light with all his strength. As a result, a huge arc of light about three meters high rushed out like a life-threatening curved moon.


    In the blink of an eye, the thunder beam, which had already left a scratch on the ground, and the huge arc of light that Rocky had slashed with all his strength, collided in the air and soared into the sky.

 Chapter 1029 Protect Him Regardless Of Any Risk

    In the blink of an eye, two waves of strong spiritual power flooded the area within a hundred meters around the fighters, along with the flashing lights that the two forces had created. The strong spiritual power lashed out at the surroundings and anyone unfortunate enough to be near, forcing everyone to retreat. Even the enchanted barrier that Sherman had cast began to fluctuate violently.


    At the same time, the two forces enveloped in light suddenly intersected with each other, as the two fighters, Rocky and Alexander, fought with all their might.


    After the dazzling light dissipated and the aftermath of the spiritual power gradually subsided, Rocky, who had exchanged position with Alexander, suddenly spat out a few mouthfuls of blood to the ground. The blood on his lips and chin made him look quite terrifying.


    "Ha-ha!" Geoffrey laughed in delight, thinking that Rocky had finally reached his limit and would die soon. Yet, he didn''t know that he would pay a heavy price for his naivety and arrogance.


    Almost at the same time, a light flashed in Rocky''s body, and Ken immediately shot out and landed on the ground. The limit of the Spirit Possession had been reached.


    Thus, Rocky immediately took Ken back to his Magic Spiritual Space.


    At that very moment, Alexander fell to his knees on the ground, as his body shook violently as if his internal organs were trying to come out. His face and lips were turning a worrying shade of blue, and even though he didn''t spit out blood, the spiritual power in his body was in a mess. It was going crazy and attacking his own body.


    "Chief Alexander?!" Seeing this, Geoffrey was stunned, because he never thought that Alexander would have been injured.


    "Damn it! What did you do to me?" Alexander snarled at Rocky. It seemed that he didn''t realize he was injured, as he looked as shocked as those around him. In that last strike against each other, he and Rocky fought with all their strength, and he felt that Rocky could no longer fight against him.


    But after the fight, Alexander felt an intense spiritual power rush into his body, which caused severe damage to his body. It messed up with the spiritual power inside his body. And now, he felt like his body was about to shatter if he moved even a little.


    "I simply did what you had done to me before," said Rocky, smiling evilly. It turned out that the reason why he vomited blood just now was not that Alexander injured him. It was because he used the devouring power of the Holy Dragon Bead to devour Alexander''s spiritual power forcefully. At the same time, he gave the devoured spiritual power back to Alexander. It was a very destructive strate


    t involved in the chaos because of his current identity, or they could be branded as traitors.


    "It''s not just me," Lucas replied with a smile.


    As soon as he finished speaking, a group of people rushed over, led by Lucilla and Queenie, who was sitting on Robin''s shoulder.


    "You..." Rocky was stunned. Words seemed to have failed him, as he looked at his friends.


    This was the elite power of the Cao Clan.


    "Mr. Rookie!" Lucilla cried out, upset when she saw that he was gravely injured.


    "Chief Lucilla, do you want to rebel? I can''t believe that you want to cover up for the prince of the Holy Dragon Empire..." Of course, Geoffrey didn''t expect that the people of Cao Clan would have the guts to meddle in his business. Moreover, so many people had come. This made it impossible for him to kill Rocky today.


    "I''ve heard about Mr. Rookie''s identity from Queenie. And even though he is the prince of the Holy Dragon Empire, it makes no difference to us. It won''t affect our attitude to him. Mr. Rookie has helped our clan a lot. I don''t care what kind of prince he is; I only know that we should repay his kindness and favor!" Lucilla said seriously.


    "Humph! Do you want to ruin the Cao Clan''s future for a man?" Geoffrey said coldly.


    "Your Royal Highness, Mr. Rookie is my dearest friend, whom I respect greatly. Now that he is in trouble, I will surely help him," Lucas also added. After all, Lucilla was not the only one who wanted to help Rocky; all of them did.


    The other members of the Cao Clan immediately echoed and expressed their support.


    Geoffrey was so furious that his body trembled violently. How could this man be so popular and well-respected? Even the Cao Clan wanted to protect him regardless of any risk that it could do to their clan!

 Chapter 1030 The Legendary General Came To Rescue Him

    "Chief Lucilla, you have to consider it well. If you and your people dare to meddle in this matter, your whole clan will definitely be uprooted from the Timber Deity Empire tomorrow," Geoffrey said threateningly.


    Lucilla narrowed her eyes. In fact, she had already considered the consequences before she came. She didn''t want to implicate the Cao Clan, but still had to save Rocky.


    "Cao Clan, listen to order! No matter what happens next, no one is allowed to interfere! From now on, everything I do is my own business and has nothing to do with the clan!" She swept her gaze over the members of her clan before eventually fixating it on Queenie. "Queenie, come here."


    Although Queenie was puzzled, she still came forward.


    "Queenie, from now on, you''re the chief of the Cao Clan. Keep this token. It represents our clan''s chief''s identity." Lucilla took out a purple gold token and put it in her sister''s hand.


    "Sister?" Lucilla had worked hard for this position for a decade, so it really came as a shock to Queenie that her sister would give up the position so easily!


    She naturally wasn''t the only one to feel astonished. Lucas and other members of the Cao Clan, as well as Geoffrey and Algy, were also shocked by Lucilla''s abrupt decision.


    "Your Royal Highness, are you satisfied now?" Lucilla turned to look at Geoffrey and asked.


    Geoffrey''s eyes darkened. Fury was etched on his face.


    "I don''t want to be the chief at all! I also want to save that bastard! Whoever wants to be the chief can take it right now. I don''t give a damn!" Queenie immediately threw the token backward, completely not caring about where or whom it landed on. She put on a determined look as if she was ready to risk everything to save Rocky.


    "Master Lucas..." Lucilla looked at Lucas, hoping that Lucas would take the token and thus the position over.


    "Have you really made up your mind?" Although Lucilla''s sudden decision surprised him, Lucas could understand why she did so. He asked that just to make sure she was already resolute.


    Lucilla answered with an earnest nod.


    "All right then!" Since Lucilla had made up her mind, Lucas knew that saying anything further would only be a waste of breath. He just directly turned to face the members of the Cao Clan a


    yone on the scene.


    Everyone''s expression suddenly changed. An astonishing spiritual pressure had fallen upon them. Aside from those Divine Stage masters, everyone was having a hard time under this pressure. The weaker spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage even vomited blood on the spot.


    Before the figure even made her real move, the power she displayed had already unnerved everyone present.


    "In the entire Wild Spirit Land, aside from Her Royal Highness, only one other woman can reach the Divine Stage at such a young age and can control a dragon beast. Is she¡­?" Lucas stared at the delicate figure with his turbid eyes. All of a sudden, his expression changed. He looked as if he had a guess about the woman''s identity.


    "I''m Marcia Mu from the Holy Dragon Empire. I''m here to pick up our Prince Basil. Please note this; I''ll kill anyone who dares to hurt him!" Her words gave another shock to the crowd.


    "She''s Marcia Mu? One of the Three Great Generals of the Holy Dragon Empire?"


    "This super powerful figure of the Holy Dragon Empire came to our empire in such an aggressive and showy way as if she was walking into an empty land..."


    "I heard that Marcia Mu''s strength is comparable to that of our princess and that she''s a beautiful woman. Now that I''m seeing her in person, I have to say¡ªshe does deserve the reputation..."


    Everyone was stunned. It had never once crossed their minds that this delicate figure was Marcia, one of the Three Great Generals of the Holy Dragon Empire.

 Chapter 1031 He Is Tough And Terrifying

    Geoffrey never would''ve expected that Marcia, one of the Three Great Generals of the Holy Dragon Empire, would come all the way to the Timber Deity Empire. Yet here she was, and at such a critical moment, too¡ªwhat a coincidence!


    "She looks gorgeous!" Algy, the eldest prince of the Timber Deity Empire, gaped at Marcia''s beauty. He was instantly taken by her.


    "What took you so long? I would elope with her if you were any later," Rocky said jokingly. He too was relieved to see Marcia.


    "Elope?" Marcia frowned. She couldn''t help but glance at Lucilla, who was standing next to Rocky.


    "In order to save me, she abandoned the position of chief of the Cao Clan," Rocky explained, his tone suddenly growing serious. "That makes me responsible for her."


    "So, is she the chief of the Cao Clan? Huh, you are such a playboy!" Marcia wagged a finger and glared at Rocky. However, deep inside, she felt a little shocked that the girl refused to be the chief of her clan just to save him. Frowning deeply, Marcia could only guess why she would make such a sacrifice. "You already have Isis," Marcia complained in a whining tone. "No, not only Isis, but also my disciple, and the Witch Lena... All of them care about you so much! How could you be so foolish and goof around all the time?"


    Marcia was practically shouting by now, so everyone nearby overheard. Exchanging confused glances, they couldn''t believe their ears. How did Rocky manage to get so many notable women to care about him so much? Isis was the daughter of Lance, one of the Three Great Generals. Marcia''s disciple and the Witch of Holy Dragon Empire also held high positions.


    "This bastard truly is a playboy!" Queenie cursed sourly.


    On the contrary, Lucilla remained calm. She kind of figured there were women other than her who cared for Rocky deeply.


    "He is not a good man," Marcia told her gently. "I advise you to go back and be the chief of your clan."


    "How can I take back my words? Besides, if I go back to the Cao Clan, Prince Geoffrey will de


    h the Flaming Blade in his hand, rushed towards the spirit manipulators at the Supernal Stage and the Heavenly Stage as though death didn''t scare him.


    Simultaneously, Marcia also flew at Sherman and another peerless master at the Divine Stage at lightning speed.


    A few gruesome minutes passed and more than half of Geoffrey''s and Algy''s people had been killed or incapacitated. Even the several masters at the Supernal Stage had been completely annihilated by Rocky, as they didn''t have the power to fight back.


    After that, Rocky suddenly appeared in front of Dunn, who had been glued to his place, too frightened to move a muscle. Dunn''s face fell when he saw Rocky approaching. He had thought that this would''ve been a great opportunity to elevate his social status; never would he have expected he''d be killed by Rocky like this.


    Before Dunn could even react, Rocky swung the Flaming Blade at him, slashing through his body. The strong Evil Flame instantly devoured him, until there was nothing left of him but a pile of ashes.


    On the other end of the battle, Marcia also defeated her two enemies at the Divine Stage, forcing them to retreat.


    It was not until the very moment that Geoffrey and Algy realized that Rocky was more difficult to deal with than they had ever imagined. Never in their lives had they felt so desperate than now.

 Chapter 1032 Try Her Best

    When Rocky and Marcia started working together, it seemed that even thousands of troops and horses couldn''t stop them. Everyone present was terrified.


    Soon, the set minutes had passed, and Rocky, who was in the mood to kill, had reached his limit. Marcia forced back two peerless masters at the Divine Stage then retreated to Rocky''s side as soon as she noticed. She took out the Dragon Twined Wood and slapped it on to Rocky''s chest, where it suddenly started glowing with golden light. In the blink of an eye, it turned into a dragon shadow and entered Rocky''s body, crawling all over him with a life of its own. It sealed the power at the fifth layer that he had released before.


    Rocky fell directly on top of Marcia''s body as soon as the fifth layer''s sealing power disappeared.


    Marcia immediately grabbed hold of him, glaring darkly. "You are doing this on purpose, aren''t you?" she asked coolly.


    "Of course not!" replied Rocky as he looked back at her innocently. "I swear, I don''t have the strength to stand by myself."


    "Go away." Of course, Marcia wasn''t gullible enough to believe him.


    She threw Rocky none too gently at Lucilla, who swiftly caught him and allowed him to lean on her.


    "Well, who else wants to fight?" This time, Marcia turned her attention to Geoffrey and Algy. She stared them down without fear, while the two looked like pitiful dogs who wanted to run with their tails between their legs.


    She smirked widely when they couldn''t meet her eyes.


    "That''s that then. Let''s go!" Marcia turned away from the cowardly men and put two fingers to her lips, whistling.


    At this moment, the dragon shadow that was previously hovering in the sky landed with a loud thud, stirring a cloud of dust.


    "Help him up," Marcia said to Lucilla, who nodded promptly.


    She pushed and pulled Rocky until he was on the back of the dragon shadow.


    "Sister..." At this time, Queenie had already rushed over from the crowd of the Cao Clan.


    "Queenie, please don''t be angry at me. Just let me be willful this time." Lucilla begged Queenie, and a guilty expression flashed across her face. After all, it was not right to give up everything and hand over the burden of the Cao Clan to her younger sister. But since she had already made a choice, she had to stand by it. Lucilla knew that if she didn''t take a stand down, she would regret it for


    At this moment, a delicate figure suddenly appeared from the dark.


    Geoffrey and the others took a closer look and saw that it was Alyssa.


    "Alyssa, what are you talking about? You want us to let them go? You have conspired with the prince of the Holy Dragon Empire, and now, you still want to let them go? I must report this to the emperor! Woods and you will surely be punished!" Geoffrey shouted angrily.


    "The emperor already knows about it. It is His Majesty''s order to let them go," Alyssa answered calmly, unaffected by Geoffrey''s anger.


    "What?" Geoffrey was stunned.


    "I told the emperor about it after the treasure hunting game. His Majesty said that we should not get into a conflict with the Holy Dragon Empire for the time being. Besides, Prince Basil had saved Woods'' life once. We should return the favor." Alyssa had already expected this situation to happen, so she was well prepared.


    She might look calm at that moment, but the truth was that it took a lot of effort to persuade the emperor. It was only for her sake that the emperor consented to let Rocky go this time. She had tried her best to protect Rocky.


    This situation was beyond her own imagination. She almost made herself a traitor to the Timber Deity Empire for a man!


    However, now that Rocky was gone, they could never be friends again. They could meet once again in this lifetime, but they would be as good as strangers, and at worst, they could be enemies on the battlefield once again. Despite that, no matter what the result was, she didn''t regret what she had done for Rocky.

 Chapter 1033 Take Action Tonight

    When Marcia and Rocky rushed back to the Holy Dragon Empire, Alston had already returned from the Dragon Master Clan.


    At this moment, Priest Dean and many other officials were gathered in the Grand Holy Hall. The emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire was sitting on the magnificent throne, while Alston was standing alone in the middle.


    "Alston, what have you got from your trip to the Dragon Master Clan? Do tell us now," the emperor asked Alston calmly while he was sitting back on his throne.


    But in fact, he did not need to ask. He could already feel that Alston''s strength had been greatly improved after he went to the Dragon Master Clan. He had been promoted from the third grade to the fourth grade of the Supernal Stage. It had only been a few days, and an improvement like that was indeed amazing.


    "Your Majesty, I''ve learned a lot during my trip to the Dragon Master Clan. I''ve explored many places, and I''ve experienced and seen so much of the world..." Alston answered gently, cupping his hands together. There was a hint of complacency in his eyes.


    "Well, that''s good to hear." The emperor nodded at him and did not ask any more questions. As a matter of fact, the emperor looked preoccupied.


    Alston also sensed the strangeness in the emperor''s demeanor. His eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion.


    Then, the ministers gathered around Alston to congratulate him. Obviously, they all knew that Alston''s visit to the Dragon Master Clan not only helped him improve his strength, but also made him a valuable ally to the Dragon Master Clan. Without a shadow of a doubt, this meant that he would be the next emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire. Therefore, they must win the favor of the country''s future leader.


    Alston acted accordingly, but his eyes never left the emperor when he noticed the emperor''s thoughtful look. He always felt that the emperor was hiding something.


    Not long after, the emperor left, and all the ministers followed. Then, Alston and Priest Dean walked out of the Grand Holy Hall last.


    "Your Royal Highness, I have a question if you don''t mind. Why did the patriarch of the Dragon Master Clan ask you to go to them?" Priest Dean asked shrewdly. Of course, he did not buy that the only reason why Alston was called to the Dragon Master Clan was just to improve his strength.


    "Well, the patriarch thinks very highly of me. So, he thought that if I become the emperor, I will make the Holy Dragon Empire better. He hopes that my father will abdicate soon, so I can take over the position of the emperor," Alston said in a hushed tone, but his eyes were filled with excitement.


    "Of course. I see. However, considering His Majesty''


    he forbidden area, so we must force the emperor to abdicate as soon as possible," the black figure said immediately. It was clear that they had no choice but to find a way to complete the patriarch''s orders.


    "So, what do you think we should do?" Alston asked. He had no idea how they would accomplish this.


    "Since the emperor is unwilling to abdicate, we have to use force to ensure that you will take over the throne. If that happens, you may not know how to enter the forbidden area. But as long as you become the emperor, you will have plenty of time and chance to know to get the treasure. And if you take over, you can work for the Dragon Master Clan which will benefit you a lot," the black figure said coldly.


    "Then let''s do it tonight." After their discussion, the black figure disappeared from where he stood.


    Later that night when the whole Palace City was dark and silent, the emperor''s bedroom was still brightly lit.


    The emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire walked back and forth alone in his private chamber. There were dark circles under his eyes, and he looked a little anxious. He couldn''t fall asleep for the past few nights because Marcia hadn''t replied to any of his messages yet. He was very worried about whether Basil was really still alive or not.


    The emperor suddenly stopped his pacing because he sensed something. He immediately turned to look outside the chamber and shouted in a low voice, "Hello, who is there?"


    Suddenly, a figure entered the bedroom.


    "What? Alston? It''s so late. What are you still doing here?" The emperor was surprised to see Alston in his chamber at this hour.


    "Father, I beg you to step down from the throne. I really don''t want to have come to this point." Alston suddenly opened his mouth with a gloomy face.

 Chapter 1034 The Emperor Of The Holy Dragon Empire Had Disappeared

    "What do you mean?" The emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire felt something was wrong.


    "Father, the Dragon Master Clan has already decided and there''s nothing you can do about it!" Alston said bluntly.


    "So, the Dragon Master Clan wants me to abdicate the throne in your favor?" The emperor immediately understood.


    "I''m glad that you finally see the big picture. At once, write an imperial order stating that you will abdicate and you will grant permission for me to inherit the throne. The announcement will have to be made tomorrow. Father, this is my destiny, and this is for the future of the Holy Dragon Empire. Also, tell me how I can enter the forbidden area of the royal family. This is very important," Alston continued with a sneer.


    "I can''t do that. Once the spiritual treasure appears, it will certainly cause a disorder and our Holy Dragon Empire will be implicated. There will be chaos and it will destroy the Holy Dragon Empire," the emperor said in a solemn voice. His face had turned pale and there was confusion in his eyes. He was not knowledgeable about the spiritual treasure that was sealed in the forbidden area of the royal family, but he was well aware of one thing. It would cause great trouble to the Holy Dragon Empire if they tried to take it out.


    "No, it won''t. The patriarch gave me a promise. As long as we hand over the spiritual treasure, the Holy Dragon Empire will not be in any kind of danger. The Dragon Master Clan also pledged to give us thirty Dragon Spirit Beads every year, and they also gave me a guarantee that our Holy Dragon Empire will soon unify the entire Wild Spirit Land," Alston said as if he had lost his mind.


    "You are too na?ve. It is not as simple as you think," the emperor answered, obviously disappointed. He did not expect that Alston would be enchanted by the Dragon Master Clan.


    "Father, please don''t make me force you! Just do as I said. Do it for my sake. Can''t you see? I made so much progress after I went to the territory of the Dragon Master Clan. The patriarch vowed that as long as I handed over the spiritual treasure, he would make me the strongest warrior in the entire Wild Spirit Land," Alston said. His voice was filled with excitement and eagerness.


    "Are you out of your mind? You will not at any time become the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire, and I will not let you set foot in the forbidden area of the royal family. The Dragon Master Clan must have put you under a spell for you to ask all of these." The emperor''s eyes darkened as his aura increased. Suddenly, a powerful aura of the peak


    spite this, the sudden disappearance of the emperor still frightened the people in the Holy Dragon Empire.


    After the emperor disappeared and Alston took over the throne of the Holy Dragon Empire, Rocky and his two companions returned to Evian City. It was located at the Gehenna Border.


    To be safe, Marcia asked Rocky and Lucilla to stay at a remote inn in the south of Evian City. She then went to the Crimson Dragon Group alone.


    When she arrived at the Crimson Dragon Group and saw Lance, it also shocked Marcia to learn that the emperor was nowhere to be found.


    "Since when was he missing?" Marcia asked in disbelief. Her face had turned pale.


    "The day before yesterday, but I just heard about the news myself. How can he disappear for no reason?" Lance asked as he shook his head.


    "You said that Alston is now the acting emperor? The moment he came back, the emperor disappeared. Something doesn''t seem right," Marcia said. She was suspicious of how things had unfolded. It bothered her that the emperor had gone missing for no apparent reason, and Alston was now the acting emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire. He now possessed an immense power. It was something that he yearned for a long time. If Alston knew that Basil was still alive, Basil''s life would also be in great danger. She could gather the Crimson Dragon Group and the Rime Army, which were the two most powerful legions of the Holy Dragon Empire, to support Basil, but it was far from enough. As the acting emperor, Alston was now the most powerful man in the entire empire, and he was backed by the entire royal family. The situation just became more troublesome for them. If Rocky wanted to fight against Alston, he had to be more prepared.

 Chapter 1035 The Private Talk

    "General Lance, please ask Isis to come here. I''m going to take you with me. We will meet with someone," Marcia said to Lance, who lifted one eyebrow curiously.


    "Who are we going to meet?" he asked. Marcia''s vague words had confused him and also aroused his interest. Surely, she wasn''t planning something dangerous, right?


    "You''ll know when we get there. It will be just the three of us, so don''t bring any attendants with you. Disguise yourself, and make sure that nobody can recognize you. I''ll wait for you in the teahouse in front of the headquarters..." After saying that, Marcia disappeared from where she stood.


    Not long after, Lance and Isis, who were both wearing a hooded cloak to cover their faces, went to the teahouse in front of the headquarters to meet with Marcia. Marcia looked around vigilantly as soon as she spotted them, then said to the father and daughter, "Follow me closely." After saying that, she walked into the street and easily blended with the crowd.


    Meanwhile, the two were a bit alarmed because of Marcia''s suspicious behavior, but they still followed her.


    Marcia took the two of them and circled Evian City once, just to make sure that they weren''t being followed. Then, they finally arrived at the inn where Rocky and his companion were staying. The three of them went upstairs, one of them walked with sure steps, while the other two were following behind her with uncertain steps. Finally, they came upon the end of the hallway, where an inconspicuous door waited stood.


    "Isis, you can enter first. I''m sure the person inside wants to see you the most," Marcia said, nodding to Isis and gesturing at the door.


    Hearing this, Isis was stunned. She looked at her father before she gently pushed the door open. She saw a familiar figure standing in front of an open window, and the air came in and caressed the strands of hair around his face. She had seen this so many times in her dream, but every time she could only see his back. Every time he turned to face her, he would disappear, or she would wake up.


    Isis thought that she was dreaming once again. She stared at the figure, silent and still as a shadow. Perhaps she was afraid that he would disappear the moment that she moved, or maybe she was scared that she would wake up i


    hy? Am I that ugly?" Rocky shook his head with a bitter smile.


    "No! What I meant to say was that if it was a boy with a personality like yours, I don''t know if he would flirt with other women like his father in the future. He might bring us a group of daughters-in-law..." Isis said with a teasing smile.


    "When did I flirt with other women? You''re hurting my feelings!" Rocky asked innocently.


    "Didn''t you? During your funeral back then, General Marcia, Her Royal Highness, Sabina, my cousin, and I all kept vigil beside your coffin. People who didn''t know the truth would think that they were all your women. I don''t know General Marcia''s feelings about you. But I am sure the other women were all heart-broken..." Isis wanted to say something more, but hesitated at the last second. Anyway, it didn''t matter anymore. Rocky should understand it very well by now.


    "Really? Has Lena really forgiven me?" On the way back, Rocky had heard from Marcia that Lena had forgiven him a long time ago. However, there was still a knot in his heart, which could not be solved until he saw Lena.


    "What happened between you and Her Royal Highness?" Isis couldn''t help asking.


    "I''ll tell you later," Rocky answered vaguely, as he thought that it wasn''t the right time to talk about it.


    "By the way, where is Sue? Is she with you?" Isis suddenly asked. She thought that they might be together because Sue had disappeared right after Rocky had "died". Now that she thought about it, she wondered if he had taken her away.

 Chapter 1036 Waiting For An Opportunity

    As soon as Rocky heard Isis mention Sue, he trembled in anger. He then spoke in a rather gloomy tone, "Sue is dead, and I killed her indirectly."


    "What? Dead? Why?" Isis was immediately dumbfounded upon hearing such sad news. At that moment, her eyes were starting to well up with tears.


    "It''s...It''s because of Alston..." Rocky''s eyes suddenly became cold and furious after mentioning Alston''s name.


    "Alston? What does he have anything to do with this?" Isis frowned. Although she didn''t know what exactly was going on, she knew it must be related to Rocky''s "death".


    "Follow me to the next room. You have to know about this. I have something else to explain to you." Soon after, Rocky held Isis in his arms and proceeded to go to the next room.


    Upon entering the room, Isis saw that there was another person in the room aside from her father and Marcia. Beautiful and elegant, this other woman had an aura at the Supernal Stage, meaning she was not an ordinary person.


    "Basil, do you know who she is?" Isis shifted her gaze to Rocky and asked.


    "Well, you must be Isis. I''m Lucilla. Nice to finally meet you!" At that moment, Lucilla appeared to be, as always, well-mannered. On the way, she had heard about Isis, so she had already been mentally prepared for their meeting.


    "Likewise. Nice to meet you too." Isis greeted back upon noticing that Lucilla was older than her.


    Then, Rocky briefly narrated his experiences in the Timber Deity Empire to Lance and Isis. Of course, he could not miss the chance to tell them about Lucilla''s identity and the reason why she was here.


    "I didn''t expect that the chief of the most powerful clan in the Timber Deity Empire would give up the position of the chief to protect Prince Basil. I really admire your courage!" Lance could not help but exclaim his respect. Although he could see that Lucilla gave up the position of the chief because of Rocky, he sincerely admired her determination and courage for doing it. After all, it was not easy for an extraordinary and influential person in the Timber


    do now?" Rocky asked Marcia after thinking for a while.


    "Right now, Alston is the acting emperor. Before we find out why His Majesty is missing, he can only be the acting emperor. Therefore, as long as the reason for His Majesty''s disappearance is not found out, Alston can''t become the real emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire. Moreover, he cannot completely convince the public. Big clans will certainly have doubts, especially the Ximen Clan. Unless Alston can get the support of the Ximen Clan, it will be absolutely difficult for him to be the emperor. That''s why we have plenty of time to prepare," Marcia said as she seemed to have a plan in mind.


    "If you want to fight with Alston with all your might, you must have more forces behind to support you. Although two of the four legions of the Holy Dragon Empire are on your side, it''s still not enough. We still need to win more forces over secretly, but somehow, it will take us a lot of time to prepare. In fact, even Alston can''t get the support of all the forces in a short time. Therefore, there will be a war without bullets in the future," Lance stated as he nodded his head.


    "So, all I can do now is wait?" At that moment, Rocky immediately understood what Marcia and Lance meant. It seemed that he might have to completely hide himself for some time while waiting for the opportunity to get his revenge.

 Chapter 1037 The Destined One

    "General Marcia and I will try our best to make the arrangements for you, and we will get as much help as we can. We will also try our best to rally all the clans and other forces to support us." Lance paused for a second, as a stray thought entered his mind, and he asked, "But how do we arrange Basil''s residence? It needs to be somewhere safe..." Since Rocky''s identity could not be exposed yet, his whereabouts needed to be kept secret, especially the place where he would live.


    "That won''t be necessary," Marcia interrupted as another idea popped up in her mind.


    "I beg your pardon?" Lance exchanged glances with his daughter, and then both of them looked at Marcia, confused.


    "From now on, he is no longer Prince Basil. So, we won''t restrict him. He can go anywhere he wants to," Marcia declared, looking at Rocky. Her words were vague though, so it only confused the others more.


    "General Marcia, what do you mean? I can''t quite catch what you are saying," Isis asked, hoping that Marcia would explain her words.


    "Here is the plan. From today onward, we cannot have any contact with him, and that will last for at least a few months. He needs to be all by himself. I believe Alston will pay more attention to General Lance and me when he is in charge instead of the emperor. It''s highly likely that he will send people to monitor our actions. If we come into contact with Basil, we will surely expose his identity. And that is why Basil needs to go around alone temporarily. He can do whatever he likes, or he can find himself a turtle shell to hide in. Anyway, as long as his identity is not exposed, everything will be fine," Marcia further explained. All her plans were made for the sake of his safety. It might be torture for Rocky, who was eager for revenge, but she believed that he would understand its necessity. He had to be patient and wait for the best timing.


    "You mean I have to act like a turtle retracting its head into its shell?" Rocky asked with a bit of disdain. He knew that Marcia meant well, and it was actually a good idea. But that didn''t mean that he liked it.


    "It can be a good time for you. You can take this opportunity to improve your strength. With the way you are now, you are not yet capable of bringing down Alston. Even if you can handle him, you can''t deal with all the powerful masters and the strongest warriors of th


    ude a long time ago," Rocky said earnestly, staring intensely into Marcia''s eyes. He felt a little guilty. After all, he had misunderstood her before.


    "Let bygones be bygones. Don''t waste your time on that nonsense anymore. To be honest, I felt a little regretful when I heard that you were dead. I thought that I shouldn''t have sent you to the Gehenna Border. I could have kept you by my side and patiently taught you how to control the evil power of the Holy Dragon Bead. But I still think that it was a good idea to send you to the Gehenna Border. If not, you wouldn''t have grown strong so fast. Look how Alyssa and Woods treat you. I believe I was right. It may not be a bad thing for the future of the Holy Dragon Empire." Marcia didn''t mind Rocky''s attitude from before, and she had always had a broader perspective than most people.


    "Anyway, thank you. But I want to know why you are willing to help me. Is it just because I saved your life before? Or is it because I''m a prince? Do you have some other reason that I don''t know about?" Rocky also felt that Marcia had done more than enough for him. He wanted her to tell him the truth.


    "If you asked me this question before, I wouldn''t have been able to answer you. But from the moment I saw you, I felt like we were destined to be together. And I had to help you with all my strength. It was only after you had died when I realized that maybe you were the one I was looking for," Marcia answered with a strange look in her eyes.


    "I''m the one you''re looking for? Somehow, that sounds familiar!" Rocky said in a daze.

 Chapter 1038 You Are Really Alive

    "Judging by your look, Alyssa must have told you the same thing, right?" Marcia asked when she saw the strange expression on Rocky''s face. She gently smiled as if telling him that she exactly knew what was going on in his mind.


    "Wait, do you mean..." The words just slipped right out of his tongue. It struck him that the two women had so much in common. He had to admit that he was surprised to hear it from Marcia, and that it was written all over his face.


    "Well, it seems that my guess is right. Now I understand why Alyssa let you live after you were captured and treated you as distinguished guest when you were in the Timber Deity Empire. It''s because you are the only person in the world who can help her remove the curse, the curse preventing her from being a real spiritual race." The way Alyssa behaved around Rocky was not like the cruel and proud princess that Marcia knew so well. Marcia guessed why Alyssa was acting so weird when she learned how Rocky was received in the Timber Deity Empire.


    "But I don''t understand. Why are you also looking for me?" Rocky asked. He couldn''t be the one Marcia was looking for, even if he was indeed the one Alyssa needed.


    "That''s an easy question to answer. Since you can remove her curse, then you can do the same to my curse. Because although it involves different spiritual race bloodlines, her curse and mine are the same kind to a certain extent. We are both products of the human and spiritual race. Our curse is the same. However, I don''t think she has told you how to remove the curse," Marcia said as she eyed Rocky with a skeptical look.


    "She didn''t tell me. But I don''t think she actually knows how. But you know it, right? Is that what you''re telling me?" Rocky understood the meaning behind Marcia''s words immediately.


    "How could she not know if I already knew? How naive of you to think that way. I''m afraid she doesn''t want to tell the truth because you can only remove her curse when the two of you truly love each other and your minds genuinely blend as one. She knows that you two can''t have that kind of relationship, so she didn''t tell you." Marcia told him the only way to remove the curse.


    Rocky then realized why Alyssa asked him to


    the mediator again.


    "Take good care of Lena for me please. We both know Alston has coveted her for a long time. I''m worried for her, so please keep him away from her. I know that things are harder now that Alston is taking charge of the empire. I''m afraid he will certainly try his best to hurt her," Rocky said with a frown, his eyes turning ice cold.


    "I will certainly do that, even if you didn''t ask. I will never let him lay a finger on Lena. I will teach him a hard lesson myself if he tries to do anything to her," Marcia snapped. She would definitely make Alston pay if he did something wrong to Lena.


    "I''ll leave her to you then. Please protect her. Alas, I think I should go now! I can finally have an ordinary life for myself," Rocky joked lightly. As a matter of fact, the waiting period would make him surely suffer. First, he wouldn''t be able to go to Alston for revenge. Second, it wouldn''t be a good time for him to see Lena to sort out the matters of his heart.


    "In case you need anything, do let me know," Marcia added sincerely before leaving.


    Rocky nodded and bid farewell to Marcia with a slight bow.


    Marcia watched Rocky as he went away. A gentle smile flashed across her face. She said to herself lightly, "I''m really happy to see you alive. You don''t know how scared I was when I went to the Timber Deity Empire to see you. I was worried that Alyssa was just lying. But fortunately, it is true! I finally saw you! You are alive again!"

 Chapter 1039 A New Refining Method

    Before leaving Evian City, Rocky made arrangements to purchase a large number of lab supplies, tools and materials. After everything was readied, he set out for the Myriad Beasts Ground.


    He arrived there two days later. It didn''t take long for him to find the valley where he discovered the crystal refining notebook. The house in the valley was in shambles and barely standing, but it was still there.


    For Rocky, this valley was the best place for him to cultivate. The Myriad Beasts Ground was a natural field for experiment. The valley was wide and the soil was fertile. It was very suitable for breeding Dark Heaven Insects and their larvae. In addition, there were all kinds of equipment for refining spiritual crystal in the house.


    It took Rocky a whole day to repair the house, enough for him to use it. He also built a wooden fence to securely breed the Dark Heaven Insects and larvae, as well as the Fire Rock Turtle he had just captured. In addition, he also moved the body of the ancient spiritual beast from the Magic Spiritual Space to the north side of the valley, in order to let it absorb the spiritual power of the Myriad Beasts Ground. Since the body of the ancient spiritual beast was not made of iron, it needed another way to replenish spiritual power.


    After Rocky transformed the valley into his own personal research base, he started to do genetic experiments. He also began refining spiritual crystals. In his spare time, he tamed the Fire Rock Turtle, and went out hunting with Robin and Ken to improve their strength. Of course, the most important thing was to refine the Holy Spirit Panacea. For him, refining the Holy Spirit Panacea was the fastest way to improve his strength.


    In the first few days, Rocky went deep into the Myriad Beasts Ground daily to visit the remains of the Butterfly Divine Clan. Additionally, he wanted to see if he could run into Cherry. Back when he was in the Hell of Dragon Fang, the beautiful woman from the spiritual race had mentioned Cherry. She seemed to know her well, so he figured that Cherry might also know that beautiful woman, too.


    However, his trips proved futile. Despite goin


    t least a few months before he knew whether the experiment was successful.


    Another two months passed. By now, Rocky had been in the valley for a total of four months.


    So far, three of the six larvae had survived the gene experiments, and the other three had died from genetic diseases. It was a pity that the three larvae died, but the remaining three could be considered the miraculous products of this era. They had all completed the breakthrough of the limit of star level! In fact, these three had broken through from the three-star level to the four-star level. Although they had only grown to the two-star level, they could already produce low-grade Dark Heaven Eggs. Because of gene mutation, the low-grade Dark Heaven Eggs produced by them were one grade higher than the low-grade Dark Heaven Egg produced by the normal Dark Heaven Insect of the three-star level.


    What pleased Rocky the most, however, was that after months of continuous trial and error, he finally made a breakthrough in the refining of the spiritual crystal. He had come up with a new refining method. Although this refining method took a longer time than the previous refining method, he could refine it in greater quantities with higher efficiency. Most importantly, this method was very simple. He could refine the crystal in body of the spirit-manipulated beast directly. That was to say, the body of the spirit-manipulated beast was like a furnace.

 Chapter 1040 The Perfect Opportunity

    Rocky had made a significant breakthrough in his genetic experiments and refinement of the spiritual crystals. He also achieved amazing progress in his strength. For the past four months, Rocky had refined the third Holy Spirit Panacea and had almost reached the eighth grade of the Supernal Stage. He had merged with most of the power released from the fourth layer of the seal and would absorb all the power soon. Compared with his practice sessions with Alyssa, it took a long time for Rocky to merge with the power released from the fourth layer of the seal. But as to the normal fusion practices, his fusion was still impressively quick.


    Inside the warehouse, Rocky was observing Uriah''s egg. The egg had grown bigger and taller, and could pierce through the roof of the warehouse anytime. The eggshell had changed its color four times. Last time it was red, but now it had turned dark green. Rocky was not sure if this was its last color or would change again soon.


    Rocky observed the egg for a long time, and he noticed several changes. It was growing so fast, and he also saw some slight movements, as if there was something alive and growing inside the shell. He also sensed a powerful aura that radiated from the egg, and it appeared to be growing stronger every day.


    Rocky went through so much trouble just to find enough blood essence to feed Uriah''s egg. He traveled all over the Myriad Beasts Ground except for some extremely dangerous areas. He faced dangers and risked his life several times so he could gather as much blood essence of spirit-manipulated beasts as possible.


    He also asked Marcia to collect some blood essence from supreme masters at the Divine Stage, like Lance. As well as some masters at the Supernal Stage. With the help of Laney, Lucilla collected some blood essence from the Cao Clan. She then ordered her confidant to send the blood essence to Rocky.


    The adequate supply of blood essence boosted Uriah''s egg and helped it grow amazingly fast within the last four months.


    Except for the blood essence of the Moon Fox and the ancient spiritual beast, Rocky had used most kinds of blood essence to feed Uriah''s egg. He believed that it was not the right time to use these two kinds of blood essence. Based on his observation, he determined that the egg didn''t absorb nutrition from the blood essence to grow, but seemed like being putting pieces of puzzle together. For one, a specific kind of blood essence was a c


    from. She only knew that there were nine spiritual treasures, and that they existed a long time ago. She also learned that they were sealed in nine extremely dangerous and mysterious places within the Wild Spirit Land. The spiritual race members were prohibited from entering the places where the spiritual treasures were sealed. Also, the spiritual treasures were just mysterious beings and only the spiritual race knew their specific use and benefits.


    The Wood Clan and the other spiritual race clans mentioned nothing about the spiritual treasures. They only asked the empires to send people to the mysterious places on the Wild Spirit Land to look for the spiritual treasures.


    With this information, Rocky felt that there must be some significant secrets hidden behind their crazy search for the spiritual treasures.


    Rocky figured that there was another way for him to learn more about spiritual treasures. He could ask the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast, but it was unwilling to reveal anything. Still, the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast pointed out that if Rocky wanted to unravel the secrets of the spiritual race, he should collect the blood essence of the nine legendary guardian beasts and unlock all the memories sealed in the dragon-shaped jade first.


    Rocky had already gained the blood essence of the Moon Fox, which was likely one of the nine legendary guardian beasts, but he did not use it to unlock the second layer of memory in the dragon-shaped jade. It worried him that too much new information would harm him at this point. What he needed to do now was to concentrate on cultivation and wait for the perfect opportunity!

 Chapter 1041 Got Messages From Outside

    Another three months had passed, and Rocky found his hands full of blood. At that time, he was in a temporary shed built in the valley, busy doing something under the belly of the Fire Rock Turtle.


    The floor was already covered with blood like an intense war had just taken place in the area.


    "Come on, it''s almost done." Cold sweat appeared on Rocky''s forehead. Despite looking a little anxious, he still encouraged the turtle, as if it could understand him.


    The Fire Rock Turtle, on the other hand, appeared to be in so much pain, wailing in agony continuously.


    After half an hour, Rocky finally managed to pull out a cub from under the turtle''s belly. This newborn cub was covered in blood and had a long and flat body with some tiny black and red patterns printed all over it.


    Soon after, the cub made a soft sound. It twitched its eyelids a few times before finally opening them.


    Rocky smiled with relief upon seeing such a miracle. Immediately, he reached for the bamboo basket lined with white cloth and put the cub inside. Afterwards, he began to put his hand again, deep inside the belly of the turtle.


    One hour after, he was able to successfully pull other five cubs from the turtle, all alive and kicking.


    To be exact, these six cubs were the result of Rocky''s experiment on asexual reproduction of the Dark Heaven Insect and the Fire Rock Turtle.


    Meanwhile, he attended to the bleeding turtle. He applied pressure to the wound to stop the bleeding and sutured its lower abdomen. From his leather bag, he took out a red spiritual crystal and fed it directly into the turtle''s mouth.


    This red spiritual crystal symbolized Rocky''s success in the past six months. Just a month after coming up with a new method to refine the spiritual crystal, he was able to successfully refine his first ever spiritual crystal on his own. Now, he could refine the red spiritual crystal flawlessly anytime he wanted to. He could also refine yellow spiritual crystals, but not as often as the red ones, and blue ones, but rarely. Sure enough, his refinement of these crystals also depended on the refining furnace, to be specific, the dead bodies of spirit-manipulated beasts that he collected. In general, one should at least collect the corpse of a spirit-manipulated beast at the fifth grade of the five-star level if one wanted to refine the blue spiritual crystal. Moreover, this corpse must be a very rare one. Nevertheless, there was still a very small probability of refining the blue spiritual crystal, no matter how rare the corpse was. On the contrary, the yellow spiritual c


    ng the Holy Dragon Empire.


    As a result, the Xiao''s beast hospital was well-known not only in the Timber Deity Empire but also in the Wild Spirit Land. In fact, many spirit manipulators from different countries even traveled for long distances just to the Timber Deity Empire to have their spirit-manipulated beasts cured.


    Needless to say, Rocky knew that Alyssa and Woods supported the fast development of the beast hospitals.


    After winning in the treasure hunting mission more than half a year ago, Woods became deeply valued by the emperor of the Timber Deity Empire. Although he had some ups and downs because of his involvement in concealing Rocky''s identity as a prince, he was not affected due to Alyssa''s protection. Two months ago, Woods had just been announced to be the successor of his father. Recently, his father''s physical condition was not getting any better, in fact, even worse. Therefore, it was only a matter of time for Woods to become the emperor and take the crown.


    Meanwhile, Rocky immediately knew that Marcia sent the other one. As soon as he opened the other letter, he frowned slightly. In the blink of an eye, a very red flame rose from his palm, which was completely different from the previous Evil Flame. In fact, it seemed to be a kind of pure spiritual power with Fire nature. Now, he was able to completely distinguish the evil spiritual power of the Holy Dragon Bead and the Fire spiritual power, which was one of the achievements of his cultivation in the past six months.


    "It''s finally about to begin." Rocky sighed as he walked towards the wooden house.


    The following morning came, and the valley where he had lived in seclusion for more than half a year was completely emptied.

 Chapter 1042 Noisy Hall

    Not long after Rocky left the valley, two beautiful figures appeared. As they looked around the empty valley, one of the beautiful figures could not help but feel a little dejected.


    "Are you unhappy because you can''t see Mr. Bai in the future anymore?" The first figure looked at the other figure beside her. There was a faint and gentle smile in her beautiful eyes. Her slightly flapping colorful wings shone beautifully because of the shining spiritual dots.


    If Rocky were still here, he would definitely be very surprised by this. The woman who spoke was Cherry whom he had looked so hard for before but did not find.


    The figure beside Cherry was no other than Sue. Sue had been saved by Cherry back then.


    Now Sue had grown into an exceptionally beautiful woman. Her innocence and naivety had been replaced by maturity and charisma. She was already a beauty that would tempt any man.


    When Rocky came to the valley six months ago, Cherry had already known he was there. When Rocky came to the remains of the Butterfly Divine Clan to look for her, she deliberately avoided seeing him. She felt that it was not the right time to meet him.


    In the past six months, Cherry had taken Sue along with her to see Rocky several times. Of course, they lurked secretly, to avoid being discovered by Rocky. Cherry could not let Rocky know that Sue was still alive. To a certain extent, Sue was a bargaining chip with which she could make Rocky obey her orders when she needed it. That was why she saved Sue in the first place.


    "Cherry, when do you think I can meet Mr. Bai?" Sue turned to look at Cherry and shyly asked. She was slightly biting her pink lips, a sign that she was anxious about Cherry''s answer. During the past six months, she could not visit Mr. Bai even though she knew he was in the Myriad Beasts Ground. This made her suffer so badly because she knew that Mr. Bai thought that she was already dead. She knew that her supposed death must have made Mr. Bai terribly heartbroken. So, she hoped to see him again and tell him that she was very much alive.


    "It''s not the ri


    , his strength had reached the premium grade of the Supernal Stage. He was also a very famous warrior at the Supernal Stage in the Holy Dragon Empire.


    "Chief Leonard, that''s not fair. I come here more often than you, but I haven''t seen Miss Sabina even once. How is that fair that you''ll get to see her before we do? Don''t you take my clan seriously?" Another old man sitting in the reception room immediately cut in. The old man who complained was Myron, an elder of the Wang Clan which is the weakest clan in the Holy Dragon Empire. He came on behalf of the Wang Clan. In addition, like Leonard, he also wanted to see Sabina and grab the opportunity to present his chief''s son.


    "The both of you, I came here at the fourth prince''s order. I should meet her before you do, so that I can report to His Royal Highness." Another master at the Supernal Stage immediately stood up and mentioned his master as leverage.


    Soon enough, the whole reception room was in an uproar. Everyone had their own reasons to go first, but all of them had only one goal which was to see Sabina.


    Of course, it was exceedingly difficult to see her.


    Elvis, who was sitting in the middle, also felt a little troublesome when he saw the chaotic scene. Although it was not the first time that he saw this kind of commotion, he didn''t want to be unfriendly to them because these people are all powerful people.

 Chapter 1043 Screams

    "Quiet, gentlemen! That''s enough. I really can''t do anything about this matter. If Sabina refuses to come out and see you, then I can''t force her to do so even if I am her father," Elvis said as his eyes gleamed with annoyance. In fact, it was not because he didn''t want to, but because of his daughter''s stubborn temper. If she didn''t want it, then there was nothing the family could do to reach an agreement with her, especially when it was about match-making.


    "You need to do something about this, Chief Elvis. Please, there must be something you can do. All of us have traveled such long distances just to meet Miss Sabina. Please, at least let us see her. Let us show her our appreciation!" Leonard suggested immediately. They thought they might still get a chance to show Sabina how much they appreciate her despite Sabina not showing up. Moreover, they thought they could at least leave her an impression in case she changed her mind in future. But as the clock ticked and without any sign of Sabina, it seemed that they were just pouring water into a sieve and would leave the area empty-handed.


    Upon hearing Leonard''s proposition, the people echoed their thoughts and nodded their heads.


    "Well..." Elvis said, as soon as the crowd quieted down. "Okay, I''ll try once more. I''ll send someone to ask her opinion about the matter. But if she refuses again, then I''ll be at the end of my rope! No more bothering her!" He heaved a deep sigh after gesturing his hands into a cross.


    Not long after, Elvis waved at a servant, who came up to him immediately and whispered into the servant''s ear. Immediately, the servant went out to Sabina.


    Meanwhile, Elvis served all the guests with various teas and desserts while waiting for news from his daughter. A few moments later, the servant returned and bowed his head at his Chief. Then, he reported, "My Chief, Miss Sabina said she will only see one of the gentlemen this time. But under one condition¡ªhe must be able to catch her Duchess Silver first! Miss Sabina has let Duchess Silver out, and it''s in the courtyard as we speak."


    Hearing this exciting news made the crowd immediately noisy as they exchanged their thoughts.


    "Oh, what is she trying to do?" Elvis smiled bitterly and said, "Pardon me, but I think my daughter is just kidding. Please don''t take it seriously. You are all seniors after all, even if you''re here for her today. Such a behavior offends against good taste, anyway. So, please don''t!"


    Amidst the sea of voices, Leonard loudly replied, "I have no objection to her request, sir! I''d like to try!" His voice sounded confident, despite knowing that Sabina''s Duchess Silver was a rare kind of spiritual beast. After all, he felt that with his current strength, it would not be too hard for him to catch the beast.


    On the other hand, the others looked at


    e sooner or later," Sabina grunted.


    "Hey, don''t talk like that," Elvis hurriedly stopped her and frowned in disappointment.


    "Others may be terrified by his cruelty, but not I," Sabina said candidly. She did not hide the fact that she hated Alston since long ago.


    "Gossip is a fearful thing. The position of our clan is very subtle now. We''d better not do anything that will make people misunderstand us. Especially now that your sister is the empress," Elvis warned, with the furrow between his eyes getting even deeper.


    "But I don''t think Alston cares about her that much. If he has shown any respect, my sister wouldn''t have left the Palace City and returned home a year ago. Now, she refuses to go back there. What does the title of empress do us any good?" Sabina''s voice turned cold. She felt sorry for her elder sister, and apart from that, she was suffering from guilt. Her elder sister had to marry Alston because she had run away. It should have been her and not her elder sister in that position. Back then, her clan had no other choice but to marry a daughter into the royal family. For so many years, Alston had never had any feelings for her elder sister, so she secretly returned to the Ji Clan a year ago.


    "I do not want to discuss this topic further." Elvis waved his hands. To him, what was done could not be undone, and it was too late to do anything.


    As soon as both of them became silent, a burst of screams reached their ears. Apparently, many people had been tortured by Duchess Silver.


    "Sabina, I think that''s enough. Come on, save some for them!" Elvis advised with a slight smile.


    "If they don''t even have the ability to catch my beast, how do they expect me to put themselves in my eyes?" Sabina sighed, and then her voice turned faint. "Perhaps, the one I''m waiting for will never come." Her thoughts slowly drifted away, like flowing water.

 Chapter 1044 The Duchess Silver

    Meanwhile, in the vast open space just outside the pavilion, people and beasts continued to chase the Duchess Silver as it flew around spontaneously. However, the Duchess Silver was too fast that even the masters at the Supernal Stage could not catch it, let alone the weaker masters.


    The chase lasted an hour. People in front of the pavilion were in disarray and most of them were exhausted. Only the masters at the Supernal Stage were strong enough to continue with the chase. They persisted but failed to even touch the hair of the Duchess Silver.


    Amid the chaos, a man appeared out of nowhere. He was tall and slender. He wore a bamboo hat on his head and was dressed like an old boatman. Confidently, he walked towards the pavilion and saw the people madly chasing the Duchess Silver. A mischievous smile spread across his face.


    The Duchess Silver seemed to have sensed his presence when it stopped in mid-air. It descended quickly and landed in front of the man wearing a bamboo hat. People from the crowd were surprised as they saw it approach the man like a gentle animal.


    The scene startled everyone.


    "I did not expect you to recognize me!" The man wearing a bamboo hat was obviously pleased as he watched the Duchess Silver approach him. With a smile on his face, he reached out to touch the white mane on its neck.


    The Duchess Silver seemed delighted with his show of affection. It whined and rubbed its head against the man''s shoulder.


    "Hey! Hand the Duchess Silver to me and I will give you one hundred taels of gold!" one man shouted. He noticed that the man looked like a servant. He sensed the aura of a spirit manipulator, but the aura seemed very weak. Because of this, he quickly assumed that he was a disciple of the Ji Clan, so his eyes immediately lit up with joy.


    The others thought of the same thing, and they began to outbid each other.


    "I offer three hundred taels of gold!"


    "Five hundred."


    "One thousand."


    "Three thousand."


    "Ten thousand!


    As if in an auction, the people continued to bid until the p


    dies and were soon in front of the man.


    "Give me the Duchess Silver, and I will give you whatever you want. I can give you one hundred thousand taels of gold, and I can pay double," Leonard declared as he took out a pile of golden bills from his pocket. He was the chief of a clan, and could easily afford the enormous amount of money.


    "Chief Leonard, I think he also wants to have the opportunity with Miss Sabina. But with his appearance, he doesn''t stand a chance. We don''t have to be polite to him. Let''s see who can get the Duchess Silver from him first." Elder Myron was more ruthless and did not want to bother with being civilized. His eyes darkened. He made a move to grab the Duchess Silver.


    Surprised, Leonard quickly made a move to catch the Duchess Silver as well. There was no way he would let Elder Myron get the upper hand.


    Just as Leonard and Elder Myron were about to catch the Duchess Silver, the man wearing a bamboo hat gently pushed the Duchess Silver. It shifted and dodged the attack of Leonard and Elder Myron.


    Leonard and Elder Myron were annoyed. They did not expect the man to help the Duchess Silver avoid their attack. This fueled their determination, and they both rushed forward to the Duchess Silver.


    In an instant, the man wearing a bamboo hat appeared beside the Duchess Silver and intercepted the attack of the two men.

 Chapter 1045 The Master of Disguise

    Over the next few rounds, despite their quick attacking speed, Leonard and Elder Myron still couldn''t manage to snatch Duchess Silver away from the man with the bamboo hat, let alone get half a meter near him.


    The jaws of those who witnessed the scene dropped to the floor because they never expected the man in the bamboo hat to be a strong spirit manipulator. But to their astonishment, Leonard and Elder Myron whose strengths were at the premium grade of the Supernal Stage still weren''t successful in snatching Duchess Silver from the mysterious man. The feeling of shock they all felt was inconceivable!


    As Leonard and Elder Myron continued their fierce fight to grab Duchess Silver from their opponent, the maid who had previously delivered a message rushed to the third floor.


    "My Lady, someone has captured Duchess Silver successfully. However, two warriors who are unwilling to admit their defeat are trying to grab it and are currently in a battle with its captor!" the maid reported hurriedly.


    "Someone captured Duchess Silver?" Sabina asked in disbelief. She always thought that unless it was a peerless master of the Divine Stage, it would be nearly impossible for even a master at the premium grade of the Supernal Stage to conquer and capture her Duchess Silver.


    She shared the same sentiments with her father, Elvis.


    In the midst of all their confusion and doubt, the father and daughter immediately walked to the pavilion corridor. As they gazed below, they found Leonard and Elder Myron locked in a battle with the man donning the bamboo hat.


    Sabina''s gaze fell on the stranger. What astonished her wasn''t just that he managed to capture Duchess Silver, but that he skillfully avoided his opponents'' attacks as if he were just taking a leisurely stroll in a courtyard.


    "This is no ordinary man. Even the chief of the Xiong Clan and Elder Myron can''t take Duchess Silver away from him." Elvis noticed that the man in the bamboo hat appeared to hide his true strength.


    "Could he be¡­" Sabina pondered as she took a closer look at the stranger and then at Duche


    ry rare red spiritual crystal.


    Many of them burst into an uproar and were even stunned because the prices they offered for the Duchess Silver wouldn''t be enough to buy even half of such a spiritual crystal, let alone a complete one. Even if one had enough money to buy such a rare and priceless crystal, it would still be difficult to purchase since very few of them were circulating in the market.


    No one would''ve expected this man, who looked like a servant, to casually present a red spiritual crystal and give it to Duchess Silver.


    Now Leonard and Elder Myron appeared to have a gloomy look on their faces.


    After feeding Duchess Silver on the red spiritual crystal, the stranger followed Sabina into the pavilion.


    Upon entering the pavilion, Sabina immediately dismissed all the maids as she led the man to the top floor where they could be in private.


    "How did you know it was me? I thought I was a master at disguising myself," he asked her with a smile as soon as they were alone.


    "Even if you turned to ashes, I could recognize you. Take off your bamboo hat," Sabina said through gritted teeth as she turned and glared at him. However, her eyes were filled with strong emotions that she couldn''t seem to hold back any longer.


    The man eventually removed his hat and revealed his face. It was no other than Rocky, who had left the Myriad Beasts Ground two days ago!

 Chapter 1046 The Beautiful Instructor

    The moment Sabina saw Rocky''s face, she could not help but tremble in a mix of emotions. She tried to hide it, but one could see her cold eyes suddenly melt. Her once dismal aura immediately became relieved, and her eyes started to well with tears.


    Not long after Rocky came back to the Holy Dragon Empire, Sabina learned from Marcia that Rocky was still alive. However, Sabina had not had the chance to see him because, at that moment, he had gone to the Myriad Beasts Ground. With that being said, she had to wait for more than half a year, which was quite a lot of suffering for her.


    Now that he was standing in front of her, her lips didn''t know what to say. Her heart wanted to spew out a myriad of words, but nothing seemed to come out. But to her, nothing was more important than seeing him in the flesh, alive and breathing.


    At that moment, she tried her best to contain her overflowing joy and excitement and managed to keep people from seeing it on her face. But actions spoke louder than words. All she could do was shed a joyful tear.


    In fact, she even surprised herself with her own reaction. Hurriedly, she wiped the corner of her eye so that Rocky wouldn''t see her in such state.


    "Hey, what''s wrong? I can''t believe that you''re so happy to see me that you even cried!" Rocky teased.


    "Oh, don''t flatter yourself. There''s a bug in my eye! And, I am not that happy to see you," Sabina retorted, but obviously against what she was feeling.


    "Oh, really?" Rocky said, pretending to be apologetic.


    After regaining her composure, Sabina turned around and asked Rocky, "What suddenly brings you to the Ji Mansion? Didn''t my master say that you''d better not show up before everything is ready?"


    "But she asked me to come. In fact, she said that everything was ready. And besides, she asked me to help you, because your clan is going to be in very big trouble soon," Rocky said with a frown.


    "Wait, trouble? What kind of trouble are we talking about?" Sabina asked right away.


    "Didn''t your sister return to the Ji Mansion a year ago? She hasn''t returned to the Palace City yet, right?" Rocky inquired.


    "Yes, you''re right. She hasn''t returned to the Palace City yet," Sabina rep


    then surely, he would be surprised to see this woman. She was Mia, the beautiful instructor who was responsible for guiding and training him when he just became a royal spirit manipulator.


    After training the royal spirit manipulators in Rocky''s class, she resigned from her position and returned to her clan due to her grandfather''s poor health. She belonged to the Lan Clan, one of the big clans in the Holy Dragon Empire. Compared with the Ji Clan, the Lan Clan was not famous for the training of spirit manipulators. The reason why the Lan Clan could become one of the big clans was because of its unparalleled economic strength. Moreover, the business of the Lan Clan spread throughout the entire Wild Spirit Land, and they monopolized several main industries of the Holy Dragon Empire. Any move of the Lan Clan could have a great impact on the Holy Dragon Empire''s economy.


    And now, Mia was a master at the Supernal Stage. In fact, this was celebrated because it was rare in the Holy Dragon Empire that one had such strength under thirty.


    For generations, the Ji Clan and the Lan Clan had been on good terms as allies. In fact, Elvis and Mia''s grandfather were also close friends. Back in Mia''s childhood, she often came to the Ji Mansion that Elvis treated her as his niece.


    "He is fine. He can''t drink because of his illness. But you know him; he always wants to drink! Before I even left, he told me to drink more for him," Mia replied with a faint smile.

 Chapter 1047 Pervert Thief

    "He is still extremely addicted to alcohol!" Elvis also laughed loudly.


    "Oh, by the way, where is Sabina?" Mia asked. She was looking around for Sabina, but she didn''t see her. In the last six months, she had overseen all the affairs of the Lan Clan. The Lan Clan and the Ji Clan had various business dealings, so she often came to the Ji Mansion. Later, she became close to Sabina. Of course, it was also because they both knew Rocky. So, they had a common thing to talk about. Mia heard a lot about the heroic deeds of Rocky at the Gehenna Border from Sabina. She thought that the young man who didn''t take anything seriously had indeed become a great hero of the Holy Dragon Empire. She was impressed that he had made a lot of achievements at a young age.


    "Well, she doesn''t really like lively occasions like this. So even on my birthday, she will only show up at banquets," Elvis explained.


    "Actually, I don''t like this kind of occasions either. I will just go to the Heavenly Frost Pavilion to find her. Please excuse me." With that, Mia bowed slightly to Elvis and left to look for Sabina.


    Mia had been here many times, so she found the Heavenly Frost Pavilion easily. She called a few times outside, but no one answered. So, she went straight in. When she entered, there was no one on the first floor. Then she went upstairs to the second floor but saw no one either.


    "This is strange. She is always here in the Heavenly Frost Pavilion. Where could she be now?" Mia was about to leave when she did not find Sabina in the Heavenly Frost Pavilion. But she stopped in her tracks when she suddenly heard a faint sound from the third floor.


    Although the sound was exceedingly small, she heard it clearly. Curious, she turned around and walked to the third floor.


    After arriving at the third floor, she suddenly saw a figure with its back to her. However, it did not look like Sabina at all. It was a figure of a man. She knew that Sabina hated men the most, so how could a man be in her pavilion?


    Mia felt suspicious and asked, "Who are you?"


    She felt her aura at the primary sta


    did not know whether he should cry or laugh.


    "Young man, you should not steal. It is a crime punishable by law. You have capable hands to make a decent living. Don''t you think it would be better for you to rely on yourself and your capabilities? Why are you choosing to be a thief? But I have to say, you do really know how to seize an opportunity when there is one. You actually chose to steal on the birthday party of the Ji Clan''s chief. Even if people lose something, they won''t notice at all." Mia assumed that Rocky was indeed a thief and took the opportunity to lecture him. She showed her prowess and skill as an instructor.


    "I admit that I am wrong, Master Mia!" Rocky replied with a gentle smile.


    "Well, it''s good to hear that you know you are wrong. Now, hand over all the things you stole," Mia said strictly as she stretched out her hand towards Rocky.


    "But I didn''t steal anything," Rocky replied as he stretched out and opened his hands.


    "Hmmm, you didn''t steal?" Mia looked at Rocky from head to toe and continued, "Are you a pervert thief who only steals women''s belongings and then put those stolen things in..." She glanced at Rocky''s lower body and raised her eyebrows.


    "Master Mia, you are indeed really imaginative. But I really didn''t steal anything! Believe me!" Rocky was completely speechless. She thought that he was not only a thief, but also a pervert.

 Chapter 1048 The Second Largest Clan

    "Take off your clothes so I can check if there is anything hidden on you. Only then will I believe you," Mia said coldly as she doubted about Rocky.


    "Oh, so, it turns out that Master Mia likes to see men''s bodies. Why didn''t you tell me earlier, Master Mia?" Rocky responded sarcastically as he tried to tease her.


    "Stop fooling around. I just want to double-check if you have stolen anything. And, who even wants to see you and your body? Shame on you!" Mia contradicted with slight fury, but her face blushed a little.


    "Look! If you''re not, then why is your face turning red? Have I just gotten you?" Rocky kept probing, reluctant to waste such a chance to mock Mia and shame her a bit.


    "Are you that tired of being alive? I originally planned to let you go, but now it seems that there is no need. I''ll take you to the Ji Clan immediately. Please keep in line!" Mia snorted coldly. At that moment, she was completely irritated and offended by Rocky''s words and taunts. Without thinking twice, she stretched her body and approached Rocky with aggression.


    At that moment, Rocky also wore a snicker on his face. In fact, seeing someone get angry from embarrassment gave him satisfaction. After all, this was his chance to get back at Mia, who used to play tricks on him before.


    "Mia, what brings you here?" Just as Mia was about to make a move, a delicate figure came up from the second floor and interrupted her. It was nobody but Sabina. Soon after, she hurriedly called Mia''s attention upon seeing the commotion between Mia and Rocky.


    Mia turned around and saw Sabina. Then, she pointed at Rocky and snapped, "This man is a thief. I''m going to catch him."


    "Thief?" Sabina immediately put her eyes on Rocky for questioning, but Rocky just shrugged his shoulders helplessly.


    "Oh, Mia. I think you misunderstood. He is not a thief. He is... He''s working for me," Sabina explained briefly.


    "What? He''s working for you? Then would that explain why he is in your Heavenly Frost Pavilion?" Mia cast a confusing glance at Rocky because she didn''t completely believe Sabina''s words.


    "Yes, believe me. I''m telling the truth. His identity should remain confidential, so I always call him here when I need him to do something for me. Please, just forget about him. Why don''t we go downstairs and catch up over a cup of tea?" Sabina cast Rocky a sidelong glance as she dragged Mia to the staircase.


    At that moment, Mia was very reluctant to go, but she had


    her eyes scanned Jason.


    "Let''s wait and see. Don''t beat emptily upon the grass, and the snake will be frightened." Rocky smiled as he shared his wisdom.


    "I am so honored to have you here," greeted Elvis. Together with the elders, he had come over and stopped in front of Jason. In fact, Jason''s strength was no match of Elvis'' when it came to their cultivation base. If Jason was not sent here by Alston, then Elvis didn''t have to treat him so politely.


    As a matter of fact, Elvis even looked so domineering, not inferior to Jason at all. However, they all had to show respect to Jason, not for him, but for the people behind him.


    "The pleasure is mine, Chief Elvis. I can''t believe that so many people came out to welcome me. I''m flattered," Jason said politely, but it was clear that he was taking everything for granted based on the expression on his face.


    "Follow me. This way, please!" Elvis stretched out his hand as he accompanied Jason.


    Soon after, the two of them then walked side by side and headed straight to the Celestial Hall, which was especially used to entertain important figures. Meanwhile, other important figures followed behind them as well.


    After entering the hall, Elvis and Jason sat side by side on the two seats in front of the hall, while the other big shots sat on both sides.


    Jason sat down and leaned backward. He began to talk about the decoration of the hall as if he was at his own home. "This hall is really magnificent! In fact, I see that it''s not inferior to the palaces in the Palace City. The Ji Clan is indeed worthy of being called the second largest clan in the Holy Dragon Empire."

 Chapter 1049 How Bold

    Hearing this, Elvis'' eyebrows twitched slightly. Everyone could tell that Jason meant something else. He deliberately gave Elvis a head-on blow, to send the message that it wouldn''t be so easy to deceive him.


    Just then, multitudes of people swarmed in and bowed respectfully to Jason. Then, they showered Jason with gifts. This might''ve been Elvis'' birthday party, but it was as though Jason was the true celebrant, which made him look a presumptuous guest usurping the host''s role.


    However, if that was all there was to it, then it didn''t matter. As more and more people gathered in the Celestial Hall, Jason began to show his true colors.


    "Chief Elvis, your birthday party is so lively! So many famous clan chiefs, elders, and other famous people have come to celebrate. I am so jealous of you!" Jason smiled evilly.


    "You don''t have to be. All of these people are just here for some fun, at my expense!" Elvis said with a fake smile, but he already knew why Jason was here.


    "Are you sure about that?" Jason narrowed his eyes, looking around at the people present. "As far as I know, a few of them were discontented with the acting emperor not long ago. I heard that they even joined forces to report the acting emperor''s misconduct to the royal family''s Emergency Chamber. That must mean, the elders in the Emergency Chamber have often talked to the acting emperor!"


    Upon overhearing this, the expression on the faces of several chiefs and elders of medium and small clans changed immediately.


    "I don''t know about that..." Elvis frowned, pretending not to know anything about it.


    "Really? That''s good. If you did know about it, I wouldn''t know how to deal with you. After all, the Ji Clan are relatives of the acting emperor. He sent me here just to take the empress back to the Palace City, not to make any trouble. And I don''t plan on upsetting anyone. Chief Elvis, I think you know what you should do!" Jason raised his hand as he went straight to the point.


    "Sybil has been weak and sick since she was a child. In the past six months, she has been in poor health, and the acting emperor is aware of this. When she gets better, I will personally see to it that she


    " a delicate voice shouted angrily.


    All the people in the hall turned their heads to see Sabina storming in. She walked along arrogantly, carrying a cold expression. She was followed by a mysterious man wearing a bamboo hat and strange clothes. The man was Rocky.


    "Oh, Miss Sabina." As soon as Jason saw Sabina, the expression on his face changed slightly. Everyone in the Holy Dragon Empire knew about the beloved disciple of Marcia, one of the Three Great Generals of the Holy Dragon Empire. Moreover, over the past six months, as the heir of the Ji Clan, Sabina had appeared in various occasions many times. It could be said that Sabina was already one of the representatives of the younger generation of the Holy Dragon Empire.


    "Jason, how dare you come to arrest people in our Ji Mansion!" Sabina shouted angrily, glaring at Jason coldly.


    "Miss Sabina, it''s not my fault. Chief Elvis is making things difficult for me," Jason said with his arms up in fake surrender, pretending to be helpless.


    "How about this? If it''s true you just want to take people back and explain to Alston, then take me. I haven''t seen him in a long time anyway. I can go back with you and say hello to him." Sabina called out the acting emperor''s name deliberately, which shocked everyone in the room.


    Jason frowned deeply. He didn''t expect that Sabina would say such a thing in public. Moreover she called out the name of the acting emperor. How bold she was!

 Chapter 1050 Taken By Surprise

    At that moment, everyone was shocked at how Sabina treated Jason. Moreover, they were worried about what Jason would do to her, especially when they all knew how mean and savage he could get. They all held their breath, checking their willingness to help her out of that situation. After all, no matter how powerful the Ji Clan was, it was still impossible for them to fight against the royal family.


    "What? You don''t have the guts now? Or are you just scared that my master will get even with you? I thought you were the kind of man who has the courage to accept the consequence of his actions. But I didn''t expect you''re just too good at bullying the weak and fearing the strong." Sabina continued to mock him as if nothing had happened, ignoring the fact that Jason was already steaming hot in fury.


    "If I were you, Miss Sabina, I would watch my mouth. You can''t just say anything as you like. How insensitive of you. However, for your father''s sake, perhaps I can pretend that I heard none of the disrespectful things that you had just said to me. Chief Elvis, I can turn a deaf ear to what has just happened. However, I suppose I can get something in return¡ªa favor if you will. I came here for the empress. Please, let me do my job so I can report to His Majesty on the fulfillment of my duty. If His Majesty doesn''t hear from me soon and gets angry with this matter, then surely, we will all be in big trouble!" Jason pulled a long face. In fact, he kept it together as he dared not to lay a finger on Sabina. However, Sabina was right. He couldn''t afford the consequence of offending Marcia, because even Alston had to show some respect to her. With that being said, he had to bypass Marcia and Sabina to reach the Ji Clan and hoped that Elvis would do his part. After all, Alston was his one and only trump card. Generally speaking, there were two forces which got the ability to disobey the royal family in the Holy Dragon Empire¡ªone was led Bryant, and the other was led by Marcia.


    "My elder sister is the empress now. Are you seriously going to force her back when in fact, she doesn''t want to? Is that how you show your respect? If Alston wants to take her back, then why won''t he come in person to pick her up?" Sabina sneered. At that moment, her ultimate goal was to destroy their plan and stop Jason from taking her elder sister back to the Palace City. Therefore, she didn''t care if she would stir up trouble along the way. At that moment, all she wanted to do was to annoy Alston.


    "What can I say, Chief Elvis? It seems that you really have a good daughter!" Jason''s face darkened after seeing Sabina continue her mockery. S


    s expected, Jason''s face was even paler than a pig''s. He snickered and became even angrier when he stole glances around and found that people began whispering to each other as they looked at him.


    "Sabina, since you don''t appreciate my kindness, I don''t have to show respect to the Ji Clan any longer. Get her out of my sight!" Jason might be completely infuriated at that time, but he didn''t have the guts to take Sabina away. However, with so many people under his command, it was impossible for him to not put her off their way.


    Soon, a master at the first grade of the Supernal Stage came rushing towards Sabina. At that moment, his aura increased, and his momentum was overwhelming.


    Sabina''s cold eyes narrowed at the sight of this. The next moment, she waved her hand and released the spiritual power from her body. A huge icy phoenix shadow formed by the spiritual power roared out and rushed towards the master head-on. As a result, the master immediately resisted the power using a move of the spiritual martial arts at the Supernal Stage to fight back.


    Bang! After the two spiritual martial arts collided, the spiritual light shone brightly, and the power started to spread in all directions. The strong wave of the spiritual power spread around immediately, forming a gust of wind.


    However, the master at the first grade of the Supernal Stage immediately took a step back. Obviously, he was no match for Sabina''s skills.


    Seeing this, Jason immediately winked at a man in yellow, another master at the third grade of the Supernal Stage. Soon after, this master immediately approached Sabina, who had just withdrawn her aura. At that moment, he wanted to make sure that he could catch Sabina off guard so he could successfully suppress her.

 Chapter 1051 Things Have Changed

    Elvis'' face darkened as he clenched his fist tightly. If Jason''s people harmed even one strand of hair on his daughter''s head, he would not let him or his subordinates leave the Ji Clan''s territory alive.


    At that moment, the master at the third grade of the Supernal Stage was only less than half a meter away from Sabina. He had transformed his hands into talons. Like an eagle ready to pounce upon its prey, he manifested two ferocious spiritual claws in the air. The attacks were fast and fierce. Moreover, the spiritual power within each attack was quite overwhelming.


    Even though Sabina reacted quickly, she was still a little slower in her defense. She was well-aware that her opponent''s strength was greater than hers. Just as she couldn''t dodge the spiritual claws that came at her, she suddenly felt a strong and sturdy arm wrapped around her waist. The next moment, she disappeared from where she was previously standing.


    Suddenly, the whole area was covered with smoke. Bang! They heard some loud crashing noise from where Sabina was standing earlier.


    The spiritual claws missed their target and directly hit a stone pillar in the hall. The impact produced the loud crashing sound. The stone debris scattered everywhere and the entire stone pillar was cracked, as if it would instantly crumble into dust the moment someone touched it.


    The people around them held their breaths as the master charged towards Sabina. When they saw that she hadn''t been hit, they collectively let out a sigh of relief. Just a moment ago, they all thought that she wouldn''t be able to evade the attack. However, they were shocked when they looked at Sabina again. The mysterious man in the bamboo hat who followed her inside before just appeared out of nowhere. Furthermore, she was leaning in this mysterious man''s arms without apprehension!


    Naturally, a commotion broke through the entire Celestial Hall. All the guests were now wondering what the relationship between the mysterious man and Sabina was and why they behaved so intimately in public.


    "Wait! Isn''t that... Isn''t he the guy we saw with her yesterday?" one of the guests murmured to his companion.


    "Yes, Miss Sabina herself admitted that he is her man!" another one whispered.


    "That''s right! Lots of people even heard her say that," added another guest.


    At that point, the crowd began to have a heated discussion about who this man was. Once again, everyone''s attention was focused on the mysterious man. And because Sabina personally admitted that the mysterious man was her lover, they were naturally curious about who he was!


    Rocky looked softly at Sabina in his arms. He seemed really concerned about her


    u must have a more important task to do. Hurry up. If you don''t act now, I''m afraid it will be too late," Rocky continued as if he was implying something. He looked Jason straight in the eyes.


    "Well... Consider yourself lucky this time! Everyone, let''s go!" Jason looked around the crowd and said in a shaky voice. After that, he hurried away with his people.


    Again, everyone was dumbfounded to see that after Jason and Rocky''s first encounter, the former suddenly left dejectedly. They instantly felt that he seemed to be rather afraid of Rocky. Once more, they all focused their attention on this duel''s winner. They all wondered what kind of God he was. How could he let someone like Jason, who didn''t even respect Elvis, just walk away like that?


    Simultaneously, Jason had just taken a few steps out of the Celestial Hall and licked the inside of his mouth. He suddenly spat out a mouthful of black blood. His face turned from blue green to black.


    ''Who the hell is that guy? He''s unbelievably strong! How was he able to break several of my meridians with just one palm? Even Elvis couldn''t do that...'' Jason thought to himself. His face showed utter disbelief and a trace of fear. That was why he left the hall immediately. He felt that this mysterious man with a bamboo hat was definitely not someone to be trifled with. Besides, he was probably not a member of the Ji Clan. If Jason chose to fight, he would be the one who would suffer the most. He was severely disadvantaged against this man.


    He had no idea that the reason why Rocky could hurt him so badly was that he completely underestimated his opponent. Rocky used the devouring power of the Holy Dragon Bead on him. Therefore, he was seriously injured. It could be seen that Rocky''s strength had greatly improved.

 Chapter 1052 The Shocking Truth

    Meanwhile, in the hall, Elvis shifted his gaze to Rocky as soon as Jason left, and felt a little bit confused.


    At that moment, the crowd began whispering to each other to discuss what was happening around them.


    "Father..." Sabina placed her hand on her father''s shoulder as a form of reminder.


    Elvis suddenly came to his senses and said to the people in the hall, "What happened just now was just a little misunderstanding. I hope you don''t mind. Moreover, the banquet is ready for you to enjoy!"


    Soon after, a few maids entered the hall, leading the crowd out of the Celestial Hall to the banquet hall.


    "Follow me." Elvis nodded to Sabina and Rocky after seeing everyone gone.


    After a few moments, the three of them finally arrived at Elvis'' study.


    "Sabina, who is this man?" Elvis asked as he stared at Sabina, wanting an immediate answer.


    "Hey, can I tell him?" Sabina turned to look at Rocky and inquired respectfully.


    Without uttering a single word, Rocky directly took off his bamboo hat. Elvis took a closer look at the man and was discombobulated. In fact, Elvis never thought that Rocky would look much younger than he had imagined, and even seem to be younger than his daughter. However, this was the young man who forced Jason, a master at the Divine Stage, to leave the hall with a single move. It was unbelievable!


    "It is a pleasure to meet you, Chief Elvis." Rocky greeted Elvis with a little bow and cupped hands.


    "The pleasure is mine, too, young man." The more Elvis looked at Rocky, the more confused he became. At that moment, he found that Rocky''s action was steady and generous, and he was neither humble nor pushy in front of a famous chief like him. However, what surprised him the most was finding out that Rocky had a faint temperament of the royal family. Thinking about it deeply, he could only assume that this could only be acquired by people born in the royal family.


    "I know you must have a lot of questions for me, so, please, go ahead!" Rocky said with an encouraging smile upon seeing the mixed emotions on Elvis'' face.


    "Tell me, who on earth are you?" Elvis couldn''t help but raise his tone as his face became more serious.


    "Father, he is Prince Basil," Sabina answered in a very severe tone.


    "Prince... Basil... You are Prince Basil?! But how could that be? Isn''t Prince Basil dead?" At that moment, Elvis was even more surpri


    t his "fake death". Even Elvis, who had experienced countless shocking events in his lifetime, was a little surprised to hear such information.


    "Yes, and these mysterious people are from the Holy Dragon Empire," Sabina said with firm resolution.


    "Someone intended to kill Prince Basil then, so he ambushed and attacked the troops of the Timber Deity Empire that escorted Prince Basil. After succeeding, he spread the fake news that Prince Basil had perished together with the troops of the Timber Deity Empire. Did I get it right?" Elvis speculated.


    "Yes. Back then, these mysterious people wanted to use me to kill the sixth prince of the Timber Deity Empire at the cost of a war between the two countries." Reliving what happened in the past was an indescribable scar for Rocky because Sue died in front of him at that time, and there was nothing he could do to save her.


    "I can''t believe it! Who would do such a thing? Do you have any idea who sent these mysterious people to kill you? How could they be so cruel and merciless to you? How could they be so despicable to even want to let the Holy Dragon Empire fall into endless war?" Elvis couldn''t help but get angry upon learning all of this.


    "Father, perhaps, you don''t believe him, but please listen carefully. What he is about to say next is the real truth," Sabina said as she tried to mentally prepare her father for what he was about to hear. After all, ordinary people would never believe what Rocky was about to say anyway.


    "The mysterious people were sent by Alston," Rocky divulged the secret with his eyes narrowed.

 Chapter 1053 A False Impression

    "What?!" Elvis was also stunned. If that information brought a horrified look on the face of the chief of the second largest clan, it must be something alarming. Of course, anyone would be scared out of their wits when they found out that the murderer of Prince Basil was his own brother, the current acting emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire.


    "At that time, Alston was worried that Prince Basil would threaten his position as the emperor''s heir, so he tried everything to get rid of Basil. He did many evil things, things that you may not have even heard of in your entire life, to frame Basil when Basil was the Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Group. But Basil managed to resolve every problem one by one. So, to get rid of him once and for all, Alston told the whereabouts of Basil''s army to the Timber Deity Empire and this led to his capture. They threatened him with our lives, so Basil decided to temporarily betray our empire to save all of us. The thought of it still makes me tremble. Prince Basil was captured and escorted to the Timber Deity Empire. However, on the way to the capital of the Timber Deity Empire, Alston attacked the escorting troops with his men and killed all the soldiers. He almost killed Prince Basil too." Sabina listed Alston''s unforgivable crimes one by one.


    "If you are indeed telling the truth that Alston did all these things, then this is completely terrifying! But, Sabina, you saw Prince Basil die with your own eyes, didn''t you?" Elvis asked. He was taking deep breaths to calm himself down. The truth was too awful to believe. He needed to take the information slowly since there were lots of things that he couldn''t wrap his head around.


    "The disappearance of Prince Basil was just an illusion," Sabina briefly explained.


    "I was rescued by a mysterious master. I still have not found out who it is until now. But whoever it was, I guess it did not want others to know that I am still alive. So, it deliberately made an illusion for Sabina to see. She believed it, and then all of you believed what she thought she had seen," Rocky explained clearly.


    "Oh, then that makes so much sense to me. Indeed, every cloud has a silver lining!" Elvis nodded at Rocky''s explanation.


    "Father, now that you know the truth that Prince Basil is still alive and that Alston is a horrifyingly sinister and despicable man, can our clan support Prince Basil now?" Sabina asked seriously as she fixed her eyes at his father.


    "W


    I must remind you that the battle between Prince Basil and Alston is near. Both are incompatible like fire and water; their inevitable fight will be severely vicious. So, it will be extremely dangerous for you to stay with him. As for the Ji Clan, you are our hope and our future, so I do not want anything bad to happen to you," Elvis exhorted. For him, Sabina was the only one who was worthy to inherit his position and lead the Ji Clan. So, he certainly did not like his daughter to be involved in such a dangerous and complicated conflict where anything might happen.


    "Father, please don''t worry! I will take good care of myself. I promise you that. Even if you do not trust me, you should trust Prince Basil. He is more than capable to protect me, just like what he did today!" Sabina''s cold face seemed to have melted at his father''s concern. She smiled a little at her father. When she remembered how Rocky protected her, she felt a special sense of security. She also realized that Rocky was no longer the bastard who needed her protection. He had grown up into a fine man.


    "I knew this day would come. Indeed, a grown girl cannot be kept at home," Elvis sighed and turned away from his daughter.


    "Father, don''t worry about me. Please take care of yourself!" Sabina gently said and walked out of the study.


    Outside the study, Rocky saw the preoccupied expression on Sabina''s face and asked casually, "Did your father say anything upsetting to you?"


    "Oh, that was nothing. So, what are we supposed to do next? Do you have any instructions from my master?" Sabina suddenly asked, desperately shaking off the shadow on her mind.

 Chapter 1054 Trapped In A Coma

    "No. She just asked me to head over to the Ji Mansion to assist you and ruin Alston''s plan first. As for the rest, we''ll have to wait and see. I want to see Isis immediately. The baby will be born soon, right?" Rocky shook his head. He continued explaining that for the past six months, what he missed the most was Isis and the baby she carried in her belly. The baby would arrive soon and he didn''t want to miss a single moment.


    "How time flies! You''ll be a father soon," Sabina said cheerfully, although her eyes seemed to say otherwise.


    Rocky smiled in return. After making some preparations, the two of them left the Ji Mansion and rushed to the Gehenna Border together.


    One day later, Rocky and Sabina finally arrived at Evian City via the Gehenna Border. Since Rocky wasn''t allowed to immediately head to the Crimson Dragon Group''s base camp, he requested Sabina for a special arrangement so that he''d have a chance to see Isis and the baby.


    However, fifteen minutes later, Sabina came back in a hurry. Without mincing any words, she pulled Rocky aside and said, "Come with me."


    "What''s happening? Is it Isis?" Rocky asked with a frown.


    "She''s had difficulty with the labor since last night. It appears she''s dying!" Sabina replied quickly.


    Rocky''s body trembled at her words.


    Before Sabina could react, Rocky had already disappeared.


    He arrived at the base camp as quickly as he could and went straight to the Isis Pavilion. Once he arrived at the door, he heard a heart-wrenching scream filled with pain come from upstairs.


    Rocky jumped and flew up the stairs. As he landed on the ground, he saw behind the curtain a very busy midwife whose forehead was shiny with sweat. She was assisted by maids who were occupied with fetching hot water into the delivery room. The rags they brought out were soaked in blood


    Isis." Rocky guessed that Isis'' blood loss was severe, so he had to stop the bleeding right away once the baby was taken out of her womb. Otherwise, she might go into shock and then¡­


    Marin felt uneasy, but she steadied herself and nodded.


    "Let''s begin." Once he said those words, Rocky took out a scalpel and began to slice Isis'' belly open. Immediately, blood gushed out of her like a river.


    He quickly reached for the pincers to keep her belly open and hold it up. Soon, the baby soaked in a pool of blood was exposed.


    "Now!" Rocky signaled Marin.


    Trembling slightly, she reached into Isis'' womb and retrieved the baby covered in blood and with the umbilical cord still attached to its belly. It was a boy.


    Rocky glanced at the baby at once. Once he confirmed the baby was breathing, he let out a sigh of relief. Then he said to Marin, "Check his mouth and nose to make sure they''re not clogged with blood. If they are, clean it up immediately. His breathing is shallow. Keep gently pressing on his chest to help him breathe, but don''t press too hard."


    Marin immediately carried out his instructions.


    Rocky began to work on stopping the heavy bleeding. However, as a result, Isis was now in a semi-coma.

 Chapter 1055 Exactly The Same

    "Isis, you must hold on!" Rocky''s breathing quickened as he stared anxiously at Isis, who looked as if she was about to pass out. However, he knew he had to keep calm and keep his hands steady. The smallest mistake could put Isis'' life in even more danger than it already was.


    Two hours passed.


    Sweat trickled down Rocky''s forehead. He had finally managed to stop the bleeding in Isis'' body, but by now, she had already lost consciousness due to the excessive loss of blood, and she was still in danger.


    Therefore, as soon as he finished stitching the wound on her body, Rocky took out the bottle containing the last few drops of magical saliva and poured two drops into Isis'' lips. At the same time, he channeled his spiritual power into her body and manipulated the magical saliva to accelerate the formation of new blood cells in her body.


    Another two hours later, color gradually returned to Isis'' pale face, and her breathing became smooth. Seeing that she was finally out of danger, Rocky walked to Marin, took the baby from her, and began to check his condition.


    "Good. Other than the fact that his breathing isn''t that smooth, he''s completely fine," he said in a reassuring tone after thoroughly checking the baby.


    "How is Isis?" Marin asked immediately.


    "She is fine. She has just been through a lot." Rocky looked back at the sleeping Isis with a strong sense of love flashing in his eyes. He knew that Isis had tried her best to deliver the baby. Most women would not even have been able to hold on for a few hours, let alone from yesterday till now.


    "That''s great." Tears of joy welled up in Marin''s eyes, but then she suddenly remembered something and glared at Rocky. "You bastard, aren''t you supposed to be dead? How are you suddenly here?" Lance and Isis hadn''t told Marin that Rocky was still alive, so for Marin, seeing him was quite a shock.


    Until now, she had just accepted his appearance without question because her mind had been filled with worry about Isis and the baby. But now that the two of them were doing fine, she turned


    against the royal family, we should win over the Ximen Clan. We''ve destroyed Alston''s plan to control the Ji Clan, so he will definitely target the Ximen Clan next," Rocky said.


    Lance nodded seriously. "The attitude of the Ximen Clan is very important."


    Rocky thought for a while in silence before something occurred to him. "By the way, how is the investigation about my father''s disappearance going?"


    "No much progress has been made. However, General Marcia has always felt that his disappearance might have something to do with the Dragon Master Clan," Lance said slowly with a sigh.


    Rocky narrowed his eyes. "What motive would the Dragon Master Clan have?"


    After a day and night of being unconscious, Isis finally opened her eyes, much to everyone''s relief.


    At this moment, there were only five people in the Isis Pavilion besides Isis herself?¡ªRocky, Lance, Sabina, Marin, and the baby in Marin''s arms.


    "Are you okay?" Rocky asked softly. He was sitting next to Isis, holding her hand and looking at her gently.


    "I''m fine. I want to see if it''s a boy or a girl," Isis said, shaking her head slightly as she tried to stretch and look over Rocky''s shoulder.


    Marin immediately walked forward and put down the tightly-wrapped baby next to Isis. "Isis, it''s a cute boy. Although he looks like you, his nose and eyes are the exact replica of someone..."

 Chapter 1056 Considerable Resources

    "Baby, your father saved us." Isis smiled gently at the infant lying next to her. "When you grow up, you''re going to be just like him..."


    "Should we give him a name?" Marin asked excitedly as she thought it was time to give the baby a name.


    Everyone exchanged glances before turning to stare at the baby''s father.


    "Who, me? I''m worried I won''t think of a good name for him." Feeling everyone''s eyes on him, Rocky smiled hesitantly. He had never named anyone before.


    "You are his father. Of course you should be the one to name him! If you don''t want the baby, I can take him," Marin grumbled under her breath.


    "Then, we will call him... Nigel," Rocky said with a grin after thinking for a while.


    "Nigel? What a strange name. I don''t think it''s a bad name, but it does sound a bit strange..." Sabina said, scratching her chin lightly.


    "Yeah, why not change it?" Marin chipped in.


    As the baby''s grandfather, Lance had no objections. He was happy enough to see that his daughter and grandson were fine.


    "Let''s use the name given by Basil. I think it''s a good name!" Isis knew that the name Rocky suggested must be meaningful, and she really liked it. It reminded her fondly of the past.


    "Well, little Nigel, it''s time for us to leave! Let''s leave your parents alone." With that, Marin held up Nigel gently and motioned for Sabina and Lance to follow suit.


    Soon, Rocky and Isis were left alone.


    "You are about to meet Alston, aren''t you?" Isis asked, her voice filled with concern.


    Rocky nodded slightly, unable to meet her gaze.


    "Don''t worry about me and Nigel. Just do what you need to do, but don''t you dare leave us alone," Isis said wistfully. She knew that the battle between Rocky and Alston was going to be fierce, so she was worried that Rocky might get distracted because of them. Thus, she tried to ease Rocky into thinking they would be fine without him for a while.


    "You are the second woman who has made


    ic Phoenix Empire now. Maybe we can ask him to join us," Sabina suddenly said, eyes flashing excitedly.


    "Head Allen? If there are four people, that''s enough. If too many people go there, it will be difficult to move," Rocky said with a satisfied nod.


    "All right. But if ever you find yourselves in danger, inform me immediately. I will find a way to help you," Lance said firmly.


    After that, Rocky and the two women prepared to leave. After bidding Isis goodbye, the three of them set off for the Magic Phoenix Empire.


    As one of the three strongest countries in the Wild Spirit Land, the Magic Phoenix Empire was relatively peaceful, compared to the other countries wrought with wars. Although the Magic Phoenix Empire was vast and rich in natural resources, there was almost no wars. The people who dwelled here lived simply and peacefully. This was mainly because the Magic Phoenix Empire controlled the economic lifeline of many countries and had considerable resources that many countries needed. Therefore, the Magic Phoenix Empire was a very important economic power in the Wild Spirit Land. Because of this, no country dared to attack the Magic Phoenix Empire. If one country offended the Magic Phoenix Empire, it would probably end up offending many other countries simultaneously.

 Chapter 1057 As Close As Brothers

    Naturally, like the Holy Dragon Empire and the Timber Deity Empire, the Magic Phoenix Empire was also supported by a high-level spiritual race¡ªthe Phoenix Master Clan. It was said that the Phoenix Master Clan and the Dragon Master Clan came from the same clan. But because of their disagreements, they were divided into two different clans. After being divided, the Phoenix Master Clan became an all-female clan, with no male spiritual beings involved in their group. As a matter of fact, the female spiritual beings of the Phoenix Master Clan were considered to be more thriving than the ordinary spiritual beings because they had the ability to give birth to their offspring in some unique way without the need for sex.


    Female power dominated the Magic Phoenix Empire, and this would not be possible without the support of the Phoenix Master Clan. Since their independence, the ruler of the Magic Phoenix Empire had always been a female, and those who supported the ruler were female ministers in all ages.


    Moreover, people in every corner of the Magic Phoenix Empire saw women as noble, while men as slaves. In fact, the Magic Phoenix Empire was a matriarchal empire where women were seen as authorities, while men were seen as worse than pathetic dogs.


    After entering the border of the Magic Phoenix Empire, Rocky and his two associates all put on their disguise to make them unnoticeable. In this way, they could easily avoid any trouble that could get in their way. And of course, this made Rocky suffer a lot.


    Meanwhile, there was a vast city located in the northeast of the Magic Phoenix Empire, which was called the Blood Phoenix City.


    At that moment, two women and a man walked distinctly on one of the bustling streets on the Blood Phoenix City, attracting a lot of attention from passers-by.


    Needless to say, they were Rocky, and the two women¡ªSabina and Lucilla.


    Both of these two women were dressed in exotic clothes at that time. Despite their faces being covered with veils, they were not able to hide their innate characters. Therefore, all eyes were focused on them wherever they went.


    On the other hand, Rocky wore an ordinary dress, along with a shackle clamped on his left hand. At that moment, Sabina dragged him so that he would look like the ordinary men on the street, fawning on his two masters.


    "I never thought that the Magic Phoenix Empire will be this freaky. And why should a man be treated like a dog here? Has the world turned upside-down?" Rocky couldn''t help but protest the aching status of men in this country. At t


    g that no one was on their tail, they all breathed a sigh of relief.


    "It seems that beauties like you two are quite popular in the Magic Phoenix Empire! Both of you are wearing a veil, yet are still recognized at a glance. It''s not your fault you''re too beautiful, but somehow, I think that''s a disadvantage. Next time when you go out, you''d better wear an ugly mask. You know, something like a monster," Rocky said to the two women playfully.


    "If you don''t speak, then no one will take you as a mute!" Hearing that, Sabina and Lucilla glared at Rocky, pretending to be mad at his joke.


    Rocky just shrugged his shoulders and smiled from ear to ear.


    At that moment, Sabina noticed that the sun was setting and it was already getting dark. She said at once, "Now is the time to meet Uncle Allen."


    Not long after, the three of them moved and disappeared.


    Meanwhile, in a forest a mile away from the Blood Phoenix City, the three of them managed to meet Allen without any hurdles.


    "Your Royal Highness, greetings." Allen bowed to Rocky as soon as he saw his shadow.


    "Well, Allen, we don''t need to be too formal and courteous. Don''t forget that we are as close as brothers..." Rocky smiled as he waved his hand.


    "I really don''t deserve this honor. I didn''t know that you were a prince. Please, forgive me if I have ever offended you before!" To be honest, Allen had no idea that Rocky was Prince Basil when they first met. Now that he knew it, he found it odd to refer to him as a brother.


    "Allen, don''t waste your time being so respectful. I''ll still treat you as my brother. And also, please call me Rocky," Rocky said with a frown.


    Hearing the prince''s request, Allen nodded at once.

 Chapter 1058 Toxic Soil

    "Uncle Allen, do you have any news? How did your investigation go?" Sabina asked hurriedly.


    "It was just like you said. A month ago, there was a group of mysterious people that entered the Magic Phoenix Empire. And just few days ago, they arrived at the Blood Phoenix City. Afterward, they headed to the Nine-phoenix Demonic Land. Unfortunately, any trace of them will be really hard to find. In addition to that, they have only been in the Blood Phoenix City for less than half a day. Therefore, we might not find any clue about them there." Allen relayed the information he gathered to Rocky and the others.


    "That''s odd. Didn''t the Magic Phoenix Empire notice them entering their territory?" Rocky''s eyes narrowed. The spirit manipulators Alston sent had already been in the Magic Phoenix Empire for a month. Moreover, they had been in and out of many places. The Magic Phoenix Empire should have noticed it.


    "Hmm, I don''t really know about that. It doesn''t seem like they did. All I know is there hasn''t been any movement from the Magic Phoenix Empire..." Allen responded while shaking his head.


    "Well, it''s actually good for us that they''re not making a move yet. In that way, our actions will not be restricted," Rocky surmised. He thought more about it for a while and nodded. This was a huge advantage for them.


    "Your Royal Highness, the Nine-phoenix Demonic Land is one of the most dangerous miraculous places in the Magic Phoenix Empire. We must be cautious. The spirit-manipulated beasts there are all extremely ferocious. Aside from that, they are also have a high star level. If only the four of us go there, I''m afraid it will be too risky..." Allen had a worried look on his face.


    "That won''t be a problem. Trust me. With your ability and Ken''s assistance, we can easily catch up with the team of the spirit manipulators sent by Alston in no time," Rocky said with full confidence. "My main concern now is how to seize the things that they have been looking for from them," Rocky mused. He had already thought about it many times.


    "There are three masters at the Divine Stage and several masters at the Supernal Stage in this group. It won''t be easy to steal something away from them," Allen replied concernedly.


    "What are you afraid of, brother? As long as there is an opportunity for me to take action, I will not show mercy!" A twisted smile appeared on Rocky''s face. He seemed confident about this.


    "Well, what are we waiting for? Let''s go. If we leave now, we''ll arrive at the Nine-phoenix Demonic L


    story.


    ''So the three of them should have just passed through here recently? I don''t know if this has something to do with the spirit manipulators from the Holy Dragon Empire. But what concerns me the most is him!'' Erica thought for a while and frowned hard as she looked at the portrait in her hand.


    After a while, Erica suddenly stood up and hastily gathered her team. Without any rest, they headed to the Nine-phoenix Demonic Land.


    Rocky and his companions traveled all night. The next day, they arrived at the Nine-phoenix Demonic Land without a hitch. The name "Nine-phoenix Demonic Land" already sounded a little gloomy. But when they saw the whole place, it looked even creepier.


    As they surveyed the area, they noticed that soil looked as though it was blackened by a huge fire. It reeked with a strong smell of sulfuric acid. Moreover, the whole land was full of scars and potholes.


    "Is the soil here extremely poisonous? The Nine-phoenix Demonic Land is really a terrible place..." As he said this, Rocky squatted down and scrutinized the soil under his feet. His face darkened when he proved that he guessed right.


    "Your Royal Highness! What''s wrong? Did you find something?" Lucilla quickly asked Rocky.


    "The soil here really is highly poisonous. This means that the spirit-manipulated beasts living here must have with poisonous or corrosive abilities. We have to be more careful from now on. If we don''t, we may encounter some spirit-manipulated beasts that can easily dissolve people, the kind that won''t even leave any bones behind..." Rocky faced his companions and warned them seriously.


    After hearing that, Allen and the two girls nodded simultaneously.

 Chapter 1059 The Hidden Spiritual Treasure

    "Let''s start tracking them!" Allen said firmly. As the head of the Elite Regiment of the Crimson Dragon Army, Allen''s tracking ability was beyond doubt.


    Rocky also summoned Ken and followed Allen, so as to avoid encountering dangerous spirit-manipulated beasts.


    Guided by Allen and Ken, the other three of them?¡ªRocky, Sabina, and Lucilla?¡ªbegan to track Alston''s spirit manipulator team, which had entered the Nine-phoenix Demonic Land.


    Just as it had been in the Hell of Dragon Fang, the deeper they went into the Nine-phoenix Demonic Land, the more powerful spirit-manipulated beasts they encountered. Fortunately, Rocky and his companions were all above the Supernal Stage. In addition, their spirit-manipulated beasts were stronger than other spirit-manipulated beasts of the same star level, especially Robin and Ken. Along the way, these two spirit-manipulated beasts showed such astonishing strength that even Allen and the two women were shocked.


    Therefore, they didn''t encounter too many obstacles.


    After three days of tracking, the four of them finally found a trace of the spirit manipulator team sent by Alston.


    At this moment, the large spirit manipulator team was encamped in a spacious woodland, and a dozen masters at the Heavenly Stage were guarding the camp in turns.


    Meanwhile, Rocky and the other three were hiding in the dense grass a hundred meters away from the south side of the camp to observe the movements of the spirit manipulator team.


    "This team is much stronger than I thought they would be," Rocky noted in disappointment. After observing them for a while, he had discovered that the Heavenly Stage spirit manipulators sent by Alston were all royal spirit manipulators with the strength above the medium level of the Heavenly Stage. He also saw several powerful warriors at the Supernal Stage going in and out of the camp. They were all elite forces of the royal family and naturally very strong.


    "What is Alston looking for that he sent so many powerful people to find it?" Sabina wondered out loud with a frown.


    Rocky sighed internally. He had already had a vague guess of what Alston''s motive could be, but after scoping out the spirit manipulator team sent by him, he confirmed his guess. "It seems that he''s looking for the spiritual treasure," he said.


    "Spiritual treasure?" The three others turned to Rock


    the two of them walked through the ice forest, they couldn''t help but gape at the various ice sculptures in awe. It was hard for them to imagine how much time and effort must have gone into making these.


    After a while, though, the initial novelty wore off, and the two of them turned their attention back to searching for the spiritual treasure instead. They had a hunch that they would find it in this magical ice forest.


    Sure enough, a while later, they discovered a three-meter-tall ice stone in the center of the ice forest, surrounded by dozens of ice sculptures of large spirit-manipulated beasts. However, it was not the ice stone that caught their attention, but rather what was inside it. There was a strange sword sealed in the ice stone. Unlike a normal sword, its blade was curved like waves.


    Although it was a rare artifact in this ice cave, Rocky was still not completely sure that it was the spiritual treasure they were looking for. He began circling the ice stone and studying the sword from all angles. After careful observation, he noticed that there was a spiritual stone embedded on the hilt of the sword. It looked similar to the Mysterious Spirit Raw Gemstone he had obtained before. The only difference was its color.


    Rocky''s eyes glinted. "This must be the spiritual treasure," he said firmly.


    "Really? But what should we do now? There seems to be neither a guardian beast nor an enchanted barrier that we have to cross. It looks like just an ordinary ice stone," Lucilla said as she touched the ice stone with her hand and looked at Rocky.

 Chapter 1060 The Ice Sculptures Came Back To Life

    "Even though there is no enchanted barrier nor powerful guardian beasts protecting this spiritual treasure, I don''t think it will be that simple and easy to get it..." Rocky''s eyes narrowed slightly, with a thoughtful look on his face. He was remembering his previous experience in the Hell of Dragon Fang. He believed that this spiritual treasure must be well guarded since it was sealed here. Moreover, when he entered the ice forest just now, he noticed that ice sculptures of spirit-manipulated beasts could be seen in every direction.


    "So, what should we do then?" Lucilla asked hesitantly, noticing that Rocky had some concerns regarding the situation.


    "I am sure that it will be inevitable for the first person who wants to eat the crab to be clamped by its claws a few times. So, I suggest we find a place to hide first, then we check the situation from there first." Rocky finally decided after careful consideration.


    "Alright, let''s go then." Lucilla nodded. She was confident in Rocky''s decision.


    With that, the two immediately left the ice stone that had sealed the spiritual treasure. After walking for quite a while, they came across a dense ice tree and a huge ice sculpture. They hid behind the massive structure and used it as their cover. Now, the only thing they needed to do was to patiently wait for the right moment.


    And just like that, a couple of hours had passed already.


    "They are rather slow; don''t you think? It took them so long to deal with just a group of monkeys. I reckon even turtles would be faster than them in getting here." Rocky could not help but playfully tease the spirit manipulator team as they did not show up yet.


    Lucilla could not help but burst into laughter when she heard Rocky''s playful comments.


    As Rocky looked at her smiling face, he felt his heart become tender. Only half a year ago, this woman in front of him had given up the position as the chief of her clan just to protect him. She gave up her rightful position which was coveted by countless people. Moreover, she had left her own hometown and returned to the Holy Dragon Empire with him. He had not seen her for more than half a year, but he still felt the familiarity and connection between them. From her every move to every inch of her body, he could clearly feel


    he leader, "Elder Duke, this should be the one that we are looking for, correct? But what in the world is this? It looks like a spiritual weapon..."


    Duke was an elder in the royal family. With this, Alston must have attached great importance to this mission since he even sent out a peerless elder.


    The other spirit manipulators also whispered and discussed with each other. They looked like they were guessing what treasure was in the ice stone.


    "I have no idea. But since His Majesty asked us to find it, it must be extremely important. Now if we take it out, we can complete the task." As Elder Duke spoke, he immediately turned his left palm, and a wave of strong spiritual power of Fire nature burst out in an instant. It immediately turned into a fire wave. Then, he directed it to the ice stone in front of him. Under the intense high temperature, the ice stone began to quickly melt.


    When the ice stone was completely melted and the spiritual treasure in it was about to appear, the spiritual treasure suddenly flashed with a blinding light. The whole ice forest suddenly trembled as if it had been hit by a colossal thing. Then, a wave of spiritual power surged out from the ground of the ice forest and filled the whole ice forest in an instant.


    The spirit manipulators had no clue about what just happened. Then, the ice sculptures of spirit-manipulated beasts that spread all over the ice forest suddenly moved like living creatures, one after another. The whole scene was extremely spectacular to behold!

 Chapter 1061 A Giant Black Dragon Phantom

    Rocky and Lucilla, who hid in the dark, were both surprised. They caught a glimpse of movement from the huge ice-covered spirit-manipulated beast in front of them. It was like a ferocious horse, and the ground trembled as it trampled the ground.


    On instinct, Rocky wrapped his arms around Lucilla''s waist and quickly stepped back to avoid being hurt by the ice-covered spirit-manipulated beast.


    Before long, all the ice sculptures in the entire ice forest came to life. Ice-covered birds with various shapes and sizes flapped their frozen wings and rushed towards the spirit manipulators nearest them. Meanwhile, the ice-covered spirit-manipulated beasts that were on the ground gathered in the direction of the ice stone like wild animals. Their strength and speed were breathtaking!


    The team of spirit manipulators were too stunned to move. The scene that unfolded before them was unbelievable. The sudden attack of the ice-covered spirit-manipulated beasts left the entire team in chaos.


    What terrified them the most was the magnitude of the attacks launched by the ice-covered spirit-manipulated beasts. They were strong and deadly. Even the spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage that were in the team did not match the strength of the spirit-manipulated beasts at all. In a flash, many spirit manipulators were severely injured or ended up dead.


    Terrified, the three supreme masters at the Divine Stage, including Elder Duke, summoned their own spirit-manipulated beasts and deployed an array.


    "Retreat to the south! Now!" Elder Duke commanded in a loud voice. He looked around and saw that the situation was hopeless.


    The team wasted no time and quickly retreated to the south of the ice forest. Then, with the mutual effort of the three masters at the Divine Stage and the masters at the Supernal Stage, a defense barrier was successfully set up in a solid area to resist the attacks of the ice-covered spirit-manipulated beasts.


    The only thing they could do now was to shield themselves and prevent the attacks of the spirit-manipulated beasts from hitting them. Countless number of spirit manipulators would be killed or injured if they would force themselves to move out. They were surrounded by a dizzying number of ice-covered spirit-manipulated beasts that it was impossible to break out of the barricade. Furthermore, because of the sudden attacks launched by ice-covered spirit-manipulated beasts, Elder Du


    gured that as long as he held the spiritual treasure, the spirit-manipulated beasts would continue to chase him. However, there was no way he was going to return the spiritual treasure.


    With no time to think, Rocky rushed back to Lucilla and summoned Robin. He then instructed Lucilla, "Go with Robin and find Sabina. Then wait for me outside the cave. I will get rid of these beasts first." Without another word, he disappeared.


    Lucilla nodded her head, then swiftly jumped onto Robin''s shoulder. Robin turned into an icy figure and vanished.


    Afraid of being captured by the spirit manipulators evacuating the cave, Rocky had no choice but to move towards the deeper part of the ice forest. The entire ice forest was surrounded by steep rocks, and there seemed to be no way out.


    He knew the large group of ice-covered spirit-manipulated beasts were still after him, and he was left with no choice. He had to use his trump card.


    Rocky gathered his spiritual power and sent a message to the dragon-shaped jade hanging on his chest with his spiritual sense. Without delay, a giant black dragon phantom appeared in his Magic Spiritual Space. The black dragon phantom emitted a powerful aura that resulted in giant shock waves that caused the ground under Rocky''s feet to collapse.


    Elder Duke and his companions who were following the large group of ice-covered spirit-manipulated beasts also saw the giant black dragon phantom and felt its powerful aura.


    As they fixed their eyes on the giant black dragon phantom, it opened its large mouth and fired a beam of striking light that reached over a great distance.

 Chapter 1062 Fierce Explosions

    At that moment, the spirit-manipulated beast ice sculptures shrouded in the striking light vanished out of plain sight.


    In fact, even Elder Duke and the other two peerless masters at the Divine Stage were surprised upon seeing this. They stood frozen in their places as they didn''t dare approach what might be the most frightening thing they had ever seen in their lives thus far¡ªa humongous black dragon shadow!


    At that moment, the other four masters at the Supernal Stage couldn''t help but feel their legs weaken and shiver in fear. Luckily, they weren''t that near to the dragon shadow. Otherwise, they would suffer the same fate as those spirit-manipulated beast ice sculptures.


    However, they didn''t know anything about the dragon shadow. All they knew was that it was a powerful legendary beast, and it would surely destroy anything on its way. Moreover, they had no idea who was responsible for summoning this destructive creature.


    Right after Rocky showed this trump card, most of the spirit-manipulated beast ice sculptures were either rendered lifeless or injured. Despite this, since there was a large number of them, some of the other remaining beasts rushed towards Rocky with their broken limbs, crawling like zombies.


    "Are you done yet?" Rocky frowned and sealed the Magic Spiritual Space as soon as he got the chance. After that, he continued to run as far away as possible.


    Not long after, Rocky finally came across a large passage on the left side of the ice wall. Upon careful observation, it seemed that the passage could reach the outside. Without thinking twice, he rushed into the ice passage with Ken.


    The passage was not very large at all, so the large ice sculptures that chased after them were automatically blocked outside. At that point, only a few small ones kept up with them. Soon enough, there were also more than twenty to thirty ice sculptures of bird-type spirit-manipulated beasts chasing after Rocky through the passage.


    After Rocky and the ice sculptures were able to pass through the passage, Elder Duke and the other two peerless masters at the Divine Stage, and the four masters at the Supernal Stage also rushed up into the passage and followed them. Even though they were still shaken by the dark dragon shadow''s attack just a few moments earlier, they still did their best to protect the spiritual treasure from being taken away from under their noses.


    However, Rocky didn''t expect that after all that running, he would find himself blocked on a dead end.


    "Fuck!" After finding out that there was no way out, Rocky thought of hid


    martial arts at the Supernal Stage to stop Rocky from what he was planning to do.


    In an instant, these masters burst out four moves of their spiritual martial arts and attacked Rocky from different angles. At that moment, they were full of strength and bounced without any miss.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    A few explosions echoed all throughout the air, and the four moves of the spiritual martial arts at the Supernal Stage came down in succession. Soon after, light shone from all directions, causing the ice walls on both sides to explode as well. Ice debris splashed everywhere, raising a surging ice mist.


    The four Supernal Stage masters saw the ice mist in front of them, and Rocky seemed to have no reaction whatsoever. At that moment, these masters assumed that they had succeeded in killing him. Afterwards, they looked at each other and immediately approached Rocky at the same time.


    However, just when they were getting closer to Rocky, a colorful shadow suddenly rushed out of the ice mist, landed among the four masters at the Supernal Stage.


    "Fire Snake Explosion!" Without warning, the flame on his left arm of the colorful shadow increased dramatically, shaking towards the ground. In an instant, five gigantic fire snakes rushed out of the ground, twisting and moving savagely, exploding to all directions not long after.


    At that moment, five fierce explosions were heard, and the four masters at the Supernal Stage were completely enveloped in strong flame radiance. A moment later, the four masters at the Supernal Stage were thrown directly to the surrounding ice walls. At that moment, they were all covered in dust. Their faces were deathly pale, and their bodies suffered a great deal of damage.

 Chapter 1063 Seizing The Spiritual Treasure

    When Elder Duke and the two masters of the Divine Stage saw this, their expressions changed instantly. They never expected their opponent to be so powerful that he could injure all four masters of the Supernal Stage with a single move.


    Once he managed to fend off the four masters of the Supernal Stage, Rocky rushed towards the three peerless masters of the Divine Stage, including Elder Duke.


    "Let me finish him!" one of the peerless masters of the primary level of the Divine Stage exclaimed. He refused to give up even when Rocky managed to snatch the spiritual treasure before he could. As he took the lead, his aura began to rise and as he waved his hands he shouted, "Water Dragon Column!" Suddenly, a powerful water column shot out from the ground beneath Rocky''s feet to try and block him from rushing forward.


    Rocky dodged left and right, swift and graceful like a flower petal riding the breeze. But then, the water column exploded and countless water drops hovered in the air. The droplets then made their way towards Rocky like an impending, intense rainstorm.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Once the water drops caught up with him, they began to explode out of nowhere. They were similar to balls of steel that detonated and pierced the surrounding ice walls with their resulting shrapnel.


    In that instant, Rocky''s protective spiritual power crippled under the impact he endured from the water drops. Just as another wave of ice beads was about to attack him from all directions, his eyes fluttered open and a powerful flame burst out of and all over his body. This caused all of the ice beads closest to him to evaporate instantly.


    Rocky''s aura suddenly erupted and overwhelmed the peerless master of the primary level of the Divine Stage. He then summoned a fierce, colorful moon shadow out of thin air and began to close the distance between them. Shocked at how quickly Rocky''s aura suddenly surpassed his, the peerless master hurriedly conjured a spiritual power water shield to defend himself from the moon shadow''s first strike.


    The colorful moon shadow collided with the water shield with a deafening bang. Immediately, mist shot out everywhere in the sky above and caused the entire enclosed area to shake. The peerless master took a step back.


    Once the mist dissipated, Rocky was nowhere to be seen.


    "Damn it!" Elder Du


    sters, and the four masters of the Supernal Stage just emerged from the cave and were greeted by the chaos in front of them. The awe on their faces was as clear as day.


    "The audacity! How dare the Holy Dragon Empire enter the Nine-phoenix Demonic Land without the Magic Phoenix Empire''s permission?" Erica scolded Elder Duke and the others immediately after putting a stop to her battle with Sabina.


    "Stop fighting and then we''ll explain," Elder Duke responded at once with a serious look on his face.


    "First things first. Hand over whatever it is you retrieved from the ice cave," Erica ordered with narrowed eyes. She reached out with an open hand to give them a hint. Soon, both groups ceased their fighting. ...


    "What do you mean?" Elder Duke asked, pretending not to know what Erica meant.


    "Stop playing dumb." Erica wasn''t gullible enough to believe him and the others.


    "I promise you we took nothing out of the ice cave," Elder Duke responded with outstretched arms and open palms.


    At that moment, two beautiful figures flew out of the ice cave. They appeared in front of Erica and bowed before saying, "Master Erica, it''s no longer in its place."


    "You said you took nothing? Nonsense!" Erica glared and shouted at Elder Duke once she listened to her followers'' report.


    "Someone took it away first before we could. Didn''t you see him emerge from the cave before us?" the confused elder asked.


    Logically speaking, the man responsible for snatching the spiritual treasure should have come out first. But he was nowhere to be found.

 Chapter 1064 Surprised

    Erica could not help but frown upon hearing his words. Obviously, she could sense that Elder Duke was not telling the truth.


    Meanwhile, Duke scanned the crowd and noticed Sabina and Allen in the crowd. He stepped forward and asked in a rather surprised tone, "Is that Miss Sabina? Is she with Mr. Allen? Why, isn''t this a surprise! If I may ask, what are you two doing here exactly?"


    "It''s none of your business. Don''t stick your nose where it doesn''t belong," Sabina snorted in annoyance.


    "It is really licking today! Or perhaps, it is you who stole it?" the elder couldn''t help but ask. At that moment, he couldn''t control the words that came out of his mouth. The words slipped his tongue as his intuition had taken over. After all, he didn''t buy the reasoning that Sabina''s presence was mere coincidence.


    "I don''t care who took it, as long as you hand it over to me. Plus, I don''t want to make things difficult for you. It''s my job to stop you from taking it out of this cave, so you''d better appreciate this chance and do as I say," Erica announced severely as she talked to the crowd coldly.


    "Well, it has to be them. What brings so many of them here today? Well, it doesn''t matter anyway. We only got three people here, and it is clear who has the bigger chance," Sabina explained loudly, folding her arms across her chest and nodded at Duke and his followers.


    "Don''t sling mud at us, Miss Sabina. He who has a great nose thinks everybody is speaking of it. You took away the things and framed us!" Duke was almost red in fury upon hearing Sabina''s accusation.


    On the other hand, Erica was not able to tell who took it right when Sabina and the elder were blaming each other. After paying close attention and examining Sabina and her two other companions, Erica concluded that the man among them wasn''t the one she was looking for. At that moment, she tried her best to recall the three portraits she saw. Without a doubt, she was certain that it was Sabina and another woman that she didn''t know. But where was the third one?


    After thinking for a while, Erica came to a decision. Soon after, she averted her gaze from Sabina and the elder, and said, "Since none of you is willing to give it back, then I just have to t


    with his hands behind his back.


    "So, you''re the one who took it? Are you the man I''m looking for?" As soon as Erica heard of his crime, she immediately guessed that Rocky might be the person she was looking for.


    "Here it is. You can even check its authenticity. However, you must let them go!" Rocky demanded as he took out the spiritual treasure and put it on the table.


    At this moment, Erica suddenly narrowed her eyes and waved her hand. Soon after, more than a dozen water drops quickly flew towards Rocky in a swift motion.


    Although Rocky''s back faced her, he was still able to dodge her attack right away, as if he had eyes on his back.


    As a result, Erica jumped out of her bed and grabbed Rocky unexpectedly.


    In the blink of an eye, Rocky turned around and grabbed Erica''s arms instead, emitting his aura at the same time. Instantly, Erica felt an extremely strong spiritual pressure rush towards her, making her body stiff as a board.


    On the contrary, right before she froze, Erica somehow managed to have a glimpse of Rocky''s face. As soon as she saw his face clearly, her body could not help but tremble. Soon after, she exclaimed, "It''s really you!"


    "Oh, do you have a crush on me?" Rocky cast a glance at her, smiling slyly.


    Not long after, Erica came back to her senses. Angry and nervous, she could do nothing to get rid of his control.


    At the same time, she was shocked to see him again, especially when she was just about to sleep in peace in her room.

 Chapter 1065 No One Can Disobey

    "I''m leaving. I hope our paths will never cross again!" A faint smile appeared on Rocky''s face before he disappeared in front of Erica.


    The next day, Sabina and her two companions were released from the governor''s mansion. Rocky was waiting for them outside the governor''s enormous house.


    "Why did you give the spiritual treasure to her? We risked our lives just to get it," Sabina grumbled as soon as she saw Rocky.


    "Our goal was to ruin Alston''s plan. And to make sure he will not get his hands on the spiritual treasure. Besides, I only gave her half of the treasure," Rocky said with a smile. He flipped his hands and a Mysterious Spirit Raw Gemstone glowed on the top of his palm.


    "You are so cunning! Erica will be pissed off if she finds out!" Sabina''s eyes twinkled when she saw the stone. She laughed as she imagined Erica''s face once she discovered that she only got half of the spiritual treasure.


    "Did she hurt you?" Rocky asked in a tender voice.


    "No. But I''m confused. We stole the spiritual treasure, but Erica was still kind to us. She also asked me to give you a message." Sabina glared at Rocky suspiciously.


    "What message?" Rocky asked.


    "She said your paths would definitely cross again," Sabina replied.


    "Looks like I am in trouble," Rocky bit his lips. He did not expect that to stop Alston''s plan, he would get into trouble with Erica. With Erica''s temper, Rocky knew he was in hot water. However, what worried him most was whether Erica would recognize him.


    Since they had successfully ruined Alston''s plan, Rocky and his companions went back to the Holy Dragon Empire at once.


    A day later, the imperial preceptor of the Magic Phoenix Empire and Erica''s master, Felicia, also arrived at the Blood Phoenix City.


    Inside the hall of the governor''s mansion, Erica handed the spiritual treasure to Felicia.


    "You must be mistaken. It''s only a chunk of the spiritual treasure," Felicia said as she held the spiritual treasure in her hands. She examined it more carefully, but she was still convinced that it was not the whole gem.


    "Only a part of it? That guy lied to me!" Erica was furious. She did not expect that Rocky would deceive her.


    "Don''t worry. You mentioned that the man who gave you this is with the disciple of General Marcia of the Holy Dragon Empire. If that''s the case, then it would be easy to find him. Take some of our people and go to the Holy Dragon Empire as soon as possib


    e Holy Dragon Empire. She was well respected and held a prominent status. Her role was to protect the Holy Dragon Empire and its hidden secrets. Even if Lena knew something, she would not disclose the information easily.


    "I don''t want to force her. If I wanted to, I would have done it a long time ago. There is no way I will force her. She remained to be my one true love," Alston said, his voice filled with affection. He was crazy about Lena, and he did not want her to get hurt because of his ambition. But this was before he entered this dead-end situation.


    "But we are left with no choice. Since we failed to get the spiritual treasure, our only hope is the spiritual treasure that is in the forbidden area of the royal family," Priest Dean said seriously.


    "I know. I will talk to her again. For now, I need you to find out why Sabina disrupted our plan. And I want to know the reason behind Marcia''s malicious tactics." Alston ordered Priest Dean.


    "Yes, sir. But what should we do with the Ji Clan? Should we just let it go?" Priest Dean asked Alston.


    "If the Ji Clan refused to send the empress back, then we must take some actions, I heard Daniel have a crush on Sabina. I will put together a decree to propose marriage on his behalf. If the Ji Clan agrees then they will be under my control. But if they refuse, then I will have a reason to punish them with my power and authority. There are only two clans left¡ªthe Ji Clan and the Ximen Clan. As long as I can manipulate those two clans, no one in the Holy Dragon Empire will dare to disobey me! Ha-ha!" Alston laughed, and it filled his eyes with wickedness.

 Chapter 1066 Competition For Marriage

    Meanwhile, the four of them successfully ruined Alston''s plan to take possession of the spiritual treasure. After that, they returned to Evian City with a great deal of satisfaction. There, they spent a couple of days in peace.


    Finally, Rocky had the time to attend to Isis and their son. He could now fulfill his responsibilities as a husband and a father.


    However, their happiness was short-lived. Three days after their return, their joyful family reunion was spoiled by an unexpected turn of events. Rocky and the others were shocked by the news that came from the Ji Clan regarding Sabina. After hearing about it, her delicate expression became cold as ice. Even the area ten meters from her was frozen.


    Apparently, Alston issued an imperial edict. Sabina would be married off to Daniel, the fourth prince of the emperor.


    The news quickly traveled far and wide. Soon enough, the entire Holy Dragon Empire knew about it. Naturally, it caused an uproar in everywhere. Everyone knew that if the Ji Clan agreed to Sabina and Daniel''s marriage, then the clan''s fate would be closely tied to the royal family. It also meant that Alston could easily meddle with the Ji Clan''s affairs because he was the current representative of the royal family. Moreover, he was the acting emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire.


    Any simple-minded person would think that Alston made a wonderful move. He might be able to put the Ji Clan in the awkward position since they didn''t allow Jason to take the empress back to the Palace City. This even backed the Ji Clan into a corner.


    They were the second largest clan in the entire Holy Dragon Empire. The mere rustling of leaves within their mansion might cause turmoil in the empire. Furthermore, it could also affect the empire''s fate as a whole. As soon as Sabina had successfully married into the royal family, Alston would definitely benefit from it. Being the one who issued the imperial edict that dictated their marriage, he would be able to secure his position with the support of the Ji Clan.


    "It seems like Alston sees you and your clan as a thorn in his side because we ruined his grand plans, one after another. So now, he wants to force you and the Ji Clan into a tight situation. If you refuse to honor his edict, there will only be two options left. And that will be either going against the royal family or sending your elder sister back to the palace. Neither of those choices will do your clan good. Alston presents you and your clan such a tough riddle to solve!" Rocky''s brows were furrowed. He could see through Alston''s plan. If Sabina agreed to marry into the royal family just like he planned, it would mean that he had successfully taken the Ji Clan u


    d gain the upper hand.


    "Miss Lucilla, that is such a great idea! In any case, it''s much better than plainly accepting Alston''s marriage edict. Maybe it can even buy us some time and give us a fighting chance!" Allen nodded in agreement. He was pleasantly surprised by Lucilla''s idea.


    "Miss Lucilla absolutely deserves the title "chief of the first clan of the Timber Deity Empire". That''s a clever and fantastic suggestion!" Lance couldn''t help but praise Lucilla.


    "Oh, that''s too flattering! I just thought of it now," Lucilla replied modestly.


    "That really is an amazing plan. But how can we ensure that Alston''s plan won''t work out? If we call for a competition, he will definitely send over some of his most powerful royal members. They will be extremely difficult to deal with," Sabina asked with a frown.


    "We can set a limit. For instance, we can define the acceptable age and strength of contenders. If you think about it, it''s quite reasonable. Sabina is young, beautiful, and powerful. It''s only natural that the Ji Clan wouldn''t want her to marry a spirit manipulator who can pass as her grandfather, right?" Allen cleverly suggested. Everyone agreed that this was a reasonable condition.


    Afterward, they discussed it more in detail. To ensure that the competition would have enough impact, they finally agreed upon the criteria. They decided that the contenders'' strength must be above the Heavenly Stage and below the Divine Stage. In this way, they could count on the support of all the forces in the Holy Dragon Empire. It would also prevent Alston from finding any excuse not to allow the competition. In other words, any spirit manipulator at the Heavenly Stage and the Supernal Stage could participate in it. Thus, it would surely appeal to all the other clans in the empire!

 Chapter 1067 The Competition

    At last, everyone turned to look at Sabina. Since she hadn''t said anything from just now, it seemed that she had something on her mind. But since she was the main person involved, they had to get her consent.


    Seeing that they were all looking at her with expectant eyes, Sabina just said, "It''s up to you," and left.


    Everyone knew that although Sabina looked very calm on the outside, she must be feeling under a lot of pressure. After all, whether this plan was a success or a failure would decide her fate as well as the fate of the entire Ji Clan.


    Rocky narrowed his eyes as he watched Sabina''s receding figure. "I''ll go and talk to her," he said to the others before getting up and following her.


    After walking out of Lance''s study room, Sabina zoomed through the headquarters by leaping onto roofs and vaulting over walls until she finally arrived at a secret rain flower garden on the south side of the headquarters.


    At that moment, the breeze blew, scattering the white and red petals on the branches into the air. The petals fluttered around the whole garden and fell slowly, like the rain. Sabina stood in the middle of the garden, staring off into space with a helpless look on her face. Anyone who saw her now couldn''t help feeling sorry for her, especially because she was such a strong woman who almost never showed her weak side.


    The expression on her face indicated that the pressure she was under now was far from ordinary.


    "What are you thinking about?" Rocky asked in a gentle tone as he slowly walked towards her. He had followed her all the way to this garden, letting her be alone with her thoughts for a while before finally approaching her.


    Sabina turned towards the source of the voice and saw that it was Rocky''s. Then, she turned away again with an unreadable expression. "Why are you here?"


    "I''m the reason why the Ji Clan has fallen into such a predicament this time. Now that Alston is trying to use such a despicable method to deal with the Ji Clan, there''s no way I can just sit by and do nothing. Moreover, you''ve always supported me. I will never let you have any grievances," Rocky said with a smile.


    "Who


    anced level at the Supernal Stage and also the top nine-grade masters in person. In addition, ask Jason to go with them. It''s best that they bring the empress back. Go and tell them that nothing should go wrong this time. Otherwise, don''t come back to see me!" Alston ordered coldly.


    Priest Dean nodded obediently and left.


    Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and the day of the competition that the Ji Clan was holding arrived.


    It was early in the morning, but the Ji Clan''s mansion was already overcrowded. It looked even more lively than the day when Elvis'' birthday party had been held.


    Many unmarried spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage and the Supernal Stage flocked to the Ji Clan''s mansion in order to compete for the chance to win over the unparalleled beauty of the Holy Dragon Empire. Among them, the spirit manipulators from the other major clans were particularly confident, because they had absolute advantage in both strength and numbers.


    At this moment, a spectacular battle ring that was thirty by thirty meters had been set up on the southwest side of the Ji Clan''s mansion. More than anything, it was to ensure the safety of the spectators, because if all the competitors were masters at the Supernal Stage, even a casual move would be able to affect people who were standing over twenty meters away. Therefore, the Ji Clan had arranged for a battle ring that was big enough to avoid any accidents.

 Chapter 1068 The Competition Began

    Meanwhile, in a luxuriously embellished grandstand on the north side of the battle ring, Elvis sat in the middle, with several elders and some important officials of the Ji Clan on his two sides. Sabina, who was the bride of the competition, sat next to him.


    The chiefs of all the forces, representatives, and also some influential figures in the Holy Dragon Empire were present in the grandstand, signifying the importance of the battle ring. Apart from the influential figures, some spirit manipulators also came to the competition. In fact, others even came there just for fun. At that moment, they surrounded the whole battle ring, much like concentric circles, forming what appeared to be a grand meeting!


    However, everyone was surprised that the Ximen Clan didn''t send any of their spirit manipulators to participate in the competition. Needless to say, this was actually good news to all the other clans. At least, there was one less clan to worry about!


    At this moment, Sabina seemed to be a little anxious, perhaps this was because she had not yet laid eyes on someone she was hoping to show up.


    "Why isn''t he here yet? I hope he shows up any second now. The battle is about to begin!" Elvis looked at Sabina and asked with worry in his tone.


    "Let''s not wait for him any longer." Sabina kept silent for a while and shook her head in dismay.


    Shifting his gaze to the audience, Elvis heard and saw that the whole training field was overflowing with so many people, crowding the entire place. Aside from the royal family, all the forces also gathered here, so he didn''t wait any longer. After all, if he waited for just a bit more, then he might upset the crowd. Soon after, he stood up and walked to the front of the stage, looking around the people present, and said, "Today is the day my daughter chooses a husband in the competition for marriage. First of all, I would like to thank you all for your support! This would never be possible without all of you. Since it is a competition, seniority will not take effect today among the competitors. Everyone is equal. As long as the spirit manipulators meet the necessary requirements to enter the competition, then there is no reason for them not to fight on the stage. In order not to destroy the harmony of each party in the battle, the first task will be grabbing the ball-flower! Now, all of you must have noticed the ball-flower in the center of the battle ring, right?"


    Elvis explained the rules while pointing at the ball-flower in mid-air, which was just supported by a bamboo frame a few meters high. After that, he continued, "As soon as the battle starts, each party must do whatever it takes to acquire the ball-flower. Whoever gets the ball-flower first will be hailed


    sed their thoughts in an uproar because of the appearance of Elder Duke, Jason, and the others. It was said that whenever people in the royal family appeared, it meant that a real storm was just around the corner, and several major clans would also face a huge test.


    At that moment, when Elvis saw Elder Duke and Jason come in with several powerful royal spirit manipulators at the Supernal Stage, he could not help but shoot a cold look towards them. Although he had expected that Alston would send some powerful royal spirit manipulators here, he couldn''t help but feel worried when he saw the powerful group in front of him. On the other hand, the Ji Clan couldn''t send people to take part in the competition, and even the strongest master of the top nine-grade at the Supernal Stage of the Ji Clan might not have the confidence to win, let alone the other big clans except the Ximen Clan. Therefore, the situation was naturally a little bad for them.


    Soon after, Elder Duke and Jason walked onto the stage with their men and cupped their hands to greet Elvis respectfully. Then, Elder Duke opened his mouth and said, "Sorry to be late. Please forgive us, Chief Elvis!"


    "Well, you arrived just in time. If you have arrived a second later, then the competition might have had ended already," Elvis answered with a fake smile.


    "Oh, really? Then, we must be so lucky! Or else, we will let Prince Daniel down!" Elder Duke said thoughtfully and pointed out directly that they came here just to support Daniel.


    Hearing this, Elvis also gave a wry smile and ordered his servants to bring two chairs for Elder Duke and Jason.


    After Elder Duke and Jason sat down, Jason leaned closer to Elvis and said, "Chief Elvis, I just wanted to ask you. Was the mysterious man who stood up for lady Sabina last time from the Ji Clan?"

 Chapter 1069 Strong Power

    "Mysterious man? I have no idea who you''re talking about," Elvis replied, pretending to be clueless about the individual in question.


    "I don''t think your memory is so horrible that you''d forget him," Jason countered with a cold gaze once he saw Elvis pretend to know nothing.


    "But first, let''s get down to business!" Elder Duke said to Jason with a knowing smile.


    "Who''s first?" Jason asked the five masters of the Supernal Stage that stood beside him.


    A master of the seventh grade of the Supernal Stage volunteered immediately. He stretched before appearing on the stage in an instant.


    There was no doubting about his strength, so the outcome seemed obvious. In the end, the royal family represented by Elder Duke chose two royal spirit manipulators of the Supernal Stage''s premium grade and the two defeated the powerful warriors of the same grade and stage from various great clans. After that, no spirit manipulators dared to step foot on the stage.


    Everyone present locked eyes with each other and agreed that the ending of this battle seemed obvious.


    Elder Duke and Jason exchanged a cheeky grin. They felt that they definitely won this competition.


    "Why hasn''t he come? Is something wrong?" Sabina began to feel slightly nervous.


    Suddenly, a towering beast leaped from behind the crowd and leaped onto the stage with a loud thud. Its speed astounded the whole audience.


    They were even more startled upon seeing the beast''s figure.


    The tall beast stood on its two hind legs like a human. At three meters tall and with a body akin to a fitness fighter''s, it exuded an aura similar to one of the fifth grade of the five-star level. Its long, snow-white hair draped over it like a fur coat and caught everyone''s attention as it shimmered under the sun.


    Its presence on the stage caused quite a stir because it appeared to have no master.


    Additionally, some witnesses felt that the beast looked famil


    o its advantage by making use of its speed and agility. It cleverly protected the ball-flower in its claws from the eighth-grade spirit manipulator of the Supernal Stage with ease.


    Seven minutes soon passed. If the master failed to retrieve the flower ball from Robin, he would lose.


    However, the master had another trick up his sleeve. Suddenly, his beast rushed towards Robin. The former''s body swelled up as a cluster of razor sharp thorns emerged from its flesh and shot towards the latter.


    Robin quickly dodged the thorns left and right with all its strength. However, the master of the eighth grade of the Supernal Stage immediately seized the opportunity to approach Robin and attack. Out of nowhere, a strong spiritual wave struck Robin.


    It fell to the ground with a loud thud.


    Everyone watching suspected that it would be impossible for Robin to recover from such a violent blow.


    Then, the deafening howl of a wolf suddenly echoed all around. Once the smoke dissipated, Robin''s snow-white fur turned into armor made of ice. It opened its terrifying wolf-like eyes and emanated a strong power. The limbs which once stood now crawled on the ground. It now dominated with an authoritative aura that was as powerful as that of a six-star level spirit-manipulated beast.

 Chapter 1070 The Owner of Two Spirit-manipulated Beasts

    The master at the eighth grade of the Supernal Stage was so shocked by Robin''s power that he froze for a moment.


    All the spectators were also equally shocked, not just because Robin had withstood the strong blow, but also because an even stronger aura had suddenly burst out of it.


    Almost at the same time, there came a shout. "Time''s up!"


    With its own strength, Robin had actually grabbed the ball-flower from the master at the seventh grade of the Supernal Stage, and successfully kept it when facing the master at the eighth grade of the Supernal Stage, as well as the spirit-manipulated beast at the fifth grade of the five-star level. Moreover, at the last moment, Robin had revealed an aura so astonishing that no one present could believe their eyes.


    However, as soon as the announcement came that the time was up, the unusual aura around Robin disappeared and it immediately returned to its former state.


    In contrast to everyone around them, Elder Duke and Jason were sitting there with gloomy faces, because they had not expected that a spirit-manipulated beast could defeat two powerful royal spirit manipulators in a row.


    Of course, if it was a true one-on-one battle, Robin might not win. But since the battle had a time limit and was held under special conditions, Robin could exert its advantage to the limit to win.


    "Sampson, it''s your turn!" Elder Duke knew that the royal family could not afford to lose anymore as there were only two top masters at the peak of the ninth grade of the Supernal Stage left in their team. Therefore, he looked at one top master at the ninth grade of the Supernal Stage and gave him a hint.


    Sampson nodded immediately and slowly walked to the battle ring.


    As soon as he appeared, the crowd burst into an uproar. His name was known to everyone in the Holy Dragon Empire, because he could be considered the first genius master among the younger generation of the royal family twenty years ago. Now, at the mere age of fifty, he had already reached the peak level of the ninth grade of the Supernal Stage. Naturally, everyone knew his potential. He was also the strongest master among the five masters that Elder Duke and Jason had brought here. What was more, Sampson''s spirit-manipulated beast was a very rare kind of dragon beast, ca


    y actually had two spirit-manipulated beasts.


    "Don''t worry, it''s nothing serious. They are both my spirit-manipulated beasts. I don''t think it''s wrong for them to fight together, right? There is no rule in this competition that you are not allowed to control two spirit-manipulated beasts at the same time..." At this moment, a playful voice sounded throughout the arena.


    Everyone present curiously turned their heads towards the source of the voice.


    From a remote corner of the southern end of the arena, a man dressed in ordinary clothes with a bamboo hat on his head shuffled through the crowd and walked to the middle of the arena.


    "It''s him!" As soon as Jason saw the man wearing the bamboo hat, he stood up excitedly with a murderous look on his face.


    "He''s the one who hurt you? But he doesn''t look as strong as you said." Elder Duke frowned and studied the man. He could sense that the man was at the premium grade of the Supernal Stage, but his aura was definitely not strong. How could this person hurt a peerless master at the Divine Stage like Jason? Elder Duke found it very strange.


    Of course, if he had known that the man wearing the bamboo hat was actually Rocky, the one who had taken away the spiritual treasure right from under his nose in the Nine-phoenix Demonic Land not long ago, he would not have thought so.


    Someone in the crowd suddenly shouted, "What did he say just now? Those two spirit-manipulated beasts both belong to him?"


    Upon hearing this, everyone present fell into silence.

 Chapter 1071 Shrouded

    "How could this happen? How could a spirit manipulator own two spirit-manipulated beasts at the same time?"


    "But from what I''ve heard, Prince Basil can control two spirit-manipulated beasts at the same time! However, it appears that he is the only one who can do such a thing. Perhaps, this is because he was Sheridan''s disciple, the number one beast tamer in the Wild Spirit Land. However, I never expected that there is a second person in the world who can do this."


    "That''s incredible!"


    "Wait. He looks familiar. Isn''t he the mysterious man who hurt the envoy during Chief Elvis'' birthday party?"


    Not long after, the entire place was in an uproar.


    On the other hand, Elder Duke and Jason were also shocked by what they saw!


    At this time, everyone watched as Rocky walked towards the edge of the battle ring. He looked around the crowd indifferently, and then shifted his gaze to Sampson who seemed to be waiting for him in the battle ring. He sneered, "Don''t you want to continue? It''s about time."


    That moment, Sampson came back to his senses and immediately called back his Waning Moon Snow Dragon to launch another attack.


    Soon after, the Waning Moon Snow Dragon roared majestically in the air and dashed towards Ken. However, as this snow dragon made its way to Ken, the crystal deer horns on Ken''s head suddenly appeared, causing the Waning Moon Snow Dragon to let out an odd and deafening cry. At the same time, it landed on the ground and knelt down to Ken in front of everyone.


    Everyone was out of words to say as they were frozen to their seats out of astonishment. What happened just now was more intense than the fact that Ken scared away a spirit-manipulated beast at the fourth grade of the five-star level as soon as it appeared. After all, no one had ever seen a dragon beast at the fifth grade of the five-star level kneel down and worship Ken. Without a doubt, this was truly remarkable!


    Of course, no one there was aware that Ken actually had a very strong capability in using illusion to control other spirit-manipulated beasts. It had improved and sharpened this ability with half a year''s training, making it more powerful than ever. In fact, it had gone so powerful that it could easily control spirit-manipulated beasts at the fifth grade of the five-star level and even the spirit-manipulat


    after, Jason was so close to Rocky that he could almost touch him. Under the watchful eyes of the public, he turned his two fingers into a powerful wind blade, intending to arrest Rocky.


    On the other hand, when Rocky saw that Jason was about to attack, he gave him a scoff, and his eyes suddenly trembled. In an instant, the Evil Flame surrounding his body surged, and an evil and attractive laughter echoed through the entire training field. Soon after, under the siege of the five masters at the premium grade of the Supernal Stage, he confronted Jason.


    This stunned the five masters, but soon enough, they attacked Rocky, intending to hold him off.


    Meanwhile, in the blink of an eye, the strong light formed by the five moves of spiritual martial arts at the Supernal Stage suddenly surrounded Rocky from all directions coupled with the wind blade that Jason set to chase after him. It seemed that Rocky was on the brink of death.


    Worry filled everyone''s hearts at this moment. In fact, they thought that if he would not die, then he would surely suffer intense injuries that would make him half disabled. After all, the combined strength of a peerless master at the Divine Stage and five masters at the premium grade of the Supernal Stage was very powerful!


    This anxiety did not escape Sabina''s heart as she was at the edge of her seat, hoping for a miracle.


    However, Rocky took a deep breath, and all of a sudden, the sleeve of his left arm burst open. Without warning, the lifelike Dragon Spirit Mark on his arm flew high up in the air.

 Chapter 1072 Alstons Plan

    "The Dragon Spirit Mark¡­ He''s¡­ He''s a royal spirit manipulator!" someone shouted immediately.


    The moment everyone felt dumbfounded, a dark purple vortex immediately materialized in Rocky''s left palm. It hovered in the air before it began to suck everything near it instantly, including the five spiritual martial arts moves that were aimed at Rocky.


    The crowd was stunned. They had no clue as to what exact spiritual martial arts conjured the vortex and devoured the other spiritual martial arts summoned by the five masters of the premium grade of the Supernal Stage.


    Elder Duke was amazed when he saw that Rocky''s ability was similar to that of the mysterious man from the Nine-phoenix Demonic Land. His face turned as pale as a ghost upon his realization. Then he shouted, "Jason, get out of there!"


    However, Jason only wanted to take revenge on Rocky. And at the moment, the wind blade was already very close to Rocky, so he had no reason to stop. He waved the wind blade to Rocky without hesitation.


    Suddenly, a powerful Evil Flame surged through and consumed Rocky''s entire left arm. He grabbed the hand Jason used to swing the wind blade towards him, stopping it as it came within an inch from his neck.


    Then, the five spiritual martial arts moves that were absorbed earlier by Rocky''s vortex shot out of his flaming arm towards Jason. Everyone was in shock.


    Despite being a peerless master of the Divine Stage, Jason''s strength was only in the first grade. Therefore, Rocky''s oncoming attack from such a short distance would certainly injure him greatly.


    A terrified Jason gathered all of his spiritual power to shield himself. However, the five moves Rocky had absorbed earlier now attacked his source of spiritual power, causing it to dissipate instantly. Once Rocky opened his eyes, the Evil Flame on his arm surged anew. Various


    n public. Does he even know who I am?" Alston exclaimed viciously.


    "Your Majesty, now is not the right time to be furious. The Ji Clan has proven to be tough, so it''s time we use our last resort," Priest Dean applied, cupping his hands.


    "And what exactly is our last resort?" Alston asked with a venomous tone as he glared at the priest.


    "Doesn''t Elvis have a son in the Rime Army?" Priest Dean reminded.


    "You mean..." Alston''s eyes darkened.


    "Even if we can''t control the Ji Clan, we can certainly remind them to not mess with us¡­unless Elvis wants his son dead," the sly priest insinuated.


    "Excellent idea. Send someone to work on it. If I do this, I''ll certainly fall out of the Ji Clan''s good graces. But it won''t matter as long as they choose not to team up with Marcia. Once I subdue the Ximen Clan, I''ll deal with her," Alston declared coldheartedly.


    "The Ximen Clan''s centennial ceremony is in ten days. That is when we''ll put the plan into action," Priest Dean replied.


    "Send the prepared betrothal presents to the Ximen Clan in five days and inform them that I propose to marry Shirley. Also, announce that I''ll visit them in person at the centennial ceremony," Alston ordered with his cunning smile.

 Chapter 1073 Resume The Engagement

    Without a doubt, Rocky''s appearance, together with Robin and Ken''s performance stunned the entire Ji Clan. On the other hand, Rocky, who had already left the Ji Clan, came back to Evian City''s base camp right away so as not to expose his identity. After all, he knew that Elvis and Sabina would be able to deal with what might happen next.


    After returning to the base camp, Rocky went back to the Isis Pavilion to see Isis and their son. However, when he got there, Isis and their son were with someone he had not seen for more than six months¡ªMarcia.


    At that moment, Marcia''s maternal instincts kicked in as she cradled Nigel in her arms. She gave him the warmest smile as if she were staring at her own child.


    It was not until Rocky appeared that Marcia returned Nigel to his mother, Isis. As soon as she let go of the child, her arrogance radiated again and she looked at Rocky with her eyes slightly shaking.


    "When did you arrive?" Rocky asked Marcia as he raised his eyebrows.


    "I just arrived yesterday," Marcia replied in a low voice. Then, she asked, "So, how is the matter with the Ji Clan going?"


    "I think Alston must be mad right now," Rocky said with a gentle smile.


    "Well done. But just so you know, a crazy dog will bite people," Marcia said expressively.


    "The truth is, it''s not Alston I''m worried about. What I''m worried about is that the Dragon Master Clan is in the backstage supporting him," Rocky said thoughtfully. Based on what he knew, Alston had sent people to look for the spiritual treasure. With this, he was certain that Alston had the support of the Dragon Master Clan.


    "What? He has support from the Dragon Master Clan?" Marcia could not help but frown. When Rocky told her about this not long ago, fear surrounded her bones, for this was exactly what she was worried about. That was because, if the Dragon Master Clan supported Alston, then the situation would only become more complicated than it already was.


    "General Marcia, tell me. How much do you know about spiritual treasures? What is it used for? Why did the clans of the spiritual race, including the Dragon Master Clan, scramble to find it?" Rocky interrogated Marcia.


    "I only know that the sealed spiritual treasures are very ancient and can date back to the beginning of the spiritual race. Unfortunat


    woman.


    "Ah, everything makes sense now! After failing twice with the Ji Clan, Alston''s only hope now lies with the Ximen Clan. If Alston doesn''t subdue the Ximen Clan as his followers, then his unstable foundation will be shaken again. If any force revolts, a terrible civil war may happen in the entire Holy Dragon Empire..." Marcia muttered.


    "I''m afraid so. Plus, if Bryant agrees to the proposal, then surely, it will be a great help to Alston." Rocky frowned upon realizing what they were up against.


    "But, I don''t think Chief Bryant will agree easily. After all, what Alston has done is completely unsatisfactory. The chance of Chief Bryant supporting Alston is very slim right now," Lance said after thinking carefully.


    "I agree with you. But knowing Alston, he will surely try his best to force Bryant to compromise. The Ximen Clan is close to the royal family. If Alston is cruel enough, then he will have lots of methods to threaten Bryant," Marcia added.


    "Then what''s your idea, General Marcia?" Rocky looked at Marcia and asked with eager eyes.


    "If I remember it correctly, you have been engaged to Shirley before, right?" Marcia thought for a while and asked Rocky.


    "Yes, it seems so, but I think I have sort of broken off the engagement," Rocky replied.


    "It doesn''t matter. What''s important is that Miss Shirley doesn''t want to marry Alston," Marcia said with her narrowed eyes.


    "So, are you suggesting that I resume the engagement and remarry Shirley?" Rocky immediately guessed what was on Marcia''s mind.

 Chapter 1074 The Best Option

    "I think that''s the best option. If you push through with your engagement with Shirley as Prince Basil, Alston will have no reason to stop you. Moreover, with your three identities as Prince Basil, Prince Crimson, and the fourth Great General of the Holy Dragon Empire, if your engagement is pushed through, you will immediately gain a strong foothold in the royal family. I do not think even Alston can shake your position. Besides that, the people of the Holy Dragon Empire support you more than Alston. When everything is in place, we will unite the three army groups, including the Sky Army Group, and all other forces. At the same time, we will put pressure on the royal family''s Emergency Chamber to remove Alston''s position as the acting emperor and recommend you inherit the position of the emperor. If everything goes according to plan, Alston will definitely lose." Marcia had already planned this out thoroughly. Now that everything was ready, she only needed to wait for the final step.


    "But I am already married to Isis. I''m afraid it''s inappropriate for me to push through with the engagement with Shirley, don''t you think so? Alston will certainly use it as an excuse..." Rocky answered after seriously thinking for a while.


    "You must remember that you are the Prince Crimson of the Holy Dragon Empire now. It is normal for you to marry another imperial concubine. The most important thing we need to worry about is Shirley''s agreement to this. That is the problem we need to address. This is very crucial. There is nothing we can do if Shirley doesn''t agree. The whole plan is at stake here," Marcia clearly emphasized.


    "I''m telling you as early as now that it will be difficult. We had a terrible relationship in the past, I think it would be impossible for her to agree unless her life depended on it." Naturally, Rocky would not hold any hope on Shirley agreeing with the plan.


    "How will you know if you won''t try? We should begin our preparations. Five days from now, on the centennial celebration of the Ximen Clan, Alston will go to them in person. That would be a good opportunity for you to make your appearance," Marcia said as she briefly glanced at Rocky.


    Rocky smiled faintly. He would soon see the expression on Alston''s face when Alston finally saw him.


    Just as Rocky and the others were discussing the plan and preparing everything, Sabina suddenly sh


    Clan. Through this, the clan''s balance remained.


    It was precisely because of this marriage control that any change in the Ximen Clan would greatly affect the entire Holy Dragon Empire.


    Even though the Ji Clan was the second largest clan in the Holy Dragon Empire, they might not be able to defeat the Ximen Clan with double strength and influence.


    So as the centennial celebration of the Ximen Clan was about to commence, everyone came to congratulate them in this milestone. The royal family down to the slightly famous people came to gain favor with the Ximen Clan.


    However, there was another important reason that everyone came to the celebration. A few days ago, the current acting emperor had officially proposed to the Ximen Clan and wanted to make Shirley his wife. It was rumored that he would personally visit the clan on the day of the centennial celebration.


    And now, the news had spread all over the empire. The Ximen Clan often engaged with the royal family by connections through marriages. But because the Ximen Clan was almost the same origin coming down in one continuous line, the direct generation of the Ximen Clan always married their sons to the women from the royal family. They had never married their daughter into the royal family. However, Shirley was the only heir of the Ximen Clan in her generation as no son was born.


    The possible fact that the only heir of the Ximen Clan was conferred the title of wife by the acting emperor was a big event for both the royal family and the Ximen Clan. It was even related to the clan''s centuries-old foundation!

 Chapter 1075 The Marriage Proposal

    People from the Holy Dragon Empire did not have the faintest idea if Bryant would agree to the marriage proposal from the acting emperor. In effect, the Ximen Clan could refuse, but the acting emperor made the proposal himself and it would not be a good idea for them to say no. Once the Ximen Clan agreed to the acting emperor''s offer for their daughter, the clan would be absolutely affiliated with the royal family. Next to the royal family, the Ximen Clan was the second most powerful clan in the entire Holy Dragon Empire. However, this was bound to change the moment they joined hands with the royal family through marriage. Controlled by the royal family, the Ximen Clan would become the strongest force behind Alston. If this happened, people would be compelled to obey Alston at all times, and he would emerge as the most powerful man in the entire Holy Dragon Empire.


    On the other hand, if Bryant refused the proposal, the royal family and the Ximen Clan would become enemies. Alston could use this as an excuse to overthrow the Ximen Clan or suppress their power. This would definitely cause a clash between the two powerful clans.


    Because of this, the Ximen Clan struggled to make their decision. They knew they could not refuse Alston and keep their peace at the same time.


    Pressed to make a decision, Bryant together with several founding members and important elders convened inside the hall used for the official business meeting of the Ximen Clan. The decision was crucial and had to be made soon.


    "Chief, we cannot agree with the marriage. Alston will control us if we do. The Holy Dragon Empire''s state of affairs has worsened since he became the acting emperor. If Alston takes control of our Ximen Clan, he would have more power to oppress the people and his enemies!" a founding member proposed firmly.


    "You can''t say that. If we agree to the marriage with the royal family, we can establish our position in the empire and surpass the power of all the other clans. It is also an opportunity to join up with other clans. Once our power is strong enough, then we can take a stand against the royal family and regain full control of our clan in the future," another founding member argued. It filled his voice with confidence and ambition.


    The other founding mem


    .


    "Let me think about it some more. You may go now!" Bryant waved his hand to dismiss them.


    Everyone left the hall in silence.


    Before long, a delicate figure walked inside the hall. She saw the worried look on Bryant''s face, and she knew that he was thinking about the marriage situation to the royal family.


    "Grandpa..." the figure said in a low voice.


    It was Shirley. She had grown more beautiful and elegant than a year ago when she went to the imperial tomb to worship Basil. Her aura was now close to the Supernal Stage.


    Normally, it was not possible for Shirley to reach the Supernal Stage at such a young age. However, her grandfather was a top master at the Immortal Stage and that made it attainable for her. For the past year, Bryant made sure Shirley advanced in her strength as fast as she could. Regardless if it required his own spiritual power. He maximized the use of his men and material resources so he could collect all kinds of rare treasures that would help increase her spiritual power. All this was to prepare Shirley and make her powerful enough before she took over the position of the chief of the Ximen Clan.


    "Shirley, why are you here? I told you to entertain the guests in the front hall." Bryant''s face softened as he saw his granddaughter.


    "You know I can''t stand them!" Shirley''s beautiful face did not hide her displeasure. Still, she remained charming in the eyes of her grandfather.


    "Then come and sit with me. I have something to ask you," Bryant said with a smile.

 Chapter 1076 Journey To Wal City

    Shirley nodded before taking a seat beside him. "Grandpa, are you thinking about Alston''s proposal?" she asked him gently.


    "What do you think?" Bryant asked her with another question.


    "I''ll obey whatever you decide for our clan''s future. I don''t think my opinion matters." Shirley''s beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. Her past self would have done whatever she wanted. But now that she was more cognizant of the Ximen Clan''s future, she became a more mature woman.


    "I would still like to hear your opinion on the matter, my dear. I assure you, it matters to me," Bryant replied lovingly, instructing her to go ahead.


    "I used to admire Alston. With his ability, strength, and being heir to the throne, I thought he was perfect. Everyone looked up to him and obeyed his every order. But I was so naive. Ever since he was appointed the acting emperor, the noble prince I once knew has vanished. He wiped out all the clans who refused to bend the knee. His cruel methods still give me goosebumps to this day. Perhaps it''s his nature. It doesn''t matter. Whether as a husband or as an emperor, he can''t be trusted!" Shirley admitted frankly.


    "So you don''t want to marry him, correct?" Bryant asked her earnestly, his voice carrying no other sentiments.


    She hesitated for a moment before nodding and replying, "Whatever you believe is necessary, grandpa. I will support whatever you decide. You might get in trouble if we turn them down. Alston expects the support of our clan. He won''t give up so easily!"


    "If you don''t want to marry him, my dear, then don''t. Leave the rest to me. Once Alston arrives, you can find an excuse to turn him down. Don''t worry. Everything will be fine," Bryant assured her after thinking over the matter for a while. His words clearly showed how much he adored his granddaughter.


    "I see. But what excuse can I give that''s convincing enough?" she asked, her eyebrows furrowed.


    "You were engaged to Prince Basil. Although the engagement was called off after Prince Basil''s death, his father never officially nullified it. Technically, the engagement is still valid. If you''re willing to marry a dead man, then Alston can''t force you into the marriage." Bryant grinned as he stroked his mustache. He remi


    ," Rocky reminded Sabina with a subtle nod.


    "Why?" a confused Sabina asked.


    "Because if I can get there tonight, it will be possible to rescue him by dawn. I need you to buy some time for me. Neither General Marcia nor General Lance can do it. Only you can," Rocky replied. It seemed he had finally come up with a plan. However, one small mistake could lead to a huge consequence. He needed to get to the Ximen Clan before Alston could convince them. He needed more time in case anything unexpected occurred. What he asked of Sabina was of utmost importance.


    "But..." Sabina wanted to add something but was cut short by Marcia. "Basil is right. With our current situation, he''s our best bet at rescuing Flint."


    Sabina turned her gaze towards Marcia and then to Rocky. She found herself at a loss for words. On one hand, she knew her master was right. On the other, she didn''t want Rocky to risk his life.


    "I''ll leave the rest to you," Rocky said, gesturing towards Marcia and Lance.


    "Be careful," Marcia reminded him.


    "Do you want to say goodbye to Isis?" Lance asked.


    "No. I don''t want her to worry about me. I''m leaving now," Rocky uttered with a straight face before turning away.


    "Lucilla, I''m going to write a letter. Have it sent out for me immediately," Marcia ordered once Rocky left the room. An idea suddenly sprung up.


    Lucilla nodded quickly.


    Once Rocky was out of Lance''s study, he summoned Ken and mounted its back as they flew towards Wal City.

 Chapter 1078 The King Of The Night

    "What''s wrong with them? What happened?" confused and stunned, Flint asked when he saw the spirit manipulators, including the ones at the Heavenly Stage, all looked at Rocky as if he were a demon from hell.


    "Well, who knows? I have no idea." The corner of Rocky''s lips curled into a smile. Soon after, he asked Flint to follow him closely out of the building.


    But as soon as they stepped out of the building, several figures from three different directions sped towards them. Most of them were soldiers clad in heavy armors, and the rest were spirit manipulators with varying strength. Without a doubt, it appeared to them that someone was here to save Flint.


    "Annoying cockroaches..." Rocky snorted and soon turned to Flint. "Follow me. Keep on track and don''t lose your way." Despite his calm tone and cool choice of words, his order seemed to have an irresistible power that was non-negotiable.


    As soon as he heard this, Flint nodded without hesitation.


    At that moment, Rocky immediately summoned the Frozen Wind Dagger with Flaming Blade in his hand and quickly rushed in one direction. Soon after, a series of black Moon Blades slashed out consecutively, turning into the sickle of the God of death, constantly cutting life.


    Not long after, dozens of corpses fell on the ground, as if it were raining dead people.


    The moment Rocky fired his attack, a lot of soldiers were dead on the spot. In fact, this shocked the other soldiers who were coming towards them from behind, making them hesitate for a while.


    "Hey! What are you waiting for? Come and get them!" Meanwhile, a deep voice was echoed. Soon, four shadows dashed towards them.


    Taking a closer look at who he was up against, Rocky recognized a peerless master at the Divine Stage and three medium-grade masters at the Supernal Stage.


    "Are you alone? Have you come to save me? But where are the members of the Ji Clan?" Only then did Flint realize that Rocky came there alone to save him.


    "Did you see anyone else following you around?" Rocky turned around and replied.


    "Wait. Back up. Who the hell are you? And why have you come here alone to save me?" At that moment, Flint didn''t know whether to believe this man''s intentions. Perhaps, he could not wrap his head around the fact that this man, whom he did not know at all, rushed alone into the Wal City to save him.


    "What can I say? You are better at asking questions now than before." Rocky smiled teasingly.


    "What do you mean ''than before''? Do you know me?" Flint asked doubtfully as soon as he heard Rocky''s words.


    Meanwhile, the peerless master


    it were at the Divine Stage, it was impossible for him to absorb so many spiritual martial arts at once. Moreover, the more spiritual martial arts he absorbed, the more power he would have to bear and the more spiritual power he would consume. Therefore, there was still a certain limit to this absorption. However, as long as it was within the range of tolerance, the power of this self-created unique skill was enough to make people change their countenance.


    After Rocky released the spiritual martial arts power, it seemed that many ordinary soldiers around him began to run for their lives in all directions.


    "It seems that it''s not messy enough..." Rocky shook his head when he saw the running and panicked crowd around him. At the same time, he could not help but narrow his eyes as he saw the peerless master at the Divine Stage approach him.


    But at that moment, Rocky didn''t show any fear. He took a step back and grabbed Flint''s hand. Soon after, he gathered his spiritual power and shook it violently. Without warning, an enlarged Magic Spiritual Space appeared in the air. Not long after, a huge black dragon shadow rushed out of the space. Its amazing body and the strong aura instantly rattled the entire place. Moreover, it had a domineering aggression that made everyone''s jaws drop.


    Amidst the dark night, the humongous black dragon shadow brandished its chest as if it was king of the night like every living creature was bound to surrender to it. All the people present, including the peerless master at the Divine Stage and the soldiers, raised an extremely strong fear from the bottom of their hearts. Out of horror, most of the soldiers knelt directly on the ground and kowtowed to worship the shadow.

 Chapter 1078 The King Of The Night

    "What''s wrong with them? What happened?" confused and stunned, Flint asked when he saw the spirit manipulators, including the ones at the Heavenly Stage, all looked at Rocky as if he were a demon from hell.


    "Well, who knows? I have no idea." The corner of Rocky''s lips curled into a smile. Soon after, he asked Flint to follow him closely out of the building.


    But as soon as they stepped out of the building, several figures from three different directions sped towards them. Most of them were soldiers clad in heavy armors, and the rest were spirit manipulators with varying strength. Without a doubt, it appeared to them that someone was here to save Flint.


    "Annoying cockroaches..." Rocky snorted and soon turned to Flint. "Follow me. Keep on track and don''t lose your way." Despite his calm tone and cool choice of words, his order seemed to have an irresistible power that was non-negotiable.


    As soon as he heard this, Flint nodded without hesitation.


    At that moment, Rocky immediately summoned the Frozen Wind Dagger with Flaming Blade in his hand and quickly rushed in one direction. Soon after, a series of black Moon Blades slashed out consecutively, turning into the sickle of the God of death, constantly cutting life.


    Not long after, dozens of corpses fell on the ground, as if it were raining dead people.


    The moment Rocky fired his attack, a lot of soldiers were dead on the spot. In fact, this shocked the other soldiers who were coming towards them from behind, making them hesitate for a while.


    "Hey! What are you waiting for? Come and get them!" Meanwhile, a deep voice was echoed. Soon, four shadows dashed towards them.


    Taking a closer look at who he was up against, Rocky recognized a peerless master at the Divine Stage and three medium-grade masters at the Supernal Stage.


    "Are you alone? Have you come to save me? But where are the members of the Ji Clan?" Only then did Flint realize that Rocky came there alone to save him.


    "Did you see anyone else following you around?" Rocky turned around and replied.


    "Wait. Back up. Who the hell are you? And why have you come here alone to save me?" At that moment, Flint didn''t know whether to believe this man''s intentions. Perhaps, he could not wrap his head around the fact that this man, whom he did not know at all, rushed alone into the Wal City to save him.


    "What can I say? You are better at asking questions now than before." Rocky smiled teasingly.


    "What do you mean ''than before''? Do you know me?" Flint asked doubtfully as soon as he heard Rocky''s words.


    Meanwhile, the peerless master


    it were at the Divine Stage, it was impossible for him to absorb so many spiritual martial arts at once. Moreover, the more spiritual martial arts he absorbed, the more power he would have to bear and the more spiritual power he would consume. Therefore, there was still a certain limit to this absorption. However, as long as it was within the range of tolerance, the power of this self-created unique skill was enough to make people change their countenance.


    After Rocky released the spiritual martial arts power, it seemed that many ordinary soldiers around him began to run for their lives in all directions.


    "It seems that it''s not messy enough..." Rocky shook his head when he saw the running and panicked crowd around him. At the same time, he could not help but narrow his eyes as he saw the peerless master at the Divine Stage approach him.


    But at that moment, Rocky didn''t show any fear. He took a step back and grabbed Flint''s hand. Soon after, he gathered his spiritual power and shook it violently. Without warning, an enlarged Magic Spiritual Space appeared in the air. Not long after, a huge black dragon shadow rushed out of the space. Its amazing body and the strong aura instantly rattled the entire place. Moreover, it had a domineering aggression that made everyone''s jaws drop.


    Amidst the dark night, the humongous black dragon shadow brandished its chest as if it was king of the night like every living creature was bound to surrender to it. All the people present, including the peerless master at the Divine Stage and the soldiers, raised an extremely strong fear from the bottom of their hearts. Out of horror, most of the soldiers knelt directly on the ground and kowtowed to worship the shadow.

 Chapter 1079 Advancing At Full Speed

    "Let''s go." Rocky yanked Flint back to reality, as he had been frozen in shock. Together, they leapt onto the back of the massive ancient spiritual beast.


    Then, the four wings of the ancient spiritual beast began to flap, causing waves of dust to ripple outward several dozen feet high. The entirety of the Wal City was engulfed in the strong winds, with sand and stone whirling everywhere.


    The soldiers and spirit manipulators present felt as if they were caught in a strong storm, unable to even stand steadily. Some were even swept away by the violent gusts of wind!


    In a matter of moments, the entire city fell into a state of chaos.


    Flapping its massive wings, the ancient spiritual beast flew over the Wal City with Rocky and Flint on its back. The citizens below watched with mouths wide open as the huge shadow of the beast danced over the buildings. To Rocky and Flint, however, the people below looked like tiny black ants.


    Just then, Ken flew over with Robin. They too landed on the back of the ancient spiritual beast.


    "What are you waiting for? Go get them!" the peerless master barked. He knew that if he let them get away, there was no way he''d be able to explain this to the acting emperor.


    Then, the peerless master summoned a five-star war dragon of the fifth grade. After mounting it, he chased after the ancient spiritual beast. More war dragons of three or four star level were summoned as the other spirit manipulators joined in pursuit. Soon, more than ten war dragons filled the skies, each one chasing after the ancient spiritual beast in the distance.


    Rocky''s eyes narrowed as he realized what was happening. "You ride on Ken first," he said to Flint.


    Hearing Rocky''s words, Flint shot a glance at Rocky. Although he still didn''t recognize who this guy was, he obeyed Rocky without the slightest hesitation. In a heartbeat, he leapt and mounted the dragon next to him.


    Once Flint was settled, Rocky sent Robin back to the Magic Spiritual Space. Then, he instructed Ken to take Flint away from the ancient spiritual beast. Lastly, he asked the ancient spiritual beast to turn around and face the swarm of dragons that were steadily closing in on them.


    "Maybe I could take this as an opportunity to give Alston a gift," Rocky said with a devious smile. "I''m sure he''ll be happy to receive it..."


    As he spoke, t


    cky was wracking his brains trying to figure out a solution, the spirit manipulators had closed the distance and began to encircle them. Dozens of dragon shadows filled the skies.


    "Ha-ha, boy, you can''t escape. Our reinforcements are nearly here." Seeing the dragon shadows headed towards them, the peerless master laughed triumphantly.


    Rocky''s expression hardened. Seeing that there was no other way around it, he decided to break out of the encirclement by force.


    However, before Rocky could even make a move, a crimson dragon beast rushed over suddenly. Unexpectedly, it opened its mouth and spurted a fierce flame towards the war dragon of the Divine Stage master, forcing the war dragon to dodge sideways quickly.


    When the peerless master recovered, his expression froze immediately.


    Then, Rocky realized that the crimson dragon beast didn''t come alone. Dozens of dragon shadows had flown over with the crimson dragon beast, facing off with the spirit manipulators and their war dragons. Chaos broke out in the skies as spurts of fire were shot out back and forth.


    Squinting, Rocky finally recognized the familiar figure riding on the crimson dragon beast.


    "Mia?" Rocky cried out in surprise.


    "General Marcia asked me to bring people to support you. Hurry up and go. We''ll take care of this place." Mia shot a strange glance at Rocky, her expression unreadable.


    "Thank you." Rocky didn''t say anything more. He waved at Mia and asked Ken to proceed at full speed. Leaving the fierce air battle behind them, they headed straight to the Ximen Clan.

 Chapter 1080 A Polite Refusal

    After a few days of endless hustling and bustling, the Ximen Clan finally started their grand centennial celebration. Thousands of guests noisily gathered, their chitchats filled with excitement.


    The square where the ceremony was held was extremely packed and all kinds of performances were ongoing. At the front of the square was a platform paved with red carpet which was specially built for the honorable attendees. Bryant, his granddaughter, Shirley, and the elders of the Ximen Clan were sitting on the platform. They were accepting blessings and gifts from various clans and major forces, the royal family, several civil and military officials, and other guests.


    Time flew by without anyone noticing due to the euphoric atmosphere brought about by the celebration. Two hours into the celebration, a disciple of the Ximen Clan came up on the platform and announced with a bow, "My Chief, the emperor is at the gate!"


    However, instead of waiting at the gate for the Ximan Clan to properly welcome him, Alston had come inside and walked along the main road leading to the square. He was escorted by two masters of the Divine Stage, another nine masters of the Supernal Stage and some twenty spirit manipulators of the Heavenly Stage.


    Bryant stood up at once. He lifted his elegant robe and ran down the platform to welcome Alston. He was followed by Shirley, the seniors, and the elders.


    When everyone saw that Bryant was in a hurry, they realized that Alston was here. No other person in this world could arouse such a whirlwind of chaos. The noisy square quieted down immediately. The crowd parted automatically to make a path for Alston. Everyone echoed greetings of respect towards the acting emperor.


    "Greetings, Your Majesty!" The whole square was suddenly filled with everyone''s greetings.


    Alston, on the other hand, marched on with ease. He wore a wide smile across his face as he waved his hand towards the crowd. For the people who knew him little, he was as common as an old shoe, but not the insidious, despicable and ruthless monster who tried to murder his own brother for the throne and who used every way possible to get rid of those who disobeyed him.


    As Alston pressed forward towards the platform, Bryant and Shirley met him at the middle of the square, as well as all other seniors and elders from the Ximen Clan.


    "Your Majesty!" Bryant stopped in front of Alston and respectfully bowed.


    "Nice to meet you, Chief Bryant, Miss Shirley and all the elders! Please do not be nervous. I am here today to congratulate your clan on your centen


    cubines. So, even if Alston presented thousands of Dark Heaven Insects, it was impossible for her to show any delight at all.


    "Shirley," Bryant murmured, instructing her to show her gratitude to the emperor.


    "Thank you, Your Majesty. I really appreciate your sincere kindness. I never expect so many gifts from Your Majesty!" Shirley replied with all of the formalities she could muster.


    "I am happy to hear that you like it. Oh, I want to ask something, if you don''t mind? Can I have your reply regarding marrying into the royal family now? I personally would like to give you a few more days to think, but they have already prepared for the wedding ceremony. So, I want to know the answer as soon as possible." Alston''s words were very polite, but it was clear that he wanted to tell Bryant and Shirley that today was their deadline.


    "It''s my honor to be favored by Your Majesty!" Shirley said with a polite nod.


    As soon as the crowd heard her words, the whole square became loud again. It seemed that the emperor was going to get what he wanted today.


    A trace of a triumphant smile flashed in Alston''s face. Today''s agenda was going smoother than he had thought. As the first clan, Bryant had the power to stand on the opposite side of the royal family, and Alston had already prepared for it. But he was confident in Bryant''s loyalty. Bryant had no reason to refuse, and their clan would only be promoted by this marriage. Besides, he knew that Shirley really appreciated him before, so he believed that Shirley would not refuse him.


    "But I sincerely apologize, Your Majesty. I cannot marry you!" To Alston''s great surprise, Shirley suddenly turned the situation around and politely declined him.

 Chapter 1081 Shocked

    Hearing this, everyone looked at each other in confusion. They were struck dumb, as they had thought that Shirley would agree to marry Alston. Even if she didn''t agree, they didn''t know she would do it as harshly as she did. None of them expected that Shirley would refuse Alston outright and in front of so many people too! It would undoubtedly bring great shame to him.


    "I''m sorry, Chief Bryant, but I think I misheard her." Alston''s face was red with anger, and his veins looked like they were about to pop from his head.


    "Your Majesty, Shirley should have made it clear," Bryant replied with a morose expression on his face.


    "Miss Shirley, why are you rejecting me? You should at least give me a reason," Alston protested vehemently.


    "It is because I am already engaged to someone else before you asked..." Shirley explained matter-of-factly.


    When everyone present heard this, they were also shocked, as none of them knew that Shirley was already engaged. Of course, they all forgot that Shirley and Prince Basil were engaged in the past.


    "What?! Miss Shirley, when did you get engaged to someone else?" Alston''s eyes almost bugged out of their sockets in his surprise.


    "Have you forgotten already, Your Majesty? I was engaged to Prince Basil," Shirley replied.


    "Ha! Basil? That man has been dead for a long time now. Your engagement doesn''t count anymore." Upon hearing Shirley''s answer, Alston was exasperated. He didn''t expect Basil, who was already dead, to get in the way of his excellent plan. Of course, he knew that Shirley must only be using Basil as an excuse.


    "The engagement between Prince Basil and me was issued by the former emperor in person. And even though Prince Basil had already died for the sake of our country, the previous emperor hasn''t abolished the engagement between him and me, so the engagement is still valid," Shirley replied with a gleam shining in her eyes.


    "Then I will immediately abolish your engagement to Prince Basil. That way, nothing can stop you, okay?" Alston answered aggressively. He was not about to give the Ximen Clan any excuse, after all.


    In the face of his stubbornness and aggression, Shirley couldn''t help but hesitate. S


    ou agree to be my concubine or not? Remember that whatever you say next will directly affect the future of the whole Ximen Clan..." Alston threatened, glaring at Shirley viciously. It was obvious now that Bryant didn''t want Shirley to be his wife. He simply needed her because he wanted the Ximen Clan!


    Shirley hesitated a little at Alston''s threat, looking a little intimidated. She looked at Bryant, her eyes wide with fear.


    "Shirley, say whatever you want to say!" Bryant told her firmly.


    Shirley frowned at this, as her plump breast continued to jump up and down with her rapid breathing. It was difficult to hide the contradiction in her heart at the moment.


    Everyone present waited for her with bated breaths, as their eyes focused solely on Shirley. The next words she would speak could determine the future of the Ximen Clan and the fate of the Holy Dragon Empire.


    "Where are you? Shouldn''t you be here now?" at this time, a delicate figure standing in the crowd muttered to herself anxiously.


    And just when Shirley was about to blurt out her decision, the delicate figure suddenly walked out of the crowd and asked loudly, "Miss Shirley, do you mean what you said just now that you are going to marry Prince Basil?"


    The figure took everyone''s attention as she broke the silence, and they were all shocked when they looked at who it was. They all recognized her! It was Sabina, Marcia''s beloved disciple, and the future successor of the Ji Clan!

 Chapter 1082 Prince Basil

    Bryant and Shirley were both surprised when Sabina suddenly appeared. Her question was a shock too, so they could not answer her at once.


    On the other hand, as soon as Alston saw Sabina, his eyes darkened, and his posture took on a cautious stance.


    "Miss Shirley, did you mean it when you said you want to marry Prince Basil?" Sabina repeated, glancing at Alston.


    Meanwhile, Shirley didn''t answer immediately. She looked at Bryant first, and only when he nodded slightly did she nod as well. "Yes, I did!"


    Alston was enraged at her answer because, at this critical moment, Sabina unexpectedly showed up to spoil his plan. However, he could not do anything to Sabina in public, so he could do nothing but grit his teeth, which Alston did so severely that he almost broke his teeth.


    "Well then, I will announce a piece of good news, which is also good news for the Holy Dragon Empire. And, congratulations, Miss Shirley. You will get what you want soon," Sabina said vaguely, as everyone listened to her raptly.


    "Miss Sabina, what do you mean?" curious, Bryant also asked. In his opinion, Sabina came here out of the blue because she wanted to help the Ximen Clan out. Besides, he knew that the Ji Clan was openly against Alston, so he believed that he could trust Sabina.


    "I am happy to tell you that Prince Basil is not dead. He is still alive!" Sabina solemnly stated. Her beautiful eyes were narrowed with sincerity, as she looked at all the guests one by one.


    Of course, all the people present were stunned when they heard what Sabina had said. At first, they thought that they had misheard. How could she say that Prince Basil was still alive? Moreover, it was Sabina who brought the news of Prince Basil''s death back to the Holy Dragon Empire. Why was she suddenly saying these things now when Prince Basil had been dead for over a year?


    "Sabina, don''t be alarmist. That guy has already died. How can he still be alive?" Alston immediately shouted, vi


    r ''brother''? Who on earth is he?"


    In an instant, the buzzing of voices drowned out the whole square.


    "Are you the one who killed Jason? Who are you?" Alston shouted angrily, glaring at the man fiercely.


    "If I tell you, will you believe me? What if I were a ghost, won''t you be afraid?" The man in the bamboo hat suddenly let out a peal of faint laughter, and then he slowly took off his bamboo hat, revealing his face.


    And when Alston saw the man''s face, he was dumbfounded, and his mouth opened and closed in dismay. His hands trembled by his side. The man in front of him was no other than Basil, or Rocky, who should be dead already!


    "How are you, Miss Shirley and Chief Bryant?" Rocky turned away from Alston and cupped his hands at Bryant and Shirley.


    "You are..." Both Bryant and Shirley were stunned.


    However, no one present could recognize that the man in front of them was Basil.


    "Chief Bryant, he is Prince Basil," Sabina intercepted when she saw that they couldn''t tell who he was.


    As soon as those words fell from her lips, the whole square fell into silence. Everyone looked at each other, flabbergasted, for they didn''t expect that the mysterious person who had appeared two times in the Ji Mansion and shown his skills before was the dead Prince Basil. This was unbelievable!

 Chapter 1083 Gifts That Were Much Better

    "Preposterous! No, this man is not Basil, as he had already died a year ago. This man is an impostor who is trying to fool us all." The fact that Rocky was still alive shook Alston to the core, but he also knew that he and Sabina were the only ones who could recognize him. None of them had seen Prince Basil recently, so they could not recognize him at all, as he had changed so drastically from the Basil that the people knew. Therefore, he firmly insisted that Rocky was a fake.


    "Brother, please don''t say that. You''re hurting my feelings," Rocky sneered at Alston, continuing his snide remarks. Then he turned to Shirley and asked, "Miss Shirley, do you still remember the kiss that ignited our passionate love for each other?"


    "How do you know that?" This time, Shirley was taken aback, because except for her and Basil, no one else should know about it. But the man in front of her revealed their secret so calmly, which meant that he might genuinely be Basil. On the other hand, she couldn''t believe that the man was really him. Although the man in front of her looked a little ordinary, he seemed calm and elegant. Moreover, he exuded an irresistible charm and temperament everywhere he went. It was not like the rogue back then.


    "Are you really Basil?" Shirley couldn''t help asking, because she really found it hard to accept that the man in front of her was Prince Basil.


    "Miss Shirley, can''t you feel it clearly in your heart? By the way, didn''t you just say that you want to marry me? Since you want to marry me, I can''t treat my future wife shabbily..." Rocky spoke the last part as if he was talking to himself, and then he gathered his spiritual power and opened the Magic Spiritual Space. At once, an ice shadow flew out.


    As soon as the ice shadow appeared, the surroundings immediately burst into an uproar. The ice shadow was three meters high and was standing on two feet like a human being. It had four muscled limbs that resembled a giant''s, and it had snow-white ice hair that danced with the wind. It looked extraordinarily beautiful.


    "It''s that beast! It scared a seventh-grade master at the Supernal Stage so much that he knelt down in the competition for marriage of the Ji Clan." Soon, someone recognized the ice shadow and started talking about it. It was none other than the f


    ouldn''t do anything until he had figured out Rocky''s plans.


    "This gift is too expensive. I can''t accept it!" Anyone would be ecstatic to receive this extravagant gift, but Shirley was not that kind of greedy girl. Moreover, she still had some doubts about whether the person in front of her was Prince Basil. Thus, she could not accept it.


    "Miss Shirley, don''t be in such a hurry to refuse me. Let me show you my other gifts first. It''s too early for you to make a decision," Rocky told her calmly.


    "You have other gifts?" Shirley was taken aback. Rocky had already given her a box of spiritual crystals. Did he have anything better than this box of spiritual crystals?


    Meanwhile, Rocky just smiled as he clapped his hands. Soon, a colorful beast wrapped in clouds and mists came out of the Magic Spiritual Space with a basket in its mouth.


    As soon as Ken appeared, the whole area was once again in uproar.


    Compared with Robin, Ken was more eye-catching, because it was as if the people saw a legendary beast.


    At this time, Ken was already walking towards Shirley.


    "Do you want to send me the beautiful beast?" Shirley was pleasantly surprised to see Ken. And her eyes lit up as if she had just fallen in love with it.


    "If it is willing to follow you. But the gift I prepared is in that basket." Rocky smiled.


    Hearing that, Shirley opened the white cloth covering the basket in Ken''s mouth. Inside were many primary and medium-level treasures, which were much more advanced than what Alston had given her just now.

 Chapter 1084 He Is The Fake Prince

    "Wow!" Shirley couldn''t help but exclaim. The primary and medium-level treasures in this basket were no less than that box of spiritual crystals in quantity, value, and rarity. Spirit manipulators would drool at the sight of these cultivation treasures.


    All the people present were dumbfounded once again. Each of the items in the basket was a priceless treasure, but Rocky had given them out so easily. It was as if his own family planted them, and he could pick any of them casually. Besides, the previous box of spiritual crystals already showed how generous and wealthy Rocky was!


    "Now, the last gift I am about to give you is bigger in size. So, please move back a little bit and leave some space for it!" Rocky announced to the crowd gathered around him. After the people stepped back, he nodded to Robin, who once again entered the Magic Spiritual Space.


    Simultaneously, when everyone heard that Rocky had one more gift to bestow on Shirley, their curiosity was stirred even more. He had already amazed them so much, so what else did he have up his sleeve?


    A moment later, Robin came back out, leading a giant black figure.


    "Huh? Is that a Dark Heaven Insect? But its aura doesn''t seem to belong to the Dark Heaven Insect..." someone exclaimed.


    Everyone took a closer look and saw the massive beast that Robin had brought out. It was indeed similar to a Dark Heaven Insect, but its size was much larger than that of a Dark Heaven Insect at the third grade of the three-star level, and its appearance was more exaggerated. However, to their amazement, the seeming Dark Heaven Insect had the aura at the four-star level.


    They all knew that the highest level that Dark Heaven Insects could reach was the three-star level, but the one in front of them had unexpectedly reached the four-star level. A restless air covered the whole place, as all of them wanted to interrogate Rocky on how he found this beast.


    Even Bryant had never seen a four-star Dark Heaven Insect before, so his usually calm expression now appeared strained. He was also stunned, but it was barely visible.


    "This is called the Dark Magic Insect, which is similar to the Dark Heaven


    ame star level. Is it a guardian beast? But that''s impossible because only the spiritual race can control the guardian beast..." Bryant commented suspiciously. As soon as he saw Robin attack, he immediately realized that it was no longer an ordinary spirit-manipulated beast.


    "You said you are Prince Basil. Do you have anything to prove your identity?" Alston suddenly changed his tune, as he realized that he could not recklessly act if Rocky had gained so much power. However, a sinister smile played on his lips as a plan materialized in his mind.


    Rocky stayed silent, glaring at Alston.


    "If you don''t say anything, it means that you are definitely a fake. How dare you pretend to be Basil in front of me and the chief of the Ximen Clan? You are courting death! Chief Bryant, this person pretended to be Basil and intended to rebel. As one of the Three Great Generals of our empire, shouldn''t you uphold justice and severely punish the evildoers?" Alston was indeed very insidious. He even put Bryant on the spot, trying to let him deal with Rocky. He knew that if Bryant attacked, Rocky would die. And even if they later discovered the truth, he would not be blamed. After all, he would not be the one who would kill Rocky but Bryant.


    However, Bryant was brilliant and experienced, so he immediately realized what Alston was planning. And he would never let Alston get what he wanted! So he asked at once, "What if he is not a fake?"

 Chapter 1085 Spiritual Light Enveloping Him

    "He is an impostor. I''m sure of it," Alston said firmly.


    "Your Majesty, do you have any evidence to prove that he is fake? In my opinion, he really looks like Prince Basil," Bryant answered thoughtfully, supporting Rocky.


    Alston gritted his teeth in anger, as it seemed that he could not use Bryant for his nefarious plans because Bryant was unwilling to take action. Alston had no choice but to use his people, so he turned to his men and ordered them at once, "Go and kill this person who dares to impersonate Prince Basil. You will be rewarded handsomely!"


    In an instant, hundreds of guards, more than twenty masters at the Heavenly Stage, and five masters at the Supernal Stage swarmed up and surrounded the three of them.


    "You take care of the rest. Leave the five masters at the Supernal Stage to me," Rocky instructed Sabina, nodding at her brusquely. He didn''t intend to be polite to Alston, and in the blink of an eye, he was ready to fight.


    Sabina, who couldn''t wait any longer, immediately summoned her spiritual beast¡ªDuchess Silver. One person and one beast headed straight for the more than twenty masters at the Heavenly Stage and hundreds of guards.


    On the other hand, the five Supernal Stage masters had also summoned their spirit-manipulated beasts and were coming towards Rocky. He didn''t bother pulling out the Frozen Wind Dagger, but his aura suddenly increased, revealing his strength, which was in the fifth grade at the Supernal Stage.


    "He has already reached the fifth-grade power at the Supernal Stage?" Shirley''s face shifted minutely. If the man in front of her were truly Prince Basil, it would be unimaginable. After all, in her impression, Basil could only be described as a loser in the past.


    "It''s strange. I heard from Lance that when Prince Basil was at the Gehenna Border, his strength had not yet reached the Supernal Stage. However, this man has already reached the fifth-grade power at the Supernal Stage. Maybe it''s true that he is an impostor..." Bryant also felt that something didn''t add up. In such a short time, even the real Prince Basil, who possessed the power of the Holy Dragon Bead, couldn''t make such amazing progress.


    However, for many people present, Rocky had killed a peerless master at the Divine Stage in one move during the competition for the marriage that the Ji Clan organized. Therefore, it was reasonable for him to show this kind of strength at the moment. On the contrary, they were even looking forward to seeing if Rocky would make another unbelievable move.


    At the same time, the five Supernal stage masters which included one of the primary grade, two


    the Supernal Stage masters.


    Seeing this, the five masters were shocked and hurried to resist with their hands.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    After the five loud noises, the five masters flew a few steps back and landed on the ground awkwardly. It was like something had forced them back, and they couldn''t fight it off.


    At this time, the whole square once again burst into an intense uproar. It was inconceivable that Rocky, who was only of the fifth grade at the Supernal Stage, could defeat five Supernal Stage masters at the same time!


    Even Alston found it hard to believe, so he shouted immediately, "All of you, go ahead! Teach that man a lesson."


    Soon, the last three masters of the premium grade at the Supernal Stage also came up, and all eight of them surrounded Rocky.


    "Eight masters together, huh?" Rocky smiled, looking unthreatened.


    In the next breath, the eight masters made their moves one after another. Eight attacks from the spiritual martial arts at the Supernal Stage surged out like massive waves on a stormy night.


    Boom! Boom! Boom...


    A series of loud explosions rang out under the shining spiritual light. Anywhere within dozens of meters from the explosions ended up in shambles, as rocks and debris soared in the air. The people on both sides also retreated, for the aftermath of the spiritual power had affected both of them.


    The explosions stopped and revealed Rocky in the middle, as he was shrouded entirely in a spiritual light. He didn''t seem to be moving. Of course, Alston was overjoyed at this, and he felt a laugh bubble up from inside him. "Why did you stop fighting? Are you getting frightened now? You may have defeated five, but I don''t think you can beat eight masters all by yourself. Ha-ha!"

 Chapter 1086 Who Is He

    Everyone was shaking their heads at the situation. They knew that no matter what happened, it would be impossible for Rocky to win. Even if he could somehow survive, he would just linger his entire life.


    A violent flame wind suddenly blew up like a storm which instantly blew away the flying dust. Out of nowhere, a figure emitted a strong black flame. It looked like the figure was shrouded in darkness. It was hard to determine how strong the flame was, but it gave off an eerily dark presence, as if anything that would touch it would instantly disappear.


    The figure shrouded in black flames slightly waved his right hand. With that, the black Flaming Blade immediately continued to extend. The Flaming Blade turned into a massive saber emitting strong flames. Then, the figure slowly passed through the flying smoke.


    "Wait. Is he holding a Spiritual Weapon in his hand? Am I seeing it correctly?"


    "This man actually has an exceedingly rare Spiritual Weapon! That''s amazing!"


    "Who the hell is he? Does anyone know him?"


    Everyone was shocked by what they saw. The figure in front of them was not only unharmed after the attack of the eight masters at the Supernal Stage, but also showed such an astonishing and terrifying demeanor. In addition, the Spiritual Weapon he displayed was also horrifying! This unknown figure made people tremble with fear.


    The eight masters at the Supernal Stage could not help but feel shocked as they looked at the figure approaching. They could not accept the fact that the figure which was only of the fifth grade at the Supernal Stage was unhurt after their attack. They could not figure out how the figure survived the attack of eight masters at the Supernal Stage.


    Of course, Alston had an enraged look on his face. He did not know how Rocky resisted the spiritual martial arts of the eight masters at the Supernal Stage when he was just a master of the fifth grade at the Supernal Stage.


    "Grandpa, this man just fought against eight masters, but nothing happened to him. Is that even possible? How can that be?" Shirley was also surprised by Rocky''s strength and momentum.


    "It''s impossible, unless he..." Bryant trailed off. He was quiet for a moment as if he were trying to figure something out.


    "Come now,


    t this was something that a top master at the Supernal Stage could do, even a peerless master at the Divine Stage might not be able to do that.


    After witnessing Rocky''s strength, Alston''s eyes widened in shock. He had never expected that Rocky''s strength could be improved to such a great level in only one year.


    "Your Majesty, what shall we do? Do you want us to fight?" At this moment, the two masters at the Divine Stage, who had not fought for a long time, noticed the severity of the situation, and immediately looked at Alston.


    "There''s no need for that. I can do it myself. He has reached his limit," Alston calmly said. With that, he flew off the platform and faced Rocky.


    "Are you really going to fight by yourself?" Rocky asked teasingly when he realized what Alston was doing.


    "I will let you know what humiliation is!" As Alston spoke, he immediately gathered his spiritual power and shook his body. The next moment, a long dragon-shaped spear immediately flew out of his Magic Spiritual Space and landed on his hand.


    As soon as the dragon-shaped spear appeared, everybody burst into commotion. They knew that the dragon-shaped spear was a rare Spiritual Weapon, and it was actually the Thunder Dragon Spear that Alston used when he fought with Rocky before.


    In the entire Holy Dragon Empire, only a few spirit manipulators had Spiritual Weapons, so it was rare to see two spirit manipulators holding their respective Spiritual Weapons at the same time fighting against each other!

 Chapter 1087 A Mysterious Voice

    Alston''s aura increased in an instant. His strong spiritual power turned into mighty waves that swept through the air and circled around his body. In the blink of an eye, he had reached the peak of the ninth grade of the Supernal Stage.


    Everyone present was impressed at Alston''s sudden increase in strength. Six months ago, his strength was just at the fourth grade of the Supernal Stage, and now his strength was close to the Divine Stage.


    "It looks like you have cultivated intensely in recent months," Rocky said.


    "Go to hell!" Alston shouted. His eyes were filled with anger as he waved the Thunder Dragon Spear in his hand. It turned into a hundred spear shadows and attacked Rocky at once.


    Rocky wielded his Flaming Blade of the Frozen Wind Dagger and in a flash, the flame dragons rushed towards his opponent.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The two mighty spiritual powers collided in mid-air. The impact released fiery sparks that drizzled onto the ground. Rocky and Alston stepped forward at the same time and dashed towards each other. As the two Spiritual Weapons smashed with each other, violent spiritual lights raced out and flashed into the sky like angry bolts of lightning.


    The fierce fight between Rocky and Alston revealed that they were equal in strength and this infuriated Alston. He had made several breakthroughs, and he could not believe that Rocky could still fight him with ease. He swung his spear and took a few steps backward. At once, the powerful aura that had enveloped his body swelled and radiated with intense energy. Alston''s aura had broken through to the Divine Stage.


    The surrounding people were astonished. No one expected that Alston would reach the Divine Stage that fast.


    Even Bryant and Shirley were amazed by what they saw.


    "I did not expect Alston''s strength to advance rapidly," Bryant said. He was surprised and at the same time suspicious of what just happened in front of them.


    "You are no match for me!" Alston sneered at Rocky. His face was red with anger and hatred. He believed that Rocky could never be his match. Not in the past. Not now or ever. For the past six months, he had gone to the territory of the Dragon Master Clan to advance his strength. He did e


    for this day for a long time.


    "Your Majesty, allow us to challenge him!" Two peerless masters at the Divine Stage saw that the situation was unfavorable, so they quickly approached Alston.


    After a moment of hesitation, Alston restrained his aura and stepped backward.


    Disgusted, people from the crowd booed and poked fun at Alston. They did not expect him to back down from the fight.


    The two peerless masters at the Divine Stage exchanged glances with each other and then stood bravely in front of Rocky.


    Rocky checked out the two peerless masters at the Divine Stage. Both of them were at the primary grade.


    "How dare you to defy the acting emperor in public? You have committed a heinous crime. I advise you to surrender as soon as possible. Otherwise, we will have you arrested and you will surely suffer!" one of the peerless masters shouted at Rocky.


    "We will fight, if that''s what you want. Stop talking nonsense!" Rocky snorted.


    The two peerless masters at the Divine Stage looked at each other and summoned their own spirit-manipulated beasts. Both of them were at the top-level of the fifth grade of the five-star level.


    By this time, Robin and Ken had returned to Rocky.


    It was another battle, and this time Rocky''s opponents were two peerless masters at the Divine Stage. At a glance, it looked like Rocky had no chance of winning.


    "Two against one. You two are cowards! How about I fight with you?" A mysterious voice was heard out of nowhere.

 Chapter 1088 Never Compromise

    As soon as the crowd heard the voice, they all turned their heads and saw three beautiful figures coming towards them. One was walking in front, while two more ladies were flanking the first one from behind. The leading figure''s aura was very rare in the Holy Dragon Empire, and she looked as gorgeous and delicate as a violet.


    In the next breath, the crowd burst into an uproar, as they recognized the figure that appeared. It was none other than Marcia, one of the Three Great Generals in the Holy Dragon Empire, whose influence was only second to Bryant.


    At the same time, the two women behind Marcia also attracted the attention of all the people present. One was coquettish and charming, and she was like a rose covered in prickly thorns. On the other hand, the one beside her appeared gentle and self-confident, and it was evident from the way she carried herself that she came from a prestigious family.


    "Isn''t she the eldest daughter of the Lan Clan?"


    "But what about the other one? Who is she? I haven''t seen her before. She is so beautiful!"


    "Yes, she is almost as beautiful as the daughter of the Lan Clan. But of course, she is a little inferior to General Marcia."


    In an instant, the audience was up in arms because of the three women''s appearance.


    Meanwhile, Alston''s face darkened when Marcia showed up at the critical moment, as he knew that she would throw another wrench in his plan.


    When the two peerless masters at the Divine Stage saw her, they also looked a little concerned. They knew that even if the two of them worked together, they might not be able to defeat Marcia.


    After all, Marcia was the strongest fighter in the Holy Dragon Empire, apart from Bryant and several royal founding members who had reached the level of the Immortal Stage.


    Soon, the three women walked to join Rocky, and Sabina stopped attacking the others to stand with them. The four women stood together with Rocky at the same time, which immediately piqued the jealousy and envy of many men who were watching the scene unfold. They all thought that he was fortunate, for there were four beautiful women, including an extraordinary woman like Marcia that were on his side.


    The fact that Marcia moved to Rocky''s side meant that she was there to help him. The people could not help but discuss what that could mean, as Marcia dared to help Rocky in front of Alston. Only one thing could explain her behavior¡ªRocky


    will do anything to reign over this empire," Alston said doubtfully, for he would never let Marcia and Rocky succeed in foiling his well-made plan.


    "Well, Alston, we''ll see who''s right and who''s wrong soon!" Marcia sneered, and then announced, "From today on, the Rime Army Group and the Crimson Dragon Group will unconditionally support Prince Crimson, who is also known as Prince Basil, until he ascends to the throne."


    Her announcement immediately caused an uproar among the crowd again, and exclamations sounded from all directions.


    The Rime Army Group and the Crimson Dragon Group were both parts of the four major groups in the Holy Dragon Empire, and they guarded the critical borders of the empire. If the Rime Army Group and the Crimson Dragon Group were loyal to Prince Basil, then he could control the boundaries of the Holy Dragon Empire. That was to say, if he wanted to, he could make the perimeter of the empire as guarded or as weakened as he wished. Prince Basil was now in charge of the life and death of the Holy Dragon Empire!


    "Do both the Rime Army Group and the Crimson Dragon Group want to rebel? Well, you can do whatever you want. The Holy Dragon Empire can live without you. I''ll send my army to squash you traitors..." Alston laughed wildly with a sinister look on his face, acting as if he was unaffected. But he knew that once the Rime Army Group and the Crimson Dragon Group joined hands, he would be at a disadvantage unless he had the help of the Ximen Clan. However, he still had the support of the royal family and some big clans and forces, so he would never easily compromise.

 Chapter 1089 He Seemed To Be Crazy

    "So does our Ji Clan." At this moment, a calm voice sounded from the entrance, attracting everyone''s attention. And all the people were stunned to see that some people had just entered the square.


    "Father!" Sabina exclaimed as soon as she saw who had just arrived.


    They were the leaders of the Ji Clan, with Elvis in front of them.


    "Elvis, what are you doing here? Aren''t you forgetting that I have something you cherish?" Alston remarked insidiously, staring Elvis down, as his face darkened menacingly.


    "Oh, Alston! I forgot to tell you that I prepared a gift for you before I came here." Rocky smiled as he spoke, a sharp cat-like smirk that predicted nothing well for his brother.


    At this moment, a man appeared beside Alston and whispered a few words to him. The man seemed like he was in a hurry, and the more they spoke, the more Alston''s face reddened in anger. At last, he finally had enough and kicked the man away, as he glared at Rocky hatefully. He was probably just finding out that they had rescued Flint from Wal City, and now, he had nothing more to use to threaten the Ji Clan.


    "From now on, our Ji Clan will firmly support Prince Basil," Elvis announced in public.


    Everyone present was shocked when they heard that even the Ji Clan was on Rocky''s side.


    "Our Lan Clan has also decided to support Prince Basil." Mia also decided to make her position clear. She was the first daughter of the Lan Clan, one of the major clans in the Holy Dragon Empire that controlled the economic lifeline of the Holy Dragon Empire.


    After that, many representatives of the clans expressed their support for Prince Basil.


    However, in the past six months, Alston had been drawing people over to his side through all kinds of methods. Therefore, even if Rocky had the support of the two legions and the big clans like the Ji Clan and the Lan Clan of the Holy Dragon Empire, the two of them were still evenly matched.


    Besides, Alston had the support of the whole royal family, so the Ximen Clan''s attitude was now the most crucial vote.


    "It seems that we don''t have enough support." Marcia''s eyes narrowed, and she immediately looked at Bryant. ''If Bryant is


    n would definitely become the target of public criticism. On the other hand, if Prince Basil ascended the throne, the Holy Dragon Empire would not be attacked. Instead, they could ally with the Timber Deity Empire, their most powerful enemy in the Wild Spirit Land.


    Alston''s eyes widened, and the expression on his face changed drastically.


    "Woods has already inherited the throne?" Rocky was a little surprised himself. He didn''t expect that Woods would become the emperor so soon. It was fortunate, though, as Woods'' offer of help was quite timely. In this way, he had the support of many forces. And soon, even Alston, who had the help of the royal family, could momentarily lose all of his support. Moreover, if Alston clung to his position as the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire like a useless barnacle, he would be perceived negatively by the citizens of the Holy Dragon Empire.


    "Alston, you''ve messed up the Holy Dragon Empire for half a year. If you keep doing this, you will bring ruin upon the Holy Dragon Empire! If you still have a conscience left in you, you''d better abdicate!" Marcia stated coldly.


    "Ha-ha! You want me to abdicate? No way! I will never let you succeed. You are all traitors who want to rebel." Alston suddenly started laughing, looking more and more unhinged as he did.


    Meanwhile, everyone looked at him in resignation and shook their heads in dismay, as it seemed that he had finally gone lost his marbles.

 Chapter 1090 Strive For The Throne

    "Let''s wait and see!" Alston was aware that the current situation was not favorable for him. With two major armies of the Holy Dragon Empire at his beck and call, not to mention the Timber Deity Empire''s influence, Rocky currently had the upper hand. However, Alston was still the Holy Dragon Empire''s acting emperor, so as long as he sat on the throne, his brother would never dare to hurt him. Otherwise, he would be an enemy of the whole royal family. With nothing more that he could do, Alston shot Rocky a cold stare and waved his hand, instructing the remnants of his men to leave with him dejectedly.


    Honestly, Rocky had no intention of letting his brother leave that easily, as he believed that if he set the "tiger" free, it would bring endless troubles for him. However, Rocky then noticed Marcia shook her head at him discreetly, so he could not help but sigh in frustration. He understood that they could not kill Alston right there and right then. Besides, Alston was still the acting emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire. If they killed him, they would be accused of treason.


    Despite his unwillingness, Rocky stood still as Alston left with his men.


    In this way, a dramatic and thrilling farce ended with Alston leaving, but at the same time, it detonated a bomb inside Alston''s head when he saw that Basil was still alive, not to mention the power and support he had managed to collect. That day was a landslide victory for Basil.


    Alston was not the only one who was shocked. Everyone who witnessed the developments of the whole farce was shaken to the core, though they tried not to show it on their faces.


    "Your Royal Highness and General Marcia, can I have a private talk with both of you?" Bryant asked the moment Alston and his men left. The general was anxious to learn the truth about what was happening. And he hated that he had been kept in the dark for so long.


    Rocky and Marcia exchanged looks before nodding as one.


    Then, Bryant and Shirley left first with Rocky and Marcia.


    On the other hand, a young man hurriedly came out of the crowd and approached Sabina and her father.


    "Father! Sabina!" he called, and his head was almost buzzing with excitement.


    "Oh, my goodness! My dear son!"


    "Flint!"


    As soon as they heard his voice, both Elvis and Sabina hurried to his side.


    "Flint, is everything okay? Are you hurt?" Elvis asked worriedly, looking at his son from head to toe as if he was checking for any injuries.


    "I''m fine. I''m fine. Please don''t worry about me, Father. But wa


    fts. Are you going to break your words?" Rocky asked again.


    "I''ll return all of them to you. Stop kidding!" Shirley complained, pouting cutely.


    "No, you don''t have to. I was just kidding. You can keep those gifts and consider them as the compensation for I breaking off our engagement back then." Rocky had never intended to take back the things he had sent away anyway.


    "Chief Bryant, if there is nothing else, we won''t disturb you anymore. We have to say goodbye now, as we still have a lot of things to deal with."


    After these words, Marcia and Rocky stood up and bowed at Bryant before walking out of the hall.


    Shirley watched until they were out of her eyesight. "Grandpa, Prince Basil is much more reliable than before. Don''t you really plan to support him?"


    "Didn''t you hate him before? Why are you suddenly speaking for him?" Bryant curiously asked as he narrowed his gaze at Shirley.


    "That was in the past. I don''t hate him now." Shirley was blushing again.


    "Alston has the support of the whole royal family behind him. And even though two large army groups are backing Basil, unless the royal family recognizes him, Alston still has a considerable advantage over him. I believe there will be a fierce battle that is waiting ahead for Prince Basil, and maybe the entire royal family will stand against him," Bryant conjectured, looking away at the distance.


    "If he gets our support, will he get a better chance to win? I''m just curious," Shirley asked after thinking for a while.


    "That''s exactly why I didn''t give my promise to help him in the first place. I want to see if he really has the ability to inherit the throne," Bryant said meaningfully.

 Chapter 1091 To Visit The Royal Elders

    In the hall of the Witch Palace in Holy Dragon Empire''s Palace City, a conversation was unfolding.


    "Excuse me? Can you repeat that please? I think I misheard you." Lena''s eyes were wide with disbelief after the shocking news she just received. Her face was thin and pallid, which showed that she had not slept well for days. In front of her was a woman clothed in white.


    "Just as Your Royal Highness heard, Prince Basil is still alive. General Marcia sent me here to invite you to her mansion. Prince Basil is waiting for you there," the woman in white said respectfully.


    "Basil is waiting for me? What does he look like now? Is he really still alive? Oh, please don''t play such a cruel joke on me!" Lena''s body trembled weakly, and she could not utter another word. Part of her wanted to believe the news desperately, but how could she? It was impossible! This kind of thing only happened in her dreams. However, she also knew that Marcia wouldn''t lie to her. It seemed that her dreams had finally come true today, but it was taking her too long to believe it.


    "Your Royal Highness, please hurry up. We don''t have much time. If you will it, I can bring you to Prince Basil. But we need to leave the Palace City as soon as possible, before the acting emperor comes back," the woman in white urged.


    "Okay, I''ll go with you. Please wait for a moment. Randi, please go outside and keep watch for me. I need to go and grab something before leaving," Lena instructed.


    Randi nodded at once and promptly walked out of the Witch Palace.


    At the same time, Lena carefully turned around and closed the door behind her. Then she walked to a corner, hidden by a massive cabinet. She waved her hand, making a sweeping gesture over the empty wall. Immediately, the entire wall caved in, which revealed a passage for one person.


    Lena hurriedly walked along the passage and soon got to a secret chamber filled with all kinds of ancient books.


    She went straight to a stone table in the center of the chamber, where a thick book entitled ''The Witch''s Book'' was placed. Lena swept her hand over it and put the book into her Magic Spiritual Space. Then, without another glance at the other books, she turned around and left the chamber.


    However, Lena found something unexpected just as she came back to the hall. The white-robed woman that Marcia had sent was lying in a pool of blood, while Randi who stood a couple of meters away was shaking slightly, and her face was white as a newly bleached sheet. There was another person in the hall, and he was standing right by the woman''s dead body


    d to be shed. Therefore, the test that was coming their way would be crueler than ever before.


    All the people gathered in the conference hall of Marcia''s mansion, and the atmosphere was solemn and quiet. However, it was only the calm before the storm, and no one knew what would happen next.


    "Master, what should we do next?" Sabina asked.


    "Now, I''m going to the Dragon Valley to visit the elders of the Emergency Chamber. I''ll give a detailed explanation of the situation to them. If I can persuade them to join us, things will be simplified, as they are authorized to discharge Alston from the throne. And when Alston is no longer the acting emperor, he will lose the support of the entire royal family. And by that time, everything will be in our hands," Marcia boldly explained.


    "I''m afraid they will refuse to believe a one-sided statement," Elvis said worriedly.


    "This is our only hope. Anyway, we have to try first before we give up. If it doesn''t work, we will have to fight against the entire royal family. That won''t be easy, but if we have to, then we will." Marcia heaved a sigh. She had already made up her mind, but she didn''t want things to go that far. Once they became enemies of the royal family, it would affect the entire Holy Dragon Empire. In the end, the empire would bear huge loss if the two major forces started to fight.


    "Can I ask a question? Where is Lena now? She should be here now, but I have not heard anything from her," Rocky cut in suddenly. He had a bad feeling that she was in danger. Although Marcia had told him before that he did not need to worry about Lena, he could not help but feel that something was wrong. He couldn''t explain it, but he could feel it in his guts.

 Chapter 1092 The Situation Was Serious

    "Before going to the Ximen Mansion, I sent people to pick up Lena from Palace City. If everything goes well, you will be reunited with her soon," Marcia said.


    It was only after hearing this that Rocky breathed a sigh of relief. His biggest worry now was Lena''s safety. After all, Alston was a truly despicable man. Now that he knew that Rocky was still alive, he would definitely use any means possible to kill Rocky, including using Lena as bait.


    "I''m leaving now," Marcia added. Then, she nodded at everyone and left the hall.


    Following her departure, the entire hall went quiet, and a sense of anxiety loomed over all of them.


    After a while, Rocky noticed Flint staring at him strangely. Unable to ignore it any longer, he turned to Flint and said, "Hey, dude, you''ve been staring at me this whole time. Did you fall in love with me because I saved you?"


    Flint, who was drinking tea, spat out the tea in his mouth and coughed violently. The people in the hall could not help bursting out into laughter, which finally eased the serious atmosphere.


    "Flint, just ignore him! Nothing decent comes out of his mouth," Sabina grumbled.


    "I still don''t believe that you are the Basil whom I knew years ago," Flint said coldly after a moment of silence.


    "I''m not the Basil I used to be. That Basil died a long time ago." Rocky''s eyes darkened.


    Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged knowing glances. They had already guessed that Rocky must have overcome a lot after leaving the Palace City. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to survive, let alone become as strong as he was now.


    "I can''t even connect you with the Basil I used to know. You''ve changed a lot. When I received General Marcia''s order to go to Wal City to support you, I didn''t even recognize you at first. I didn''t expect you to be Prince Basil," said Mia, who had been silent so far.


    Everyone''s gaze once again turned to Rocky, this time tinted with a hint of serious respect.


    A while later, Marcia walked into the hall again, returning from the Dr


    he first to resume her composure and nod in agreement. "Exactly. The Palace City is impregnable and is guarded by lots of masters. It''s not easy to break in, so we must be fully prepared."


    "But we don''t have time. Alston is definitely going to battle me within three days. And this time, it''s a fight to the death," Rocky said sternly.


    "I''m afraid that he has already set up a trap and is just waiting for us to walk into it," Sabina chimed in.


    "Since he wants to kill me anyway, I will trade my life for Lena''s. I can''t let her get hurt again," Rocky said resolutely with trembling fists.


    However, Marcia shook her head. "You know how despicable Alston is. Even if you give your life, he may not let go of Lena in the end."


    "It doesn''t matter. We know that Alston will go all out to kill me. So, we can use that to our advantage. I''ll keep him busy. What you need to do is to save Lena," Rocky said calmly. It seemed that he already had a plan in mind.


    "Are you saying that you''re going to be the bait?" Marcia immediately understood what Rocky meant.


    "Get ready," Rocky said. Although he didn''t answer Marcia''s question, the look on his face was evident enough.


    A grim atmosphere descended over the entire hall. Everyone knew how serious the situation had become.


    Seeing that Rocky had made up his mind, Marcia didn''t say anything more.

 Chapter 1093 Met Alston Alone

    After everyone left to rest, Rocky immediately called Marcia and stopped her in her tracks.


    "General Marcia, I need you to do me a favor. Let''s go somewhere private so we can talk," Rocky straightforwardly said to Marcia.


    Marcia directed him to her study. He then told his idea to her. After hearing what he said, she was utterly shocked that her mouth was wide open.


    "No, absolutely not. I will not allow it! It''s too dangerous!" Marcia exclaimed firmly as she shook her head in disapproval.


    "If we want to distract Alston and all the elites of the whole royal family by myself, this is the only option," Rocky said with complete certainty and conviction.


    "Wait, but..." Marcia hesitated. She was really unsure about Rocky''s proposal.


    "I''m stubborn and extremely willful, General Marcia. You know that very well by now. Even though you object to this idea, I will do whatever I think is right," Rocky added seriously and firmly. His eyes were full of passion and conviction.


    "Why won''t you take care of yourself just this once? You should know that the others and I always worry about you..." Marcia, a little bit angry, stared at Rocky.


    "Lena is waiting for me! We cannot delay this anymore! I need your help!" Rocky stared intently at Marcia with an indescribable look in his eyes. He was turning more desperate by the hour.


    "I will grant you this favor, I promise you. But if anything happens to you, I won''t let you go even if you die," Marcia warned Rocky in a dark tone.


    "Thank you very much. I really appreciate it." Rocky gently smiled and then left the study.


    Just as Rocky expected, Alston sent a messenger the next day. He was summoning Rocky to the Palace City at noon the day after tomorrow. If Rocky rejected this order, he would lose his last chance to see Lena.


    So, there was not much time left for Rocky and his companions to prepare.


    Marcia tried her best to gather all forces that would give them an advantage. However, it was not going as smoothly as expected since they were running out of time. Some of the forces that had originally supported Basil were now indecisive especially when they heard that Marcia was going to fight against the royal family. This made Rocky''s situatio


    a dozen at the Supernal Stage, and seven peerless masters at the Divine Stage, including Elder Duke whom Rocky had met before. Most of the elite forces of the royal family had gathered there to face him. Rocky had met almost all of them, except for two elders who seemed to be the highly respected royal elders.


    Of course, the royal family had many members who were not at the Witch Palace. Many royal elders of the royal family had led an isolated life. However, it was obvious that Alston had already formed an extremely powerful team.


    "As the royal family of the Holy Dragon Empire, you do live up to the reputation. The elite power is so strong!" Rocky exclaimed calmly in front of the powerful team.


    Alston, who was nonchalantly sitting on the throne, stared coldly at Rocky.


    "I didn''t expect that you would dare come here alone. I thought you were going to lead a large number of soldiers to break into the Imperial City. It seems that I have underestimated your courage." Of course, Alston knew that it was impossible for Rocky to come alone. However, he was still a little shocked that Rocky would come directly to the Witch Palace alone, while Marcia, Elvis and his other companions did not follow him at all. However, none of those mattered. The most important thing was that Rocky would soon be defeated and buried in front of the Witch Palace.


    "I''m the one you want. Now that I am here completely alone, let Lena go!" Rocky exclaimed, shooting Alston a deadly glare.

 Chapter 1094 The Killing Spree

    "If I kill you, Lena will be set free," Alston told Rocky snidely, snorting condescendingly.


    "Oh, really? That''s good then. I''m glad to hear that." Rocky smiled and relaxed as if he had heard something soothing.


    Of course, when Alston saw that Rocky was smiling happily, he went crazy. "Why are you smiling?! What is wrong with you?!"


    "I am happy because I''m sure you won''t hurt Lena, and you won''t threaten me with her life. Of course, you don''t need to do that," answered Rocky. The smirk was still in place on his lips, as if he was amused at Alston.


    "Go and get him! Teach this guy a lesson," Alston angrily ordered when he saw that Rocky was still calm.


    Soon, more than a thousand palace guards rushed to Rocky like a wave and surrounded him in an instant.


    At the same time, in the wholly enclosed Witch Palace, Lena quietly lay on her bed. However, she heard the noise outside, so she immediately stood up and asked Randi whose face was full of guilt, "Is Basil here?"


    Randi hesitated once, but in the end, she glanced through the window and nodded slightly. "I think so," she answered.


    "I need to go out. I want to see Basil!" Lena''s eyes widened in excitement when she found out that Rocky was there. It was hard to stem her desire to see Basil, so she immediately got up and walked out of the Witch Palace as if she were going to rush out by force.


    But at this moment, a figure flashed and appeared in front of her.


    "Your Royal Highness, His Majesty has said that you are not allowed to step out of the Witch Palace. If you insist, I will have to use force against you." It was Priest Dean.


    "Get out of my way!" Lena scolded angrily.


    "I understand that you are excited to meet Prince Basil. But if I were you, I wouldn''t rush out recklessly, because it would only be a burden for Prince Basil," Priest Dean continued.


    Lena knew that he was right. Even though she wanted to rush out at once, she could not do so impulsively, as she could end up distracting Basil from his fight. Since Basil was here to save her, she trusted that he could get her out of there. So, in the end, she decided to reserve her strength and quietly wait for him.


    "Whatever you do, I will surely meet Basil again," Lena said firmly, staring at Priest Dean wit


    cky kept moving forward vigorously. Although there were more than twenty spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage, it was still difficult for them to hinder his steps.


    At that moment, Rocky looked as if he was going to kill whoever he met!


    "Go! Go! Go!" Seeing that more than twenty spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage were unable to stop Rocky, Alston turned to the rest of the spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage to fight against him.


    After all the spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage gathered, they immediately divided themselves into two groups. Then they took turns using spiritual martial arts to bombard Rocky. Their only task was to consume Rocky''s spiritual power as much as possible.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    These dozens of moves from the spiritual martial arts at the Heavenly Stage exploded wildly around Rocky. One after another, they attacked him in turns.


    Faced with such a fierce attack, even the spirit manipulator at the Divine Stage would be burdened.


    However, just after a few waves of attacks, a figure slowly walked out of the dust. The man''s previous ordinary-looking clothes had now turned into the majestic Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf Armor, and he came to have two ferocious wolf heads on his shoulders. His chest protruded like wolf claws, while his lower body was like a dress made of nine foxtails. More than that, the most exaggerated thing about him was the fox-shaped helmet on his head. It covered his entire face, leaving only two narrow holes like a fox''s eyes.

 Chapter 1095 Trample On Anyone In My Way

    Simultaneously, the eyes inside the sockets suddenly narrowed, and they were emitting a cold and frightening bluish light. The figure who had just walked out of the dust turned into an ice shadow, and it rushed toward the spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage.


    Although the spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage exerted their best spiritual martial arts skills to the best of their abilities, they could not prevent the ice shadow from moving forward. With the help of the Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf Armor, Rocky completely ignored the attacks of spiritual martial arts that came from all directions. He bulldozed through all of them like a tsunami, an unstoppable force. He had copied the Ghostly Ice Fox-wolf Armor from Robin, and it came with excellent defensive power. In addition to that, Rocky could also protect himself with his spiritual power, so the Heavenly Stage''s spiritual martial arts could not touch him at all.


    When Alston saw that the spirit manipulators were falling like flies, he could not sit still anymore. It became worse when he noticed that more than half of them were now dead or disabled, all thanks to Rocky!


    "You there! Fight him," Alston commanded to the several masters, not taking his eyes off the ongoing battle.


    Soon, five masters at the primary and middle grade of the Supernal Stage had appeared in front of Rocky. Almost at the same time, they all summoned their spirit-manipulated beasts, as they joined the group of masters at the Heavenly Stage to block Rocky''s way.


    When Rocky saw the five masters at the Supernal Stage and their spirit-manipulated beasts coming towards him, he didn''t hesitate or even flinch. The only visible response he had was the flames on his left arm, as they increased in volume and numerous fire snakes flew out.


    The five masters used their spiritual martial arts to resist this attack.


    The next moment, the area around them was shrouded in dazzling flames and spiritual light, as strong explosions rang out one after another.


    But not long after, a figure rushed out from the light works and headed for Alston.


    "All of you people are worthless! So many of you cannot even stop him? Fight with all you''ve got, and stop him at all costs!" Alston was in a lot of pressure at that moment. He cursed in distress, and immediately signaled to the rest of the masters at the Supernal Stage to jo


    breath, he transformed into a shadow. In the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of the masters at the premium grade of the Supernal Stage. He waved his hands with a flourish and shouted, "All of you, step back!"


    Upon hearing that, those masters immediately stopped their attacks and retreated to both sides.


    "Although I don''t know who you are and why you broke into the Palace City, I''m impressed that you can fight until this moment. However, this is the end for you. You can''t fight against the royal family alone. If you surrender, maybe I can plead with the acting emperor for you and spare your life!" Elder Kerr persuaded earnestly.


    "Oh. You are an elder of the royal family, aren''t you?" Rocky could tell from Elder Kerr''s tone and posture that he was an elder of the royal family.


    "Yes, I am," Elder Kerr replied.


    "Alston even sent an elder of the royal family to fight me. It seems that he has no other choice," Rocky said as he sneered.


    "You are so powerful at your age. I think it''s rare in the Holy Dragon Empire. It would be such a waste if you died here. So, why don''t we stop this nonsense? You know that if all the masters at the Divine Stage join hands, you have no chance of winning. Of course, if I fight you, you will never have a chance to take another step forward," Elder Kerr stated proudly.


    "Don''t be too confident. I''m here to take away the Witch whatever it takes. Even if a strong master tries to stop me, he will not prevail, and neither will you. I will trample on anyone who gets in my way," Rocky declared with all his heart.

 Chapter 1096 No Chance To Win

    "Son, drop your arrogance! If you can withstand three attacks from me, I''ll let you in!" Elder Kerr announced aggressively. He was obviously irritated by Rocky.


    "As you wish, sir. Please don''t break your words," Rocky said, curling his lips into a smirk.


    "Being so conceited will do you no good," Elder Kerr warned, his eyes sparkling with the urge to teach Rocky a lesson. The next moment, a surge of strong spiritual power of the Divine Stage rushed out of his body and formed a cyclone around him.


    Before everyone could realize what was happening, Elder Kerr had already flown towards Rocky and ended up right in front of him. His aura at the sixth grade of the Divine Stage instantly enveloped Rocky from head to toe.


    "Wind ghost!" he shouted, extending his arms in front of him and holding his palms outward. The next moment, cold wind roared and spread out dozens of meters around him. Spiritual streams were dancing within it like ghost shadows, bringing along a strong malicious aura.


    All the people gathered around, including the masters of the Supernal Stage, hurriedly retreated. They all knew that this attack launched by Kerr wouldn''t tell enemy from friend, and would hurt anyone standing within its ring of encirclement.


    Soon, only Elder Kerr and Rocky, who seemed to be completely suppressed by the power, remained on the spot.


    Of course, it came as no surprise to Rocky that Elder Kerr was hard to deal with. Otherwise, the latter would not have reached the sixth grade of the Divine Stage. Due to the gap between their cultivation bases, it seemed that it would be impossible for Rocky to withstand this stroke, the very first attack that Elder Kerr launched.


    The ghost-like spiritual currents pounced on Rocky from all directions, moving as fast as lightning.


    A moment later, there was a spiritual explosion that resounded through the air, making the earth tremble.


    When the explosion died down, everyone saw that the ground within a thirty-meter radius of Rocky had completely collapsed, covered by a cloud of dust. Elder Kerr''s attack had been so powerful that it had crushed everything in its way to fine powder.


    Upon seeing this, Alston began laughing wildly, like a madman. It seemed that Elder Kerr had mustered all his strength to give Rocky a fatal blow. And much to Alston''s amusement, Rocky hadn''t even had the time or strength to respond. Even if Rocky had been able to survive the attack, he must be seriously injured. Alston was quite sure about it. After all, the gap in their strengths was as huge as a valley.


    To everyone''s surprise, however, an even wilder s


    he fire shadow intertwined in the air and constantly soared into the sky.


    Everyone present held their breath and craned their necks to see the incredible sight.


    However, at such a crucial moment, Rocky suddenly withdrew his hand. Elder Kerr hadn''t foreseen this movement, but he still spared no effort and directly slapped his palm on Rocky''s left shoulder, making him spit out a mouthful of blood.


    Meanwhile, Rocky suddenly reached out and gripped his arm before drawing him nearer and whispering something into his ear, much to the puzzlement of all the spectators, including Alston.


    Whatever Rocky said, it made Elder Kerr''s face change color.


    However, before Elder Kerr could figure out what to do next, Rocky brushed past him and rushed to Alston, who was less than a hundred meters away.


    Alston raised his eyebrows at the sudden change. All of a sudden, he knew that he couldn''t expect Elder Kerr to protect him anymore, because the man had become completely unresponsive. Instead, Alston turned to the other masters of the Divine Stage around him and shouted, "All of you, go and kill him!"


    Immediately, the six masters of the Divine Stage, including Elder Duke, all rushed towards Rocky head-on.


    After forcefully releasing the evil power at the sixth layer of the seal not once, but twice, Rocky had already consumed more than half of his spiritual power, which was a very heavy burden on his body. In addition, he had also been seriously injured by Elder Kerr''s final hit. Now, he had to face the joint attack of the six peerless masters at the Divine Stage. It seemed that he had no chance of surviving, let alone winning this battle.


    However, Rocky was not an ordinary person, and he never took the ordinary path.

 Chapter 1097 Too Horrible

    "Ken..." Rocky summoned as his eyes widened. The next moment, the Rainbow Glow Unicorn that appeared from nowhere suddenly turned into colorful light and merged with Rocky.


    In an instant, his aura once again soared to the third grade of the Divine Stage.


    The six peerless masters at the Divine Stage were surprised to see that Rocky used the Spirit Possession at that time. They knew that it was a considerable risk because once he reached the limit of the Spirit Possession, he would die without a doubt. However, in their opinion, even if Rocky used the Spirit Possession, he had no chance of winning against six peerless masters alone.


    Still, Rocky went all out to fight against the six enemies without fear.


    At the same time, the six masters also displayed their strongest spiritual martial arts. All kinds of spiritual shadows flashed out of nowhere and inundated Rocky.


    "Flaming Arm!"


    "Flaming Dragon Wrath!"


    "Demonic Snake Flame Explosion!"


    On the other side, Rocky used different spiritual martial arts to fight against the six masters simultaneously, together with the devouring power of the Holy Dragon Bead.


    Everyone present was stunned by this scene!


    Soon, Rocky was starting to feel the exhaustion in his bones, and he was about to reach his spiritual power limit. Of course, the six peerless masters also noticed this, and as one, they madly rushed up, meaning to take advantage and strike Rocky down. To their utmost surprise, the colorful light covered Rocky''s body shone even more brightly, while the aura around his body increased to the fifth grade. He also released a wave of violent spiritual power at the same time.


    The six masters were dumbfounded. They didn''t know where on earth Rocky''s power was coming from! Of course, what they didn''t know was that every grade of the guardian beast''s power that Ken had activated would support Rocky with new power. However, it would also cause a greater burden on his body.


    It could be said that at this moment, Rocky was risking his life.


    After releasing the second grade of Ken''s power, he used a few more spiritual martial arts moves at the Supernal Stage with all his strength, forcing the six masters back.


    Then, the two sides used their spiritual martial arts skills at the Divine Stage to compete with each other.


    The battle was so intense that the earth


    Magic Spiritual Space opened in midair and kept growing. Then, a huge black dragon shadow appeared from inside it.


    The moment the enormous black dragon shadow appeared, everyone present, including Alston, was alarmed. They could feel the power of the vast black dragon shadow and its appalling aura, and they could not believe that Rocky had more aces up his sleeve!


    "Old man, please aim properly at the target. Don''t hurt my woman..." Rocky shouted as he narrowed his gaze at the dragon.


    In turn, the massive black dragon soared up the sky, and then it shot out a beam of chaotic light from its mouth. After that, it rushed down to the Witch Palace at breakneck speed.


    In the blink of an eye, the beam of chaotic light passed through the top of the Witch Palace. And although it did not directly hit the palace, its powerful force caused the palace to collapse spontaneously.


    Meanwhile, Lena, who was in the Witch Palace, was shocked when the entire place began to collapse. She urgently rushed to Randi''s side and quickly spread a golden enchanted barrier around them.


    While the building was crumbling down, two huge dragon shadows suddenly rushed over from the left and right side of the palace with astonishing momentum.


    "When did they get inside?" When Alston saw the two dragon shadows, he immediately recognized them. They were the spirit-manipulated beasts of Lance and Marcia. It took him by surprise because he didn''t expect to see them appear out of thin air. That meant Rocky had planned it, and he had waited until the very end to use them!

 Chapter 1098 The Shocking Noise

    Alston never expected Lance and Marcia to appear at such a perfect time.


    Just then, the defense in front of the Witch Palace was rather weak. The six peerless masters of the Divine Stage who previously fought with Rocky were now scattered all around him. Alston had just left the golden throne, with only a few weak guards around. When Lance and Marcia, each driving a six-star spirit-manipulated beast, suddenly appeared, none of the weak guards could stop them.


    Aside from the two mighty beasts and their masters, more than ten Supernal Stage masters arrived as well, including Sabina, Allen, and Lucilla and so on.


    "Alston, I''ve always told you that you are a person with a limited outlook. You wouldn''t even be able to see through the trick¡ªluring a tiger away from its cave!" Rocky sneered at Alston who was near him. The reason that Rocky dared to challenge so many strong masters guarding the Witch Palace alone was to buy some time and make it easier for Marcia and Lance to save Lena. The moment he showed up in front of the Witch Palace, he was determined to fight even to the death. In any case, he needed to create a distraction to give his people ample time.


    Alston twitched upon hearing Rocky''s words, the rage burning red hot across his face. Not only did he realize that he had been fooled by Rocky from the very beginning, but he had completely underestimated him as well. Alston believed that his brother was the same person who had tried to break into the Witch Palace to see Lena back then.


    The moment Rocky appeared, there was no doubt that Alston would lose.


    "What are you waiting for? Stop them!" Alston ordered the peerless masters at the Divine Stage nearby furiously.


    The several masters were also quite shocked by the sudden arrival of Marcia and Lance, two of the Thee Great Generals of the Holy Dragon Empire. They were puzzled by the fact that they entered the Witch Palace by force and that they seemed to be siding with Rocky.


    Nevertheless, because Alston was the acting emperor now, none of the m


    armies. The numerous human-like and beast-like shadows were being led by Elvis.


    "Seize those traitors!" Alston ordered fiercely once he saw that Lena was rescued by Marcia when he noticed that Rocky''s reinforcements began to grow in number.


    Soon, hundreds of palace guards and spirit manipulators of the Supernal Stage and the Heavenly Stage were locked in a fierce battle with each other.


    Although Alston had a lot of troops on his side, Rocky had three great masters fighting alongside him¡ªMarcia, Lance, and Elvis. The battle was an inevitable stalemate!


    Rocky smiled with relief once he saw Lena who had been rescued by Marcia. He no longer felt any regret this time.


    However, Alston felt otherwise. He was infuriated with rage and embarrassment at his failure. He began to scream, the veins on his forehead throbbing. He rushed towards Rocky and launched a palm attack. The strong spiritual power of the Divine Stage morphed his palm attack into a dragon head with bared teeth and claws that sank into Rocky''s chest. In the blink of an eye, the attack swallowed him.


    Boom!


    From where Rocky stood came a blaring sound. Then, a figure flew a few meters away before crashing to the ground. It remained lying on the ground in silence.


    "Basil!" Deafening cries echoed one after the other as they called out to the limp figure on the ground.

 Chapter 1099 His Master Showed Up

    Lena was terrified as she stared at Rocky''s motionless body on the ground. It was difficult for her to meet him, but now she faced a cruel reality. She was deeply upset and shook her head in disbelief. Fear washed over her like a giant sea wave, and her delicate body trembled as she tried to deny the painful thoughts in her mind.


    "He''s dead! He''s finally dead!" Alston shouted. He raised his head and stared at Rocky''s deathly still body. As if he was looking at something hilarious, Alston broke into a fit of laughter. He wanted to raise his hands out of extreme happiness, but Rocky crippled one of his arms a year ago. This time, it did not bother him. He believed Rocky was finally dead in front of him and it was all that mattered.


    Quickly, Sabina and Lucilla rushed towards Rocky at the same time. They did not believe that he would die like this. When they reached Rocky, they examined his body and noticed that he was not breathing, his body cold and unresponsive.


    "No! He can''t die!" Lucilla wailed in anguish.


    "I will kill him..." Sabina''s eyes were filled with tears and fury. She turned around and glared at Alston, who looked more arrogant and vicious.


    Lucilla was enraged and did not bother to control her anger. In haste, the two women raced towards Alston. Both of them were determined to avenge Rocky.


    Lena''s eyes brimmed with hatred when she saw Rocky collapsed in front of her. The anger on her face was undeniable and her body radiated with negative energy that would intimidate anyone who saw it.


    Without warning, Lena broke away from Marcia''s hand and rushed towards Alston.


    The three women dashed towards Alston with fury. They were willing to die, but they would drag Alston with them.


    "Lena..." Marcia moved quickly to stop Lena and the other two women.


    "Stop Marcia!" As the three women drew near, Alston shouted and commanded his men to stop Marcia from helping them.


    Even before Marcia could make a move, a group of palace guard


    ned as she taunted Alston.


    "Ha-ha! Don''t you care about the people who came to save you? If you go with me, I will let them go," Alston threatened despicably.


    Lena felt numbed all of a sudden. She looked at Marcia, Mia and the injured Sabina and the others who came to rescue her. They all risked their lives, just to save her.


    "Come with me!" Alston ordered. He plunged the Thunder Dragon Spear into the ground and reached out angrily to grab Lena.


    At the exact moment, an old figure appeared. His arm turned into a sharp blade shaped like a mantis''s claw and slashed directly at Alston.


    Alston quickly took a step back and avoided being mangled by the sharp blade.


    The old man then stood protectively in front of Lena.


    "Why do I come late every time? My disciple, why are you bereft of life?" The old man glanced at Rocky''s lifeless body. Silent tears rolled down from his eyes as he stared at him tenderly.


    The old man was Sheridan, Rocky''s master.


    "Alston, go to hell!" Sheridan, who felt sorrowful, became furious. His powerful aura burst out abruptly, and in an instant, his power had reached the Divine Stage.


    "This is annoying! Come out, you guys!" Alston shouted angrily. Suddenly, three figures in black cloaks appeared in front of him. They were unearthly and emitted strange auras.

 Chapter 1100 They Were Relieved

    "I''ll leave this wretched old man to you," Alston mumbled to the three cloaked figures.


    In no time, the three figures dashed towards Sheridan. At that moment, Sheridan noticed that these figures'' auras were out of the ordinary. Looking closer, he could not help but stammer and gasp in shock, "Y-you... you are from the spiritual race?"


    Just as the three members of the spiritual race surrounded Sheridan, Alston went and approached Lena once more. Laughing frantically, he said, "From now on, no one will disturb us anymore."


    Marcia, on the other hand, tried her best to rush to Lena''s side. However, despite her efforts, she still found herself a little too far away from Lena.


    The moment Alston was ready to take Lena away, a huge phoenix shadow suddenly descended from the sky. Soon after, a few figures landed on the ground.


    Shocked, one of them almost fainted when she saw Rocky lying motionless on the ground. Not knowing what to do, she asked everyone around her, "Is he dead? Oh, my god. Who killed him?"


    "I did. Who are you? And what are you doing here?" Alston glared at the figures who appeared without warning.


    But after thinking for a while, he suddenly recognized the one who had just spoken. He knew her as Erica, the most powerful master among the new elites of the Magic Phoenix Empire. At that moment, he recalled that he had seen her face before.


    "So, you killed him? Do you have any idea how important he is? You killed him! He''s dead! Do you have any idea how serious this is? Now, how will I report this to my master?" Erica scolded with a furious look on her face. She didn''t expect that she would be too late to stop this from happening.


    As soon as Erica landed at the Holy Dragon Empire with her entourage, she wasted no time and began to look for Rocky. But since Rocky was at the Gehenna Border at that time, she wasn''t able to find him. But after a while, she finally heard a word that Prince Basil was spotted in the Ximen Mansion.


    Rocky''s identity spiked Erica''s suspicion long before. In fact, Tasha had even told her that Rocky said that he had defeated her in the flesh. With that being said, Erica began suspecting that Rocky might be Prince Basil all along.


    Although she had learned that Rocky was in Marcia''s mansion, there was no way that Erica could meet Rocky at all. In order


    d in order to remove the side effect of the Spirit Possession.


    "But... but your body can''t withstand my attack!" In fact, Alston had used all his strength when he launched the palm attack. Now that he knew that Rocky was just pretending to be dead, he was baffled to see that Rocky was able to withstand the attack.


    "I have to thank General Marcia for her generosity. This would not have been possible without her help." Apparently, Rocky had asked Marcia to set a temporary seal in his body and give him a little spiritual soul of the spiritual race so he could resist Alston''s palm attack. But of course, it was very dangerous to do so. In fact, he could die if it were unsuccessful. After all, the spiritual soul of the spiritual race was not omnipotent. Moreover, if he were seriously injured again after he was "dead", then the situation would only be unimaginable.


    Therefore, Rocky also had to thank Sabina and the other women, as well as Sheridan, who had fought with all their might to buy him enough time to recover.


    "You bastard! How could you lie to me?" At that moment, tears of joy welled up in Lena''s eyes as she stared at Rocky.


    "So, is my disciple still alive? Ha! I''m so happy! I knew you weren''t dead!" Sheridan, who was fighting with the three members of the spiritual race, laughed out loud after processing what had happened.


    On the other hand, Sabina, Lucilla, Mia, Erica, and the other girls all let out a huge sigh of relief upon seeing Rocky well. Almost all at the same time, they glared at Rocky for making them worry.

 Chapter 1101 The New Helper

    "I''ll apologize later. Right now, I''ve got something more important to do," Rocky said to Lena as he gestured for her to step aside.


    "Although you managed to break into this place, I''m afraid you won''t be able to leave alive," Alston sneered.


    "Then I''ll have to give it a try," Rocky retorted, as his eyes narrowed.


    "Good. I don''t plan on giving you another chance," Alston replied with a malevolent chuckle.


    Right then, a mysterious figure cloaked in a black robe suddenly appeared by his side.


    "Kill him!" Alston ordered.


    "Don''t order me around," the man in the black robe replied arrogantly.


    "Don''t you want the spiritual treasure?" Alston asked the mysterious man in return, his tone cold as ice.


    The man in the black robe hesitated for a moment before directing his gaze towards Rocky. He then stretched his body as he was about to rush towards him and attack. Once Rocky noticed the weird aura emanating from the man in the black robe, he became more vigilant upon sensing that he was from the spiritual race.


    The figure in black suddenly stretched out and waved his arm to summon his three-clawed scale palm out of thin air.


    Rocky immediately felt the amazing spiritual power rush towards him without a sound. He quickly dodged it. A loud bang could be heard from all around and where he once stood was a hole measuring several meters deep.


    "How powerful!" Realizing that his opponent burst out such strong power by merely waving his hand, Rocky guessed that he was an ordinary spiritual being at the advanced level or a much stronger level.


    "Basil, be careful! He''s a spiritual master," Lena reminded him.


    The figure in black approached Rocky once more. This time, it appeared he intended to show no mercy. With another wave of his hand, a red beam of light rushed out of his palm and immediately headed for Rocky.


    Rocky''s expression changed. The beam of light advanced so quickly that there was no time for hi


    d today was between me and Alston. I don''t wish to see any more casualties or get any more people involved. Everyone, please back off!" Rocky announced to the crowd as loudly as he could with sharp eyes.


    Soon, the entire crowd became silent. Everyone was now focused on Alston and Rocky.


    Perhaps it was because of Marcia''s speech that Alston''s people dared not to make a single move. With the sudden appearance of the two leaders of the two army groups of the Holy Dragon Empire¡ªMarcia and Lance, and the chief of the Ji Clan¡ªElvis, and the chief of Ximen Clan, Bryant, and also the sudden involvement of the spiritual race, many were full of doubts about what really happened.


    Additionally, Alston appeared to have completely lost his mind. Everyone who sided with him now had to take more careful consideration of the matter.


    "Damn it!" Alston cursed lout loud upon seeing his men stop. He glared at Bryant maliciously. If it weren''t for Bryant''s sudden appearance, Rocky might have died long ago.


    "Alston, it''s the right time for us to settle our long-term grudge once for all today," Rocky said to his enemy coldly.


    "Humph! Killing you is easy for me!" Alston knew Rocky had already reached this limit. He felt sure that getting rid of Rocky once and for all would be a piece of cake.

 Chapter 1102 Blood Pillars Burst Out

    Soon after, Alston amassed his spiritual power and summoned a red dragon shadow in an instant. With towering height and humongous size, it certainly exhibited so much power. On top of its head were six sharp horns that resembled a demonic dragon. Moreover, it had four huge wings that never stopped flapping. In fact, it radiated an aura that surpassed that of an ordinary spirit-manipulated beast at the fifth grade of the five-star level.


    "What? A spirit-manipulated beast transformed just by using pills? It looks like the Dragon Master Clan has spent a lot of money to bribe Alston." As soon as Rocky laid eyes on Alston''s spirit-manipulated beast with an odd aura, he immediately understood what was happening and looked at the figure in the black robe.


    Just when everyone was busy ogling at the spirit-manipulated beast, Alston killed the dead air by shouting, "Spirit Possession!"


    Meanwhile, the red dragon shadow transformed into a ray of light and dived into Alston''s body, changing his shape dramatically. Now, he was wearing a red dragon armor and six horns on top of his head, just like his summoned spirit-manipulated beast. Moreover, his aura rose to the fifth grade of the Divine Stage.


    At the same time, the Thunder Dragon Spear emerged in Alston''s hand. Soon after, he rushed towards Rocky at lightning speed. Now that Rocky was off guard and no resistance at all, Alston wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to kill Rocky once and for all.


    Everyone who witnessed this broke out in a cold sweat, especially Sabina, Lena, and a bunch of other women. Without a doubt, they were all concerned about Rocky''s welfare. However, at that moment, they stood firm on their belief that Rocky would surely win against Alston.


    Like a tsunami charging with intensity, Alston''s spiritual power was approaching Rocky fast. At the same time, Robin and Ken had already landed beside Rocky.


    "It''s a bit of a waste. But everything is worth it as long as I can kill Alston." After his voice trailed off, Rocky took out the last Holy Spirit Panacea from his pocket. He thought that if he refined the Holy Spirit Panacea at a normal pace, then it would be possible for his strength to at least reach the third grade of the Divine Stage.


    But Rocky had no intention of doing so. Instead, he directly placed the Holy Spirit Panacea inside his mouth, and the next moment released the power at the sixth layer of the seal in his body. Soon after, he activated the Holy Spirit Panacea and merged the power of it at the fastest spee


    owing fiercely, as if an evil king had come and manifested in the world.


    Once again, this happening was never expected by the people, thus leaving them shocked to their core.


    At that very moment, Alston suddenly noticed that Rocky, who was in front of him, seemed to grow relentlessly, giving people a feeling of obscuring the sky and sun. Not only did Rocky''s aura surpass his, but also Rocky''s power was unparalleled. During their previous encounters, Alston saw Rocky as nothing but a lousy loser. But now, things had changed. He just could not accept the fact that he was now literally looking up to Rocky.


    But before Alston could react, Rocky gently waved the Frozen Wind Dagger in his hand. Suddenly, a violent evil wind blew through the Flaming Blade, changing the color of the sky above the fighting area. The thunder rumbled, and the whole ground began to tremble. However, there was no power bursting out from the Frozen Wind Dagger, nothing that any person could see.


    Everyone was astonished, wondering what Rocky had just done.


    However, it seemed that Bryant and the figure clad in the black robe saw something different and looked surprised.


    "Are you bluffing?" Alston sneered, as if he didn''t take Rocky''s move seriously.


    However, in the next moment, Alston suddenly felt an overwhelming aura coming towards him, as if he was covered by dark clouds, which made him feel dizzy and dark. In the blink of an eye, he seemed to see a faint black evil light flashing towards him.


    All of a sudden, blood spurted out from Alston''s body, leaving a deep cut mark on his upper body. Not long after, his whole body started to tremble violently, as if it were convulsing.

 Chapter 1103 The Unexpected Turn Of Events

    The crowd froze in disbelief. Alston had no time to react to Rocky''s move and received the blow in an instant.


    Despite the obvious gap in strength between them, the crowd thought that Alston would at least try to block the attack and minimize the strength of the blow. But Alston couldn''t even move from his spot.


    "You¡ª What... What did you do?" Alston asked, pointing his finger at Rocky. His voice trembled in complete disbelief. His Thunder Dragon Spear lay on the ground, away from its master.


    A sinister smile appeared on Rocky''s lips. "Surprised? I devised this strike especially for you. It has never been used before."


    The strike was a combination of Robin''s speed attack and Ken''s invisibility power, thereby making the quick attack invisible. Among the crowd, only the figure in the black robe and Bryant could sense the invisible strike''s approach.


    However, this strike consumed a large amount of spiritual power, especially when combined with the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill. So, it could only be used once. Rocky was saving the attack and hadn''t used it against any of the other spirit manipulators ever since his reappearance. He wanted to attack Alston without giving him a chance to counter. He had known all along that it would not be easy to kill Alston, who had the support of the spiritual race, with an ordinary attack. This combination attack was the ace up his sleeve to finish off Alston, once and for all.


    Alston would never expect that his arrangements to deal with Rocky were frustrated by him one by one.


    Even though he had gathered the most elite power of the royal family, it ended up being meaningless in front of Rocky.


    After being hit by Rocky''s deadly strike, Alston''s body had been greatly damaged, and he could not hold on any longer. His legs gave away and he fell to the floor on his knees in front of Rocky, as if asking for his forgiveness.


    Rocky''s Frozen Wind Dagger was pointed towards Alston. He looked at the man on the ground coldly and asked, "You never imagined that you would end up like this, did you? This is called karma."


    "I... Please... I don''t want to die! Spare me!" The arrogant expression on Alston''s face had turned into one of complete


    peace of the Holy Dragon Empire!" Alston saw the founding members as his saviors.


    After looking at each other, one of the founding members walked over to Bryant and Rocky.


    "Are you Prince Basil?" the senior elder asked Rocky.


    Rocky nodded curtly.


    "Elder Kerr said you have the jade token entrusted to you by the former emperor?" the man continued to ask.


    Rocky took out the jade token that his father had given him and showed it to the old man.


    The elder soon confirmed the jade token was real and nodded.


    "Why is the spiritual master of the Dragon Master Clan here?" Another senior elder looked sternly at the figure in the black robe.


    The man in the black robe looked at the old men, then at Bryant and Rocky. In an instant, he appeared beside Alston.


    "Take me away from here," Alston, who was badly injured and kneeling in a pool of blood, said to the figure.


    However, the figure quickly grabbed Alston''s head in his palm. Under the watchful eye of the public, Alston cried out in pain as the color faded from his face and the rest of his body quickly shriveled out. In the end, he turned into a disfigured dry corpse, and his body fell to the ground, smashing into several pieces.


    Alston had met his end, and died horribly for his sins.


    The next instant, the figure in the black robe, along with three other members of the spiritual race disappeared from the crowd.


    The unexpected turn of events caught everyone off guard, their mouth agape.

 Chapter 1104 I Will Defeat You

    When he realized that Alston''s soul was finally drawn out, Rocky''s face was completely blank. Although he did not kill Alston himself, he could finally feel relieved now.


    Of course, everyone felt that what they had experienced was like a horrifying nightmare. They were all still in fear, especially those who had fought Rocky, including the spirit manipulators at the Heavenly Stage. Their eyes were still full of shock and fear whenever they looked at Rocky.


    Everyone was impressed by Rocky''s performance from the beginning until the end.


    "I can''t believe that Alston was used by the Dragon Master Clan. We were all kept in the dark. Fortunately, we found out in time, or he might have caused a massive disaster!"


    "But I''m still confused as to why Prince Basil came back to life?"


    "We all know that every country must have an emperor. Alston had died, and Prince Basil has the jade token given by His Majesty. So now it seems that the only one who can take over the position of the emperor of our Holy Dragon Empire is Prince Basil."


    The senior elders of the royal family looked at each other and discussed for a while. Then they all turned their heads to look at Rocky.


    Everyone''s eyes were fixed on Rocky. After Alston died, the only person who has the right to inherit the throne was Rocky. Besides that, Rocky has the jade token that was passed down by the previous emperor.


    "Well then... excuse me but I have to leave now. Let us discuss it later," Rocky said to Bryant, Marcia, and the elders. He had no interest in the throne as of now. After the fierce battle, he just wanted to have a long and good rest.


    "Sabina, please send Basil back to my mansion. The rest will be handled by me and two generals," Marcia said to Sabina.


    With that, Sabina, Lena, and Lucilla escorted Rocky back to Marcia''s mansion, while Mia stayed to assist Marcia.


    "Well, I don''t think I have anything else to do. Hey, my beloved disciple, don''t go yet. Wait for me!" Sheridan exclaimed and immediately chased after Rocky who was being taken away by the three women.


    "Erica, what do you think we sh


    nestly don''t know. So, I hope that when you go back you will tell your master to put the spiritual treasure back to where it was for the sake of the Magic Phoenix Empire. Of course, this is only a suggestion to the Magic Phoenix Empire. The final decision is still yours to make," Rocky said in a serious tone. He knew that all the clans of the spiritual race in the Wild Spirit Land were now coveting spiritual treasures. And what happened in the Holy Dragon Empire was also caused by the spiritual treasure. He only realized now that what the beautiful woman of the spiritual race said before was right. The spiritual treasure was ominous.


    Erica noticed that Rocky was profoundly serious at what he was saying. She took a few glances at him and said, "I will tell what you said to my master, but I cannot guarantee anything."


    "That''s enough for me. Wait, how is your wound?" Rocky asked with concern when he noticed the blood-stained robe on Erica''s left shoulder. He immediately knew that she was injured by Alston.


    "Well, if there is nothing else, I will leave now," Erica said coldly and turned away. But after a few steps, she stopped and looked back. "I know it is difficult for me to defeat you now but remember that I will defeat you one day." With that, she left the hall.


    "She is so stubborn!" Looking at the back of Erica, Rocky gently smiled and lightly shook his head in amusement.

 Chapter 1105 Another Conspiracy

    When Rocky returned to the hall, Lena, Sabina and Lucilla were laughing and talking, putting aside the crisis they had gone through to the back of their heads. The entire hall was filled with their chirps. Rocky smiled and remembered the saying¡ª"Two is company, three is a crowd."


    "Basil! Where is Erica?" Lena walked up to him and wrapped her hand around his intimately as soon as she saw him come in.


    "She''s gone," Rocky replied.


    Sheridan coughed from beside them. "Please behave yourself, Your Royal Highness! There are people coming and going. Aren''t you worried that people will find out?"


    "I don''t care! Lucilla abandoned the chief position of the Cao Clan for him. Why can''t I do the same? I''ll stay with Basil from now on. I am no longer the Witch!" Lena replied casually. To her, nothing was more important than being with Rocky now. Although she was the Witch of the Holy Dragon Empire, she couldn''t restrain her feelings for Rocky after having gone through so many ups and downs with him.


    "If you refuse to take up your position as the Witch, I''m afraid I''ll be seen as a sinner of the Holy Dragon Empire." Rocky shook his head and waved his hand to refuse her idea.


    "Basil is right. The chief of the Cao Clan is by no means the same as being the Witch. Please think carefully before you act, Lena," Lucilla said in a sisterly tone, smiling at her.


    "You are right, but if it weren''t for me, Basil wouldn''t have experienced so many setbacks and hardships. It''s all my fault," Lena said, still blaming herself for what she had done. If she had forgiven him back then, everything that followed would never have happened, and Basil wouldn''t have had to suffer through so many narrow escapes. Yet, he had risked his life again to save her. She didn''t want to waste any more time staying away from him.


    "That has nothing to do with you. It was all Alston''s fault. Please don''t blame yourself, Your Royal Highness," Sabina comforted. Her beautiful eyes turned cold as she thought of what Alston had done. Even though he was dead, Sabina still couldn''t restrain her hatred for him.


    "Let bygones be bygones, Lena. Although Alston did frame me, it is still true that I hurt you. That was our fate. We need to move on since we''re all safe and sound now. Don''t worry about the past anymore," Rocky said in a sincere tone, looking directly into Lena''


    her mansion.


    The moment he learned that she was back, Rocky went to her study to meet her.


    "Where are Lance and Chief Elvis? Why didn''t they come back with you?" he asked when he saw that only Marcia was there.


    "General Lance is on his way back to the Crimson Dragon Group and Chief Elvis led his clan members back to their home. When news of Alston''s death spreads far, our rival countries will take this chance to break through our borders. We should be ready for them," Marcia replied casually.


    "So, they all went back?" Rocky murmured, a little absentminded.


    "What''s wrong? Did something happen?" Marcia asked when she noticed Rocky''s frown.


    He then told her about his conversation with the figure in the black robe the previous night. Marcia''s expression changed quickly.


    "So, His Majesty is imprisoned in the Dragon Master Clan now?" she asked, taking in this new information. Although it was disheartening that the emperor was imprisoned, it was good to know that he was still alive.


    "That''s what he said, but I''m worried that this could be another conspiracy of the spiritual race," Rocky answered with a deep frown.


    "So, what are you going to do now?" she asked, tapping her fingers on the table.


    "Even if what he said is true, to get my father back, we must find the spiritual treasure sealed in the forbidden area of the royal family. Alston couldn''t even find a chance to step into the forbidden area, let alone find the spiritual treasure. Getting in there is a huge problem for us too," Rocky analyzed and his expression became grimmer.

 Chapter 1106 In The Depths Of The Forbidden Area

    "That will be quite troublesome. Only the emperors are bestowed with the knowledge of entering the forbidden area of the royal family. Moreover, every Witch of the Holy Dragon Empire shall be buried in the forbidden area after their death. With their united soul power guarding the place, even if we do find how to enter, actually making it inside will be next to impossible," Marcia explained. She knew that this was not as simple a task as Rocky thought it would be.


    After listening to her explanation, he was certain that their hope was slim.


    Marcia sighed seeing the grim expression on his face. "Let''s talk to Lena. After all, she is the Witch of the Holy Dragon Empire, and it is said that the forbidden area was built by the first Witch with her own power. Although only the emperors know how to enter inside the area, Lena may have some clues that might help," she added after a moment of thought.


    "Yes, let''s do that. She''s the only one who can help us." Rocky nodded in understanding and then sent for Lena.


    When she joined them, Rocky filled her in about what had happened the previous night. Lena was surprised when she heard that the emperor was imprisoned by the Dragon Master Clan. When Rocky asked about the forbidden area, she couldn''t help but frown. Shaking her head slightly, Lena said, "Alston asked about this as well. He had pestered me for half a year, but I really don''t know how to enter the forbidden area. That information is passed down only to the emperors."


    Marcia had a thought. "Lena, didn''t the Witches record important events that happened in the empire? We might be able to find some clues in the records."


    "Oh yes! Why didn''t I think of that?" Lena fretted and immediately opened her Magic Spiritual Space. She grabbed The Witch''s Book she had brought from the secret room of the Witch Palace.


    "This is The Witch''s Book. It contains records of important events that the Witches of the Holy Dragon Empire have experienced throughout history. You might find some clues in it," Le


    he elder asked in surprise when he saw Rocky and Lena together.


    "I have something important to tell the elders," Rocky said without beating around the bush.


    After pondering for a moment, the elder guided them to the secluded place in the east side of the Dragon Valley to meet the other elders of the royal family. Rocky was a little astonished to see the elders. They were at the Immortal Stage, and could be regarded as the most powerful beings in the Wild Spirit Land.


    Explaining the purpose of his visit, Rocky told the elders about what he had heard from the figure in the black robe the previous night. The elders were shocked to hear what Rocky said.


    "I cannot believe that Alston almost killed His Majesty. How vicious should a man be to want to kill his own father?"


    "So, His Majesty is now being imprisoned by the Dragon Master Clan?"


    "They want the spiritual treasure hidden in the forbidden area."


    The elders gasped in unison.


    "What do you know about the spiritual treasure?" Rocky asked them.


    "To tell you the truth, we know very little. Although we have heard of it, we have never seen it. The spiritual treasure was brought here by a Witch of the Holy Dragon Empire, and it was sealed in the deepest part of the forbidden area," Elder Brendan, the oldest elder explained. His eyebrows were as white as his hair.

 Chapter 1107 Go Crazy

    "A Witch of the Holy Dragon Empire brought the treasure here? But..." Rocky hesitated. It seemed strange because this was not recorded in The Witch''s Book. Why would they not record such an important incident in the book? It could only mean that the Witch who had brought the spiritual treasure did not want anyone to know about its origin.


    "However, according to the teachings of the previous emperors, the spiritual treasure cannot be taken out of the forbidden area. I wonder if it would be possible for us to do the impossible," an elder said with caution in his words.


    The other elders looked at each other with embarrassment for not being able to be more helpful.


    "I have to make it possible. As a prince of the Holy Dragon Empire and as a son, I have to save my father. Could you please make an exception this time and let me go to the entrance of the royal forbidden area to take a look?" Rocky pleaded earnestly.


    The elders gathered together in a small circle and started discussing the matter in whispers. It was a matter of great importance after all, so they had to think about it carefully. Especially after what happened with Alston, they had to be cautious, so as not to repeat the same mistake.


    Rocky and Lena waited patiently. After around an hour, the elders finally came to a conclusion.


    Elder Brendan stepped forward. "Your Royal Highness, the emperor and the Witch are the only ones who are allowed to enter the forbidden area of the royal family. But since the current emperor is imprisoned in the Dragon Master Clan, we will make an exception this time. But we need a promise from you," he said on behalf of the other elders.


    "Go ahead." Rocky nodded curtly.


    "Prince Basil, if you fail to find a way to enter the forbidden area within the next three days, we want you to temporarily act as the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire. You are the best candidate for succession. Moreover, the Three Great Generals of the empire admire you very much. If you ascend the throne, it will appease the public. Mo


    those of normal human beings. They had flat noses, and their eyes were slender. The huge wings extended from behind them like those of a dragon beast.


    "They must belong to the Dragon Master Clan, right?" Rocky asked Lena, turning to look at her.


    She studied the carvings and nodded, "Yes."


    "Lena, why is the Dragon Master Clan looking for the spiritual treasure all of a sudden? And why is the treasure sealed with forbidden curses so that the spiritual race cannot enter?" Rocky asked as he stared at the carvings.


    Lena stood beside him and followed his gaze. "I think this may have something to do with the origin of the spiritual treasures. Although we don''t know anything about their origins yet, since all the spiritual race clans in the Wild Spirit Land are looking for them, it could only mean that the spiritual treasures have amazing power..." Lena said suspiciously.


    "I think so too. But what is the secret behind these treasures? And why have the hidden living spiritual race clans suddenly gone so crazy about them?" Rocky wondered with a serious look on his face. In order to get their hands on the spiritual treasure in the forbidden area, the Dragon Master Clan imprisoned his father and treated Alston like a puppet. This was not at all like the Dragon Master Clan which had always supported the growth of the Holy Dragon Empire.

 Chapter 1108 The Floating Hall

    "Maybe we can find the answers in the royal family''s forbidden area," Lena responded earnestly.


    While they were talking, the two of them had passed through the two rows of dragon pillars and reached the end of the passage. They found themselves blocked by a relief stone wall engraved with nine dragons. They looked for gaps on the wall but there were none.


    "Have we arrived already? Is this it?" Rocky curiously looked at Lena and asked.


    "This wall must be the entrance, but it seems that we have to open it in some special way. In fact, the secret room of the Witch Palace has a structure like this. I''ll try to open it in the way I open the Witch Palace''s secret room," Lena pondered. The forbidden area and the Witch Palace''s secret room were both built by the first Witch, so there was a chance that the opening ways might be the same.


    When Lena waved her gauze sleeve and whispered something into the wall, many beams of golden light immediately flashed from the wall, and then quickly disappeared.


    However, there was no change in the stone wall.


    "It did not work." Lena shook her head with disappointment. She felt defeated since she did not have any ideas anymore on how to open the passage.


    "Let''s observe every corner of the stone wall to see if we can find any odd marks," Rocky said to Lena after thinking for a while.


    So, the two of them began to check the whole stone wall. One checked the left side and the other checked the right side. They also checked the carvings on the side of the wall but found nothing.


    "There''s no mark whatsoever here," Lena said to Rocky in dismay.


    "What on earth is the way to enter the forbidden area? Alston had been trying to enter it for more than half a year. I believe that he had used almost all the methods he could think of. This only means that the way to open the passage to the forbidden area must be unique. Alston and the Dragon Master Clan obviously hid my father. However, even the Dragon Master Clan did not know how to enter it. Maybe something that was mentioned in The Witch''s Book is


    o one else could ever open it.


    The entrance had already appeared. Rocky and Lena entered it without hesitation. Soon, the two of them disappeared into the dazzling light.


    After they entered the forbidden area, the dragon-shaped entrance also disappeared and turned into the relief stone wall. Everything returned back to its normal position, as if nothing had happened.


    As soon as Rocky and Lena entered the space, they felt that everything changed in an instant. When they finally came to their senses, they found that they were in an extremely magnificent hall. Even though there was no light, they could clearly see everything in the hall.


    There was no wall or roof in the hall, only the ground paved with giant stones and towering stone pillars. Everything looked incredibly simple. However, Rocky and Lena could see that the whole hall seemed to be floating in the air.


    However, the most surprising thing was that they could not see the end of the floating hall. It seemed like it extended endlessly.


    The two of them looked at each other, then walked forward side by side.


    After walking for a long time, they suddenly saw a flash in front of them, as if they had walked into another room. Without any warning, they saw a high platform like an altar. It was very wide, with a straight path in the middle, and on both sides were orderly arranged stone coffins.

 Chapter 1109 True Or False

    "Is this the place where the Witches of all ages were buried?" Lena''s face changed slightly at the sight of the sarcophagi. Perhaps, at that moment, she thought of the possibility that one day, she would be buried there as well.


    Not long after, she went up to the high platform and shuttled through the several sarcophagi scattered around, with Rocky closely following her. At the same time, he looked at one of the sarcophagi carefully and found that it was completely sealed shut without a single entrance for any air. However, he could feel a strange and indescribable aura coming from it as if the person lying in the sarcophagus was not a dead person, but rather, a living one.


    He was not alone to have this thought. Lena, who was a Witch, was certainly able to sense the intense auras coming from both sides of the sarcophagus. Moreover, at that moment, she felt as if several women were whispering in her ears. However, their words were vague enough that she was not able to understand what they were saying. This inability to discern the voices made her irritable, turning her face pale in annoyance.


    "Hey, Lena, are you okay?" Rocky asked worriedly as soon as he noticed Lena''s pale face.


    "I''m fine." Biting her pink lips slightly, Lena smiled and shook her head at Rocky.


    But at that moment, it seemed that Rocky was still a little worried. Soon after, he took Lena''s hand and walked her out of the platform quickly and soon moved forward. Lena seemed to have recuperated as she felt the surging feeling of warmth from Rocky''s palm.


    Meanwhile, the two of them passed through the high platform together and went down the stairs as if they were walking in an endless corridor.


    "It seems that the royal forbidden area is really not an ordinary place at all. If we search this way, I''m afraid we won''t be able to find any spiritual treasure for eternity." After walking for a long while, Rocky could not help but frown as he felt like he was trapped in some sort of maze that he could never get out of.


    "So, what do you think we should do?" Lena looked at Rocky in anticipation and asked.


    After thinking for a while, Rocky stumbled upon an idea. He tried to open the Magic Spiritual Space by gathering his spiritual power. When he found out that his power was not restrained at all, he took advantage of it and summoned Ken out.


    It was not Lena''s first time to see Ken as she had seen it in the Witch Palace before. Although, when s


    s emperors have been sealed shut?" Lena tried to guess at once.


    "Huh? Weapon tomb?" Rocky asked Lena seriously, waiting for her further explanation.


    "As you know, the emperors of the Holy Dragon Empire were basically the top-level masters above the Immortal Stage. Needless to say, their Spiritual Weapons were also very powerful. After the emperors'' deaths, the Spiritual Weapons they used would become ownerless. In order to ensure that these weapons would not be obtained by anyone with ulterior motives, these Spiritual Weapons were sealed here after they died. Powerful weapons falling into the wrong hands is the last thing we need in this world," Lena explained in detail.


    "Oh, I see. I didn''t expect that there are still Spiritual Weapons used by the emperors in the royal forbidden area. Yet, there are too many of them!" Rocky nodded. Deep down, he was still in disbelief to see so many Spiritual Weapons with his own eyes.


    "Ken, most of these Spiritual Weapons are fake, right?" Rocky asked, squinting at Ken as if he had brewed something up.


    But as a response, Ken only raised and shook his head.


    "Fake? Basil, what are you guys talking about?" Lena asked Rocky out of curiosity.


    "What Ken means is that the auras of these Spiritual Weapons are authentic. It believed these fake Spiritual Weapons may have evolved from the real Spiritual Weapons and can be regarded as avatars. With that being said, they can be considered true or false," Rocky analyzed.


    "But is the spiritual treasure also among them? Didn''t you say that the spiritual treasure is also in the form of a weapon?" Lena took a wild guess.

 Chapter 1110 Get A Spiritual Weapon

    "It''s possible. In fact, the spiritual treasures I have seen before are no different from Spiritual Weapons. The only difference is that the body of a spiritual treasures are made up of a gemstone called the Mysterious Spirit Raw Gemstone. So, it should be easy to distinguish them," Rocky said after thinking for a while.


    "Alright. Then, let''s look for the spiritual treasure first." Lena was about to step forward, but Rocky held her back.


    "You wait here with Ken," he said. He felt the weapon tomb was a dangerous place. He didn''t want Lena to get hurt.


    "But..." Lena understood Rocky''s concern, but she wanted to go with him. Before she could say anything, his piercing look stopped her in her tracks. She had to compromise. "Fine, I''ll wait for you here, but please be careful!"


    Rocky nodded and flew into the weapon shadows floating in the air, looking for the spiritual treasure that might be hidden amidst them. However, even after searching for a long time, he still couldn''t find a single spiritual weapon that seemed like a spiritual treasure, and there was no aura similar to the two spiritual treasures he had seen before.


    "It''s not here?" Rocky wondered aloud.


    Just as he was about to return to Lena, the weapons began to gain speed and started moving in the air, as if they were under some command. Their spiritual light gleamed bright and turned into streaks of colorful lights, gathering around Rocky.


    Before he could prepare himself, the weapon shadows rushed towards him aggressively. He immediately pulled out the Frozen Wind Dagger and turned it into the Flaming Blade, trying to break out of the encirclement forcefully.


    But before the Flaming Blade could form a defensive shield, a strange blue light appeared and hit the blade. The flames around the blade went out in an instant.


    Rocky was stunned. What kind of Spiritual Weapon was so powerful that it could disperse the power of the Frozen Wind Dagger in a single blow? It was obvious now that the tomb that sealed the Spiritual Weapons of the previous emperors was


    al Weapon he chose, it would be powerful. He turned to Lena and asked, "Lena, which one do you think I should choose?"


    "All eight Spiritual Weapons are of the same level, and they would have their own advantages. You should choose one yourself. Just follow your heart," she said with a warm smile. It was impossible to find out what these weapons were individually capable of at this point. However, since the Spiritual Weapons were all of the same level, no matter which one Rocky chose, his strength would greatly improve.


    Rocky looked at the Spiritual Weapons again. After contemplating his choice for a while, he finally closed his eyes and grabbed one of them casually like drawing a lot. He opened his eyes to see the small Spiritual Weapon in his hand. It looked like a very ordinary ring.


    As soon as he grabbed the spiritual ring, the other seven Spiritual Weapons shone brightly and scattered into the air as they turned back into countless weapon shadows once again.


    Staring at the little ring, Rocky walked up to Lena.


    She breathed a sigh of relief and complained, "You scared me to death!"


    "I''m fine, don''t worry. But we shouldn''t stay here for too long." He was afraid that something unexpected would happen if they stayed in that space any longer.


    Then, led by Ken, the two of them left the space and returned to the long maze-like corridor.

 Chapter 1111 The Divine Spiritual Source

    "How do I use this ring?" Rocky stared at the Spiritual Weapon like a ring, and then, without a second thought, put it on his right index finger. The moment he wore it, his palm became rigid and his right hand felt paralyzed. Rocky''s heartbeat increased and he felt like he had been touched by an electric current. The next moment, the seemingly ordinary ring melted and integrated with his index finger, and at last, a dragon head appeared on the finger. The magnificent dragon head was clearly angled on his skin, and it was dexterously attached to the back of his index finger. It was so cool, like a masterpiece of God.


    Almost at the same time, four words flashed across his mind¡ª"Hexagonal Netting Dragon Ring!" ''What...'' He held his head, trying to calm himself down.


    "Basil, are you okay?" Lena held his hand as she watched the transformation of the Spiritual Weapon with awe. She had never seen anything like it.


    "I''m okay. I just feel a little weird." Rocky shook his head and glanced at the ring on his finger. He then turned to Ken and said, "Don''t make any mistake this time."


    Ken immediately began to look for the right path.


    After walking for a while, they reached another floating platform which had nine floors with a winding staircase that led to the top. It was a hundred meters high and was magnificent to look at. From the topmost floating platform, Rocky could sense the familiar aura and a strange light also flashed from that spot.


    "The spiritual treasure must be at the top," Rocky said with affirmation.


    As they were about to go up, Lena collapsed to the ground with a scream. "Ah! My head!"


    "Lena?!" Rocky knelt down next to her and looked at her anxiously.


    "Basil! Ah! I have been hearing whispers in my head ever since we walked in. I tried to block them out, but they warned us to stay out. They are angry! My head hurts!" Lena''s face turned as pale as snow and her heart rose and fell rapidly.


    After screaming out in pain once again, she fainted in his arms.


    Rocky tried to shake her awake, but she was out cold. He checked her puls


    Once the nine spiritual treasures or the nine legendary beasts are gathered in one place, the Divine Spiritual Source will reappear in the world." The person''s words continued to intrigue Rocky. It was about to unravel the hidden secrets of the spiritual race.


    "The Divine Spiritual Source? Sounds like a very powerful force. No doubt about it. How else could it create the nine spiritual treasures and the nine legendary guardian beasts? So the spiritual race is trying to gather the spiritual treasures in order to make the Divine Spiritual Source reappear in the world?" Rocky analyzed. Although he didn''t know yet what the Divine Spiritual Source was or where it came from, judging from the expression of the mysterious person attached to Lena, the secret of the spiritual race was probably more complicated than he had imagined.


    "It is impossible for the spiritual race to gather the Divine Spiritual Source. The source is what they are most afraid of, and it has the power they cannot destroy. If the Divine Spiritual Source was gathered, then what had once happened to the spiritual race in the past would happen to them again. So, the different clans'' real purpose is to find the spiritual treasures so that they can prevent the other clans from obtaining them, and to ensure that the nine spiritual treasures will never be gathered together," the voice said, shaking her head.

 Chapter 1112 Took The Spiritual Treasure

    "So, what''s the bloody chaos of the Wild Spirit Land you just mentioned?" Rocky asked straightforwardly.


    "These nine spiritual treasures are immensely powerful as they can turn living things into ashes. Their strong power is the reason why the nine powerful warriors from different clans of spiritual race who owned them were afraid that these treasures would be used for battles among the different clans. So, they agreed to seal them in nine different places in the Wild Spirit Land. They also used their own power to set up the enchanted barriers that any clan of spiritual race could not enter. The warriors did everything in their power to protect the treasures and prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. However, the nine powerful warriors also had their own motives. So, they allowed humans to set foot in the places where the spiritual treasures were sealed in anticipation that when their clans needed the help of the spiritual treasures someday, the humans would know where to find it," Lena explained.


    Rocky was dumbfounded when he heard her explanation.


    "However, the spiritual race is also afraid of the power of the spiritual treasures, so they won''t take out them unless they really need to. Once the spiritual treasures are taken out, the restriction on the different clans will be broken. This means that the nine spiritual treasures will reappear in the world. If a spiritual treasure appeared, the other clans who had the spiritual treasures would surely try to take them. The reason why the Dragon Master Clan wants this spiritual treasure in front of you is because this is the Sunrise Magic Dragon Bow owned by the Dragon Master Clan. It was originally sealed in another place, but it was taken back to the Holy Dragon Empire and was sealed in this royal forbidden area," Lena continued.


    "So, you mean all the clans of spiritual race in the Wild Spirit Land are searching for spiritual treasures to protect themselves. But there are only nine spiritual treasures, and the number of clans searching for the treasures is far more than that. And other clans that didn''t own spiritual treasures are looking for it..." Rocky said doubtfully, getting more co


    of the history and secrets behind the spiritual treasures. However, there were still many questions that were unanswered. What was the Divine Spiritual Source? How could it have the power to create the nine powerful spiritual treasures and the nine legendary guardian beasts? Besides that, he still wondered whether the remains of the spiritual race that he saw in the Myriad Spirit Tomb were related to it or not.


    However, what worried him most was what the Witch said that if all nine spiritual treasures were gathered, something terrible would happen.


    While he was lost in all kinds of thought, Lena woke up.


    "Basil, what happened just now? I can''t remember." Lena asked when she found herself lying in Rocky''s arms.


    "Not that much. You passed out suddenly." Rocky thought for a while and shook his head. He thought it was best not to tell anyone about the information he just heard.


    "Really? How can this be?" Lena rubbed her temples in confusion.


    "Maybe it''s the influence of the royal forbidden area..." Rocky guessed. "I''ll get the spiritual treasure first."


    "Isn''t it dangerous?" Lena asked worriedly.


    "I don''t think it would be dangerous." Rocky thought that the spiritual treasure should be safe in the royal forbidden area, so it didn''t need any kind of protection.


    So, Rocky walked towards the Sunrise Magic Dragon Bow that was floating at the center of the top platform. He paused for a moment then reached out his hand.

 Chapter 1113 May I join you

    Lena watched nervously as Rocky extended his hand towards the Sunrise Magic Dragon Bow. He could hear his own heartbeat as he gently wrapped his palm around the handle of the bow and picked it up. Nothing happened out of the ordinary and the two of them breathed a sigh of relief.


    With the spiritual treasure in his hand, Rocky walked back to Lena.


    "Is this it? It looks more like a Spiritual Weapon..." Lena stared at the Sunrise Magic Dragon Bow. It was her first time seeing this spiritual treasure, so she was curious.


    "This is much more powerful than a Spiritual Weapon," Rocky replied, looking down at the bow. After listening to the Witch''s explanation about the origin of the spiritual treasures, Rocky realized that what he held in his hand at the moment was something worse than a time bomb. The disasters it could bring upon them were unfathomable.


    He had to find another way to save his father, because it would be disastrous if he handed over such a thing to the Dragon Master Clan. Thus, he wouldn''t let that happen.


    A light appeared on one side of the floating platform, which looked like an exit.


    "Let''s go," Rocky said, nodding at Lena.


    The two and Ken walked to the light, then disappeared into it.


    When they walked out of the light, Rocky saw that they had been returned to the entrance of the royal forbidden area. Behind them stood the relief stone wall with the dragon sculptures, as if they had never been moved.


    "Lena," Rocky called. She turned to him and he instructed, "When the elders ask you what happened here, don''t tell them that we''ve been inside." He quickly placed the Sunrise Magic Dragon Bow and Ken into his Magic Spiritual Space.


    "Are you not going to tell them anything?" she asked with a frown.


    "The Dragon Master Clan has influence beyond our knowledge on the royal family. We shouldn''t trust them too easily," he said bluntly.


    "Okay." She nodded in understanding.


    Before leaving the Dragon Valley, they bid goodbye to the elders. Of course, they didn''t mention that they had entered the forbidden area and taken out the spiritual treasure already. Although the few elders showed disappointment about the failure, they didn''t ask


    r come back."


    "We do have some chips that we can use to negotiate with them. If I fail, I can just hand over the spiritual treasure." Rocky shrugged. But he was also worried if he kept his end of the bargain. Would they really return his father once they got their hands on the spiritual treasure? He wouldn''t hand over the treasure unless he absolutely had to.


    "It''s not impossible to enter the Dragon Master Clan without being discovered, but it will be difficult without a powerful team. We may need to summon the elite power of the royal family," Marcia pondered out loud.


    "I''m worried that there may be spies arranged by the Dragon Master Clan in the royal family. We can''t expose our plans to them. If we are not careful, the mission will fall apart. Moreover, we have to act as soon as possible. Once the Dragon Master Clan finds out that I have taken out the spiritual treasure, they will take action," Rocky said.


    "It''s a pity that General Lance and Chief Elvis have gone back to their places. If we are to wait for them, it will take a few more days." Marcia frowned slightly.


    "May I join you?" A burly figure appeared silently. His calm voice carried a strong impact, and an astonishing aura enveloped the entire hall.


    Along with the figure appeared a beautiful woman.


    "Chief Bryant?" Rocky and the others turned to look towards the direction where the voice had come from. They were surprised to see Bryant and Shirley in front of them.

 Chapter 1114 Let Me Do It

    "What the hell is wrong with you? Why didn''t you tell me that the Dragon Master Clan imprisoned His Majesty? Of course, I should know about this! Are you worried that I might have ulterior motives?" Bryant yelled angrily. With narrowed eyes, he stared furiously at Rocky and the others.


    "Uh, don''t get us wrong, Chief Bryant. It''s just that this matter is of great importance that we have to be extra cautious all the time. We can''t risk leaving any trace of mistake with this one," Rocky explained in a serious and polite tone.


    "Which brings me to the more important question: how did you know about that, Chief Bryant? Where did you hear about this?" Marcia raised her eyebrow and asked in confusion.


    "After Alston''s death, Priest Dean approached me and told me everything Alston had done. He told me about the fact that Alston tried to kill His Majesty, the imprisonment of His Majesty in the Dragon Master Clan, as well as the purpose of the Dragon Master Clan," Bryant said with a dejected look on his face.


    "Wait, back up. Priest Dean? If he came to you personally to tell you all about this, then I don''t think that he just wanted to have a little chitchat," Rocky mumbled. At that moment, he knew something was fishy¡ªPriest Dean must have done something behind his back again.


    "A dog without a master will certainly want to find another master. Unfortunately, I am not the one he wants," Bryant replied obscurely.


    "Like what they say, a leopard cannot change its spots," Sheridan remarked as he shook his head from side to side.


    "So, when I heard that Prince Basil went to the royal family''s forbidden area, I already knew that he was going to save His Majesty. I am here to have a conversation with him, but I didn''t expect to hear all about your intricate plan to save His Majesty." Regaining his composure, Bryant explained calmly.


    "So, does that mean you are willing to help us?" Rocky asked as he fixed his eyes on Bryant.


    "The Ximen Clan has been loyal to the royal family for countless generations. Now that His Majesty is in trouble, it will be an honor to help you save him," said Bryant, as he puffed his chest out to show his bravery and loyalty to the royal family.


    "Perhaps, there is some hope with your help. And for that, I am eternally grateful." Marcia nodded in agreement.


    "Grandpa, I want to go with you. Please, let me. I promise not to cause any t


    l. They often appeared in groups and were strong and fierce.


    Luckily, Bryant, a powerful master at the Immortal Stage, was on the team. With his help, everything went smoothly.


    Two days of smooth traveling had passed, and the rescue team bumped into their first big trouble. At that moment, a group of strange spiritual beasts called the Fierce Eagle Dragons occupied an area worth hundreds of meters. The problem was that this was the only way to the Dragon Master Clan, and these beasts took it as their habitat.


    "Oops, trouble ahead. Can we take a detour?" Rocky asked Marcia as he looked at the area in the distance, where there countless Fierce Eagle Dragons ran amok.


    "If we do, then it will take at least one more day. Plus, I don''t know what trouble we will encounter if we take a detour. If we want to reach the territory of the Dragon Master Clan as soon as possible, we must take this shortcut," Marcia replied in a rather frustrated voice.


    "How about you, Chief Bryant? What do you think?" Rocky looked at Bryant and asked for his opinion.


    "It''s hard to deal with the dragons. But the longer we stay here, the more dangerous it will be for us. Therefore, I think it might be best if we can pass through without alerting these dragons," Bryant proposed.


    "But I''m afraid it''s not easy to pass through them unless someone can be our flank and distract them so we can buy ourselves some time," Sheridan suggested.


    "Let me do it," Bryant bravely offered.


    "No. Allow me. The Ximen Clan will be in trouble if you get into any accident," Rocky said as he shook his head.

 Chapter 1115 Just Like Born Enemies

    "But it''s too dangerous for you to do that alone," Lucilla said, her voice shrouded with worry.


    Sabina nodded in agreement.


    "Lucilla is right. You''re not strong enough. It''s better to let my grandfather do it," Shirley added.


    Rocky smiled calmly and said, "It will be easier for me to flee." With that, he summoned Ken and vanished with it before they could stop him.


    A moment later, violent explosions rang out from the habitat of the Fierce Eagle Dragons. Obviously, Rocky and Ken created the explosions. After the deafening noise, they quickly headed to the west. The dragons, startled by the explosions, grew angry and chased after the man and the beast.


    Soon, there were almost no beasts left in the habitat.


    "Let''s go." Marcia nodded to the team.


    They crossed the habitat and ran all the way to the other side. Although they had to still encounter some Fierce Eagle Dragons halfway through the habitat, with Bryant, Marcia and Sheridan leading the way, they successfully passed through.


    They reached an area covered with stones and decided to rest there while waiting for Rocky to come back.


    The group waited for more than half a day, but Rocky was nowhere in sight.


    "Could anything bad have happened to him?" Lucilla asked, stealing a glance at Marcia worriedly.


    "That guy just likes to play tough," Shirley snorted.


    "If it weren''t for Basil, we couldn''t have come past the habitat so smoothly," Sabina retorted, glaring at Shirley.


    Shirley glared back at her with the same intensity of hate.


    "I''ll go and find him," Marcia said, getting up from the stone ground. She was worried about him too. He was followed by a bunch of beasts, after all.


    But just as Marcia got ready to move out, a figure covered in weeds and dirt appeared in front of them. As soon as the women saw the figure, they couldn''t help smiling.


    "It must have been hard to get rid of them all." Marcia covered her mouth and smirked at the sight of him.


    "Rocky, are you hurt?" Sheridan aske


    beast with all his strength.


    The cave rumbled under the sudden explosion.


    When the three women outside heard the noise, they looked at each other. Then they rushed into the cave and saw a supernatural beast that had been split in half and fell to the ground, turning into ashes.


    "Basil! Are you okay?" Sabina rushed towards him.


    "I''m fine," he replied, turning to the shocked women. Then his gaze fell on the ring on his finger. Judging from the sudden reaction of the ring, it seemed to him that it was stranger and more powerful than he had imagined.


    "You killed a supernatural beast on your own? All alone?" Shirley exclaimed, staring at the corpse on the ground.


    "You have to ask? Can''t you see the dead beast?" Sabina smirked at Shirley, glad to show off Rocky''s strength.


    "I wasn''t talking to you!" Shirley replied angrily. She hadn''t planned to say anything, but was too surprised by the scene in front of them.


    Sabina snorted.


    "Let''s get some rest now," Rocky interrupted, hoping to stop their quarrel. Along the journey, the two women fought non-stop, like born enemies.


    Shirley had been this way since she was a child. However, Sabina, who usually was cool-headed, became angry every time she saw Shirley. In contrast, Lucilla was much calmer. She pulled Sabina by her hand and walked into the cave.

 Chapter 1116 The Plan To Save The Emperor

    "All right. You can go inside now," Rocky said as he led Shirley to the cave.


    Shirley couldn''t help but snort as she walked in. It seemed that she kind of rolled her eyes, but they were actually fixed at Rocky. In her mind, it was still hard for her to accept the fact that the pathetic loser she had known in the past had already become much stronger than her. Rocky even had two powerful spirit-manipulated beasts at his disposal. Right now, she felt so inferior to him in every aspect.


    As the three women entered and settled inside the cave, Rocky walked out and looked at the direction from which they had come from.


    After waiting for quite a while, he saw three figures finally appear from a distance.


    "How was it? Are you guys okay?" Rocky asked out of concern.


    "Well, not too good. Supernatural beasts are very difficult to deal with. Even if the three of us joined hands, we only managed to kill one," Marcia said in a rather frustrated tone.


    "Let''s have a proper rest first. We''ll discuss the rest later." Rocky knew that they had been on a tough journey. He was just glad that everyone was safe.


    Then, he guided the other three to the cave where they would stay the night.


    After a night''s worth of rest in the cave, the rescue team prepared themselves and set out early the following morning.


    After such a long journey, the rescue team that was led by Marcia finally reached the border of the Dragon Master Clan''s territory. As they passed through a dense fruit forest, they immediately saw several female members of the Dragon Master Clan, gathering fruits and other crops that they could obtain from the area. From their observation, all of them seemed to be ordinary spiritual slaves.


    "I wonder if they know where my father is being held captive." Currently, Rocky and the others continued to hide in the dark and observed the movements of the female members of the Dragon Master Clan.


    "How long are we doing this? Why don''t we just catch one of them and ask what we want to know?" Shirley suggested as she grew impatient.


    "And what if she doesn''t know? I am afraid it''s not a good idea as it will alert the enemies," Sabina answered while shaking her head.


    "So we''re just going to hide here and do nothing? If you won''t ask, how will you know that they don''t know?" Shirley got annoyed and refuted Sabina immediately.


    "Fine. If you want things your way, just catch one of them and bring her here by yourself." Sabina knew how to get in Shirley''s head and provoked her all the more.


    "Sure, I will!" Shirley scoffed before quickly rushing at a fast speed.


    Upon seeing this, Rocky and the others couldn''t help but shake


    eneral Marcia, and my master will do your best to escort my father safely out of the Dragon Master Clan''s territory," Rocky stated with a straight face.


    "Wait. What do you mean?" Bryant started to get confused and asked with furrowed brows.


    "We all know that even the ordinary spiritual beings are very powerful, let alone the spiritual masters. If we do want to successfully rescue my father, someone has to stay here and cover for you as you escape," Rocky replied in a low voice. It turned out that he was willing to go as far as being a decoy just to ensure that the emperor could escape to safety.


    "I''m not trying to belittle you, but I think it''s still better if I or General Marcia would cover for the rescue team. Although I know that you''re much stronger now, it''s still going to be very difficult for you to defeat the ordinary spiritual beings. If I or General Marcia carries out the task, we will be able to resist their clansmen more effectively," Bryant insisted and persuaded Rocky.


    "I know that. But both you and General Marcia are the backbones of the Holy Dragon Empire. You are indispensable. Moreover, with your strength, there''s a higher rate of success that you could get my father out of here. That is the crucial thing. More importantly, if it was me who faced them, they wouldn''t easily get the spiritual treasure." It seemed that Rocky had already thought about this for a long time. He devised a plan and carefully considered every factor before he talked to Bryant.


    Bryant recognized that Rocky had already been mentally prepared to take on this role so as to save the emperor at all costs. However, he still couldn''t get himself to agree because he knew that if they followed Rocky''s plan, the prince might not be able to come out alive.

 Chapter 1117 You Will Surely Die

    "Did you tell General Marcia about this?" As Bryant studied Rocky, he could not help but praise the prince internally. Rocky was so much younger than him, and yet, he always showed great courage no matter the circumstance. Suddenly, he felt ashamed of his inferiority.


    "She will never agree, so I want to ask you for a favor, Chief Bryant. When the time comes..." Rocky leaned closer to him and whispered the details secretively.


    As he listened, the frown on Bryant''s face grew bigger and bigger. He hesitated for a short while, but he nodded his permission in the end because the prince had made this plan and he had no reason to object. As a loyal courtier of the Holy Dragon Empire, he naturally had to protect the emperor.


    Seeing that Bryant was receptive to his wishes, Rocky smiled gratefully at him. "Thank you, Chief Bryant."


    "Prince Basil, if you are lucky enough to get through this safe and sound, and if one day you can ascend the throne, you can count on my support and the support of the Ximen Clan," Bryant promised as he patted Rocky on his shoulder with his thick and sturdy palm. In his mind, Rocky had shown that he truly deserved to be admired. He had exhibited the character of a great leader, and as a prince, he always took the lead in dealing with any difficult tasks. In a word, he was exemplary.


    "Well, we''ll talk about that later. But still, thank you," Rocky said calmly, as he turned away.


    Soon, the sun fell from its perch in the sky, covering the whole land in darkness.


    The rescue team set out as soon as the night fell, and went to where they suspected that the emperor was imprisoned. Marcia took the lead, so their journey went smoothly, but they still had to be careful. The supernatural beasts dared not step into the Dragon Master Clan''s territory, but they could not let their guard down as the danger was around them. If their whereabouts were exposed, the entire Dragon Master Clan could surround them in an instant.


    About two hours later, after circling half of the Dragon Master Clan''s territory, the rescue team finally arrived outside a valley. The entrance to the valley was in the shape of a very steep slope, and they could see faint lights flashing inside.


    "General Marcia, what is this place?" Rocky asked, studying the valley curiously.


    "This is the Dead Valley of the Dragon Master Clan, a place where they imprison those who have offended the Dragon Master Clan, or have violated their taboos. Moreover, once they enter this valley, they will not be able to leave for the rest of their lives, so mos


    reams that resonated through the whole Dead Valley.


    "Father, where are you?" There were too many holes on the cliff! Rocky had been searching for a long time, but he could not find the emperor. Robin and Ken were also looking for his father in two other places, but they made no progress either. In the end, his exasperation led him to cry out loud, and he hoped that the emperor would hear him and answer.


    As he passed by one of the wall holes that served as a holding cell, he suddenly detected an amazing aura coming from inside. It felt like he was facing a huge wave with overwhelming power, which made him stop involuntarily.


    "Young man, I know where to find the person you are looking for! However, as a human, how can you break into the Dragon Master Clan to save a person? Do you want to die so badly?" A deep voice echoed from behind the wall.


    "Do you know where my father is?" Rocky immediately asked, surprised.


    "Of course," the voice inside the cave answered at once. Rocky didn''t believe him at first. His eyes narrowed suspiciously at the hole in the wall and asked, "Well, are you going to tell me where he is? Or maybe you want something in exchange." He became quiet for a few seconds as if he was thinking, then he asked again, "Do you want me to let you out in exchange for the information about my father''s whereabouts? Besides, how do I know if you are telling the truth?"


    "Ha-ha, if I want to get out of here, how can the Dead Valley block me? I just want to remind you that you are digging your own grave by doing this. You may still survive if you leave now, but once the spiritual masters of the Dragon Master Clan arrive, you will surely die!" The voice laughed arrogantly.

 Chapter 1118 The Hexagonal Netting Dragon Ring

    "To be honest, I don''t know myself either. I had this itching desire to save father ever since I heard that he was still alive. But he is not my actual father..." Rocky''s feelings suddenly became a little contradictory after he heard the voice from the cave. In fact, as soon as they set foot in the Dragon Wing Valley, he immediately felt in his gut that this rescue was a little bit too reckless and not well thought of. Yet, he also felt as if something deep inside of him was driving him vigorously, making him feel that his thoughts were normal and reasonable because he was saving his father.


    Meanwhile, the cave''s wall suddenly began to shine like two bright lights. Soon after, a strong gaze was instantly fixed on Rocky.


    "I think I know why... It''s because your soul doesn''t belong to your current body. Moreover, the soul that really belongs to the body is waking up, so your consciousness has been gradually affected..." The voice in the cave stopped speaking for a moment. After a short while, it then slowly explained Rocky the plausible reason.


    "What? What do you mean? There''s another soul in my body? Can it be..." Rocky''s eyes widened in shock. All along, he thought that the real Basil was dead.


    If what the voice inside the cave said was true, then that would mean that the real Basil was not dead, and his soul was still in this body. His soul had been in a deep sleep just because it was occupied by Rocky''s soul.


    "Do you often surpass your body''s limits and use the power that your body can''t bear?" the voice inquired.


    Rocky''s mouth turned into a frown as he nodded.


    "Well, I think I know what''s happening now. If you use power beyond your body''s limits, it will not only hurt your body but also your soul. Perhaps you are not aware of this, but your soul has become incomplete. Thus, it will cause the other soul in your body to wake up. Moreover, the consciousness of the other soul will invisibly affect your thoughts, but you won''t realize that it is the consciousness of another soul and not yours. As this happens, you would only think that it is your own thought. That can be the only reasonable explanation for your current situation." In this way, the voice successfully solved Rocky''s doubts.


    It could not be denied that it was hard for him to believe what he just heard, but it could also finally explain the strange situation that had happened to him. Was his consciousness really affected by Basil''s soul that he would have the intense determination to save the emperor this time?


    "Perhaps, you may find my words unbelievable to some extent, and I won''t blame you for that. However, you have to believe that the power of the soul is very powerful. The spiritual race was once obsessed with souls'' power, causing th


    B¡ªBasil... you have entered... the royal family''s forbidden area... haven''t you?" the emperor exclaimed in astonishment.


    "Father, the Dragon Master Clan asked me to bring spiritual treasure in exchange for your freedom, so I went to the forbidden area without thinking twice," Rocky responded. At the same time, he fixed his eyes on the power of the spiritual shadows of the Hexagonal Netting Dragon Ring that was wildly colliding with the enchanted barrier.


    "Do you... have the spiritual treasure... with you right now?" the emperor asked, with a noticeable tone of excitement in his voice.


    Rocky nodded.


    "Basil, no matter what happens, never let... the Dragon Master Clan... take away the spiritual treasure from you. Otherwise..." Without warning, the emperor''s face changed drastically.


    "I''ve already known everything about the spiritual treasure. Father, please don''t worry about it. I have a plan, and I know what I''m doing! But, do you know why the Hexagonal Netting Dragon Ring is acting like this?" Rocky turned his gaze to the spiritual shadows that continuously shot out from the ring. As a result, its constant contact with the enchanted barrier almost covered all of it.


    "The Hexagonal Netting Dragon Ring... is the Spiritual Weapon... owned by the fifth emperor of our Holy Dragon Empire... Among all the emperors... of our empire, the fifth emperor was the strongest spirit manipulator..." the emperor said with difficulty, catching his breath in the process. Then, he coughed a few times and continued, "It is said that he became a spirit manipulator at the peak of the ninth grade... of the Immortal Stage... And the most powerful part... of the Hexagonal Netting Dragon Ring... is that based on the holder''s own will... it will have different forms of attacks or defenses to maximize the holder''s strength..."

 Chapter 1119 Rescuing The Emperor

    "Different forms?" As though something crossed his mind, Rocky''s eyes narrowed at the enchanted barrier that had appeared when the spiritual shadow collided it. Then, he gently pressed his palm against its center.


    All of a sudden, with Rocky''s palm at its center, spiritual power rippled outward like waves. Gradually, the ripples spread across the threads of the spider web that was formed by the spiritual shadow.


    Under the impact of the rippling spiritual power, the enchanted barrier began to tremble violently. Moments later, the vibrations intensified, til hairline cracks began to appear.


    "Ah!" Rocky exclaimed, popping open his eyes. Suddenly, a strong spiritual power surged out from his palm and onto the enchanted barrier. With a loud bang, the whole enchanted barrier shattered into countless pieces, like broken glass. In the blink of an eye, the barrier had vanished without a trace.


    Once the enchanted barrier was broken, Rocky immediately brandished the Frozen Wind Dagger, slashing at the wooden fence. Then, he rushed to his father, the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire.


    As he got closer, Rocky could see the state the emperor was left in. Long wisps of silver hair framed his hollowed cheeks. His eyes were sunken, as though he barely slept. His torn-up robe revealed emaciated hands and feet.


    "Father..." Rocky couldn''t help but tremble with mixed emotions at the sight of his mistreated father. Yet, he was not supposed to have such emotions.


    "Don''t worry, my child. It''s lucky enough that I am still alive. What matters now is that I lived to see you again," the emperor said calmly. His old wrinkled face revealed a thankful smile, his eyes brimming with tears of gratitude.


    "Let''s go." Rocky abruptly turned around to let the emperor mount his back. Together, they left the cave as fast as they could, flying straight down.


    On the other side, Bryant and Marcia were fighting side by side against the ordinary spiritual beings of the Dragon Master Clan.


    "General Marcia, what on earth do you want?" Bryant suddenly asked, hi


    anding among the foursome, Rocky barked orders quickly.


    "Leave it to me. You go protect my father. Chief Bryant and General Marcia are coming," Rocky said to the foursome.


    "You guys go first. Basil and I will stay here," Sabina said resolutely.


    "I''ll stay, too," Lucilla chimed in immediately.


    "Rocky, what did you do to make these two girls so willing to follow you? I envy you so much!" Sheridan teased playfully, while Sabina rolled her eyes.


    Seeing how Sabina and Lucilla were willing to go through fire and water for Rocky, Shirley felt restless.


    "You all should go. If you stay here, I won''t be able to fight against the spiritual slaves freely," Rocky said gravely.


    Upon hearing this, the foursome exchanged wary glances. Finally, they obeyed, taking their spirit-manipulated beasts to meet Ken. There they found the emperor resting on its back.


    At the sight of their escaped prisoner, the spiritual slaves immediately regrouped and rushed to Rocky and the others. Instantly, the sky and earth were swarming with beasts.


    Since the emperor had been saved and was now under their protection, Rocky didn''t have to hold back any longer. His left arm was transformed into a pillar of flame, a direct complement to his right arm of ice. He then began to ruthlessly attack with all his strength, slaying all the beasts and spiritual slaves around him.

 Chapter 1120 The Patriarch Is Coming

    Sheridan and the three women tried their best to protect the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire from being attacked by the dragons swooping down from the sky.


    After a short stalemate, Bryant and Marcia finally got away from the Dead Valley, trying to join the foursome. Yet, five ordinary spiritual beings chased after the two.


    "General Marcia! I don''t care about your plan, but the most important task right now is to save His Majesty. We should work together to break out of the encirclement!" Bryant shouted to Marcia.


    She nodded. Two beams of residual light appeared as they moved in lightning speed towards their group. And in an instant, they were beside Sheridan and the others.


    "Why are you here?" the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire asked, surprised to see Bryant and Marcia.


    They stared at the emperor in dismal shock. They had never in their worst nightmare expected to see their hale and hearty emperor in this state.


    "Let''s go." Bryant signaled to the group and then nodded to Marcia.


    They formed a closed perimeter around the emperor, and led by Bryant and Marcia, the group quickly broke out of the encirclement.


    But the five ordinary spiritual beings caught up to them, and in the blink of an eye, blocked their path.


    Another figure appeared in front of them at lightning speed, and dealt a direct attack to the five ordinary spiritual beings, distracting their attention from the group.


    The figure turned out to be Rocky who had just escaped the siege of the spiritual slaves.


    "Go! Go!" Rocky shouted to the others.


    Bryant immediately summoned his seven-star spiritual beast. "Get on!" he yelled to the rest of the group. After all of them mounted the beast, it soared into the air.


    "Bryant! Wait! We should help Basil!" Sabina exclaimed in horror. Rocky was fighting against the five ordinary spiritual beings on his own now. Even the weakest of them was at the preliminary grade of the Divine Stage, almost as powerful as Rocky, and the strongest of them was at the fifth grade of the Divine Stage. No


    idn''t understand what she was talking about. However, he noticed the complicated look in her eyes.


    At that moment, hundreds of figures appeared from the south side of the Dead Valley and rushed towards the two at full speed.


    At the same time, dozens of dragons appeared above them, blotting the sky and covering the sun. Their momentum was astonishing!


    Among them, was a huge dragon; it was like a moving fortress in the air. Its steel-like skin shone incomparably under the light of the sun. The other dragons shrunk in comparison to it. On the back of the enormous dragon stood three figures, and their auras were similar to the moonlight, covering the sky and ground, including the whole of Dead Valley.


    Rocky and Marcia, who were besieged, sensed the intense spiritual auras from the three figures.


    "The patriarch is coming..." Marcia said coldly, but her tone was very calm. She seemed familiar with the auras. Rocky turned to look at her. It seemed like she had come back awaiting these three people.


    Rocky''s face darkened as he watched the gigantic dragon scoop down from the sky and land only a hundred meters away from them, raising a wave of dust around it.


    As soon as the dragon landed, the hundreds of figures that had appeared along with it, the spiritual slaves and the spirit manipulators knelt down on one knee and bowed their heads.

 Chapter 1121 The Complicated Rescue Operation

    At that moment, three figures slowly dismounted from the back of the fast-moving dragons. In the blink of an eye, they were already less than ten meters away from Marcia and Rocky. However, they seemed to have never moved a muscle, nor walked towards them.


    Rocky could not help but get stunned upon seeing the three figures in front of him. Initially, he thought that the spiritual master of the Dragon Master Clan that he had seen before was already very powerful beyond his imagination, but compared with these three figures with formidable auras, that spiritual master was a flimsy ant. Therefore, it was obvious that these three were legendary big shots.


    Meanwhile, the three figures drew closer and closer to Rocky as they approached his team. Rocky, who was standing in front of his companions, could not help but notice the leading figure walking towards him and thought, ''He must be the leader.'' He wore a dragon-shaped armor made of a mysterious material, which looked very durable and had withstood countless battles. He had a pair of long and thick horns that stuck out of his head, and a long and flat face, the kind of face that was common for an aggressive hero. But his most frightening thing was his eyes like snake''s that radiated extremely sharp lights, along with his pair of wings that were similar to what a dragon beast had.


    In contrast to this dominant figure, his two other subordinates looked fairly pleasant, approachable, and old. Despite this, it could not be ignored that their auras were not so friendly.


    "That''s Rex Kang. He is the current patriarch of the Dragon Master Clan," Marcia whispered as she leaned closer to Rocky''s ear.


    "Really? So, he''s the patriarch, huh? Well, what can I say? He does look extraordinary." Rocky looked at Rex Kang with a slight frown.


    "Marcia, are you not aware that breaking into the Dead Valley is considered a capital crime?" Rex Kang said as he squinted his eyes at Marcia.


    "Of course, I am fully aware," Marcia replied without hesitation.


    "So, what seems to be the problem? You already knew about the rule, so why did you still violate it? Why did you take these humans to the valley and take away the condemned prisoner?" Rex Kang''s horns started to steam up as he started to get fuming mad.


    "Patriarch, we are not taking a condemned prisoner away. He is the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire, and it is his right to be returned to his beloved people in the empire. And since when did the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire become a condemned prisoner of the Dragon Master Clan? Please, tell me. I''m all ears," Marcia retaliated.


    "That''s none of your business. Step aside. Wait ''til I punish you for breaking our clan''s rules. Let me deal with these arrogant humans first." Undoubtedly, Rex Kang didn''t want to explain any further.


    "No, I won''t let you hurt him," Marcia said with firm resolution.


    Hearing this, Rex Kang clenched his fists and glared


    o chase you and your partners."


    And just like that, Rocky immediately put down the Frozen Wind Dagger. He took a look at Marcia and said, "I have another condition. I want her to leave, as well. And you must promise not to punish her in the future because of this."


    "Oh, brat. My patience is limited. Quit yapping and hand the spiritual treasure to me!" Rex Kang''s face distorted in anger.


    "Well, whether you say yes is up to you," Rocky said as he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.


    "Okay! I promise you. I swear that I will not hunt her down." Without any other choice, Rex glared at Rocky and finally agreed.


    "General Marcia, you can leave now." Rocky grabbed Marcia''s hand and pulled her to his side.


    "You are the one who should leave. Give me the spiritual treasure. You have completed your task. You don''t have to stay here any longer. Leave the rest to me. After all, it''s my business," Marcia said to Rocky in a severe tone.


    "Huh? What are you talking about?" Hearing what she had just said, Rocky raised his eyebrows in confusion.


    "I didn''t expect that you would take out the spiritual treasure so soon. You should have never been involved in it. But from the moment you took out the spiritual treasure from the forbidden area of the royal family, everything was destined to happen," Marcia explained coldly as her eyes give out cold light that no one dared to approach.


    Meanwhile, a large number of figures suddenly appeared from the west of the Dead Valley, coming over to them densely. At the same time, a large number of dragon shadows surged over like an army, instantly besieging the clansmen that Rex Kang led.


    As soon as Rocky saw what was happening, shock filled his system. Soon after, he looked at Marcia''s cold and emotionless face as if she was preparing herself to face a fierce battle. At that moment, he seemed to understand that this rescue operation was probably just a prelude to a more complicated fight.

 Chapter 1124 Amazing Spiritual Power

    There was a loud noise and with it, a vast cloud of sand and dust soared into the sky.


    "Basil..." Seeing this, Marcia immediately rushed towards Rocky.


    However, before she could even get halfway there, Reginald had descended from the sky. His right fist was glowing with an astonishing spiritual light as bright as the sun itself. It was impossible to look at it without burning one''s eyes out. It was clear that he had gathered a furious amount of power in it!


    Reginald rushed like a meteor at Rocky before the latter could get up.


    Rocky was already injured badly, which meant he didn''t have the strength or speed to dodge the coming attack.


    He was about to face death at Reginald''s hands in front of everyone.


    All of a sudden, a delicate figure flew over and blocked Reginald''s path to Rocky. It was Marcia. Before she had no time to think or adjust her position, she had taken the full force of Reginald''s attack on her delicate back.


    In no time, a wave of golden and red light instantly soared into the sky, and the powerful force broke the spiritual power that was protecting her body and hit her directly.


    This blow had been equivalent in power to that of a spiritual martial arts skill at the Immortal Stage. The damage it could cause was cataclysmic!


    Rocky opened his eyes wide and looked at the delicate figure in front of him. Marcia... giving up her last breath to give him a fighting chance.


    Then, she coughed with a muffled voice. Her face turned extremely pale. The power of Reginald''s fist had rushed into her body and caused serious damage. Even though she had a half-spirit body, she could not bear such a violent impact.


    Her last moment, however, seemed happy, as she looked at Rocky with a faint smile. She held his face with her hands and then kissed him.


    One last kiss to say goodbye.


    And then, she fell into his arms, lifeless and cold, a needless death in a stupid fight!


    "Marcia!" Rocky roared as he held the woman in his arms. Flame of fury rose from his body in an instant.


    "Sister? Marcia!" Moira was stunned as well. She had never acknowledged Marcia. The latter was a human''s child, and was responsible for making her father the sinner of the Dragon Master Clan. However, no matter what happened, she was still her sister.


    "Go to hell!" In a fit of blind rage, Moira rushed towards Reginald, but she was s


    rrible blow to the power and pride of the latter. They couldn''t let that happen.


    Furthermore, when Rex saw Rocky''s amazing evil power, he immediately realized that Rocky would pose a big threat to him if not stopped in time.


    At that moment, Rocky had completely unsealed the power of the sixth layer, and was now surrounded by the black flame. He was also emitting endless evil power, which would have made a common onlooker tremble with fear.


    "Kill him!" Rex snapped at Reginald in secret.


    As soon as the man received the order, he began attacking Rocky ferociously. His first attack consisted of a golden dragon that rushed out of his hand towards Rocky.


    Without showing any signs of weakness or fear, Rocky once again wielded the black Moon Blade and sliced at the golden dragon. However, as soon as the blade collided with the dragon, the beast immediately devoured it as if it were candy. Before Rocky could recover, he found himself completely wrapped by the dragon with the grip tightening moment by moment.


    What was worse, under the entanglement of the golden dragon, he felt like the evil spiritual power on his body was getting devoured constantly and his power was beginning to weaken. No matter how hard he struggled, he could not get rid of the beast around him.


    "You can''t break the Dragon Wrapping Seal. Go to hell!" With a sneer, Reginald already showed up in front of Rocky. A spiral golden ball in his palm, containing amazing spiritual power, jumped out and was then directly imprinted on Rocky''s chest. Rocky''s fate seemed to have been sealed!

 Chapter 1123 Resist With All His Might

    "Thank you, but you''re just using me to get what you want, aren''t you?" Rocky contradicted. His eyes narrowed into slits, and then he cast another glance at Marcia.


    "Basil, give the spiritual treasure to my sister, please. I already made a deal with her. You can rescue your father if you give the spiritual treasure to the Mu Clan. This is the best solution that we have. If you want to blame someone, you can blame me for everything," Marcia suddenly cut in. Her eyes twinkled with tears. She knew that she was in no position to speak to Rocky now. After all, it was she who concealed the most important secret from Rocky from the very beginning. She knew very well what kind of person Moira was. If Rocky did not give her the spiritual treasure, he would surely suffer.


    "Let us talk about that after we get back. But I am telling you this now, I will never give it to them." Rocky refused Marcia''s request firmly.


    "You are definitely asking for it!" Moira said angrily as she immediately reached out to grab Rocky by the throat.


    Marcia hurried to stand in front of Rocky and seriously said to her sister, "Just leave him to me. Remember that we have something more important to do. If Rex does not die, it will be useless even if we get the spiritual treasure."


    Moira cast an unwilling glance at Rocky and snorted, but she left him alone eventually. She and the other two spiritual masters passed by Marcia and Rocky, heading directly to Rex.


    "Moira, do you really want to be a rebel?" Rex''s face became sulky. He didn''t expect that he would fall into the Mu Clan''s trap.


    "You don''t have the right to speak to me. Today, the blood shed by our clan''s ancestors will be paid back with your blood!" Moira slowly stretched out her hand. She was holding a bone spear in the shape of a dragon''s spine, she was clearly intimidating and frightening Rex.


    "Kill them all!" Moira immediately ordered.


    With that, the elites of the Mu Clan rushed like a swarm of hornets toward the Dragon Master Clan which was led by Rex.


    On the other hand, Moira and the two spiritual masters also found their targets. They rushed toward Rex and the other two elders of the Dragon Master Clan.


    A civil war of the Dragon Master Clan was on the verge of breaking out!


    The battle within the Dragon Master Clan was astounding. The battlefield stretched on for miles; bri


    instantly shrouded Rocky.


    The power of the spiritual master was at least equal to that of an Immortal Stage master, and his strength was undoubtedly magnificent.


    In a blink of an eye, Ken turned sideways, and the light on its body brightened. Its power of guardian beast increased in an instant. The colorful light became more dazzling, and forcefully blocked the hit from Reginald. But Ken was directly thrown away and fell to the ground, causing a huge wave of dust.


    With Ken''s cover, Rocky had a chance to attack. A spiritual shadow burst out from the Hexagonal Netting Dragon Ring and formed a spiritual whip, quickly rolling towards the Sunrise Magic Dragon Bow.


    Reginald did not expect that Rocky had a trick like that. He sped up, but it was a little too late. One misstep really made a great difference. The Sunrise Magic Dragon Bow had been snatched by the whip and it fell into Rocky''s grip. Rocky immediately sent it back to his Magic Spiritual Space.


    Reginald was so outraged and humiliated that he instantly rushed towards Rocky for revenge. The strong spiritual power all over his body exploded, and his fists rushed out like beating drums. His huge fists were smashing down like huge stones at Rocky''s body.


    Because Reginald''s power was far stronger than Rocky''s, the latter got hit thrice in a row even though he tried his best to block it. He spat out a few mouthfuls of blood because of the intensity of the impact. His face changed drastically. He was seriously injured and his whole body fell to the ground.


    The time seemed to stand still.

 Chapter 1124 Amazing Spiritual Power

    There was a loud noise and with it, a vast cloud of sand and dust soared into the sky.


    "Basil..." Seeing this, Marcia immediately rushed towards Rocky.


    However, before she could even get halfway there, Reginald had descended from the sky. His right fist was glowing with an astonishing spiritual light as bright as the sun itself. It was impossible to look at it without burning one''s eyes out. It was clear that he had gathered a furious amount of power in it!


    Reginald rushed like a meteor at Rocky before the latter could get up.


    Rocky was already injured badly, which meant he didn''t have the strength or speed to dodge the coming attack.


    He was about to face death at Reginald''s hands in front of everyone.


    All of a sudden, a delicate figure flew over and blocked Reginald''s path to Rocky. It was Marcia. Before she had no time to think or adjust her position, she had taken the full force of Reginald''s attack on her delicate back.


    In no time, a wave of golden and red light instantly soared into the sky, and the powerful force broke the spiritual power that was protecting her body and hit her directly.


    This blow had been equivalent in power to that of a spiritual martial arts skill at the Immortal Stage. The damage it could cause was cataclysmic!


    Rocky opened his eyes wide and looked at the delicate figure in front of him. Marcia... giving up her last breath to give him a fighting chance.


    Then, she coughed with a muffled voice. Her face turned extremely pale. The power of Reginald''s fist had rushed into her body and caused serious damage. Even though she had a half-spirit body, she could not bear such a violent impact.


    Her last moment, however, seemed happy, as she looked at Rocky with a faint smile. She held his face with her hands and then kissed him.


    One last kiss to say goodbye.


    And then, she fell into his arms, lifeless and cold, a needless death in a stupid fight!


    "Marcia!" Rocky roared as he held the woman in his arms. Flame of fury rose from his body in an instant.


    "Sister? Marcia!" Moira was stunned as well. She had never acknowledged Marcia. The latter was a human''s child, and was responsible for making her father the sinner of the Dragon Master Clan. However, no matter what happened, she was still her sister.


    "Go to hell!" In a fit of blind rage, Moira rushed towards Reginald, but she was s


    rrible blow to the power and pride of the latter. They couldn''t let that happen.


    Furthermore, when Rex saw Rocky''s amazing evil power, he immediately realized that Rocky would pose a big threat to him if not stopped in time.


    At that moment, Rocky had completely unsealed the power of the sixth layer, and was now surrounded by the black flame. He was also emitting endless evil power, which would have made a common onlooker tremble with fear.


    "Kill him!" Rex snapped at Reginald in secret.


    As soon as the man received the order, he began attacking Rocky ferociously. His first attack consisted of a golden dragon that rushed out of his hand towards Rocky.


    Without showing any signs of weakness or fear, Rocky once again wielded the black Moon Blade and sliced at the golden dragon. However, as soon as the blade collided with the dragon, the beast immediately devoured it as if it were candy. Before Rocky could recover, he found himself completely wrapped by the dragon with the grip tightening moment by moment.


    What was worse, under the entanglement of the golden dragon, he felt like the evil spiritual power on his body was getting devoured constantly and his power was beginning to weaken. No matter how hard he struggled, he could not get rid of the beast around him.


    "You can''t break the Dragon Wrapping Seal. Go to hell!" With a sneer, Reginald already showed up in front of Rocky. A spiral golden ball in his palm, containing amazing spiritual power, jumped out and was then directly imprinted on Rocky''s chest. Rocky''s fate seemed to have been sealed!

 Chapter 1125 The Unbelievable Tragedy

    The golden ball approached Rocky, and hit him square in the chest.


    The crazy spiritual power seeped into his body and went on a rampage.


    He felt his body exploding and cracking in overwhelming pain. However, he did not let out a single groan. His eyes burned with intense anger.


    Seeing that Rocky remained standing after taking his attack head-on, Reginald was shocked. He raised his left palm once again, ready to hit Rocky with another attack, this time on his forehead.


    Rocky raised his eyes and looked directly at Reginald; an evil smile spread across his face. Suddenly, the power sealed in the seventh layer in his body was forcefully released, and the Dragon Spirit Mark on his left palm expanded quickly and appeared all over his body.


    Just as Reginald was about to hit Rocky, an incomparably violent and terrifying spiritual power rushed out of Rocky''s body all at once like a raging wave and turned into a black flame. It soared several meters into the sky and spread around them.


    The golden dragon wrapped around Rocky''s body was being pushed away slowly, and Reginald''s hand froze in midair, an inch away from Rocky''s head.


    "How... how is this possible?" Reginald''s face went blank. Rocky was so badly injured, yet how could he unleash such a devastating power? It even broke through his Dragon Wrapping Seal!


    While Reginald tried to come to terms with the fact that his seal was broken by this human, black flame arose from Rocky''s arm which he was using to block Reginald. The dark flame changed shape and transformed into snakes, turning menacingly towards Reginald.


    Since Rocky had his hold on him, there was no room for Reginald to escape from the oncoming attack.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Before Reginald could even brace himself, they were shrouded in black light. Strong explosions echoed constantly, covering the area around them.


    The ordinary spiritual beings and the spiritual slaves kept retreating in horror.


    Rex watched the black flame erupt in confused shock. "Is this really the power of the Holy Dragon Bead? How is it


    pieces."


    Immediately, a few ordinary spiritual beings and spiritual slaves surrounded Rocky.


    "Protect him!" Moira ordered the members of the Mu Clan. She believed that Rocky would be valuable to them, so she couldn''t let him die.


    However, two ordinary spiritual beings and almost thirty spiritual slaves were already approaching him at full speed. Rocky didn''t have the energy to fight against even one of them.


    He smiled weakly. "If I die, I''m taking some of you with me!" He threw his head back and burst into laughter. At the same time, he gathered his spiritual power with all his strength and summoned the ancient spiritual beast.


    The clansmen of the Dragon Master Clan, including the spiritual masters, gaped at the ancient spiritual beast flying out of Rocky''s Magic Spiritual Space. Their expressions clearly read¡ª"Why did this ancient spiritual beast, which had been extinct for a long time, now answer the summons of a human?"


    They were baffled.


    The appearance of the ancient spiritual beast was followed by a huge beam of yellow light which showered from the sky and wreaked havoc on the ground. Wherever it touched, there were screams, howls, and fleeing.


    In the blink of an eye, the ordinary spiritual beings and the spiritual slaves who had charged at Rocky were either dead or injured. It was an unbelievable tragedy for the Dragon Master Clan.

 Chapter 1126 His Soul Might Disappear (Part One)

    There was a reason why the spiritual race was called as such. They were so powerful that only the spiritual slaves, the creatures of lower ranks, were injured or killed.


    When Rocky found the ancient spiritual beast was utterly drained of all its energy as it faced the spiritual race, he summoned it back. As he finished wreaking havoc, he just stood firm and fixed his eyes at Rex, wearing a mocking grin on his face. By now, he actually had hardly any strength to remain standing, but he still wore the same expression as before, as if saying that he wouldn''t yield no matter what.


    Rex had to admit that Rocky really left a strong impression on everyone, including him. Never did he expect that a mere human being could create such an unbelievable tragedy in front of him. Furthermore, even though he was the patriarch of the Dragon Master Clan, Rocky wasn''t even fazed in the face of the supposedly mightiest being of their clan.


    "You arrogant bastard! I''ll kill you!" Rex couldn''t contain his rage anymore and rushed towards Rocky in a flash.


    Rocky was about to become a legend just because he successfully forced the patriarch of the Dragon Master Clan to fight him in person. However, Rex didn''t care what the people would say. He just wanted Rocky dead on his feet.


    Noticing his evil intention, Moira immediately chased after Rex and attempted to stop him. However, he was much faster than her. As he dashed forward, a golden light emerged from his hand and rose sharply. He planned to pierce Rocky with it at any second.


    Then, suddenly, a familiar voice was heard from behind him. "Don''t you dare do it, Rex. I won''t allow you¡­ to lay your filthy hands on my man!"


    Before Rex could even turn, a surging cyan light rushed towards him. He subconsciously felt a shiver shot down his spine, so he instantly avoided it. Then, the dazzling cyan light flashed past him and stopped right in front of Rocky.


    Because of the blinding light, no one could clearly see who was responsible for it.


    Gradually, the cyan light dissipated and a familiar figure stood in front of Rocky. It was a marvelous scene that everyone mig


    on her chest as she recalled what had happened to her in her dream. Right now, she could tell that her relationship with Rocky was something a bit different from romantic love. It was more of a deep bond, something that would enable them to willingly sacrifice their lives for the sake of the other.


    "Did I fall in love with you in the first place before I can realize it?" Rocky murmured while pouting his lips. He was indeed a little surprised that the curse was lifted given their current situation. But what mattered the most was that he was finally able to see that Marcia was safe and sound.


    "I don''t know! It''s not a bad thing anyway. I''m just glad I''m back with you." Marcia smiled faintly and then kissed him on the cheek. "This is a reward for you. Thanks for everything." Then, she playfully winked at him.


    Meanwhile, the members of the Dragon Master Clan didn''t know where to look at as they were dumbfounded at the behaviors of the two. It was as if they forgot that there were a lot of people around them. Moreover, they were in the middle of a civil war that could decide the reinstatement or extinction of the Mu Clan.


    But most importantly, they all began to sense that Marcia had a different aura than before. Besides the fact that she had acquired those wings, she had actually broken through the boundary between the human and the spiritual race. Right now, she was already a spiritual master.

 Chapter 1127 His Soul Might Disappear (Part Two)

    "Does it mean that my sister actually broke the taboo curse of the spiritual race?" Moira murmured to herself. She didn''t know what to think as she was consumed by a myriad of emotions.


    "This is bad. Someone has been able to get free from the mixed blood curse of the human and the spiritual race. If any other clans of the spiritual race know of this, the consequences would be dire!" Rex said as he broke in a cold sweat.


    "That''s right. We must do something. We cannot let them leave the Dragon Master Clan alive!"


    The two elders beside Rex had reached an agreement. They wanted to keep Marcia''s breakthrough a secret, so they needed to silence her. Without a second thought, the two of them flew in the air and rushed towards Marcia and Rocky.


    Marcia sneered as she saw the two elders viciously rushing towards them. She immediately gathered her spiritual power, and suddenly, a huge dragon shadow, as red as blood, dashed out. It was covered in blood-like streaks and patterns all over its body and possessed an overwhelming power that seemed like it could destroy the whole world. Moreover, the aura it carried was no less than that of the ancient spiritual beast summoned by Rocky earlier.


    Upon seeing this, the two incoming elders couldn''t help but stop in their tracks. Disbelief and horror were written all over their faces.


    "What the hell is that huge beast?" Rex''s eyes also widened in shock.


    Then, a low, deep, and booming voice suddenly reached everyone''s ears. It seemed that it came from a distance, but the voice was loud and clear. "Holy-blood Dragon King! One of the nine legendary guardian beasts and the sole legendary guardian beast of the Dragon Master Clan! Congratulations, my daughter! You were finally able to remove the despicable curse! It must be the will of Heavens!"


    All the members of the spiritual race looked around with a terrified expression on their faces. Upon recognizing whose voice it was, they all turned and looked at the direction of the Dead Valley.


    "Father? Is it father''s voice?" Marcia''s body trembled violently. It had been too long since she yearned for the day that she could see her father again. With her current strength, it felt like it wouldn''t take long before it became real.


    Even Moira started to shake intensely. She could not believe that her sister would be the one to unleash the legendary guardian beast of the Dragon Master Clan.


    "This is the Holy-blood Dragon King? This is inconceivable! Why would the legendary guardian beast take a half-spirit and half-human being as its master?"


    "It is said that the spiritual master who can control and possess the legendary guardian beast is the chosen one by God himself. He or she is destined to become the head of all the clans of the spiritual race! Simply put, the legendary guardian beast is the symbol of the king!"


    "Who would expect that the daughter of the former patriarch will be the master of the legendary guardian beast of the Dragon Master Clan? No one could really fathom the will of the Heavens."


    The members of t


    ued. Since the Mu Clan had been really preparing for this day and had an advantage in terms of number, they gradually edged the other side.


    All of a sudden, Rocky, who was on the sidelines and watching the battle between Marcia and the elder, felt a hazy sensation as if he was being engulfed by darkness. When he was able to see clearly again, he saw a figure in front of him¡ªa soul to be more specific. It seemed familiar and he knew that it wasn''t the first time he saw it. He then remembered that time when he encountered it in the mirror upon arriving at this world. However, this time, he could easily tell that it was looking at him with strong loathing and disgust.


    "Wait. I know you¡­ You''re Basil!" Rocky soon realized who he was looking at. His voice and body trembled in shock due to what he just witnessed.


    Right after Rocky shouted, the whole dark space suddenly became distorted. Countless images began surrounding him¡ªpictures and memories that he hadn''t seen before. In these images, most scenes showed the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire when he was young, a gentle and beautiful woman, and Lena, who was still a little girl.


    ''Are these Basil''s memories? It seems that the mysterious man I met in the Dead Valley was right. Basil''s soul is about to wake up. It must be the reason why I am seeing his memories. But why? Is this an effect of using too much power earlier? If this goes on, my soul might disappear sooner or later.'' As he was pondering on these thoughts, Rocky''s heartbeat raced, making him feel a little nauseous. He was a little scared of the thought that the time might come when his soul and consciousness would inevitably fade away.


    Needless to say, the disappearance of one''s soul would mean real death. Although he should have died in the accident back when he was in the modern world, his rebirth in Basil''s body gave him a new life. As he lived in this world, he also met a lot of people that he cared dearly.


    If he was to pick, he would rather lose his power than disappear in this world.

 Chapter 1128 How Did He Do That

    Perhaps, this was not fair to the deeply hidden soul in Rocky''s body. However, that soul chose to sleep because he wanted to escape the cruelty of this world. That was why Rocky''s soul entered Basil''s body. If it weren''t for the fact that he had repeatedly surpassed the limit of his physical strength, his soul wouldn''t have been damaged, and Basil''s soul might still be in a deep sleep.


    At that moment, Rocky looked a little upset, but he knew that he had to stop overusing his strength if he didn''t want his soul to disappear in this world. Unfortunately, he was in a situation where he had no choice but to exhaust his strength. It was the cruel face of reality.


    If he used his power, it would be at the cost of his physical condition every time, which he could not afford at the very moment. If he wanted to become stronger, he had to choose another way.


    Of course, it would take time for him to grow stronger.


    Thus, he had to make a good plan for his future if he could safely return to the Holy Dragon Empire.


    At that moment, Marcia, who was fighting valiantly with the Dragon Master Clan''s elder, was shocked when she saw that Rocky''s eyes suddenly became glassy and lifeless. She didn''t know what had happened to him, but she was distraught. Just now, Rocky had released the power sealed in the sixth and seventh layers even though he was gravely injured. Although she had sealed the power for Rocky, she knew that it would affect him negatively.


    However, she had no time to care about him. She was currently fighting an elder of the Dragon Master Clan. It was known to all that a warrior who could fight against an elder of the Dragon Master Clan was already very powerful. But she couldn''t defeat the elder, especially if she were distracted. It could cost her life.


    Of course, her priority was Rocky''s safety. So if Moira, her sister, successfully killed Rex and if the Mu Clan won the war, everything would finally come to an end.


    Marcia suddenly narrowed her eyes and opened her Magic Spiritual Space. In an instant, a spiritual light flew out of the Magic Spiritual Space, and a domineering halberd shadow fell into her hand. It was abou


    ch enveloped Marcia, Rocky, and the large area around them.


    The elder watched this development with a proud expression on his face, for he knew that Marcia had no chance of winning against him.


    A sinister smile was plastered on his face as Rex looked on at Marcia. He knew that even if Marcia didn''t die, she would definitely lose her fighting power after such a violent blow, and then Rocky would be his.


    Moira was a little worried about Marcia, but she knew that the ball was now in her court. She needed to win if they wanted to succeed, which meant that she had to kill Rex.


    However, since Rex and Moira were both high-level spiritual masters in the Dragon Master Clan, their strength was almost at the same level. It would not be easy for her to finish him off.


    Just as the elder thought that his attack was successful and was about to catch Rocky, he found that Rocky was no longer there. After the smoke dissipated, an astonishing scene appeared in the sky. A hexagonal light covered the whole atmosphere and completely enveloped Marcia. Not far away from her, Rocky, who almost died, was holding up the Hexagonal Netting Dragon Ring in his right hand.


    "What¡ªhow are you doing this?" Even Marcia was surprised to see such a shocking scene. Fortunately, Rocky blocked the blow from earlier, or else, she could have been seriously injured. However, Rocky was supposed to have no remaining strength. Then, how did he do that?

 Chapter 1129 Bow To The Sound

    Not long ago, Rocky had just woken up from a state that was similar to a sudden soul division. But when he opened his eyes, he felt like a jolt of energy struck him when he saw that Marcia was in grave danger. Desperate to save the general, he looked around for anything that could help him. Luckily, he found that there was still some remnant spiritual power in the Hexagonal Netting Dragon Ring. Needless to say, he emptied everything that the ring had to offer and released all of its remaining spiritual power to save her.


    During this time, he suddenly understood that the Hexagonal Netting Dragon Ring was actually like a spiritual power reservoir, which would store a portion of its holder''s spiritual power in it so that he could use the power whenever he pleased.


    And because of this, Marcia was able to narrowly escape from being killed.


    At once, the elder of the Dragon Master Clan saw that Marcia was now safe and sound. He suddenly shifted his gaze to the other figure next to Marcia and saw that Rocky, the one who saved her, was lying flat on his back and unable to move. Seeing this made the elder burst into fury, so he wasted no time and dashed towards Rocky right away.


    On the other hand, Marcia opened her eyes and saw that the situation was delicate, and that time was of the essence. Without hesitation, she rushed towards Rocky in an attempt to stop the elder from reaching him first. At that moment, she saw that Rocky was utterly exhausted. Moreover, Ken was severely injured, and Robin was also too weak to help him. In addition, the ancient spiritual beast had also been used, and his physical condition at the time didn''t allow him to release the evil power in the seal of his body.


    One could only imagine what would happen if the elder succeeded in attacking Rocky.


    Everyone''s chest pounded in thrill as the battle became more intense. In fact, what they were looking forward to the most was that this battle might determine the final result of the Dragon Master Clan''s internal conflict.


    Meanwhile, just as Marcia was giving her all to resist the elder''s attack, some ordinary spiritual beings and spiritual slaves took the opportunity to attack her from the other side, blocking her attack directly.


    Without thinking twice, Marcia immediately released the power of the forceful Flood Dragon Halberd with all her might. She was trying to eliminate the enemies around her so she could save Rocky, but obviously, she was still a step slower than her opponents.


    "Humph! Take this! Drown in the power of my saber strike!" As soon as the elder''s voice trailed off, he took out the oddly-shaped saber from his waist and slashed it in the air. In an instant, the saber light that was several meters wide directly rushed to Rocky at lightning speed. At that moment, it appeared that the elder prevented Rocky from resisting any of his future attacks.


    Without a doubt, the sabe


    nded upon seeing the huge egg shadow. ''I don''t think I have ever seen anything like this!'' she thought to herself in astonishment.


    At that time, Rocky poured all of his focus and attention to the enormous and sparkly egg shadow in front of him. Soon, he took out two bottles containing the blood essence of the legendary guardian beast, Moon Fox, and the ancient spiritual beast from the leather bag that he had always brought with him. Without wasting any time, he quickly opened each of the bottles and dropped the essence into the huge egg shadow.


    In an instant, the massive egg devoured the two drops of blood essence that Rocky had poured on it.


    Not long after, the huge egg shadow''s colorful light began to spread around the area with a staggering radius of hundreds of meters, like the ripples in a lake.


    Everyone who saw this let out a gasp of shock. But somehow, every noise there was died down as soon as they heard a strange cry echo from the egg shadow.


    At the same time, within thousands of meters away from them, almost all kinds of dragon beasts and guardian beasts stopped fighting. Just like how time froze, all of these beasts seemed to have been alarmed by the cry that they had just heard.


    However, it was not the most surprising thing to happen at that time. In fact, at that very moment, all the dragon beasts and guardian beasts within a thousand meters around, including those that flew in the sky, all knelt down. Their savagery was completely gone, and they were as docile as sheep. They felt like devout pilgrims as if the sound that had just resonated was the sound of God. Moreover, they felt deep in their souls that the compelling power of the sound made them surrender themselves entirely, leaving them powerless.


    Witnessing this made Rocky''s jaw drop in awe. Never had he expected that the egg transformed from Uriah could make the powerful guardian beasts of the spiritual race all bow to it.

 Chapter 1130 The Amazing Beast

    All the members of the Dragon Master Clan who were present were in disbelief upon seeing this breathtaking scene in front of them. At that moment, they regarded this massive egg shadow as the egg of a legendary beast that had manifested to the world.


    But of course, this was only the start of more surprising and exciting things that were yet to unfold.


    While all the attention of the members present was focused on the huge egg shadow, the sky changed its color out of nowhere. Soon after, numerous fire clouds gathered in the center, engulfing the entire sky within a hundred-meter radius.


    Not long after, fire fell from the fire clouds, turning the sight into a catastrophic rain of fire. In an instant, the massive egg shadow was surrounded by a lake of fire.


    Rocky and Marcia laid eyes on this apocalyptic view and hurriedly flew away from the scene to save themselves from more damage.


    On the other hand, the elder of the Dragon Master Clan was too dumbfounded to process all of this. As he was trembling in shock, all he was able to do at that moment was to take a step back.


    Meanwhile, the gigantic egg shadow was still continuously being surrounded by the sea of fire. Flames from the sky constantly gathered around the egg shadow, forming a towering wall around it.


    Boom!


    Suddenly, it seemed that the egg shadow was responsible for giving out a strong vibration. The ground around it that stretched up to a hundred meters constantly vibrated and shook violently, causing everything to jump up and down. Aftershocks continued to destroy the area as if something spectacular and humongous was about to come out of the egg.


    After countless vibrations, a loud cracking sound was heard, and the surface of the massive egg shadow began to show signs of opening.


    "Elder! What are you waiting for? There''s no time! Hurry and catch that brat!" Rex shouted at the elder urgently. "This is not good," he said to himself as he also sensed the peculiarity and had a bad feeling about this egg.


    It was not until then that the elder snapped back to reality and realized what had happened. Immediately, he soared into the sky in an attempt to go after Rocky and Marcia.


    However, the two elders of the Mu Clan, who had been controlled by another elder of the Dragon Master Clan, took advantage of the situation and came to Rocky and Marcia''s sides to protect them.


    Not long after, the situation became a stalemate as these powerful masters resisted each other''s attacks equally.


    On the other hand, the massive egg shadow was still transforming, distracting everyone around it.


    "Holy shit! Here comes trouble!" Wi


    e elder off immediately rushed over. At the same time, its three pairs of flaming wings spread out while the fire column spurted out, like a spray machine. In the blink of an eye, it turned into a remnant fire shadow.


    When Rocky was less than two or three meters away from the ground, the beast flew so fast that it was able to catch Rocky. Then, it rose and circled into the air before bringing Rocky down to the ground safely.


    "Good boy! Oh, I''ve missed you! We haven''t seen each other for such a long time! Look at you. You''ve grown and have become more powerful! I can''t believe that your speed is almost the same as light!" Rocky couldn''t help but show immense excitement and happiness as he looked at the huge flame light beast in front of him.


    Under the watchful eyes of the public, the light of the beast shadow faded, revealing its true face.


    Although the size of the beast was just about the same as that of an ordinary dragon beast, it gave people a sense of admiration and respect. Covered with bright red scales, its body sparkled in the night. It had a slender and strong body, just like that of a lion beast, and it looked vigorous and powerful. It had bulging muscles with clear lines. It had the head of a dragon beast, and its huge pupils were like fire lanterns that constantly shone with burning flames. In addition, there were two long wiggling beards at the tip of its mouth. The most amazing thing about this creature was its three pairs of flaming wings¡ªone big, one medium-sized and one small¡ªwhich looked a little odd but gave people a sense of perfection. Perhaps, the people would take some time getting used to this creature''s appearance, but for now, all they knew was that this creature was beyond amazing and beautiful.

 Chapter 1131 The Former Patriarch

    The Dragon Master Clan members'' eyes were glued to the flame light beast as soon as it appeared. They were used to seeing all kinds of guardian beasts and supernatural beasts their entire life, and yet, this was the first time they saw such a strange and fantastic beast. Or at least, they acted like this.


    There was a reason they were acting this way, though. Those from the spiritual race with some experience, could see at a glance that the beast in front of them had a perfect body. Whether it was the strength, speed, flying ability, or attributes, all of them seemed to be perfectly integrated into one beast, which should be impossible, no matter how high grade the dragon beast was.


    This beast seemed just as strong as the legendary beast of the Dragon Master Clan that had appeared earlier¡ªthe Holy-blood Dragon King. In other words, this flame light beast seemed similar in power and talent to a legendary guardian beast.


    However, even the Holy-blood Dragon King couldn''t subjugate those powerful guardian beasts. As for the flame light beast, that was as easy as lifting a finger.


    All the guardian beasts seemed to have lost their minds when the flame light beast appeared. But now, they finally returned to their ferocious state.


    At the time, Marcia had already flown down from the air and landed beside Rocky. She looked at the flame light beast in front of her with surprise and awe, for she could tell that it was by no means an ordinary beast.


    "What''s this, Basil?" Marcia couldn''t help but ask Rocky. In her opinion, Rocky already had two spirit-manipulated beasts that were as powerful as guardian beasts, and he could control them at the same time. Coupled with the ancient spiritual beast appeared before, now there was another beast at the same level as a legendary guardian beast. It was an unprecedented situation, one that never even entered her dreams!


    "This is Uriah, my first spirit-manipulated beast. You''ve seen it before." Rocky casually shrugged as if it was normal to have such a majestic beast above his other powerful beasts.


    "This is your first beast? It looks... different." Marcia''s beautiful face was slack in astonishment, as she tried to remember when she had met Rocky''s first beast. It was unbelievable that the lovely spirit-manipulated beast had grown into such a powerful existence now.


    However, it was hard for Marcia to understand why a seemingly ordinary spiri


    out permission? Have you forgotten that you are not allowed to do that? You have made a promise that you will never step out of the Dead Valley for the rest of your life." As soon as Rex saw the figure, his face darkened in anger.


    This person was Malcom, the former patriarch of the Mu Clan, who fell in love with a human woman in the past. That woman gave birth to Marcia.


    As soon as the Dragon Master Clan members present, including Rex''s followers, saw Malcom, most of them knelt respectfully. Even the elders of the Dragon Master Clan nodded slightly to show their respect. This action showed how highly the Dragon Master Clan perceived Malcom.


    Since Malcom was the patriarch of the Dragon Master Clan in the past, most of the clan''s members looked up to him. Thousands of people worshiped him back then. Thus, even though he had made a big mistake and violated the taboo of the spiritual race, most of them still supported him. If he wanted to do something, no one would have any objection. However, Malcom accepted punishment in the end, and he abdicated from the position of patriarch. Later, he voluntarily stayed inside the Dead Valley, and promised never to step foot outside again.


    When Rex confronted him about his promise, he didn''t look the least bit guilty. Instead, Malcom appeared relaxed and collected as if he didn''t care about Rex at all. He looked straight at Marcia and Moira, sighed slightly, and said, "For so many years, you have suffered a lot. If I hadn''t made a mistake in the past, the Mu Clan wouldn''t have fallen. However, I don''t regret falling in love with Marcia''s mother."

 Chapter 1132 A Special Existence

    "Father, please don''t say that! Since you have finally come out, it''s time for our Mu Clan to regain control of the Dragon Master Clan." Moira tried to persuade Malcom.


    Malcom glanced at his daughter and shook his head. Then he looked around at the members of the Dragon Master Clan and said, "Let''s stop here. There''s no need to kill each other anymore!"


    His words reached the members present and most of them lost their will to fight.


    "Malcom, you are the former patriarch of our clan. If you persuade your daughter to return the Mu Clan to the Dragon Master Clan, I''ll let her go scot-free today," Rex said, seemingly showing a magnanimous gesture. But it was obvious that he was afraid of Malcom. Malcom had been one of the three strongest spiritual masters of the Dragon Master Clan since ancient times, and was also one of the most influential figures when the clan was at its strongest period. This man was old¡ªmuch older than any elder in the Dragon Master Clan. However, owing to his powerful aura, it was impossible to see his actual age.


    "Leave with your people, Rex. I am only here to see my daughters. Do not get in my way..." he warned in a calm tone.


    Rex''s face became rigid, but he wasn''t willing to leave just like that. He growled, "Malcom! You will only let the Mu Clan fall into an irreparable situation by doing this."


    Before he could say another word, a fearsome aura rushed towards him. His expression changed dramatically in that instant; he saw the murderous look in Malcom''s eyes.


    If he willed to do so, Malcom could kill Rex on the spot.


    Realizing that it wasn''t wise to provoke Malcom, Rex took a step back. He knew that Malcom always kept his promises, otherwise he wouldn''t have kept quiet after Rex had washed his hands with the blood of the Mu Clan. Malcom said he was only there to see his daughters, so he wouldn''t cause any trouble.


    Finally, Rex waved his hand bitterly and ordered his men to retreat and departed in a sour mood.


    Once they retreated, the members of the Mu Clan left as well, leaving Malcom, Marcia,


    will bring terrible disaster upon the world. Moreover, I suspect that some insidious people deliberately provoked disasters in the dark. So, you should absolutely make sure that they remain separated at all costs," Malcom reminded sternly.


    Rocky nodded in understanding.


    "And then, there is this..." Malcom looked at the spirit-manipulated beast with a heavy sigh. "I cannot fathom the origin of this beast. But I can tell you that it is not inferior to the legendary guardian beast in any way; it may even be stronger. It is an incomprehensible existence. I feel it has something to do with your extraordinary power. Your soul power is very strong; you may have changed the beast by your superior soul power. Of course, there must be a reason for the existence of this beast," Malcom said, looking at Uriah who was standing beside Rocky.


    "I see..." Rocky replied.


    "Have you forgotten our conversation from earlier? You used your strength beyond the limit of your body again. As I said before, the consequences of this will be very serious. Remember my warning!" he reminded sternly again, looking right into Rocky''s eyes.


    "That was you..." Rocky finally realized that it was Malcom''s voice he had heard in the cave of the Dead Valley¡ªthe voice that had told him that Basil''s soul still existed.


    "Father, is something wrong with Basil?" Marcia asked suspiciously.

 Chapter 1133 The Involvement Of The Butterfly Divine Clan

    "It''s his own business. I believe he can solve it on his own." Malcom paused for a second and laid his eyes on Marcia. Then, he continued, "Marcia, I''ll transform my power into a Dragon Sarira and leave it to you. I hope you inherit my power so you can help your elder sister regain the ruling power of the Dragon Master Clan. I have full confidence that you two can bring the Dragon Master Clan to its right track with the help of the Holy-blood Dragon King. After all, it has already restored its real body of a legendary guardian beast. Be careful and promise me that you won''t let me down!" After finishing his words, he looked at Moira as if he was expecting her to say something in reply.


    "I promise, Father! We definitely will!" Moira raised her hand and pledged in all sincerity and seriousness.


    "Well, it''s about time. I''m leaving. Take care, my brave daughters!" His body started to blur slowly, like a phantom, but at the same time shone with boundless radiance.


    "Father! Don''t go! Please stay with us!" Both Marcia and Moira reached out their hands as they tried to stop him from leaving.


    All the members of the Mu Clan saw this and came to realize that this would be the last time they would see their former respectful patriarch, for he was leaving forever. Sadness and despair crept over their faces. They all knelt down to kowtow to say goodbye to this great figure who had made indelible influence and achievements for the Dragon Master Clan.


    Meanwhile, Rocky stood on the side and saw this heartbreaking scene. He could not help but heave a deep sigh and exclaiming how the affairs of the world were volatile. Even as a member of a powerful spiritual race, he had to follow the reincarnation of life one day.


    "Oh, Father, please don''t go!" Marcia''s delicate face was filled with tears and deep sorrow. Trembling, she reached out her hand to pull her father back, but instead, she only grasped air. But the next moment, Malcom transformed into an extremely blinding light and rushed towards the sky, piercing the clouds and heading to the sun.


    Soon, their eyes were transfixed on the light until it vanished from their sight. At the same time, a golden bead floated where Malcom was standing, emitting a very powerful aura as it hovered.


    "Marcia, this is the last thing our father left behind for you. Make good use of it and do not waste this precious gift. Don''t let him down!" Moira reminded as she cast a sincere and warm glance at her sister.


    "F¡ªFather!" Marcia shouted with a trembling voice full of pain. As she spread her palm, the Dragon Sarira immediately landed on it. Soon after, she grabbed it tightly and held it close to her chest. Tears flooded her eyes at that moment. Biting her pink lips, she fused the Dragon Sarira into her body. Without warning, her entire body was filled with golden light, and her original aura was increased again.


    The Dragon Sarira possessed an unimaginable power, and it would take Marcia some time to completely refine it. When that day came,


    these two delicate figures, then he would have been very surprised. One of these figures was Cherry, and the other one was the pretty girl from the spiritual race he had come across in the Hell of Dragon Fang.


    "But, what I didn''t expect is that even a big shot like Malcom, the most powerful figure of the Dragon Master Clan, was unable to get rid of the reincarnation." Cherry felt melancholy and surprise seep through her soul after witnessing Malcom''s death with her own eyes. It was not a bad thing for her, though. Malcom was regarded as a spiritual leader in the Dragon Master Clan. Therefore, losing him could be compared to losing the clan''s arm. In addition, the Dragon Master Clan had just gone through a civil war because of the Mu Clan''s revitalization. It could be said that the Dragon Master Clan, which had been prosperous for a while, was now spiraling down.


    "Huh, things are just starting to get more interesting," the pretty girl said with great interest.


    "We have to hurry! We don''t know who is behind all these fights for the spiritual treasures, but I think that we can take this opportunity to revive the Butterfly Divine Clan. When the right time comes, I can take out the spiritual treasure of our clan and call for our people to unite. By then, the Butterfly Divine Clan will stand side by side with all other clans," murmured Cherry as she clenched her fists.


    "But I don''t think he''s going to help us get the spiritual treasure. Didn''t you see how stubborn he was when he refused to give the spiritual treasure to the Dragon Master Clan?" The pretty girl didn''t hold much hope to Rocky.


    "Don''t worry. I can give him a reason to help us. It''s something that he can''t resist. Besides, if it weren''t for me, he would have died a long time ago. How could he make such a scene in the Dragon Master Clan now? I believe he will have no choice but to agree with me," Cherry said firmly with a calm expression plastered on her face as if everything was going well as she had planned.

 Chapter 1134 Cultivate Together

    As soon as Marcia and Rocky pulled out of the Dragon Master Clan, they received some much-needed good news from Moira. The members of the Mu Clan she had sent out earlier had successfully escorted Bryant and the emperor back to the Imperial City. There were some obstacles on the way, but with the elite forces of the Ximen Clan supporting them on Bryant''s orders, the group had already returned to the Imperial City safe and sound.


    Rocky and Marcia rushed back and headed straight to the Palace City.


    They met Bryant and the others outside the emperor''s chamber. Lena was with them.


    "Master! Basil!" Sabina and Lucilla exclaimed as soon as they saw the two enter. They had been waiting anxiously for a while, and it was obvious that they had been worried sick. Seeing them alive, the group breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Basil, are you okay?" Lena asked with great concern, seeing the wounds on Rocky''s body.


    "My dear disciple, how are you even standing up straight with those injuries?" Sheridan commented, staring at the bloodstains all over him. "I would have passed out a long time ago."


    "I''m fine," Rocky assured with a smile.


    "Did you hand over the spiritual treasure?" Bryant inquired, looking between Rocky and Marcia.


    "No." Rocky shook his head.


    "Then, how did you..." Bryant asked doubtfully, and then looked at Marcia. From the look in her eyes, he understood that something must have happened after they left.


    Later, he would be surprised to know that the two of them had witnessed an appalling internal war within the Dragon Master Clan.


    "It''s a long story. Let''s talk about it later. Where is my father?" Rocky asked.


    "Resting," Bryant said, looking at the direction of the emperor''s chamber.


    Rocky nodded and walked in. As he walked into the emperor''s chamber, Malcom''s warning rang through his mind.


    He was now sure that the real Basil''s soul was hidden deep within his body, and


    il..." The emperor tried to argue, but Rocky interrupted, "Father, you should rest now. We can talk about it later."


    The emperor hesitated for a moment before he nodded, and slowly closed his eyes.


    Rocky stood by his side till he fell asleep and then walked out of the chamber.


    Lena, Sabina and Lucilla surrounded him immediately.


    "Basil, I gave orders to clean up the Crimson Palace. Let''s go back and get some rest," Lena said.


    Rocky nodded and then looked at Marcia.


    "You may go there first. I have something to talk with Chief Bryant now," Marcia said to Rocky.


    "Well, count me out! I need a drink. Disciple, I will see you later!" Sheridan said as he walked away from them, waving his hand in the air. Alcohol, according to him, was the best medicine for any kind of wound.


    Chuckling silently, Rocky headed to the Crimson Palace with the three women.


    Shirley stared at Rocky''s retreating back and her eyes shook violently as if she had something on her mind.


    "Shirley, you head back too," Bryant said and then gestured Marcia to follow him. The two of them left the palace together.


    Initially, Rocky intended to have a good rest after returning to the Crimson Palace. However, Sabina wanted to cultivate with him to help him heal his wounds first.

 Chapter 1135 Stay In The Palace City

    "Sabina, have you already cultivated with Basil?" Lena said with admiration, as her beautiful eyes fluttered gracefully.


    Seeing that the three women were so interested in their research about co-cultivation, Rocky was at a loss whether to cry or laugh.


    "You can study it first. I''m going out." While the three women were still in a daze, Rocky took advantage and disappeared in an instant.


    They saw too late that Rocky had sneaked away while they were distracted. Then, they couldn''t help but stomp their feet and pout.


    After Rocky left the Crimson Palace, he rode Ken out of the Imperial City. He was worried about Uriah, so he had to find a deserted place first. Once he did, he immediately opened his Magic Spiritual Space and entered it to check on Uriah.


    After that, he immediately did a thorough examination of Uriah. He also collected samples and did a genome analysis and testing. As a result, Rocky found a pair of incomplete genomes in Uriah''s body, which was fatal to spirit-manipulated beasts. If he could not repair this pair of genomes, Uriah would not be alive for long. At worst, it could die at any time.


    And based on Rocky''s speculation, he suspected that Uriah''s rebirth was because it sensed that its master was in danger. In other words, Uriah shouldn''t have come out of the egg so early, and that was what led to a fatal defect in its genomes. If he was correct in his theory, and that was indeed the case, Rocky would undoubtedly feel guilty.


    But he told himself that it was useless to feel guilty now. The most important thing that he needed to do was to try to repair the defects on the pair of genomes. Therefore, Rocky immediately rushed to the Fragrance House.


    The Fragrance House was no different from other brothels. However, as soon as Rocky entered it, someone invited him to go directly to a room on the third floor. As soon as he stepped inside, a delicate figure threw herself into his arms.


    "I hea


    her eyebrows and looked at Rocky with a playful expression.


    "Master!" Sabina shouted in surprise, a little embarrassed that her master had seen her looking so aggressive.


    "What are you doing?" Marcia asked the women curiously.


    Of course, Lena immediately told Marcia everything.


    "You three are all so stubborn! Basil has his own things to do. He will run away if you keep pestering him like this. Don''t you know that if you hold a bird too tightly, it will fly away from you the first chance it gets?" Marcia lectured the women as she took the side of Rocky.


    It seemed that her words stirred the three women, for they looked at each other and Rocky with worried expressions. Marcia was right. The three of them had, indeed, gone too far.


    "How is everything with the Dragon Master Clan?" Rocky asked Marcia, changing the topic.


    "Now that Rex has found out that my father passed away, he no longer cares about anything. He is fully prepared to deal with the Mu Clan, but my sister is also ready to accept the challenge. But now, the most worrying thing is about you. The spiritual treasure of the Dragon Master Clan is in your hand, and I''m sure that Rex will not let you go. So, in the following days, I think you should try your best not to leave the Palace City..." Marcia warned.

 Chapter 1136 Prince Crimson

    "I know what I''m doing," Rocky nodded.


    "What are you talking about?" Obviously, the other three had no idea what they were talking about, and Marcia didn''t expect that they would understand either way.


    "You three should stop pestering Basil¡ªespecially you, Lena! You are the Witch of the Holy Dragon Empire. The overall situation of the empire is dire, and His Majesty needs a little more rest before he can get back to taking care of the state affairs. So, you should do your duties without fail," Marcia scolded, treating the three women like her younger sisters.


    "I know! And I will! I just haven''t seen Basil in a long time. I want to spend more time with him!" Lena said, pouting.


    "Master, we spent the whole night studying, but we still couldn''t come up with a method to cultivate together with Basil. Please give us some advice!" Sabina cut in impatiently.


    "Cultivate together?" Marcia turned to Rocky, raising her brows.


    He shrugged with a shy smile.


    "Speaking of that, I need Basil''s help to refine the Dragon Sarira. So, cultivating together is a good idea. I may be able to give you the part of the power contained in the Dragon Sarira, which may in turn help you improve your strength. In addition to that, Basil can also continue to fuse the power of the Holy Dragon Bead the same way." Marcia''s eyes gleamed with excitement.


    Rocky felt a dark cloud hover over him after hearing her elaborate plan. He rolled his eyes with a reluctant chuckle. He wasn''t afraid of any kind of cultivation. He was hoping to speed up the process of fusing the power of the Holy Dragon Bead, but as a man, he wondered about the consequences of cultivating with all these women.


    "One more thing. General Lance sent word¡ªIsis and Nigel are on their way back to Imperial City. They will be back at the Palace City soon," Marcia added.


    "That''s great news," Rocky nodded with a smile and turned to look outside the window. A cool wind blew on his face. When was the last time he had some time to himself?


    After another scolding from Marcia, the three women finally left Rocky alone in his Crimson Palace and went to Lena''s Witch Palace.


    Soon after that, he opened his Magic Spiritual Space and walked in.


    He first visited Uriah, who was sprawled out on the ground with i


    nnounced his return to the public, which naturally was cause for huge celebrations. The panic that had been caused due to Alston''s death had vanished with the return of the emperor. The people could finally put their minds to rest.


    But at the same time, the ministers and the royal members were anxious to know why the emperor had gone missing and what had happened to him during the time he was gone.


    For the past two days, the emperor hadn''t shown his presence in court. Except the princes, Bryant and Marcia, no one else had seen him, which aroused suspicion among the ministers and royal members. They began to suspect whether the emperor had really come back, or if his health was impaired.


    So, the emperor summoned a few important ministers and the princes of the Holy Dragon Empire to his palace. Rumor was that there would be an important announcement that day, and that led to a crowd gathering in front of the palace.


    As soon as the royal members and the ministers saw Rocky, they greeted him with a low bow, "Greetings, Your Royal Highness!"


    Rocky was taken aback at first, and then quickly remembered that he was coronated as Prince Crimson by the emperor. Apart from that, he was also a Great General. With this privilege and status, he could easily establish an army of his own any time. It was safe to conclude that he was one of the top-ranking officials of the Holy Dragon Empire now.


    And if he so willed, it would be a piece of cake for him to even become the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire.

 Chapter 1137 Bryants Idea

    At that moment, the other princes cast glances filled with awe at Rocky. Way back, they used to regard Rocky as nothing but a lousy guy and were even very reluctant to talk with him or be associated with him. But now, they were in disbelief as they found out that he had become an indispensable existence in the Holy Dragon Empire. They ate their words, and Rocky had proven them wrong. Today, they looked up to him. They weren''t estranged from the fact that Rocky had broken into the Witch Palace to rescue Lena, fought with the best hands of the royal family alone, and dealt with Alston with a rope tied around his neck. Moreover, rumor had it that there were two armies of the empire to back him up. Not to mention that the Ji Clan, the second largest clan in the empire, also stood by his side. It was clear that from now on, nobody would dare underestimate him for his power and his influence.


    Meanwhile, the princes exchanged hesitant looks at each other. Then they stepped forward and bowed to Rocky, showing great concerns and respect for him.


    Rocky saw the princes'' humility and nodded his head with a smile on his face. He kept mum and passed by them as he headed for the emperor''s palace.


    After bringing contempt to themselves, the princes stepped aside dejectedly, keeping their eyes fixed on the ground.


    "Your Royal Highness, a great man rarely stoops to pettiness or harbors grievance for past wrongs. Please, forgive us for being so rude to you before. Our guilt is unpardonable! Please punish us as you like!" Elder Kerr and the royal members who had fought against Rocky stepped forward and apologized with deep respect and modesty.


    "Please, forget all about what happened. I know that you only did that because Alston pulled the wool over your eyes. And besides, I had never revealed myself to you before. So let bygones be bygones and let''s all just move on. But all in all, it''s nice of you to say that!" Rocky replied leniently.


    At that moment, Elder Kerr and the others looked at each other again with their surprised faces. Based on their previous experience, the emperor had shown his real attitude when he didn''t blame Rocky for all the wrongs he had done in the past. This only proved that the emperor took Rocky''s side, and thus, they believed they would surely have a hard time dealing with any trouble that concerned Rocky.


    However, there was no one to blame but themselves, because they chose to believe Alston''s version of the story and set themselves against Rocky, to the point where they even attempted to kill him. Afraid that Rocky would make things hard for them, they admitted their faults first. But as a response, Rocky just brought it over with few simple sentences. He seemed to have forgotten the fact that they had tried several times to kill him with a joint effort. Although they didn''t know Rocky''s true identity back then, they still took action against him. And that a


    t made Rocky''s heart skip a beat. Immediately, he looked at Isis and Lena, who were also in disbelief, and raised his eyebrows.


    "But Father, the engagement between Shirley and me exists in name only. Why do you suddenly want us to get married?" Rocky knew that the emperor must have his own reason for pushing him to marry Shirley. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have made such a decision.


    "It''s for the empire''s sake. Our empire has been in a mess, and I heard numerous complaints among the people since Alston became the acting emperor. He left this huge mess for us to clean. And now, there are many doubts in the royal members too. To make things worse, my physical condition is not getting any better. We can''t promise that there will be royal members taking the opportunity to make trouble and commit adultery. The Ximen Clan is the only force that can restrain the power of the royal family. Therefore, if you marry Shirley, you can steadily gain control of the royal family''s power. Once the foundation of the royal family is solid, it can also quell the doubts of the royal family," the emperor explained calmly.


    "Your Majesty, even you''re telling the truth, but Basil has already married Isis, and Isis just had their first kid. It''s unfair to Isis if Basil marries Shirley!" Lena cut in impatiently. She was not able to control herself at that moment. Moreover, it was not a proper suggestion for the time being.


    "I agree with Lena. She''s right, Father. This is just too much. I can''t," Rocky replied, with his brows deeply knitted.


    "I know that it''s a little too much. But this is the idea made by Chief Bryant, and I think it''s reasonable," the emperor said, dropping another bomb that shocked everyone.


    "What? This is Chief Bryant''s idea?" Rocky was completely dumbstruck. He had never expected that Bryant would agree to marry his dear granddaughter to him. What was more was that Bryant had never shown such inclination before.

 Chapter 1138 The Three Announcements

    "Chief Bryant only wishes the best for our empire. He has no obligation to consider marrying off his granddaughter, the successor of their clan, to you. It is a sacrifice, and we shall appreciate him for his service to the empire," the emperor sighed.


    Rocky remained silent and his eyebrows knitted in thought.


    Both Isis and Lena had their eyes on him, also lost in their own thoughts.


    A long silence ensued and finally Isis remarked, "Basil, you don''t have to worry about hurting my feelings. It''s fine." She knew that it was hard for him to give an answer to the emperor in her presence. But from the moment she had decided to marry him, Isis never expected Rocky to solely belong to her. He was like the wind¡ªfree and wild. He would always attract any women in his path with his unique charm; she had accepted that long ago.


    Rocky turned to glance at her. Seeing her gentle smile, he turned to his father and said, "Father, I''ve made my decision. I will announce it in front of the people."


    The emperor was hesitant. He couldn''t tell what was going through Rocky''s mind. He wanted a clear reply, but decided to respect his son''s decision.


    "Basil..." Isis whispered. She had so much to say to him, but stopped herself and looked at their son who rested silently in her arms.


    "Father, if there''s nothing else, I will make the announcements to the public." The emperor nodded slightly. Rocky bowed to him, turned around and headed to the door.


    "Father, what will his replies be? Will he marry Shirley?" Isis asked, unable to contain her anxiety after Rocky disappeared through the open doors.


    "Whatever he chooses to do, I believe he will make the right decision for the empire and for himself," the emperor replied solemnly.


    Isis exchanged a glance with Lena, and both of them walked to the door to witness the announcement.


    Bryant and Marcia walked up to Rocky when he entered the palace hall.


    "Your Royal Highness, I believe that His Majesty told you about his decision?" Bryant asked straightforwardly.


    Rocky nodded.


    "And? Do you agree?" Bryant asked tentatively.


    Rocky didn''t reply. Instead, he walked out of the hall, and Marcia and Bryant followed close behind him.


    The whispering of the crowd quieted down instantly when he walked out. Everyone''s eyes were focused on Rocky


    moment, they looked at Rocky with more fear, because they realized that the man in front of them was to a certain extent more fearful than the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire.


    "Secondly," Rocky said, raising his voice to silence the crowd. "From this day forth, the Holy Dragon Empire will abandon all contact and relationship with the Dragon Master Clan."


    This time, the crowd erupted. The ministers and royal members stared in shocked silence at Rocky. The Dragon Master Clan was the backbone of the Holy Dragon Empire from ancient times, and if they broke ties with them, they would have to deal with frightening consequences. The other empires would grab this opportunity, and then the Holy Dragon Empire would be like a piece of meat dangling in front of them for the taking.


    When they were to finally process this information, the royal members and ministers present rose in loud uproars, unlike the previous whispering.


    "The emperor has valid reasons for making this decision. It is the conclusion he came to after a long discussion with General Marcia and Chief Bryant. Do not stir up any rumors in the empire over this. If any of it reaches my ears, I will guarantee that the perpetrators will be punished accordingly," Rocky warned, his face turning stone-cold serious.


    The royal members and ministers immediately quieted down. They were already aware that Rocky was a man of his words.


    "And finally... I believe everyone is aware that Miss Shirley and I are engaged, and are supposed to get married soon," he paused.

 Chapter 1139 The Humble Prince

    At that moment, the royal members and ministers exchanged looks as they found that it was reasonable for the two to get married soon. After all, the emperor didn''t cancel the engagement even though the public had thought that he had been dead before.


    "I, Prince Basil, hereby declare that my engagement with Miss Shirley is invalid, effective immediately." However, Rocky shocked the crowd as he deviated from people''s expectations.


    Everyone''s minds were rattled as they heard this. In fact, they found that Rocky was being so bold to declare that especially when Bryant, the chief of the Ximen Clan and Shirley''s grandfather, was around.


    "But, Your Royal Highness, is that the emperor''s decision?" Bryant asked in a low voice as his face was covered in shame.


    "You heard me right, Chief Bryant. Miss Shirley and I are no longer engaged," Rocky said with firm resolution as he looked into Bryant''s eyes seriously.


    Bryant trembled and became very furious when he heard Rocky''s words, but as a man of honor, he composed himself immediately. Instead of lashing out, he shot a confused glance at Rocky. This was not what the emperor and he decided upon. He felt humiliated because Rocky announced it to everyone without even discussing with him, or at least informing him in advance. He found it rude, and he even suspected that Rocky deliberately made the Ximen Clan unable to back down with good grace because of pressure.


    Meanwhile, Marcia also sighed inwardly. Although she had expected that Rocky would turn down the emperor''s proposal, she still believed that it was better for him to inform Bryant beforehand to avoid hurting his face. But now, it was too late for her to convince Rocky to do that.


    However, Rocky thought about this carefully and considered what he thought was just and fair. He had thought of discussing with Bryant, but he knew that there was a huge possibility that Bryant might refuse. Thus, in order to force Bryant to agree, he decided to announce it to the public first and then apologize to Bryant after. In his mind, making a hasty decision was the best way to resolve such a situation involving marital engagements.


    At the same time, everyone present saw the visible displeasure written all over Bryant''s face. In fact, they all felt that Rocky''s announcement was a one-sided cancellation. If that were true, then things would certainly become a little awkward. This might lead to a conflict between the Ximen Clan and the royal family, affecting the current situation in the empire.


    At once, Rocky turned to Bryant with a sincere expression and said, "Chief Bryant, I believe you know why I made this decision better than anyone else."


    Bryant furrowed his brows slightly. Deep in


    re streams of businessmen busily made their transactions with cargoes behind them.


    At that moment, Rocky strolled all the way to the Lan Clan''s mansion. As the richest clan in this empire, the Lan Clan''s resident was not as luxurious as Rocky had thought. Instead, it had such a unique design, more like some antique architecture. But of course, people should never underestimate something based on its sole appearance. Wall paints peeling and rust on door handles were only part of the proof of how rich this clan''s culture and history were.


    Soon after, Rocky knocked on the door and told the gatekeeper his purpose. After waiting shortly, he was taken into the mansion by a butler. As he was walking along the corridor, he found that the place was tastefully and classically arranged, from the pavilions to terraces and open halls, up to the main buildings. However, although it looked better inside than from the outside, it didn''t show any lavishness too.


    "Perhaps there is a reason why the Lan Clan became the richest clan after all," Rocky murmured to himself thoughtfully.


    Not long after, he was led into a living room, where almost a dozen people sat and waited. There were men and women, each adorned with brilliant jewels and pearls around their necks, with spirit manipulators of the Earthly Stage standing close behind them. Apparently, all of them were wealthy businessmen.


    However, as soon as Rocky stepped inside, all eyes immediately fell upon him. With judging eyes, the people hurriedly turned their heads away from him after seeing how terrible and ragged his clothes were. Rocky was by no means a rich man in their eyes and was not even comparable to the status of the spirit manipulators behind them. At that moment, he even felt that they took him no better than a beggar on the street.

 Chapter 1140 Know His Real Identity

    Rocky found a seat in a corner and then sat down calmly. His composure was as careless as if he had never seen the disdainful looks on everyone''s faces. Everyone in this room was here with the same goal: to see Mia. Luckily though, Rocky didn''t have to wait here for any longer than he wanted to. If he told the butler who he was, the chief of the Lan Clan, Mia''s grandfather, would come out and welcome him in person. Mia''s grandfather had once been an influential and mighty general, though he was retired now. In fact, Mia would have waited outside the mansion for him if she had come to know of his arrival.


    However, since Rocky was a modest man, he didn''t want to use any special privileges. After all, he was only here to seek their cooperation and support. Keeping a low profile would help him see more and hear more. He just sat there patiently and listened to these businessmen, who had also been waiting there for quite some time. Getting impatient, they had started discussing their assets with each other.


    Some of them were now showing off their resources to each other, and talking about the kind of profitable deals they had done recently. They were all competing with each other even when there was no competition.


    As time went by, they soon lost interest in talking all high and mighty, and a short, awkward silence fell in the room. By then, a shifty-eyed and bearded businessman clad in a blue robe and looking like a miser, suddenly put his eyes on Rocky. Something in him irked and he said, "Hey, buddy, are you here to see Miss Mia? Do you wish to do business with the Lan Clan as well? I never knew that the Lan Clan is also interested in selling vegetables or steamed buns on the street. No, wait, you must be here to sell some home-made cookies or pots, huh?"


    His scoff successfully pulled everyone else''s attention towards Rocky, and the entire hall burst into laughter.


    "A toad is wishing to eat swan meat! Forget the swan meat, brat... Can you even afford pork? Tell you what, I''ll do you a favor. I am interested in people with pretty faces like you. How about you come with me? I promise you will eat swan meat every day!" a gorgeously dressed businesswoman cut in during the laughter. She was sitting next to Rocky and when she laughed, her cumbersome body shook two whole sofas on either side of her.


    Rocky, however, just sat there quietly as if their words had never reached his ears.


    Before they could say anything more to make fun of him, a man in brocaded clothes came in the door, with two spirit manipulators behind him. He looked quite young and had a port


    ely began whining like a kindergarten kid, "Miss Mia, you have come at just the right time. Someone is attacking me in your mansion. You must uphold justice. Call the guards and arrest him at once."


    "Oh, who is bold enough to attack you in my mansion?" Mia asked in surprise and then looked in the direction where the young man was pointing. She then saw Rocky who was sitting calmly at the other end of the room and smiling at her. This gave her yet another surprise, and a bigger one at that. What was this guy doing in the Lan''s mansion?


    The businessmen in the room all straightened hastily their backs and moved in a corner to stay and watch the fight.


    However, to their immense surprise, Mia kicked the young man himself on the knee without a word. The poor man was forced to kneel down in pain.


    "Miss Mia, what are you doing?" He cried as he stared at the woman in confusion.


    But the woman then respectfully knelt down on one knee and bowed to Rocky. "Prince Crimson, please forgive me for not being there to welcome you at the gate!"


    The onlookers in the room were now dumbstruck, as if a bomb had been strapped to their chest and would explode if they moved. This company of awestruck people included the young man on the floor. They couldn''t believe their eyes or ears, but Mia''s movements and mannerisms told them that she was not joking. This young man, with his humble clothing and lonesome nature, was indeed the high and mighty Prince Crimson of the Holy Dragon Empire.


    "All of you, welcome Prince Crimson!" Mia coldly told those businessmen.


    "Greetings! Your Royal Highness!" Every single person in the room hastily rose up on their feet and fell to the ground like toads, not daring to make a sound.

 Chapter 1141 Not Too Late

    The businessman in the blue robe, in particular, was shivering all over because he had just ridiculed Rocky, Prince Crimson of the Holy Dragon Empire, in public. Insulting a royal member was a serious crime, and he could be beheaded for this.


    Needless to say, the most embarrassed among the lot was the young man who had tried to pick on Rocky. He was still in the shock, unable to believe that he had offended such a mighty figure in the empire, in front of whom even his father had to kneel down. He swiftly crawled over to Rocky and begged for mercy. "Your Royal Highness, please forgive me! I failed to recognize you and I deserve punishment. But please, spare my life, Your Royal Highness!"


    Ignoring his pleas, Rocky walked towards Mia and said, "Please, get up. You don''t need to do this."


    Mia raised her head slowly. When Rocky nodded to her with a smile, she stood up, but the other businessmen were still kneeling down on the floor with their foreheads touching the floor. Their hands were visibly shivering in fear. Rocky continued to ignore them.


    "Why didn''t you tell the butler who you were? I wouldn''t have made you wait here in this living room if I had known it was you," Mia grumbled. If Rocky had informed her sooner, he wouldn''t have had to endure such offense from the businessmen, which now annoyed her even more.


    "Well, I wasn''t in a hurry. Besides, you seem to have a lot of guests." Rocky shrugged with a mischievous chuckle.


    "They are not my guests," she said, looking at the men groveling on the floor. She turned back to Rocky. "What brought you all the way here? Is there anything I can do for you?" she asked curiously.


    "Oh, I''m only here to express my appreciation. You did a huge favor for me," Rocky said with a smile.


    "Favor?" Mia was confused at first, but then understood what he was talking about. Shaking her head, she continued, "That''s very kind of you, but I only did what I had to do."


    "I have to admit that you made things much easier for me. Here, I brought you a small gift," he said as he took out a box and handed it to Mia.


    She hesitated for a moment, but couldn''t refuse. Accepting the gift, she opened it. With a loud gasp, she stared at the three medium grade Dark Heaven Eggs. Rocky had given her something very precious in such a small box; it was absolutely outrageous.


    The wealthy businessmen, who were still on their knees, gaped in stunned silence at Rocky''s generosity. Medium grade Dark Heaven Eggs were rare treasures, nearly impossible to find in


    notice.


    Mia said nothing, but turned to Rocky instead.


    He looked around and asked, "Are there any spirit-manipulated beasts here that you are unable to cure?"


    The person in charge stole a glance at Mia, who gave him a nod. He answered respectfully, "Yes, there is one. The beast was brought here the other day, and the illness is deeply rooted in its system. Our beast curers are feeling helpless. It''s a headache for us to watch it die."


    "Hmm..." Rocky nodded. Then, he turned to Mia. "Get us a room. Bring in that sick spirit-manipulated beast, and assemble the beast curers of this farm."


    Mia gestured to the person in charge to follow the orders. He bowed and left in a hurry.


    "Are you going to cure the beast?" she asked.


    "Be patient. You should witness it with your own eyes," Rocky replied.


    A few minutes later, the person in charge came out and led Rocky and Mia to the assigned room. The badly sick spirit-manipulated beast had been placed on an operating table in the center. It lay there still, without making a sound. If not for the heaving of its breast, Mia would have deemed it dead.


    Soon after, eight beast curers gathered in the room.


    "Is there anyone here who can suggest a treatment for this beast? Or do you all believe that there is nothing to do except wait for it to die?" Rocky asked the beast curers.


    "Sir, we''ve done everything we can. It''s too late," Yuri, the famous and the oldest beast curer in the farm replied with a shake of his head.


    Rocky smiled. "This spirit-manipulated beast isn''t as ill as you think, and it''s not too late to save it," he said with certainty after quickly inspecting the sick beast on the table.

 Chapter 1142 Crimson City

    At that moment, the beast curers exchanged astonished looks with each other. Needless to say, they were beyond surprised when hearing that Rocky could pull the beast from death''s grip.


    "What the hell is he talking about? Master Yuri has already concluded that there''s no way to cure the beast! If he says so, then it can''t be wrong!"


    "Master Yuri''s Beast Curing Skill is well recognized in the entire Holy Dragon Empire. Moreover, I can vouch for his excellent study. In fact, he is so skilled that I never saw nor heard that he''s ever made a mistake."


    "What is he doing here? And why do we even have to stand here and listen to such nonsense? This is a waste! My time is precious, and I want to get back to my work!"


    The beast curers began to discuss among themselves at that moment. However, their voices weren''t that mellow that Mia and Rocky could hear them.


    Yuri stood there quietly, not uttering a single word in his defense. He thought that he had made it clear enough since Mia was there as well. However, the arrogant expression on his face only showed that he firmly believed that his diagnosis would never be wrong.


    "Uh, Guys..." Mia cleared her throat and interrupted all the whispering. At that moment, she was itching to say something to get the attention of these rude beast curers, and that Rocky didn''t deserve that. Yet, Rocky waved his hand to her, signaling that she should drop the idea of calling them out.


    "Okay, I know that you guys would not believe me until you see it right before your eyes. Like what they say, seeing is believing. Next, I''ll show you how to treat a spirit-manipulated beast as gravely ill as this one. Please pay attention to what I am about to do next because this is what you''re going to learn later," Rocky said calmly and gently as he swept his eyes over the judging crowd.


    Soon after, he moved next to the spirit-manipulated beast that was at the brink of death on the operating table and took out his surgical tools. Right after he had finished preparing, he started to perform the operation on it under the watchful eyes of Mia and the beast curers.


    On the other hand, all the beast curers in the room were stunned as they saw Rocky cut the spirit-manipulated beast''s belly right open. He was the definition of perfection, as everything was happening as smooth as butter. Not once had he committed a single mistake as if he had already done this procedure at least a thousand times in his lifetime.


    By then, an idea suddenly struck Mia''s mind. "Is that... is that..." The word was on the tip of her tongue, but she was just unable to remember how to pronounce it.


    "Actually, this spirit-manipulated beast is not as ill as it looks. As a matter of fact, it is the stone inside it that blocks the internal organs, therefore, also obstructing its blood supply. The moment I take the stone out, I am certain that this beast will recuperate in no time," Rocky explained in detail as he searched for the stone in the spirit-manipulated beast''s body. Not long after, he took out a dark bronze, about half a finger long stone and presented it in front of Mia and the others as proof.


    After the operation, Rocky sutured the wound of the beast swiftly.


    As soon as Rocky was done with closing up, the beast, which appeared to be dying a moment ago, suddenly regained its v


    ettled down, Rocky hopped on Ken''s back again and returned to the Imperial City.


    He went directly to the Palace City to see the emperor and ask his permission for his plan. Rocky gave him a brief introduction, and luckily, the emperor was convinced and gave him his full support. Immediately, he issued an imperial edict to give the small city to Rocky and named it Crimson City. In addition, he also allocated a large sum of money for Rocky to startup his Genome Research Institute.


    ''I bet this project will run smoothly all thanks to the emperor''s support, '' Rocky said inwardly.


    Two days later, Rocky, accompanied by Isis, Sabina, Lucilla, and his little son, Nigel, bid the emperor farewell and went to Crimson City to begin his work of transforming the small town into a Genome Research Institute.


    A few days later, Marcia and Lena also showed up in Crimson City after finishing their respective business. Thus, their plan of cultivating together was put on the agenda.


    Since Rocky possessed the Sea Blue Magic Jade, all the women found him as the perfect vessel to cultivate with. At the same time, Marcia also generously divided the power that she had acquired from the Dragon Sarira to Rocky and the girls as they cultivated together. This cultivation helped Rocky improve his speed of refusing the Holy Dragon Bead, and also helped the girls with their strength.


    Another three days had slipped away, and an uninvited guest turned up in Crimson City.


    "Why are you here? What is your business?" Rocky stared at Shirley, who was standing in front of him, and wondered how to get rid of her. He had heard from Sabina that Shirley had come to his place in the Imperial City to argue about why he cancelled their engagement without informing her in advance. As a matter of fact, he had already expected that this day would come, for he knew that she wouldn''t let it go quietly.


    "You know the exact reason!" Shirley scowled.


    "If you came here to question why I called off the engagement, then you can go back, because I''ve got nothing to say to you, Shirley. What''s done is done," Rocky said bluntly. He didn''t feel sorry about what he had done. Instead, he thought that Shirley should thank him for it.

 Chapter 1143 Ambitions And Betrayals

    "Since I''m here now, I don''t plan on going back. I''ve decided to live in Crimson City," Shirley stated.


    "Why?" Rocky asked, stunned by her decision.


    "So that I can see you and curse you every day!" she exclaimed, seeping in anger. Revenge was the only thing on her mind at that moment, but she wasn''t sure why her head was filled with that thought either. All she knew was that she didn''t want Rocky to live a peaceful life.


    "Fine. Do whatever you like." Rocky figured that she would stay for a while, and leave eventually after getting bored.


    However, a few days later, Shirley was still around and soon joined the team of cultivation after being invited by the other women.


    Since Rocky moved to the Crimson City, the reconstruction of the Genome Research Institute in the city progressed according to the blueprint he had devised. And outside the city, facilities were being built for raising wild spirit-manipulated beasts.


    With Laney''s assistance, they recruited many talented people from various empires. They were stationed in the Crimson City and began to receive professional training directly from Rocky.


    A month later, with powerful financial support from the Lan Clan, five beast hospitals were established in each big city of the Holy Dragon Empire, including the Imperial City. Simultaneously, Rocky also trained the beast curers of the Lan Clan in basic operating skills so that the five hospitals could operate smoothly.


    Along with the hospitals, the preliminary construction of the Genome Research Institute was also completed. With new and raw talents at his disposal in addition to the gene data he had already collected from the beast hospitals of the Timber Deity Empire, Rocky began to lead new gene experiments. The experiments were based on his own research data from long ago, so there were no issues regarding that front.


    Hoping to allot more time to gene research, Rocky passed the method of refining the spiritual crystals to Isis and the other women. They were stunned beyond words when they finally found out that Rocky could refine the spiritual crystals manually.


    So now, besides cultivating alongside Rocky, the women also helped in hunting spirit-manipulated beasts and refining spiritual crystals whenever they had free time. Occasionally, they would venture into the areas of the spir


    aster Clan''s spiritual treasure," Townsend said coldly.


    "I almost had it. Prince Basil''s presence changed everything! I didn''t know that he would risk his life to protect the spiritual treasure. If I had gotten my hands on the spiritual treasure at the time, and if the Mu Clan had gotten rid of Rex, everything would have been so much easier for us. I could have taken Rex''s place in the Dragon Master Clan with the spiritual treasure." His words were filled with hatred for Rex and the Dragon Master Clan.


    "I heard you got injured by that Prince Basil of the Holy Dragon Empire. It is a little unbelievable. A human has dared to fight against spiritual masters of the spiritual race. Such bravery..." The patriarch paused for a moment, then continued, "However, that human could mean trouble for us. If it weren''t for him, the Holy Dragon Empire would still be under our control. With Alston as our puppet, when the time arrived, we could have made the empire betray the Dragon Master Clan and join us instead. But now, although the Holy Dragon Empire is separated from the Dragon Master Clan, it seems like they are not willing to join any other clan of the spiritual race. This could ruin our plan." As Townsend spoke, his expression turned grim.


    "How should we proceed? Several of the spiritual treasures have already reappeared, and the search for the rest is continuing. All spiritual race clans are involved in the race to find them now. I believe that it won''t be long before the nine spiritual treasures reappear," Reginald said with caution.

 Chapter 1144 Breed A New Dragon Beast

    "Originally, we planned to use the spiritual treasures to stir up the disputes among different clans of the spiritual race, so that the Wild Spirit Land would once again fall into eternal war. Once this happens, we can take advantage of this opportunity to break all the other clans of the spiritual race down one by one, and finally rule the entire spiritual race. Progress-wise, things are still a little unsatisfactory, but we are getting there. Moreover, if you look at the bigger picture, this plan has successfully brought all the other clans of the spiritual race to fight for the spiritual treasures. Although the unexpected internal strife occurred in the Dragon Master Clan, it is also our saving grace for it swept us away from facing big trouble. The Holy Dragon Empire has been separated from the Dragon Master Clan since then, and thus, the latter does not pose a threat to us anymore. What''s left now are the Wood Clan and the Phoenix Master Clan, and they have also obtained their respective spiritual treasure. Therefore, I believe that both of them will stay quiet to protect themselves from here on out. If all goes well, then our plan will be carried out smoothly. All that''s left to do is to ignite the fire more." At that moment, a shrewd smile crept on the face of Townsend, the patriarch of the Heavenly Demon Clan.


    Just like the famous saying, "When the water subsides, the rocks emerge," it was most likely that someone was behind all of this mess. As it turned out, it was the Heavenly Demon Clan who plotted in the dark for the clans of the spiritual race to hunt spiritual treasures.


    "I''m glad that everything is under control. Don''t worry about the Dragon Master Clan. I can handle them on my own. As long as Rex and the Mu Clan remain incompatible as fire and water, they will certainly do us the work and wear each other out. When that happens, I will take the Dragon Master Clan into my hand soon," Reginald said confidently, as he clenched his fists sinisterly.


    "Rex must have never thought that his most trusted confidant is lusting over his position all the time. How pathetic!" Townsend exclaimed pretentiously, putting a little sarcasm into his voice.


    "May I ask you something? So, where is the soul that I brought you last time? How is it doing now?" Reginald asked and changed the topic.


    "Oh, yeah, that one. I put it in a vessel as you have asked me to. A couple of days ago, we just conquered a small cl


    t today, she would take Nigel back to the Crimson Dragon Group. Your mind is full of these spirit-manipulated beasts! Have you forgotten that you have a wife and a son?" Sabina said sarcastically.


    Immediately, the figure took off his mask and revealed a resolute face. Who else could it be except for Rocky?


    "Today is Nigel''s birthday, right?" Rocky grinned from ear to ear and walked to Isis immediately and reached his hands for the little boy.


    "But I thought you had forgotten!" Isis glared at him.


    "Of course not! How could I? I delivered him myself, and I will remember this day in my mind forever," Rocky said with a fulfilled smile and took Nigel in his arms, putting his forehand against the boy''s.


    "How about your experiment? Is it working?" Sabina asked, expecting good news.


    "See it for yourself. Go in and have a look." Rocky smiled mysteriously.


    Sabina and Lucilla exchanged looks and walked towards the delivery room hastily. Meanwhile, Rocky walked behind with Isis as ha made funny faces to amuse Nigel.


    Rocky used this greenhouse, especially for the purpose of artificial reproduction; hence, its facilities were complete.


    As soon as they set foot in the delivery room, they noticed several divisions, each of which was marked with letters and numbers.


    Scanning the room, they observed the presence of some staff in white coats busily running around in their masks.


    Soon after, Rocky and the others walked to the area marked D4. There, they saw a huge female dragon beast lying in it. In the nest made of dry grass beside it, there were several little beasts that wriggled continuously.

 Chapter 1145 Heading For The Imperial City

    "What kind of gene did you use to breed the new species this time, Basil?" Isis asked at once.


    "I bred them from the Dark Magic Insect, and Marcia''s legendary guardian beast, the Holy-blood Dragon King," Rocky said with a small smile.


    Three months ago, Rocky attempted to use Marcia''s legendary guardian beast to carry out artificial reproduction. He thought that it was best to use the Holy-blood Dragon King, considering that it was equivalent to an ancient spiritual beast. If the artificial reproduction became a success, then there was a huge probability that its descendants might also have the bloodline of the Holy-blood Dragon King.


    Afterwards, Rocky compared the genes of many spirit-manipulated beasts with the Holy-blood Dragon King''s, hoping to find the one with the highest matching rate. After getting the results, he was surprised to find out that the genetic matching rate between the Holy-blood Dragon King and the Dark Magic Insect was very high.


    With that, the process of artificial reproduction carried out smoothly, making three months'' worth of efforts worthwhile.


    Needless to say, performing large-scale experiments for a long time had positively influenced Rocky''s success on this project. Since the establishment of the Genome Research Institute in the Crimson City, Rocky had been using the resources of the beast hospitals he had built both in the Timber Deity Empire and the Holy Dragon Empire to improve the gene pool and the urgenome of the spirit-manipulated beasts. After acquiring the data he needed, he had established a genome comparison system based on the resources. This system was made to ensure the success rate of genetic reproduction so that they would spend less time performing impossible experiments and reduce all unnecessary expenditures.


    During this time, Rocky had achieved great success in genetic reproduction. He was proud of all his work, especially after the birth of these spirit-manipulated beasts of the legendary beast level. Not only could these beasts produce treasures, but they were also proof of the genetic reproduction''s power.


    Moreover, the descendants of the Dark Heaven Insects and the Fire Rock Turtles, also known as the Dark Fire Insect Turtles, and the Dark Magic Insects that Rocky transformed before were also entering the stage of adulthood. Meanwhile, the three Dark Heaven Insects had all reached the third grade of the three-star level and could now lay the high-grade Dark Heaven Eggs.


    So did the three Dark Magic Insects. With that being said, they could lay the top-grade Dark Heaven Eggs, which could be regarded as medium grade rare treasures. The Dark Fire Insect Turtles, on


    son of the Holy Dragon Empire now, he couldn''t live in a shabby place. The emperor insisted on building it for him, which actually cost a lot of manpower and material resources. However, the Holy Dragon Empire was rich in finances and many kinds of resources, making the whole cost of the chamber practically next to nothing.


    As soon as Rocky and his women returned to the Crimson Chamber, Rocky received a secret message from the emperor.


    "What''s with the look, Basil? Is something wrong?" Isis and the other women asked him when they noticed Rocky''s face turn serious upon reading the letter.


    "It appears that we need to go back to the Imperial City as soon as possible." Rocky put away the secret letter and gave the women a solemn look.


    The three women exchanged looks with one another. Judging from the expression on Rocky''s face, they knew that the past few months'' peace had finally come to an end.


    Soon after, Rocky asked his master, Sheridan to be in charge of his work in the Genome Research Institute. A month after establishing the institute, Sheridan had paid several visits to the Crimson City to get free meals. He claimed that he wanted to get along with his disciple and strengthen their bonding, yet, in fact, he was there because of his curiosity about Rocky''s genetic technology. Therefore, during this time, Sheridan had been wandering around the Genome Research Institute, getting as much information as he needed. Moreover, with his professional strength, it was natural for him to learn the genetic technology in a snap. After mastering a lot of technology, he would also do his own genetic research for fun sometimes.


    After preparing for the trip, Rocky, along with the three women, and Nigel, immediately left and headed for the Imperial City.

 Chapter 1146 The Black Dragon Group

    Although the Holy Dragon Empire now detached itself from the Dragon Master Clan, the whole affair didn''t have much of an impact on the empire. It was still financially secure and was independently strong. The only drawback was the continuous invasion of other empires through different borders, resulting in wars on all corners of the empire. Without the support of the Dragon Master Clan, the Holy Dragon Empire was like a lone wolf which the enemies assumed would be an easy target. Backed by the different clans of the spiritual race, they grew ambitious and greedy to devour the rich empire.


    Unfortunately for the intruders, the Holy Dragon Empire was not ripe for the taking yet. With the three important borders being guarded by armies led by the Three Great Generals, the empire was impregnable. However, the continuous war affected the overall balance in power of the empire.


    Half a month ago, the border guarded by the Rime Army Group was besieged. To bring things back under control, Marcia, the top commander of the army, went back to the army and took command at the border.


    A few days ago, Shirley also had returned to the Sky Army Group to assist her grandfather, Chief Bryant.


    Rocky and the three women, along with Nigel, returned to the Imperial City to meet the emperor.


    When they finally met the emperor at the Lofty Dragon Hall, only a few important ministers were left behind, without the presence of Bryant, Marcia and Lance. The three were protecting the borders and were in command of their own legions. The hall felt a little cold without their presence.


    "Greetings, Father." Rocky bowed to the emperor and the others followed suit.


    The emperor beamed with joy at the sight of his son. His physical condition had improved considerably, and he looked steady and powerful as usual. But since he was seriously injured by Alston, he had lost all his cultivation base. If he forced himself to use his strength now, it would create a huge burden on his body. So now, the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire was no different from an ordinary man.


    "Basil," he addressed, looking firmly at his son. "You already know why I called you here; I had explained everything in the letter. What do you think?"


    "I''m curious as to why they want


    her commanders of the group were present as well.


    With thick eyebrows and big eyes, Boyd Guan was tall and sturdy, and his limbs were big and muscular. He looked like a black King Kong, giving off a strong aura even while he was badly injured. Although the man was over fifty, he still looked very much like he was in his thirties. Of course, with a cultivation base at the third grade of the Divine Stage, he was one of the best in the Holy Dragon Empire.


    Also, he was a skilled tactician and commanded his troops well.


    However, his only weakness was that he was arrogant and didn''t take kindly to others'' opinions.


    Even though Rocky was the Prince Crimson of the Holy Dragon Empire, he still didn''t think highly of him or his skills.


    "Greetings, Your Royal Highness," he said respectfully, but his expression showed no trace of humbleness.


    "Commander in Chief Boyd, no need to be so courteous," Rocky said, waving his hand.


    "Ah, but Your Royal Highness, you''re here to command the Black Dragon Group for me, and it seems like you have brought too many family members with you. Of course, the Deputy Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Group is an exceptional addition." Boyd Guan''s face darkened when he saw the three women surrounding Rocky. It didn''t seem to him like Rocky had come to help him repel the enemies; it was more like he was taking a vacation with his girlfriends. Among the three women, Boyd Guan only recognized Isis because he had crossed path with her once before.

 Chapter 1147 Take Over The Command

    Boyd and the other commanders couldn''t help but cast a few more glances at the three women. They couldn''t imagine what this Prince Crimson was thinking by bringing these beautiful and charming women when he was supposed to help the Black Dragon Group out. Before they could even hear him out, they had already regarded him as a mere lecher.


    "Family members''?" Isis couldn''t help but raise her brows unpleasantly. "Commander in Chief, don''t you know her?" she asked as she pointed at Sabina''s direction.


    "Well, should I? Who is she then?" Boyd actually hadn''t met Sabina before because he was stationed in the border all year long. Except going to the Imperial City to give his regular report to the emperor a couple of times throughout the year, he hardly got the chance to encounter the members of the other groups. Thus, it was normal for him to not have met Sabina before.


    "Greetings, Commander in Chief. I''m Sabina Ji. Maybe you haven''t heard about me before, but I believe that you must know my master, General Marcia," Sabina, stepping forward, introduced herself with a cold expression on her face.


    "Wait. Sabina¡­ Sabina from the Ji Clan? You mean you''re General Marcia''s apprentice?" As Boyd started hurling questions, the arrogance on his face had quickly faded. Recently, Rocky had really become famous in the entire empire. Boyd knew that he had married the only daughter of General Lance, and now, he just heard that General Marcia''s apprentice was also working for Rocky.


    The smug look on the faces of the commanders behind Boyd also disappeared instantly. They found it hard to breathe upon hearing about Sabina.


    "And this one is the former chief of the Cao Clan, the top clan in Timber Deity Empire." Isis moved on from Sabina and introduced Lucilla, who was on the other side.


    "The chief of the Cao Clan¡­ the top clan of Timber Deity Empire?" Boyd''s voice began to tremble as he repeated Isis'' words. It was too much of a shock for him to take it all at once. Isis knew Boyd''s personality, so she deliberately put so much pressure on her introductions so as to ensure that Boyd and the other commanders would know their place.


    As Isis finished speaking, a few coughs were heard from the commanders as if they were trying to clear their throats. It was also very visible that these men couldn''t help but swallow their saliva in nervousness. Never did they expect that apart from Rocky''s level in cultivation and position as a prince, he really stood on top of every man with General Lance''s daughter as his wife and Marcia''s apprentice as his confidant. Even the former chief of the Cao Clan was at his disposal.


    If they learned beforehand that each of those women around him did not just have a striking appearance, but also a prominent background, they wouldn''t act so presumptuous before them. Now, it was as if they wanted the ground to swallow them.


    "So, General Boyd, do you still think that Prince Crimson is just taking a tour while bringing his family with him?" Isis asked, fixing her piercing eyes on Boyd.


    At that time, Boyd just lowered his head and was rendered speechless.


    "Isis, that''s enough." Rocky called


    nly starve ourselves to death," Sabina added.


    "You''re right. Since they want to fight us, that''s what we''ll give them," Rocky declared in a stern voice.


    As the commanders, including Boyd, heard this, they immediately looked at him with disbelief in their eyes.


    "What are you talking about? Fight them? I think that''s equal to suicide! With our current force, we can''t fight them head-on. If we really have to fight them, we need to wait until the reinforcements come!" Boyd protested hysterical. He felt that Rocky was disregarding the lives of his soldiers, so he wouldn''t let him do as he pleased.


    "I came here under the direct order of His Majesty. I have been tasked to get your group out of the trouble you made. If you won''t allow me to do my job, then I don''t have any reason to stay further." Rocky made himself clear that he didn''t want to waste any time. Upon saying this, he turned around and prepared to leave.


    The three girls didn''t utter any word and also followed him.


    Taken aback at Rocky''s sudden change of heart, Boyd had to give in. Right now, it was clear as day that Rocky was their only lifeline. It was either they entrusted their lives to him or waited in despair before they died inside the pass. Without any hesitation, he shouted eagerly, "Please don''t leave, Your Royal Highness. Please forgive my rudeness. I shall do whatever I can to cooperate!"


    Upon hearing this, Rocky immediately stopped walking and turned around. His gaze swept across the people present and said, "Well said. From now on, I will be in full charge of the Black Dragon Group. Anyone who disobeys my order shall be punished according to the military law!"


    As soon as Rocky finished his declaration, his oppressive aura made Boyd and the other commanders tremble on their knees. That was the moment they realized that Prince Crimson was not all for show. Even they, who had experienced countless battles before, were overwhelmed by Rocky''s mere presence.


    From that moment, Rocky took over the Black Dragon Group and started a desperate counterattack against their mysterious opponents.

 Chapter 1148 Fight And Die With Them

    After a recount of the exact number of soldiers, Rocky learned that there were only about twenty-three thousand uninjured soldiers left in the Black Dragon Group. If they included the two thousand injured soldiers, the total was almost the same as the mysterious army on the opposite side. However, the gap in their combat effectiveness was large. The mysterious army had proven their strength by defeating the Black Dragon Group. Even with over fifty thousand soldiers, the Black Dragon Group was forced to retreat to the Munoz Pass because of the impact of the mysterious army.


    It would definitely be a tough battle for them. They needed a smart strategy and some tricks up their sleeves.


    However, all of Rocky''s actions completely confused Boyd and the other commanders, although he had just taken over the command of the Black Dragon Group.


    Rocky asked the soldiers to block the solid wall at the side of the Holy Dragon Empire''s mainland. Once this wall was blocked, then the Black Dragon Group would have no way to retreat when the mysterious army launched its attack. They would become a turtle caught in a jar. The commanders had no idea why Rocky sealed their only way out.


    Besides that, Rocky also ordered them to burn down the rest of the provisions, leaving them with provisions that would last for five days only. He also asked five thousand soldiers to dig holes everywhere in the Munoz Pass. He instructed them to make the holes wide in the bottom but narrow at the top. Over a thousand holes were dug in the valley which people would fall into if they did not pay enough attention.


    Boyd, the Commander in Chief of the Black Dragon Group, was appalled by Rocky''s deranged behaviors. But he could not do anything about it since he had agreed to let Rocky take the command.


    All the commanders of the Black Dragon Group complained of what Rocky was doing too. They had never ever seen a general preparing for an incoming battle like that. It was a complete disaster in their eyes. Although it was true that Rocky used to be the Commander in Chief of the Crimson Dragon Group, they all believed that he held that position only because he was a prince and Isis'' husband. There was nothing special about him. If he was indeed a respected general, why was he doing so many crazy things? However, they did not dare to voice out their resentment towards Rocky.


    On the other hand, Roc


    r in Chief had a really deep grudge against Rocky. They attacked the border just to lure Rocky here.


    "My order is final. Our entire army will march to Munoz Pass at dawn. This time, he will die under my hands, and then I can finally take back everything that I deserve," the masked man said viciously.


    The next morning, when Rocky was still asleep, a commander stormed in and reported that the mysterious army was marching towards them with all their forces. They were going to break through the pass.


    Rocky immediately stood up and calmly walked out of the camp. He summoned the Commander in Chief of the Black Dragon Group as well as all other commanders.


    "Commander in Chief Boyd, since you are injured, you must stay here," Rocky said at once. Then he turned to other commanders and added, "As you can see, the only way to retreat had been sealed off. Besides that, there is only a little food left, so there is no way to retreat for the Black Dragon Group. What you need to do is to bring your soldiers with you and try your best to win against the enemies, even if it means that you have to perish together with the soldiers from the enemies!"


    All the commanders turned to look at Boyd. Obviously, they did not want to listen to Rocky''s command because in their eyes he was simply sending them to their death.


    Boyd felt the same way. Rocky was just playing with the lives of the soldiers of the Black Dragon Group, so he said with a serious expression, "Your Royal Highness, if you want my soldiers to die, just send me to the front lines too. I will fight and die with them!"

 Chapter 1149 Face Death With A Smile

    "Commander in Chief, what do you think you''re doing? I thought that we''ve reached an agreement that you''ll follow all of my orders," Rocky asked sternly while squinting his eyes at Boyd.


    "Your Royal Highness, I just can''t bring myself to agree with what you want. I won''t sit back here while my soldiers are dying one by one in this battle. We need another plan to conquer the enemies!" Boyd said bluntly.


    "Commander in Chief, let me just remind you that anyone who disobeys my order will be punished according to the military law, including you. You shall know the consequences of deliberately going against my commands. Reflect on your actions, Boyd. Guards, take him!" Rocky ordered to seize Boyd at once with an emotionless expression on his face.


    At the sight of this, all the commanders of the Black Dragon Group were filled with righteous indignation at once. Rocky might be the prince of the empire, but they couldn''t accept him to humiliate their Commander in Chief right before their eyes.


    However, the fact still remained that Prince Crimson came to them bearing the emperor''s decree, meaning that his every command was equal to the emperor''s. Thus, no one dared to disobey him in public. Although it was against their will, several soldiers eventually took Boyd.


    "Your Royal Highness!" Boyd didn''t expect that Prince Crimson would be so cruel to really punish him at that crucial moment. Although he knew that his actions were blameworthy, he still couldn''t accept that he would be treated like this.


    "Hang the Commander in Chief on the back wall so that every soldier can see him!" Rocky ordered further.


    At once, all of the commanders were pissed off at Rocky. This wasn''t just mere punishment but an attack to disgrace the entire Black Dragon Group. The commanders all went furious but couldn''t utter a single word. All of them preferred to die swiftly than be humiliated publicly.


    "What? Are you angry? Then prove your worth and fight for your Commander in Chief! Remember this! If Munoz Pass is broken, Commander in Chief Boyd shall be severely punished for disobeying my direct order and for degrading the morale of the Black Dragon Group. If you don''t want that to happen, you know what to do!" Rocky reprimanded the commanders ruthlessly.


    With this, his words further infuriated every member of the Black Dragon Group. They were agitated because they knew that he was right. They weren''t in the position to go against him since he was Prince Crimson of the Holy Dragon Empire, the son of the emperor whom he bestowed such great importance. If they acted rashly, it might bring further shame to Boyd.


    Soon after, Boyd was hung on a wall at the back area of the city. From there, every soldier could clearly see him.


    For a long time, Boyd was consider


    ential even at the cost of his image. More importantly, he was proud that his soldiers turned out to be a dedicated army, willing to die for what they were fighting for.


    Boyd actually wanted to show his gratitude to Rocky for what he had done, but at that moment, the prince was already nowhere to be found.


    Soon after, the ten thousand soldiers of the Black Dragon Group that remained on the wall were locked together with the vanguard of the mysterious army.


    Then, out of nowhere, an order to retreat came from within the city wall.


    Even the commanders were surprised by the sudden announcement. However, they couldn''t afford to disobey orders, so they immediately summoned all their men and fell back without delay. Although they didn''t know what exactly was going on, they all retreated back into their camps, regardless of what might happen over the city walls.


    About an hour later, the inner city wall was then completely occupied. There were less than ten thousand soldiers that were able to get back inside the Munoz Pass.


    At the same time, another order was issued to all the soldiers of the Black Dragon Group. It stated that all of them were to get into the holes that they had dug the day before.


    This made everyone more confused. However, they had no time to question the order, so they just followed without thinking twice. Soon after, the bustling Munoz Pass looked like a dead city. Not a soul could be found above the ground.


    A few moments after, the vanguard of the mysterious army also broke into Munoz Pass. Streams of soldiers flowed in like a raging river. However, what welcomed them was a completely desolated city with strange holes all over the ground. Because they were worried about the unknown traps that they might encounter, they first sent a messenger to ask their Commander in Chief what they should do next.

 Chapter 1150 The Powerful Aura

    Even the masked man in the red robe, who was the Commander in Chief of the mysterious army, also had a strange feeling after getting the message from within the Munoz Pass. However, he still mobilized several thousand soldiers as the vanguard to enter and investigate the entire area.


    Immediately after, the vanguard soldiers that entered the Munoz Pass had dispersed and explored every nook and cranny of the pass.


    "It seemed that they are inside those holes." Soon enough, the vanguard soldiers were able to detect that the soldiers of the Black Dragon Group were hiding within the holes and staying underground. However, since the opening of the holes was not wide enough, they did not dare to jump directly inside. Since there was no other way to launch an attack, they were kind of at a loss for their next step.


    Meanwhile, there suddenly appeared several dragon shadows behind the city wall where Boyd was hung. There were more than ten of such dragon shadows that looked like huge dark clouds. Under them, it could be seen that they also carried multiple types of strong land spirit-manipulated beasts.


    Some of the land spirit-manipulated beasts had long, sharp thorns all over their bodies; some wore steel armors, while some had huge sharp horns on their heads. Moreover, their sizes were much larger than the usual kind of spirit-manipulated beasts, making them appear very destructive.


    As the group of dragon beasts flew into the Munoz Pass, the ropes beneath them, where the land spirit-manipulated beasts hung, were cut off one by one.


    Thus, within a few seconds, all of the land spirit-manipulated beasts landed on the ground with a loud bang. Without wasting any time, the spirit manipulators riding on their backs immediately commanded them to rush towards the scattered soldiers of the mysterious army within the Munoz Pass.


    These land spirit-manipulated beasts were like massive chariots with extreme devastating power. Once they came into contact with the enemies, the damage they could inflict would be severe.


    These beasts were the secret weapons arranged by Rocky. They were sent here directly from the Crimson City. They had undergone gene modification that strengthened some of their aspects and characteristics, so that they could play greater roles, especially in war.


    At the same time, the huge dragon beasts that carried the land spirit-manipulated beasts also cooperated with the beasts on the ground. They hurled attacks from the air while the land spirit-manipulated beasts annihilated the enemies from the ground.


    While the fierce battle ensued, a signal rose in the air of the Munoz Pass.


    Soon after, the soldiers of the Black Dragon Group, who were h


    or.


    Nevertheless, Rocky wasn''t even fazed and didn''t avert his eyes from the masked man, who was staring back at him with eyes full of hatred.


    Both men''s eyes darted sparks as they glared at each other.


    Rocky knew that this man had deep animosity towards him from the look of his eyes. Therefore, he was further intrigued by the real identity of this masked man.


    The Deputy Commander in Chief was fuming in anger when Rocky just dismissed him as if he didn''t exist. After all, he was a master at the preliminary grade of the Divine Stage. It was such an insult that he was totally ignored. Therefore, he quickly dashed towards Rocky, like a blazing meteor. He gathered his spiritual power in his fists and displayed the spiritual martial arts attacks at the Divine Stage.


    "Take this! Wind Breaking Fist!" As he steadily approached Rocky, he forcefully swung his fists. In an instant, a strong wave of wind was stirred up under the ground, turning into a roaring gale. In the blink of an eye, the area within dozens of meters around Rocky was fully engulfed by the violent whirlwind.


    Within seconds, the entire yellow sand land was in a complete mess.


    When the Deputy Commander in Chief saw that Rocky had no reaction at all, he thought that he successfully landed a hit on him. He sneered and said, "Ha! That''s what you get for underestimating me!"


    However, right after the Deputy Commander in Chief finished speaking, a familiar figure suddenly brushed past him. He was caught off guard and wasn''t able to react quickly. When he was about to make a move, the figure suddenly burst out a tremendous aura that enveloped his entire body at once, rendering him motionless.


    Within a second, the figure landed about less than two meters away from the masked man and faced him directly.

 Chapter 1151 The Berserk Power

    At that moment, several guards wanted to do something about the situation, so they zoomed their way to Rocky''s side. However, just when they were about to reach him, the masked man clad in the red robe waved his hand without warning.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    In an instant, a series of deafening noises started bombarding everyone around. Soon after, those guards were all turned into ashes.


    The other guards who didn''t pursue Rocky were all taken aback from what they had witnessed. Fear shrouded them as they took a few steps back out of horror.


    "You''re nothing but a bunch of annoying losers. Get out of here! This does not concern you, and it''s none of your business." The masked man waved his hand once more, making it clear to everyone that he didn''t want anyone to get in the way with his current deal with Rocky.


    Seeing this, the guards had no other choice but to fall back and one of them dared to take a single step forward.


    "You must be from the spiritual race. Am I right? If so, then why did you lead the army to attack the Holy Dragon Empire?" Rocky asked the masked man straightforwardly.


    "It''s because...because of you. Because I''m going to end your life. Ha-ha!" At that moment, it seemed that the masked man was already spiraling out of control as he laughed out loud like a possessed lunatic. When Rocky heard what the masked man said, his eyes narrowed immediately.


    "What? Do you have any grudges against me? I can''t seem to figure out why you had to try so hard just to lure me out." At that moment, he was so sure that the man was coming for him.


    "So, Basil, how''s Lena? Are you two happy together? That''s just sad because she will lose you very soon. And when that happens, she will come rushing back to me..." the masked man said coldly, with a strong sense of jealousy in his eyes.


    However, Rocky''s eyes grew wider upon the words. He was stunned because he knew that no one would speak in such a tone except for the dead Alston.


    "Who the hell are you?" Rocky frowned.


    "Give me a break. I thought you were smart enough to know who I am," the masked man said as he suddenly dashed towards Rocky at lightning speed.


    Clang!


    In the blink of an eye, a ferocious saber, which looked like a mass of a hundred evil beasts, instantly collided with Rocky''s Frozen Wind Dagger, turning it into a strong Flaming Blade. At that moment, the two people were only half a meter away from each other.


    "Alston!" Rocky shouted. Shock crept his face the moment he recognized who this mysterious man was.


    "Ha-ha, can you imagine? I''m not dead! Not only am I still alive, but I also have the body of a spiritual race being that surpasses human''s," Alston said as he laughed grimly.


    acked the ground and created a mind-crushing impact, allowing the powerful residual force to quickly rush towards Rocky.


    Rocky, on the other hand, immediately raised the Hexagonal Netting Dragon Ring, summoning several hexagonal light barriers in front of him.


    After producing a muffled sound, the residual force instantly hit the hexagonal light barriers and broke them, forcing Rocky to take a step back.


    "Huh, the power of the spiritual race is really violent!" Rocky could not believe what he had seen. Luckily, he was still protected by the ice armor. Otherwise, his life would be in danger.


    Seeing that the previous blow was not enough to break through Rocky''s defense, Alston became all the more annoyed. Once again, he forced himself forward and engaged in close combat with Rocky.


    With the power and body from the spiritual race being, Alston still believed that he would have the upper hand, although Rocky was not at a disadvantage. At that point, the two came to realize that they were so closely matched that their strength was very much the same.


    However, in order to test Alston''s primary strength, Rocky played fair. He could have summoned Uriah and his other two beasts to assist him, but he chose not to. If the three beasts were in the picture, then surely, Alston would never have any chance of winning.


    At the same time, Alston''s mysterious army had been disintegrated one by one under the leadership of Isis and the other two women. Although this army was flocked by several masters at the medium and premium grade of the Supernal Stage, they only found themselves frustrated and exhausted in front of the three women who had already reached the Divine Stage.


    As a result, the mysterious army began to collapse under the fierce counterattack of the Black Dragon Group.

 Chapter 1152 Who Was Behind All This

    When Isis saw that almost everything was now under control, she entrusted Sabina to take charge while she went and looked for Rocky. She knew that Rocky must have gone deep into the enemy''s base and might need some backup, especially if he had faced the enemy''s dreaded Commander in Chief. However, since she saw how the mysterious army had lost their edge in this battle, she was sure that Rocky must have done a good job resisting his opponent.


    After a while, she was able to find Rocky. However, she was stunned as she witnessed that Rocky was engaged in a fierce battle against a member of the spiritual race.


    Furthermore, it seemed like the enemy could somewhat fight Rocky on equal footing.


    Without hesitation, Isis quickly landed on the battleground and came to Rocky''s side at once.


    "How is it going back there?" Rocky asked as soon as he saw Isis, although he was pretty confident that everything was going fine if she was already here to back him up.


    "Don''t worry. It''s almost done. But who is this person? Why is there a member of the spiritual race here?" Isis cut to the chase and asked about the enemy in front of their eyes.


    "He''s Alston," Rocky replied with a frown.


    "What? Alston? How is he still alive?" Isis was taken aback at what she just heard.


    "Oh, it''s Isis. Do you remember me? Since you''re already here, I might as well kill you first to let Basil know how it feels to lose his woman right before his eyes! Ha-ha! It''s a sight to behold, trust me!" Alston''s bloodshot eyes widened as he gritted his teeth. He was full of killing intent and was eager to do anything to make Rocky suffer.


    However, Isis would not let this happen. She immediately gathered her spiritual power all over her body and unleashed her mighty aura as a Divine Stage master.


    "You damn bitch¡­ You have also reached the Divine Stage?!" Alston couldn''t believe his eyes. When he was still in the Crimson Dragon Group a while back, Isis was no more than a master of the Supernal Stage. However, right now, it was without a doubt that she had already become a Divine Stage master.


    Before he could even recover from his astonishment, he suddenly perceived that two more people with auras at the Divine Stage were fast-approaching. In a few moments, they also landed beside Rocky. It turned out to be Sabina and Lucilla who also came as support.


    As he saw all of them, Alston''s face darkened as his entire body trembled in anger. Rocky himself was already a burden for him because they were almost at the same level of strength. However, the situation had turned for the worst now that three more Divine Stage masters joined Rocky''s side. With this, he knew that it would be a losing battle if he still pushed through.


    He clenched his fists tightly. He had been preparing for this day for such a long time. It was not easy for him to find the perfect opportunity to hand Rocky the same humiliation that he acquired from the prince.


    "Fine. Let''s stop right here because you guys have already spoiled the fun. Wait until I fully fused the power of this spiritual race bei


    ere superior to the Crimson Dragon Group, but inferior to the Sky Army Group, which was led by Bryant. Thus, even if the assaults didn''t recede, the enemies still couldn''t do anything to break through the defenses of the Rime Army Group.


    Since Marcia had always been on the front line, Rocky went straight to the area where he could find her.


    It didn''t take him long before he found Marcia in their camp. As he approached her, he asked her for some time and told her everything that had happened in the battle at the Munoz Pass.


    "Hmm, I think that Reginald must be the one who did it," Marcia answered after thinking for a while. For her, this was the most probable conclusion from what she heard.


    "So, is it the Dragon Master Clan who''s supporting Alston from the background? I''m confused as to how he managed to assemble such a powerful army. Their fighting ability was astounding." Rocky raised some doubts.


    "I don''t think Rex could spare any time on dealing with the Holy Dragon Empire with their current state. Since the Mu Clan was revived and openly waged a war against Rex, he used every means that he could to get his hands on just to get rid of them. However, he didn''t prevail. In fact, several members of the Dragon Master Clan became dissatisfied with his leadership and defected to the Mu Clan. Right now, his force was reduced by a lot. I think it won''t be long before the Mu Clan completely takes over the Dragon Master Clan again. With that, I don''t think Rex could make any move to deal with the Holy Dragon Empire right now. The timing is not right, and he does not have the resources." Marcia didn''t share Rocky''s opinion that it might have been the Dragon Master Clan who was secretly supporting Alston from behind. In this case, a question was still left hanging. Which clan of the spiritual race would dare to deliberately go against the Holy Dragon Empire? Back then, it was indeed Reginald who drew Alston''s soul away. Even if they didn''t directly get the answer, everything pointed out that he was involved in this matter.

 Chapter 1153 The Genius Warrior

    "Currently, the Holy Dragon Empire is besieged on all sides. If Alston decided to make a move right now, it would create a huge impact on the empire and we would be in huge trouble," Rocky said as his eyes flashed a cold expression.


    "I hope that my sister would be able to lead the Mu Clan into regaining control over the Dragon Master Clan as soon as possible. Once that happened, the Holy Dragon Empire would acquire the support of the spiritual race again. That''s the only way for all these countries to back off from our borders," Marcia said in a hopeful tone. The situation of the Holy Dragon Empire was getting more dangerous day by day. If it weren''t for the full support of the four mighty army groups, the borders of the empire would have been breached long ago. However, if things still went on like this, it might be pretty catastrophic if some unanticipated attack exploded in their midst.


    "So, how are things going here?" Rocky asked, knowing that Marcia and the Rime Army Group had to constantly deal with multiple attacks from different countries.


    "Very bad, actually. More than one hundred thousand soldiers from at least three different countries keep attacking the defense line of our border in turns. We can''t catch a breath just to resist all of them," Marcia replied with a bitter smile as she looked in the distance.


    "Do you want me to stay for a while?" Rocky asked with a faint smile. After all, it was not often that he was able to see Marcia like this.


    "Really? That''s actually very helpful. I won''t refuse any help from a friend right now," Marcia quickly responded with a bright smile.


    "Yes, of course. Let''s see what I can do for you." Rocky let out a loud laugh so as to lighten the mood.


    About two hours later, Rocky went to lead twenty thousand soldiers of the Rime Army Group on behalf of Marcia. They set out to face against an army from a middle-scale country, consisting of about thirty thousand soldiers. The Commander in Chief of the other party also seemed to be a pretty famous figure in the Wild Spirit Land, and his strength was at the third grade of the Divine Stage.


    "So, what are you going to do? Any plan?" Marcia, who had accompanied Rocky in the front line, asked at once.


    "I''m going to fight alone first," Rocky said without hesitation. He looked at the enemy army with a grin on his face.


    "What? Alone? Did you hear that there are about thirty thousand people out there? Are you planning to fight all of them alone?" Marcia asked as she felt like reprimanding Rocky. Although she knew that he had the courage and the abilities to do so, she still thought that he was being a little reckless. She realized that Rocky had become even more fearless after experiencing the battle with the Dragon Master Clan.


    "Of course not. I would just like to say hi to their Commander in Chief. Maybe he could do me a favor and retract his army so that we could avoid this unnecessary battle


    ff and flew towards the enemies, it opened its mouth and rapidly spit out blazing fireballs that rained over like meteors.


    Ken also followed closely behind. Although it was not a spiritual beast that was good at attacking, its ability as a guardian beast had already broken through to the sixth layer of the seal. Even a casual release of its spiritual power could cause staggering damage to the enemies.


    While the three beasts paved the way, Rocky continued to walk steadily into the enemy''s formation. Even though thousands of soldiers rushed towards him to prevent him from approaching further, they weren''t able to get close to him because the three beasts would annihilate them.


    As he watched the scene, the Commander in Chief of the enemy was rendered speechless.


    Even the army''s commanders tried their best to block Rocky and attempted to bring him down.


    However, Rocky didn''t even flinch or avoid their attacks. Before they could even perform their spiritual martial arts, he unleashed such an overwhelming aura that surged towards them like a gushing tidal wave. In an instant, they were all frozen and unable to move even an inch.


    After passing through the commanders, Rocky continued treading towards the enemy array. It was as if he was the king of the world. Everyone who dared to hinder him was either perished or brought to the ground.


    On the other hand, most of the soldiers of the enemies were either fleeing in all directions or were being slaughtered under the vicious attacks of Rocky''s three beasts alone.


    People outside the Holy Dragon Empire might have heard of the rumor which said that there existed a genius warrior whose strength and bravery couldn''t be stopped even by tens of thousands of men. It was just a legend, but now, they were experiencing it with their own eyes. That extraordinary warrior was Rocky, and right now, he even appeared like a God of War that could obliterate all of them just with his own hands.

 Chapter 1154 Genetic Modification

    The Commander in Chief of the enemy kept a sharp lookout for Rocky. He felt a shiver running down his spine as Rocky got closer and closer. No one from his men could even stop Rocky, let alone fight back. He had no idea that there was someone like that in the Rime Army Group. Who was he? Why did he fight for the Rime Army Group?


    "Commander in Chief, he is getting closer. Should we send all our elite commanders to stop him?" His Deputy Commander in Chief''s voice was trembling in fear. He was obviously frightened by Rocky''s breaking into the array. Rocky was coming towards them with an intensity that made them feel like the God of Death was coming for them.


    The Deputy Commander in Chief was not alone in this. All the soldiers and generals thought the same. They felt their throats turn dry as their eyes followed Rocky''s every step. Meanwhile, Rocky was walking as if he were just strolling in his own backyard, but the intimidating aura he exuded was telling a different story.


    "No, don''t bother anymore. We have already lost this battle." The Commander in Chief sighed in dismay and shook his head. He knew that Rocky had successfully destroyed the morale of their army by singlehandedly breaking into their array made of thirty thousand soldiers. If they fought, he could not imagine how much loss they would suffer. Maybe they would all lose their lives here in the battlefield.


    The Commander in Chief had already admitted defeat even without a fight. This had never happened before in their entire history. This surrender destroyed the soldiers'' confidence even more.


    However, they all had to admit that it was indeed a wise move!


    Not long after, Rocky directly faced the enemy''s Commander in Chief under the watchful eyes of the enemy''s troops.


    "Tell me who the hell are you?" Now that they had surrendered, they wanted to know who led them into this tragedy.


    "I am Prince Crimson of the Holy Dragon Empire," Rocky replied calmly, a smile creeping in at the corners of his mouth.


    "Prince Crimson? Are you Prince Basil? You''re the one who made the Timber Deity Empire suffer at the Gehenna Border as well as the one who was doing all these heroic deeds?" The face of the enemy''s Commander in Chief changed instantly. He looked at Rocky as if he could not believe that he was there.


    Everyone who heard Rocky''s words was shocked too. Prince Crimson''s fame had spread all over the Wild Spirit Land. Everyone knew his name and his achievements these days.


    After Rocky


    ted beasts it possessed would decide its combat ability. The reason why the mysterious army led by Alston was irresistible was largely because they had an extraordinarily strong team of spirit manipulators and powerful commanders. Therefore, it improved the overall combat effectiveness to a degree that an ordinary army couldn''t achieve. However, this was an extremely rare case.


    Therefore, to improve the combat effectiveness of their army, they had to start from the foundation and composition. In other words, they needed to improve every spirit manipulator''s combat power. However, this was restricted by various factors, so the only thing that could be improved was the spirit-manipulated beasts of the spirit manipulators.


    "Wait, you mean that you want to carry out an overall genetic modification of the spirit-manipulated beasts owned by the spirit manipulators in the four groups?" After hearing Rocky''s plan, Marcia was a little surprised. Although she had some knowledge about genetic technology, she still could not imagine that such an indescribable thing could change spirit-manipulated beasts and improve their power.


    "Haven''t you seen my success? Although there is a probability of failure, once a spirit-manipulated beast is successfully transformed, its fighting capacity can at least be doubled, sometimes even tripled," Rocky replied with an assuring nod. The reason why he built the Genome Research Institute and conducted large-scale genetic experiments was to help the Holy Dragon Empire improve their overall military strength. If that happened, the empire would be able to cope with any situation, especially when it was under attack.

 Chapter 1155 The Most Important Thing Is Her Happiness

    However, there was a probability of failure in genetic modification. No perfect method for doing that existed in any world. The silver lining was the dozens of spirit-manipulated beasts that Rocky had used in the battle between the Black Dragon Group and the mysterious army. It was known that they had all been bred from at least hundreds of variants of spirit-manipulated beasts through genetic modification. Over countless experiments and efforts, he had successfully created a few dozen spirit-manipulated beasts with terrifying fighting power.


    "To be honest, I have no doubts, because I believe in you. The Crimson Dragon Group should not be a problem. However, it is hard to predict the side that the Black Dragon Group and the Sky Army Group are likely to take." Marcia naturally believed in Rocky''s abilities.


    "I have just come from the Black Dragon Group. I believe Commander in Chief Boyd has no reason to refuse this offer. In fact, I think he''s considering it since he has personally witnessed the power of a genetically modified spirit-manipulated beast. What remains to be seen is the reaction of the Sky Army Group, where I''m going next," Rocky told her.


    "Are you sure? I mean the idea is all well and good but the last time you were there, you refused to marry Shirley. There''s a chance that Chief Bryant still carries the rejection in his heart. You should be careful. However, if Shirley can persuade her grandfather for you, that would be great," Marcia said in a mischievous, teasing tone.


    "I am not counting on that girl." Rocky shook his head with a smile. Actually, he felt a little helpless when it came to Shirley. Although he had refused to marry her, she had still taken the initiative to come down to the Crimson City and start cultivation with him like the other women. However, she had never mentioned anything about the engagement or even talked to him any more than was absolutely necessary. It was not until recently that Shirley had been called back to the Sky Army Group for help. The Skywind Border, guarded by the Sky Army Group, had been attacked by two powerful empires together.


    "Speaking of which, Shirley and you are not meant to be together, believe me. When His Majesty granted the marriage between you two, she was very unhappy and agreed very unwillingly. Later, Chief Bryant proposed you two get married, but you refused. Howeve


    on and its related technologies from Shirley once or twice. People say that you have used this technology to breed several new spirit-manipulated beasts. Yet, I believe that the risks are great indeed," Bryant replied in a thoughtful tone.


    "Yes, you''re right. However, if these technologies are successfully applied in the army, it will immensely enhance their overall combat effectiveness." Rocky nodded.


    "I get that, but I don''t think it''s appropriate to take such a risk for this matter." Bryant was a cautious man. There were too many wars already at the border, and the spirit manipulators and spirit-manipulated beasts were very scarce. It would be difficult for him to spare some for genetic modification.


    "I just wanted to give you a suggestion. After all, you are the top leader of your group. But do think about it, Chief Bryant," Rocky politely agreed.


    "Okay. I will think it over," Bryant promised.


    "I have another thing to ask you too. But I don''t know whether I should say it," Rocky added after thinking for a while.


    "Please go ahead," Bryant said.


    "Are you still mad at me because I refused to marry Miss Shirley?" Rocky asked politely.


    "To be honest, I did feel unhappy at first, but when Shirley came back from the Crimson City, I saw that she had changed a lot. From time to time, she would mention everything you had done in the Crimson City, and she looked very happy. I never expected that to happen. Now I understand that the engagement doesn''t matter at all. The most important thing is her happiness!" Bryant said with a sigh of relief.

 Chapter 1156 The Heavenly Demon Clans Condition

    "I''m relieved to hear that, Chief Bryant," Rocky said with a smile.


    While they were talking, a graceful and plump figure came in. She had a cold expression on her face, but as soon as she saw Rocky, her face brightened with happiness though it was only for a moment.


    "It''s nice to see you, Miss Shirley." Rocky recognized her immediately. It was Shirley who just came in.


    "What are you doing here?" Although Shirley was happy to see Rocky, she hid it well and spoke to him in the same arrogant voice she often used.


    "I''m here to talk with Chief Bryant," Rocky replied, not minding the cold treatment from her, as he was already used to it.


    "Oh, I see," she answered, suddenly hesitant, as she looked from Rocky to Bryant. Finally, she felt that she had disturbed them, so she nodded at them politely and turned away. "I''m sorry I disturbed your conversation then. I''ll go out first."


    But before she could leave, Bryant stopped her. "Wait. We are done here, actually. And it''s the first time that Prince Crimson has come to our Sky Army Group, so why don''t you show him around for me?" he suggested.


    Shirley hesitantly faced them, a look of unwillingness on her face. Unfortunately, she couldn''t say no to Chief Bryant, so she just looked at Rocky, expecting him to turn the offer down.


    However, Rocky had no reason to turn down Bryant''s offer. It would be impolite to reject his kindness after all. So, he stood up and bowed a little toward Bryant before he walked to Shirley. "Thank you, Chief Bryant. I will be happy to see your Sky Army Group. Thank you, Miss Shirley, for your time."


    Shirley snorted slightly and didn''t deign to reply to Rocky. Then, she walked out without waiting for Rocky, who hurried after her after nodding at Bryant one last time.


    The two of them strolled around the base camp of the Sky Army Group. It looked like an impregnable fort, and it was bigger and more majestic than the Crimson Dragon Group.


    Shirley kept silent most of the tour, except when she had to tell Rocky about the places they went to, and even then, she kept them as brief as possible. However, despite her silence, she kept stealing glances at Rocky all the time.


    She looked like she wanted to say something, and her movements were jerky and abrupt whenever she felt that Rocky wasn''t looking at her. Finally, Rocky was fed up and asked her bluntly, "Do you have something to say to me? Just say it."


    "What are you talking about? I have nothing to say to you!" Shirley contradicted. She lied because she was flustered and didn''t know what to say to Rocky. She had a lot of questions for him, but didn''t know where to start. This was the first time that they were alone


    incerely.


    "It''s none of your business. I will take care of my own feelings. If you don''t have anything else to do, just go." Shirley cast a sidelong glance at him. However, she could not stomach to see Rocky leave, so before he could leave, she walked away from him first. At that moment, Rocky could tell that she was as complicated as the other girls.


    "I hope she can understand what I mean. Don''t fall in love with me anymore." Rocky sighed, looking at Shirley''s back.


    Rocky then went to Bryant to say goodbye and left the Sky Army Group. He went back to the Crimson City first and made some arrangements, preparing to start the genetic modification plan of the spirit-manipulated beasts in the four groups.


    When everything was ready, he went to the Imperial City. But he didn''t go back to the Palace City. Instead, he went to the Fragrance House to see Laney. Earlier, he had asked her to look for clues about Alston. So, he went there to know if there was any progress.


    However, instead of hearing the news he expected, he got another astonishing message about the Timber Deity Empire.


    "What did you say? The Wood Clan is going to ally with the Heavenly Demon Clan, and Alyssa has to be sent to the Heavenly Demon Clan as some kind of condition?" Rocky was shocked by what he had heard.


    "My sources are sure, so they can''t be wrong about this. When I heard the news, I wanted to send you a message right away. Fortunately, you came back in time." Laney''s face had never looked as serious as it did at that moment.


    "The Heavenly Demon Clan once wanted to take away Alyssa''s legendary guardian beast. This time, they must be plotting something by asking for such a condition. There''s something wrong about their sudden request. Why do they want Alyssa?" Rocky wondered aloud.

 Chapter 1157 Rockys Fault

    "Currently, the Heavenly Demon Clan has already grown into a force that couldn''t be ignored. They could even be lined up with the Dragon Master Clan, the Phoenix Master Clan, and the Wood Clan. Moreover, it is rumored that they possess two spiritual treasures while the Wood Clan only gets a half. They even proposed a very enticing condition. If Her Royal Highness agreed to marry their patriarch, they would willingly bestow one of their spiritual treasures as a gift for the bride. I''m afraid that more than forming an alliance, the Wood Clan would be definitely enticed into acquiring that spiritual treasure. Thus, they may possibly agree with their proposal of marrying Her Royal Highness into the Heavenly Demon Clan." Laney analyzed every detail.


    "But do you really think that she would agree to something like that? Knowing her, I don''t think so." Rocky knew how proud and stubborn Alyssa could be. He could tell that she would turn them down right at their faces without any hesitation.


    "I know that too. However, the real problem is that the Wood Clan is considering it. They''re so desperate to obtain the spiritual treasure of the Heavenly Demon Clan. If the Wood Clan decided and ordered Her Royal Highness to accept the proposal, do you think that she would still have a say? If push comes to shove, she might have no other choice but to obey." With her eyes already turning reddish, Laney paused and looked at Rocky intently. "Basil, I beg of you. Please go to the Timber Deity Empire right away and get Her Royal Highness out of that place!"


    "Hey, calm down. I understand your anxiety, but if she made this move, she would become a traitor to both the Timber Deity Empire and the Wood Clan. She can''t afford to do that." Rocky tried to reason with logic.


    "I also know Her Royal Highness. She would rather do that than become a member of the Heavenly Demon Clan. In case you don''t know, those bastards are more interested in her legendary guardian beast than herself. I don''t think that there would still be a chance for her to come back once sent there. Her life might even be put to danger!" Laney''s chest throbbed hard as she worried about what could happen to Alyssa. She tried to calm down a little before saying, "Basil, you should know that Her Royal Highness has a special feeling for you. I strongly believe that at a time like this, you''re the one that she wants to see the most."


    Rocky quickly understood what Laney meant. With all honesty, he was indeed worried about the current situation of Alyssa. She had helped him a lot of times when he was in the Timber Deity Empire. From then on, he made up his mind that if ever she were on a tight spot, he would not hesitate to give her a hand. Moreover, he also wanted to take the opportunity to find out more about the Heavenly Demon Clan and what they had been up to. Thus, considering every factor, he felt the significance of making a trip to the Timber Deity Empire. No matter what decision Alyssa was going to make, he needed to see her first.


    "All right. I''ll go to the capital of the Timber Deity Empire right away. I need to see her first and confirm whatever she wants to do." Rocky


    At the same time, while they were still busy talking, Lucas, who had just heard of their arrival, also rushed into the hall to greet them.


    "Miss Lucilla and Miste¡ª I mean Prince Crimson! Why didn''t you tell us beforehand that you would be coming back? Is there something urgent that came up?" Lucas was indeed a sharp man who had experienced a lot in life. As soon as he learned of their sudden arrival, he instantly knew that there must be a pressing and important reason behind it.


    "Master Lucas! It''s nice to meet you again. I''m impressed that you''re still good at predicting things." Rocky also greeted back with a smile.


    After they all sat down, Rocky began explaining what their purpose was for suddenly visiting the Timber Deity Empire.


    "I see. I''ve also heard about the things about Her Royal Highness, but I''m not sure about it. Well, I guess we have to confirm it with the emperor," Lucas remarked.


    "Yeah, I also have the same thought," Rocky said in a serious tone.


    "Lucilla, this time, just stay with me and never leave me again! Can you imagine how boring it is to deal with a lot of different things every day? Then, I also have to continually listen to my master''s nagging. I don''t want to be the chief anymore! You should be the one to do it!" Queenie went on to complain and even attempted to pass the responsibilities to Lucilla.


    "You know I can''t. Besides, I told you, I''m just here to accompany Basil. Also, you''re a better chief than me. I didn''t want to be the chief anymore. I know it''s hard for a girl of your age to take on such huge responsibilities, but trust me, you''re the one suited for this." Lucilla put her arm around her sister''s shoulder and consoled her.


    While Queenie was being appeased by her sister, she sneakily glared at Rocky. At the back of her mind, she couldn''t stop blaming Rocky. If it wasn''t for him, her elder sister didn''t have to leave her and her clan behind. She had set her mind that it was all Rocky''s fault. However, Rocky just shrugged his shoulders and looked back at her with an innocent expression, making Queenie even more pissed.

 Chapter 1158 To The Wood Clan

    Rocky and the others headed to the Cao Clan since it wouldn''t be possible for them to casually meet Woods, who was now the emperor of the Timber Deity Empire. He intended to ask Queenie to take them to the royal palace to meet him instead.


    Due to the constraints of time, accompanied by Queenie and Lucas, Rocky left the Cao Clan and headed to the royal palace soon after.


    After passing through the strict security at the royal palace gates, Rocky and the others were finally ushered to the side hall.


    They didn''t have to wait long. Woods walked in, looking imposing in his imperial robe. He was no longer the humble prince they once knew. The officer had reported to him that the chief of the Cao Clan had arrived to see him, and Woods thought that it was only Queenie who was waiting for him. He stopped abruptly in his tracks when he saw Rocky standing in the hall, smiling broadly at him. His eyes widened in surprise and Woods quickened his pace towards Rocky.


    "Oh, come on now! It has hardly been a year. Why are you so excited?" Rocky teased as the smile at the corners of his lips grew wider.


    "Finally! I have been waiting for you! I thought you wouldn''t come!" Woods exclaimed, grabbing Rocky''s shoulder. He heaved a deep sigh, as if the man''s mere presence gave him hope.


    "Where is Alyssa? I want to see her," Rocky said with urgency in his voice.


    The smile faded from Woods'' face. "She''s not here as she has been taken back to the Wood Clan," Woods said seriously.


    "The Wood Clan? Is she really..." Rocky shook his head and pinched his brows in frustration.


    "The Wood Clan has already decided to exchange her for a spiritual treasure, and she is not in a position to disobey their order," Woods sighed.


    "Why? She has a legendary guardian beast! Why do they have to use her for the exchange?" Rocky asked with a deep frown.


    "You know the reason better than I do. If we go to the Wood Clan now, we may still have time to stop the Wood Clan. But that won''t be an easy task." The very idea that they treated his elder sister like a commodity annoyed him from the beginning. But he could do nothing about it, even though he was now the emperor of an empire. The Wood Clan was the spiritual race backing their empire, and they were free to decide whatever they pleased. He had no control over the Wood Clan, whatsoever. It was the same in Alyssa''s case as well. She was t


    rees, on which were built tree houses of various styles. Streams of members of the Wood Clan were busily going up and down without pausing to even look at them. The place was as peaceful as it could get.


    The rest of the escorts waited outside a large tree house while the escort in charge went inside to report their purpose of arrival. Soon after receiving permission, they headed to an independent tree house on the south side of the valley, led by a spiritual slave. The door of the house was closed.


    "Your Royal Highness, His Majesty has sent dowries for you," the escort in charge said respectfully.


    "Bring it in." Came a melancholy voice from inside the tree house.


    The door of the tree house opened, and boxes of dowries were carried in. Rocky carried in the very last box.


    When he entered the tree house, he saw Alyssa staring out the window, looking solemn. She seemed to have something on her mind.


    "Hey, you silly girl," Rocky shouted as he looked at her lonely back.


    Alyssa''s back straightened in a jolt. She hesitated for a moment without turning to look. Was it an illusion? Only one person in the world spoke to her in such a teasing tone. Only him. She sighed, wondering if she would ever see him again. This was the Wood Clan; how could she expect Rocky to risk his life to be here?


    She turned to look who it was in her room, and immediately froze seeing the man in front of her, standing there with the familiar smile. She was choked with excitement and couldn''t say a word for a moment.


    "You! What are you doing here?" Alyssa said, regaining her composure.

 Chapter 1159 Complete The Alliance Agreement

    "I heard that you are getting married soon; that''s why I came here," Rocky mumbled while crossing his arms over his chest.


    "Just leave. If the members of the Wood Clan find you here, they will surely not let you go. I''m not kidding around." Alyssa''s face changed drastically. The other spiritual race clans had already found out that Rocky had successfully lifted the curse on Marcia''s body during the battle with the Dragon Master Clan. Most of the clans might be skeptical about this news, but they had been secretly paying attention to his every move, and the Wood Clan was no exception to this speculation.


    Rocky ignored her plea and continued with his agenda, "I''m here because I''d like to ask you a question."


    "What is it?" Alyssa couldn''t help but ask.


    "Would you like to leave with me?" Rocky asked frankly.


    "You already know my answer," Alyssa responded with gravity in her tone.


    "That''s exactly why I don''t want you to sacrifice yourself. Hear me out. If what the Wood Clan desires is only the spiritual treasure, then I will return the other half of their spiritual treasure to them. This is the only solution I can think of as of now. In this way, you won''t have to sacrifice yourself anymore," Rocky said as he tried to convince Alyssa.


    "What do you mean by that?" Alyssa asked in wonder.


    "In fact, the other half of the Wood Clan''s spiritual treasure is in my possession and has not been taken away," Rocky replied.


    Alyssa, on the other hand, widened her eyes in awe. Immediately, she shook her head and said, "You don''t understand what''s going on. The Wood Clan is not only after their spiritual treasure. They also want to protect themselves. At this moment, the Dragon Master Clan has internal strife that has greatly weakened its power, while the Phoenix Master Clan has never been bothered by any other worldly affairs. Therefore, the Wood Clan doesn''t want to be the greatest threat to the big and influential Heavenly Demon Clan. Needless to say, the only way for us to end this is to reach an agreement with the Heavenly Demon Clan."


    "Then I am wrong about my perception of the Wood Clan. I can''t believe that they''re much timider than I thought. The way I see it, they are afraid of being targeted by the Heavenly Demon Clan, so they try to use such a method..." Rocky said scornfully.


    "You don''t understand. The Wood Clan may seem powerfu


    Soon after, the team packed their belongings and left the Wood Clan''s place. After all, they weren''t allowed to stay there for too long.


    Not long after, the Heavenly Demon Clan''s team arrived at the Wood Clan to fetch the bride. The person that led the entourage was an elder of a spiritual master of the Heavenly Demon Clan. Moreover, there were several powerful ordinary spiritual beings and more than twenty spiritual slaves present, making the event quite big.


    It was true that the Wood Clan only wanted to send Alyssa to the Heavenly Demon Clan this time because they wanted to make an alliance with the latter. Thus, they had to sign the alliance agreement first before they could take Alyssa back. That was why the Heavenly Demon Clan sent an elder of the spiritual master to represent the patriarch. At that moment, he handed the two agreements written by Patriarch Townsend, in person to the patriarch of the Wood Clan. As soon as the patriarch of the Wood Clan signed the agreements, he gave one of them back to the elder of the spiritual master. All of this signing was needed to fulfill the alliance agreement.


    As for the spiritual treasure, they would not give it to the Wood Clan until Alyssa was sent to the Heavenly Demon Clan and got married to Patriarch Townsend.


    After securing the alliance agreement, Alyssa was also invited out, along with her dowries, to go back with the team of the Heavenly Demon Clan.


    But before they set out to travel, Alyssa suddenly pulled out a dagger from her pocket and pressed it against her neck in front of everyone''s presence.

 Chapter 1160 Shall We Make A Deal

    This, of course, shocked everyone present, including the powerful patriarch and the elders of the Wood Clan, and the members sent by the Heavenly Demon Clan.


    "Alyssa, what are you doing?" the patriarch of the Wood Clan asked in a mortified tone.


    "Patriarch, the Heavenly Demon Clan wants my legendary guardian beast, the Moon Fox. For that reason, I refuse to become a part of their clan. But I do not want to bring shame to my clan either. So, I will hand over the Moon Fox and will die to atone for my behavior," Alyssa said resolutely. She now knew the Heavenly Demon Clan''s intention¡ªthey wanted the Moon Fox, not her. If it was just her being sent to the Heavenly Demon Clan, she might have reluctantly agreed. But the Wood Clan had already agreed to exchange her and the Moon Fox for the spiritual treasure. There was no room for any discussions at this point. Above all, she had no will to marry the patriarch of the Heavenly Demon Clan because she had already fallen in love with someone else.


    "What''s going on here, Patriarch?" the elder of the Heavenly Demon Clan demanded. Alyssa was playing some kind of drama, and he wanted to get over this as soon as possible. He was so close to obtaining the Moon Fox, and couldn''t afford to let this woman destroy everything at the last minute. If his patriarch hadn''t ordered him to bring Alyssa and the Moon Fox back together to his clan, he wouldn''t have bothered to care whether she was alive or dead.


    The patriarch of the Wood Clan tried to pacify the elder. "Elder, please give us a moment. Let us talk to her."


    He then turned to Alyssa. "Alyssa, think about this carefully. This alliance is of great importance to the Wood Clan," the patriarch said, trying to reason with her.


    "Yes, Alyssa, let''s talk about this! Think twice before you take this step," the elders of the Wood Clan echoed.


    The alliance between them and


    rch ordered. He had no time to deal with the man. Right now, he was most concerned about Alyssa''s matter.


    Soon, a few spiritual slaves surrounded Rocky.


    "Patriarch! He is my friend. Please, let him be!" Alyssa stood up to protect him.


    "Your friend?" The patriarch looked Rocky up and down once. He noticed that his aura was very unique. He couldn''t identify if he was weak or strong. However, there was a very strong power hidden within his body. The patriarch was now curious about the human''s identity.


    "Run!" Alyssa whispered to Rocky.


    He just smiled. Turning to the patriarch, he said, "You must be the patriarch of the Wood Clan. Let us make a deal, shall we?"


    "A deal?" the patriarch smirked. Not only did this human trespass into his clan, but now, he wanted to make a deal with him. He was either very brave, or very foolish.


    "I have something that your clan wants," Rocky continued.


    "How could a mere human have something that we want? Ridiculous! Get him out of here!" an elder of the Wood Clan roared as he waved his hand angrily.


    "Don''t you at least want to see what I have to offer?" Rocky asked as he took out the Mysterious Spirit Raw Gemstone which should have been embedded on the spiritual treasure of the Wood Clan.

 Chapter 1161 The Top Beauty

    The patriarch and elders of the Wood Clan froze at the sight of the Mysterious Spirit Raw Gemstone. They recognized it at a glance as the other half of their spiritual treasure. The gemstones on the nine spiritual treasures had unique colors. Each represented a natural power, and hence, was easy to recognize.


    "Why do you have that?" the patriarch of the Wood Clan asked without taking his eyes off the gemstone. "Wasn''t that half taken away by the other clan of the spiritual race?"


    "Ah! That was just an illusion I created. I had it all along," Rocky said, raising his eyebrows at him with a self-satisfied smirk.


    The elders of the Wood Clan looked at the patriarch, waiting for his response. If they could get the Mysterious Spirit Raw Gemstone back from the human, their spiritual treasure would be complete. They might not need to covet the spiritual treasure of the Heavenly Demon Clan any more. The treasures could not be used casually by any clan of the spiritual race. Moreover, using a spiritual treasure required enormous power. As long as any clan of the spiritual race had one spiritual treasure, that would be enough to grant them immunity against any wars.


    "What kind of deal do you want to make?" the patriarch questioned. "If you are here for Alyssa, I''m afraid that''s not possible. The Wood Clan has already finished the alliance agreement with the Heavenly Demon Clan. We have to hand over Alyssa to them." Although he coveted the other half of the spiritual treasure in Rocky''s hand, the patriarch still had to consider the overall situation. If they broke the alliance agreement in public, it would not look good on the Wood Clan. Besides, the Heavenly Demon Clan wouldn''t give up so easily.


    The members of the Heavenly Demon Clan had been restless from the moment Alyssa had started rebelling. As soon as the spiritual master of the Heavenly Demon Clan saw the other half of the spiritual treasure, he realized that Rocky was set on destroying their plan. Before things could go out of their control, he gestured the ordinary spiritual beings beside him to spring into action.


    Three of the ordinary spiritual beings bolted towards Rocky immediately. The stre


    as striking them back!


    "He has become stronger again," Alyssa murmured to herself, also surprised to see Rocky pushing back the enemy with ease.


    Seeing this, the other two ordinary spiritual beings became vigilant. They realized that they had underestimated Rocky''s strength, so they immediately summoned their guardian beasts.


    The one that was attacked returned to his companions'' side and also summoned his guardian beast.


    Now, there were three guardian beasts which were each stronger than the seven-star spirit-manipulated beasts beside the three ordinary spiritual beings.


    Alyssa knew that if the three ordinary spiritual beings, along with their guardian beasts, attacked him all at once, Rocky would be in grave danger. Even with his two spirit-manipulated beasts, he wouldn''t win against them. She immediately stepped forward to help him.


    However, before Alyssa could make a move, a figure grabbed her shoulder from behind and stopped her.


    Alyssa turned around and shouted in astonishment, "Grandma?"


    The woman who stopped her was one of the elders of the Wood Clan, the one who had brought Alyssa up. Rocky had met the old lady before.


    Although she was old by age, she looked very much like a young human woman¡ªextremely demonic and attractive. Ordinary people would perceive her as a beautiful woman with a fatal charm. Within the Wood Clan, it wouldn''t be a lie to say that she could be crowned as the most beautiful woman.

 Chapter 1162 The Tough Fight

    "Elder Evita!" the patriarch and the other elders of the Wood Clan greeted in surprise when they heard Alyssa. Evita, on the other hand, was not supposed to be there, causing confusion to all those who heard her name.


    At first glance, the beautiful and majestic Evita seemed young, but on the contrary, she was actually the oldest spiritual master in the Wood Clan. Moreover, no one knew exactly how powerful her cultivation base was until now. She had been living in seclusion in the Spiritual Pasture Valley for a long time and paid no attention to the Wood Clan''s affairs. Also, she seldom left the Spiritual Pasture Valley and had little updates on what was going on around her and her clan.


    With that being said, it was no wonder why the members of the Wood Clan were immensely surprised to see Evita at the event. At that moment, there was only one question running in their minds¡ªwhat was she doing here?


    Evita gave a quick nod at the patriarch and the elders first, and then leaned closer and said to Alyssa, "This is not the proper time for you to take action. This man must be well prepared. Think about it. He even has the audacity and the courage to break into the Wood Clan and stop the Heavenly Demon Clan. I suggest that you trust him! Let''s see what he can do."


    When Alyssa heard the words, hesitation crept over her face. Soon after, she shot a worried glance at Rocky, who was facing three ordinary spiritual beings from the Heavenly Demon Clan and their respective guardian beasts alone.


    Without delay, Rocky opened his Magic Spiritual Space and called his spirit-manipulated beast upon seeing the three spiritual beings had summoned their guardian beasts.


    The next minute, a figure glistening with icy light all over its body flew out of the Magic Spiritual Space. In the blink of an eye, it positioned itself beside Rocky and let out a loud roar. It was as tall and strong as a giant, and the most amazing thing about it was that it exuded an aura as powerful as a guardian beast.


    When Rocky revealed himself, he was accompanied by a spirit-manipulated beast on par with the guardian beast. But he was not done yet. Now, he summoned another one, with almost the same level as the previous one. Seeing this made the members of the spiritual race gasp for air on the spot. For the members of the spirit race, they believed that no matter how strong the spirit-manipulated beast of a human being was, it was impossible for it to be put at the same level as guardian beasts. But now, Rocky might have actually refreshed their perception. Not only did he own a spirit-manipulated beast at the guardian beast''s level, but as i


    was doing was so unexpected that even the elder, a spiritual master of the Heavenly Demon Clan had a livid face.


    "Go ahead!" Rocky said freely to the three beasts.


    Without hesitation, these three beasts pounced on the enemies'' three guardian beasts with astonishing momentum. Not long after, Rocky followed closely, fighting against the three ordinary spiritual beings.


    "Fire Snake Explosion!"


    "Flame Arm!"


    "Flame Dragons!"


    At that moment, Rocky faced the three ordinary spiritual beings of the Heavenly Demon Clan with his full power. In fact, he was able to attack and defend at the same time with the help of Frozen Wind Dagger and Hexagonal Netting Dragon Ring despite his enemies'' use of powerful secret skills.


    As the fight progressed, Rocky had managed to beat the three ordinary spiritual beings black and blue without anyone''s help.


    At the same time, their three guardian beasts were completely at a disadvantage in front of the fierce attacks of Rocky''s formidable beasts.


    In no time, the weakest one of the ordinary spiritual beings was critically hit by Rocky''s Moon Blade again, sending him to fly more than ten meters away. He crashed into a big tree and fell onto the ground, unable to stand on his feet due to the injuries that he had sustained.


    "Is this guy still human?" All the ordinary spiritual beings present had the same question in their minds after witnessing how Rocky fought against three enemies alone and even hurt one of them.


    By that time, the elder of the Heavenly Demon Clan, couldn''t take it anymore. "Attack them now! All of you!" he ordered immediately.


    Without thinking twice, the remaining three ordinary spiritual beings and over twenty spiritual slaves all marched forward and surrounded Rocky.

 Chapter 1163 Have To Fight Recklessly

    Meanwhile, about eight figures started to pop out of nowhere and gathered beside Rocky.


    These figures were members of the escort team, which included Lucas, two supreme masters of the Timber Deity Empire at the Divine Stage, Lucilla, and several other women.


    "Basil, everything is ready and has been arranged outside. The Heavenly Demon Clan''s people can''t take the princess away now," Lucilla reported to Rocky immediately.


    "Thank you so much for your help," Rocky said with a feeble smile. The only reason why he fought the three Heavenly Demon Clan members alone was to buy some time for the escort team so that they had adequate time to set up an escape-proof net to prevent the Heavenly Demon Clan from taking Alyssa away.


    On the other hand, the situation changed as soon as Lucas and the others appeared. The Heavenly Demon Clan might have six ordinary spiritual beings on their side, but Rocky had six peerless masters above the Divine Stage ready to aid him. Moreover, he had backup outside the Wood Clan''s territory from the members of the escort team who would come in to support him once they needed help. Needless to say, the Heavenly Demon Clan did not expect that they would be disadvantaged.


    "Charge!" Rocky ordered. Without hesitation, Lucas and the others beside him immediately rushed towards the ordinary spiritual being and several spiritual slaves.


    Covered by Lucas and the others, Rocky waved the Frozen Wind Dagger in his hand and walked towards the elder of the Heavenly Demon Clan, a powerful spiritual master.


    "Who the hell are you? What is your name, lad?" At that moment, Rocky''s temperament and prowess piqued the interest of the elder. To be honest, he found it impressive that Rocky had even brought a group of human masters to intercept Alyssa openly in the territory of the Wood Clan. With this, the elder wanted to know his name and identity.


    "I am Prince Crimson... of the Holy Dragon Empire!" Rocky replied plainly.


    Right after he exposed his identity, the elder of the Heavenly Demon Clan, the patriarch and several elders of the Wood Clan could not help but gasp in astonishment. None of them had ever expected that the young man in front of them was the famous Prince Crimson of the Holy Dragon Empire in the Wild Spirit Land. They heard many great things about him, especially the time when he had unleashed the curse inside the body of the human daughter of the former patriarch of the Dragon Master Clan, Malcom.


    "So, you are the famous Prince Crimson. Our patriarch is very


    adow spiritual beam crashed with the spiritual shield and immediately exploded with unexpected power. As a matter of fact, the light was so powerful that it instantly covered a range of thirty meters. Despite it being an ordinary blow from the elder, it still had such power.


    Without a doubt, the situation was obviously not in Rocky''s favor.


    Just after the chaotic light explosion, Rocky vanished into thin air, without a single trace of where he was.


    Of course, the elder immediately looked around to find Rocky. Soon after, he waved his hand and formed a spiritual wind barrier which then erupted a sudden flame light.


    Whereas Rocky, who was still invisible, saw that the elder could see through his invisibility, he squinted his eyes as he observed the elder''s actions and then cloaked himself immediately after.


    Rocky tried several times, but he still couldn''t execute his planned surprise attack. Finally, he gave up and appeared in front of the elder.


    At that moment, he already surpassed half the time limit of the Spirit Possession.


    "I don''t think I have any other choice. I have to fight recklessly." Rocky knew that he didn''t have much time left, so he immediately increased his spiritual power and hastily moved towards the elder again.


    Afterwards, he used the spiritual martial arts at the Divine Stage, and the giant Moon Blades and continued to attack the elder. Moreover, the dense rain of Moon Blades also stunned the members of the Wood Clan, because they saw that Rocky''s spiritual power seemed to be inexhaustible. They thought that if he were an ordinary human spirit manipulator, his spiritual power would have been depleted and exhausted long ago.

 Chapter 1164 Just Surrender

    After Rocky activated the Spirit Possession with Ken, he was able to use the guardian power in its body to replenish his exhausted spiritual power. Therefore, in just an instant, he regained more spiritual power that was much stronger than the ordinary spirit manipulators.


    However, even under the continuous violent attacks from Rocky, the elder of the Heavenly Demon Clan seemed to be unfazed. He was still able to display his astounding strength as a spiritual master with so much ease.


    As the battle dragged on, Rocky was only left with one last chance to use the guardian power. On the other hand, the elder still didn''t show any weak point. He wouldn''t let Rocky obtain a single chance to gain the upper hand.


    But of course, Rocky would never give up regardless of how bad the situation was. Therefore, he rushed towards the elder again, gathered all of his spiritual power, and directly cut through the air. However, even with all his efforts, Rocky achieved nothing, at least in the eyes of most of the ordinary spiritual race beings.


    "What a waste of energy. This guy has insignificant skills!" However, Rocky''s plan wasn''t able to escape the eyes of the elder. With his tremendous strength, he had immediately seen through Rocky''s invisible slash, suspending in the air. It seemed to be harmless at first glance, but it contained lots of hidden killing intent.


    The elder quickly took action and unleashed his surging spiritual power, causing a vicious whirlwind around him.


    Crash! Boom!


    Upon contact with the elder''s spiritual power, Rocky''s invisible slash instantly exploded.


    "Is that your last trick up your sleeve?" Upon seeing that Rocky was almost out of breath, the elder suspected that he had no more strength left to fight back. It was the perfect chance to catch him before he could recover again.


    Thus, in the blink of an eye, the elder turned into a light shadow and rushed towards Rocky.


    "Basil!" As Alyssa saw Rocky''s current condition, she couldn''t help but call out to him. She was extremely worried about his safety.


    At that moment, every spiritual race being was confident that the battle was already over. Rocky was like a lamb that was about to be slain in the hands of a mighty wolf.


    Then, the elder quickly appeared in front of Rocky. He wore a smirk on his face as he began to attack this young man who was in a pitiful state. As long as he sealed Rocky''s spiritual power, the latter wouldn''t have any chance to resist anymore.


    However, the elder''s eyes widened as he saw a devilish grin appear on Rocky''s face. In a flash, an astonishing spiritual power burst out from his body, and the Evil Flame on his body rose and soared into the sky.


    Furthermore, it was inconceivable how Rocky''s a


    d his ground.


    "Do you want to continue?" Rocky asked the elder with a smirk on his face as if he was deliberately provoking him. Although he also knew that he didn''t have much power left, he wouldn''t show any hint of weakness in front of his enemy.


    As much as the elder knew that Rocky''s words were only a bluff, he became afraid of Rocky''s strange power when he experienced it firsthand. Thus, he didn''t dare to act rashly. Right now, their battle suddenly ended in a stalemate.


    "Don''t act high and mighty. I know that you don''t have enough power to fight me anymore. Just surrender and come to the Heavenly Demon Clan with me." The elder didn''t want to have any more meaningless battle, so he just dismissed Rocky''s words.


    Rocky sneered after realizing that the elder wouldn''t succumb to his provocation.


    "Elder, you can''t take this person away." The patriarch of the Wood Clan suddenly stepped forward and interrupted the two.


    "Why is that?" the elder asked with his eyebrows raised. He obviously didn''t like what the patriarch just said.


    "This man broke into our clan without permission and stirred up trouble. Therefore, it is just reasonable he will be dealt with by our clan," the patriarch answered with a straight face. It sounded logical but everyone knew that it was a mere excuse.


    "What if I say no? It is our patriarch''s order to bring this person to him along with Princess Alyssa. If you don''t want to make an enemy out of the Heavenly Demon Clan, then I suggest that you don''t try to meddle in our business," the elder declared with a stern voice.


    Upon hearing this, the patriarch grew worried. At that point, he didn''t know what else to do.


    "Enough! I''ll only go with you if you leave this man to our clan," Alyssa suddenly shouted at the elder and stared at him with extremely cold eyes.

 Chapter 1165 Removed The Seal

    "Princess Alyssa, You have to know that it''s not up to you to decide this matter." The elder of the Heavenly Demon Clan stared back at the princess with condescending eyes.


    "Really? Then, if you insist, you''ll have to take him over my dead body." Alyssa didn''t back down and even threatened the elder.


    "Don''t be too rash, Princess Alyssa. Even if you died right here, you wouldn''t be able to save him. Do you really want to get to that point? While in fact, you can save his life if you agree to leave with us. You can trust my word. Just do everything we''re telling you." The elder was kind of losing his patience, so he also subtly threatened her back.


    Upon seeing that even Alyssa couldn''t do anything about the situation, Lucas and the women decided to sneakily approach Rocky and attempted to save him. However, they were immediately restrained by the ordinary spiritual beings and the spiritual slaves of the Heavenly Demon Clan, and didn''t have any chance to even get near him.


    Hearing the elder''s response, Alyssa couldn''t help but grit her teeth as she turned towards Rocky. In her mind, the elder was right. Even if she sacrificed her life, Rocky would still be taken away. Therefore, if she had to die, she had to at least make sure that Rocky would be able to escape safely. With these thoughts in her head, she immediately turned and looked intently at Evita.


    The latter had a hunch about what Alyssa was planning. She actually wanted to stop her but she was taken aback by the fiery determination in the eyes of the princess. She had to nod as her support for her.


    Instantly, Alyssa''s spiritual power soared to great heights as she rushed towards Rocky. However, the elder of the Heavenly Demon Clan quickly saw through her actions and appeared in front of her in the blink of an eye. Even with her current strength, she was easily suppressed by the elder.


    Although her strength was already equivalent to that of a high-level ordinary spiritual being, it was still inferior to the level of a spiritual master. Moreover, she was distracted with the thought of urgently rescuing Rocky; thus, she showed a lot of loopholes that enabled the elder to easily hit her.


    However, Alyssa''s fighting spirit was not to be underestimated. Even if she was hit by the elder and her face turned pale, she used this opportunity to redirect her trajectory and passed through the crowd just to get to Rocky.


    As soon as she got to Rocky, she held him and said, "Can''t you just let me leave in peace?" Alyssa was slightly trembling as she saw Rocky''s worn-out appearance up close. She stared at him with her captivating eyes while trying to suppress her emotions. It hadn''t been easy for her to face her true feelings for Rocky. As much as possible, she didn''t want to see him risking his life for her, but right now, she was incredibly moved by his efforts


    still recognize that it was her original guardian beast, but its features had drastically changed.


    As the cursed seal from within her body was removed, so was the seal attached to the Moon Fox. With this, the Moon Fox''s original form was restored, which was the true form of the legendary guardian beast of the Wood Clan¡ªthe Timber Moon Fox King.


    The Moon Fox, who had regained its original body, was wearing a gorgeous flower shadow wood mark. Its nine majestic green tails swayed gracefully in the air, like the tree crowns with lively swinging green leaves on them. It was like the king of the forest that exuded an aura of wisdom and authority.


    It was said that the Timber Moon Fox King was the only one among the nine legendary guardian beasts that had the ability to exactly predict the future. This was the main reason why the Heavenly Demon Clan wanted to marry Alyssa into their clan. They were worried that once her seal was removed, the Moon Fox, who would inevitably return to its original form as the Timber Moon Fox King, would also regain all of its superior abilities. If it was able to predict the future, then their clan would be in trouble if they went against the Wood Clan.


    As soon as the Timber Moon Fox King showed up to the crowd, the face of the elder of the Heavenly Demon Clan instantly turned pale.


    "Basil, thank you¡­" Alyssa couldn''t express how grateful she was to Rocky. If he hadn''t taken the risk to save her in the first place, she wouldn''t be able to face her feelings, and she would have definitely missed the opportunity to remove the seal.


    "I just did what I''m supposed to. Now, it''s your turn to do what you should do." Rocky was elated to see that everything worked out in the end. Even from the beginning, he knew that it would be too risky, but now that he was able to help Alyssa remove the cursed seal, then every effort he made seemed to be worth it.

 Chapter 1166 They Left In Dejection

    Alyssa nodded gratefully at Rocky. It was only then that she realized that what he had done was to sincerely help her confront her heart and remove the curse that was binding her.


    Of course, the most touching moment for Alyssa was that this man was willing to break into the Wood Clan for her. He even prevented the Heavenly Demon Clan from taking her away, which led to the rebirth that she waited for a long time.


    She was no longer a human being now. Although her appearance did not change, she was now completely a member of the spiritual race and had no more restraints. As the master of a legendary guardian beast, she was destined to become a leader like Marcia who would change the course for all the clans of the spiritual race. In the future, everyone would definitely know who she was just by mentioning her name.


    The one who paved the way for all of this was only a human being, but what he had done was beyond what any member of the spiritual race could do. It was indeed a miracle.


    The members of the Wood Clan were the most shocked by what had happened to Alyssa, especially the reappearance of the legendary guardian beast. They could not feel anything else but pride and joy in their hearts.


    The crowd burst into loud cheers. They were cheering not only for Alyssa, but also for Rocky who had removed Alyssa''s curse.


    "That''s great! It''s a miracle! I have never imagined that I would see the legendary guardian beast reappear in my entire life!"


    "This is truly the pride and honor of the Wood Clan!"


    "We are thankful to Prince Crimson. If it were not for him, who knows how long we would have to wait before seeing the legendary guardian beast of our clan again! Maybe forever!"


    Even the elders, who had thought that Rocky came here just to cause troubles and wanted to drive him out with their own hands, changed their attitude towards him. Now, they looked at Rocky with sparkling eyes as if he was a piece of precious treasure.


    "All you want is the legendary guardian beast, but now I''m afraid that you can''t get what you want from me," Alyssa said to the elder of the Heavenly Demon Clan, her eyes running coldly over their members with the exuding arrogance of the spiritual race.


    "So, does this mean that you are declaring the Wood Clan as an enemy of the Heavenly Demon Clan?" The elder was enraged with what Alyssa said. He withdrew his eyes from


    orm again.


    Evita smiled at Alyssa and then came over to Rocky. She looked at him with appreciation and said, "Young man, you did a fantastic job!"


    "Wait, are you..." Rocky was stunned when he heard Evita''s voice which was very familiar.


    "Yes, she is indeed my grandma," Alyssa cut in. She walked to Evita and held her arm.


    "Grandma? She looks like your elder sister at the most!" Rocky said with a bitter smile. It was weird to find the appearance of a person he regarded as an elder to look so young.


    Evita kept her solemn expression, but there was a flash of smile in her eyes.


    Isis and other women near Rocky also looked at Evita curiously. They whispered to each other and nodded their heads occasionally.


    Alyssa, on the other hand, covered her mouth and smiled. She could not help but peek at Evita. In her eyes, Evita was always serious, and she seldom had any other expression other than her poker face. It was the first time that Alyssa saw a hint of a smile in Evita''s face, and she was glad that her grandma seemed happy.


    "Young man, you''ve improved a lot than the last time I saw you. Besides that, there are so many powerful humans that are supporting you. I was right about you the first time I saw you!" Evita was indeed happy. Of course, it was also because of the uncomplicated removal of Alyssa''s curse.


    "Thank you, grandma! I am flattered," Rocky said with a gentle smile.


    The patriarch and the elders of the Wood Clan all came over and caught up with them. From the way they looked at Rocky and their expressions, they regarded Rocky as a hero now.

 Chapter 1167 The Sterilization Problem

    "Please forgive my rudeness, but Prince Crimson, the other half of the spiritual treasure..." The patriarch''s hesitant voice caught their attention when he spoke up. Even though he also thought it was a little abrupt to mention it at such a moment, he still had to, because the spiritual treasure was too precious for them.


    "Oh, wait a moment," Rocky answered. Then he brought out the Mysterious Spirit Raw Gemstone and threw it to the patriarch, who hurriedly caught the stone with careful hands.


    The patriarch also gestured for the elders to come over so that they could take a closer look. When they had made sure that it was what they were looking for, the patriarch put it away and turned to Rocky. "Prince Crimson, can I ask a question? Where did you get this half of our spiritual treasure?"


    "It''s a long story, but I think there''s no need to linger on that. Now that the other half of the spiritual treasure is back in your hands now, I believe there''s no need for further explanations. Anyway, I''ve done what I came all the way here to do. I am leaving now," Rocky concluded. He didn''t bother to explain because he knew that the Wood Clan would not complicate things further than necessary. After all, he had helped their legendary guardian beast reappear in the world. The Wood Clan owed him a favor because of that, so they could not blame him for keeping the other half in his pocket. Of course, he didn''t care about how they would treat him later. He came here to stop Alyssa from going to the Heavenly Demon Clan, and he did it.


    As soon as Rocky finished speaking, he nodded to the people behind him, including the three women. After that, he summoned the three beasts back to his Magic Spiritual Space, and all of them got ready to leave.


    On the other hand, his actions had utterly shocked the patriarch and the elders of the Wood Clan, and their facial expressions betrayed that. After all, Rocky had done such a big favor for them. He not only returned the other half of the spiritual treasure, but he also brought their legendary guardian beast back to this world. Thus, they believed that Rocky would use that to take advantage of them, or at the least, request some things that would benefit him and his empire. However, Rocky didn''t seem interested any of those at all, as he was already getting ready to leave. He looked preoccupied with packing his things and instructing his companions to do the same.


    Seeing all these, the patriarch and the elders all put their hearts to rest. They discretely exchanged glances with each other, deciding that they would not look a gift-horse in the mouth, and Rocky and his compan


    rvival, and they began to hope that he could turn their fate away from extinction.


    No wonder the patriarch suddenly treated Rocky so seriously, despite the fact that he was just human.


    Rocky glanced at the patriarch briefly before he turned to Alyssa, who was looking at him with pleading eyes. An unspoken conversation seemed to pass through between them, until finally, Rocky sighed inwardly in resignation. He understood that she wanted him to help the Wood Clan. No matter what had happened before, Alyssa was also a member of the Wood Clan. She would never stand aside and watch the Wood Clan perish.


    "Why don''t we talk about it now?" Rocky nodded generously, although deep in his heart, he had his own motives. He had always been very interested in the genes of the spiritual race. Previously, Rocky had done some research on the Dragon Master Clan''s genes, but he had to postpone it due to lack of a contrast test. Now that the opportunity had presented itself, he had no reason to turn it down. He decided that he would embrace this chance to satiate his desire for knowledge.


    Without any further hesitation, Rocky asked the women and the others to join the escorts outside first. Then he went to an enormous treehouse at the north of the Wood Clan''s residence with the patriarch, the elders, Evita, and Alyssa.


    He was led into a hall first, where the patriarch asked him to take a seat.


    "I wonder what kind of method you can use to help us reproduce. Can you tell us more about it?" the patriarch asked eagerly as soon as they had all sat down.


    As if someone had given a silent signal, all their eyes turned to Rocky attentively. They sat straight on their seats, with their ears pricked in concentration as they waited for him to explain.

 Chapter 1168 The Furtive Figure

    Rocky took into consideration that the spiritual race beings might not be able to fully understand the concept of genetic technology, so he used some examples and metaphors to describe how it worked in the simplest way possible.


    "Prince Crimson, are you saying that with this technology, we can change the physique of the spiritual race? And when it happened, it can solve our problem regarding the race''s extinction? What is this gene thing? I want to believe you but I just can''t imagine how something that cannot be seen can alter the physique of the spiritual race. We''ve tried almost everything. Even those precious elixirs can''t do anything. But you''re saying that through this gene, it is possible?" Rocky understood the doubts and questions raised by the patriarch and the elders of the Wood Clan. If one didn''t really learn the concept behind it, it would be hard to accept such an abstract thing.


    However, Rocky was determined to help, so he still made an effort to persuade them. "Patriarch, I just need you to trust me. Give me your word and I will make sure to do my best to produce the result that your people need." Rocky already did everything to explain its concept but he knew that it wasn''t enough. Thus, he didn''t bother to explain more. All he needed was to make the Wood Clan agree on letting him do some experiments on a couple of their female members.


    With this, the patriarch and the elders took some time to discuss the matter at hand.


    "Elder Evita, what do you think?" The patriarch deeply trusted Evita''s judgment, so she was the one he consulted.


    "Patriarch, this matter is related to the fate of the entire Wood Clan, so it''s just appropriate that the decision will come from you. However, in my opinion, the young man is very special, and you should be able to see that too." Evita didn''t want to bypass the authority of the patriarch, but she made clear that she believed in Rocky.


    "Patriarch, I agree with her. Please permit Basil to try what he can," Alyssa said respectfully.


    After pondering for a while, the patriarch approached Rocky and asked, "Prince Crimson, can you guarantee us that it will be successful?"


    "I''m afraid that I can''t guarantee anything, but right now, this is the only way. I understand if you have misgivings, so I will request that you just give me three of your female members. I will take them back to Crimson City to carry out the research, and what I can guarantee is that I will ensure that their bodies will remain safe and healthy. After a month, I shall give you an update," Rocky declared firmly in front of the members of the Wood Clan.


    "All


    If it wasn''t for the fact the Juey and Queenie were the ones in charge of the beast hospitals in the Timber Deity Empire, Rocky would have already brought them back to the Crimson City, so that he could hand over the genetic technology to them. With their inherent abilities, Rocky was confident that both of them would become his capable assistants in the future.


    After staying in Timber Deity Empire for about ten days, Rocky, Isis, and the other two women left for the Holy Dragon Empire, together with the three female members of the Wood Clan. Juey and Queenie didn''t actually want to let Rocky go, but they had no choice.


    Upon returning to the Holy Dragon Empire, Rocky took the three women back to the Crimson City first. Then he accompanied the three female members of the Wood Clan to the genetics laboratory to begin carrying out some basic tests, which included checking upon their genetic make-up.


    While Rocky was busy getting down to his work, the three women went ahead to the Palace City to accompany Lena and see little Nigel. Isis had been running here and there with Rocky for the past several days; thus, it was natural for her to miss her son.


    Half a month passed quickly after Rocky and the others got back to the Holy Dragon Empire.


    While Rocky was studying the genes of the three female members of the Wood Clan in the laboratory of the Genome Research Institute, he suddenly heard some strange noises outside the room. He quickly put down the equipment and decided to take a look outside. Then, he immediately saw a furtive figure flash from a distance.


    Rocky was instantly alarmed and couldn''t help but think of Alston. Without wasting any time, he rushed to where the figure disappeared in order to catch him.

 Chapter 1169 The Unexpected Reunion

    Rocky followed the mysterious figure all the way. He ran beyond the Crimson City and arrived at the edge of a dense forest.


    He looked around and walked into the woods. The figure had disappeared into the darkness of the trees. "Come on out!" he yelled into the forest. "Weren''t you trying to lure me here? Well, here I am!"


    A figure walked out from behind a huge tree, wearing a large robe which covered the person from head to toe. The figure wasn''t well-built. ''A woman?'' Rocky wondered, furrowing his brows.


    "Who are you? What do you want with me?" he asked warily.


    Taking the hood off, the delicate figure stepped up to him.


    Rocky''s eyes widened in surprise. "You?"


    he asked, staring at the figure who turned out to be Cherry.


    "Are you surprised to see me?" she asked indifferently.


    "I had been in the Myriad Beasts Ground for half a year back then, but I never saw you. But now, you show up in front of me out of the blue. It would be a lie if I said that I am not surprised," Rocky said frankly, narrowing his eyes at her. He didn''t believe this was a coincidence; neither was she here for a merry chat.


    "That''s enough chitchat. I have come to you because I need your help," Cherry admitted, jumping straight to the point.


    "You need my help? You are a spiritual master of the Butterfly Divine Clan. Is this related to the spiritual treasure?" he asked. He was intelligent enough to figure out what Cherry was up to. At present, all the spiritual race clans in the Wild Spirit Land were searching for the spiritual treasures. As far as he knew, the spiritual treasure of the Butterfly Divine Clan did not seem to have appeared in the world yet. The clan had long been practically extinct, but it still had many members left, and Cherry was their spiritual master. It was understandable why the Butterfly Divine Clan wanted to get their spiritual treasure.


    "Since you already knew, I don''t


    d was only telling him now because she needed his help.


    "You know why," she said, casually glancing at Rocky.


    He clenched his fist in anger, but he was also excited. Sue was alive; the guilt that had been buried in his heart was now disappearing.


    "So? What do you say? If you don''t help me, you will never see her again," Cherry warned.


    "Fine, I''ll help you. But I need to see Sue right away." Rocky didn''t want to lose Sue again. He believed that Cherry was someone who would act on her words. However, he was also still doubtful that this might be a trick, so he had to see Sue in person.


    "Sue, come out," Cherry said.


    Sue suddenly appeared with another Sky-peeping Pearl in her hand. Her aura at the preliminary level of the Supernal Stage was quite extraordinary. She was completely different from the weak little girl she had been in the past. Both her appearance and temperament had changed; she was now a beauty.


    "Sue? Is that really you?" Rocky asked, his voice trembling in excitement. All this time, he had believed that Sue had been killed by Alston because of him. He had always felt guilty about losing her. Now, seeing that Sue was still alive and well, he felt grateful.


    "Mr. Bai." Sue''s eyes turned red and she threw herself into his arms.

 Chapter 1170 The Demonic Sky Land

    "Now that you have agreed to help me, I will allow Sue to stay with you to show my sincerity. You know what to do next, right? But I have to remind you that you need to hurry up. As far as I know, the Heavenly Demon Clan has found a way to enter the forbidden area of my clan. Therefore, you must take out the spiritual treasure from the forbidden area of my clan before the Heavenly Demon Clan could get their hands on it," Cherry reminded him with a small frown on her face.


    "Tell me first why you want to take the spiritual treasure of your clan," Rocky asked firmly, staring at Cherry coldly, as he waited for her to reply. His icy but steely gaze made it clear that he wouldn''t take silence for an answer.


    "I will tell you when you manage to get it. The forbidden area of my clan is a mysterious place located in the Demonic Sky Land, where the tribe of our clan once lived. However, the Demonic Sky Land abounds with very powerful supernatural beasts. It''s a dangerous place, even for someone of your ability, so I will ask Kayla to accompany you to ensure that you can smoothly reach there. However, after that, you will have to rely on yourself. Like the other places that seal the spiritual treasures, a forbidden spell has been cast on the forbidden area, so the clans of the spiritual race can''t enter it," Cherry added.


    "You just said that the Heavenly Demon Clan was also looking for the spiritual treasure of your clan, right?" Rocky asked, looking like he wanted to confirm something.


    "Yes." Cherry nodded.


    "Well, speaking of this, the Heavenly Demon Clan is very resourceful. Not long ago, they wanted to ally with the Wood Clan, and now they have designs on the spiritual treasure of your clan..." As he reiterated all he knew about the Heavenly Demon Clan, Rocky thought that they were not as simple as he thought.


    "The Heavenly Demon Clan was initially a secondary clan of the spiritual race, and they were not very powerful. But in just a few hundred years, they suddenly rose and conquered many small clans. Now, the Heavenly Demon Clan already has two spiritual treasures in their hands. If they can also get my clan''s spiritual treasure, the Dragon Master Clan, the Phoenix Master Clan, and the more advanced clans like the Wood Clan would not be able to contend against them. That is the reason why I want you to obtain the spiritual treasure of my


    we have something to do with the Butterfly Divine Clan, especially the other clans of the spiritual race. Considering the current situation of our Holy Dragon Empire, I don''t think we should make more enemies. After all, the Butterfly Divine Clan has already been exterminated. If the other clans find out that the descendants of the Butterfly Divine Clan want to take out their spiritual treasure, we might suffer some repercussions. That is why we need to do get the spiritual treasure without exposing our identities," Rocky lengthily explained. For the sake of the Holy Dragon Empire''s overall situation, he couldn''t bring too many people with him this time. Therefore, only he and the several women in front of him would work together to complete this mission.


    "I want to go with you this time," Lena volunteered eagerly. Every time she heard about the stories from the other women about how they had been through life and death with Rocky together, she felt envious. She also wanted to have the same experiences with Rocky. However, it was almost impossible to realize such a dream because of her identity.


    At first, Rocky didn''t want Lena to go with them since they were going to a perilous place. But considering that they didn''t have enough people on their side, he thought it would be prudent to take Lena with him anyway.


    "We''ll set off immediately once everyone is ready. Go and prepare now," Rocky instructed the women sternly.


    Once they completed all their preparations, Rocky and the women immediately left the Imperial City and headed for the Demonic Sky Land.

 Chapter 1171 Reach Their Destination

    Since the Demonic Sky Land was very close to the border guarded by the Sky Army Group, after discussing with Rocky, Isis sent a message to Shirley, asking her for help.


    Two days later, Shirley arrived and joined Rocky and the rest of the group.


    It took the group another two days to reach the Demonic Sky Land. It was surrounded by a mysterious primordial forest at the center of the Wild Spirit Land.


    The place was as eerie as its name. When they arrived at the entrance of the Demonic Sky Land, the group was welcomed by an extremely horrifying aura, instantly sending chills down their spines.


    Since the entire land was surrounded by the primordial forest, it was impossible to see what was waiting for them inside. However, since it was once the territory of the Butterfly Divine Clan, it would only be natural to assume that powerful supernatural beasts roamed the place. They would, at least, be at the same level as those in the Dragon Wing Valley.


    Not long after Rocky and the women arrived at the entrance of the Demonic Sky Land, Kayla appeared before them out of nowhere.


    "You are too late! A team of humans sent by the Heavenly Demon Clan arrived two days ago!" Kayla grumbled as she glared at the group members.


    "Really? Isn''t that good? Someone else is clearing the path for us," Rocky replied calmly.


    "That''s all well and good, but the Heavenly Demon Clan has sent several ordinary spiritual beings to escort the human team. We have to be extra careful. If we fight them head-on, we will be outnumbered and at a severe disadvantage," Kayla added, glancing continuously between Rocky and the women beside him.


    He nodded in reply.


    Under Kayla''s guidance, the team stepped into the Demonic Sky Land.


    The temperature suddenly dropped dramatically once they were inside, as if they had just entered the netherworld. The ground of the Demonic Sky Land was tilted at an angle, but they had no sense of descending as they advanced.


    The Demonic Sky Land was mainly composed of forest and rocky terrain. From above, the land looked like a humongous meteorite crater, and the skies were guarded by clusters of supernatural beasts. So, there was a high possibility of being attacked from above at all times


    possession of the three spirit-manipulated beasts and the ancient spiritual beast in the battle against the Dragon Master Clan that she finally realized why Rocky had caught Cherry''s attention. She noticed that he had an extraordinary ability in communicating with beasts. It could be possible for him to get the sealed spiritual treasure from inside the legendary guardian beast''s body.


    Upon hearing her explanation, the team smiled at each other in excitement. This mission seemed to be much more interesting than they had imagined¡ªchallenging, but interesting nevertheless.


    After two days of gruesome journey, with Kayla''s expert guiding and tracking of the rival team, the group finally reached the very depth of the extremely dangerous Demonic Sky Land. Although they had encountered many powerful supernatural beasts along the way, with the current united strength of Rocky''s group and the protection of a powerful spiritual master, their advance was nearly unimpeded.


    Six more hours later, the group arrived at the ruins of the Butterfly Divine Clan. Compared to the ruins of the Myriad Beasts Ground, this place was even more magnificent and imposing. It was conceivable that the Butterfly Divine Clan had been very prosperous back when they were in power.


    Among the ruins, they saw a group of humans moving around busily, along with several members of the spiritual race. The expedition team sent by the Heavenly Demon Clan was already searching for the spiritual treasure.

 Chapter 1172 Enter The Passageway

    "It appears that they are looking for the entrance to the forbidden area..." Kayla remarked at once upon noticing the shadows.


    "So, should we wait until they have entered? But they might send someone to block the entrance. If that happens, I''m sure that it will give us a hard time," Rocky said after thinking for a while.


    "There''s no need for us to wait. I know another way to enter the forbidden area. It can be a bit riskier, but it is much easier than entering from the entrance, which initially requires us to break the seal. Come with me." After finishing her words, Kayla gestured to Rocky and the others to follow her.


    Without thinking twice, Rocky and his group immediately followed Kayla to the southeast side of the ruins of the Butterfly Divine Clan. After walking for a while, they arrived at a place where countless tombs lay on the ground. However, most of these tombs had already been destroyed, making the place very desolate and eerie.


    "Back then, the alliance of the spiritual race clans surrounded the Butterfly Divine Clan, causing the latter to suffer a crushing defeat. This war led to the deaths of the majority of my clansmen, and only a few of them escaped," Kayla sighed as she explored the cemetery with her eyes.


    "Why would the alliance of the spiritual race clan attack your clan? Perhaps it''s not just because your clan was more powerful than them, right?" Rocky couldn''t help but ask out of curiosity. At that moment, he wanted to learn the real reason why the Butterfly Divine Clan was annihilated.


    "You''re right about that. One of the reasons for the destruction of my clan was due to its power. At that time, it was very powerful. In fact, it had many members that far surpassed the other clans'', making it a threat to others. Moreover, the other clans formed an alliance to exterminate my clan primarily because they were afraid of our leader, Aaron Bai. Sure, he brought prestige and power to the clan. Yet, the other clans all wanted to stand against him because he had a forbidden item in his hand!" Kayla expounded.


    "What? A forbidden item? What was it?" Rocky asked with an utmost interest.


    Soon after, all the women shot Kayla a glance, as they anticipated her answer.


    "Unfortunately, I don''t know what it is, either. The only thing I know about this history is that more than five hundred years ago, Aaron had entered an ancient mysterious place with each of the other clans'' leaders. At the end of


    when he heard Cherry''s motive.


    As they talked, Rocky and the women had passed numerous tombstones when finally, they had arrived at a broken stone tablet deep in the cemetery.


    Kayla waved her hand, and a strong spiritual power moved the stone tablet away. A rumbling sound was heard, and a deep passage had finally appeared under the stone tablet.


    "This is the other passage to the forbidden area, which will lead you directly to its depths. However, I can only escort you up to this point. What happens next will all depend on you. Take extra precaution. This is a dangerous place due to several dead souls of the dead members of the Butterfly Divine Clan that linger in the area. Prevent from being possessed at all costs because it will surely be a disaster. In addition, many traps lie around the area, so you must be very careful..." Kayla reminded them.


    After hearing her words of precaution, Rocky and others exchanged looks. Soon after, Rocky led the way as he entered the passageway first. Not long after, their shadows receded and vanished.


    Seeing that the group had entered the passageway, Kayla could not help but get worried and muttered to herself, "I hope they come back safely!"


    Meanwhile, as soon as the group entered the passageway, the light around them instantly dimmed, and coldness started to creep their bodies.


    The passageway was wide and made up of flat stones. Despite Rocky and the women standing side by side, there was still some space.


    "Watch where you are going!" Rocky warned the women as he looked at the never-ending passageway. The women nodded immediately after hearing his reminder.

 Chapter 1173 Two Beast Statues

    Rocky and the women accompanying him walked along the gloomy passage. At first, their surroundings were quite peaceful, but after about thirty minutes of walking, they immediately felt that the temperature suddenly dropped as if they were in a deep cellar underground. Even though they were protected by the spiritual energy, the chilling air still permeated in their skin.


    "What is with this place? It feels so horrifying," Lena said with a frown as her body started shivering.


    Then, suddenly, a burst of ghostly cries came from the depths of the passage.


    Rocky and the women couldn''t help but look at each other, surprised at what they just heard. However, they just kept walking until they arrived at the end of the passage. They stopped in their tracks and were shocked as they looked around.


    What welcomed them was a spacious and strange room without a definite purpose. On the other end of the room, they saw that there was a road leading towards the depths of the forbidden area. However, they soon noticed that more than ten misty white souls, like shadowy fogs, wandered around and occupied the room. They perceived that these souls emitted strong auras that were at least equivalent to the masters at the Supernal Stage. Furthermore, they also possessed a vicious aura of hostility, making them unable to move freely. Then, they realized that these souls must the ghosts of the Butterfly Divine Clan that Kayla had mentioned before.


    As a result, they stopped at the entrance of the room and didn''t dare to move forward.


    "What should we do now?" All the women looked at Rocky and waited for his decision.


    "It looks dangerous. You have to wait here first while I go and take a look. Once everything is clear, you can follow me," Rocky said after thinking for a while. He then pulled out the Frozen Wind Dagger and rushed inside the room.


    However, the moment Rocky stepped into the room, the souls of the Butterfly Divine Clan seemed to be infuriated by the presence of a stranger. They immediately let out sharp cries and dashed towards him. Their faces were like demons that would haunt every living soul. They swarmed towards Rocky as if they were going to devour him whole.


    As he saw the fast-approaching ghosts, Rocky immediately waved the Frozen Wind Dagger and slashed several Moon Blades to resist them. However, to his surprise, the Moon Blades just passed right through them and didn''t seem to take any damage at all. He clearly saw that the souls were still rushing towards him at an incredible speed.


    Rocky was slightly taken aback. He didn''t expect that the Moon Blades would be rendered ineffective against them. With his quick-thinking, he


    However, just as when they were about to approach the statues of the two beasts, the whole corridor began to tremble. The next moment, they noticed that the bodies and limbs of the beasts gradually moved as if they were coming to life.


    Then, suddenly, the huge eyes of the beast statues opened and flashed a strong radiance. They opened their mouths and quickly spurted two beams of spiritual power with a diameter of dozens of centimeters, aimed directly at the group.


    Immediately sensing the danger, they quickly dodged sideways, clinging onto the stone walls beside them. The two beams swept past where they previously stood, leaving two deep charred marks on the ground.


    Right after hurling the beams of light, the beasts began to move. They dashed towards the group, like massive tanks that plowed the aisle. Since the beasts almost occupied the entire aisle, the beams of light that constantly darted from their mouths made the situation even more dangerous. They didn''t have much space to get away from the beasts'' attacks.


    Fully aware of their situation, Sabina suddenly activated her ice shadow and rushed directly to the two beast statues. As soon as the icy light rose, she immediately shouted, "Freeze!" Instantly, two streams of icy spiritual power emerged from her arms and shot towards the beast statues at an incredible speed.


    Upon contact with the beast statues, the icy spiritual power instantly covered and froze them, sealing their movements.


    Rocky and the others were relieved to see that the two ferocious beasts finally stopped moving.


    However, at that moment, they saw that the ice enveloping the beast statues was starting to break and collapse. Soon after, the beast statues broke through, and they suddenly launched their fierce attacks again.

 Chapter 1174 Patriarch Townsend

    "You go ahead. I''ll stop them." With that, Sabina used the spiritual martial arts to freeze the two beast statues again, but after a few moments, it did not work.


    "I''ll stay with Sabina," Shirley replied immediately.


    Rocky nodded in agreement.


    Under the cover of Sabina and Shirley, Rocky, Isis, and Lucilla passed through the gap between the two beast statues and continued to move forward.


    "This forbidden area of the Butterfly Divine Clan is truly extraordinary. We need to hurry." Rocky''s eyes narrowed into slits. He knew that he had to take the spiritual treasure as soon as possible. Otherwise, Lena and the others might be put in danger.


    So, he and the two women advanced at their fastest speed. There were many traps along the way, but they managed to get through, and they did not stop.


    After a while, they had finally left the aisle and entered a massive cave.


    When they entered the cave, they heard the faint sound of shouting and fighting which was not that far away.


    Rocky and the two women looked at each other and then sneaked off towards the sound. When they peeked, they saw more than a dozen powerful spirit manipulators were fighting with a few five or six-star supernatural beasts. They noticed that behind the supernatural beasts was a rock passage.


    The head of the spirit manipulators was an old man. He wore a deep purple and golden robe; his eyes were as bright as the light, and his momentum was completely terrifying. His aura of the Immortal Stage was incredibly overwhelming.


    There were also three peerless masters at the Divine Stage and four masters at the Supernal Stage. The rest of them were all at the Heavenly Stage.


    "I didn''t expect that they would be faster than us," Rocky said coldly as he scanned the area to see if there was any other passage they could access.


    Although the cave was indeed large, the only way to the depths of it was the rock passage that the supernatural beas


    is, so they did not rush to move forward.


    "They must also know that the spiritual treasure is in the body of the legendary guardian beast, so they won''t forcefully attack it. With their strength, they might not be even able to defeat a legendary guardian beast that has been living for hundreds of years," Rocky guessed as he saw that the team of spirit manipulators stopped and seemed to be waiting for something.


    Suddenly, the old man opened his Magic Spiritual Space. As he opened it, the color of the Magic Spiritual Space changed.


    A human-like figure of the spiritual race came out of the Magic Spiritual Space. The figure had an exquisitely long stick in his hand. Upon a closer look, the top of the long stick was embedded with a Mysterious Spirit Raw Gemstone, which was a spiritual treasure.


    "Nice to finally meet you, Patriarch Townsend," the old man said to the figure of the spiritual race.


    "What? Patriarch Townsend? Why the hell is the member of the spiritual race here?" Hearing the old man''s greeting, Rocky immediately looked at the figure of the spiritual race. He did not expect that it was the leader of the Heavenly Demon Clan. But the most surprising thing was that he could enter this forbidden area as a member of the spiritual race. It did not make any sense.

 Chapter 1175 His True Identity

    "The Heavenly Incredible Mace is very powerful. It can reverse space, and hence, allows me to enter the forbidden area of the Butterfly Divine Clan. However, the forbidden spell is strong too. It has already begun to repel my power, so..." Saying so, Patriarch Townsend raised his Heavenly Incredible Mace. A surge of strong spiritual power emerged from the maze which turned into a beam of light. It headed straight for the Nether Butterfly Queen who had been in a deep sleep for more than 500 years.


    The light hit the Nether Butterfly Queen and spread rapidly throughout its body. The Butterfly Queen let out a sharp roar, as it went completely out of control. A vortex appeared in the abdomen of the Nether Butterfly Queen, and it opened up like an entrance.


    "I''m going in. Take care of the rest here. It looks like you have three new guests to entertain..." Patriarch Townsend turned his sharp gaze to where Rocky and the two women were hiding. Without another word, he turned around and disappeared into the Magic Spiritual Space.


    There was no point in staying hidden anymore. Rocky and the two women showed themselves to the enemies.


    The elder in purple ordered as soon as he saw them, "Kill them!" He then headed for the vortex that had been opened in the abdomen of the Nether Butterfly Queen.


    "Basil, we''ll handle them!" Isis nodded at Rocky.


    He nodded curtly and rushed towards the vortex while the two women fought to make way for him.


    Three peerless spirit manipulators at the Divine Stage rushed towards them, but Rocky suddenly disappeared from where he stood.


    They were stunned for a moment, but immediately came back to their senses and looked towards the Nether Butterfly Queen. A figure silently appeared in front of the vortex with a beast shrouded in clouds and colorful lights.


    Two more aggressive spirit-manipulated beasts appeared out of the figure''s Magical Spiritual Space


    earth do you want from me?" Rocky shouted angrily.


    "Return my body back to me!" the fake Basil repeated.


    "It''s useless giving it back to you. You are just a coward! If you hadn''t been running away from your life, my soul wouldn''t have entered your body and replaced you. I don''t feel sorry for you at all!" Rocky yelled back resolutely.


    "You are nothing but a thief. You lied to everyone," the fake Basil sneered.


    "So what? It doesn''t matter to them whether I''m Basil or Rocky. What matters is what I''ve done for all of them..." Rocky said angrily. He had never once thought that he had done anything wrong, and he never wanted to play Basil''s role either. On the contrary, he had changed everyone''s opinion of Basil, turning the loser prince to Prince Crimson who was respected by the people of the Holy Dragon Empire.


    "Would you dare to tell them your true identity? Tell them that you are not Basil, but a liar who stole his body..." the fake Basil challenged with a sinister look.


    Rocky was silent for a moment.


    "You can''t, can you? You have no excuse. After all, you are still afraid of losing everything that doesn''t even belong to you in the first place. You should have died a long time ago!" the fake Basil laughed, his eyes filled with wickedness.

 Chapter 1176 Read All His Memories

    Rocky slowly raised his head and stared intently at the fake Basil in front of him. Then, he said, "Is that enough? I don''t need to give any excuse. Yes, I am Rocky, but I am also Basil. I live for myself, and I also protect every single person that Basil cares about."


    As Rocky spoke sternly, the Evil Flame enveloping his body suddenly surged, and an astonishing power burst out. Without any hesitation, he slashed towards the fake Basil with all the strength he possessed.


    A tremendous Moon Blade dashed and engulfed the fake Basil. Then, a strong light exploded in the desert, eventually turning him into a light shadow that gradually dissipated.


    Almost at the same time, the desert in front of Rocky also vanished and transformed into some kind of chaotic space.


    As he looked around, Rocky quickly noticed that there was another person with him in this space. It turned out to be the old man in purple who had come in before. However, he noticed that the old man remained motionless. His eyes were also empty as if he had lost his soul.


    "Is this the power of the Nether Butterfly Queen? It''s terrifying. This old man must be trapped in its illusion. It means that even a spirit manipulator at the Immortal Stage would be helpless," Rocky remarked as he stared at the old man in purple, instantly knowing what he had suffered.


    At the same time, Rocky became confused as he tried to locate where the spiritual treasure was sealed. He had been looking around for a while now, but he didn''t seem to find any sign of it anywhere.


    "It seems that I have no choice but to use the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill." Rocky didn''t want to waste any time, so he decided to employ the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill. Suddenly, bright lights shone all over his body, immediately allowing him into the state where his spiritual sense could enter into a deeper world¡ªthe dimension where the spiritual meridian of the Nether Butterfly Queen was situated.


    However, even after trying several times, he still failed. It seemed that the queen had completely sealed off its spiritual meridian to outsiders.


    "Lad, it looks like you''re in trouble. Let me help you." Suddenly, the dragon-shaped jade on Rocky''s chest gleamed, and the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast emerged from it.


    The next moment, Rocky felt that his soul was being pulled away from his body by a very powerful force. There was a sensation that felt like his surroundings were distorting and fluctuating. After he regained his senses, he opened his eyes and a world full of spiritual meridians welcomed him.


    This wo


    still hesitating, several spiritual meridians darted from the tree where the huge pupa hung. Rocky was caught off guard, and these vine-like spiritual meridians entangled his body from all directions.


    Then, powerful spiritual currents rushed out of the spiritual meridians and directly attacked Rocky''s spiritual sense. He felt severe pain all over his body, which was far from ordinary. It was like a kind of torture for the soul as if the spiritual currents were ripping his spiritual sense apart.


    However, Rocky wasn''t able to do anything but just grit his teeth and bear the excruciating pain in silence.


    After a while, he noticed that the spiritual currents that were constantly running from the spiritual meridians had stopped. Even the vine-like spiritual meridians had also ceased and untangled themselves from his body.


    "It seems that you''re telling the truth. Indeed, it was a descendant of my master who asked you to venture to this place and obtain the spiritual treasure. I actually couldn''t believe that it has been more than five hundred years since the day that I hid in the forbidden area," the Nether Butterfly Queen remarked as she reminisced the past.


    From what happened to him, Rocky immediately understood that it was the queen''s way to read all of his memories.


    "I have seen a lot of things from your memories. It seems that you really are far from ordinary, and there is a reason why you can enter my spiritual meridian area. Except you, I think no other human could accomplish this. This must be the reason why the descendant of my master chose you for this particular mission," the queen conjectured. It sounded like she was someone who had experienced countless vicissitudes in life.

 Chapter 1177 Keep Shrinking

    "Now that you know everything, could you tell me now where the spiritual treasure is?" Rocky asked frankly. At that moment, Isis and the other women were still fighting for their own lives. He wanted to help them, of course, and the best way to do that was to get his hands on the spiritual treasure as soon as possible so that he could meet them and leave.


    "I can still remember like it was yesterday. My master asked me to do two things before he died. One was to enter the forbidden area and protect the spiritual treasure of the Butterfly Divine Clan. And the other was to support and allow his descendant to use the spiritual treasure if the descendant wanted to revive the Butterfly Divine Clan one day," explained the Nether Butterfly Queen.


    "That''s good to hear." Rocky raised his eyebrows in surprise. He felt that taking all the risks was worth it at this point. Moreover, he didn''t expect that the queen would give him the spiritual treasure very easily.


    "I will give you the spiritual treasure under one condition, and you must promise me this," the queen added.


    "Go ahead. I''m listening," Rocky replied as he nodded his head.


    "After giving you the spiritual treasure, I will turn into a butterfly pupa and reincarnate. By then, I hope you can give my pupa to my master''s descendant. But after viewing your memories, I notice that you are not the only one who entered my inner space. Can you give me assurance that you will safely deliver both my pupa and the spiritual treasure to the descendant of my master? Can I count on you?" inquired the queen.


    "Nothing is certain, but I''ll surely give it my all," Rocky agreed without thinking twice. After all, he had to bring the spiritual treasure back to Cherry, and it wouldn''t make any difference if he brought the pupa as well.


    "I hope you succeed. Once you leave this place, the spiritual treasure will appear in front of you." As soon as the queen''s voice trailed off, the entire spiritual meridian area began to tremble violently and was on the verge of collapse. At that moment, astonishing spiritual power instantly packed the place.


    As that happened, Rocky felt a flash of blinding light in front of him. Soon after, he opened his eyes and saw that he had already returned to the chaotic space. At that time, a fan-shaped light suddenly appeared direc


    go, Rocky was shrouded by the soaring thunder radiance.


    "Basil!" Lucilla and Isis cried in shock upon seeing Rocky''s situation.


    "This is what he gets for trying to fight against the top-level master at the Immortal Stage from the Rain Demon Empire! He is courting death!"


    "It looks like he just can''t wait to die. Well, he is already dead meat!"


    "Look, all that remains are these two beauties. If we catch them, then maybe we can enjoy ourselves."


    The spirit manipulators who were fighting with Isis and Lucilla talked amongst themselves as they preyed on the two ladies.


    Meanwhile, after the thunder radiance had disappeared, a figure was revealed standing in the middle, safe and sound. At the same time, the diamond-shaped light barrier around him formed a strong protective enchantment.


    Needless to say, this stunned all the other spirit manipulators around the area. In fact, they had never expected that Rocky would remain unscathed against such a powerful attack.


    Undoubtedly, this also surprised the old man. At that moment, he realized that he should not have underestimated what this young man in front of him was capable of.


    Meanwhile, the entire body of the Nether Butterfly Queen finally emitted a blinding spiritual light. Soon after, a layer of light membrane began to form on her body, which became thicker and thicker with every passing second. Then, without warning, the huge body of the queen kept shrinking.


    Everyone around who witnessed this all gasped in shock as they had never seen anything like it before.

 Chapter 1178 Never Return Empty-handed

    "I think it has started..." As Rocky saw this, he knew that the Nether Butterfly Queen had begun to pupate.


    At the same time, the old man in the purple robe raised his eyebrows as he saw this scene. Without hesitation, he suddenly rushed towards the Nether Butterfly Queen, which had just started to pupate. It was pretty obvious that he intended to take the legendary guardian beast with him.


    However, Rocky wouldn''t let the old man have his way. He acted quickly and rushed over while activating the Hexagonal Netting Dragon Ring on his finger. As the ring suddenly lit up, a stealthy spiritual shadow flashed, instantly turning into a spiritual net that immediately enveloped the old man.


    Caught off guard in Rocky''s trap, the old man shouted in a deep voice, unleashed his spiritual power that was at the Immortal Stage and forcefully broke through the net. However, due to his speed being slowed down, Rocky quickly caught up with him.


    While the old man continued to approach the Nether Butterfly Queen, he and Rocky engaged in a fierce battle, displaying their extremely fast speed in the process. Currently, Rocky''s strength was inferior to the old man''s, but with the aid of the Frozen Wind Dagger and the Hexagonal Netting Dragon Ring, he was able to almost fight equally with his opponent. That was why even when their battle dragged on, the old man wasn''t able to easily get rid of Rocky.


    "Eat this! Thunder Sword!" The old man seemed pretty irritated that the young man was able to keep up with him. His wrinkled face darkened as he forcefully waved the dull sword in his hand again.


    The next moment, the dull sword soared high into the sky. It gathered the spiritual light, which turned into a huge sword. Then, at the old man''s signal, it darted straight towards Rocky, like a flash of lightning.


    Seeing this, Rocky squinted his eyes, knowing that the old man must have put all of his tremendous power in this attack.


    As the huge sword continued to rush towards Rocky with such great momentum, the thunder radiance coming from it was also shooting in all directions. Immediately after, the dazzling sword landed on the ground where Rocky stood. The thunder radiance exploded and enveloped a radius of dozens of meters. The impact of the strong spiritual power could be felt even from hundreds of meters away.


    Soon after, the area covered by the explosion of the thunder radiance sank about ten feet beneath the ground, creating a huge crater. All things within it were burnt to ashes. The damage inflicted and the power it displayed were extremely destructive.


    There was a satisfied grin on the face of the old man as he saw the result of his vicious attack. He was confident that even Rocky would never be able to withst


    ove, Rocky had no choice but to use it as a last resort. He readily unleashed the corresponding power to resist and fight back at the same time.


    As the enormous fire dragon rushed out, the old man was greatly flustered. He had almost used up all his strength but he was still overwhelmed. He clearly knew that he couldn''t resist the attack head-on, so he tried his best to evade it.


    At the same time, Rocky seized the opportunity to rush in front of the Nether Butterfly Queen.


    At that moment, the queen continued to shrink in size. Even the original light membrane had also turned into a light pupa.


    After bursting out the power equal to the Immortal Stage, Rocky instantly felt a little exhausted. More than half of his spiritual power had been consumed with the attack he created.


    The face of the old man grew pale after barely dodging Rocky''s intense attack. When he turned to look at the young man, he discovered that he was already in front of the Nether Butterfly Queen, blocking his way. He became frustrated and agitated. He didn''t expect that a spirit manipulator at the Immortal Stage like him would be toyed by a young man and would even be pushed back to such extent.


    Even the other spirit manipulators of the Rain Demon Empire couldn''t believe their eyes that the old man was having such a hard time dealing with Rocky.


    However, the old man wouldn''t give up, even after the spiritual treasure was already taken by Rocky. He thought that he should at least bring the Nether Butterfly Queen back. Originally, he had been entrusted with the significant task of obtaining the spiritual treasure. Patriarch Townsend promised him a lot of rewards and benefits once he completed his task. Therefore, after all the struggles that he had suffered and undergone, he wasn''t going to settle on returning empty-handed.

 Chapter 1179 A Special Surprise

    The old man in purple gathered all his spiritual energy. He opened the Magic Spiritual Space and summoned his almost seven-star spirit-manipulated beast. It was a ghost beast that was like a stone sculpture. Its body was stone grey, and it was only a few meters tall. It only had one eye and was holding a huge stone stick in its hand.


    "What? The One-eyed Demonic Ghost? This is the second-best war beast in the Wild Spirit Land," Rocky said, narrowing his eyes in observation.


    Just then, the beast had begun to rush towards Rocky under the order of the old man.


    But before it could reach Rocky, an ice shadow quickly appeared in front of Rocky and blocked the stone stick that it waved with its claw. Although the ice shadow was not as strong as the beast, its strength was not weak at all. It directly pushed back the beast.


    "Well done, Robin!" Rocky smiled proudly.


    Before he even entered the vortex door, three beasts had already been summoned. Thus, the old man did not know that he alone had three spirit-manipulated beasts.


    Ken had already flown to Rocky''s side by this time.


    "Isis, Lucilla, ride on Uriah at once," Rocky said to the two women as he had come up with an idea.


    Isis and Lucilla put away their spirit-manipulated beasts and immediately jumped on Uriah''s back.


    Then, Rocky quickly opened his Magic Spiritual Space. Robin rushed to the Nether Butterfly Queen''s reincarnation pupa, carried it on its shoulder, and then rushed its master''s Magic Spiritual Space.


    When he saw this, the old man in purple wanted to rush towards Robin to stop it. But a huge dragon shadow suddenly appeared in Rocky''s Magic Spiritual Space, and an amazingly bright beam of light fell from the sky and rushed towards the old man.


    The old man was perplexed. He did not expect that Rocky could even summon another powerful spirit-manipulated beast that was beyond his imagination.


    The beam of light instantly spread within a hundred meters.


    The old man was unable to get close. Except for the three peerless masters at the Divine Stage, the other spirit manipulators were all terrified and cowardly fled


    d had their doubts, Rocky opened his Magic Spiritual Space, and then the Butterfly Spirit Raining Fan was sent out by Robin. Upon seeing the fan, the members of the Butterfly Divine Clan were completely stunned. Although they had never seen the spiritual treasure of their clan, they could tell immediately that the fan in front of them was indeed their spiritual treasure.


    Then, Rocky handed over the fan to Cherry. All the members of the Butterfly Divine Clan knelt and worshiped with devout expressions.


    "From this day on, I will take over the matriarch position of our clan and use this spiritual treasure to finally revive the glory of our clan," Cherry announced seriously. She was determined to make her clan powerful once again.


    "Greetings, Matriarch Cherry!" The members of the Butterfly Divine Clan respectfully greeted and cheered her on as they stood up.


    "By the way, I have an extremely special surprise for you," Rocky said with a gentle smile.


    "What? A special surprise?" Cherry looked at Rocky in surprise. Obviously, she did not understand what Rocky meant.


    Robin carried the Nether Butterfly Queen''s reincarnation pupa out of its master''s Magic Spiritual Space and placed it on the ground.


    Although the reincarnation pupa had shrunk to a few meters high, it still looked very eye-catching. The astonishing aura it emitted surprised all of the members of the Butterfly Divine Clan.

 Chapter 1180 Inexhaustible Supply Of Treasures

    "What on earth is this?" Cherry was confused as she looked at the reincarnation pupa in front of her. However, judging from its aura, she could tell that Rocky''s surprise was by no means ordinary. Moreover, it probably had something to do with the Butterfly Divine Clan.


    The other members of the clan looked at each other and discussed among themselves, guessing what the pupa was.


    "This is the reincarnation pupa of the legendary guardian beast of the Butterfly Divine Clan, which is more commonly known as the Nether Butterfly Queen. After the queen gave me the spiritual treasure, she was reincarnated and turned into a pupa. Just before the reincarnation, she entrusted me to give her reincarnation pupa to the descendant of Aaron, that is, you. That was Aaron''s last wish. He hoped that his descendant could use the spiritual treasure and the legendary guardian beast to revive the Butterfly Divine Clan," Rocky explained, his eyes lingering on the pupa before he turned to Cherry and the others.


    Hearing this, all of the Butterfly Divine Clan, including Cherry and Kayla, were stunned. They never thought that Rocky was able to fetch the spiritual treasure of the Butterfly Divine Clan, and he also held the reincarnation pupa of the legendary guardian beast.


    Everyone knew that the spiritual treasure and the legendary guardian beast were very important to any clan of the spiritual race. They were the clan''s symbols, and they were even more critical to the Butterfly Divine Clan if they wanted to go back to their former glory. Now that they had obtained the spiritual treasure and the reincarnation pupa of the legendary guardian beast, the revival of their clan looked certain.


    After hearing Rocky''s words, Cherry became extremely excited. She blinked her eyes a few times, fell on one knee before him, and said excitedly, "From now on, you are the benefactor of our clan. If you need any help one day, just tell us!"


    Seeing this, the other members of the Butterfly Divine Clan immediately knelt and prostrated themselves, including Kayla. Rocky had taken out the spiritual treasure and the reincarnation pupa that


    successfully broke through to the eighth grade of the Divine Stage while he was cultivating with the women. Although it would take several months to reach a higher grade now, compared to other spirit manipulators, it was still reasonably fast.


    Also, the woman had grown more formidable, and their skills had improved so much. Perhaps, this was because of their daily cultivation with Rocky. And even though they weren''t like Rocky, who could enhance his strength by fusing the power hidden in his body, they still cultivated with him. Due to this, their progress was almost as fast as his, and it was faster than that of any ordinary spirit manipulator at the Divine Stage.


    If Marcia had been there, the progress of their cultivation would have been much faster. But she was busy with the war with the Rime Army Group, so she could not return to the Crimson City. By this time, she had been away for two months.


    On the other hand, Rocky had made many achievements in the past two months. His treasure producing spirit-manipulated beasts had been upgraded and evolved under his careful training, and the wealth they produced was getting better and better each day. Currently, most of them were middle-grade treasures for ordinary human spirit manipulators.


    But for Rocky, such middle-grade treasures were a dime a dozen. They were so easy to obtain, so now, it was like he had an infinite supply of such treasures.

 Chapter 1181 The Legendary Guardian Beasts

    While Rocky was raising the spirit-manipulated beasts that could produce treasures, he still tried to reproduce them as much as he could. These types of spirit-manipulated beasts were rare, so he wanted to produce and raise various kinds of them. However, it was not easy to reproduce a large number of these beasts. If one wanted to have a high success rate, he needed to find a very consistent gene alignment.


    Fortunately, Rocky didn''t need to worry so much about the resources because the Timber Deity Empire and the Holy Dragon Empire had established lots of beast hospitals in different cities and even in other countries. The success and the benefits that could be acquired from these beast hospitals were overwhelming. Some countries had started to wonder who the originator of this plan was. A lot of beast hospitals were constructed in just a few years.


    The mastermind behind this brilliant plan was Rocky, the famous Prince Crimson of the Wild Spirit Land, though he didn''t really want to take much credit from it.


    For him, he didn''t care much about fame and fortune. His vision had always focused on the development of the gene technology and the advancement of his researches.


    A few months ago, he used the genes of Marcia''s Holy-blood Dragon King and his own Dark Magic Insect to cross-breed a few Nigel Dragon Insects through asexual reproduction. The result was more than gratifying because they were growing up healthily. Rocky was looking forward to seeing the kinds of treasures that these Nigel Dragon Insects would produce after they grew up.


    Furthermore, huge progress had been made in the genetic modification of the four legions'' spirit-manipulated beasts. After taking the newly developed genetic medicine, the rejection and death rate exhibited by the spirit-manipulated beats was less than five percent. This was an astonishing feat, meaning that the development had a high success rate, and its effect could be readily observed soon after. However, Rocky''s target was to bring down the rejection and death rate by one percent. He knew that even though the progress was great, there was still a lot of room for improvement. In terms of science, research, and development, Rocky was a perfectionist who didn''t want to settle for less.


    Two months ago, the four legions'' spirit-manipulated beasts that had undergone the genetic modification process were sent into battle. Upon observation, they all exhibited surprisingly good results. Their speed and strength increased


    en.


    On the other hand, the Heavenly Demon Clan was pretty smart. They were so careful with their actions so as not to provoke the major clans of the spiritual race. Previously, they even set a plot to ally themselves with the Wood Clan. However, that plan was ruined by Rocky. It was pretty obvious that their main goal was to acquire the legendary guardian beast of the Wood Clan. Unlike the other spiritual race clans, the Heavenly Demon Clan didn''t have its own legendary guardian beast. Even if they possessed two spiritual treasures, they weren''t satisfied. After all, spiritual treasures were not something that could be readily used by any member of the spiritual race. Only powerful spiritual masters that were recognized by the spiritual treasures would be able to use them. Therefore, even though they had two precious spiritual treasures, there was still a possibility that they might not be able to use them.


    In comparison, it was more practical to seek for legendary guardian beasts. Although they might not be as powerful as the spiritual treasures, they could be enhanced over time and reach a level that was as powerful as a half-god or even stronger.


    For example, the descendant of an ancient spiritual beast without a soul possessed by Rocky was so powerful that the spiritual masters of the Wood Clan couldn''t do anything to defeat it. In the end, they could only resort to taking its soul away. The legendary guardian beasts were transformed from the nine strongest ancient spiritual beasts that were born in the same era when the spiritual race was born. To say the least, such beasts were extremely powerful that they were coveted by many.

 Chapter 1182 The Magic Phoenix Empires Invitation

    Aside from the hunt for the spiritual treasures, the high-level clans of the spiritual race that already had legendary guardian beasts were secretly looking for the reincarnated legendary guardian beasts.


    Both Marcia and Alyssa had the legendary guardian beasts of their clans. Because of this, they were no longer half-human and half-spirit but had fully become members of the spiritual race. This news of their transformation had spread among all the clans of the spiritual race, making a stir around the different forces.


    Most of them were alarmed by this news, for Marcia and Alyssa were not too big of a threat as humans, but now that they were full members of the spiritual race, their threat level had significantly increased.


    Apart from the Wood Clan and the Dragon Master Clan, there was a rumor that two other clans of the spiritual race had already found the reincarnated legendary guardian beasts. But because they were afraid that this would make them the public''s target, they kept their discovery on the down low, hoping not to attract unnecessary attention. One of the two clans was the Ghost Master Clan, which was one of the top-level clans of the spiritual race. Meanwhile, the other clan had once been influential in certain circles, but their force had now weakened. After the two clans knew that the Wood Clan and the Dragon Master Clan had found the reincarnated legendary guardian beasts, they revealed the news about their possession of such beasts in order to balance the whole situation among the clans.


    However, just a month ago, the news that the Phoenix Master Clan had discovered a reincarnated legendary guardian beast spread.


    At present, six legendary guardian beasts had appeared in the Wild Spirit Land, including the reincarnation pupa of the Nether Butterfly Queen that Rocky had brought out.


    The emergence of the seven spiritual treasures and six legendary guardian beasts brought tension to the Wild Spirit Land. Anxiety hovered like a thick cloud in the land, especially for the clans hoping to find spiritual treasures and legendary guardian beasts to strengthen themselves. After all, only two spiritual treasures and three legendary guardian beasts had not yet been discovered, so they didn''t have much chance to encounter one.


    On the other hand, chaos would undoubtedly encompass the land once the remaining two spiritual treasures and three legendary guardian beasts were found.


    There was a chance that soon, there would be bloodshed throughout the W


    consecutive months of battle. Lena was not there either, which left only three women in the Crimson Chamber.


    As soon as Sabina, Lucilla, and Shirley saw Rocky, they rushed toward and surrounded him.


    "What''s wrong with you?" Rocky immediately felt that something strange was going on with the women, so he stared at them sternly until one of them spoke up.


    However, the three women stayed silent. They looked at each other quietly until Sabina handed an invitation to Rocky.


    He accepted it with a narrowed gaze, scanning the label. Rocky was taken aback by what he saw! It appeared to be from the Magic Phoenix Empire. If he were a cat, his hackles would inevitably be raised. After all, he had gone through inhumane treatment thanks to the Magic Phoenix Empire, so no matter what kind of invitation it was, he would not be interested.


    However, he still read the content carefully. He narrowed his eyes as he went through each line written on the invitation. When he finished, the expression on his face was hard to read.


    "It''s odd. Why would the Magic Phoenix Empire suddenly invite you? I don''t think they have any good intention," Sabina said.


    "I heard that the Magic Phoenix Empire regarded men as beasts. Even dogs lead a better life than the men there," Shirley echoed, nodding along with the other women.


    "Yes. I remember that when we went there last time, Basil was taken as..." It seemed that Lucilla remembered something, as a laugh escaped her mouth, which she hastily covered with a cough.


    Rocky shook his head and gave her a bitter smile. He, too, wanted to be amused by the whole thing, but instead, it left a bad taste in his mouth.

 Chapter 1183 Stronger Than Before

    "Will you attend?" Sabina asked as she looked at Rocky.


    "Mmm, no. The invitation says that they want me to attend a contest of some sort. That I''m not interested in." Rocky shook his head in negative.


    "Oh. But do you know what the messenger said when he brought the invitation? According to him, Erica claimed that if you didn''t attend, she would come out to the Holy Dragon Empire in person to get you," Lucilla reminded him.


    "Oh, really? So she hasn''t given up yet," Rocky said thoughtfully. He was already aware of the fact that the thought of him defeating and humiliating Erica haunted her to this day. It was obvious why she wanted an opportunity to get her revenge.


    "Yes, and that''s not all," Sabina grumbled and then continued hesitatingly, "Basil, don''t you know? The Magic Phoenix Empire holds this martial arts contest but its name is a farce. The real purpose behind it is not the display of martial arts." Lucilla blushed a little when she noticed that Rocky knew next to nothing about the contest.


    "Then what is it?" Rocky asked in a curious tone.


    "To pick men." Sabina completed the sentence, raising her eyebrow.


    On the face of it, the martial arts contest was held by the Magic Phoenix Empire for martial arts exchange. What was kept on the down low was the fact that it was actually an excuse for the empire to select outstanding male spirit manipulators.


    The way it went, a rather sexist tradition had been going behind the masks of this contest for a long time now. There were two reasons as to how the female spirit manipulators of the Magic Phoenix Empire had a place in such a men-dominated profession. The first was that they had the support of the high-class Phoenix Master Clan. More importantly, they had always followed the principle that women should be self-reliant. This had been rooted into their minds ever since the foundation of the Magic Phoenix Empire had been laid. From those very days, they had been cultivating all kinds of excellent female spirit manipulators vigorously. Naturally, these spirit manipulators had to carry their profession forward, and also needed to increase their number.


    So behind the masks of this contest, the mission of these women of the Magic Phoenix Empire was to give birth to more outstanding spirit manipulators. For this reason, they would have a one


    be. Although it was going to cost a lot to hold a martial arts contest, it was still a good deal for them because talented spirit manipulators were beyond a price.


    The easiest example would be Erica, who, as a talented spirit manipulator would be most definitely priceless.


    After leading Rocky and the three women to the chamber, the maid left.


    Two hours later, a proud figure walked gracefully into the chamber. Rocky and his companions were stunned when they saw her.


    It was Erica, but that was not the surprising part. What really fascinated them was that about a year ago, Erica had only been at the preliminary level of the Supernal Stage, but now she was close to the Divine Stage. It was highly likely that she had gone on a few adventures in the past year. Otherwise, it would be impossible for her to reach such a high level so fast.


    As for Erica, when she glanced at the three women, she was also surprised. She could sense the aura of the Divine Stage from them. Sabina and Lucilla had been on par with her the last time they had met. And now they were on the Divine Stage. Then, her eyes fell on Rocky. Although she could not tell his current strength, she was sure that he must be much stronger than before. Her eyes flashed with a complex look.


    "Prince Crimson, our queen and the imperial preceptor want to see you. Please follow me," she told Rocky after quickly recovering from her initial surprise.


    Rocky''s eyes narrowed. Then along with the three women, he followed Erica out of the chamber and towards the queen''s palace.

 Chapter 1184 I Want To Fight You

    Very soon, Rocky and the three women followed Erica into a vast hall. They saw a coquettish woman, easily over forty years old, and overlaid with makeup, sitting on a gilded throne at the end of the hall. She looked much like a prostitute, but was actually the queen of the Magic Phoenix Empire.


    On a seat to her left sat Felicia, who was the imperial preceptor of the Magic Phoenix Empire, and also happened to be Erica''s master.


    A few other women with gray hair were sitting on the other seats. They seemed to be elders of the empire, and their strength ranged from the premium grade of the Supernal Stage to the Divine Stage.


    "Your Majesty, Prince Crimson is here!" Erica bowed respectfully to the queen, then walked towards the side and stood still.


    "Pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty, and Preceptor Felicia." Rocky stepped forward and bowed slightly.


    The three women followed suit.


    "There is no need to be so courteous. After all, you are the famous Prince Crimson of the Wild Spirit Land. I must say, you are younger than I thought of you to be." The queen smiled charmingly at Rocky, though her eyes seemed like he were her pray.


    "You were quite conspicuous the first time I met you. Even so, I didn''t expect you to grow to such a high level in just a few years. It''s really unimaginable!" Felicia had long heard of stories about Rocky in the Wild Spirit Land. Moreover, she had also heard from Erica that it was Rocky who had managed to retrieve the spiritual treasure of the Phoenix Master Clan from the Nine-phoenix Demonic Land. Therefore, she was very curious about him. At the same time, a part of her was wondering what kind of experience he had had in the past few years that had made a man of just about twenty years old such a prominent figure in the Wild Spirit Land.


    "I''m flattered you thin


    about a year.


    With that cultivation method in her repertoire, she had done a lot more than what would be expected of her. Otherwise, she would not have finished the cultivation in such a short time. Usually, it took people about a dozen years to do that. Naturally, she had drawn support from the Phoenix Master Clan as well. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for her to make such a shocking improvement. Just like Sue, it had taken her only about three years to reach the level that a human would need at least twenty or thirty years to reach, all because she had the help of the spiritual race.


    And it was not like she had it easy. Theoretically and practically, it was extremely risky to improve one''s strength with the help of the spiritual race. The chances of a person dying in the process were high, and it was difficult to do it without talent and perseverance.


    Erica had managed to grow so fast because of Rocky. She was rather encouraged by his abilities.


    "What did you want to talk about?" Rocky knew that Erica had something to say.


    "I want to fight you," Erica said, biting her lips and looking at him hopefully.


    "I have no reason to fight you." Rocky shook his head with a smile.

 Chapter 1185 Continue To Fight

    "Whenever I remember that battle last year, I feel so ashamed! I''ve always wanted to fight you again, but I never found the chance. I know that I''m not as strong as you are right now, but I wouldn''t go down without a fight." Erica was indeed a stubborn woman. She hadn''t let go of the fact that Rocky had once defeated her. Truth be told, his victory was only a fluke. However, she wouldn''t be satisfied until she got a rematch. As long as she remembered the embarrassment of losing, it would be a nightmare that would continuously haunt her. She was surprised and frustrated that Rocky didn''t participate in the martial arts contest. After all, outstanding spirit manipulators from various empires were expected to gather and join the martial arts contest.


    "Then, there''s one more reason why I can''t fight you. What if you lose again?" Rocky retorted as he raised his eyebrows, wearing a faint smirk on his face.


    "Just fight me, okay? One round is enough! If I lose again, I won''t appear in front of you ever. I swear!" Erica argued in a serious tone.


    "Such a stubborn woman..." Rocky had seen countless beauties before, but it was his first time seeing a delicate face with such an unyielding attitude.


    Hearing what Rocky said, Erica just got more impatient.


    "Just give it up. I won''t fight you." Rocky clearly knew that he would gain nothing from fighting her. Thus, he stood by his decision and dismissed her right away.


    Realizing that Rocky wouldn''t agree no matter how much she convinced him, Erica also made up her mind. She narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists as if planning something. The next moment, she waved her arms, and a strong spiritual power immediately rushed towards Rocky from that very close distance. She attacked him without warning so that he would have no choice but to fight back.


    "Why, you..." Rocky''s face darkened with Erica''s unexpected attack. However, due to his fast reflexes, he was able to step back and dodge her attack with ease.


    At that moment, they were actually in the middle of the royal palace''s road where many people passed by. The spirit manipulators from various empires were also around.


    Therefore, the scene that Erica made quickly attracted the attention of the people in the area. The spir


    "Do you still want to continue this?" Rocky turned to Erica after seeing that the Glint Phoenix was incapacitated.


    However, Rocky had underestimated Erica. This much wouldn''t be able to make her give up. Then, she snorted and said, "Spirit Possession!"


    Suddenly, the Glint Phoenix, which was held by Robin, turned into a ray of colorful light, flew directly at Erica, and instantly merged with her. The next moment, she emerged in front of everyone with a completely different appearance.


    Earlier, she was dressed in pink clothes, but as she merged with the Glint Phoenix, she appeared in a colorful blazing phoenix robe. Her beautiful yet cold face was covered with fiery spiritual marks, and her eyes glowed brightly. As she transformed, the most noteworthy part was the flaming and shining wind wings rising from her back.


    The spectating spirit manipulators were extremely astonished to see Erica employ the Spirit Possession. The unique skill was not something an ordinary spirit manipulator could master. Only the high-level ones with superb talents would be able to manifest it. Moreover, they were flabbergasted at the fact that Rocky was able to push Erica to such an extent that she needed to use the Spirit Possession skill. All he did earlier was dodging her attacks, and then he suddenly summoned such a high-level spirit-manipulated beast. Everything they were seeing was inconceivable. Now, they were curious at how far this guy could surprise them as his battle with Erica raged on.

 Chapter 1186 An Abrupt Kiss

    Having activated the Spirit Possession, Erica was able to break through the peak of the ninth grade of the Supernal Stage to the Divine Stage.


    Rocky shook his head with a sigh when he saw that Erika was still unwilling to give up.


    Erica spread her wings and shot straight at Rocky.


    "Take this! The Phoenix Dance!" Erica''s body arced in the air gracefully and swiftly. Wind gathered behind her, rumbling into the clouds, and she released a violent spiritual power at the Divine Stage. A huge phoenix shadow emerged from the skies and glided downwards.


    Everywhere the phoenix shadow touched, a bright light erupted.


    The spirit manipulators who had been watching were dumbfounded. After all, for them, the attack at the Divine Stage was already incredibly impressive.


    Rocky was also enveloped in the light, but it didn''t look like he made any move to avoid it. All the spirit manipulators thought that he might have died instantly.


    However, to their surprise, a silhouette of a man slowly emerged from the light. A black spiritual shadow shrouded his body, making him look like an evil king filled with an ominous aura determined to conquer the world.


    Erica was shocked to see that she still didn''t stand a chance against Rocky, even when she used all her strength. Determined, she was about to launch another attack when she found out she couldn''t budge an inch. It didn''t take long for her to realize her entire body had been entangled in countless spiritual threads.


    "What the¡ª?" Erica was stunned. She didn''t even realize that Rocky had trapped her.


    As she struggled against her tethers feebly, Rocky walked up to her. It was then that she realized the spiritual threads came from his Hexagonal Netting Dragon Ring.


    "If you don''t want to be humiliated in front of so many people, just give up," Rocky said to Erica seriously as he noticed that more and more onlookers had gathered.


    "Fight with me seriously," Erica answered through gritted teeth. She wouldn''t give up so easily.


    "Well then, th


    stunned, and Erica''s cheeks burned red with shame. Obviously, neither of them had expected this.


    The spirit manipulators around were also shocked.


    "He kissed Erica...!"


    "Erica is my goddess. He has insulted my goddess in public!"


    "How dare the damned guy take advantage of her?"


    The spirit manipulators were seething with envy, glaring at Rocky with murderous eyes.


    Rocky, on the other hand, didn''t care about them at all. He gathered his spiritual power and took back Robin. Then, he took off with Erica.


    A moment later, they appeared in a garden in the royal palace.


    "Can you let go of me now?" With Rocky''s hands around her waist, Erica felt uncomfortably warm. So, after they landed, she glared at Rocky angrily.


    Rocky raised his eyebrows and smiled at her devilishly. Then, he let go of Erica.


    Erica seemed to be a little embarrassed, so she left immediately, her lips tingling. She couldn''t help recalling what had happened just now, which made her heart beat faster and faster.


    Watching her receding figure, Rocky shook his head. He knew that things wouldn''t just come to an end like this, so he figured he''d better go back to the Holy Dragon Empire after the end of the martial arts contest.


    However, it never occurred to him that his trip to the Magic Phoenix Empire would involve him in a terrible crisis...

 Chapter 1187 Take Back The Remnant Souls

    The Phoenix Cloud Mountain, located at the Magic Phoenix Empire, was the highest mountain in the Wild Spirit Land.


    The mountain towered into the sky and was shrouded in clouds and mist. However, its top was like a flattened plateau, as though its peak had been sliced off neatly.


    The Phoenix Master Clan, one of the high-class clans of the spiritual race, was based at the top of the mountain. All kinds of buildings were located along the winding mountain. The sky was filled with phoenix beasts, giving the entire place an enchanting look.


    However, one night, red demonic clouds gathered in the sky, densely packed above the peak of the mountain. Red thunder flashed amidst the thick clouds. The entire peak of the mountain was covered in a strong evil aura.


    Just then, many ferocious demonic souls rushed out of a magnificent sacrificial hall on the west side of the mountain, flying towards the red clouds. After that, they disappeared without a trace.


    Strewn on the steps of the hall were several bloodied corpses of the Phoenix Master Clan. Then, a few black shadows quickly shot out from the hall.


    "Mission completed. Retreat!" One of them waved his hand, then flew away with the other black shadows.


    A moment later, many more demonic souls flew out of the hall. Among them was a powerful red demonic soul, which was much bigger than other demonic souls. It possessed astonishing demonic power. The demonic aura around the hall was through the roof, which would''ve appalled anyone nearby.


    Then, like the other demonic souls, it flew into the red clouds.


    Just as it disappeared into the clouds, the matriarch of the Phoenix Master Clan rushed over with several elders, spiritual masters, and several hundred members of the clan. The scene that greeted them left them shocked and disturbed.


    "Matriarch, are these the demonic souls that had been sealed in the Demonic Soul Cauldron for more than 500 years? There are so many of them!" one of the elders exclaimed in surprise.


    "The soul of the most powerful demonic beast in the ancient times is placed in the Demonic Soul Cauldron. Those small ones should be remnant souls, but the most terrible one is the original


    y surrounded the Ice Phoenix Queen. Then, nine phoenix shadows appeared out of nowhere and drilled into the ice body of the queen, leaving nine distinct phoenix patterns.


    The next moment, the demonic power released by the queen disappeared, and its eyes returned to normal.


    The matriarch and her group heaved a sigh of relief.


    "Although I have temporarily suppressed the original demonic soul in the body of the legendary guardian beast, we must find a way to draw it out. Otherwise, within a few days, the beast will probably be controlled by it. Never in my wildest dreams would I have expected it to be this powerful!" the matriarch exclaimed, her eyes flashing seriously.


    Then, she had her group work together to set up a sealing enchanted barrier around the nest of the Ice Phoenix Queen, just in case.


    Once they had finished, they rushed back to the sacrificial hall. With the joint efforts of the members of the Phoenix Master Clan, they had sealed many of the remnant souls that wanted to escape in time. However, at least half of them had escaped from the Phoenix Cloud Mountain. Although the power of these remnant souls was not strong, once they possessed some supernatural beasts, spirit manipulators, or even humans, it would definitely be troublesome.


    Therefore, the matriarch ordered her people to search for the remnant souls and try their best to take them back. If they couldn''t, then they needed to try their best to kill them.

 Chapter 1188 Abnormal Situation

    The next day, the news that Erica was bullied by a mysterious man in public had quickly spread in the royal palace. Many spirit manipulators were easily filled with righteous indignation when they heard this. They were eager to find this man and teach him a lesson he deserved. However, no one among the spectators was able to have a clear glimpse of the face of the mysterious man. No one knew his identity or where he came from. Thus, naturally, their search for this man eventually became a dead end.


    But the moment Sabina and the two women heard of this, they had a strong hunch that it must be Rocky.


    Therefore, they quickly went to ask him about what happened.


    "It''s not my fault. Even Erica said it¡­" Rocky didn''t seem to have the slightest intention of denying that he fought with Erica. He told them the whole story with all honesty, and the women knew that he was telling the truth.


    "Fine, we get it. It''s not your fault. I know it''s easy for you to have your way with women, but can you stop playing the field? Fortunately, no one recognized you. Stay away from women because nothing good ever happens when you meet them!" Sabina retorted and reprimanded Rocky.


    "Well, what can you do? You can''t just change someone''s nature. He always ends up flirting with different women whether he intends it or not," Shirley added as she rolled her eyes.


    "Hey, give Basil a break. He already said that he didn''t do it on purpose. Besides, Miss Erica didn''t blame him for the incident. After all, she was the one who started it." Lucilla quickly took Rocky''s side and defended him.


    "That''s exactly what I''m talking about. Don''t you find it suspicious? If she didn''t blame Basil for it, then it means that¡­" Sabina wasn''t willing to let it go. She knew that Erica acted strangely, meaning that there was a hidden motive behind it.


    "Come on, stop guessing. After the martial arts contest ends today, we''ll immediately go back to the Holy Dragon Empire. Then, we don''t have to deal with her anymore," Rocky butted in and convinced the women to drop the topic already.


    Although quite reluctant, they agreed eventually.


    In the afternoon, the martial arts contest was held on a very broad and magnificent square to the south of the royal palace. Over a thousand spirit manipulators from various empires of the Wild Spirit Land were present during the event, eager to win the prize of the contest.


    All seats were occupied at the hall in front of the square. This area was reserved for the most prominent people of the Magi


    on?" the queen asked in such a gloomy and dissatisfied tone. It was pretty obvious from her voice that she didn''t want Rocky to leave so soon.


    "I''m afraid yes. I still have something important to do, so we can''t stay that long," Rocky replied euphemistically.


    "Well, if that''s the case, we won''t force you to stay." Felicia knew that Rocky wouldn''t need to stay longer since he didn''t plan on participating in the martial arts contest. Actually, she and the queen were quite disappointed in his decision. They wanted Rocky to have a match with Erica, fully knowing that he would be able to beat her. Then, if Erica could get pregnant with Rocky''s child, they were so thrilled to think that the child must possess such incredible talents.


    "Thank you for your hospitality. We''ll take our leave now." However, just when Rocky and the three women were about to leave, a female guard suddenly rushed in. She looked pale and almost out of breath. She quickly knelt before the queen and reported, "Your Majesty! Several spirit manipulators at the martial arts contest suddenly became aggressive like mad. They attacked our phoenix spirit manipulators, and many were hurt in the process, including Miss Erica."


    "What did you say?!" The queen and Felicia were shocked and dumbfounded at the report. Since the challenges weren''t aimed at killing, there shouldn''t be such a situation. Furthermore, if the guard was saying that the participants were acting strangely, then this was an abnormal situation that immediately needed to be apprehended.


    Rocky and his group also looked at each other upon hearing the information. They wouldn''t be able to leave with this kind of situation at hand.

 Chapter 1189 Crazy Attacks

    "Let''s go and take a look!" The initially enchanting face of the Magic Phoenix Empire''s queen suddenly grew very serious, revealing the graveness of her position.


    Felicia nodded at once. Then, turning to glance at Rocky and the three women, she nodded slightly at them, too. Then, she went with the queen to the square of the martial arts contest first.


    "Basil, then shall we..." Sabina looked to Rocky inquisitively.


    "Let''s go and have a look, too," Rocky said after thinking for a while. After the abnormal phenomenon last night, he had a hunch that something was going to happen. Now that the spirit manipulator had gone crazy at the martial arts contest, he was somewhat concerned.


    Thus, Rocky and the three women followed after the queen and Felicia.


    When they arrived at the square where the martial arts contest was held, they saw that it was a total mess. At that time, many spirit manipulators present were staring at the battle ring where Erica was.


    Erica''s delicate face looked pale and she kept panting. She had been seriously injured, but was still fighting with a man who looked about forty years old garbed in a cyan robe. The man looked gentle, but upon a closer look, they found that his eyes shone with green light. His face was ferocious, and his body emitted a strange aura that shouldn''t have belonged to a spirit manipulator.


    When the queen and Felicia arrived, they could do nothing but sit before the hall at the front of the square and wait, since the competition was still going on.


    Soon, Rocky noticed that the other spirit manipulators standing on the other battle rings were also in the same situation. They looked completely different from ordinary people. The ferocious look in their eyes was enough to make people shudder, as though they were crazed from hunger.


    Most of the phoenix spirit manipulators on the battle rings were injured, and some of them had already retreated. This scene didn''t make any sense; the entire martial arts contest was in chaos.


    "These spirit manipulators are a little strange. We''d better stop the martial arts contest right away and send someone to investigate..." Felicia said to the queen u


    monster, almost at the same time, the other spirit manipulators who had been exuding demonic auras on other battle rings began to transform terribly, just like the deceased spirit manipulator did just now. They screamed and turned into half-human, half-beast demonic monsters in full view of the public. Then, they rushed into the crowd and attacked them. Some unfortunate, weak spirit manipulators were left dead in their path.


    To everyone''s horror, many spirit manipulators from the crowd also underwent horrendous transformations, turning into ferocious monsters.


    Complete and utter chaos broke out as random spirit manipulators transformed into bloodthirsty beasts.


    The queen''s and Felicia''s expressions darkened as they saw what was happening.


    Felicia immediately ordered the spirit manipulators of the Magic Phoenix Empire and a large number of guards to surround and suppress those monsters, and then proceeded to organize the evacuation of the spirit manipulators from various empires.


    However, these monsters were not only extremely strong, but also were difficult to kill. Even the Supernal Stage masters of the Magic Phoenix Empire might not be able to kill them, and the Heavenly Stage spirit manipulators could not hurt them at all, let alone the ordinary guards.


    In the blink of an eye, under the crazy attacks of these monsters, countless corpses littered the ground. Piercing screams and cries for help filled the air.

 Chapter 1190 Went To The Phoenix Master Clan Together

    Although Felicia had sent all the spirit manipulators and guards of the Magic Phoenix Empire to the square, they were still unable to suppress these crazy half-human, half-beast monsters.


    At present, it would take some time to call for reinforcements. However, what with the ferocity of these monsters, they were going to suffer great losses with each second that passed.


    "You three, go help them!" Rocky ordered the three women at once.


    They nodded obediently and quickly dispersed to fight off those evil monsters.


    By now, many powerful spirit manipulators from different empires had begun to organize a resistance and were counterattacking.


    Once the three women left to join the battle, Rocky immediately looked back at the battle ring where Erica was. His eyes were fixed on the man in the cyan robe.


    As though it was his cue, the man in the cyan robe also began to transform. All of a sudden, the man froze. His body swelled up, and his skin turned cyan. His body grew more than two meters high in the blink of an eye. His human face turned into that of a demon, with green skin and sharp fangs. His aura suddenly surpassed the Divine Stage, and he had completely transformed into a monster.


    The cyan monster roared and rushed directly at Erica, who had been forced into a corner moments prior. Unfortunately, Erica was weighed down by her injury and her strength had waned by now. Moreover, what with the cyan monster''s abnormal aura, it was no question that he was much stronger than her. Fear filled her eyes as she realized she had no way to fight back.


    She wasn''t the only one in trouble. The entire square had erupted in chaos due to the sudden transformation of these monsters. Even Felicia was preoccupied, and failed to notice Erica who was about to be torn to shreds.


    Just as the cyan monster was about to sink its claws into Erica''s delicate skin, a tall figure suddenly appeared in front of her. A giant Moon Blade shot out and thrust straight at the cyan monster. The monster let out a piercing scream, and the c


    the non-human genome appeared in the human''s body.


    "Is it related to the soul-like red light?" Rocky asked himself quietly.


    When he was done researching, he truthfully reported his findings to the queen of the Magic Phoenix Empire and Felicia.


    "You mean the reason why these spirit manipulators underwent the mutation is that they are affected by some kind of power?" Felicia asked with a deep frown.


    "I think so. I noticed a red light flying out from the body of the spirit manipulator I killed before. It was really weird. So, I think it might have something to do with that," Rocky added hesitantly.


    Felicia and the queen exchanged glances. It seemed they knew something Rocky didn''t.


    Rocky also noticed this, but since they didn''t seem to want to tell him anything more, he decided not to ask. Anyway, what would happen next should have nothing to do with him. The reason why he took the initiative to study the spirit manipulators who underwent the mutation was mostly out of curiosity as a scientist.


    "Actually, Prince Crimson, I have one more thing to ask you," Felicia said, after thinking for a while.


    "Please go ahead, Preceptor Felicia," Rocky replied calmly.


    "I was hoping you would come with me to the Phoenix Master Clan," Felicia said slowly.


    "Go to the Phoenix Master Clan with you?" Rocky echoed, evidently puzzled.

 Chapter 1191 The Matriarch Of The Phoenix Master Clan

    "What is going on? Why do you want me to go with you to the Phoenix Master Clan?" Rocky asked confusedly.


    "I can only disclose to you the reason once we arrive there," Felicia said seriously.


    "If you do not tell me the reason now, I won''t go with you. I don''t want to have anything to do with the spiritual race," Rocky said.


    "You might have heard," Felicia said, after hesitating for a while, "that the Phoenix Master Clan recently got the legendary guardian beast..."


    "Yes, what of it?" Rocky raised an eyebrow curiously.


    "Although our Phoenix Master Clan has got the reincarnated legendary guardian beast, for some reason, the life of the reincarnated beast is in danger now. I know that your medical skills, Prince Crimson, are superb, and you are also the disciple of the most powerful beast curer in the Wild Spirit Land. I also know that you have already surpassed your master. Besides, it only took you two days to find out the reason for the spirit manipulators'' mutation. Therefore, I think you can help us, Prince Crimson..." Felicia said bluntly.


    Rocky''s interest was piqued by now, thanks to the mention of the legendary guardian beast that the Phoenix Master Clan owned. The mission that the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast entrusted him with was to collect the blood essence of the nine legendary guardian beasts. Therefore, if he went to the Phoenix Master Clan this time, this would be a great opportunity to not only see the legendary guardian beast, but he might just be able to obtain some blood essence from it.


    "If you go with me, I will agree to any request you make on behalf of the Magic Phoenix Empire, Prince Crimson." Felicia declared.


    "My request is very simple," Rocky said, after thinking for a while. "I hope the Magic Phoenix Empire can form an alliance with the Holy Dragon Empire."


    Upon hearing this, Felicia looked to her queen.


    "This is not a problem. If you can help the Phoenix Master Clan, it means that you have helped the Magic Phoenix Empire." The queen paused for a while, eyes twinkling. "You can even ask for a granted marriage, to further solidify the alliance." The queen fixed her eyes on Rocky with great int


    e gathered in the hall. Most of them were ordinary spiritual beings, but four of them were at the spiritual master level. One of them was sitting in the middle of the front end of the hall. She looked very young and very similar to a human woman. There was something breathtakingly enchanting about her eyes. Every man that set his eyes on her was bound to fall for her.


    Rocky knew at a glance that this woman must be the matriarch of the Phoenix Master Clan.


    The other three spiritual masters at her side seemed to be the elders of the Phoenix Master Clan. The rest of the ordinary spiritual beings also had strong auras, and they were at least above the sixth or seventh grade. They were probably the senior figures of the Phoenix Master Clan.


    After the three of them entered, Rocky immediately attracted the attention of all the spiritual race beings in the hall, including the matriarch.


    "Matriarch, greetings," Felicia greeted with a bow.


    "Matriarch, it''s a pleasure to meet you," Rocky also saluted.


    "Are you the famed Prince Crimson?" The matriarch fixed her eyes on Rocky.


    "Yes, he is," Felicia answered for him.


    "You are really as young and promising as they say. At such a young age, you have already possessed the strength close to the Immortal Stage, and have become the backbone of the Holy Dragon Empire. It is said that not long ago, you caused great chaos in the Wood Clan..." the matriarch praised generously.

 Chapter 1192 Get Close To The Beast

    Meanwhile, Rocky''s stories were quite popular among everyone in the Wild Spirit Land. His adventures caught the spiritual race''s attention and got them curious as to what the young Prince Crimson of the Holy Dragon Empire was like. The news that Rocky had lifted the curses from both Marcia and Alyssa especially piqued everyone''s interest.


    "What can I say? I''m flattered," Rocky replied easily.


    "Preceptor Felicia, may we know why you brought Prince Crimson here?" the matriarch of the Phoenix Master Clan asked at once as she placed her eyes at Felicia.


    "I heard that the Phoenix Master Clan''s legendary guardian beast is in danger, and even you and the other elders do not know how to help the beast. Therefore, I thought that maybe we can let Prince Crimson have a try..." Felicia replied directly.


    "Preceptor Felicia, let me remind you that this is our clan''s own business, and the last thing we need is outsiders meddling with our internal matters. Furthermore, even we can''t find a solution. How can we expect a mere human to help us with our problem?" one of the elders interrupted and questioned with an unforgiving face.


    Hearing this argument, the other elders and the ordinary spiritual beings also nodded in agreement. To them, Prince Crimson''s power was not important, for he was still nothing but an insignificant human. They believed that since the spiritual race could not find a way, then the much weaker humans would most likely have no chance at all.


    Despite hearing these doubts, Rocky remained calm, as his eyes were fixed at the matriarch all the time.


    Meanwhile, the matriarch looked right into Rocky''s eyes and said thoughtfully, "Perhaps, we can let him have a try."


    Hearing this brought a shock to the faces of the elders and the ordinary spiritual beings. It was out of their expectation that their matriarch would even consider giving this human a chance.


    "Are you certain you can cure the beast?" the matriarch asked Rocky earnestly.


    "I can''t say for sure until I get a closer look at it," Rocky responded candidly.


    "Matriarch, are you really sure you want this human to..." A surprised spiritual master raised the question immediately with her voice full of disbelief.


    The other elders and the ordinary spiritual beings also stood up and exchanged looks of disapproval.


    "But we have tried many methods, and none of them worked. How can we just sit still and wait for d


    time, his whole body glowed with a strange kind of light as he used the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill.


    The skill itself was very magical. It was said that after reaching the highest level of the skill, one could communicate with the spirit-manipulated beasts directly. Although what was in front of him was a powerful legendary guardian beast, the spirit-manipulated beasts, supernatural beasts and legendary guardian beasts had the same origin. With that being said, the skill could be applied to all of them.


    Meanwhile, the queen sensed the unique aura of the skill released by Rocky. Not long after, the queen seemed to have slightly calmed down.


    With that, Rocky took out the bottle containing the magical saliva, poured a few drops into his palm, and slowly made his way towards the queen.


    The magical saliva was so unique that even the queen couldn''t resist the temptation. Soon, the magical saliva attracted the queen, ignoring the presence of Rocky, who was approaching it.


    It was not long after until Rocky had successfully come to the side of the legendary guardian beast.


    On the other hand, the elder of the Phoenix Master Clan, who was standing outside the enchanted barrier, was dumbfounded. Actually, she had never expected that Rocky would come that far as to approach the Ice Phoenix Queen. Being possessed by the original soul of the most powerful demonic beast in ancient times, the queen didn''t allow anyone near its nest. Otherwise, it would be furious.


    Therefore, the elder had every reason to be surprised upon seeing Rocky come as close as one inch away from the queen.

 Chapter 1193 The Last Hope

    The Ice Phoenix Queen was so attracted by the magical saliva in Rocky''s palm that its eyes were fixed on it. When Rocky was just a few inches away from it, it leaned its head forward and observed the magical saliva with vigilance.


    With patience, Rocky reached out his hand to the queen. However, it had some doubts about whether to trust Rocky or not. After a few long stares and scrutiny, the queen finally felt that Rocky was not a threat. Soon after, it stuck out its tongue and licked Rocky''s palm, quickly devouring a few drops of the magical saliva.


    While it was busy drinking the magical saliva, Rocky took advantage of the opportunity to pet its head. After easing its hostility, Rocky began to do a regular check up on it.


    After finishing the examination, Rocky found that the queen was oddly healthy, at least in the physical aspect. However, he found something rather unusual in its body¡ªa bizarre and very amazing evil aura. Despite being sealed, the aura was still faintly visible and was constantly spreading out of the queen''s body.


    After a moment of thought, he turned around, walked a few steps and then said to the elder of the Phoenix Master Clan through the enchanted barrier, "I want to take some blood samples from the legendary guardian beast to study, but doing so may make the beast hostile. No matter what happens later, please stay calm and do not make a move."


    Hearing this stunned the elder immediately. Without delay, she witnessed how Rocky opened the Magic Spiritual Space and took out the special syringe that was created through the current refining technology. The syringe looked a little rough around the edges, but at that time, it was still considered to be a very advanced product of the era.


    Right after preparing his tools, Rocky went to the side of the Ice Phoenix Queen again. With the syringe in his hand, he quickly stabbed the syringe into its neck as fast as he could and drew out some of its blood essence.


    Of course, the legendary guardian beast felt immense pain. As a result, it suddenly roared again out of distress and its huge body stood up straight, spreading its four phoenix wings hastily. In an instant, the strong icy wind shrouded the entire lair, freezing everything within dozens of meters.


    At once, Rocky was stuck in the lair, facing the raging beast.


    On the other hand, the elder saw this and sensed that something was not going well. However, she didn''t dare to open the enchanted barrier and enter to see what was going on. Instead, with a little bit of hesitation, sh


    and it was even more perfect.


    "How could this non-human original genome be completely the same as the new genome in the legendary guardian beast''s body?" Rocky''s eyes widened in surprise. Of course, he understood that it couldn''t be a coincidence.


    A while ago, he was convinced that the Phoenix Master Clan was hiding something about the legendary guardian beast from him. In fact, they chose to omit the fact about what had happened to the beast, and this made him feel a little suspicious. Now, he was sure that the spirit manipulators who underwent the transformation in the martial arts contest must have something to do with what happened to the legendary guardian beast.


    "What is the Phoenix Master Clan hiding from me?" Rocky mumbled to himself with a serious look.


    Meanwhile, as he walked out of the room, he found Erica patiently waiting for him outside for a long time.


    "So, have you found a way to cure the legendary guardian beast?" Erica immediately asked as soon as she saw Rocky come out.


    "We need to meet the matriarch first." Rocky didn''t answer her question. Instead, he left directly, followed by Erica.


    Not long after, the two entered the Phoenix Dance Hall. The matriarch, three elders, the ordinary spiritual beings, and Felicia were also present in the said venue.


    "Is there any progress, Prince Crimson?" the matriarch asked upon seeing Rocky come in. Despite not pinning any hope on Rocky, she was still looking forward to hearing some good news from him. After all, Rocky was their last hope, because the seal on the Ice Phoenix Queen''s body, which was used to seal the original soul of the most powerful ancient demonic beast, was about to expire soon.

 Chapter 1194 The Gene Inhibitor

    At that moment, the elders, along with the ordinary spiritual beings of the Phoenix Master Clan, broke in a cold sweat as they looked nervously at Rocky. They all shared the same hope as their matriarch that Rocky would be able to find a way to help their legendary guardian beast. They were on the verge of giving up, but when they witnessed that Rocky had the special ability to subdue the beast, they instantly changed their perception of him. Despite Rocky being human, they had no other choice but to put their faith and trust in him.


    Undoubtedly, this matter with the legendary guardian beast was the Phoenix Master Clan''s greatest crisis at that time, on which the clan''s future depended. The original soul of the most powerful demonic beast in the ancient times had possessed the beast. What was more, numerous remnant souls had escaped and were now flying in all directions, making the situation very chaotic.


    Of course, the clan had already done a lot of things. They had already sent several spiritual masters and hundreds of their members to look for the remnant souls and take them back, but unfortunately, the situation did not get any better. However, there was one particular thing that made the whole endeavor very dangerous. Based on the current situation, it was said that once those remnant souls were attached to the spirit manipulators or spirit-manipulated beasts, these bodily vessels would transform into ferocious monsters. At that time, thousands of remnant souls were scattered in the entire area. If they all attached to the spirit manipulators or spirit-manipulated beasts, then the damage they could cause would be unimaginable.


    Moreover, if something bad happened in the Magic Phoenix Empire, the Phoenix Master Clan would surely be greatly affected. Therefore, regardless of any point of view, the Phoenix Master Clan was experiencing a very unprecedented crisis this time. Otherwise, they wouldn''t consider stooping down to a mere human''s level and allow someone like Rocky to solve problems for them.


    Another reason why the Phoenix Master Clan was so distressed was the fact


    o develop the gene inhibitor. The so-called gene inhibitor was actually a kind of medicine that could temporarily slow down the speed of gene formation. It was usually used in the experiments of spirit-manipulated beasts to prevent sudden genetic mutation from occurring in their bodies. Usually, the inhibitor was only made for one-time use, meaning it would not work for the second time around.


    After a few hours, Rocky finished developing a single dose of the gene inhibitor in the lab.


    However, when he showed the inhibitor to everyone in the Phoenix Master Clan, Felicia, and Erica, he was questioned.


    "Is this the so-called gene inhibitor? But why does it look like black water?" The gene inhibitor was black liquid by nature. Unfortunately, this sparked the doubts of one of the elders. It seemed that it was hard for him to grasp the fact that such unremarkable black water could restrain the mutation of the legendary guardian beast. What they were dealing with was so powerful that even the seal set by the matriarch was only able to last for three days.


    The other elders and ordinary spiritual beings whispered to each other in worry that Rocky''s invention might fail.


    Without warning, an ordinary spiritual being ran into the hall and said anxiously, "Matriarch, something is wrong. The legendary guardian beast is beginning to go crazy! It is trying to break the enchanted barrier!"

 Chapter 1195 Keep It A Secret

    The matriarch, the three elders, and the ordinary spiritual beings of the Phoenix Master Clan suddenly looked nervous. It was obvious that the seal marked on the body of the legendary guardian beast had been removed, and that the original soul of the most powerful demonic beast in ancient times had already begun to control the beast.


    Felicia and Erica shot looks to each other. Their brows were creased and they were both worried.


    "Now, Prince Crimson is the only one we can count on." The matriarch announced her decision. She looked at Rocky and their eyes met. There was no going back now.


    The situation was urgent. Rocky immediately took the gene inhibitor and rushed to the nest of the Ice Phoenix Queen. He ran swiftly along with the matriarch and other members, as well as Felicia and Erica.


    When Rocky and the others arrived at the nest, they saw that the Ice Phoenix Queen had become very violent. Its eyes were red, and its whole body was emitting a strong demonic aura. The queen wouldn''t stop moving and continued to let out sharp screams. It was trying to knock down the enchanted barrier that the matriarch together with several elders of the Phoenix Master Clan had set up. The enchanted barrier began to shake violently, even more as the queen fought against it. It was about to collapse anytime now.


    However, what was more amazing was that there seemed to be a sign of mutation on the body of the queen. Rocky noticed that the ice on its body was melting, becoming a highly corrosive liquid. As the liquid touched the ground, holes appeared as a result of the corrosion.


    "The mutation has begun. We have to inject the gene inhibitor into the beast as soon as possible," Rocky said to the matriarch.


    The matriarch immediately nodded to the three elders and flew into the enchanted barrier. They surrounded the queen from four directions.


    "The secret skill of the of the Phoenix Master Clan, Four Beasts Sealing Array!" The matriarch and the three elders released their strong spiritual power. This kind of power could only be released by spiritual masters. In an instant, the four streams of surging spiritual power spread in all directions like a stormy wave.


    e, the queen, who had already received the gene inhibitor, suddenly became quiet. Although its eyes were still red and its body was full of demonic aura, which made it look a little violent, the mutation of its body had completely stopped and it quickly returned to normal.


    The matriarch, the three elders and the advanced ordinary spiritual beings were all very surprised to witness this. They didn''t expect that such a small amount of black water could really stop the mutation of the Ice Phoenix Queen and help it return to normal.


    "Although the gene inhibitor can temporarily stop the mutation of the legendary guardian beast, it can''t stop the beast from being further affected. Therefore, you still have to find a solution as soon as possible. However, what kind of power is it that even the legendary guardian beast can''t resist..." Rocky murmured as he narrowed his eyes.


    The matriarch was lost in thought. She looked hesitant as she watched Rocky. If she hadn''t seen with her own eyes that Rocky had stopped the mutation of the Ice Phoenix Queen with a single dose of gene inhibitor, she would never believe that Rocky, a mere human being, could do such a thing that even the spiritual race couldn''t do.


    "Prince Crimson, do you really want to know the answer? In fact, it doesn''t matter even if I tell you. But you must promise to keep it a secret for our Phoenix Master Clan!" the matriarch proposed seriously as she changed her mind abruptly.

 Chapter 1196 The Abnormal Response Of The Demonic Soul Cauldron

    "Oh really?" Rocky asked with his eyebrows raised in surprise.


    "Matriarch, are you really going to tell him?" The elders and advanced ordinary spiritual beings of the Phoenix Master Clan, as well as Felicia and Erica, were also shocked. They didn''t understand why the matriarch had changed her mind and why she was planning to tell Rocky the truth.


    "Well, I think he can do something that not even we can do. So it might not be a bad thing to let him know the truth," explained the matriarch. Then she turned to Rocky and said, "Prince Crimson, follow me." With that said, she left without a backward glance, leaving the others with disbelief still written on their faces.


    When she was gone, their watchful eyes followed Rocky instead, but he soon left to follow the matriarch.


    Not long after, they stopped at the gate of a sacrificial hall not far from the nest of the legendary guardian beast.


    As he approached the sacrificial hall, Rocky could clearly feel a powerful demonic aura coming from it, which was very similar to the aura emitted by the mutated spirit manipulators and the Ice Phoenix Queen.


    "Where are we?" Rocky asked as he spun around and cast a curious look at his surroundings.


    "This sacrificial hall is one of the forbidden areas of our Phoenix Master Clan. No other members are allowed to enter here, except for me and several elders. But today, I will make an exception for you." As the matriarch finished speaking, she walked into the hall and gestured for Rocky to follow her.


    Rocky felt an overwhelming demonic aura rush towards him as soon as he stepped foot inside, and he could not help but scrunch his nose in discomfort. He looked around a little to see where it could be coming from, but the hall was as bereft as the day it was built. There was nothing but a black and cyan cauldron, which came up almost to his chest, placed on the central platform. He didn''t know what material it was made of, but it gave him an ominous feeling. The evil aura that he had been feeling since earlier seemed to be coming from the cauldron.


    As he gave it a closer look, he realized that the cauldron and the evil aura felt vaguely familiar, as if he had encountered it before. More than that, he felt strangely attracted to the cauldron, which inexplicably made him want to get closer to it.


    "This cauldron is called the Demonic Soul Cauldron. It was used to suppress the soul of the mos


    started shaking violently, and demonic light flashed and sparked around its surface.


    The evil power of the Holy Dragon Bead in Rocky''s body came out almost at the same time, and the evil light radiated in all directions. It set off the demonic light emitted from the cauldron, similar to the way a powder keg could explode with a single spark.


    The next moment, a streak of demonic light shot out from the cauldron with a loud rumbling sound. It vaulted off the ceiling, breaking the roof in the process and lighting up the sky.


    The whole hall seemed to shake and tremble as if it was a living thing shaking in fear.


    As the demonic light that rushed out of the hall flew outside, it exploded like fireworks that lit up the evening sky, and surely, everyone in the Phoenix Cloud Mountain could see it. The members of the Phoenix Master Clan who saw this stopped in their tracks to admire the view, thinking that something momentous had happened.


    The matriarch, who was standing behind Rocky, was also taken off guard by this development. She didn''t expect that Rocky could cause such a violent reaction from the cauldron. Why did it respond to him in such a way?


    It had never reacted this way, ever. Even when it was brought back to the Phoenix Master Clan, there had been no abnormal movements. It had always been like an ordinary cauldron, except for the astonishing demonic aura and the forceful opening of it not long ago. Therefore, it was the first time that the matriarch had seen it react this way. What a shock! And to think that a mere human was the one who caused such an abnormal response!

 Chapter 1197 The Most Beautiful Woman Of Her Clan

    However, the matriarch of the Phoenix Master Clan was also surprised to notice that the evil power of the Holy Dragon Bead released from Rocky''s body also enhanced as the demonic light of the Demonic Soul Cauldron soared into the sky. It was truly a spectacular sight to see!


    ''What a majestic kind of evil power! But why would Prince Crimson even possess one?'' At that time, the matriarch could not help but wonder as she was very intrigued about Rocky''s evil power. She had already sensed the strong power that was hidden in Rocky''s body since the first time they met. However, she was not aware that the power of the Holy Dragon Bead would be so evil at that time. Based on what she heard, Rocky had fused himself with the Holy Dragon Empire''s Holy Dragon Bead. On the other hand, the Holy Dragon Bead was said to be a very masculine spiritual power, and it was not the power that she was sensing at the moment.


    "I didn''t know that the Demonic Soul Cauldron can react with the evil power of the Holy Dragon Bead. What''s going on?" Rocky was so curious to find an explanation as to why the evil power in his body could react with the cauldron.


    Not long after, the cauldron''s fierce demonic light suddenly dispersed, and the evil power of the Holy Dragon Bead in Rocky''s body stopped circling around, and instead returned to his body.


    "Prince Crimson, what''s happening?" the matriarch asked at once as she looked at Rocky with a bizarre expression.


    "I already know what needs to be learned. Let''s go!" Rocky didn''t respond directly to the matriarch. Instead, he hurriedly left the sacrifice hall. He could not put into words what was going on because he could not understand what was happening at that time.


    The matriarch fixed her eyes at Rocky''s receding figure, showing a look of concern. At that moment, she knew that the power of the Holy Dragon Bead that was concealed in Rocky''s body was more complicated than she thought.


    Meanwhile, Rocky had already learned about the truth


    wn, right?" responded Jill Feng.


    At that moment, she realized that Rocky didn''t seem to be attracted by her, and with that, she felt hurt. She was the powerful matriarch of the Phoenix Master Clan, and normally, any man who saw her would instantly fall for her. Even the more powerful clans of the spiritual race couldn''t resist her charm, let alone a human man.


    Meanwhile, Rocky seemed to have been at a loss for words upon staring at the matriarch''s slender body.


    Seeing Rocky dumbfounded, Jill Feng could not help but smile from ear to ear.


    "Do you think I am beautiful?" Jill Feng asked at once.


    "Yes," Rocky answered plainly.


    "I am aware that no one of the spiritual race nor human can resist my charm," Jill Feng said with pride and confidence. Normally, she was very serious in public. Moreover, she showing this side of her was very unexpected to see.


    However, what was more surprising was the fact that the matriarch was talking about such a boring topic with a mere human. If other clans of the spiritual race knew about this, they would definitely feel incredible and even extremely jealous. After all, in all the clans of the spiritual race, the appearance of the women of the Phoenix Master Clan was regarded as first-class, and Jill Feng was acknowledged as the most beautiful woman of her clan.

 Chapter 1198 The Ancient and Mysterious Land

    "Can you tell me about the real origin of the Holy Dragon Bead in your body? As far as I know, the Holy Dragon Bead isn''t the holy treasure of the Holy Dragon Empire at all. Am I right?" Jill asked as she narrowed her gorgeous piercing eyes.


    "I didn''t know you have this deep interest in the origin of the bead." Only this time, the bland look in Rocky''s eyes had vanished. He smiled as if he had suddenly realized something important and had put the puzzle pieces together. Actually, he was not bewitched by Jill at all. At that moment, he just wanted to get to the bottom and figure out her real purpose.


    "Haven''t I hypnotized you yet?" Jill stared deep into Rocky''s eyes in astonishment.


    As a response, Rocky simply nodded and gave a feeble smile. He could not deny that she was quite powerful. After all, he was almost bewitched by her just now. Luckily, the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast reminded him in time to wake up from the trance. Soon after snapping back to reality, he pretended to be bewitched to see what would happen.


    "It appears that I have underestimated you," Jill said charmingly.


    "The bead is just a holy treasure that the Dragon Master Clan gave to the Holy Dragon Empire. But I have to point out that it makes me wonder why you are so skeptical of its origin," Rocky remarked calmly, still with a gentle smile plastered on his face. He didn''t expect that Jill would raise doubts about where the bead came from.


    "Oh, really? But I don''t think it''s as simple as you claim it to be. Last time, I saw the Demonic Soul Cauldron in the sacrificial hall was activated by the evil power in your body. That is what pushed me to doubt that these two treasures are from the same place. If I judged it correctly, I''m more interested in you than your bead!" A coquettish and foxy expression appeared on Jill''s charming face.


    ''It sounds that the cauldron has a very special origin!'' Rocky hypothesized in his mind as soon as he heard what Jill said.


    "Actually, I don''t care where your bead came from. What I care about is whether or not you can help me!" Jill instantly changed the topic.


    "I''m lost. What do you mean by that?" Rocky inquired calmly.


    "In fact, ever since I took over and became the matriarch of the Phoenix Master Clan, I have tried several ways in so many times to control the cauldron, but none of my methods worked at all. As far as I know, the two former


    rea. Last time, he sensed a very familiar aura from the cauldron in the sacrificial hall, which was activated by the power of the Holy Dragon Bead in his body. Considering these factors, he came to realize that the cauldron sealed in the Phoenix Master Clan actually originated from that ancient and mysterious land. In other words, the cauldron was also a taboo spiritual treasure.


    "Although I am aware of the existence of the ancient and mysterious land, I''m still very curious about its exact location. Can you tell me more about it?" Rocky gazed at Jill''s eyes and asked.


    "Well, now that you know about it, it''s meaningless for me to hide it anymore. This might come as a surprise to you, but to be honest, I don''t know much about it. I only know that even the spiritual race never dares to enter that land. However, hundreds of years ago, the leaders of the major clans of the spiritual race entered that land together out of sheer curiosity. It was said that they each took out a taboo spiritual treasure that shouldn''t have appeared on the Wild Spirit Land in the first place. Originally, the former leaders of our clan wanted to use the power of the cauldron to make us stronger, but later on, we found that the power of the cauldron was too evil to be controlled by any spiritual race. Soon after, the members of the Butterfly Divine Clan were slaughtered. Moreover, people said that the real reason behind the clan''s extermination was because they possessed a taboo spiritual treasure." Jill narrated what she knew about that ancient and mysterious land and the taboo spiritual treasures.

 Chapter 1199 Agree To Stay

    "I have heard some things about why the Butterfly Divine Clan was exterminated! I had no real conformation until just now," Rocky replied with a frown. Jill''s statement had gone forth to prove that Kayla had been telling the truth. The reason behind the extermination of the Butterfly Divine Clan was that he had come to know was correct.


    "Mmm-hmm. The reasons are true. And gaining from the previous experience of the Butterfly Divine Clan, I have sealed up the Demonic Soul Cauldron. What''s more, I have also banned the Phoenix Master Clan from contacting the Demonic Soul Cauldron ever again. They are forbidden to even think about it!" Jill continued.


    "If that is the case, why are you so insistent on controlling the cauldron again?" Rocky piped up immediately.


    "The situation in the Wild Spirit Land is getting more and more chaotic every day. The nine great clans of the spiritual race have fallen into decline one after the other. Sooner or later, the Phoenix Master Clan is going to follow suit and suffer the same fate. This means if we continue to live in such blissful ignorance, we will soon face the disaster of extinction. As the matriarch of my clan, I cannot see such a day come, and neither do I want to. But the cauldron was forcefully opened which signals an obvious conspiracy by some spiritual race clan. They have deliberately released the original and remnant souls of the most powerful ancient demonic beast in the ancient times with the sole intention of dealing with my clan. Although I''m not sure who is playing these tricks behind our backs, we can''t just sit back and wait for death." Jill''s expressions were getting more and more serious.


    As soon as she finished her words, she looked up at Rocky and continued, "If you are willing to help us, then the Phoenix Master Clan will forever be in your debt, Prince Crimson!"


    "I do want to help you, and I wish I could. But I have to apologize. If you really care about the Phoenix Master Clan, then for their sake, don''t even think about controlling the cauldron. Otherwise, you will forever regret it," Rocky refused as he turned around. He was about to leave when Jill stopped him, "Prince Crimson, I won''t give up what I want so easily. Just so you know, I am not going to let it go. You are one of those rare men I have ever taken a fancy to. You can''t escape from me." It looked like she regarded Rocky as her prey now and had declared war on him.


    "Go ahead and try." Rocky smiled witho


    ately stepped forward and asked the queen politely.


    "I am not going to sugarcoat it. It''s very bad! As per the latest reports from some of the towns, more and more demonic monsters are appearing, in groups of at least dozens, and often times hundreds. They are extremely strong and proving rather difficult to kill. Ordinary spirit manipulators can''t deal with them at all. It does not look good!" the queen told them in a grave tone.


    "Why didn''t you inform the Phoenix Master Clan as soon as this happened?" Felicia asked immediately.


    "I thought we would be able to deal with them when they first appeared. We did not expect the situation to spiral out of control so fast," the queen sighed.


    "Oh... In any case, I think we have to inform the Phoenix Master Clan as soon as possible and ask them for reinforcements at the earliest..." Felicia piped up after thinking for a while.


    "Prince Crimson, I know this is very abrupt and sudden, but can you please stay for a few more days? Our empire is obviously short of hands, and I don''t know if and when the Phoenix Master Clan''s support will arrive. I am hoping that you can help us," the queen pleaded in a hopeful tone as she looked at Rocky.


    "Well..." Rocky hesitated. The truth was, even if he stayed, he might not be of much help.


    However, the Holy Dragon Empire and the Magic Phoenix Empire were an alliance. Furthermore, considering how urgent the need of the latter was, Rocky decided to stay and sent a message to the Holy Dragon Empire, asking his father to mobilize a group of spirit manipulators in support of the Magic Phoenix Empire. The war against the monsters was on!

 Chapter 1200 Stop The Rebirth

    After several days, the situation worsened. Not only the Magic Phoenix Empire, but also some other neighboring empires, such as the Timber Deity Empire, were attacked by demonic monsters. This meant that the damage of the remnant souls that escaped from the Demonic Soul Cauldron was increasing. Soon, it might affect the entire Wild Spirit Land.


    If other empires knew the truth, the public would surely target their criticisms towards the Magic Phoenix Empire. In addition, the Phoenix Master Clan might also be criticized by other clans of the spiritual race.


    Amidst the chaos happening in the Magic Phoenix Empire, they received another shocking news from the Phoenix Master Clan. Although the speed of the transformation of the legendary guardian beast was suppressed by the gene inhibitor made by Rocky, under the strong impact of the original soul of the ancient demonic beast, the beast finally lost control and forcefully broke the enchanted barrier. A big fight in the Phoenix Cloud Mountain took place, and many members of the Phoenix Master Clan were killed or injured. After that, the legendary guardian beast that had gone berserk flew away from the Phoenix Cloud Mountain, and it disappeared without a trace.


    The Phoenix Master Clan had sent out several members to search for the escaped beast, but to no luck. It really seemed to have disappeared without a single trace.


    Now, demonic beasts were constantly emerging in different areas of the Magic Phoenix Empire, putting the people in grave danger. What was worse was that the legendary guardian beast was controlled by the original soul of the most powerful demonic beast in the ancient times. If the Phoenix Master Clan and the Magic Phoenix Empire were not able to deal with the crisis immediately, the moment the most powerful demonic beast in the ancient times was reborn in the body of the legendary guardian beast, all the clans of the spiritual race and empires in the Wild Spirit Land would be badly affected. This could be a promising opportunity for some ambitious clans of the spiritual race to attack the Phoenix Master Clan.


    After receiving the news from the Phoenix Master Clan, the Magic Phoenix Empire not only had to deal with the demonic monsters that harmed and even killed creatures all over the empire, but also had to help find the missing legendary guardian beast. There was definitely a lot on their plate and they were exhausted.


    The most troublesome thing was that some neighboring empires had noticed that the demonic monsters had something to do with the Magic Phoenix Empire and even sent messengers to question them. The Magic Phoenix Empire tried their best to hide the truth, but in the end, they knew they would f


    can. What we need to do is help them find where the legendary guardian beast could be, so as to prevent it from being reborn by taking advantage of the body of the legendary guardian beast," Rocky said calmly. His suggestion seemed to make sense. It could work, given that they really could find traces of the legendary guardian beast.


    "But even the Phoenix Master Clan can''t find any traces of the legendary guardian beast. With our strength, I''m afraid we won''t succeed as well." Felicia shook her head in desperation. She was beginning to feel helpless and was worried about how much danger they were in if they wouldn''t be able to stop the rebirth.


    "That''s not necessarily true. In fact, I don''t think it''s difficult to find the traces of the legendary guardian beast. First of all, if the original soul of the most powerful demonic beast wants to gather a large number of remnant souls, it must need a suitable place to hide and help it merge with the remnant souls. According to the demonic nature of the most powerful demonic beast, a suitable hiding place should be a place with a strong demonic aura. In addition, the original soul will not be able to gather so many remnant souls voluntarily. Considering this, those remnant souls scattered all over the Magic Phoenix Empire will be affected by the power of the original soul and gather towards the original soul. Most of the remnant souls have attached themselves into spirit manipulators, spirit-manipulated beasts, or supernatural beasts, and become monsters. Therefore, if we figure out the possible hiding place and track the whereabouts of these monsters, we should be able to find out the location of the legendary guardian beast," Rocky proposed. As he was done talking, he lifted his head up to seek approval from the queen and the others.

 Chapter 1201 Trapped In A Dilemma

    Hearing what Rocky said, Felicia and the queen of the Magic Phoenix Empire expressed their utmost admiration to him. They didn''t expect that he would be so thoughtful and very logical with his analysis.


    "In that case, I shall order the spirit manipulators all over our empire to track those monsters down," the queen said resolutely.


    "There are many places in our empire that are full of evil auras. How can we deduce the place where the legendary guardian beast may be hiding?" Felicia suddenly asked Rocky.


    "The thing is, the spiritual power will reach its peak during the full moon in such places. However, because of the difference in topography, each evil aura at the full-moon nights will also be different. The legendary guardian beast will choose a place with the best topography. There, monsters that are possessed by the remnant souls would gather, making the remnant souls easily fused together. Therefore, I think that the legendary guardian beast would choose a plain," Rocky explained.


    "Erica, order a group of spirit manipulators to search the plains of our empire." At that moment, Felicia thought that what Rocky had said was reasonable, so she immediately instructed Erica.


    Erica only glanced at Rocky once and then turned away and carried on with her assignment.


    After she left, a guard came to announce the arrival of the spirit manipulators of the Holy Dragon Empire. To everyone''s surprise, the spirit manipulators were led by the famous general of the Holy Dragon Empire, who was none other than Marcia.


    Upon seeing who was leading the spirit manipulators, Rocky and the three women could not help but exchange shocked looks at each other.


    As soon as the queen heard that the general had personally brought her people to support them, she immediately ordered a servant to invite Marcia into the hall.


    Not long after, Marcia entered where they were in a cool and arrogant manner.


    "It''s so nice to see you in person, General Marcia. I''ve heard so much about you." The queen shot Marcia a predatory look. In the entire Magic Phoenix Empire, it was said that no one could be as perfect as Marcia in both literature and martial arts.


    "Your Majesty, Preceptor Felicia." Marcia bowed her head slightly as she greeted the esteemed leaders of the empire and then briefly glanced at Rocky and the three women.


    "What brings you here, Master?" Stunned to see Marcia''s arrival, Sabina stepped forward and asked in sur


    the range of searching was greatly reduced.


    As they discussed, a guard came in and reported, "Your Majesty, Princess Alyssa from the Timber Deity Empire is here to see you."


    Upon hearing this, Rocky and the others exchanged looks with one another.


    "Tell her to come in!" the queen instructed.


    Soon, a beautiful figure with an indifferent face presumptuous aura suddenly walked into the hall.


    "You are also here?" As soon as she set foot inside the hall, Rocky''s faint smile caught her attention. However, when she saw the three women beside him, she immediately went back to her usual composure.


    "What brings you here, Princess Alyssa?" the queen inquired.


    "I think you already know why, Your Majesty. Recently, there have been a lot of half-human, half-beast monsters appearing on the border of the Timber Deity Empire. According to the investigation, these monsters seem to have come from the border of the Magic Phoenix Empire. We have already sent many letters to verify it, but you seem to have hidden the truth from us on purpose. That is the reason why I have invited myself to come over here, personally. Something serious has happened. Am I right?" Alyssa was very smart. Seeing Rocky and Marcia present, she knew that it was not a simple matter.


    The queen and Felicia were trapped in a dilemma upon hearing Alyssa''s words. At that moment, they were considering whether to tell the truth or not. The Timber Deity Empire was the alliance of the Magic Phoenix Empire. If the Magic Phoenix Empire didn''t give a reasonable explanation, then it would definitely affect the relationship between the two empires.

 Chapter 1202 The Battle At The Fog Demon Plain

    "Preceptor Felicia, please tell her the truth. Perhaps the Timber Deity Empire will also lend a hand to the Magic Phoenix Empire," Rocky scowled.


    After thinking for a while, Felicia faced Alyssa and told her about the current situation. Needless to say, she omitted some of the secrets that were related to the Phoenix Master Clan. All she mentioned was the matter about the soul of a very powerful demonic beast that was harming the Magic Phoenix Empire at that moment. In fact, she failed to mention anything about the number one ancient demonic beast, nor the Demonic Soul Cauldron.


    "Are you sure about that? A demonic beast? What kind of demonic beast''s soul would be that powerful?" Alyssa cast her doubts at Felicia''s words.


    Obviously, Felicia would not tell her the exact truth.


    "Your Royal Highness, please, don''t ask us too much. You will know when the time is right," Rocky said to Alyssa.


    At once, Alyssa didn''t ask any more questions. After all, she believed and trusted Rocky''s words.


    However, since the situation was urgent, the queen of the Magic Phoenix Empire also asked Alyssa to send a group of spirit manipulators from the Timber Deity Empire to support them.


    Considering the severity of the matter and its potential harm to the Timber Deity Empire, Alyssa instantly sent a message to her empire to gather and send a group of spirit manipulators.


    Two days after, the reinforcements from the Timber Deity Empire safely arrived at the Magic Phoenix Empire.


    Almost at the same time, Erica, who was tasked to lead a group of spirit manipulators to search the different plains of the Magic Phoenix Empire, sent back some good news. After several days of relentless searching, they finally found the legendary guardian beast on the Fog Demon Plain.


    At that moment, she also sent a message saying that a large number of demonic monsters were gathering towards the Fog Demon Plain.


    "The original soul must have summoned these monsters. I believe that we must take action on this matter immediately!" Rocky met Felicia''s eyes and then looked at the other people in the hall and made a suggestion.


    "I''m afraid that we can''t deal with those monsters and the original soul using our current strength. I think we''d better inform the Phoenix Master Clan as soon as possible before doing anything rash." Felicia thought for a while before she spoke.


    "Even if we inform the Phoenix Master Clan, it will take at least a day for them to arrive. But according to the demonic monsters'' rate of gathering, I''m afraid that they will be able to complete their gathering in the Fog Demon Plain in less than a day. It seems that we don''t have much time. Therefore, the best thing we could do is to prevent them from gathering i


    rders, Rocky nodded immediately and accepted his assignment.


    Soon after, Alyssa led her group of spirit manipulators to the monsters that appeared in the west to stop them from approaching.


    Unfortunately, at that moment, a large number of monsters appeared in two different directions from the south and the east of the Fog Demon Plain, which divided their team''s attention.


    At the same time, Marcia led the remaining spirit manipulators along with the other women dispersed and guarded each side of the plain.


    In total, there were already more than sixty spirit manipulators from two empires trying their best to stop the monsters from invading the plain, including Alyssa and Marcia, who were at the spiritual master level, as well as their respective legendary guardian beasts, Sabina, the other two women, some peerless masters at the Divine Stage, and some masters at the Supernal Stage. One would surely gasp in astonishment after seeing how powerful the team was.


    However, more and more monsters began to arrive, with at least a few hundred of them traveling to the plain one after the other. They had to destroy these monsters completely. Otherwise, even their broken bodies would be able to climb towards the Ice Phoenix Queen that stood in the center and was constantly mutating. Therefore, it appeared that it was impossible to completely block the arrival of those monsters.


    After a short while, some monsters that had managed to escape the attacks of the team got close to the legendary guardian beast. However, after getting close, they exploded without warning, and the broken souls, which were similar to rays of light, immediately flew up and fused into the body of the Ice Phoenix Queen. Soon after, its aura began to slowly rise.


    Gradually, an even stronger evil aura was shrouding the entire area.

 Chapter 1203 Stop The Catastrophe

    At the same time, the Ice Phoenix Queen also fell into a violent state. Not long after, the hard ice scales covering its body that kept on rising with the evil spirit quickly disintegrated. Without warning, they burst out in all directions, causing havoc in the area.


    These innumerable ice scales resembled small meteorites falling from the sky.


    As a result, several pits were created on the ground right after they had landed and produced loud booming sound. Many spirit manipulators failed to dodge the incoming shower, leaving them either seriously injured or disabled after being hit. On the other hand, the ice scales that fell on the ground quickly turned into ice demon shadows. As soon as that happened, they began to surge towards the spirit manipulators led by Marcia and the Phoenix Master Clan members, preventing them from moving further.


    At that moment, a myriad of ice demon shadows sped into the crowd. Immediately, the shadows exploded and transformed into overwhelming light, completely blending the identities of the enemies and the allies.


    Each of the ice demon shadows'' explosion caused damage to at least ten meters around it. However, there were countless ice demon shadows that exploded, which meant that it covered a range of at least hundreds of meters around the Ice Phoenix Queen. In the blink of an eye, about forty spirit manipulators were killed, while some members of the Phoenix Master Clan were severely injured from the destructive force.


    Not long after, the situation returned to total chaos as the demonic monsters took advantage of the opportunity to move forward and destroy everything in their path as they approached the Ice Phoenix Queen.


    Despite Rocky being in charge of the whole situation, he knew he needed the help of the seasoned leaders with him. Without hesitation, he asked the spirit manipulators, including Marcia, and Alyssa to assemble another line of resistance in the fastest way they could. Judging from the current status, it was difficult to stop the demonic monsters because the ice demon shadows that decomposed from the Ice Phoenix Queen were like suicide attacks. Soon after, many demonic monsters approached the most powerful ancient demonic beast. These demonic monsters transformed into broken souls and merged with the ancient demonic beast inside Ice Phoenix Queen''s body.


    As the merging of the broken souls deepened, the queen''s demonic nature became stronger with every passing second.


    Without warning, the queen opened its mouth, and a beam of breathtaking spiritual power came out of it. Immediately, it swept towards the spirit manipulators and the members of the Phoenix Mas


    star at the fifth to seventh grade rushed into the group of demonic beasts and launched their deadly attacks!


    Despite their lack of warriors, it was easy to cause large-scale destruction to the demonic monsters because of their assembly.


    However, there were also many monsters that exploded into broken souls that flew into the air and gathered towards the Ice Phoenix Queen before being killed by the team.


    Uriah quickly burst out infinite fire chains, like whips that crazily threw the broken souls flying in the air and burning them up into ashes.


    But the battle did not last long, because the Ice Phoenix Queen shook off the ice scales on its body again. Immediately, an overwhelming demon light covered an area of hundreds of meters around it, forcing Rocky and the others to fly back.


    Just when they thought they could no longer stop those monsters, their eyes lay on the hundreds of figures that flew hastily in the sky. Like a display of fireworks, the astonishing auras of the spiritual race pervaded the entire sky.


    "Look! Here they are." Felicia immediately showed a trace of joy upon seeing the reinforcements arrive.


    Rocky and the others, who had just been forced back by the Ice Phoenix Queen, also shared the same feeling as Felicia.


    In the blink of an eye, hundreds of figures from the Phoenix Master Clan led by their matriarch, Jill, started to approach them. These hundreds of figures were comprised of many high-level spiritual slaves, a dozen of ordinary spiritual beings, and eight spiritual masters, including Jill and three elders that Rocky was familiar with.


    The Phoenix Master Clan showed great efforts as they launched their full force in the time of need. Without a doubt, they had put importance to stop this catastrophe.

 Chapter 1204 To Use The Forbidden Skill

    Jill led hundreds of members of the Phoenix Master Clan and flew down as fast as they could to meet Felicia and the other spirit manipulators who had retreated to the safe area.


    "Matriarch Jill!" Upon seeing her, Felicia immediately walked up to her, heaving a sigh of relief.


    "How''s everything going?" Jill asked as she focused her eyes on the Ice Phoenix Queen that was constantly absorbing the remnant soul. Its evil aura continued to get stronger and stronger while nothing was done against it. Even without asking, she knew that the situation was pretty bad. A serious expression showed on her face, as she knew that they had to hurry up and stopped it, or there would be more dire consequences.


    "We tried our best to restrain those monsters, but the situation is getting out of control now..." Felicia answered while looking down, feeling a little helpless.


    "It''s alright. You''ve done pretty well." Seeing the injured and fatigued spirit manipulators behind Felicia, Jill was still a little relieved. If not for their efforts to buy time, the mightiest demonic beast in the ancient times could have been born through the body of the Ice Phoenix Queen.


    Then, she immediately addressed the hundreds of members of the Phoenix Master Clan and ordered, "No matter what the cost, we can''t let those monsters get close to the legendary guardian beast!"


    As soon as she issued the order, all the members of the Phoenix Master Clan, except the elders who were also the spiritual masters, dispersed immediately. They went deep into the area where the group of monsters close to the Ice Phoenix Queen was lurking. They rushed towards them and fought with all their might to keep them from approaching the legendary guardian beast.


    The raid launched by the members of the Phoenix Master Clan was extremely formidable. Not long enough, they were able to push back and secure a clearance of about a hundred meters away from the Ice Phoenix Queen.


    Immediately sensing the threat being imposed by the members, the Ice Phoenix Queen quickly exhibited its own vicious counterattack. Countless ice scales turned into ice demon shadows that scattered on the ground. They unleashed exploding beams of light in an attempt to resist the invaders. However, the intensity of such attacks was not able to hinder the members of the Phoenix Master Clan from carrying their orders.


    As soon as Rocky and the others saw what was going on, they immediately retreated and entrusted the situation


    the ground and surrounded the Ice Phoenix Queen, ''I didn''t expect that the legendary guardian beast has become so powerful. If I had known this earlier, I should have gathered more spiritual masters to easily perform the forbidden skill. This skill was originally prohibited by the ancestors of our clan, and it shouldn''t be used unless there''s no other way. But right now, this is the only thing that we can rely on. If we don''t manage to extract the original soul even with the forbidden skill...'' Jill thought as she felt a hint of panic. Ideally, she had planned to use the forbidden skill after Rocky had already suppressed the mutation of the Ice Phoenix Queen through the gene inhibitor. However, several elders rejected this idea. They reasoned that they should only use the forbidden skill as the last resort. If possible, they didn''t want them to use it at all. After all, it was a pretty risky skill. Once they committed a tiny mistake during the process, the lives of those who employed the skill would be in absolute danger.


    However, the situation had already escalated to the point that the forbidden skill was the only answer to their dilemma. Although several elders of the Phoenix Master Clan were still unwilling to permit its use, they had no choice but to allow it now.


    "With our combined power, we should be able to smoothly perform the forbidden skill, but at this point, there''s no guarantee if we can expect a positive result. But we don''t have time to procrastinate. If the demonic nature of the legendary guardian beast becomes even stronger, it will be more troublesome and dangerous!" one of the seven elders strictly warned.

 Chapter 1205 It Became More Powerful

    In an instant, Jill and the seven elders of the Phoenix Master Clan, who were all spiritual masters, had flown to the sky directly above the Ice Phoenix Queen. They sat in eight different places with their legs tightly crossed in the air.


    The Ice Phoenix Queen sensed the auras of the eight spiritual masters. So, it immediately spurted several strong light beams and rushed towards the eight.


    Just then, their guardian beasts were all summoned to guard them. The beasts were like shields that blocked the attacks of the strong light beams.


    Then almost at the same time, the spiritual light and spiritual power of the eight amplified. Their spiritual light rose, and their spiritual power that could make mountains collapse and even start a tsunami spread all over the area instantly. The spiritual power of the eight completely covered the Ice Phoenix Queen.


    Meanwhile, Rocky and the others also approached the eight. After feeling such amazing spiritual power, they felt like they were suffocating. The sensation was especially stronger for the weaker ones in the group. Everyone immediately felt out of breath, and even the faces of Sabina and the other women changed.


    "The forbidden skill of the Phoenix Master Clan¡ªthe Eight-Trigram Soul-extracting Array!" the eight shouted at the same time. They instantly emitted rays of spiritual light while they were hanging in the air, which looked like eight small suns.


    Then, eight phoenix beast light shadows came out of the bodies of the eight. The eight shadows looked different from one another.


    Then, they immediately surrounded and rushed towards the Ice Phoenix Queen in eight different directions.


    When the eight shadows dived into the queen''s body, it immediately let out a screeching roar, as if it were in extreme pain. Then, it began to struggle and lash out crazily. Its ice wings flapped violently, looking like it was about to explode. Powerful auras also rushed around like ripples.


    At the same time, the broken souls that had been absorbed by the queen were separated from its body and moved around freely.


    In an instant, the demonic nature of the queen dramatically decreased.


    The monsters t


    send. Rocky had already seen him before when he entered the forbidden area of the spiritual race before.


    "Were you the one who did that just now?" Her eyes were filled with rage when Jill saw Townsend and the members of his clan. She was completely appalled by the guts of Townsend to even come to this place.


    Townsend smiled mischievously without saying anything, but the complacency in his eyes had shown everything.


    "Just tell me what you want. I don''t want to waste my time," Jill said immediately.


    "Well obviously I''m here to subdue the legendary guardian beast of your Phoenix Master Clan that has been occupied by the most powerful ancient demonic beast," Townsend answered as if it was already an obvious fact.


    "What? How did you know that?" When she heard what Townsend said, Jill was really surprised. She had banned everyone from revealing anything about the number one ancient demonic beast that was inside their guardian beast.


    "Our information has always been up to date," Townsend said with a shrewd smile. It could be seen that he knew everything about the Phoenix Master Clan.


    Jill''s face looked even worse when she heard this. The appearance of Townsend with a group of his people made things even more complicated and confusing.


    Because of the meddling of the Heavenly Demon Clan, the Ice Phoenix Queen took the opportunity to absorb a lot of broken souls. The demonic nature of its body became even stronger.

 Chapter 1206 In Big Trouble

    The members of the Phoenix Master Clan and the human spirit manipulators present were all astonished, as the demonic nature of the Ice Phoenix Queen grew more intense. Its aura was already much more staunch and forceful compared to that of an ordinary legendary guardian beast, and it seemed that it still had more power in its reserves, which it had yet to show.


    Although the Ice Phoenix Queen, the Holy-blood Dragon King, and the Timber Moon Fox King were all legendary guardian beasts, the latter two were reincarnated with the birth of Marcia and Alyssa. Therefore, they grew up with their masters together. Back then, no one could have removed the curses on Marcia and Alyssa, so they had been only as strong as ordinary guardian beasts, if not weaker. Marcia and Alyssa could never activate their reincarnation bloodline, before Rocky finally removed the curse impressed upon them. After that, they could break the restrictions and inherit the bloodline as a legendary guardian beast


    Similar to the spirit-manipulated beasts and the guardian beasts, it would take time for the legendary guardian beasts to grow strong and reach their full potential. The Holy-blood Dragon King and the Timber Moon Fox King had just begun to grow, and their strength was only a little better than that of the guardian beasts at the same level. However, compared to other legendary guardian beasts that were far older than them, they were still more delicate. For example, the Nether Butterfly Queen had lived for hundreds of years when Rocky had last seen it. And even though it had been asleep for five hundred years, its aura was more potent than that of the Holy-blood Dragon King or the Timber Moon Fox King.


    Rocky could surmise that the Ice Phoenix Queen had lived for decades, or even a hundred years, after its latest reincarnation before the Phoenix Master Clan found it. And because it had lived for a hundred years already, if not more, it was more robust and forceful compared to the Holy-blood Dragon King and the Timber Moon Fox King. Therefore, if the original soul of the fiercest demonic beast in the ancient times were reborn in the body of the Ice Phoenix Queen, the queen would absorb this herculean strength of the demonic beast.


    Now, the strength of the queen and the demonic beast


    couldn''t find a suitable body to revive the primal demonic beast, but thankfully, his biggest problem was now solved.


    Once the most powerful demonic beast in the ancient times was reborn in the body of the legendary guardian beast of the Phoenix Master Clan, he would be able to subdue it.


    Of course, it would not be easy to subdue it, but Townsend was well-prepared. He was confident that he would never return empty-handed, nor would he let his carefully planned scheme fail. "Are you planning to have the mighty and ancient demonic beast be reborn in the body of the legendary guardian beast of my clan? In your dreams! Take your clan members away from here as soon as possible. Or else, don''t blame me for what I will do to you!"


    Jill warned him with a stern look. She repressed a distressed sigh because the situation was becoming more critical. If the Heavenly Demon Clan continued to make trouble, she, and the other spiritual masters would have to make a move. "The other clans of the spiritual race may be afraid of you, but we only yield to persuasion and not coercion," Townsend sneered and waved his hand. At once, the members of the spiritual race that followed him rushed down as one.


    "It looks like the Phoenix Master Clan is in big trouble now!" Rocky watched the scene with narrowed eyes. Meanwhile, Marcia, Alyssa, and other women flew to surround him, spurred on by the danger that surrounded them. The women had one thought in their mind at that moment, and that was to keep Rocky safe and secure.

 Chapter 1207 Resort To The Dragon-shaped Soul Beast

    The spiritual race beings who had just arrived appeared to be an allied force comprised of different clans of the spiritual race. Most of them were from weak and small clans that had been annexed by the Heavenly Demon Clan.


    As soon as this army of various clans landed on the ground, they immediately lunged and attacked the Phoenix Master Clan members who had been trying to restrain the demons from approaching the Ice Phoenix Queen. At that moment, the members of the Phoenix Master Clan didn''t have any choice but to shift their focus to this makeshift army. In an instant, it became attrition between the two clans.


    Due to the interference of the newly-arrived army, the demons were able to get past the preoccupied members of the Phoenix Master Clan and waltzed towards the Ice Phoenix Queen. Soon after, they turned into numerous remnant souls that were quickly absorbed by the legendary guardian beast.


    As a result, the demonic aura surrounding the Ice Phoenix Queen surged at an astonishing level. The red light all over its body rose sharply, and the evil gust of wind continued to rampage throughout the land, wrecking an area of about hundreds of meters in radius.


    Thick dark-red clouds appeared above the entire Fog Demon Plain, swirling rapidly as if forming a huge vortex. Red bolts of lightning flashed among these gloomy clouds, followed by deafening roars of thunder.


    Both members of the spiritual race and the human race that saw this scene sensed that a horrifying aura had engulfed the Fog Demon Plain. It was like a disastrous omen that the most powerful ancient demonic beast was coming back to life. If this really happened, they knew that terrifying chaos would reign over the entire Wild Spirit Land.


    Also noticing the inauspicious signs of the rebirth of the strongest demonic beast, Jill angrily turned towards Townsend and snapped, "What the hell do you want to do?!"


    "I''ve already told you. I am going to subdue the demonic beast. After all, your meager clan doesn''t have that strength. You and all your underlings should just step aside and quit on struggling," Townsend said proudly as if acting like the most powerful demonic beast in the ancient times would automatically be under his control once it came back to life.


    Jill couldn''t help but wonder where Townsend was getting all his confidence to say that the Heavenly Demon Clan would surely subdue such a powerful beast.


    "As if we''d let that happen!" Jill retorted firmly. Almost all creatures feared this demonic beast. It was said that its strength was so overwhelming that it could bring catastrophe to both humans and the spiritual race. Once it was subdued by the Heavenly Demon Clan, a


    I''ll handle the rest," Rocky answered urgently. In his mind, it was clear that this wasn''t the time to hesitate. If there was even just one percent of making it succeed, he would take that chance without thinking twice.


    "Fine. The Soul-extracting Array of the Phoenix Master Clan is a powerful secret skill that was established in the early years of the spiritual race. It can readily extract souls of ancient spiritual beasts from their bodies. It will have no problem dealing with ordinary ancient demonic beasts. However, the soul of the most powerful demonic beast in ancient times is on a whole other level. This demonic beast is much stronger than you can imagine," the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast warned him.


    "Hmm, it sounds like you know the mightiest demonic beast very well. Did you encounter it before?" Rocky asked out of curiosity. Since the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast seemed like he had much knowledge about the demonic beast, he assumed that the old beast must have encountered it before.


    "In the past, when the soul of this demonic beast was sealed into the Demonic Soul Cauldron, it took extremely great efforts to accomplish it. What I will teach you is more powerful than the Phoenix Master Clan''s forbidden skill. However, it should be partnered with the Demonic Soul Cauldron. The original soul of the demonic beast would become very atrocious after it was extracted from the body. You must restrain its power as fast as possible, or it would just return to the body of the legendary guardian beast. The Demonic Soul Cauldron was the best option to seal the original soul of the demonic beast, but since it''s not here now, we still have to find a plausible substitute." The Dragon-shaped Soul Beast just continued with the explanation, ignoring Rocky''s remark and question.

 Chapter 1208 Go All Out

    "I know you''ve found a way," Rocky said in a low voice. "Tell me now."


    After a moment of silence, the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast finally answered, "The only way now is to extract the original soul of the ancient mighty demonic beast and seal it into the body of my descendant."


    "Are you talking about the ancient spiritual beast in my Magic Spiritual Space? Will it really work? I''m afraid..." Rocky raised his eyebrows after hearing that. He was somewhat suspicious. The Ice Phoenix Queen was transformed from the strongest ancient spiritual beast. Now even it couldn''t resist the control of the original soul of the ancient mighty demonic beast. The ancient spiritual beast in his Magic Spiritual Space didn''t have a soul but only a flesh body. Therefore, if the original soul was sealed into the flesh body of the ancient spiritual beast, it would be very possible that the flesh body was easily controlled by the original soul. By then, the situation would be even more troublesome.


    "The ancient spiritual beast is my descendant, so I think this is the only way to proceed. With the strength of its physical body, it should be able to withstand the power of the ancient mighty demonic beast. I know you are worried about that the demonic beast will seize control of its flesh body. This is also my worry. That''s why I''m counting on you. If you want to solve this crisis, then you will have to take the risk."


    "Do you want me to release stronger power sealed in my body?" Rocky asked, his eyes narrowed. If he were to release more power, he could possibly disappear from his current world.


    "There''s no need. After the original soul of the ancient mighty demonic beast is sealed in the flesh body of my descendant, all the remnant souls will be transferred. At last, the ancient mighty demonic beast will have a complete soul and control the body of my descendant completely. This will ensure its rebirth. Y


    shocked when they heard his plan. Moreover, they wondered how it was possible that Rocky knew how to use the forbidden skill to lure out the original soul of the ancient mighty demonic beast. This was more powerful than the Phoenix Master Clan''s forbidden skill. The whole plan sounded like a suicide mission.


    "Can we really do it? Is this really possible?" Alyssa''s eyes narrowed slightly. It was not that she did not have confidence. She believed whatever Rocky said and had faith in him. But after all, what they were facing was the most powerful demonic beast in the ancient times, which was about to be reborn. Even the spiritual race could not do anything about it. So she couldn''t help but have a few doubts.


    "We have to try," Rocky answered, "before the patriarch of the Heavenly Demon Clan notices us." He eyed Townsend in the distance, who was fighting with Jill. In order to stop Townsend, he had to go all out.


    "Let''s hurry. It''ll be too late if the ancient mighty demonic beast is reborn," Marcia urged. She knew that Rocky had made up his mind.


    "Let''s begin!" Then, Rocky and the two women launched themselves into the air. Together, they flew towards the ancient mighty demonic beast that was about to be reborn in the body of the Ice Phoenix Queen.

 Chapter 1209 Buy Some Time

    It didn''t take long for the spiritual race and human spirit manipulators to notice Rocky and the two women soaring in the sky and heading towards the Ice Phoenix Queen. Naturally, chaos broke loose as the people clamored about, wondering what they were trying to do.


    "What are they doing?" Even Jill was caught by surprise.


    The other spiritual masters of the Phoenix Master Clan exchanged confused glances.


    Everyone thought that the trio were ludicrous and must be courting death!


    At that moment, the most powerful demonic beast of the ancient times was about to be reborn, by using the body of the Ice Phoenix Queen. Once it was reborn, everyone within a certain radius would be doomed and everything would be destroyed, nothing spared.


    "I think they overestimate themselves." Of course, Townsend also saw Rocky and the two women flying towards the beast. Narrowing his eyes, he glared at the sky coldly. Holding in one hand the Thunder Ball, he threw his arms up. Instantly, three streaks of lightning spiritual power shot out, headed straight for Rocky and the two women who were approaching the Ice Phoenix Queen.


    "Watch out!" Jill cried. While she was shocked that Townsend was able to control the spiritual treasure so easily, she still acted instinctively and tried to stop him. Before she could do so, however, three figures suddenly appeared around her and held her back.


    Jill narrowed her eyes. Immediately, she could tell that the three figures, who were all exuding the aura of a spiritual master, were not good people. Her expression turned cold, but she quickly shifted focus to the three streaks of lightning that were headed straight for Rocky and the two women.


    The three streaks of lightning spiritual power were released by the spiritual treasure, Thunder Ball. It meant they were so powerful that even the ordinary spiritual master might not be able to withstand them.


    When Rocky and the two women saw the three streaks of strong lightning spiritual power rushing towards them, their faces went pale. Immediately, they summoned their spiritual power to try to resist the lightning. H


    manipulators present were astonished again. The attack just now was so powerful that they never expected the trio would emerge unscathed! At the same time, they were also very happy, especially Sabina, Felicia and their companions. Everyone heaved a huge sigh of relief.


    "They survived that?" Townsend frowned. In his eyes, the trio were not very powerful. Although both Marcia and Alyssa were spiritual masters, their strength was still incomparable to his, let alone Rocky''s. He was confident that at any time, if he wanted to, he could crush them. That was why he was a bit perplexed when seeing they managed to survive that attack.


    Gritting his teeth impatiently, Townsend decided he didn''t want Rocky and the two women to cause any more trouble. So, he leapt into the air and teleported straight to the trio in the sky who headed towards the beast.


    "The most powerful demonic beast of the ancient times is about to come back to life." His voice rang out. "It''s impossible to stop it. Just give up. Don''t test my patience. I don''t want to kill you for the time being, because you still have some value to me!" Townsend ended with a sneer, effectively blocking the path of the trio.


    "How will we know if we don''t try?" Rocky''s eyes suddenly narrowed. He immediately looked towards Jill, the several spiritual masters of the Phoenix Master Clan, and shouted, "Could you please buy some time for us..."

 Chapter 1210 Come Back To Life Right Away

    After hearing Rocky''s words, Jill figured that what Rocky planned was to rely on their own strength to stop the rebirth of the most powerful demonic beast in the ancient times, but she didn''t know for sure what kind of method he would use. Everyone knew that Townsend was against the Phoenix Master Clan dealing with the most powerful demonic beast again. If Rocky had a plan, then maybe they could take the risk. Having this small hope was better than doing nothing but just wait for death anyway.


    Jill thought quickly about this. After a few moments, she turned towards the seven elders of the Phoenix Master Clan, who were also the spiritual masters around her. Their eyes met Jill''s and she gave out a small nod, as if signaling to them. They had just finished their rituals performing the forbidden skill. After this type of skill was subdued by Townsend using his spiritual treasure power, they were weakened and couldn''t fight for a while. This was why their matriarch Jill was surrounded by the three other spiritual masters of the enemies and they couldn''t offer help. After taking some time to rest, the seven elders had recovered. Taking Jill''s hint, three elders flew towards the direction where Jill was and swiftly pinned down the three spiritual masters that were surrounding her.


    Jill took this opportunity to escape and hurriedly flew towards Townsend.


    Witnessing Jill flying towards him, Townsend realized that she must have believed Rocky''s words and wanted to buy them some time to approach the most powerful demonic beast, but Townsend would not give her any chance.


    "You''re overestimating yourself!" Townsend sneered in a high-pitched voice as he waved his arm. In an instant, a huge demon shadow appeared out of thin air. The creature was enormous and out of place, as if a demon king had descended. The creature growled loudly and aggressively rushed towards Rocky, the two women and their respective beasts.


    Townsend gave out everything he had and exerted all his strength this time. Almost in the blink of an eye, the surroundings went dim, as if it were covered by a huge dark cloud. The enormous demon shadow pounced on Rocky fiercely, forcefully pressing him along with the two women and the three beasts to the ground.


    There was no way they could resist Townsend''s power. They had managed to get close to the most powerful demonic beast, but it was as if they were put back to the start. The


    injured after being shot down, they were fine, thanks to Alyssa''s critical help at the last moment. Once they got up and regained their balance, they saw that everyone was fiercely fighting. Panicked, they looked at each other before moving.


    The trio quickly soared into the sky. While Townsend was pinned down by Jill, they approached the Ice Phoenix Queen.


    Townsend''s face darkened as he saw that the trio recovered from the fall. He was surprised that they still hadn''t given up after all his efforts to bring them down. He attempted to stop them, but Jill responded immediately. She crossed her palms and shouted, "Take this!"


    As her body trembled, a phoenix shadow appeared behind her. The phoenix shadow shot out a ray of light which looked like colorful silk, and tried to wrap Townsend.


    Townsend immediately dodged sideways. To his surprise, the ray of light spread out instantly, turning into countless colored silk ribbons and wrapping around his whole body.


    With his movement restricted, Townsend''s attacking speed slowed down. Although he broke through the tangle of the colored silk ribbons after a few wiggles, when he wanted to attack again, Rocky and the two women had already approached the Ice Phoenix Queen.


    Since the most powerful demonic beast was about to be reborn from the queen, its power had become extremely powerful. The closer the trio got, the more suffocating they felt. The queen that was about to complete the transformation noticed the trio were getting closer and opened its mouth to shoot a strong beam of spiritual power towards them, stopping them from approaching.

 Chapter 1211 The Dragon Sarira

    Just as the beam of astonishing spiritual power was about to cover Rocky and the two women, Marcia waved her hand. In an instant, five crescent-like blood wheels that were steadily rotating appeared and surrounded the Holy-blood Dragon King.


    "Watch this!" shouted Marcia, her beautiful eyes twinkling. In the next breath, the five blood wheels surrounding the Holy-blood Dragon King surged forward, and it appeared like Marcia had plucked five blood moons from the sky.


    In no time, the five blood wheels transformed into five rays of moon radiance, penetrating the Holy-blood Dragon King''s body. In an instant, the Holy-blood Dragon King grew into gigantic proportions, as the blood radiance shone and enveloped it with a blinding glow. Its aura also rose rapidly, like overflowing lava on a volcano about to erupt.


    As a legendary guardian beast, the Holy-blood Dragon King naturally had its unique special ability. It could release tremendous power that surpassed its own in a short period, and the number of the blood wheels represented the level of energy that it had released.


    Currently, there were five blood wheels, which were the limit of its power. The fusion of the power of five blood wheels made its power increase by at least two grades in just a short time.


    The Holy-blood Dragon King, whose power had significantly increased in an instant, fearlessly rushed towards the Ice Phoenix Queen, shifting into an enormous blood-red light shadow. The two of them collided head-on, as a frightening and intense beam of spiritual power exploded.


    Boom!


    In the air, two dazzling lights flickered and clashed with each other. The Holy-blood Dragon King''s body remained like an iron wall, blocking the steady beam of spiritual power, which showed how immense its strength was.


    However, since the Ice Phoenix Queen had merged with the power of the most powerful demonic beast in the ancient times, its influence had grown far more potent compared to that of the Holy-blood Dragon King. Soon, the Holy-blood Dragon King was powerless before it.


    "The Holy-blood Dragon King can''t hold on!" Marcia shouted, looking at Rocky urgently.


    However, they could


    for Rocky''s sake.


    The next moment, the trio put their hands on the Dragon Sarira and used their spiritual power to activate the energy contained in it. In the blink of an eye, the power in the Dragon Sarira started to pour out. Waves of spiritual power began to spread in the air like tidal waves, enveloping heaven and earth.


    The Dragon Sarira contained the power of Malcom, who had the most potent power in the spiritual race, for he was already at the peak of the ninth grade. Therefore, once it was activated, the energy it released would be unimaginable.


    All the members of the spiritual race and human spirit manipulators present, including Jill, were shocked when they saw this.


    "Is this the power crystal that Malcom left behind after he ascended? No wonder once they were one of the most influential clans of the spiritual race in history. No one should underestimate them on pain of death." Even though Townsend knew that Marcia possessed the Dragon Sarira transformed from Malcom''s power, he still couldn''t help but worry when he saw it with his own eyes. His eyes flashed with hesitation and fear, but he quickly hid it away at the back of his mind. After all, it would not help him if his enemies noticed his wavering heart. However, what he cared most about was what Rocky and the two women wanted to do. It looked like they were willing to throw their lives away for the sake of their goal. So, what could be their goal?

 Chapter 1212 The Breathtaking Soul Extraction

    After the Dragon Sarira was activated, its released power constantly built up and became more violent exponentially. Without warning, the light burst out, causing the spiritual power to cover an area within hundreds of meters.


    At that moment, the Dragon Sarira shocked the spiritual masters with its destructive capacity and strength!


    In fact, the spiritual masters had never expected it to be this powerful, let alone the other spiritual race beings and the human spirit manipulators who had witnessed its wrath.


    The Dragon Sarira continued releasing its power, affecting the bodies of Rocky and the two other women tremendously. The impact was so intense that the spiritual power in their bodies rose sharply as if it were about to explode at any given minute.


    "I''m ready!" Rocky shouted with all his strength as he gave a hint to the two women. Soon after, the voice of the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast rang in his mind. It taught him the forbidden skill about how to extract the soul of the most powerful ancient demonic beast from the body of the Ice Phoenix Queen!


    Without a doubt, the so-called forbidden skill was against the law of nature. Therefore, no one knew what would happen after it was used. But if used incorrectly, this mistake might result in the trio''s death.


    Trying his best to be careful, Rocky followed the formula of the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast step-by-step. The next moment, Rocky and the two women seemed to have fused into one. In an instant, a spiritual pillar with a diameter of roughly ten meters appeared around them. This spiritual pillar immediately soared into the sky and flew into the spinning vortex red cloud, just after Rocky had used the forbidden skill.


    Not long after, the sky produced a shattering sound as if it was about to crack at any second. Without warning, a stunning spiritual shadow, similar to a gigantic amulet, fell from the sky and clung to the body of the Ice Phoenix Queen.


    As soon as the spiritual shadow landed on its body, the Ice Phoenix Queen let out a startling scream of anger. As a result, a strong demonic power gushed out of its body, struggling to break through the entangled spiritual shadow that was trying to suppress it.


    However, the huge spiritual shadow was as strong as a plaster, clinging firmly onto the body of the Ice Phoenix Queen.


    "Lure the soul!" Rocky, who activated the power of the Dragon Sarira with the two women, immediately shouted with determination in his widened eyes.


    At once, the spiritual shadow


    pact of the Dragon Sarira''s power. Moreover, once they couldn''t hold on to the immense energy that their bodies were trying to contain, everything would fall short of success.


    Of course, the soul of the demonic beast was also constantly struggling at that time as it kept on releasing strong demonic power to resist the power of the Dragon Sarira. Therefore, the trio had to resist the power of the Dragon Sarira and the impact of the demonic power at the same time.


    In addition, Townsend constantly broke through the enchanted barrier in an attempt to stop the trio.


    At that time, Rocky and the two women surely were experiencing the most dangerous battle in their life!


    All the spiritual race beings and human spirit manipulators present were out of words to describe what was happening in front of them. They believed that even if something unimaginable happened from now on, it would still be reasonable.


    Yet, Sabina, Shirley and Lucilla kept their eyes locked onto Rocky and his teammates, believing that the trio would make it.


    All of a sudden, a whirlpool of red clouds manifested in the sky that created a loud noise. Almost at the same time, the incomplete soul of the number one ancient demonic beast, which was about to be extracted at that moment, shone fiercely. Instantly, within three hundred meters around, the red light shone directly, and the amazing demonic power exploded and spread all over the sky. The enchanted barrier also exploded under the impact of the demonic power and started to shake violently and even began to collapse.


    In just an instant, the berserk demonic power shrouded the trio, putting their lives in immense danger!

 Chapter 1213 Unable To Break Their Defense

    "Basil!" Sabina, Shirley and Lucilla screamed in alarm simultaneously.


    Felicia and Erica were too shocked to open their mouths. Instead, they could only look on with growing horror in their faces.


    On her end, Jill was taken aback when she saw that the enchanted barrier had been broken.


    Meanwhile, Townsend watched delightedly, as the demonic power struck Rocky, Marcia, and Alyssa. "That''s what you get for getting in my way!" he remarked with a wicked grin.


    All the members of the spiritual race and human spirit manipulators thought that Rocky, Marcia, and Alyssa were going to die. However, a massive dragon shadow suddenly appeared from the dissipated light of demonic power. It strongly resembled the Ice Phoenix Queen after the transformation, and it attracted the attention of the spectators at once.


    As the dragon shadow''s wings fluttered in flight, scattered gasps escaped from the crowd of spectators. They had spotted something unbelievable!


    Rocky, Marcia, and Alyssa were floating beneath the dragon''s wings, safe and sound.


    "Does he really have an ancient spiritual beast?" Jill exclaimed in surprise. Although she heard that Rocky had summoned an extinct ancient spiritual beast during the civil war of the Dragon Master Clan, it was still hard to believe if she hadn''t seen it with her own eyes. Besides, it was easier to hear it than to see it, so now that it was in front of her eyes, she was too astonished to believe it.


    After all, this ancient spiritual beast had long been extinct, so it was hard to imagine how it could reappear in this world.


    This legendary guardian beast was reincarnated hundreds of years apart, and it had formed from the most powerful ancient spiritual beast. Every time it was reincarnated, its original strength dissipated, weakening it, and it needed to grow again. Therefore, if there was still an ancient spiritual beast in the Wild Spirit Land, it must be older and more robust than the legendary guardian beasts.


    And the most amazing thing was that Rocky, a human, could summon an ancient spiritual beast. It was considered an incredible act for all the members of the spiritual race, so to imagine that a mere human had done it was unbelievable.


    At that moment, Rocky, Marcia, and Alyssa, who were safe and sound, continued to draw the power of the Dragon Sarira. With great perseverance, they finally extracted the soul of the most formidable demonic beast from ancient times from the body of the Ice Phoenix Queen.


    After that, the surging demonic power released by the Ice Phoenix Queen weakened, and


    the mythical demonic beast from ancient times, but it would also weaken the Phoenix Master Clan with the loss of their legendary guardian beast.


    But things had changed, so his plans needed to change too. The most formidable demonic beast from the ancient times was finally reborn, but it was not in the body that he expected. However, that didn''t matter anymore. His priority now was to subdue the demonic beast, and he needed to do it before Rocky. Therefore, the only threat to him now was Rocky, as they appeared to have the same goal in mind. It meant that he had to kill Rocky first.


    However, when he was about to attack Rocky, Marcia and Alyssa interfered. It looked like the two women also knew what he was planning, so they blocked his path not only to stop him but also to give Rocky the freedom to do what he needed without his interference.


    "Those who stand in my way will die!" Townsend released an astonishing spiritual power, which turned into a violent thunder wave that rushed to Marcia and Alyssa.


    The two women joined hands to resist the thunder wave. But since Townsend''s strength was more prominent compared with theirs, Marcia and Alyssa found it hard to resist him, let alone stop him.


    Thankfully, Jill jumped in at the right time, helping the others hold Townsend back. With a mighty shout, they gave all they had to buy enough time for Rocky.


    Since there was only a minimal gap between Jill''s and Townsend''s strength, he could not break their defense when she worked with Marcia and Alyssa. He could do nothing but watch Rocky with a bitter cry. He saw, at that moment, that Rocky had already put his hand on the ancient spiritual beast''s forehead. Would he succeed in subduing it?

 Chapter 1214 The Negotiation With The Ancient Demonic Beast

    At the same time, Rocky''s spiritual sense entered the extremely weird space. Suddenly, the red lights around him flickered like neon lights. Besides that, the surging demonic power was also constantly attacking him from all directions.


    Soon enough, Rocky saw a beast-shaped soul shadow with a demonic aura right in front of him. Although it was only the size of an ordinary human, it looked ferocious, cruel, and malicious. Its body was full of blood and it exuded a strong aura.


    "So, are you the most powerful ancient demonic beast?" Looking at the beast-shaped soul shadow in front of him, Rocky had to admit that he was a little afraid. After all, he had no idea how he could subdue such a powerful ancient demonic beast.


    "You worthless little human, how dare you hinder my rebirth? But I couldn''t care less about you; my wish finally came true! It feels so good to finally have a new body. And this body seems to be stronger than the previous body of the legendary guardian beast. God is really on my side! The next thing for me is to eat all the spiritual race beings to replenish my strength with their spiritual power..." the demonic beast said maliciously, disdainfully ignoring Rocky.


    Realizing that the demonic beast actually had a human-like consciousness, Rocky immediately smiled and said, "Did you really think that I sent your soul into the body of this ancient spiritual beast for nothing?"


    "Huh? What do you mean?" the demonic beast asked. It immediately became doubtful as soon as it heard Rocky''s words.


    "The body of the spiritual beast that you are reborn is indestructible that even the spiritual race can''t destroy it. Although your soul is reborn with the body of the ancient spiritual beast, I''d like to inform you that you will be forbidden to exist both in heaven and earth with this indestructible soul and beast body. So, I think you should be aware of the consequences, right?" Rocky said to the demonic beast calmly. His words and calmness at the gravity of the situation hit its heart.


    As expected, the demonic beast shouted furiously as if it was triggered by something, "I have been sealed in the Demonic Soul Cauldron for thousands of years. I even


    st be extremely powerful!


    "It seems that you are not the reincarnation of Divine King Belial. Because if you are indeed him, wouldn''t you already know this?" the demonic beast questioned. It immediately showed a look of rage as it realized that it seemed to be tricked by Rocky.


    "If you don''t believe me, then why don''t you try me?" Rocky replied arrogantly.


    The demonic beast didn''t dare to rush forward so quickly even though it was far stronger than Rocky. And he entered its body in the spiritual state, it would be so easy if it wanted to devour Rocky''s spiritual sense. However, if he was the reincarnation of Divine King Belial indeed, it might repeat the same mistake it made in the past.


    Seeing the hesitation on its face, Rocky continued, "If you surrender to me, I promise I won''t seal you in the Demonic Soul Cauldron anymore. I will also keep your soul in the body of this ancient spiritual beast, so that you can finally be reborn."


    "I don''t believe you. You''re lying! That''s what you always do. Only by killing you can I truly be reborn since the power of Divine King Belial is the only thing in this world that can subdue me. So, if you really are his reincarnation, then it only means that Divine King Belial, who once made all the spiritual race beings surrender, was already dead. And even if you are his reincarnation, you are far more inferior and weaker now¡­" the demonic beast said. This information surprised Rocky once again.

 Chapter 1215 Kneel Down And Surrender

    "Divine King Belial had made all the spiritual race beings surrender to him? But isn''t he also a member of the spiritual race?" Rocky originally thought that Divine King Belial was just a very powerful spiritual race being. He didn''t expect that he was an existence that made all spiritual race beings bow down before him.


    "Ha! The spiritual race? That''s some nasty joke! They don''t even deserve to lick the soles of Divine King Belial''s feet," the most powerful ancient demonic beast jested.


    "If he is not from the spiritual race, then where is he from? What is his true identity?" Rocky wanted to find some answers. He had a vague feeling that Divine King Belial must have something to do with the secret being hidden by the spiritual race.


    "Why do you still want to know these things? You''re going to die soon. If I were you, I should worry more about that. After I kill you, I''m going to find a way to leave the body of this ancient spiritual beast and return to the body of the legendary guardian beast," the demonic beast said in an impatient and threatening tone. It didn''t want to waste any more time on the pointless talking; thus, it fixed its demonic eyes at Rocky and rushed towards him.


    "Glutton! I didn''t expect that I will still meet you one day!" While inside Rocky''s body, a voice suddenly echoed in the air. It was like an ethereal sound that gave the speaker such immense authority.


    "Who is it?!" The demonic beast was alarmed the instant it heard the voice that called its true name. It had been sealed in the Demonic Soul Cauldron for thousands of years, and its existence was almost already forgotten by the world. Therefore, if this person knew its name, then he should be someone extraordinary.


    Suddenly, a dragon-shaped soul shadow emerged and shone brightly. Although it was just the size of a palm, it exuded a domineering aura that would make an ordinary warrior tremble in fear.


    "No¡­ This can''t be! It''s you?! Divine King Apollyon!" As soon as Glutton saw the dragon-shaped soul shadow, it instantly knew what was going on, and a look of horror appeared on its face. It immediately shifted its gaze to Rocky and exclaimed, "You''re really the reincarnation of Divine King Belial?!"


    Rocky was also taken aback at what he just heard. He was confused as to why Glutton would refer him as the reincarnation of Divine King Belial. He immediately turned to the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast, wanting to demand an expl


    lance at Rocky.


    Upon hearing this, Glutton started to hesitate. It was not willing to submit to a mere human who was much weaker than it, but it didn''t also want to just vanish this way. Besides, it took it a lot of effort just to be reborn. Furthermore, it could also obtain the chance to finally settle the score with the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast.


    "What''s it going to be? Hurry up and make up your mind," the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast urged and pressured Glutton.


    "Fine! I will surrender to him on one condition¡­" Glutton fell silent as if thinking seriously.


    "Just say it!" the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast demanded.


    "I need him to enter the Heavenly God Temple first to take out my body that was sealed by Divine King Belial! The remains cannot be restored to its original form, but there is still a part of my power that was left in them. I need them to fully recover my power. Only if he agrees to this condition will I submit to him." Glutton finally said its condition after thinking for a while.


    "All right. However, you have to seal your power so that he can control you." The Dragon-shaped Soul Beast also put forward its own demand after thinking for a while.


    "Ha! Fine, it''s a deal!" Glutton burst out laughing after saying that and instantly disappeared.


    Immediately after, Rocky regained his senses and quickly looked at the ancient spiritual beast in front of him. He recognized that Glutton, the most powerful ancient demonic beast, already changed its attitude.


    At the time, the evil aura in its body was suddenly restrained. Then, it knelt before Rocky, allowing everyone to witness this scene.

 Chapter 1216 Itch To Possess Him

    The scene shocked every single person who was watching the confrontation. These included various spiritual race beings and human spirit manipulators, who widened their eyes in disbelief and talked to each other feverishly.


    "Am I dreaming? He made the demonic beast surrender to him! Such a powerful beast and it actually surrendered!"


    "He is just a human being, but he managed to subdue a demonic beast so powerful that even the spiritual race couldn''t handle it..."


    "Forget whatever people are saying! I don''t think this guy is human!"


    For a moment, the entire Fog Demon Plain was filled with the cries of astonishment. It was hard for most of the onlookers to believe their eyes. Who would? The most powerful and ancient demonic beast was now kneeling down in front of a human being.


    In fact, even Felicia, Marcia, and Alyssa were shocked by the scene. They knew that Rocky was powerful, but they hadn''t expected that the man would be able to tame such a strong and ancient beast.


    "Please tell me that is not possible!" Townsend, who had been stopped by the three women, was also stunned. He had imagined thousands of outcomes of this fight, but only not this one. Rocky had extracted the original soul of the demonic beast. Then, he had let it be reborn in the form of his own ancient spiritual beast. Moreover, he totally subdued and controlled it. Everything was going against the patriarch''s plans.


    Obviously, Jill was also surprised.


    "He did it! Wow, he actually did it!" Sabina, Shirley and Lucilla were very excited.


    ''You really are something, Prince Crimson!'' Felicia and her disciple also looked at each other, with the same thought in their minds. Despite their calm and composed exterior, their eyes betrayed the admiration they were feeling.


    And it wasn''t just the two of them. Every single human spirit manipulator was shocked, excited and proud. It was a humongous feat to be able to subdue such a strong beast, that too when one was a human. As so many spiritual race beings watched in helplessness, it was a human who had managed to win the fight against a beast even they were unable to tame. This would increase the human''s standing several times over.


    On the other hand, the spiritual race beings were still surprised and stunned, as if they hadn''t come to their senses yet.


    Marcia and Aly


    utton''s soul had been extracted from it.


    She breathed a sigh of relief and told Rocky gratefully, "Prince Crimson, our clan has no idea how to repay you for your kindness! We owe you a lot for your selfless decision to help us."


    But her words were hiding one thought that was itching at the back of her mind. The skill that Rocky had used whilst extracting the soul of the demonic beast was clearly stronger than the forbidden skill of her clan. In other words, she didn''t believe that humans had the ability to get their hands on such a powerful skill. So where had Rocky learnt that skill?


    She was very confused about the experiences that Rocky had had, but it also made her more interested in the man. Now, besides her hopes of being able to procreate with Rocky, she also had an unprecedented and strong desire to possess him. It could be said that more than the children, she wanted Rocky!


    "You''re welcome, Matriarch Jill! I just did what any person would do..." Rocky shook his head slightly. He seemed very calm. In fact, he was nowhere near as excited as he should be after subduing such a powerful beast. It looked like what he had done was just a common thing for him.


    The truth was that he was thinking about something far more important. This was the condition that Glutton had placed in exchange for agreeing to submit to him. It had asked him to go to a place called the Heavenly God Temple.


    However, he had no idea where the Heavenly God Temple was! This meant that he needed to ask the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast about it later.

 Chapter 1217 The Evil-fight Divine Bead

    Although Glutton had been reborn, there were still some remnant souls that hadn''t been merged with it and were still attached to those monsters. Jill saw that and ordered her people to kill all the remaining monsters, so they could not cause any more trouble.


    After a long time, the Fog Demon Plain finally returned to its usual peace.


    However, the terrible things that happened had left a mark on the land that was very difficult to erase. Indeed, the appalling and horrible memories that the disaster had inflicted in their minds would take a long time to heal.


    The awful disaster that day would leave a hefty impression in the history of the Wild Spirit Land.


    Through Jill''s order, the seven spiritual masters led the Phoenix Master Clan members and escorted their legendary guardian beast back.


    "Prince Crimson, may I speak with you alone? I have something to ask you," Jill told Rocky at once.


    "All right." Rocky nodded and then said to Marcia and the other women, "You can go back to the Phoenix City with Preceptor Felicia. After I talk with Matriarch Jill, I will go somewhere else first, but I will see you as soon as I return."


    "Where are you going? Don''t you want us to go with you?" Marcia couldn''t help but ask when she saw that Rocky was acting mysteriously.


    "Don''t worry. There''s no need for that." Rocky shook his head firmly. He didn''t look like he would change his mind, even though the women were all pouting at him. Instead, Rocky called back the three beasts and turned to Jill. With a wave at the others, he climbed Jill''s guardian beast and left with her.


    After they flew for a while, Rocky broke the peaceful silence. He looked at Jill and asked, "Matriarch Jill, what do you want to talk about?"


    "Prince Crimson, please tell me the truth. Where did the power in your body come from?" At that moment, it became apparent to Rocky that Jill would never give up. It seemed like she was desperate to find out the power source of the Holy Dragon Bead hidden in Rocky''s body.


    "If that is your question, then I''ll just go. I''m sorry, but you can''t just ask repeatedly and expect that I will change my mind and answer you." After hearing that, Rocky pretended to leave.


    But Jill threw her hands out as if to stop him. "Wait!"


    Rocky turned to look at her with a


    d. "What kind of place is the temple?


    And why are Glutton''s remains sealed there?" Rocky asked one after another. "The temple was a place that the spiritual race used to worship in the past," revealed the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast.


    "The spiritual race used it for worship..." Rocky murmured to himself thoughtfully. Then he looked confused for a moment, as he asked, "What did they worship?" He was surprised to hear that the spiritual race worshiped beings other than themselves. But if what Glutton said was true, was it possible that they revered Divine King Belial? "I think deep inside your heart, you already know the answer," was the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast''s vague response.


    It seemed that the beast already knew what he was thinking about. "Let me ask you another question. Is the power of the Holy Dragon Bead in my body really the power of Divine King Belial?"


    Rocky asked seriously. "Yes. The power of the Holy Dragon Bead comes from Divine King Belial, but things are not as simple as you think.


    The Holy Dragon Bead''s original name is Evil-fight Divine Bead. It is a secret weapon refined by Divine King Belial with his power before his death, and it has a remarkable effect. However, the only thing I can tell you now is that the Evil-fight Divine Bead will be restored to its true form when necessary. In other words, the evil power in your body derived from the bead is not its purest form." Finally, the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast spoke straightforwardly, thereby solving some of the doubts in Rocky''s mind.

 Chapter 1218 The Collision

    "The evil power that resides in my body is not the real form of the Evil-fight Divine Bead? Then, what is its true form?" Rocky asked in surprise. He still didn''t quite grasp the entire prowess of the Evil-fight Divine Bead''s evil power, so he wanted to know as much information as he could.


    "I can''t describe it in detail. I can only tell you that the true form of the bead is much more formidable than the evil power in your body. Although, yes, the evil power is also pretty strong, it is at most equivalent to that of the spiritual race." The Dragon-shaped Soul Beast tried to simplify the explanation.


    "More powerful than the evil power? That''s inconceivable." Upon hearing its description, Rocky was obviously appalled. The evil power was already considered as something very powerful not only to humans but also to the spiritual race. If the true form of the Evil-fight Divine Bead was stronger than the evil power, then it meant that it had completely surpassed the power of the spiritual race.


    That much power was just unimaginable.


    "Well, you need to worry about it some other time. You have somewhere to go to. You know that Glutton has a bad temper. If you didn''t manage to take out its remains on time, we would not know what kind of trouble that beast might do to you. Although it can''t fully control its reborn body yet, we will still have a hard time dealing with it. Therefore, it''s wise to not provoke it. However, if we are able to find and take out the remains, we still can''t give it that easily," the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast warned Rocky.


    "Of course. I know that Glutton is the cunning type who won''t keep its promise," Rocky smirked, knowing how he should deal with the ancient demonic beast. For now, he had to retrieve the remains first. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have the cards when it was time to negotiate.


    Then, Rocky gave Ken a signal. It immediately roared and soared into the vast sky, carrying Rocky on its broad back.


    As soon as he left, a strange man clothed in a red robe appeared. Looking at Rocky''s back, he murmured to himself, "This is so boring! Why does the patriarch want me to keep an eye on Basil? If it weren''t for the patriarch''s order to keep him alive, that guy would have already died miserably in my hands!"


    The man in the red robe instantly disappeared after seeing where Rocky was headed.


    A few days had passed since Rocky left for the Heavenly God Temple.


    In the boundless desert at the junction of the Timber Deity Empire and the Magic Phoenix Empire, a colorful light shadow intertwined around the clouds and a light mist flashed in the sky. Soon after, this at


    reflection. As they pierced through the sky, it was as if they went into a different world.


    Crash! Boom!


    While Rocky was still riding on Ken and flying across the sky, a vicious bolt of lightning suddenly transformed into a thunder radiance that swooped down into a huge black rock not far away from them. As the thunder radiance made contact with the black rock, it popped back and darted towards Rocky at an astonishing speed. With its great momentum, it seemed like a move of spiritual martial arts at the premium level of the Divine Stage.


    When Rocky saw that, his eyes immediately widened. He instinctively unleashed the Hexagonal Netting Dragon Ring to activate the light barrier that was made up of spiritual power to block the fast-approaching thunderbolt.


    With a deafening sound, the thunderbolt exploded as it collided with the light barrier. The impact made was extremely strong that Rocky was forced to take a few steps back.


    "Phew! That was close! I was almost hit by that dangerous thing!" Rocky only put away the light barrier when he ensured that nothing was going to suddenly attack him. As he looked around the area in front of him, he was convinced that the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast accurately described the place¡ªit was really like hell. The sky was almost purplish-black and the clouds were so thick. From time to time, thunder dragons were shuttling in them.


    The vast expanse of the sky seemed to be shrouded in darkness, giving out a melancholic atmosphere. Strong and cold winds also blew consistently. The place was covered with peculiar-looking black rocks that came in various forms. Some were large; some were small, and some were as isolated as precipices, while others were scattered like broken pieces of stones.

 Chapter 1219 The Appalling Fire Area

    "This is the fire area," the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast warned him. "It''s more difficult to go through than the thunder area! The fire in this area can be likened to your Evil Flame. As long as it touches you, it will inflict great damage. So, be careful!"


    Rocky nodded slightly, then summoned Robin and Uriah. Letting them lead the way in the front, he followed them closely. Carefully, he began to walk through the fire area, treading along the route that the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast talked about.


    Fire was raging everywhere. Rocky eyed the path before him warily, worried that fire might spurt out from nowhere like a geyser of flames. He immediately felt this place was indeed more dangerous than the thunder area he had gone through.


    However, the danger didn''t end there. After a few more steps, Robin let out a cry of warning. Rocky saw a sudden movement in the fire pit beside him. Upon a closer look, he realized they were several beast shadows with flames shooting out from their bodies. They were completely indistinguishable as the flames danced nonstop, as though they were born from fire. Baring their fangs, they growled at Rocky fiercely.


    "These are just Fire Ghosts. They are very similar to the Shadow Beasts, and their strength is roughly the same, too. And the flames they release are very powerful. However, with your strength alongside your two beasts'', they shouldn''t pose a problem," the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast cautioned.


    After hearing that, Rocky nodded to Robin and Uriah, and the two beasts raced towards the several Fire Ghosts. Just like the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast said, the Fire Ghosts were not exactly powerful, but their flames were able to counter Robin''s icy attacks, so it was impossible for it to get close.


    Uriah, on the other hand, was not afraid of the flames these Fire Ghosts were shooting out, so it was able to fight back. However, these Fire Ghosts were very cunning. They moved around nimbly, as though they were playing hide and seek. Rocky and his two beasts fought for a long time yet only managed to kill two of them.


    Just as Rocky was about to launch


    strong winds alone were enough to give him a headache.


    He scratched his head as he wondered how he''d get through this area alive. The winds were strong enough to pick up a boulder and smash it into pieces, let alone a mere human being.


    Thus, for Rocky, passing through the wind area was almost a mission impossible!


    However, since he''d come this far, there was no way he was going to give up, as the saying went, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."


    After taking a deep breath, Rocky charged right in. However, because of the strong wind, he struggled with every step.


    After about fifteen minutes of walking, Rocky realized he had only covered around one hundred meters.


    "It seems that I have underestimated the power of the wind," Rocky said, squinting at the sky. Just then, a hurricane headed straight for him. He immediately turned around to run away from it, but to his horror, another hurricane was closing in on him from that direction. Once the two hurricanes got close to each other, they would produce a strong force, with Rocky caught in between.


    Realizing he had seconds to act, he quickly racked his brain trying to find a way to escape. Suddenly, he noticed two hurricanes that had just separated from each other not far away. His eyes flashed as though he had figured something out. Sparing not another moment, he turned around to face the deadly hurricane that was approaching.

 Chapter 1220 The Ladder Showed Up

    Rocky took a deep breath, then bolted towards the hurricane. The winds whipped at his face violently.


    "I have no choice but to try," he said through gritted teeth. The next moment, the Hexagonal Netting Dragon Ring in his hand turned into two streams of spiritual power, like sharp blades clawing at the hurricane before him. The hurricane was forcefully torn open, creating a narrow gap. Without hesitation, Rocky rushed into the gap and into the center of the hurricane.


    In the blink of an eye, he was swept into the air by the hurricane and spun around uncontrollably. However, because he was in the center of the hurricane, the force he suffered was the smallest, or else he would have been torn into pieces.


    Then, Rocky moved along with the hurricane until it merged with the other one.


    Soon, Rocky felt the strong force produced by the merging of the two hurricanes. Although the position where he was located was the least affected, he still felt as though his limbs were being torn off. Thinking quickly, he activated the Hexagonal Netting Dragon Ring to form a light barrier to protect him in time. After the two hurricanes separated again, he took the opportunity to leave the first hurricane and move into the other one.


    In this way, Rocky moved through one hurricane after another. It took him a few hours to pass through the whole wind region. By then, he was totally exhausted. When he finally landed on the ground, he felt his knees buckle from underneath him. It was obvious that he had reached his limit.


    ''This is even more tiring and perilous than a battle with a spiritual master, '' he thought to himself.


    When he finally got out of the wind region, Rocky saw that the next area was covered in water. However, the water was black as ink and stagnant, constantly boiling and bubbling. Rocky wrinkled his nose once he caught a whiff of the air there, as though there was sulfuric acid.


    Rocky surveyed the area


    the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast replied bluntly.


    "It seems that the Heavenly God Temple and that mysterious place are both related to the secrets hidden by the spiritual race," Rocky pondered aloud, raising his eyebrows.


    "You''ll have to find out for yourself," the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast said in a deep voice. "My strength won''t last long, so as soon as the ladder appears, you must act immediately."


    And with that, the dragon-shaped jade on Rocky''s chest flew from his neck and floated in the air. Then, it suddenly emitted a colorful light, like fireworks blooming and lighting up the dark water in the water area.


    A surge of astonishing power was released from the dragon-shaped jade, turning into light like ripples, instantly sweeping across the surface of the water. It was an astonishing scene.


    "I didn''t expect this dragon-shaped jade to contain such power..." Rocky watched in awe.


    The next thing he knew, the dead water began to boil violently. Then, the water began to rise into the air, until it was divided along its middle. The scene was extremely spectacular.


    From the crevice formed at its middle, a giant crystal ladder appeared, rising slowly. It connected the place where Rocky stood with the suspended Heavenly God Temple above the center of the water.

 Chapter 1221 Twelve Statues

    Then, the dragon-shaped jade flashed feebly and returned to Rocky''s hand.


    After hanging it around his neck again, Rocky spared no time and ran up ladder that led to the Heavenly God Temple.


    Suddenly, Rocky felt an aura appear behind him. Just as he was about to turn around to investigate, he noticed that the dead water on both sides began to surge, as if trying to break free from an invisible dam. At the same time, the ladder under his feet began to shake violently, and to his horror, he realized the stairs he''d just passed began to sink into the water.


    Seeing that the situation was getting desperate, Rocky didn''t care about anything else but ran like a madman towards the Heavenly God Temple as fast as he could. It was a race against time. The stairs behind him kept sinking, like dominoes. However, what Rocky was worried about the most was the dead water surging on both sides, as though they''d swallow him at any moment.


    Just as the last step was about to sink, Rocky stepped on it and launched himself into the Heavenly God Temple, tumbling through its gate. The stairs behind him then fell into the dead water.


    When Rocky looked back at the Heavenly God Temple before him, he found that it was even more breathtaking up close. It was a hundred meters high, like a palace of a giant, its crystal-like facade twinkling under the light.


    The temple seemed to be made of crystal, but in fact, it was built from some special stone. Like crystal, it was flat, smooth, and reflective, almost like a mirror. Therefore, it looked magnificent and imposing.


    Rocky was stunned for a moment by its magnificence. When he finally gathered his bearings, he realized there was a tall door in front of him.


    After taking a deep breath, Rocky pressed his hands against the huge door and pushed it with his spiritua


    round.


    "What the hell is going on?" Rocky roared, visibly confused. He came here, thinking he might get some clues about the secrets hidden by the spiritual race, yet here he was, totally in a trance thanks to this mysterious statue that looked exactly like him.


    If the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast hadn''t fallen asleep, Rocky would have pulled it out and asked it right then and there. On the other hand, he was also very curious about the other eleven statues, because he felt that the twelve statues were not just decorations. However, he could not find a reasonable reason for the existence of these statues, nor could he know why one of them looked exactly like him.


    "I''d better look for the remains first." Rocky calmed himself down. Although he was extremely confused, the purpose of this trip was to take out the remains of Glutton. Only in this way could he make Glutton surrender to him and be used by him. Therefore, he had to find its remains first and then try to figure out the secrets of the twelve statues later.


    Making up his mind, he left the hall and entered the long corridor on the right side of the hall. He began to look for the Evil King Hall mentioned by the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast.

 Chapter 1222 Found The Evil King Hall

    Not long after he entered the long corridor, Rocky found an arched entrance on one side.


    "I wonder if this is the place." Rocky peaked into the arched entrance and saw a multi-story pavilion inside. It was extremely delicate and elegant. In front of the pavilion, there was a fascinating garden full of all kinds of beautiful flowers and plants. Although it seemed like no one had maintained the place for a long time, the garden still looked very exquisite while the flowers and plants were flourishing.


    After passing through the arched entrance, he walked in the garden and approached the pavilion. However, when he got to it, the door was closed and there was a plaque hanging on it with the words "Jade Phoenix Pavilion" engraved on it.


    "It seems like this isn''t the right place. I shouldn''t just barge in," Rocky muttered to himself. He remembered the warning of the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast and quickly turned around to go back where he came from. However, when he was about to leave, he noticed a strange aura being emitted by the flowers and plants from the garden. It felt like it was calling him, so he subconsciously walked towards it. Then, he found a spiritual herb that looked very different from the rest of the flowers and plants. It shone brightly and appeared in the shape of a rabbit''s ear.


    Although Rocky didn''t know what exactly the spiritual herb was, he thought that it was worth examining. So, he squatted in front of the peculiar-looking herb and dug it out along with the soil around it. Then, he asked Robin to take out a vessel that he was using in the laboratory. He would put the herb in it to ensure that it could survive.


    After that, Rocky left the garden and went back to the long corridor. As he continued to walk, the path became complicated as several forks suddenly appeared.


    After randomly choosing a fork and walking on it for about a few hundred meters, Rocky saw another entrance and a cave inside. At the same time, there were words carved at the top of the entrance that read "Ethereal Void Cave".


    "Not here either." Rocky knew that this wasn''t the place that he was searching for either. However, since the entrance of the cave was not blocked, his instinct told him to enter just so he could find out what kind of place the Ethereal Void Cave was.


    Upon entering the cave, Rock


    lly, I found it." Rocky let out a smirk after finally reaching his original destination.


    He looked around the Evil King Hall first and made sure that there were no traps or other forms of danger before he approached the golden door of the hall.


    As he walked towards the golden door, he gradually stretched out his hand and pushed it. As his hand made contact with the door, it suddenly flashed beams of black and purple lights. At the same time, he felt that the evil power in his body became agitated and began to surge violently.


    The next moment, the golden door suddenly flew wide open. A strong gust of wind blew from the inside, making Rocky''s robe dance with the wind.


    After the wind was gone, Rocky stepped into the hall. He immediately sensed that the area was full of evil energy that would make ordinary people shudder in fear. The entire hall looked sinister. The walls and pillars were carved with some creepy odd demons with black fangs and ferocious faces.


    Rocky looked around and slowly walked into the center of the hall. From there, he found two passages that seemed to lead to different places. He thought for a while and picked the one on the right. After entering the passage, he noticed that there was a closed stone chamber every few meters.


    As he walked towards the nearest stone chamber, he observed some incomprehensible words that were carved beside the door. He walked past this one and approached the next one. As he continued walking, he saw that the stone chambers were just identical to the ones he saw earlier.

 Chapter 1223 Release A Ferocious Ghost

    However, Rocky somehow felt that there seemed to be a lot of strong auras coming from the stone chamber. It reminded him of the way he felt in the Ethereal Void Cave before.


    "Wait, let me go to the other side first," Rocky said with a frown on his face. He was obviously wary of his situation. Ever since the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast told him not to be reckless, he was extremely cautious in his every move.


    Rocky went to the passage on the other side and found several more stone chambers. The doors were also closed, and it looked like they were tightly sealed. There were also some writings on the doors that he couldn''t decipher.


    "The remains of Glutton must have been sealed in one of these stone chambers, but which one is it?" Rocky murmured. He couldn''t understand the writings on the stone doors. Since the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast was now in deep sleep, he had to figure it out on his own. It would be too slow if he opened the stone chambers one by one. Maybe there was something dangerous behind one of the doors. So, he had to find a less risky way.


    ''The corpse of Glutton is sealed by Divine King Belial, and the evil power inside me originates from him. Perhaps, I can use the evil power within me to determine which stone chamber the corpse is sealed, '' Rocky thought to himself. It was the only idea he could think of. He came up with the idea because the evil power inside him had once resonated with the Demonic Soul Cauldron held by Divine King Belial before.


    With this idea, Rocky stood still and released the evil power within him. It spread around, enveloping several stone chambers. Soon enough, he sensed that there were many strange forces in the chambers that resonated with his evil power.


    "It''s not this one.


    Not this one either. Huh?


    Where in the hell is it?"


    Not long after, Rocky stopped in front of one of the chambers because he sensed the aura of Glutton from it.


    "It must be sealed in here." Rocky narrowed his eyes and gentl


    was sealed in the amber stone. He was quite surprised. Judging by the shadow''s words, it seemed that Divine King Belial and the shadow bore grudges against each other. Otherwise, it would not have been sealed in the amber stone in the first place. Moreover, as soon as the shadow came out, it began to look for Divine King Belial with such a ferocious look. Their dispute must be really serious.


    "He is right outside," Rocky replied briefly.


    "Oh, is that so? He''s exactly right outside?" The shadow suddenly laughed and said, "Such an ignorant human! Do you really think I will believe your words? Although I was sealed by Divine King Belial, my power still remains. I can feel that he is not in this temple. As a matter of fact, none of them is here. Tell me, what happened?"


    As the shadow spoke, an intrigued look appeared on its face.


    When Rocky saw that the shadow could actually perceive the movements of the entire Heavenly God Temple, his face became more serious. It seemed that the ghost he released was extremely powerful.


    "Tell me at once, where is Divine King Belial?" the shadow continued to ask aggressively.


    "I''m not going to tell you." Rocky''s eyes narrowed. If he told the shadow that Divine King Belial had already died, then the shadow would definitely kill him without any hesitation.

 Chapter 1224 Got The Remains Successfully

    "How dare you talk back to me? I''m a king! Give up your body before I make you suffer! Back when I fought with Divine King Belial, that bastard destroyed my flesh body and sealed my spiritual soul. Fortunately, I managed to use a technique that fused my remaining power with my spiritual soul. Now, I''m just waiting for my chance to be reborn. As long as I can possess a flesh body, I can come back to life!" the shadow, claiming to be a king, boasted and threatened Rocky.


    Hearing this, Rocky immediately thought to himself, ''This ghost has genuine enmity towards Divine King Belial. This is bad. Since it was able to fight Divine King Belial, it means that I''m in grave danger! I will surely die if I can''t get out of here as soon as possible.''


    Pondering on these thoughts, Rocky gritted his teeth and glanced at the exit of the stone chamber. The chamber itself was an enchanted barrier. If he was able to leave and close the door, no matter how powerful the shadow was, it shouldn''t be able to break free from the barrier. This was Rocky''s only chance to escape. However, he hadn''t retrieved Glutton''s corpse yet, and he couldn''t just leave without it. All his efforts would be in vain if he failed to take it out.


    Meanwhile, the amber stone was still cracking, and more thick gray smoke rose and merged with the shadow. With this, the aura of the shadow became more and more powerful. Surging dark energy had started to cover the entire chamber.


    "Hey, brat, think carefully before you make a move. If you just obediently surrender your body to me, I promise to leave your soul intact." The shadow could almost read what was in Rocky''s mind just by looking at the expression in his eyes.


    However, Rocky wasn''t the type to just give up in the face of overwhelming adversaries. He made up his mind and suddenly rushed towards the corpse of Glutton, releasing a strong evil power from within his body. This turned into an evil light that dashed forth and collided with the seal on the corpse in just the blink of an eye.


    Instantly, the seal on the corpse was removed. Then, a demonic power gushed and flowed like a raging wave that spread out all over the c


    ved Glutton''s corpse into his Magic Spiritual Space, he suddenly rushed towards the door of the chamber to escape. Since the shadow failed to possess his body, it was now his perfect opportunity to run away.


    Seeing what Rocky was trying to do, the shadow quickly chased after him. However, it was not completely unsealed from the amber stone yet, and thus, it was held back just before it was able to grab Rocky.


    With that, Rocky was able to successfully get out of the stone chamber. Then, he immediately gathered the evil power and activated the door on both sides with his hands. The stone door piled up in the middle and created a loud rumbling sound, trapping the shadow inside.


    Rocky didn''t even stop to breathe but hurriedly dashed and left the Evil King Hall.


    "Damn it! I was so close!" Inside the chamber, the shadow kept on cursing angrily after Rocky had barely escaped from its grasp. In its frustration, the chamber began to shake violently.


    "That sneaky bastard! If I just possessed his body, I would be able to fully release the power that was sealed in my spiritual soul. Why the hell does he have the Oracle Jade of Divine King Belial?!" The shadow was so disappointed at the missed opportunity. Then, suddenly, it looked at the darkness of the chamber and said coldly, "Show yourself. Do you think I won''t be able to notice you?"


    Immediately after, a man in a red robe emerged from the darkness of the chamber.

 Chapter 1225 The Strong Vibration

    "I can''t believe that you actually hid behind that guy''s shadow and snuck in! Based on your skills, I guess you''re from the spiritual race. On the other hand, judging from your aura, I believe that you are stronger than that guy. But I still don''t get why you followed him here. However, if you are willing to give your body to me so that I can be reborn, I will repay you for your kindness," the shadow said slyly while staring at the figure in the red robe.


    "To be honest, I don''t think anything good will happen to me if I lend you my body." Of course, the figure in red would not easily take the shadow''s bait.


    "You must have your own purpose and reason for staying here. I can forcefully take your body anytime I want. I just want to be reborn with the casing of a human body." At that moment, it seemed that the shadow was very eager to have a flesh body of the spiritual race being so he could be reborn. Perhaps, this shadow was a bit too picky when it came to choosing its soul''s house.


    "Unfortunately, you don''t seem to have a choice now," the figure in red uttered in a low voice.


    "Well, I believe that you are also an ambitious person. Why don''t you lend your body to me for the time being, and in exchange, I will place my spiritual soul in your body for some time? I think I can wait until I find a more suitable human body to be reborn into. After all, I have been waiting for a long time, and I don''t mind waiting a little longer," the shadow proposed.


    "And what will I get in return if I agree to do that?" the figure in red asked straightforwardly.


    "If my spiritual soul is in your body, you can use the demonic power sealed in my spiritual soul. It''s just a small part, but it is enough for you to benefit a lot. With the demonic power, even those advanced spiritual masters who think extremely highly of themselves will be no match to you," the shadow enticed.


    "That sounds too good to be true. Then how can I be sure that you are telling the truth?" skeptical, the figure in red asked.


    "I always stay true to my words. But since you have some concerns, I think it''s best for us to enter a solemn bond to ease your doubts," the shadow said coldly. As a matter of fact, the most important thing for him now was to leave the stone chamber as soon as possible. If he could use the body of the figure in red to release the power of the spiritual soul and break the enchanted barrier of the stone chamber, then it wouldn''t be a p


    area. Therefore, it was quite troublesome for him to leave the temple.


    Just then, he unexpectedly sensed something strange happening in his Magic Spiritual Space. Curious as to what was going on there, he opened it. After entering the Magic Spiritual Space, he saw that Glutton''s remains that Robin had moved into the Magic Spiritual Space were actually floating in the air and were rotating around the reborn version of Glutton.


    "Shit!" Rocky''s face swiftly shifted soon after. Just now, because of the sudden appearance of the powerful shadow, he had no choice but to move the remains of Glutton into his Magic Spiritual Space as soon as possible. Although, he had forgotten that Glutton was also in the space, leaving a chance for the other Glutton to take advantage of.


    Initially, Rocky had planned to take out Glutton''s remains and use them to negotiate with him and make him take an oath and yield to him. However, he didn''t expect that he had created an opportunity that Glutton could take advantage of. What he was worried about the most was that after absorbing the power from the remains, Glutton might break its promise. To think the worst, Glutton might not give a damn if they perished together.


    Despite this, Rocky could not do anything else but watch Glutton absorb the power in the remains. At that moment, the remains were spread out in the space and constantly emitted red light that Glutton absorbed not long after. Apart from this, Glutton''s initially strong aura continuously increased and affected the entire Magic Spiritual Space. Moreover, this was followed by the strong and intense vibration of the space.

 Chapter 1226 A Gift

    The capacity and endurance of a spirit manipulator''s Magic Spiritual Space were directly related to his own strength. Therefore, when Glutton made such a huge ruckus within Rocky''s Magic Spiritual Space, he immediately felt that his spiritual power was also in a mess. It was like a group of demons was rampaging in his body, and his chest was so stuffy, making him hard to breathe.


    ''What is it doing? Does Glutton want to kill me?'' Rocky clenched his fists as his face turned pale. He had just managed to escape from a huge disaster, and now Glutton was creating such excruciating turmoil.


    Eventually, the uproar subsided just before Rocky was unable to hold on any longer. The remains floating in the air gradually turned into ashes and scattered on the ground. Then, Glutton''s body shone in bright red light, and a demonic aura shot through the sky in a great momentum. It was as if a demon king was about to descend to the world.


    After a while, the body began to shrink, and it finally transformed into a human shape.


    Then, the human-shaped Glutton emerged, wearing brocade clothes and a jade crown. There was no hint of a demonic beast in its appearance. It looked quite elegant, like a gentleman. It could be said that it looked very similar to a member of the spiritual race, but of course, the aura it emitted was far superior.


    Even Rocky was a little stunned when he saw Glutton''s current appearance. He didn''t expect that the mightiest ancient demonic beast could transform into the shape of a human.


    "What? Do I look strange?" Glutton asked Rocky who was quite staring for a while now.


    "Well, I just didn''t expect that you could take this form," Rocky explained.


    "I have no choice. This is the only way that I can suppress my strength. If I display my original form, I won''t be able to control my own power," Glutton answered indifferently.


    "Hmm, but why do you look like a member of some spiritual race?" Rocky finally asked. This was already in his mind the moment Glutton''s figure emerged.


    "Ha! What an ignorant human! Where do you think the spiritual race evolved from?" Glutton shook its head and glanced at Rocky with disdainful eyes.


    "Huh? What do you mean?" Rocky asked with furrowed brows.


    "Fine, let me tell you. The ancestors of the spiritual race were from the same clan as the ancient demonic beasts and the ancient spiritual beasts. However, they became more intelligent,


    be going. You can''t blame us for worrying too much."


    "I know," Rocky answered softly.


    While they were still talking, Felicia and Erica came in.


    "Prince Crimson, it was thanks to you that the Magic Phoenix Empire was saved from such disaster. To repay your kindness, our queen has decided to marry my disciple, Erica, to you." Felicia made it sound very formal, but Rocky and the others could see through the underlying motive in every word that she spoke. They knew that she must be up to something.


    At first, they were surprised. They didn''t expect that the Magic Phoenix Empire would go this far. But of course, they knew what the empire really wanted. The Magic Phoenix Empire hoped that Erica could get pregnant with Rocky''s child, who in turn would inherit the parents'' excellent genes.


    "Well¡­ I don''t think that it''s necessary." Rocky did all he could to refuse politely. He also cast a glance at Erica and found that her expression was a little complicated. It seemed that she was dissatisfied and wanted to disagree with the decision of the queen.


    "Our queen said that even if you refuse, we will still send Erica to the Holy Dragon Empire. Her role is to boost the relationship between the two empires. So, even if you don''t accept our gift, we''re sure that the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire would be glad to do so," Felicia said firmly, making them understand that there was no room for any negotiation.


    Rocky frowned a bit after hearing this. Judging from what Felicia said, it was clear that the Magic Phoenix Empire would do whatever means just to force his marriage with Erica.

 Chapter 1227 Inquire About The Forbidden Item

    "Master, please don''t make things difficult for Prince Crimson." Erica was in a shambles as well.


    "This is the queen''s order. I can''t do anything about it," Felicia said slowly, allowing her tone to fade out on purpose, as though she really could do nothing to help.


    "Basil, since the queen of the Magic Phoenix Empire is so generous, you''d better accept her offer. It''s normally how two countries establish friendly ties," Marcia said to Rocky, shooting a look at Erica.


    "But..." Rocky trailed off. He was surprised that even Marcia supported the idea, because no matter what, the Magic Phoenix Empire probably had their own motives to marry Erica to him.


    "Just do as I say," Marcia snapped. Obviously, she had a plan of her own.


    "Yes, just accept the proposal. You are Prince Crimson. Even if they offer eight or ten women to you, you have to accept them all. Otherwise, you will be looked down upon by them," Alyssa echoed, standing by Marcia.


    Seeing the playful smiles on the faces of Marcia and Alyssa, Rocky knew that the two women were up to something. However, if the Holy Dragon Empire wanted to successfully ally with the Magic Phoenix Empire, he couldn''t refuse. Moreover, he was Prince Crimson of the Holy Dragon Empire now. He needed to save face, despite knowing that the Magic Phoenix Empire had ulterior motives.


    "Then you can stay with me from now on, as long as you are fine with it." Rocky finally resigned himself, turning to face Erica calmly.


    When Erica heard that Rocky had agreed, her beautiful face lit up, but she nodded at him calmly.


    "Basil, our emperor wishes to speak with you. Can you come with me to the Timber Deity Empire?" Alyssa said to Rocky abruptly.


    "Alright," Rocky nodded and then looked at Marcia.


    "Then, I''ll take my team back to the Holy Dragon Empire to report," Marcia said.


    "Okay." Rocky nodded once more.


    And with that, Marcia left the Magic Phoenix Empire with the elite spirit manipulators of the Holy Dragon Empire, whereas Rocky went to the Timber Deity Empire with Alyssa and the other women, including the newest member, Erica.


    It took them two days to get there. Lucilla and the other women went to the Cao mansion first, and Rocky followed


    peaking, the Wood Clan should have one," Rocky muttered, obviously taken aback.


    "What''s wrong?" Alyssa asked immediately, raising her eyebrow in suspicion.


    "Nothing. It''s okay if there isn''t any." Rocky couldn''t hide his disappointment. After all, he wanted to know more about the forbidden items. The troubles that just took place in the Magic Phoenix Empire were caused by the Demonic Soul Cauldron, a forbidden item. The fight with the demonic beast that escaped from the Demonic Soul Cauldron also made him realize that forbidden items posed a great threat. Therefore, in case of any trouble, he also wanted to know the whereabouts of the other forbidden items besides the Demonic Soul Cauldron and the Evil-fight Divine Bead.


    After a few more minutes of small talk with Woods, Rocky bade him farewell and Alyssa escorted him out of the palace in person.


    "Basil, I can''t leave the Timber Deity Empire now, so I can''t fulfill my promise for the time being..." Previously, Alyssa had promised to go with Rocky after she was finished with her business. But now, the Timber Deity Empire had a lot of things to deal with and the country needed her. She couldn''t leave the Timber Deity Empire for the time being.


    "It''s okay. I won''t mind. Don''t feel guilty. You can do whatever you want to do..." Rocky smiled at her. He knew that for the Timber Deity Empire, Alyssa was someone who was absolutely indispensable. Therefore, it was not easy for Alyssa to leave everything behind.

 Chapter 1228 Borrow The Spiritual Treasure

    "Thank you." Alyssa smiled feebly. She was very grateful to Rocky for understanding her situation. But to be honest, she secretly wished that she could be with Rocky, even for a short time.


    After bidding her farewell, Rocky left the royal palace and went back to the Cao mansion. After staying in the mansion for a day, he went back to the Crimson City of the Holy Dragon Empire, with Sabina and other women in tow. Initially, only four of them had set out for the journey, but when they came back, they were joined by another woman. Moreover, she was a famous talented spirit manipulator in the Wild Spirit Land, and also a famous beauty. If Rocky continued to bring back more women back, the Crimson City might soon become a city of beauties!


    Upon returning to the Crimson City, Rocky began to study the problem of sterilization that troubled the Wood Clan. After researching about it, he decided to try solving it by using genetic technology. Additionally, he gathered a batch of drugs used for the genetic modification plan and sent them to the Timber Deity Empire. Thanks to this, the Timber Deity Empire was able to begin carrying out the genetic modification plan on a small scale, becoming the second country to do so in the Wild Spirit Land.


    Due to the wars on the border waning, Isis returned to the Crimson City with Nigel and Sue. Now, the Crimson City became lively again.


    Although it was Erica''s first time there, all the women with Rocky took her under their wing, as though they were sisters. Therefore, soon, Erica was coaxed to cultivate with Rocky, together with all the other women.


    In the blink of an eye, a month had passed.


    Rocky finally developed a drug that could possibly cure the sterilization issue of the Wood Clan. He also sent someone to deliver the drug to the Timber Deity Empire at the quickest speed and asked Alyssa to make sure the Wood Clan got it. Of course, whether or not the drug was effective depended on the results.


    In the past month, the Holy Dragon Empire had grown unusually peaceful. The war on the border was dying down. The countries that wanted to take down the Holy Dragon Empire had suffered great losses from the long-term war. What was more, the Holy Dragon Empire had declared that they formed an alliance with the Magic Phoenix Empire


    Dragon Master Clan will be involved and they will fight each other. The only solution is to kill him. If we can get the help of the spiritual treasure, we should be able to kill him much easily."


    "I can lend you the spiritual treasure of the Dragon Master Clan, but if you plan on giving it to your sister, I''m not so sure," Rocky said after giving it some thought. He didn''t trust anyone from the spiritual race, even Marcia''s sister.


    "But only my sister can use the strength of the Sunrise Magic Dragon Bow to its full potential. For my sake, I hope you can lend it to her. Don''t you trust me?" Marcia pleaded.


    "It''s not that I don''t trust you. It''s just that the spiritual treasure of the Dragon Master Clan is very important. I suppose I''ll go with you to the Dragon Master Clan. If you really need the help of the spiritual object, I''ll take it out," Rocky said decidedly.


    "But it will be very dangerous. I will be joining the battle, so I will not be able to protect you. Besides, if Rex sees you, there''s no way he''ll let you slip away from him!" Marcia said seriously, her tone filled with concern.


    "Have you already forgotten that I just subdued the most powerful demonic beast in ancient times?" Rocky smiled and shrugged. "I can protect myself." Compared with the flesh body of the ancient spiritual beast that could only be used at critical moments before, what he owned now was the most powerful demonic beast in the ancient times. If those powerful spiritual masters wanted to kill him, it wouldn''t be easy.

 Chapter 1229 Seek His Advice

    Seeing that Rocky had made up his mind, Marcia didn''t have a choice but to allow him to accompany her to the Dragon Master Clan.


    However, as soon as the other women heard that Rocky intended to go to help the Mu Clan deal with the Dragon Master Clan and its patriarch, Rex, they were against it because they thought it was too dangerous. Still, they knew that they couldn''t stop Rocky, so they resigned themselves to just follow after him.


    However, Rocky was against it because having the women with him would make the situation more complicated. Besides, he was about to plunge into chaos and danger. He didn''t want to risk their lives. Although these women were powerful in their own right, as they were on par with ordinary spiritual beings of the spiritual race, he still could not bear the thought of putting them in danger. After all, the spiritual race''s war vastly differed from that of the human race. Besides, many ordinary spiritual beings were more formidable than the women, so it was still perilous. That was why he would never let the women go with him this time.


    In the end, all the women could only watch helplessly as Rocky and Marcia left the Crimson City.


    When the Mu Clan rose up in revolt, the entire territory of the Dragon Master Clan was divided into two parts. Currently, the Mu Clan occupied most of the Dragon Master Clan''s territory, while the Dragon Master Clan force, led by Rex, firmly guarded a small part of the Dragon Master Clan''s area.


    The headquarters of the Mu Clan was in the Dragon-hiding Valley, where they were resting at that moment.


    Rocky followed Marcia to the Dragon-hiding Valley and entered a magnificent building made of bamboo. As he went inside, he also saw Marcia''s sister, Moira, the current leader of the Mu Clan.


    At that moment, Moira, several elders, the spiritual masters, and some high-level ordinary spiritual beings were discussing their plan of attack against the Dragon Master Clan.


    It seemed that Moira had expected Rocky to show up with Marcia, for she didn''t look surprised when she met them. On the contrary, the elders, the spiritual masters, and the high-level ordinary spiritual beings looked at him in confusion.


    Rocky, who had stood out in the battle of the Dragon Master Clan, was quite active in the following period. He had destroyed the alliance between the Wood Clan and the Heavenly Demon Clan, and he also helped Alyssa get ri


    ther, frowning and whispering. They thought that Rocky was just a human being, and the attack was related to the rise and decline of the Dragon Master Clan, so they could not help but feel unhappy with his opinion. They looked down on Rocky by virtue of his humanity.


    However, Moira looked serene and unruffled by Rocky''s opinion. She turned to Marcia and asked, "What do you think?"


    "I think Basil is right. The plan is good, but Rex is an experienced strategist and may predict our intention. That''s why I think we should devise a new critical point in this plan that Rex can''t predict..." explained Marcia. Moira paused for a moment, then turned to Rocky and asked, "Do you have any advice for this, Prince Crimson? What do you think we should add? It should be something that even Rex cannot anticipate."


    Her subordinates present were also surprised by their leader''s words. In their mind, their leader had always been independent and decisive, and she rarely allowed anyone else to instruct her. They could not believe that she would humbly consult Rocky this time. It was evident from her actions that she attached great importance to Rocky.


    "War is always full of deception. Since we can think of this plan, we can assume that Rex can think of it too. Outwardly, we will carry out the current strategy as Rex expects us to do. But in secret, we will appear in a place that he will least expect us to be and launch a surprise attack. That way, we can lull him into a false sense of security, and by the time he manages to see through our whole plan, it will be too late," suggested Rocky seriously.

 Chapter 1230 Enter The Dragon Master Tomb

    "A place where they least expected?" Upon hearing this, Moira immediately looked back and forth at the relief map of the Dragon Master Clan several times. After thinking for a while, she suddenly pointed at a certain area on the map and said, "This place may do. Rex will never expect us to appear here. If we successfully infiltrate their territory through this place, he won''t be able to defend against us effectively. Moreover, from this point, we can go straight to the heart of the Dragon Master Clan."


    "Wait, Moira. Where exactly is this place?" Marcia asked after taking a look at the relief map.


    "The Dragon Master Tomb." Moira said these words firmly without any hesitation.


    Hearing this, all the elders, the spiritual masters, and even the advanced spiritual race beings present were utterly shocked at her suggestion. The Dragon Master Tomb was the holy land of the Dragon Master Clan, where the ancestors and many outstanding members of the clan were buried. Of course, like any other ancestral burial land, it should not be desecrated in any way. In fact, only the patriarch and the elders of the Dragon Master Clan were qualified to enter the Dragon Master Tomb.


    "But how can we enter the Dragon Master Tomb? Isn''t the only entrance inside the Dragon Master Clan''s territory?" one of the spiritual master elders asked.


    Moira quickly shook her and said, "There is more than one way to enter the Dragon Master Tomb. There is a passage outside the Dragon Master Clan''s territory that directly connects to the Dragon Master Tomb, but only the previous top leaders know about this."


    "The Dragon Master Tomb is the most sacred forbidden area of the Dragon Master Clan. It''s such a grave offense to just randomly enter that place. We will defile the holy land where our ancestors and the valiant warriors are laying. That is outrageous!" another spiritual master elder strongly disagreed


    "Do you want to prioritize such trivial matters? As long as our plan succeeds, the Dragon Master Clan will regain the peace it deserves. I think the previous leaders and valiant warriors of our clan will also want that more than merely preserving the sanctity of their burial place! If no one has a better idea, then it''s final!" Moira sternly declared as her gaze swept across everyone present in the room.


    Upon realizing that Moira had already made up her mind and that there might not be any other way, the spiritual master elders didn''t utter another word.


    On the other hand, Rocky was a little surprised to see that Moira listened to him and really took his suggestion. Previously, she gave him the impression that she was like an arrogant and superior queen. But just


    joking? I''m not afraid of the Mu Clan. Even with just our current forces, I can crush them with my hands! If we withdrew from the Dragon Master Clan, then we might as well admit our defeat! I won''t let that happen!" Rex snapped and retorted furiously.


    "Patriarch, it''s time to face the facts. Once the Mu Clan raided with their full force, we won''t be able to withstand for too long. If that happens, your life will be in grave danger," Reginald didn''t stop convincing Rex. He knew that the patriarch was full of pride and would not admit their weakness. However, it didn''t really matter to him whether Rex died or not. He just wanted to ensure that there would be some power of the Dragon Master Clan left for him. Otherwise, if all of Rex''s power was vanquished by the Mu Clan, it would be very difficult even for him to turn the tide in the future.


    "If I need to fight until my last breath, I will do so¡­" It seemed that Rex had already made up his mind in risking everything with this battle. He was willing to sacrifice his life before Moira and the Mu Clan was able to regain control of the Dragon Master Clan.


    With that, Reginald''s face darkened. This wasn''t the response that he was hoping for. He didn''t say another word, but his vicious dragon-like eyes flashed with indignation from time to time.


    Meanwhile, Rocky, together with Moira and the other members of the Mu Clan, dove into the Dragon Eye Lake one after another after they arrived at the place. Beneath it, they found a water tunnel that connected to the Dragon Master Tomb.


    After a while, the team, which was led by Moira, surfaced from within the Dragon Master Tomb. Rocky quickly perceived the astonishing spiritual power and terrifying auras being emitted from the coffins that filled the spacious tomb.

 Chapter 1231 Fight Rex Head-on

    "Is this the Dragon Master Tomb?" Rocky murmured softly. Although the tomb didn''t look magnificent, it still managed to give people a sense of awe.


    "This is only a part of it. The Dragon Master Tomb is divided into seven floors, dozens of meters underground. From bottom to top, according to the chronological order, the ancestors of the Dragon Master Clan and the valiant warriors who had made outstanding contributions to the clan are buried in the tomb. This floor we are on is the lowest one, and the people who are buried here are the most ancient valiant warriors of the clan," Moira explained patiently.


    Just then, Rocky noticed that at the very center of the tomb stood a stone statue among several dragon-shaped stone pillars. The carving was lifelike and ingenious, giving off a sense of majesty and power. He realized after observing it for a while that it looked a little familiar.


    "Isn''t this the one who is buried in..." His voice trailed off. Rocky''s eyes widened in shock, as it suddenly dawned on him. The statue looked exactly the same as the body of the Dragon Master Clan soldier buried in the ice tomb when he was looking for the treasures left by the Witch of the Holy Dragon Empire in the Myriad Spirit Tomb.


    "Moira, who is this stone statue?" Rocky asked her seriously.


    "Oh, he is the first patriarch of our Dragon Master Clan, and also a great hero. Without him, the Dragon Master Clan wouldn''t be what it is today," Moira answered.


    "The first patriarch of the Dragon Master Clan?" Rocky echoed, stunned. If the stone statue was the first patriarch of the Dragon Master Clan, then did this mean that the body of the Dragon Master Clan soldier he had seen in the Myriad Spirit Tomb was also the first patriarch of the Dragon Master Clan?


    That was to say, the tens of thousands of bodies of the spiritual race beings buried in the Myriad Spirit Tomb could be dated back to their very beginnings. However, something earth-shattering happened, annihilating all of the spiritual race beings on the battlefield. Thus, they had been buried under the ice tomb of the Myriad Spirit Tomb. Among them was the first patriarch of the Dragon Master Clan.


    However, Rocky also had a vague feelin


    aving me the trouble of having to look for you! As long as I kill you, your Mu Clan will fall apart. Then, I''ll finish you all off!" Rex sneered.


    "Rex, since I''m already here, I have no plans of going back. If I have to die, I''m taking you down with me!" Moira said firmly, her eyes flashing.


    "You bitch!" When Rex heard this, his sneer turned scornful. He knew that Moira was not joking, so he immediately waved his hand. In the blink of an eye, a group of Dragon Master Clan members emerged from the surrounding buildings, instantly forming a siege.


    "I''ll leave them to you," Moira said unflinchingly to the three spiritual master elders and the shock warriors of the Mu Clan. Then, she pulled out her Spiritual Weapon, the Dragon Spine, and waved it with great force. With a sharp sound in the air, she rushed directly towards Rex at full speed.


    Without shrinking in fear, Rex wielded his saber, ready to fight Moira.


    The three elders and the shock warriors of the Mu Clan soon clashed with the members of the Dragon Master Clan that closed in on them. In just an instant, the battle had grown fierce, piercing screams echoing in the air.


    At that time, Rocky was quietly standing in a secluded corner and watching the fierce fight not far away. His sharp eyes immediately swept around the whole place, as if he was looking for something. Soon, he found a figure in a black robe appeared in front of a building like a ghost, and then disappeared just as quickly.

 Chapter 1232 Challenge Reginald

    Rocky shot a look at Moira who was in the middle of a fierce battle with Rex. He hesitated for a moment, but then decided to follow the mysterious figure.


    Rocky soon disappeared in a flash, as well. Soon, he arrived at a very remote place in the Dragon Master Clan, where he caught sight of the figure in the black robe.


    At that time, the figure suddenly stopped, as though it sensed someone''s presence.


    Rocky stopped abruptly and hid himself, wanting to observe the movements of the figure.


    A moment later, a light flashed and another figure appeared, landing in front of the figure in the black robe.


    "Go and report to our patriarch that Rex is already in a decisive battle with the Mu Clan. There is no room to let him change his mind. Now is the best opportunity to defeat the whole Dragon Master Clan in one fell swoop," the black-robed figure said to his companion.


    The other figure nodded immediately then disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    As soon as the black-robed figure finished speaking, he suddenly turned to face the direction where Rocky was hiding. "Who''s there?" he called out coldly.


    "You truly are one of the spiritual masters of the Dragon Master Clan." Seeing that he''d been found out, Rocky revealed himself.


    "You¡ª!" The figure was shocked when he realized who it was.


    "Reginald, we meet again." Rocky smiled evilly.


    "How dare you appear here alone? You are courting death!" A ferocious look appeared on his face. Last time, Rocky defeated him so humiliatingly, that even his fellow clansmen laughed at his loss. It was no wonder he still held a grudge against Rocky. If it weren''t for everything that was going then, he would have exhausted every means to hunt Rocky down.


    "Where''s Alston?" Rocky asked bluntly, eyeing Reginald. The reason why he came to the Dragon Master Clan with Moira this time was not only to bring the spiritual treasure to help her, but also to ask Reginald the whereabouts of Alston. Alston''s soul was taken away by Reginald, so the rebirth of Alston with


    gon Bead!" Reginald snorted, seemingly irritated by Rocky. Then, he summoned a land-type dragon beast with five ugly heads, massive like an elephant. Although Reginald was only at the bottom level of the spiritual master, his strength was equivalent to that of the Immortal Stage, if not more so. The dragon beast he summoned was, at the very least, more powerful than the human spirit-manipulated beast of the eight-star level. There was even a gap between it and Robin and Ken.


    "Go ahead, Paul." Reginald ordered his guardian beast.


    Paul roared and raced its huge body towards Rocky and the three beasts. Wherever it stepped, the ground sank several feet, crushing everything in its path.


    Not to be outdone, Uriah roared and directly rushed in to meet it halfway. Its whole body was covered with flames, its six wings extended. Soon, Uriah and Paul collided and engaged in a fierce fight. The area within a hundred meters was completely covered in waves of fire and fierce winds.


    Meanwhile, Rocky and his two other beasts were staring Reginald down. Narrowing his eyes at him, he then charged towards Reginald ferociously with the two beasts. With a slight flick of the wrist, Reginald summoned a stick-shaped Spiritual Weapon in his hand. After he waved it in the air, the strong wind spread in all directions, and the spiritual waves surged.

 Chapter 1233 Found Him Disappear

    The stick-shaped Spiritual Weapon in Reginald''s hand was called the Demonic Spiritual Wand. It was forged using the spiritual iron that existed for a thousand years. It weighed a thousand pounds and had an enormous power to split mountains and the earth. Moreover, it had a strange ability that the opponents should be wary of. In his previous battle with Rocky, he had underestimated the strength of the prince, so he didn''t use this Spiritual Weapon. However, this time, he needed to go all-out; thus, he decided to use every weapon and skill in his arsenal without reservations.


    At the same time, Rocky and his two beasts were rushing towards Reginald quickly. Then, with the Frozen Wind Dagger, three giant Moon Blades were slashed out of thin air. Simultaneously, Robin waved its ice claws and shot two huge ice blades from Reginald''s side.


    Seeing the attacks from different directions, Reginald roared and summoned the Demonic Spiritual Wand, which instantly swung up and formed a massive shadow barrier. As the giant Moon Blades and ice blades collided with the shadow barrier, they were just bounced back and were thrown towards Rocky and the beasts in a great momentum.


    With Rocky''s quick reflexes, he immediately separated from the two beasts to avoid the incoming Moon Blades and ice blades.


    Crash! Boom!


    The flame light and the ice light immediately intertwined and soared to the sky. They caused a large explosion that sent a huge shock wave to the ground.


    Upon realizing that the Demonic Spiritual Wand had the ability to bounce back their attacks, Rocky frowned and thought that they just couldn''t launch an attack randomly. He needed to find a way to render the Demonic Spiritual Wand useless, so that he could approach Reginald freely. With his quick-thinking, Rocky gave a signal to the two beasts. Both of them immediately dispersed and rushed towards Reginald from both sides.


    Robin was the first to launch an assault. It appeared almost just a couple of meters away from Reginald and waved its ice blades at an extremely fast speed in an attempt to pin down his movements. On the other side, the crystal deer horns on top of Ken''s head brightly illuminated as spiritual lights surged from them. A colorful rainbow-like spiritual beam shot out and also darted towards Reginald.


    The simultaneous attacks coming from short and long distances put great pressure on Reginald. However, just as before the ice blades made contact with him, his spiritual power all over his body suddenly increased and burst out. With a wave of his hand, a menacing golden dragon immedia


    and the other forces, which were launching a stifling attack on the Dragon Master Clan forces, had already breached the defense line set by Rex on the periphery of their territory. At the moment, the forces of the Dragon Master Clan faithful to Rex were continuously retreating towards the clan''s base.


    "I hope everything''s going well on your side, Moira," Marcia murmured to herself as she looked into the distance, worried about her sister''s situation.


    Deep inside the lair of the Dragon Master Clan, Moira, the three spiritual master elders, and the shock warriors of the Mu Clan were also fighting ferociously with Rex and the other members of the Dragon Master Clan.


    However, Moira''s strength was just on par with Rex. At the same time, the three spiritual master elders were engaged in fights with their enemies, so they couldn''t assist her. Therefore, currently, the two sides were in a stalemate. Furthermore, Moira noticed that Rex hadn''t used his full strength yet. It was as if he was still hiding some tricks up his sleeve, so she couldn''t lose focus and do anything rash.


    With this, she couldn''t help but grow a little impatient. She wanted to finish this as soon as possible, but it wasn''t feasible at their current state. She hoped that Rocky could help her so she glanced at his previous position. However, as she turned, she found out that he was no longer there.


    "Where did he go?" She was too focused on dealing with Rex that she had no idea that Rocky had already disappeared for a while.


    Then, taking advantage of the few moments that Moira got distracted, Rex suddenly took a few steps back and broadened their distance. Soon after, a giant figure, like a mighty fortress, appeared in the sky.

 Chapter 1234 Defeat Reginald

    "It''s coming at last." A sinister smile appeared on Rex''s face. He had been waiting for this for a long time.


    The giant shadow opened its humongous mouth, and beams of white light flew down in an instant. The light beams looked like souls, which were very eerie to watch.


    "Wait until you see this!" With a loud shout, the spiritual light all over Rex''s body rose. In the blink of an eye, the souls that flew down from the giant shadow''s mouth were suddenly sucked into his body.


    At the same time, his body began to grow larger and larger. Soon enough, he grew into a giant that was more than four meters tall. His aura also became extremely strong and evil like stormy waves. It completely overshadowed Moira and everyone else.


    Rex laughed wildly as if a demon king had come to the world. His evil aura made all the members of the Dragon Master Clan feel terrified.


    "You''re a lunatic! You actually devoured the souls of your clansmen to strengthen yourself! You''re a spineless, selfish monster!" Moira was completely appalled at what Rex did. Those souls obviously belonged to other members of the Dragon Master Clan, but Rex extracted them and took them for his own use. This was definitely a felony in the Dragon Master Clan.


    "What are you talking about? Ha-ha! It''s not a big deal. They are already dead anyway. They should be thanking me since I made their death into something useful." With a sinister look on his face, Rex burst into wicked laughter.


    "I''m going to kill you, Rex! You should go and burn in hell!" In a fit of utter rage and hatred, Moira rushed to him again.


    Rex''s strength had increased dramatically. As he waved the Spiritual Weapon in his hand, a blade shadow fell with a bang. Suddenly, a strong spiritual light soared into the sky that sent Moira flying back.


    This strike was enough to show the difference between their strength. It was clear that Rex overpowered Moira.


    The latter was completely shocked. She didn''t expect that Rex would suddenly become so powerful.


    The tables turned at once when Rex crazily absorbed the souls of his clansmen. This made him obtain immens


    r.


    Rocky took a few deep breaths. The blow just now had exhausted almost all his strength. Fortunately, he successfully broke the absolute defense of Reginald and managed to seriously injure him. A moment later, he walked over to Reginald and pressed the Frozen Wind Dagger against his neck.


    "Tell me, how can I find Alston?" Rocky directly asked as he stared at Reginald coldly.


    "Kill me if you have what it takes. I will never tell you where he is!" Reginald still wouldn''t tell Rocky about Alston''s whereabouts, because he would definitely die if he did. But if he didn''t tell Rocky, there was still a chance that he might still live.


    However, at that moment, he was extremely terrified of Rocky. He realized that Rocky was no longer the same as before, and his strength had improved so much in such a short time. If Reginald had known this earlier, he should have just killed Rocky to get rid of such a big threat. If he had done that, then he wouldn''t have been in such an embarrassing situation now.


    "Do you honestly think that I''m hesitant in killing you?" Rocky said as he tightened his grip on the Frozen Wind Dagger. He pressed it harder on Reginald''s neck.


    Reginald was taken aback at this.


    Then, Rocky suddenly felt a strong aura approaching him. He sensed that something was wrong and immediately disappeared from where he stood. Then, a ghostlike figure appeared in front of Reginald.

 Chapter 1235 The Fierce Spiritual Light

    "Save me quickly and take me to the patriarch¡­" As soon as he saw the ghostly figure, Reginald urgently ordered him as if he had seen his life-saving straw.


    Rocky, who stood a few meters away, stared coldly at the ghostly figure that suddenly appeared. Judging from his aura, he should be at least a spiritual master. Moreover, it seemed that he was stronger than Reginald.


    "Look at your pitiful state. I''ve come here to contact you, but who would have thought that you are beaten like this by a mere human being. Our patriarch still wanted to use you for a while, but it seems unnecessary now." Upon saying that, the unknown figure suddenly took out a sword-shaped Spiritual Weapon.


    "What do you mean? What are you going to do?" Reginald was filled with horror upon hearing those words. He vaguely had a feeling of what was going to happen next.


    "Come on. You''re not that stupid. You know what happens to useless pawns. Our patriarch is merely using you to deal with the Dragon Master Clan. But now, you can no longer serve that purpose." As soon as the unknown figure finished speaking, he immediately waved the sword-shaped Spiritual Weapon in his hand and instantly beheaded Reginald. A huge amount of blood splashed and spilled on the ground.


    Rocky''s face darkened as he saw this man killing Reginald off without even batting an eye.


    "That''s done¡­" Then, the figure turned and looked towards Rocky.


    "Are you going to kill me too?" Rocky asked with a serious expression on his face. At his current state, if this anonymous master attempted to fight him, he would have no chance of winning or even escaping.


    "Unfortunately, our patriarch wants to keep you alive," the unknown figure said in a disdainful tone.


    "Why? What does he want?" Rocky was slightly confused by the answer he got. He tried to pry deeper to guess which spiritual race clan this patriarch belonged to.


    "Don''t be impatient. You will know soon enough." After speaking, the unknown figure carried the decapitated head of Reginald and suddenly vanished without a trace.


    Rocky was able to breathe a sigh of relief, but it was quickly followed by a feeling of frustration. A moment later, his Spirit Possession had reached its limit. It was deactivated and the fatigued Ken immediately emerged out of nowhere. Just now, Rocky was able to soundly defeat a spiritual master as powerful as Reginald since he was well prepared. However, it was unfortunate that he couldn''t get any information about Alston''s whereabouts. He was hoping that he could extract it from Reginald but he failed. Right now, he needed to put this matter aside and focus on helping the Mu Cl


    he sky. It was extremely enormous that it was big enough to almost cover the entire territory of the Dragon Master Clan.


    In the blink of an eye, an outrageous and malevolent gale swept the whole area. As the crushing spiritual power surged, the whole place trembled violently.


    The members of the Dragon Master Clan were incapacitated as they looked at the gigantic dragon soul shadow in the sky. Their faces turned as pale as a ghost. They knew that the Dragon Soul Wrath was one of the most powerful secret skills of the clan. It was omnipotent enough to vanquish all the creatures within a range of a thousand meters. Everything would be annihilated and dissipate in the face of this mighty skill.


    Then, Rex roared mightily, "Die!"


    The huge dragon soul shadow immediately fell from the sky and engulfed the entire area of the Dragon Master Clan. Boom!


    There was an unimaginably deafening sound that reverberated as soon as the dragon soul shadow smashed the ground. Immediately after, a huge and dark mushroom-shaped cloud rose into the sky of the Dragon Master Clan. At the same time, the spiritual light burst out. Within a radius of a thousand meters, everything was completely filled with the diffusing dust and rolling spiritual power. Many members of the Dragon Master Clan were swept into the sky, instantly ripped apart, and crushed into pieces. It was such a horrifying scene to behold.


    On the other hand, Marcia, the members of the Mu Clan, and the members of the Dragon Master Clan that were allied with Rex also stopped in their tracks. They were shocked to see such a scene. They all just stood there for a while, watching the spiritual lights rising into the sky of the Dragon Master Clan and wondering what kind of tragedy had happened.

 Chapter 1236 Summon Glutton

    "Moira! Basil!" Marcia cried, her expression changing dramatically. Without hesitation, she rushed to the Dragon Master Clan''s lair.


    Their surroundings were completely destroyed; what was left were in ruins. From the center of the Dragon Master Clan''s territory, a burst of wild laughter boomed and echoed. Rex, who had just used the powerful, forbidden skill of the Dragon Master Clan, was standing atop a mountain of corpses.


    "Moira! Basil!" Marcia cried out again. She rushed over as fast as she possibly could, and was absolutely stunned when she surveyed the scene before her. Because she couldn''t see any signs of Moira and Rocky, her anxiety grew tenfold. Seething with rage, she turned to glare at the giant-like Rex.


    "Your sister is as good as dead. It''s impossible for her to have escaped from one of the most powerful forbidden skills of the Dragon Master Clan I''ve just used. Your man is also buried with her. Actually, you came just in time. Hand over your legendary guardian beast, and I might just spare your life!" Rex watched Marcia approach gleefully. Just now, Moira and Rocky were the closest to him, so they suffered the brunt of the force. Moira was already seriously injured prior, and Rocky was a mere human, so it was impossible for them to have escaped his fatal blow.


    "I will avenge them!" Marcia screamed, her eyes seething with rage. She summoned the Holy-blood Dragon King, and the Flood Dragon Halberd appeared in her hand at the same time.


    "Rex, did you really think you are the only one who knows how to use the Dragon Master Clan''s forbidden skill?" Just then, underneath a pile of ruins, two light shadows suddenly shot out and then landed on the ground clumsily.


    "Moira? Basil?" Relieved to see some signs of life, Marcia was momentarily distracted and rushed over.


    The figures were Rocky and Moira!


    "You''re still alive!" Rex cried. His expression hardened when he saw that the two had survived.


    "It seems you have underestimated the power of the spiritual soul," Moira sneered at him. Despite her audacious words, she looked completely exhausted. In order to protect herself and Rocky, she had no choice but to use her fifty-year spiritu


    Space. She eyed at it up and down and found that it had the powerful aura of the most powerful ancient demonic beast.


    "Is it... the most powerful ancient demonic beast? Marcia was even more dumbfounded. She did not expect that the most powerful ancient demonic beast could take on a human shape, resembling a spiritual race being, even.


    With Glutton''s sudden appearance, the surviving Dragon Master Clan members were also shocked. They didn''t understand why a spiritual race being would come out of Rocky''s Magic Spiritual Space.


    Meanwhile, Rex was closing in on them. He didn''t bat an eyelash at the sight of the beast that suddenly emerged. His thick arm was like a huge hammer, aimed directly at Rocky.


    Seeing that he was about to get squished by Rex''s massive fist, Rocky didn''t even try to dodge. The hammer-like arm was so huge, it blotted out the sky as it swung swiftly towards Rocky. Even a spiritual race being might not be able to survive this blow, let alone a human. The onlookers held their breaths anxiously as they watched the arm fall.


    "Basil!" Marcia screamed fearfully.


    Just as Rocky was about to be smashed into a meat paste, a fierce evil aura suddenly rushed up, and then a hand suddenly materialized and caught the thick arm.


    At that moment, all the Dragon Master Clan beings present, including Moira, were stunned. The hand belonged to none other than the beast who had just walked out of Rocky''s Magic Spiritual Space!

 Chapter 1237 Wait For My Order

    "Your power is not weak!" Glutton exclaimed. Yet, it wasn''t even fazed upon receiving the full swing of Rex''s gigantic arm that seemed like a meteor that fell with great momentum. It just let out a mocking smirk and pushed the thick arm away using just the least strength.


    "How is that possible? What kind of monster are you?!" Seeing that Glutton could effortlessly resist his maximum full-on attack, Rex was utterly shocked. Even Moira couldn''t easily withstand his blow, but this otherworldly beast, which just suddenly appeared, caught it without even flinching.


    "Hey, boy. You know that I hate the spiritual race the most, but you still summoned me in this kind of place. Are you saying that I can kill all of them? Just tell me, and I will gladly annihilate all of these creatures!" Without even paying attention to Rex, Glutton turned to Rocky and spouted all these menacing threats.


    As soon as they heard this, the members of the Dragon Master Clan, including Moira, were all taken aback. They couldn''t help but narrow their eyes and wonder who this powerful beast was to say all those words without any hesitation.


    "No, you can''t kill all of them. Can you just help us suppress this giant guy first and buy us some time?" Rocky asked with a straight face.


    Hearing this, Glutton turned and raised its head to look at Rex. After looking at his giant form for a moment, it said in disdain, "If I''m in my original state, then there''s no problem. I can easily deal with him."


    "You just need to restrain him for a bit. I''m counting on you." Rocky had no choice but to go with this request because if Glutton displayed its real beast form, the power it could release would be so tremendous that it would be unbearable for him. Of course, he was smart enough not to take that kind of risk.


    "Fine. For the sake of helping me retrieving my remains, I''ll help just this time." Glutton''s expression somehow calmed down as it agreed to help Rocky deal with Rex.


    "Ha! Don''t underestimate me! I will kill all of you! Everyone who stands in my way will be crushed by my hands!" Rex became more infuriated after hearing the conversation between Rocky and Glutton. It was as if he was just an insignificant small fry. He was already angry with the earlier embarrassment that Glutton caused. Thus, he wanted to rip this beast into pieces as soon as possible.


    Then, Rex''s body suddenly stretched out, and his spiritu


    th a bit of hesitation in his voice.


    "No more than five minutes," Glutton quickly replied.


    Rocky thought for a few seconds and finally said, "That should be plenty enough." He calculated that if Glutton was able to restrain Rex within that time so that they could create an opportunity to inflict a decisive blow, then there should a huge chance of success.


    However, the biggest problem now was Rocky''s capacity to withstand everything. First, he had to help Marcia activate the superlative power of the Dragon Sarira, which meant that he had to bear the impact of its power. Then, secondly, he also had to endure Glutton''s power. Both the two kinds of power were no inferior to the evil power sealed by the Holy Dragon Bead.


    This was no easy task. He had to survive the backlash of the two kinds of overwhelming power. The worst part was that his body''s condition wasn''t at its best because he had just finished battling Reginald earlier. However, he was left with no choice. If he wanted to bring Rex down, he had to do this.


    "Wait for my order!" Rocky solidified his resolve and permitted Glutton to transform into its original form.


    "Are you sure? I said that five minutes were the maximum time, but it doesn''t mean that you won''t be in danger even if you didn''t reach it." Glutton was the one who hesitated a little after hearing Rocky''s decision. It was surprised that he was willing to take such a huge risk, so it tried to warn him about the possible consequences.


    "Don''t worry about that. I can handle it," Rocky replied with a faint smile, but with a blazing determination in his eyes.

 Chapter 1238 Glutton Changed Its Form

    Glutton and Rex faced each other as the fight became more intense every passing second. Unfortunately, Rex felt that he might have underestimated his opponent after seeing that Glutton was so calm amidst their exchange of vicious attacks. As a result, he increased his strength as his eyes narrowed with complete annoyance and became more violent than ever.


    Soon after, Glutton began to be at a disadvantage because of the restriction of its human form and couldn''t suppress Rex''s enhanced power.


    At the same time, Rocky and Marcia were thrown off due to the Dragon Sarira''s activated power. After they suffered from a violent impact, their faces shifted drastically, and their bodies had been inflated like balloons.


    Then, Rocky leaned over to Marcia and whispered something to her ears.


    On the other hand, Marcia nodded as soon as she heard what he had said. The next moment, the Holy-blood Dragon King, who had been on standby all the time, immediately soared into the air and directly lunged on Rex.


    However, Rex didn''t take the attack from the beast seriously at all. Instead, he waved his hand, and a mighty spiritual power shot out from it directly. In the blink of an eye, two blood wheels manifested in front of the Holy-blood Dragon King, trying to resist Rex''s spiritual power. Without any stop, it plunged its way down and crashed with him.


    Witnessing this, Rex shook the saber in his hand. Soon after, the saber released a stunning shadow that directly slashed the two blood wheels, forcefully shaking them away. Then, another savage saber shadow sprang out of it, only this time, directly slashing at the Holy-blood Dragon King.


    Simultaneously, three more blood wheels emerged around the Holy-blood Dragon King. Without warning, its huge body turned blood-red. The five blood wheels it had just summoned turned into rays of light and integrated with it, increasing its strength greatly.


    Meanwhile, Rex''s saber lashed on the Holy-blood Dragon King''s body. But because it was in a completely violent state and had scales that were harder than before, its body remained unscathed. In fact, even a single slash from Rex''s saber could not hurt it.


    After successfully blocking Rex''s attack, the Holy-blood Dragon King continued to launch more attacks towards its opponent.


    Moreover, its attack also created pressure on him, which also gave Glutton some ti


    ir.


    It had never occurred to Rex that these three elders of the Mu Clan would work together to resist his furious attacks that were aimed for Marcia and Rocky. When he saw that Marcia, who was holding the Sunrise Magic Dragon Bow in midair, and the Dragon Sarira shining between Marcia and Rocky, his face turned gloomy. Without wasting time, he immediately raised his dragon wings and was about to rush towards them, intending to stop Marcia.


    "Glutton!" In that instant, Rocky''s face turned pale for his body had been affected by the strong power of the Dragon Sarira. He thought that if he continued to bear other power, then he would suffer insurmountable consequences in the future. Despite this, he still shouted at Glutton without hesitation.


    Meanwhile, Glutton, who had been standing still, suddenly vanished out of thin air.


    Almost at the same time, when Rex dashed towards Marcia and Rocky, he suddenly felt an astonishing demonic aura coming from behind him. In fact, this aura was so bizarre that even he was frightened.


    Of course, he couldn''t help but turn his head to see what it was and where it was coming from. But when Rex saw that the disappearing Glutton had already appeared behind him, he noticed that it was constantly undergoing immense change. The next second, its human body instantly expanded and changed, and soon, it turned into the shape of a beast. Its huge body floated in the air like a towering mountain, making people feel extremely depressed and dejected. In the meantime, its demonic aura became more severe, completely covering Rex''s aura.

 Chapter 1239 He Wont Die

    "This... What in the hell is this?" Rex was extremely perplexed at what he saw.


    All the other members of the Dragon Master Clan, including Moira, were also stunned when they saw what was happening. They were completely appalled by Glutton who showed its true form!


    "Ha-ha-ha!" As soon as Glutton turned to its true form, it laughed wildly. Its aura shrouded the whole area, like a huge raging wave.


    Obviously, Rex didn''t expect that Glutton''s true form was like that. He had thought that it might be something from the spiritual race, but their current situation proved him completely wrong. He wondered where and how Rocky got a demonic beast that could change into a human.


    As he was putting the pieces together, Glutton''s two huge claws had gripped his shoulders like lightning. Then, it used its claws to push him towards the ground. With a loud bang, Glutton fell to the ground together with Rex under its body, blowing up dust all over the sky.


    "Damn it!" Rex who was pressed to the ground by Glutton was enraged. His spiritual power soared as he tried to get away from Glutton.


    Soon enough, an astonishing demonic power was released from Glutton''s body, which was surging everywhere. It felt as if a group of demons had rushed out which was extremely terrifying!


    "Ah!" Meanwhile, Rocky''s body, which had suffered from the impact of the Dragon Sarira, was once again affected by the strong demonic power released by Glutton which exceeded the limit of power he could bear. With his condition, it was as if he could be smashed at any time.


    "Basil¡­" Marcia was also very worried when she noticed Rocky''s situation.


    "Go on. Hurry up... Finish him!" At that moment, Rocky couldn''t even complete a simple sentence. He looked normal on the outside, but he was now actually only a few steps away from death.


    Since Rocky''s soul was defective, any carelessness now would lead to his grave!


    The astonishing demonic power released by Glutton was completely irresistible, even for Rex. It bound him tightly like a chain. However, that could only last for less than five minutes. If Marcia will not do anything


    anged drastically. She quickly spread her wings and chased after Rocky who was rapidly falling to the ground. She caught Rocky in time and then quickly landed on the ground.


    As soon as Marcia and Rocky safely landed on the ground, Moira rushed over.


    "You have done a terrific job, Marcia." Moira was extremely excited. The Dragon Master Clan would finally return to peace after Rex''s death. She had fulfilled her father''s last wish, and avenged the death of her husband and children and the countless Mu Clan members who had died in the evil hands of Rex.


    Three spiritual masters who had been severely injured also rushed over.


    Marcia''s mind was completely focused on Rocky, who was unconscious.


    "Is he alright?" Moira asked as she looked at Rocky with concern. She noticed that there was something wrong with Rocky.


    "I don''t know yet." Marcia shook her head anxiously. She was also worried that something bad might happen to Rocky.


    At that point, Glutton landed on the ground. Then, in the full gaze of everyone present, it walked up to Rocky and after a glance at him, it said "Don''t worry; he won''t die. However, if you had acted a little slower, he would probably have become a corpse now."


    Marcia, Moira and the three elders of the Mu Clan were shocked when they heard this. They could not imagine how powerful the impact Rocky had just suffered! They were so impressed at Rocky''s abilities.

 Chapter 1240 Another Army Was Coming

    Rocky slowly woke up about half a day later, and he found that he was lying on a board in a temporary tent, with Marcia beside him, looking worried.


    She had stayed beside Rocky the whole time he was out cold. At that moment, her mind was starting to drift, but Rocky''s movement pulled her out of her thoughts. Marcia immediately moved closer to him, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw that he had finally woken up. "Basil, how do you feel?" she asked in a breathy whisper.


    "I''m fine," answered Rocky with a dismissive wave of his hand. He moved to stand up, Marcia rushing forward to help him despite his words. Although he tried to make light of his situation, Rocky felt like his body got farther and farther away from him when he was about to pass out earlier. It was like he was about to disappear.


    "It''s all my fault. If it weren''t for me, you wouldn''t have..." Marcia''s eyes were puffy and red, and her voice was hoarse with guilt. She knew that Rocky risked his life because of her. If something bad happened to him, she would not forgive herself.


    Marcia was right. She was, indeed, the reason why Rocky went all out to help the Mu Clan get rid of Rex. Rocky knew that her biggest wish was to help her sister Moira lead the Mu Clan against the Dragon Master Clan and wrest control from them to fulfill her father''s last request. Therefore, for Marcia''s sake, he had done his best to help her.


    But he also knew that the last battle had gravely damaged his soul. Perhaps, if this happened again next time, he might never wake up again.


    Later, when Rocky felt well enough to get up, he left the tent with Marcia. As soon as they stepped outside, he found the ruins left by the previous war, where the members of the Dragon Master Clan were busy cleaning up the mess and treating the injured.


    As soon as Rex fell, the Mu Clan and their allied forces smoothly occupied the tribe of the Dragon Master Clan. Forces. Those who were originally loyal to Rex surrendered.


    The internal strife of the Dragon Master Clan that had lasted for a long time finally came to an end.


    Moira, who was directing several elders of the Dragon Master Clan as they cleaned the mess, rushed over as soon as she saw Rocky and Marcia. She stopped direc


    t of nowhere, they would have no chance of winning.


    "Reginald really colluded with another clan," Rocky said with certainty, his eyebrows furrowed.


    "What are you talking about?" Marcia and Moira immediately asked, turning to Rocky at the same time with identical looks of confusion.


    Rocky told them what had transpired when he followed Reginald. He revealed how he found out that Reginald had conspired with another clan, as well as the fight between him and Reginald.


    Upon hearing this, Marcia, Moira, and the other members of the Dragon Master Clan were astonished. They didn''t expect that before Rocky fought Rex, he had already locked horns with Reginald, and Rocky had even defeated him. Although Reginald was ranked quite low among the spiritual masters of the Dragon Master Clan, he was still a spiritual master. He was certainly not weak, but a human like Rocky had defeated him. Even though Rocky had also injured Reginald last time, this time it was a complete defeat. This showed how much Rocky had improved, and now, his strength had become terrifying. Perhaps, it could make any warrior of the spiritual race below the level of spiritual masters run for their mothers.


    However, what surprised Moira and the others most was that Reginald was a traitor who had betrayed the Dragon Master Clan. This unknown army of the spiritual race was very likely to have plotted with Reginald, trying to take advantage of the internal strife of the Dragon Master Clan and reap the benefit!

 Chapter 1241 Go To The Holy Dragon Empire

    "It must have been Reginald who sold the information to the other clan of the spiritual race, so now they are well-prepared to fight against us. Damn it! I thought that as long as I killed Rex, I could regain control of the Dragon Master Clan. I didn''t expect that Reginald would betray me. He gave another clan a chance to launch an attack when we were on our knees from our last battle," Moira ranted angrily, as her clenched fists struck at the air.


    "Obviously, they planned to arrive right when we are exhausted. They aim to give the Dragon Master Clan a fatal blow when we can''t guard against them. Undoubtedly, they want to exterminate the Dragon Master Clan, but we won''t let them succeed," said Marcia. She looked incensed, but there were also hesitation and fear in her eyes. "But with our current strength, we can barely fight. I''m afraid that..."


    "Humph, just let them come. Let them see the perception and strength of our Dragon Master Clan!" Moira declared indignantly.


    "No, we can''t do that. The members of the Dragon Master Clan have to preserve their strength. Those spiritual race forces that conspire with Reginald should not be trifled with or underestimated, for they are surely well-prepared to fight against us. If we continue to fight like this, the Dragon Master Clan will inevitably suffer losses. The internal strife with Rex has considerably reduced the power of the Dragon Master Clan. If we continue to fight, the force of the Dragon Master Clan will decline, and the clan will even face the threat of extermination. This is certainly not what your father wants to see," Rocky said seriously.


    Moira fell silent after hearing his words.


    "Moira, Basil is right. The most important thing right now is to protect the fate and safety of the entire Dragon Master Clan," Marcia affirmed for she agreed with Rocky wholeheartedly.


    Even though Moira didn''t want to give up, she knew that it was not the right time to act impulsively. So instead of following her desire, she discussed with the elders and the spiritual masters of the Dragon Master Clan what they should do. After that, she immediately gave an order to retreat. She planned to withdraw to the Dragon-hiding Valley first and then give it further thought.


    However, just as they were about to retreat, more news came from the Dragon-hiding Valley, the headquarters of the Mu Clan. I


    ck," an elder of the clan said sensibly.


    The other elders and the spiritual masters also turned to each other, discussing their opinions and sharing their insights. However, in the end, they all looked at Moira because she was their leader. As long as she made the decision, they would never have any objection.


    At that moment, Moira looked a bit hesitant. After all, her decision would affect the future of the Dragon Master Clan.


    "Marcia, do you really think he is right?" Moira asked reluctantly, turning to look at her sister, who didn''t hesitate to nod approvingly.


    "Yes. I believe Basil''s plan is ingenious and well-thought-out. This battle has gravely injured the warriors of our clan, and it will take them some time to recover. If the members of our clan move to the Holy Dragon Empire, according to the agreement among clans of the spiritual race, that spiritual race won''t attack human beings. Therefore, the spiritual race troop that is attacking us right now won''t dare to enter the Holy Dragon Empire. Otherwise, the other clan of the spiritual race won''t stand idly by. For our Dragon Master Clan, it is the best way to solve the current predicament," Marcia rationalized thoughtfully.


    "Well then, let''s go to the Holy Dragon Empire." Moira sighed as she made the most difficult decision of her life.


    Her decision at that moment gave human beings and the spiritual race the first chance to work hand in hand, which created an unprecedented event. It would also have a significant impact on the new structure of the entire Wild Spirit Land in the future.

 Chapter 1242 Unify The Spiritual Race

    "From now on, the Dragon Master Clan will hide your true identity and live in the Holy Dragon Empire as residents. If any clan from the spiritual race wants to harm you, the Holy Dragon Empire will never sit still and see. Instead, we will immediately take action," Rocky announced with utmost severity.


    Soon after, Moira organized and gathered all the members of the Dragon Master Clan and began to prepare for setting out, including the prisoners who had originally poured their loyalty to Rex.


    At that moment, Rocky and Marcia exchanged glances, and each heaved a sigh of relief.


    Before they departed, Glutton appeared in front of Rocky after returning from playing. But knowing that it had a strange temper, Rocky refused to ask where it had been. In any case, he hoped that it didn''t cause any trouble for him. Afterwards, he opened his Magic Spiritual Space and allowed Glutton to go in.


    Not long after, under the pursuit of the spiritual race''s army, Rocky, Marcia, and the Moira''s Dragon Master Clan members quickly withdrew their force from the Dragon Wing Valley and secretly went to the Holy Dragon Empire.


    Located in a vast plain with a remote environment and lush flora and fauna, the Crimson City was known to have a small population. With that being said, it was very suitable for the spiritual race beings to inhabit.


    Therefore, Rocky arranged thousands of members from Moira''s Dragon Master Clan and temporarily settled down in an open valley which was two miles away from Crimson City. Soon after, they started to establish buildings, water channels, accommodation and so on with the help of the materials that Rocky had provided them with.


    In just a matter of ten days, the entire valley was already packed with houses and rivers and eventually resembled the Dragon Master Clan''s original base.


    On the other hand, the news about the death of Rex, the patriarch of the Dragon Master Clan, and the news that the Dragon Master Clan had suddenly disappeared from their own domain area had already spread like wildfire all throughout the entire Wild Spirit Land, causing a great uproar among its residents. However, it was very unexpected for the people to see the Dragon Master Clan, which had always displayed prosperity, suffer an immense decline in the Wild Spirit Land, let alone disappear overnight.


    Although the internal strife of the Dragon Master Clan was no longer held as a secret in the Wild Spirit Land, there was, of course, no doubt that there could be only one victor in the battle between two tigers. In addition, Rex''s death also indicated that the Mu Clan of the Dragon Master Clan would soon regain control of the whole clan. Nonetheless, no one had ever expected that the forces of the Mu Clan could also disappear.


    That was why soon after that, all kinds of rumors about the disappearance of the Dragon Master Clan in the Wild Spirit Land ha


    . I believe that this Prince Crimson is really not that simple-minded!" Townsend said indifferently without even answering Alston''s question.


    But Alston only nodded as a response. Of course, he not only followed Rocky to the Myriad Spirit Tomb but also followed him into the extremely mysterious Heavenly God Temple. Moreover, he had completed the contract with the powerful ghost and even became its living flesh.


    "So, do you still know the way to the Myriad Spirit Tomb?" Townsend asked Alston.


    "I don''t know. I hid in Prince Crimson''s shadow, and just followed him into the Myriad Spirit Tomb. But after seeing how he moved, I believe he could transfer directly to the Myriad Spirit Tomb," Alston replied, shaking his head.


    "Oh, really? I see. You may leave now. You might have made up for your mistake by giving me this very useful information, but this would not work again next time around!" Townsend raised his eyebrows, waved his hand, and returned to his seat.


    At that moment, Alston stood up from the ground, bowed his head and left. After he walked out, his face changed immediately into an evil one. Soon, he asked in an odd tone, "Is this the patriarch you mentioned? He is very powerful in the spiritual race. But, you don''t have to bow to him as of the moment now. Trust me when I say that with my power, you can completely become a patriarch."


    "But it''s not the right time yet. Before all of this, I initially wanted to deal with Basil, but now, I want to do something more important and helpful. I want to replace the position of that arrogant Patriarch Townsend, and unify the entire spiritual race. I will not only make the Holy Dragon Empire, but all the humans and spiritual race beings surrender to me..." After that, Alston''s tone suddenly returned to normal as his eyes flashed a sinister and ambitious look. At that moment, it appeared that he did not find the current Rocky a threat to him.

 Chapter 1243 Full Of Obstacles

    It had been a month since the end of the Dragon Master Clan''s civil war, and they moved to the Holy Dragon Empire. The Dragon Master Clan had adapted to the current living environment, and with Rocky''s financial support, they had a peaceful life.


    In the Crimson Palace of the Crimson City, Rocky, Marcia, Moira, and other women were gathering there to have a meeting.


    "According to the investigation in the past month, all the signs show that the spiritual race clan that Reginald conspired with is the Heavenly Demon Clan. Although the members of the army that chased us before were all low-level members of other clans, we can be sure that the Heavenly Demon Clan masterminded the whole deal," Marcia revealed with a somber expression on her face.


    "It''s the Heavenly Demon Clan again..." Rocky''s face shifted when he heard what Marcia said. Although he had suspected the whole thing was not that simple, he didn''t expect that it was the Heavenly Demon Clan who was playing tricks again. But if it was the Heavenly Demon Clan who had conspired with Reginald, Alston could be in that clan now. And if Alston had the support of the Heavenly Demon Clan, it would not be easy for Rocky to deal with him. Thus, Rocky could only wait and see.


    "According to my father, the Heavenly Demon Clan has shown their ambition since decades ago. Now they''re becoming more and more unscrupulous. It seems that they no longer take the major influential clans of the spiritual race seriously!" Moira ranted angrily.


    "In addition, according to the intelligence that Laney passed on, the Heavenly Demon Clan seemed to have proposed the alliance with the Wood Clan. They also offered a lot of generous conditions. It appears that the Heavenly Demon Clan doesn''t want to fight against the major clans for the time being," Marcia added.


    "What''s the attitude of the Wood Clan?" Rocky asked, frowning.


    "Given the power of the Heavenly Demon Clan, the Wood Clan could not refuse, but they did not agree either. They planned to delay for a while. After all, the Wood Clan has received your benefits. I heard from Laney that the medicament you sent seems to have worked on them," Marcia replied.


    "Oh, really? That''s good then." Rocky nodded.


    "The power of the Heavenly Demon Clan is getting stronger and stronger each day. If we let them go on like this, something bad will happen sooner or later," Marcia r


    for we can live independently. Though other empires had besieged us in the past and put us in a passive situation, we are slowly recovering, and peace is finally settling in our bones. Nevertheless, these are all meaningless, for the Holy Dragon Empire would never be truly at peace as long as other empires are under the control of the spiritual race. I believe that if other countries can be freed from the control of the spiritual race and form a unified situation, the human race will not suffer from the war again," he proclaimed with passion, pricking the hearts of those who were listening.


    "But it''s easier said than done to unify all the empires in the Wild Spirit Land..." Marcia didn''t want to burst his bubbles, but she thought that Rocky''s ambition was too high.


    "That''s right. Apart from the Timber Deity Empire and the Magic Phoenix Empire, there are also other powerful empires. They all have the support of the powerful spiritual race. It will not be easy to deal with them," Isis said with a frown.


    The other women also thought that Rocky''s idea was too bold.


    "Of course, this is not something that we can accomplish overnight. But given the current situation, it is imperative to unify the empires of the Wild Spirit Land. Otherwise, humans will always be enslaved by the spiritual race and take the path of self-destruction." Rocky also knew that to unify all the empires was like a rugged road full of obstacles. However, for the sake of the future of the Holy Dragon Empire and the Wild Spirit Land, he felt that it was necessary to accomplish this exceptional cause!

 Chapter 1244 They Were All True

    "I''m afraid that there are several human empires which may not be willing to be detached from the spiritual race. And they can hardly be blamed. After all, if they want the stronger spirit manipulators on their side, they simply have to submit to the spiritual race," Moira said.


    "What you are saying might have been true in the past, but things have changed. The Genome Research Institute has gradually evolved and developed all kinds of new techniques. Not only can these new techniques be used on spirit-manipulated beasts, but also on humans. In fact, I myself have planned to on carrying out a few genetic experiments on humans. I am thinking of using genetic modification techniques to improve humans'' strength and physique. If I succeed, not only will we not need the spiritual race, we can also make the humans become strong spirit manipulators ourselves," Rocky proclaimed with certainty.


    His statement shocked Moira and the other women a little. They could tell that Rocky was not just saying it casually. In fact, from the way he was talking, it looked like he already had everything planned out and was about to carry it out.


    "Basil, no matter what you do, we will support you. But you must remember that if we move forward with this, you will most likely become the target of all spiritual race clans out there. Are you sure you want to do this?" Marcia was a little worried. If the spiritual race found out what Rocky was planning, it would land him in a rather precarious situation.


    "What''s new about that?! Even if I don''t do this, I''m already a thorn in so many of the spiritual race clans'' sides, especially the Heavenly Demon Clan. One extra prick won''t make that much of a difference," Rocky replied calmly with a smile. He knew that several clans were already annoyed at him and targeting him, but they hadn''t done anything to him till now because they had bigger fish to fry. Moreover, Rocky had already thwarted the nefarious plans of the Heavenly Demon Clan again and again. He knew that when the time came, the Heavenly Demon Clan would never let him go. This gave him no option other than to be more ruthless. He needed to change the world completely and not worry about anything, especially since he was in trouble all the time anyway.


    "Shouldn''t you talk to your father about this first?" Marcia asked.


    "Yes. I plan on going back to the Imperial City and discussing this with him, because this plan needs the support of the entire Holy Dragon Empire!" Rocky affirmed.


    "All right, I am coming with you." Marcia nodded.


    The next day, the two of them went to the Imperial City, while


    an unfortunate accident. Sometime later, word emerged that it wasn''t lost, but was actually hidden by the last Witch for some unknown reasons. Unfortunately, before she could be questioned or even captured, the Witch disappeared, and the secret of the treasure was lost forever." The emperor began recounting the tale of the holy treasure''s origin.


    "The legacy of the first patriarch of the Dragon Master Clan? What happened later?" Rocky asked, raising his eyebrows.


    "It''s a very long story. The short version is that several years later, the Witch suddenly brought back the holy treasure and sealed it in a forbidden area of the royals. She died soon after. But before she left the world, she told us a small clue about the whereabouts of the treasure. She said that if we wanted to find it, we needed to find all the colored pearls that she had hidden in nine treasure boxes. She also gave us a few clues about these nine treasure boxes," the emperor continued.


    "Hang on. So the Witch who hid the holy treasure and the one who brought it back are the same person?" The truth was, Rocky already knew the rest of the story. What was more, the emperor''s tale proved to him that the Witch of the Holy Dragon Empire whom he had seen in the Myriad Spirit Tomb was the same person as the one who had possessed the spirit of Lena. The latter event had taken place when they went to the royal forbidden area to take out the spiritual treasure of the Dragon Master Clan. This also implied one more thing. The Witch who had possessed Lena had told him something about the mystery of the spiritual race and the Divine Spiritual Source. If all these stories about the holy treasure were true, then so should be the stories that this Witch had told them!

 Chapter 1245 The Holy Treasure Of The Dragon Master Clan

    However, Rocky couldn''t help feeling a bit surprised, because all these things appeared to intertwine together like the red thread of fate. And he was at the center, surrounded by all these countless mysteries.


    "Father, you said that the holy treasure of the Dragon Master Clan possesses mighty power. I was wondering how strong it is exactly," Rocky asked the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire, his face full of doubt.


    "It is said that the holy treasure is a Spiritual Weapon in the shape of a mask, often referred to as the Holy Mask. Although I haven''t seen it before, I heard from the previous emperor that anyone who wears this mask would become brave and wise in battle. It is also rumored that the Holy Dragon Empire''s earliest emperors all had the Holy Mask in their possession," the emperor revealed, as a somber expression took over his face. Hearing this, Rocky was confused. Since the Holy Mask was so powerful, and it was the relic of the Dragon Master Clan''s first patriarch, the patriarch should''ve worn it all the time.


    However, according to Moira, the Dragon Master Clan had failed to find their first patriarch''s corpse, which meant that they didn''t know the Myriad Spirit Tomb existed. If the Dragon Master Clan warrior he saw in the Myriad Spirit Tomb was indeed the first patriarch of the Dragon Master Clan, why was the Holy Mask in the hands of the Dragon Master Clan? And why were the patriarch and the other myriad spiritual race beings buried in the tomb as if the spiritual race had never discovered them? No matter what, Rocky could not make sense of it.


    ''Is it possible that someone discovered the Holy Mask in the tomb and returned it to the Dragon Master Clan?'' This theory suddenly occurred to Rocky, and he thought it was the only possible explanation. It would also explain why the Holy Mask was regarded as a relic. But why didn''t that person return their first patriarch''s corpse along with the Holy Mask? That was another enigma.


    If his conjecture was right, did the bearer of the Holy Mask have anything to do with the death of the myriad spiritual race beings? If that person was involved, why didn''t he or she die? Moreover, it looked like that person had deliberately concealed the existence of the Myriad Spirit Tomb. Perhaps, he should figure out this person''s identity, as it was likely that he or she would lead him to


    give you the other six pearls," the emperor said firmly. Rocky''s eyebrows shot up in surprise, as he didn''t expect his father to offer that, but he nodded anyway.


    "Yes, I''m interested. But, Father, since the colored pearls are important clues to the holy treasure of the Dragon Master Clan, you should keep them with you. Don''t worry. I will help you find the other three," said Rocky casually, waving his hand. Even if he wanted to find more information about the secret behind the holy treasure, he had to find the holy treasure first. He decided not to show his real purpose too obviously for now.


    "Speaking of which, the first Witch of the Holy Dragon Empire seems to have left some records about the holy treasure," Lena, who had been quiet all this time, suddenly remarked.


    Hearing that, Rocky looked at her and asked, "Are the records still with us?"


    "All the records of the Holy Dragon Empire''s Witches have been kept in the secret room of the Witch Palace," Lena replied with a nod.


    "Can I have a look at them?" Rocky stared at Lena with barely hidden interest. He didn''t want to show them how eager he was, but it was difficult to hide.


    "Normally, this is not allowed. But if you want..." Lena answered with a gentle smile. If Rocky wanted to see them, she would try to find a way even if it wasn''t allowed.


    Rocky smiled warmly at her, a grateful expression on his face.


    "You can go first. I need to talk with His Majesty," Marcia said to Rocky and Lena, gesturing for them to leave first.


    Therefore, Lena took Rocky''s arm and left with him.

 Chapter 1246 Holy Mask

    "Did you miss me while you were away?" On the way to the Witch Palace, Lena suddenly snuggled up to Rocky and asked in a soft voice, ignoring the maids and the guards who were gossiping about them. In fact, their dubious relationship was not a secret in the Palace City. Therefore, most people were not surprised to see them together.


    "Will you hit me if I say no?" Rocky replied with a mischievous smile at the corners of his mouth.


    "No, I won''t hit you." Lena shook her head. But she did do something else. In an instant, she planted a kiss on Rocky''s cheek.


    "What are you doing?" Rocky was stunned by the suddenness of her action.


    "If you didn''t miss me, I am going to keep kissing you until you start to miss me every time we''re away from each other." Lena giggled mischievously.


    Rocky was at a loss whether to cry or to laugh. Previously, Lena had not been so bold with him. She had always kept her feelings hidden, and therefore, was a little reserved around him. But now that she had already let her heart out to him, she had no scruples anymore. She was now the Witch of the Holy Dragon Empire and thus could not marry Rocky. However, she was satisfied as long as she could stay with him.


    Fortunately, the journey was over soon and they arrived at the Witch Palace. In order to save Lena, the ancient spiritual beast had destroyed the Witch Palace. But now, a new Witch Palace had been erected there, almost the same as before, but more magnificent.


    Once the two of them were inside, Lena took Rocky towards the entrance to the secret room. As she waved her hand, a golden light shot into the wall and a section of the wall, shaped like a door, began to crumble. Soon, the entrance to the secret room had appeared in the wall, revealing the passage that led downstairs.


    Inside the secret room, Rocky saw hundreds of records of various events, treasures and whatnot, all of which were related to the Holy Dragon Empire. Also placed on the table in the center of the room was The Witch''s Book that he had seen once before. This book was specially used to record the events of the Holy Dragon Empire.


    "Why doesn''t the Witch''s Book


    the Crimson Palace to get some rest.


    Two days later, Bryant and Lance returned to the Imperial City. They set off from wherever they were as soon as they had received Rocky''s message. Once in the city, they immediately headed for the palace.


    Hearing that Bryant and Lance had come back, the emperor immediately gathered a few important officials and called for Rocky. Not long after, the emperor, Rocky, the Three Great Generals of the Holy Dragon Empire, and Lena had gathered in the Lofty Dragon Hall.


    Without much ado, the emperor asked Rocky to repeat his plan in front of these officials and it caused an uproar among all the officials present.


    Even Bryant and Lance were shocked. According to them, Rocky''s plan was too bold.


    "Prince Crimson. We must warn you that it''s not a joke to unify the Wild Spirit Land. Without the support of the Dragon Master Clan, the Holy Dragon Empire needs to protect itself and that''s a hard task as it is. Unifying the Wild Spirit Land is an impossible task and we don''t think it can be done!" Bryant said in a serious tone. He too felt that Rocky''s plan was too ambitious. Considering the current strength of the Holy Dragon Empire, it would already be hard enough for the country to set a foothold in the Wild Spirit Land.


    Not only Bryant, the other officials also began looking at each other and whispering among themselves. Most of them had an objection or many to this plan.

 Chapter 1247 Reveal His Plan

    It was obvious that most people did not support Rocky''s idea, including Bryant who had always been steady and cautious.


    "Why don''t we let Prince Crimson present his idea?" Marcia finally broke her silence and spoke with authority. Her face was stern and her beautiful eyes narrowed.


    "Yes, please listen to him first before making your decision," Lena said softly to everyone present.


    The Lofty Dragon Hall immediately quieted down, and everyone''s eyes were focused on Rocky.


    "Maybe you think I''m extremely ambitious in my plan to unify the Wild Spirit Land. And perhaps you think that I am not considering the actual situation now of the Holy Dragon Empire. But the reason why I came up with such an idea is not because I have personal ambitions, but because my goal is to exactly ensure the peace and prosperity of the Holy Dragon Empire¡¯s future!" Rocky said with a determined and calm look.


    As soon as Rocky said his piece, everyone was quite confused. However, they also sensed that Rocky seemed to really mean something.


    "I''m sure you all know that there are dozens of empires with different sizes in the Wild Spirit Land. Almost all of them have the support of the spiritual race. They also get a lot of benefits from the spiritual race such as obtaining the spiritual power. However, the spiritual race only sees us humans as pawns. They use us to balance the forces of other spiritual race clans. They have their own selfish motivations and purposes. So, by giving us little rewards or benefits, they can make us work for them by any means. Of course, in an ideally peaceful and prosperous world, humans might not be at the losing side. However, the disputes among the spiritual race clans rose again because of the continuous appearance of the spiritual treasures. Most of the human empires were involved in the war and became the inevitable victims of the spiritual race''s struggle. If this goes on, humans will one day bring about their own destruction," Rocky explained seriously as he looked around.


    "What you said is true, Prince Crimson. But if one of the human empires does not have the support of the spiritual race, they will only be bullied and harassed by the other e


    was not.


    "Basil, what on earth is this united empires? Explain this to me," the emperor asked curiously.


    "To put it simply, the united empires is a coalition made up of independent empires. So, the empires that will join are the members of the united empire. The role of the government will be to manage, balance, and restrain all the members. It will maintain the peace, tranquility, and common interests of each member. The united empires will exist as an independent entity. It will make the rules and regulations that all the members should obey. If there are ambitious members who threaten the interests of most members, the united empires has the right to stop and punish them..." Rocky explained the general concept and basic function of the united empires.


    "Prince Crimson, what you mean is that you will establish a ruling body that will be superior and rule all empires," Bryant said with his sharp eyes narrowed. He seemed to understand what Rocky was explaining.


    "You''ve almost got the point. But it is not a ruling body, but more of a management agency. Every member of the united empires has its own decision-making power and can develop its own strength according to its own needs. Every empire should not interfere with others. The main purpose of establishing the united empires is to make all the empires coexist peacefully. They can join forces without any reservations and fight against the enemies together!" Rocky emphasized clearly.

 Chapter 1248 In Charge Of The Whole Plan

    "That is true. If we do manage to achieve this, it will be of tremendous help to us. There is no denying the fact that there is strength in numbers, so several countries combined will naturally be stronger than us alone," Lance agreed with a slight nod.


    "He is not wrong, but will every country be devoted to this cause? Chances are that there will be numerous disputes of interests between countries," Bryant questioned.


    The other officials were also whispering to each other. They seemed to have varying opinions.


    "Of course, that''s inevitable. However, compared to the interests of a few countries, the future of the entire human race is much more important. Right now, our biggest enemy is the spiritual race. If every single human country can unite against the spiritual race and get out of its control, then the spiritual race will begin to be afraid. We exceed the spiritual race in number, and they know it very well. Today, most of the clans of the spiritual race are on the decline, which means we humans don''t have to be afraid of them at all." Rocky seemed to have everything thought of like a master strategist. It was as if he were planning a historical revolution.


    If his plan were to succeed, the entire setup of the Wild Spirit Land would change drastically. Humans would gain power and be active on a stage that originally belonged to the spiritual race. They could become an existence that made even the spiritual race afraid.


    "Even so, why would the other countries be willing to join this united empires? Even if we aren''t afraid, they are. No country would be willing to be detached from the spiritual race," someone doubted.


    "I think for many human countries, it''s not as much about fear as requirements. It''s not that they don''t want to leave the spiritual race, but that they can''t, because they are fully controlled by the latter. If they don''t have the support of the spiritual race, they would be annihilated. This means that their very survival depends on the spiritual race. But if we help them and provide the support the spiritual race provides, they wil


    the idea were groundless. It seemed that no matter what problem he encountered, Rocky would have a strategy to resolve it. Therefore, they didn''t have to worry about the plan failing. He had contingencies in place.


    "All right, does anyone of you have any more ideas?" The emperor looked at the people in the hall.


    Marcia and the other two generals looked at each other. Then, Bryant said, "Although I still don''t agree with such a proposal, I won''t object since Prince Crimson has already made up his mind."


    "I have no objection." Lance shook his head.


    "Me neither." Marcia was the last to speak.


    Seeing that even the Three Great Generals had no objection to the plan, the other officials naturally had no reason to object as well. Moreover, they did not dare to speak up either. After all, Rocky was now considered the backbone of the Holy Dragon Empire, and the emperor had great expectations of him. They clearly understood that they should not underestimate him and the emperor''s decision.


    "Well then, Basil will be fully responsible for the plan to establish the united empires. The Three Great Generals and all the other officials must wholeheartedly assist him throughout the process. This plan is not only for the future of the Holy Dragon Empire, but also for the future of the entire human race. The Wild Spirit Land shall know our name!" the emperor declared decisively.

 Chapter 1249 Ask For Kaylas Help

    The emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire was not feeling well, so he went back first to rest. Meanwhile, Rocky and the Three Great Generals went to the Crimson Palace to discuss some critical issues.


    "How are Isis and Nigel?" Lance couldn''t help but ask about his daughter and grandson.


    "They are fine. Father, would you like to go back to Crimson City with me to see them?" asked Rocky politely. "I can''t. The Crimson Dragon Group can finally have a break now.


    But I have many military affairs to deal with every day. I can''t leave," Lance refused, waving his hand.


    "Did Shirley cause you any trouble?" Bryant asked regarding his granddaughter, looking like he was dreading Rocky''s answer.


    He was relieved when Rocky shook his head, smiling back at him. "No, she wasn''t any trouble. Don''t worry."


    "Ha-ha, you don''t know how glad I am to hear that! Shirley used to get in trouble frequently back when she was younger," Bryant said.


    "She isn''t bad, but she is spoiled. Now, Sabina goes against her every day, and no one in the Crimson City spoils her. She is no longer arrogant and willful," Rocky said bluntly, implying that Bryant had spoiled Shirley too much before.


    "It''s all my fault. Fortunately, you discipline her for me. It seems that her heart is all on you now," Bryant meaningfully remarked as he stroked the beard.


    Hearing that, Rocky smiled bitterly. That was the most troublesome thing for him right now, as the women around him were not officially married to him, apart from Isis. Although they didn''t mind, he still felt that he needed to find some time to deal with their complicated relationships.


    After the brief chat, Rocky and the three generals began to discuss how they could establish the united empires and the specific arrangements they had to make. This discussion laid a solid foundation for the development of their plan.


    On the second day, Bryant and Lance went back to their own legions because they had many other things to deal with.


    On the other hand, Rocky and Marcia stayed in the Palace City to prepare for the early stage of the plan. Establishing the coalition could not be done overnight after all. First, it required the participation of the countries. Therefore, the first step of the plan was to provide humanitarian assistance t


    ur matriarch''s sake, I wouldn''t have given them to you," grumbled Kayla. With the way she was complaining, she seemed stingy, but that wasn''t the case. It was just that the higher the pills'' level, the better the spiritual flowers and herbs needed. For example, the pills that Rocky required to help him break through to the Immortal Stage would need spiritual flowers and herbs that were at least three hundred years old.


    "Well, I have collected some spiritual flowers and herbs. I don''t know if they can be used," volunteered Rocky. He recalled that he had collected a lot of spiritual flowers and herbs in the Heavenly God Temple, and he hoped that she could use them to save them some energy and time.


    "Really? Show me then. But I guess they are all very ordinary..." Kayla didn''t seem to hold much hope. In her opinion, the spiritual flowers and herbs that Rocky had collected must be the most ordinary ones. After all, he couldn''t have found the rare ones through sheer coincidence and dumb luck!


    Then, Rocky opened his Magic Spiritual Space and entered the laboratory. He took out all the spiritual flowers and herbs that he had collected from the Heavenly God Temple, which he had carefully grown in the containers. He placed them in front of Kayla one by one.


    At first, Kayla looked at them with disdain, but when she looked closer, a shocked gasp escaped her lips. She stared at the spiritual flowers and herbs with a dubious expression, as her eyes shifted from the herbs and flowers to Rocky, then back again.

 Chapter 1250 The Matriarchs Reminding

    When Cherry saw the exotic flowers and rare herbs, her expression shifted slightly. She immediately looked up at Rocky and asked, "Where did you get these flowers and herbs?"


    "What''s wrong? Is there a problem?" Rocky asked, noticing the strange expressions on the faces of Cherry and Kayla.


    "Yes, something is wrong, and it''s a huge problem." Kayla nodded seriously.


    "Can''t they come in handy? Are these too ordinary?" Rocky asked in dismay. He thought from their faces that none of these exotic flowers and rare herbs were any good.


    "Are you kidding? If these exotic flowers and rare herbs are ordinary, then the world will be in chaos," Kayla blurted out almost excessively.


    Rocky still didn''t get it. He looked at them in confusion with an eyebrow raised as if to say, ''You''d better start making sense soon.''


    "Those flowers and herbs that you brought out are treasures of at least five hundred years old, Prince Crimson. They are priceless treasures. Even our spiritual race can''t help but covet them." Cherry looked indifferent as she explained, a sharp contrast to Kayla''s expression earlier. She pointed at one of them like the rabbit ear, the herb Rocky found after entering the Heavenly God Temple. "This one, especially, has been extinct for almost hundreds of years, and it is at least one thousand years old, maybe even older..."


    "Really?" Hearing this, Rocky couldn''t help raising his eyebrows. He didn''t expect that the Heavenly God Temple was really a place where treasures were everywhere.


    "Tell me the truth. Where did you get these?" Kayla asked, fluttering her lashes coyly as if they would distract Rocky enough to let the answer slip.


    "It''s a secret." Of course, Rocky would not tell the two women anything. After all, it was the place where the exotic flowers and rare herbs came from was a mysterious place that even the spiritual race beings didn''t know of its location.


    "Stingy!" Kayla rebuked. Then she asked, "Are you sure you want to refine these flowers and herbs? It''s too wasteful only to refine pills that can help one reach the Immortal Stage. As long as these flowers and herbs are used in proper proportions, they can refine pills that even the advanced spiritual masters yearn for."


    "Anyway, we have ready-made ones. You can use them to refine! I just need the pills as soon as possible. The sooner, the better..." insisted Rocky impatiently.


    "What a reckless waste of grain! Fine, give me half a month!" Then Kayla put away the exotic flowers and rare herbs and turned away.


    the nine spiritual meridians again with the power of the spiritual treasures. This way, the nine calamity beasts would never be reborn, and they could never again run amok in the Wild Spirit Land," Cherry continued.


    "But at present, eight out of the nine spiritual treasures have shown up. And yet, no calamity beast has been reborn. Is the record on the stone tablet really credible?" Rocky asked with some doubt.


    "I don''t know, but maybe the key is on the ninth spiritual treasure. If the record on the stone tablet was correct, and the ninth spiritual treasure was taken out of its sealed place, the consequences would be unimaginable. Moreover, it seems that many spiritual race clans don''t know this secret, so they will undoubtedly continue to look for the ninth spiritual treasure..." Rocky''s eyes met Cherry''s dim orbs, and they were as dark as the future she was foretelling.


    "Why are you telling me this?" Rocky knew that Cherry must have a purpose in telling him these things. Otherwise, she would never have revealed them to him.


    "I hope you can do something to protect the ninth spiritual treasure when necessary, to make sure that no one will remove it from its sealed location." Although Cherry didn''t say it clearly, everything became self-evident.


    "Okay. You can count on me, but only if it''s necessary." Rocky also knew that if the record on the stone tablet was accurate, he couldn''t treat this matter carelessly. After all, many lives were at stake.


    Cherry must be satisfied with his answer, as she nodded at him and remained silent.


    "If you don''t have anything else to say, I''ll leave now." When she didn''t speak, Rocky nodded, turned away, and left.

 Chapter 1251 Set Off For The Colored Pearl

    After travelling for more than a day, Rocky finally returned to the Crimson City. The moment he set foot on the area, the women who had been waiting for him anxiously rushed towards him and asked about the result. One of the women asked, "So, what did His Majesty say?" Rocky replied, "Well, it looks like this is a good day for us. My father has agreed."


    "I see. I assume that you will be very preoccupied very soon." Isis could not help but grumble. She knew well enough that Rocky would be drowned in extensive work in the next couple of days. This also meant that he would not have the luxury of time to bond with her and Nigel.


    "I won''t be the only one who will be busy. For sure, you''ll be, too. After all, this plan needs a lot of people to be executed right. No one can stay idle on my watch, not even you," Rocky explained in a mellow tone.


    "What? Why are you involving us in this matter?" From the other side of the room, Shirley heard Rocky''s words and scowled at him.


    Isis and the rest of the ladies nodded in agreement. All of them wore disapproving looks on their faces as they pretended to dislike Rocky''s plan.


    Rocky, on the other hand, seemed to have no choice but to enlighten them with the specifics of the entire scheme.


    "Hear me out. In addition to the humanitarian assistance, we will also make some secret arrangements in the said small countries. Therefore, what we need is a group of trustworthy people to go in there for the sake of safety," Rocky expounded.


    "From what you''ve said, I''m getting the impression that you want us to get involved in this plan and assure its smooth execution. Is that what you''re trying to say?" Lucilla remarked. After all, she was smart enough that she could read between the lines.


    "Exactly. There are things that I can''t do because I have only myself. Plus, I don''t trust others. That''s why I have to turn to you," Rocky replied while nodding his head, trying his best to convince the ladies present.


    Meanwhile, the women exchanged glances at each other. Surely, they were aware that Rocky treated this plan of building the united empires with great importance.


    "I guess you think we are annoying. Maybe that''s why you deliberately keep on finding an excuse to let us leave so that you can bring some of the other beautiful women back here," Shirley said on purpose.


    "If that''s the case, then you can stay with me and supervise me if you want to. W


    surely suffer!" Kayla jokingly threatened. Without a doubt, there was truth to what she had said. She had used many rare ingredients to refine the Mysterious Spirit Pill, along with a lot of time and energy.


    "Thank you." Rocky nodded gratefully.


    "Sure. I''m leaving." Kayla didn''t say anything more and disappeared in a hurry.


    Immediately, Rocky put away the Mysterious Spirit Pill carefully. He planned to refine it with the help of the Sea Blue Magic Jade after Sabina and the others had returned from their humanitarian assistance to some small countries. He believed that in this way, he could get twice the result with half the effort.


    The next day, Marcia sent Rocky a message along with a topographic map. In the message, she told him that there were exact clues about the colored pearl''s location and hoped that he could go there and find it.


    Originally, the Three Great Generals had been in charge of searching for the colored pearls. But now, all of them were occupied with their own respective tasks. Not long ago, Rocky also knew about the holy treasure of the Dragon Master Clan, so he was the one to take responsibility for this treasure at this time.


    He believed that as long as he gathered all nine colored pearls, he could find the holy treasure of the Dragon Master Clan. Moreover, with the clues hidden behind the holy treasure, he might be able to solve the mystery of the death of those beings in the Myriad Spirit Tomb, or even reveal the astonishing secrets of the spiritual race. Without wasting time, Rocky had already prepared himself to set off after receiving Marcia''s message.

 Chapter 1252 The Snow-white Figure

    Over the last century, the Holy Dragon Empire had been endlessly searching for the nine colored pearls, diligently following the clues left by the Witch before her death. The Holy Dragon Empire had specially trained a group of spirit manipulators to protect the secret about the holy treasure of the Dragon Master Clan from leaking. These spirit manipulators had been trained like shock warriors, and they had also been cast by a secret spell. If any one of them leaked some sort of information about the secret, that person would drop dead in an instant.


    The task of these spirit manipulators was to look for the buried colored pearls. Once they found and confirmed the relevant clues, they would report them to the emperor. Then, the emperor would send his most trusted subordinates to look for the colored pearls.


    However, the clues left by the Witch were very vague. Her clues did not point out the specific locations of the colored pearls, so the later generations could only guess and get answers out of thin air. With that, the clues that were found might not even be completely true. Therefore, it was highly possible that they had found nothing. Ever since the current emperor took over the throne, his men already found six colored pearls in the past couple of years. It testified that it was difficult to collect all the nine colored pearls.


    So, it was still uncertain whether Rocky could find the seventh colored pearl or not! Anything would be possible, and nothing was set in stone.


    This time, the place where the clue was found was an extremely dangerous area. It was in the westernmost end of the Wild Spirit Land. This place was called the Snow Cemetery Plain. The weather was terrible there and the temperature was exceptionally low.


    The Snow Cemetery Plain was once the territory of the Snow Master Clan. This clan was one of the nine advanced spiritual race clans and the only clan that did not control human empires. Since its establishment, its members had been living in seclusion in the uninhabited Snow Cemetery Plain. It was also known as the most mysterious spiritual race clan.


    However, because the Snow Master Clan''s physique was affected by the cold weather all year round, they had been sterilized a long time ago. They were on the verge of extinction hundreds of years ago, and now they were almost e


    ng, he is fast and ruthless. He must be an old hand."


    Originally, Rocky planned to wait for the snow beast to pass and then continue to move forward. But because of the appearance of the white figure, he gave up this idea because he had a better one. He just stood there silently and watched the white figure bravely fight against the snow beast.


    However, the figure did not seem to summon its guardian beast. It looked like it was determined to fight with the powerful snow beast completely alone. Although the snow beast had just been seriously injured, it was not easily defeated. Instead, it became more violent and launched a fierce counterattack against the white figure.


    After a while, they fell into a stalemate. The fight lasted for almost an hour, and it was still difficult to determine the result.


    In that instant, the white figure looked a little tired while the snow beast was covered with bruises. Not long after, under their constant confrontations, the white figure finally defeated the snow beast, then grabbed the snow beast''s horn, trying to drag it away.


    Hiding behind the icy rock, Rocky and Robin finally revealed themselves. As soon as they moved even just a little bit, the white figure noticed them and suddenly appeared in front of them. The two crescent-shaped machetes in its hands directly pressed against Robin''s chest. The white figure raised its eyes which were covered under the white fur cap and stared at Rocky who was riding on Robin.


    "What... A human?" Suddenly, the white figure let out a surprised voice.

 Chapter 1253 Meet Cyrus

    "Wait. So, you are a female?" Rocky asked in astonishment as soon as he heard the voice.


    Meanwhile, a heavy gust of wind blew away the fluffy white cap that sat on top of the spiritual race being''s head. Under this cap, there was a face that was white as snow. Her features were delicate and soft, coupled with piercing blue eyes that were as bright as the clear day sky. She had a pair of long ears that housed some of her tucked strands of hair that were as white as her.


    Soon after, the spiritual light all over this woman''s body rose sharply, and a strong aura immediately surrounded Rocky from all directions. All of a sudden, several snow chains shot out from the ground, directly entangling both Rocky and Robin.


    With his current strength, it was very easy for Rocky to break free from the snow chains. However, it was so unexpected of him to show no signs of a struggle as if he had planned to do something else than escape.


    Soon after, the snow woman instantly grabbed the snow chains entangling Rocky and Robin, and then dragged them beside the snow beast. Then, she lifted her other hand, took the upper limbs of the snow beast and shuttled into the endless Snow Cemetery Plain.


    The only reason Rocky allowed himself to be easily caught by the snow chains was that he wanted the snow woman to help him lead the way so that he would not waste any more time finding the way himself. Besides, he wanted to know more about the origin of the snow woman''s spiritual race clan.


    ''Is she a member of the nearly extinct Snow Master Clan?'' Rocky, who was tied up by the snow chains, thought to himself as he looked up at the woman.


    After walking for about an hour, Rocky suddenly laid eyes on some stone houses built on the foot of the mountain. These houses were closely arranged to each other that they resembled a tiny bustling village. From a distance, one could see some faint figures walking from one house to another.


    After setting foot in the village, the snow woman immediately let out a very bizarre scream. Hearing this, everyone in the area dashed towards her and gathered around her. Soon after, several people clad in tight snow-white fur from head to foot came close to the woman to see what was going on. Based on what they were wearing, they were, without a doubt, from the same spiritual race clan as the woman.


    But as soon as the people came near the woman, they saw two figures entangled by the snow chains¡ªRocky and Robin. Immediately, they all looked down and pointed their fingers towards the snow


    way the spiritual treasure of our Snow Master Clan," Cyrus said in a severe tone.


    "Then why didn''t you stop them?" Rocky asked with interest. After all, the Snow Master Clan was not completely annihilated, and several villages still existed. No matter how strong humans were, it was impossible for them to be stronger than the spiritual race beings. Therefore, it was very strange that their spiritual treasure would be taken away from under their watchful eyes.


    "I''m strong in will but weak in power. In fact, there is not much peace among the several villages of our clan. We know that the one who took those humans to the place where our spiritual treasure was sealed is someone from another village. In addition, we believe that those humans gave him a lot of benefits. And for a mere Snow Master Clan being living in this kind of ice and snow, I bet that the benefits were very tempting," Cyrus said frustratingly.


    "Is that so?" Rocky didn''t respond to the matter more. After all, they were stories from the past, so he just asked directly, "Head Cyrus, you must be very familiar with the terrain of the Snow Cemetery Plain, right?"


    "Almost." Cyrus nodded.


    "Can you please tell me how to get to that place?" Rocky asked as he took the topographic map out of his bag and pointed at the marked position on it.


    After the head closely at the mark on the map, his face suddenly changed. He shook his head in a hurry and said, "You can''t go there. It''s very dangerous! Spiritual race beings would never dare enter that area, let alone humans..."


    "So, you know this place, don''t you, Head Cyrus?" At that moment, Rocky didn''t expect that he had found the right person to ask.

 Chapter 1254 Take A Risk

    "This place is a highly guarded secret. Of all the members of the Snow Master Clan, only I know its whereabouts in the Snow Cemetery Plain." Cyrus nodded.


    "Is this place really that dangerous?" Rocky was a little surprised. He could tell that Cyrus was wise in age and filled with experience. From first glance, he had made the latter out to be at least two hundred years old and his strength to be at least above that of the senior ordinary spiritual beings. And yet the man was badly hurt. It was clear that this place truly was extremely dangerous.


    "Rocky, please go back. A woman of the human race came to this place, but she never came back." Cyrus''s face suddenly turned pale as he had recalled a painful past.


    "A woman of the human race? Do you know where she came from?" Rocky asked suspiciously.


    "She claimed to be the Witch of the Holy Dragon Empire and said that she had come to look for this place as well. I remember her because she happened to pass through our village and cured my wife who was seriously ill at the time. Thanks to her, my wife lived on for a few more years and therefore, I will forever be in that Witch''s debt. However, as per her request, I took her to that place, and she never came back. It is likely that she died in there." Cyrus recounted the tale in a sad voice.


    ''Is she that Witch?'' Rocky murmured in his heart. Then he assured Cyrus, "That Witch is still alive. She returned to the Holy Dragon Empire safely some time later."


    "Really? How do you know that?" Cyrus asked in disbelief.


    "Because I''m also from the Holy Dragon Empire," Rocky announced.


    "You are also from the Holy Dragon Empire? Then you being here is fate!" Cyrus exclaimed.


    "I am not sure about that but please tell me how to get to that place," Rocky gently repeated. His opinion was that since the Witch of the Holy Dragon Empire had been to that place, it was likely that the colored pearl was buried here.


    "Let me remind you again, young man. The place is extremely dangerous. Are you sure you want to go there?" Cyrus asked for confirmation. Rocky seemed to have made up his mind to get there.


    "Can you lead the way for me? If that is not possible, can you at leas


    pproached the palace along the steep mountain slope.


    Just as he was about to draw near, a deafening sound came from within. It was as if a powerful monster was trapped inside the palace and was about to rush out. The sound was loud enough to be heard easily within a radius of several miles.


    Only then did Rocky understand why the Snow Master Clan was so afraid of this place. Judging from the scream that had just resounded, he could see that this was no peaceful place and there was no telling what awaited him inside. However, the colored pearl was the only clue to find the holy treasure of the Dragon Master Clan, and in order to find it, he had no choice but to take the risk.


    Not long after, Rocky and Robin arrived at the entrance to the palace. When they got close, Rocky saw that it was constructed completely out of huge snow-white beast bones. Even the pillars were nothing but unshaped bones. It all looked very strange and supernatural. At the same time, it felt magnificent too. To build such a large building, hundreds of supernatural beasts would have been killed. One could see that the people who built this palace were by no means ordinary.


    There was no door leading inside, just a large hole in the wall. Judging from the position where Rocky stood, it was pitch black inside, as if he was staring into the depths of hell. However, even so, he stepped inside without fear and darkness enveloped him. No trace of him was visible outside.

 Chapter 1255 The Adventure Underground

    It was too dim in the palace, so Rocky used his spiritual power to produce a flame to illuminate his path. However, what he saw was just endless darkness. Soon enough, the flame in his hand was extinguished. After that, he tried to produce a flame several more times, but the result was just the same.


    "This is a strange place indeed! I have to be careful!" Rocky could not help but mutter to himself. He gave up on producing a flame and moved forward in the darkness.


    After he struggled in the darkness for a while, his eyes gradually adapted to the darkness. He could already vaguely see his surroundings. Of course, it was only a very vague outline, but it was better than seeing nothing.


    Looking around carefully, Rocky felt that he must be in a passageway because there were blurry shadows of pillars on both of his sides. He also noticed that the passageway seemed to extend downwards towards the underground. Although it was a gentle slope, he could still feel that he was being pulled by gravity.


    About an hour later, Rocky finally saw a vague icy blue light shining not too far from him. The light looked like it was coming from an ice lamp. He immediately quickened his pace.


    After a short while, his eyes grew wide as soon as he saw the shocking scene that appeared in front of him. There were many buildings made of huge and transparent ice blocks in front of him. They seemed endless in his point of view, just like an underground ice kingdom. It was obvious that some clan had lived here before, but it probably was not the Snow Master Clan. From what Cyrus had said before, it seemed that most members of the Snow Master Clan did not know this place''s existence. Even if they knew, they must have been very afraid of this place just like Cyrus.


    ''What in the world is this place?'' Rocky thought in surprise.


    He looked around at the endless underground ice kingdom. The more he looked at it, the more he dared not to be careless even though the place looked very calm. Based on his experience, a place like this might be a forbidden place.


    Rocky summoned Ken and Uriah for additional protection. As soon as they were out, the three beasts surrounded Rocky immediately.


    "Ken, I¡¯m countin


    s some natural spiritual flowers and herbs.


    "Isn''t the seventh colored pearl hidden somewhere here?" Rocky could not help speculating, but the place indicated on the map was right here. Was it another false clue again?


    Just as Rocky was trying to find other clues, an immensely powerful aura suddenly swept over.


    Rocky looked up and saw a huge soul shadow appearing in the air. Its body was completely transparent and only the outline could be faintly seen. Its body was the same as that of a dragon beast, but its six heads were long and pointed like a Lion Eagle. Its huge eagle eyes stared at him as if he was its prey. In an instant, a strong oppressive strength came over him.


    "What? A Soul Beast?" Rocky''s face turned pale when he saw this. This was the second time he had ever seen a Soul Beast after the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast. Compared with the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast, the aura of this Soul Beast was far stronger. Its aura was somehow equivalent to that of a spiritual master or a human at the Immortal Stage.


    However, the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast''s strength had been very weak when Rocky saw it. If the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast was in its best condition, the Soul Beast in front of him was no match at all.


    If it was only one Soul Beast, then it would be easy to deal with it. The worst thing was that at this moment, more than a dozen Shadow Beasts suddenly appeared in the sky and instantly surrounded Rocky and the three beasts on the ground...

 Chapter 1256 The Looming Danger

    Under normal circumstances, it would have been impossible to see so many Soul-shadow Beasts at once. After all, in the entire Wild Spirit Land, such beasts, which were as powerful as the ancient spiritual beasts, had already become extinct. Therefore, the sight of such a large number of Soul-shadow Beast was shocking, even for the spiritual race. Rocky was undoubtedly one of the few, if not the only one, who had seen such a sight in this era.


    It was common knowledge that the Soul-shadow Beasts were refined by the souls of the ancient spiritual beasts. They were quite abundant back in ancient times because their number was almost the same as that of the supernatural beasts living in the territories of various spiritual race clans. That was before the ancient spiritual beasts became extinct. But when the spiritual race became obsessed with refining the Soul-shadow Beasts, they hunted and killed too many ancient spiritual beasts, which greatly reduced the beasts'' population. By the end, they were almost extinct. Considering this, it was understandable that so many Soul-shadow Beasts were there in front of him, as this place was beyond anything that the spiritual race and humans could imagine. It was not a big deal even if the number of Soul-shadow Beasts in front of him doubled.


    Of course, for Rocky, if it were just a few Shadow Beasts that had appeared just like before, he would have no problem in dealing with them. However, there were not only several Soul Beasts that were as powerful as spiritual masters this time, but there were also a dozen Shadow Beasts whose strength was close to the Divine Stage. He was in a seriously sticky situation. Besides, there might be more Soul Beasts and Shadow Beasts around. He just hadn''t spotted them yet.


    His face grew somber at the dismal thought.


    But he knew that there was no chance for him to escape. Even if he forcefully broke through, the beasts would still chase after him, which could land him into a more dangerous situation. After thinking for a while, he finally decided on a game plan. He turned to his three beasts and instructed them, gesturing discretely. After that, he pulled out the Frozen Wind Dagger and transformed it into the Flaming Blade. Together with the three beasts, he rushed towards the Soul Beast and the dozen Shadow Beasts.


    A fierce battle ensued, and chaos settled over the whole place.


    paradise, then the scene in front of him could be regarded as a paradise made of ice. Although the scenery in front of him was made of ice, everything was full of vitality. He could see all kinds of beasts in the ice forest. They were running, climbing the trees, and jumping around. Some were even playing with each other. The scene gave off a feeling of magical illusion. There was an enchanting ice river that ran through the ice forest.


    On the other side of the ice forest was a unique group of buildings with an exquisite design. There were pavilions, towers, small bridges built over crystal-clear rivers¡ªa picturesque ice world indeed.


    "What on earth is this place?" Rocky admired the view around him with astonishment. He didn''t expect that there would be such a strange but lively place behind the ice door.


    Then, Rocky suddenly felt that something had covered the area above his head. When he looked up, the wonder was written all over his face. He saw a beautiful beast shadow in an ice bird''s shape above his head like an artwork, but it was as massive as a dragon, and it exuded an astonishing aura comparable to that of Glutton. It descended from the sky as if it was about to pounce on him.


    Based on the ice bird''s powerful aura, the consequences would be horrifying if it managed to catch him!


    Rocky, who was aware of the looming danger, felt a spiritual pressure sweep over him like a surging wave. It locked up his joints, making him unable to move. Just as the ice bird''s sharp ice claws were about to catch on his skin, a sweet, angelic voice rang out. "Stop!"

 Chapter 1257 The Mysterious Woman

    The giant ice bird hesitated for a second when it heard the sweet voice, hovering in the air uncertainly. When it finally started moving, it turned away from Rocky as if it forgot that he existed, did a quick one-eighty-degree turn, and then flew deeper into the ice forest. Its deafening screech could still be heard, even as it disappeared from sight.


    Rocky breathed a sigh of relief, and felt the restraints on his body loosen up. Still, he didn''t let his guard down. He determined that the colossal ice bird was the source of the screams outside, which made a shiver crawl through his spine. Its aura was even stronger than that of the strongest ancient demonic beast!


    Therefore, at that moment, Rocky was also amazed and curious. He could not help but wonder where that enormous ice bird came from and why it lived in this strange place.


    Soon, however, Rocky heard the sweet voice that had stopped the ice bird from attacking him. As his head swiveled towards the direction of the voice, he saw a beautiful, mysterious woman standing in an ice pavilion beside the ice forest. She looked weak and fragile like a thin reed that could easily be blown away by the wind.


    Seeing this, Rocky couldn''t help but come closer, as he was afraid that the woman needed help. He arrived at the ice pavilion and found that, on a closer look, the mysterious woman looked like an angel that had just fallen to the mortal world, with an extraordinary aura all over her body. Her beautiful face was clear and pale, bare of any makeup. It was like her skin had been condensed from the purest water. Her every movement spoke of a graceful charm, irresistible and ready to capture anyone''s attention.


    However, what shocked Rocky most was not the woman''s beauty. As he studied her face, he could swear that she looked so familiar, as if he had seen her somewhere else.


    Soon, Rocky remembered the twelve statues he had seen in the Heavenly God Temple. The woman in front of him looked exactly like one of the twelve statues, so he began to suspect that she was the real body of one of them.


    The Heavenly God Temple had already existed since the beginning of the spiritual race. If the woman were the real body of one of those


    ealized a more shocking problem. This woman just said that he looked exactly like Divine King Belial, and she was one of the twelve human statues. If his speculations were accurate, then the one among the twelve human statues he had seen in the Heavenly God Temple who looked exactly like him would be Divine King Belial.


    So Divine King Belial was also one of the twelve statues.


    "Why do you possess the power of Belial? Did he send you here for me? But why didn''t he come here himself?" The mysterious woman peppered him with so many questions like a dissatisfied housewife that Rocky didn''t know which to answer first.


    "I do have the power of Divine King Belial, but he didn''t send me to find you," Rocky explained.


    "Where is he? He told me that he would come here to keep me company after everything was settled? Did he go back on his word?" The woman''s face darkened, and Rocky knew he had to pull himself together, or the situation could become worse. He didn''t want to fight this woman!


    "If you want to know where he is, I need you to answer some of my questions first," Rocky suggested with a frown.


    The woman seemed eager to know the whereabouts of Divine King Belial, so she answered without hesitation, "What do you want to know?"


    "How did all the beings buried in the Myriad Spirit Tomb die? And who are the twelve statues in the Heavenly God Temple? Besides you and Divine King Belial, who are the ten other figures?" Rocky asked straightforwardly.

 Chapter 1258 The Ice Queen

    "You have the power of the Divine King Belial, but how come you don''t know these things? This is ridiculous. Tell me, who the hell are you?" After hearing so many questions from Rocky, the mysterious woman immediately grew suspicious of Rocky''s identity.


    "It seems to me that you don''t want to know the whereabouts of Divine King Belial," Rocky said with a frown on his face, seeing that the mysterious woman was beginning to be skeptical about him.


    "Fine, I''ll tell you whatever you want to know. The myriad spiritual race beings died because they are just mere sacrifices," the woman said indifferently, her tone even sounding a little disdainful.


    "Sacrifices? What do you mean?" Rocky was stunned by what the woman said. The myriad spiritual race beings had many renowned members including the first patriarch of the Dragon Master Clan and other important figures in the spiritual race. However, according to the mysterious woman, they were only sacrifices.


    "Why did you say that they are just sacrifices? They were sacrificed for what purpose?" Rocky continued.


    "I''ve already told you why the myriad beings died. If you want me to answer your questions, tell me where Divine King Belial is first!" the woman said coldly. It was obvious that her patience was running out as her beautiful eyes narrowed into slits.


    "Alright, I¡¯ll tell you the truth then. He is already dead," Rocky honestly answered after hesitating for a while.


    "What? He is dead? How could that be possible? He is Divine King Belial, the strongest warrior in the world. How could he die? No, you are a liar. You are lying to me right now..." the woman said emotionally. She was overwhelmed with emotions and couldn''t think straight.


    "For us humans, the spiritual race is the most powerful existence especially now that the Wild Spirit Land is under their control," Rocky replied with a seriously cold look in his eyes.


    "What? The spiritual race? Are you serious? Those despicable guys actually rule the Wild Spirit Land?" the woman said, completely appalled by what she heard.


    Rocky couldn''t help but feel a little surprised. The woman thought that the spiritual race, which was immensely powerful in the eyes of humans, was despicable. It seemed that the spiritual race was nothing to her.


    "So, how long has he been dead?" the woman asked af


    ven''t told me who the twelve statues are. Why are you and Divine King Belial among them?"


    "Apollyon didn''t tell you, so it only means that you don''t have to know about it," Noreen replied coldly.


    Rocky''s face froze when he realized that Noreen didn''t want to tell him. He finally got the chance to know the secret hidden behind the twelve statues, but now it seemed like he wouldn''t get the answers he wanted.


    "I also want to ask you if there was a woman who had come here before and claimed herself to be the Witch of the Holy Dragon Empire," Rocky asked as he remembered his real purpose of coming to this place.


    "I don''t know," Noreen responded mechanically and didn''t seem to be in the mood to talk to Rocky. She turned around to leave. But after a few steps, she suddenly stopped and looked back at Rocky with a thoughtful look. Then she continued, "I once saw a woman bury a box outside. Since I was curious, I dug it out and looked inside."


    "There is something hidden in the box, right?" Rocky asked immediately. He really wanted to know the answers to his questions.


    "Wait a minute," Noreen said. Then, she walked into an ice pavilion at the building cluster.


    After a short while, she took out an exquisite box and threw it casually towards Rocky.


    Rocky caught it and immediately opened it. The box was shining with spiritual light and a bead was lying inside.


    "That¡¯s it," Rocky said, raising his eyebrows.


    A strange look flashed in the Ice Queen''s face. After glancing at Rocky, she quietly returned to the ice pavilion.

 Chapter 1259 The Torture

    Rocky caught a glimpse of the Ice Queen as she walked into the ice pavilion. At that moment, he felt a dash of sadness pierce his heart as if he had experienced the twists and turns of life.


    ''What is this feeling?'' Rocky thought to himself as he unconsciously put his hand on his chest. At that moment, he didn''t have any idea why he felt that way.


    "Just hurry up and leave. If she finds out that you are actually..." the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast firmly insisted. It wanted to say something more, but stopped itself from doing so. Perhaps, after giving it a second thought, it had refrained from speaking any further as if it was hiding something important.


    "What? Don''t leave me hanging. Spit it out!" Rocky said.


    "You will know when the time is right," the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast responded.


    Rocky''s eyes narrowed as he heard the beast''s reply. Then, he turned around and left the ice paradise. He passed through the ice door that he had come in through before until his figure vanished from plain sight.


    On the other hand, the Ice Queen peeped outside the door of the ice pavilion and walked out. Suddenly, a hint of suspicion blazed across her delicate face. "No, this cannot be a coincidence. It seems that Apollyon lied to me just now! Not only does that guy have the power of the Divine King Belial, but he also looks exactly like him. Could he be the reincarnation of Belial? Belial may be able to come back to life with his body. No matter what the cost is, I will revive Belial. I will do whatever it takes to get the man I love back in my arms."


    Meanwhile, Rocky had already passed through the ice gate and had finally returned to the underground ice kingdom.


    During that time, the three beasts were fighting with the powerful Soul Beast that exuded a strong fighting aura. Despite the Soul Beast''s power, the other three beasts were no inferior to it. With their outstanding talents and abilities, the clash was definitely at a stalemate.


    As soon as Rocky showed up, the three beasts immediately rushed to his side.


    Now that the main objective of this trip had already been fulfilled, there was no need to engage with the Soul Beast. With that being said, Rocky had sent Uriah and Robin to return to his Magic Spiritual Space. There, they fused with Ken and vanished almost instantly.


    Meanwhile, the Soul Beast wanted to chase after Rocky as soon as it saw him disappear right before its eyes, but suddenly, it seemed that an ice shadow blazed and flew right past


    tell you where it is," Cyrus said calmly.


    "In that case, you leave me no choice. Do not blame me for what I am about to do. Bring his daughter to me, and I will torture his daughter in front of him. Let''s see how long he can hold on to his little secret," the young man ordered.


    Soon after, about six members of the Snow Master Clan walked towards Cyrus and Harriet and surrounded them.


    "Harriet, leave now! I''ll hold them and fight to death!" Cyrus pushed her daughter away and stood up to fight.


    "Go to hell, you old scum!" the young man roared coldly. Soon after, he burst out the aura of an ordinary spiritual being at the intermediate level. He waved his palm, and in the blink of an eye, he had been transported in front of Cyrus, ready for some action.


    Bang!


    In a flash, Cyrus was sent flying to the air. Upon landing on the ground with a loud thud, he spat out a few mouthfuls of black blood.


    "Father!" Harriet screamed as she ran to her father''s side. However, due to his poor health and the injuries that his body had sustained, it was very unfortunate for Harriet to witness his father''s last gasp.


    "Go! Hurry! Don''t let them know your..." Cyrus shouted at Harriet with all his remaining strength.


    But of course, at that moment, Harriet didn''t want to leave. Instead, she raised her head up high and stared violently at the young man who attacked her father.


    "I wasn''t kidding when I said that I would kill your father if he didn''t tell me where the legendary guardian beast was. But if you decide to tell me, I promise to treat you well in the future." The young man stared at Harriet with a lewd smile as he licked his lips.

 Chapter 1260 The Revenge

    "I... I will kill... you!" Harriet screamed. The spiritual light on her body suddenly spread out. She immediately turned into a shadow and rushed towards the man of the Snow Master Clan.


    However, the man seemed to be skillful in dealing with Harriet''s attack. He remained composed despite her sudden attack. It was obvious that his strength was above hers.


    Harriet was so enraged that she used the Snow Master Clan''s secret skills again and again, but she failed every single time. Soon enough, most of her spiritual power was consumed without her even touching the man''s clothes.


    "That''s enough nonsense!" The man showed a lewd smile. When he saw that Harriet was a little exhausted and powerless, his spiritual light suddenly rose. In an instant, he darted forward towards Harriet.


    Although Harriet wanted to break free, she was firmly grasped by the man because of the gap in their strength. Just as she was about to completely fall into the man''s hand, a figure suddenly appeared silently beside her. The figure immediately grabbed the man''s wrist.


    The man did not expect that there would be such a person who could suddenly appear out of nowhere. He felt as if his wrist was about to be crushed. He hurriedly let go of Harriet and pulled his hand back.


    At first, Harriet was stunned. When she saw the face of the man who saved her, she was immediately stunned and asked, "Why are you here?"


    It was Rocky who appeared at that moment. He returned to the village and was about to give some presents to Cyrus and his daughter in return of their favor. But he didn''t expect to see such a scene.


    "Step back at once," Rocky said. He did not answer Harriet''s question. Instead, he looked at Cyrus who was lying on the snow, seeming to be on the verge of death.


    Harriet looked at Rocky in confusion, but she still stepped back.


    Rocky looked up at the man and asked, "Is it you who injured Head Cyrus?"


    "Tell me, you are... a mere human being, right? A worthless human being dares to act this wildly in the territory of the Snow Master C


    . The flame instantly spread out like ripples on the lake. The man''s arm was immediately affected by the spreading Evil Flame. In the blink of an eye, it was severely burned and mutilated.


    "Ah!" The man immediately let out an agonizing scream and tried his best to extinguish the Evil Flame on his hand. However, it seemed that the Evil Flame cannot be extinguished, so his whole arm was burnt to ashes.


    "Young master!" When they saw what happened, the members of the Snow Master Clan were completely shocked.


    "If you don''t cut off your arm right now, your entire body will be burned to ashes soon," Rocky coldly reminded the man as he glanced at him.


    The man''s face turned deathly pale when he heard this. The Evil Flame on his arm began to spread towards his shoulder.


    "Give me the saber now," the man shouted at the other members. It was obvious that he was afraid to die.


    The other members were also frightened. No one dared to move. They thought that if anyone gave a saber to the man, they might be punished and would bear unimaginable consequences.


    Seeing that no one was moving, the man rushed towards one of the members. Then, he pulled out the saber from the waist of the member and cut his shoulder. There was a loud painful scream as blood spurted out from his shoulder. His arm that had been burnt with only bones left fell to the ground.

 Chapter 1261 Two Choices

    "This arm is the price you must pay for hurting Head Cyrus. Next..." Rocky said in a harsh voice, and the evil aura he gave off also became violent. All the members of the Snow Master Clan, including the young man, immediately felt a chill down their spines. Their bodies could not help but tremble out of fear.


    "Mister... Mr. Rocky... Please let them go..." Cyrus suddenly made an extremely faint sound.


    "I see, alright." Rocky turned his head to look at Cyrus. When he saw that Cyrus was looking at him with a pleading face, Rocky restrained his aura. He completely respected his decision.


    "Leave at once! Don¡¯t make me come for you again!" Rocky intently looked at the man and his subordinates.


    The man held his broken arm and his face was completely pale. However, he still stared at Rocky and said, "If you really have the guts, don''t leave. Wait till I kill you myself!" After that, he fled with his men.


    "Hurry up and leave. He is our patriarch''s son. If the patriarch knows that you broke one of his son''s arms, he won''t let you go!" Harriet said to Rocky. Then she ran back to Cyrus and helped her father up.


    But at that moment, Cyrus seemed to be dying.


    "Father!" Harriet cried out, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.


    "Mister... Mr. Rocky..." Cyrus suddenly stretched out his arm and called out to Rocky.


    Seeing this, Rocky immediately walked up to him.


    "I know... I know that you are... a good man... Please take... take my daughter... and leave this... this place... She is... the only hope... of our clan..." Cyrus said, trying to prolong his breath. But in the end, he suddenly tilted his head to face the sky and breathed his last breath.


    "Father!" seeing this, Harriet screamed hysterically. She could not accept that her father was dead.


    "I will help you bury your father and the other villagers first; then you should go with me." Rocky''s eyes darkened. Cyrus helped him find the colored pearl, so he wanted to grant his last wish.


    Harriet was heartbroken. She really suffered a great blow because of her father''s death, as she just held the corpse of Cyrus in a daze.


    At last, with the help o


    s difficult for her. Just come at me if you need anything."


    "Boy, you made a huge mistake by breaking one of my son''s arms. You are about to die, but you still worry about others. Besides, my son is now disabled and needs someone to take care of him. I have decided to let her be my son''s slave and serve him for the rest of her life," the patriarch said coldly. And then he continued, "As for you, I will cut off both of your hands first. Then, I will make you kneel down in front of my son to apologize for what you have done!"


    Rocky was very calm when the patriarch was speaking. Suddenly, he darted to Harriet¡¯s side in a blink of an eye.


    "Do you really want to die? Why did you come back?" Harriet asked Rocky directly.


    "It was me who hurt him. How could I leave and make you suffer for what I did? Unless you finally go with me..." Rocky smiled gently.


    Harriet rolled her eyes at Rocky and then said to the patriarch, "He hurt your son because of me. I''ll take all the responsibility. Just let him go!" "Oh God!


    Didn¡¯t you understand what I just said? Neither of you can leave!" the patriarch shouted, then waved his hand. More than a dozen men of the Snow Master Clan immediately surrounded Rocky and Harriet.


    "You only have two choices. One is to go with me now, and the other is to let me kidnap you after I kill them all. The choice is yours..." Rocky said calmly as he turned to intently look at Harriet.

 Chapter 1262 The Legendary Guardian Beast

    "You can''t even save your own life. Why do you still want to take me away?" Harriet couldn''t help but grumble. In her opinion, no one could leave, especially since the patriarch was present.


    However, Rocky suddenly smiled at Harriet as if he knew something that she didn''t. The next moment, he abruptly turned into a shadow and passed through the surrounding Snow Master Clan members. In the blink of an eye, he had approached the patriarch.


    The patriarch didn''t expect that Rocky would suddenly rush towards him. His expression shifted in alarm, but he immediately took a deep breath as if to calm himself. His spiritual power that was close to the strength of a spiritual master instantly bloomed. All of a sudden, icy wind blew violently around them, and the spiritual waves in the place waxed and waned.


    "Ice Dragon Wrath!" As the patriarch waved his hand, a ferocious ice dragon shot out and rushed towards Rocky, who was fast approaching.


    But Rocky didn''t even blink. He shook his left arm, and a black-purple vortex appeared, directly devouring the dragon.


    "What the... What kind of evil skill is this?" When the patriarch saw that Rocky had forcefully devoured his clan''s secret skill, his expression darkened in dismay.


    His subordinates were even more surprised because, in their opinion, the strength of their patriarch whose power was approaching a spiritual master was already very powerful. In sharp contrast, the human in front of them, who they thought was a weakling, had easily broken through their patriarch''s secret skill.


    Of course, the patriarch did not think that the human in front of him could do something like that. Thus, he believed that if he used the Snow Master Clan''s secret skill again, Rocky would not survive it again.


    "Freeze the world!" The patriarch raised his hands. Suddenly, the wind and snow around them roared, and between one breath and the next, all of them gathered towards Rocky, instantly freezing his feet.


    Soon, a thick layer of ice had formed all over Rocky''s body until he was nothing but a human-shaped ice sculpture.


    "Ha-ha! You are a mere human being! You have overestimated yourself. Now you know how powerful I am!" The patriarch laughed arrogantly.


    Seeing this, Harriet was shocked, but she could do nothing.


    "Take that girl back." Seeing that Rocky had become an ice sculpture, the patriarch turned his attention back to Harriet.


    He signaled his men, and several members of the Snow Master Clan immediately surrounded her.


    Suddenl


    t couldn''t help but protest again.


    "It''s because I know that the Snow Master Clan''s legendary guardian beast is your guardian beast," Rocky answered with a smile.


    "How¡ªhow did you know that?!" Harriet blurted out in surprise. Except for her father and herself, no other person should have known about that.


    "The patriarch wants to know where your father hid your clan''s legendary guardian beast. And before your father''s death, he asked me to take you away from here. He also said that you were the hope of the Snow Master Clan, so it''s not difficult for me to guess that the owner of your clan''s legendary guardian beast was actually you," explained Rocky calmly. "However, I don''t understand why your father didn''t hand over the legendary guardian beast to the patriarch since he got it. Instead, he hid it."


    "My father used to be a respected elder of my clan. To revive the clan, he began to search for the legendary guardian beast. He spent fifty years looking for it, and he managed to find the reincarnated legendary guardian beast. However, he was seriously injured, and his advanced spiritual being''s strength was crippled, all to bring back the legendary guardian beast. Despite all these, the patriarch did not even thank my father. Instead, he forced him to hand over the legendary guardian beast. My father knew that the patriarch was not worth trusting the future of the whole Snow Master Clan, so he didn''t hand over the beast to him. As a result, the patriarch abolished my father''s position as an elder and relegated him to a pitiful village..." Harriet revealed in a soft voice. Her eyes were distant as if she was reminiscing the memories from long ago.

 Chapter 1263 The Only Chance

    "Oh, I see. It seems that your father had truly done his best for the Snow Master Clan. How admirable. For the future of the clan, he would rather die than tell anyone about the legendary guardian beast," Rocky remarked in a reverent voice, for he genuinely admired Cyrus''s heroic traits.


    "However, my father didn''t expect that you are also a bad guy! You probably guessed that he gave the legendary guardian beast to me, and pretended to be my savior so that I would leave with you! You deceived me!" Harriet burst out indignantly, glaring hard at Rocky.


    "Don''t worry. I won''t do anything terrible to you! Even though I''m not a good person, I''m not evil either. You are fortunate that it was me you have met. If the Heavenly Demon Clan found out that you own the legendary guardian beast, it will be not a good thing for you. Besides, no matter for the consideration of your father or the whole Snow Master Clan, You have to go with me because I am the only one who can protect you," Rocky insisted with a grave expression on his face.


    "Why should I believe you?" Harriet still couldn''t believe Rocky''s words. No, it was not that she could not, but she refused to be played by him!


    "You don''t have to believe me right now, and I don''t need you to believe me either. If you don''t want to go with me, I have my means to take you away. That will be easy for me to do if you prefer that," he added with an evil smile.


    The reason why he insisted on taking Harriet away was not only because of Cyrus'' will, but it was also because he wanted to make sure that her legendary guardian beast would not fall into the hands of the Heavenly Demon Clan. Beyond that, he didn''t really care how much Harriet hated him or didn''t believe him.


    Hearing Rocky''s words, Harriet pursed her lips, but she knew that she was no match for Rocky regarding the strength. If Rocky wanted to take her away forcibly, she could only sit still and wait.


    Rocky''s smile turned smug when she didn''t say anything else, knowing that he had already won. And after that, their journey became peaceful and silent all the way.


    After a day''s journey to the end of the Snow Cemetery Plain, Rocky called out Ken and took Harriet back to the Holy Dragon Empire.


    Once he arrived at the Holy Dragon Empire, Rocky went back to the Crimson City and planned to settle Harriet down first.


    The three women, including Sabina, had already completed the task he had assigned a few days ago and were back in the Crimson City.


    The women had all been waiting for Rocky, and they couldn''t stop themselves f


    ce.


    "But why is the whereabouts of the last spiritual treasure not confirmed until now?" Rocky asked.


    "Because the place where it is sealed is buried in the sea, about a thousand meters deep. Not to mention humans, or even an ordinary spiritual race being, can''t reach such depths," she explained readily. "If it''s so difficult to reach, how did a being from the spiritual race seal the spiritual treasure in that place?"


    Rocky asked curiously. "The spiritual race clan in charge of the ninth spiritual treasure is a clan that is now completely extinct in the Wild Spirit Land.


    It was once one of the nine great spiritual race clans¡ªthe Water Master Clan. They lived on the sea and used to be an influential clan, but they were gravely injured due to the massive changes happening to the sea. They found it difficult to adjust and deal with these changes, and soon, most of their clan members had been seriously injured or had died. Since then, their line could not fully recover, until they finally disappeared, never to be heard from again in the Wild Spirit Land. It was said that the ninth spiritual treasure is actually sealed in the ruins of the Water Master Clan. However, because of the huge changes at that time, the ruins of the clan have been buried in the deep sea. Only the tide every one hundred years will be able to float the ruins back to the sea surface, but it only lasts for a very short time. The tide will return in half a month, so that is the only chance to retrieve the ninth spiritual treasure. If we can successfully stop them from taking it, the spiritual race clans have to wait at least a hundred years to try and get the ninth spiritual treasure again..." Cherry continued.

 Chapter 1264 Arrive At The Water Beast Sea

    "I see." Rocky nodded. If that was the case, and they finally made it to stop the spiritual race from retrieving the ninth spiritual treasure, there was no need for him to worry about the future.


    "If you have no more questions, please go and prepare for the journey first. The Water Master Clan''s ruins are in the southernmost Water Beast Sea of the Wild Spirit Land. By then, I will bring the members of the Butterfly Divine Clan to meet you. Since it is the last spiritual treasure, I am sure that many spiritual race clans are determined to get it. This time, not only will there be a large number of human spirit manipulators, but a large number of powerful spiritual race beings will certainly go there. It will be an unprecedented melee, so you have to be fully prepared. I think it will be best to join hands with other spiritual race clans that also want to prevent the ninth spiritual treasure from appearing. After all, our Butterfly Divine Clan alone may not be able to help you deal with that many spiritual race clans," Cherry said thoughtfully. Moreover, she knew that Rocky had a close relationship with the Dragon Master Clan, the Wood Clan, and the Phoenix Master Clan. He had also helped the three clans before. Therefore, if Rocky were to talk to them, perhaps, he could gather the power of these three clans to prevent the ninth spiritual treasure from being taken out.


    "I''ll do as I see fit," Rocky responded as if he already had his own plans in his mind.


    After that, Cherry said goodbye and left.


    Once she was gone, Rocky went to Moira first and told her the legend about the calamity beasts that Cherry had mentioned.


    "I did hear about this legend from my father. However, since it had happened before the beginning of the spiritual race, I don''t know whether it''s true or not, and we can''t verify it. However, if we can prevent the ninth spiritual treasure from appearing, it might not be a bad thing." Moira also knew that if the ninth spiritual treasure were released, it would definitely cause a massive change in the entire Wild Spirit Land. It was hard to predict what would happen after that.


    "That is why I''m hoping the Dragon Master Clan can help me this time," Rocky said with certainty.


    "As you have helped our clan a lot in the past, this time, we will go all out to help you prevent the ninth spiritual treasure from appearing," Moira r


    ild Spirit Land.


    The Water Beast Sea was named for the fact that it gathered the rarest underwater spirit-manipulated beasts and supernatural beasts in the Wild Spirit Land. It was also the only mysterious water area in the Wild Spirit Land, where the two kinds of beasts inhabited together.


    When they arrived at the Water Beast Sea, they were met by the dazzling blue sea and sky, as the horizon almost disappeared with the glorious blue. The surface of the sea sparkled like a thousand diamonds everywhere the sunlight touched, and it gave Rocky and his companions a somewhat peaceful feeling.


    "This looks like a great place for a vacation." Rocky looked around the boundless sea. He could not help but think that it would be very suitable for a vacation if he built a wooden house here. Of course, that didn''t take into consideration the shark-like spirit-manipulated beasts that could jump out of the water at any time.


    However, unbeknownst to them, this sense of peace would be broken soon.


    The Water Beast Sea had a vast coastline, so Rocky took advantage of it and led the team around it. They almost reached the westernmost area of the coastline, for they detoured the long way to avoid a confrontation with other spiritual race beings and other human spirit manipulators.


    "Let''s camp here first. Marcia and Alyssa, I want you two to supervise our camp''s preparation. Sabina, Lucilla, come with me. We will spy on the enemy," Rocky said immediately.


    The latter two women nodded at once. Then, they left with Rocky, running along the coastline to spy on the enemy.

 Chapter 1265 Hidden Deep In The Sea

    Along the way, Rocky found that most of those who came to grab the spiritual treasure were teams made up of different clans of the spiritual race and the human spirit manipulators sent by their subsidiary countries. Of course, such units were more powerful and challenging to deal with than human teams.


    Even though the spiritual race couldn''t enter the forbidden area where the spiritual treasure was sealed, they didn''t give up, nor did they want to let the humans take it. After all, this was the last spiritual treasure without an owner. Therefore, every clan of the spiritual race would definitely not let this extremely rare opportunity pass through their fingers.


    In the past, all of the eight spiritual treasures had owners. So, even if the other clans of the spiritual race wanted to get them, they didn''t have much chance. The ninth spiritual treasure was the only treasure that didn''t belong to anyone because the clan that owned it had already been annihilated. Therefore, no one knew where exactly it was hidden. It was, undoubtedly, a fair competition.


    And although the spiritual race members couldn''t enter the forbidden area where the spiritual treasure was sealed, they could at least pin down and obstruct the other treasure raiding teams at the periphery, which would give their own teams a certain advantage.


    Besides, all the subsidiary countries of the spiritual race clans gave their all this time, seeing as they sent out a lot of powerful spirit manipulators. Many of them were masters at the Supernal Stage and the Divine Stage.


    "Basil, look at that guy. Isn''t he a spirit manipulator at the Immortal Stage?" As they passed through a secret forest, Sabina saw a group of spirit manipulators that were pitching their tents at the coast not far away. Among them was an older man clothed in yellow. He looked to be at least a hundred years old, but he still seemed spry and energetic. Their flags revealed that they were from the Myriad Ghosts Empire.


    Rocky stopped as soon as he heard Sabina''s curious question. He looked in the direction that Sabina was pointing at and saw the older man in yellow. Rocky''s slack face went taut with tension, but he didn''t say anything and just nodded at her. As Sabina had guessed, the older man in yellow was indeed a spirit manipulator at the Immortal Stage.


    "The Myriad Ghosts Empire


    h them," commented Marcia.


    "It won''t be a problem for the spirit-manipulated beasts with Water nature," Shirley chimed in.


    "I think so too." Rocky nodded in agreement.


    Then, on Rocky''s orders, they gathered all the spirit-manipulated beasts and the guardian beasts with Water nature in the team and sent them deep into the Water Beast Sea to search for the ruins of the Water Master Clan.


    However, since the Water Beast Sea was very vast, it was not easy to find the ruins. Fortunately, the spirit-manipulated beasts and guardian beasts with Water nature were not subject to any limitations in water, so the search went very smoothly.


    The day before the tide came, they finally found the traces of the ruins of the Water Master Clan. However, there was also a problem. In order to confirm whether the spiritual treasure was in the ruins or not, Rocky had to go deep into the bottom of the sea to confirm.


    That was not an easy thing to do. At that moment, everyone in the camp was discussing how they could best deal with this problem.


    "The ruins are at least a thousand meters under the water, and they are too far away. Except for the spirit-manipulated beasts with Water nature, even the spiritual race may not reach them. And even if they can, it won''t be easy to come back. Besides, if we want to enter the ruins, we must find the entrance. It will take a lot of time," Alyssa analyzed.


    Everyone looked at each other, but no one had any idea what to do. That was until someone spoke up.


    "It''s not that difficult," Rocky said with a calm smile.

 Chapter 1266 A Golden Light Shining

    Everyone''s eyes suddenly focused on Rocky.


    "Now¡¯s the right time for me to show my trump card," Rocky said as he immediately opened his Magic Spiritual Space and walked right in.


    Not long after, Rocky came out carrying a few sets of smooth and soft clothes. The clothes seemed like it was as smooth as fish skin. Behind him, Robin was carrying several sealed iron jars. The jars were half as tall as a man and there were some tubes connected to them. The jars looked peculiar.


    "Basil, what are these?" Marcia immediately asked when she saw what Rocky brought.


    As a matter of fact, everyone was curious about the things that he brought.


    "These clothes in my hands are called diving suits, and those in the hands of Robin are special diving equipment. These can help in providing oxygen under the water..." Rocky introduced the items briefly.


    After hearing from Cherry that the spiritual treasure might be sealed under the deep sea, he personally designed and made several diving suits and diving equipment just in case it was necessary.


    With Rocky''s meticulous preparation, the problem was quickly solved. A team led by Rocky, including Marcia and Alyssa, put on their diving suits and diving equipment and went deep into the Water Beast Sea.


    Shirley also joined them. It was Shirley''s spiritual beast with Water Nature that found the location of the Water Master Clan''s ruins, so they needed her beast to lead the way.


    As they swam down, the beautiful scenery under the sea water was incredibly attractive, but of course, not including the huge water spirit-manipulated beasts and supernatural beasts that swam in their way from time to time.


    Fortunately, most of those beasts were very docile, so they were not that much of a bother.


    About two hours later, the team led by Shirley''s beast arrived at an area with lush water plants. Soon enough, they saw the outline of some relic buildings mostly covered by water grass.


    "It should be somewhere here," Rocky said with a frown on his face.


    ky alarmingly and asked.


    "We can¡¯t finish it because we have been circling around this whole time. This long corridor is not completely straight. It has an exceedingly small curve," Rocky said as he used the flame to illuminate the stone wall. The stone wall looked flat on the outside, but he found that it had a tiny arc when looked closely.


    Since the ruins were huge, even though the arc looked tiny, it was able to form a continuous circle.


    "So, what should we do now?" Shirley looked at Rocky and asked.


    "We need the help of my guiding master," Rocky said as he summoned Ken from his Magic Spiritual Space.


    With Rocky¡¯s nod, Ken immediately ran forward with Rocky and Shirley following it closely.


    A moment later, Ken stopped in front of a slate with a slightly different color from the other stone walls.


    Rocky looked at it and reached out his hand to touch it. A moment later, the slate caved in. Then there was suddenly a rumbling under his feet. He realized that the inner stone walls moved one after the other like a domino.


    In a blink of an eye, Rocky and Shirley found the entrance in front of them.


    After looking at Shirley, Rocky walked in first. Suddenly, he felt a golden light shining on his face. When he saw what was right in front of him, he was immediately shocked and shouted, "Oh, God! This is..."

 Chapter 1267 Shocked By The Memory

    This dazzling golden light might seem to be some kind of treasure at first glance, but what Rocky saw was not a treasure. Although it was not a treasure, it was definitely far more amazing than that.


    In front of him was a stone chamber and at the center stood a transparent container. The container was filled with liquid and it was sealed with some glass-like material.


    What surprised Rocky was not the container, but the handsome man in the container. The man was naked and completely soaked in the liquid. He was not breathing or moving as if he was dead and the container was his casket.


    The strangest thing was that this man looked alive. It gave off a somewhat strong vitality as if he was just asleep. The golden light was emitted by this gentle-looking man as if he was some kind of light source.


    "Basil, who on earth is he?" Shirley asked. She blushed and turned her head as soon as she saw the naked man in the container.


    Rocky shook his head. Judging from the characteristics of this man, he looked like an ordinary human being. He did not have the form of the spiritual race, so he must not be a member of the spiritual race. However, the golden light released by this man was obviously formed by some kind of power. If he were an ordinary human being, he would not have such a strange power.


    "Do you think that this man is the ninth spiritual treasure?" Shirley couldn''t help but suspect.


    "I don¡¯t think so. He doesn''t look like one," Rocky replied.


    However, it was hard to imagine why there was a mysterious naked man in the ruins of the Water Master Clan.


    "Basil, there¡¯s something over there. Look." Shirley noticed something and pointed at a corner of the container.


    Rocky immediately looked over and saw a stone model protruding from the corner of the container. It was like a palm that was constantly flas


    nd," the man questioned.


    "All things are created equal. Some powerful people will only make this world distorted. Why do you think the spiritual race beings were so determined? They already knew that they would end up dead, but they were not afraid at all. It''s because they knew their sacrifices would bring unimaginable impact to their descendants. They were not fighting for the present, but for the future of their race and this world," the figure said coldly like a philosopher. However, his cold words seemed to be mixed with inexplicable expectations.


    "I actually want to ask you a favor," the figure said to the man after deeply sighing.


    "Really? What is it?" the man asked in surprise. He didn''t expect that the king would talk to him in such a manner.


    "Live a long life and witness the future of this world for me," the figure said coldly.


    "Since you ordered it, I will do it. But you will witness it yourself, right? You¡¯re going to live forever," the man replied respectfully.


    "Oh, really?" The figure smiled wickedly.


    He turned around slowly. His resolute face was covered by a terrifying mask. It looked like the face of Death, which made people feel that death was exactly right in front of them.

 Chapter 1268 Being Threatened

    "The Holy Mask..." Rocky finally came back to his senses. His eyes widened, and the last scene in his memory still lingered in his mind. The mask that the evil figure wore was the Holy Mask which belonged to the first patriarch of the Dragon Master Clan, and was also the holy treasure of the clan.


    But obviously, the figure that the owner of this memory called king was not the first patriarch of the Dragon Master Clan. Although Rocky didn''t see his face, he could tell from the conversation in the memory that this king seemed to be closely related to the death of myriad spiritual race beings. But who on earth was he? Although Rocky had a guess in his mind, he was not so sure about it.


    The conversation in the memory also contained many pieces of important information that were very useful for Rocky.


    At that moment, Rocky couldn''t help but look at the mysterious man in the container. If this mysterious man was actually the owner of this memory, a subordinate of the king, who on earth was he really? What was his relationship with the evil man that he called king?


    Rocky was sure that if this mysterious man was still alive, he could help him solve the mystery of the death of myriad spiritual race beings.


    "Hey, Basil. Are you okay?" When she saw that Rocky was completely lost in thought while he was staring at the mysterious man in the container, Shirley shook him immediately.


    Rocky came back to his senses and lightly shook his head. After looking at the mysterious man, he said, "We must keep searching."


    Although he was extremely interested in the mysterious man in the container, the most important thing now was to find the ninth spiritual treasure. After finding the spiritual treasure, he would try to figure out more about the mysterious man''s background and secrets.


    So, Rocky and Shirley left the stone chamber. Just as the two of them walked out of the stone chamber, the mysterious man in the container suddenly opened his eyes.


    On the other hand, the two of them continued to follow Ken as it led the way. Not long after, they found another entrance. After entering, they found themselves in another straight passage. But this time it seemed that they were closer to the center.


    The two together with Ken continued to move forward in a circle. After nearly walking a full circle, they finally found another entrance that was closer


    his face.


    "My grandfather is Bryant Ximen. If you hurt me, you will be dead for sure," Shirley said as she intently stared at him with her beautiful eyes.


    "Oh, is that so? I didn''t expect you to be Bryant''s granddaughter. What a small world indeed! Bryant was the one who disabled one of my eyes. And today I caught his granddaughter! It''s finally the time to seek retribution for what he had done to me in the past," the powerful warrior playfully said and laughed wildly.


    "You..." Shirley''s face immediately changed when she heard this. She didn''t expect that this man was the enemy of her grandfather.


    "Boy, hurry up! Or do you really want to see me kill her?" The powerful spirit manipulator named Dudley glared at Rocky with a sneer and suddenly tightened his grip on Shirley''s neck.


    Shirley immediately choked as she was completely in pain because of the tightened force.


    When Rocky saw this, his eyes turned cold. He couldn''t let Shirley die. After hesitating for a while, he finally turned around and reached out for the hammer-shaped spiritual treasure.


    However, just as he was about to touch the hammer-shaped spiritual treasure, it instantly radiated an intense blue light. The light spread out quickly and a strong spiritual power surged out like a torrent.


    Suddenly, the whole place shook violently.


    "You useless brat, what have you done?" Dudley immediately glared at Rocky, thinking that Rocky had tricked him.


    When Rocky looked at the place which shook violently as if it were about to collapse, his face became grim and he didn''t say anything.

 Chapter 1269 The Fierce Melee

    Meanwhile on the sea above the ruins, waves were suddenly surging. Soon enough, they formed huge rumbling and roaring waves that rushed towards the coastline. The momentum was incredibly astonishing.


    In the camp, Marcia, Alyssa, and the others were worried by the disappearance of Rocky and Shirley.


    "The huge tide is coming!" a spirit manipulator reported immediately as he ran in.


    As the people in the camp heard this, they walked out of the camp and saw the Water Beast Sea not too far away with surging waves rather shocking.


    At first, the huge waves only reached the coastline a dozen meters. But soon enough, the waves became stronger and stronger and higher and higher. It was like a tsunami which was extremely spectacular.


    "It seems that we must retreat now," Alyssa directly said to Marcia.


    Marcia nodded in agreement. It seemed that the whole coastline would be affected soon. If they did not retreat now, they would surely be in big trouble.


    So, under the leadership of Marcia and Alyssa, the team of spirit manipulators and the members of the Dragon Master Clan retreated quickly to a higher place behind the coastline. They looked down at the torrential huge waves which were constantly crashing into the coastline.


    The waves rose again and again. Not long after, the waves were dozens of meters tall. They were like rolling curtains that were intertwining and churning, which was completely frightening.


    "Do you think Basil and Shirley are all right?" Seeing this unbelievable scene, Sabina couldn''t help but worry.


    Marcia and Alyssa looked serious too, but they could not go now to the sea to look for Rocky and Shirley. Moreover, the appearance of the huge waves only meant that the ruins of the Water Master Clan would soon appear above the sea. By then, all the treasure raiding teams would definitely take action, so their task during that time was to prevent the spiritual treasure from being taken away. So, they must get ready.


    Two hours later, on the sea a thousand meters away from the Water Beast Sea, something had come out from the water.


    ith more than ten members of the Dragon Master Clan and dozens of spirit manipulators of the Holy Dragon Empire, stood in their way.


    "You go ahead and rush in first. I''ll fight her." The old man in purple knew that Marcia was strong, so he planned to deal with her himself.


    "Nobody can enter the ruins." Marcia summoned the Holy-blood Dragon King directly. Meanwhile, her entire being changed instantly. She evolved into a member of the spiritual race, exuding a frightening aura of a spiritual master. The spirit manipulators and the members of the spiritual race around were stunned to see her transformation.


    Then, several ordinary spiritual beings of the spiritual race appeared in front of the old man in purple.


    "Go now!" The old man in purple narrowed his eyes and rushed towards Marcia along with the several ordinary spiritual beings.


    Marcia didn''t show any signs of weakness. She and the Holy-blood Dragon King fought against the old man in purple and the ordinary spiritual beings. The other spirit manipulators and the members of the spiritual race also began to fight, starting an extremely fierce offensive and defensive battle.


    Just as the ruins surfaced and the treasure raiding teams were fighting, Rocky, Dudley and Shirley were still inside the circular building of the ruins. Shirley was still being held hostage, while Rocky and Dudley were in a stalemate.

 Chapter 1270 Fierce Attacks of The Underwater Beasts

    "Give me the spiritual treasure!" Once the vibration had stopped, Dudley immediately put pressure on Shirley''s neck. That way, he could exert more power at any moment and instantly break her neck.


    When Rocky saw Dudley''s ferocious attack, he knew that Dudley couldn''t be fooled easily. Thus, he tentatively reached out his hand to the hammer-shaped spiritual treasure. But at that time, nothing happened to the hammer-shaped spiritual treasure, so Rocky caught it easily.


    "Give it to me," Dudley told Rocky with a sinister smile, his hand still on Shirley''s neck.


    Rocky took one look at the hammer-shaped spiritual treasure and suddenly threw it into the air.


    Moving fast, Dudley immediately pushed Shirley away and tried to grab the hammer-shaped spiritual treasure falling in the air. However, at that moment, the hammer-shaped spiritual treasure suddenly disappeared in midair. No matter how fast Dudley had moved, his hands only caught air.


    "Damn it!" Dudley furiously shouted as he glared at Rocky, who had appeared beside Shirley like a knight in shining armor.


    The next moment, Ken appeared beside Rocky, with the hammer-shaped spiritual treasure in its mouth.


    "It doesn''t matter. You won''t get out of here alive." Suddenly, Dudley''s aura increased tenfold, and with a single punch, his spiritual light shot into all directions. The only entrance collapsed immediately, sealing the place completely.


    When Rocky realized that Dudley had sealed the sole exit point, his eyes turned sharp and icy, like a snowstorm in the middle of a winter night. He took the spiritual treasure back from Ken''s mouth and put it back on the stage. Then, he turned to Dudley and said, "I didn''t plan to leave in the first place. I''m not here to grab the spiritual treasure, but to prevent you from taking the spiritual treasure away from here..."


    "If you want to die together, then I''ll fulfill your wish!" Dudley shouted. He became even more furious when Rocky didn''t look distressed. At once, he rushed directly towards Rocky and Shirley, as the powerful aura instantly enveloped the two of them.


    Since Rocky had to protect Shirley, his attack was also limited. On the contrary, Dudley''s killing intent grew even more intense. As he launched a fatal attack, he charged towards Rocky and Shirley.


    Burdened by Shirley, Rocky could only try his best to re


    en, even though it was the middle of the day. They realized it was the shadow of a colossal beast when they looked up, and they saw the fish-like figure descending upon them from the sky.


    Seeing this, Sabina and Lucilla immediately flew away.


    With a loud bang, the massive fish-like beast crashed down in front of the two women, creating a deep pit of more than ten meters. The stone fragments flew up with its impact like speeding bullets. Fortunately, the two women had dodged in time, or they could have been gravely injured.


    As soon as the beast touched down, it turned its attention to the two women. Its strong aura was up to the seven-star level. Its whole body was as smooth as a fish''s, and was thick and long. It looked like a whale with crocodilian limbs, and it pounced on the two women with no hesitation.


    "Lucilla, I''ll deal with this. Go and find Basil and Sherry..." Sabina instructed Lucilla.


    At first, Lucilla hesitated. She glanced at the herculean beast in front of them and then nodded to Sabina. When Sabina didn''t change her mind, Lucilla summoned her cyan bird, intending to fly above the huge fish-like beast to avoid it.


    However, just as she was about to fly off, it suddenly opened its mouth and sprayed a mass of condensed black ink. It sprang towards Lucilla at top-speed, who was riding on the cyan bird.


    Seeing the black ink surged over them like a tidal wave, the cyan bird tried its best to dodge. Yet, it was too late. The bird soon overturned, Lucilla slipping off its back and rapidly falling to the ground with a scream.

 Chapter 1271 Fight Dudley Alone

    "Lucilla! No!" Sabina''s face changed when she saw what was happening in front of her. She immediately summoned Duchess Silver to save Lucilla.


    However, the gigantic fish suddenly leaped into the air. It opened its humongous reeking mouth, ready to swallow Lucilla who was rapidly falling from the air.


    Seeing this, Lucilla immediately turned around in the air and faced the huge fish beneath her. She continuously launched the spiritual martial arts skills of the Divine Stage, trying to defeat the huge fish. However, the scales of the huge fish were as hard as iron walls that all her efforts turned out in vain.


    Just when Lucilla was about to fall right into the mouth of the huge fish, a violent Moon Blade strike dashed through the air and instantly crashed into the body of the huge fish. The huge fish was forcefully thrown away up in the air.


    Almost at the same time, a tall figure quickly flew over to Lucilla. In the blink of an eye, he caught Lucilla and they slowly fell. Lucilla felt her rescuer¡¯s aura enveloping her. The aura was coming from a strong man and it was very familiar.


    "Basil..." Lucilla said, her body completely trembling all over.


    "Lucilla, are you hurt?" Rocky asked with a worried look.


    Lucilla shook her head immediately. She was in total disbelief at what happened.


    When she saw that Rocky had saved Lucilla, Sabina let out a deep sigh of relief.


    At the same time, Shirley riding on Ken also landed on the ground.


    "Basil, that guy is heading that way. We must go after him quickly," Shirley said as she pointed at where Dudley was heading.


    Rocky immediately turned around and saw that Dudley was quickly approaching the tower where the hammer-shaped spiritual treasure was floating.


    The huge fish that had just been knocked away by Rocky fell to the ground with a loud bang. It was extremely angry as it let out a harsh roar.


    "I''ll leave that beast to you," Rocky said after letting go of Lucilla. Then he summoned Ken and rushed to the tower to stop Dudley from taking the spiritual treasure.


    As Dudley was climbing up the tower, Rocky i


    to Marcia and immediately chased after them.


    Meanwhile, Rocky and Dudley were fiercely fighting on the top of the tower. Rocky''s unexpected attack just now made Dudley a little embarrassed, but it was not that easy to hurt him.


    Dudley was obviously enraged by Rocky as his eyes were terrifyingly opened wide.


    "Young man, it''s rare indeed for you to have that kind of strength at such a young age, but there is still a huge gap between your strength and mine. I will not kill anyone that I do not know. So, tell me your name first!" Dudley stared at Rocky fiercely, his eyes seething with anger.


    "I am Prince Crimson of the Holy Dragon Empire," Rocky introduced himself at once.


    "What? Prince Crimson? You are the famous Prince Crimson?" Obviously, Dudley had heard of the legends about him.


    However, in Dudley''s eyes, Rocky was only at the high grade of the Divine Stage, no matter how legendary he was, and it was impossible for Rocky to defeat him. He was already at the third grade of the Immortal Stage after all.


    With a shout, he flew towards Rocky like a shooting star as he threw punches. In an instant, huge powerful fist shadows rushed towards Rocky like a storm.


    Rocky''s eyes narrowed and then he used the Hexagonal Netting Dragon Ring to conjure a shield to resist the attack. He knew that there would be a fiercer battle ahead, so he couldn''t use his full strength now.

 Chapter 1272 The Demonic Super Body

    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The light of the fist shadows instantly hit the spiritual shield. It completely exploded and shook the shield. Under its great impact, the shield immediately became weak. Soon enough, the spiritual shield was broken, so Rocky was forced to take a few steps back.


    "He is really powerful indeed," Rocky muttered to himself. His face changed slightly when he saw the fierce attack from Dudley.


    Dudley took a deep breath as if what he had done was just a warm-up. He clenched his fist and then one of his arms suddenly became dark scarlet in color. His arm looked like it was burning with heat as if it contained immense power.


    ''He has used the spiritual power to accelerate the blood circulation of his arm. With that, the muscles will be more active, and he can push his body¡¯s power to the limit,'' Rocky thought as he looked at Dudley''s arm. Seeing that Dudley used his spiritual power to activate his body and make his arm unleash more power, Rocky knew that the opponent he faced this time was indeed a powerful one!


    After Dudley strengthened his arm, he waved his fist in the air. An astonishing spiritual power came out of his fist immediately. It was like a giant hand covering the sky, directly sweeping over Rocky with overwhelming momentum.


    Seeing the powerful punch was coming directly at him in the form of spiritual power, Rocky narrowed his eyes and once again used the Hexagonal Netting Dragon Ring to conjure the spiritual shield to resist the attack. However, the spiritual shield was easily penetrated after the astonishing spiritual power hit it. Then, the spiritual power sped up and directly hit Rocky''s body.


    Although Rocky had the spiritual power to protect his body, he still spat out a mouthful of blood under the strong impact of the attack. This blow had definitely taken him by surprise.


    Seeing that Rocky was injured, Dudley showed a look of disdain. He felt that Rocky was weaker than he had expected because he could not even resist his strike.


    However, after Rocky took a few steps back, a menacing smile appeared on his face.


    Dudley showed a strange expression when he saw Rocky¡¯s reaction. It was clear that Rocky was injured, but he was still so calm like nothing happened. His courage w


    spiritual race''s guardian beast. If it were not restricted by its master''s own strength, it might be even more powerful than it was now.


    "You¡¯re a really troublesome brat!" Dudley became a little worried when Rocky had not only activated the Spirit Possession but also summoned Uriah which was not an ordinary beast. Besides that, he also noticed that seven or eight light shadows were approaching.


    "Brat, just get out of the way if you don¡¯t want to end up dead," Dudley threatened as he angrily stared at Rocky. The hammer-shaped spiritual treasure was not far away from him, but he couldn''t get it because Rocky was standing in his way.


    "Cut the crap. If you want to get the spiritual treasure, you have to defeat me first..." Rocky''s aura soared as he and Uriah guarded the hammer-shaped spiritual treasure behind them. They stood there assertively as if they would tear anyone who approached it.


    "Fine, I''ll take your life!" Dudley took a deep breath and then widened his eyes. Blood streaks covered his entire body, and his whole body turned red as if he was burned by fire. The powerful aura of the Immortal Stage began to rampage around him like a storm.


    Rocky just stood still while he stared at Dudley whose aura became violent.


    "Demonic Super Body!" Dudley shouted. The next moment, spiritual light glowed all over his body. A ray of light suddenly expanded from his body and finally formed a giant demonic shadow. Then, he waved his arms like pillars towards Rocky to chop him.

 Chapter 1273 The Melee Escalated

    Seeing Dudley''s transformation, Uriah immediately lunged forward. It flew into the air to resist the arms of the demonic shadow that came down on Rocky.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! In a blink of an eye, Uriah clashed with the demonic shadow head-on and withstood its attacks.


    When Dudley saw that Uriah was able to withstand his attacks, his face immediately turned red with anger. Then he continued to launch more violent attacks. Uriah tried its best to resist the endless attacks from Dudley. Although it was losing ground, it showed no fear and displayed its powerful physical strength.


    "Demonic Wild Shadow!" Dudley shouted and punched Uriah again. He was close to becoming ballistic because of Uriah¡¯s defense. Suddenly, the demonic shadow behind him turned into a ball of demonic light and flew out of his body, directly charging at Uriah aggressively.


    Bang!


    With a crashing sound, the demonic light shone brightly as it hit Uriah''s body. At the same time, Uriah''s flame also rose abruptly into the sky. The two powerful forces were instantly locked in a fierce stalemate up in the air.


    "Ghost-head Sea Lion!" Dudley shouted and suddenly opened his Magic Spiritual Space. Then, a huge beast shadow that looked like a ghost rushed out of the Magic Spiritual Space and directly charged toward Uriah who was resisting the attack of the demonic light.


    Uriah didn''t have enough time to dodge and was thrown right into the air. The two beasts directly fell from the tower. The tower was extremely high from the ground, so the two beasts stirred up dust after they fell on the ground.


    "No, Uriah..." Rocky''s eyes narrowed into slits. He didn''t expect that Dudley could separate him and Uriah by any means.


    A sinister smile appeared on Dudley''s face and another astonishing demonic shadow appeared behind him. In the blink of an eye, the shadow approached Rocky.


    However, to his surprise, Rocky didn''t dodge at all. Instead, he just seriously looked at Dudley as the demonic shadow approached.


    "Nine Demonic Light Explosions!" Seeing that Rocky didn''t avoid the attack, Dudley immediately showed a smug smile. The demonic shadow behind him rushed out and instantly shrouded Rocky.


    The demonic shadow exploded with Rocky at the center and shrouded the area around the top of the tow


    t Possession had almost reached its limit. Despite that, he still blocked Dudley, preventing him from approaching the hammer-shaped spiritual treasure.


    Dudley''s face had already turned deep scarlet with anger.


    "Brat, I have to say you really have a will made of steel!" Dudley said viciously and immediately charged at Rocky again.


    Seeing that Dudley was rushing at him again, Rocky realized that he had to go all out since the Spirit Possession was about to reach its limit. He disengaged the Spirit Possession then he took out the Mysterious Spirit Pill from his pocket. Kayla had refined the pill to help him break through to the Immortal Stage.


    He opened his mouth and swallowed the pill. Then, he instantly released the evil power sealed in the seventh layer of the spiritual soul container, which he had not merged with yet. In the blink of an eye, the crazy evil spiritual power immediately flowed through his body. His already fragile body greatly suffered from the impact caused by the spiritual power.


    Although it was extremely dangerous to release the evil spiritual power in the spiritual soul container at that time, only the evil spiritual power in the container could refine the Mysterious Spirit Pill.


    As the evil spiritual power was activated, the Mysterious Spirit Pill began to take effect. It flashed a purple and white light in Rocky''s body, and the powerful spiritual power hidden in the pill instantly spread all over his body.


    At the very moment, Dudley was only one step away from Rocky.

 Chapter 1274 Seek Help From Glutton

    Just when Dudley was about to reach Rocky to kill him, the tower under his feet suddenly shook violently as if it were about to collapse. He sensed that an extraordinarily strong aura emanated from Rocky. Then, he saw that Rocky''s formidable spiritual power rushed out of his body, and a black fog rose continuously all over his body.


    Rocky''s aura, which was originally at the ninth grade of the Divine Stage, suddenly intensified and reached the Immortal Stage at such an amazing speed.


    Seeing that Rocky broke through the limit of the Divine Stage and reached the Immortal Stage after lifting the state of Spirit Possession, Dudley was extremely shocked.


    Rocky suddenly roared and snapped his eyes wide. The Evil Flame around his body suddenly surged into the sky like a raging wave, turning into a wide light column.


    All the spirit manipulators and spiritual race members were stunned to see this.


    "He has reached the Immortal Stage! How did he even manage to break through to the stage at this critical time?" All the spirit manipulators in the treasure hunting teams looked at each other in shock. However, they were also very envious because breaking through to such stage was simply an unreachable dream for most of the spirit manipulators.


    "I didn''t expect that Basil would suddenly reach the Immortal Stage especially at this time..." When they saw this, Marcia and the others were also taken aback. They believed that Rocky would be the only one who could achieve a thing like this.


    Dudley''s expression changed dramatically. He had never expected that Rocky would suddenly display a new astonishing power. Now he looked at his opponent as if he were a monster instead of a human.


    But Dudley suddenly turned around and dashed directly towards the hammer-shaped spiritual treasure.


    However, Rocky reappeared in front of him like a ghost, completely blocking in his way.


    Then, several spirit manipulators at the Immortal Stage and masters at the Divine Stage, led by the old man in the purple robe, had also reached the tower.


    Rocky suddenly gathered his spiritual energy and opened his Magic Spiritual Space. Then, a figure came out from the space at an astonishing speed.


    "Stop them for me immedia


    anwhile, the hammer-shaped spiritual treasure was still floating in mid-air. Seawater kept flowing into the ruins and the sinking speed seemed to have increased a lot.


    "Damn it!" Dudley glared at the giant creature. If it were not for the giant creature, he might have obtained the spiritual treasure already.


    "What kind of monster is this? This is totally unbelievable. It is incredibly powerful..." The old man in purple was obviously terrified of it.


    "No matter what that monster is, the most important thing is to get the spiritual treasure," another spirit manipulator at the Immortal Stage near the old man in purple firmly said.


    All the spirit manipulators at the Immortal Stage and the Divine Stage, including Dudley, employed their skills and charged towards the hammer-shaped spiritual treasure.


    Rocky''s face immediately darkened when he saw this. If the giant creature had not suddenly appeared, he might have been able to guard the hammer-shaped spiritual treasure. The current situation was rather disadvantageous for him.


    However, there was no time for him to hesitate or think. Even if he couldn''t guard the spiritual treasure, he wouldn''t let Dudley and the others get it.


    "Glutton, turn into your original form at once and help me block them!" Rocky anxiously shouted at Glutton, who had been watching and floating in the air.


    "Then you''d better hold on, brat," Glutton said with a laugh. The next moment, his whole body was covered in shining light.

 Chapter 1275 Attacked By The Colossal Beast

    Just as the light exploded like a supernova, Glutton''s body expanded in size and became a massive beast¡ªalmost the size of a small mountain. Its head reached into the heavens with its gigantic feet on the ground, and its powerful demonic aura was surging around like stormy waves. Its power was shocking, reducing all the human spirit manipulators and the spiritual race beings into trembling lambs.


    Glutton''s original form rushed up in the blink of an eye. It stopped several spirit manipulators at the Immortal Stage and the Divine Stage, including Dudley and the aged man in the purple robe.


    "What the hell is this guy?" When Dudley and the others saw that Glutton could turn into such a terrible demonic beast, their faces tightened with fear. And because Glutton had blocked the way, it was impossible for them to get any closer to the hammer-shaped spiritual treasure.


    Simultaneously, Rocky called Uriah back and rushed directly to the spiritual treasure. Their way was unhampered thanks to Glutton''s diversion.


    Seeing that Rocky was about to take the hammer-shaped spiritual treasure, Dudley and the others immediately used their powerful spiritual martial arts of the Immortal Stage and the Divine Stage to charge at Glutton.


    However, its massive beast body suddenly flashed with a demonic light. And in an instant, the evil wind around roared and shook the earth. An overly domineering force rushed out like a fierce beast.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Under the impact of several powerful forces, streaks of dazzling light immediately exploded in the sky above the ruins. The view was as stunning as fireworks but as destructive as a hurricane.


    At that moment, two figures suddenly took the opportunity to break through the light and chased after Rocky under the light''s cover. Seeing this, Glutton did not intend to make a move, but turned back into its human shape, because if it maintained the original state and released its power, Rocky would probably not be able to hold on.


    Dudley and the aged man exchanged glances, probably communicating the best way to stop Rocky from getting the spiritual treasure first. Although the two were also enemies, they had one common enemy, and that was Rocky. Therefore, the two top masters of the Immortal Stage understood each other almost in an instant. They immediately joined hands to display the two moves of the spiritual martial arts of


    Stage on his own.


    However, Rocky''s condition was not very good either. His face was ashen, and his body was trembling slightly. He was frowning deeply, and his forehead was knitted as if he was in the throes of an intense headache. But he still tried his best to hold on. At the same time, he channeled the eighth layer''s unsealed power into the spiritual soul container.


    After that, Rocky''s body was on the edge of its limit. If he used his strength again, it would probably cause an unimaginable impact on his soul, making his situation more dangerous.


    Fortunately, he had already beaten back both Dudley and the aged man. Meanwhile, Glutton had transformed into its human shape and was now holding down the other spirit manipulators at the Immortal Stage and the Divine Stage. The hammer-shaped spiritual treasure was not in danger for the time being.


    Meanwhile, most of the ruins had been submerged under the sea. Sabina and the other two women, who had been fighting against the colossal fish beast in the ruins, had flown back to the coastline on a spirit-manipulated beast.


    Due to the colossal sea beast''s interference, the human spirit manipulators and the spiritual race beings, who had been fighting on the stone path, all retreated to the coastline and watched the ruins sink to the bottom of the sea.


    Suddenly, the colossal beast let out a fearsome roar. It waved its long tentacle, which was as thick and sturdy as a well-made pillar. It swept towards Rocky, who was riding on Uriah''s back and was struggling to hold on, as he had just recovered from the previous battle.

 Chapter 1276 The Horrible Prediction

    However, Rocky couldn''t use his power to resist the attack anymore. Meanwhile, Glutton couldn''t lend him a hand, as it was still fighting with the spirit manipulators at the Immortal Stage and the Divine Stage. Thus, Uriah had to take Rocky back to avoid the attack of the colossal sea beast.


    Just as Rocky moved backward, an astonishing spiritual power suddenly fell from the sky in the form of lightning, and it hit the hammer-shaped spiritual treasure floating in midair. The spiritual treasure trembled upon contact, and it then flew out of the ruins like a meteor.


    The scope of the taboo curse was limited to the ruins of the Water Master Clan. Once the spiritual treasure flew out of the ruins, it would leave the taboo curse''s scope.


    Seeing this, Rocky looked up at the direction where the tremendous spiritual power originated. He spotted a figure in a red robe floating near the ruins. This person had a greedy look on his face while he stood on the water''s surface. However, in the next moment, the figure in the red robe suddenly disappeared.


    At that time, the hammer-shaped spiritual treasure was about to fly out of the ruins. Seeing that the situation was not good, Rocky immediately asked Uriah to catch up with it. If the spiritual treasure left the ruins, something terrible might happen!


    On the other hand, the treasure hunting teams on the coast caught sight of the hammer-shaped spiritual treasure as it flew farther away. If the spiritual treasure managed to fly out of the ruins, it would be equivalent to losing the taboo curse''s protection, and those spiritual race clans would no longer be restricted. Therefore, they immediately flew into the air and rushed towards the sea, where the spiritual treasure might land.


    In the blink of an eye, among the treasure hunting teams, hundreds of members from the spiritual race clans rushed towards the spiritual treasure.


    Marcia and Alyssa exchanged glances shortly before they jumped into the air without hesitation. Seeing this, Cherry immediately followed them. Of course, what the three women cared about was not the hammer-shaped spiritual treasure, but Rocky, who was chasing after the spiritual treasure at that moment. After all, once Rocky obtained the spiritual treasure, all the other teams would undoubtedly attack him to take the treasure from him.


    Of course, the colossal sea beast didn''t j


    er it. It affected the entire continent and caused all living creatures to fall into a great panic.


    As that was happening, there was a thick silence that settled over the Water Beast Sea.


    All the human spirit manipulators and the spiritual race beings who saw the red light soar into the sky were dumbfounded, not knowing what had happened.


    "Is the legend true?" When Rocky saw what was happening, he could not help but believe in the legend. A dark expression settled over his face, similar to what the women were sporting at that moment as well. It seemed that the legend about the existence of the nine spiritual meridians on the Wild Spirit Land was true! And that meant that the nine wild spirit beasts might also exist.


    At that moment, Alyssa felt something strange in her Magic Spiritual Space. When she opened it, she saw the Timber Moon Fox King walk out slowly. Then, it looked up at the soaring red light and uttered, "The calamity beasts will be reborn. Beware. The doomsday is just around the corner!"


    Hearing this, Rocky and the three women were shaken. Among the nine legendary guardian beasts, the Timber Moon Fox King had a strong ability to predict the future, and its prediction was often accurate.


    While all the human spirit manipulators and the spiritual race members were in a state of shock, a colossal mountain-shaped beast shadow slowly appeared from the sealing array. Its powerful aura instantly filled the surroundings, backed by the red lights that loomed over them. Almost at the same time, the waves of the Water Beast Sea swelled and soared...

 Chapter 1277 The Legendary Calamity Beast

    Initially, the colossal sea beast was focused on Rocky alone, and it had been staring at him like he was a piece of delicious meat. However, as soon as it saw the beast shadow that appeared from the red light sealing array, it hesitated as if it didn''t know which one to focus on¡ªRocky or the new beast shadow. It immediately stopped attacking Rocky, the three women, and the spiritual race beings, then turned to rush towards the array.


    In the blink of an eye, the beast shadow had stepped out of the array, with a powerful and domineering aura like the king of beasts.


    When Rocky saw the beast shadow clearly, he was stunned because it was very similar to one of the nine sons of the dragon in his previous world. It had a massive turtle shell on its back, which occupied more than half of its body. Its long neck was tall and straight, and its huge head made it look lovely, but the powerful aura it released was not so pleasing.


    "Is this one of the legendary calamity beasts?" Cherry wondered in a low and shaky voice.


    "Ha-ha! I didn''t expect that the calamity beast would be reborn. It seems that the retribution of the spiritual race is coming. This one is called the Demonic Flood Turtle, which can cause floods. If it appears, it will undoubtedly cause severe flooding everywhere." At that very moment, a burst of wild laughter suddenly rang.


    Rocky and the three women turned their eyes to the direction where the voice had originated. They saw the ferocious smile on Glutton''s face, even as it continued to attack surrounding spirit manipulators at the Immortal Stage and the Divine Stage. It seemed that Glutton was determined to take revenge.


    At the time, the colossal sea beast, who was approaching the Demonic Flood Turtle, roared. On the water''s surface, the two massive beasts confronted each other, as if they were fighting for the throne.


    The seawater around the sea beast began to surge violently, and it turned into water columns that soared into the sky. These water columns converged and attacked the Demonic Flood Turtle, which appeared relaxed and unhurt. It moved its long neck slightly, and all of a sudden, its big eyes opened. Then within a hundred meters, the seawater surged violently and formed a waterfall-like curtain that resisted the water columns like a thick concrete wall.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The sound o


    such a powerful sea beast is no match for the Demonic Flood Turtle!" Rocky was shocked. The colossal sea beast had the aura of a legendary guardian beast, and it was much stronger than the Nether Butterfly Queen that had lived for five hundred years. Even so, it couldn''t defeat the Demonic Flood Turtle. It seemed that the turtle was really powerful.


    However, what worried Rocky most was that there were nine legendary calamity beasts. If the other eight ones were as powerful as the turtle, the whole Wild Spirit Land would undoubtedly face an exceedingly terrible disaster. In fact, the Timber Moon Fox King had predicted earlier that doomsday would soon come for the Wild Spirit Land. It was because the nine calamity beasts would be reborn. And now, it was happening!


    At the point, the sea beast, who couldn''t defeat the Demonic Flood Turtle, began to sink. It seemed to be running away. But the turtle didn''t care, and didn''t chase after it. Instead, it turned its attention to Rocky, the three women, and the hundreds of spiritual race members on the sea.


    "Brat, take your men away quickly. The calamity beasts liked to eat ancient demonic beasts, ancient spiritual beasts, and the spiritual race in the past. If you don''t want to die, you should leave now," said Glutton nervously. It had been boasting earlier, but now it had appeared beside Rocky with a shaken look. It seemed just as terrified as them of the calamity beast.


    Upon Glutton''s instruction, Rocky and the three women looked at each other. Since Glutton had said so, they had to leave now.

 Chapter 1278 The Savior Of The Alien World

    Then, Rocky, Glutton, his fellow women, and the members of the Dragon Master Clan and the Butterfly Divine Clan began to forcefully break out of the encirclement. Hundreds of the spiritual race beings chased and intercepted them. However, the two legendary guardian beasts and Glutton successfully opened a way and the three women including Marcia who had the strength of a spiritual master also helped. The encirclement was continuously broken in the direction of the coastline, even though the number of their opponents was overwhelming.


    Almost at the same time, the Demonic Flood Turtle suddenly sank to the bottom of the sea, leaving no trace.


    Just as Rocky and his team were about to totally break out of the encirclement, a huge wave of water suddenly splashed out of the sea. The turtle suddenly broke out of the water and appeared under a large group of spiritual race beings. It instantly burst out an astonishing aura. The water columns around it soared into the sky. In a blink of an eye, many spiritual race beings were hit and fell right into the sea.


    At the same time, the turtle opened its humongous mouth and took a deep breath. The spiritual race beings that fell into the sea were immediately sucked into its mouth and became its food. They were completely helpless since the calamity beast was incredibly strong.


    The other spiritual race beings looked horrified when they saw this. Many of them didn''t think about the hammer-shaped spiritual treasure in Rocky''s hand anymore and flew directly towards the coastline. They flew as fast as they could, but the turtle didn''t let its food run away so easily. With its sudden roar, the sea water near the coastline suddenly surged and instantly formed a wave barrier. The barrier blocked Rocky and his team, and all other spiritual race beings.


    Some of the members of the spiritual race flew so fast that they directly hit the wave barrier and immediately bounced back to the sea because of the barrier''s power. Some of them stopped just in time and flew high into the sky to try and cross the water barrier, but they were immediately shot down by the turtle¡¯s water bombs. There was really no way to escape.


    When Rocky and the women saw this, their expressions also changed. They knew that they were in huge trouble! Hence, they must come up with another plan u


    d in his original position as if he had never moved.


    "I see. So, that was what happened while I was asleep. It seems that everything is in the hands of fate!" Holy Lord said, then sighed suddenly.


    "Since you got what you wanted to know from me, can you tell me something you know? Such as the death of the myriad spiritual race beings, and who are the twelve statues in the Heavenly God Temple?" Rocky asked immediately.


    "There is a reason why King Apollyon didn''t tell you, but you will know soon. And what you need to do now is to collect the blood essence of the nine legendary guardian beasts as soon as possible, and to get back the holy treasure of the Dragon Master Clan. These are the top priorities, because the Wild Spirit Land is about to fall into a terrible disaster. With the power of the spiritual race, it is impossible for them to stop it, and you must rely on the complete power of the Divine Spiritual Source. Although the nine spiritual treasures have appeared, only half of the Divine Spiritual Source gathered by them is not enough. The nine legendary guardian beasts have to be gathered together to form the other half of the Divine Spiritual Source and you should combine the two halves into one. Perhaps with that, you may have the chance to stop the doomsday of the Wild Spirit Land. And the only person who can do this must be you! You are the savior from the Alien World!" Holy Lord said as if he had placed all his hopes on Rocky. He had known everything about Rocky by reading his memory, so he knew all of his secrets.

 Chapter 1279 Back To The Coastline

    Rocky''s face immediately turned pale when he heard that. He didn''t expect that Holy Lord had completely read all his memory, including the secret that his soul did not actually belong to this world.


    "There is a secret I will tell you first," Holy Lord said mysteriously as he placed his hands on his chin as if in deep thought.


    "What secret is it?" Rocky asked immediately.


    "Your fate will be the same as those twelve people because they used to be the saviors of this world. But unfortunately, they almost destroyed this world with their own hands," Holy Lord deeply sighed as if he was totally lost in his memory.


    "Huh? What do you mean?" Rocky knew that Holy Lord was implying something, but it was something he could not understand for now.


    "The beast that was hurt by the calamity beast just now is actually the legendary guardian beast of the Water Master Clan. It may need your help," Holy Lord suddenly reminded Rocky. In a blink of an eye, he turned into a blinding golden light and disappeared.


    Rocky frowned when Holy Lord disappeared. Even though he told him something, it just made him fall into a deeper mystery. Those twelve statues were once the saviors of this world. So, Diving King Belial who looked exactly like him, and Ice Queen he saw were also two of the saviors. But why did Holy Lord say that they almost destroyed the world by themselves? What did he mean by that? What kind of terrible thing happened at that time? And what did that have to do with the death of the myriad spiritual race beings? Rocky couldn¡¯t wrap his head around it.


    He came back to his senses and immediately looked down at the sea in search of any trace of the colossal sea beast which was the legendary guardian beast of the Water Master Clan.


    Soon enough, Rocky saw the legendary guardian beast at the position where the ruins of the Water Master Clan had sunk into. It was soaked in the sea, stained with black blood. It seemed that it was severely injured and was about to sink into the deep sea.


    "Uriah..." Rocky said as he tapped Uriah¡¯s side.


    Uriah soared into the air with Rocky on its back and flew towards the legendary guardian beast of the Water Master C


    as he nodded.


    "This legendary guardian beast should have been reincarnated a long time ago, but it hasn''t yet to protect Holy Lord and the spiritual treasure of our clan. Since the spiritual treasure and Holy Lord are not here anymore, I should have been reincarnated already. But because of the battle with the calamity beast just now, I was seriously injured. It would surely take some time for me to recover. I cannot be reincarnated until I completely recover. However, the calamity beast is still in this area, so you must help me get out of here..." The light shadow voiced out his demand.


    "If you won¡¯t mind, you can come with me back to the Crimson City. I will let them prepare a place for you to heal," Rocky said after thinking for a while.


    "That will be great! Thank you so much for your kindness," the light shadow said, grateful for Rocky¡¯s help.


    With that, Rocky returned back to reality. He quickly opened his Magic Spiritual Space and let the legendary guardian beast of the Water Master Clan enter it. Then, he immediately flew back towards the coastline.


    At that moment, Marcia and the other women had already returned to the coastline with the members of the Dragon Master Clan and the Butterfly Divine Clan. They were meeting with Shirley and the three empires¡¯ spirit manipulator team. All of them were waiting for Rocky to come back.


    As soon as Rocky flew back, the women immediately rushed forward and surrounded him.

 Chapter 1280 The threats Kept Expanding

    "Who is that man? Isn¡¯t he the one who was soaked in that container in the ruins before? Why did he suddenly appear?" Shirley asked Rocky curiously.


    "Let''s talk about it later when we get back. We need to get out of here first," Rocky briefly replied.


    Hearing this, the women looked at each other and knew that Rocky must have felt something wrong in this place, so they didn''t ask any more questions.


    Then, Rocky and his team left the Water Beast Sea at once.


    Not long after, the figure in the red robe appeared above the Water Beast Sea again. It was him who had knocked the Sea God Hammer out of the Water Master Clan''s ruins.


    "The calamity beasts were finally reborn. Ha-ha! If we conquer all the nine calamity beasts, we will finally rule the entire Wild Spirit Land. But before that, we must get the Divine Spiritual Source. All of the nine spiritual treasures have already appeared, so we can get the other half of the Divine Spiritual Source soon," the figure in red laughed wildly, his tone seething with pure evil and malice.


    "If we want to get the Divine Spiritual Source, we have to gather all nine spiritual treasures together. It would definitely not be easy," the figure said as he returned to his normal tone.


    "The patriarch of the Heavenly Demon Clan wants to get the Divine Spiritual Source too, doesn¡¯t he? So, we don''t need to worry about it. We just need to wait and see how this will turn out and how we can benefit from the situation. But you still need to add fuel to the fire at the right time. You also have to be careful of that Holy Lord. He is not just an ordinary person. If he knows that I have finally come out of the seal, he will surely act," the figure in red said in the same intense tone as before. Then, he suddenly disappeared.


    After leaving the Water Beast Sea, the spirit manipulators from the Magic Phoenix Empire and the Timber Deity Empire were getting ready to return home first. Before leaving, Rocky went alone to see Alyssa and asked her if she knew something about the holy treasure of the Dragon Master Clan.


    "I honestly don''t know anything about it. I only robbed the treasure box from Marcia just because I guessed that there must be something especially important in it. What I did was purely impulsive. You¡¯re well aware of the situation of our two empires at that time. Besides that, Marcia and I were natural enemies then," Aly


    e spiritual treasures had been sealed. These calamity beasts had now caused great regional threats, and the threats were still expanding by the hour.


    "One calamity beast is already immensely powerful. Now that nine of them appeared in the Wild Spirit Land at the same time, I have no idea what will happen next!" Rocky said solemnly. He seemed composed but he was slightly panicking deep inside.


    "It seems that the Wild Spirit Land is definitely doomed this time. It won''t be long now before it becomes a completely terrible hell," Cherry said after she deeply sighed.


    "Are the calamity beasts really that powerful?" Moira, who was also among the crowd, couldn''t help but ask. She had no idea what kind of beasts these calamity beasts were.


    "Moira, you wouldn''t be asking that if you had seen it with your own eyes. Even the legendary guardian beast that had guarded the Water Master Clan for a thousand years is no match for that calamity beast. I think there¡¯s probably nothing in the entire Wild Spirit Land that can match its power and successfully win against it. One calamity beast might not be a big deal, but there are nine of them. It seems that the prediction of Alyssa''s legendary guardian beast is true after all. The doomsday of the Wild Spirit Land is coming indeed," Marcia said seriously. She also could not wrap her head around this news.


    "Basil, you still haven''t told us what you discussed with that man. Who on earth is he anyway?" Shirley asked, eager to know the conversation between Rocky and Holy Lord.


    Everyone immediately turned their heads to look at Rocky.

 Chapter 1281 The Spiritual Races Huge Secret

    "I won''t tell you his identity for the time being, but he told me how we could stop the nine calamity beasts," Rocky said after thinking for a while.


    "What did he say?" Everyone was curious about the answer.


    "He told me that if we want to get rid of the calamity beasts, we must gather the power of nine spiritual treasures and nine legendary guardian beasts," Rocky answered truthfully. He decided that everyone should be well-informed because, in that way, he would have all the help he could get.


    "So, we need the accumulated power of nine spiritual treasures and nine legendary guardian beasts?" Everyone looked at each other with a blank expression. Obviously, they didn''t know what it meant.


    "Basil, do you mean..." At that time, Cherry suddenly spoke up hesitantly, as she had already guessed what Rocky wanted to say.


    "It is said that the nine spiritual treasures and the nine legendary guardian beasts owned by the spiritual race clans were created by a higher power that is commonly known as the Divine Spiritual Source. And this power is beyond our imagination," added Rocky.


    The whole group quieted down at these statements. All of them had varying expressions of shock and disbelief pasted on their faces, including Marcia. They looked like they could not believe their ears, except, of course, for Moira and Cherry, who already knew all about the legend.


    "I must admit that I didn''t expect you to know the secret behind the Divine Spiritual Source. It''s a huge secret for the spiritual race. And besides, there are very few spiritual race beings who still know about the Divine Spiritual Source." Moira actually understood what Rocky talked pertaining to earlier, but she was caught off guard because she didn''t expect him to know about one of the biggest secrets of the spiritual race.


    "Basil, how did you know about this Divine Spiritual Source?" Marcia couldn''t help but ask, for she had never heard of it from Rocky before.


    "When I took out the Dragon Master Clan''s spiritual treasure from the royal forbidden area of the Holy Dragon Empire, I met the Witch who hid the holy treasure of the Dragon Master Clan. She attached her soul to Lena and then told me some secrets about the spiritual race," replied Rocky.


    Once again, his answer surprised all of them because it sounded bizarre. The Witch who had died a long time ago borrowed a living body to return her soul, and she even told Rocky the secret of the spiritua


    erfly Divine Clan," Cherry narrated seriously, conscious that she was telling Rocky something that he could use against them in the future.


    "Then, in that case, it seems that the spiritual race is not afraid that the human race would know the truth that a powerful race once ruled over you. You want to hide the existence of that powerful race and the forbidden power they had left, which could resist the spiritual race. If the human race were to discover the truth, countless humans would certainly search for this forbidden power, and it would pose a threat to the spiritual race and repeat the tragedy of the past," Rocky concluded.


    "However, with the human race''s current strength, it won''t be easy to obtain that forbidden power. I think the spiritual race''s worry is just unnecessary," Marcia said after thinking deeply.


    "That''s not necessarily true," Cherry contradicted while looking at Rocky meaningfully.


    "Basil, we have to be on guard for the next few days. We are in a dire and horrifying situation right now. I am sure the entire Wild Spirit Land will soon find that you have obtained the Sea God Hammer. At this rate, I''m afraid you will become the target of different forces again," Marcia said worriedly. Currently, Rocky had two spiritual treasures in his hands. Of course, not many people knew he had the spiritual treasure of the Dragon Master Clan in hand. However, the spiritual treasure of the Water Master Clan that Rocky just obtained was enough to attract the attention of the other spiritual race clans. And those clans that wanted to get the spiritual treasure would definitely take action in secret.

 Chapter 1282 Pestilence Spread Everywhere

    "There are always solutions! If they want to come, then let them come!" Rocky looked very calm. After all, they could do nothing to change the situation, and what was done could not be undone. He could only temporarily keep the spiritual treasure of the Water Master Clan.


    "Fine, but you''d better be careful." Cherry couldn''t help but remind him.


    "Let''s stop talking about me. How is the Butterfly Divine Clan faring? I hope the revival of your clan have made some great progress," Rocky asked Cherry.


    "As you can see, ever since the Butterfly Divine Clan''s extermination five hundred years ago, the only remaining clan members have been scattered in every corner of the Wild Spirit Land, living a life concealing their identities. That has made it difficult for us to summon all of them back. Another problem is that many factors limit the spiritual race''s reproduction, so even if all of them were gathered together, the number would still be unsubstantial." Cherry could not help but sigh while narrating the abysmal condition of her clan.


    "Not long ago, I developed a genetic treatment that can solve the problem of sterilization for the Wood Clan, and it has already achieved its effect. If you want, I can also do some experiments on your clan members, which will allow me to create a genetic treatment for the Butterfly Divine Clan. If it works well, this medication will allow your people to conceive easier. Although it may not be very potent, it should be able to improve the current situation," Rocky offered after a short silence. He had been hesitant to offer his help since he and Cherry had a pretty complicated relationship, but Rocky felt that he could not keep quiet when he could do something to help.


    "Really?" When Cherry heard this, she couldn''t help but look forward to it. However, her eyes quickly darkened. "Don''t you hate me because of how I treated you in the past?"


    "Everyone has their own difficulties. You also saved Sue and me, so we owe you our lives. I have no reason to hate you." Rocky smiled calmly. The truth was that he was slightly irked when Cherry threatened him with Sue at that time. But later, when he saw Sue, he realized that Cherry had no choice but to do so. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have taken care of Sue so well and trained her to be a Supernal Stage master.


    "That''s good." A relieved smile flashed across Cherry''s face when she heard Rocky''s kind words. The innocent look on her face that Rocky had seen earlier came back, but she seemed brighter and happier this time.


    Meanwhile, all the


    ld hand over the spiritual treasure in Rocky''s hands in exchange for great benefits.


    Of course, the result was that they were all turned down by Rocky, which naturally stirred the dissatisfaction of these spiritual race clans.


    Almost at the same time, a large-scale pestilence suddenly broke out on the border guarded by the Rime Army Group. The main symptom was dehydration, and it was highly contagious. Those infected would end up like dry corpses. The terrifying disease was now spreading rapidly at the small border town.


    Although the emperor had gathered all the ministers to discuss the countermeasures and sent a group of imperial physicians with superb medical skills to the border town, it was still a drop in the bucket. The physicians were trying their best to prevent the spread of the pestilence, but the patients were overwhelming them. Finally, the emperor had to send a message to Rocky in the Crimson City.


    "Pestilence?" Words could not describe Rocky''s face after he got the message from his father. He looked sullen, depressed, and angry all at once. The pestilence was the most horrifying in this era, and if no vaccine could restrain it, the consequences would be tragic and horrible.


    However, the most terrible thing was that the calamity beasts had most likely caused the pestilence.


    "I just heard that the pestilence is spreading in the empires around the Holy Dragon Empire. I didn''t expect that it would reach our empire so soon..." Isis and the other women also looked grave. In the past half a month, they had heard countless disasters emerging in the Wild Spirit Land, and no one could accurately report how many people had died. It was exceedingly terrible!

 Chapter 1283 Prevent The Pestilence From Spreading

    Sabina turned to Rocky with a puzzled expression and asked, "I think the gene technology you made is highly effective. If we use your gene technology to prevent the pestilence, there should not be any problems, right?"


    "This gene technology is only aimed at the genetic sequence of human beings. On the other hand, the pestilence is caused by a virus that invades the body and degrades the tissue from within, causing terrible damage. Even my gene technology can''t stop this virus. If we want to stop it, we have to make a vaccine that can resist the virus," Rocky explained lengthily.


    "Then what should we do?" Isis asked.


    "Judging from the current situation, the pestilence is very infectious. Thus, we must isolate the areas where the pestilence broke out to prevent the disease from spreading further. Moreover, if we want to make a vaccine, we must extract the naturally formed antibody from the infected people''s blood. I have to personally lead a medical team to go deep into the areas where the pestilence broke out. Once there, we can collect blood samples, detect the antibody, and develop a vaccine," he clarified further.


    "Wouldn''t that be dangerous?" Of course, Isis and the other women couldn''t help but worry about Rocky.


    "Yes, so don''t follow me this time. You should stay here and help me with something else important," Rocky continued.


    Isis and the other women looked at each other uncertainly. Although they were worried about Rocky, the plague was indeed very terrible. Since Rocky didn''t allow them to go, they had to nod in agreement.


    "Sabina, Lucilla, and Erica, I need you to go to the Thunder Master Clan''s ruins to see if you can find any clues about the legendary guardian beast of their clan," Rocky ordered. All eight legendary guardian beasts had already appeared, except the one from the Thunder Master Clan. If he could find it, he would be able to gather the blood essence of the nine legendary guardian beasts. By then, he would also be able to reveal the memory hidden in the Oracle Jade, then find out what transpired exactly in that year.


    "Isis, I want you and Sue to take Nigel back to the Palace City first. I''m afraid I won''t be able to take care of


    cted and suspected to be infected, had to be analyzed. Therefore, Rocky immediately chose the biggest hospital in the city as a temporary laboratory, and all the equipment he brought was put in place.


    After that, he divided the medical team into several groups, and these smaller groups worked with each other. First, they went to every house in the city to collect blood samples and then sent them back to the laboratory for analysis and research, to make sure that they could find the antibody as soon as possible.


    A few days later, a large number of tents, white cloth, and ingredients for the preparation of disinfectants were sent in time.


    Rocky immediately ordered his men to build an isolation area in the west of the city. Then, the infected and suspected people who had been isolated in the northern part of the city were soon transferred to the isolation area. At the same time, their blood was collected and analyzed. Rocky observed the symptoms and whether the infected people''s situation had worsened, helping him find the antibody.


    In addition, he also made special disinfectants and ordered the army to disinfect the whole city. All the people who were not infected in the city were also cleansed with the disinfectant.


    With this series of measures, the pestilence in the whole city was quickly suppressed. Simultaneously, other cities and towns also took the same measures, trying their best to prevent the pestilence from further spreading.

 Chapter 1284 To Be Killed At Any Moment

    But it was not enough to prevent the spread of the pestilence. There were already more than ten thousand people who were infected and suspected to be infected in all cities and towns now. And hundreds of people died every day because of the deadly disease. So, they had to find an antibody and develop a vaccine as soon as possible. This was the only way to solve their fundamental problem.


    Ten days later, under the unremitting efforts of Rocky and the medical team he led, they finally found an antibody for the virus from the blood of a little boy.


    Rocky immediately spent a whole night developing a vaccine with the use of the antibody. At last, a vaccine was finally developed, and it was tested on a severely ill patient. About twelve hours later, the virus in the body of the patient was completely suppressed and he no longer took a turn for the worse. This only meant that the vaccine was indeed successfully developed.


    "It worked! The vaccine really worked!" When Rocky was finally sure that the vaccine had been successfully developed, he could not help but breathe a deep sigh of relief. His sleepless nights and countless efforts were not put to waste.


    Marcia also smiled with relief as she stood beside Rocky. The success in developing the vaccine meant that tens of thousands of lives could be saved.


    Suddenly, a commander of the Rime Army Group rushed in and said anxiously, "General, there is some bad news. Something happened in the isolation area. Please immediately go there and check!"


    Rocky and Marcia looked at each other when they heard that, and then quickly rushed to the isolation area. When they arrived, they were immediately shocked by what they saw. The isolation area had been completely damaged, and thousands of infected and suspected people had been turned into zombies. They looked extremely ferocious and furious. They were all shrieking and frantically trying to rush out of the isolation area.


    Fortunately, there were a lot of soldiers guarding outside the isolation area, so they blocked the zombies from rushing out. However, many soldiers were bitten when they confronted the zombies. J


    to the center of the city.


    Boom!


    A flame light suddenly burst out at the center of the city, immediately turning the city into a sea of fire. The zombies there were quickly swallowed up by the spreading flames. Countless zombies were completely burned into ashes.


    When the Demonic Plague Beast saw this, it became extremely angry. Its aura soared, and then it took a long deep breath. The next moment, it spurted a wave of strong poison towards Rocky.


    Even though Rocky had quickly held his breath and avoided the attack with Uriah, the poison instantly shrouded the entire area as soon as it dissipated with the wind.


    As a result, Rocky suddenly felt completely powerless. It was not only him, but Uriah also felt weak. Its body swayed in the air a few times, then suddenly fell to the ground.


    "Damn it! It got us!" Rocky didn''t expect that the poison was so powerful that it could still have an impact on him and Uriah even when they held their breath.


    Seeing that Rocky and Uriah were poisoned and fell to the ground, the Demonic Plague Beast immediately went up to them, as if planning to give them an extremely fatal blow.


    At that very moment, Rocky and Uriah couldn''t resist at all. All they could do was watch the Demonic Plague Beast approach them. The next moment, it lifted its huge feet and was about to stomp on them.


    Rocky and Uriah would be likely killed by the beast at any moment now.

 Chapter 1285 The Colored Pearl

    At that very moment,


    a violent flash of seemingly ice-cold light flickered in the sky. In a split second, this lightning hit the Demonic Plague Beast on the ground below it. Instantly, the humongous Demonic Plague Beast began to be covered in ice crystals, solidifying its entire body. Even its huge feet that were about to step on Rocky and Uriah were also frozen in midair.


    Rocky and Uriah, on the other hand, were about to fall on the ground when they noticed that their weakness had suddenly vanished into thin air. As a result, Uriah quickly found its balance again and soared into the sky with Rocky mounting on its back.


    "Whew, that was close! I never thought that what they say is true! That calamity beast surely is powerful!" Rocky hurled a sigh of relief. Despite the fact that he was saved from the disaster, it could not be denied that fear still lingered in his heart. As they were high up above in the air, he could not help but glance at the Demonic Plague Beast, whose body had been frozen without warning. Rocky had no idea what kind of power could freeze such a mighty and savage calamity beast. He turned to look in the direction of the ice light, but to his dismay, he found nothing.


    "Who on earth saved me?" Rocky mumbled under his breath.


    Meanwhile, the Demonic Plague Beast let out a vicious roar. Not long after, successive crackling sounds echoed all throughout the atmosphere as the beast tried to break through the powerful ice force that had frozen it.


    Of course, Rocky thought that it would do him no good to stay and watch the beast free itself from the suppressive force of the ice. Instead, he instructed Uriah to zoom and fly out of the city at the fastest speed.


    After they left, a delicate figure wrapped in icy light suddenly emerged and gloomily stared at Rocky''s receding figure.


    "He is not like Belial at all. He put himself in danger just to save those weak humans, even though he was facing a calamity beast. I didn''t expect that those calamity beasts would resurrect. By the looks of it, the Wild Spirit Land is going to face another catastrophe. Has it all come down to this? If he really is the reincarnation of Belial, then perhaps everything is destined to happen," the figure said and looked a little hesitant.


    Discombobulated, she took a quick glance at the Demonic Plague Beast and finally disappeared. As soon as Rocky flew out of the city,


    e, Marcia could not do anything else but hope and pray that Rocky would be able to send another batch of vaccines to them right away to prevent the infection from spreading further.


    In addition, some small and medium-sized countries around the Holy Dragon Empire also suffered the same fate. Upon learning that the Holy Dragon Empire had developed the vaccines, they all asked for help.


    Therefore, the demand for the vaccines exceeded the supply.


    In such a critical moment, the value of the vaccines was reflected. Due to their efforts in producing and developing the vaccines and their previous humanitarian assistance, Rocky had successfully convinced some countries to join his plan of united empires. After a few nudges and convincing, Rocky was a step towards his grand dream of establishing the united empires.


    This laid a solid foundation for the future solidarity of the human countries in the Wild Spirit Land.


    Someday, a guard came in and reported, "Your Highness, the princess of the Timber Deity Empire is here to see you." Without a doubt, Rocky already knew that Alyssa must have come over to discuss the matter about the colored pearl. Immediately, he stood up from his chair and went to see her.


    "Is that good news?" Rocky inquired the moment he laid eyes on Alyssa.


    "What do you think?" Alyssa gave a smile. Then, she took out a wooden box and handed it over to Rocky.


    Rocky took the box and slowly opened it. There, he saw a bead with blinding spiritual light enveloping in it. "Just like what they described it to be, this must be the colored pearl," Rocky exclaimed.

 Chapter 1286 Go To The Forbidden Area

    "It took me a lot of effort to get this colored pearl for you. How are you going to thank me?" Alyssa asked with a soft smile on her face.


    "Let me think. How about I marry you?" Rocky playfully teased.


    "Oh, you wish." Alyssa put on a lovely smile, but then she suddenly became serious and added, "After their rebirth, the calamity beasts will surely harm the life in all of the countries built by humans. I heard the news that a pestilence broke out on the Holy Dragon Empire''s border. Many said that the infected people would become horrifying corpses."


    "Yes, that''s right. The situation is really not good right now." Rocky nodded in agreement. His playfulness earlier was gone now.


    "The situation of the Timber Deity Empire is also not good now. Many rivers have become dry because of the power of the calamity beasts. And besides that, it hasn''t rained for a month already. Thousands of people are starving to death..." Alyssa deeply sighed. She was extremely worried about their situation


    "Tell me, is there anything I can do for you?" Rocky asked seriously.


    "No, it''s alright. You can''t offer help to those who are far away from you anyway. By the way, where are the others?" Alyssa felt strange when she saw that Rocky was alone. He was always surrounded by so many women on a normal day.


    "I asked Sabina and the others to do something for me. Meanwhile, Isis and Nigel have returned to the Imperial City. So, I''m the only one left here now," Rocky briefly replied.


    "I want to stay with you for a few days, but my brother asked me to go back to the Timber Deity Empire right away. It''s such a pity," Alyssa said with regret. It was a rare opportunity to be completely alone with Rocky, but she had no other choice. There were a lot of things waiting for her to deal with in the Timber Deity Empire.


    "There will surely be another chance in the future." Rocky faintly smiled.


    "But I can stay here for a couple of hours."


    Rocky had already collected eight of the colored pearls including the one sent by Alyssa, so there was only one left. He planned to go back to the Imperial City first and ask the emperor about the previous clues left by the Witch of the Holy Dragon Empire. He desperately wanted to find out the whereabouts of the last


    ful not only to the Holy Dragon Empire but also to deal with the calamity beasts," Rocky explained. If what the Holy Lord said was true, then it would be inevitable to find the Dragon Master Clan''s holy treasure.


    Lena hesitated for a moment. Of course, she trusted Rocky, but she also didn''t want to see anything bad happen to him.


    "So, Lena, could you finally tell me where the last colored pearl is?" Rocky asked gently.


    "It''s in the royal forbidden area with the remains of that Witch," Lena replied to Rocky.


    "Father, can you give me now the other seven colored pearls?" After hearing the information from Lena, Rocky immediately turned to look at his father.


    "Lena, go get them at once and give them to Basil!" the emperor said to Lena as he opened his Magic Spiritual Space with his spiritual power.


    With that, Lena entered the Magic Spiritual Space. A moment later, she came out holding a palm-sized round golden box and handed it over to Rocky.


    After Rocky opened the box, he saw that the seven colored pearls were arranged in a circle and placed in grooves. Then, he put the eighth colored pearl in one of the last two empty grooves.


    "I''ll go with you. I''m the only one who knows the location of the sarcophagus where that Witch was buried..." Lena knew that Rocky would immediately go to the royal forbidden area, so she said to him directly.


    Rocky nodded and said goodbye to his father. Then, he left the Palace City with Lena and headed for the royal family''s forbidden area.

 Chapter 1287 The Heavenly Demon Clans Invitation

    Rocky and Lena entered the royal family''s forbidden area as soon as they received permission from the royal family''s several elders. Soon, they walked into the mysterious hall where the Holy Dragon Empire''s Witches had been buried.


    They studied the sarcophagi that were placed in a row, and Lena pointed to one of them. "Hmn... I think this is the one," she said, nodding at Rocky.


    As soon as Rocky got Lena''s confirmation, he walked closer to the sarcophagus and knelt on one knee, whispering,


    "I''m sorry that I have to offend you." After saying that, he reached out his hands and pushed the sarcophagus open. He saw a beautiful woman lying in there with a serene expression. Although she has been dead for a long time, she looked as if she was just asleep, and not a single part of her had rotted. This woman was the Witch of the Holy Dragon Empire who had hidden the Dragon Master Clan''s holy treasure and left some clues about the Myriad Spirit Tomb.


    At that point, Lena reached her hand into the sarcophagus, took out the last colored pearl from the belt around the waist of the Witch, and handed it to Rocky.


    Rocky took it at once, and brought out the circular gold box where he had kept eight colored pearls. Then, he put the new one he had just obtained into the last groove. When it was in place, the nine colored pearls placed in a circle started shining vividly.


    The next moment, the nine colored pearls floated up in the air and spun continuously. A light chain connected each pearl, and then they suddenly shrank and collided with each other in the blink of an eye.


    The dazzling light that illuminated the whole hall blinded Rocky and Lena, so they couldn''t help reaching out to cover their eyes. They could only open their eyes when the light had dissipated, but the nine colored pearls had disappeared with it. In its place, an entrance similar to that of a Magic Spiritual Space had opened in front of them.


    "Wait for me here," Rocky instructed Lena before he entered the portal by himself.


    A moment later, he came out with an incomplete mask in his hand. The upper left half of the mask, the part of the left eye, was missing. It was the holy treasure of the Dragon Master Clan¡ªthe Holy Mask. However, there was something strange about it. The Holy Mask looked like an ordinary mask at the moment, and there was no sign of an aura that would s


    hey could. They would be with him through thick and thin!


    On the second day, Sabina and the other two women left Crimson City as soon as they finished their preparations. They began their journey to find the Thunder Master Clan''s descendants and the legendary guardian beast.


    The three women didn''t expect that when they came back, everything had changed!


    Just as the three women had set out, Marcia arrived in a hurry. She had with her an invitation from the Heavenly Demon Clan''s patriarch, who had invited Rocky to attend the meeting of the spiritual race. Just as its name implied, only the spiritual race could participate in this meeting. It was very peculiar that they would invite Rocky, for he was just human, and they tended to think that humans were below them. However, the reason was very simple¡ªRocky had the spiritual treasures that all clans of the spiritual race wanted to have.


    "Why would the Heavenly Demon Clan hold such a meeting?" Rocky asked with a stern look.


    "It''s about the calamity beasts. It seems that the Heavenly Demon Clan wants to unite with all the clans of the spiritual race in the Wild Spirit Land to deal with the calamity beasts," Marcia replied.


    "So, what does that have to do with me?" Rocky sneered.


    "Well, in addition to the Dragon Master Clan''s spiritual treasure, you also have the spiritual treasure of the Water Master Clan in your hands. Considering that dealing with the calamity beasts needs the power of the spiritual treasures, I don''t think it''s strange that the Heavenly Demon Clan invited you," analyzed Marcia.

 Chapter 1288 The Meeting To Deal With The Calamity Beasts

    "What if it''s a trap?" Rocky asked doubtfully.


    "I don''t think so. I''ve already inquired about it before I came here. Many of the clan leaders of the spiritual race have been invited by the Heavenly Demon Clan to this meeting, including the leaders of several high-level spiritual race clans. The leaders of the Phoenix Master Clan and the Wood Clan are both among them. Although the Heavenly Demon Clan must have some ulterior motives, I don''t think that it will be a trap," said Marcia.


    A short silence ensued as Rocky thought about whether he''d like to go or not. Finally, he nodded to himself and said, "If that''s the case, then I don''t mind participating. Let me see what the Heavenly Demon Clan is up to!"


    "I''ll go with you," volunteered Marcia immediately. It was expected, of course, because she would not let Rocky take that risk alone.


    The spiritual race''s meeting would be held in two days, so Rocky and Marcia immediately set out to the place where the meeting would be held¡ªthe Divine Burial Valley.


    The valley was inside the territory of the Heavenly Demon Clan. It was spring all year round there, so plenty of flowers and plants were always blooming. Magnificent buildings also added elegance and grandness to the place, making the valley an enchanting sight to behold. Clearly, the Heavenly Demon Clan knew how to enjoy life.


    As soon as Rocky and Marcia arrived at the valley, the Heavenly Demon Clan''s ordinary spiritual beings came to greet them. They led the two of them to the group of buildings in the valley, where they stopped in a magnificent hall.


    When Rocky and Marcia entered the hall, they saw that it was filled with figures from various clans of the spiritual race. There were about twenty to thirty of them, and each one exuded a strong aura that belonged to the spiritual masters''. On closer look, the pair identified all of them as leaders of several spiritual race clans invited by the Heavenly Demon Clan this time. Except for a few advanced spiritual race clans, the rest were the leaders of secondary spiritual race clans. The patriarch of the Wood Clan and Jill, the Phoenix Master Clan''s matriarch, were also among them.


    And when Jill saw Rocky and Marcia enter the hall, she immediately jumped up from her seat and greeted them with a charming smile. "I didn''t know Prince Crimson would present as well!"


    The other patriarchs in the hall were also very surprised to see Jill so enthu


    re ready to fight against the calamity beasts at any time. Now, it''s up to you to decide whether you will join us!" Townsend said with great confidence.


    "Patriarch Townsend, it''s easy for you to say that. Although I don''t oppose the plan of gathering the spiritual race'' power to fight against the calamity beasts, you should at least make it clear how to deal with them, right?" Jill said coldly. Last time, the Phoenix Master Clan almost lost their legendary guardian beast because of the most powerful ancient demonic beast. Obviously, Townsend was behind all this. Unfortunately, she had no evidence, so she could do nothing to the Heavenly Demon Clan. If this meeting weren''t held to deal with the calamity beasts that had already done harm to the Wild Spirit Land, she wouldn''t have been willing to have anything to do with the clan.


    "To deal with the calamity beasts, we need to have the power to resist them. But the power of our spiritual race is far from enough, so I hoped to gather the power of nine spiritual treasures to deal with them..." Townsend said calmly.


    "You must be kidding, Patriarch Townsend. You know it''s impossible. The spiritual treasures are crucial to any spiritual race clan. It''s not something that anyone would take out easily," the Ghost Master Clan''s patriarch protested at once. After all, once anyone took out a spiritual treasure, it would attract the attention of the other spiritual race clans who didn''t have a spiritual treasure. If there was any spiritual race clan who had ill intentions, it would be very dangerous for the person or the clan who held the spiritual treasure.

 Chapter 1289 Holding More Than One Spiritual Treasure

    The leaders of other advanced spiritual race clans who owned the spiritual treasures also nodded their heads in unison. All of them firmly believed that if they took out their spiritual treasures, the other spiritual race clans would do whatever it took to get their hands on them.


    "Where there''s a will, there is a way. Although I know that you all have your own considerations, I hope you can think things through for the sake of the Wild Spirit Land and the spiritual race''s future. Otherwise, if the calamity beasts continue to harm us like this, the spiritual race will suffer a lot sooner or later," Townsend said slowly.


    As soon as they heard Townsend''s words, the other leaders started to whisper and exchange thoughts with one another. However, most of them just wanted to join in the fun and excitement. After all, some of them didn''t have any spiritual treasure in their hands, so they didn''t have to worry about anything.


    "But Patriarch Townsend, even if we are willing to take out the spiritual treasures and use them to deal with the calamity beasts, how sure are you that we can defeat the beasts? What if we can''t suppress them? What if all our efforts are in vain?" the patriarch of the Giants Clan immediately clarified.


    "I know what''s on your mind. But if you follow my plan, I''m sure that you have nothing to worry about," Townsend promised with utmost confidence.


    "So, what''s your plan then, Patriarch Townsend? Tell us in detail. We''d like to hear it," the patriarch of the Wood Clan inquired.


    "My plan is to form a powerful spiritual race army to break down the nine calamity beasts one by one. After studying and observing those beasts thoroughly, I have found out a way on how we can deal with their weaknesses. First, we will use their weaknesses against them to restrain their power. After that, we will use the power of the nine spiritual treasures to deal with them. We have the overwhelming advantage in the number of fighters that we have. With that being said, we can cause them serious injuries. After that, it will be easy for us to take advantage of that opportunity and seal them. I assure you that this plan is foolproof and absolutely safe! So what do you think?" Townsend asked after briefly explaining his plan to those present.


    Soon after, the other leaders turned to each other and started to discuss what they thought about the plan. Of course, they had varying opinions about it¡ªsome agreed, while others objected.


    "If that''s the case, then perhaps, we can think about it further," Jill said. At that time, she had put aside


    is face. He felt those people might think of him as a weak cat that could be bullied if he did not show his true strength.


    "You audacious bastard! You just got a spiritual treasure by luck, didn''t you? We may still make it without this one..." that patriarch said aggressively as his face fumed with rage.


    "Only this one, huh? Who said that I only have one spiritual treasure in my hands?" Rocky taunted.


    The faces of all the patriarchs changed upon hearing his words.


    "Just so you know, the spiritual treasure of the Dragon Master Clan is also in his hand. I suggest that you have to think things over," Marcia said coldly.


    Her words shocked all the clan leaders around. Never had they expected that the spiritual treasure that should belong to the Dragon Master Clan would be in the hands of Rocky.


    "I think Patriarch Townsend knows very well how many spiritual treasures I have! But, it seems that he never planned to tell you. Perhaps he has other plans..." Rocky said in a mocking voice.


    All the other leaders'' eyes fell on Townsend. His face also twitched in anxiety as he could not hide the fact that he knew that the Dragon Master Clan''s spiritual treasure was also in Rocky''s hand.


    "Even though you have two spiritual treasures, so what? Without the two, we can still deal with the calamity beasts..." that patriarch still insisted with all his might.


    "No. In fact, he has three. The spiritual treasure of our Butterfly Divine Clan can also be considered to be in Prince Crimson''s hand." A delicate voice suddenly rang out as a feminine figure walked in from outside the hall. Everyone''s eyes were wide open as they wanted to see who was behind such an enthralling voice full of momentum.

 Chapter 1290 Arrived At The Great Eagle Empire

    Upon hearing this voice, the leaders of each of the spiritual race clans immediately turned their heads to see where this voice was coming from. At that moment, all of them were surprised to see a beautiful woman from the spiritual race. This woman, whose beauty was no inferior to Jill''s, filled the hall with elegance as she walked with poise.


    "And who might you be?" a patriarch asked in curiosity as he raised an eyebrow.


    "I''m Cherry, the matriarch of the Butterfly Divine Clan! It is nice to finally meet all of you in the same room," Cherry replied as her beautiful and piercing eyes narrowed.


    "You must be joking! The Butterfly Divine Clan had been extinct for nearly five hundred years. How could you possibly be the matriarch of this clan?" one of the clan leaders argued. At that point, Cherry''s words seemed to have caused confusion in the hall. The leaders could not help but discuss loudly among themselves how ludicrous Cherry''s claim was.


    "We have successfully revived our clan, and we are gathering again. In fact, we already have the spiritual treasure and the legendary guardian beast with us," Cherry said in a sweet and gentle voice without changing her calm expression.


    Soon after, all the leaders looked at each other. They didn''t expect that the Butterfly Divine Clan had secretly been reborn. On top of that, they not only obtained their spiritual treasure but also found the reincarnation of their legendary guardian beast.


    "Patriarch Townsend, if you continue to let these patriarchs make things more difficult for Prince Crimson, the Phoenix Master Clan will retract our agreement and not accompany you anymore. And besides, our clan is already powerful enough to protect ourselves without your help. However, I can''t speak for the other clans." Jill also stood up from her seat and expressed her support in defending Rocky.


    "Just so that everyone knows, Prince Crimson has helped our Wood Clan on so many occasions, and I hope that you will treat him with the respect he deserves. Otherwise, it will be difficult for us to gather the nine spiritual treasures," the patriarch of the Wood Clan reminded as he looked at all the other patriarchs around him.


    As a matter of fact, the other patriarchs did not expect that even the entire Phoenix Master Clan and the Wood Clan favored Rocky. Moreover, they never knew that he was that much of an influential person.


    At the same time, Townsend''s face darkened a little. He immediately changed the expression on his face and said, "To be honest, I believe in the moral character of Prince Crimson. Since the Butterfly Divine Clan, the Phoenix Master Clan, and the Wood Clan also believe in his words of integrity, then I don''t think that there should be any problem at all."


    On the contrary, Rocky''s eyes suddenly became


    you asked me, I''d say that any woman will be attracted by an excellent man like you, Prince Crimson." Jill gave him a compliment and winked at him.


    In that instant, Alyssa and Marcia saw that Jill had taken advantage of their row and slithered into seducing Rocky again. As a result, they immediately reached an agreement to pull him from both his sides and drag him away from Jill as far as possible.


    During noon, the army of the spiritual race set out for their first destination, the Great Eagle Empire, which was located in the northwest of the Wild Spirit Land. Just a few days ago, the Great Eagle Empire had been savagely attacked by a calamity beast that was able to control thunder and lightning. With the whole empire falling into chaos and panic, many towns had been razed to the ground along, with countless casualties. The Great Eagle Empire was the closest empire to the Divine Burial Valley, making the calamity beast the first target of them to deal with.


    Three days after, the army of the spiritual race arrived at the Great Eagle Empire. During that time, more than half of the empire had already been wrecked, leaving an unspeakable amount of scorched soil everywhere. Everything was killed and destroyed wherever this beast passed. Anyone who witnessed the scene would surely get chills creeping down their spine.


    The army followed the traces left by the calamity beast all the way until finally, they found the beast in a city south of the Great Eagle Empire, which was now reduced to rubble.


    The calamity beast was like a tiger. It had a body that shone with thunderous radiance and was as huge as the beast that appeared in the Water Beast Sea, but more powerful and ferocious. There was constant thunder radiance that beamed within ten meters around its body, creating a strong destructive force that disintegrated everything it touched.

 Chapter 1291 Fight The Demonic Thunder Tiger

    This was the Demonic Thunder Tiger¡ªa calamity beast among the nine that possessed the power to control thunder.


    Townsend commanded the spiritual race army led by the Heavenly Demon Clan to assemble into formation.


    The Demonic Thunder Tiger could summon ferocious thunder. Once it attacked, its enemy would inevitably be injured or die. Therefore, Townsend set up a spiritual array with a diameter of a thousand meters to safely encircle around the city ruins by absorbing the thunder''s power.


    Once the spiritual array was deployed, the army of the spiritual race got into position as commanded.


    Meanwhile, the Demonic Thunder Tiger appeared to sense it was surrounded by several thousand members of the spiritual race army. It wasted no time taking action.


    "Once I lure this Demonic Thunder Tiger into the spiritual array, we''ll restrain it with the power of the nine spiritual treasures," Townsend instructed the patriarchs of the advanced spiritual race clans and Rocky who owned the spiritual treasures.


    Townsend then drew out two spiritual treasures and handed one of them to a powerful spiritual master elder who possessed the strength to manipulate it.


    Seeing this, the other clan leaders took out their spiritual treasures as well.


    Then, they fixed their gazes upon Rocky all at once.


    His eye narrowed slightly, Rocky opened his Magic Spiritual Space and instructed Robin to retrieve two spiritual treasures¡ªthe Sunrise Magic Dragon Bow and the Sea God Hammer. He then handed the first treasure to Marcia.


    "Do you intend to manipulate the spiritual treasure by yourself, Prince Crimson? Won''t it be too difficult?" Townsend questioned once he saw Rocky wield the Sea God Hammer.


    "Thank you for your concern Patriarch Townsend, but I assure you I am more than capable of manipulating this spiritual treasure," Rocky replied calmly. His strength was currently at the Immortal Stage and the sealed power of the eighth layer in his body had been released. Controlling the spiritual treasure with speed and ease wouldn''t be a big problem for him.


    Upon Rocky''s reply, Townsend''s expressions changed ever so slightly. Assured of Rocky''s confidence, he had nothing more to say.


    "Let''s do it," Townsend ordered.


    Holding the Heavenly Inc


    cluding Rocky, were also hit. To prevent themselves from being injured even further, they had to stop releasing the power of the spiritual treasures and retreat quickly.


    Once the power of the nine spiritual treasures disappeared, the Demonic Thunder Tiger''s aura instantly rose and began to kill thousands of the spiritual race members that besieged it. In the blink of an eye, numerous spiritual race members met their demise at the hands of the beast''s terrible thunder power.


    Afterwards, the beast opened its mouth wide. Like a cannonball, lighting shot out of it and headed straight towards those who held the nine spiritual treasures. This prevented them from getting any closer to the beast.


    Despite the enormous number of the spiritual race army, the Demonic Thunder Tiger''s power was still too difficult to resist. Left and right, thousands of the injured were mixed with the dead. The number of casualties began to increase at a rapid speed as well.


    Many members of the spiritual race army were scared to death and fled in all directions.


    "If this continues, we''ll all be killed, Patriarch Townsend," the patriarch of the Ghost Master Clan told Townsend, his expression now full of concern.


    "Why don''t we retreat now? It appears we''ve underestimated the power of this calamity beast!" the patriarch of the Giants Clan exclaimed immediately.


    "If we retreat now, all our efforts will be in vain!" Jill countered.


    "Maybe there''s another way," the patriarch of the Wood Clan proposed.

 Chapter 1292 Townsends Ambition

    "Wait, do you mean to gather the Divine Spiritual Source?" Townsend asked the Wood Clan''s patriarch immediately.


    The latter seriously nodded in agreement.


    "But the Divine Spiritual Source is extremely powerful. It is beyond the control of our spiritual race..." Jill questioned immediately, completely confused about how the patriarch was supposed to achieve this.


    "All of us must go all out now. If we can''t even deal with one calamity beast, then how can we deal with the other eight? It''s time to set aside our prejudices and finally join hands to fight against our common enemy," Townsend said with conviction.


    The other clan leaders immediately looked at each other. It was obvious that they were being cautious of their every move especially since the joining of all forces had never happened before.


    "I agree with you, Patriarch Townsend. We must gamble with all that we have now. Perhaps only the Divine Spiritual Source can deal with this calamity beast..." Rocky suddenly said, standing tall beside Townsend. Of course, he was waiting for this opportunity all along.


    Townsend was also a little surprised at this, but he was relieved. After all, the other clan leaders of the spiritual race had no reason to refuse if Rocky agreed with his suggestion.


    At last, the leaders also nodded in agreement.


    "I have a question. How can these nine spiritual treasures be gathered into the Divine Spiritual Source?" the patriarch of the Ghost Master Clan bluntly asked.


    "How about we gather the nine spiritual treasures together and give it a try?" the Wood Clan''s patriarch suggested.


    With that, Rocky and the other eight holders of the nine spiritual treasures gathered in a circle. Almost at the same time, the Mysterious Spirit Raw Gemstones on the nine spiritual treasures suddenly shone brightly as if they resonated with each other. Then, the nine spiritual treasures began to shake violently. In a blink of an eye, all of the spiritual treasures flew out of the hands of the nine holders and gathered in the sky. After that, they transformed into nine different lights and began to fuse with each other.


    "The fusion has finally begun. Soon enough, the Divine Spiritual Source will reappear in this world, and our spiritual race will have a chance to survive!" Townsend excitedly shouted.


    However, the spiritual light around Townsend''s body suddenly increased. Then, he waved a palm towards the patriarch of the Wood Clan beside him and the strong


    y made up his mind. She knew that the situation was extremely critical now. If they did not try to prevent Townsend from obtaining the Divine Spiritual Source, the consequences would be beyond their imagination.


    So, Marcia used the secret skill of the Dragon Master Clan to instantly send a message to Jill, the patriarch of the Wood Clan, and Cherry. When the three of them heard this, they were also shocked. However, they could only believe in Rocky now. After all, he was the man who had performed countless miracles. Perhaps he was the one who could really put a stop to Townsend''s ambition.


    The three looked at each other and immediately rushed to Townsend and the other two defectors.


    "Ha! You''re still not giving up?" Townsend narrowed his eyes into slits and immediately stretched out his hand in the air. His elder and the patriarchs of the Giants Clan and the Ghost Master Clan immediately dashed to the other three who had just come up.


    Almost at the same time, the six great powerful masters of the spiritual race started to fight in the air. The fight was horrifyingly shocking. They were completely shrouded in shining spiritual light and surging aura.


    The nine spiritual treasures were still continuously fusing, gradually turning into a ball with the nine colors of the divine light. It emitted a surging aura that was similar to a divine item coming into the world. It was truly amazing!


    "Ha-ha, the Divine Spiritual Source will be mine soon enough." Looking at the almost completed source in the air, Townsend laughed wildly with pride and arrogance. It seemed that no one could stop him now from obtaining the source.

 Chapter 1293 The Powerful Impact

    At the same time, not far from the place where Townsend and his companions were fighting for the Divine Spiritual Source, a figure in a red robe suddenly appeared.


    "The Divine Spiritual Source is about to fuse successfully. Are we going to make a move now?" the figure asked out of nowhere. It seemed that it was talking to himself.


    "Not yet but don''t worry. Although you are stronger than them now, it won''t be easy for you to get the Divine Spiritual Source if they gather all their strength. So, we''d better let them both suffer first. It''s not too late for us to fight again."


    "I''m afraid that this might cause a long delay which may get us in trouble."


    "Do you think the Divine Spiritual Source can be actually controlled by the spiritual race? It''s simply a daydream. The Divine Spiritual Source is a godly power, and it is definitely not something that the humble spiritual race could ever control. Otherwise, they would not have divided the Divine Spiritual Source into two halves and created nine spiritual treasures and nine legendary guardian beasts. So, this move that they made by gathering the Divine Spiritual Source was a completely lost cause. They are asking for death the moment they started this. They thought that they could deal with the nine calamity beasts with only the Divine Spiritual Source gathered by the nine spiritual treasures. The spiritual race is really stupid. If that guy hadn''t betrayed us back then, the spiritual race wouldn''t have even taken this opportunity to steal the Divine Spiritual Source, let alone to use it to deal with us at last. However, if I can get the Divine Spiritual Source, my strength can completely recover. At the same time, I will find a suitable human body for my rebirth. And when that happens, all the spiritual race will once again surrender to me..."


    However, just as the figure was waiting for the leaders of the spiritual race clans to fight and get injured, a dazzling colorful light shadow suddenly appeared in front of the Divine Spiritual Source that was about to be completely fused.


    Of course, this did not escape Townsend''s sharp eyes who had been staring at the Divine Spiritual Source all this time. He coldly shouted, "You''re really overestimating yourself!" As he spoke, he waved his hand and a beam of light instantly shrouded the colorful light shadow that was approa


    wer?" Jill knew that the power that Rocky had unleashed must be the power of the Holy Dragon Bead. She had already guessed that the Holy Dragon Bead was a forbidden item in the Spirit Annihilation Land, just like the Demonic Soul Cauldron of her Phoenix Master Clan. However, compared with before, she felt the real power of the Holy Dragon Bead now.


    "What is he trying to do? Does he want to control the Divine Spiritual Source? That cannot happen. It''s completely impossible for him to do that..." Even Townsend''s face darkened at what was happening. He did not expect that Rocky could draw the power of the Divine Spiritual Source with his fragile human body. He just realized now that this human''s power was far beyond his imagination.


    Although Rocky had unleashed his strongest power, he realized that it was not enough to control the Divine Spiritual Source. Originally, he had planned to try integrating his own power into the Divine Spiritual Source before it was fully fused. He thought that he could control it in that way. But unfortunately, the power of the Divine Spiritual Source was far too strong. Even though it was not yet fully fused, it was incredibly difficult to control it.


    Soon enough, he felt that the strong power of the Divine Spiritual Source began to devour his body, which had been influenced by the extreme evil power, making his body even more fragile. His head was very painful, as if it were about to explode. He could clearly feel that his soul seemed to have been hit by an awfully strong impact and was about to totally disappear¡­

 Chapter 1294 Release The Beads True Form

    At that critical moment, the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast''s voice echoed in Rocky''s mind. "Wait! You can''t control the Divine Spiritual Source with your current strength. If you go on like this, you will be devoured alive by its power."


    Rocky''s eyes turned cold. This was the only thing he could do. It was tantamount to suicide, but he had no other choice. If it didn''t work, he would try to separate the nine spiritual treasures.


    "It''s still too early for you to do so, but if you are willing to be possessed and become evil, you can unravel its true form ahead of time. If you do that, you may still have a chance," the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast said after a moment''s hesitation.


    "Are you talking about the true form of the Evil-fight Divine Bead?" Rocky replied, enduring the sharp pain in his head.


    "Yes, but if you want to release the final form of the Evil-fight Divine Bead, you have to abandon everything, fall into the evil, inherit the mantle of Divine King Belial, and cut off all your emotional connections with human beings. That is to say, once you let loose the true form of the Evil-fight Divine Bead, you will no longer be a human being, but a stronger existence surpassing the spiritual race. However, you will also become cold and ruthless, and the people around you will also be affected by your evil spirit. It is a rather lonely destiny, so please think about this carefully," the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast continued.


    Rocky fell silent after hearing that. Obviously, the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast meant that if he wanted to obtain more potent power, he had to unravel the true form of the Evil-fight Divine Bead, but he had to pay the price for it. He would have to sacrifice everything, and would even have to stay away from the people he loved, cherished, and wanted to protect. He would be all alone for the rest of his life. Of course, such a price was terrible torture for a human of flesh and blood.


    However, Rocky had no time to choose. If he didn''t unravel the final form of the Evil-fight Divine Bead, he wouldn''t have enough strength to control the power of the Divine Spiritual Source.


    He had no luxury of time here. He neede


    on the Holy Mask, obscuring his entire face. Its evil light shone as if it had merged with his face. Then, he felt an extremely powerful evil will pouring into his head from the Holy Mask and occupying his entire mind as if another soul had seized his body.


    Between one blink and the next, Rocky''s eyes changed instantly. His eyes resembled the glassy and lifeless eyes of a cold-blooded and ruthless man. His whole face looked like it was carved from marble¡ªemotionless and cruel.


    "Ha-ha!" The next moment, Rocky suddenly burst into peals of wild laughter full of evil energy, which shocked the heaven and earth.


    All the members of the spiritual race who heard his laughter were stunned. In their eyes, Rocky looked like he was seconds away from being devoured by the Divine Spiritual Source''s power. Despite his situation, he could still laugh so carelessly. What was going on with him?


    Meanwhile, he looked up at the sky and let out a great shout. "Release your power! Evil-fight Divine Bead!" The whole sky was instantaneously covered with dark clouds, as lightning flashed and thunder roared endlessly. Waves of tremendous evil energy roared and filled heaven and earth.


    After that, the ninth layer of the seal in Rocky''s body was removed. The strong spiritual power surged in his body in an instant, turning into countless beams of black light that spilled out of his body, as if they were about to break through his skin.

 Chapter 1295 He Transformed To An Evil King

    "No, Basil..." Marcia and Alyssa cried out at the same time. They thought that he was going to be devoured by the Divine Spiritual Source''s power, so they immediately rushed to him without thinking.


    All the spiritual race members who saw this scene were also shocked and they all believed that Rocky would be devoured by the power of the source anytime soon.


    "It seems that he is going to be devoured by the Divine Spiritual Source''s power. He really overestimated himself this time. However, this is not a surprise since he has been acting like this ever since the beginning," at that moment, the figure in the red robe sneered. He had been sitting from a distance and had been intently watching the fight.


    "Oh, no, this is impossible! His power had surpassed that of the humans or even the spiritual race. Had he successfully inherited that guy''s power in the King Realm? Or was he just... No, we must stop him at once..." The figure suddenly let out a strange tone of shock and immediately rushed towards Rocky.


    Meanwhile, Townsend had already approached Rocky. Looking at the changes on Rocky''s body and at the Divine Spiritual Source, he was really worried. He knew that he couldn''t let Rocky have a chance to live again, so he directly used the Heavenly Demon Clan''s strongest secret skill. With that, a tall figure shadow of a demon king appeared behind him and a powerful demonic aura was emitted which shocked their surroundings.


    "Die and burn in hell!" With a shout, the demon king shadow behind him immediately raised its arms and rushed towards Rocky from the sky.


    Then, a glittering flame suddenly rushed to the sky and protected Rocky with its huge body, releasing all its flame power.


    However, the demon king shadow directly burst out a strong light in the air and immediately enveloped the fire shadow with Rocky. It continued to spread around, raising dust all over the sky and surging the air waves.


    Marcia and Alyssa, who were quickly rushing to Rocky, were both stunned at what was happening. However, they could not do anything but watch. There was no more time to stop Townsend.


    Meanwhile, the figure in the red robe who rushed to R


    evil aura which made some spiritual race beings tremble with fear.


    "What the hell is going on? I don''t understand. Why did Basil suddenly become like this? That mask he''s wearing... Is that the holy treasure of the Dragon Master Clan?" When Marcia saw the Holy Mask on Rocky''s face, she was stunned. Although she knew that the Holy Mask had an extraordinarily strong power which could make the owner have an innate superhuman strength, what Rocky exhibited was far beyond her imagination. It also contained such a shocking evil spirit which could make her feel like he''s spiraling into madness which was very terrifying.


    All the spiritual race beings were astonished by Rocky''s amazing change. He looked around the spiritual race beings coldly and suddenly shouted, "Get out of here and disappear in front of me at once, you spiritual race beings!"


    Rocky''s words totally shocked all the spiritual race beings, including Townsend and the other clan leaders.


    "What do you mean by that, Prince Crimson? Since you can control the Divine Spiritual Source now, you should help us get rid of the calamity beasts first..." As soon as she heard that, Jill immediately flew into the air and approached Rocky.


    "What a complete joke! Why should I help your useless spiritual race? If it weren''t for your arrogance and greed, then the Wild Spirit Land wouldn''t end up like this," Rocky harshly replied. Then, an evil smile slowly crept on his face.

 Chapter 1296 The Destructive Power

    "What did you say? What''s wrong with you, Prince Crimson? You don''t look like yourself at all. Didn''t you just risk your life to prevent Townsend from obtaining the Divine Spiritual Source?" Jill asked. She was quite confused by how Rocky was behaving.


    "Ha! Are you really too naive to see that? I''m just using you and all of your spiritual race beings to get the Divine Spiritual Source," Rocky mischievously sneered, looking extremely evil and arrogant.


    "What? Basil?" Marcia and Alyssa were also shocked when they heard what Rocky said. They didn''t believe at all that Rocky''s real purpose was to actually get the Divine Spiritual Source.


    "Are we wrong in trusting him?" The Wood Clan''s patriarch couldn''t help but question.


    "Now you know that the real danger is not me, but this evil human. He has been conspiring against all of us from the very beginning, trying to overturn the whole world and exterminate our spiritual race. You were all just pawns that have been used by him," Townsend shouted angrily. Of course, he was extremely enraged to see that Rocky was already in control of the Divine Spiritual Source.


    Jill, the Wood Clan''s patriarch, and Cherry immediately looked at each other. Although they didn''t want to believe that Rocky would really betray them, what they saw and what he had just said to them were enough proof.


    Meanwhile, the figure in the red robe opened his eyes widely and began to talk to himself again.


    "Damn it! We were too late; he made it anyway!"


    "I just said that we''d better take action first."


    "What kind of nonsense are you talking about? Well, it doesn''t matter anymore. The spiritual race won''t let him go. Even though he has controlled the Divine Spiritual Source, his current strength at the King Realm can only use the Divine Spiritual Source''s power only once. So, we definitely still have a chance!"


    At the same time, the Demonic Thunder Tiger seemed to feel the strong power of the Divine Spiritual Source. It seemed to be totally irritated and suddenly turned its head and quickly rushed towards Rocky.


    When he saw the Demonic Thunder Tiger approaching, Rocky was extremely calm. He waved the huge Frozen Wind Dagger in his hand, and a huge Flaming B


    ng to cooperate with us?" Townsend looked and pleaded to Jill, the Wood Clan''s patriarch, and Cherry. He knew that Rocky, who had already controlled the Divine Spiritual Source, could not be easily dealt with. But if they worked together, they would definitely have the chance to take back the source from him.


    "You are awfully shameless, Townsend. You just attacked the Wood Clan''s patriarch, but now you want us to cooperate with you. We won''t be fooled by you anymore," Jill snorted coldly. She was getting tired of these endless games.


    The Wood Clan''s patriarch just stared at Townsend with his deep eyes. Although he did not say anything, his eyes were filled with rage.


    "Are you just going to stand there and watch the death of our race in the Wild Spirit Land?" Townsend asked them in a stern voice. If it weren''t for the powerful Divine Spiritual Source in Rocky''s hand, he would have already joined hands with the patriarchs of the Ghost Master Clan and the Giants Clan to deal with Rocky.


    When Jill and the Wood Clan''s patriarch heard this, they couldn''t help but look at each other. It would be a lie to say that they were not worried at all. Because Rocky seemed to have suddenly changed into a whole other person. He was no longer the human they trusted. And now, he had the Divine Spiritual Source in his hands which only meant that he could easily destroy any spiritual race clans if he wanted to. With the power of the source, he was completely invincible.

 Chapter 1297 Destroy Everything

    "Okay, I can help you, but you have to promise that after you take back the Divine Spiritual Source, you will leave it to the common guardianship of Phoenix Master Clan and the Wood Clan." Jill immediately put forward her condition.


    As soon as Townsend heard this, his eyes turned dark and cold. He was in a terrible position because he couldn''t leave the Divine Spiritual Source to those two clans, but the power and influence of Jill and the Wood Clan''s patriarch were indispensable at that moment. Therefore, he had no choice but to agree.


    He met the suspicious gazes of the patriarchs from Ghost Master Clan and the Giants Clan and said, "Okay, I agree." "I want to fight and seize the Divine Spiritual Source with my own hands. Will that be a problem?" asked Jill.


    "Well, that all depends on you, Matriarch Jill," said Townsend with a severe expression on his face. Then he turned to Cherry and said, "Won''t you think about this some more, Matriarch Cherry? This is a matter of great importance to the safety of the spiritual race! If you are willing to help, we are also willing to allow your race to regain its strength..."


    "No, I won''t make a move. It does not matter whether Prince Crimson is using us or not. To me, he will always be the savior of our Butterfly Divine Clan," Cherry declared bluntly.


    "Matriarch Cherry, why don''t you think about it for a few more minutes? I don''t need your answer right now, and you might have a change of heart later." Of course, Townsend didn''t expect, at that point, Cherry was still on Rocky''s side.


    "Stop persuading me!" Cherry snorted, turned away from him, and flew back towards Marcia and Alyssa.


    When Marcia and Alyssa saw her approaching, they immediately walked up to her and asked anxiously, "What happened to Basil? Why did he suddenly change into another person and become an enemy of the spiritual race?"


    "I''m afraid I don''t have a clue, but please leave here with me as soon as possible. I''m afraid we can''t interfere in the following things," Cherry said seriously.


    "But Basil is..." Alyssa looked worriedly at Rocky, who was floating up in the sky.


    "Don''t worry about him. What you really need to worry about is those spiritual race beings. Come with me now!" As she spoke, she pulled Marcia and Alyssa and flew a


    , he shot the intense nine-colored light of the Divine Spiritual Source down to the ground.


    "Run!" Seeing this, all the members of the spiritual race panicked. Their previous momentum disappeared like dew under the blazing morning sun. Some reacted immediately and ran away, while some stood in their places, too shocked to move.


    In just an instant, the Divine Spiritual Source fell to the ground with a mighty explosion. It suddenly turned into a beam of light, which continued to expand as if chasing those running away. The ground shook with a violent earthquake, and the wind blew hard and fast.


    Boom!


    A deafening sound rang through the sky. The light quickly spread out, while a mushroom-like cloud that was several hundred meters high appeared between heaven and earth. Within a radius of thousands of meters, the place was engulfed within the nine-colored light, and all it swallowed was destroyed.


    Rocky, the Demonic Thunder Tiger, and all the spiritual race members were completely swallowed up.


    At the point, Marcia and Alyssa, who had been dragged by Cherry and flew thousands of meters away, heard a loud noise behind them. When they looked back, they were shocked by what they saw. The light was shining and almost blinding in its intensity. Everywhere they looked, all they could see was the nine-colored light, and not a single living figure could be seen. It was as if they had vanished in an instant.


    "No! Basil!" The two women burst into tears, shouting for Rocky but unable to go back for him.

 Chapter 1298 Rocky Was Framed

    After a long time, the nine-colored light slowly dissipated into nothing, but it left a massive pit that was a thousand meters in diameter and dozens of meters deep. Countless dead bodies of spiritual race beings filled the hole to the brim, while thousands of spiritual race beings were scattered around it, looking like death warmed over. Some of them could be alive, but it was clear they wouldn''t stay alive for long. In other words, the ruins were filled with wreckage and countless casualties!


    In addition, the Demonic Thunder Tiger was also severely mutilated. It looked critically injured, as it got up from the center of the massive hole. Perhaps, it was caught up in the middle of the blast caused by the Divine Spiritual Source power, so the impact it bore was the strongest. Even so, it still looked fearsome and powerful enough to destroy all of them.


    "Oh, no! Where is Basil?" Marcia and Alyssa turned around immediately, their eyes frantic and wild as they searched for Rocky.


    At that moment, an evil figure suddenly appeared in front of the Demonic Thunder Tiger. It was a man, and he looked as if an evil god had possessed him. A sinister smile pulled tight at the corner of his lips, seemingly contradictory to his lifeless and glassy eyes.


    "Is that¡ªBasil?" The two women gaped in surprise, as the figure was revealed. Seeing that it was Rocky, they immediately flew down to approach him.


    But when they came close to him, they found that Rocky was behaving strangely. His eyes were blank and glassy when he looked at them as if he didn''t recognize them at all. Moreover, they were terrified by the natural evil will that he was exuding in that instant.


    "Basil, are you okay?" Marcia asked while she hesitantly approached him.


    However, before she could get close, a black flame suddenly sprang up under her feet.


    "Don''t come any closer!" Rocky glared at Marcia as if she were a stranger.


    Seeing this, the two women were confused. They didn''t know what was wrong with Rocky, and this strange behavior worried them even more.


    "Evil sealing skill!" Rocky shouted abruptly as he stretched out his left hand, and a black-purple vortex suddenly appeared above the Demonic Thunder Tiger, instantly sucking the severely injured beast into it.


    In the next moment, Rocky suddenly flew into the air and disappeared in front of Marcia and Alyssa. The two women were s


    s frail look, he still mustered up enough energy to glare at Alston hatefully. However, he soon gave his last breath and fell lifeless at Alston''s hands. Townsend had never thought that Alston, the man he gave a chance to be reborn, would, in turn, take his life when he was vulnerable.


    Of course, this could be the so-called retribution!


    Not long after, a few more rays of light broke out from the hole. These rays of light looked around and saw the wreckage around them and the numerous dead and wounded spiritual race beings. They were embarrassed at first because they let Rocky take them off guard, but they grew shocked and angry when the surrounding wreckage finally sunk into their minds. At once, they knew that it was Rocky who did such a cruel thing.


    "I didn''t expect him to do that..." Jill muttered angrily.


    "Look there! It''s Patriarch Townsend!" The Ghost Master Clan''s patriarch immediately found Townsend''s dead body. They also saw Alston, who was just standing over him.


    The other three clan leaders were even more shocked, and they hurried over to see what happened.


    "What the hell is going on? How did he die? Who killed him?" the patriarch of the Ghost Master Clan asked Alston immediately.


    "Who else can it be? It''s Prince Crimson. He is so vicious. He not only killed our patriarch, but even sucked up his spiritual soul," Alston said indignantly, his eyes darkened. He framed Rocky without any hesitation.


    The faces of the four clan leaders darkened immediately when they heard that. They didn''t expect that Rocky would have been so cruel and merciless!

 Chapter 1299 His Last Wish

    "But think about it, this is his retribution. He was so ambitious that he even wanted to misappropriate the Divine Spiritual Source at first..." Jill stated coldly.


    "Matriarch Jill, this is not the right time to be sarcastic. Since Prince Crimson dared to kill the Heavenly Demon Clan''s patriarch, he will definitely not let us go," the Giants Clan''s patriarch said with a serious look on his face.


    "That''s right. It surely won''t be easy to deal with Prince Crimson. Now that he has obtained the Divine Spiritual Source, he will use it to deal with the clans of the spiritual race," the Ghost Master Clan''s patriarch added.


    When Jill heard what they said, her face immediately turned cold.


    "Can everyone please calm down? Although Prince Crimson has indeed obtained the Divine Spiritual Source, he had already activated its power. So, it''s impossible for him to use the power again at least for now. For the time being, there is no need to worry that he will act rashly against the spiritual race. However, we have finally realized that Prince Crimson has been planning this for a long time. He pretended to be close to the spiritual race and even allied with the Phoenix Master Clan and Wood Clan. Everything that he did was for his despicable goal. He is a cunning man indeed. But Matriarch Jill, you don''t have to take it personally. All of us may know someone for an exceptionally long time but that doesn''t mean that we truly know their true nature and intentions. He took advantage of your weakness to succeed in achieving his hidden purpose," Alston said in a calm and reassuring tone.


    "It''s useless to say so now. The most important thing that we have to do is to take back the Divine Spiritual Source..." the Ghost Master Clan''s patriarch said angrily. He was frustrated at the current situation of the whole spiritual race.


    "In my opinion, it won''t be difficult to take back the Divine Spiritual Source. Although Prince Crimson is indeed a despicable man, he is a dutiful son. So, if we attack the Holy Dragon Empire, Prince Crimson will never just sit by and do nothing!" Alston suggested to them at once.


    "So, what you''re suggesting is that all the clans must unite and directly deal with the Holy Dragon Empire? I''m afraid that''s inappropriate. Isn''t it too much for you to take advantage of our powe


    fulfill the last wish of Divine King Belial!" the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast deeply sighed. It expected a lot of great things from Rocky.


    "So, you just want me to do what you want, which is the last wish of the so-called Divine King Belial. What on earth is his last wish anyway?" Rocky asked with a frown on his face.


    "My master''s last wish before he died was to not let this world be destroyed and face its ultimate end. The reason why he left me in this world is to maintain its balance. Unfortunately, the spiritual race that Divine King Belial originally placed his high hopes on followed the same path again. They made this world go on the path of destruction with their endless disputes. So, I summoned the Witch of the Holy Dragon Empire with the power of the Holy Mask and asked her to help me. However, she still couldn''t stop the fall of the spiritual race. When she was about to die, she used the Holy Mask as a clue, hoping that someone could find the Myriad Spirit Tomb and inherit her will¡ªto help me prevent the spiritual race from destroying the world. But I wasn''t expecting you to come at all!" the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast excitedly explained in detail.


    "It sounds like you were really surprised to see me back then?" Rocky curiously asked.


    "Although I didn''t show it at that time, I couldn''t be more surprised. The reason why I gave the Oracle Jade to you and attached it to you was actually because you were the reincarnation of Divine King Belial..." the beast exclaimed. This new information shocked Rocky to the core.

 Chapter 1300 The Special Existence

    "What? The reincarnation of Divine King Belial? Are you sure about that?" Rocky raised his eyebrows in surprise upon hearing those words.


    "To be exact, it must be the person''s body your soul is attached to, which, in this case, is Basil''s body. Without a doubt, he is the reincarnation of Divine King Belial. In addition, this is also the reason why he turned into a cripple. But right after your soul possessed him, the evil king blood that was concealed in his body was also activated, causing him to be able to fuse with the Evil-fight Divine Bead which was refined by the power of Divine King Belial before his death. This is the whole story!" the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast exclaimed as he tried to explain the situation briefly.


    "If I am indeed the reincarnation of Divine King Belial, then it means that the statue I saw in the Heavenly God Temple, the one that looked exactly like me, is Divine King Belial? No wonder his old lover would call me ''Belial''! I clearly remember how she treated me as Divine King Belial. I never really knew that there was a deep reason behind it." At that moment, Rocky seemed to have put the puzzle pieces together and had a little bit of idea about what was going on.


    "However, it was believed that Divine King Belial never revealed his true face to others. Only a few people claimed to have seen him, including Ice Queen and Holy Lord," the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast added.


    "So, does it mean that Holy Lord is also aware that I am the reincarnation of Divine King Belial?" Rocky asked in an indifferent voice while raising his eyebrows in confusion.


    "Well, I suppose so," the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast replied with uncertainty.


    "Since you have already told me a lot, I bet you can now tell me the secret hidden behind the death of those spiritual race beings in the Myriad Spirit Tomb and the true identity of the twelve statues? Perhaps, you can now disclose what the relationship was between them and the powerful race that once existed," Rocky asked without thinking twice.


    "After gathering the blood essence of the nine legendary guardian beasts, you will certainly be able to understand everything with the help of the memories stored in the Oracle Jade." The Dragon-shaped Soul Beast decided not to divulge all the interesting mysteries and secrets to Rocky at one time.


    "But why should I have to gather the blood essence of the nine legendary guardian beasts?" Rocky couldn''t help but ask out of pure curiosity.


    "That''s because the O


    ine Spiritual Source. Thanks to Uriah''s bravery and strength, he was able to release the strongest power at a critical moment, then control the Divine Spiritual Source.


    However, there was a big problem¡ªUriah''s body seemed to have taken too much damage after absorbing this devastating blow. Despite it being a talented legendary guardian beast, it had a gene defect in its body, which was considered to be lethal. It often suffered from twitching and sharp pain in its body for quite some time now, and this raised Rocky''s level of concern for its overall health. Obviously, the gene defect in its body was not getting any better with each passing day, adding more complications to its sustained injuries.


    "I don''t think that your spirit-manipulated beast would live long. If you had only summoned me at that time, then maybe it could have lived longer. But now, it appears that it won''t be able to hold on for even a month." Glutton suddenly appeared beside Rocky and looked at Uriah with cold eyes. Although it was an ancient demonic beast with a bizarre temper, it shared some similarities with Uriah and had gone fond of each other over time.


    "The situation was very urgent in that instant and time was of the essence. I didn''t have the time and strength to summon you! Do you really think that I was willing to do that just to hurt Uriah?" Rocky replied indifferently as his eyes gleamed with unspeakable guilt.


    "But this spirit-manipulated beast is very special, indeed. In fact, its mere existence may have a certain meaning that is yet to be discerned. But how to find out this meaning depends on you, its master," Glutton reminded him casually.

 Chapter 1301 Stuck In Trouble

    "The meaning of its existence?" Rocky''s eyes narrowed slightly. Ever since the day he chose Uriah as his beast, he felt that his fate was completely connected with it. Uriah had stayed by his side all these years no matter what. It was his most trusted partner. In his opinion, Uriah was destined to be with him. It supported him especially in the most difficult situations.


    It could be said that they were more like brothers than beast and owner with the way they helped one another. Their friendship was as deep as the sea. The tight bond that they had was difficult to give up. So, Rocky would not let Uriah die so easily. He would do whatever it took to keep it alive.


    However, he didn''t have much time left since the eight calamity beasts were still attacking the Wild Spirit Land. According to the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast, he had to gather the blood essence of the nine legendary guardian beasts, release the seal of the Oracle Jade, and solve all the mysteries. Besides that, he should also integrate the other half of the Divine Spiritual Source to finally complete it. That was the only way he could seal the eight calamity beasts.


    Rocky already had the blood essence of the five legendary guardian beasts from five spiritual race clans¡ªthe Wood Clan, the Dragon Master Clan, the Water Master Clan, the Snow Master Clan, and the Phoenix Master Clan. Now, the only thing he needed to do was to get the blood essence from the four legendary guardian beasts from the Ghost Master Clan, the Giants Clan, the Thunder Master Clan, and the Butterfly Divine Clan. The legendary guardian beast of the Butterfly Divine Clan had just been reincarnated, so he hadn''t collected any blood essence from it yet. However, it could be considered a thing in his bag already, so he only worried about the blood essence of the three clans that he didn''t collect yet. As for the legendary guardian beast of the Thunder Master Clan, Sabina and the others were already looking for it. So, his next move was to go to the Ghost Master Clan and then to the Giants Clan to collect the blood essence of their two legendary guardian beasts.


    He was aware that h


    nd this person was his son, one of the indispensable foundations of the current Holy Dragon Empire. So, he definitely understood the seriousness of this matter.


    However, what bothered the emperor most was that the pressure from the royal family. Many of the royal members thought that they had to surrender Rocky as soon as possible to calm down the spiritual race. Otherwise, the Holy Dragon Empire would definitely get into big trouble. So, if the problem could not be solved anytime soon, there would be internal strife in the Holy Dragon Empire. Especially now that he was far too weak to manage the empire.


    "What really happened to Basil? Why didn''t even General Marcia come back?" Isis, who was holding her son, Nigel, was also restless. She hadn''t closed her eyes since last night and had been extremely worried about her husband.


    "Did my last dream come true?" Lena also anxiously pursed her red lips. She already had an awfully bad feeling long ago, but did not expect that it would really happen.


    "I''ve sent many disciples of the Ximen Clan to look for Prince Crimson and General Marcia. Now we have no choice but to wait," Bryant deeply sighed. Although he didn''t know what had happened, he could tell that the Holy Dragon Empire would be in great trouble soon because of Rocky.


    Just as everyone in the hall was worried, a delicate figure suddenly walked into the hall and attracted everyone''s attention.

 Chapter 1302 The Huge Crisis

    "General Marcia!" Lance shouted in surprise.


    It was Marcia, who had been looking for Rocky for several days and nights but still couldn''t find him.


    At that moment, Marcia looked lonely and depressed, like a woman abandoned by her man. Her delicate face looked sunken, and she seemed to have lost some weight. The previous noble and beautiful posture she exuded was gone, making her look listless and exhausted.


    As soon as the people in the hall saw her, they couldn''t help but stand up and quickly surrounded her, asking all kinds of questions.


    However, the emperor immediately silenced them. "Be quiet. Let General Marcia sit down first." Of course, he too was anxious and wanted to hear the news, but Marcia looked like she was ready to fall over at any moment.


    At the emperor''s words, everyone returned to their seats, but their eyes were still fixed on Marcia.


    Soon, Marcia walked towards the front of the hall and knelt on one knee towards the emperor. She bowed her head and cupped her hands, her face contorted in grief. "Your Majesty, I failed to protect Prince Crimson. Please punish me!"


    "General Marcia, what are you doing? Let''s talk about this later. No matter what happened, I don''t think it''s your fault, so don''t blame yourself. Why don''t you tell us the whole story first? At least, let us know what happened first!" The emperor hurriedly waved his hand.


    Hearing this, Marcia stood up and looked around the crowd. Then she told them the whole story.


    Everyone was shocked after hearing her story. The whole story was beyond their expectation, and never in their wildest dream could they imagine that Rocky would suddenly become a demon and forget everyone. Moreover, he controlled the powerful Divine Spiritual Source and killed countless spiritual race beings, which made the spiritual race suffer heavy casualties. That was why the members of the spiritual race were hunting Rocky down now.


    "So, Basil really killed many members of the spiritual race?" Lena was also stunned by the whole story. If she had known this earlier, she should have stopped Rocky from finding the Dragon Master Clan''s holy treasure.


    "General Marcia, you just said that Basil wore the holy treasure of the Dragon Master Clan?" the emperor asked with great concern. Marcia nodded at once.


    "In fact, there is a secret about the holy treasure of the Dragon Master Clan.


    I didn''t expect that Basil would wear it, so I didn''t tell him ab


    me behind," Isis said firmly. But even though her tone was resolute, her beautiful eyes were already brimming with unshed tears.


    "I believe it will be extremely challenging to find him, but it is only natural because all the spiritual race clans in the Wild Spirit Land are hunting him down as we speak. I''m afraid he won''t show himself easily. Moreover, if he returns here safely, it may not be a good thing for our empire. He may not even come back on purpose, all for the sake of our empire," Lance analyzed rationally.


    Hearing this, everyone looked at each other in dismay, because Lance was right. The reason why Rocky disappeared suddenly was that he didn''t want the Holy Dragon Empire to be involved.


    "But even if he doesn''t come back, our empire is now under siege from all directions. Before long, I''m afraid the other clans of the spiritual race will take this opportunity to make trouble for us." Bryant worriedly expressed his fears.


    "We will send more people to find him first," the emperor ordered at once. But before he could finish his instructions, his eyes suddenly widened as if in shock. In the blink of an eye, the emperor had collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath and clutching his chest in pain. His face had grown ashen, while his body was tight with tension, grasping his chest and the empty air around him for support.


    The entire hall exploded into chaos. Shouts for help echoed, as everyone crowded around the fallen emperor.


    "Your Majesty!"


    "Call for an imperial physician!"


    It was a total mess.


    Just as the emperor had collapsed, the Holy Dragon Empire fell into a huge crisis.

 Chapter 1303 Break Into The Ghost Master Clan

    Meanwhile, two figures stood facing each other in a dusty living room inside an abandoned mansion on the southeast side of the Imperial City.


    "Priest Dean, were you successful in doing what I asked you to do?" A figure hidden in a dark red robe talked to an old figure with grey hair.


    "Yes, Your Royal Highness, everything is already set," the old man respectfully said.


    The figure hidden in the red robe was no other than Alston, who had just killed Townsend only a few days ago. He took over as the Heavenly Demon Clan''s patriarch with the support of several advanced spiritual race clans.


    When Alston took over the position, the elders and some spiritual masters of the Heavenly Demon Clan strongly objected. However, the objection suddenly stopped because three of the strongly opposing elders disappeared overnight without any trace, and the reason behind this could be assumed. So, the objection slowly disappeared.


    The old man standing in front of Alston was Priest Dean who had been missing for quite a long time.


    After Alston was defeated and his soul was sucked out in the Witch Palace, Priest Dean immediately ran away when he realized that the situation was not in his favor. After that, he decided to go to Bryant to save his own life. He told Bryant the things Alston had done to him to win Bryant''s trust. However, Bryant was not fooled, so he immediately ordered his people to imprison Priest Dean. It was not until a few months ago that Priest Dean was released under the condition that he was not allowed to come close to the Imperial City.


    But he did not give up. All this time he had been hiding in the Imperial City, waiting for an opportunity to regain his strength. However, with his current situation, he immediately became a poor outcast. It was not until Alston found him that he saw hope again.


    "The emperor''s health is getting worse and worse by the day. I don''t think he can hold on for long. I have already asked my confidants in the Palace City to secretly add some deadly herbs in his meal to make the emperor die sooner than expected. The deadly herbs can slow down the blood circulation in the body. With the


    then immediately climbed up. The reason why he came to the Ghost Master Clan was he wanted to get the blood essence of their legendary guardian beast. Now that he had the blood essence of the six legendary guardian beasts, the only left to be taken were the blood essence from the Ghost Master Clan, the Giants Clan, and the Thunder Master Clan.


    So, Rocky immediately went to the Ghost Master Clan to complete his mission as soon as possible. Of course, the Ghost Master Clan''s patriarch didn''t expect that Rocky, the person who slaughtered so many spiritual race beings, would suddenly appear in their territory.


    When Rocky was about to fly towards the palace at the top of the black stone mountain, several ghost-like figures appeared in front of him.


    Rocky raised his head and saw that the figures in front of him were so ugly and frightening. If he hadn''t faced the Dark Lord, a Ghost Master Clan being whose Sea Blue Magic Jade had been taken away by him before, he would have thought that he had encountered ghosts.


    Of course, those spiritual slaves who were trying to stop Rocky were not a threat to him at all.


    "How dare you sneak around here and break into our clan?" one of the spiritual slaves shouted at Rocky in a strange human language.


    "I came here aboveboard. How come you''re saying that I''m sneaking around? Get out of my way at once. I''m not in the mood to kill anyone today!" Rocky immediately sneered.

 Chapter 1304 Encountering The Dark Lord again

    The several spiritual slaves of the Ghost Master Clan became more ferocious when they heard what Rocky said and immediately surrounded him.


    "I guess you wouldn''t help me inform your patriarch that I''m here," Rocky said as he raised his eyebrows.


    "What? Our patriarch? Humph! You''ll never be qualified to see our patriarch..." One of the spiritual slaves who could speak human language suddenly burst into laughter. He was confident that killing Rocky was as easy as killing an ant.


    Rocky narrowed his eyes into slits and immediately disappeared like a bubble that was popped.


    Before the spiritual slaves could even react, they let out a painful scream. Their already ugly ghost faces had suddenly swollen up like pigs'' heads. Then, they fell horizontally on a rock, breathing heavily. All of them were seriously injured. If Rocky hadn''t shown any mercy, they would have been surely dead.


    "Now, I''ll ask you again: can you report to your patriarch that I''m here?" Rocky asked as he slowly picked up and choked the spiritual slave who could speak human language.


    "Alright, yes... Yes... of course! I can!" The spiritual slave looked at Rocky with wide eyes while his body was trembling. He didn''t expect that this human had such amazing power and strength.


    "Alright then, go ahead." Rocky evilly smiled and patted the shoulder of the spiritual slave.


    The latter was so frightened that he immediately turned around and fled as fast as he could all the way to the stony mountain.


    However, the spiritual slave didn''t actually go to the patriarch. If the patriarch knew that they couldn''t even stop a human, they would be in a lot of trouble. So, he called for more reinforcements.


    "My Lord, there''s bad news! Extremely bad news!" The spiritual slave rushed and stumbled into one of the caves in the stony mountain. There was a special grotto in the cave which was decorated like a mansion inside. However, it looked awfully gloomy and was full of white bones.


    At that time, a figure sitting cross legged on a staircase of the cave suddenly opened his eyes. Green light immediately shot out of his eyes like ghost fire which was rather terrifying.


    "What are you screaming for


    of the stony mountain while everyone was watching.


    Soon enough, he sensed a few extraordinary auras. He immediately looked up and saw a few figures chasing after him at an incredible speed. Pretty soon, they had already caught up with him. Judging from their auras, they were all ordinary spiritual beings and they were not strong. They were all at the lower level except for the one in the lead who had reached the middle level.


    When Rocky took a closer look, he found that the leader was the Ghost Master Clan''s Dark Lord whom he stole the Sea Blue Magic Jade from in the Myriad Beasts Ground. What a coincidence!


    Apparently, he didn''t recognize Rocky at first. He just felt that Rocky looked remarkably familiar and seemed to have seen him somewhere. But a moment later, he suddenly opened his slender eyes and immediately pointed at Rocky, shouting, "It''s you, you brat. I''ve been looking for you for a long time, but I didn''t expect that you would throw yourself into the trap and come to me. Give back my stuff, you thief..."


    "Humph, I didn''t expect you to recognize me at all!" Rocky said with a smirk on his face. Back in the Myriad Beasts Ground, the Dark Lord made all the spirit manipulators tremble with fear and it had been difficult for them to defeat him. But now, he was just like an ant in Rocky''s eyes. However, he still had to thank the Dark Lord for his "generous gift". Otherwise, Rocky might not have been as powerful as he was now.

 Chapter 1305 Meet The Patriarch

    "I can recognize you even if you turn into ash." The Dark Lord gritted his teeth in anger. If it weren''t for the fact that the Sea Blue Magic Jade he had obtained with great efforts had been taken away by Rocky, he would have already broken through his current stage.


    "It''s a pity, but I''m not here for you. Get out of the way. Don''t waste my time," Rocky said with an icy glare.


    The Dark Lord seemed to have sensed Rocky''s hidden powerful aura and was shocked. Back when he first saw Rocky, the latter was only a very weak human spirit manipulator. Now, he could break into the Ghost Master Clan alone, and had just defeated several advanced spiritual slaves like it was child''s play. That meant that his strength had at least surpassed that of the Divine Stage. How did a measly human boy improve that fast?


    Rocky''s great leap in strength certainly astonished the Dark Lord. However, in his opinion, Rocky was still not on a par with him, and he could definitely defeat him easily.


    "Brat, you broke into our Ghost Master Clan without permission and hurt our members. You''re doomed. Do you want to do it yourself or let me settle it for you? But if you give my stuff back to me, I might even consider letting you go," the Dark Lord said. He was lying through his teeth, of course. He didn''t intend to let Rocky go. He just wanted the brat to hand over the Sea Blue Magic Jade first, so he could kill him and pour all his hatred from their previous encounter.


    Rocky didn''t even respond, and his eyes remained as cold as a desert night.


    Seeing that Rocky didn''t intend to surrender, the Dark Lord grew even more irritated. In the blink of an eye, he moved and stretched out his thin finger. Immediately, his exceedingly evil spiritual power rose sharply, blowing sand and stones into the air.


    "Secret skill, the Ghost Burial!" The Dark Lord didn''t want to show mercy to his old enemy. As soon as he launched the secret skill, the ghosts overlapped, crying and screaming, within a radius of ten meters around Rocky. It was a very frightening thing to witness. A strong spiritual power rushed to Rocky from all directions, as if the energy itself wanted to devour him alive.


    "Is that all you got?" Rocky sneered. Then, his aura suddenly soared as if challenging the Dark Lord''s surging power. A black roaring flame rose all over his body, and at first glance, it seemed like he was burning. However, Roc


    the man looked like an ordinary member of the Ghost Master Clan, he seemed fierce and gave off a very calm demeanor. Obviously, he was not an ordinary person.


    "Allow me to guide you. This way, please," Zack told Rocky calmly, gesturing with his hand where to go.


    Without saying anything, Rocky nodded and entered the ghastly ghost hall with the guardian. Once Rocky was inside the hall, he thought that the inside was even more frightening than the outside. As soon as he stepped foot inside, he saw two ghost statues with tusks, about ten meters high, standing on both sides of the hall. Although the place was brightly lit and there were exquisite antiques, stone carvings, and paintings in sight, it didn''t look welcoming at all. In fact, it resembled a dreary history museum, as it gave off the illusion that he was entering a dark and terrifying hell.


    They passed through the front hall and walked through the ghost hall''s depths along a straight corridor where a gate could be seen at the end.


    The moment that they arrived at the gate, it opened automatically. Rocky came upon a great hall inside, where several thick stone pillars stood on both sides, engraved with frightening ghosts. Eighteen figures stood among the stone pillars, looking grave and solemn.


    A figure with extraordinary aura was sitting on a skull-shaped bone chair in the front of the hall. Of course, to Rocky, he was an acquaintance. The person on the bone chair was the patriarch of the Ghost Master Clan.


    "Patriarch, he is here." With that said, Zack respectfully bowed to the patriarch, then moved to stand aside.

 Chapter 1306 Came In For The Blood Essence

    "How dare you break into our clan alone, Prince Crimson? Do you think that strengthened by the power of the Divine Spiritual Source, you can belittle spiritual race clans like us and do whatever you like?" The patriarch of the Ghost Master Clan could not help become extremely irritated at the sight of Rocky. Whilst his blood boiled in anger, he also had some reservations about the seemingly audacious intruder.


    At that time, his subordinates immediately reported to him about the intruder''s break-in. Based on their description, he had a hunch and was convinced that the intruder was none other than Rocky. Needless to say, he was very careful in dealing with him. In fact, he knew that it was not a good move for Rocky to come alone and trespass the Ghost Master Clan''s property. At that time, the patriarch considered Rocky''s possession of the Divine Spiritual Source, causing him not to do anything rash. In his mind, he knew that it was only wise to learn first the reason for Rocky''s uninvited presence in their clan at this hour.


    "Well, it seems that you have misread the situation. It''s not that I am ignoring your clan. It''s just that I don''t need to take you seriously at all," Rocky said arrogantly and coldly.


    "You..." The patriarch was fuming mad that his face instantly turned red, causing his blue veins to pop from his temples and neck. However, this anger that burst from deep inside him seemed to have been doused with water very quickly. Observing Rocky''s words and deeds, he believed that this man was not here to cause any trouble, and there was no need for him to put more fuel to the fire. Although the patriarch had his eye on the Divine Spiritual Source in Rocky''s hand, he could not read if Rocky would use this to destroy the Ghost Master Clan out of the blue. Rocky was considered as the God of plague in the eyes of any spiritual race clan. As a result, they couldn''t provoke him easily no matter how badly they wanted to. Therefore, he had to think long and hard about the consequences of his actions, even though he wanted to do something about Rocky''s presence at that moment. Every minute spent with Rocky was so delicate that doing something rash was never an option.


    "Cut the crap. I came here only for one thing: to take a few drops of your legendary beast''s blood essence." Rocky came straight to the point and stated his purpose.


    "What? The blood essence of our legendary guardian beast? I''m afraid that you will go back empty-handed, Prince Crimson," the patriarch replied after a moment of astonishment.


    "What


    ate the beast. Yet, even after we have tried thousands of ways to do that, we still failed. With that being said, our clan has also strictly guarded this secret. We thought that if other clans of the spiritual race knew that our clan''s legendary guardian beast is still in this form, then spies would definitely crawl our property..." the patriarch said with a deep sigh.


    "But your legendary beast''s case is really tricky and hard to understand. I don''t think that I can explain it by common sense. So, the usual method may not be useful for its reincarnation." Rocky slowly nodded his head as he stared at the gigantic egg in front of him.


    "In fact, Prince Crimson, I have been paying attention to you since you became famous in the Wild Spirit Land. Before all of that, I heard all the clans of the spiritual race claim that you are the man chosen by God. That is why I thought that you might be able to make our legendary guardian beast reappear. However, you are now considered as the enemy of all the clans of the spiritual race. Logically speaking, I shouldn''t have put so much of my trust on you. I should have known better than to let you approach our legendary guardian beast. But now, without the spiritual treasure, it will be extremely disadvantageous to our clan if we don''t have the beast''s protection," the patriarch mumbled as he stared at Rocky with his shrewd eyes.


    "As the saying goes, the one who knows the situation and adapts to it is wise. Patriarch, you should know that your clan can''t hold on to this secret for too long. If you still intend to control the entire Wild Spirit Land, sooner or later you will reap the fruits of your own actions," Rocky reminded him abruptly.

 Chapter 1307 The Egg Fell

    "Wait, what do you mean?" The face of the Ghost Master Clan''s patriarch immediately changed.


    "I hope you spiritual race stop controlling humans at once and just peacefully coexist with us..." Rocky straightforwardly said.


    "Well, what you''re wishing for is impossible," the patriarch firmly said.


    "Alright, forget what I said then. I''ll see to it that you regret your decision soon," Rocky sneered with certainty. Then he looked at the reincarnation beast egg of the legendary guardian beast and continued, "I''m not one hundred percent sure, but I''ll certainly do my best. I have only one request though. Don''t let anyone disturb me no matter what."


    "Alright, no problem. Are you going to start now, Prince Crimson?" The patriarch could only place all his hope on Rocky.


    "Yes, I''m ready," Rocky said and nodded.


    "If ever you need anything, just tell it to the guards waiting outside," the patriarch said as he waved his huge cloak and left, leaving Rocky completely alone.


    Then, Rocky slowly walked up to the beast egg and gently put his hand on it. He tried to use the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill to see if he could enter the egg in the state of spiritual sense and get in touch with the legendary guardian beast. However, nothing happened after several attempts. The beast egg did not have any reaction except emitting its strong aura.


    "Hmm, maybe it will also absorb blood essences like Uriah?" After thinking for a while, Rocky used his and the other beasts'' blood essence to feed the egg. However, nothing still happened.


    "The Ghost Master Clan must have used this kind of ordinary methods, so I don''t need to try it again. But why is this legendary guardian beast not yet reincarnated after two hundred years already?" Rocky murmured to himself seriously.


    The following day, there was a heated discussion in the ghost hall.


    "Patriarch, do you really think that Prince Crimson can reincarnate the legendary guardian beast? This is complete nonsense. If he reveals this secret, the Ghost Master Clan will be in trouble. This is a totally disadvantageous situation for us." An elder was obviously dissatisfied with the patriarch''s decision.


    "Yes, I think it''s better if we catch him as soon as possible. After


    ers saw this, their expressions immediately changed. The elders immediately flew towards the rapidly falling beast egg. Of course, they didn''t want it to be destroyed. And it was impossible for the egg to be unharmed when it fell from such a high place.


    However, another figure flew out of Rocky''s Magic Spiritual Space and caught up with the elders at an astonishing speed. The strong demonic aura exploded all over the figure''s body, immediately disturbing their speed.


    "What? This is..." As soon as the elders saw the figure with astonishing demonic aura, their faces suddenly changed drastically.


    Who else could it be except for the demonic Glutton?


    The patriarch''s face was also extremely gloomy now. He felt that he made a mistake in trusting Rocky. After all, Rocky had just killed nearly four thousand members of the spiritual race not long ago. So, he glared at Rocky and said angrily, "What the hell are you trying to do? Are you playing tricks on us?"


    "If you believe in me, patriarch, just wait and see," Rocky coldly and calmly said.


    Hearing this, the patriarch looked at the egg that was falling to the ground with a hesitant expression on his face. He didn''t know whether he should believe Rocky or not.


    The egg was less than a thousand meters away from the ground. The several elders fiercely chased after it but failed because of Glutton''s interference.


    When the egg was about to hit the ground, it suddenly emitted an extremely dazzling and astonishing light.

 Chapter 1308 Gang Up On Him

    The abrupt change stunned the Ghost Master Clan''s patriarch and several elders. This was the first time in two hundred years that some change in their legendary guardian beast''s egg.


    Suddenly, the egg''s shell began to emit waves of dark energy and it seemed like it was going to be dissolved. Then, a pair of huge transparent ghost-like wings came out from the egg.


    Suddenly, a deafening sound blasted everyone''s ears. The egg suddenly lit up again and a huge body instantly rushed out from it. The body was like a soul because it was also very transparent. It indistinctly looked like a huge beast bone and its momentum was terrifying.


    "It was reincarnated! Our legendary guardian beast was finally reincarnated after so long..." an elder excitedly shouted.


    The other elders were also completely stunned. They had never thought that their legendary guardian beast would be reincarnated in this way.


    "What the hell did you do?" The patriarch was also extremely surprised and immediately looked at Rocky.


    "Well, your legendary guardian has already been reincarnated, but it took the form of the beast egg. Since it was in danger, it finally showed its true form," Rocky bluntly explained.


    "So, you mean that our legendary guardian beast didn''t reveal its true form because it was not in danger before?" The patriarch didn''t expect that the reason was so simple.


    "That''s correct. Since your clan treated it as a fragile treasure, it didn''t encounter danger at all," Rocky said as he crossed his arms over his chest. Then he immediately called back Glutton. After the Ghost Master Clan''s legendary guardian beast, Skeleton Ghost King appeared, it rose into the air and began to hover above the black stone mountain.


    When they saw that their legendary guardian beast had finally reappeared, all the members of the Ghost Master Clan knelt and kowtowed.


    Then, Rocky landed on a stone cliff on the mountain. The patriarch and several elders immediately flew up to him.


    "No wonder you are called as the famous Prince Crimson of the Wild Spirit Land. I didn''t expect that you would do this so e


    shadows!" The patriarch narrowed his eyes and disappeared in an instant. Then, ghost shadows suddenly rushed out of nowhere and immediately surrounded Rocky.


    Rocky''s eyes narrowed slightly when he saw this. The next moment, the patriarch immediately appeared in the ghost shadow nearest to Rocky. His spiritual power soared all over his body and then he rushed towards Rocky with a whistling momentum.


    "Space chopping!" However, Rocky didn''t show any mercy at all. He waved the huge Flaming Blade in the air. And in an instant, an astonishing flame light turned into a blade shadow falling from the sky and completely shrouded the patriarch.


    However, the patriarch suddenly disappeared again. In a blink of an eye, he appeared in another ghost shadow and pounced on Rocky again.


    Rocky launched another strike with the blade, but the patriarch disappeared once again. After that, the ghost shadows in the air continuously appeared, and it was difficult for Rocky to tell which one was the real patriarch.


    Even though Rocky attacked the shadows one after another, he failed again and again.


    Just as Rocky was about to launch another attack, a figure silently approached him. At the same time, the figure waved his hands and said, "Ghost possession!"


    Countless ghost hands were shot out from the figure''s body and wrapped around Rocky from behind, making it difficult for him to break free.

 Chapter 1309 The Heavenly Ice Soul

    Seeing this, the elders of the Ghost Master Clan who were ready to fight stood side by side and used the strongest secret skill of their clan together.


    "Demonic breaking skill!" Under the gathering of the elders'' spiritual power, a colossal light shadow appeared out of nowhere. It looked like a purgatory full of ghosts, with black shadows continually trying to break out.


    The next moment, this massive light of ghost shadows was immediately pushed out, and it rushed towards Rocky, who was still restrained.


    The ghost shadows rushed into his body at the speed of light, so the Ghost Master Clan''s patriarch immediately let go of Rocky and flew backward as if he''d been burned. This was because Rocky''s body would soon be broken into pieces by the ghost shadows.


    Sure enough, Rocky''s whole body suddenly shuddered and trembled, as intense white light burst out from inside him. It looked like something was struggling to rupture out and break his body.


    Just as the patriarch and the elders thought that Rocky was as good as dead, a black flame suddenly rose from his body, reflecting the sky. Then, this black flame completely enveloped Rocky''s body, making him look like a burning man.


    The ghost shadows that rushed into Rocky''s body seemed to have been refined alive. These shadows scattered in mindless chaos and gradually disappeared.


    "How is that possible? How could he refine all the spiritual power we have combined?" The elders were flabbergasted. Never in their wildest dream could they imagine such a thing.


    They had no idea that it was all the effort of the Evil-fight Divine Bead, which could devour anything, and after its final form was removed, this ability naturally became even stronger. It could now devour any spiritual power that rushed into its owner''s body and lessen its impact on the body, which could be considered a self-defensive ability.


    "Is that all you got? I''m sorry to say this, but if others attack me by an inch, I will definitely give back by a mile!" All of a sudden, Rocky let out a burst of chilling and evil laughter. He raised the huge Flaming Blade in his hand higher, and then an astonishing spiritual pillar rushed out of the blade and into the sky.


    The sky rumbled like a lion''s roar and started c


    erocious and burning black flame was instantly extinguished, and not long after, the extremely fierce sea of fire disappeared.


    "What a powerful item! It can actually suppress my black flame," Rocky muttered with admiration, as his eyes narrowed on the special item.


    "Patriarch, gather your strength, and give him a fatal blow!" When the elders saw that the treasure was effective, they regained the confidence they had lost. They immediately rushed towards Rocky, just to buy some time for their patriarch to prepare.


    Seeing this, Rocky knew that there was no need to stay any longer. Although he was very concerned about the forbidden item of the Ghost Master Clan, he could not continue this slaughter in the Ghost Master Clan''s territory. Thus, he decided to leave immediately.


    At this thought, Rocky turned away from the enemies as if he had gotten tired of them. Then, he summoned Ken and hid himself in an instant.


    When Rocky disappeared, the patriarch and the elders wanted to chase after him. However, they couldn''t do anything, for he was nowhere to be found.


    "Damn it! He escaped!" the patriarch said angrily.


    Shaking his head, the patriarch gave the order to withdraw his forces. But before he could finish his words, a mysterious ice light suddenly fell from the sky and appeared in front of him.


    "Give back the Heavenly Ice Soul to me. How dare a mere spiritual race being take and use my holy treasure!" In the blink of an eye, a beautiful figure appeared in the icy light.

 Chapter 1310 Stay Back

    "Who are you?" the patriarch of the Ghost Master Clan demanded loudly, surprised to see the delicate figure appearing from the icy light. When he realized that she had her eyes locked on the forbidden item, the patriarch wrapped his hands tightly around it. The aura that emitted from the figure felt somehow strange and unfathomable. It looked human, but had the aura of the spiritual race being.


    Staring at the patriarch, the figure replied defiantly, "You are not qualified to know who I am."


    The elders and other members of the Ghost Master Clan quickly surrounded the delicate figure, all staring at her.


    "How dare you break into the territory of our Ghost Master Clan! Leave now!" the patriarch barked fiercely as he waved his hand to dismiss the figure. He was a bit intimidated by the sudden appearance of this stranger as the aura she was emitting was nothing he had seen before.


    The figure sneered and casually waved her hand. All of a sudden, the forbidden item rose from the patriarch''s hand and hung in the air above them.


    "Let me show you ignorant folks how to use the Heavenly Ice Soul." She pointed her finger at the forbidden item, and soon, the item started to grow larger and larger.


    The members of the Ghost Master Clan watched as the Heavenly Ice Soul grew bigger till it was the size of a huge iceberg.


    With another wave of her hand, the figure let the gigantic iceberg fall to the ground.


    With a loud boom, the iceberg crashed and ice dust covered the entire place. With no time to escape, many members of the Ghost Master Clan were crushed under the weight of the large iceberg.


    The others in the sidelines widened their eyes in horror. They turned to the delicate figure, but the look in their eyes had changed into that of utter fear, as if they were looking at a monster.


    As they watched in shocked silence, the iceberg returned to its original form and slowly glided to the open palm of the delicate figu


    ask on the man''s face; fear enveloped him. His tears stopped, and the boy slowly got up from the ground on his own.


    "Good. That''s my son." Rocky''s eyes narrowed. A trace of fatherly pride flashed across his cold eyes.


    Nigel recognized his father. He couldn''t help but pounce towards him. However, Rocky took a step back, and Nigel staggered once again.


    "Nigel! Where are you? Nigel..." An anxious voice came from the other end of the garden.


    Isis approached them quickly.


    When she saw Nigel with the stranger, she ran towards him in a hurry.


    "Who are you? What are you trying to do to my boy?" she asked, as she placed herself between her son and the stranger.


    But when she looked into his eyes through the Holy Mask, Isis was stunned. She trembled. "Basil, is that you?"


    Rocky''s eyes turned cold. He should have left before Isis had appeared, but he stayed.


    "Basil..." Isis was sure that the man in front of her was Rocky. She stepped forward, extending her arms towards him.


    "Stay away from me!" A powerful evil aura rose from Rocky.


    Isis stopped and looked at him in astonishment. She couldn''t believe that the man she loved so much would be so hostile to her. She felt like a thousand needles had pierced her heart.


    "I''m not who you think I am," Rocky said coldly.

 Chapter 1311 The Crowning Ceremony

    "I knew it! You are Basil! But what''s wrong with you? Why did you behave like this? What on earth happened?" Isis asked in a husky voice. She never expected that Rocky would suddenly be twisted in this kind of scenario. In her mind, she believed that he must have had some pretty serious and complication reasons for being in such a situation.


    Needless to say, Rocky did not express any eagerness to explain himself, or at least, he could not begin to articulate his defense. Perhaps, this was because he found it too hard to put the right words together because it involved too many secrets, reasons, and too much helplessness that Isis might not even understand. Now, he could no longer have any connection with the past. Otherwise, misfortune would come to his life in the most unpredictable way possible.


    That was why, at that moment, he did not utter a single word. Instead, he turned around and left immediately.


    Isis saw nothing but Rocky''s back as she felt her heart ache. Next thing she knew, she opened her mouth and shouted at him, "Don''t you know that Father is critically ill? He wants to see you one last time."


    Before she could finish that desperately, Rocky had vanished.


    The night fell and the dark sky enveloped the quiet and serene Palace City. It reeked of depressing aura as the emperor was dying from his illness at that time.


    Dead silence crept the royal chamber where the emperor lived. No one dared disturb his peaceful resting, with only two maids guarding his door from the outside.


    Suddenly, a gust of cold wind blew and howled where the two maids were stationed. Their delicate bodies trembled for a moment, but the atmosphere quickly returned to its original state not long after.


    Almost at the same time, a man''s figure appeared inside the chamber. There, he stood beside the bed patiently and looked at the dying emperor who had his breaths numbered.


    The emperor slowly opened his eyes, looked back at the figure beside him, and said in a shaking voice, "Basil... Is... is that you?"


    Nothing but a slight hum was heard as a reply.


    "You finally... finally... came back! It is so great... to see you, son... for one last time... before I rest in peace. I''m glad. I can now die without any regret. I''m really happy!" the emperor said in a hoarse and feeble voice.


    A groan was heard from the figure beside the emperor.


    "I... I only have... one final... wish. I hope you... can help... the Holy Dragon Empire... survive the crisis this time. No... no matter what... happened


    so knew that her son could not understand anything that was happening around him at all, and that comfort was actually directed to help herself. Apart from this, she also knew that it was not easy to ascend the throne, especially when Rocky was a wanted man by all the spiritual race clans in the entire Wild Spirit Land. She knew that as long as her son ascended the throne, he would surely suffer an unprecedented situation. Despite the messy situation, she had already mentally prepared herself for whatever might happen. She knew that she had to fulfill the wishes of the deceased emperor and Rocky, and let Nigel inherit the throne.


    Not long after, Isis and Nigel reached the throne. There, she assisted her son and led him to his rightful seat.


    At that moment, the leading elder among the several elders of the royal family immediately came up with an imperial edict in his hand. Written by the deceased emperor in person, this imperial edict was considered to be a testament and could not be changed. Therefore, as long as the decision on the imperial edict was announced in public, Nigel could ascend the throne smoothly.


    The leading elder looked around at everyone present. Then, he picked up the imperial edict and announced the words written in it publicly. He tried to make his voice loud and clear as much as he could so that everyone present could hear it with distinction.


    After the leading elder finished the last word, he shouted with all his might, "Your Majesty, please ascend the throne!"


    Then, Isis carried her son and helped him sit on the throne. All of a sudden, a gloomy voice echoed from the sky, "He is not qualified to inherit the throne at all!"

 Chapter 1312 A Terrifying Purpose

    As soon as the voice sounded from out of nowhere, a figure in a red robe suddenly appeared. Between one breath and the next, he emerged from thin air and materialized in front of the throne, preventing Isis and Nigel from ascending the throne. Seeing this, the whole audience exploded with noise, as they were shocked and frightened by this red-robed figure''s appearance.


    However, the figure''s red robe was covering his entire body, so nobody could see him clearly. Despite not seeing his features, those who looked at him were caught up by his icy demeanor. All of them could tell with a single glance that this man undoubtedly had malicious intentions.


    Seeing that they were at a disadvantage, Lance rushed to stand protectively before Isis and her son, preventing the mysterious figure from touching them.


    Bryant and Marcia also arrived and stood with him opposite the figure.


    All the people present, including the elders of the royal family, also focused their eyes on the mysterious figure, trying to guess his identity. After all, those who dared to make trouble at the crowning ceremony of the Holy Dragon Empire''s new emperor were definitely not ordinary people.


    "Who are you? And why do you question the new emperor''s qualification to take over the throne?" Bryant shouted at the figure in a deep voice.


    "What a joke! Now everyone knows that the boy''s father is an offender wanted by all the spiritual race clans in the Wild Spirit Land. How can that nasty man''s son take over the position of the emperor?" the figure sneered.


    "The new emperor is the heir appointed by the previous emperor. His succession is a matter of course. As for his father''s behavior, it has nothing to do with his succession," Marcia answered seriously.


    "Don''t kid yourself. Of course, he has everything to do with his father! If this boy becomes the new emperor, the Holy Dragon Empire will collude with that offender and may be attacked by all the spiritual race clans in the Wild Spirit Land. If that happens, the Holy Dragon Empire will fall into an irreparable terrible situation, and its thousand-year foundation will be destroyed. You should know the consequences better than me!" the figure yelled back. It seemed that he was trying to bewitch the cro


    none of them could even tell what he had done, for no one had seen him move. He was too fast.


    "Grandpa!" Seeing this, Shirley immediately rushed toward Bryant, glaring sharply at the figure. She shouted angrily, "You bastard, you dared to attack my grandfather..."


    "Shirley, back off!" As she was about to seek revenge, her grandfather hastily pulled her back. And even though the strange man had hurt him, Bryant remained calm and collected.


    At the point, the elders of the royal family also seemed to be a little restless. After all, there was such a powerful, mysterious master who dared to stir trouble during the new emperor''s crowning ceremony. If they just watched this and let him continue to act recklessly, the Holy Dragon Empire would be disgraced. Therefore, after looking at each other, they immediately stretched out their bodies and surrounded the figure.


    The man saw that several elders of the royal family were about to make a move, but he only laughed as if nothing had happened. He looked around and said, "If you want your Holy Dragon Empire to be safe, you should immediately abolish the new emperor''s right of succession and submit to my Heavenly Demon Clan. I promise that your empire will not only be safe, but also thrive and live well. I will unify the whole land under the protection of my clan."


    His bold words caused an uproar again. It was obvious that his real purpose was not only to make trouble in the ceremony but also to achieve something more terrifying.

 Chapter 1313 He Finally Showed Up

    Hearing that, Marcia could not help but frown. As far as she knew, since the patriarch of the Heavenly Demon Clan was killed by Rocky, the clan had been quiet and did not do anything. However, it was strange that such a mysterious master, who was more powerful than an advanced spiritual master, was sent to the Holy Dragon Empire all of a sudden to prevent the new emperor from taking over the throne, and to demand the empire submit to the Heavenly Demon Clan.


    "Our Holy Dragon Empire will no longer submit to any clan of the spiritual race. The Heavenly Demon Clan can just keep on dreaming!" Bryant taunted loudly.


    "It''s not your decision to make. From now on, I''m in charge of the Holy Dragon Empire. Those who obey me will prosper, while those who resist me will perish!" the figure in the red robe announced as he looked around the crowd, hands raised.


    "Nonsense!" Bryant snapped. He turned to his companions and said, "Elders and General Marcia, let''s all join hands and work together to take him down!" Despite his injury, Bryant still maintained his power and wouldn''t let the red-robed figure get whatever he wanted. He immediately sought the aid of Marcia and the elders of the royal family.


    The elders were aware of the red-robed figure''s immense power. Unless they joined hands, no one stood a chance against him. And so, they all nodded in agreement.


    Meanwhile, Marcia took out her spiritual weapon and was ready to fight.


    "It appears I''ll have to teach you all a hard lesson. Otherwise, you''ll never know how powerful I truly am!" the figure in red exclaimed viciously.


    All the people who witnessed this quickly retreated since they knew that this fight would be huge. Any area within a thousand meters of the fight would be turned into a battlefield. Lance stood protectively over Isis and her son in front of the Lofty Dragon Hall.


    All at once, Bryant, Marcia, and several elders of the royal family rushed towards the figure in red.


    "Come on!" the red figure taunted as evil energy instantly burst from his body. A freezing wind blew fiercely within a few hundred meters from him.


    Bryant, Marcia, an


    tire square below it.


    Quickly, the shadows that laid siege on the square let out howls like injured wolves. The brilliant glow of the divine light caused them to dissipate into thin air. The previously possessed humans now appeared to wake up from their bloodlust-filled trance all at once.


    Soon, everyone''s eyes were fixed on the black flame figure that still held the divine light in its hands. Against the vibrant colors, the figure appeared even more conspicuous.


    "You''re finally here? I''ve been waiting for you for so long," the figure in red cackled wildly once he saw the figure in the black flame.


    "Basil!" Marcia cried out.


    Isis and Lena trembled upon hearing his name.


    Both the figure in black and the figure in red landed in the middle of the square at the same time, facing each other. Bryant, Marcia, and the several elders stood by on the side but didn''t make a move.


    At that moment, everyone''s attention shifted to the figure in black. Soon, appalling evil energy began to emanate from his entire body. He looked like an evil king, one that was no weaker than the figure in red that stood before him.


    Despite the black flame figure wearing a mask, Marcia''s resounding cry made it known to everyone that he was Prince Crimson of the Holy Dragon Empire. He had just killed thousands of members of the spiritual race and was now wanted by all the spiritual race clans of the Wild Spirit Land.

 Chapter 1314 The Fierce Battle

    Most of the people were surprised that Rocky would show up out of the blue. But instead of his usual aura of being the savior of the day, he appeared to be an evil monster that hated by most of the people present.


    His appearance prompted an uproar from the crowd around him. Not long after, they pointed their fingers at Rocky and started to exchange their thoughts with each other about how much he had changed.


    But Rocky just ignored the whispers around him. He focused his eyes on the figure in the red robe and said distantly, "Alston, you don''t have to hide anymore. You''re just waiting for me, aren''t you?"


    "Ha ha..." The figure in red suddenly burst into loud laughter upon hearing Rocky''s words. He took off the hood that covered his face, instantly revealing his true identity in front of everyone present. Contrary to what people were expecting, his face was not from a spiritual race being but rather from just a normal human.


    Seeing this, the crowd boiled up right away. At that moment, everyone''s jaws were agape and had their eyes wide open as they could not find the right words to express their astonishment.


    Every single person present was completely discombobulated after realizing that Alston, who had resurrected, had the strength and power to fight against the top masters of the Holy Dragon Empire¡ªBryant, Marcia, and several elders of the royal family.


    The several strong masters had been well aware that Alston was still alive. Despite this, they still could not believe that it was real until they saw it with their own eyes.


    "Alston!" Lena shouted in anger as she clenched her fists and gritted her teeth.


    "Since when did you have your human body?" Rocky questioned grimly. Shock crept Rocky''s veins. Last time he saw Alston, he was still in the body of a fish monster from the spiritual race. But of course, the most important takeaway from the entire scenario was that Alston''s strength seemed to have changed. Seeing Alston in this body, Rocky felt that he had obtained a more intense kind of power.


    "Why? Are you saying that I can''t have this body?" Alston laughed audaciously.


    But this was not Rocky''s immediate concern at that moment. In fact, he knew deep inside that Alston planned this all along. Rocky believed that Alston was trying to lure him out by stirring a commotion about the succession ceremony. Moreover, he thought that Alston came alone, without any backup, this time. If this were the case, then Alsto


    "You stupid old man!" Alston taunted as he made another move. But not long after, another strapping figure stood in front of Lance.


    "Chief Bryant!" Lance exclaimed as he saw who tried to protect him and his family.


    "I''ll take it from here, General Lance. Let me deal with him. Go and take them to a safe place," Bryant said gently.


    "Thank you." Lance nodded politely and looked at Isis and her son. "Let''s leave. It''s too dangerous to be here."


    On the other hand, Isis couldn''t help but look at Rocky with confusion and sadness written on her face.


    "Come on, let''s go." Lance also took a quick look at Rocky, sighed, and urged his daughter to leave.


    Finally, Isis and her son were about to leave the square with Lance''s protection and a group of palace guards protecting them from every angle.


    Without a doubt, Alston wouldn''t let Isis and her son leave so easily. Just as he was about to launch another attack towards them, Bryant stepped in and stopped him.


    Several elders of the royal family saw this and did not hesitate to join the battle.


    Not long after, another fierce battle broke out. In a flash, Alston was able to seriously injure two elders of the royal family. Aside from them, Bryant and other elders of the royal family were also slightly injured to varying degrees. At that moment, it was clear that Alston''s strength could not be resisted even by the most powerful human spirit manipulators.


    From start to finish, Rocky was just there, standing on the side, coldly watching the fight unfold in front of him. He did not move a muscle, as if he had no business joining the fight, like a normal bystander.

 Chapter 1315 Retreat Urgently

    After the fierce battle, Bryant and several elders of the royal family were unable to resist Alston''s powerful strength. Since they were already injured and there was a huge gap between their strength, they were all totally defeated. Although they didn''t want to admit their defeat, they knew that they could not do anything to turn the tables.


    Seeing this, the people around turned even more desperate. It was obvious that no one could stop Alston after the defeat of Bryant and the several elders. And the only one who could actually stop Alston was just standing aside and watching. The Holy Dragon Empire would surely fall into the hands of Alston in no time.


    At that moment, many people glared at Rocky with despair and hatred. They believed that the man in front of them was no longer the Prince Crimson that they highly respected and revered. He had turned into a cold, ruthless and unpardonable traitor.


    "Is there anyone else here who wants to save the Holy Dragon Empire? Come out now if you dare. Ha ha... Every single one of you should stop dreaming. Surrender to me at once. Otherwise, you will all die..." Alston wildly laughed. He was immensely proud when he noticed Rocky was not making any move because that was what he wanted in the first place. He wanted to make the whole Holy Dragon Empire hate Rocky.


    "Basil, why are you just standing there? Shouldn''t you stop Alston? Only you can stop him." Lena couldn''t help but shout at Rocky. She looked a little hopeful because she knew that Rocky wouldn''t be totally indifferent and ruthless. Back then, he even broke into the Palace City alone and fought against the strong spirit manipulators to save her. But now, he completely turned a blind eye to so many people in danger. It was hard for her to believe that the man in front of her was the person she loved most.


    Hearing Lena''s scream, Rocky was still indifferent. He looked at Alston with a blank expression. It was not that he did not want to stop Alston, but he had other thoughts on his mind. He knew that what Alston really wanted was to get revenge, and to make him lose everything and betray all his relatives and frien


    Alston?" Bryant was not reconciled at all. Then, he looked at Rocky. He really did not understand why the prince was suddenly so indifferent.


    "Trust me; this is only temporary. I''m sure of it. We will take the Holy Dragon Empire back from Alston, but not now. If we don''t leave, no one would be left to defend at all," Marcia solemnly swore.


    Bryant looked at Marcia and thought for a while. Finally, he sighed and signaled Shirley. Then he came to Lena''s side.


    "Your Royal Highness, we need to retreat first," Bryant said to Lena urgently.


    "No, I will not leave. I believe that Basil won''t just sit back and do nothing about this." Lena seemed to be very persistent. She still believed that Rocky had some trick up his sleeve.


    "Don''t you understand? Or you just can''t accept it? He is no longer the Prince Crimson we knew. We are not important to him anymore," Bryant said agitatedly. Although he didn''t want to believe it, what happened just now was enough proof.


    "I..." Lena was totally speechless.


    "Your Royal Highness, please forgive me for what I am about to do." Bryant didn''t say anything more. He immediately summoned his seven-star spirit-manipulated beast and directly dragged Lena onto its back.


    Shirley followed her at once.


    "Do you think I will let you leave so easily? You can''t take Lena away from here..." Seeing this, Alston coldly snorted and was about to stop Bryant from taking Lena away.

 Chapter 1316 The Duel

    Suddenly, a huge dragon shadow rushed over to directly block Alston. The next second, a delicate figure stuck close to him again. She used a powerful secret skill of the spiritual race to hold Alston in the middle of the spiritual light shooting.


    "Marcia, you are a very troublesome woman indeed!" Alston glared at her and her Holy-blood Dragon King who entangled him. His eyes were filled with raging anger. He immediately looked around the human clans, members of the royal family, and all the officials, then shouted, "The person who can bring the Witch to me will be handsomely rewarded!"


    As soon as he announced this, the spirit manipulators who submitted to him immediately rushed to Bryant''s seven-star level spirit-manipulated beast. They heavily surrounded it to prevent its owner from flying away with Lena.


    "Chief Bryant, please take away Her Royal Highness immediately." Several elders of the royal family immediately went up to help Bryant and Lena escape.


    "Protect Chief Bryant and Her Royal Highness at once..." some members from the human clan as well as the royal family who didn''t submit to Alston shouted at once. They showed great loyalty to the empire and stepped forward to fight.


    The scene quickly turned into a chaotic battle with plenty of lives lost. Ambition, greed, and desires were incisively and vividly displayed as the fight went on!


    Meanwhile, Bryant didn''t fail to live up to everyone''s expectations. With his powerful force, he cut his way out of the bloody fight, and quickly flew out of the Palace City with Lena and Shirley.


    "Damn it!" Alston was extremely furious when he saw that the Witch still escaped. He shook his body with his dark power and turned into a fierce ghost-like black figure. After his transformation, he rushed straight to Marcia who cornered him.


    Even with the help of the Holy-blood Dragon King, Marcia''s strength was still not as strong as Alston''s. So, Marcia was naturally unable to resist Alston''s full attack. She was thrown away before she could even firmly stand.


    "Screw them! I''ll kill you first and then deal with the others. They can never escape from me anyway. If one of the Three Great Generals of the Holy Dragon Empire dies, it will definite


    neck with a lizard-like body. Its aura was at least over the seven-star level.


    On the other hand, Robin took the lead and rushed to Alston''s guardian beast. The two beasts had almost the same strength and they immediately fought against each other. The strong wind was raging and the atmosphere was very tense.


    Then, Rocky directly activated the Spirit Possession with Ken. He knew that Alston''s strength was way stronger than before, so he had to fight with all his might. After all, his current strength at the King Realm was only equivalent to that of a spiritual master at the advanced level. It could be said that he was on a par with Alston. If he wanted to defeat him, he had to seriously play hardball.


    Noticing that Rocky was activating the Spirit Possession this early, Alston knew that his brother was going to go all out. But he didn''t worry at all. He pulled out the Evil Spirit Saber and slashed it out wildly. It formed a ghost shadow with a green face and ferocious fangs and pounced on Rocky directly.


    Rocky disappeared in a flash and the ghost shadow completely missed him.


    "Dark demonic phantoms!" In a blink of an eye, countless ghost-like shadows suddenly appeared around Alston as he crossed his arms. The shadows flew and interlaced with each other like a barrier.


    Then, Rocky suddenly appeared again out of nowhere. The huge Flaming Blade in his hand slashed out a black flame. It rushed through the gloomy ghost-like shadows and flew towards Alston.

 Chapter 1317 Double Spirit Possession

    But, Alston''s figure disappeared in the next moment, and a dark demonic shadow shook violently beside Rocky. Alston reappeared startlingly as if he were teleporting like an apparition. At the same time, his Evil Spirit Saber with a gloomy aura hacked down.


    Seeing this, Rocky immediately cloaked himself and shifted his position. Frustratingly, no matter where he went, Alston would appear beside him. It was almost as if he had intuitively estimated his brother''s movements.


    Rocky''s eyes narrowed slightly. In an instant, his aura soared all over his body, and the black flame around him surged. Then, a flame hurricane that centered on him skyrocketed with incredible momentum and instantly shrouded a radius of dozens of meters. The earth burned, and everything turned to ashes wherever he passed.


    Like a ghost song, agonized shrill cries rose from the demonic phantoms that had the misfortune of being engulfed by the flame hurricane.


    Alston''s eyes widened with astonishment for a split second before he calmed himself. Although he hadn''t fought with Rocky in the last battle against the calamity beast, he had heard that Rocky had inherited the power of Divine King Belial. As such, his strength had increased significantly. While Alston anticipated a challenge, he didn''t expect Rocky to be powerful enough to circumvent his secret skill with only one move.


    However, Alston, who had integrated a part of the ghosts'' power, now had the strength that surpassed an advanced spiritual master. This increase in strength made him confident and arrogant; thus, he rushed toward Rocky. The Evil Spirit Saber in his hand slashed out, releasing a blade shadow that hurtled toward Rocky, like a giant blade.


    Rocky waved his huge Flaming Blade, and the two Spiritual Weapons collided. A dazzling light was emitted from the impact, blinding every creature around. In an instant, two intense clashing lights continually stirred up spiritual waves and dust within the radius of hundreds of meters.


    Obviously, the two fighters'' strengths were evenly matched in this fierce battle. However, since Rocky had merged with Ken''s power, he had a slight advantage. This also proved that Alston had very few opponents in the entire Wild


    o know about Alston''s source of power, as from the moment their fight began till now, he could feel that his elder brother''s power did not belong to the spiritual race. In fact, it was very similar to his power. However, as it was fused with the spiritual race''s power, it was impossible to tell the origins of this power. Nevertheless, one thing was certain; this power should be above the power of the spiritual race.


    "If you fell to your knees and begged for mercy, I might consider answering your question." Alston''s face darkened when he observed that Rocky was unharmed. He didn''t expect that his brother could withstand his full-force attack.


    "Forget it. Let''s end this, shall we? I already know the limits of your strength. Double Spirit Possession!" Rocky shouted. Then, his eyes widened, and his whole body emitted a strange light. Robin, who stood beside him, instantly turned into a cloud of icy light ball and merged with him.


    As Rocky had recently merged with Ken''s power, no one present expected him to still have the strength to activate the Spirit Possession with Robin''s power. Dumbfounded, they stared at him.


    It was theoretically impossible for Rocky to activate the Spirit Possession with two spirit-manipulated beasts. However, as he had merged, his power surpassed that of the spiritual race. This integration was possible with the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill, one of the three most powerful skills in the Wild Spirit Land that he had acquired!

 Chapter 1318 A Great Risk

    However, the state of the Double Spiritual Possession lasted for a shorter time than the state of the single possession. So, Rocky had to ensure that he could defeat Alston in just one hit. Otherwise, he might give him a chance to counterattack once he stopped the possession state.


    While everyone was astonished, the evil aura of Rocky, who had entered the state of Double Spiritual Possession, increased again, reaching an appalling level.


    When everyone saw this scene, they were all totally flabbergasted!


    "Is he even still a human? I can''t believe that he has such terrifying power. Even the advanced spiritual masters of the spiritual race can''t compare with him."


    "He''s too terrifying. No other human can achieve that kind of power."


    "So, this is the real Prince Crimson? He is now as terrifying as the evil god..."


    Almost everyone was instantly trembling with fear.


    Alston was surprised to see that Rocky had integrated another spirit-manipulated beast to enhance his strength. However, he was still confident that Rocky could not defeat him. So, he stretched his body and directly rushed towards his brother.


    As Alston approached Rocky, the black flame on Rocky''s body suddenly became higher.


    With this, the spiritual light all over Alston''s body immediately soared and his dark power surged. His whole body turned into an extremely terrible ghost-like figure. Then, he pounced on Rocky ferociously.


    "Evil God Flaming Slash!" Rocky didn''t show any signs of weakness. He gathered all his strength on his giant Flaming Blade and fiercely slashed through the air.


    The ground in front of Rocky suddenly cracked violently, as if it had been cut down by a huge blade. Then, countless black flames burst out from the ground and rushed forward, which soon quickly spread to both sides and covered most of the square.


    Meanwhile, Marcia, who had been standing aside, suddenly felt a familiar figure approaching. The next moment, her slender waist was gripped by a big hand and then she was taken away.


    After the light dissipated, the entire square in front of the Lofty Dragon Hall had been completely ruined. There were so many casualties and dead bodies around.


    "Damn!" Alston walked out of the dust and


    uld have informed the Giants Clan, and the latter would definitely be on their toes. Even if that was the case, he knew that he still had to go to the Giants Clan.


    "You want the blood essence of the Giants Clan''s legendary guardian beast?" When she heard this, Marcia showed a thoughtful look.


    Rocky nodded at her question.


    "Well, I can go to the Giants Clan for you. My father once helped the Giants Clan''s patriarch. It should be no problem if I show up there to ask for their help," Marcia thoughtfully said.


    "No, the Giants Clan is aware of our relationship. If you go there, they will only use you." Rocky firmly shook his head at Marcia''s suggestion.


    "But if you''re the one who''s going there, you are actually putting your neck in a noose. Besides, you''re still injured, and it will take some time to heal yourself. While you''re healing, I can already take back the blood essence," Marcia insisted, casting a reproachful glance at Rocky.


    Rocky naturally hesitated. But she was right. With his current injury, it would indeed take him one or two days to recover. If Marcia rode the Holy-blood Dragon King to the Giants Clan, it would only take her two or three days at most to travel back and forth. He was also worried that if he went there after he was healed, he might not be able to obtain the blood essence so easily. So, if Marcia went there, she would help him save time and effortlessly get the blood essence.


    But of course, this was also a huge risk for her.

 Chapter 1319 The Rescue

    "Then, it is decided. Once you have recovered from your injury, you should go back and wait for me in the Crimson City. I''ll come back as soon as possible." As soon as Marcia finished speaking, she summoned the Holy-blood Dragon King and flew away on the beast''s back, looking back and nodding to Rocky before she disappeared from view.


    Rocky could not help but shake his head, as he watched Marcia''s receding back fade into the horizon. He understood that the woman would never stop loving him.


    "Even though I want to cut off everything with them, they won''t let me go easily..." With a myriad of thoughts in his mind, Rocky sighed tiredly, then disappeared.


    While Marcia was on her way to the Giants Clan, Sabina and the other two women who had gone to the ruins on the Wild Spirit Land in search of the Thunder Master Clan''s descendants had come back from their journey. They were astounded when they heard about the changes that had happened during the time they were gone. At the same time, they were also very confused about why Rocky had suddenly become an unforgivable criminal. They could not believe their ears when they found that Rocky had killed thousands of the spiritual race members, and he was now highly and infamously wanted by all the spiritual race clans around the Wild Spirit Land.


    Sabina contacted Marcia with the Carrier Beast immediately and learned that she was on her way to the Giants Clan. Marcia told them to stay put in the Crimson City, as she would tell them the truth once she returned. Thus, the three women decided to wait for her in the city.


    However, a few days had passed, and Marcia failed to return to the city. There was no news or message from her either, which greatly worried the three women, and they kept wondering if something had happened to her.


    Finally, news about Marcia arrived on the fifth day, but it was not good news.


    It turned out that after Marcia took the legendary guardian beast''s blood essence from the Giants Clan for Rocky, she couldn''t leave the clan territory successfully. She was ambushed, seriously injured, and now trapped somewhere in the Giants Clan''s territory.


    When the three women received the news, they immediately went to find Moira, since they couldn''t find Rocky. And when Moira learned that her sister had an accident, she gathered three hundred members of the Dragon Master Clan to rescue her sister from where she was stranded in the Giants Clan''s territory with the three women. The place was called the Sky Land.


    The Sky Land was the most peculiar spiritual place in the Wild Spirit Land, as all living creatu


    embers of the Giants Clan, each with a fierce look. Several of them were ordinary spiritual beings above the fifth level, and many were advanced spiritual slaves. Their strength could not be underestimated.


    Therefore, as the two sides both took actions, the frenzy seemed to have transferred to them, and they fell into a chaotic battle.


    With the help of Moira and the two spiritual masters, the rescue group fought hard all the way to the valley. When they were about to break through the siege and rush into the valley, hundreds of the Giants Clan members suddenly appeared from out of nowhere. They rushed over from the side and immediately dispersed the forces led by Moira. Separated, the group had to fight on their own, with no one to watch their backs.


    "This is an ambush..." Moira''s face and mood rapidly plummeted down.


    Her group was being forced into a passive crisis, and she had to do something. But what?


    All of a sudden, an evil and attractive figure fell from the sky, revealing an aura like a king, which shocked all the Giants Clan members around.


    "Prince Crimson?" As soon as Moira saw Rocky, she breathed a sigh of relief.


    It was indeed him.


    However, with a cold expression on his face, Rocky directly summoned Ken and Robin. One man and two beasts directly rushed all the way to the valley and fought with the Giants Clan members. Rocky''s huge Flaming Blade in his hand soared up with a vengeance. He waved the blade at a spiritual slave in front of him, and in the blink of an eye, the strong black flame devoured the spiritual slave and turned him into ashes.


    Seeing this, the other members of the Giants Clan were extremely shocked. They did not expect that Rocky''s strength was so astonishing!

 Chapter 1320 Fell Into The Trap

    "He''s just his ordinary self! How can a mere human even win against us? Don''t be intimidated! Go on and fight him together!" One of the Giants Clan member, who was the strongest ordinary spiritual being at the seventh level, immediately waved his hand.


    Soon enough, a huge group of his companions quickly rushed towards Rocky again.


    But Rocky didn''t show any signs of weakness. His giant Flaming Blade struck one after another, turning into a deadly sickle that was whistling out. No blood was shed, and no screams were heard since the spiritual race beings turned into ashes in a blink of an eye.


    As Rocky killed them one by one, the evil energy all over his body was surging. It was like he was possessed by the God of Death. His aura alone made the weaker spiritual slaves completely frightened, so they did not dare to move forward. The remaining members were also frightened as they trembled with fear.


    However, there were still a few ordinary spiritual beings who were not intimidated. They rushed up and used their secret skills to attack Rocky. In an instant, all kinds of bright shadows and strong spiritual waves completely shrouded him.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    There were all sorts of earth-shattering sounds that even the ground could not help but tremble.


    "Is he finally dead?" Those Giants Clan members couldn''t help but widen their eyes as they stared at the light that had devoured Rocky''s entire figure.


    Some ordinary spiritual beings exchanged glances with each other after they used the secret skills. They thought that even if Rocky didn''t actually die, he would at least be severely injured by their joint attacks.


    However, an astonishing spiritual wave spread out suddenly. The spiritual wave instantly dispersed the light. Then, a vigorous figure wrapped with black flame immediately rushed out with a frightening aura.


    "Evil King''s Wrath!"


    Along with the shout, a spinning black flame column rose from the sky and instantly swept around. It was like God''s punishment to every sinner in the world. Everything was completely burnt into ashes wherever it passed. The Giants Clan members who had no time to escape were instantly sucked into it and burned to ashes in the span of a breath.


    "Please let us take care of the rest, Prince Crimson. Go and save Marcia inside," Moira immediate


    , if Rocky left now, Alston and his companions could not stop him. But they had obviously set a tight encirclement this time and waited for him. They would never stop until they got what they wanted. So, if he didn''t compromise, his women and the Dragon Master Clan members would definitely be in terrible danger. For him, it was better to ensure the others'' safety first.


    "Why don''t we take him and this woman back first? If this woman is here, he will definitely yield to us," the Giants Clan''s patriarch proposed.


    The Ghost Master Clan''s patriarch nodded in agreement at this suggestion.


    Alston knew that Rocky would not give up the Divine Spiritual Source so easily, so he hesitated for a moment and then finally nodded. Then he immediately ordered, "Take them back to the Heavenly Demon Clan at once."


    "What? Why?" The two patriarchs looked at Alston in confusion. The Giants Clan''s territory was right in front of them, so why did Alston want to bring Rocky and Marcia back to the Heavenly Demon Clan?


    "Patriarchs, do you really think that his women and the Dragon Master Clan beings will easily give up in saving them? If we bring them back to the Giants Clan, more humans and Dragon Master Clan beings will come to save them. In that case, he will have a chance to take advantage of the situation. But if we bring them back to the Heavenly Demon Clan, we can surely buy more time. Besides, I am confident that I can force him to hand over the Divine Spiritual Source..." Alston calmly said. Of course, it was just his lame excuse.

 Chapter 1321 Alstons condition

    The two patriarchs immediately looked at each other and they felt that Alston''s words were indeed reasonable. After discussing, they finally agreed to bring Rocky and Marcia to the Heavenly Demon Clan. Marcia was taken away first by the two patriarchs; then Alston and some spiritual masters followed them with Rocky.


    Meanwhile, Sabina and the other two women, together with Moira and the members of the Dragon Master Clan heard an extremely strange sound. Suddenly, the Giants Clan beings who were fighting with them retreated.


    It was not until Sabina and the other women met with Moira that they found out that Rocky was also here. After entering the valley, they realized that he and Marcia were gone and they were nowhere to be found.


    "Did they set up a trap? Perhaps they used my master to catch Basil..." Sabina couldn''t help but guess what actually happened here.


    Moira and the other two women were also immensely worried.


    On the other hand, Rocky and Marcia were taken to the Heavenly Demon Clan. After they arrived, Marcia was immediately imprisoned, while Rocky was taken to the main hall at the center of the Heavenly Demon Clan''s lair.


    "Prince Crimson, we finally have a lot of time to talk now." Alston stared at Rocky with a sinister smile on his face. At the crowning ceremony of the Holy Dragon Empire before, he was injured by Rocky in one move, so he still had some lingering fear of his brother. Therefore, he cooperated this time with the other two patriarchs to take advantage of Rocky''s weakness.


    "What''s the point of trying so hard to set up a trap just to get the Divine Spiritual Source? You already know that I''m never going to give it to you. Everything that you''re doing is just wishful thinking. Do you honestly think you can threaten me just by catching a woman?" Rocky menacingly sneered.


    "Prince Crimson, calm down. This is just the beginning of your suffering. As long as that woman is in our hands, you will give it to us sooner or later. I will brutally torture her, and I promise you, I will not show any mercy. But you already know this, don''t you?" Alston said with a sinister smile. It seems that he was well prepared in his every


    ne Spiritual Source than give it to you," Rocky immediately said with certainty.


    "Are you sure? Is that your final decision? Since I can plot against Marcia, I can also easily plot an attack on the other women around you, especially Isis and your son. If Marcia is not enough, I don''t mind catching more women here," Alston insidiously said.


    Rocky smiled coldly, showing no fear. Showing his concern was what Alston exactly wanted. Although he knew that his elder brother would do something to Isis and the others, he could not make a compromise now.


    "It seems that you won''t give up your Divine Spiritual Source so easily. But it doesn''t matter. I am in no rush. There''s plenty of time. I can let you think about it for a few days. But I don''t think your women will just sit still and do nothing to save you, so I will just wait for them to fall into my trap," Alston said as if he had perfectly arranged everything.


    Rocky looked at him coldly as hate filled up his body.


    "Besides," Alston continued, "I know that it''s easy for you to leave here with your current strength. But remember that Marcia will die if you do anything stupid. So, think about it carefully. If you are still unwilling to hand over the Divine Spiritual Source, I will do it using my method." Although he could immediately use Marcia to force Rocky to hand over the Divine Spiritual Source, he was worried that the effect would be the opposite if he pushed him too hard.

 Chapter 1322 Time To Take Action

    "Guards in here at once!" Alston then immediately waved his hand.


    Soon, several ordinary spiritual beings came into the hall.


    "Send him to the Asura Cave at once and keep a close eye on him..." Alston strictly ordered them.


    With that, the ordinary spiritual beings immediately took Rocky away.


    Then, Rocky was thrown and got locked in the Asura Cave.


    The Asura Cave was the prison of the Heavenly Demon Clan. Just like the Dead Valley of the Dragon Master Clan, once anyone was locked in, it would be difficult for them to get out because of its enchanted barrier. Of course, the enchanted barrier was as thin as a piece of paper for Rocky. He could absolutely break through it if he wanted. However, he worried about the safety of Marcia. It was clear to him that she would be tortured or even killed once he did anything suspicious. He knew how despicable Alston was, but he would not just sit still and wait for death. He had to come up with a solution as soon as possible.


    The cave was not big and could only accommodate one person. Rocky then sat cross-legged in the cave and closed his eyes to rest. While he was resting, he was thinking about his possible countermeasures. He was also worried that Sabina and the others would come to save him, so he had to try to save Marcia first.


    "Boy, you must be a human! Why did they even catch you?" At that moment, Rocky only felt an old voice ringing in his ears. But there was no one in the cave, so the voice he just heard was naturally strange.


    "What? Who is there?" Rocky asked with a frown on his face. He was confused at what was happening.


    "I asked you first, so you should answer me first," the old voice domineeringly said.


    "It''s a long story." Of course, Rocky didn''t want to disclose any information especially since he didn''t know who was talking to him.


    "Let me guess; did you get caught because you wanted to steal the Heavenly Demon Clan''s treasures?" the old voice tentatively asked.


    "Huh? What treasures are you talking about?" Rocky asked as he raised his eyebrows.


    "So, it''s not that reason then," the old voice replied.


    "You must also be a human being, right? Since you can send telepathic


    ith a cold face. If it was true, then the matter at hand seemed to become more complicated than it already was.


    "More than thirty years ago, my cultivation reached a bottleneck and I have been desperately looking for a way to break through. Then, I accidentally knew that there is a treasure in the Heavenly Demon Clan that could help humans break through their power limits. So, I sneaked into their place to steal it. But I didn''t expect that I only stole half of the map. After that, I was caught by Townsend and several spiritual master elders jointly. That''s why I ended up here. In the past thirty years, I have been concentrating on cultivating and waiting for the right opportunity..." The old voice sounded extremely resigned, and then he continued, "If I can get this forbidden item, even the spiritual race will be afraid of me. Ha-ha..."


    "The Heavenly Demon Clan beings are not idiots. How could they even let you steal the forbidden item so easily! Besides, the place where the forbidden item is hidden must be very secret." Rocky shook his head to clear his thoughts.


    "You''re right. Didn''t you say that Townsend is already dead? Only he and a couple of elders know that this item exists, but only he knew where it is actually hidden. Since Townsend is dead, no one knows its whereabouts. Townsend''s death may be the opportunity that I''ve been waiting for. Perhaps it''s finally time to take action..." The old voice sounded a little hesitant.

 Chapter 1323 Slaughtering The Clan

    With a cold smile in his eyes, Rocky said, "Perhaps, I can help you with that, sir."


    "You must be kidding me. You? Let''s face it. Based on your aura, you look like you can only deal with an ordinary spiritual master at most," the old voice replied, rejecting his offer. Actually, Rocky had suppressed his aura at that time. Otherwise, the old man would not have said those words.


    "The Heavenly Demon Clan has a lot of members. I know that getting rid of those beings will be difficult for you, especially if you need more time to find the forbidden item hidden in their place. Regardless, I''m willing to help you. I can distract them while you find the forbidden item. It can surely buy you some time," Rocky suggested gently.


    "That sounds good to me! I am not threatened by those Heavenly Demon Clan beings. But to be honest, they irritate me a lot. I''ll take all the help I can get. I think that''s a great plan to buy me more time." In that instant, the old voice seemed to be considering Rocky''s proposal.


    "So, do you agree with the plan, sir?" Rocky inquired.


    "Boy, you must have some requirements for your help, right?" the old voice asked keenly.


    "Yes, I do. Before you leave the Asura Cave, I hope you can save someone for me." Rocky did not think twice as he went straight to the point of his agenda.


    "So, does this involve a woman?" The old voice seemed to have made an accurate guess.


    "Yes, it sure does," Rocky said truthfully.


    "It''s not something new. Since ancient times, every hero fails to pull through the beauty pass and they find it difficult to give up or leave the beauty they love. Being young and arrogant is not always a bad thing. In fact, this is the time for you to do what you can and what you want. In a nutshell, I appreciate the courage that burns in you. I bet that the human being locked up here must not be ordinary!" The old voice sounded like he was someone who had experienced a lot in his lifetime.


    "So, do you agree with that, too, sir?" Rocky continued.


    "Now tell me, where is she locked up?" the old voice asked straightforwardly.


    "The thing is, I don''t know where she is. But as soon as I go out, there will definitely be a lot of noise. By that time, you should already know her location. She is very important to me. I hope you can save her and keep her safe and sound. After you save her, please ask her to leave right away. I''ll do my best to buy you as much ti


    ocky whispered as he looked at the dark and gloomy sky right outside the cave.


    "Are you really sure you can attract the attention of the Heavenly Demon Clan members alone? I mean, I admire your bravery, but it''s very dangerous. If you don''t do it well, you can lose your life." Bart couldn''t help but give Rocky a look of concern.


    On the other hand, Rocky smiled evilly. Not long after, he stood up and walked outside. In a flash, several ordinary spiritual beings who had been guarding outside the cave lay lifeless on the floor.


    "Thank you again, sir. I''m leaving now." Rocky thanked Bart and glanced at him. Immediately, he flapped the wings produced by the black flame behind him and flew towards the center of the Heavenly Demon Clan''s lair.


    "This guy must be more powerful than I thought?" Bart noticed that Rocky''s aura might not be that mediocre. In fact, he thought that Rocky''s aura might be something that humans did not possess at all. Perhaps, this aura was stranger and more powerful than that of the spiritual race.


    Soon after, in the tribe of the Heavenly Demon Clan, fire suddenly soared into the sky, and the hubbub of voices could be heard.


    Meanwhile, right in the center hall of the clan, Alston was discussing with the patriarchs of the Ghost Master Clan, and the Giants Clan. "What''s that?" asked one of the patriarchs. They looked at each other upon hearing the rumbling noise just outside the hall.


    "Patriarch, I''ve got some bad news! Prince Crimson has escaped, and he is currently wiping out our people..." An ordinary spiritual being barged in their hall in a hurry to report.

 Chapter 1324 An Eight-star Spirit-manipulated Beast

    "This guy is really restless. He must be planning to save Marcia when we are not paying attention. But it won''t be easy for him to find the place where Marcia is locked up. However, we must still strengthen Marcia''s guards. Guards..." Alston decisively ordered.


    "We''ll go and have a look immediately. He won''t be easy to deal with!" Obviously, the Ghost Master Clan''s patriarch still held grudges against Rocky for what he had done to his clan before.


    Then, Alston, together with the two patriarchs, walked out of the hall. Not long after, they saw that Rocky was in the center of the Heavenly Demon Clan lair. He was fighting against a hundred members of the Heavenly Demon Clan completely on his own. Some of the members were killed, and some were severely injured. They could not resist Rocky''s killing momentum at all.


    "If it weren''t for the fact that he has the Divine Spiritual Source, we wouldn''t have to care about him at all," the Ghost Master Clan''s patriarch said with hatred.


    "Well, even though he has the Divine Spiritual Source, we don''t need to be afraid of him. Remember that his woman is still in our hands. He will not hastily use the source''s power. If we work together, taking him down won''t be a problem," Alston assured them.


    "What are we waiting for then?" The aura of the Giants Clan''s patriarch shook after he said that.


    With that, Alston and the two patriarchs quickly rushed towards Rocky together.


    When he saw the three coming towards him, an evil smile crept at the corners of his mouth. He waved the huge Flaming Blade in his hand and activated all his power at once.


    The entire Heavenly Demon Clan was becoming a completely hell-like battlefield


    Meanwhile, even though Rocky caused a chaos in the whole Heavenly Demon Clan, all the passes and entrances were still heavily guarded that even a fly could not pass through. However, it didn''t seem to be an obstacle in Bart''s eyes. His figure was moving fast like a ghost that was directly headed in one direction. Not far away from him, there were dozens of members of the Heavenly Demon Clan who were strengthening their vigilance.


    Not long after, Bart sneaked into a desolate area a mile away from the Heavenly Demon Clan''s territory. He saw that there was only a


    Tell me, where is Basil now?" Marcia asked immediately. From what Bart said a while ago, she knew that the so-called young man that Bart referred must be Rocky. She didn''t know what kind of relationship Bart had with Rocky to willingly take a risk in helping him save her. Yet, she didn''t want to know that now, as she was more worried about Rocky.


    "Girl, be polite to me! How dare you say that? Well, he''s messing with the Heavenly Demon Clan to buy us some time. He told me to ask you to immediately leave the Heavenly Demon Clan after I saved you," Bart said as he glared at her.


    "No, I need to find him." Marcia grew more worried when she heard this.


    "Well, I won''t stop you if you want to find him, but don''t prevent me from stealing treasures. Take care of yourself then!" Bart said and quickly rushed out of the hall.


    Seeing this, Marcia followed him closely.


    However, as soon as the two of them walked out of the divine hall, they saw a mass of people outside. The guards who had been deceived by Bart a while ago had already been waiting outside for them.


    Seeing this, Bart didn''t intend to show any mercy. He summoned his eight-star spirit-manipulated beast which was like a giant bull with flames surrounding its body.


    The appearance of his spirit-manipulated beast immediately shocked the guards. After all, the eight-star spirit-manipulated beast was immensely powerful. Even in the spiritual race, only the guardian beast of an advanced spiritual master could compete with it!

 Chapter 1325 Barts Help

    The eight-star spirit-manipulated beast took a few deep breaths and directly rushed to the members of the Heavenly Demon Clan who also summoned their guardian beasts to resist the attack.


    Seeing this, Marcia also summoned her Holy-blood Dragon King.


    When her beast appeared, it roared with great power. Two blood wheels appeared around it and it immediately rushed to the enemy.


    "What? Girl, is your beast a legendary guardian beast?" Bart was filled with experience and knowledge. He immediately recognized the Holy-blood Dragon King who had the aura of a legendary guardian beast. He couldn''t help but feel a little surprised when he spoke. He had already been shocked by the young man a while ago, and now this woman also made him a little surprised. She not only possessed the strength of a spiritual master, but also had a legendary guardian beast.


    Not long after, nearly a hundred members of the Heavenly Demon Clan were quickly killed through the joint efforts of Bart and Marcia.


    However, another three Heavenly Demon Clan spiritual masters led a large group to rush over and surround Bart and Marcia at once.


    "This is really getting troublesome!" Bart''s face quickly darkened when he saw the coming enemies. What he had planned was to steal the forbidden item immediately after he saved Marcia, but now it seemed that it was not likely to happen.


    "Sir, I thought you were going to steal some treasure? Please go ahead. I can take care of those beings. I''ll find Basil myself once I''m done here..." Marcia considerately said.


    "Well, I prefer to help people until they''re completely out of trouble! If I leave you alone like this, my reputation as Bart will be ruined if the news reaches the Holy Dragon Empire!" Bart snorted out.


    "So, you are the famous Bart from the Ximen Clan! I''ve heard a lot about you!" Marcia was also surprised to hear that. She didn''t expect that the legendary figure of the Ximen Clan would suddenly appear here and help Rocky save her.


    "Oh, please don''t flatter me. Aren''t you


    e or give up on you," Marcia excitedly answered.


    Rocky was totally speechless. He thought he was already fully decided to be heartless, but he obviously failed to let Marcia give up on him.


    "Boy, are these two spirit-manipulated beasts both yours?" Bart curiously asked.


    Rocky turned to look at him, and nodded.


    "Sir, aren''t you supposed to steal the treasure?" Rocky coldly changed another topic.


    "Forget about it. I don''t even know where it is. And even if I do know, I think it''s difficult for me to take the treasure away in this situation. Just let me help you this time!" Bart flatly said.


    "Alright. Then you must be prepared for the coming danger, sir." Rocky mischievously grinned at Bart.


    Alston''s face darkened when he saw that Marcia got out along with a mysterious master that was at least at the fifth grade of the Immortal Stage.


    "Tell me, who is that old man?" Alston asked one of the elders.


    The elder immediately told him Bart''s background.


    "Huh? That''s Bart?! He was once the famous genius spirit manipulator of the Ximen Clan. He stole an important thing from Patriarch Townsend?" Alston''s eyes froze immediately when he heard that. Then he turned to Bart and shouted, "Old man, if you hand over the thing you stole from our clan, I will let you go. If you are with them, you will have no choice but to die!"

 Chapter 1326 Came For The Rescue

    "No way! I''d rather give it to this young man than give it back to the Heavenly Demon Clan!" Bart said, his lips curled disdainfully.


    At the moment, his expression suddenly became stern, as he took out a stone slate carved with strange patterns from his inner pocket and handed it to Rocky.


    "Sir, what are you doing? What is this?" Rocky couldn''t help asking, even as he carefully accepted the strange slate in his hands.


    "You should leave now, while I cover for you two. The Heavenly Demon Clan desperately wants to deal with you, so you have to be careful. Consider this as my gift to you. Go and find the other half of the map, which will help you find the power to fight against the spiritual race," Bart instructed him. Rocky''s face looked serious as he listened, for he knew that Bart was giving him a heavy responsibility.


    "I''m not so weak that I need you to cover for me, sir. In fact, it will be easier for me to make a move if you two don''t come. But forget that..." Rocky''s face froze. He immediately opened his Magic Spiritual Space and a figure flew out from it.


    "Brat, you finally let me make a move." Glutton laughed wildly, disregarding all the people around them.


    "Haven''t you been wanting to kill the spiritual race beings for a long time? Now the opportunity has come. Just kill as many as you can. My current strength is enough for you to maintain your original form," Rocky said with an evil smile. The dim light cast shadows on his face, making him look like an angel of death.


    "Then I''ll not stand on ceremony." As if it was ready to move, Glutton looked around at the dense crowd of the Heavenly Demon Clan members.


    The next moment, a breathtaking demonic aura burst out from its body, as it flashed with intense, blinding light. Its human body continued to grow, until it gradually turned into the shape of a beast, standing between heaven and earth like a mountain.


    "Is this your spirit-manipulated beast?" Bart stared at Rocky in surprise, as the evil aura emitted by this beast was even stronger than that of Marcia''s Holy-blood Dragon King. It was quite obvious that this one was very powerful.


    After Glutton transformed into its original beast form, it rushed directly to the dark mass of Heavenly Demon Clan members around it, slaughtering them with delight on it


    e we know nothing about it at all?" The patriarch of the Giants Clan was also a little unhappy.


    "It''s not the right time to care about such trivial things. I''ll explain it to you after we get the Divine Spiritual Source back, patriarchs. We have them trapped now. It''s a great chance." Obviously, Alston was trying to change the topic.


    The two patriarchs looked at each other and then looked at Rocky and the two people behind him.


    Rocky''s eyes narrowed in thought. He still had a trump card¡ªthe Divine Spiritual Source. However, he could not use it because of its exceedingly destructive power. If he released its power, everything would be destroyed except the owner. And at that point, he had Bart and Marcia by his side, so he could not use the Divine Spiritual Source.


    While Rocky was in a dilemma, a large group of black shadows suddenly flew over from the sky. They seemed to be figures of the spiritual race.


    Marcia seemed to have sensed something even before she saw them. She cried out in surprise, "It''s my sister. They are here!"


    Sure enough, soon, the Dragon Master Clan beings led by Moira appeared, and Sabina and the other women were among them. However, to Rocky''s surprise, the next group to appear was the Butterfly Divine Clan beings led by Cherry.


    "They still came for the rescue..." Rocky''s eyes brightened with a hopeful smile.


    The joint team led by Moira and Cherry had traveled thousands of miles, just to rescue Rocky and Marcia. At that moment, hope bloomed in their chest like the warm sunrise.

 Chapter 1327 The Astonishing Icy Aura

    "Basil and my master are there..." Sabina, accompanied by two other women, was the first to spot Rocky, Marcia, and Bart. Her face turned pale when she saw that they were besieged.


    Hundreds of members of the Dragon Master Clan and the Butterfly Divine Clan, led by Moira and Cherry, rushed forward and cleared a bloody path toward Rocky and the others.


    "Basil, master, are you all right?" Sabina was the first to rush forward and ask. Concern reflected in her tone and expression as she turned her gaze at Rocky and Marcia.


    "We are fine," Marcia replied with a shake of her head.


    "Marcia, you go first. I''ll cover you," Moira, who had just arrived, instructed Marcia and Rocky.


    "No, you leave with Marcia and Sir Bart first. I''ll take care of the rest..." Rocky refused firmly as he glanced at Moira.


    When Alston saw reinforcements of the Dragon Master Clan and the Butterfly Divine Clan appear, his expression turned grim, and fury coursed through him.


    "What are you waiting for? Kill them all!" Alston thundered.


    Soon, thousands of members of the Heavenly Demon Clan, led by several elders and spiritual masters, rushed forward like a tide.


    "Leave now!" Driven by a sense of urgency, Rocky turned and called out to Moira and the others. Then he summoned his two beasts to welcome the dense charging crowd of the Heavenly Demon Clan.


    "Master, what should we do..." Sabina appeared anxious as she looked at Marcia.


    "Listen to him," Marcia said at once as she nodded to Moira and Cherry.


    The next moment, Marcia and the other women, and hundreds of members of the Dragon Master Clan and the Butterfly Divine Clan rushed toward the borders of the Heavenly Demon Clan''s territory.


    "Two patriarchs, please hold him back. Once I gather the power of the Dark King Mace, I will give him a fatal blow!" Now that Rocky was alone, Alston grabbed the chance to instruct the patriarchs of the Ghost Master Clan and the Giants Clan. A sinister smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he thought how devastating his attack would be.


    The two patriarchs looked at each other and exchanged a subtle nod. A split second later, the patriarchs, the elders, and the spiritual masters of the Heavenly Demon Clan rushed toward Rocky to suppress him.


    Rocky, however, seemed prepared. After Marcia and the others moved a few hundred meters away, the black flame behind him surged, transformed into wings, and rose into the sky. Suspended in the air,


    the Giants Clan''s patriarch. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that Alston would be cruel enough to absorb the spiritual soul of the other patriarch. What shocked him more was that this was not something that a being from the spiritual race could do.


    "I will give you one chance to save your life. You know what to do, don''t you?" Alston stated as he turned to the remaining patriarch. The sinister grin tugging on his lips morphed his handsome features. He couldn''t have looked more monstrous if he tried!


    The patriarch''s eyes widened, and his mouth fell open. He shot a terror-struck glimpse at his mummified companion before looking at the Dark King Mace in Alston''s hand. Then he fell to his knees and said, "From now on, the Giants Clan will submit to the Heavenly Demon Clan!"


    "That''s good." Superiority and victory glimmered in Alston''s eyes as he burst into laughter. He faced Rocky and ordered, "If you hand over the Divine Spiritual Source, I might consider sparing your life."


    "Killing me is not that easy." Rocky''s eyes turned cold. It was evident that he wanted to fight to the end of his life. Even though his current strength was insufficient to defeat Alston, Rocky was unwilling to compromise.


    "Then, let''s try." Alston''s anger rose sharply when he saw that Rocky was still defiant.


    Suddenly, the two figures were face to face. Their gazes locked, and a flash of intense light burst forth.


    "You two are still as hostile as before!" Right at that tense moment, a voice echoed in the space a split second before an icy light descended from the sky. An astonishing aura of ice enveloped the two men.

 Chapter 1328 Lets Make A Deal

    Rocky and Alston immediately looked up as soon as they heard the sweet voice. The icy light slowly fell from the sky. After landing, the light dissipated and revealed an incomparably beautiful face.


    "It''s you." Rocky couldn''t help but be stunned. What appeared in front of him was the mysterious woman named Ice Queen. He had seen her when he went to the Snow Cemetery Plain to look for the colored pearl, and she was also one of the twelve statues.


    What he didn''t know was that ever since he came back from the Snow Cemetery Plain, she had been secretly watching him and even saved him once.


    "Ice Queen, I didn''t expect that I will see you again. You are still so astonishingly beautiful!" It was strange that Alston suddenly talked to Ice Queen in such a strange tone.


    "Long time no see, Sebastian. I didn''t expect that you would break the seal at all." Ice Queen quickly glanced at Alston and seemed to see right through him.


    "I must thank this guy right here. If he didn''t use Belial''s power to unseal me, I''m afraid I would still be sealed in the Heavenly God Temple," Alston sneered and glanced at Rocky.


    "Wait, are you..." Rocky was also shocked by Alston''s words. Judging from Alston''s tone, it was obvious that there was someone else in Alston''s body. In addition to what he said before, it was easy to guess that the powerful ghost hidden in his body was exactly the one he released from the stone chamber of the Evil King Hall. But he did not expect that Alston would be possessed by the ghost. No wonder Alston was able to grasp such evil power. It turned out that this ghost was behind all this.


    "I didn''t expect that we three would meet again after so many years," Ice Queen said as if she was reminiscing about the past.


    "What do you mean by ''we three''? Wait, he is also..." Alston suddenly looked at Rocky in confusion.


    Rocky seemed to understand what Ice Queen meant. The ghost attached to Alston seemed to be one of the twelve statues. But why was he sealed by Divine King Belial?


    "You can leave now," Ice Queen suddenly said to


    get the complete source, I will immediately kill those two," Alston said in a strange voice with a cold smile on his face.


    Meanwhile, Marcia and the other women as well as the members of the Dragon Master Clan and the Butterfly Divine Clan had already retreated to the safe zone and were anxiously waiting for Rocky.


    "Master, do you think Basil will be alright?" Sabina worriedly asked Marcia.


    The latter frowned at this. It had been a long time already, but Rocky still didn''t meet with them. It would be a lie if she told her disciple that she was not worried.


    "He has always been lucky. I think he should be fine," Erica replied first, even though she looked very worried.


    "All of you should take a rest first," Marcia gently said.


    However, they were all obviously worried about Rocky and couldn''t peacefully rest.


    After what seemed like an extremely long time, the tired women suddenly saw a figure flying down from an ice bird in the sky. They immediately surrounded him as soon as he landed on the ground.


    "Basil..." Marcia and the other women could not help but breathe a sigh of relief when they saw that Rocky was safe and sound.


    Rocky looked around at Marcia, Moira, Cherry, and other members in front of him. The feelings in his heart were inexplicably complicated. Although he tried his best to cut off his past, it was obviously not working.

 Chapter 1329 Never Give Up

    "Basil, we will never give up on you no matter what kind of person you claimed to be, okay? Deep down, we know you are lying to us. Plus, we understand that you must be dealing with your own difficulties. With that being said, we will never let you fight alone," Marcia said understandingly. After going through such a life-and-death trial, she had found out that Rocky''s apathy and brutality were just a facade. It seemed as if he was trying to conceal something, and the thing was taking its toll on him, putting an unbelievable weight on his shoulders. Therefore, Marcia thought that it was best not to leave his side.


    On the other hand, the other women on the spot, including Moira and Cherry, also nodded their heads in agreement.


    "Boy, look around you! You are one lucky bastard! Take a look at all these women. They''re ready to die for you. I got to admit, you''re making me jealous!" Bart teased with a gentle smile on his face.


    "Who is he, master? I haven''t seen him before." Sabina took a good look at Bart. Upon noticing that he was a strapping spirit manipulator at the Immortal Stage, she couldn''t help but ask.


    "This is Mr. Bart from the Ximen Clan. He was once a famous genius spirit manipulator in the entire Wild Spirit Land," Marcia introduced.


    Sabina and the other women were shocked as soon as they heard who he was. Never did they expect that they could meet such a big shot.


    Not long after the introduction, Bart took out the slate he had taken out and handed it over to Rocky.


    "But sir, this slate..." Rocky saw the slate and looked at Bart with surprised eyes.


    "Take it. It''s a gift. Time makes it inevitable that the rising generation is worthier than the former ones. Keep this slate. You''ll never know when it will become useful to you. Well, I guess it''s time for me to leave. I''ve been locked up in here for more than thirty years, and it''s time for me to get out there and see the world again. Oh, by the way, if you see Bryant, please tell him I said hi." After his voice trailed off, he summoned his eight-star dragon beast, and flew up and away towards the sky.


    Marcia stared at Bart''s receding figure before she said to Rocky, "I didn''t expect that someone as famous as Mr. Bart would be imprisoned in the Heavenly Demon Clan for more than thirty years. I mean, it''s really unexpected. I''m just so glad that M


    you to do something for me instead," after hesitating for a while, Rocky implored.


    "Okay, shoot!" Marcia replied without thinking twice.


    "Listen to me closely. First off, you need to protect Isis, Nigel, Lena, and all the people whom may Alston use as leverage to deal with me," Rocky ordered.


    "Okay. Anyway, I will protect them with every fiber of my being," Marcia answered seriously.


    "Second, you have to ensure the normal operation of the Genome Research Institute. Once Alston takes control of the Holy Dragon Empire, he will surely destroy everything related to me. The Genome Research Institute was built with my blood and sweat, and it is also an indispensable existence for humans to fight against the spiritual race. With that being said, I hope you understand why I can''t let Alston destroy the institute."


    Marcia nodded vigorously as she listened to Rocky''s order.


    "Third, you have to secretly unite all the countries and forces that want to resist the spiritual race and form an alliance. Prior to that, our humanity assistance has won the hearts and support of many people in many countries. You can use this to persuade them," Rocky added.


    "Okay, I see. After I return, I will gather Chief Bryant, General Lance, and some other clans like the Ji clan at once, then ask them to gather the troops of the three legions and the spirit manipulators of each clan. Next, I will expand our forces based on this. This should be more convincing. Despite this, I''m afraid it''s not enough to fight against the spiritual race," stated Marcia worriedly.

 Chapter 1330 Set Off For The Spirit Annihilation Land

    "Yes, human beings do not have sufficient strength to fight Alston. Although we have the support of the Dragon Master Clan and the Butterfly Divine Clan, these two clans'' power is inadequate to match the joint forces of the three clans led by Alston, the Heavenly Demon Clan, the Ghost Master Clan, and the Giants Clan. The Phoenix Master Clan and the Wood Clan are probably still mad at me because of what happened last time. Besides, if they consider the Divine Spiritual Source, they can''t possibly fight for me. Given everything that has happened, you may have to lay low for a while. It would be a wise idea to rest, regain your power, and avoid a confrontation with Alston. When the time is right, you can fight him to the death..." Rocky said seriously.


    "What about you? You won''t return with us, will you?" Marcia asked as if she had seen through Rocky.


    "With me by your side, things will only become more complicated and troublesome. Besides, some things I have to face alone. Most importantly, I will leave you sooner or later, so I don''t want to hurt you anymore..." Rocky replied with a helpless sigh.


    "What do you mean? What on earth are you hiding from me?" Marcia frowned. The combined feelings of curiosity and suspicion left her uneasy.


    "Even if I explain, there''s nothing we can do to change it. Some things are destined." Rocky lowered his gaze and shook his head. He appeared defeated, which only served to unsettle Marcia further.


    "I won''t let you out of my sight unless you tell me," came Marcia''s serious reply.


    "Why are you doing this?" Rocky''s brows knitted tightly as he failed to understand why she was pressing him so much.


    "Will you tell me or not?" Marcia persisted as she stared at him with her beautiful eyes.


    Aware that he would not win this battle, and comforted by the knowledge that Marcia was a woman of her word, Rocky decided to tell her. On some level, he hoped that after learning the truth, Marcia would give up.


    "What did you say? You are not Basil..." Astonishment and disbelief glimmered in Marcia''s beautiful eyes.


    "Yes, my soul doesn''t belong to this world. It entered this world by accident. Once my soul attached itself t


    iritual Source, it will be difficult to integrate the complete Divine Spiritual Source. Therefore, you have to improve your power of the King Realm as soon as possible." The voice of the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast sounded in Rocky''s mind.


    "Are you instructing me to cultivate in the Spirit Annihilation Land? Isn''t that where the race stronger than the spiritual race once lived?" Rocky asked solemnly. As he had heard about the secrets of the spiritual race from Cherry, he was aware that the spiritual race was most afraid of humans getting the power of the forbidden items in the Spirit Annihilation Land.


    "That''s right. Only that place can bring your power of the King Realm to a higher level," the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast replied.


    "You already knew the location of the Spirit Annihilation Land, didn''t you? Why didn''t you send me there until I got the map?" Rocky asked as doubt coursed through him.


    "After the powerful race was destroyed, the spiritual race sealed their base. Although I know of its location, I have to know the seal''s weakness if I want to enter. The leaders of the different clans of the spiritual race who removed forbidden items from the land are aware of the weakness of the seal. It''s the only way for them to enter as well. The map in your possession will help you to find the seal''s weakness," the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast explained.


    "Then, let''s go!" Rocky replied before he turned into a black light and disappeared.

 Chapter 1331 Arrived At The Divine Land

    A few days later, following the instruction of the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast, Rocky arrived at the Myriad Spirit Tomb.


    "Huh? Didn''t you ask me to go to the Spirit Annihilation Land? Why are we here instead?" Rocky asked with a frown as he stood under the Myriad Spirit Tomb''s icy tombstone.


    "Do you remember that I once told you that there are three realms in the Maelstrom Realms? The first realm is the Myriad Spirit Tomb; the second, the Heavenly God Temple, and the third..." the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast said and then suddenly paused.


    "The third is the Spirit Annihilation Land?" Rocky guessed at once.


    "Yes, exactly," the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast replied with a slight nod.


    "If the Myriad Spirit Tomb is the only way to the Spirit Annihilation Land, then the leaders of the different spiritual race clans must have also been here before?" Rocky guessed again.


    "They didn''t enter the Spirit Annihilation Land from the Myriad Spirit Tomb. They entered through other cracks which are abundant in the Wild Spirit Land. But the real entrance is here," the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast explained to Rocky.


    "Huh? Cracks? What''s that supposed to mean? Is the Spirit Annihilation Land not actually in the Wild Spirit Land?" The Dragon-shaped Soul Beast''s words reminded Rocky of the principles of space. It was said that the universe had many spaces, but those spaces didn''t interact with each other. However, these spaces were connected.


    "Well, you can say that. The Spirit Annihilation Land was also known as the Divine Land. For the people of the Wild Spirit Land at that time, the Star Divine Race that lived in the Divine Land were like gods," the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast quickly continued.


    "So, that powerful race is called the Star Divine Race. If the Wild Spirit Land is one space and the Divine Land is another space, the Heavenly God Temple, which is located at the middle of these two, is a place that maintains the balance between the two lands. The two lands are two spaces that are not supposed to be connected to each other. Yet, they are connected for some reason," Rocky murmured to himself. It was obvious that the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast told him the truth, and this changed


    small continents. The continents were completely enveloped by layers of huge light membrane and were floating in this starry world.


    The place where Rocky was now seemed to be the end of the starry sky. That was why he could see the original appearance of the world called the Divine Land.


    At that moment, Rocky''s previous thoughts were completely assured. The Divine Land and the Wild Spirit Land were two completely different spaces which were connected for some reason.


    "Holy Lord said that the twelve people, including the Divine King Belial, were once saviors. They must have belonged to the Divine Land. In other words, they must have saved the Wild Spirit Land before and then ruled it afterwards." Rocky immediately connected the clues that he already knew to this newly found information. With that, he finally formed a clearer train of thought. However, there must be a vital reason why this powerful race was resisted and destroyed by the spiritual race.


    Besides, Rocky knew from Ice Queen that the ghost attached to Alston was one of the twelve statues, but it was sealed by Divine King Belial. He sensed that their relationship must be an extremely complicated one.


    Just as the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast said, since he had already arrived at the Divine Land, it only meant that he was awfully close to the real answers.


    Thinking of this, Rocky immediately flew forward. But soon he felt an immensely powerful force suddenly pouncing on him...

 Chapter 1332 A Mysterious Voice

    Fortunately, Rocky reacted in time and quickly backed away, only to notice that there was a vaguely constant flow of force in front of him, forming an invisible barrier.


    "Have you forgotten what I said? The Divine Land has already been sealed with mysterious power by the spiritual race. It''s very dangerous for you to go in directly like this, for they have sealed it with the power of the Divine Spiritual Source," the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast reminded.


    "I see..." Rocky murmured quietly, almost to himself, as he took out a hand-painted map. This map was a combination of the patterns on the stone slate and the patterns on Marcia''s back. It was a complete map that would allow him to enter the Divine Land.


    If he had looked at this map before entering the Divine Land, he would definitely think that it was just a painting, as the Divine Land was an entirely different space from the Wild Spirit Land. However, once he had entered the Divine Land, the map suddenly became clear. The light dots on it indicated that there were lands of different sizes, among which were a red dot and a clear route. These dots and routes constantly shuttled through with each other, until they finally ended with the largest star.


    "This red light dot should be the weakness of the sealing power. And leaders of the spiritual race clans probably took this route back then," Rocky speculated.


    Then, he began to move horizontally according to the position marked by the red dot on the map. Since the sealing power was invisible, and no one knew how large the area it covered, he decided to adopt the safest way.


    He wandered for a while around this starry world while looking for the red dot.


    After searching for a long time, he finally found a very similar position and got close to it instantly. Soon, he confirmed that it was the exact position marked by the red dot.


    "It should be here," Rocky muttered as his eyes observed his surroundings.


    "Be careful. If this is the weakness of the sealing power, not only you can enter, but also the beings inside can come out," the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast reminded him once again.


    "There are beings inside? Hasn''t the Star Divine Race already perished?" Rocky asked, looking surprised.


    "Do you think there are no other living beings in the Divine Land othe


    ompletely open. One could enter it from any direction.


    Rocky strode into the hall and passed through the heavy stone pillars. Then, he saw a spacious hall in front of him, which resembled a blank space, as it had virtually no furniture. Its ceiling was a sharp contrast to the lack of furnishing, as it had a lot of vivid and exquisite-looking murals. However, the most eye-catching feature in the hall was the twelve statues standing about seven or eight meters in height, scattered in all directions for people to worship.


    The twelve statues were the twelve figures that Rocky had seen in the Heavenly God Temple!


    "It turns out that the Star Divine Race also worships the same twelve figures." Although Rocky had known that the twelve statues had a very close relationship with the Star Divine Race, he did not expect that these twelve statues were also the gods that the race worshiped as the spiritual race.


    "To the Star Divine Race, they have placed great hopes on these twelve divine gods. They all believed that these divine gods could make the Star Divine Race stronger. But ironically, all they would bring in the end was a disaster¡ªa disaster that would exterminate their race." At that moment, a very calm and gentle voice sounded.


    Rocky abruptly whirled around to look for where the voice was coming from. He saw a seemingly gentle and calm figure slowly walking towards him. The figure had human features, but it exuded an aura that was hard to face directly, and its body was shining with a faint golden light.

 Chapter 1333 Strengthen His King Realm Power

    "Holy Lord?" Rocky exclaimed in surprise.


    "I can''t believe we''re meeting again so soon. This encounter is happening earlier than I predicted," Holy Lord said calmly. From his tone and lack of surprise, it was evident that he had foreseen this.


    "Why are you here?" Rocky asked. Bewilderment and curiosity were evident in his voice as he glanced at Holy Lord.


    "As I belong to this world, it is only natural that you would find me here. You, on the contrary, shouldn''t be here. But now that you are, it means you have inherited the full power of Divine King Belial. Otherwise, King Apollyon wouldn''t have allowed you to come here." Holy Lord''s observation was so accurate that it surprised Rocky.


    Rocky didn''t deny it, but his eyes conveyed the doubt coursing through him.


    "Are you now wondering how I returned here after the spiritual race sealed the Divine Land? Since you can enter, it is natural that I can as well. No one is more familiar with this world than me. A mere seal of the spiritual race can''t stop me," Holy Lord said proudly.


    "I''m just a little surprised," Rocky admitted.


    "You must have a lot of questions. Perhaps you''re curious about how two worlds that originally did not interfere with each other came to be connected?" Holy Lord seemed to be able to read Rocky''s mind.


    "So, I''ve been right all along. The Divine Land and the Wild Spirit Land are two different worlds." A smirk tugged at the corner of Rocky''s lips. Holy Lord''s words were tantamount to confirming Rocky''s previous assumptions.


    "You are very smart. No wonder you come from another world. Since you are here, I will share with you why the Star Divine Race would be connected to the Wild Spirit Land." Holy Lord paused, raised his head, and glanced at the twelve statues. With a slow nod, he recounted a period of the Star Divine Race''s history that had resulted in the birth of the twelve deities.


    "This place was initially a very peaceful world. There was no war, no killing, and no rulers. Everyone was self-sufficient, and it was a happy and promising land. The Star Divine Race beings were born with extreme power and the ability to control all kinds of spiritual power with different attributes. Even so, they coexisted p


    him." Holy Lord''s face darkened as he spoke. After a brief pause, he continued, "Fortunately, his strength has not yet been restored, or the consequences would be unimaginable. It seems that you have to deal with him first, but your current strength is insufficient to trap him again."


    "So that''s why I am here," Rocky muttered as enlightenment surged within him.


    "This is the only place where you can upgrade your power at the King Realm. However, you don''t have much time. The calamity beasts are still attacking the Wild Spirit Land. Once the land is destroyed, this world will also be affected. It will lose its balance again, and this time, nothing will prevent it from collapsing. The two worlds will likely disappear in unison." Holy Lord''s steely gaze cut through Rocky. The fate of two worlds rested on Rocky''s shoulders, and Holy Lord needed to ensure that the young man understood the situation they found themselves in.


    "So, this is the so-called doomsday..." Only then did Rocky realize the true meaning of doomsday.


    "You must hurry and use all means necessary to improve your power at the King Realm. As for the calamity beasts, I will find a way to delay their destruction of the Wild Spirit Land, but I''m afraid that I can''t hold them for too long. You should lose no time! Remember that you have to deal with Wraith King Sebastian first. You can''t let him get the complete Divine Spiritual Source. Otherwise, all our efforts will be in vain," Holy Lord warned.

 Chapter 1334 The Chaotic Situation

    Rocky was also aware of how heavy the mission was for him to carry. But somehow, he also knew that everything would be worth for the people he loved and cherished. After all, he would vanish from this world sooner or later.


    "Well, I should be on my way now. I hope to see you again!" Holy Lord turned around and disappeared swiftly after finishing his words.


    Meanwhile, just after Holy Lord left, Rocky looked around the twelve statues that surrounded him. At that moment, he felt a strange faint aura hidden deep inside the twelve statues.


    "Do you feel that? These statues were sealed with some of the sacred things that were originally possessed by the twelve deities. To be exact, these were the forbidden items that I was telling you about. Moreover, it is believed that these items are more powerful than those that are stored in the Heavenly God Temple," the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast explained briefly.


    "So, does that mean that those leaders of the spiritual race clans took away several forbidden items, including the Evil-fight Divine Bead? But how did they know that there were forbidden items sealed here in the first place? Something is not adding up if you''d ask me." Rocky couldn''t help but suspect that something was wrong about what had happened.


    However, it was also impossible for the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast to know the truth regarding the matter.


    "From this moment forth, you will stay secluded in the Divine Land and cultivate in peace, away from distractions. Needless to say, I will also give you all the advice and support I can give, so that you can have all the guidance you need to improve your strength at the King Realm as soon as possible," the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast instructed Rocky.


    Upon hearing the beast''s orders, Rocky gave a slight nod.


    Earlier, Rocky had released the power of the Divine Spiritual Source in his battle with the Heavenly Demon Clan, it caused severe damage to the clan. Later, Alston merged the Ghost Master Clan and the Giants Clan and reestablished a new clan with the remaining forces of the Heavenly Demon Clan¡ªthe Glory Clan. Moreover, he made himself the Spiritual King and made the Palace City of the Holy Dragon Empire his base camp. As soon as he assumed office, he renamed the original Lofty Dragon Hall as the Spiritual King Hall.


    It was quite obvious to the eyes of the people that Alston''s power was growing more visible and dominant with each passing day.


    Not long after, Alston followed Townsend''s example and continued to suppress and unite other spiritual race clans. A few months later, he was able to


    the upper hand in the battle, causing very heavy casualties on both sides.


    While this happened, Alston sent another one thousand reinforcements to break the tie. Although the Wood Clan was also supported by Alyssa''s one hundred thousand forces from the Timber Deity Empire, the reinforcements were still a drop in the bucket. The spiritual race army was so powerful that the human army could not be evenly matched with it.


    After a month, the Wood Clan finally lost the war. Half of its members died on the battlefield, and some of them were brutally murdered even after they chose to surrender. Some of them managed to narrowly escape and avoided their whole clan''s extinction.


    Losing the support of the Wood Clan, the Timber Deity Empire was now a lonely boat in the lake. In order to protect the empire, Emperor Woods had made a difficult decision¡ªto submit to Alston''s Glory Clan.


    However, as soon as Alyssa heard that the empire had submitted, she disappeared out of the blue.


    On the other hand, the Phoenix Master Clan was now the only big trouble that Alston and his clan would have to face after the fall of the Wood Clan. But Alston''s troops also suffered a lot of damage in the battle with the Wood Clan. With that being said, Alston had planned to keep dealing with the Phoenix Master Clan after defeating the Wood Clan. However, his plan was put into a hold under the persuasion of Dean.


    Moreover, the entire Wild Spirit Land was in great chaos, and the people suffered tremendous loss and trauma just because of Alston''s hunger for power.


    A few months after the war, the Glory Army had finally recuperated their vital energy. As a result, they launched quick attacks against the Phoenix Master Clan.

 Chapter 1335 To Save The Phoenix Master Clan

    The Wind City was a small and exceedingly remote city located north of the Wild Spirit Land. Inside a small-scale mansion of the city, it was overcrowded at that moment.


    Gathered inside were Marcia, Bryant, and Lance who were the original Three Great Generals of the Holy Dragon Empire, some clan chiefs of the empire, including Elvis, and some big shots from other countries who had once been famous. In addition, Sabina and several other women were also with them.


    "The Phoenix Master Clan has been besieged? Alston really took action!" Marcia, who had just heard the news, could not help but sigh in frustration.


    Now, the situation of the Wild Spirit Land had completely fallen into chaos, and the only advanced spiritual race clan left was the Phoenix Master Clan. If the clan was destroyed again, then nothing would stop the Wild Spirit Land from falling completely into Alston''s hands. And being under his control was no different from being under the devil''s care.


    "General Marcia, my master hopes that you can think of a way to prevent Alston from achieving his goal. If the Phoenix Master Clan collapses, the Magic Phoenix Empire will also be implicated," Erica told Marcia seriously.


    The latter could only frown in reply. She knew that this matter was of great importance because if the Phoenix Master Clan was destroyed, the so-called advanced spiritual race would exist in name only. And if that happened, the human empires that lost the support of the spiritual race would probably become Alston''s targets as well. Thus, she really had to think about it carefully.


    "But even if we gather the joint forces now, I''m afraid we won''t be able to support the Phoenix Master Clan," Bryant protested immediately, shaking his head.


    Since the three army groups broke their links with the Holy Dragon Empire, Marcia had been secretly gathering the allied forces based on the original three army group''s strength and according to Rocky''s plan to fight against the spiritual race. In the past year, she had been persuading people and recruiting followers in many human empires, so the total number of the United Army was now more than three hundred thousand.


    They had built numerous secret bases in the most desolate areas in the Wild Spirit Land where they could train and prepare. And these three hundred thousand soldiers were distributed all over these secret bases so as not to attract Alston''s attention.


    "Chi


    She could not help but ask about Rocky, though she did not directly say his name.


    Marcia shook her head immediately.


    "I also want to join you," a voice suddenly chimed in at that moment. It was Kayla, who had come in without them noticing.


    "That will be great," replied Marcia gratefully. With the help of a spiritual master like Kayla, Marcia had no reason to refuse.


    Then, Cherry and Kayla took ten ordinary spiritual beings to the Wind City with Marcia.


    As soon as Marcia set foot inside the city, she was met by Lena and Isis.


    "Why are you here?" she asked the two women. More than a year ago, Rocky told her to protect Lena, Isis, and her son. Since then, she had done her best to take care of them.


    "We have heard what happened to the Phoenix Master Clan. But do you really have to interfere in this matter, General Marcia? The war between the spiritual race clans is very terrible..." Isis asked Marcia cautiously.


    The latter fell silent for a moment. She knew that it would cost a lot to save the Phoenix Master Clan, but it was also a must because if it was Rocky, he would definitely do so.


    While Bryant and Lance went to the Magic Phoenix Empire first to gather the allied forces, Marcia and the other women, including Cherry and Kayla, as well as a group of powerful human spirit manipulators immediately set out for the Magic Phoenix Empire.


    Besides them, Moira led a team composed of four elders, who were spiritual masters, and five hundred members of the Dragon Master Clan. They all set out immediately to meet Marcia and the others on the half-way to the Magic Phoenix Empire.

 Chapter 1336 The Calm Before The Storm

    A few days later, Marcia and the others arrived at the Magic Phoenix Empire''s capital city. Bryant and Lance, who had already gathered fifty thousand troops, had been waiting for her in the city.


    Felicia was delighted to see Marcia. Her request for help had been a shot in the dark as she hadn''t expected Marcia to come.


    "Master." Erica''s eyes lit up as soon as she saw Felicia.


    "How have you been?" Felicia''s eyes glimmered as she asked.


    Erica nodded to convey that she was all right.


    "Preceptor Felicia, I have something to ask Her Majesty," Marcia faced Felicia as she spoke.


    With a subtle nod, Felicia led Marcia and Bryant to meet the Magic Phoenix Empire''s queen.


    "We are very grateful that General Marcia and the other two Generals have decided to help us again in our time of need." The queen fixed her gaze on Marcia. Despite her honeyed tone, she felt a pity that she couldn''t have such an outstanding woman work for her empire.


    "Your Majesty, please don''t thank me just yet. I have some conditions that I''d like to put forward," Marcia said calmly. She placed her hands behind her and stared at the queen expectantly.


    "Conditions?" The queen was initially stunned, but then she added, "Well, that''s how it normally is. Favors typically come at a cost. So, what do you want in exchange for your cooperation with our Magic Phoenix Empire?"


    "We request that the Magic Phoenix Empire frees itself from the control of the Phoenix Master Clan and merges with our United Army," Marcia''s tone and expression were solemn as she spoke to the queen.


    The queen and Felicia were so surprised that they exchanged astonished glances. They didn''t expect Marcia to propose such an unexpected condition.


    "General Marcia, are you kidding? Even if we want to, the Phoenix Master Clan won''t agree." The queen was a little reluctant and hoped to dissuade Marcia.


    "I will persuade the Phoenix Master Clan. For now, I need Your Majesty to agree," Marcia persisted. Her tone seemed so final that it appeared unlikely that anyone could convince her otherwise.


    Embarrassment coursed through the queen, and she couldn''t help but look at Felicia. Several agonizingly silent moments ticked past.


    "General Marcia, can you explain your reasons? As you know, a country can''t gain a foothold in the Wild Spirit Land without the support of the spiritual race." Felicia''s gentle voice broke the silence.


    "Now that the spiritual race no longer dominates


    guarantee a certain combat effectiveness. If they rest, their adrenalin will reduce, and exhaustion will set in. If we launch a new offense, we should be able to defeat the Phoenix Master Clan," Alston proposed.


    "That sounds reasonable. We will follow your advice, Your Majesty." The patriarch of the Giants Clan and the others nodded in agreement.


    As soon as the sun set, the Glory Army stopped attacking, and deathly silence descended on the Phoenix Cloud Mountain. However, the mountain''s surroundings were already full of ruins and war flames. Many corpses of the spiritual race beings and the guardian beasts were scattered around, becoming the dinner of some wild supernatural beasts.


    The Phoenix Master Clan breathed a sigh of relief when the attacks from their enemy stopped. They took the opportunity to adjust their defensive line and build up their strength.


    However, the Phoenix Master Clan did not know that this was only the calm before a huge storm.


    In the blink of an eye, dawn broke, ushered in by screams of astonishment as Alston''s army besieged the southeast and northwest corners of the Phoenix Cloud Mountain in unison. After resting for a night, the Phoenix Master Clan''s exhausted members could not react quickly enough. Within a short span, they were beaten back one after another.


    Even though Jill personally arrived at the Phoenix Cloud Mountain''s southeast side to command the troops, the situation continued to deteriorate. Soon, Alston''s troops destroyed the defensive lines in the west and north, and a large number of spiritual race beings from the Glory Army poured through their defensive line.

 Chapter 1337 Wed Better Retreat

    Upon learning that the defensive line in both directions had fallen, Jill withdrew the Phoenix Master Clan''s troops right away.


    "Matriarch, I don''t think we can hold on much longer. We must retreat," an elder of the Phoenix Master Clan advised in all honesty.


    Jill shared the same serious look on her face. Ever since the Phoenix Master Clan was established, it housed its base at the Phoenix Cloud Mountain. But, as the matriarch of the clan, she had a hard time deciding if she should give up and retreat. That was because once they withdrew their force from the Phoenix Cloud Mountain, they would become homeless. Moreover, they could even be chased and intercepted.


    On the other hand, she also understood that if they continued to fight like this, they would eventually be at a disadvantage. After weighing her options, she realized that if they wanted to keep the foundation of the Phoenix Master Clan, retreat was the only way around this whole fiasco.


    Not long after giving it some thought, she finally ordered her people to retreat. Then, she gathered the Phoenix Master Clan troops at the other defensive lines and commanded them to head to the southeast defensive line to prepare to break out. In addition, she ordered one of her men to take out the Demonic Soul Cauldron in the forbidden area.


    However, Alston had already figured out Jill''s plan as he assumed his personal command. With that being said, Alston raised the Dark King Mace in his hand as he led five hundred elite spiritual race members, aiming to block the clan''s path of escape.


    The Phoenix Master Clan had no time to think of what to do next. All they knew was that they needed to break out despite being surrounded by powerful forces and heavy weapons.


    Not long after, under Jill''s leadership, the army of three thousand members suddenly broke out of the defensive line and rushed at Alston''s elite spiritual race team at full speed.


    In the blink of an eye, a fierce war was about to begin between the two groups!


    Unfortunately, the Phoenix Master Clan''s efforts seemed to be in vain as they failed to break the force surrounding them. Instead of pushing through the barrier, they were beaten black and blue by the elite spiritual race, rendering more than a hundred casualties on their team.


    While this happened, several forces of the Glory Army also came to surround them from different directions. Without a doubt, the Phoenix Master Clan was in a stage of siege.


    "Matriarch, what do we do?


    thirty thousand soldiers.


    However, as soon as they met, a group from the Glory Army entrapped them.


    Luckily, with the support of the human spirit manipulators and nearly a thousand members of the Phoenix Master Clan together, it didn''t take long for them to break out of the barricade and meet with the fifty thousand armies who were waiting for support in the back.


    "Matriarch Jill!" Felicia exclaimed the moment she saw Jill in one piece.


    "Well done! Thank you. Did you invite them here?" Jill turned her gaze to Felicia and Bryant.


    "I know that the Magic Phoenix Empire can''t provide much support to our clan alone, so I sent Erica a message and asked her to tell General Marcia about the whole situation. To be honest, I didn''t expect that she would really bring this much support..." Felicia remarked.


    "I''m sorry but this is not the right time for chitchat. We should divide into three groups and retreat in three different directions according to the plan. In this way, we will surely be able to separate our pursuers..." Bryant stepped forward and suggested.


    Soon after, Jill immediately arranged her people according to the plan. She asked the old, weak women and children of the Phoenix Master Clan to join in the first retreat army. Next, she arranged her injured members to be taken out of the field. Finally, only she, several elders, and some elite soldiers led by the spiritual masters were left.


    "General Lance, lead the left army to the west first," Bryant commanded.


    "All right." Lance nodded. Then, he quickly led the left army to protect the old, weak women and children of the Phoenix Master Clan to retreat to the west.

 Chapter 1338 The Escape Plan

    Not long after, the right army led by Felicia and Erica assisted in the retreat of the injured people of the Phoenix Master Clan from the east.


    In the end, only the middle army left, including the elite warriors of the Phoenix Master Clan led by Jill, the human spirit manipulators and the ten thousand troops led by Bryant.


    "I''m afraid we''ll have to pick up General Marcia first." Bryant nodded at Jill.


    The duo guided their armies back along the same path.


    Meanwhile, Marcia, Cherry and others from the Butterfly Divine Clan alongside members of the Dragon Master Clan led by Moira retreated as well, fighting along the way to try and buy more time. But because they were still outnumbered by the spiritual race forces led by Alston, they struggled to get rid of their enemy for a long time. Gradually, they were surrounded.


    But then, Jill and Bryant arrived just in time with their forces to join Marcia and the others.


    "It''s strange. Didn''t the Phoenix Master Clan retreat? Why did they suddenly return? Do they have a death wish?" Alston wasn''t gullible. He immediately became suspicious.


    Soon, Alston discovered that most of the new reinforcements were human spirit manipulators and only a few elite Phoenix Master Clan warriors led by Jill.


    He immediately understood what was going on. Then, he ordered two groups to chase after the retreating enemy armies with one group heading the east while the other heading the west. He stayed behind, intending to deal with the troops led by Marcia, Cherry, Moira, Jill and Bryant face-to-face.


    For Alston, this was the perfect opportunity to get rid of all his troubles at once.


    Because the majority of the Phoenix Master Clan members already retreated, Jill no longer had to worry about her people. Previously, she had been worried that her clan would be completely exterminated. But now, she could rest assured that the Phoenix Master Clan had a fighting chance of regaining its strength even if she and other elite members were killed that day.


    Soon, a dangerous shift in the air could be felt. A war was on the verge of breaking out


    ed the Dark King Mace in his hand. All of a sudden, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled in the sky, and dark wind was surging. A moment later, hundreds of dark thunder fell directly from the sky, exploding a circle of light, and spreading around at the same time. In an instant, wherever they fell, there were ruins and no bones left.


    When Marcia and others saw that Alston was going to kill them as soon as he made a move, their faces changed.


    Due to the obstruction of the dark thunder, the patriarch and several spiritual masters of the Giants Clan began to catch up.


    "You all keep retreating. I''ll stop them." Jill suddenly straightened up, turned around and rushed back.


    The other elders of the Phoenix Master Clan, Cherry and Kayla followed her closely behind. Not long after, they met face-to-face with the Giants Clan''s patriarch and the rest.


    "Moira, please retreat with the others," Marcia ordered Moira, knowing that blocking the Glory Army wouldn''t be an easy feat.


    "I won''t leave you here!" Moira retorted in defiance, not wanting her sister to put herself at risk.


    "Don''t worry about me. I''ve already figured out my escape plan." Marcia then suddenly leaped and rushed towards Alston, wielding the almighty Flood Dragon Halberd to fend off Alston''s attack.


    Suddenly, an enormous halberd-like silhouette fell from the heavens and slashed across the air towards Alston.

 Chapter 1339 Manipulate The Calamity Beast

    Despite seeing the gigantic halberd ready to lacerate him, Alston remained calm. Instantly, he raised the Dark King Mace in his hand, and a beam of light, similar to that of a vortex, emerged above his head, sucking the halberd upon collision.


    This was not new to Marcia. After all, she knew what the Dark King Mace was capable of. After the halberd was engulfed by the light, the Dark King Mace launched another beam of light and replicated the same halberd that was swallowed by the light. In the blink of an eye, the halberd replica was shot directly at Marcia.


    But this didn''t scare Marcia at all. Showing no signs of fragility, she rushed towards the huge halberd at full speed.


    Meanwhile, Moira led the Dragon Master Clan members, some elite warriors of the Phoenix Master Clan, and some members of the Butterfly Divine Clan to escape as quickly as possible from the soldiers chasing after them. Unfortunately, the soldiers were able to catch up to them not long after.


    On the other hand, Alston and Marcia still fought vigorously. But somehow, it appeared that Marcia was still at a complete disadvantage. She was having a difficult time dealing with his power at that time, but little did she know that Alston was not yet utilizing his full power and capabilities.


    "Oh, come on. Let''s end this! You are just completely wasting my time!" Alston taunted in a sing-song way while clenching the Dark King Mace tightly in his hand. Then, he stared at Marcia menacingly as his evil aura blazed with satanic power.


    "Demon! Descend on to the world!" Whilst he raised the Dark King Mace, a beam of evil light rose from it, shooting up into the sky as fast as lightning. Not long after, a deafening crack echoed in the sky as if it was on the verge of collapse.


    The evil light suddenly spread out, and a huge phantom appeared out of the blue behind Alston. It emitted a penetrating aura, similar to an evil king materializing to the world.


    Everyone who witnessed this was shocked to their core, for no one had ever expected that this would happen.


    "Wait. What''s this? What''s happening?" Sensing that the phantom was over-the-top, Jill and the other high-level spiritual masters broke out in a cold sweat. They started to turn pale upon realizing that even the high-level spiritual masters were not able to resist the phantom''s power.


    Not long after, the phantom gathered all of its energy and tried to beat Marcia in midair with unspeakable force. Luckily, Marcia was quick enough to react. But when she was just about to dodge the palm, she had already been severely hurt.


    The enormous palm soon landed on the ground,


    ud enveloped Rocky almost instantly. Streaks and showers of black thunder began falling from the sky and striking the ground around Rocky. Undoubtedly, Alston''s motive was pure and clear¡ªto render Rocky lifeless at the end of this confrontation.


    Rocky saw the incoming dark thunder charging at him. But somehow, he was not making any move to counter it. As a result, his companions felt nervous for him.


    Not long after, beams of lightning erupted and rushed upward just below Rocky, blocking the violent, dark thunder that was about to destroy Rocky.


    Bang!


    In mid-air, a surging sound was heard, turning into several beams of light that spread around and caused random flashes of blinding light.


    This scene was so astonishing that it stupefied all the other spiritual race members present again.


    Alston''s face turned grim, but he could sense that the power that blocked his attacks had no trace of being ordinary.


    "Tell me, do you have any other helpers, brat?" Alston looked at Rocky with a glum face.


    As soon as he finished his words, the dark cloud came together in the sky, along with lightning and thunder, and the wild wind blew the dust into the air. Not long after, a humongous beast emerged out of the ground, emitting an astonishing aura.


    "Oh, my! The calamity beast!" Witnessing this, almost all the spiritual race members were at a loss for words, because what appeared in front of them was actually a calamity beast.


    This calamity beast was the Demonic Thunder Tiger that Rocky had sealed temporarily before.


    "How are you able to manipulate the calamity beast?" Alston questioned in disbelief.


    Never in anyone''s wild imagination had they thought that Rocky would be able to manipulate such a wild and deadly beast!

 Chapter 1340 The Glory Army Retreated

    Of course, Rocky was not actually able to control the Demonic Thunder Tiger. He just released it from the seal. And after he released it, he couldn''t seal it back anymore. The ugly truth was that he couldn''t seal it long time ago. Back then, he could seal it only when he injured it with the Divine Spiritual Source. However, after more than a year of recovery, the tiger recovered its strength and was ready to move again.


    "Alston, return that Dark King Mace you''re holding to its original owner. It belongs to the Butterfly Divine Clan." Meanwhile, Cherry flew to Rocky''s side. She deeply looked at Rocky first and then seriously demanded Alston.


    "Are you kidding me? You must be out of your mind. Why are you saying that this is your clan''s? This Dark King Mace is originally mine." Alston arrogantly sneered.


    "The power of this forbidden item is more terrifying than you think. You might think that you can control it, but you will only be devoured by its power in the end. That''s what happened to Aaron, a member of our clan," Cherry said as if she had already known what would happen to Alston. However, she wasn''t aware that the ghost living in Alston''s body was actually the owner of the Dark King Mace.


    Alston crazily laughed and looked around at Rocky and the others. "Well, well, since you are all here already, I''ll just capture each one of you. The calamity beast, the Demonic Soul Cauldron, and the legendary guardian beasts... are all mine! Did you hear me? They are all mine!"


    As he spoke, the dark light around him suddenly shot in all directions. Then, an extremely astonishing ball of dark light was condensed in his chest as his aura surged.


    It was undeniable that Alston''s strength had tremendously improved in the past year.


    "You should leave first and do it quickly," Rocky immediately said to Marcia and the others as he narrowed his eyes.


    "You all go to hell!" Alston wildly laughed, then directly released the ball of dark light, which quickly flew out. And the next second, it directly exploded and spread out.


    With the aura of the ball of dark light, the explosion covered a wide distance. No one knew just how many spiritual race beings and human beings would suffer and die.


    Right then, everyone noticed that R


    three legendary guardian beasts and one calamity beast on Rocky''s side. The tables had completely turned.


    Most importantly, Alston was also injured, so he couldn''t release the power of his Dark King Mace anymore. Even if he could, he had no chance of winning against Rocky who had the Demonic Soul Cauldron. Besides that, Rocky also had the Divine Spiritual Source. No matter what Alston did, he had no chance to win this battle.


    So, he made the wisest choice he could ever make and finally retreated.


    Soon, he led his army to retreat back to the Phoenix Cloud Mountain.


    "How did the Wood Clan..." Jill was incredibly surprised how the Wood Clan, which had already been exterminated, suddenly appeared.


    "Let''s not discuss here. We should go." Rocky immediately turned around and left.


    Marcia and Alyssa followed him closely behind.


    Moira and Jill also led the elite members of their respective clans to follow. Then, Cherry, Kayla, and the other members of the Butterfly Divine Clan and Wood Clan joined them.


    After a while, they met the other two armies who had retreated, and the human spirit manipulators led by Bryant.


    "Basil..." As soon as Sabina and the other girls saw Rocky who had disappeared for a year, they were naturally overjoyed and excited.


    Bryant and Lance looked at each other, speechless. Marcia had already explained to them about Rocky. Although she didn''t say much, they both knew and understood that Rocky must be hiding something which was hard to explain.

 Chapter 1341 Jills Doubts

    Since Phoenix Cloud Mountain had been occupied, the Phoenix Master Clan''s surviving members, led by Jill, and the Magic Phoenix Empire''s army marshaled by Felicia, had no choice but to return to the empire. They would make new plans after they settled down.


    On their way back, Jill had a talk with Rocky. She had held a grudge ever since he took the Divine Spiritual Source and killed thousands of spiritual race members. She also didn''t understand why he seemed to have become another person. She intended to take this opportunity to ask him what was going on. After all, when Rocky appeared this time, he showed that he was not as cold and ruthless as he used to be. What left her truly puzzled was that he didn''t give the impression that he was against the spiritual race. Otherwise, he would not have saved the Phoenix Master Clan.


    Jill thought that speaking with Rocky might dispel her doubts. She was also very grateful to Rocky because he not only saved her, but he had also prevented the Phoenix Master Clan from being exterminated.


    "Thank you for everything you did to help us." Jill''s tone conveyed that her gratitude was genuine. She couldn''t help but lean close to Rocky as if she was testing him.


    When Rocky saw this, he shifted sideways, and Jill missed.


    Jill''s face darkened, and she couldn''t help but grumble, "What''s the matter? Don''t you like me?"


    "You are the matriarch of the Phoenix Master Clan. Do I dare to say that I don''t?" Rocky replied with a wicked grin.


    "You rascal..." Jill glared at Rocky.


    "What brings you here? Did you come here just to curse me?" The playful smile on Rocky''s face vanished. Now, his cold, stern gaze bore into Jill as he waited for her to reply.


    "Why did you become like this? Is it because of the influence of the Divine Spiritual Source or the power in your body?" Jill was baffled by the abrupt change in his demeanor. In fact, he had confused her so much that she couldn''t help but exclaim.


    "I don''t think you should care about this," Rocky replied coldly.


    "Why shouldn''t I? You control my clan''s Demonic So


    was neither a friend nor an enemy.


    "If you trust Basil, the first thing you need to do is separate the Magic Phoenix Empire from the Phoenix Master Clan." A delicate voice broke the silence in the space.


    Rocky and Jill turned in unison and found Marcia walking toward them.


    "Separate the Magic Phoenix Empire from us? I can''t. Without our support, the Magic Phoenix Empire will be targeted." Horror reflected in Jill''s expression at the suggestion. She never expected Marcia to put forth such a recommendation.


    "In your current situation, you can''t even protect yourself. How will you safeguard the Magic Phoenix Empire? Sooner or later, the Magic Phoenix Empire will be isolated. If you split from them, the Magic Phoenix Empire will have no choice but to ally with the united empires. This will allow us to gather our human strength and fight the spiritual race. In this way, we would no longer have to obey the spiritual race. We can survive independently. This is Basil''s plan," Marcia explained.


    Jill was taken aback.


    She didn''t expect Rocky to be ambitious enough to unite the human countries in the Wild Spirit Land and spur them to gain their freedom from the spiritual race.


    But Jill was a sensible person. She knew that Alston was getting more and more powerful in the Wild Spirit Land. Moreover, with the support of the other human countries, he was invincible!

 Chapter 1342 Go Back To The Wood Clan

    There was probably no clan in the Wild Spirit Land that could stop Alston since several high-class clans of the spiritual race became weak and the Phoenix Master Clan was currently in a predicament. If things went on like this, Alston would dominate the entire Wild Spirit Land sooner or later. And when he finally did that, he would force all the humans and spiritual race members to surrender to him. In other words, if Alston couldn''t be stopped, he would definitely become the Wild Spirit Land''s ruthless ruler.


    But if Rocky could unite all the human countries in the Wild Spirit Land to fight against the spiritual race, it would really have a great impact on Alston.


    "Are you confident that you can do that?" Jill straightforwardly asked Rocky.


    "The key point to carry out our plan is that the Magic Phoenix Empire joins the united empires. If you separate your clan from the empire, I promise that you clan will benefit from it," Marcia convincingly said.


    "What benefit will I get then?" Jill bluntly asked, narrowing her eyes as if in suspicion.


    "The ultimate purpose of establishing the united empires is to make the human beings and the spiritual race beings live and thrive together, not to control and be controlled. If the Magic Phoenix Empire is separated from the Phoenix Master Clan and the Phoenix Master Clan is willing to coexist with the Magic Phoenix Empire, there will be no other change except for your relationship. The Phoenix Master Clan and the Magic Phoenix Empire can take care of each other as usual. The only difference is that there will be no barriers between the spiritual race and human race," Rocky clearly explained.


    Hearing his explanation, Jill was rendered speechless. She didn''t expect that Rocky came up with such a mature idea. It was a wild ambition to unite all the human countries together, but it could help in the Wild Spirit Land''s development. Humans would no longer be the subordinates of the spiritual race. Instead, they would help each other like friends or allies. For both the humans and the spiritual race, th


    "I''m not sure yet, maybe," Rocky vaguely answer.


    "Take care of yourself then." Marcia didn''t know what else to say to him.


    Rocky then bid farewell to Marcia and others.


    After that, he left them and went to visit Alyssa.


    "Did they go back already?" Alyssa asked.


    "I didn''t expect that you could actually persuade those several elders to support the Phoenix Master Clan," Rocky seriously said.


    "Well, I have the charm and ability. However, we don''t want to get involved in this mess. Since we were defeated a year ago, there are only less than a thousand clansmen left. I am sure you are already aware of this. To preserve our foundation, we don''t want to take any more risks. But our patriarch agreed to your idea for your sake," Alyssa straightforwardly said.


    "I know that. Thank you for your hard work this time." Rocky nodded at her.


    "Well, it''s not a big deal. But I was wondering why you suddenly decided to become everyone''s savior and hero?" Alyssa was puzzled by Rocky''s initiative. It was something that Rocky wouldn''t do currently.


    "I have my own reasons. And by the way, I want to go back to the Wood Clan with you," Rocky suddenly said.


    "What? Why?" Alyssa curiously asked.


    "I''ll tell you why after we arrive there." Rocky didn''t tell her his real purpose why they were going there.


    "Alright then." Alyssa didn''t doubt Rocky''s intention.

 Chapter 1343 The Private Talk With Evita

    Rocky, along with Alyssa and several hundred members of the Wood Clan, finally returned to the clan''s residence which was a miraculous place in a small country.


    A year ago, the Wood Clan''s patriarch died in battle to protect his clansmen. After he died, someone had to take his place. With the unanimous approval of the elders, Alyssa became the new matriarch of the Wood Clan. That was why Alyssa suddenly disappeared after the Timber Deity Empire was ruled by Alston.


    After Rocky and Alyssa arrived at the Wood Clan, they immediately went to visit Evita, the most senior elder of the clan.


    "Look who''s finally here! I am honored to receive such a distinguished guest!" Evita was surprised to see that Rocky suddenly visited her.


    "It''s my pleasure to finally meet you, Elder Evita," Rocky respectfully greeted her.


    "Me too. Please have a seat," Evita said.


    With that, Rocky and Alyssa sat down.


    "Tell me, what brings you here, Prince Crimson?" Evita straightforwardly asked.


    "I happened to be involved in the Phoenix Master Clan''s matter, so I came back here with Alyssa to check the progress of the new drugs I sent before," Rocky answered. He had been in frequent contact with Alyssa over the past year. Besides that, he had also developed a new drug to treat the Wood Clan''s sterilization. With the Wood Clan as the experimental subject, he had carried out various studies on the spiritual race.


    "Oh, is that so? I didn''t expect that you''re involved in this. Now I know why Alyssa tried her best to persuade me and the other elders. It turns out that it is because of you," Evita wisely said.


    "No, Elder Evita..." Alyssa softly grumbled.


    "So, how is it going? Has the Phoenix Master Clan been finally rescued?" Evita inquired.


    "Yes, but their territory has already been occupied. Now they have temporarily moved to the Magic Phoenix Empire," Rocky replied.


    "So, Alston has already defeated all his opponents in this battle.


    ed.


    More than a year ago, after he learned some of the truth from Holy Lord, he felt that everything that had happened was already planned. The spiritual race would soon follow the example of the Star Divine Race and eventually be destroyed by themselves.


    "That''s all I know about that. Are you satisfied with my answer?" Evita coldly asked as she intensely looked at Rocky.


    "I won''t force you to tell me where the forbidden item is. I will find it out in my own way. And if I do, don''t blame me for being rude," Rocky frankly said.


    "Yes, of course, I understand. If you find it by yourself, then I will say or do nothing," Evita calmly replied.


    "Before I leave, I want to collect more blood samples for my research," Rocky firmly demanded.


    "Sure, that''s no problem. I''ll arrange it." Evita nodded at his request.


    Rocky stayed in the Wood Clan for half a day. Then, he bid farewell to Alyssa after he collected the blood samples. Alyssa was a little reluctant to let him leave.


    "I didn''t expect that you would leave so soon," Alyssa whispered in a sentimental tone.


    "I have to go. Please take good care of yourself," Rocky whispered back.


    Alyssa nodded at this and intimately kissed Rocky on the lips. Then she turned around and left.


    With that, Rocky summoned Ken and left.

 Chapter 1344 The New Discovery

    A few days later, Marcia received a secret letter from the Magic Phoenix Empire. It was written by the queen herself. She said in the letter that the Phoenix Master Clan had already agreed to let the Magic Phoenix Empire out of its control. Besides that, the empire would also join the united empires according to the previous agreement.


    However, since the Phoenix Master Clan was defeated, the Magic Phoenix Empire had naturally become Alston''s new target. He sent out a hundred thousand human army to attack the empire and intended to take it down in one go. Fortunately, the empire was powerful enough to quickly deal with the situation.


    On the other hand, Rocky also had some new discovery while he was in the Divine Land located on the third realm of the Maelstrom Realms.


    At that moment, he was conducting a research in a lab he rebuilt in a building beside the Divine Gods Hall. Suddenly, he heard a cry from outside. He immediately walked out and saw Ken standing outside. As soon as Ken saw him, it turned its head and looked towards the beast pen.


    In the past year, apart from concentrating on cultivation in the Divine Land, Rocky also conducted all kinds of research.


    Seeing this, he immediately went to the beast pen. Inside the pen, there were all sorts of treasure producing spirit-manipulated beasts, including the Dark Magic Insects. He noticed that there seemed to be some movement in the beast pen of a Nigel Dragon Insect, so he immediately went over. After entering, he found a treasure that looked neither an egg nor a stone under the Nigel Dragon Insect that had just grown into the four-star level.


    Rocky carefully took the treasure, immediately examined it several times and found that it was very strange. Although the aura of the treasure was extraordinarily strong, it did not contain any strong spiritual power like those other treasures.


    Rocky took the treasure to the lab at once and did a research for a couple of days. He found that it was not a treasure that could assist in cultivation, but an incredibly special spiritual treasure. According to the data he had collected, the func


    strengthen the human body?" After hearing what Rocky said, Marcia was incredibly surprised.


    "That''s right. I guess that the gene of the Holy-blood Dragon King might have something to do with it. So, I want to collect more blood for research. If it really has something to do with the blood of the Holy-blood Dragon King, maybe I can directly use its blood as the strengthening agent..." Rocky explained as he nodded.


    "But what will be its effect?" Bryant inquired.


    "It depends on the result of the experiment. If we succeed, it will become a key turning point. With this strong agent, humans can possibly have the physique to resist the spiritual race," Rocky firmly said.


    "Then, you need to study this strengthening agent as soon as possible. The Phoenix Master Clan is over, and Alston has no scruples. I''m assuming that we are his next target," Lance worriedly said.


    "I agree. Although we currently have about three hundred thousand soldiers and more than two thousand spirit manipulators, there are tens of thousands of members of the spiritual race under Alston''s rule. I''m afraid even if we go all out, we may not be able to resist them. Besides that, they also have the support from the human empires that they rule." Bryant''s eyes darkened at this.


    "So, we have to buy more time to conduct this experiment successfully," Rocky said.


    "Basil, do you have any plans?" Marcia immediately asked.

 Chapter 1345 Making Use Of The Gene

    "We have been building up our strength for such a long time. It''s about time for us to stand up for ourselves and make Alston suffer," Rocky declared. "The plan to set up the united empires should indeed be started. We should also begin to free all the human empires from the spiritual race and complete the unity."


    "But Alston will never sit still and wait for death," Marcia piped in doubtfully. She thought that although the plan was very inspiring, they sorely needed to be practical in their approach.


    "Although the spiritual race is powerful, there are still too few of them, which puts them at a disadvantage. With our forces, we can hold down the spiritual race forces in Alston''s hands. If necessary, the Dragon Master Clan, the Butterfly Divine Clan, the Wood Clan, and even the Phoenix Master Clan will also help us. So we don''t need to worry about anything," Rocky included calmly.


    Marcia and the other two men glanced at each other and then nodded with a satisfied air. Obviously, they had been waiting for this day for a long time.


    "We will discuss the details of this plan later. Father, Marcia, and Chief Bryant, you should get ready first," Rocky said to the three of them.


    After that meeting, Rocky proceeded to the Genome Research Institute, where Sheridan immediately greeted him enthusiastically.


    "Dear disciple, I missed you so much!" Sheridan was so happy to see his precious disciple that he immediately moved to envelop him in a bear hug, but Rocky dodged him skillfully as if he was used to it.


    "In the following days, I will carry out experiments here. Please prepare a laboratory for me, master," Rocky told Sheridan seriously.


    "I knew you would come back, so I moved your entire laboratory here. You can use it any time," answered Sheridan promptly with a proud smile.


    Rocky simply nodded. Although he didn''t show much expression on his face, Sheridan could recognize the grateful look that flashed quickly in his disciple''s eyes.


    After that, Rocky drew a considerable amount of blood from the Holy-blood Dragon King. At the same time, he also gathered a team to study the quality of its blood.


    In the blink of an eye, another ten days passed.


    Rocky finally extracted a very special kind of blood serum from the Holy-blood Dragon King''s blood, which was the key to changing the human body''s physique.


    However, due to the disparity between human body''s and the spiritual race''s, a little bit of mistake could be fatal. Therefore, Rocky h


    me more details?" Alston''s face brightened as soon as he heard Dean''s plans, and he eagerly gestured for him to come closer.


    Dean walked up to Alston and whispered to him.


    Meanwhile, everything was going smoothly in Rocky''s camp, but he suddenly received a message from Alyssa, which made him a little angry.


    More than a year ago, because of Woods'' sincere request, Rocky sent the gene medicament that could strengthen the spirit-manipulated beasts to the Timber Deity Empire, asking them to carry out the plan of strengthening the spirit-manipulated beasts. However, due to the chaos caused by the calamity beasts, the disputes among the spiritual race clans, and especially the conflict between Rocky and the spiritual race clans, this plan was put aside in the Timber Deity Empire. That was one year ago. Six months later, the Wood Clan was destroyed, and the Timber Deity Empire was forced to yield to Alston''s control. Alston got to know about the plan.


    He then sent a large number of so-called talents to study the magic of this gene and tried to copy it, but they had made no progress. Not long ago, he was in such a snit that he injected all those talents with this gene. As a result, these people suddenly became wild beasts overnight, which were called orcs.


    When Alston realized what had happened, he planned to use this gene to turn ordinary humans into orcs and create a legion stronger than humans. However, as the gene that Rocky gave to the Timber Deity Empire was limited, Alston wanted to get the formula of this gene. Thus, Woods, the only one who knew the source of the genetic formula, naturally became a thorn in Alston''s side.

 Chapter 1346 A Horrendous Figure

    In the end, Alston learned from Woods that Rocky was the one who developed the genetic agent. Alston also knew the relationship between Alyssa and Rocky, so he threatened Alyssa to ask Rocky for the formula, or else, Woods would be in danger.


    Of course, Alyssa knew that the formula couldn''t fall into Alston''s hands, as he would definitely use the people of the Timber Deity Empire as test subjects. That being said, she could not let her brother be in danger either.


    After careful consideration, Rocky decided to go to the Timber Deity Empire to discuss countermeasures with Alyssa.


    Three days later, Rocky arrived at the rendezvous, which was located in a red leaf forest three miles away from the Timber Deity Empire''s capital city.


    When Rocky arrived, he found Alyssa anxiously waiting beneath the cover of a red-leafed tree. As soon as she spotted him, she hastily went up to greet him.


    "How''s it going?" Rocky asked Alyssa.


    "I don''t know yet. But according to the information I got before, my brother should be under house arrest now," Alyssa said worriedly.


    "Then I''ll go to the royal palace," Rocky said coldly.


    "But the royal palace must be heavily guarded right now, and Alston will definitely take the opportunity to deal with you," Alyssa disagreed, her beautiful eyes narrowed with concern.


    "I don''t think Alston knows when I will appear, so he may not be in the royal palace. If that is the case, I should be able to save Woods," Rocky reassured her confidently.


    "Then I''ll go with you," Alyssa requested.


    "No, I have something else for you to do," Rocky refused, shaking his head.


    "What is it?" Alyssa asked in confusion. What else could be more important than saving her brother?


    "Now that Woods has become a puppet, the Timber Deity Empire is doomed. The only way to save the Timber Deity Empire is to separate the army and the spirit manipulators and make them join the united empires. In the Timber Deity Empire, only you can do this. So, what you need to do next is gather the army and the spirit manipulators of the major clans you can gather, and then take them away from the Timber Deity Empire as soon as possible," Rocky explained.


    man being. You know, I have specially invited three masters at the Immortal Stage. In addition, the Spiritual King has sent two spiritual masters here. The five of them should be able to take him down," Geoffrey said confidently, as he had already made extensive arrangements. This time, Rocky would not succeed.


    "If we take down Prince Crimson, it will be a great achievement for us. And if that happens, you will undoubtedly become the emperor of the Timber Deity Empire," Alexander said.


    "Of course. The throne has always been mine. Now, I''m just taking it back," Geoffrey said proudly.


    What Geoffrey and the others didn''t know was that Rocky was no longer the same as before. Instead of hiding his strength as he did in the past, he had become a horrendous figure.


    The next day was a clear and sunny day, but the atmosphere in the royal palace was the opposite. None of the warriors exuded strength or confidence, and tension was a thick, moist blanket in the air. It was so quiet that a mouse could probably startle the hesitant guards.


    Not long after, a tall and strong figure appeared in the square in front of the hall. He had his back to the sun, so all they could see was his silhouette. He walked towards the hall, and each step was accompanied by fiery black flames that swelled and surged all over his body. His aura was fearsome and formidable. Even under the bright sunlight, he resembled a nightmare¡ªa demon shrouded in darkness.

 Chapter 1347 Where Are The Orcs

    As soon as the figure appeared, countless voices came from all directions of the square. Spirit manipulators, palace guards, and thousands of people surrounded the whole square, leaving the space of the middle area open like an arena.


    Then, Geoffrey and his henchmen, including Alexander, quickly walked out of the hall. They were shocked when they saw that the figure was making a scene as it broke into the palace city and directly came here. The city was heavily guarded, but this figure was calm as if it had entered an empty room. Its strength was so obvious.


    "You have finally come!" Geoffrey''s eyes fell on the figure and immediately revealed a strong sense of hatred. Thinking of his humiliation in the past, he couldn''t help but want to tear the figure into a million pieces.


    Of course, it was Rocky who broke in the palace city. He was extremely full of guts to have even come here.


    Rocky looked at the people around him. His eyes were cold without any expression like an ice sculpture. The people who looked into his eyes were immediately filled with fear, as if the man in front of them was an envoy from the nether world. If one was targeted by him, he or she would absolutely die in an instant.


    "Hum, Geoffrey, long time no see!" Under such a circumstance, Rocky still greeted him with a hint of sarcasm.


    "I didn''t expect that you and my brother would be so loyal to each other. How dare you save my brother only by yourself? You have valor but you lack strategy. I heard that you are immensely powerful now. But do you really think that you will be able to save my brother in this huge net?" Geoffrey confidently said. He was sure that he could defeat Rocky.


    "Well, I didn''t say that I came here to save him," Rocky sneered at him.


    "Oh, aren''t you here to save my brother? If not, then why in the world are you here?" Geoffrey was stunned by Rocky''s reply. His answer was not what he was expecting at all.


    "If I''m here to save him, I have already done that last night. Do you really think you can stop me with such useless guards?" Rocky menacingly snorted.


    "I don''t care at all if you are here to save him or not. But I hope you''re aware that you can''t leave the city today. I will spare your life, but


    burst of horrifying chill in his heart.


    Then, Alexander and the other peerless masters at the Divine Stage immediately rushed up. Their spiritual power greatly increased, showing the strength of the top human spirit manipulators. However, what they were facing was not like the others. It was Rocky who had killed thousands of members of the spiritual race.


    When the several peerless masters at the Divine Stage were approaching him, the black flame all over Rocky''s body suddenly rose. It was blazing and dazzling, as if he were standing in flames that were scorching over a hundred thousand feet. His originally calm breath suddenly quickened and the evil energy inside him was surging with great power.


    Before these peerless masters could even approach him, they felt as if their bodies could not move further. Then, they saw an expressionless black evil shadow of flame sweeping past them.


    The next instant, Rocky arrived in front of Geoffrey.


    Geoffrey was so frightened that his face turned completely pale. He had never thought that Rocky''s strength had reached such an unimaginable level. It was beyond the reach of any human spirit manipulator.


    "Tell me, where are the orcs?" Rocky asked in a low and husky voice.


    At that moment, Geoffrey suddenly let out a sinister laugh. Almost at the same time, twenty or thirty beast-like figures flew down from the top of the hall and let out piercing roars. In a blink of an eye, they rushed towards Rocky from all directions.

 Chapter 1348 Unable To Suppress

    Rocky took a closer look and saw that these beast figures, each of which was three meters tall, resembled a spirit-manipulated beast. However, they had some human characteristics. Presumably, they had mutated after being injected with the genetic medicament.


    Rocky''s eyes narrowed as the urge to kill these orcs surged within him. He would never allow his research achievement to be used like this.


    However, before he could act, the orcs besieged Rocky.


    They charged straight at him.


    As soon as Rocky released his power, a blast of evil wind spiritual wave burst forth, and the orcs closest to him were thrown away. They fell to the ground with a loud bang, raising clouds of dust. Astonishment reflected in Rocky''s eyeballs as, in just an instant, the orcs sprang to their feet and hurtled toward him again.


    Unfazed that his previous attack didn''t work, Rocky summoned his power and waved his hand. Several streams of black flame spiritual power instantly shot out, and the orcs released agonized shrieks as the black flames engulfed them and turned them to ashes.


    At that time, Geoffrey took the opportunity to retreat into the palace. Meanwhile, several Immortal Stage spirit manipulators rushed out of the palace. Two of them were old acquaintances of Rocky. They were the old man in the purple robe and Dudley, who had once competed with him for spiritual treasures in the sacred place of the Butterfly Divine Clan, and the Water Beast Sea. The other spirit manipulators were as powerful as the first two.


    The Immortal Stage spirit manipulators bombarded Rocky when they saw that he was occupied with the orcs. In particular, Dudley was the first to attack, intending to avenge himself for his previous humiliation.


    Rocky''s eyes narrowed to slits, and his expression turned cold when he sensed the fresh attacks. He eluded the closest seven or eight orcs and then turned to face the spirit manipulators as his body rose as though he were stepping in the air.


    On realizing that Rocky was preparing to attack them, the spirit manipulators launched their offensive. As their spiritual light soared, several beams of colorful light shot out, directly cove


    r, as a belligerent beast, Glutton was always eager to fight. Thus, when several human spirit manipulators chased Rocky, it laughed wildly and turned into a light shadow in the blink of an eye.


    Simultaneously, the black flame around Rocky surged, and he rushed directly toward the royal palace with significant momentum.


    The spiritual race beings guarding the royal palace were expecting Rocky and had hence, prepared accordingly. However, pangs of fear surged in their hearts when he materialized in front of them like a meteor. Rocky had terrorized so many spiritual race beings that his name was like an omen of death. Once he appeared, no spiritual race being could escape catastrophe.


    However, the spiritual race members led by the five spiritual masters had also received a death order. Under no circumstances could they allow Rocky to save Woods. They had no choice but to confront him.


    The next moment, they charged at Rocky.


    Rocky summoned his three beasts without any hesitation. The power of the Flaming Blade in his hand surged; as a result, several spiritual race beings were burned to ashes. Then he rushed to the royal palace.


    Although the five spiritual masters and twenty ordinary spiritual beings collaborated, they could not suppress Rocky''s momentum. He cleared a path right through them. Once in front of the royal palace, he waved the enormous Flaming Blade, and a wave of flame surged out and struck the gates.

 Chapter 1349 Attacked By Woods

    Boom!


    With a burst of strong flames, the gates of the royal palace were opened, and smoke rose from all over the place. Then, Rocky turned into a light shadow and rushed inside.


    At that moment, Woods was sitting on the throne in the royal palace. He immediately stood up when he heard a loud sound at the gates. In a blink of an eye, a figure appeared in front of him.


    "Finally, you''re here!" Woods wasn''t surprised at all at the sudden appearance of the figure in front of him.


    The man in front of Woods was no other than Rocky, who urged immediately, "Hurry up, let''s go." After that, he turned around and began to walk out of the palace.


    However, just as he turned around, a sinister smile suddenly crept


    Robin and Ken to go back to his Magic Spiritual Space and then immediately rode on Uriah.


    Almost at the same time, Glutton roared, and its body rose with red light all over. The evil aura instantly shrouded a wide range. Everyone who saw it was shocked and got scared.


    Then, Glutton turned into its original form and stood in front of the royal palace, overlooking the enemies.


    Then, it immediately acted, intending to cover for Rocky as he left. At that moment, seeing that Rocky was about to take advantage of Uriah to fly away, Woods suddenly showed a strange smile. Then, he raised his left hand and suddenly waved it. With that, the whole square in front of the palace suddenly began to shake violently.

 Chapter 1350 Friends Turned To Enemies

    Suddenly, Rocky felt as if he was burdened with something invisible. Not only him, but also all the humans and spiritual race beings in the square felt this shocking pressure. Everyone lost their composure.


    Uriah, who had been flying in the air, fell to the ground because of the strong gravity.


    "Basil, where do you think you''re going? You can''t go anywhere!" Woods wildly laughed and intently stared at Rocky riding on Uriah.


    Rocky''s eyes narrowed with confusion. He had already sensed that it was Woods who did all this. But Woods was not even a spirit manipulator. How could he possess such a strange power? Besides that, this kind of power could not be possessed even by the spiritual race.


    "What are you waiting there for? Take him down now!" Woods commanded at


    efore. And now, they had become enemies.


    "I have to say that you are really powerful. If only I could be like you, maybe I wouldn''t have ended up like this at all." Woods looked at Rocky with jealousy. He had always been envious of Rocky''s power. Rocky was lucky enough to have adventures and experiences that ordinary people couldn''t even imagine, and now he had become a human being that even the spiritual race beings were afraid of.


    "You could''ve been someone like me. I planned to use the genetic medicine to make you a spirit manipulator. But I never expected you to..." Rocky didn''t even bother to finish his sentence. He knew that it was useless for him to say anything now. There were some things that were already set in stone and could not be changed anymore.

 Chapter 1351 She Misunderstood Him

    "That is not what I want. I want to have the same power as you to dominate the world!" Woods raved wildly, as his eyes flashed with a crazed gleam.


    "You have definitely gone off the deep end..." Rocky muttered, shaking his head in dismay.


    "Cut the crap! After I catch you, everything will be easily solved," Woods insisted as maniacal laughter escaped from his lips.


    "What are you waiting for? Come at me then!" Rocky waved the Flaming Blade in his hand, as his face grew darker and darker with each step he took. He felt slightly guilty because he had made a grave mistake. If he hadn''t helped Woods become the Timber Deity Empire''s emperor, perhaps Woods wouldn''t have become like this. Therefore, he had to redeem


    , betrayal, and anger, "Why?! Why did you kill my brother?"


    Rocky knew that Alyssa must have misunderstood what she had seen. She didn''t know that her brother had fallen under the control of the forbidden item, but he didn''t bother to explain. It would be useless. And it would not lessen the pain she was in. Besides, he had done the right thing.


    "Why don''t you answer me?" The heartbroken Alyssa grew angrier when Rocky didn''t utter a single word. At that moment, she could accept any reason that Rocky told her, but Rocky kept silent, which made her confirm that he had really killed her brother in cold blood. She couldn''t accept the fact that Rocky had killed her brother, who was her only family in the world!

 Chapter 1352 The Beginning Of The War

    "I just did what I must do." After saying that, Rocky immediately turned around and headed for his three beasts.


    Glutton followed closely behind.


    After Rocky took back his three beasts, he quickly flew away with Glutton and totally ditched the devastated Alyssa behind.


    "Why didn''t you even explain to her?" Glutton suddenly asked as it followed Rocky.


    "I don''t want her to know that her brother had changed into a despicable man. She would be more distressed if she knew the truth. It''s better for her to hate me instead," Rocky explained to Glutton.


    "Tell me, why are you even doing this? It''s true that you are the reincarnation of Divine King Belial, but you don''t have to


    smaller and their forces were sharply reduced.


    Although the spiritual race''s army was immensely powerful, they were far outnumbered by the United Army. The United Army was divided into three groups, so their advantage in number was infinitely magnified. Besides that, the Three Great Generals of the Holy Dragon Empire led the United Army. On the battlefield, the most crucial element was not the soldiers'' strength but the commanders'' fighting strategy.


    With that, Alston''s army suffered great losses.


    More and more members of the spiritual race were sent to the battlefield, making the war escalate and more intense.


    But everyone knew that the real war had only just begun.

 Chapter 1353 Ill Give You A Chance

    Meanwhile, a breakthrough had just been discovered in the human experiments. Recent data showed that the serum refined from the Holy-blood Dragon King could have positive effects on humans. After ordinary humans were injected with the serum, changes in their bodies started to be visible. Unable to become spirit manipulators prior to the experiments, these humans were now in good physical conditions.


    After a month of tedious studies and experiments, Rocky did not find any adverse side effects of the treatment. Hence, he continued to carry out his experiments further.


    After more and more trials, he then found out that the serum could only take effect on the subject once, meaning that it could only be injected to a person once in his lifetime, and pushing for a second dose of this serum would not have any effect on the human. In additio


    es first?" Dean suggested again.


    Alston placed his eyes on Dean and then on Alyssa. Given the current situation, it seemed that Alyssa was his best bet if he really wanted to take Rocky down. Although he didn''t believe in Alyssa wholeheartedly, he could still give it a try. If Alyssa had any ulterior motives, it wouldn''t be such a problem for him. After all, he could easily kill her with his strength.


    "I''ll give you a chance. Make significant achievements within a month. I will only believe you when you achieve great heights. Make me believe in what you can do," Alston finally agreed. He said this so that he could test Alyssa''s plan and motive. At the end of the day, it was still up to him whether he would be satisfied with her performance and leadership. And besides, he was not afraid of the tricks that Alyssa could play on him.

 Chapter 1354 A Bad Feeling

    After a month''s fierce battle, the United Army began to show signs of exhaustion. After all, they were still human, and their enemy was the spiritual race beings. The war imposed heavy burdens that were becoming too heavy for their human bodies to bear. Their dwindling strength contrasted and emphasized the difference between the human army and the spiritual race army. Soon, the spiritual race army began to gain ground.


    But the most terrible thing was that a month ago, the spiritual race army had suddenly changed their fighting strategy. They stopped fighting with the United Army directly, but adopted assassination, sneak attack, ambush, and other guerrilla tactics. With the use of these back-alley strategies, coupled with the strength of the spiritual race, the United Army lost tens of thousands of soldier


    my that fought with General Lance seems to be very familiar with his military tactics. I''m also curious about this. Logically speaking, they have only fought for a few months, and it is impossible for the other side to know his background military tactics so soon. On top of that, his military tactics are not regular and hard to predict. I suspect that the Commander in Chief of the spiritual race army must know General Lance very well before," Marcia said suspiciously.


    Rocky''s eyes narrowed as he heard her words. He had a bad feeling about this.


    "General Lance''s death would certainly lower the West United Army''s morale. Should we ask them to withdraw and reorganize first? Besides, we also need to assign a new Commander in Chief for the West United Army," Marcia suggested after she thought for a while.

 Chapter 1355 Stop What Youre Doing

    Hearing Marcia''s suggestion, Rocky shook his head and replied, "There''s no need for that. Transfer Sabina and Lucilla here at once to command the West United Army." His time was running out, but the situation was still in a stalemate. If the West United Army withdrew and was reorganized, it would be extremely disadvantageous to their overall situation.


    "Actually, I think it''s more appropriate to let Isis be the Commander in Chief," Marcia said after she hesitated for a moment.


    "You''re right; Isis is indeed more experienced than the other two. But with her current state, I''m afraid she''s not qualified for the role!" Rocky said with a frown. Of course, that was just his excuse and he was not just worried about that.


    "Maybe we can decide the Comm


    all into the evil world and inherit the power of the Evil-fight Divine Bead, he had decided to take all the responsibilities. Even though he became someone that almost everybody hated, he would do what he must do without any hesitation.


    "Stop what you''re doing, or I''ll have to..." Rocky clenched his fists, trying to hide the complex emotions in his heart. If Alyssa really became his enemy, he had no other choice. What he did to Woods would certainly happen again.


    "You''ll have to what? Kill me? Then go on! Do it! I know you can kill me, just like you killed my brother. With your current strength, it''s easy for you to kill me, right?" Alyssa sneered and walked to stand right in front of Rocky. She was staring at him as she tried to provoke him.

 Chapter 1356 Not Much Time Left

    Rocky''s fists clenched as he listened to Alyssa. If he really wanted to do it, he would not hesitate. However, Alyssa''s change was too sudden, and it confused him. Something felt wrong, but he couldn''t quite figure out what it was.


    "What''s stopping you? Can''t bring yourself to do it? I''m your enemy now. Being merciful toward your enemy is tantamount to being cruel to yourself. Didn''t you kill the spiritual race beings without a second thought? Why do you hesitate now?" Sarcasm dripped from Alyssa''s tone as she confronted him. It seemed as though she were deliberately provoking Rocky.


    Rocky''s gaze flew to Alyssa''s face. He glared at her for a brief moment before he turned and left.


    "I


    him killing Woods. He knew at that moment that no matter what he did, he would never be able to redeem himself. He just didn''t expect that Alyssa would betray him so openly and even go to the extent of helping Alston.


    But these were not important concerns. What worried Rocky was the thought that he might have to face Alyssa on the battlefield soon. And that was why he couldn''t be indifferent. Acutely aware of the stakes, one thing was for certain¡ªhe wouldn''t show her any mercy. After all, he had a critical task to accomplish, and he couldn''t let affection and friendship stop him. Besides, he didn''t have much time left.


    Then, Rocky flew toward the West United Army''s military camp...

 Chapter 1357 Isis Learned The Truth

    After Lance''s death, the West United Army lost their leader and their morale was greatly affected. Although Rocky had decided to let Sabina and Lucilla be the Commander in Chiefs of the West United Army, they were not as experienced as Lance. He himself could only stay for a few days in the army to deal with the aftermath, wait for the successful take-over of the two women, and recover the morale of the army. After that, he needed to leave and deal with his own business.


    Besides, Rocky was still worried about Isis, the saddest and most affected person because of Lance''s death. Although it was impossible for him to comfort her, he still cared about her. After all, she was his wife and N


    you suddenly here?" Marcia worriedly said.


    But Isis seemed not hear Marcia, her eyes were suddenly staring directly at Rocky. She bit her pink lip and asked, "Are you hiding something from me?"


    Hearing that, Rocky looked into Isis''s eyes and guessed that she must have known that it was Alyssa who ambushed Lance and caused his death.


    A few days ago, when Alyssa led the army to attack the front lines of the West United Army, not just Rocky and Marcia recognized her, so did several commanders of the original Crimson Dragon Group. Thus, it was natural for Isis to know it.


    Normally, Rocky wouldn''t tell her about that, but he didn''t want to lie to Isis. So, he nodded in the end.

 Chapter 1358 Fall Again

    "Was it really her? Why did she do that?" Isis cried out in disbelief. Although she had never had a good impression of Alyssa, she knew that Alyssa loved Rocky very much. So she could not believe that Alyssa had sided with Alston against them and even killed her father. She was undoubtedly having a hard time believing them.


    "Isis, calm down. Basil will handle it," Marcia comforted her. She was worried that Isis would do something stupid impulsively.


    "Is it because you killed Woods?" Isis'' voice was hoarse and shaky, as her eyes flicked up toward Rocky''s expressionless face. She was smart enough that she quickly figured o


    e of the West United Army, Isis helped them regain their confidence once she took over the army. Soon, they scored several victories. But soon, the spiritual race''s resistance grew stronger too. Not only that, the East United Army and the South United Army were also in great trouble.


    On top of that, the enemy, who had been fighting conventionally, suddenly changed their tactics. The human kingdoms, which had been recaptured by the United Army''s three groups, once again fell into the hands of the spiritual race in a short period. It plunged the whole world into misery, as the humans lived in constant fear of their lives.

 Chapter 1359 Bring Lena Back

    Although Marcia and Bryant had gathered many times to discuss countermeasures, they still couldn''t find a solution. What compounded their worries was that there was no news about Rocky. They could only consolidate their existing battle line and wait and see.


    On the other hand, Alston was delighted as they had blocked the attacks of the three groups of United Army and gained control of several empires in succession. To commemorate their success and pay tribute to Alyssa, who was responsible for this triumphant moment, he held a banquet in the Spiritual King Hall.


    "Commander in Chief, this toast is for you!" Alston flashed Alyssa a dazzling smile, but greed and ambition glimmered in his eyes.


    "You


    but stopped. Alyssa''s expression had darkened to the point where it terrified her.


    "Woods was my only family. I can''t accept his death. It is even more difficult to accept that the man I cared about was the one who murdered him. But I have to give my brother an explanation, or I will be ashamed when I face my dead mother..." Alyssa''s tone was laden with sadness.


    "Basil must have had some reason to kill His Majesty. Haven''t you asked him?" Laney couldn''t help but question Alyssa.


    "He did not explain. Perhaps there is no reason. Either way, I can no longer trust him." Alyssa shook her head dejectedly.


    "Your Royal Highness..." Laney was rendered speechless and could offer Alyssa no comfort.

 Chapter 1360 She Compromised

    "I''m here to ask you something," Alyssa said after exchanging the pleasantries.


    "What is it that you want to know?" Laney asked.


    "Well, I want to know exactly where Rocky is hiding Lena!" Alyssa directly said.


    Hearing this, Laney couldn''t help but tremble with shock. She knew there must be some reason why Alyssa asked about Lena''s whereabouts. Besides that, she knew that Lena was the woman that Alston wanted to get the most. With those thoughts in mind, she had figured out Alyssa''s purpose.


    Seeing the expression on Laney''s face, Alyssa knew that she had already figured out the purpose of her visit, but she still demanded Laney in a calm and composed tone, "Don''t say that you don''t know where she is. It''s impossible for you not to know. I won''t


    lieved until she was totally sure that Nigel was safe.


    Marcia knew that this was of great importance, so she immediately informed Rocky with the Carrier Beast. It was already three days later after Lena''s disappearance when Rocky arrived at the Eternity City.


    With a poker face, Rocky was standing at the house where Lena disappeared. Meanwhile, Sue was standing aside with Nigel in her arms, not daring to approach him at all.


    "This is all my fault. If I hadn''t fallen asleep, maybe Her Royal Highness wouldn''t have..." Sue felt incredibly guilty. She should have accompanied Lena that night, but she was totally exhausted from taking care of Nigel that morning. She took a nap that night since she didn''t expect that something like this would happen.

 Chapter 1361 Rockys Worries

    "It has nothing to do with you," Rocky exclaimed with narrowed eyes. As soon as he returned, he learned about the news that Alyssa was the one who took Lena away.


    "What the hell are you planning, Alyssa?" Rocky mumbled to himself. At that moment, he could not contain his anger that he even scared little Nigel off Sue''s arms, making him cry.


    Of course, Sue immediately tried to soothe Nigel. But Rocky only looked straight past them as his thoughts flew over to somewhere else.


    Meanwhile, right outside the walls of the Imperial City, Alyssa and Lena had returned to the Holy Dragon Empire.


    At that moment, in the Spiritual King Hall, Alston was beyond thrilled to see Alyssa take Lena back. However, Lena''s face turned sour as soon as she saw Alston.


    "Lena, you''re finally back!" Alston exclaimed enthusiastically and rushed towards Lena.


    "I''d rather di


    asts fighting directly under their masters'' command. One of the beasts had fur that was as white as snow, covering every inch of its gigantic horse-like body. Its head resembled that of a sheep''s, and it emitted a strong freezing cold power that formed a swirling snow mist around its body. It seemed to be just an adult, but it exuded the aura of a legendary guardian beast. Rocky took a closer look at its owner, Harriet.


    Her beast was the Snow Master Clan''s legendary guardian beast¡ªthe Flying Snow Horse.


    At that time, the opponent of the Flying Snow Horse was a five-star guardian beast, which was quite powerful. Despite its rank, in front of the newly matured Flying Snow Horse, the five-star guardian beast appeared to be completely restrained. In fact, the fight did not last long as the five-star guardian beast soon fell on the ground with a loud thud.

 Chapter 1362 Discuss The Countermeasures

    "I won!" Harriet, the master of the Flying Snow Horse, yelled excitedly. She seemed to be much happier now compared with the aloof girl she used to be, and this somehow made her look younger and fresher.


    Soon, she noticed that someone was staring at her with a sharp gaze that could not be ignored. She looked around discretely and immediately met a man''s eyes.


    Harriet immediately recognized the man who was looking at her. It was none other than Rocky!


    At that time, Rocky was already approaching her, and his evil aura made her flinch in surprise and fear. When she had first seen Rocky, he hadn''t had such an aura, but now, he loomed in front of her like a giant, intimidating her effortlessly.


    "I heard from Moira that you want to see me?" Rocky asked straightforwardly, as he walked up


    heir mouths agape and eyes wide open. Although the Magic Phoenix Empire had joined the united empires before, it was the only big country that hadn''t been occupied by Alston. So the Magic Phoenix Empire put most of their forces into their own defense, and only a small part of their cavalry was sent to assist the United Army. If the Magic Phoenix Empire dispatched all their forces to the United Army, it meant that they would give up their territory completely.


    "But if the Magic Phoenix Empire gives up on its defense, then Alyssa will take the opportunity to occupy the Magic Phoenix Empire. Once the Magic Phoenix Empire, the Timber Deity Empire, and the Holy Dragon Empire unite, they will be able to control the entire Wild Spirit Land. Won''t that make it worse for us?" Marcia asked again.

 Chapter 1363 We Need Your Full Cooperation

    "It''s true, but that''s exactly what I want," Rocky seriously said.


    Marcia and the other two immediately looked at each other. Apparently, they didn''t understand what Rocky meant.


    "Basil, are you saying that you want to create a false impression?" Isis suspiciously asked.


    "Yes, you''re correct. We just want to create a false impression that would make Alyssa think that we are in a disadvantageous situation," Rocky said as he nodded in approval of his idea.


    "But what good will that do to us?" Bryant immediately asked.


    "Once the Magic Phoenix Empire, Timber Deity Empire and Holy Dragon Empire unite, their defense''s range will be wider. The human army led by Alyssa will be fully devoted to it, and even that won''t be enough. So, the spiritual race army wi


    n, and can''t be carried out. So, we intend to change our strategy. And this time, we need the full cooperation of your empire." Rocky prepared them for what he was about to suggest. After all, his proposal would probably make it difficult for the queen and Felicia to sit still, so he wanted them to be mentally prepared.


    "If the United Army needs help, we''re certainly obliged to do so. But Prince Crimson, you should also understand that our empire is on the verge of collapse. I''m afraid that we are not strong enough to do what you hope us to do," the queen said euphemistically. It meant that if it were just a small favor, the Magic Phoenix Empire would certainly help. But if it was a big favor, they were powerless to render assistance even if they wanted to.

 Chapter 1364 The Two Requests

    "If you agree to cooperate with us this time, not only can we solve the current situation, but your empire can also get rid of its passive situation," Rocky purposely said.


    "Really? How sure are you?" The queen''s eyes lit up when she heard this. If that were the case, it would be advantageous to their empire.


    However, Felicia was much more cautious because she felt that Rocky was hiding something. She saw the worried expression on Erica''s face, and grew more suspicious. So, she said, "Tell us first what we need to do before we decide, Prince Crimson."


    "Well, I was hoping that your empire can give up on your own defense and invest all your forces in the United Army," Rocky bluntly proposed.


    Bo


    r his child and have a better descendant. According to the rules of the Magic Phoenix Empire, a talented spirit manipulator like Erica was not allowed to get married. So, it was extremely surprising that the queen suddenly asked him to marry Erica. She must have her own intentions.


    Of course, Erica was the most surprised. She never expected that the queen would make such a request.


    "Give me a reason to agree first," Rocky said to the queen as he narrowed his eyes.


    "Erica, go and wait outside," Felicia immediately said to Erica.


    Hearing this, Erica was even more curious at what the queen and Felicia were trying to say. She looked at Felicia and then at Rocky before walking out of the hall.

 Chapter 1365 A Little Unfair To You

    "Prince Crimson, do you know exactly why I let Erica be with you back then?" the queen of the Magic Phoenix Empire asked Rocky after Erica left the hall.


    "Isn''t it because you wanted Erica to bear my child?" Rocky frankly replied. He knew what the queen and Felicia were thinking, so he and Erica had always been very respectful to each other.


    "That''s only one of the reasons for sending Erica to you. The main reason is that I hoped Erica can bear your child to cultivate a better heir to the throne of the Magic Phoenix Empire," the queen said as her eyes flickered.


    "What? The heir to the throne of the Magic Phoenix Empire? Wait, is Erica...?" Hearing that, Roc


    take any responsibility at all. Our marriage is just a formality anyway," Erica frankly said.


    "Well, it''s good to hear that that you understand, although I have to admit that it''s a little unfair to you." Rocky was surprised to see Erica so calm despite the sudden turn of events.


    "Why aren''t you saying that it''s unfair to you? I have never thought about whom I will fall in love with, let alone getting married. In the past, I didn''t care about it. Even now, it doesn''t matter either. For me the most important thing is..." Erica wanted to say something but immediately stopped on a second thought. She didn''t go on, but Rocky already knew what was on her mind.

 Chapter 1366 The Grand Wedding

    The next day, news of Erica''s wedding being held at the Magic Phoenix Empire''s royal palace immediately spread like wildfire and caused a huge commotion. Within three days, the entire empire was informed of the upcoming wedding.


    The announcement of Erica, a rare genius spirit manipulator of the Magic Phoenix Empire, getting married undoubtedly broke the hearts of countless desperate men.


    To add to the shock, the queen would be personally hosting the wedding. This was considered an honor of the highest order for anyone.


    But what caught the curiosity of the entire Magic Phoenix Empire the most was whom Erica was set to marry. Like a cloud hovering above the ocean, the suspense hung in the air. All would be rev


    you here, Matriarch?" Felicia asked.


    "I heard that Prince Crimson and Erica would get married, so I bring a few of the elders here with me. Why was I not informed that such a joyous occasion was about to take place?" Jill reproached in response. She then turned to Rocky, the slightest hint of resentment swimming in her gaze.


    "Matriarch, we know how busy you are. We didn''t want to disturb you," Felicia replied respectfully.


    "I couldn''t care less about anyone else''s wedding. But how could I refuse to attend the great Prince Crimson''s wedding? After all, he is the great benefactor of our clan," Jill responded excitedly. Although she didn''t announce it loudly, it was loud enough for everyone present to hear.

 Chapter 1367 The Wedding Gifts

    After Jill''s voice trailed off, the whole square went hysterical.


    "We just heard straight from the matriarch of the Phoenix Master Clan that Prince Crimson is the benefactor of the clan! How is that possible? I must have heard it wrong."


    "Isn''t Prince Crimson wanted by the spiritual race? I just can''t wrap my head around the fact that he would become the benefactor of the Phoenix Master Clan. Isn''t it weird?"


    "I bet no one would believe it if it were not said by the matriarch herself. The matriarch''s words are never untrue!"


    Almost instantly, the people changed their minds because of Jill''s power and influence. At the back of their heads, they tried to believe that perhaps, they really might have misunderstood Rocky. More importantly, Jill even personally attended Prince Crimson''s wedding. This was enough to prove what she had said.


    Meanwhile, Jill had already walked towards Rocky in full view of the p


    ave any feelings for you by saying this? Ha! You must be dreaming! Alston, I won''t let you have me over my dead body. You''d better give up!" Lena replied cruelly.


    "Oh, I''m not in a hurry. I know for a fact that you will kneel in front of me and beg me soon. It''s just a matter of time. For the sake of my love and feelings for you, I will give you some more time to think about it. But once I lose my patience, the consequences will be unimaginable. I advise you not to be headstrong anymore, Lena," Alston said sinisterly and turned away.


    ''Basil, what the hell are you doing?'' Lena thought to herself as she looked sullen. She was locked up here, but Rocky married Erica in the Magic Phoenix Empire. This series of events made her completely depressed, for she was unable to do anything to solve her problems. However, deep in her heart, she still believed that Rocky must have had his own agenda for doing such things.

 Chapter 1368 Other Intentions

    In the Magic Phoenix Empire,


    earlier that morning, the queen requested Rocky and Erica to meet her in the hall. Felicia was also there.


    "Although I''ve promised to hand over the Magic Phoenix Empire, I can''t leave my people behind." She cut straight to the point.


    "Are you saying that you''re going back on your word, Your Majesty?" Rocky asked her coldly.


    "I am aware that, as the queen, my words carry tremendous weight. And I will use my own way to fulfill my promise. Today, I''ll issue an imperial edict to withdraw all the Magic Phoenix Empire troops and relinquish military leadership to Erica. After that, I''ll accept Alston''s offer on the condition that my


    yssa, unlike the others, knew very well that Rocky was secretly manipulating the United Army. Marcia, Bryant, and even the late Lance remained loyal to him. This time, Alyssa was on high alert to Rocky''s unusual behavior.


    "What are your other intentions?" she murmured. As cunning as she was, Alyssa was suspicious. However, she couldn''t think of any direct connection between the United Army and Rocky''s wedding.


    Although she couldn''t figure out what he was up to at the moment, she immediately ordered the close monitoring of the United Army just to be safe. As long as she was able to control their every move, she''d be able to predict what Rocky would do next.

 Chapter 1369 The Biggest Weakness

    A few days later, all the armies of the Magic Phoenix Empire withdrew smoothly. After their integration, Erica, as their commander in chief, led the army and left the Magic Phoenix Empire as soon as possible.


    Meanwhile, the Magic Phoenix Empire''s queen and Felicia went to the Holy Dragon Empire to accept their surrender terms. Alston was pleased that the Magic Phoenix Empire''s queen was wise enough to know which road to take. In this way, he avoided big trouble of defeating the Magic Phoenix Empire. What delighted him more was that he now controlled all the human empires in the Wild Spirit Land.


    The queen''s surrender made Alston the first powerful leader of the spiritual race and the human race since the beginning of the Wild Spirit Land''s history!


    But it didn''t take long for Alston to learn that the real


    Phoenix Empire. Alyssa''s defensive line also extends to the Holy Dragon Empire and the Magic Phoenix Empire, using the Timber Deity Empire as their base. It appears as though Alyssa is most confident of their defensive line in the Timber Deity Empire. Besides, she is unfamiliar with the Holy Dragon Empire''s and the Magic Phoenix Empire''s terrain. This is why she chose the Timber Deity Empire as their base. If the Timber Deity Empire''s defensive line collapses, it would inevitably affect both the Holy Dragon Empire''s and the Magic Phoenix Empire''s. Their entire defensive line may crumble if we are successful," Rocky said confidently. After studying the allied front line as deployed by Alyssa over the past few months, he was certain that the Timber Deity Empire''s defensive line was the enemies'' biggest weakness.

 Chapter 1370 To Beat Her At Her Game

    "But, the Timber Deity Empire''s defensive line is stronger than that of the Holy Dragon Empire and the Magic Phoenix Empire. I''m afraid that we can''t break it so easily," Marcia said worriedly.


    "That''s why I asked the West United Army to ambush Magic Phoenix Empire''s Heavenly Dragon Border. Alyssa is confident in Timber Deity Empire''s defensive line. Therefore, once the Magic Phoenix Empire is attacked, she will mobilize troops to support the Heavenly Dragon Border. In this way, there will be fewer troops guarding Timber Deity Empire. I also asked Chief Bryant to besiege the Timber Deity Empire''s White Dragon Slope. This step will pin down the spiritual race army Alyssa placed there to guard that line of defense. Once the spiritual race army is restrained, it will be difficult for the enemie


    hiding place, a commander walked into a camp.


    "Commander in Chief Alyssa, the patrol team just reported that they found traces of the United Army four miles away," he reported to Alyssa, who was deploying tactics with several commanders.


    "Really? I knew Rocky wanted to lure the spiritual race army away from White Dragon Slope, which is why he first attacked the Magic Phoenix Empire and forced me to transfer Timber Deity Empire''s mobile forces there. Then he instructed the East United Army to attack the unimportant White Dragon Slope and forced me to send the spiritual race army there as support. All the while, he intended to seize this strategic position and fracture Timber Deity Empire''s defensive line," Alyssa sneered.


    Just as Rocky expected, Alyssa had already guessed his plan.

 Chapter 1371 A Psychological Battle

    "If there is a flaw in the Timber Deity Empire''s defensive line, the United Army will definitely attack that. Once the Timber Deity Empire''s defensive line collapses, the defensive lines of the Holy Dragon Empire and the Magic Phoenix Empire will also be seriously affected. I didn''t expect him to see my defense''s weakness so easily. He is indeed a good opponent!" Alyssa thoughtfully said. Then she ordered, "Keep a close watch on the enemy''s actions. If you notice anything, report it to me immediately!"


    The commander immediately nodded at her order and left.


    "Commander in Chief, the forces of the South United Army are far more powerful than ours. If they attack us, we would be in an extremely disadvantageous position," a commander in the camp worr


    f their gap in military strength. Otherwise, she would inevitably suffer great losses. So, if Rocky lured Alyssa to lead her army out of the camp at the right time, he would have a chance to lead his army to capture the enemy''s camp. Besides that, all the troops hidden by Alyssa would also be exposed.


    With that, Marcia quickly gathered the South United Army and brought with them three days'' worth of provisions. Then she led the South United Army to retreat from the camp and head to the east.


    Not long after, the five thousand spearheads sent by Alyssa attacked the camp of the South United Army from a secret overland route. However, what they saw was an empty camp. And waiting for them was a lonely and arrogant figure in the middle of the camp.

 Chapter 1372 Her Suspicion

    "Where the hell are they?" Commander Zhang was quite confused by what he saw. Then, he was surprised when his eyes fell on the aloof evil shadow in the middle of the camp. He did not understand why the camp was suddenly empty and why the man was all alone.


    "Catch him at once." Commander Zhang didn''t want to return empty-handed, so he immediately signaled the spirit manipulators in the spearhead.


    With that, several spirit manipulators rushed to attack the arrogant figure.


    However, the figure suddenly raised a ferociously strong black flame on his body. In a blink of an eye, it spread everywhere, and the spirit manipulators were instantly burned to ashes before they could launch any attacks or scream.


    Commander Zhang


    r armor and shield and immediately ran away.


    "Commander in Chief, are we going to chase after them? It''s good to take them down while they''re on the run," a commander immediately asked as he waited for further instructions.


    But Alyssa began to be suspicious. She noticed that the South United Army soldiers led by Rocky seemed to be fewer than before. According to the previous intelligence, the number of their soldiers led by Rocky was at least seventy thousand. However, it was obvious that there were not that many soldiers fighting against them. In other words, some of the South United Army soldiers must have really planned an ambush and taken the opportunity to attack.


    "He must have set a trap!" Alyssa firmly said.

 Chapter 1373 Unable To Escape

    "So, we''re not going to chase them?" the commander confusedly asked.


    "Well, if we don''t chase them, they will have a chance to regain their strength. We are already short on our soldiers too. If we continue to defend, our defense line will be broken through sooner or later. So, we must attack instead of defending ourselves. Give me one thousand soldiers who are willing to follow me. Then ask several commanders to lead their own troops and be on standby. On my signal, we will immediately launch a surprise attack all at the same time. This will take the South United Army by surprise!" Alyssa explained. She seemed to have taken control of the whole situation already. Although she knew that Rocky must have set a trap for her, she still planned to push thr


    whether you can kill me or not," Rocky calmly said. He had used himself as a bait to lure Alyssa right into the trap.


    Alyssa already knew that the military camp would be occupied by Marcia. It was better to destroy Rocky and his men first than to send the troops back to rescue the military camp. After she dealt with Rocky, she would try to gather some troops from the other positions to encircle the South United Army that occupied the military camp.


    So, without any hesitation, Alyssa ordered her people to send out the signal.


    Soon enough, nearly twenty thousand soldiers swarmed over from three directions. In the blink of an eye, they encircled Rocky and his men. Even if they had wings, Rocky and the South United Army would be unable to escape.

 Chapter 1374 Rocky VS Alyssa

    Of course, Rocky was well prepared. He strode in front of the soldiers, his eyes burning with determination as he shouted, "Those who are not afraid of death, come with me! We will fight to the death!"


    In an instant, the soldiers replied in unison, "We will fight to the death! We will fight to the death!" Their voices sounded firm and solid, like an insurmountable wall that would protect them from their enemies. It was evident that Rocky''s speech had boosted the morale of his soldiers greatly. His words pushed them forward step by step, ready to fight until victory or death.


    After that, Rocky opened his Magic Spiritual Space and summoned his powerful, intimidating, and energetic beasts¡ªRobin and Ken.


    Their sudden appearance rattled the enemy to their bones. After all, in their eyes, the two beasts were already


    without a single disturbance in the water. Her previous resentment against Rocky no longer existed.


    "Are you really going to take revenge?" asked Rocky. From the very beginning, he had felt that it was a little strange that Alyssa wanted to take revenge for Woods. Although it was reasonable, if Alyssa did want to take revenge, she would not choose to fight him face to face so soon. Alyssa knew that she was no match for him, so the only possibility to defeat him was to defeat the United Army. Therefore, if she wanted to take revenge, she would never do it herself.


    "Of course! I have to avenge my brother!" Alyssa answered resolutely.


    "Come at me then!" Rocky waved the huge Flaming Blade in his hand as he spoke. The ferocious black flame constantly flickered and burned, reflecting his resolute and cold face.

 Chapter 1375 Separated By Death

    Alyssa didn''t show any sign of weakness. Her whole appearance changed, as she was shining with a green spiritual light. The wood texture on her body was twined, and the green vines behind her were flying in the air.


    Although Alyssa knew that she was no match for Rocky, she also knew that this battle was completely inevitable, because she had to avenge her brother one way or another.


    In the blink of an eye, Alyssa rushed to Rocky without any hesitation. She used one of the Wood Clan''s secret powerful skill, and the green spiritual lights flew to Rocky like thousands of leaves dancing in the air.


    When he saw this, Rocky didn''t move at all. He just let the spiritual lights sho


    udges before she died.


    "No, I won''t let you die." Rocky immediately picked up Alyssa and planned to look for a place to quickly cure her wounds.


    This scene made everybody even more confused. The commander in chiefs of the two armies, who had been fighting to death just a while ago, now tightly hugged each other as if they were about to be separated by death. It was truly inconceivable.


    "No, it''s too late. Please don''t be sad for me. Meeting you is actually the best thing that happened in my life even though we didn''t have many good memories together. I''m happy that you''re here with me before I die," Alyssa softly said as she touched Rocky''s face with her trembling hand.

 Chapter 1376 Come Back To Life

    When Rocky heard what Alyssa said, his tall and straight body couldn''t help but also tremble. Even though he already turned into a cold man, his heart became painful and his sorrow couldn''t be suppressed because one of the people he most cared about was about to die in his arms.


    "I''m going to leave now. After I die, please bury me beside my brother. I don''t want him to be too lonely there." After saying her final words, Alyssa deeply looked at Rocky with affection and then slowly closed her eyes.


    Rocky''s arms, which was tightly holding Alyssa, began to tremble. He was unable to hide the deep sadness in his heart.


    "I said I wouldn''t let you die, Alyssa!" Rocky roared, trying his best to wake Alyssa up from her eternal sleep. Unfo


    ediately turned to look at Ice Queen in wonder.


    "What''s the big rush?" Ice Queen glared at Rocky and playfully pouted.


    Not long after, the frost on Alyssa''s body penetrated her skin. It made her skin as clear and smooth as snow.


    In no time, Alyssa''s eyes blinked, and she let out a lazy hum as if she had just woken up. The next ensuing moment, she slowly opened her beautiful eyes.


    "Huh? Why would I...?" When Alyssa opened her eyes, she saw that Rocky was intensely staring at her. Beside her was Marcia, and there was a beautiful woman that she didn''t know.


    Rocky breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Alyssa finally came back to life.


    Marcia also showed a hint of relief as she cupped her hands together in surprise.

 Chapter 1377 Be Careful

    "Don''t forget what you have promised me today. If you forget, I can easily take out the Heavenly Ice Soul from her body at any time. Her life solely depends on you and your word now." After saying that, Ice Queen quickly waved her white sleeve and immediately flew into the air, turning into an icy light and disappearing in the sky.


    Rocky put down Alyssa when Ice Queen left. After standing still, Alyssa covered her chest with both her hands because she clearly felt that something strange was happening in her body. The power of the Wood Clan had completely disappeared from her body and was replaced by another icy power. However, this new icy power was stronger than her previous power of the spiritual race.


    "Don''t do anything stupid again


    gainst me anymore!" Rocky patiently explained.


    "Your Royal Highness, everybody is unpredictable. It''s better to be careful," Bryant said in a low and harsh voice.


    Everyone else nodded in agreement. They really didn''t want to trust her.


    Rocky looked around and knew that it would be difficult to convince everyone to believe in Alyssa again.


    "As for what Alyssa said, Basil and I will find out the truth first. If what Alyssa said is true, then we can act," Marcia seriously continued.


    "Well, we must quickly find out the truth first. But even if what she said is true, we can''t take that risk easily. What if it''s a trap deliberately left by Alston?" Bryant cautiously said. He didn''t want to suffer more losses in this war anymore.

 Chapter 1378 The Rally Against Alston

    "Basil, we can''t trust Alyssa anymore," Isis insisted resentfully.


    Rocky said nothing more before he dismissed the crowd.


    "What should we do? It appears everyone suspects Alyssa, though we can''t blame them," Marcia said as she looked at Rocky.


    "I know. You''d better get to the front line Alyssa mentioned and confirm if what she said was true," Rocky ordered after thinking for a while.


    Marcia nodded obediently.


    Once she left, Rocky planned to head over to the Butterfly Divine Clan and the Dragon Master Clan to talk with Cherry and Moira. This might be his only chance to secure indispensable help from the two clans against Alston. He ne


    gel in her arms with a soft smile inherent of a mother. This was the first time he''d seen her beaming with joy since Lance''s death.


    "Isis, it''s time to go," Rocky announced as he inched closer towards both of them.


    Isis looked at Nigel longingly, reluctant to leave him so soon.


    "If you missed him that much, you could stay for a few more days," Rocky calmly pointed out.


    "No, it''s alright. I''m already happy just seeing him, even for just a short while." Isis gave Nigel''s forehead a tender kiss before handing him over to Sue. Just as she did, Nigel suddenly reached out his tiny hands toward Rocky and stared at him with glistening eyes.

 Chapter 1379 Learned The Memory In The Oracle Jade

    "He seems to recognize you... Do you want to hug him? You haven''t held him for a long time," Isis asked as she expectantly gazed at Rocky.


    "No, I''d rather not." Rocky shook his head. He refused to do that, because he was worried that his evil energy might have implications on his son.


    At that moment, Isis and Rocky locked eyes and understood what each other meant without uttering a single word. She no longer forced him to come near the child. But as she was about to put Nigel in Sue''s arms, Nigel suddenly said in an ambiguous voice, "Da¡ªd..."


    Hearing this for the first time, Rocky, Isis, and Sue were all very much surprised.


    "What? Did you hear that? Did he just call you dad?" Isis wanted to jump out of immense joy. Apparently, this was Nigel''s first time to say dad.


    On the other hand, Rocky couldn''t figure out if he would laugh or cry from too much exc


    Race moved from their original world to the Wild Spirit Land, further establishing the Maelstrom Realms. In the first realm, which was the current location of the Myriad Spirit Tomb, the Star Divine Race built a new home. In order to balance the power of the two worlds, they also built the Heavenly God Temple on the second realm, which also served as the bridge between the two worlds. The Divine Spiritual Source was worshiped in the Heavenly God Temple and was guarded by the twelve deities.


    Indeed, the Star Divine Race was born with powerful innate strength. The spiritual race might have possessed power, but it was far inferior to that of the Star Divine Race. With that being said, the Star Divine Race saw themselves as the savior of the Wild Spirit Land. Not long after, this race became the ruler of the land and ruled over all the clans of the spiritual race.

 Chapter 1380 Disappeared Abruptly

    In the beginning, the twelve deities lived in prosperity and ruled the spiritual race in harmony. As a matter of fact, all they wanted was to revive the Star Divine Race and restore them to their former glory. Due to their power and influence, the members of the Star Divine Race and spiritual race considered them as gods and worshiped them religiously. However, they did not expect the Star Divine Race to get weaker and weaker with each passing day. Gradually, most of the twelve deities had come up with plans of their own. They believed that they would become the strongest beings in the two worlds once the Star Divine Race was wiped out on the face of the earth.


    Encouraged and somewhat blinded by their ambitions and goals, some of the deities turned against each other as if they were in a competition. Not long after, each of them occupied a vast land in the area of the Wild Spirit Land and turned the spiritual race that inhibited the area into slaves who served them.


    Flash forward to thousands of years, and nothing had changed¡ªthe spiritual race was still regarded and treated as slaves. Hungry for power and rule, these deities slaughtered and played with the spiritual race out of whim. As they clashed with each other very often, they also inflicted massive damage and casualties to the spiritual race. Through time, there were some spiritual race clans who had the will and drive to resist the fascist rulers. However, du


    refore, after countless battles and bloodshed, among the twelve originally domineering deities, only Divine King Belial survived.


    In truth, the spiritual race should be thankful for Divine King Belial''s help. After all, they would have never gotten rid of the ruler of the other deities and the Star Divine Race without his help. But Divine King Belial''s power seemed to have scared the spiritual race. All this time, he had been using his great power to deal with the other deities, which only showed how invincible he was. Therefore, to eliminate the threat, the spiritual race joined their forces, trying to kill Divine King Belial and regain their complete freedom.


    But before they would kill him, Divine King Belial left without a trace. Since then, the spiritual race began to reproduce and repopulate the entire Wild Spirit Land.


    In reality, Divine King Belial did not disappear at all. Instead, he returned to the world where the Star Divine Race lived before. Upon his arrival, he sealed the belongings of the eleven deities into the twelve statues of the Heavenly God Temple. As he did this, he refined his own strength into the Evil-fight Divine Bead and the Demonic Soul Cauldron and sealed both of them. Moreover, he left King Apollyon to guard the Myriad Spirit Tomb to prevent any spiritual race being from entering the Maelstrom Realms. Last, he destroyed his body and spiritual soul so that he would be gone forever.

 Chapter 1381 The Ins And Outs

    Divine King Belial''s reason for helping the spiritual race crush the Star Divine Race was quite very simple¡ªhe wanted everything to be back on track. He had always believed that the Star Divine Race should have never taken the Divine Spiritual Source from the Wild Spirit Land in the first place. On the other hand, the Star Divine Race did this to protect their world, but as a result, this act had changed the dynamic of the two worlds. With that being said, Divine King Belial only wanted the two worlds to return to how they were before.


    "Divine King Belial has adopted an extreme approach to bring the two worlds back to their original trajectory." At that moment, Rocky read through all Divine King Belial''s memories in the Oracle Jade and then returned to reality. He shook his head in disbelief after learning that Divine King Belial was the one responsible for leading the resistance of the spiritual race against the Star Divine Race and even starting the war of the myriad spiritual race beings.


    "Divine King Belial firmly believes that the Star Divine Race should have been destroyed when their world experienced an imbalance. That should''ve already been the end of the Star Divine Race. If that happened, then the creatures of the Wild Spirit Land wouldn''t have suffered so much misfortune and c


    did not have any clues as to where the beast was.


    "Don''t worry. Holy Lord will help you," the Dragon-shaped Soul Beast said in anticipation.


    "Holy Lord? Do you know where he is right now?" Rocky asked anxiously. Holy Lord was always very mysterious that Rocky had just seen him twice in his entire life.


    "Are you looking for me?" All of a sudden, he heard Holy Lord''s voice as if he was just next to him.


    "What the hell?! How did you get here?" Hearing his voice, Rocky immediately turned his head and saw Holy Lord descending from the sky with golden light shining all over his body.


    "I see. It seems that you''ve seen the memories in the Oracle Jade. Now, do you understand what had happened?" At that time, Holy Lord saw the red Oracle Jade still in Rocky''s hand. Instantly, he understood what was going on.


    As a reply, Rocky nodded his head without saying a word.


    "Back then, in order to get everything back to the way they were, Divine King Belial did not hesitate to bear all the responsibilities and curses to banish the Star Divine Race from the world. He was so committed to his goal that he was even willing to turn himself into dust. But now, the hope he had left is gone. If you want to save this world, you''ll have to get everything back on track again," Holy Lord emphasized.

 Chapter 1382 Determined To Attack

    "What do you mean by that?" Rocky immediately asked.


    "The complete Divine Spiritual Source has the power to both destroy and revive the world. If we want the Wild Spirit Land to be reborn, it only means that those existing now must be destroyed, whether it''s humans, the spiritual race, or something else..." Holy Lord surprisingly said these frightening words calmly.


    "So, do you mean that to successfully rescue of this world, everything that exists now must be wiped out?" Rocky''s face darkened at this. He didn''t expect Holy Lord to say something like that.


    "Of course, it''s all up to you in the end. I have no right to interfere. But I want to remind you that if you''re thinking like Divine King Belial, you will repeat his same mistake in the end," Holy Lord carefully reminded.


    "I''ll thoroughly think about it. But just keep an eye on it for the meantime. Oh, by the way, I need your help," Rocky suddenly said.


    "Tell me what it is, and I''ll try my best to help you." Holy Lord nodded at this.


    "Can you find the Thunder Master Clan''s l


    o act, we have to hurry up and take advantage of Alston''s unstable state," Marcia firmly said.


    "But we are not fully prepared yet. Besides, I wonder if the clans of the spiritual race are already well-prepared," Bryant suggested.


    Hearing these words, Marcia immediately turned to look at Rocky because the decision was in his hands. Once Rocky gave the order, the United Army would go all out even if they were not well prepared.


    "It seems that we have to take action first. As for the spiritual race clans, we must ask them to prepare to meet us as soon as possible. There is no problem at all with the Dragon Master Clan and the Butterfly Divine Clan, but I''m afraid the Phoenix Master Clan will be in a dilemma. Nevertheless, it will take us a few days to break through the Holy Dragon Empire''s defense line and reach the Imperial City. By then, the Phoenix Master Clan should be able to catch up!" Rocky thoughtfully said.


    Hearing that, Marcia and Bryant looked at each other and knew that they could do nothing but follow his instructions.

 Chapter 1383 The Imminent War

    Marcia and Bryant quickly assembled the army. They brought enough food and then moved towards the border of the Holy Dragon Empire at their fastest speed.


    At the same time, Rocky immediately sent a message to the Dragon Master Clan, Butterfly Divine Clan, and the Phoenix Master Clan. He asked the three clans to get ready to meet him as soon as possible. He also sent a message to the Wood Clan and told them about Alyssa''s situation, hoping that the clan could also support them.


    Besides that, he specially instructed the Phoenix Master Clan and Butterfly Divine Clan to bring their own legendary guardian beasts to join the coming battle. He specifically asked Moira to bring along Harriet who had the Snow Master Clan''s legendary guardian beast.


    Lastly, he summoned the legendary guardian beast of the Water Master Clan. Before all this happened, he left the beast to recuperate in the Crimson City. After the Genome Research Institute was relocated, Sheridan found another quiet place for the beast to heal. So, Rocky ordered his people to send a secret letter to Sheridan, asking him to bring the beast to him as soon as possible.


    In addition to the four guardian beasts, Marcia and Alyssa also had each of their own guardian beast. So, Rocky already had six powerfu


    Even if the United Army has millions of soldiers, it would be difficult for them to resist the Glory Army''s strength..."


    "We are in no rush! We have to be careful and precise in our every move. I want Basil to be alone and completely helpless in the end of this war. If that happens, he will have no choice but to kneel in front of me and beg. If we attack now, what if the United Army suddenly escape without even fighting? That would be very boring!" Alston arrogantly said. But in fact, he was afraid of Rocky to some extent and because of that, he decided to guard the Imperial City with all his might.


    Dean was already aware of Alston''s fear, but he didn''t point it out. He then suggested, "We still have some people who are useful to us such as the royal elders of the Holy Dragon Empire, as well as some slightly famous people who didn''t want to submit to us before, like the queen and imperial preceptor of the Magic Phoenix Empire, and Alyssa... Should we make good use of them now?"


    "That''s actually a good idea. You can kill some insignificant people first and hang their heads on the city wall. Let the United Army see what will happen if they don''t obey me!" Alston ordered as he burst out into an evil laugh.


    With that, Dean left to carry out the order.

 Chapter 1384 The Division Of Forces

    The next day, while Rocky was discussing with Marcia and Bryant about the attack on the Imperial City, Sabina walked inside in a hurry.


    "Basil, Master! Come out and take a look at this!" she bellowed angrily.


    Rocky, Marcia and Bryant rushed outside. Isis and the others were there, looking in the same direction as Sabina. The three followed their gaze into the distance and saw several heads hanging on the wall of the Imperial City, laid to public display.


    "What the hell! Who are those people?" Rocky asked furiously.


    "I have already sent someone to investigate it," Sabina replied immediately.


    Rocky nodded, and they waited in silence.


    Not long after, the spirit manipulators who had been sent out to investigate came back, looking displeased. The identities of the owners of those heads surprised everyone, including Rocky. They were famous figures in the Holy Dragon Empire. They had been unfortunately caught while covering Bryant and Lena''s escape along with a few elders of the royal family. There had been no news of them until now.


    Their heads were hung for everyone to see, an obvious warning


    rley said proudly.


    Of course, Rocky couldn''t leave them with only four thousand soldiers. After splitting forty thousand with them, he and Marcia rushed into the Palace City with the remaining sixty thousand.


    According to the military distribution map given by Alyssa, Alston had deployed thirty thousand soldiers in the Palace City. Logically, the chances of winning were very high for their sixty thousand versus Alston''s thirty thousand. But that was only based on the military numbers. However, within the Palace City, Alston had deployed more than two thousand members of the Glory Clan and had also set up many checkpoints. Obviously, he was well prepared for Rocky''s attack.


    A fierce battle was inevitable.


    Soon, the sixty thousand United Army led by Rocky and Marcia reached the main path leading to the Spiritual King Hall, which was guarded by three hundred members of the spiritual race and thousands of other soldiers.


    In order to avoid a long battle, Rocky further divided his forces to pin down the enemy from all sides. At the same time, he continued to move towards the Spiritual King Hall.

 Chapter 1385 Approaching Step By Step

    There were many difficult passes along the way, so the original sixty thousand soldiers led by Rocky and Marcia were immediately reduced to less than twenty thousand.


    Despite that, they still managed to dash to the square where the Spiritual King Hall was located.


    At that moment, the Spiritual King Hall''s front place was overcrowded with people. Alston led many spirit manipulators from the Glory Clan and palace guards to surround the square in front of the hall.


    "Basil, I didn''t expect you to really have the guts to break into the Palace City. But so what? You have no other choice but to die today!" Alston, who was standing on the steps in front of the Spiritual King Hall, excitedly said with a sinister smile. He had already expected that Rocky would enter the Palace City again sooner or later and fight him to the death. So, he had long hidden himself and waited for Rocky to throw himself right into the tight encirclement he had deployed.


    "Where are you keeping Lena?" Rocky coldly looked at Alston and asked. Surprisingly, Rocky was extremely calm given the situation.


    "Oh, she is perfectly fine. Af


    ual beings were extremely vulnerable in front of him. If they were not careful enough, they would be killed by his blade.


    However, it seemed that the spiritual race beings didn''t care about their lives anymore. Under the cover of the elders and the spiritual masters, they rushed to Rocky one after another as if they were infinite in number.


    Then, two figures suddenly appeared mid-air. One was on Rocky''s left and the other on the right, clearly paving the way for him.


    The figures were none other than Alyssa and Marcia.


    Of course, they were also with their legendary guardian beasts which were the Holy-blood Dragon King and the Timber Moon Fox King!


    The two women''s current strength was no longer what it used to be, especially Alyssa''s. After she had fused with the Heavenly Ice Soul and resurrected, her strength also greatly increased. Meanwhile, Marcia tried her best to activate the power of the Dragon Sarira in her body. So, both were really like the Goddesses of death. With the cooperation of their beasts, they quickly opened a path for Rocky.


    With that, Rocky approached Alston step by step.

 Chapter 1386 The Fight Of The Brothers

    However, Alston stood still and looked down at Rocky from the upper steps.


    As soon as Rocky reached the stairs leading to the Spiritual King Hall, several strong auras of advanced spiritual masters appeared. A split second later, numerous powerful spiritual lights shot out from both sides of Rocky in unison. A deafening sound reverberated in the space as they fell to the ground. The earth trembled and cracked, releasing large clouds of dirt and stones that covered a range of hundreds of meters around. They crisscrossed and swallowed Rocky.


    "Basil..." Marcia and Alyssa gasped in horror.


    In the next moment, several advanced spiritual race beings, led by the former patriarch of the Giants Clan, showed up and mercilessly besieged the area covered in the shining light. With one move of the spiritual race''s secret skill, streaks of spiritual light continually collided, intersected, and exploded, dealing severe damage to the place where Rocky stood. Soon, the ground in front of the steps collapsed, and a colossal cave hundreds of meters wide could be


    ng to die. This time, I will tear you to pieces and ensure that you stay dead!" Alston roared ferociously. His expression turned grim, and blue veins protruded on his forehead.


    "It all depends on whether you have the ability or not," Rocky sneered.


    Alston cackled maniacally, with his eyes wide open and anger surged within them like dancing flames in stormy winds. For him, Rocky was his only big obstacle. Once he got rid of Rocky, everything in the Wild Spirit Land would belong to him.


    The next moment, Alston and Rocky soared into the air and morphed into two dazzling lights, shining brightly in mid-air.


    "Myriad soul roaring!" The dark light emitted by the Dark King Mace in Alston''s hand increased significantly. The next moment, an overwhelming number of black shadows rushed out of the mace, like thousands of troops and horses, and swarmed Rocky.


    "Come out, the divine troops of evil beasts!" Rocky wasn''t fazed. Instead, the black flames covering his body soared toward the sky, and a flame column rushed out, like sudden torrential rain.

 Chapter 1387 The Fierce Battle in The Sky

    The black flames turned into countless beast shadows. They tore through the sky and fought against the ghosts without showing any sign of weakness.


    In an instant, the flame and the black shadows intertwined. The sky within a thousand meters had turned into a battlefield. It was an astonishing sight, and the humans and the spiritual race beings in the ground watched in stunned disbelief.


    The powerful impact between the shadows created an abrupt change in the weather. The earth shook and the mountains trembled as the battle continued to ravage the skies.


    The humans and the spiritual race beings on the ground were terrified and began to retreat from the vicinity. Soon, all the buildings in front of the Spiritual King Hall were abandoned and the crowd ran towards the edge of the square.


    The shadows continued their vigorous fight. The two powers were almost evenly matched.


    "He has become stronger again." Alston''s face darkened. He had been using the spiritual souls of the spiritual race beings to improve his strength. In a short period of time, his strength had exceeded the limit of the spiritual race a


    rdered, turning to look at the beast.


    Uriah raised its head and roared. Fire burst forth from the beast and it rushed ahead to fight the Skeleton Ghost King.


    Soon, the two beasts with the legendary guardian beast auras were entangled in battle.


    Alston grinned, thinking how desperate Rocky was that he even summoned Uriah. It was obvious to him that Rocky was at his wits'' end. On the other hand, he still had the legendary guardian beast of the Giants Clan, the One-eyed Orcs King.


    Without any hesitation, Alston released the One-eyed Orcs King, wondering with a sneer what Rocky would summon to deal with him this time.


    Rocky was well aware that Alston was delaying the fight on purpose. The longer their fight lasted, the more disadvantageous it would be for the United Army.


    Meanwhile, their twenty thousand soldiers led by Marcia had been completely suppressed by Alston''s spiritual race army with several thousand members. Along with them, there were also a large number of spirit manipulators and thousands of human royal guards. Marcia and her soldiers had fallen into a completely passive situation.

 Chapter 1388 The Huge Gap

    So, Rocky''s evil light rose as he was about to help Marcia attack the enemies.


    But at that very moment, the sound of a phoenix suddenly rang out in the sky. Rocky immediately looked up and saw an ice-colored phoenix shadow coming over. And on the phoenix sat two delicate figures.


    In an instant, the phoenix shadow fell to the ground and raised a huge wave of dust. Then, two beautiful figures got down from the phoenix and approached Rocky.


    "Basil..." One of them faintly smiled as soon as she saw Rocky.


    "You came just in time!" Rocky raised his eyebrows in excitement when he saw them.


    The two beautiful figures that came were none other than Jill and Erica.


    "Our Phoenix Master Clan''s reinforcements will arrive anytime soon. As for the Giants Clan''s legendary guardian beast, just leave it to my Ice Phoenix Queen," Jill reassuringly said to Rocky.


    "Thank you so much." Rocky, of course, was quite happy to hear that.


    When Alston saw the sudden appearance of the Phoenix Master Clan and its legendary guardian beast, he grew a little bit more anxious. He knew that the clan''s reinforcements would also appear at any moment. If the Phoenix Master Clan joined the battle, it would really have an impact on his side, and they might be at a disadvantage.


    But Al


    thousand of them.


    "Grandma..." Alyssa''s eyes narrowed as if she had sensed something. She immediately looked at the spiritual race that suddenly appeared and saw a dark green figure. It was none other than Evita, the most senior elder of the Wood Clan.


    And she brought reinforcements from the Wood Clan.


    "Ah, we finally made it." Evita looked at the chaotic situation in front of her, but she remained very calm as if they were not in a disadvantageous position.


    Alyssa stretched out her delicate body and flew in front of Evita in a blink of an eye.


    "I owe you an explanation regarding Woods. Let me explain it to you later after we deal with this situation," Evita said as she guiltily looked at Alyssa. Ever since Rocky killed Woods, Alyssa had never returned to the Wood Clan in her goal of getting revenge on Rocky. So, Evita had no chance to have a good talk with her.


    Alyssa just kept quiet. For her, it didn''t matter anymore. What''s done is done, so it was useless to investigate or blame anyone anymore.


    With that, Evita led the members of the Wood Clan to join the battle. Because of the Wood Clan, the battle''s situation slightly changed. However, it was obvious that there was still a huge gap between the number of Rocky''s people and that of Alston''s.

 Chapter 1389 The Final Deadly Battle

    It didn''t take long for the Phoenix Master Clan''s support to arrive. Although there were about six or seven hundred people, with the help of the Wood Clan, they were able to fight against the spiritual race army led by Alston.


    As long as the Butterfly Divine Clan and the Dragon Master Clan arrived, it would be possible for them to fight against Alston''s army.


    On the other hand, Alston, who had been fighting against Rocky, saw that the Wood Clan and Phoenix Master Clan had arrived one after another. He realized that the Dragon Master Clan and Butterfly Divine Clan must be coming soon as well. If he continued fighting at this rate, the situation would become more disadvantageous for him. Of course, if he got rid of Rocky first, everything would surely swing in his favor.


    "Dark Ghost Body!" With a mighty shout, Alston''s face suddenly twisted into a ferocious snarl, and a tremendous gravitational force burst out from his body simultaneously. In an instant, a vile human-shaped soul shadow started to expand with him as the center. It stood against the sky and earth as the dark power roared wildly until, at last, it formed a horri


    ual King Hall''s square, seemed to have sensed something. They looked up at the sky above them and saw the massive ghost''s indistinct shape and the dazzling purple shadow.


    "Basil..." The four women seemed to understand something in that instant, and worry and fear immediately clouded their glassy eyes.


    Under the watchful eyes of all the humans and the spiritual race beings, the huge ghost looming over Alston suddenly rushed toward the seemingly insignificant Rocky like a giant tidal wave.


    In the blink of an eye, the dark light and the purple shadow exploded in midair, intertwining with each other and forming a surging spiritual wave. Waves of light rippled over the entire Imperial City. This impact had enough power to destroy the whole city. Even though they were fighting in the air, many buildings in the Palace City still collapsed instantly under the strong impact and the succeeding airwaves. The Palace City became nothing but a wreck. Dust soared into the sky, but it was immediately blown away by the airwaves. The impact and succeeding airwaves shook the whole city, breaking the houses and destroying the city''s walls.

 Chapter 1390 The Real Test

    Without a doubt, the square in front of the Spiritual King Hall suffered the most¡ªall the buildings that surrounded the area had turned into dust upon absorbing such immense impact. As a result, the humans and spiritual race beings fled for their lives and quickly sought shelter somewhere away from the scene. However, many of the humans were unable to bear the tremendous force, causing them to bleed profusely and die instantly.


    In fact, even the powerful members of the spiritual race were not able to endure the overpowering force. They spat mouthfuls of blood and turned pale after feeling the impact.


    Among these powerful ones were Marcia, Alyssa, the spiritual race beings of the Phoenix Master Clan, and Wood Clan, as well as the high-class spiritual race beings led by the Giants Clan''s patriarch. It was without question that no one was safe from the staggering effects of this heavy blow.


    Meanwhile, just when the Palace City was about to be completely reduced to ruins, the intertwining lights began to gradually subside and vanish.


    Not long after, the two figures fell from the sky and looked like they were out of energy to carry o


    m to do was to get his hands on a complete Divine Spiritual Source so that he could fully be reborn.


    Undoubtedly, even though Wraith King Sebastian hadn''t been reborn yet, he was still remarkably invincible. In addition, his strength was on a completely different level compared with Alston''s.


    With that being said, this upcoming fight with the king would surely serve as Rocky''s real test!


    At that time, Rocky gave a cold look at Wraith King Sebastian, who had shown unparalleled strength. However, Rocky''s strength had dwindled due to the fight that had just happened between him and Alston. Now, in order to deal with Wraith King Sebastian, he would have to use the power of the Divine Spiritual Source. But somehow, he was also afraid that the king would not give him the slightest chance to fight. In addition, something else was making him feel anxious.


    With perfect timing, the Spiritual King Hall, which had turned into ruins, suddenly began to shake violently. Not long after, a huge altar rose from the ruins and quickly floated into the air.


    Looking at the altar, Rocky had a glimpse of Lena tied to a thick pillar with a totem.

 Chapter 1391 The Joint Attack

    "Basil, don''t trust him..." Lena couldn''t help but shout when she saw Rocky standing in front of Wraith King Sebastian.


    "What did you do to Lena?" Rocky snapped as he glared at Wraith King Sebastian.


    "Don''t worry. I haven''t done anything to her yet. If you agree to hand over the Divine Spiritual Source, I will release her. If you don''t, I will use her body." A sinister feeling showed itself in the expression of Wraith King Sebastian''s face and the tone of his voice.


    Rocky understood the subtle warning. If he didn''t surrender the Divine Spiritual Source, the king would possess Lena''s body. While he would never want any harm to befall Lena, Rocky knew that he couldn''t give the Divine Spiritual Source to the king.


    "I''m not very patient. Hurry up!" Wraith King Sebastian said irritably. Then he waved his hand. Suddenly, Lena, who was tied to the thick pillar, let out a scream as black shadows wriggled on her delicate snow-white skin.


    "Don''t be afraid of him. His purpose for grabbing Lena is not just to threaten you. If he wants to be reborn, he must find a human with the Star D


    like a meteor falling to the ground as it rushed toward Wraith King Sebastian.


    Boom!


    A huge hole a hundred meters wide was created in the place where the colossal dragon shadow fell. Then, a delicate figure flew down and landed beside Rocky.


    Marcia and her guardian beast, the Holy-blood Dragon King, had arrived in time.


    A split second later, Alyssa, Jill, and Evita also landed next to Rocky.


    "What a group of reckless spiritual race beings! Since you want to die, I''ll fulfill your wish!" Wraith King Sebastian snarled as he reappeared ten meters away. Intense hatred and fury reflected in his gaze as he glared coldly at Rocky, Marcia, and the others.


    "Alston, go to hell!" At that moment, the patriarch, the elders, and the spiritual masters of the Giants Clan rushed forward and surrounded Wraith King Sebastian. Before he could process what had happened, they summoned their most powerful secret skills and launched attacks at the king in tandem.


    Boom! Boom! Boom...


    Suddenly, numerous spiritual lights exploded around the king, covering a radius of a thousand meters.

 Chapter 1392 The Conditions Were Met

    Soon, the most powerful members of the Giants Clan approached Wraith King Sebastian.


    "Fuck off!" With widened eyes, Wraith King Sebastian burst out a shot of dark, ominous power. Not long after, they were swept away and driven a few feet away from him.


    "That''s our cue. Let''s attack!" Marcia hinted the others.


    Not long after, Marcia, Alyssa, Jill, and Evita also rushed over.


    Soon, the top masters of the spiritual race clans united and attacked Wraith King Sebastian. Despite not practicing her skills for a very long time, Elder Evita seemed to have impressed everyone around her as she displayed her strength that was close to the ninth grade of the spiritual master level. Although the spiritual race beings did their very best to deal with Wraith King Sebastian, they were still unable to match his overpowering strength.


    Not before long, the patriarch and elders of the Giants Clan were severely injured, while some of the spiritual masters rendered lifeless.


    On the other hand, Marcia, Alyssa, Evita, and the others were trapped in the intense battle. As a result, Evita and the others suffered severe injuries that could potentially weaken their next moves.


    Needless to say, although he was outnumbered, Wraith King Sebastian was still able to deal with the other warriors without breaking a single drop o


    Water Master Clan." Rocky''s eyes flickered, but when he saw that Wraith King Sebastian didn''t move, he began to suspect that the king might be waiting for something.


    ''Is he waiting for me to integrate the complete Divine Spiritual Source?'' Rocky thought to himself.


    Unfortunately, he was right. Wraith King Sebastian instantly changed his mind as soon as he saw the legendary guardian beast of the Thunder Master Clan appear before him because that meant the conditions for gathering the other half of the Divine Spiritual Source were already met. Thus, Rocky could gather the other half of the source any time he wanted to. Once that happened, he could finally integrate the complete source.


    Rocky got a little bit worried when he realized what the king might actually do. In fact, he was afraid that if he fused the complete source, he might not be able to defeat the king. However, he was the only one who had the power to send the king to his grave. Moreover, with that great power came a hefty and painful price.


    "What are you waiting for? All the nine legendary guardian beasts should be here by now!" At that moment, Wraith King Sebastian had already known that Rocky would definitely take this opportunity to gather the other half of the source. Therefore, he used this opportunity to stop his attacks and wait.

 Chapter 1393 Ask The Others To Leave

    "Do you really think I don''t know what you¡¯re thinking? You want to use me so you can get the complete Divine Spiritual Source. Well, you''d better stop dreaming!" Rocky sneered at Wraith King Sebastian.


    "If you really want to kill me, you have no choice but to use the complete Divine Spiritual Source. Otherwise, you will have no chance at all. You see, there¡¯s no other end to this besides you handing over the Divine Spiritual Source to me..." Wraith King Sebastian was sure that Rocky would gather the other half of the Divine Spiritual Source and integrate it into a complete one.


    "If you are still planning to threaten me with Lena''s life, I advise you to do otherwise. I know that Lena is useful to you!" Rocky fearlessly said.


    "I¡¯m not that desperate to use her to threaten you. However, I will slowly and mercilessly torture and kill all the people here until you are willing to integrate the complete Divine Spiritual Source." The king evilly sneered, and then suddenly disappeared from where he stood.


    The next thing they heard was a deafening scream. It came from an injured advanced spiritual master who suddenly spurted bl


    r all, Glutton was also one of the most powerful existences besides the king and Rocky.


    After returning to its original form, Glutton immediately launched an overwhelming attack on the king.


    Now, it was no longer what it used to be. It was remarkably close to regaining its original strength, so it was strong enough to fight against the king. Back then, even the Divine King Belial had tried his best to seal Glutton. So, for Wraith King Sebastian, Glutton was definitely a tough opponent.


    When Glutton was blocking the king, Rocky immediately appeared beside Marcia and Alyssa. Then he seriously said, "Take everyone away and go as far as possible from here."


    After hearing Rocky''s orders, Marcia and Alyssa immediately knew what Rocky was planning to do.


    "No, we won''t leave. You need our power," Marcia and Alyssa firmly said together.


    Hearing that, Rocky lightly shook his head and smiled. He had already expected that they would refuse to leave him.


    "Alright, do as you wish. But ask the others to leave right now." Rocky nodded at them.


    This time, Marcia and Alyssa nodded and quickly left to carry out his order.

 Chapter 1394 Their Last Hope

    Not long after, all the humans and the spiritual race beings retreated to safety. All of them tried their best to flee out of the Imperial City, leaving only Marcia, Alyssa, with Rocky and his three beasts in the Palace City.


    "Perhaps we can deal with Wraith King Sebastian using the power of the Dragon Sarira and the Heavenly Ice Soul. I hope that''s powerful enough," Marcia wished as she locked eyes with Rocky.


    He returned the gaze and then looked at Alyssa as if he were asking for her approval. Immediately, the two women nodded. At that moment, words were not needed for them to come up with a unanimous decision given the situation.


    Once more, the three of them would be fighting side by side, supporting one another. At the same time, they knew deep in their hearts that the fate of the Wild Spirit Land now rested on their hands.


    At the same time, as they flew into the skies above, Marcia and Alyssa placed their hands on the Divine Spiritual Source. With widened eyes, they immediately felt in their veins the surging power that was more than enough to tear down heaven and earth.


    Afterwards, both Marcia and Alyssa activated the power of the Dragon Sarira and the Heavenly Ice Soul synchronously. While this happened, Rocky burned his last and final soul.


    As soon as they successfully infused


    art catching his breath from saving him just in the nick of time.


    "Save your breath. It''s not the time to talk about the good old days. I don''t know where he comes from and why he has such a powerful force. All I know is that we won''t be his match even if we join forces. But if there''s anything I believe in, it''s that brat over there. I put my faith in him..." Bart remarked as he looked at the trio, specifically Rocky, who was releasing the power of the Divine Spiritual Source.


    "So do we..." a voice from an elder resounded. At that very moment, several elders of the royal family also appeared one after the other.


    "Count us in!" Soon, several women led by Isis, Sheridan, Elvis, and other powerful human spirit manipulators also emerged and showed their heartfelt support.


    "Hey, don''t forget us!" On the other corner, the queen of the Magic Phoenix Empire, Felicia, and Erica also voiced out their support as they flew over atop Glint Phoenix.


    In a matter of moments, more support came pouring in from all directions. A group of spiritual race beings, Jill, Elder Evita, Cherry, Kayla and so on also appeared and surrounded the trio as if they were going to fight to the death in full force. At that moment, they believed that the trio was their last hope, so they would never let them fight alone.

 Chapter 1395 An Abrupt Appearance

    "You idiots! I''ll destroy you all! By the time I''m done, none of you will be alive!" Wraith King Sebastian screamed like a madman as he witnessed the sea of people rushing towards Rocky to help him.


    Soon after, the king morphed into a ghost-like shadow. Whatever was in his way was killed instantly. It was a merciless slaughter.


    But even then, no one took a step back. They all stood their ground to block the king.


    The trio¡ªRocky, Marcia, and Alyssa¡ªsighed with gratitude when they witnessed the scene.


    Not long after, the deaths and injuries rose. It appeared the mad king''s deadly, god-like descent upon them was unstoppable.


    The Divine Spiritual Source that enveloped the trio suddenly surged. It looked as though it was near its limit and could soon be used by the three to their advantage.


    "Everybody, run!" Rocky shouted.


    "Let''s go!" Bart commanded and quickly rushed away with Bryant, the latter seriously injured.


    The spiritual race beings grabb


    and walked towards the king, he was trembling. He looked like he was having difficulty standing upright. In fact, he was suffering from a splitting headache that slowly began to push him to the brink of unconsciousness. His memories soon became foggy. He needed to restrain the daft king with the Divine Spiritual Source as soon as possible.


    Just as Rocky was about to detain him on the spot, he suddenly felt a powerful chill fall from the sky. It quickly held him in its icy grip.


    Once he came back to his senses, Rocky found himself immobilized. He had released his power source earlier once and now it reached its limit. Therefore, he was unable to break free of the frost''s grasp.


    Marcia and the other two women could sense that something was wrong. Before they could take action, however, an icy and delicate figure abruptly appeared.


    "The Ice Queen¡­" Rocky recognized the figure the moment he laid eyes on her. He never expected her to appear at that time.

 Chapter 1396 Ice Queens Demand

    "You''re finally here. I''ve waited for you for a long time, Ice Queen. Bring the Divine King Belial back to life as soon as possible. Only until then will he be truly yours..." Wraith King Sebastian said in a somber and deep voice.


    "I can''t thank you enough for this, Sebastian. I wouldn''t have had the chance to control him if it weren''t for you," Ice Queen said as she expressed her profound appreciation. After her voice trailed off, she turned around and locked her eyes at Wraith King Sebastian.


    "What do you mean by that, Ice Queen?" As soon as Rocky heard their conversation, he immediately sensed that the two had clearly been keeping a secret.


    "Remember your promise?" the Ice Queen questioned in response.


    At that moment, Rocky''s eyes narrowed. Of course, he remembered that. If he didn''t, then surely, Alyssa''s life would be ended by the Ice Queen.


    "It''s time to fulfill your promise. I will use your flesh to resurrect Belial into this world." The Ice Queen went straight to the point.


    Rocky was a little bit surprised to hear the Ice Queen''s thoughts. In fact, never had he expected that she only saved Alyssa so that she could use his body to bring the Divine King Belial back to life.


    "Th


    !" the Ice Queen snarled. Meanwhile, the queen''s pretty face suddenly became violent like that of a resentful woman. Soon after, she waved her sleeve, and a strong ice force shot out, directly rushing towards Marcia.


    As her defense, Marcia waved the forceful Flood Dragon Halberd to resist with all her might. Despite this attempt, she was unable to block the attack due to its immense strength. Moreover, she had just used all her strength to activate the Divine Spiritual Source. That was why not long after, she was directly hit by the ice force, causing her to fly more than ten meters away and drop to the ground.


    "Marcia! No!" Rocky couldn''t help but call out in fear of losing her. Then he glared at the queen.


    "Do you feel sorry for her? Believe me, I didn''t mean to do it. It''s just that I find this woman a little too annoying," the Ice Queen said innocently.


    However, just as they were talking, Marcia stood up from the ground with great difficulty. The blow from the attack really did a number on her, giving her several serious injuries and bruising up her internal organs. In fact, an ordinary spiritual being would have never withstood the power that she had just absorbed from the Ice Queen.

 Chapter 1397 Wraith King Sebastians Plot

    Nevertheless, the power of the Dragon Sarira within Marcia was unfathomable. Of course, this was also due to her steely determination to save Rocky.


    Marcia quickly morphed into a shadow as red as the twilight that painted the sky before rushing towards the Ice Queen again.


    A cold, murderous look was plastered on the Ice Queen''s face. She looked ready to kill.


    "Marcia, don''t come any closer!" Rocky screamed. He knew the queen would be able to slaughter Marcia with a single blow.


    But Marcia turned a deaf ear toward him and continued heading for the queen without hesitation.


    "Is it death you desire? I''ll be sure to grant it!" The queen didn''t intend on holding out any longer. As the ice radiance around her surged, the surroundings were immediately filled with overwhelming power that felt strong enough to topple mountains.


    Then, a cloud of ice must rose from the queen''s jade-like palm. It flew towards Marcia in the blink of an eye.


    Without dodging


    tood up. With the proud and energetic look on his face, there was no sign of his gloom from his earlier defeat.


    The king had planned everything from the very start. The moment Rocky released his soul, he had known that Rocky''s body would be the most suitable vessel for his own rebirth. It was also why he made a deal with Alston to gain a small amount of power in exchange for his body. In fact, Alston had just served as the vessel for Wraith King Sebastian to garner more power. All his arduous waiting had led to this moment.


    The king now possessed enough power to transfer his soul into Rocky''s body and return to life through the Divine Spiritual Source.


    It was safe to say that Alston and the Ice Queen were merely pawns and Wraith King Sebastian was the hand that moved them. His plan was finally falling into place.


    The time was ripe. The king no longer needed to hide. Once he got rid of the Ice Queen, the benefits he would reap would be even sweeter.

 Chapter 1398 The Mission

    "Ha-ha! I''m unstoppable!" Wraith King Sebastian laughed wildly. Not long after, his eyes fell on Rocky, who was about to merge with Divine King Belial''s spiritual soul at that time. Without a doubt, he would do whatever it took to stop the Divine King Belial from coming back to life.


    "You are mine!" Wraith King Sebastian declared while rushing into the ice array. Soon after, a ghost came out of Alston''s body and flew towards Rocky with an invincible momentum.


    Meanwhile, Alston''s body immediately converted into ash the moment Wraith King Sebastian''s soul left his body. Frankly, he should have perished a long time ago if it weren''t for Wraith King Sebastian''s power. And now that the king had abandoned his body, this was his only endgame. In fact, not a single piece of bone nor a fragment of his soul remained in the world.


    At the end of it all, Alston was the one who was stewed in his own juice.


    On the other hand, Wraith King Sebastian, who was now a ghost, sped into Rocky''s body. Instantly, he was able to stop the merging of Rocky''s flesh body and Divine King Belial''s spiritual soul, and at the same time, tried to occupy Rocky''s body.


    At that moment, Rocky felt that the things happening to him a


    orn, it''s meaningless for me to live in this world. I''m willing to go with him," the Ice Queen said decisively.


    But Rocky didn''t say anything more. If this was her last wish, then he had no reason to stop her from doing what she wanted.


    At that moment, the Ice Queen used her remaining strength to reverse her restraints on Marcia and Alyssa. The frost covering Alyssa''s body quickly melted, causing her to awaken, followed by Marcia, who was also set free from the ice that bound her.


    As soon as they came back to their senses, they learned that Alston had disappeared, and the Ice Queen had turned into an old and fragile woman. On the other hand, their eyes fell on Rocky, who was just standing there, looking at them silently.


    Upon seeing him there, they immediately stood up and ran as fast as they could to his side.


    "That settles it. I have completed my mission. It''s time for me to leave now. I don''t have enough time to say goodbye to everyone, so please tell them for me, will you? Tell Isis to raise Nigel to be a great man." Rocky tried his best to say everything he wanted to say in a few sentences because he was running out of time. He had to do everything hastily before his soul disappeared.

 Chapter 1399 Rebuild Their Homelands

    "Basil..." Marcia''s and Alyssa''s eyes welled up with tears. At that moment, they were inconsolable and heartbroken, for they knew that Rocky would be gone forever.


    "Hey, come on. Don''t fret. I wish that after all this chaos and mayhem, the human race and the spiritual race will learn how to coexist peacefully and create a more powerful world together," Rocky said.


    "We will try our very best to fulfill your wish, Basil. We promise you," Marcia faithfully promised.


    "Thank you so much. This is it. I''d better get going now." Rocky smiled with ease. Soon after, he glanced at the two women and then walked to Ice Queen''s side, taking her up in his arms.


    At that moment, the survivors, along with Isis, Sabina, and Bryant, rushed over to him, but it was already too late. All they were able to do was to watch him soar into the sky with Ice Queen beside him.


    Both parties were so relieved at that moment, knowing that they could live on with their lives. But of course, nothing was for free, and they had paid a heavy price for their freedom.


    Without a doubt, that was a moment that would forever be cherished and embedded in their hearts!


    Meanwhile, Rocky set aside all the di


    .


    Meanwhile, in the Timber Deity Empire, there was an intense fight for the throne since the former emperor died. In the end, Alyssa was the one who took over the throne and became the only female ruler in the history of the Timber Deity Empire, exceeding everyone''s expectation.


    A few months later, the Holy Dragon Empire, the Magic Phoenix Empire, and the Timber Deity Empire issued a joint statement after discussion. According to them, they constituted the alliance of united empires in the Wild Spirit Land. Moreover, they had also proposed a plan for the empires that had joined the united empires before to rebuild their homelands. As soon as the plan was launched, it luckily received the support of all the humans and the empires almost instantly.


    Not long after, many countries began to rebuild their homelands with the support of the three empires.


    But among the three empires, the Holy Dragon Empire was the one that offered the most help. Among all the teams it sent to help rebuild the other empires, a team full of strong and powerful women was particularly eye-catching. As a matter of fact, such a unique team surprised and excited everyone in the Wild Spirit Land.

 Chapter 1400 The Old Man Cured A Boy

    In an abandoned city in a small country, countless homeless people swarmed up as the help and ration from the Holy Dragon Empire had arrived and were being facilitated by the army.


    "Don''t push. Everyone will receive their share. Just line up properly so that we can distribute them faster." In an open area among the ruins, several wooden tables were placed accordingly, where large pots full of hot porridge rested on them. At the same time, three beautiful women were serving the porridge to the civilians that formed a long line. The people were delighted that on top of the hot meal that they could eat, they were being served by gorgeous and kind-hearted ladies.


    "Sabina, look at all these people. They''re wearing such shabby clothes when the winter is around the corner. They might get sick later on. Shouldn''t we prepare some warm clothes for them?" a woman in blue, who looked so dignified and graceful, asked the woman in white.


    "Oh, right! I almost forgot. Thanks for reminding me, Lucilla. I was about to ask Commander Li about it, but it slipped off my mind after we got busy preparing for the food. We really need to request the Holy Dragon Empire to bring some warm clothes for the people here," the woman in white replied.


    These two women were none other than Sabina and Lucilla. They were part of the group that was sent


    n, the old man took out three plants of Elsholtzia communis from the medicine basket behind him.


    When Commander Li was about to get the plants from the old man, he was immediately stopped by Sabina, signaling him that she would do it herself. All this time, she couldn''t shake off the feeling that there was something suspicious about the old man. Thus, when she took the herbs from him, she deliberately looked at his face under the bamboo hat. Although she couldn''t clearly see his look clearly, she vaguely saw a wrinkled old face.


    "Thank you." Sabina then shifted her gaze away from the old man with furrowed brows. She was still somewhat confused, but she also thought that she might just be looking too much into it.


    After taking the herbs, Sabina asked someone to pour the hot water into the huge bucket. Then, she placed all the herbs inside to soak them all in. Soon after, they placed the child into the bucket and submerged his skin into the water.


    Just as the old man said, in less than fifteen minutes, the boy''s plague-like symptoms had begun fading away, and his skin gradually cleared up.


    "He''s cured! It really is not the plague!" Shirley shouted, elated by the outcome of the procedure.


    Seeing this, Sabina immediately turned towards the old man to thank him, only to find out that he had already disappeared.

 Chapter 1401 Accept The Test

    Not far from the ruins, the old man with the medicine basket surfaced again and slowly took off his bamboo hat, revealing his wrinkled face. Even if Sabina and the other two women saw his current face, they might not be able to fully recognize him. However, once they knew his real identity, they would be utterly shocked but elated at the same time. This old man was the one who had sacrificed his own life just to defeat Wraith King Sebastian a while back¡ªit was none other than Rocky.


    At that moment, although he didn''t show any visible expression on his face, it was rather hard for him to hide the surging emotions from the bottom of his heart. He didn''t expect to meet the three women in a country that was so far away from the Holy Dragon Empire. After his short encounter with them, his memories about the past became vivid once again.


    "I wonder what Marcia and Isis are doing right now? The last time I heard, Nigel has already taken over the throne despite his young age. It must have been very hard for Isis¡­" Rocky couldn''t help but sigh deeply. Even though he decided to stay away from them, the yearning in his heart was still making him suffer every passing day. Right now, he was just an ordinary doctor who was traveling around. He was no longer the reincarnation of Divine King Belial, nor Prince Crimson, nor the savior of the Wild Spirit Land.


    Being far away from all the people that he loved, he felt v


    t was already shackled into this world. At that time, he would rather stay in this damned world than return to the modern world, where he would feel like a total stranger.


    The truth was he didn''t regret sacrificing his life for the Wild Spirit Land one bit. But now that it was facing an inevitable demise again, he felt that everything he had done up to this point was meaningless. In the end, he still couldn''t stop this world from perishing.


    "Do you really want to save this world that much?" the Holy Lord suddenly asked after thinking for a moment.


    "Honestly, I just want the people that I care to survive¡­" Rocky replied as he looked in the distance. He had been always true to himself. If he only had the power to save the world and sacrifice his life all over again, he would not hesitate to do it in a heartbeat.


    "What if I tell you that I can help you regain the power to control the Divine Spiritual Source and even make you stronger than ever? Well, of course, I know what your answer will be. But you need to undergo a test first and pass it." The Holy Lord shed him some light of hope at the most crucial moment.


    "What test are we talking about?" Rocky''s facial expression immediately changed. His eyes lit up, like a blazing wave of flames that would consume anything that would block his way. With one last chance to save everything he had fought for, he was determined to do whatever it cost him.

 Chapter 1402 The Desperate Fight Against The Calamity Beast

    "It''s just to see if you''re qualified enough to be my successor," the Holy Lord said seriously.


    "I beg your pardon? Your successor?" stunned, Rocky asked in surprise.


    "To tell you the truth, there is someone like me out there who records the history in all the worlds, even including the one you''re from. The Holy Lord is just a title given to me in the Star Divine World," the Holy Lord explained, completely rendering Rocky speechless.


    "Then who on earth are you?" Initially, Rocky thought that the Holy Lord was from the Star Divine Race. But as it turned out, there was more to his unbelievable secret.


    "We are called watchers. As for our origins, you''ll definitely learn more after you become my successor. Despite having the ability to travel through space and time and being powerful, we can''t interfere with each of the world''s history. We are bound to only record the history of each world, and nothing more. We can live forever in a certain time, but still, this does not make us immortal. Frankly, I should have disappeared long ago when the Star Divine Race was wiped out. But because Divine King Belial wanted me to record the history of the Wild Spirit Land, I let myself fall asleep instead."


    "I first thought that I could make Divine King Belial my succ


    itual shadows suddenly flew over in the sky, launching an overwhelmingly significant attack on the calamity beast.


    Not long after, a commanding figure suddenly landed beside Marcia.


    "Oh my god, Moira!" Marcia said as she blinked her beautiful eyes in astonishment.


    "There you are. Hey, I finally made it," said Moira.


    Meanwhile, as thousands of members from the Dragon Master Clan put in their efforts to block the beast''s way, it had finally stopped in its tracks and began to counterattack frantically.


    Three days and nights worth of fighting had passed, and the Dragon Master Clan had lost more than half of its fighting force. But somehow, the calamity beast appeared to have an infinite source of power that it still kept destroying everything within its reach.


    "Marcia, we can''t go on like this," Moira said as she looked deep into Marcia''s eyes.


    "It looks like we have to find another way to lure this massive creature away. We can''t stand another massive loss." Marcia seemed to have already decided.


    "Marcia, no! I won''t let you risk your life!" Moira had seen through Marcia''s mind. Her face trembled in fear, immediately shaking her head in disapproval. "No, you can''t take any risk."


    "There is no other way, Moira. I have to!" Marcia sighed.

 Chapter 1403 The Great Hero Came Back

    "There has to be another way. I won''t let you go!" Fiona declared firmly.


    "I''m sorry. I can''t let Basil''s efforts go to waste in vain. I need to keep the Holy Dragon Empire safe first." Upon finishing her words, Marcia spread open her dragon wings and soared into the air. She flew towards the Demonic Thunder Tiger despite Moira''s protest.


    The next moment, a blinding spiritual light burst from within Marcia and she released the almighty power of the Dragon Sarira. The Demonic Thunder Tiger immediately let out a deafening roar upon sensing the dragon''s alluringly potent power. It immediately turned around and approached Marcia.


    Marcia slowly but surely coaxed the Demonic Thunder Tiger away from the Holy Dragon Empire under the public''s watchful eyes.


    However, the Demonic Thunder Tiger appeared to be not patient. It thought of Marcia more as prey than a master. Immediately, violent thunderbolts struck down from the sky before ceaselessly attacking her.


    Marcia continued to dodge them with all her speed and strength.


    Out of nowhere, the Demonic Thunder Tiger roared as countless lightning bolts shot out from its body. The bolts intertwined into a net that instantly trapped Marcia like a bug caught in a spider''s


    hts.


    "Thank you for your hard efforts. Now, leave the remaining business to me! I''ll restore peace to the Wild Spirit Land. I''ll always be by your side and protect you, while you guys are creating a new future," Rocky stated peacefully, after looking at Marcia and then the crowd that had gathered around them.


    His words brought hope to not just her but to everyone else as well.


    Then, he placed Marcia down and nodded towards everyone else. After that, he flew towards the Demonic Thunder Tiger and brought it to his Magic Spiritual Space.


    "Haha! I thought I was too late. I didn''t expect to arrive just in time. I knew you wouldn''t die so easily." Meanwhile, another light shadow unexpectedly fell from above before positioning itself in front of everyone.


    "Glutton! You''ve arrived just in time. Will you help me?" Rocky asked the light shadow, a slight smile dancing across his lips.


    "As long as you let me kill to my heart''s content!" Glutton responded haughtily before returning to its original towering form.


    Then, Rocky landed on Glutton''s back and gazed at the crowd. With a thundering roar, Glutton flew towards the sky as they both disappeared into the light of the rising sun under everyone''s watchful eyes.

 Chapter 1404 The Weird Disappearances

    Already presumed dead, Rocky made a very unpredictable entrance as he tamed the Demonic Thunder Tiger in the Holy Dragon Empire. Just a few days after he and Glutton left the area, the remaining calamity beasts that attacked the Wild Spirit Land vanished all too sudden overnight. As a result, the peace in the land was restored. Everyone could not help but feel miserable upon seeing the havoc that was left by these creatures. Left and right, destruction met everyone''s eyes, leaving them in despair.


    On the other hand, no one knew why these beasts suddenly disappeared. However, what concerned them more was where these creatures were heading next. Also, what scared them most was whether these creatures would come back again and cause destruction to their place. With that being said, everyone was on guard as they thought ahead of ways on how to resist them should these creatures return.


    On the brighter side, the calamity beasts seemed to have vanished without a trace. This made the other humans and members of the spiritual race hopeful that somehow, they might never really come back.


    At that time, only a few of them knew the whole truth. Despite this, they still opted not to tell the public what really happened. All they knew was that Rocky w


    e alone. If I encounter any danger, I can surely escape unscathed!" Marcia replied calmly.


    "I''m not so sure about that. At least let me accompany..." Sabina proposed with a frown. As the imperial preceptor of the Holy Dragon Empire, Marcia was completely indispensable. After all, the emperor who had just taken over the throne was still young and needed Marcia the most. Therefore, of course, she would not let Marcia take the risk alone.


    "We don''t know a single thing about this area, so that leaves us with high risk. There might be danger at any time, so I need you to stay here and command the team. If I don''t come back in three days, immediately leave with the investigation team, and then report the situation to all empires to seek for countermeasures," Marcia urged before instantly turning into a spiritual shadow and headed for the door-shaped building.


    At that point, Sabina realized that she could not do anything more to stop Marcia. She shook her head helplessly and asked the army to stay put.


    At the same time, in the Divine Land just opposite the Wild Spirit Land, Rocky was walking out of the ruins of the Star Divine Race.


    All of a sudden, a golden light appeared in the air and then stopped in front of him like a projection.

 Chapter 1405 The Unstoppable Destiny

    The golden figure gleamed as it appeared. It was none other than the Holy Lord.


    "Well, have you accomplished your task? Can you now return to the Star Divine Race and inherit the rest of my power to become a true Holy Lord?" The golden figure didn''t waste a second before he spoke. His voice sounded firm, which reflected on the serious look on his face.


    "Why the hurry? Subduing all the nine calamity beasts and sealing them in the Divine Land took me a long time and great effort. I would appreciate it if you could allow me to take some rest first. Besides, it hasn''t been long since you came back to life. If you pass your power on to me so soon, you might die again before you know it. Anyway, I''ve promised you that I would take over your position, remember? I have even inherited some of your power. Do you really still have doubts that I''d run away?" Rocky replied, his brows pushed into a frown.


    He heaved a sigh after realizing he had already exhausted his strength after his battle with Wraith King Sebastian''s soul. His body felt weak and feeble. After he had through everything in the world, all he wanted was some peace and serenity for the rest of his life. All that, however, had been interrupted by something he did not expect. Not long ago, the calamity beasts had come back to reality and started harming livin


    .


    "Why would this gate start to show itself in the Wild Spirit Land? Don''t tell me¡ª" Rocky wasn''t able to finish his sentence as a dreadful thought struck him which was actually a possible answer to his question.


    "This gate is opened from the other world by force so that it could open from this side. There are usually only two cases when the gate appears and is opened. One is that one world is about to collapse and the people there have no other choice but to escape to the other one to survive. The other one is that the creatures from one world opened the gate by force to invade the other," the Holy Lord explained further.


    "So, which is the case for the Wild Spirit Land now?" Rocky asked hesitantly, vaguely knowing the answer already.


    "You know that the Wild Spirit Land is already fated to perish. Even though you managed to stop the calamity beasts, you can''t stop its original destiny. Now, the Wild Spirit Land is to be invaded by the alien land from the other side of the gate. So, to answer your question, both of the reasons are happening right now," the Holy Lord said straightforwardly.


    "What kind of creatures are there in that alien land? Since they possess the power to forcibly open a gate like this, I can''t begin to imagine how powerful they are!" Rocky exclaimed as he was overcome by anxiety.

 Chapter 1406 The Powerful Intruders

    "As far as I know, humans and spiritual race beings also exist in that alien land. However, the dominating race in that land is even stronger than the Star Divine Race! I heard that they are called the Shura Race, which, with its unique aptitude, is stronger by a mile than the Star Divine Race," the Holy Lord slowly said.


    "Wow! Is it really that powerful? So, does that mean that the Shura Race will soon occupy the Wild Spirit Land?" Rocky inquired.


    "Long ago in the ancient times, the Shura Race used their extraordinary strength to ransack the Divine Spiritual Sources of other worlds and loot other creatures. Without a doubt, they are very smart. Apart from making themselves stronger, they also make the other creatures stronger and then destroy them. It was said that they do this in order to maintain their land''s balance. They do this repeatedly, whenever they need to. That is quite a clever tactic, I have to admit," the Holy Lord said.


    "Now isn''t that just so vile?" Rocky said in an angry tone.


    "We can''t do anything about that. It''s the law of the jungle¡ªthe survival of the fittest. The Shura Race lives in one of the highest-level worlds. Like the Star Divine Race, the Shura Race was also destined to vanish. Luckily, they found a way on how to av


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    d run away.


    Seeing that her comrades were trying to hold the two men off, Sabina knew that if she did not leave now, the news that Marcia had been captured wouldn''t be delivered back to the Holy Dragon Empire. Moreover, the chance of saving Marcia would be even slimmer. Without apprehension, she gritted her teeth and quickly flew into the air, rushing towards the exit of the mysterious area.


    On the other hand, it didn''t take long for the two strange men to defeat the group of spirit manipulators that were suppressing them.


    "Brother, take these people back. I''ll go after that woman," the pig-faced man said greedily.


    "Forget it. We can''t stay in this world for too long. Otherwise, we will easily spiral into madness. Our time is almost up. And besides, we have already gained a lot. Come on and let''s report this to our leader. If you really want her that much, then you can find her when you come here next time," the three-eyed man urged immediately.


    Although the pig-faced man wanted to chase after Sabina very much, he did not dare disobey the three-eyed man in any way. Immediately, he nodded his head in agreement, without any fuss. Afterwards, they turned into two black shadows again and flew towards the gate that led them back to their world.

 Chapter 1407 The Horrible Scene

    After barely escaping from the mysterious area, Sabina wasted no time and rushed back to the capital city of the Holy Dragon Empire as soon as possible and reported the situation to Isis, who was currently the mother of the emperor.


    Isis was greatly shocked when she heard that Marcia was captured by the mysterious masters of unknown origin and seemed to be taken to a strange and different world. Thus, she immediately gathered the commanders in chief of the four major army groups, as well as the chiefs of several large clans within the Holy Dragon Empire to discuss the urgent matter.


    A day later, Bryant and the other powerful personalities in the Holy Dragon Empire heeded Isis''s summon. They had also heard of the situation in advance, so they arrived at the assembly hall with serious expressions on their faces. It was known that Marcia had inherited her father''s Dragon Sarira, meaning that her current strength should be comparable to that of a high-level spiritual master, and she was even more powerful than the warriors at the Immortal Stage. Now that Marcia was captured by these mysterious masters, they could only imagine how powerful their enemies were.


    "Sabina, are you certain that the people you''ve encountered are not from the spiritual race?" Bryant asked straightforwardly.


    "They actually have some similarities with the spiritual race in terms of their appearance, but


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    was personally led by their current emperor, Alyssa. As for the spiritual race clans, Moira, the matriarch of the Dragon Master Clan, led hundreds of soldiers from her clan. The other spiritual race clans also sent their most elite teams even though their number wasn''t that many. In fact, even the Butterfly Divine Clan that had the fewest members sent their representatives that were led by Cherry.


    After gathering the respective members of their armies, they were finally able to form the strongest army that was comprised of both the spiritual race beings and humans. Soon after, they headed into the mysterious area.


    Upon arriving at the mysterious area, they spent another two days before they finally spotted the door. They were dumbfounded at what the magical door looked like, as well as the scene that surrounded it.


    At the moment, the sky above the door was thoroughly covered with thick dark clouds. Just by looking at it, people could feel rather suffocated by the ominous aura that it emitted. Within a radius of a thousand meters, the area looked like a deserted land, lifeless and deathly silent. There were also a lot of corpses that were scattered around and exuded demonic auras and a stench of death. The corpses didn''t look like they were from beasts that existed in the Wild Spirit Land. Wherever they looked, it was as if someone from the abyss was staring back at them.

 Chapter 1408 The Last Resort Failed

    All the big shots from both the human race and the spiritual race, including Bryant, Alyssa, and Moira, stood side by side, exuding a tremendous aura and momentum as they faced the magical door.


    "Everyone, are you ready?" Alyssa asked in a stern voice. Her guards were up and her eyes were only focused on what was in front of them.


    At that time, all the spirit manipulators, as well as the members of the spiritual race, showed a burning determination in their eyes, knowing that this battle would dictate the future of the Wild Spirit Land. They didn''t know what exactly was waiting for them. The only thing they knew was that they needed to destroy the door that connected the alien land and their world in order to save the Wild Spirit Land and everyone that lived in it.


    Just as the allied forces were about to launch their attack, hundreds of figures that bore black lights suddenly appeared from beyond the door. They flew out and rushed in front of the allied army at their top speed. All of them were dressed in dark and peculiar clothes and they looked neither human nor beasts. However, their spiritual aura was overwhelming that even the weakest among them should still be equal to the strength of a spirit manipulator at the Divine Stage.


    "Humph! Really? The low-grade races in this world dare to come and attack us?" As a low and ominous voice rang out, a man clad with armor and dragon horns on his head eventually walked out. He looked prim and elegant and seemed to be the leader of all these aliens. He was shrouded in a mysterious


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    last resort to save the Wild Spirit Land, its failure also meant that everyone would face a tragic ending.


    Just at that moment, a golden light suddenly flashed from the sky and landed in the garden. Isis immediately held her son tightly and prepared herself to fight as she stared at the golden light.


    However, when the light dissipated, it revealed a figure that she actually had been longing day and night.


    "Basil¡­" All of the tension in her body instantly relaxed. She quickly threw herself into Rocky''s arms as she still held Nigel in hers.


    "Hey, how are you doing? Are both of you and Nigel doing okay?" Rocky took a deep breath and sighed softly as he finally held Isis and his son in his arms.


    "Do you think I''m okay? Nigel has only seen you for a few times since he was born! He seldom has the chance to call you ''dad''. I am so lonely without you. Do you know that?" Isis began to tear up as she complained to Rocky.


    Rocky just let out a bitter smile and patted the little boy''s head.


    At this time, Nigel suddenly mumbled softly, "D¡ªdad?" Rocky was taken aback upon hearing this. He didn''t expect that just hearing Nigel utter that word would make his emotions surge from his heart. Then, he tried his best to calm down as he gradually closed his eyes.


    "Tell me. Is the Wild Spirit Land really going to perish?" Isis asked with a trace of reluctance in her voice. She bit her lip as she tried to suppress her tears from falling.


    Knowing exactly what was going to happen, Rocky just nodded lightly and didn''t utter a word.

 Chapter 1409 Broke Into The Alien Land

    "How much time do we still have before this world is destroyed?" Isis asked in a melancholic tone.


    "I''m not sure, but it''s not yet time to give up," Rocky said with confidence as he looked into the distance.


    "What are you saying? Is there still a way to turn this around?" Isis quickly wiped her tears off and asked expectantly.


    "There should be. That''s actually the reason why I came here. I wanted to see you and Nigel first before I go to the alien land. I need to rescue Marcia and the others before it''s too late." Rocky told her his bold plan.


    "Are you going there alone? Isn''t it going to be very difficult even for you?" Isis asked, concerned about his safety.


    "Well, yes. But I have no other choice but to do this. I''m the only one who could do this now," Rocky explained.


    "Then, what about me and Nigel? You''re just going to leave us like this?" Isis''s voice started to break and her body slightly shuddered.


    "I should have disappeared from this world a long time ago, but I was still given a chance to come back. Now, it''s my last chance to make everything right again. I know you''re having such a hard time dealing with this, but I have every confidence that you can take good care of Nigel even without me. And I deeply admire you for that," Rocky remarked with utmost sincerity.


    "So what? Without you by my side, no matter what kind of nice life I''m living, everything would just be meaningless!" Isis shouted as she burst


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    dn''t know how he could pull that off.


    Rocky tried to check repeatedly, but the result was still the same. After a while, he had finally concluded that there was no way for him to regain the power of the Holy Lord.


    For now, his current strength would probably be equal to an advanced spiritual master, which was pretty much above the Immortal Stage¡ªthe highest level among the human spirit manipulators.


    At least, he could still somehow protect himself from the weaker creatures of this land. As long he did not encounter the powerful ones, like the creatures who led the battle against the allied army, he should be fine.


    As someone who had just arrived in this land, Rocky found it necessary to familiarize himself with his surroundings first. Therefore, he entered his Magic Spiritual Space at once and changed his clothes to disguise himself. After that, he quickly went on his way.


    Originally, he planned to fly directly to a nearby town, but when he was about to do so, he found that he couldn''t even do that with his current strength.


    It was a bit strange but he soon understood why. Nothing was wrong with his body. It was just that the gravity on this land was several times stronger compared to that on the Wild Spirit Land. Moreover, he also noticed that the spiritual power concentration in this place was far denser, which also explained why the races of this land were much stronger than the creatures of the Wild Spirit Land.

 Chapter 1410 Bumped Into The Carriage

    "Where am I?" Rocky didn''t know whether to cry or laugh as he had a bad start upon setting foot in that place. In fact, it was more or less a blow to him.


    Since he lost the ability to fly, he had no choice but to start his journey in this alien land by walking.


    Upon getting out of the stream, he walked his way and passed through a very thick forest. There, he laid eyes on a broad road that seemed empty. As a result, he had no chance to even ask where he was.


    ''Where should I go now?'' Rocky wondered. Looking at the two sides of the road, he thought that perhaps, he would be lucky enough if he chose the southern path.


    Frankly, luck was always on Rocky''s side. In fact, it was not long after that he saw a carriage moving towards him. Upon looking at it closely, he found out that it was not really an ordinary carriage per se. As a matter of fact, it was packed with cargoes with a slender and seemingly powerful spiritual beast as its driver, speeding its way on the road.


    "Wow, I never thought that a beast that size can move so fast after all!" Rocky exclaimed as he examined it from a professional point of view. Based on how it moved, the spiritual beast driving it must be at least at the Supernal Stage in the Wild Spirit Land. On the other hand, such a spiritual beast was only used to drive a carriage, whic


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    doubtfully.


    "Ouch! It''s killing me! Ouch!" Rocky screamed deliberately.


    "Shut the hell up!" Ramon shouted furiously.


    Meanwhile, Rocky shut his mouth to pacify the man. But somehow, he didn''t put his heart to rest. Instead, he observed Ramon carefully. Judging from the way Ramon was dressed, he could tell that he was the guard of the lady at the back. Despite Ramon''s spiritual aura being restrained, he still was not able to hide the immense spiritual power coming from him. Moreover, he should be at least equal to the masters at the Immortal Stage. Nevertheless, he was only a guard, while the guards in the Wild Spirit Land did not usually have this kind of strength. Deducing from his clues, Rocky concluded that this land was superior to the Wild Spirit Land.


    Furthermore, he believed that Ramon was different from the members of the Shura Race he had seen before. As far as he could remember, they were no different from human beings. In addition, the Holy Lord had also said that aside from the Shura Race, there were also other humans and members of the spiritual race living in other worlds. With that being said, it was obvious that Ramon and the lady in the carriage were all human beings.


    Rocky was lucky that day. Perhaps, it would be a different story if he came across the members of the Shura Race.

 Chapter 1411 Collecting Information

    Rocky knew he had to find an opportunity to figure out where he was. Additionally, he had to collect information regarding this alien land. That included their strength ranking system, the Shura Race and so on. Only by gathering as much as information would he be able to locate Marcia and the others soon and save them.


    On the other hand, Rocky knew he had to think of a carefully thought-out plan before he made a single move. Since he lost his divine power, he only stood a chance against ordinary members of the Shura Race with the little strength he had left. If he met any of the stronger members, he would be in danger. He needed to be vigilant.


    After the carriage travelled six hours, Rocky witnessed a magnificent city appear before him. Upon first glance, it appeared to be no different from the Wild Spirit Land.


    However, upon entering the city, Rocky was caught off guard. For every ten people he saw, there were at least three or four of them that emanated powerful auras akin to those of spirit manipulators. Most of them showed great strength¡ªnone measu


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    s, our lady requested for him. But you know we can''t ask Dr. Lloyd to come over. He''ll be very displeased with us and we''ll all be in trouble," the leader retorted with eyes as wide as saucers.


    With these words, the two attendants menacingly stared at Rocky before they left.


    Once they were all gone, Rocky immediately stood up. He stretched and yawned before walking out of the storage room. Seeing that no one else was present, he began to search the beast farm for any spiritual beasts to study more closely. While carrying out his inspection, he also collected some blood samples to further his studies.


    Soon, Rocky noticed the two attendants returning with a doctor. He rushed for the storage room and pretended to be badly injured and unable to move like before.


    Within a few moments, he heard the trio enter the room.


    "That''s him," the man in blue said as he pointed at Rocky.


    The doctor took a quick look at him before he squatted down to check his pulse. It was barely there. He felt nothing except a faint throbbing of blood under Rocky''s flesh.

 Chapter 1412 The Training Target

    "Well, doctor. How''s his condition?" the attendant in yellow asked indifferently.


    "Judging from his pulse, he must have suffered some internal injuries. Moreover, he doesn''t seem to be a spirit warrior. It means that the injuries he acquired may actually be too severe that they could take his life. He must be treated as soon as possible if we want to save him," the doctor remarked in a serious tone.


    "Humph! This guy has terrible luck. Oh well, that''s actually none of our business. Doctor, can''t you just give him some sort of medicine? As long as he becomes a little better, we can then report the completion of our task. We actually don''t care if he lives or dies afterward. After all, he doesn''t have any use to us anymore," the attendant in blue remarked in an annoyed tone.


    "I''m afraid I can''t do that. It''s inappropriate even if he''s just from a lower kind of race," the doctor replied hesitantly. As a doctor, he was supposed to carry his duty out no matter who was it that needed his service.


    "Come on, it''s okay! No one will care about the life of a homeless man. Just do what we say and all of us can move past this," the attendant said as his voice became slightly threatening.


    At this point, the doctor seemed to be a bit afraid of the attendants, so he was left with no choice but to agree. Then, he took out a piece of paper and pen from the medicine box, wrote a prescription, and handed it to the two attendants.


    "Here. Take it and go to the pharmacy. Ask them to prepare the medicine, boil it, and send it here as soon as possible," the doctor instructed. "See? I


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    Making a mistake like that was no laughing matter for him. He controlled his spiritual sword and made it attack Rocky from behind. However, the moment that it was about to reach him, the spiritual sword deviated from its original trajectory again.


    The disciple almost went insane that he kept attacking Rocky nonstop, but the sword just couldn''t touch him. It was as if there was a barrier surrounding him that deflected the blade any time that it was about to hit him.


    At this point, even the man in white grew annoyed at this embarrassing sight. Thus, he stepped forward himself and shouted, "Get out of the way! You''re such a disgrace. I''ll do it myself!" After saying that, he brandished his own spiritual sword. Compared to the other two disciples, he was obviously much stronger. In fact, the moment he unsheathed his sword, an overbearing sword aura swept across the area.


    The next moment, the man''s spiritual sword turned into a shadow and instantly disappeared in midair.


    "Ha! That brat has some bad luck. There''s no escaping that attack!" one of the disciples shouted. He rubbed his hands as he expected a great show coming up.


    The spiritual skills of the Supreme Ether Land were divided into three stages¡ªprimary, medium, and premium. At that time, the skill employed by the man in white was swordsmanship at the medium stage of the Spirit Realm in the Sword Spirit City.


    At the sight of this, Rocky''s eyes narrowed. As the spiritual sword disappeared, so was the spiritual aura that it carried. He knew that this wasn''t some ordinary skill that was easy to deal with.

 Chapter 1413 Save Nightshade

    But since Rocky was able to preserve his strength at the peak of the Immortal Stage, he directly used his spiritual power to defend himself.


    A moment later, just a couple of feet from Rocky, a sword shadow materialized from out of nowhere. Just as it was about to pierce through Rocky''s chest, the spiritual power protecting his body blocked it directly when it was only less than an inch away from him.


    The man clothed in the white robe, together with his two companions from Sword Spirit City, stared with wide eyes. They instantly realized that Rocky was protected by some spiritual power. However, they couldn''t sense any trace of spiritual aura coming from him.


    Even so, the man in white wasn''t ready to give up, and his strength heightened right at once.


    "I quit." Rocky knew that he couldn''t create a lot of noise, so he waved his hand gently.


    Clang!


    The white-robed man''s spiritual sword instantly broke into two pieces.


    "My precious sword!" The man furiously glared at Rocky when he saw that his spiritual sword got destroyed. It wasn''t just an ordinary functional weapon since it had immeasurable value and was made of high-quality materials. He never saw it coming for Roc


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    my beast? Tell me!"


    "Of course," Rocky asserted.


    "What if you can''t?" Tessa''s beautiful eyes narrowed slightly.


    "Then my life will be at your disposal, Miss," Rocky said without mincing his words.


    "That''s your word, not mine. If you let my beast die, I''ll make sure you die with it," Tessa warned, pointing at Rocky.


    "Deal. Can I begin? If we delay this, not even the Gods can save it," Rocky said while glancing at the beast.


    Tessa signaled with a nod.


    The three beast curers could do nothing but stand aside as they looked at the situation.


    Rocky directly went over to the beast''s side and checked its condition. He discovered that a blunt force had completely punctured its lungs, and several of its aortic arteries had been broken. Under normal circumstances, it would be impossible to save its life.


    However, to Rocky, who was already considered an authority level in healing spiritual beasts, it was an easy task.


    He started the procedure by taking out his surgical tools and fed Uriah''s magical saliva to the beast because it aided the body''s recovery by speeding up the process. But the beast''s recovery all depended on whether he could stop the bleeding first.

 Chapter 1414 The Conversation With Tessa

    At this point, time was an absolute concern, so Rocky immediately performed an operation to stop the bleeding of the beast. On the other hand, when the crowd saw how Rocky opened the belly of the beast using tools that they had never seen before, they were flabbergasted. They couldn''t help but twitch their eyes as if they were seeing a bloody slaughter instead.


    Although Tessa was also a bit suspicious of Rocky''s method, she knew that he might be the only one she could rely on to save her spiritual beast.


    As Rocky went on with the operation, four hours passed in a flash. The onlookers were a little tired and anxious but more and more people were actually coming to take a look at the situation. The place was now densely packed with people, who were discussing and having a lot of doubts about the man operating on Tessa''s beast.


    A moment later, a tall figure suddenly appeared. The moment he noticed who was performing the operation on the injured spiritual beast, he was utterly taken aback. "What is that guy doing here? Why is he the one doing that?!"


    It was Ramon, who immediately rushed to the place the second he heard that Nightshade was injured and needed to be treated.


    "Miss Tessa, pardon my intrusion, but what is that guy doing to you beast?" Ramon walked up to Tessa and asked with a bewildered expression on his face.


    "Oh, Captain Ramon. Do you happen to know him? I actually don''t know anything about him, but he said he could heal Nightshade," Tessa said briefly as she glanced at Ramon.


    "Well, sort of. But why him? Aren''t there beast curers that are more suited for the job?" Ramon


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    blocked the way to attempt a robbery. Just recently, the Robber Regiment has been very rampant around here in the Sword Spirit City, so people are quite vigilant and untrusting," Tessa explained.


    "So, is Miss Hannah the daughter of the city''s governor?" Rocky took the opportunity to ask.


    "Huh?" Tessa was rendered speechless for a while before she burst into laughter. Her smile was so precious, like a lovely flower that made people intoxicated.


    "This guy really has no idea about anything! Miss Tessa is the daughter of the city governor, you dumbass," one of the disciples sneered from behind.


    "Oh! Forgive my rudeness, Miss Tessa. I really didn''t know. It''s just that I heard Captain Ramon addressed Miss Hannah as the young lady, so I misunderstood," Rocky clarified immediately.


    "It''s because Hannah is the daughter of the Sword Spirit Sect''s leader, and the Sword Spirit Sect is the one that is in charge of the entire Sword Spirit City. My father, the governor, is just an elder of the Sword Spirit Sect. In other words, Hannah has a higher position in the city than me." Tessa shed some light to the outsider.


    "Hmm. It sounds a little complicated," Rocky commented as he got a bit confused in the political system of this region.


    "Wait. Where exactly are you from? Isn''t it common knowledge that all towns and cities in the Ethereal Region are under the leadership of powerful sects and clans? And the sect that governs the city will just appoint a talented and respectable figure to be the city governor, who will be in charge of the city''s affairs?" Tessa was baffled as she looked at Rocky.

 Chapter 1415 The Heavenly Diabolic Dragon

    "I told you that I''m from the countryside. I just lived in a small village since I was a child, and I''ve never been to any big city until now. That''s why I''m not really familiar with how rules and systems are being implemented in this kind of place." Rocky immediately found a plausible excuse so that Tessa would ease her suspicion.


    "Well, no wonder." After hearing what Rocky had said, Tessa eventually believed him.


    "Um, is Tessa your name?" Rocky asked. He had already heard people mention her name, but he just wanted to directly hear it from her.


    "Yes, that''s right. Feel free to just call me by my name. I actually don''t like it when others call me Miss Tessa or address me in a very respectful way. It just feels awkward and unnatural," Tessa remarked.


    "All right then. Please don''t mind if I called you Tessa from now on." The truth was that Rocky was trying to suck up to her on purpose. With his past experiences, he knew that as long as he had good relations with the daughter of the city governor, it would definitely be much easier for him to move freely and take action within the Sword Spirit City.


    "Hey! How dare you address Miss Tessa so casually?!" The disciples of the Sword Spirit City behind them who heard Rocky were extremely displeased.


    "It''s okay. I am the one who permits him. After all, he is the only one who managed to save Nightshade''s life. We are friends now," Tessa declared without hesitation.


    "Really? I''m honored, Miss... I mean Tessa." Rocky let out a satisfied smile.


    Seeing this, the disciples guarding Tessa felt envious and hateful towards Rocky.


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    an Nightshade, flew out and landed on the ground, shaking the entire area. Its intense spiritual aura swiftly spread out and shocked the whole place. Even Rocky was stunned at what he witnessed. If the dragon beast existed in the Wild Spirit Land, it should be way more powerful than the strongest spiritual master. That was when he recognized what it really meant to have a strength that was at the level of the King Realm


    ''It seems that the strength of the King Realm in this world should be at the same level as that of the Star Divine Race or even stronger. It means that the most powerful creatures in this world are more superior to the members of the Star Divine Race¡­'' Rocky thought to himself.


    Originally, Rocky''s strength had already surpassed the King Realm. However, after battling with Alston, he had consumed all of his strength, thus making him become an ordinary man. Later on, in order to save the Wild Spirit Land again from its demise, he inherited part of the divine power of the Holy Lord, which was also stronger than that of the King Realm. But the moment he arrived at the alien land, the divine power that he acquired also disappeared. Hence, he had to hide his real identity so that he wouldn''t be found out.


    "The Heavenly Diabolic Dragon is Nightshade''s mother. It is a rare type of spiritual beast that is in the King Realm. It''s actually very hard for a spiritual beast to reach the King Realm, so it is considered as one of the most precious spiritual beasts in the entire Ethereal Region," Tessa explained to Rocky as she gazed at the dragon beast without losing focus.

 Chapter 1416 The Blood Transfusion

    "Oh, the creature is unique. It is commanding yet beautiful." Rocky gazed at the Heavenly Diabolic Dragon for a while and nodded in agreement. The Heavenly Diabolic Dragon was almost on a par with the calamity beasts found in the Wild Spirit Land.


    Rocky advanced the beast fearlessly.


    "Don''t get too close to it, as it is very wary of strangers," Tessa warned immediately, worried that the Heavenly Diabolic Dragon would become agitated if Rocky approached it.


    "It''s all right. I''ll be fine." Rocky smiled and continued to approach the creature. At the same time, he used the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill to form a strange aura.


    He had cultivated the skill to its highest level, enabling him to communicate with any spiritual beast directly.


    "I won''t hurt you. I just need your help to save your child..." Rocky used his spiritual sense to communicate with the Heavenly Diabolic Dragon.


    When the dragon first saw Rocky moving closer, it bared its fangs and brandished its claws, seeming very vigilant. But soon, it calmed down, as though it had understood what Rocky had said.


    "I need your blood to save your child. This might hurt a little, but remember that I''m onl


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    ent.


    "It''s almost done. Now we need to wait," Rocky advised Tessa after he finished.


    "How long do we have to wait?" asked Tessa.


    "We should wait until Nightshade wakes up by itself. If it is lucky, it will regain consciousness in a day. But there is a chance that it may never wake up. After all, excessive blood loss causes brain hypoxia, which means Nightshade might slip into a long-term coma. This will lead to nerve stagnation, reducing its chances to ever gain consciousness," Rocky answered honestly.


    "Don''t let anything happen to it!" Tessa''s eyes filled with tears when she heard Rocky''s explanation. Her face turned pale as anxiety saturated every cell in her being.


    "Don''t frighten her..." Ramon growled when he saw Tessa''s reaction. Obviously, he was still hostile toward Rocky.


    "I''m not trying to scare her. What I said is true," Rocky said as he crossed his arms over his chest and glanced at Ramon.


    Almost instantly, Ramon''s suspicions regarding Rocky''s identity increased manifold, and coldness reflected in his eyes.


    "Tessa, since you want me to treat Nightshade, please arrange a place for me to live," Rocky uttered, unfazed, as he stretched himself.

 Chapter 1417 The Arrangement

    After thinking things through, Tessa said to Rocky, "I live here alone and there''s no spare room, I''m afraid. If you''re tired, you can go to my chamber and have a rest. I''ll just stay here with Nightshade."


    "Oh, no, Miss Tessa. I don''t think that''s a good idea. You can''t let him enter your chamber to rest!" Ramon contradicted.


    At that moment, it seemed that the disciples of the Sword Spirit City just outside the Fragrance Pavilion were even more excited when they heard Tessa''s offer. As a matter of fact, they felt that Rocky was so lucky to be able to rest in Tessa''s boudoir.


    "Why is that so? It won''t matter anyway," Tessa said nonchalantly. Frankly, she didn''t know what the problem was in the first place.


    "Well, forget it. I''m just afraid of the possibility that I might be assassinated if I stayed there. May I know if there is there a woodshed in the Fragrance Pavilion?" Rocky inquired while waving his hand. Deep down, he was aware that Tessa''s arrangement was a tad bit inappropriate.


    "Oh, yes, there is. It''s right behind this room. But the last time I checked, it was kind of messy," Tessa replied as she nodded.


    "Well, that would be enough for me. So, I''m heading there to have my rest. Bye." As soon as his voice trailed off, he walked away and headed to the back of the pavilion. Just as he expected, he saw a dusty, old wooden house. He peeked through the door, entered it and saw a pile of wood that he assumed was used f


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    ordinary person who could not resist her father''s spiritual power.


    "Thank you for your mercy, sir!" Rocky immediately cupped his hands in gratitude as he pretended to be in panic.


    "So, Dad, can he stay here?" Tessa asked at once.


    "You said that he had saved Nightshade? That only means that he truly has some abilities. But he can''t stay in the Fragrance Pavilion," Harrison Huang replied grimly.


    Tessa''s face turned gloomy, but soon, she came up with another idea and said, "He said he is a beast curer traveling all over the world. Why don''t we let him stay in our Sword Spirit City as a beast curer instead? Plus, he can come over and take care of Nightshade after. Is that okay?"


    "Well..." Harrison Huang took his time to think things through. But he knew his dear daughter''s personality well. If he didn''t allow her to do so, then she would surely make a scene again. As a result, he had to compromise, saying, "Well, he can stay in the beast farm, but only temporarily!"


    Soon after, he turned and ordered Ramon, "Ramon, I''ll leave it to you."


    "Yes, My Lord," Ramon replied, cupping his hands. However, this was not what he was expecting to happen. After Harrison Huang''s surprise visit, he didn''t think that Rocky would still end up staying here. However, there was nothing he could do to drive Rocky away for the time being.


    Not long after, Harrison Huang turned around and left with the three officials who came here with him.

 Chapter 1418 Working At The Beast Farm

    "Hey, come with me," Ramon said to Rocky as he wore a serious expression on his face.


    Rocky quickly nodded and informed Tessa, "Nightshade''s condition has basically stabilized already, but I still need to disinfect its wound and put on the necessary medication every day. So, I guess I''ll be coming here every morning from now on."


    "All right. Thank you very much for all your help," Tessa replied with a bright smile on her face.


    "No. I should be the one thanking you for introducing me to a new job," Rocky said before he finally followed Ramon.


    Then, shortly after, the two of them left the Fragrance Pavilion.


    "Brat, you can''t fool me. What''s your real purpose?" Ramon asked coldly. As soon as they got out of the pavilion, Ramon''s strong spiritual aura suddenly rose and enveloped him.


    "Purpose for? I can''t follow what you''re talking about." Rocky pretended to be ignorant and denied everything that Ramon was speculating.


    "I don''t think you are who you claimed to be. Besides, didn''t you say yesterday that your ribs were broken? Why does it seem that you didn''t suffer any injury at all? What stunt are you trying to pull off?" Ramon tried to grill him until he folded.


    "Well, I''m not a doctor, so I can''t really say if I''m injured or not. It just felt that something was wrong in my body at that time. I''m actually glad that it turns out to be nothing serious," Rocky answered with a bit of a supercilious exp


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    lly three realms¡ªthe Spirit Realm, the King Realm, and the Emperor Realm. Although there were still higher realms after the Emperor Realm, aside from the Shura Race, it was impossible for the other two races to reach them.


    At the Spirit Realm, there were a total of seven grades, and only upon reaching the seventh grade could one have the ability to break through to the King Realm. However, once a spirit warrior already reached this realm, they could not simply improve their strength in the regular way. Upon breaking through the King Realm, initially, one had to cultivate another spiritual body¡ªthe Spiritual Infant. For a spirit warrior, it was like an avatar. It could not only enhance one''s strength but also speed up their cultivation process.


    There were two ways to cultivate a Spiritual Infant. First, one could cultivate it on their own, but the chances of succeeding were pretty low. Therefore, most spirit warriors would be stuck in their cultivation as they reached the King Realm because of their inability to successfully cultivate their Spiritual Infants. The other known way was to merge it with the martial spirit of a dead Emperor Realm warrior. If one managed to pull it off, they could directly cultivate the Spiritual Infant. However, martial spirits of dead Emperor Realm warriors were also extremely scarce. Thus, even for spirit warriors, making it to the Emperor Realm was such a nearly impossible task.

 Chapter 1419 An Encounter With Hannah

    The Spiritual Infant was divided into three stages: the primary, the medium, and the advanced stage. Anyone who could cultivate the Spiritual Infant to the advanced stage would be able to cultivate it further into the Imperial Soul.


    Not only was the Imperial Soul necessary for a spirit warrior to break into the Emperor Realm but it also gave the warrior the strength to fight more vigorously. It enabled a warrior to morph into a soul form and gain a substantial amount of power swiftly. Like the Spiritual Infant, it was also divided into the primary, the medium and the advanced stage.


    Any King Realm warrior who wished to be the most powerful in one region should be able to at least cultivate and obtain the Imperial Soul. Only by doing that would they be able break through to the Emperor Realm.


    Since ancient times, however, only a few spirit warriors from both the human race and the spiritual race managed to break through to the Emperor Realm.


    Along with the valuable information he collected over the past few days, Rocky was able to roughly draft a map of the alien land known as the Supreme Ether Land. He learned that it was divided into thr


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    aling with affairs regarding the sect over the past few days. Today, I came to meet your father but I wanted to come over and give you this first." Hannah then took out a beautiful, fragrant rosewood box and handed it to Tessa.


    "Is this the Beast Healing Ointment?" Tessa''s eyes lit up at once.


    "Yes. I heard that Nightshade''s wound was quite deep. If you use that ointment, it may completely heal in three days," Hannah explained and nodded.


    "How thoughtful of you," Tessa commended with a smile.


    "Also, you officially reached the seventh grade of the Spiritual Realm. I mentioned this to my father yesterday and he will give you the chance to enter the Martial Spirit Graveyard," Hannah informed her.


    "Really?" Tessa''s eyes flashed with excitement and disbelief.


    "Your father doesn''t seem to agree with me. He thinks it''s unfair to the rest. The other disciples of the seventh grade of the Spirit Realm struggled greatly just for a chance at entering the Warrior Spirit Graveyard through the qualifying competition. If you manage to break through without competing, he''s worried others will start gossiping about you," Hannah explained further.

 Chapter 1420 The Opportunity Came

    "Well, my father would certainly claim so. Ugh, this is really annoying. What about the final result?" Tessa couldn''t help but pout as she asked.


    "What do you think?" Hannah responded with a meaningful smile.


    "I know that you are very eloquent, so I really hope that you have convinced my father," Tessa said with an expectant gaze from her gleeful eyes.


    "Ha-ha! Of course, I did. However, he still insists that you participate in the competition for the qualification. And it is a must that you land the top eight position at the least," Hannah replied.


    "Top eight? That should be a piece of cake then! Moreover, I think this will also be a good chance to practice my skills," Tessa remarked with a bright smile on her delicate face.


    "Oh, one more note. You are not allowed to bring Nightshade in this competition. After all, spiritual beasts are rare, so it would be unfair to the other participants if you did so," Hannah added.


    "Well, I don''t intend on bringing it anyway. Nightshade still needs more rest," Tessa replied. In fact, she didn''t think that it would put her at a disadvantage if she didn''t use Nightshade in the competition. She was confident enough to win it with her own strength.


    "I''m glad to hear that. So, I think that''s all for today. I should take my leave now," Hannah said after a while.


    "All right. Come on, let me walk you out," Tessa quickly offered.


    "That would be unnecessary. Besides, if Nightshade is almost healed, you shouldn''t let anyone outsider enter the Fragrance Pavilion. Otherwise, we don''t know what might sudde


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    g Spirit Realm masters in the Sword Spirit City.


    As soon as the new disciples saw Tessa, they were instantly charmed by her compelling beauty and couldn''t help but gaze upon her.


    "I actually have a favor to ask of you," Tessa said straightforwardly as she ignored the hot gazes from the crowd.


    "Go ahead. What is it?" Eugene You asked casually.


    "This is Basil, and he is my friend. He wants to join the Sword Spirit Sect, but as we both know, the recruitment for the new disciples this year has just ended. So, I was wondering if you could make an exception for me. Please?" Tessa appealed.


    "Your friend?" Eugene You''s curiosity spiked when he heard this. He took a good look at Rocky and didn''t expect that Tessa would refer someone like him as such. After all, he had never heard anyone being regarded as a friend by the governor''s daughter. Moreover, Rocky didn''t look like someone who was from a prominent background.


    Fortunately, Eugene You was a sensible person. He thought that if Tessa was personally recommending him, it meant she had full trust that this person was worth all this trouble. Naturally, he couldn''t refuse her request. So, he said, "All right. You seldom ask for such favors, so I''ll make an exception just for you. Besides, I think it''s his lucky day. A new disciple just quitted yesterday, so I''m really required to recruit for one more. Anyway, since you are recommending him, I would assume that he has what it takes to be a disciple of the Sword Spirit Sect. If he can pass the basic test, he will then be accepted into our sect."

 Chapter 1421 The Tests

    "Can you do it?" Tessa asked as she glanced at Rocky.


    "It should not be a problem." Rocky nodded.


    "Thank you for your help," Tessa said to Eugene, appreciation evident in her tone.


    Eugene surveyed the training ground thoughtfully. Then he pointed at a stone not far from Tessa. It appeared to weigh at least two hundred and fifty kilograms. He faced Rocky and said, "Let''s test your strength, okay? Before we decide whether you are a suitable disciple for the Sword Spirit Sect, we need to assess some of your skills. For starters, I need to see if you can push that stone for a short distance, at least."


    "Okay." Rocky nodded before approaching the stone. Since he needed to keep a low profile, he couldn''t show his real strength. Hence, he gritted his teeth and grunted with exertion as he pretended to push the stone. To everyone''s astonishment, the stone did not move at all.


    "Well, he seems to be a weakling."


    "He doesn''t look like he can push a stone weighing twenty-five kilograms, let alone the one that is two hundred and fifty kilograms."


    "If I were you, I wouldn''t have attempted a challenge that is beyond my abilities. You''ve made a fool of yourself here."


    The newly recruited disciples sneered at Rocky when they saw how much he struggled.


    Even before they could finish scoffing at Rocky, the stone, which had been motionless all the while, sudd


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    Silence engulfed the training ground as everyone waited to see how Tessa would respond to Eugene''s remarks. However, after a few contemplative moments, she nodded in resignation. She knew that his justification was reasonable, and yet, she couldn''t help but feel as though there was an ice-cold grip on her heart. She shot Rocky a concerned glance.


    "Don''t worry, Tessa. I will pass the test." Rocky flashed Tessa a reassuring grin.


    "Humph, he''s too confident. If he can make Eugene''s Cloud Sword move, I will eat five kilograms of shit right away!"


    "If he succeeds, I''ll call him grandpa."


    "I''ll take off my clothes and run naked if he has excellent swordsmanship aptitude!"


    Clearly, none of the new disciples present thought that Rocky could make the Cloud Sword sense his spiritual power.


    While they ridiculed him, Rocky fixed his gaze on the Cloud Sword behind Eugene.


    He surmised that Eugene was testing him as he had grown suspicious. If he was not careful enough, he might expose his real strength. That was indeed possible as Eugene''s strength was equivalent to that of a warrior at the Immortal Stage, and he would instantly notice the slightest lapse by Rocky during the test. Therefore, Rocky had to hide his real strength from everyone while simultaneously allowing the Cloud Sword to sense his spiritual power. That was certainly not an easy feat!

 Chapter 1422 He Was Not Weak

    ''This man said that the Cloud Sword has a special feature that allows it to sense the spiritual power released by any spirit warrior with excellent swordsmanship aptitude. If I am really talented in this aspect, then maybe I can make the sword respond without really exposing my true strength. What am I waiting for anyway? I''ll try this out and see if it works,'' Rocky wondered as the idea struck his mind.


    With great determination, he took a deep breath and then closed his eyes. He was aware that if he wanted the Cloud Sword to react, he had to release the spiritual aura that could only be sensed by the sword. Without hesitation, he began to release his spiritual aura slowly.


    At that moment, the whole training ground seemed to have instantly quieted down, with only the sound of the breeze to be heard. Then, with a light sound, the Cloud Sword behind Eugene began to move out of the blue.


    Without a doubt, this stunned everyone around. However, they took it lightly, for they thought that it was only an accident. But the truth was that it was Rocky who was making this happen.


    Clang! Not long after, another sound was heard.


    Only this time, everyone did not think that it was a coincidence anymore.


    At that moment, the Cloud Sword behind Eugene began to stir violently, as if it was about to take off at any second.


    Without a doubt, both T


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    t farm anymore. However, he still needed to use the spiritual beasts in the beast farm for research and analysis.


    A few days later, Nightshade''s wounds were visibly healing, so Rocky didn''t need to change its dressing. Still, he went to the Fragrance Pavilion every day to check its body personally. At the same time, he continued to deepen his relationship with Tessa.


    Although Hannah had told Tessa to forbid Rocky from coming there once Nightshade got better, Tessa didn''t take her words seriously. Instead, she kept a close relationship with Rocky, which also caused a lot of rumors to spread around in the Sword Spirit City.


    It had been more than half a month since Rocky''s arrival at the Sword Spirit Sect. During the past half a month, he spent the rest of his time studying the genome of the spiritual beasts on the Supreme Ether Land after he finished his visit at the Fragrance Pavilion and doing daily morning exercises. In the lab, he planned to cultivate and produce a super spiritual beast that combined the characters of Uriah and Ken through asexual reproduction after decoding the genome of the spiritual beasts on the Supreme Ether Land.


    After half a month''s effort and research, he was nearly done decoding the genome of the spiritual beasts in this world As a result, he could now begin to execute the asexual reproduction experiment.

 Chapter 1423 The Three Trials

    ''All right. It''s almost time to leave. I will head to the Fragrance Pavilion first to check on Nightshade, and then I''ll go straight to the training ground for my morning training,'' Rocky thought to himself. Although he didn''t even get a moment to sleep, he was still full of energy. After he packed his things, he left his Magic Spiritual Space and returned to the beast farm before going to the Fragrance Pavilion.


    Upon arriving at the pavilion, he immediately saw a young man dressed in luxurious clothes and was accompanied by a few servants who should be at the fifth grade of the Spirit Realm at most.


    "Hey, who are you? What are you doing here? Don''t you know that this place is off-limits to outsiders like you?" the man wearing elegant clothes asked as he stared at Rocky with a piercing gaze.


    "Oh, I am..." Recognizing the man''s unfriendly look, Rocky knew that this person must have come from some powerful background. Moreover, it appeared that he had also reached the seventh grade of the Spirit Realm.


    But right before Rocky could finish answering the man''s question, Tessa suddenly appeared and interrupted them. "He''s here to take care of Nightshade for me. He is a beast curer," she answered in a cold and unwelcoming tone. It was obvious that she was not in the mood to see this man.


    "What? How could you let a stranger enter the Fragrance Pavilion so freely? You should learn


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    ne had to block all the flying swords that would rush towards him from different directions.


    In the end, as long as one could pass all three trials, he could then be declared as an official disciple.


    On the surface, the three trials sounded simple when taken separately. However, the problem was that they should be done and passed in one go, and there would be no time to rest in between trials. If one happened to not have enough spiritual energy to finish them all, he would most likely fail. At the same time, there was also a time limit. If one could not finish all three trials within the allowable time, it would also be considered a failed attempt.


    Furthermore, every disciple would only be given one chance to go through the trials. So, each of them needed to take this examination as seriously as possible.


    As the trainee disciples were preparing nervously, Rocky was still leisurely talking and laughing with Tessa.


    "I can see that you don''t look nervous at all. Don''t forget that you only get one chance to do this examination. If you fail, I can no longer do anything for you to be accepted." Tessa couldn''t help but comment when she saw the unusual calmness on Rocky''s face despite what this examination entailed.


    "Don''t worry. I''m already well-prepared. Besides, I don''t need unnecessary pressure. Put a little faith in me," Rocky remarked as he let out a confident smile.

 Chapter 1424 His Brimming Confidence

    "Oh? Are you really that confident? It puzzles me where you get that much confidence and courage, you know?" Tessa said as she pulled a long face. At that moment, there was nothing on her mind but the excitement and anxiety as she looked forward to how Rocky would perform in the exam.


    Not long after, the examination had officially begun. All the trainee disciples were obliged to take part in the examination in an orderly manner; that was, according to the order they were recruited in. Needless to say, Rocky would be the last one to take the test.


    Entering the arena first was a disciple at the second grade of the Spirit Realm, which meant that he had a good and solid foundation. But to everyone''s surprise, he had failed to pass the first trial. In fact, he wasn''t even able to hit ten straw men within the given time frame.


    "What? This test must be so difficult! Even a warrior at the second grade of the Spirit Realm failed to pass the first trial!" Rocky couldn''t help but say out loud.


    "Oh, come on. Do you really think it''s easy to learn the swordsmanship of the Sword Spirit Sect? I mean, sure, every spirit warrior knows how to control a sword, but not everyone can master this skill gracefully. As a matter of fact, it is said that one must train the skill rigorously for at least a year in order t


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    d didn''t directly rush to the black iron stone. Instead, it instantly inserted itself under the black iron stone, lifting it sideways. Immediately, the black iron stone flew up into the air, directly crashing into the stone next to it. At the same time, both of them were smashed into pieces.


    The audience fell silent again after seeing this creative take on the trial. At that very moment, everyone stared at Rocky with disbelief in their eyes. No one had ever expected that he could remove the obstacles without using his sword skill. In their eyes, Rocky was a monster for having such an unbelievable skill.


    However, Rocky acted nonchalantly and continued to approach the other obstacles with his sword.


    Not long after, only one obstacle was left in the area¡ªthe hardest one of all. Normally, it would take the sword skill at least at the third grade of the King Realm to break it.


    While everyone was still wondering on how Rocky would be able to remove the last stone, Rocky''s spiritual sword hacked the stone down in an instant, flashing everyone with a dazzling sword light.


    "Is this guy trying to cut it with his sword? What a loser! He''s just dreaming!" Immediately, everyone went into an uproar. They all thought that Rocky was being stupid and overconfident with his sword strike this time around.

 Chapter 1425 Exceeding Expectations

    Almost at the same moment, the hardened stone suddenly rang out a deafening sound and split in two. It was shattered on both sides and fell to the ground with a thunderous bang.


    Everyone present was stunned.


    "How is that possible? How could he break the hardest stone with his sword?"


    "That stone is quite sturdy and can only be split by a cultivator who uses a sword skill that is at least at the third grade of the Spirit Realm. How did he do that?"


    "Is this guy even human?"


    The scene caused quite a sensation among the onlookers.


    Amidst the astonishment, Rocky passed the second trial and proceeded with the third one.


    The third trial was the most difficult because he had to defeat all the flying spiritual swords in half an hour.


    Upon entering the area where the third trial would be held, Rocky surprised everyone as he immediately sat on the ground with his legs crossed instead of standing up like the other disciples who chose to stand because it provided a more flexible range of movement.


    "This guy really must think he''s something special, huh?"


    "Don''t worry


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    ed the moment Rocky appeared. He never expected that he and Rocky would work together and that he could ever pass the official disciple assessment.


    "Well! Although you''ve been assigned to my team, you must know now that I will kick you out if your performance is unsatisfactory," Ramon informed him seriously.


    "Don''t worry! I assure you you''ll be satisfied with my performance. But I hope you''ll reconsider what I just said. Great opportunities like that often don''t happen twice," Rocky responded casually.


    Ramon was even more furious, but he still ignored Rocky''s words. Then he summoned the other disciples and announced, "Today''s task is to transport a batch of ethereal crystals from the Grand Sky Sect with Miss Hannah. There''s been a recent spike in raids on ethereal crystals by the Robber Regiment, so you all must be extra vigilant during this trip."


    "Yes, sir!" all the disciples replied in unison, except for Rocky who was busy picking his ear.


    "Now get ready. We''ll set out in an hour." Then, Ramon waved his hand towards Rocky and commanded loudly, "Basil, come here!"

 Chapter 1426 Hannahs Plan

    "Captain Ramon, is there anything you want me to do? Rocky asked when he walked up to the captain.


    "I want you to keep tabs on the spiritual beasts assigned to pull carriages. You should also monitor their daily routines, such as eating, drinking, and defecating. It is important to serve them well." Ramon provided precise instructions.


    "I understand your point, Captain Ramon," Rocky answered with a look of total respectability.


    As soon as the other disciples of the Cloudlet Team heard this, they immediately laughed in whispers. None of them wanted to take on such an arduous task. It wasn''t easy serving the spiritual beasts.


    But for Rocky, the job couldn''t have been easier.


    An hour later, Rocky, the guard team, and the rigged wagons had gathered at the city gate, with Ramon in the lead.


    Shortly after that, Hannah appeared before everybody. Her presence compelled every disciple of the guard team to covet her.


    "Despite her charm, she is not as pretty as Alyssa and Marcia," Rocky whispered with a feeling of indifference.


    With Rocky positioned at the furthest end of the formation, Hannah failed to notice his presence. She made her way straight to the carriage that Ramon would personally drive.


    After that, the guards


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    emently and insisted that she stayed.


    "But Miss Hannah..." Ramon wanted to say more.


    "This is an order! Go ahead and get ready!" Hannah''s face got serious, and she had a sharp tone.


    "Fine. I''m going to make a run for it as soon as I can, but I will be back and bring back up to help you defeat the Robber Regiment," Ramon said. He knew he couldn''t convince Hannah after she had made up her mind. All he could do was abide by her orders and bring the reinforcements back with him.


    "For God''s sake, do it." Hannah handed Ramon the Spiritual Treasure Sachet.


    Ramon stowed it away at once. He had the carriage driven by another disciple and ordered the deputy captain to command the team and oversee everything else.


    As they approached the Night-wolf Gorge, Ramon commanded the team to halt and rest for some time. Simultaneously, he silently snuck beside the wagons and sucked up the ethereal crystals inside the boxes straight into the Spiritual Treasure Sachet.


    At that time, Rocky, who was feeding the spiritual beasts, drew near to him quickly.


    "Captain, what are you doing?" Rocky asked as he squinted.


    "Stay out of this. It doesn''t have anything to do with you." Ramon stopped what he was doing and fixed his gaze at Rocky.

 Chapter 1427 Rocky Got A Plan

    "What? I don''t think so. You''re going to tell me what you''re doing, or I will report what I just saw to Miss Hannah. Are you stealing the ethereal crystals, Captain?" Rocky asked with a mischievous smile on his face.


    "You, idiot! Miss Hannah specifically asked me to do this!" Ramon commented angrily but tried to maintain his voice lowered.


    "Wait. Miss Hannah was the one who asked you to take the crystals away? What the hell is going on?" Rocky asked as he instantly felt that something shady was going on.


    "Mind your own business, brat! If I were you, I would just do my job well. Now, get out of the way," Ramon warned sternly.


    "All right¡­" Rocky''s eyes narrowed, but he decided to let the matter go at the moment. Then, he went to the sidelines and continued to observe Ramon.


    After all of the ethereal crystals in the wagons were sucked into the Spiritual Treasure Sachet, Ramon returned to the side of Hannah''s carriage and informed, "Miss Hannah, I already finished the task. I''m leaving now and I''ve asked Eliseo to take the command. If an ambush occurs, they will protect you with all their strength."


    "Go ahead. You need to leave now," Hannah briefly replied.


    Then, Ramon quickly checked the surroundings before he walked into the dark.


    Hearing the conversation between Ramon and Hannah, Rocky had no clue what the ambush meant, but he certainly knew that they might be running into some trouble.


    ''It seems that something interesting is about to happen. I need to be prep


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    uctant to agree.


    "Miss Hannah, we don''t have much time left. Do you want to see all the guards outside die one after another? Their lives depend on you. And you should also know that those robbers won''t stop until they get what they want! So, what''s your decision?" Rocky said as he put tremendous pressure on Hannah.


    "Okay, fine! I''ll trust you no matter what," Hannah finally agreed. She understood that if she didn''t cooperate with Rocky right away, what he said might actually happen sooner or later. Thus, she had no choice but to go along with his plan.


    "I apologize that you have to go through this." Then, Rocky immediately moved close to Hannah and held her tight.


    "Hey! What are you going to do?" Hannah was quite stunned and her petite body was gradually curling up out of nervousness.


    Rocky just grinned impishly and quickly lifted her up before she could even react.


    Meanwhile, the barricade formed by the guards had already been broken by the robbers. Just as two men in black were about to sneak into Hannah''s carriage, Rocky suddenly rushed out with the lady in his arms. Under the watchful eyes of all the people present, he easily broke through the encirclement of the Robber Regiment and dashed straight ahead into the dense and dark forest.


    Everyone was left dumbfounded as they witnessed this. Rocky moved too fast that no one was able to react in time. Before the men in black could even chase after them, Rocky and Hannah had already disappeared without a trace.

 Chapter 1428 Getting Nervous

    "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and stop them!" the woman in white ordered, her eyes narrowing the moment she saw that someone was protecting Hannah and helping her break out of the encirclement. She then led her men in black in a relentless pursuit of Rocky and Hannah.


    Rocky carried Hannah to a safe spot in the forest. Then, he stopped and sensed the spiritual aura behind him. He squinted, and a low hum escaped his lips when he discovered that the woman in white was chasing them.


    "We should stop now," Rocky murmured. As they were far from where they had been ambushed, Rocky gently helped Hannah stand on her feet.


    "But they''re right behind us! Why aren''t we running?" The anxiety in Hannah''s voice didn''t go undetected. Rocky flashed her a reassuring grin.


    "There is no point in running. We won''t lose them. But I have a way to defeat them all. If you agree to cooperate with me, that is," Rocky replied.


    "Cooperate? What do you mean? What do you want me to do?" Astonishment reflected in Hannah''s eyes as she eyed Rocky. Considering all the trouble they had gotten into, she couldn''t help regret having trusted him.


    Rocky leaned forward and whispered a few words to Hannah. Instantly, her eyebrows shot up, and her mouth fell open. "No..." She refused.


    "Please trust me!" Rocky urged as he looked over his shoulder to see if


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    ?" Hannah blurted out as her face changed a little. Although she was not a spirit warrior, she was familiar with all kinds of Spiritual Weapons, and the Cyan Specter Whip was a very advanced Spiritual Weapon among all Spirit Realm weapons.


    "You are right. Did you believe that your ordinary spiritual sword would defeat me?" the woman mocked.


    With no hesitance or self-doubt, the woman cracked the Cyan Specter Whip and approached Hannah. The whip flew through the air like a spiritual snake slithering out of its hole.


    Hannah gestured as well, and the spiritual sword in front of her began to resist the whip''s attack.


    Unfortunately, the ordinary spiritual sword was no match for the Cyan Specter Whip, just as the woman had predicted. Before long, the spiritual sword broke.


    "Let''s see how you defend yourself without the sword!" the woman sneered as she continued to close the distance between herself and Hannah.


    Hannah''s breath hitched as she anticipated the moment to be her last. However, a figure quickly flashed in front of her, a dagger gleaming in his hand. It was Rocky, and the dagger in his hand was the Frozen Wind Dagger that Marcia had given him.


    The Frozen Wind Dagger was a rare Spiritual Weapon in the Wild Spirit Land. Although it was not rare in the Supreme Ether Land, it matched the Cyan Specter Whip''s level.

 Chapter 1429 I Fulfilled The Task

    It turned out that the woman in white didn''t expect that Rocky''s Frozen Wind Dagger could actually resist her Cyan Specter Whip. Thus, she waved her whip again and attacked him continuously to overwhelm him.


    At the same time, Rocky controlled the Frozen Wind Dagger and tried his best to resist her barrage of attacks. Of course, he was just deliberately pretending to have difficulty in dealing with her. After all, he couldn''t let Hannah see through his real strength.


    "It''s all right. You don''t need to push yourself too hard! Run away by yourself when you can!" Hannah shouted as she saw that Rocky seemed to be struggling to resist the opponent.


    "What are you saying? I won''t leave you. I will protect you with all my might. Just hang tight!" Rocky bravely declared.


    "You..." Hannah was actually moved upon hearing that. She didn''t expect that Rocky would go to that length just to save her.


    "Ha! Such brave words. Let''s see how much you can still hold on, brat!" the woman in white roared in anger.


    "Take this! Cyan Specter Whip!"


    Suddenly, her Cyan Specter Whip flashed with a demonic light, and the power it contained instantly increased by several times. Then, she quickly lashed the whip and aimed it at Rocky.


    Seeing that, Rocky immediately brandished the Frozen Wind Dagger to guard the attack. The impact almost made him step backward and also created a small cra


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    er Regiment. So, overall, it yielded a good result," Hannah responded calmly. She was actually a little scared before they began the mission, but she was resolute enough to firmly go through it. Besides, everything was put under control, and Rocky did his best to protect her from any danger.


    "Are you sure that it''s the Grand Sky Sect''s doing?" Harrison asked with a serious expression on his face. He clenched his fist and wasn''t able to suppress his emotion as he released an intimidating aura. Both the Grand Sky Sect and the Sword Spirit Sect were important members of the Sovereign Sect. Moreover, they had been treating each other with great respect and it was a bit hard to accept that the Grand Sky Sect would do such a horrible thing. They not only colluded with the Robber Regiment but also dared to attack the members of the Sword Spirit Sect.


    "Yes. It was actually thanks to Basil that I have fully confirmed this. With his quick thinking, he pretended to be a spy of the Grand Sky Sect and probed the enemy''s reaction so that I can make sure of it," Hannah answered, deliberately mentioning Rocky''s name to give credit for what he had done.


    "Basil?" Harrison furrowed his brows slightly as he heard the name. He thought for a while and felt that the name was quite familiar.


    "Yes. He is the only beast curer who managed to help Tessa cure Nightshade," Hannah elaborated.

 Chapter 1430 Being Handsomely Rewarded

    "Oh, it''s him. But shouldn''t he be working in the beast farm instead? I mean, why did he go to the guard team? What''s going on, Ramon? Tell me. Are you hiding something from me?" Harrison interrogated. At that moment, he recalled that he had asked Ramon to set Rocky up to work in the beast farm. But as it turned out, Rocky was enrolled in Ramon''s guard team instead.


    "My Lord, Basil was able to pass the entrance exam just a few days ago. Now, he is a preliminary disciple of the Sword Spirit City and has been assigned to my guard team," Ramon replied in a matter of fact.


    "Is that so? Did he really pass the entrance exam? Interesting. I have tested him before, and I thought that he is nothing but an ordinary person. But what baffles me the most is that he can actually become a spirit warrior in such a short time, and also a disciple of our sect. How could that be? Tell me, Ramon, is there something I don''t know?" Harrison asked curiously as his voice raised a little.


    "I''m not quite sure, My Lord. All I know is that if he did not try his best to protect Miss Hannah, then I''m afraid that I wouldn''t have been able to arrive in time," Roman said with all honesty. Somehow, it was very unusual for Ramon to put in a good word for Rocky. After all, he was not so friendly with him to begin with.


    "Hannah, is this true?" Harrison ask


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    help. But now, the most important thing is to break through to the King Realm," Rocky murmured to himself.


    Meanwhile, the next day, the sun rose high, casting light on Rocky''s face.


    Due to Rocky and Ramon''s contribution in protecting Hannah and the ethereal crystals, the leader of the Security Hall received Harrison''s order to reward them. Rocky had made the most contribution. Therefore, he was rewarded with ten low-grade ethereal crystals, three middle-grade ones and one high-grade directly. At that moment, the other guards all looked at the ethereal crystals with prying and envious eyes.


    In the Supreme Ether Land, ethereal crystals were considered to be necessary for a warrior to cultivate. There, they fused the spiritual power within the ethereal crystals, making the cultivation yield twice the result with only half the effort.


    Generally, ethereal crystals were extracted from ores of some mines with unusually rich spiritual energy. Moreover, they were naturally formed and were very rare to find.


    Only a few forces possessed this kind of extracting technology in the three major regions of the Supreme Ether Land, so the ethereal crystals became very popular for their rarity and use. As a result, the spirit warriors treated the ethereal crystals as one of the common trading currency used in the Supreme Ether Land.

 Chapter 1431 Xavier Proposed A Competition

    The ethereal crystals were divided into two levels¡ªthe Spirit Realm and the King Realm. Each of the realms was still further classified into low, grade, and high grade. The ethereal crystals at the low grade of the Spirit Realm were suitable for warriors below the third grade of the Spirit Realm, while the ones at the medium grade were befitting for warriors below the sixth grade of the Spirit Realm. When the crystals were used, each of them was equivalent to about a month''s cultivation. On the other hand, the ethereal crystals at the high grade of the Spirit Realm were very much desired by spirit warriors at the seventh grade of the Spirit Realm, because such crystals could contribute to about three months'' worth of their cultivation.


    As for the ethereal crystals at the King Realm, they were just invaluable. Even a low-grade one was enough to bring out unmatched power, which enabled warriors to fight for it with all their might.


    Therefore, now that Rocky had acquired so many ethereal crystals, it was no wonder that most of the other disciples were very envious of him.


    However, after Rocky was bestowed with this reward, he did something way beyond everyone''s expectations.


    "Captain Ramon, I decided to only keep one high-grade ethereal crystal. Please distribute the rest to the disciples that got injured when they were protecting Miss Hannah," Rocky said without any hint of hesitation as he handed the ethereal crystals to Ramon.


    Such an action was unprecedented, so even Ramon was extr


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    d dramatically improved. Rocky wasn''t their most powerful member, but he didn''t show any hint of fear at all. Therefore, they became much more confident even if they were faced with Xavier''s team.


    Seeing how Rocky had also affected his team''s overall drive, Ramon couldn''t help but show some appreciation for him. Thus, he said to Xavier, "Since you invite us with enthusiasm, fine, I will send a few disciples from my team to compete with yours. I will also let Basil fight, but he will be the last one to compete. If your men want to fight him, then they have to defeat the other disciples on my team first!"


    Ramon deliberately made the arrangement to protect Rocky to the greatest extent. He felt that the overall strength of the Cloudlet Team and the Wolf Team was about the same, so in the instance that Rocky really needed to fight, there would probably be just one or two members of the Wolf Team left. It meant that Rocky wouldn''t need to fight too much or he could just ask Rocky to quit the competition.


    "Fine by me." Xavier glanced at Rocky and sneered confidently. As they finished deciding on the terms, Xavier led his team out of the lounge.


    Soon enough, Ramon and the members of the Cloudlet Team followed them.


    Outside of the lounge, there was a huge open space, which was generally used for sparring, so it was where they were going to hold the competition.


    While the Wolf Team prepared, Ramon also selected several disciples from his team who were going to compete along with Rocky.

 Chapter 1432 Defeat Two Opponents Continuously

    Two hours later, Ramon was surprised by what he discovered. Nearly all of the members of the Cloudlet Team he sent earlier were annihilated, and only one member was left standing¡ªRocky. Yet, the Wolf Team had three members left.


    "How on earth did Wolf Team''s strength reach this level? Unbelievable!" an agitated Ramon exclaimed, unable to take in everything all at once.


    "Ha-ha! Thank you for kindly letting me win, Captain Ramon!" Xavier was quite pleased with the recent turn of events, especially as his purpose was to intentionally embarrass the Cloudlet Team to prove that the Wolf Team was the strongest guard team in the Sword Spirit City.


    "Just surrender once you step onto the field," Ramon advised Rocky bitterly. Despite Rocky''s impressive strength, he was doubtful that they could turn the tide to their favor. So he decided to raise the white flag.


    "That''ll be for me to decide," Rocky replied with a grin as he made his way to the field.


    He was facing an opponent at the fourth grade of the Spirit Realm. This was already quite an impressive level among the disciples of the Sw


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    o that?"


    The crowd was once again thrown into chaos. No one saw or knew how Rocky managed to accomplish that. Not even Ramon or Xavier could figure out a reason.


    Xavier was furious. He never expected Rocky to defeat both Wolf Team members in a second.


    "Thank you for the sweet victory!" Rocky exclaimed in gratitude as he sheathed his sword and walked back to his original position from earlier.


    Realizing that defeat was inevitable, the member of the Wolf Team bowed his head and unwillingly returned to where his team stood.


    "Cory, go. It''s your turn," Xavier commanded a man who wore a white robe and had yet to step onto the arena as he made a slicing gesture across his neck.


    Cory was a remarkably powerful member of the Wolf Team. He was already at the fifth grade of the Spirit Realm and was rumored to be next in line for deputy captain of the Wolf Team.


    Cory immediately nodded with a sinister smile. He had been previously humiliated by Rocky the last time they were face to face. Now that he had an opportunity to crush him to the ground, he definitely wouldn''t waste it.

 Chapter 1433 Who The Hell Are You

    After that, when Cory entered the field, the already tense atmosphere peaked. Everybody paused and waited for the next turn of events.


    For the Cloudlet Team or the Wolf Team, the final battle would decide the winner and loser.


    "Basil, there''s no point in comparing yourself to him. Cory''s strength is entirely greater than yours, not to mention that he is also a ruthless person!" Ramon pointed out to Rocky at once.


    Rocky''s incredible performance didn''t surprise him since it was within his expectation. Although his suspicions of Rocky hiding his strength proved true, he did not expect him to reach the fifth grade of the Spirit Realm.


    "Captain Ramon, there''s nothing to worry about. I won''t let you and the Cloudlet Team down. I''m good at going out of my way to reverse the situation at the last minute!" Rocky said with his nose in the air as he looked back. Then he threw his eyes at Cory and said, "I''ll fight and defeat you with one blow."


    "You little brat! Stop being so cocky!" Cory shouted in anger. An unsheathed spiritual sword coming from behind him shot out like a meteorite piercing the sun in a split second. It rushed straight toward Rocky at high speed. Even without swordsmanship,


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    me. Or else, I''ll report this matter to the governor right away..." Ramon threatened.


    "Perhaps you would be enlightened if I remind you that I am Miss Hannah''s savior and that I just brought glory to the Cloudlet Team. If you accuse me of this baseless charge, it won''t help you or the Cloudlet Team! Plus, you might have already rat me out before if you wanted to do it. I think it might have been Miss Hannah who asked you not to turn me in..." Rocky knew very well how smart Hannah could be. It was impossible for her not to find out about his hidden power when he rescued her last time. But since she did not take any action after the discovery, she might have given him the benefit of the doubt. So, all of Ramon''s threats were deemed useless.


    "Are you purposely saying that to intimidate me?" Ramon was furious with rage. Rocky''s ability to see through Hannah''s mind came as a shock to him, and now he was threatening him instead.


    "I''m only stating the truth since both you and Miss Hannah are not sure whether I have other intentions at all. But if you realize that I don''t have any, it will only mean you indict an innocent person!" Rocky smiled faintly.


    "You..." Ramon went utterly silent.

 Chapter 1434 Corys Revenge

    "Captain Ramon, I know that though you almost always wear a cold expression, I can see that you are honest, generous, and loyal. That''s why I think that if it''s you, I won''t need to hide the truth. I only wanted to join the Sword Spirit Sect because I had no choice. But please believe me when I say that I will never do anything to pose any threat to the sect. When the right time comes, I will also leave. I promise that until then, I won''t cause any trouble to you or Miss Hannah," Rocky said with sincerity. After quite getting along with Ramon these past few days, he believed that even though the captain didn''t have the friendliest attitude, he was true to himself. Thus, Rocky chose to trust him.


    "Why should I believe you?" Ramon asked with a straight face, fixing his cold eyes on Rocky.


    "Well, I don''t really know how I can convince you. I leave the choice to you, captain. You can either trust me or tell Miss Hannah what I just said. It''s in your hands now whether I can still stay or not." After nodding slightly, Rocky turned around and left the lounge.


    "Humph! That guy is really annoying!" Looking at the receding figure of Rocky, Ramon couldn''t help but clench his fists and grit his teeth. He didn''t expect that he would hesitate like this. Initially, he was so determined to find anything that could make the newcomer leave. However, after everything that had happened, he eventually saw Rocky''s real side. With t


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    ately release them if you obey me!" Cory said ferociously.


    "Ha-ha! Oh, Cory. You make me laugh so hard. I don''t think you realize how bad of a mistake you made this time." Rocky shook his head and let out a devilish laugh, which made them feel rather uneasy.


    He was actually infuriated because he hated being threatened the most.


    "Ha! Don''t be so full of yourself. You have offended Captain Xavier, and you only deserve to be punished with your very life!" Cory insisted, still pretending that his anger was out of righteous indignation.


    "You pathetic coward! You''re lying! Your captain should not know about it," Rocky sneered. He knew that no matter how tough Xavier was, he still needed to protect his reputation. Thus, there was no way that he would command something that would greatly threaten the lives of the disciples from the Sword Spirit Sect.


    "Humph! You don''t know what you''re talking about! Come on! Go and beat him! Killing him won''t be a big deal!" Cory flew into a rage and sternly ordered the members of the Wolf Team.


    However, at that time, the team members glanced at each other and were at a loss of what to do. It was fine for them to physically assault someone, but killing was out of the question.


    "Don''t worry about this piece of garbage! Nobody is going to get punished even if he dies! What are you waiting for? This is the captain''s order!" Cory shouted with a malevolent look in his eyes.

 Chapter 1435 Being Kicked Lke A ball

    At that moment, more than ten members of the Wolf Team gathered to surround Rocky the minute they heard Xavier''s order. Like swarming bees, they tried to take advantage of the opportunity to defeat Rocky in order to receive the rewards from Xavier.


    All at the same time, they raised their swords high up in the air. In the blink of an eye, their sharp swords suddenly turned into streaks of sword radiance which they would use to attack Rocky.


    But unexpectedly, the moment those streaks of sword radiance stopped and froze midway as they approached Rocky, as if they had reached an invisible barrier.


    "You know better than to stay here. Get out right now or else, you''ll die," Rocky yelled coldly. Not long after, more than ten spiritual swords boomeranged in the air, changing their course as they headed back to their respective owners.


    The members of the Wolf Team were confused as to how Rocky managed to do it. But as soon as their senses kicked in and they realized what had happened, their own spiritual swords also approached swiftly back to them, causing them to panic and flee for their lives.


    Soon after, most of them fell t


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    rma. Yet, Norma could not stop her momentum in time, causing her to hit Cory directly with her palm. At that moment, Cory let out another piercing and excruciating scream.


    "Get out of my way!" Full of annoyance, Norma was annoyed, waved Cory away and chased after Rocky.


    But just when Norma was about to approach him, Rocky had managed to vanish once again. When he reappeared, he reached where Cory had fallen down and kicked him towards Norma again.


    Seeing that, Norma waved her hand and slapped Cory away. At the same time, she chased after Rocky to attack him.


    However, Rocky disappeared in the same way and threw Cory, who was airborne, to Norma once again.


    In that way, Rocky and Norma kicked Cory like big soccer ball. Not long after, Cory was already breathing his last gasp of air.


    "Are you really his senior and friend? Isn''t it your duty to protect him? But as it turns out, you have injured him so much." Rocky couldn''t help but laugh his heart out, because instead of helping Cory, Norma attacked him.


    "No, no, no! It is you who attacked him..." Norma uttered angrily, glaring at Rocky with great killing intent.

 Chapter 1436 The Qualifying Competition

    "I only used less than a tenth of my strength. You were the one who did the most damage," Rocky responded with a shrug.


    Upon closer inspection, Norma discovered that she had mostly caused Cory''s grave wounds. No trace of Rocky''s power was detected at all. She realized that she was tricked into killing Cory.


    "I''m going to kill you!" Norma shouted murderously, her beautiful face now contorted by ferocity.


    Just then, several figures rushed into the yard. With Xavier leading the group in front, they were all shocked by what they saw.


    "What the hell is going on?" Xavier demanded.


    "Captain Xavier, you''ve arrived just in time! This woman slaughtered people left and right once she arrived, including Cory. She wanted revenge. I was unable to stop her since I''m no match for her!" Rocky explained as he pointed at Norma and pretended to be the victim.


    "How dare you blame me?" Norma bellowed with fierce, wide eyes.


    "How dare you attack my people at my place, you bitch?" Xavier was so enraged that he immediately conjured a powerful strike with the spiri


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    he Martial Spirit Graveyard," Rocky uttered seriously.


    "I''m afraid it''s not that easy. Even with your strength, you''re no match for Xavier. He''s won the first place for two consecutive years," Ramon said and narrowed his eyes.


    "Really? Then, what was your ranking last year?" Rocky asked him curiously.


    "He defeated me in the final battle with one move!" the captain exclaimed fiercely. He was unwilling to admit his loss.


    "I shall avenge you this year!" Rocky declared out of loyalty for his captain.


    "Let''s see if you can even make it to the final battle," Ramon replied. He didn''t believe Rocky was strong enough to enter the final battle. After all, there were over a hundred spirit warriors in the Sword Spirit Sect that were at seventh grade of the Spirit Realm. Most of them tried several years or even more than a decade to enter the Martial Spirit Graveyard to merge with martial spirits. Yet, most of them remained unsuccessful.


    Rocky just shrugged and left with a smile.


    Once he was out of the room, Tessa suddenly appeared in front of him.

 Chapter 1437 Tessas Plan

    "Why did you make trouble again? I''ve only been gone for a few days, and you couldn''t help but misbehave, could you?" Tessa complained as she placed her hands on her hips and glared at Rocky. A few days ago, she had left for Sword Spirit Sect after receiving an urgent summons from the sect. However, when she returned to the city, she heard that Rocky had defeated Cory in the competition. What complicated the matter was that some mysterious woman had injured Cory yesterday, and Tessa was sure that Rocky had something to do with it.


    "No, I''ve been good. I swear!" Rocky blinked as he ardently proclaimed his innocence.


    "This guard team comprises of experienced and inexperienced members. It is a place where dragons and fishes jumbled together. As you''ve been here for a short while, the others might consider you an easy target. Perhaps it''s better if you did not stay here. I''ll request my father to arrange a leisurely job for you, or if you prefer, you can train Nightshade on a full-time basis for me. Over the past few days, I''ve noticed that it''s been listless on the days that you don''t show up, almost as if you are its master," Tessa said, dejection evident in her tone. Not once had she imagined that Nightshade would prefer Rocky over her.


    "No, thanks. I believe the guard team is the best place for me at the moment. Please be assured that Captain Ramon takes good care of me." Rocky waved his hand as if to dismiss her offer.


    "But..." Tessa started to object. She was worried that


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    Martial Spirit Graveyard was a forbidden area of the Sword Spirit Sect, which was why they attached great importance to the competition. To ensure fairness, the Sword Spirit Sect sent two elders with high prestige to oversee the battle in person, as well as Hannah and Miguel.


    Harrison, Sword Spirit City''s governor, and all the other officials were present, not to mention the Sword Spirit City''s disciples. They filled the audience section of the competition area. Such a scene was second only to the Sword Spirit Sect''s grand ceremony in terms of eminence, and none were willing to miss it.


    Soon, all the disciples shortlisted for the competition were ready to fight. They glanced at each other, restless and anxious to begin. Tessa and Rocky stood together and watched the crowd.


    "Hey, I''ll fight with you when the competition starts. I''ll try my best to help you enter the final round," Tessa said. Since she had already secured a place among those deemed fit to enter the Martial Spirit Graveyard, she wanted to help Rocky capture a spot as well. While ranking was a concern, Tessa felt that she could give her father an explanation to appease him as long as she entered the top ten.


    "It seems that I''m going to depend on a girl right till the end!" Rocky remarked wittily. The satire was not lost on him or Tessa. That being said, he was happy to have Tessa as his shield! He didn''t want to expose his strength so soon, and any help she could offer would allow him to keep a low profile.

 Chapter 1438 Being Challenged

    Half an hour later, the competition that would determine who would be qualified to enter the Martial Spirit Graveyard began.


    There were about two hundred disciples of the Sword Spirit Sect that participated and they glared at each other with extreme hostility. Of course, they wanted to grab the opportunity to enter the graveyard, so they would do whatever it took just to win that. Hence, the most logical strategy was to immediately look for the weakest warriors among the participants.


    Most of the disciples in the competition had already participated at least once, so they knew what to expect and what to do. If they wanted to get to the final battle, they needed to try their best to avoid facing opponents that were much stronger than them. Moreover, no one was allowed to join hands with other disciples to fight one opponent. It meant that all battles should only be one-on-one. Therefore, it was a must to find a weaker opponent to avoid being forced to battle a stronger one.


    As the competition started, the stronger disciples instantly found their targets and took action. The whole area became chaotic in a flash.


    All of the disciples who participated in the competition were at least at the fourth grade of the Spirit Realm, and they should be equivalent to the warriors at the Heavenly Stage. Therefore, any spiritual skill that they unleashed would easily cause damage to an area within a


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    ling off that kind of stunt in the middle of this competition?" Tessa scoffed.


    "Well, I should guess there are more coming." Rocky imagined that Xavier wasn''t that careless to just send a couple of sixth-grade Spirit Realm disciples to deal with him. After all, the competition was his best chance to deal with Rocky.


    "Then you must be extra careful! We don''t know when exactly they are going to strike," Tessa warned.


    Soon enough, the area started to clear up. Only a few disciples remained, and most of them were at the seventh grade of the Spirit Realm. From here on, the battles would be much fiercer since they were all powerful masters at the peak level of the Spirit Realm.


    Just as Rocky expected, two disciples at the seventh grade of the Spirit Realm quickly appeared in front of him and Tessa.


    In that case, their pretend battle would no longer work. Facing the other disciples would be inevitable.


    "Well, there''s no choice but to do this. Tessa, pick one of them," Rocky said casually.


    "Hmm. The one in black seems to be a bit weaker. I''ll leave him to you. Do your best to get past him." Tessa made the choice since she was quite familiar with the two disciples that confronted them.


    "Of course," Rocky replied with a straight face.


    Immediately after, Tessa engaged with one of the disciples, while Rocky and the disciple in black stared at each other with aggressive gazes.

 Chapter 1439 Fight Him Together

    "Xavier sent you to deal with me as well, didn''t he? Get right to it and fight me head-to-head," Rocky said point-blank.


    "Xavier? He doesn''t mean anything!" the disciple in black said disdainfully.


    "Didn''t Xavier send you to challenge me? If not, then who are you working for?" After Rocky weighed the disciple''s tone, it convinced him that Xavier wasn''t the one behind the provocation.


    "Our young master has already issued a warning for you to steer clear of Miss Tessa. If you keep badgering her, you''ll end up with something worse than today..." the disciple replied in arrogance.


    "Oh, it appears that Miguel sent you. So this means I don''t need to act so graciously." Rocky understood what he meant right away. It seemed like it wasn''t only Xavier whom he had antagonized, but somebody else as well!


    "Rainstorm Sword Attack!" The disciple blatantly raised his sword without reluctance and wielded a strong medium-stage sword skill. Within moments, the sword''s aura enveloped Rocky like heavy rain.


    Simultaneously, Rocky pulled out the spiritual sword hanging from behind him and dashed forward in


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    e disciples fought in chaos. Consequently, they battled one another, and Rocky ended up without any opponent.


    When everyone came to their senses, they saw that Rocky was sitting at the edge of the competition area, watching the battle from afar. Regardless of the result, he had already earned the chance to participate in the competition''s second stage.


    Suddenly, the crowd got excited. Nobody expected that Rocky, who was only a novice in the Sword Spirit City, would suddenly advance into the competition''s second stage. It was truly unbelievable!


    When Hannah realized how impossible it was to hide the truth, she asked Harrison, "What do you think of Basil''s strength?"


    "I can''t say it yet. Even though his strength is not weak, it cannot be as powerful." For an extended period, Harrison had kept a closer eye on Rocky. But he never uncovered the secret behind his spiritual power.


    "I think he decided to hide his strength on purpose. Hannah, haven''t you noticed something unusual when you rescued him before?" Harrison asked at once.


    "No, and so did Ramon." Hannah shook her head in dismay.

 Chapter 1440 Challenge Omar

    "Oh? Is that so? I personally tested him before and seen with my own eyes that he was just an ordinary cultivator. It seems that we are being deceived by him all this time," Harrison said as he wore a serious expression.


    "Then, what are you going to do about it?" Hannah asked in a cautious tone.


    "The timing is not right. If we do something to him right now, we will have to completely stop the entire competition for the qualification. It will not be fair for the other disciples and we will certainly receive a lot of criticisms. So, I guess we can only deal with this matter once the competition is over," Harrison declared after thinking for a while.


    "Well, I think so too¡­" Hannah nodded and agreed with Harrison''s decision.


    The strength of a seventh grade Spirit Realm warrior was somewhat equivalent to that of an Immortal Stage warrior. Thus, when warriors at this level clashed and fought with all of their strength, the area would surely be filled with overwhelming spiritual power and dazzling lights. At the same time, the fourteen disciples of the Sword Spirit City at the seventh grade of the Spirit Realm unleashed their fullest potential in order to win their respective matches.


    In the blink of an eye, two hours had already passed. Eventually, winners prevailed one after another.


    About another two hours later, with the sudden announcement of Tessa''s defeat in her battle, the eight disciples who were able to overcome their opponents were finally declared, and obviously, Roc


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    rn from this battle, and maybe you can go further the next time you try," Omar Xu said confidently.


    "You flatter me. I know I''m just a newcomer, so please show some mercy." Rocky smiled calmly as he tried to lighten up the mood.


    "Unfortunately, I can''t show you any mercy. But rest assured, I''ll try not to hurt you badly. Once I unleashed my fast swordsmanship, I will never stop at will, unless you admit defeat!" Omar Xu declared fiercely.


    "All right then. Let me see what you''ve got!" Rocky said as he positioned himself, stretching out his hand.


    Omar Xu acknowledged the young man''s bravery by nodding slightly. The next moment, the Lightning Sword behind him was unsheathed in a flash and flew in the air. Then, it turned into a sword shadow that bolted out at lightning speed and appeared in front of Rocky in an instant. Although there was a distance of more than ten meters between the two of them, it covered the said distance in a second.


    The moment Omar Xu displayed his fast swordsmanship, the crowd immediately burst into an uproar.


    ''I must admit that it''s really fast.'' Rocky''s eyes narrowed as he experienced Omar Xu''s fast swordsmanship firsthand. However, no matter how fast his spiritual sword was, before Rocky''s eyes, it was no different from the speed of an ordinary spiritual sword. Therefore, Rocky didn''t even take a step back but just slightly tilted his body to the left. At that very moment, the spiritual sword brushed past his right shoulder without hurting him.

 Chapter 1441 Rocky Entered The Second Round

    The onlookers couldn''t help but exclaim as they marveled at Omar''s staggering skill. For the people watching, this sword attack was incomparably fast and should be able to defeat his opponent in the blink of an eye. However, Rocky begged to differ. Indeed, he was also surprised by its speed, but it was nothing alarming that he wouldn''t be able to dodge it with ease. Thus, when the newcomer evaded it effortlessly, the spectators'' eyes widened in disbelief.


    They were so hyped and confident by Omar''s skill that they assumed that Rocky just dodged it by mere luck. In fact, they bet on it that on the next strike, he wouldn''t be able to escape from it.


    On the other hand, even Omar didn''t expect that his first strike would miss its target. After all, his first sword strike was designed to take his opponent by surprise. Normally, it was the most difficult to defend, but Rocky made it look so easy.


    Soon enough his Lightning Sword made a sharp turn in the air and transformed into vicious lightning shadows again. Then, it bolted out and darted towards Rocky. This time, it was faster and fiercer. As the crowd saw this, there was no doubt in their minds that it should take Rocky down in an instant.


    "Basil, watch out!" Tessa, who turned out to be watching on the ringside, shouted loudly. Although she said the last time they met that she didn''t want to talk to him ever again, she was still there, watching his battle. Rocky might have entered the final round and was supposed to be stronger than what he pretended to be, but the warriors that he was going to


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    es in order to do so.


    Six grueling hours later, the bouts of the other three pairs were also settled. Three seventh grade Spirit Realm disciples, including Xavier, filled the list of the participants that were going to enter the next round. The three disciples that Rocky might be facing next were ranked first, third, and sixth among all the disciples that were at the seventh grade of the Spirit Realm in the Sword Spirit City.


    Therefore, no matter who was going to be paired against Rocky next, it was to be expected that a fierce battle would ensue.


    However, since no one really knew how powerful Rocky was, they could only speculate on what might happen when he faced his next opponent.


    Then, the next morning came, and the second round of the final stage of the competition was about to begin. That day, only two rings would be occupied. When both matches ended, the two disciples who would prevail were going to battle it out for the chance to enter the graveyard.


    At the same time, although the matches were lesser, more people came to watch. After all, the participants at that point were almost the best among the rest of the Spirit Realm disciples in the city. In fact, more warriors at the King Realm appeared today to watch compared to yesterday.


    The pairing was still decided by a random draw. After drawing lots, Rocky was declared to be up against Noelle Xia, who ranked third among the Spirit Realm disciples of the Sword Spirit City. When the people saw this, they immediately shook their heads and assumed that it was Rocky''s unlucky day.

 Chapter 1442 Toy With Noelle

    Among the disciples at the Spirit Realm of the Sword Spirit City, Noelle solely held the third rank. But then, recently, Tessa fought with her in a competition and they ended up in a draw. Thus, Tessa''s ranking also rose, and now, they shared the same ranking.


    "Rocky is going to have a tough time if he''s up against Noelle. I''m sure he would suffer quite a beating..." Tessa remarked as she wore a gloating look on her face and was somehow still pissed at what Rocky had done to her. It was as if she wanted Noelle to teach him a good lesson for her sake. However, right before the battle started, her gaze fell on Rocky and she started to feel a bit worried. "If Basil wants to enter the final match, he must defeat her at all cost. I just don''t know how he could pull that off. He has so little chance..."


    Many disciples of the Sword Spirit City were actually infatuated with Noelle. In fact, most of them stood beside the ring, where she and Rocky were going to fight, in order to support and cheer for her. At the same time, they also sneered at Rocky and ridiculed him whenever they got the chance.


    "This guy just won over Omar by a fluke! Now, he''s going to face Noelle. There''s no way in hell that he can do that again this time!"


    "That''s right. As soon as she makes her move, Basil is doomed. I bet he would be scared to death!"


    "He should just q


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    it serious.


    "Wait. Is she going to use the most powerful and advanced spiritual sword skill in the Sword Spirit City? Impossible! When did she even succeed in cultivating it?" Tessa''s faced almost turned pale when she realized what Noelle was trying to do.


    The people present also immediately guessed what was going to happen. Thus, they stared at Noelle in astonishment.


    "Green Wave Swordsmanship!"


    As Noelle shouted the name of the move, the Dancing Sword swooped down in a flash. Then, extremely strong sound waves were constantly released, rushing to the ground with great momentum. As the sword landed in the blink of an eye, the violent sword aura waves surged out like gushing ripples that instantly covered the area within a thousand meters, affecting the surroundings of the competition area.


    When the people watching witnessed that, they easily got panic-stricken. They immediately retreated, afraid that they would also be caught up in the devastating sword aura that Noelle had unleashed.


    At the same time, while he was at the core of the sword aura wave, Rocky still let out a faint smirk. He quickly stomped on the ground beneath his feet, instantly making a huge fissure. The broken stones all over the ground were lifted by an unknown force and continuously gathered, forming a solid defense to resist the impact of Noelle''s attack.

 Chapter 1443 To Confront Xavier Later

    However, the sword wave''s power heightened drastically as Rocky''s defense collapsed within minutes. Just as it crashed, a streak of sword aura suddenly shot behind the broken stones. It pushed forward while ignoring the sword wave and charged directly towards Noelle.


    Rocky''s determination to defend himself and the will to keep fighting had shocked everyone else.


    As Noelle hadn''t predicted, Rocky protected himself and fought back regardless of the circumstances. There was utter disbelief on her face, and as she linked her fingers together, a streak of sword aura immediately rushed out like a thunderbolt. The two sword auras crashed into each other midair and sprang up abruptly in seconds.


    The intense impact resulted in a thunderous sound.


    After resisting for some time, both wisps of sword auras eventually counteracted.


    However, the Dancing Sword also formed sword waves that kept going on ceaselessly, and Noelle believed that Rocky couldn''t withstand its impact. Thus, she heaved a sigh of relief, waiting for Rocky to get down on his knees and accept defeat.


    Suddenly, a ray of spiritual light e


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    it City, he cultivated a unique body technique in his original clan. Such a method could give a spirit warrior''s strength further boost and even drive his potential to its utmost capacity. His incredible power, coupled with his potential, should be imaginable! This is why I haven''t succeeded in defeating him in our many confrontations." Ramon immediately recounted to Rocky all of his accumulated encounters with Xavier. While he hoped to defeat him, he didn''t stand a chance now, so all he could do was look forward to Rocky''s performance.


    "I get it now." Rocky couldn''t deny the fact that Ramon''s suggestion was not a complete waste of time. At least, he was now aware of his opponent'' covert abilities.


    "This makes it almost impossible for you to win against Xavier in the competition tomorrow. Instead, it would even allow Xavier to get even with you." Ramon''s tone suddenly grew serious.


    "I''m confident that I can defeat him. But I don''t know if I''m going to expose myself. After all, it will be hard for me to explain later once I have shown my real power." This was Rocky''s biggest concern at the moment.

 Chapter 1444 He Garnered Much Attention

    "Are you really so confident?" Ramon''s eyes narrowed when he heard Rocky''s boastful remarks.


    "Of course. I never pick a fight I can lose. Plus, the thought of fighting Xavier tomorrow makes me a little excited..." Rocky replied with a smirk on his face.


    Ramon still watched Rocky under a suspicious gaze.


    "But thank you for reminding me!" Rocky broke the silence.


    "It seems that I don''t have to say anything more." After that, Ramon left the beast farm and sighed. ''If this guy is not a madman, then he really is quite special,'' he thought to himself.


    The next day,


    the town was buzzing in anticipation to see who would win the decisive battle to determine who would enter the Martial Spirit Graveyard.


    The arena was jam packed with people itching to watch the fight.


    Many notable figures also came to watch, such as Harrison, the governor of the Sword Spirit City, and Timothy Qiu, the leader of the Sword Spirit Sect.


    Timothy Qiu had a serious look on his bearded face. His long hair hung down his shoulders, touching his white robe with golden silks. A red ph


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    ill definitely make you kneel in front of me!" Xavier said arrogantly.


    "Well, that depends on how strong you are!" Rocky raised his eyebrows and smiled. He found no reason to hide his true strength anymore.


    "Humph, what an arrogant brat. I''d like to see how long you can keep that up!" Seeing how confident Rocky was struck Xavier''s nerves. He wanted nothing more than to make Rocky suffer.


    As the sounds of drums and gongs rang out, the decisive battle officially began.


    Almost in an instant, the spiritual swords behind Rocky and Xavier flew up and collided with each other midair. A fierce battle between the two soon followed.


    Since Rocky was the newcomer, he didn''t know any profound sword skills in the Sword Spirit City. In terms of sword skills, Xavier undoubtedly surpassed him.


    However, Rocky was able to trade blow for blow with his opponent, which surprised everyone who was watching.


    The grueling battle lasted for an hour. As soon as one side was about to win, the other suddenly managed to turn the tables. No one was sure who would come out on top.

 Chapter 1445 The Inconceivable Scene

    All of a sudden, Xavier changed his tactic and unexpectedly shifted to close combat. Although the Sword Spirit Sect''s swordsmanship was typically famous for controlling it remotely, there were still some that used a head-on style of swordsmanship. It so happened that Xavier was one of those who practiced this a lot. When he rapidly approached Rocky, he unleashed very sharp sword auras. Three streaks of half-moon-shaped sword auras rushed out and directly surrounded Rocky from different directions.


    Upon seeing this, Rocky instantly deployed his spiritual sword to surround his body with his own sword aura, turning it into a protective barrier.


    Clang! Clang! Clang!


    The three streaks of sword auras collided with Rocky''s sword aura barrier, creating loud bangs and bursting out dazzling lights. The massive impact generated a backlash of surging energy waves that spread out to hundreds of meters.


    The crowd burst into an uproar as they witnessed such a high-level exchange of blows and thought that Rocky might have been done for.


    However, even though Xavier''s sword aura was very strong, it didn''t manage to hurt Rocky at all. He fully deflected it with his own sword aura.


    When Xavier realized this, his face darkened. Before this, his close combat swordsmanship had never missed a target at point-blank range. Even Ramon, who was only second to him in terms of strength among the disciples of the Sword Spirit City, might not be able to block it completely. However, this newcomer made it look so


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    in battles.


    "Don''t be so full of yourself!" Xavier wasn''t impressed at all. He didn''t care if Rocky managed to fuse himself with a spiritual beast because he was confident that he should still be far stronger than him. Thus, he rushed forth without hesitation and attempted to attack Rocky again.


    However, even before Xavier could approach him, Rocky suddenly turned into an illusory shadow that instantly appeared in front of Xavier. Before Xavier could even react, Rocky dealt a massive punch to his wolf-like body and sent him flying into the air. He was caught off guard and wasn''t able to resist at all.


    At the same time, Rocky disappeared from where he stood as if he had teleported. The moment he reappeared, he was already up in the air, where Xavier''s body was heading. Then, in the blink of an eye, he launched a violent attack again, sending Xavier in the opposite direction.


    The people were in utter disbelief of what they were seeing. Xavier was supposedly the one doing the beating, but right now, he wasn''t even a match for Rocky. It was as if he was a sandbag that was being tossed mercilessly here and there. He was totally defenseless and beaten to a pulp. The crowd couldn''t think of a possible explanation for all of this, because in order to possess this kind of power, one must already be a warrior at the King Realm, but as far as they knew, Rocky wasn''t even at the seventh grade of the Spirit Realm.


    All of a sudden, the people''s attention was diverted as they heard a loud crack.

 Chapter 1446 His Shocking Decision

    Under the brutal onslaught brought by Rocky''s violent fist, Xavier finally had no other option than to fall back towards the arena ground. Upon impact, a gaping pit measuring around a hundred meters across appeared on the ground where his body crashed. Dense dust clouds rose into the air and blocked everyone''s sight.


    By then, Rocky landed on the ground already. Xavier laid in front of him. His irises rolled back to reveal the whites of his eyes and his entire body was covered with blood. It was clear that he had suffered grave injuries.


    A moment later, the crowd broke into an earth-shattering uproar. They couldn¡¯t believe that Xavier, the top disciple of the Sword Spirit City, was defeated so quickly by Rocky. No one had expected this.


    Just when the crowd thought Rocky had won the battle, a burst of evil laughter suddenly rang out. Everyone''s eyes turned towards its source. Xavier, who should¡¯ve been seriously injured, suddenly stood up. His face was distorted and madness swam in his eyes like he was on the verge of spiraling into chaos. He looked horrifying.


    Upon seeing this, Rocky frowned slightly and a horrible feeling surged through his


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    lent, Xavier will have a great chance of success. But why did Basil hold back from attacking him when he had the chance? The people wouldn''t blame him if he did. This is an important competition after all," Ramon murmured. He was at his wit''s end too.


    The spiritual pillar that had devoured Xavier earlier quickly disappeared. Then, a red shadow moving at lightning speed appeared in front of Rocky who had just finished unraveling the state of Spirit Possession. The red shadow wielded the Blood Sword. A power several times stronger than the seventh grade of the Spirit Realm rushed out of the weapon and quickly devoured Rocky.


    Boom!


    The energy unleashed by the sword immediately unleashed an equally cataclysmic force that instantly filled up the entire area. Countless sword marks appeared on the ground. This proved how destructive this sword was with just a single strike!


    "Look at that power! Is this the power at the King Realm? Marvelous! I don''t think he''ll be able to survive the blow."


    "I never expected Xavier to successfully break through. This is amazing!


    He deserves to be Elder Joseph''s disciple."


    "Basil will definitely lose!"

 Chapter 1447 A Remarkable Newcomer

    At the moment, everyone who was watching this intense battle was boiling with excitement.


    "Ha-ha! I did it! I''ve broken through to the King Realm!" Xavier was so proud of his accomplishment that he laughed maniacally.


    "Basil..." Tessa uttered anxiously. She was worried that something terrible had happened to Rocky since they couldn''t see what actually happened.


    At the same time, the sword aura that initially covered the area was suddenly lifted, and an unusual spiritual aura stealthily spread out from where Rocky originally stood. However, because on the surface, Xavier''s power still enveloped the area, most of the people in the crowd didn''t notice that.


    Only the big shots of the Sword Spirit Sect detected that and were a little shocked at what was happening. They felt that the abnormal spiritual aura was something that transformed from a Spirit Realm level to something much stronger, but it was gradual and not noticeable.


    "What the hell is going on? That spiritual aura is of the King Realm! Don''t tell me..." Harrison''s eyes widened as he speculated something he thought was impossible to happen.


    "This is so mind-boggling! I didn''t expect that there will be so many variables in this battle!" Timothy exclaimed in shock and thrill. He also perceived that the unknown spiritual aura that was spreading around sneakily was at the King Realm.


    Just as everyone already counted Rocky out, thinking that there was no way that he could resist Xavier''s recent monstrous sword attack, a calm voice resounded and said, "Congratulations."


    Then, a figure walked out of the rampaging spiritual power as if nothing had happened. Aside


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    essa was still in disbelief after Rocky was declared the ultimate winner. Not long ago, she only saw him as an ordinary person who didn''t have many skills, but in the blink of an eye, he had already become a master at the King Realm, indicating that he was above her in terms of strength.


    "Well, it really seems that we have underestimated him," Ramon said coldly as he clenched his fist while his body trembled slightly. After seeing how Rocky defeated Xavier and broke through to the King Realm, he could not help but feel thrilled. His blood was boiling, as if he wanted to fight Rocky as soon as possible, in hopes that he could also stimulate his potential and break through his current limitations.


    "Hannah, take Basil to the Arcane Sword Hall. Harrison and I will be going ahead. Meet us there," Timothy suddenly instructed, as he turned to his daughter.


    "Leader Timothy, I thought you have already asked me to deal with Basil''s matter? Do you need to go as well?" Harrison asked, surprised by Timothy''s sudden change of mind.


    "Well, that was the original plan. But since he has broken through to the King Realm and become such a powerful man in a heartbeat, I feel the need to personally deal with this," Timothy said in a cautious tone. After all, there was a big gap between a disciple at the seventh grade of the Spirit Realm and one at the King Realm. Moreover, it seemed that he had taken a lot of interest in Rocky after seeing his battle with Xavier. Thus, he was intrigued to personally meet the "newcomer".


    "Okay then." After nodding slightly, Hannah got up from her seat and walked towards the competition area to get Rocky.

 Chapter 1448 He Remained Suspicious

    Upon asking for the other elders and the five stewards to head back to the Sword Spirit Sect, Timothy and Harrison left first and went straight to the Arcane Sword Hall.


    At the same time, Hannah walked into the competition area and sought Rocky. After finally finding him, she said, "Here you are. Come with me. The leader wants to see you."


    "Huh? The leader?" Rocky actually didn''t expect that his battle with Xavier would catch the attention of the sect leader. In his honest opinion, it came as a big surprise.


    But at some point, he knew that he was going to be summoned by the higher-ups because of everything that he had displayed in the entire competition. Thus, upon hearing what Hannah said, he just simply nodded with a smile. Then, the two of them left the competition area under the watchful eyes of the crowd who had just witnessed the recent battle.


    As soon as they entered the Arcane Sword Hall, Rocky saw that Timothy and Harrison were already there, seated and patiently waiting for their arrival. There was no one else except the sect leader and the governor. With this, Rocky immediately discerned they were trying to keep this conversation a secret one.


    "Thank you, Hannah. You may leave now," Timothy ordered at once.


    Hearing her father''s command, Hannah cast a slight glance at Rocky before she bowed and left the hall. She was actually concerned about how their meeting would turn out, but she knew that her father was a sensible person. Hence, as long as Rocky told the truth and explained everything accordingly, there shouldn''t be any problem.


    At this point, there were only three people lef


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    tly taken aback after hearing that Rocky was able to raise a demonic spiritual beast, which was far stronger than ordinary spiritual beasts.


    "I actually saved it from another fierce spiritual beast when I was still a child. At that time, I thought that it was just an ordinary spiritual beast, only to find later on that it was something special. Not only did it grow fast, but it was also stronger than ordinary spiritual beasts. I was fascinated by it, so I trained it with all my might and I managed to make it act according to my orders," Rocky explained like it wasn''t such a big of a deal.


    "How about when you merged with it? How did you do that?" Timothy asked. The truth was that he was really curious about that skill. After all, in his vast experience, he had never seen a human being who could fuse with a spiritual beast, let alone a demonic spiritual beast.


    "Well, I''m afraid I might not be able to explain it. During the time that I discovered that skill, I was actually in grave danger. Then, fortunately, I accidentally found out that I can do it. Since then, I''ve been able to do it whenever I want," Rocky said with a bit of an awkward smile.


    After hearing everything that Rocky had said, Timothy looked at Harrison and it seemed that they didn''t have anything more to ask. From their observation, Rocky never showed any hint of nervousness or anxiety. Moreover, all of his answers were consistent and reasonable, and they didn''t find anything suspicious. However, Timothy still couldn''t shake the feeling that this young man was still hiding something and that he wasn''t as simple as he appeared to be.

 Chapter 1449 Agreed To Teach Tessa

    "If the two of you still feel worried, I''ll immediately leave the Sword Spirit City without causing any trouble. To be honest, although I''ve only been in the Sword Spirit City for a few months, I already learned a lot. That''s how I made so much progress so quickly! Even if I leave the Sword Spirit City now, I''ll still remember that you gave me the chance to cultivate here. Given the chance in the future, I will definitely repay the Sword Spirit City..." Rocky took the opportunity and made sure to carefully choose his words to touch the hearts of Timothy and Harrison.


    "Young man, there''s no need for that! We aren''t unreasonable people. If you''re saying the truth, we can come to an understanding. However, it''s the first time that we have faced a situation like this in our Sword Spirit City, and it''s also rare to see a talented young man like you. Apart from some minor things, you did progress so quickly in such a short period of time that it''s only fitting to describe you as a genius, but that''s also the same reason that we have to be suspicious of you. After all, many coincidences invite suspicion. Of course, I''ll keep in mind that you risked your life to protect Hannah. So, why don


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    Sword Spirit Sect or even the masters at the King Realm and find who are talented enough. Afterwards, you can teach them," Timothy immediately suggested.


    "I''m just afraid that I can''t teach them well. But I think Miss Tessa can learn it. First of all, her Nightshade is a good spiritual beast, and secondly, I''m already familiar with her. Let me teach her first. If she can successfully master the skill, I''ll find the confidence to teach others as well." Of course, Rocky would not easily teach the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill to just anyone. If he was given the choice to teach someone, he would only impart the skill to Tessa.


    "Tessa?" Harrison''s eyes narrowed when he heard those words. His obvious worry was palpable even if he tried to hide it.


    "Don''t worry. Although learning this skill is risky, I can guarantee that Tessa won''t be in any danger. Moreover, if she can learn it, it''ll be of great help to her cultivation in the future," Rocky coaxed since he immediately realized what was going through Harrison''s mind.


    "Well..." Harrison hesitated.


    "Harrison, just let Tessa learn the skill from him. With her talent, she should be able to master it," Timothy said.

 Chapter 1450 Hide In The Military Camp

    "All right. You just have to make sure that Tessa would be safe," Harrison finally agreed as he issued a strict warning.


    "You can trust me on that. Thank you very much, sirs!" Rocky quickly answered, nodding respectfully at Harrison and Timothy.


    "Go on and have a rest. You already had a long day." Timothy waved his hand as he dismissed Rocky.


    Rocky then bowed and left the Arcane Sword Hall. As soon as he stepped out, he saw that Tessa and Ramon were there, waiting for him to come out. Tessa immediately walked up to him and asked, "How did it go? What will they do to you?"


    "Well, what do you think?" Rocky asked as he smiled brightly.


    "Judging on your smug face, I should assume that they let you stay. Am I right?" Tessa guessed immediately.


    "Yes, that¡¯s right. However, they¡¯re letting me stay on one condition." Then, Rocky fixed his gaze on Tessa and let out a mysterious smile.


    "What is it? And why are you looking at me like that?" Tessa asked with furrowed brows.


    "You have to be my disciple!" Rocky exclaimed out of nowhere.


    "What nonsense are you talking about?! Why should I be your disciple? You¡¯re not even qualified!" Tessa snorted coldly, thinking that Rocky was just messing with her.


    "It¡¯s true! The sect leader and the governor wanted me to teach you my unique skill. That is their condition for lettin


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    ions in the process. In the end, the only ones to survive were Marcia, Sabina, Allen, Marin, and Cherry, who was the current matriarch of the Butterfly Divine Clan.


    "Master, why didn¡¯t we enter the area of the human race of this land first? I think it should be safer to hide there. If the Shura Race came to find us, they would be looking for a needle in a haystack," Sabina asked in confusion. Right now, there were very close to the border of the human race. If they kept going, they would be able to enter the human region in about a day. By then, there was a huge possibility that they could lose the members of the Shura Race that were chasing after them.


    "Although the Supreme Ether Land is in a situation of tripartite confrontation, the Shura Race is still the true ruler of the whole world. The human race and the spiritual race won¡¯t be able to do anything to them, and they are also extremely afraid of them. Even if we sneak into the human region, as long as the Shura Race is that determined to find us, I¡¯m afraid that they will still be able to have their way. The worse thing that could happen is that we would become the target of the all the human race here. So, I think that it¡¯s better if we sneak into the military camp first. The military camp is a lot different. We can easily hide our identities here," Marcia explained.

 Chapter 1451 The Expedition To The Martial Spirit Graveyard

    "To add to that, we still have a chance to find where the others are, and we can launch a rescue mission as soon as possible. Unfortunately, we are no match for the Shura Race with our current strength, so we have to strengthen ourselves first. And for that, this border battlefield is undoubtedly suitable for cultivation!" Marcia articulated her thoughts clearly and confidently.


    "I agree. We have to find our other companions as soon as possible," Allen responded immediately, nodding to show his approval.


    Seeing this, the others also nodded in agreement.


    "We need to change ourselves for the better if we want to survive in this land, and if we want to have a chance to save the others and return to our original land, we need to survive first. We must grow stronger to stand up to the cruelties of this land. Don''t forget that!" Marcia reminded them sternly. She knew that the Supreme Ether Land was much more ruthless than the Wild Spirit Land. If they didn''t keep their guards up, they would come to an unimaginable and miserable end.


    "If only Basil were here¡ª," Marin cut her words off with a small sigh.


    "Basil is no longer the Basil we once knew. He has his own mission, so we can no longer rely on him. Besides, don''t you think he has done enough for us? I don''t think it''s a bad thing for us to come to this world at this time!" answered Marci


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    ss all depended on their fortune and strength at that moment.


    Then, under the elder''s guiding hand, they proceeded behind the mountain belonging to the Sword Spirit Sect, where they found a tunnel-like cave. They traveled for a long time, going deeper and deeper into its depths until, finally, they found an exit out of the cave. The perfect view of lush mountains and forests met them at the end, taking away the fatigue that they were beginning to feel.


    Rocky looked around in slight awe. He was sure that they were in a valley now, but there was something strange about the place. He noticed that some parts of the valley were completely bare, while the other areas were packed with dense trees that intertwined with each other like living veins. At the same time, he could feel countless eyes staring at him, hidden beneath the overgrown forest surrounding them.


    "Okay, everyone, listen carefully. We have to pass through the valley before we can reach the Martial Spirit Graveyard. Although this valley is not particularly dangerous, a lot of spiritual beasts reside here. And if we disturb these spiritual beasts, they will undoubtedly attack us together. So, stay attentive to your surroundings, and make sure that you don''t get left behind, or the consequences will be unthinkable!" the elder, Uriel You, who was leading the team, warned them sternly.

 Chapter 1452 Encounter Centipede-like Beasts

    Uriel was known as the youngest elder in the entire Sword Spirit Sect. He was very talented and was just a step away from cultivating and brewing the Imperial Soul. Of course, back in his days, he was also one of the successful members who had obtained a martial spirit from the Martial Spirit Graveyard.


    After hearing his instructions, everyone nodded in agreement.


    "Miguel, the three of you should try your best not to make any unnecessary movements. Save your energy and be prepared when you have to merge with the martial spirit. After all, it''s going to be hard to say who it will recognize as its master," Uriel strictly told Miguel.


    "Yes, sir. I understand," Miguel replied, cupping his hands towards the elder. He quickly cast a glance towards Rocky while showing a hint of gloom on his face.


    Soon enough, their team headed directly for the Heavenly Ravine Valley.


    The Martial Spirit Graveyard was actually located in the depths of the valley. Within this area, there were many natural-born spiritual beasts, but most of them were difficult to capture. Moreover, these beasts usually moved in groups, so a lot of effort and great strength would be needed just to capture one of them. Besides, the Sword Spirit Sect had an ancestral doctrine, stating that its members were prohibited from capturing the spiritual beasts in the valley without permission. The main reason for that was because the valley functioned as a natural barrier to protect the Martial Spirit Graveyar


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    lessly broken by the savage spiritual beast that directly pounced on him.


    Caught off guard, the warrior was hit outright. The impact he received was so enormous that he flew dozens of meters away. As he crashed on the ground, he spat out mouthfuls of blood.


    Xavier and the other warriors at the King Realm looked at each other upon seeing what had happened to their comrade. If this giant centipede was able to take down a warrior at the King Realm that easily, they speculated that even if they joined hands, they might still not be able to resist its overbearing attack.


    At this point, even Uriel was at a loss. If they were just dealing with the first centipede, he was confident that he could kill it in one go. But now, he perceived that the power of the second giant centipede, which had devoured the first one, had already increased to the middle level of the King Realm. Although his strength should still be sufficient to finish this beast off, he knew that it might take him a while, and it wasn¡¯t much of an efficient idea. After all, if he spent a lot of time fighting it off, they might attract more spiritual beasts in the process, and that was the last thing that he wanted to happen. Besides, their main goal for coming here was not to fight these beasts but to acquire the martial spirits.


    "We have no choice. Let''s retreat first!" Uriel ordered after careful consideration. He was well aware that there was no sense in fighting for something that had no value.

 Chapter 1453 Rocky Got The Ethereal Crystal

    Just as Uriel finished his words, however, the giant centipede-like beast suddenly turned and rushed towards Tessa and her two companions.


    "Damn it!" he cursed. Obviously, he hadn''t expected that the beast would know how to choose a weak target to attack. With the strength that Tessa and her companions had, it would be a miracle if they could withstand even a single blow from the beast. Therefore, Uriel immediately wanted to rush to their rescue.


    Unfortunately, wherever the beast moved, dust rose in an instant, forming a barrier of sand around it and blocking Uriel''s rescue.


    In less than a moment, the giant centipede had approached Tessa and her companions. The three of them were trembling in fear and their faces had gone pale. As a spiritual beast of the King Realm, this giant centipede was too strong for them to defeat!


    "Run!" Miguel yelled in a shaky voice, then quickly retreated.


    "Miss Tessa!" Ramon called immediately.


    "It''s too late to run," Tessa replied calmly. She frowned as she surveyed the situation. The giant centipede was already too close to them. No matter how fast they ran, it would


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    on''t be a threat!" Rocky explained.


    "How did you find its weakness?" Tessa asked, cutting in.


    "Well, it should be said that my experiences are rich. When I was in my hometown, I often followed spiritual beasts and learned their habits, so I know them like the back of my hand. Although I have never seen a giant centipede like this before, I could easily identify its weakness from its fight with you just now," Rocky answered with a serious look in his eyes.


    "I didn''t expect you to be so talented. If not for you, Miguel and the other two would have been in danger," Uriel praised with a nod.


    "I was just doing what I could." Rocky nodded slightly.


    "It''s no big deal. I bet it''s just a matter of luck. But taking that ethereal crystal for yourself is going too far!" Miguel complained unhappily.


    "I''m the one who killed the spiritual beast at the King Realm, so the ethereal crystal belongs to me. That is the rule. Did I get it wrong, Elder Uriel?" Rocky turned his eyes to Uriel.


    "No, you''re not wrong. If you hadn''t found its weakness, we would have been in great trouble." Uriel gave a nod of approval.

 Chapter 1454 Spotted One Martial Spirit

    After all that was said, Miguel fell silent, immediately pulling a long face.


    Even Xavier stared at Rocky morosely. It turned out that he still held a deep grudge against Rocky because of what happened during the competition.


    Soon enough, the badly injured spirit warrior at the King Realm was taken back safely.


    "His injuries look serious. We need to find a place where we can treat him first," Uriel said with a frown after carefully checking the warrior''s condition.


    Then, he continued leading the team as they passed through the area. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t encounter any difficult obstacles on their way. About half a day later, they entered a jungle area that seemed to be relatively safe. Eventually, they found a cave where they could rest for a while.


    After they settled in, it was already late at night. Since they expected that many spiritual beasts appeared at that time in the valley, Uriel arranged a group of disciples that would guard the cave in turns while he and three of the warriors at the King Realm healed the injured.


    At the moment, Rocky and Ramon, who were included in the same group, were hiding near the entrance of the cave to monitor the situation in their surroundings.


    However, Rocky soon noticed that Ramon seem


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    ial spirits¡¯ movements. But it will need strong spiritual power to activate it," he explained further.


    "I see. It¡¯s an awesome item," Rocky said as he examined the disk.


    "Everyone, pay close attention to your surroundings. If you notice any strange movement, inform me right away," Uriel commanded.


    Then, they moved forward while each of them was monitoring a specific direction, waiting patiently for the rare marital spirits to make an appearance.


    After a while, the spiritual fog in the valley became extremely dense.


    Then, that was when Rocky suddenly noticed a blurry shadow floating nearby that looked like a ghost.


    "Elder Uriel, is that the martial spirit?" Rocky asked as he quickly pointed at the shadow.


    Uriel turned and looked towards the direction where Rocky was pointing, and his eyes immediately lit up. "Yes, that¡¯s it! Don''t make a loud sound or you will alert it. I¡¯ll get close to it first."


    The elder tried his best to restrain his spiritual aura to a minimum as he slowly approached the floating martial spirit.


    When he got close enough to it, he began to chant the spiritual incantation. Then, the Spirit-restricting Disk in his hand suddenly emitted a dazzling light and instantly flew towards the martial spirit.

 Chapter 1455 The Surprising Attacks

    The martial spirit was caught off guard upon the sudden attack that was hurled at it. Before it could even react, the Spirit-restricting Disk already hit it. The next moment, countless spiritual marks spread all over its body and bound it tightly, rendering it motionless. No matter how hard it struggled to break free, it couldn¡®t get rid of the restrictions made by the spiritual marks.


    "Great! It worked perfectly! That was easier than I expected," Uriel said excitedly. It was obvious that he was surprised at the turn of events. Although he had already captured a lot of martial spirits in the past, this was his easiest catch ever. Normally, he would fail a dozen times first before he could finally land one.


    But of course, even though the martial spirit was now under their control, this didn¡¯t mean that they had fully succeeded in their mission. After all, someone among them should be able to match it. Otherwise, all their efforts in catching it would be worthless, and they would need to look for other ones.


    Immediately after, Rocky and the others surrounded the bound martial spirit.


    "Hurry up. Make turns fusing your spiritual power with the martial spirit to see who would succeed to be its master. Who will go first?" Uriel asked his team.


    "I think we should let Miguel try it first," one of the warriors at the King Realm immediately proposed, trying to ingratiate towards Miguel.


    At the same time, several of them expressed their agreement. Miguel was an elite disciple whom the Sword Spirit Sect had a lot of expectations on. Besides, he was the adopted son of the sect leader; thus, there w


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    He glanced at Tessa and saw that she was still a bit far from completing the procedure. Hence, he made up his mind, and decisively said, "We can''t go on like this. Someone has to draw them away from here. I¡¯ll go out and lure them."


    "Are you insane? That''s too dangerous!" Ramon, who was standing next to him, opposed at once.


    "Basil, don''t act rashly! Did you forget what I told all of you before we entered here? You can''t go alone in this fog!" Uriel reminded him sternly.


    However, Rocky had always been a stubborn person and had the tendency to act on his own. If he thought that the advice he heard wasn''t going to make any difference, he would still go with what he thought was better. Thus, he immediately rushed out of the barrier and released his spiritual power to attract the attention of the martial spirits that were profusely attacking them.


    Because of the unique spiritual aura that Rocky was giving off, several martial spirits quickly diverted their attention to him and began to chase him.


    Upon seeing that he had successfully caught their attention, he hurriedly dashed away from their current location.


    Uriel''s face became extremely gloomy. He knew that there was just a very slim chance that Rocky could still make it back alive after the stunt that he pulled off. At the same time, because Rocky lured most of the martial spirits away, the spiritual barrier still held on. However, some martial spirits still remained there, attacking them, and he couldn¡¯t be sure how long the barrier would hold. They could just hope that Tessa could merge with the martial spirit as soon as possible.

 Chapter 1456 Cultivated The Spiritual Infant

    ''Humph, this guy has guts. But I believe he won''t be able to come back alive. If so, I don''t even need to kill him by myself!'' With those thoughts in mind, Miguel sneered slyly.


    In the spiritual fog, Rocky was unable to discern his bearings and was forced into a dead end by the martial spirits chasing after him.


    Just as Rocky was about to hide in his Magic Spiritual Space for a moment, he suddenly sensed a strange aura behind him. It felt like something was summoning him.


    ''There seems to be something behind me,'' he mused. A huge flat rock wall as smooth as jade met his eyes when he turned to look. After a moment''s hesitation, he headed towards it. Just a moment later, he discovered that his body passed through the rock wall. Instead of being real, the rock wall felt more like a phantom. After he took a couple more steps, the scene in front of his eyes turned into utter darkness.


    "So a mysterious place like this exists in the Martial Spirit Graveyard." Rocky was in high spirits. After he entered the rock wall, the martial spirits stopped chasing him.


    When he surveyed his surroundings, he discovere


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    barrier was on the verge of collapse and could no longer hold on.


    At the sight of that, Rocky suddenly exuded a strange aura, as if he was ruling the world. In an instant, he swooped down and fell upon the martial spirits. Without any hesitation, he shouted towards the surging martial spirits, "All of you, retreat immediately!"


    Instantly, a fiery red light burst out from his body and filled the surroundings. Despite the aggression of the martial spirits earlier, they suddenly seemed terrified and all of them knelt down in surrender.


    Uriel and the others were stunned and couldn''t believe their eyes.


    "This guy''s still alive! Damn it!" At the sight of Rocky returning safe and sound, Miguel was so stunned that he could only gnash his teeth in anger.


    "Leave," Rocky casually ordered with a wave of his hand like a king.


    The martial spirits immediately scattered and fled with their tails between their legs.


    Meanwhile, Tessa was only a single step away from fusing with the martial spirit, but it was obvious that her strength was still lacking and she would be unable to completely merge with it.

 Chapter 1457 Took Away The Remaining Martial Spirits

    Rocky strode over to Tessa''s side as though nothing had happened. Placing his hand on her shoulder calmly, he coaxed, "Come one!"


    Just then, the martial spirit that had been resisting fusion with Tessa earlier suddenly shot towards her body.


    At first, Tessa was too shocked to move. When she finally regained her senses, she quickly took the opportunity to fuse the martial spirit with her body. It didn''t take long for her to successfully complete the fusion. Suddenly, her body flashed with a bright spiritual light, and her spiritual aura grew in power.


    "You finally merged with it!" Uriel exclaimed in surprise.


    About half an hour later, Tessa''s spiritual light transformed into a spiritual pillar. When that happened, her spiritual aura also broke through to the King Realm.


    "I''ve succeeded!" At that moment, Tessa opened her eyes excitedly, revealing a trace of pride.


    "Congratulations," Miguel muttered. Although he was a bit bitter at her success, he managed to plaster on a fake smile.


    "Congratulations, Miss Tessa," Ramon said, clapping his hand on her shoulder chummily.


    "This is good," Uriel said with a satisfied


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    m the Sword Spirit Sect would enter the Martial Spirit Graveyard several times before they''d meet a suitable martial spirit to merge with. His daughter was so lucky!


    Uriel''s expression then grew serious. "However, the martial spirit Tessa fused is a medium-level one. Consequently, she used up the power of the Spirit-restricting Disk, so the others didn''t get a chance."


    "Is that so?" Harrison cocked one eyebrow at him. "Then, it''s necessary to reward them!" Since his daughter had successfully fused with the martial spirit, of course he was incredibly pleased and was willing to compensate the others fairly.


    "That sounds like a good compromise," Uriel said with a slight smile, cupping his hands courteously.


    "Thank you for your hard work, Elder Uriel," Harrison said to him. "I''ve also prepared a small gift for you. I''ll ask my people to send it to you later..."


    "You''re too kind." Uriel''s smile widened. After all, Harrison was the top guardian of the Sword Spirit Sect and the governor of the Sword Spirit City, so Uriel figured his gift would be of great value.


    Bidding Harrison and Tessa goodbye, Uriel left the hall.

 Chapter 1458 What Is This Place

    After everything that had been discussed, Uriel left the hall first.


    ¡°Tessa, you¡¯re lucky enough that you were able to merge with a martial spirit on your first journey to the Martial Spirit Graveyard. Hence, you must work hard from now on. You can¡¯t waste such a rare opportunity.¡± Harrison wore a serious look as he tried to encourage her daughter.


    ¡°I will, Father. Don¡¯t worry. You can expect that I won¡¯t let you down. Besides, I can¡¯t let Basil surpass me again. It¡¯ll be too embarrassing for me. So, if there¡¯s nothing else, I will go back now and have a rest.¡± Then, Tessa made a mischievous face and left before her father could say something more.


    ¡°What happened to my girl?!¡± Harrison said as he shook his head. He knew that her daughter was quite the stubborn type but he discerned that there was something else that changed about her. After thinking for a while, he told himself, ¡°Since Basil came, Tessa has become more ambitious and competitive. If only she isn¡¯t engaged to Miguel, I may even think that Basil is more suitable for her. Moreover, I can see that those two are extremely close. Now, I¡¯m worried that those two might suddenly fall in love with each other! Oh, what am I going to do? It will be a huge headache for me!¡±


    Meanwhile, Rocky and Ramon walked together on their way back. Neither of them seemed to be in the mood for a small talk, an


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    d, Rocky also went back to the beast farm to study the Scarlet Heaven Jade that he had recently acquired, as well as the Spiritual Infant that he had just cultivated.


    ¡°Hmm. I wonder how this jade is being used. I can clearly feel the overwhelming power contained in it, but how can I utilize it and make it mine?¡± Rocky murmured to himself as he intently examined the jade in his hand.


    Out of nowhere, a scene flashed through Rocky¡¯s mind. It was like a space that was similar to the Magic Spiritual Space, but he perceived that it was more of a place for cultivation.


    ¡°What is this place?¡± Rocky¡¯s eyes squinted as he stared closely at the jade.


    As he drew nearer to inspect it further, Rocky suddenly felt a sensation that he was being pulled into the jade. However, it was too late when he realized that it was really happening.


    In the blink of an eye, Rocky found himself in the mysterious space that appeared in his mind just now.


    ¡°The structure of this place is really similar to that of the Magic Spiritual Space. However, the spiritual energy present here is unusually enormous. I guess that it should be a natural place for cultivation.¡± As soon as he arrived at the place, Rocky felt the strange sensation that the mysterious place gave off. Then, upon looking through the area, he immediately found that countless stone tablets were standing around.

 Chapter 1459 Challenged The Sword God

    After looking carefully, he discovered a few human shaped portraits and words on the stone tablet as well.


    Rocky walked over to the nearest stone tablet. Curiosity was brimming on his face. A Taoist with a long sword on his back was carved on the tablet. Somehow, the Taoist on the tablet looked ethereal, and on the side of the stone tablet, a few words were engraved: Darius, the Sword God.


    "Darius, the Sword God? Was this person the Sword God? If true, then his swordsmanship must have been amazing!" Rocky murmured.


    At that moment, the Taoist on the stone tablet suddenly moved. Rocky''s jaw almost dropped to the ground the next moment when the Taoist walked out of the stone tablet. Somehow, he seemed like a corporeal entity instead of an illusion.


    "Are you going to challenge me?" the Taoist asked.


    "What? Challenge you? Are you kidding me? You are the Sword God and I am not going to make a mountain out of a molehill." Rocky immediately waved his hand. However, he could feel that the Taoist''s aura was similar to his own. In fact, the Taoist did not look like a peerless master of great strength.


    "Really? Because if you challenge me and then win, y


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    I just gave you some encouragement," Rocky answered with an innocent expression.


    "I don''t believe you." Tessa was certain it could not be a coincidence.


    "If you don''t believe me, then I cannot make you do so," Rocky said helplessly with a shrug.


    "I know you must have done something to me, whether you admit or not," Tessa declared firmly.


    "Believing me is your choice. I am telling the truth. But tell me, how do you feel after fusing with the martial spirit?" Rocky changed the topic.


    "Not bad. My father also checked up on me this morning. He said that the martial spirit is quite compatible with me. Also, it is a feminine type of martial spirit which is very suitable for my swordsmanship." Tessa''s eyes lit up.


    "Really? Good for you. Congratulations!" Rocky smiled encouragingly.


    "Thank you. Truth be told, if you hadn''t risked your life to draw those martial spirits away from me, I wouldn''t have had enough time to fuse with it." Tessa was aware of the great sacrifice that Rocky had made just so she could fuse with the martial spirit without hindrance.


    "Ha-ha, it''s not a big deal." Rocky smiled disapprovingly. He didn''t like formalities.

 Chapter 1460 The Engagement

    While the two of them were talking, Miguel abruptly appeared with a few of his followers. He became infuriated when he saw that Tessa and Rocky were together. He scowled deeply, went straight towards them, and pushed Rocky away roughly and aggressively. He was acting like he had found Tessa cheating on him with Rocky, which was far from reality, and afterward, he turned to Tessa as if he didn''t do something so rude.


    He asked her sternly, "Where have you been all morning? I''ve been looking all over for you for a long time!" "Where else would I be? I was at my father''s house," answered Tessa. A disdainful expression quickly took over her face as soon as she laid eyes on him.


    "Ah, I see. No wonder I couldn''t find you." As Miguel spoke, he threw a heated glare in Rocky''s direction. Honestly, it didn''t matter to him where Tessa was that morning, everything was acceptable for him as long as Tessa wasn''t in Rocky''s company.


    "Anyway, there is nothing good you could want from me, so you should just leave me alone." Tessa pouted and rolled her eyes at Miguel, who just ignored her words.


    "It''s great that you have fused with a martial spirit at last. I think this is a sign, so I''ve already told the leader that it''s about time for us to get married," Miguel told her loudly as if he was letting Rocky overhear on purpose.


    "Why would I want to marry you? Stop dreaming!" Tessa''s face darkened when she heard his boastful words. She didn''t e


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    o run off once again. In the next breath, he stepped closer toward it and reappeared in front of it in the blink of an eye.


    "Ally, stop it!" Rocky spoke calmly but firmly, giving off a sense of deterrence. He made sure not to shout, as that would only worsen the situation, but he also gave off the air of someone who should be obeyed.


    However, the beast seemed to have lost touch with reality. It wouldn''t listen to Rocky at all. It reared up on its hind legs irritably and was about to trample Rocky beneath its heavy body.


    "No! Stop, Ally!" At that moment, a harried and nervous voice suddenly rang out, but it didn''t stop the beast.


    Meanwhile, Rocky simply increased the flow of his spiritual power when he saw that he was in danger. He stopped Ally''s movement, put his hand on its forehead, and temporarily used the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill to calm it down.


    It was at this point that a graceful figure quickly walked up. It was none other than Hannah.


    "What''s wrong with it?" Hannah asked Rocky immediately when she saw him.


    "I have no idea. I just came back and saw it like this," he answered helplessly, shaking his head.


    The person in charge of the beast farm also rushed over in a hurry, and when he saw Hannah, his face became white as a sheet. He hurriedly stepped forward and cupped his hands. "I''m sorry, Miss Hannah! I failed to keep an eye on it. It''s my fault for allowing it to run off. Please punish me!"

 Chapter 1461 Got Promoted

    "Ally seemed all right two days ago. What made it so irritable now? Could it be sick?" Hannah asked, looking perplexed. Ally had been with her since it was a cub, and it had always been obedient and even-tempered. In fact, it had rarely shown such mercurial temperament before.


    "We have no idea what is happening. Several beast curers have come to check on it, but none of them could find anything wrong!" the man in charge of the beast farm immediately answered. He looked harried and frightened, possibly because Hannah could easily blame him and punish him.


    But Hannah didn''t get angry at him. Instead, she turned to look at Rocky hopefully, knowing that he was also very proficient in beast curing. "Basil, do you know what''s wrong with Ally?"


    Rocky was quiet for a moment as he thought about it. Then he said, "I think it might be in heat, so it must be longing for a mate."


    "In heat? What does that mean?" Hannah looked stunned for a moment, as she had not expected that answer.


    "It is autumn right now, and spiritual beasts typically reproduce during this season. It is highly likely that Ally has reached maturity, so all its instincts are driving it to reproduce. Therefore, it is in a hurry to find another beast to mate. This is a normal process that all beasts go through, so you don''t have to worry. It''


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    ed to the Security Hall.


    When he arrived at the Cloudlet Team''s lounge, he found that Ramon and the members of the Cloudlet Team were all present. The moment they saw Rocky, they all got up hastily, greeting him with fondness and admiration.


    "What happened to you guys? Why are you looking at me like that?" Rocky asked with a smile.


    "Just now, Master Harrison sent someone over to reward the two of us, and he also gave you a promotion. You are now the deputy captain of the Cloudlet Team," Ramon muttered indifferently.


    "Oh, what about Eliseo?" Rocky asked immediately.


    "He was transferred to be the captain of the Sword Spirit City''s guardian team. In other words, he was promoted to a higher position thanks to you..." Ramon knew that if Rocky hadn''t been promoted, Eliseo wouldn''t have been promoted to be the captain of the guardian team as well.


    "Really? Well, I''m glad to hear that. I was afraid that Eliseo would lose his position because of me. If that happened, I couldn''t be the deputy captain!" Hearing the news from Ramon seemed to fill Rocky with relief.


    "Here. Master Harrison gave you this deputy captain''s token as a reward. From now on, you will be in charge of the basic affairs of the Cloudlet Team." After saying that, Ramon handed a delicate-looking wooden box and a token to Rocky.

 Chapter 1462 Seeking Help

    Rocky took the box, as well as the token, and put them away without even looking at what was inside the box.


    "Don''t you want to see what the reward is?" Ramon asked, seemingly more curious than Rocky.


    "Well, I can check it later. Since it''s from Master Harrison, I''m sure that I won''t be disappointed in it. By the way, I went back to the Martial Spirit Graveyard and was able to secure some spiritual treasures this time. I want to hand them out to our team members. These should be able to help them improve a lot!" Upon saying that, Rocky took out a big bag from his Magic Spiritual Space. Then, when he opened it, the members of the Cloudlet Team were bewildered by the number of spiritual treasures at the Spirit Realm.


    Their eyes lit up and they were in disbelief that Rocky was really going to give those to them.


    "Come on, guys. Select what you think would suit you, but be sure not to get too many," Rocky said as he urged the members of the Cloudlet Team.


    Immediately after, they rushed up and took their time to pick what they could.


    "By the way, was it you who recommended me to become the deputy captain?" Rocky asked Ramon while the other members were still busy checking out the spiritual treasures.


    "No, it wasn''t me. Besides, it has only been a few months since you arrived here in the Sword Spirit City. Logically


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    ught there.


    However, to his and Hannah''s surprise, Ally didn''t even take a glance at the two spiritual beasts that were supposed to be candidates as mating partners. Furthermore, when it saw the two spiritual beasts enter the beast stable, it immediately became furious. Fortunately, Rocky was there to suppress the situation. Otherwise, Ally might have hurt them.


    "It seems that Ally has the same temper as yours, Miss Hannah," Rocky said, heaving a sigh of relief as the guards finished sending the two spiritual beasts out of the stable.


    "What do you mean? We''re both spoiled?" Hannah immediately asked as she raised an eyebrow.


    "Ha-ha. Don''t misunderstand me. Ally is indeed an excellent spiritual beast with a noble bloodline. It''s just normal that it wants a more superior partner," Rocky replied with a smile as he tried to appease Hannah.


    "Humph. I can''t believe that I just wasted a lot of time finding those two. Now, I have no other choice to find other beasts for it again," Hannah said in a dissatisfied tone. Then, she cast a final glance at Rocky before she left.


    The next few days, Hannah found more than ten high-quality spiritual beasts. However, none of them was still able to satisfy Ally. Seeing that, Hannah couldn''t help but feel gloomy. She had already spent a lot of effort, but nothing was going her way.

 Chapter 1463 Allys Mate

    "Basil, what should we do now? I''ve tried all the spiritual beasts I could borrow, but Ally isn''t interested in any of them!" Hannah sighed. She''d arrived at the beast farm early that morning to consult Rocky. There, she found him feeding her spiritual beast.


    "Well, you can''t force it," Rocky said with a smile. "I''ve told you this before."


    "Is there really no other way?" Hannah threw her hands up hopelessly, looking at Rocky intently in the hopes he had a solution.


    "Actually," Rocky said after a while, his eyes twinkling. "There is another way, but you may not like it."


    "Try me," Hannah said seriously.


    "Well, you could let my spiritual beast have a try," Rocky said slowly.


    "Oh!" Hannah cried in surprise. "I almost forgot you even had a spiritual beast. However, I''ve heard rumors that it''s a demonic spiritual beast..."


    Rocky nodded curtly. "It''s true."


    "Would there be a problem if Ally mates with a demonic spiritual beast?" Hannah asked, her eyes wide with concern.


    "To be honest, I don''t know," Rocky answered. But in fact, he did know. He had already studied the genes of Ally and Glutton, and he had found out


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    Without delaying any further, Rocky and Hannah then left the Medical Service Hall and headed straight back to the beast farm.


    As they were leaving, Lloyd narrowed his eyes at their receding figures. "With a demonic spiritual beast that talented, it''s theoretically impossible for a human spirit warrior to be able to control it. And yet, this Basil person is able to control it with such ease! I''m afraid it''ll be necessary to report it to the sect leader."


    Meanwhile, Hannah and Rocky rushed over to the beast farm. Upon their return, Rocky immediately placed Glutton in Ally''s stable.


    The moment Ally saw Glutton, it acted hostile at first. Naturally, Glutton was a stranger, so Ally needed to remain vigilant. However, because Glutton''s aura was overwhelmingly powerful, it didn''t take long before Ally was conquered. After a while, the latter acted like a docile little lamb and allowed Glutton to get close to it.


    "Miss Hannah, I think this will be a success," Rocky said with a smile. "I think we''d better leave them alone." Hannah nodded, and together they walked out of the stable to let the pair of beasts be alone together.

 Chapter 1464 Got Marcias News

    "If only I knew it earlier I wouldn''t have found so many spiritual beasts," Hannah sighed in dismay. She didn''t expect that Basil would help her in the end.


    "Don''t feel bad. You just did what you thought was best for Ally''s sake," Rocky consoled her with a warm smile.


    "Yeah, I just don''t want to make Ally unhappy." Hannah nodded.


    "You can leave the rest to me. Go back and rest now." Rocky smiled at her.


    "Thank you. If it weren''t for you, I wouldn''t have known what to do." Hannah was filled with gratitude for him. She now saw Rocky in a different light. All her suspicion against him melted away as she saw his warm smile.


    "You''re welcome." Rocky smiled calmly.


    After that, Hannah left the beast farm.


    Not long after she left, Ramon entered the beast farm.


    "I saw Miss Hannah just now. What was she doing here?" Ramon immediately asked when he saw Rocky.


    "She wanted to find a mate for Ally," Rocky answered.


    "Well, did she find the suitable one?" Ramon''s interest was piqued.


    "I actually just found one."


    "W


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    t be anyone disturbing you here. Take your time to merge with it," Rocky said to Ramon before he entered his lab.


    With that, Ramon began to concentrate on merging with the black martial spirit.


    About two hours later, Rocky felt a burst of spiritual aura coming from outside. "It seems that he has succeeded in fusing with the martial spirit." He then got out of the lab.


    He found Ramon standing there, without the martial spirit in sight. He felt Ramon''s spiritual aura had broken through to the King Realm. His aura felt much stronger and colder than before.


    "Do you want to try your skills?" Rocky asked.


    "That''s exactly what I want." As soon as Ramon finished his words, the spiritual sword behind him flew up and shot towards Rocky at lightning speed.


    In response, Rocky used the Frozen Wind Dagger to meet his opponent¡¯s attack. Just when the two weapons were about to collide, Ramon''s spiritual sword disappeared in an instant.


    Rocky was caught off guard. He then made his dagger move randomly to create a Dagger Dome.

 Chapter 1465 The Purple Demonic Zone

    Boom!


    In a flash, Ramon¡¯s spiritual sword shot out and hit the Dagger Dome. However, his strength was still a little inferior to Rocky''s, and thus it was a long shot for him to break the Dagger Dome that easily.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to have such a surge of power after breaking through to the King Realm. It¡¯s an amazing feeling.¡± Ramon couldn¡¯t help but sigh as he looked at his hands.


    ¡°Awesome, right?¡± Rocky said with a bright smile.


    ¡°Yeah. Can¡¯t be better! Thank you so much,¡± Ramon responded as he cupped his hands. If it wasn¡¯t for Rocky, he wouldn¡¯t know when he would be able to reach the King Realm. For any spirit warrior, it was very important for them to break through to the King Realm since it was the watershed of their strength. After they reached this level, it would be as if they had entered an utterly different and vast stage.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no need to thank me. I did this to return your favor. For now, I still want you to keep inquiring about the news for me,¡± Rocky replied casually.


    ¡°No problem. I¡¯m on it.¡± This time, Ramon received such a big favor from Rocky. Even though he was a man who seemed to be stone-hearted, there was no doubt that it would soften a little towards Rocky. Moreover, he was continuously having a different view of the young man. He knew that although Rocky had a lot of secrets and mysteries surrounding him, he could still fully trust him.


    ¡°So, let¡¯s go?¡± After saying that, Rocky instantly got out of his Magic Spiritual Space wi


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    .


    ¡°And who is this young man?¡± Tyson asked as he saw Rocky, which obviously looked unfamiliar to him.


    ¡°He is Basil. He¡¯s a member of my team and he has just arrived in the Sword Spirit City not long ago,¡± Ramon introduced as he glanced at Rocky.


    ¡°Nice to meet you!¡± Rocky greeted as he cupped his hands.


    ¡°Oh? I heard a lot about him. So, he¡¯s that guy who had been causing quite a sensation in the Sword Spirit City recently?¡± Tyson remarked as he wore a surprised look on his face. ¡°I didn¡¯t imagine that you¡¯d be this young. I heard that you¡¯ve already broken through to the King Realm. You must be very talented!¡±


    ¡°Ha-ha. I¡¯m very flattered," Rocky responded politely.


    ¡°By the way, Tyson, we¡¯re here because we need the topographic map of the Purple Demonic Zone. Please lend me the latest one.¡± Ramon went straight to the point.


    ¡°The Purple Demonic Zone? What are you going to do there? That place is very dangerous,¡± Tyson asked as his face instantly got serious.


    ¡°Well, we have to sneak into the zone to investigate the stronghold of the Robber Regiment and make sure that they really have a hideout in there,¡± Ramon answered straightforwardly.


    ¡°What? I don¡¯t think so! The terrain there is very difficult to access. Moreover, that place is a nest of powerful monsters. Just by common sense, it would be impossible for the Robber Regiment to establish a hideout in there. I¡¯m not too sure, but the tip you acquired might be wrong,¡± Tyson said as he shook his head.

 Chapter 1466 Investigate The Robber Regiment

    "Even if they are not there, we must go and look around. This task was personally assigned to us by the governor and cannot be ignored." Ramon insisted on following the bigoted course.


    "If you insist, then I can''t stop you. I''ll give you the topographic map. How many people have you brought with you?" Tyson asked after hesitating for a while.


    "Just the two of us," Ramon replied.


    "What? Just you two. Stop screwing around. The Purple Demonic Zone is extremely dangerous and even a strong warrior at the King Realm needs to think twice before venturing inside. It''s too dangerous for you two to enter it alone." Tyson''s face changed dramatically when he heard the risky plan.


    "Don''t worry, Tyson. We can take care of ourselves," Ramon replied, neither anxious nor impatient.


    "No, no. If you really want to go there, then how about I go with you as well? One more person, one more helper, eh?" Tyson offered, still shaking his head.


    "It''s kind of you to offer, but you''re in charge of the sentry here. If you come with us and som


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    chest.


    "Wait for me here. I''ll sneak in alone," Ramon ordered after thinking for a while. He was experienced in these kinds of tasks, so he decided to act alone. It seemed more suitable.


    "The stronghold looks enormous. You won''t be able to investigate it alone. The longer you stay inside, the higher will be your chances of being discovered. Why don''t you go in from the east, and I''ll go in from the west? We''ll meet up in the middle." Rocky pointed at a tower in the center of the building.


    "All right."


    The decision was made, and the duo parted ways.


    Since Rocky had experienced hundreds of battles and directed thousands of troops in the Wild Spirit Land, it was simple for him to sneak into buildings like the one in front of him. He successfully made his way inside soon after the duo separated.


    As soon as he entered the stronghold, he saw a group of people from the Robber Regiment patrolling the area. He immediately hid in the dark. Once the group had gone far, he reappeared and began to observe his surroundings.

 Chapter 1467 Being Besieged

    Although the area Rocky was in was not that large, it was densely packed with buildings. They were low tile-roofed houses and were connected to each other. Based from what he could see, he guessed that they might be the homes of the members of the Robber Regiment.


    After he finished his initial observation, he sneaked in even deeper and began to estimate the number of the Robber Regiment members.


    Once he got out of the residential area, he noticed on a hillside not far from his right side was a pavilion made of bamboo and wood. It looked completely out of place among all the other houses. A fence circled around the pavilion and it stood alone, as if it was the residence of a senior member of the Robber Regiment.


    While Rocky was observing the pavilion, he saw a woman in white appear. She was surrounded by several female spirit warriors and all of them stopped in front of the pavilion on the hillside. Although he was rather far away, he could see that the woman ordered the spirit warriors to wait outside before she entered the pavilion alone.


    "Isn''t that woman the one who led the Robber Reg


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    mon at an immense disadvantage.


    "You leave first. I''ll cover you," Rocky immediately ordered.


    "No, let''s leave together." Ramon would never leave Rocky behind alone.


    "Glutton, stop those in the west!" Since Ramon was unwilling to leave, Rocky immediately summoned Glutton and ordered it to fight the spirit warriors.


    With a roar, Glutton immediately pounced on the spirit warriors gathered in the west.


    Thanks to the fact that Glutton was a demonic spiritual beast with overbearing aura, the spirit warriors in the west could not hide their fear and their siege came to a halt.


    However, the old man in gray also blocked their route of retreat and left them no way to escape.


    Soon, Eunice Di who Rocky just saw taking a bath also appeared.


    "We''re in big trouble!" When Rocky saw that they were completely surrounded, his eyes narrowed. Although they were not weak, Eunice Di brought along some warriors at the King Realm. Even with their combined strength, the two of them were not powerful enough to deal with so many spirit warriors.


    "I have to find a way!" Rocky murmured to himself.

 Chapter 1468 A Good Way To Escape

    Suddenly, an idea popped into Rocky''s head. He shouted at Eunice, "Eunice, I found you at last!"


    "Huh? It''s you!" When Eunice first set her eyes on Rocky, she immediately recognized him. She could not mask the mild shock and anger on her delicate face. She never expected Rocky to show up there before she could look for him.


    "Eunice, it''s me! This is genuinely me! I''m your fiance! Don''t you remember me?" Rocky couldn''t get the bitterness out of his face.


    "What fiance? What the hell are you talking about?" Eunice suddenly fell into a rage.


    At that point, Ramon couldn''t resist looking at Rocky. Initially, he seemed confused, but soon he understood and could not help but laugh a bit. He didn''t expect Rocky to use such a subversive tactic, but he thought Rocky had a plan.


    The members of the Robber Regiment surrounding Rocky and Ramon heard them speak, and they all looked at each other in confusion. It was apparent that they did not know that Eunice had a fiance, and for most of them, her identity was a bit of a mystery. Only a few people in the Robber Regi


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    out right now." Eunice did not want them both to escape, so out of frustration, she promptly shouted an order to her men, who stood motionless and dared not to act rashly.


    How could they possibly take Eunice''s life for a joke? If anything terrible happened to her, they might receive punishment or even die. So, they couldn''t reach a decision.


    Even the old man in grey frowned deeply and did nothing foolish.


    "What are you standing around for? Come on. Get him now!" When she noticed they weren''t doing anything, Eunice grew even more upset.


    "Miss Eunice, it''s not a big deal to kill them. We''re concerned about what''s going to happen to you. We will get punished, and it will be tough for us to explain the incident later on!" the old man explained at once.


    Eunice didn''t answer, but the old man had a point.


    "They seem very concerned about your life. Then we don''t want to be rude, so come with us peacefully." When Rocky finished speaking, he called Glutton without delay. He let Ramon get on Glutton first, and then he flew onto its back along with Eunice.

 Chapter 1469 The Negotiation

    ¡°Take us somewhere safe, Glutton!¡± Rocky commanded the beast.


    With a thunderous roar, Glutton soared to the sky and quickly flew away from the Purple Demonic Zone.


    The elder in grey immediately chased after them alongside several mighty King Realm warriors to protect Eunice from Rocky¡¯s attacks.


    An hour of flying had passed. Rocky discovered that a few people were still on their tail. He redirected his gaze and guided Glutton to land on the dense jungle below them.


    The beast followed his instruction and soon landed.


    ¡°You can return to the Magic Spiritual Space now," Rocky informed Glutton. Then he redirected his attention to Ramon and said, ¡°You won¡¯t be able to shake off those guys so easily. You should return to the post house. I¡¯ll meet you there and join you once I distract them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d prefer to stay with you. I could give you a hand when necessary,¡± Ramon insisted with a frown. Although they had taken Eunice as a hostage, he was still worried.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It will be fine as long as she¡¯s with me," Rocky assured him with a smile.


    ¡°Just be careful.¡± Ramon realized that remaining by Rocky¡¯s side would be unnecessary. He immediately


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    ice''s delicate body couldn¡¯t help but tremble as fear surged through her. She never expected him to have a side so icy and brutal.


    ¡°Have you changed your mind yet?¡± he asked through slightly squinted eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s in it for me?¡± she asked, trying to negotiate. She didn¡¯t want to be used for nothing.


    ¡°You¡¯re one step away from ascending into the King Realm, right?¡± he questioned.


    ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m about to break through soon!¡± Eunice answered with a nod.


    ¡°What if I can help you get there quicker?¡± he offered.


    ¡°Stop messing around! If that was possible, then the sky would collapse on us all.¡± She still believed he was just joking.


    ¡°Then let me show you how capable I am of making that happen.¡± And with those words, Rocky took her to his Magic Spiritual Space.


    ¡°Where am I?¡± Once she realized she had entered another space, her mouth gaped open in shock.


    ¡°My place. You¡¯re welcome,¡± Rocky replied before he shouted, ¡°Come out, guys! We¡¯ve got a beautiful guest today!¡±


    Instantly, Eunice witnessed countless martial spirits emerge from thin air. She found herself at a loss for words. She¡¯d never seen so many spirits gathered together before.

 Chapter 1470 Ally With The Robber Regiment (Part One)

    "Where did you get so many martial spirits?" Eunice asked with a look of disbelief. These many martial spirits showing up simultaneously was totally beyond her imagination. In the Supreme Ether Land, it was exceedingly rare for a spirit warrior to see one. So, it was difficult to imagine that Rocky would have so many martial spirits all for himself.


    "You don''t need to know that. What''s important is that you can choose one for yourself. I am sure there is a suitable one for you in here," Rocky replied.


    "Are you really willing to let me fuse with one of the martial spirits?" Eunice didn''t understand why Rocky was willing to let her merge with a martial spirit, especially one that was his own. Logically speaking, even if Rocky didn''t kill her, there was no way he would let her be benefited in any way. Whatever was happening right now didn''t make sense.


    "Consider it a re


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    mise that from now on, you won''t harm the people of the Sword Spirit City," Rocky reminded. He was hoping that his cooperation with Eunice wouldn''t get compromised from external factors. If it succeeded, he would find himself a strong ally in her.


    "You don''t have to remind me of that. But as a thank-you gift, I should warn you that the Grand Sky Sect has targeted the Sword Spirit City. I think they want to annex the city and expand their own force. You know that the sect is the most important force in the Sovereign Pavilion which means that if there''s a conflict between you two, the Sovereign Pavilion will turn a blind eye to their actions. I believe that counts as a bad thing," Eunice warned him.


    "Aren''t you afraid that telling me this would ruin your relationship with the Grand Sky Sect?" Rocky knew that the Robber Regiment and the Grand Sky Sect were on one side.

 Chapter 1471 Ally With The Robber Regiment (Part Two)

    "That''s none of your business. Now, let me out!" Eunice replied.


    Rocky nodded and brought Eunice out of his Magic Spiritual Space.


    When Eunice came to her senses, she found that she was back where she had been taken from. Rocky had disappeared without a trace.


    "The guy is fast!" she remarked with a smile. "But this is the first time I''ve come across such a person. He just let me have a martial spirit for myself so easily."


    As for Rocky, he rushed back to the post house as fast as he could after leaving Eunice. Seeing that Rocky was back unharmed, Ramon was relieved.


    "You two are so lucky to have kidnapped the leader of the Robber Regiment and then escape unscathed. But why didn''t you bring her back here?" Tyson, asked in confusion after hearing Ramon''s tale.


    "Tyson, we don''t know the ins and outs of the Robber Regiment yet. If we k


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    ly be suspected. Just as Rocky had expected, Miguel had found a scapegoat to take the responsibility of leaking the information to protect himself.


    However, Rocky remained calm because he wanted to see what other tricks Miguel could pull.


    After confirming the whereabouts of the stronghold of the Robber Regiment, Harrison asked the Sword Spirit Sect for permission. The next day, a team led by two elders of the Sword Spirit Sect, with more than ten warriors at the King Realm and a hundred disciples at the Spirit Realm rushed at the stronghold. However, they arrived to find an empty and deserted place. The robbers were long gone.


    In any case, although they failed to wipe out the Robber Regiment, they had still given its members a head-on blow this time. This way, Rocky and Ramon made another important contribution to the Sword Spirit Sect.

 Chapter 1472 To Compete For The Security Hall Leader

    Harrison strategically held an assembly to commend Rocky and Ramon in public. He also announced the pending transfer of the current Security Hall leader to the Sword Spirit Sect, where he would serve in a critical position, but it likewise indicated that the Security Hall would have no leader in the meantime. Traditionally, the city''s governor would appoint someone to the position as soon as possible, but a lot had changed in recent years. Many talents had appeared in the Sword Spirit City, so a fair competition was organized, and whoever won in the contest would be the one to take the position. In other words, whoever was the strongest would become their leader. The requirements for participating in the competition were very simple. Firstly, the candidates must be at the King Realm and had surpassed the primary stage of the Spiritual Infant. Secondly, they should have a current position inferior to that of the hall leader, which implied that anyone who had the appropriate levels could participate in the competition.


    Although there was no limit in terms of the participants'' strength, those who surpassed the middle stage of the Spiritual Infant among the warriors at the King Realm were highly unlikely to participate in the competition. That was because there were only dozens of warriors at the King Realm in the whole Sword Spirit City, and most of them were at the primary stage of the Spiritual Infant. Therefore, there were not a lot of warriors at the middle stage of the Spiritual Infant. Besides, those who had already reached such a realm tended to join the Sword Spirit Sect instead to recei


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    d Spirit City. It''s better to befriend him since we need to have a good working relationship anyway," he remarked.


    "You are the only one who says such good things about him. Many spirit warriors in the Sword Spirit City don''t like him because he is as stubborn as a mule," Tessa noted, pouting her lips in a small frown.


    "You can say that to him in person," answered Rocky teasingly.


    "Forget it. I''d better not provoke him. Anyway, are you going on this special training because of the competition for the position of the Security Hall''s leader?" Tessa asked.


    "That''s right. By the way, there''s one thing you don''t know. Ramon has recently broken through to the King Realm. But no one knows about it except for me, and now, you," Rocky told her quietly.


    "Really? That''s great! I''m very happy for him," Tessa uttered, looking delighted at the news.


    "However, the warriors at the King Realm who are competing to be the Security Hall''s leader must be relatively senior in the Sword Spirit City. Both their strength and experience must be very rich, so the competition will undoubtedly be incredibly fierce. Ramon and I have just broken through to the King Realm not long ago, and we are surely weaker compared to them. That is why we need to do this special training. If we don''t, we will definitely lose," said Rocky modestly. But the truth was that he was already in the middle stage of the Spiritual Infant. Now that he had the Scarlet Heaven Jade to strengthen his cultivation, the other competitors would probably be no match for him unless they were at the premium stage of the Spiritual Infant.

 Chapter 1473 The Special Training

    "That''s true. How are you going to carry out the special training this time? Do you have a plan?" Tessa asked.


    "I heard that there''s a place called the Black-devouring Swamp on the south side of the Sword Spirit City. Rumor has it that the strongest demonic beasts in it have reached the medium Spiritual Infant stage of the King Realm, and the weakest one is at least near the level of King Realm. I think it''s a good place for our special training," Rocky explained.


    "Isn''t it too dangerous to go there?" Tessa couldn''t help but frown.


    "If it''s not dangerous, then it can''t be called special training," Rocky replied with a smile.


    "I really can''t understand you, but I''ll be with you every step of the way," Tessa sighed, giving Rocky a reproachful look.


    "You want to go there with us?" Rocky clarified, casting her a sidelong glance.


    "Of course, I won''t allow you to go without me. Besides, I just received the personal guidance of the sect leader, and he has taught me his own swordsmanship. I want to grab the chance to practice it!" Tessa said excitedly.


    "All right." Rocky knew that even if he didn''t agree, Tessa would come with him anyway, so it was better for him to bring her along in the first place.


    While the two of them were busy talking as they moved, they arrived at the Security Hall. Both of them were met with the sight of Ramon waiting for Rocky.


    "Why are you here, Miss Tessa?" Ramon asked even though he could already hazard a guess a


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    ven within the extremely dangerous Black-devouring Swamp, he seemed like he was merely taking a leisurely stroll in his own backyard and picking anything he liked.


    Both Tessa and Ramon became numb at the sight. They both looked at Rocky like he was a monster.


    Of course, Rocky was actually still restraining himself. Since he was now at the medium Spiritual Infant stage of the King Realm, it wouldn''t be difficult for him to kill thirty demonic beasts at the King Realm within a day if he used his full strength. However, the purpose of his special training this time was to put on a show that would cover up people''s eyes and ears, so that he would only have to show his real strength in the battle for the position of the Security Hall leader. If he suddenly showed his strength beyond ordinary people''s imagination, he would certainly arouse all kinds of suspicions.


    Of course, this kind of extreme special training would also benefit Rocky. Although his body had cultivated to its limit when he was in the Wild Spirit Land, it was still not very strong in comparison of those strong masters'' in this land. In order to be able to match the growth of his strength, it was necessary to push the limits of his body and gain more experience.


    Meanwhile, Ramon found his physical limit after they killed the twentieth demonic beast at the King Realm. In the end, he had to raise the white flag and leave it up to Rocky alone to continue the hunt for more demonic beasts.

 Chapter 1474 Mastered The Thousand-star Swordsmanship

    Ramon and Tessa followed closely as they watched Rocky fighting off the beasts alone. They were actually amazed at what the young man could do. Both of them were considered as outstanding spirit warriors among their generation in the Sword Spirit City, but compared to Rocky, who had been brilliant ever since, they had to admit that they were far inferior to him.


    As the sun set and night fell, Rocky managed to kill thirty diabolical beasts at the King Realm and complete the team''s goal for that day at the same time.


    Then, the three of them found a cave where they could safely rest and recover their strength.


    "Whew! I''m so tired!" Tessa immediately sat on a rock as soon as she entered the cave. She began patting on her hands and feet, looking very exhausted from their activity for the day.


    At the same time, Ramon silently put down his spiritual sword and sat in another spot. He closed his eyes and started adjusting his breath.


    "Well, I''ll go cook some dinner first," Rocky uttered with a relaxed expression on his face. Although he had consumed a lot of physical and spiritual power from dealing with all the spiritual beasts from earlier, he still had sufficient strength to go on.


    "Really?


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    dsmanship, he would need an appropriate spiritual sword that could be used to perform the Thousand-star Swordsmanship. Therefore, he immediately searched for a suitable Spiritual Weapon on the other spiritual tablets, but ultimately didn''t find a suitable one.


    After that, he suddenly remembered that when he got the Scarlet Heaven Jade, he also took its master''s huge sword and ice armor with him.


    Hence, he wasted no time, left the Scarlet Heaven Jade, and returned to the Magic Spiritual Space. There, he found the sword and the armor from the warehouse.


    "These two should be considered as supreme Spiritual Weapons, but it seemed that they have completely lost their spiritual power..." After examining the sword and the armor for a while, Rocky was disappointed upon seeing that they just looked like ordinary weapons without any spiritual power.


    Then, he put down the armor and picked up the sword. When he first acquired it, he didn''t really notice how heavy it was. But now, he recognized that it should be about a hundred kilograms. If he held it for a while, he would be fine. However, if he wielded it for a longer time, he wouldn''t be able to use it effectively because it would wear him down.

 Chapter 1475 To Challenge Jasper

    "It''s actually a good sword, but I think it''s a little heavy and difficult to control. But for the time being, I guess this will make do," Rocky murmured to himself as he swung the sword a few times. Then, he made a scabbard for the sword with the most flexible and durable diabolic beast''s skin that he found. Since he had no idea what was the original name of the sword, he decided to name it the Mystical Dragon Sword.


    After putting the sword back into the scabbard that he just made, Rocky left his Magic Spiritual Space promptly.


    It was almost daybreak when he went back to the cave. Seeing that Ramon and Tessa had already recovered their physical and spiritual power, he quickly said, "Guys, let''s go! Today''s goal is to slay forty beasts!"


    "What? Forty? Did you forget how hard it was to kill thirty yesterday?" Ramon and Tessa were stunned upon hearing Rocky''s words, knowing that he was really serious.


    "We can do it! All of us need to improve, so it is better to set our goals higher." With a bright smile on his face, Rocky gestured at them to come out of the cave and start their busy day.


    Ramon and Tessa reluctantly got up and weren''t able to say anything else as they saw Rocky''s receding figure.


    The day quickly passed, and somehow, they managed to finish the tough task of slaying forty beasts. However, the following day, Rocky increased their target ag


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    , so they didn¡¯t participate yet, thinking that they should wait for a better opponent. At the moment, some King Realm warriors with Spiritual Infants at the primary stage just kept watching and didn¡¯t plan on participating anytime soon.


    Likewise, Xavier, who stood next to Miguel, shared the same sentiment.


    "Ramon, I guess it''s time for you to make an appearance. Why don''t you give it a try on him," Rocky urged Ramon as he saw the development of the competition.


    "I guess so too. I''ll stay undefeated until you show up there. I''ll wait for you," Ramon declared. Obviously, he was well-prepared for this. He didn''t waste the past half a month dilly-dallying. The next moment, he flew into the air like a mighty roc that spread its wings. He swept over everyone¡¯s head and instantly landed on the ring.


    The sudden appearance of Ramon caused quite a stir because almost nobody knew that he had already broken through to the King Realm.


    "That aura! Since when did Ramon break through to the King Realm? Impressive!" Even Harrison was surprised. Since then, among the batch of disciples that Ramon belonged to, Harrison had always thought highly of him. Now that he had done another great feat, he just showed that he was worthy of the governor''s trust.


    "Nice to see you here, sir. Let''s have a great fight," Ramon greeted, addressing Jasper Xu with the utmost respect.

 Chapter 1476 The New Champion

    "Captain Ramon, I must admit, your breaking through to the King Realm means you are indeed powerful. But I''m afraid you will be at a disadvantage if you challenge me, seeing that you''ve just made the breakthrough!" Jasper arrogantly teased.


    "We won''t know what will really happen until we fight." Ramon''s eyes narrowed at him.


    "Well then, let''s find out." As soon as the words left Jasper''s mouth, the spiritual sword behind him instantly soared high into the sky. Yet, the next moment, it immediately dove down into the ground and disappeared from sight.


    Jasper''s Body-trapping Swordsmanship had the ability to easily pierce through stone which allowed it to hide underground, waiting for the right time to strike its clueless opponent.


    But little did he know Ramon was aware of this technique. Ramon stood there with his guard down, acting as if he had no clue what was going on.


    Everyone watching was also confused by what was happening. Although they knew


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    ce he had only recently reached the King Realm, Jasper let his guard down, which allowed Ramon to defeat him. If a different opponent at Jasper¡¯s level was more cautious, Ramon couldn¡¯t defeat his opponent.


    Again, to everyone''s surprise Ramon defeated several senior warriors at the King Realm who obtained Spiritual Infant at the the primary stage in succession, proving his amazing strength!


    "Although Ramon has just broken through to the King Realm, he moves like an experienced fighter. He never misses the chance to land a lethal strike. I don''t know how he cultivated this technique!" Harrison commended him.


    The other hall leaders nodded in agreement.


    Ramon proved himself time and time again by defeating many senior warriors. That was not an easy feat!


    Seeing Ramon be in the limelight, Xavier couldn''t stand it anymore. As soon as the former defeated another powerful fighter, the latter rushed into the field and landed in front of his opponent.

 Chapter 1477 Ramons Loss

    "Captain Xavier, please!" Ramon said nothing more except gesture.


    "It appears I have underestimated you, Captain Raman. I knew you could win one or two rounds at most, but I never expected you to achieve them all in one go. That¡¯s no easy feat!" Xavier admitted dismally.


    "All I did was give it my best during the battles. I thought about nothing else," Ramon replied calmly.


    "Good for you. However, that¡¯s where you¡¯ll have to stop. You¡¯ll certainly lose this round. Don¡¯t even think about securing the spot of Security Hall leader. You¡¯re not qualified for it!" Xavier exclaimed with disdain.


    "Captain Xavier, since we share the same title, wouldn¡¯t that make you just as unqualified?" Ramon retorted.


    "Don¡¯t you dare compare me to you!" Xavier replied arrogantly.


    "Cut the crap. Let¡¯s fight!" Ramon exclaimed with a cold scowl.


    Xavier¡¯s disrespect was no surprise. He quickly unsheathed the Blood Sword behind him as it morphed into a red shadow that rushed towards Ramon.


    Unlike all their previous confrontations, Ramon wasn¡¯t passive this time with Xavier¡¯s attack. He knew that the latter¡¯s powe


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    etition abruptly?" Harrison asked him with a frown. He too felt that his interference in the battle was unnecessary.


    "I apologize, sir. Captain Ramon was in danger, so, out of habit, I stopped everything to defend him," Rocky replied with clasped hands.


    "Really? Well, I think Captain Xavier knows what he¡¯s doing." What Harrison didn''t know, however, was that Xavier was ready to slaughter Ramon.


    "It appears I just worried too much. But Captain Ramon has been seriously injured, so I will be admitting defeat on his behalf. I will battle Captain Xavier instead!" Rocky replied as he gazed back at Ramon.


    The crowd fell silent as his words fell on their ears.


    No one had expected Rocky to challenge Xavier so openly after the sudden intervention earlier. He had undoubtedly added fuel to the fire. With his current strength, he wasn¡¯t exactly in the best state to challenge Xavier.


    "Well, carry on then!" Harrison said nothing more. Once Ramon was attacked by Xavier''s sword array, he undoubtedly lost the battle. So it was reasonable for Rocky to challenge the new champion, Xavier, in the next round.

 Chapter 1478 Displayed The Thousand-star Swordsmanship

    Rocky nodded. Then he walked over to Ramon and asked, "Are you all right?"


    "I am all right. But his sword array is too powerful to resist. You must be careful and not exert yourself beyond your limits." Ramon had spent the last fortnight with Rocky and was aware that Rocky was much stronger than him. But he felt that even with his enormous strength, Rocky might not be able to break the sword array Xavier had developed.


    "Don''t worry. I know what I''m doing. You need to go back and heal yourself." Rocky helped him get up.


    Ramon nodded slightly, cast a glance at Xavier, and left the field.


    Now, only Rocky and Xavier were left on the field, and an eerie silence fell on their surroundings. The audience were trying to guess what would happen. Theoretically, Rocky was not a match for Xavier. However, the man had pulled off unimaginable stunts and surprised people every time there had been a battle. Therefore, the audience were expectant for something similar.


    "That guy is courting death," Miguel sneered sinisterly. He was sitting near the edge of the arena and was certain that Xavier would kill Rocky without mercy.


    "Boy, you are quick to react," Xavier remarked from between gritted teeth and looked at Rocky gloomily. If Rocky had been just a moment late, Ramon would have been dead.


    "Thank you. I won''t say anything more. Why don''t you teach me the swor


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    hed past him and looked around the crowd. "Who else wants to challenge me?"


    Since the crowd had already witnessed the overbearing power of the Thousand-star Swordsmanship, the rest of the warriors, even those at the King Realm, who were allowed to challenge him didn''t have the courage to do so anymore.


    Seeing that no one was coming up, Rocky looked at Harrison who was still in shock at what had happened.


    "There is no challenger anymore, so Basil is the winner. As the winner, Basil will be appointed the leader of Security Hall. Once I report to the Sword Spirit Sect and get their approval, his appointment will be official." Although Harrison was highly confused by Rocky''s swordsmanship, Rocky had won the post fair and square according to the rules of the competition.


    "Thank you very much, sir!" Rocky said gratefully, cupping his hands.


    "That''s all for today. Basil, come with me." Harrison beckoned Rocky.


    Rocky knew that the governor was going to ask him something about the Thousand-star Swordsmanship.


    Once they had left the training ground and were alone, Harrison turned around.


    "Basil, what''s the name of the swordsmanship you just used? It doesn''t seem to be a sword skill of our Sword Spirit City," Harrison asked straightforwardly.


    "Oh, it''s called the Thousand-star Swordsmanship," Rocky answered bluntly, not trying to hide the fact.

 Chapter 1479 Became The Hall Leader

    "It¡¯s true! It¡¯s the Thousand-star Swordsmanship! When did you learn it? And who taught you?" Harrison asked, bewildered at what he had just witnessed.


    "I got this swordsmanship the last time we went into the Martial Spirit Graveyard,¡± Rocky replied flatly. Of course, he had already come up with an excuse beforehand.


    "The Martial Spirit Graveyard¡­" Harrison uttered with furrowed brows. But after thinking for a while, he thought that it was indeed possible for Rocky to acquire this swordsmanship in the graveyard because all of the previous sect leaders had gone there to cultivate. One of them might have left it there unknowingly.


    "Does this swordsmanship have anything to do with the Sword Spirit City?" Rocky asked, although he already had some knowledge regarding it.


    "I¡¯ll tell you about it later. But remember, if someone asks you about this swordsmanship, tell him that you have just randomly learned it, or that you have created it yourself. Just don¡¯t tell anyone that it¡¯s the Thousand-star Swordsmanship. Do you understand?" Harrison warned.


    "All right. I got it." Rocky gave his word.


    "You can go ahead. I¡¯m going to meet the sect leader now." Harrison knew that this matter should be urgently reported to Timothy. After all, it turned out that a spirit warrior, who was not a sect leader, was able to master the Thousand-star Swordsmanship. It was a huge deal for the Sword Spirit Sect, and if the news spread out, it would definitely cause a big mess. Some clans and sects coveted the unique sword skill and might take advantage of the situation.


    "Then, I¡¯ll take my leave." Rocky bowed and eventually left.


    At the same time, Harrison immediately set out and f


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    ld also be in charge of the affairs of the Security Hall. This meant that Ramon¡¯s words were just equivalent to Rocky¡¯s.


    Behind it all, the main reason why Rocky wanted to be the leader of the hall was not because of accumulating power. It was because he knew that with this position, he could easily acquire more information about the Ethereal Region, thus giving him the opportunity to find the whereabouts of Marcia and the others. Therefore, the Security Hall was just a stepping stone for him.


    After successfully dealing with the affairs of the Security Hall, Rocky left the other tasks to Ramon and went out of the hall.


    As soon as he got out of the guard hall, he saw Hannah in a fascinating green dress, walking towards him.


    ¡°Miss Hannah, it¡¯s been a while. What are you doing here? I don¡¯t think that there is any escorting mission today,¡± Rocky asked as he greeted her.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m actually here for you,¡± Hannah said abruptly.


    ¡°Me? What can I do for you?¡± Rocky asked.


    "Nothing much. I actually came to see the governor, and then I heard that you have been officially appointed as the leader of the Security Hall, so I wanted to congratulate you." Recently, Hannah¡¯s impression of Rocky had also improved a lot. Especially after what he had done for Ally, she became friendlier towards the young man.


    "Oh, you don¡¯t need to. But anyway, thank you, Miss Hannah. I¡¯m actually flattered," Rocky replied with a sincere smile.


    "Well, of course, you have to thank me. After all, if I hadn¡¯t pick you up before, you wouldn¡¯t end up in this position," Hannah teased with a charming smile. Seeing that there was no one around, she let herself be comfortable around Rocky.

 Chapter 1480 The Genetic Repair Treatment

    ¡°Of course! I have always remembered your kindness since that day. In fact, I have some good news for you.¡± Rocky deemed that it was the perfect opportunity to tell her about it.


    ¡°Good news? What is it about?¡± Hannah asked in confusion.


    ¡°There is still a way to turn you into a spirit warrior,¡± Rocky said straightforwardly.


    ¡°Huh? That¡¯s impossible. The reason why I can¡¯t become a spirit warrior is that I have a natural physical defect. Even Doctor Lloyd has tried all the methods that he could come up with, but none of them was able to cure it,¡± Hannah explained. She was quite surprised at what Rocky suddenly said. Lloyd was a famous doctor in the entire Ethereal Region with superb medical skills. If even he was unable to do anything, then she was sure that there was nothing that could be done anymore.


    Therefore, she had basically given up the idea of being a spirit warrior long ago. However, Rocky was giving her a shred of hope again. She wondered whether she could trust him or not.


    ¡°I will never doubt the medical skills of Doctor Lloyd, but I¡¯m also sure that your physical defect can be altered. Maybe he just hasn¡¯t found the key breakthrough point that can cure your ailment,¡± Rocky answered, wearing a serious expression on his face. Indeed, Lloyd was a good doctor, but their world was still behind in the knowledge of modern science and technology. Therefore, no matter how brilliant his medical skills were, it would be im


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    that she had a lot of questions in mind.


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll answer those at a later time, Miss Hannah. Please come here to my laboratory first. Before we start, I have to do a complete physical examination for you. This is to ensure that your body can fully adapt to the genetic repair treatment that we will be doing,¡± Rocky informed.


    ¡°Genetic repair treatment? What is that?¡± Hannah was utterly confused because it was her first time hearing about it.


    ¡°Over here.¡± Rocky just smiled as he didn¡¯t have the time to explain everything to her. Moreover, even if he explained it to her, she might not understand any of it, so he just ushered her to his laboratory.


    After she entered the part of the spiritual space where Rocky¡¯s laboratory was, Hannah¡¯s expression quickly became a little complicated. All the things and equipment that she saw was beyond her knowledge and imagination. There were all strange things that she had never seen before.


    ¡°Miss Hannah, please sit on that table. I¡¯ll just prepare some of the things that we need for the treatment,¡± Rocky instructed as he pointed towards the operating table in the middle. Then, he walked to the experimental table to make some preparations.


    Perhaps it was because Hannah was too unfamiliar with everything that she was seeing in front of her that she felt very uneasy. After she sat on the operation table, her heart was throbbing hard, and she had no idea what would happened to her next.

 Chapter 1481 The First Dosage Worked

    Soon, Rocky put on a flimsy white gown, then walked up to Hannah.


    "You will fall asleep during the treatment." Rocky''s words made Hannah blush a bright crimson. After all, she was a conservative woman.


    "Don''t worry, Miss Hannah," Rocky said calmly, as though he''d read her mind. "I''m a gentleman, and I''m not interested in doing anything to you, given the circumstances."


    Flustered, Hannah said hurriedly, "Start already!"


    Rocky nodded curtly and prepared the gene serum he made using Hannah''s gene. When Hannah saw the syringe in Rocky''s hand, her rosy pink cheeks suddenly turned pale. "What''s that?"


    "It''s the gene serum," Rocky answered.


    "Are you going to inject me with it?" she asked warily, her voice trembling. The long, slim needle looked incredibly daunting to her.


    "Yes."


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    high.


    Watching her receding figure, the manager murmured to himself, "No one will believe that you two only talked in the room..."


    Since Ramon took over the affairs of the Security Hall, Rocky had a lot of time on his hands. He continued his gene research. The beast embryo that had been cultivated through asexual reproduction was able to form into a cub, which meant that he was successful in using the basic technique to fuse the genes of the bests of the Wild Spirit Land and the Supreme Ether Land. Whether the spiritual beast could let the different genes of the beasts from two lands give play to their advantages depended on the growth of the cub.


    "It will take at least half a month for the cub to fully take shape," Rocky muttered as he eyed the cub floating in the nutrient liquid.

 Chapter 1482 Lorenzos Guidance

    After he finished up his work in the lab, Rocky headed over to the Scarlet Heaven Jade. He had successfully challenged Darius and learned the peerless swordsmanship last time, so he moved on to challenge another spiritual tablet. That tablet belonged to a powerful being, Lorenzo, who used to be famous in the Supreme Ether Land.


    At first, Rocky was worried that Lorenzo was an extremely vicious and wicked man. However, he turned out to be quite the opposite.


    "You lost again!" Lorenzo cried happily, setting his chess piece onto the chessboard firmly. Eyes filled with amusement, he whispered triumphantly, "Checkmate."


    "Sir, your chess skills are impressive," Rocky said with a wistful sigh. "We''ve played at least a dozen rounds, yet I haven''t won once!" He was at a loss whether to cry or to laugh. Although he didn''t have much experience in chess, he thought he at least had a fighting chance. He never expected he would lose so miserably each time.


    "Ha-ha, don''t be discouraged," Lorenzo said, chuckling lightly. "You''re not so bad a player yourself, but are a little inferior compared to me."


    "But when


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    most familiar. I might have seen it somewhere before..." Hannah replied slowly.


    After hearing that, Rocky immediately looked at the chessboard. He tried to ignore his own chess pieces, and looked at Lorenzo''s pieces. Sure enough, after looking carefully, he found that those chess pieces formed a strange shape.


    "Didn''t you have prior plans?" Rocky reminded Hannah in a calculated voice.


    "Oh, right," she said, immediately losing interest in the chess game. "Send me out now."


    Rocky then sent her out of his Magic Spiritual Space. Upon returning, he opened the door and let her out of his room.


    Once Hannah was out the door, he hastily returned to the Magic Spiritual Space. Excitedly, he removed all his pieces from the board, leaving only Lorenzo''s. Then, he played out Lorenzo''s moves. Soon, he found that the patterns on the chessboard were like dynamic pictures, constantly changing according to certain shapes.


    "What on earth is this? Could it be an array? But it doesn''t look like that. The array doesn''t change so randomly. It looks too informal..." Rocky speculated, his eyes filled with wonder.

 Chapter 1483 Benedicts Sudden Visit

    In the end, Rocky just simply drew an area in his Magic Spiritual Space and engraved a big chessboard on the ground, trying to imitate it.


    Upon finishing the simulation, he finally found something noteworthy. The chess pieces on the chessboard formed a moving path, and as he moved along this path, he would eventually reach an advantageous position. Although he wasn¡¯t able to fully understand the principle behind the move, there was something with all the games that he had played with the Lorenzo. Rocky noticed that there was actually a kind of moving path that was hidden inside. It looked unpredictable and somewhat messy, but the end results were surprisingly the same.


    ¡°If Miss Hannah didn¡¯t point it out to me, I wouldn¡¯t have figured it so soon,¡± Rocky said to himself. He was fully aware that Hannah had helped him a lot this time.


    Without wasting any time, he immediately entered the Scarlet Heaven Jade and summoned Lorenzo.


    ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve already comprehended the footwork that was hidden in your chess game. However, I¡¯m not sure what kind of footwork this is. How can it give people a feeling that you are securing an invincible position?¡± Rocky asked, still a bit confused about the underlying principle.


    ¡°It is called the Demonic Chess Footwork. It is created by the ever-changing skills


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    hear Benedict Hong¡¯s comments.


    ¡°Master Benedict, I know you must have already heard that my daughter has been unable to become a spirit warrior because of her physical defect since childhood. If she happens to marry your son, instead of helping him, she might even become a burden. The Grand Sky Sect is also a major sect, and your son will be its future leader. I just think that you should find someone with equal strength as your son. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t think that my daughter will be fit for him.¡± Timothy continued finding whatever loophole there was to refuse in a proper way.


    ¡°What are you talking about? Although she is not a spirit warrior, I¡¯ve seen how Hannah grew up. I think she is very virtuous, dignified, and has the skill to manage a family. When my son becomes the sect leader in the future, I know that Hannah will help him manage the affairs of the sect very well. That alone is enough for me.¡± Benedict Hong seemed to have made up his mind and wouldn¡¯t take no for an answer.


    ¡°Well, I can see that you¡¯re pretty determined to marry my daughter to your son¡­¡± When he realized that Benedict Hong would do whatever he could to make the marriage happen, Timothy¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Of course. I don¡¯t think you have a reason to refuse, do you?¡± Benedict Hong asked with a cunning grin.

 Chapter 1484 The Suitable Candidate

    "Just think about it. If our clans became united by marriage, we will become of great importance in the Sovereign Sect. I think you know the relationship between the Grand Sky Sect and the Sovereign Pavilion. As long as you explain everything to Hannah, I don''t think that she would refuse." Benedict deliberately mentioned the name of the Sovereign Pavilion to show Timothy that he was indeed serious in what he was proposing.


    The truth was that the relationship between the Grand Sky Sect and the Sovereign Pavilion was also brought by a marriage. Back then, in order to gain the support of the Sovereign Pavilion, Benedict''s younger sister had to marry the former leader of the Sovereign Pavilion who was already over seventy years old. That was the main reason why the Grand Sky Sect could become what it was today.


    "Well..." Timothy was almost rendered speechless as Benedict strongly insisted on the marriage. He didn''t want to give in, but also couldn''t just flatly refuse him. Just as Benedict said, the Grand Sky Sect had close ties with the Sovereign Pavilion. It meant that the Sword Spirit Sect couldn''t do something that might directly offend the Grand Sky Sect.


    "I think you''re wrong. Although I''m a woman, I still have the right to make my own decision when it comes to my marriage." Suddenly, a sweet voice echoed throughout the hall.


    A moment later, a beautiful woman walked in and appeared before them. She was very graceful and looked very composed. It was none other than Tim


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    eone suggested.


    "I agree. Basil is still very young but he has already made much progress in cultivating his strength. For me, he''s a young talent and a perfect candidate." Uriel gave his approval. After all, Rocky left a good impression on him the last time they went to the Martial Spirit Graveyard, so he didn''t hesitate to recommend him.


    "I can also vouch for Basil. I''m confident in his skills and strength." Hannah joined in and also recommended Basil.


    "No. Basil can''t participate in this competition. Let us think of another one," Timothy suddenly declared as he shook his head.


    Hearing the sudden objection, the elders and the officials immediately looked at Timothy with a confused look on their faces. They all wondered why he wouldn''t think that Basil was the right choice.


    As Hannah cast a glance at her father, she instantly understood what he was thinking. Although Rocky was indeed a remarkable warrior, there were still a lot of mysteries shrouding him. If he only stayed in the Sword Spirit City, it might be just fine. However, if he won the competition and became Hannah''s husband, everything would be different.


    "Hannah, do you think that there is any other person that could represent the Sword Spirit City?" Timothy asked to divert the topic from Rocky.


    "Aside from Basil, Ramon should also be a good candidate. I heard that he performed well during the competition for the position of the Security Hall leader," Hannah responded after giving it some thought.

 Chapter 1485 Summoned To His Study

    "I''m afraid Ramon is still a little weak, so need to do something about that," Timothy said.


    "I suggest that in this competition, we allow the participants to compete using their comprehensive ability and not just with pure strength. That way, Ramon can still have an advantage over the other competitors. That''s the only thing we can do," Hannah recommended.


    "I think we should come up with a decision first. And then we can discuss the specific arrangements tomorrow," Timothy added as he waved his hand.


    "Okay. I''ll talk to Ramon about it." After saying that, Hannah left straight away.


    Since it was an urgent matter, she rushed to the Sword Spirit City as fast as she could, where she found Ramon in the Security Hall. She immediately explained to him the current situation.


    "So, you are planning to hold a martial arts competition to select the best person to marry, and you want me to participant in it?" Ramon was stunned after hearing Hannah''s words.


    "That''s right." Hannah nodded quickly.


    "But why are you asking me to take part in it? There are a lot more disciples in the Sword Spirit Sect that are stronger, and therefore, more suitable than me," Ramon asked in confusion.


    "Well, your age meets the requiremen


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    ity and headed for the Sword Spirit Sect at the mountainside, west of the city.


    Not long after, they arrived in the Sword Spirit Sect. He looked around a little bit, as it was his first time to visit the Sword Spirit Sect. It looked like an ordinary sect and seemed to have a long history.


    However, for the spirit warriors in the Sword Spirit City, the Sword Spirit Sect was like a sacred place. Even ordinary spirit warriors at the King Realm couldn''t easily enter the Sword Spirit Sect, and there were only a few hundred people in the entire Sword Spirit Sect.


    "This way please..." The man called for Rocky''s attention again. They headed toward the southern side, where they passed through a spacious road and entered a stone path paved with cobblestones. Not long after, Rocky saw a single elegant building in front of them.


    In the middle of the building was an open door. The decoration inside was indistinctly visible, and the room looked like a study.


    As soon as the two of them arrived in front of the study, the man reported politely, "Master Timothy, I''ve brought him here."


    "Let him in!" Timothy''s calm voice echoed from somewhere within the study.


    Hearing that, the man turned to Rocky and said, "You may enter."

 Chapter 1486 Timothys Secret Arrangements

    Upon entering the study, Rocky instantly saw Timothy standing in front of several portraits, seemingly lost in thought. He also took a look at those magnificent portraits, and it didn''t take long before his eyes were fixed on one of them. On the portrait was no other than the one who taught him the Thousand-star Swordsmanship¡ªthe former leader of the Sword Spirit Sect, Darius.


    "Master Timothy!" Rocky greeted the sect leader as he cupped his hands.


    "You''re finally here. Have a seat." Timothy turned around and pointed him to the couch.


    Rocky nodded and immediately did as told.


    "Do you know why I summoned you today?" Timothy asked upon sitting across Rocky.


    "I have a hunch, but I''m not really sure about it," Rocky answered with honesty.


    "Then go ahead and make a guess," Timothy insisted.


    "I heard that Miss Hannah is going to hold a martial arts competition that will determine the warrior that she would marry. I''m assuming that it has something to do with that, right?" Rocky asked straightforwardly.


    "You''re really good at this sort of thing. But that''s just partially correct. There is more to it..." Timothy slightly nodded as his expression immediately became more serious.


    "I''m listening. Please tell me what you need me to do," Rocky responded earnestly.


    "Harrison told me just recently that when you competed for the position of the Security Hall leader, you happened to use the most powerful swordsmanship of the Sword Spirit Sect, the


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    de this decision knowing all the possible consequences. Although this will be a little unfair for her, it''ll be much better than for her to marry someone that she doesn''t even like. Her mother died when she was still a child. On the other hand, I was always busy taking care of the sect''s affairs. Hence, she has been living all alone since she was little. I felt so sorry for her, so I can''t stomach the thought that she has to offer herself to others just for the sake of the Sword Spirit Sect. At least if you win, she can still get her freedom after she marries you. Now, are you still up for it?" Timothy asked with a stern voice.


    "Does Miss Hannah know about this?" Rocky asked in the moment of his hesitation.


    "Not yet. And don''t let her know first. After all, it''s still uncertain whether you can win the competition or not. You can tell her after you win," Timothy said in a bit of a gloomy tone.


    "I see. I will do my best to win. For Miss Hannah''s sake too..." Rocky finally agreed.


    "Thank you. I will remember everything that you have done for the Sword Spirit Sect and my family as well," Timothy declared gently.


    "I know I haven''t been in the Sword Spirit City for a long time, but with all the trust that you are bestowing me, I promise that I won''t let you down," Rocky stated with a burning determination.


    "All right. I expect you to do your best. You may leave now. I will send people to inform you once the arrangements are done," Timothy said.

 Chapter 1487 The Two Got Ready

    After that, Rocky left Timothy''s study.


    Hannah, who was looking for her father, happened to see Rocky just as he was leaving. ''Why did he come out of my father''s study?'' she wondered.


    After hesitating for a while, she entered the study.


    "Here you are! Basil just left," Timothy mentioned casually, guessing that his daughter would have seen Rocky leaving the room.


    "What did you two talk about?" asked Hannah.


    "Nothing serious. I just wanted to know how much progress he has made in imparting the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill to Tessa," Timothy replied calmly.


    "Oh, I see," Hannah responded, but there was a hint of suspicion in her eyes. After all, it didn''t make sense for her father and Rocky to discuss such a small matter in private.


    "Have you figured out the arrangement of the martial arts competition?" Timothy asked.


    "Yes. I have made it clear to Ramon, and he will try his best." Hannah nodded.


    "That''s good. From now on, we have no way but to leave it up to luck," Timothy said with a small smile.


    The next day, the news that the daughter of the Sword Spirit Sect''s leader would wed the man who won a competition in martial arts spread throughout the Ethereal Region


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    .


    Ramon watched Hannah walked out of the room, and then turned his gaze to the pieces of paper. For a while, he was deeply conflicted, but in the end, he picked them up. Although it was against his principles, he decided to take a look at the contents of the test for Hannah''s sake.


    Meanwhile, Rocky arrived at Lounge No. 23 and sneaked into it without being noticed.


    The man in the lounge stared at Rocky without the slightest trace of surprise on his face.


    "Sir, you are..." Rocky cupped his hands.


    "It doesn''t matter who I am. The most important thing is that you have to pretend to be me today. These are my clothes. From now on, consider yourself the representative of the Heaven Shadow Pavilion," the man said seriously.


    "I see. Thank you!" Rocky responded, cupping his hands again.


    Then, the man opened the door and disappeared without a trace.


    Rocky put on the man''s clothes as fast as he could. At last, he put on a mask that covered half his face. By this way, he would pretend to be the representative of the Shadowy Sky Pavilion.


    Soon, there was a knock at the door, followed by a voice.


    "Representative of the Heaven Shadow Pavilion, the competition is about to begin."

 Chapter 1488 The Duels

    "Okay," Rocky echoed.


    When he was all set and ready, he came out of the lounge at the exact moment to see Ramon coming out as well, but he didn''t budge and continued walking past him with ease.


    It was apparent that Ramon didn''t recognize him. A short time later, they set out on separate paths, leaving the lounge with the other representatives and heading for the Sword God Square.


    When they arrived at the square, over twenty representatives had already lined up.


    "Now, let''s begin the test. Each representative will soon receive an envelope containing your specific task, and the scope of this mission lies within our Sword Spirit Sect. If you fail to complete the task within the specified timeframe, you are considered eliminated." Hannah personally announced the first test.


    In no time, more than twenty representatives present received an envelope. When they opened it, they saw a thumb-width note inside, with a line of words indicating the task''s contents.


    "Let''s begin," Hannah instructed.


    After that, all the representatives quickly dispersed and carried out their tasks.


    Rocky was waiting for everyone to leave before he moved out


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    used his most dominant defensive spiritual skill.


    In a matter of seconds, the two waves of spiritual power of the King Realm clashed.


    After a moment of standstill, the two sides seemed to be evenly matched again. However, Ramon, who had not yet regained his physical advantage, unexpectedly leaped upon Wayne Lin just when everyone thought he could defend himself against Wayne Lin''s attack. The two of them rolled to the ground and beat each other up like hooligans in close combat.


    The Sword Spirit Sect''s swordsmanship was mainly used for long-range attacks, and it rarely attacked up close. Thus, Ramon''s sudden change in his method of attack shocked everyone in attendance.


    A startled Wayne Lin didn''t expect Ramon to do such a thing. Without precaution, he was naturally at a disadvantage. After two hellish training, Ramon''s body had become a lot more solid. While Wayne Lin was also undoubtedly strong, he was still not as great as Ramon.


    In this kind of hand-to-hand combat, Ramon seized every opportunity to give Wayne Lin heavy blows.


    In the end, with this unexpected change of play, Ramon ultimately won the match without any risk.

 Chapter 1489 Rocky Versus Edgar (Part One)

    Ramon¡¯s hard-fought victory made the members of the Sword Spirit Sect breathe a sigh of relief. As long as he won the next match, he would be able to reach the finals. By then, his chances of winning the entire competition would be at least fifty percent.


    ¡°Well done! I must say that his performance was really impressive.¡± At the same time, Rocky, who was watching on the sidelines expressed his admiration. He could see that with Ramon¡¯s current strength, as long as he didn¡¯t meet someone far superior to him, then he shouldn¡¯t have any trouble fighting to the end.


    ¡°Today¡¯s tests are all over. The next two battles will not start until tomorrow morning!¡± Hannah briefly announced. It was already dusk when the events for that day finished.


    After that, the representatives of the clans and sects headed back and the spectators also left the area.


    Ramon, as well as the four participants who weren¡¯t able to fight that day, returned to their respe


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    As a result, the warrior¡¯s face turned ghastly pale. He didn¡¯t expect that Rocky would be this powerful. Although he tried his best to get out of the spiritual net, he utterly failed.


    Everyone was surprised to see that Rocky could suppress his opponent to this extent. After all, they saw his performance from his previous matches, and it seemed that he wasn¡¯t someone noteworthy.


    Under the intense pressure that Rocky was exuding, his opponent kept on retreating and couldn¡¯t fight back anymore. Within five minutes, he was badly mauled over.


    ¡°Do you still want to continue?¡± Rocky asked as he stood in front of his opponent.


    ¡°I¡­¡± The warrior stared at Rocky in awe as he caught his breath. ¡°I yield!¡± The warrior was not a fool. He knew that if he didn¡¯t concede, Rocky would just continue to make him agonize and there was no way that he could turn the tables. Therefore, it was wiser to admit defeat than suffer more losses than necessary.

 Chapter 1490 Rocky Versus Edgar (Part Two)

    With that, this representative admitted defeat in less than an hour, which shocked everyone present. Even Knox took more than two hours to make his opponent yield.


    However, since the people weren¡¯t totally convinced of Rocky¡¯s strength, they assumed that it was just a fluke.


    Soon enough, the four warriors who were advancing towards the next round were determined. They were Ramon from the Sword Spirit Sect, Knox from the Grand Sky Sect, Edgar from the Sovereign Pavilion, and Rocky, who was disguised as the representative of the Heaven Shadow Pavilion.


    ¡°Right now, I will draw the pairings that will face each other in the next round. The winners from these battles will gain the spot for the final battle!¡± Hannah announced as the audience grew curious about the match-ups.


    There was an uproar in the crowd, knowing that the battles would definitely be fierce and they would have a chance to witness such a good showdown. Of


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    of fans around here,¡± Rocky teased as he heard the screams of the female warriors.


    ¡°They¡¯re here out of their own volition. It¡¯s not like I could stop them from doing what they want,¡± Edgar answered arrogantly.


    ¡°It must be good to be a handsome guy like you. Unlike me, I¡¯m rather ugly that I can only cover my face with this mask,¡± Rocky said as he sighed.


    ¡°Anyway, I saw your fight yesterday, and I could say that it was no fluke. I actually look forward to fighting you seriously. I know that I can¡¯t underestimate your abilities. Therefore, I also decided that I¡¯m going to go all-out!¡± Edgar exclaimed.


    ¡°Please do so!¡± Rocky answered with a faint smile.


    All of a sudden, Edgar took out a Beast Spirit Jade and threw it into the air. As the jade shone brightly, a cyan-eyed white tiger instantly flew out the next moment. It was huge and sturdy, and it gave off such a domineering aura as if was the king of all beasts.

 Chapter 1491 Ramon Lost To Knox

    "Is that a White Nether Tiger?" "This spiritual beast ranks in the top ten on the list of medium-grade spiritual beasts at the Ethereal Region!"


    "That guy is from the Sovereign Pavilion. No wonder he can control such a powerful spiritual beast!"


    "There''s no way the Heaven Shadow Pavilion''s representative will stand a chance!"


    The crowd broke into an uproar at the sight of the White Nether Tiger.


    "Indeed, it''s a good spiritual beast to have." Even Rocky had to admit that the White Nether Tiger was potentially a worthy opponent. In terms of talent, the tiger was about as strong as Hannah''s Ally and Tessa''s Nightshade, maybe even a little bit stronger.


    "Are you afraid yet?" Edgar sneered at Rocky arrogantly.


    "Your spiritual beast is powerful, but wait until you meet mine," Rocky replied airily. Then, he opened his Magic Spiritual Space and summoned Glutton.


    None of the onlookers were from the Sword Spirit Sect, and even if there was one, it was possible they wouldn''t recognize Glutton, since Rocky had only summoned it once before.


    Thus, the second Glutton emerged, a collective gasp was heard amongst the audience. An


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    red from their sights in the blink of an eye.


    After he recovered his original appearance and arrived at the competition area of Ramon and Knox, he found that the competition seemed to have just ended, but the onlookers were still discussing something.


    "Basil, how come you''re so late?" Just then, Tessa had spotted him.


    "Is the battle between Ramon and Knox done already?" Rocky''s eyes narrowed.


    "Yes, Ramon was eliminated and seriously injured," Tessa answered grimly. "He was sent to Doctor Lloyd to be healed."


    "Is Knox really so powerful?" Rocky couldn''t help but frown slightly.


    "Yes," Tessa said with a sigh. "Ramon was at a disadvantage ever since the battle started. He never even had a chance to fight back! What was more, Knox used what looked like the power of the middle stage of the Spiritual Infant in his last move. Ramon, up until that point, wasn''t seriously injured, but because he refused to admit defeat, Knox''s final blow sent him flying!"


    "Really?" Rocky cocked his eyebrow at her. "Then I''ll go to see Ramon first..." Rocky bade her goodbye and then quickly headed to the Medical Service Hall to find Ramon.

 Chapter 1492 Treating Ramon

    After suffering severe injuries, Ramon got urgently sent to the Medical Service Hall for treatment.


    When Rocky arrived to check on him, he found that Lloyd was in the process of healing the wounds that Ramon had sustained from the fight. With a worried look on her delicate face, Hannah stood beside them.


    She watched Lloyd tend Ramon, who was covered in blood. He was lying on the healing table in a daze, with his skin cut open and his flesh torn.


    ¡°Doctor Lloyd, how is he?¡± Rocky broke the silence.


    ¡°As of now, it¡¯s hard to say. At least three of his major meridian vessels have been damaged. Even if he gets cured, I¡¯m afraid his strength will decline. It might even affect his cultivation in the future,¡± Lloyd explained in a serious tone as he shook his head.


    ¡°Oh, my. This is all my fault. I must have put too much pressure on him. He probably thought he¡¯d rather take a hard slap than admit defeat.¡± Hearing what the doctor said, Hannah couldn¡¯t keep herself from feeling guilty.


    ¡°Miss Hannah, it was his own decision. He chose to fight despite knowing the consequences, so you shouldn¡¯t blame yourself.¡± Rocky tried to comfort her in a soft and calm voice. He then turned to Lloyd and asked, ¡°Does he have any other serious injuries?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s as serious as it can get. Those three meridians that have been damaged are crucial to a spirit warrior. It¡¯s quite


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    s nothing but an upstart. Even if he wasn¡¯t so weak, Benedict was certain that the small fry was not a match for Knox.


    Therefore, he felt that the Sword Spirit Sect wouldn''t slip through his fingers this time.


    Just as Benedict was racking his brains, Timothy returned and sat among the crowd of the Sword Spirit Sect.


    "Leader, how¡¯s Ramon?" Harrison promptly inquired.


    ¡°He¡¯s woken up, but he is severely injured. Doctor Lloyd is trying his best to treat him,¡± Timothy replied simply.


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. Anyway, I could¡¯ve gone there to check on him instead.¡± Harrison felt it was strange that their sect leader took the time to go to the Medical Service Hall. After all, even though Ramon was someone significant, it was unnecessary for their sect leader to visit him in person.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t know that it wasn¡¯t Ramon whom Timothy was going to meet, but Rocky.


    ¡°That¡¯s all right. Besides, Ramon is fighting for our sect. It¡¯s the least I can do. If anything happens to him, I will also feel guilty,¡± Timothy responded with a logical reason.


    ¡°In spite of that, leader, I¡¯m afraid that the Grand Sky Sect will get what they want since we have lost Ramon. If Knox wins this match, will you really let Miss Hannah marry him?¡± Harrison asked hesitantly.


    ¡°I have other plans. There¡¯s no way I will let the Grand Sky Sect succeed,¡± Timothy proclaimed firmly.

 Chapter 1493 Be Shocked

    Harrison hesitated for a moment, but decided not to say anything more.


    The atmosphere around the competition was extremely tense. The crowd was dead silent, and no cheers or taunts came from them. Everyone''s eyes were trained on Rocky and Knox, who were already standing on the arena.


    Rocky studied the opponent before him. It was just as Ramon had said: Knox''s spiritual aura was unlike any other ordinary spirit aura, and there seemed to be some kind of a strong evil aura to him. However, he was able to restrain his aura well and did not show it easily.


    "Before we begin, I have to tell you something." Rocky''s eyes narrowed at him. "Ramon, the guy you injured just now, is my friend."


    "So what?" Knox glanced at Rocky indifferently.


    "I hate it when my friends are bullied," Rocky replied in a low voice.


    "So, you want to get back at me for him?" Knox sneered.


    "Not only will I avenge my friend, I will also defeat you miserably," Rocky responded calmly.


    "How dare you say that to me?" Knox wrinkled his nose in arrogant disdain. "You might''ve defeated Edgar, but he''s an ant compared


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    just at the primary stage of the Spiritual Infant, so it''s absolutely impossible for you to block my unique skill, unless you''re actually..." Only then did it dawn on Knox.


    Seeing the stunned look on Knox''s face, Rocky sneered and his aura began to rise rapidly. Immediately, his strength reached the middle stage of the Spiritual Infant under the watchful eyes of the public.


    Another collective gasp came from the audience.


    If a warrior in the Ethereal Region could reach the middle stage of the Spiritual Infant, they would definitely attract much attention. Moreover, in each clan or sect, such a warrior usually held a high position. However, in the entire Ethereal Region, it was extremely rare for someone to break through to such a realm before the age of thirty!


    Most importantly, they had never heard of such a genius in the Heaven Shadow Pavilion. The fact that Rocky was on that level was complete news to them.


    "I can''t believe that Basil has already broken through to the middle stage of the Spiritual Infant!" Even Timothy was shocked, his eyes shining with delighted excitement.

 Chapter 1494 The Plan Worked (Part One)

    Harrison was also confused as he watched what was going on.


    Of course, among others, Benedict was the most restless one. He had never expected that Knox, who was supposed to be the sure winner, would meet a cunning opponent who had also hidden his real strength throughout the competition.


    ¡°No, this isn¡¯t right! There¡¯s something fishy about this! I have never heard of such a person from the Heaven Shadow Pavilion!¡± As someone who was used to plotting evil schemes, Benedict quickly thought that there was something wrong going on. He immediately looked in the direction of Timothy and assumed that this was probably his doing.


    Meanwhile, as Knox saw that Rocky¡¯s Spiritual Infant had also broken through to the medium stage, he couldn¡¯t help but grit his teeth, knowing that it wouldn¡¯t be so easy to defeat him. Then, he pulled out his two sabers and rushed towards Rocky in an attempt to cut him into pieces.


    However, the next moment, Rocky turned into a sword shadow and just brushed past K


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    representative of the Heaven Shadow Pavilion was, he would make the necessary arrangement to eliminate him.


    But now that Rocky had killed Knox, he was now undoubtedly the winner of the competition.


    All the people in the audience looked at Rocky with envious eyes, knowing that he would be the one to marry the daughter of the Sword Spirit Sect¡¯s leader, one of the most famous beauties in the entire Ethereal Region.


    Soon enough, Timothy stood to where he was seated and made an announcement. ¡°Everyone! The contest is now over, and we have the winner here with us. Thank you for all your support! The representative of the Heaven Shadow Pavilion won the competition, and as promised, he will be married to my only daughter and become my son-in-law. Moreover, I want to inform everyone that the Sword Spirit Sect will hold the wedding in five days. With that, I hope that you can attend the wedding banquet then. Again, thank you very much!¡± Timothy said as he declared the details of the wedding

 Chapter 1495 The Plan Worked (Part Two)

    As soon as the crowd heard the announcement, everyone in the audience was quite surprised. Although the purpose of the competition was to really select a suitable husband for Hannah, many thought that five days was a bit too soon to hold this wedding.


    Moreover, when they came to their senses, the champion of the competition was already nowhere to be found in the Sword God Square.


    Not long after, Rocky appeared in the Medical Service Hall without his disguise. There he saw Ramon and Hannah talking, and he could see that Ramon was still wearing a guilt-filled expression. Without wasting any time, he walked up to them.


    ¡°Oh, is the competition already over? Who won?¡± Hannah still asked although she knew that no matter who won, the result wouldn¡¯t be good for her. Thus, she also had a gloomy expression on her face.


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    Ramon.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± Ramon couldn¡¯t help but reprimand Rocky as his face blushed wildly.


    ¡°Ha-ha, I¡¯m just kidding.¡± Rocky chuckled as he saw the serious face of Ramon.


    After that, Rocky asked Ramon to rest some more and eventually left the Medical Service Hall. As soon as he walked out, Hannah suddenly appeared before him. Judging from her expression, it was obvious that she seemed more relieved than before she left.


    ¡°I guess you already heard from your father,¡± Rocky said with a faint smile.


    ¡°Yes. I owe you a lot this time. But why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Hannah asked as she slightly pouted her lips.


    ¡°There was no absolute guarantee that the plan would succeed. If I told you about it and it failed, you would just feel more miserable. But fortunately, everything went well,¡± Rocky replied.

 Chapter 1496 The Plan Was Exposed

    "That''s right. But this is going to be unfair to you!" Realizing the gravity of the situation, Hannah knew that if Rocky fought as the representative of the Sword Spirit Sect, she would probably really marry him. When that happened, he would definitely be promoted to a higher position within the sect. However, since he won disguised as a representative of another sect, it would be a very different case. She worried that he might not even get anything in return.


    "You don''t have to mind me. As a member of the Sword Spirit City, I decided to do this for the sake of the city and the sect. I don''t feel any injustice at all," Rocky said calmly.


    "My father told me that he would do his best to make it up to you. If you want anything, please feel free to ask. We will agree with it as long as it is within our capabilities." Hannah knew that Rocky had contributed significantly to the Sword Spirit Sect, so she felt that he deserved to be rewarded handsomely.


    "Let''s talk about that at a later time. Although I''ve won the competition, I''m afraid that the Grand Sky Sect wouldn''t give up that easily. Let''s focus on holding the wedding first and going through the current trouble first." Rocky presumed that since the plan of the Grand Sky Sect had failed miserably, and they also lost an outstanding talent in the process, they probably wouldn''t just stand idly.


    "That''s right. As long as they don''t have any evidence to prove what we have done, they will have no excuse to cause any trouble," Hannah agreed.


    "Well, let''s hope for the best. I''m going to leave now. Oh! Remember to come to my place to


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    t and continued to try his best to suppress the abnormal spiritual power that Hannah''s body was leaking. However, the power was much greater than he initially imagined. Even with his current strength, he couldn''t overcome it. The other problem was that he couldn''t act rashly because he might accidentally hurt Hannah''s body.


    At the moment, Hannah still continued shouting as if she was seeing some of her most painful memories.


    "It seems that there''s only one way around this. I''ll have to enter her spiritual sense and bring her out." After careful considerations, Rocky employed the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill. The skill allowed him not only to communicate with spiritual beasts but also to freely enter a human''s spiritual sense after he managed its highest level.


    Of course, there were also some risks, but Rocky deemed that it was the only way to determine what was wrong with Hannah. The next moment, he put his palm between her eyebrows and directly entered her spiritual sense world in the form of his spiritual sense.


    A moment later, Rocky found himself in a room. He saw a very young Hannah, who was curled up in the corner of a wall. At the door of the room, a figure stood expressionless, seeming to be none other than Timothy.


    "Father, I don''t want to cultivate anymore," the young Hannah uttered as she sobbed. It was obvious that she was full of fears.


    "Why?" Timothy asked angrily, dissatisfied with her daughter''s softness.


    "I can''t be a spirit warrior. Please don''t force me to cultivate anymore," Hannah answered with her young voice that was filled with pain.

 Chapter 1497 Her Gene Defect Was Repaired

    "I can''t be a spirit warrior. Please don''t ask me to cultivate anymore," Hannah answered with her young voice that was filled with pain.


    ¡°Impossible! I am the most talented warrior in the Ethereal Region. Nobody dares to mention another name alongside mine in the same breath. Your mother was also a well-known spirit warrior. As a direct descendant of ours, you¡¯re supposed to be more talented!¡± Timothy exclaimed, unable to accept that his daughter couldn¡¯t become a spirit warrior.


    ¡°Father, Doctor Lloyd told us that I can¡¯t cultivate due to my body¡¯s deficiency. Please, don¡¯t let me cultivate anymore,¡± she begged him.


    ¡°You¡¯re my only daughter. I have no choice but to turn you into a spirit warrior. It¡¯s the only way you¡¯ll inherit the position of the Sword Spirit Sect¡¯s leader and continue leading our sect! From now on, I¡¯ll be building a foundation for you to work on with all my strength. I will not accept that you can¡¯t be one of us!¡± As soon as he said this, Timothy walked over to young Hannah.


    "No! Stay away


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    rior. She was ready to repay him with anything.


    ¡°I¡¯m just doing my duty. There¡¯s no need to repay me.¡± Rocky didn¡¯t take any credit. Although it was tempting, it was enough for him to know that he left a mark in Hannah¡¯s heart. He knew she would grow up to become a great helper to him in the future.


    ¡°No, I insist. I¡¯ll feel guilty if I don¡¯t repay you,¡± Hannah informed him with a frown.


    "I''m going to marry you, Miss Hannah. Countless spirit warriors throughout the Ethereal Region dream of making you their bride. So now I¡¯m taking my chances and getting what I desire in return,¡± Rocky admitted to her happily.


    "That''s two different things. Besides, it''s not a real marriage. It''s just a ruse," Hannah grumbled.


    "Miss Hannah, do you really want me to marry you?" Rocky smiled.


    "You wish!" Hannah glared at him, her face flushed with crimson.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s time for you to leave here, Miss Hannah. After all, you¡¯re to be a bride soon. Staying at my place too long would get you into trouble,¡± he reminded her.

 Chapter 1498 Bad News And Good News

    "Then how would you like me to repay you? I will surely do something for you in return for this favor," Hannah insisted.


    "We''ll talk about it after the wedding," Rocky responded.


    "Okay." Hannah understood that now wasn''t a good time.


    Then, Rocky sent her out of his Magic Spiritual Space and once she was gone, Rocky returned continued with his own work.


    The day before the wedding, Rocky was summoned to Timothy''s study for a private chat.


    "Master Timothy, what can I do for you?" Rocky asked straightforwardly.


    "Even if there is something that needs to be done, I am not going to let you carry that burden alone once again. I still don''t know how to thank you for saving the Sword Spirit Sect." Timothy stroked his beard and smiled kindly.


    "You don''t need to thank me. I was just doing my job. If you really would like to thank me with a reward, then I won''t ask anything special and be satisfied with your choice." Rocky waved his hand.


    "That doesn''t sound fair to you. I discussed with several elders yesterday. They all know how great your contribution to the Sword Spirit Sect is. Therefore, we have decided to recruit you into the Sword Spirit Sect. You will receive better training that way," Timothy said.


    "I''m afraid that''s not a good idea, sir. The others don''t know what I have done. If you suddenly recruit me into the Sword Spirit Sect, then the gossip-makers will have a field day with that news," Rocky said tentatively. The truth was that entering the Sword Spirit Sect had been the main reason behind his hard work. T


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    competition with you. It''s been days since you''ve taught me anything. I am bored." Tessa pouted.


    "I have taught you everything I needed to. You should comprehend the rest on your own," Rocky responded.


    "But I still haven''t mastered the Spirit Possession," Tessa complained.


    "I told you that you need to comprehend the Spirit Possession by yourself. It won''t be long before you grasp it, I am certain. Be patient." Rocky walked out of the beast stable after checking in on Ally.


    "Who knows if you are trying to dupe me?" Of course, Tessa wouldn''t give up.


    "I dare not do that." Rocky smiled and added, "Tessa, I may leave the Sword Spirit Sect very soon."


    "Leave very soon? Why?" She didn''t know that Rocky had pretended to be a representative of the Heaven Shadow Pavilion.


    "There is always a reason for everything I do. If I need to leave, then you should take good care of yourself." The truth was that Rocky did not find the Sword Spirit Sect too important, but he was a little reluctant to part with Tessa. They had been together for a long time now and grown quite fond of each other.


    "Stop messing around. You are the leader of the Security Hall now, and I just heard that Master Timothy wants to recruit you into the Sword Spirit Sect. If you do join the sect, then your future is very bright." Tessa thought Rocky was joking.


    "I''m afraid that plan can''t keep up with the changes that have been set in motion. You should go now. I have something else to do, so I won''t accompany you." After he finished speaking, Rocky left.

 Chapter 1499 The Turmoil At The Wedding

    "What''s wrong with this guy?" Looking at Rocky''s back, Tessa had a bad feeling.


    The wedding ceremony came in the blink of an eye.


    As the representatives of many clans and sects had come in advance yesterday, the Sword God Square was lively and festive early in the morning. Moreover, many big shots of the Ethereal Region were arriving one by one to congratulate the Sword Spirit Sect.


    Timothy, who was about to become a father-in-law, walked around the Sword God Square with the elders of the Sword Spirit Sect and greeted all the guests in person.


    When the auspicious time approached, Hannah, wearing a phoenix coronet and an embroidered cloak, appeared in full view of the public, accompanied by several maids in red. The audience was taken back in awe at the amazing sight.


    The next second, they burst into an uproar. Many of the men present were jealous. In their eyes, marrying one of the most beautiful women in the Ethereal Region could only be a blessing from a previous life.


    But although the bride had come out, the groom was still nowhere to be seen. As time ticked by, the atmosphere in the venue grew uneasy.


    Hannah, who was a little anxious, walked up to her father and asked in a low


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    ative of the Heaven Shadow Pavilion would turn out to be a member of the Sword Spirit Sect. Regardless of whether the Sword Spirit Sect had been aware of this fact or not, it was obviously cheating!


    "Master Benedict, you are slinging mud at us! Do you have any evidence to prove that Basil pretended to be the representative of the Heaven Shadow Pavilion? Show us," Timothy replied coldly.


    "Master Timothy, if we didn''t have conclusive evidence, we wouldn''t have come here with such a big group today. It''s time for you to stop pretending. It''s clear that you and your daughter already know about this, but you''re deliberately trying to hide it." Benedict''s tone and words had become a lot harsher.


    "Don''t just spout nonsense. If you have any evidence, show it now. Otherwise, please leave right away!" Timothy insisted.


    By now, the guests had already begun speculating among themselves and come to various conclusions.


    "I''m just afraid that if we show the evidence, the Sword Spirit Sect will not be able to recover from the blow. Therefore, for the sake of our long-term friendship, I''m ready to let this matter go... as long as you agree to my two conditions," Benedict proposed, seizing the chance.

 Chapter 1500 Hand Him Over

    "Master Benedict, you must be out of your mind!" Timothy had a very bad feeling when he noticed that Benedict looked too determined. However, he was not about to compromise.


    "My two conditions are incredibly simple. First, I want you to cancel the engagement between Miss Hannah and the Heaven Shadow Pavilion''s representative. Second, you must hand Basil over to me," Benedict continued on as if he didn''t hear Timothy''s words.


    "Master Benedict, if you have any evidence to prove that Basil pretended to be the Heaven Shadow Pavilion''s representative, I may consider the first condition. However, the second one is unacceptable for us. Even if Basil did something wrong, the Sword Spirit Sect should be the one to deal with him. With all due respect, I think it''s none of your business," Timothy wisely suggested.


    "The members of the Sovereign Pavilion are the ones who want to take Basil away since he killed Knox, who has been sent to cultivate in the Sovereign Pavilion a few years ago. Thus, the Sovereign Pavilion considers him their member too. If Basil really killed him, it means that he has also disrespected the Sovereign Pavilion! And that is why Elder Clyde of the Sovereign Pavilion came with me this time," Benedict answered snidely.


    Hearing that, Timothy immediately turned to Clyde, who was silently fuming with his whole face red and livid.


    "You''d better hand him over to us now. Or are you willing to sacrifice and destroy the harmony between us? As long as you hand him over, the peace between us won''t suffer, and we will forg


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    it Sect was at fault too. However, if he didn''t hand him over, it would imply that they were going against the Grand Sky Sect and, even worse, the Sovereign Pavilion.


    "Leader Timothy, I think we''d better hand over Basil first. We can at least avoid offending the Sovereign Pavilion..."


    "That''s right, leader. You should put the welfare of our sect above everything else!"


    "Although Basil is incredibly talented, he has gone too far this time."


    At the time, the elders of the Sword Spirit Sect also changed their sides, as they hoped that Timothy would protect the reputation of the Sword Spirit Sect first.


    "Father!" Hannah was hesitant because she knew that the Sword Spirit Sect was in a dilemma. However, she was torn because she didn''t want to hand Rocky over.


    On the other hand, Timothy couldn''t help feeling helpless and morose. He soon noticed that Rocky hadn''t shown up yet, so he thought that the young man might have noticed that something was up.


    "Well, as much as I want to help you, Basil is no longer in the Sword Spirit Sect. I can''t hand him over to you," he said. "What?! That''s impossible! I just saw him yesterday!" Miguel disagreed adamantly.


    "Hmm... It seems that you still want to defend Basil even if that will put the Sword Spirit Sect in danger. In that case, we have to offend you. I will find that guy today, even if I have to search your whole sect!" Benedict shouted, intending to make the first move and teach the sect a lesson.


    "Wait!" Suddenly, a calm voice called out, catching everyone''s attention.

 Chapter 1501 Rocky Was Taken Away

    Then, everyone followed the voice and eventually saw a figure walking towards them leisurely as if he was just taking a leisurely stroll in his own backyard. In just a few moments, the crowd was able to clearly see his face.


    ¡°Basil? Is that him?¡±


    Indeed, it was Rocky. In fact, he had already been here a while ago, but he just waited to see how things would develop. It just surprised him the most that Miguel dared to betray the Sword Spirit Sect and put the blame on him so that the Grand Sky Sect would take action against him. He knew that Miguel had a huge grudge against him, but he didn¡¯t expect that he would go as far as dragging the sect down. Because of Miguel¡¯s accusation, he had no other choice but to take the fall. After all, the only persons who knew about his fake identity during the competition were Timothy, Ramon, and Hannah.


    Logically, Rocky could have just left after knowing about this. If he was to be handed over to the Grand Sky Sect, his chances of survival would be slim to none. However, if he escaped, the Sword Spirit Sect would have to deal with it. Thus, he made up his mind to sacrifice himself before he left the Sword Spirit Sect. This way, he could also make them owe him big time and take advantage of it in the future.


    Seeing that Rocky chose to show up before them, Timothy had mixed em


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    ed at Benedict and said, ¡°Master Benedict, we can go now.¡±


    ¡°Seal his spiritual power!¡± Benedict immediately ordered and signaled a powerful warrior at the King Realm to watch Rocky¡¯s movements, in case he suddenly launched an attack.


    Soon enough, a warrior walked in front of Rocky and released his spiritual power with his fingers. Then, he directed it at Rocky¡¯s chest and sealed his spiritual power. During the whole process, Rocky didn¡¯t resist at all.


    ¡°Take him away!¡± Benedict commanded loudly as he waved his hand.


    After the order, Rocky was instantly surrounded by more than a dozen powerful warriors at the King Realm from the Grand Sky Sect.


    ¡°See you later, Master Timothy.¡± Benedict cupped his hands towards Timothy with a defiant sneer on his face before leaving.


    Clyde also nodded at Timothy and immediately went back to Benedict¡¯s side.


    The warriors at the King Realm followed after the two of them with Rocky at the center of their formation.


    Now that Rocky was taken away, the wedding couldn¡¯t proceed. Soon, the guests had also left one by one, knowing that there wasn¡¯t anything left to see there.


    Before long, the only people left in the Sword God Square were the members of the Sword Spirit Sect.


    ¡°Guard, arrest Miguel now!¡± Timothy¡¯s voice echoed abruptly as he firmly issued the order.

 Chapter 1502 What Task

    The members of the Sword Spirit Sect exchanged confused glances, unsure as to why Timothy gave such an order.


    Before they could respond, however, a man in white appeared. Rocky had seen the man several times and he was Timothy''s personal guard. He dragged Miguel to the front and made him kneel.


    "Leader, why do you punish me? I did nothing wrong! I just got rid of the man that could''ve put our sect at risk!" Miguel pleaded. Obviously, he was still under the impression he''d done the sect a huge favor.


    "You will go to the icy cliff to ponder on your faults. You won''t be allowed to leave until I say so!" Timothy suddenly sighed. "Our Sword Spirit Sect owes Basil too much." Without even casting a glance at his godson, he then abruptly left.


    Hannah, on the other hand, took a look at Miguel. Shaking her head in disappointment, she then walked over to Ramon, who had Tessa in his arms, and said, "Let''s go."


    Ramon nod


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    ? What''s in it for you?" Rocky had a hunch something exciting was in store for him.


    "You don''t need to know that," she answered with a dismissive wave of her hand. "What you do need to know is that once we enter the school, you must become a representative at the Spiritual Infant Contest of the three major schools in three months."


    "The Spiritual Infant Contest?" Rocky raised an eyebrow.


    "It is a top-level contest for the King Realm warriors with Spiritual Infants," Eunice explained patiently. "The winner gets a very handsome reward. Also, they''ll get the chance to break through to the Imperial Soul!"


    "Oh, that sounds good," Rocky said with a smile. "Then, are you saying that our task is to be the representatives of the Spiritual Infant Contest? That''s it?"


    "This is the first part of the task. I will tell you the next part once we manage to do that," Eunice said in a low voice, keeping Rocky in suspense.

 Chapter 1503 The Sky-suppressing School

    "Well, can I refuse to do that?" Rocky asked hesitantly.


    "No. If you refuse, the master who came with me will kill you mercilessly. This secret can''t be known by others." Eunice''s eyes turned cold as she directed them at Rocky.


    Then, Rocky''s eyes narrowed as he felt a strange aura nearby. It turned out that it was from the guy who was with Eunice. From his judgment, that guy''s strength was probably far above his.


    "You still want to obtain the information about those prisoners, right? I can help with that if you stay with me. You can learn more about them. It''s your choice," Eunice said with a cunning smile.


    "Well, I guess I''ll do that. Besides, I can''t go back to the Sword Spirit Sect right now, and I have nowhere to go." Rocky shrugged with a bitter smile. He originally planned to enter the Sword Spirit Sect in order for him to have a better cultivation environment, but now, he thought that it would be a better choice to go to the Sky-suppressing School. Since Eunice was offering that to him, he wouldn''t let the chance slip by. Moreover, he deemed that she could indeed help him a lot regarding his search for his former comrades.


    "At least you made a wise choice," Eunice said as she snorted coldly.


    "So, when are we going to set out?" Rocky asked straightforwardly.


    "When? Right now!" Eunice suddenly took out a Beast Spirit Jade and instantly summoned a spiritual beast that could fly.


    "


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    -suppressing School was located at the center of the Supreme General City, covering an area of a thousand acres. Back then, it was actually the original location of the Sky-suppressing Mansion. But in order to expand the scale of the school, the leader of the Sky-suppressing Mansion wisely decided to move the location of the mansion to another place, and let the school be established on the original location of the mansion. With that, the Sky-suppressing School was built, surrounded by tall walls that were as tough as steel. At a glance, it could be compared to an impenetrable fortress.


    After a while, the spiritual beast that was carrying Rocky and Eunice landed on the beast field at the eastern edge of the Sky-suppressing School. At the same time, several other spiritual beasts came from various directions and landed on the field. It appeared that many spirit warriors at the King Realm had also arrived.


    "This place is bustling with different kinds of people!" Rocky uttered as he looked around.


    "Of course. Today is the appointed day for the warriors to go to the Sky-suppressing School and report their arrivals," Eunice responded in a low voice.


    "By the way, what kind of identity are we going to use to enter the Sky-suppressing School?" Rocky asked as he remembered that they hadn''t talked about it yet.


    "We''re going in as the members of the Di Clan," Eunice answered with a smirk on her face.

 Chapter 1504 Settled In The School

    ¡°I thought you said you had nothing to do with the Di Clan?¡± Rocky teased, shaking his head.


    ¡°Well, just because I have no direct relation to them doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t enter the school pretending to be one of them, right?¡± Eunice retorted as she rolled her eyes at Rocky.


    Seeing her huffy face, Rocky immediately wore a ¡°you win¡± look, then sighed and smiled.


    ¡°Before you register, let me show you around the school first,¡± Eunice amiably offered. Her invitation gave Rocky the impression that she knew the place well.


    ¡°Oh? Isn¡¯t this your first time here?¡± Rocky found it odd that she would offer to give him a tour to an unfamiliar place.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Eunice replied casually and started walking forward.


    As Rocky looked at her back, he shook his head and muttered something under his breath. ¡°What a mysterious woman! I wonder who she really is.¡±


    Intrigued, he willingly caught up to Eunice and followed her.


    While Rocky was thinking about what secrets she must be keeping, Eunice showed him around the Sky-suppressing School.


    "The Sky-suppressing Mansion is led by a military family, so their management naturally adopts military-style practices. Every warrior who chooses to enter the school is subject to very strict control.


    Despite the stringent supervision, the school still attracts a lot of spirit warriors to go there, mainly because it will produce at least three spirit warriors with Imperial Souls, around thirty spirit warriors with Spiritual Infants at the middle stage, and hundreds of young talents every year,"


    Euni


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    from the school. Therefore, if one was not absolutely sure that he could pass the exam, he would never choose to take it in advance.


    In the entire history of the school, records were showing that some had indeed graduated in advance, but there were really just a few of them.


    After the registration, Rocky and Eunice were given a slot in a small disciple dormitory. There were two rooms, one for each of them.


    ¡°I¡¯m warning you! If you have nothing important to do, don¡¯t wander outside my door, or you will die a miserable death.¡± Before entering her room, Eunice immediately gave a strict warning to Rocky.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If I want to do something to you, I¡¯ll make sure that you¡¯ll give me your consent,¡± Rocky said with a mischievous smile.


    ¡°Why would I ever give my consent?! Do you want me to break your legs?!¡± Eunice said angrily as she entered her room and slammed the door.


    Rocky just shook his head and smiled bitterly. Soon enough, he also entered his room and went straight to his Magic Spiritual Space.


    Since he had been with Eunice for the past two days, he didn¡¯t have any time to check the situation there. As soon as he entered his laboratory, he saw a little fellow flopping in the box that he used to nurture the cub. It was vigorously moving as if it wanted to get out.


    ¡°Can you move by yourself now?¡± Rocky was overjoyed as he saw the energetic little beast. He took it out of the box and recognized that it looked very similar to Uriah when it was still young. Meanwhile, it inherited its eyes and prominent horns from Ken.

 Chapter 1505 Met Him Again

    Moving as quickly as he could, Rocky immediately found a dry cloth and cleaned up the nutrient solution from the little beast''s body. Once the little beast was clean, he fed it another drop of magical saliva and gently placed it on the ground.


    As soon as the little beast landed on the ground, it did a light jump and floated midair.


    "This guy is actually born to fly!" Rocky was astonished. In the Supreme Ether Land, only the spiritual beasts with the strength above the King Realm could fly. Even though the little beast was just like a newborn baby beast, it was already able to fly. That was obviously beyond any of his expectations.


    It did not take long before the little beast was flying around in the laboratory. At first, it was clumsy and kept bumping into the walls. After a short while, it found an exit and flew out of the laboratory with a whoosh.


    When Rocky followed it outside, he saw that it was flying in the air in his Magic Spiritual Space and was leaving behind


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    high position," Hayden quickly blurted out, but soon realized that he said something he shouldn''t have.


    The spirit warriors surrounding Rocky were trying hard to suppress their urge to laugh when they heard Rocky was teasing Hayden.


    "It seems like your mother is very unlucky to have such a wicked son like you!" Rocky shook his head.


    "You brat, you''re making a fool out of me!" Hayden became very angry.


    "You said it yourself. I didn''t force you to say anything," Rocky shrugged.


    "What are you waiting for? Drag him to a corner and teach him a lesson." Hayden clenched his fists and shot the spirit warriors a glare.


    Since the spirit warriors were only at the sixth or seventh grade of the Spirit Realm, Rocky quickly sent them flying as soon as they approached him. At the same time, Hayden suddenly felt a flash in front of him, and Rocky appeared barely an inch away before him, making his heart jolt in his chest. He thought that Rocky was going to launch an attack.

 Chapter 1506 The Figure By The Waterfall

    ¡°Mr. Hayden, listen carefully. I¡¯m new here and don¡¯t want to cause any trouble. You may know Eunice but don¡¯t you dare provoke me! Otherwise, I¡¯ll be anything but polite to you. Even though you¡¯re the son of the Summer Palace''s leader, you¡¯ll never get the good end of the stick if you continue looking for trouble!¡± Rocky warned as he brushed past him.


    Hayden trembled when he returned to his senses. By then, Rocky was already gone.


    ¡°How dare he¡­¡± Hayden''s eyes widened and his face changed.


    Meanwhile, Rocky walked for a short while before he discovered that Kohen, who was previously perched on his shoulder, had vanished. Its sudden disappearance reminded him of Ken.


    ¡°This isn''t good,¡± Rocky uttered as he shook his head. He narrowed his eyes in search of Kohen. The tiny beast didn¡¯t have much strength to protect itself. So if it came across someone with ill intentions, it¡¯d be in trouble.


    Fortunately, he was able to connect Kohen previously with the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill. This allowed him to locate the beast no matter how far it ran off.


    Without wasting another second, Rocky activated the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill to find Kohen. Soon, he entered a deserted bamboo forest. The crystal clear and alluring melody of a flute could be heard in the distance. The tune was peaceful and pleasant as it rang through the air. A moment later, Rocky could hear the undeniable sound of some special summoning power within the melody. Other spirit warrio


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    es on it.


    ¡°Do you know what this is, miss?¡± Rocky asked her with a smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s a rare spiritual treasure at the advanced Spiritual Infant stage that can improve warriors'' strength. It was said there was a treasure in the Purple Bamboo Forest that caused many warriors to scramble for it, but it disappeared later,¡± the girl explained.


    ¡°Oh. Well, it appears Kohen, just like Ken, possesses exceptional treasure hunting abilities,¡± Rocky murmured to himself happily. He was pleased knowing that he wouldn¡¯t run out of treasures for cultivation any time soon.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± the girl asked Rocky immediately out of curiosity, noticing that he was mumbling to himself.


    ¡°Nothing. I didn''t prepare any gift in advance. How about I give you this spiritual treasure as compensation for my earlier disturbance?¡± Rocky took the root from Kohen¡¯s mouth and handed it to her.


    ¡°It¡¯s drenched in saliva. I don¡¯t want such a disgusting thing!¡± she exclaimed disdainfully. However, she couldn¡¯t help but take a few more glances at the root. Indeed, it was an exceptionally rare treasure. None of the ordinary spiritual treasures came close to it.


    "Are you sure, miss? With your strength, I think you¡¯ll need this advanced Spiritual Infant stage treasure the most!" Rocky saw right through her.


    She immediately hesitated. The root truly was in line with her Spiritual Infant¡¯s nature. If she could refine it, then she would be one step closer to cultivating an Imperial Soul.

 Chapter 1507 Where Did You Go

    "Koko''s saliva is on it, but that''s no ordinary saliva," Rocky muttered.


    "You mean the saliva is special?" The girl seemed confused.


    "You''ll find out more once you look around at the spiritual beasts," Rocky hinted.


    The girl immediately looked around and saw that all the spiritual beasts around them were staring at the Earthly Dragon Root in Rocky''s hand with their eyes wide open. The Earthly Dragon Root was a powerful and precious spiritual treasure. However, it did not hold much attraction for spiritual beasts.


    Upon seeing the beasts'' behavior, she looked at the root in Rocky''s hand once more and noticed that the saliva on it was now condensing into little beads. The beads were releasing spiritual power.


    "It looks like some sort of a miracle liquid..." She was highly knowledgeable in various fields but couldn''t explain the phenomenon.


    Suddenly, her spiritual beast jumped forward and took the Earthly Dragon Root in its mouth without hesitation. Throwing it on the ground, it began licking the root.


    "Water!" The girl called out to her spiritual beast and her delicate face showed a morose expression. She was helplessly muttering under her breath, ''You are the number one spiritual beast in the Sky-suppressing School. You should act elega


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    iscussions around him, his eyes narrowed slightly. He had also heard the name Lilith. If he recalled correctly, Eunice had once told him that there was a peerless genius in the Sky-suppressing School called Lilith. Judging by the girl''s demeanor, chances were that she was Lilith only. It looked like he was lucky. He had not only met the famous Lilith, but also made a bet with her which would yield him a reward that countless spirit warriors would die for.


    When Rocky returned to the disciple dormitory, he saw Eunice coming out.


    "Where have you been? I was looking for you," Eunice asked unhappily.


    "Oh, Koko suddenly ran away. I went out to look for it," Rocky said, pointing at Kohen who was resting on his shoulder.


    "Koko? Is that... a spiritual beast?" When Eunice saw that Rocky suddenly had a spiritual beast who was acting like a pet, her eyes widened in shock. However, she did not ask too many questions. Instead, upon seeing Kohen''s cute appearance, she simply took it from Rocky''s shoulder into her arms, then stroked it softly.


    Kohen was usually wary of strangers. However, it did not seem afraid of a beautiful girl like Eunice. Instead, it seemed to be enjoying her affections and put two paws on her body. Eunice didn''t mind that at all.

 Chapter 1508 A Special Beast

    "Yes, this is indeed a newborn beast," Rocky replied while nodding his head.


    "Is it the one born in your Magic Spiritual Space?" Eunice asked with suspicion.


    "No, its birth is a little too complicated. You won''t understand it even if I explain it to you," Rocky said with a grin.


    "Humph! How rude! Isn''t it afraid of being taken away since it''s so small?" Eunice said as she looked at Kohen with captivated eyes.


    "Don''t worry. It inherited excellent genes from its parents. Ordinary spirit warriors can''t even hope to catch it." Rocky could tell from Kohen''s performance that it got Uriah and Ken''s incredible traits.


    "That''s good. If it somehow loses, I''ll have to get even with you..." Eunice said, staking her claim over the young creature.


    "What did you say? It is my spiritual beast!" Rocky didn''t know if he should get angry or laugh at Eunice''s remark.


    "From now on, I am its master," Eunice announced. She knew from the moment she laid eyes on it that it had to be hers. She just couldn''t resist its adorable appearance. Without waiting for Rocky''s reply, she reached out and was about to carry it.


    "I''m afraid


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    her eyes.


    "Ha-ha! See you later." Rocky burst into laughter and flew away.


    "What is up with this guy?" Eunice''s eyes twinkled. However, she knew that it was not the right time for her to worry about Rocky. She had to do her task not only to avoid being punished, but also to strengthen her skills.


    After that, Eunice also disappeared out of sight.


    Seconds after Rocky and Eunice parted ways, two figures appeared out of the horizon led by Hayden.


    "Boss, that guy has broken up with the woman," a yellow-haired King Realm disciple with a nose ring said.


    "Well, what are you waiting for? Follow him and wait for the chance to kill him," Hayden said fiercely with a mean look.


    "I can''t imagine how unlucky he is to provoke our boss!"


    Soon, the two men at the King Realm disappeared in a blink of an eye.


    Meanwhile, Rocky immediately summoned Kohen after he found himself alone. After what happened yesterday, he was sure that Kohen had inherited the ability of treasure hunting, which should be even better than Ken¡¯s. With the help of his young creature, he was not worried about finding the spiritual treasures.

 Chapter 1509 A Pretty Woman Arrived First

    A few hours later, Kohen returned living up to his expectations. It brought four spiritual treasures¡ªthree at the low-level King Realm, and one medium level. It was a good harvest given the little beast¡¯s current condition.


    ¡°You can take a rest for now!¡± Since Kohen was still a cub, it naturally looked tired after searching for quite a while. Therefore, Rocky deemed that he had to make it rest first. He found a spacious flat area nearby where they settled. At the same time, he fed Kohen with mixed saliva so that it could quickly regain its strength.


    Not long after, Rocky suddenly sensed that he was being observed by two sneaky auras that were lurking around. He had actually felt that someone was following him earlier but he just ignored it. But at this moment, he recognized that these two auras were deliberately stalking him in order to make trouble.


    However, he didn¡¯t make it obvious that he already sensed them. He just smiled and intentionally put out the four spiritual treasures that Kohen had obtained and laid them on the ground. ¡°Whew! I have such good luck. It¡¯s just the first day and I already found these. If I continue at this pace, I might even obtain ten more!¡±


    As he finished speaking, he picked up the spiritual treasures and patted them dearly.


    At the same time, the two warriors who were hiding in the dark seemed to envy Rocky as their saliva almost dripped upon looking at the spiritual treasures. Earlier, they had followed Rocky to look for a perfect chance to kill him, but his speed was much faster than they had imagined. There were times that


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    in the Ethereal Region, but there were also a few exceptions.


    From a genetic point of view, some spiritual beasts might suddenly become active when their strength had reached a certain level if they possessed the bloodline of a demonic spiritual beast.


    But no matter how the demonic spiritual beast was formed, the moment that it appeared in the Ethereal Region, it would definitely be a rare and unusual thing. If one managed to catch it and even tame it, it would certainly be invaluable.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a look then.¡± Of course, for Rocky, he wouldn¡¯t let this opportunity slip by. Without wasting any time, he set out and headed to the direction where the ferocious aura came from.


    At the same time, it was not only Rocky that perceived the aura of the demonic spiritual beast. At least thirty warriors at the King Realm within a few hundred meters also sensed it and decided to make a move. Therefore, almost all of them followed the aura to look for the spiritual beast.


    A few moments later, Rocky arrived at the spot, but noticed that he wasn¡¯t the first one to arrive. With his astonishing speed, no one should be able to reach there before him, unless this person was already near the area.


    ¡°This woman¡­¡± Upon closer inspection, Rocky saw that it was a woman who had arrived before him. She was tall, slender, and had an overall figure that looked like a model. She had fair skin and thick eyelashes. Even without wearing any makeup, her face looked very attractive. In fact, even though Rocky didn¡¯t see her face clearly, he knew that she was undoubtedly a rare beauty.

 Chapter 1510 The Purple-flaming Phoenix

    "Carla! You''re going too fast! Now I''m out of breath!" At that time, another delicate figure, clad in green clothes, seemed to appear from thin air. Although she was not as beautiful as the previous woman, she was also beautiful in her own right.


    The first woman that arrived was the third daughter of the Yu Clan¡ªCarla Yu. She was quite famous, especially because the Yu Clan was one of the most influential clans in the Sky-suppressing Sect, second only to the Sky-suppressing Mansion.


    The woman next to Carla Yu was named Lyric Yu. She was also a spirit warrior from the Yu Clan and had been Clara Yu''s close friend since they were children.


    Although today was the first time Rocky had met Carla Yu, she felt somewhat familiar to him because of her resemblance to Alyssa. They shared an aloof and unapproachable vibe, which only enhanced the captivating beauty they both held. Similar to Alyssa, it felt like a single glance at her could make anyone fall in love with her.


    Rocky didn''t hide his aura on purpose, so, naturally, he quickly caught Carla Yu''s attention. She glanced at him for a second with an emotionless mask on her face, but she didn''t say anything, and something else soon caught her attention. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously at something in the distance.


    Meanwhile, Rocky also noticed that something distracted her, and he discretely followed her gaze. He was astonished to see that there was an egg not far


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    d quickly complete their task. Would Carla Yu catch the phoenix first, or would the three warriors stop her first?


    But something unexpected happened next. The phoenix abruptly raised its head and roared, breaking the tension in the atmosphere. Its aura began to expand rapidly, and it broke through its original medium stage and appeared to reach the advanced stage in a flash.


    Its demonic spiritual aura swelled like a wave and overflowed, catching Carla Yu and the three warriors off guard. The three warriors fell to the ground, bruised like tomatoes, with dust all over their faces. They looked utterly embarrassed.


    In contrast, Carla Yu had been standing closest to the phoenix, which meant that the impact hit her more intensely. Her whole body bounced off like a ragged doll.


    But as she was about to hit the stone wall on the side, a figure suddenly appeared. The man caught her in mid-air before she was flattened by the wall, landing gently with Carla Yu in his steady arms.


    Once she came back to her senses, Carla Yu immediately looked at the figure who was holding her. Her eyes widened in surprise when she realized that it was none other than Rocky.


    Her face flushed a dark red as if all her blood had fled to her cheeks, as she hastily stepped out of his arms and retreated to the side. She then turned her gaze back at the Purple-flaming Phoenix, who had broken through its limit. They were in big trouble!

 Chapter 1511 Come To Eunice

    ¡°Look, your meridians have been damaged by the impact. It would be better if you just give up now,¡± Rocky urged the second he saw through Carla¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Ugh! Almost! I almost made it,¡± Carla sighed with regret.


    ¡°Well, a miss is as good as a mile. It¡¯s not enough to subdue this Purple-flaming Phoenix with this Beast Spirit Jade,¡± Rocky remarked bluntly.


    ¡°Oh? Why not?¡± Carla looked at Rocky with her brows pushed together, unsure of what he meant.


    ¡°You see, this right here is a demonic spiritual beast. If I remember correctly, the Beast Spirit Jade of the humans is specially designed for the spiritual beasts. Unless it¡¯s top-grade, it won¡¯t be possible for you to subdue a demonic spiritual beast like this Purple-flaming Phoenix. You don¡¯t happen to have that, do you?¡± Rocky explained, sounding adept.


    Hearing his thoughts, Carla figured that what Rocky said was right. She fell silent for a while, realizing that it was no use subduing the beast in front of them with a Beast Spirit Jade that wasn¡¯t top-grade. What was more, it was common knowledge that such a superb jade was rare and invaluable in the Ethereal Region.


    As the two of them talked, more and more disciples gathered around. All of them felt surprised to see the Purple-flaming Phoenix, yet prepared to move and grab ahold of it.


    ¡°Apparently, it has evolved into a demonic spiritual beast. It seems that single-handedly fighting it won¡¯t do anyt


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    pped to less than twenty. Those who quit were either injured or had given up because they couldn¡¯t bear the domineering power of the Purple-flaming Phoenix anymore. It was actually a wise decision that they didn¡¯t continue fighting. Otherwise, they might even suffer greater losses.


    At the same time, although there were still some powerful disciples who remained to fight the ferocious beast, they were still very far from defeating it.


    Just before sunset, only ten disciples were left struggling. On the other hand, the Purple-flaming Phoenix still didn¡¯t show any sign of weakness as it took the disciples down one after another.


    Not long after, the sun finally started going down. As night time began, there was still a hint of afterglow in the sky.


    Eventually, before its power began to weaken, the Purple-flaming Phoenix had defeated all of the remaining disciples who struggled against it.


    However, the demonic spiritual beast showed no sign of stopping because it got extremely infuriated for being attacked for so long. It immediately rushed towards the retreating disciples with the intention of killing them all.


    Seeing this, the disciples were scared out of their wits and scrammed to save their lives.


    While it was chasing down the disciples, for some reason, the Purple-flaming Phoenix suddenly diverted its eyes to Eunice. Then, it accelerated at a low altitude and rushed at her with all its might.

 Chapter 1512 He Shouldnt Be Disturbed

    Eunice was quite startled. She hadn''t expected to get attacked all of a sudden. Immediately, she released her spiritual power in an attempt to intimidate the Purple-flaming Phoenix, hoping that she could hold it off for at least a while.


    Unfortunately, her spiritual power had no effect on the phoenix, which continued to advance. In a moment, its overwhelming power enveloped Eunice. Fear rose within her as she realized that she was already within the attack range of the phoenix. No matter how fast she ran, she would not be able to escape the attack. All she could do now was to use her spiritual power to protect her body. At the same time, she threw out a defensive spiritual tool.


    But the Purple-flaming Phoenix was quicker. It spurted out purple flame which directly melted the defensive spiritual tool, and then charged towards her spiritual power.


    "Damn it!" By now, desperation was evident on Eunice''s face. The power of the purple flame was obviously stronger than hers, and it was too late to dodge it. Just as the purple flame was about to break through her spiritual power and burn her body, however, it stopped in mid-air. Seeming to sense something, the Purple-flaming Phoenix curiously


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    n front of Rocky and the phoenix and turned to face the approaching warriors. "No one is allowed to get close!" she shouted.


    It was none other than Eunice.


    "Eunice, what do you mean? Do you want to see the Purple-flaming Phoenix taken away by this guy alone?" asked Hayden, who had long disliked Rocky.


    "No. But he shouldn''t be disturbed now," Eunice replied coldly.


    "Bullshit! We don''t care whether he is disturbed or not. We just want the Purple-flaming Phoenix," Hayden retorted.


    "Then you have to defeat me first," Eunice warned, preparing for battle.


    "Come on, Eunice. I don''t want to fight against you, but I have no choice if you''re going to be so stubborn," Hayden shouted, getting exasperated. He knew the moment was the best time to get rid of Rocky.


    "Beat me if you can!" Eunice did not show any weakness.


    "Fine, let us fight you." The two men behind Hayden rushed forward first and fought Eunice.


    Because of her limited strength, Eunice was unable to hold off the approaching disciples while still fighting with the two powerful warriors at the King Realm.


    Easily getting past her, Hayden and a few of the other disciples approached Rocky, and were about to stop him.

 Chapter 1513 The Coming Newcomer Contest

    Just as Rocky was about to be in danger, another woman appeared in front of him and shouted, "If you want to get to him, you have to get past me first! Who dares to come up and have a try?"


    The unexpected event shocked everyone, because the woman was none other than Carla, the strongest warrior at the King Realm among them.


    And judging from the expression on her face, she had recovered from her earlier injury.


    Seeing that Carla had come to her aid, Eunice was a little surprised, but mostly relieved. After all, she knew that Carla was a lot more intimidating than she was, and could actually protect Rocky.


    Needless to say, the disciples who were approaching Rocky stopped in their tracks and exchanged fearful glances. They dared not continue to go forward, because they believed that if they fought her, they would not only suffer a great loss but also offend the Yu Clan, which firmly stood behind her.


    In the middle of all this, a lone figure rushed out from the corner, unnoticed by everyone present. And to add to their surprise, he was not aiming at the Purple-flaming Phoenix, but at Rocky.


    "Go to hell, Brat!" Hayden shouted with a snicker.


    By the time Eunice and Carla spotted him, it was too late for them to stop him. They could only watch him approach Rocky, as if they were frozen in place. At the same time, the powerful spiritual power of the Purple-flaming Phoenix enveloped Rocky, seemingly capable of hurting him at any time.


    The next moment, an extraordinary thing


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    ed frown.


    "I see. When did you start nagging so much?" Rocky said, rolling his eyes.


    "How dare you make such rude remarks about me? You''re courting death!" Eunice cursed angrily.


    "All right, all right. You don''t nag at all. I''m sorry!" Rocky said hurriedly, afraid that he would spark her temper.


    "That''s more like it!" Obviously, Eunice was still a little unhappy.


    The spectators of the contest included the disciples of the Sky-suppressing School and the spirit warriors who cheered for the participants from their own sects and clans. The Sky-suppressing School had appointed an elder to be in charge of the battles, and there were also many senior school officials present. Therefore, the venue was filled with lively chatter, and everyone was brimming with excitement.


    It was said that the president of the Sky-suppressing School would also be there to watch the final battle. Therefore, whoever participated in the final battle would definitely have a chance to earn a place in the president''s good graces, and in turn have a bright future.


    The contest was divided into three rounds.


    The first round was a team battle, where all the participants were divided into four teams with the same combined strength. Each team had to complete the designated task to get a chance to enter the second round. If a team didn''t complete the task, all the members of that team would not qualify for the next round. Therefore, mutual cooperation among the team members was particularly important.

 Chapter 1514 The Team Task

    The most interesting thing about the team fight was that they were allowed to fight with each other. Since all four teams shared the same tasks, they would need to compete for the sole task item from their mission. Of course, if one team wanted to get ahead, the abilities of the team leader would be crucial in determining how the strength of their team could be maximized.


    An hour before the start of the first round of the newcomer contest, the roster for all teams was announced. Soon, all the strong warriors at the King Realm were seated with their teammates.


    Rocky got assigned to the red team with Carla, while Eunice was in the blue team.


    Given that all four teams had senior King Realm masters, especially ones belonging in the top ten on the ranking list, deciding which one of them would command the team was tough since they were all equally matched.


    Nevertheless, some of them were already born with admirable leadership and were backed up by the forces behind them.


    For that reason, it didn¡¯t take long before the leaders for each team got selected. The blue team was going to be led by Moore, and Carla would be commanding the red team.


    Not a minute later, the first round commenced.


    The team fight was held in a very famous maze in the Sky-suppressing School called the Mirag


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    e in grave danger if they went on like this. That was why, when they had just repelled a wave of spiritual beasts and stood still to rest, he finally had the chance to walk up to Carla.


    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s up?¡± Carla asked, surprised to see Rocky approaching. Her arms were crossed over her chest.


    ¡°We can¡¯t go on like this. If we still don¡¯t get our hands on the second task item, I¡¯m afraid everyone in the team might flip out. We have to do something. Otherwise, we might lose our chance of entering the last round,¡± Rocky reminded in a hushed tone.


    With her brows almost pushed together, Carla also narrowed her eyes when she heard what Rocky said. ¡°That¡¯s true. What do you suggest?¡± Apparently, they were thinking the same thing.


    ¡°Punish someone as a warning to others. Don¡¯t give out any commands when the next wave of spiritual beasts attack and just let everyone defend themselves right on the spot. That way, we can all find out which of the arrogant ones keep on talking the talk but can¡¯t walk the walk. After that, you can show them your strength and maintain your authority.¡± Rocky shared his suggestions, keeping his voice muted to keep others from hearing.


    When Rocky finished talking, Carla glanced at him and asked, ¡°Do you think that will work? And¡­ are you sure that¡¯s a good idea?¡±

 Chapter 1515 Compete With The Yellow Team

    "If you believe in me, just do as I said. I promise that no one will have any complaints. I''ll give you the chance to build up your prestige," Rocky said seriously.


    After a pause, Carla slowly nodded and seemed to have decided to put her trust in Rocky.


    It did not take long before the red team encountered more than ten spiritual beasts, but not a single one of them was particularly powerful.


    "Don''t attack! Defend immediately!" At that moment, Carla suddenly barked out an order.


    All the other members of her team turned to look at her with a puzzled expression when they heard her sudden command.


    "Miss Carla, these spiritual beasts aren''t that strong. Why shouldn''t we launch an attack?" someone asked doubtfully.


    "I''m the captain. Just follow my order," Carla responded with a grim expression.


    Although the members of the red team looked at each other in confusion, they had no choice but to obey their leader''s words.


    And so, instead of launching an offensive, they stood their ground braced for any incoming attack.


    Since the spiritual beasts were also very smart, they were in no hurry to fight. They took their time and began to surround the red team. It immediately became apparent that their plan was to exhaust the troops.


    They were forced to remain in a stalemate for four hours.


    Some of the team members began to obviously show their impatience since they coul


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    third location by himself.


    Because he was alone, there was no need for him to hold back. In less than half an hour, he arrived at the destination. Three spiritual beasts at the medium stage of the Spiritual Infant guarding the object met his gaze.


    ''It won''t really be a problem if I fight against the three of them by myself, but it seems like a waste of time. Why don''t I just wait for the others to come?'' Rocky mused to himself after a while. Since he knew that the yellow team would also send people to attack the spiritual beasts, he just needed to wait for the opportunity to obtain the object.


    Sure enough, several disciples at the medium stage of Spiritual Infant from the yellow team appeared in the destination an hour later, just like Rocky expected.


    "The red team''s really weak. They didn''t even send anyone here."


    "Of course. Except for Carla, all the other members are trash!"


    "Cut the crap and let''s just do this. The three of us will handle the beasts, and you two try to take the task object. After you get it, retreat immediately!"


    The disciples of the yellow team made a quick decision and went to work. Three of them rushed towards the three spiritual beasts, while the other two went to the box where the task object was stored.


    ''I can make my move now.'' Once Rocky saw them take action, he immediately flashed away and disappeared from where he was standing.

 Chapter 1516 Rockys Plan

    Soon, the yellow team''s two disciples approached the box. Just as they were about to open it, the box suddenly opened, and the item in it disappeared in an instant. It happened so fast that it caught the two masters completely off-guard, so much so that they didn''t even see the other side''s appearance. They were left at a loss and empty-handed.


    The other three disciples of the yellow team were also outraged when they saw that someone had stolen the task item right from under their noses. They frantically looked around but didn''t even see a shadow.


    While this was happening, Rocky had already gotten back to his team with the item he had grabbed in tow.


    But his happiness was short-lived because he found that while he was gone, his team had fallen to a disadvantage. Although Carla was powerful, Drake, the yellow team''s leader, was also quite formidable, and before long, she had lost control of their team.


    Rocky knew that if the battle went on like that, the red team wouldn''t be able to hold out for much longer. The yellow team would soon overrun them. Therefore, he instantly moved to Carla''s side with his eyes narrowed sternly.


    "Tell everyone to retreat to the west right now!" he urgently told her.


    "But if we retreat, we will lose the third item to the yellow team!" Carla replied, frowning uncertainly.


    "Don''t worry. I already got it!" he insisted pressingly, showing her the third item in his care.


    "What?! When did you¡ª" Carla looked at him with her eyes wid


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    ou!" Eunice grumbled.


    "How can I let you do my dirty work? I just want you to open this bottle when you arrive at the task site." After saying this, Rocky took out a small bottle of the magical saliva.


    "What''s in the bottle?" Eunice asked curiously and somewhat suspiciously.


    "Don''t worry. It''s a good thing!" Rocky answered mysteriously.


    "Tell me!" Eunice urged him insistently.


    "This bottle contains a kind of spiritual liquid that can attract spiritual beasts." He finally gave in and answered honestly.


    "Really? Is there even such a thing?" Eunice looked at the bottle with surprise. She had never heard of such a thing in the Ethereal Region before.


    "You don''t have to be so surprised. This world is full of wonders!"


    "And then? What will happen after?" Eunice asked again, pressing him for answers to sate her curiosity.


    "Sorry, but all that happens after that would be my business alone," Rocky answered promptly.


    "Is that all? Can''t you tell me more?" Eunice insisted with a small frown.


    "No! I''m afraid that you''ll spoil my plan because you''re too stupid," Rocky retorted sarcastically, making Eunice angry on purpose.


    "You need a spanking, don''t you?" Eunice instantly bit his bait, as she grew angry from embarrassment and finally stopped asking him unnecessary questions.


    "Once you have finished this task, you can do whatever you like. I''ll leave it to you." Now that they reached an understanding, Rocky handed the bottle to her without hesitation.

 Chapter 1517 Fighting Two Beasts Simultaneously

    "Get lost!" Eunice threatened with a wave of her hand as she took the bottle.


    Rocky left the blue team quietly.


    Four hours later, the blue team reached their destination¡ªthe habitat of the Wine Spirit Beast at the advanced stage of the Spiritual Infant. It was also the location of their next task object.


    Their task object was the spiritual wine sac located on the Wine Spirit Beast''s body. It contained a pure concentration of the beast''s essence. The wine could cure various diseases, detoxify numerous poisons, and even improve a spirit warrior''s strength. It was a rare, valuable treasure.


    But to obtain it, they had to defeat the beast that guarded it. That was what made the task even more challenging.


    "Listen to me, all of you. Let''s split up and get into position as agreed on earlier." Moore was a natural when it came to taking the lead and commanding a team. With a wave of his hand, all the members of the blue team instantly dispersed and positioned themselves into a half-moon formation as they began to approach the Wine Spirit Beast.


    The beast quickly picked up on the disturbance. It stood up and let out a deafening roar. Upright, its body was like a large statue erected again


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    don''t we ask a separate team to fight the beast that just appeared while the majority of us focus on dealing with the other one?" Carver suggested.


    "That''s the only way." Drake nodded.


    Both the yellow team and the white team needed one more task object to complete their mission. They had no other choice.


    However, both captains had other ideas in mind. Although they appeared to be cooperating with each other, they were secretly plotting something else behind each other''s back. If they managed to get even just one object, they''d surely win.


    After reaching a consensus, the two captains returned to their positions to command their teams. Carver led ten relatively strong disciples to face the Wine Spirit Beast that Rocky led there. Meanwhile, Drake continued to lead the team to attack the spiritual beast they dealt with earlier to recover lost ground.


    Unfortunately, the Wine Spirit Beast was so powerful and fast that the white team couldn''t hold it off any longer.


    The Wine Spirit Beast was able to take a few breaths and regain its strength. Due to the absence of a lot of mighty warriors, the beast''s power grew overwhelming.


    For a moment, the battle had returned to an impasse.

 Chapter 1518 Caused An Uproar

    The long-lasting battle left the King Realm warriors in both the yellow and white teams gasping for breath. They didn''t have enough strength left to fight back against the two high-level spiritual beasts.


    It only took a few moments for both teams to suffer heavy losses. The warriors were losing their ground.


    "Damn it!" The captains cussed as they saw what was happening to their troops.


    "I think it''s better if we retreat. Let''s just think it over later," Carver suggested.


    "No, this is impossible. I can''t believe I can''t kill this spiritual beast," Drake said in a defeated tone. He seemed to have lost all his confidence.


    "Don''t act hastily! Maybe if we retreat, the two spiritual beasts will end up fighting each other. We will surely benefit from that," Carver said in a stern tone.


    "Well..." Drake hesitated to agree.


    "We have to retreat first. Look at how many people we lost!" Carver didn''t want to take no for an answer.


    "Okay, fine!" Drake finally agreed, albeit he felt a bit forced.


    The two captains wasted no more time an


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    is true strength.


    "Cut the crap. I''ll teach you a lesson, you cocky brat!" Carver shouted angrily. Rocky''s arrogance infuriated him.


    Irritated and at the end of his wits, Carver immediately rushed at Rocky at a lightning-fast speed. He was the promising young warrior of the Snow Cloud Sect who belonged to the Sky-suppressing Sect and was the nephew of the esteemed sect leader. No one should talk ill to him like that.


    When the disciples saw Carver fighting Rocky, they looked at each other in surprise. They knew that Rocky was no match for Carver.


    "Cloud-concealing Skill!" Carver shouted. His whole body suddenly became blurry as it was enveloped by clouds and mist.


    The cloud and mist quickly surrounded Rocky, causing him to lose track of his opponent.


    "That must be the Cloud-concealing Skill. Only a handful know how to use this secret skill of the Snow Cloud Sect, which is also one of the top ten skills among the Ethereal Region!"


    The disciples cheered and roared triumphantly as if the battle result had already been decided.

 Chapter 1519 The Second Round

    After a while, Rocky successfully avoided the resulting impact of the Cloud-concealing Skill, and somehow, approached the two overwhelming spiritual beasts. Then, the Mystical Dragon Sword behind him soared to the sky and morphed into dazzling starlight that began to expand.


    It was the Thousand-star Swordsmanship.


    By then, all the disciples present were shocked by the sudden appearance of the spiritual light. It was as dense and luminous as one of the stars in the night sky. Their astonishment was heightened once they witnessed the light fall towards the earth like a falling star. It then morphed into sword shadows that completely enveloped the two spiritual beasts.


    ¡°What¡­ what spiritual skill is this?¡±


    ¡°This is quite alarming. Is it a premium grade spiritual skill? I¡¯ve never seen it before!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible! How could someone with his strength use a premium grade spiritual skill like that?¡±


    As the bewilderment continued to spread among them, the two spiritual beasts beamed with sword radiance all over their bodies. Their bodies gleamed and glistened for a moment b


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    ce. It appears I¡¯ve greatly underestimated you.¡± In fact, once the blue team backed out of the competition, Eunice sneaked back in to observe Rocky and witness him use the Thousand-star Swordsmanship.


    ¡°I originally wanted to keep a low profile. But if I couldn¡¯t make it to the second round, it would definitely hinder your plan. I needed to go all out,¡± Rocky replied casually.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. If it wasn''t for what you did, the red team would¡¯ve been a lost cause. But you¡¯ll need more power in the second round. Now that you¡¯ve attracted lots of attention, you¡¯ll need to be ready. You¡¯ve become a walking target, but it doesn¡¯t matter. All you need to do is ensure that I can make it through the second round and get to the final round.¡± Eunice clearly had more confidence in herself. Moreover, she thought Rocky¡¯s win in the first round was just a flash in the pan. The second round would be a test of endurance. She decided to persuade Rocky into helping her get into the third round by teaming up.


    ¡°I see.¡± He nodded and then went straight into his room without uttering another word.

 Chapter 1520 The Melee Inside The Cave

    The next day, Rocky and Eunice went to the entrance of the Black Abyss Cave, where the second round of the newcomer contest would be held.


    At the moment, the entrance was already packed with people, as some disciples went early to prepare for the second round of the fighting. Many other disciples and masters from the school also came early to watch the contest.


    "To all the participants, please enter the cave now. The second round of free-for-all fighting will begin after one hour!" the elder in charge of the contest announced loudly, urging the people to come inside.


    "Let''s go," said Eunice, nodding at Rocky beside her.


    Then, the two of them followed the other disciples who were participating in the fighting into the Black Abyss Cave.


    The first thing they noticed when they arrived at the cave was that it was dark inside. There was a dim light coming from several holes on top of the cave, but they were too small to be of much help. Worse, the sound of the wind howling echoed from the depths of the cave from time to time, and it sounded like ghosts wailing from the underworld, which added to the creepiness of the dark cave.


    As soon as the disciples entered the cave, a ghost-like figure suddenly appeared in front of them.


    "Welcome, participants! Allow me to briefly explain the rules of the melee that we are about to do. When the contest officially begin


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    antage. Moreover, she purposefully avoided engaging with the man in grey, as she aimed her attacks at the two disciples who were at the primary stage of the Spiritual Infant instead. It seemed that she intended on defeating them first.


    They paused at a stalemate. The good news was that the fighting power of the two disciples had evidently decreased, but the bad news was that Eunice couldn''t resist the attacks from the grey-clothed man. A moment later, she was suddenly forced into a predicament.


    Almost at the same time, a figure silently crept under the cover of darkness and appeared behind one of the disciples at the primary stage of the Spiritual Infant. A sword shadow passed through the air.


    A pained scream suddenly echoed in that section of the cave. When Eunice spared a glance, she saw the disciple wounded and covered in blood. Although the wound wasn''t that deep, a stream of spiritual power had forcefully collided in his body.


    "No! How dare you hurt my friend?!" Seeing that, the other disciple at the primary stage of the Spiritual Infant grew enraged and immediately rushed forward recklessly.


    "Shadowless Swordsmanship!"


    The sword shadow disappeared and reappeared, spearing through that disciple''s chest.


    Bang!


    The impact sent the disciple flying into the air.


    In the blink of an eye, two of the three disciples had already been defeated.

 Chapter 1521 Searching Her Separately

    The grey-robed man didn''t expect that Eunice also had someone to help her, and that person even defeated his two companions with one move. His expression changed drastically, as he realized that the tables had turned.


    "You did great, Basil!" Eunice cheered. Her eyes lit up with excitement because Rocky''s attack had been timed perfectly, and her efforts weren''t wasted. Just now, she had deliberately revealed a flaw so that the three disciples would force her into a predicament, and she simultaneously made them relax their vigilance.


    "Damn it! This is bad!" The man in grey was livid. His face was the color of rubies, while his eyes seemed like he could kill Rocky with just a look! When he realized that they couldn''t get the upper hand against Rocky and Eunice, he wanted to run away first and leave his two companions to fend for themselves.


    However, Eunice had already calculated what the man was planning. She suddenly raised her hands, and a thin thread coiled around his body.


    The man desperately struggled against her hold, but her thread was so durable that even his spiritual power couldn''t break it.


    "If I were you, I''m going to stop struggling now. This divine silk has been spat out by the divine silkworm living for a thousand years. It is invincible and can''t be destroyed by water or fire. Once you get enta


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    arla''s lips, gesturing for her to keep silent, just as she looked like she was about to speak. Then, he put his arms around her waist and took her back to his hiding place.


    At that point, Eunice had also recognized Carla, but she looked suspicious of her. That was because Carla was more powerful than her, and she was also one of the strongest warriors in the competition. Therefore, Eunice was worried that it might be a trap.


    However, Carla''s face was pale, as if she had suffered an internal injury.


    Soon, Rocky and Eunice noticed the three figures chasing after Carla appeared, and they seemed to be searching for her nearby. To their surprise, Hayden was the one leading them.


    In the first round of the competition, Hayden was assigned to the blue team, and he also entered the second round of battle. With his strength and identity, he easily won an advantage in the second round. Meanwhile, the two disciples following behind him were also at the medium stage of the Spiritual Infant.


    Of course, Hayden found the man in the grey robe who was Rocky and Eunice''s bait. But he noticed that the man''s breath was very weak and didn''t pose a threat, so he simply thrust the man away with a single kick. Then, he looked around and said, "Something feels off. She must still be hiding nearby! Let''s search for her separately!"

 Chapter 1522 Hand Her Over

    Hearing that, Rocky, Carla, and Eunice couldn''t help but look at each other with worried expressions on their faces.


    Hayden and his other two companions were all at the medium stage of the Spiritual Infant. On the other hand, Carla had already been seriously injured. They thought that if only Rocky and Eunice fought the three of them, they might be at a disadvantage and might even put themselves in danger.


    "We don''t have a choice. You should hand her over," Eunice said in a low voice.


    Hearing that, Rocky cast a glance at Carla.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll get out of here myself. I don''t want to get you into unnecessary trouble." Of course, Carla knew that if she didn''t go out and chose to stay with them, Rocky and Eunice might be caught up with the situation. Rocky had helped her a lot in the first round, so she didn¡¯t want to return his kindness with ingratitude.


    "No. You''re going to stay here. I''m the one who will go out and lure them away from here," Rocky said and immediately stopped her.


    Stunned at what she just heard, Carla wasn''t able to speak right away. She obviously didn''t expect Rocky to suggest such an idea. If they were in other situations, she might understand. However, they were currently in the second round of the contest, and Car


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    n. Thus, he couldn''t suppress the killing intent that was oozing in his eyes. "You little shit! Do you think that you''re going to scare me with this stunt of yours? Come on, let¡¯s fight him together! There''s no need to show mercy!"


    The other two nodded their heads and prepared themselves to battle Rocky.


    Immediately after, Rocky''s sword flew out and directly transformed into a sharp sword radiance that ferociously charged forward to his enemies.


    An hour later after their fierce battle ensued, Hayden was in utter disbelief that he and his companions at the medium stage of the Spiritual Infant were badly injured by Rocky.


    "Your aura shows that your strength should just be at the primary stage of the Spiritual Infant! How the hell could you defeat the three of us?!" Hayden trembled in fear and shock. He couldn''t figure out what exactly was happening because he felt that when he fought Rocky just now, the latter''s strength was obviously more powerful than his.


    "Well, there are many things in this world that can''t be fully explained by common sense, and my existence is one of them. So, I''ll give you the chance to surrender, or I can guarantee that I''ll cripple you for the rest of your life with my next sword strike!" Rocky roared scornfully.

 Chapter 1523 The Sixteen Disciples Were Determined

    Hayden was not someone who would give up easily. However, Rocky had single-handedly caused Hayden and his two companions some severe injuries. Indeed, he had extremely powerful strength, so no matter how stubborn Hayden was, he couldn''t let Rocky kill him.


    "Fine! I give up!" Setting aside his pride, Hayden resentfully backed down.


    "Well then, sleep tight!" As soon as Rocky uttered those words, he swiftly appeared right in front of Hayden, who fainted when he suddenly felt a wave of overwhelming spiritual pressure come at him.


    "The second round is almost over. I should start hunting now! If I could lessen the number of opponents in the third round, that should also give Eunice a better chance at achieving the goal of this contest..." Rocky reckoned, raising his eyebrows. After a quick pondering, he disappeared from where he stood.


    Not a second later, three figures turned up. They were surprised the moment they saw Hayden and the two other disciples.


    "Isn''t this... Hayden? The young master of the Summer Palace? He''s been defeated?!"


    "It shouldn''t have been a problem for him to at least enter the third round with his strength. What happened?"


    "What''s more, these other two are a


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    g and sought his decision.


    At the moment, Felton Chang couldn''t help but put on a long face. After all, it was the first time that such an incident had happened. He believed that someone did it on purpose, but he wasn''t sure who and why he did that.


    "Announce at once that the number of disciples that would enter the third round will be reduced to sixteen. Also, send some people to keep an eye on the participants who haven''t been eliminated yet. Make sure that no more strange things will happen from here on," Felton Chang ordered decisively after thinking for a while.


    Soon enough, a loud sound echoed in the Black Abyss Cave. An announcement was issued that the number of participants for the third round would be reduced to sixteen. When the disciples in the Black Abyss Cave heard about it, they became rather restless. After all, since they reduced the number of disciples that could pass in half, it basically meant that their chances of entering the next round were also reduced. Thus, they still needed to be very vigilant during the remaining time.


    Finally, after two hours of the severely tense atmosphere, the sixteen disciples who were going to enter the next round were determined.

 Chapter 1524 His Bigger Goal

    Not long after, the sixteen disciples left the Black Abyss Cave one after another and presented themselves to the spectators, who had waited a long time outside the cave for that moment.


    Moore came out first. His Spiritual Infant was at the peak of the medium stage. In the second round of the melee, no one dared to go against him, so he won a place in the next round without a fight.


    Two more disciples came out after Moore, both of them having a Spiritual Infant at the middle stage. These two also performed splendidly, so most of the people had expected this outcome. They were allowed to join the third round now and even had the chance to compete for first place in the newcomer contest.


    The disciples with primary Spiritual Infant came out next. However, they had been in school for at least half a year, so they already had some qualifications.


    Before long, most of the disciples who stood out in the second round had already come out of the cave, while Eunice and Carla made up the rear.


    Once the two girls exited the cave, they naturally attracted a lot of attention, as they were also the only female disciples who had stayed in the second round. Moreover, they were both breathtakingly beautiful.


    Of course, Carla''s strength need


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    different groups, and Moore is in my group. It seems that I have to go all out. If I can defeat him, I will surely be the champion of this competition!" Her eyes twinkled with confidence and firm resolution. Although she knew that Moore was stronger than her, she still wouldn''t give up without a fight.


    "What about Carla?" Rocky asked casually.


    "She is in your group, and she will likely stand out among the others in your group," Eunice predicted boldly.


    "You think so?" A faint smile played on Rocky''s lips as he added, "Then I''ll have a casual competition."


    "It''s all up to you because your task in the newcomer contest has already been completed. Anyway, I don''t expect you to reach the top of the newcomer contest," replied Eunice indifferently.


    Rocky nodded at this and then proceeded to the field where his group was allocated.


    Contrary to what he told Eunice, he didn''t intend to treat this round lightly because he had a bigger goal, which was to win first place in the newcomer contest. That was because, in the two days that he had been cultivating in seclusion, he had gained new progress within the Scarlet Heaven Jade. Also, he activated his Spiritual Infant further and was only one step away from the advanced stage.

 Chapter 1525 Something Was Wrong

    For the next competition, the disciples were then divided into two groups of eight. The finalists would be determined from the two groups.


    Of course, it went without saying that the newcomer disciples who had made it thus far were undoubtedly powerful. It was believed that Moore would win the championship, though Carla also had a fighting chance. After all, the two of them were the strongest throughout the newcomer contest. They weren''t in the same group, which meant it was likely they would be the ones facing each other in the final battle.


    However, there was also talk of a dark horse among the top sixteen disciples. Eunice was the candidate, since she was one of two new disciples who had made it to the last rung of the competition. She managed to stand out even though she was new; anyone could see that she was extremely talented.


    The other new disciple was Rocky.


    Although Rocky had a very remarkable performance in the second round, especially when he defeated three disciples at the medium stage of the Spiritua


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    s, kneeling on the ground and spitting blood.


    Everyone was stunned. No one saw that coming.


    They didn''t expect Rocky was so remarkable. Not only did he emerge from the first attack unscathed, but he also managed to seriously injure his opponent!


    "Why do I get the feeling that this guy grew stronger the past two days?" Eunice couldn''t help but mutter.


    On the arena, Rocky watched his opponent calmly.


    "Damn it!" The disciple in yellow spat, obviously humiliated. After all, he was injured by a new disciple who was weaker than him. In his anger, the spiritual power in his body grew irritable. His eyes were instantly bloodshot, and a black gas suddenly started to enshroud his body. Everyone watching trembled with fear.


    Rocky frowned slightly. Something was wrong with his opponent...


    Sure enough, the disciple suddenly roared and pounced on Rocky like a wild beast. At the same time, his originally pure spiritual power was filled with the strong evil aura, which indicated he was spiraling into utter madness.

 Chapter 1526 Haydens Trick Failed

    Hayden, from his seat in the audience, smiled sinisterly. In exchange for killing Rocky, he gave the disciple in yellow a magical pill made by the Summer Palace. This pill was meant to increase his strength and speed, which was why the disciple took it without hesitation. What he didn''t know was that its potential side effects were to make the taker go berserk and lose control like a beast.


    Of course, when Hayden had given him the pill, he didn''t tell the disciple about its side effects.


    Just as Hayden had planned, the disciple in yellow began to show symptoms of the side effects.


    If Rocky was killed by this out-of-control disciple, it would be attributed to his bad luck. No one would look into it. Hayden would get away with murdering Rocky easily.


    Rocky, who could see the craziness in the disciple''s eyes, dared not let his guard down. The disciple tried to pounce on him like a mad dog, ca


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    over his chest.


    Eyeing him warily, Eunice then turned around and left.


    Rocky didn''t loiter any longer and soon left as well.


    The other three matches ended just after noon. The two other winners aside from Carla had Spiritual Infant at the primary stage, so they weren''t too strong.


    Soon, matches for the second round were announced. Rocky and Carla would fight against the other two disciples with primary stage Spiritual Infant.


    Two hours later, the second round began.


    "I can''t just quit," Rocky muttered to himself when he saw how much weak his opponent was compared to him. Winning would be too easy. Thus, he decided not to quit until he faced Carla.


    It wasn''t hard to imagine the result of the second round.


    Because he easily won two rounds of the competition in a row, Rocky garnered a lot of attention. It was unsurprising he was now regarded the dark horse among the newcomers.

 Chapter 1527 To Compete Moore

    However, it didn''t matter if he was the dark horse or not. What mattered was if he would make it to the finals of the competition, and in order to do so, he needed to win this last round.


    In everyone''s eyes, the chances of Rocky winning in the last round were very small, since his opponent was the famous Carla from the Sky-suppressing Sect, who was quite powerful.


    There were many rumors about just how strong Carla was. She had, at the very least, a Spiritual Infant at the medium stage, second only to Moore. Therefore, unless Rocky was as strong as Moore, there was no way he''d defeat her.


    Moreover, Carla had been regarded as a talented spirit warrior ever since she was a child. The Yu Clan had invested their time and resources on her, and as a result, she had learned the best and most secret skills of the clan. Rocky''s chances of winning were extremely slim.


    Even before the third round of the competition started, everyone knew Rocky was going to lose.


    However, to everyone''s surprise,


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    m.


    Rocky shrugged at her with a helpless smile and then excused himself. Then, he headed to his room.


    The final round of the contest of the Sky-suppressing School began in the Sunny Square the next day. In the center of the square, there was a huge field thousands of square meters big, and there was also an isolation belt around the field, in case that the disciples and masters watching the battle were accidentally injured.


    At the moment, the square was full of people, with many more swarming in from all sides.


    The vice president of the Sky-suppressing School and several elders, including Felton, arrived early. They all sat on the high platform in front of the square. In addition, there were also some important figures from various major forces of the Sky-suppressing Sect who were invited.


    What Eunice said was true. Those who performed well in front of those high-level leaders of the Sky-suppressing Sect would gain the opportunity to get proper training, solidifying their future.

 Chapter 1528 The Surprising Result

    Soon, Moore appeared in front of everyone, garnering the most attention above anyone else in the newcomer contest. He was clad in a blue robe, his hair loosely worn on his shoulder. Those female masters and disciples on the spot instantly were captivated by his handsome face.


    And Moore''s pleasing features weren''t his only merit. For the past few years, the Sky-suppressing Mansion had considered Moore as their most outstanding spirit warrior, placing great value on him. If he won first place in the competition, he would surely earn the Sky-suppressing Mansion a reputation and lay a very important foundation for his future.


    Everyone knew that the Sky-suppressing Mansion had established the Sky-suppressing School, and they shed a lot of manpower and material sources every year to train exceptional spirit warriors. Those spirit warriors who could stand out among their peers would then receive the attention of the Sky-suppressing Mansion, regardless if they were spirit warriors from the mansion or not.


    "If Moore won first place in this newcomer competition, he would get a chance to enter the Spiritual Sea Region."


    "Well, even if Moore doesn''t take part in the contest this time, I''m sure that the Sky-suppressing Ma


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    falling from the sky.


    Unfortunately, when the sword shadow fell with great momentum, it cut off his spiritual power. The fierce sword aura instantly flooded the entire area with Moore in the center.


    Bang! A muffled sound suddenly rang out.


    Under the sword aura''s forceful impact, Moore flew dozens of meters away and slammed against the ground, suffering bloody wounds all over his body. It could be seen how overwhelming the sword attack was just now!


    All the people present were utterly dumbfounded. No one had expected Rocky''s attack to contain such power. Even Moore couldn''t resist it, and a single move had actually managed to strike him down!


    On the other hand, Rocky had already taken back his Mystical Dragon Sword. He was standing in the center of the arena, still as a marble statue, as he waited for the competition that had just began to be declared over.


    "That''s impossible! How could he defeat Moore in one move? Is he hiding his strength?" At that moment, even Eunice had an astonished expression on her face.


    Carla, who was also watching the battle, couldn''t help but gasp in shock.


    The vice president and the elders of the Sky-suppressing School, including Felton, were also stunned speechless.

 Chapter 1529 More Will Have The Chance

    "Sir, please announce the victor!" Felton was the first one to calm down and immediately reminded the vice president.


    "But..." The vice president was still lost for words. He was having a hard time accepting that Moore was defeated. After all, Moore was the new elite trained by the Sky-suppressing Mansion. In fact, this contest was arranged so that he could enter the Spiritual Sea Region to cultivate.


    "The result has been decided. There is no doubt who the victor is!" Felton said concisely, but it was a clear statement.


    The elders of the school didn¡¯t want to accept what just happened, but deep inside they all knew that Rocky beat Moore in a straight fight. Everyone present also knew it. No one could even doubt Rocky¡¯s victory.


    After taking a couple of shaky breaths, the vice president stood up reluctantly, looked around him, and announced at the top of his lungs, "I declare that the winner of the newcomer contest of the Sky-suppressing School is¡­ Basil!"


    The crowd immediately exploded into an uproar. Although everyone saw that Moore was


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    es, sir." The vice president nodded repeatedly.


    "Judging by the results of the newcomer contest, there are so many talented new disciples. I think we''d better change the competition so that more will have a chance to enter the Spiritual Sea Region this year," the elder advised. Of course, his real purpose was to give Moore another chance to enter, but he wanted to hide his true intent.


    "No problem. I''ll arrange it right away." The vice president immediately understood the meaning of the elder''s words and gave his promise.


    "Thank you, vice president. In this way, I can explain to the chief when I go back." The elder then stood up to leave, but after taking two steps he suddenly paused and added, "Keep an eye on the warrior called Basil from the Di Clan. Pay attention to his every move. If there is anything even remotely suspicious about him, report it to the Sky-suppressing Mansion immediately."


    "Yes sir, I understand." The vice president nodded in a hurry.


    After that, the elder left the room while others present watched him walk out.

 Chapter 1530 Entered The Spiritual Sea Region

    Early the following day, the Sky-suppressing School made an announcement regarding the reward of the competition. Since there were a lot of outstanding and powerful spirit warriors that emerged in the newcomer contest, the school made a rare exception and decided that the top eight disciples of the contest would get the chance to enter the Spiritual Sea Region.


    As soon as the announcement was made, it immediately caused a sensation in the entire school. After all, such an exception was never made in the previous newcomer contests. It was the first time that it was happening.


    Of course, everyone couldn''t help but speculate that the main reason why the school decided to do that was because of Moore. He was the favorite to win the competition, but he was unexpectedly defeated by Rocky. Moore was a very talented spirit warrior that the Sky-suppressing Mansion had deeply valued in recent years. If he managed to get the first place, the Sky-suppressing School would only give him the chance to enter the Spiritual Sea Region and get the opportunity to break through to the advanced stage of the Spiritual Infant. In that case, he would only be a step away from the Emperor Realm.


    However, since the first place was taken from him, it would not be that easy for him to reach a higher level in a short


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    n front of them had suddenly changed. Originally, their surroundings had the terrain of the valley, but now, they found themselves on an island, which was covered by clouds and mist.


    "This island should be the starting point of the map. We have to go through this island first before reaching the area shaded in green," the strongest senior disciple said. Among the senior disciples, he was also the one with the most experience because it was already his second time entering the Spiritual Sea Region. When he entered last time, he was still at the medium stage of the Spiritual Infant.


    "This island shouldn''t be that large. I think we can get past through it soon enough," one of the top eight new disciples said quite confidently


    "Yeah, it''s not a big one, but whether you can cross it quickly or not actually depends on your ability. The first time I came here, it took me ten days to completely get out of here. Anyway, let''s go." Right after speaking, the strongest senior disciple nodded at his partner and proceeded further into the island.


    Immediately after, the other senior disciples wasted no time and also left in pairs.


    When the senior disciples were almost nearly gone, the top eight new disciples began to look at each other as if they were hesitating whom they would pair up with.

 Chapter 1531 The Three Teamed Up

    "Basil, let''s go ahead first," Eunice murmured to Rocky, motioning for him to move forward. The two of them were highly likely to be in the same group anyway, and they couldn''t care less about how the rest would choose their companions. Thus, they might as well leave the rest behind.


    "All right. Let''s go," answered Rocky, nodding quickly. But as the two of them were about to leave, Carla suddenly intercepted them and called after Rocky straightforwardly, "Wait! Let me go with you!"


    Carla''s words made Rocky pause and look back at her. He was silent for a moment because he was at a loss whether to cry or laugh.


    Meanwhile, the other disciples were shocked and envious that Carla wanted to team up with Rocky. They all knew that she rarely worked with any man since she entered the Sky-suppressing School, but now, she suddenly wanted to form a team with Rocky. It was unbelievable! They couldn''t help but wonder if there was a special relationship brewing between Carla and Rocky.


    "I''m sorry, Miss Carla, but Basil already has a partner," Eunice clarified shortly. She hadn''t expected anyone, let alone Carla, to directly ask Rocky like that, so she immediately shot her down.


    "That''s okay. I didn''t say I wanted to be his only partner. I don''t mind if there are three people in my group," Carla insisted calmly, undeterred by Eunice''s answer.


    "No. I''m sorry, but we''re not accepting anyone else into our group," responded Eunice firmly, her pouty mouth twisted into an annoyed frown. A tension so thick anyone could have cut it w


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    the light gradually gathered into a circular pattern as if an array had appeared over its body. Once the flames from the Purple-flaming Phoenix hit that circular light pattern, it vanished without a trace.


    Rocky and the two women were left dumbfounded. They hadn''t expected such power from the spiritual beast that it could withstand the phoenix''s attack without even shifting on its spot.


    After that, the phoenix attacked it several more times, but it failed to break through the circular light pattern that shielded the lion-shaped spiritual beast.


    "I think that the spiritual beast just performed a spiritual skill that is usually done by spirit warriors. I''ve heard of talk of it before. They said that a kind of spiritual beast could perform the same spiritual skill as a spirit warrior could do, but I haven''t seen evidence of it until now," Carla shared with the others, a marveling look on her face.


    "I feel like this beast is going to be difficult to handle," sighed Rocky as his eyes narrowed slightly. The spiritual beast was more powerful than he had expected, and it didn''t seem to be an ordinary spiritual beast at the advanced stage of the Spiritual Infant.


    Just as the three of them were about to lose heart, several senior disciples suddenly appeared one after another. Those disciples had left earlier than Rocky and the two women, but they had surprisingly arrived later than them.


    Those senior disciples were astonished to see that three new disciples had reached the end of the Peculiar Beast Island before them.

 Chapter 1532 Passing The Guard

    "I didn''t think they''d fall behind us! These senior disciples must not be much of a big deal!" Eunice mocked the newly arrived disciples with a cold smile.


    At this moment, the most powerful disciple came forward. He had reached the advanced stage of the Spiritual Infant, and he had a commanding air about him. The man said in a domineering tone, "I can''t believe you three got through the Peculiar Beast Island so quickly. It seems that you are pretty lucky. However, your luck and strength won''t be enough to get you past this Mysterious Spirit Lion. But don''t worry. I am willing to give you a chance. If you are willing to work with us, you can get through its defense together with us, and we''ll also allow you to cultivate with us..."


    "How are we supposed to work with you?" Eunice asked after casting an uncertain glance in Rocky''s direction.


    "The Mysterious Spirit Lion can launch the Mysterious Spirit Array, and that array can absorb any kind of spiritual skill. Usually, only spirit warriors at the Emperor Realm can break the array. That is why we can''t break the Mysterious Spirit Array on our own. That''s where you come in. The Mysterious Spirit Lion has a weakness¡ªit has to gather all of its spiritual power to use the Mysterious Spirit Array. If someone could willingly sacrifice himself by attacking the lion''s spiritual power


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    sked Rocky, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. "Our mission is to find a stolen divine treasure, which was said to be hidden here in the Spiritual Sea Region. It is called the Army-blessing Scroll, which was originally owned by the Di Clan.


    It''s an incredibly rare treasure that can provide divine power to protect thousands of troops on battlefields. The Di Clan has been looking for it for many years, but it wasn''t until recently that they confirmed that this divine treasure had really been stolen and hidden somewhere here in the Spiritual Sea Region. However, no one knows where it is. So the Di Clan believes that this divine treasure should still be in the Spiritual Sea Region," explained Eunice.


    "But this region is so vast. How are we supposed to look for it here? It''ll be like looking for a needle in a haystack!" Rocky shook his head.


    "Don''t worry about that. When the Army-blessing Scroll was stolen, a page was left behind. We can use that." While she spoke, Eunice brought out a roll of parchment from her pocket. When she unfolded it, a shiny golden page emerged. Rocky didn''t know what material it was made of, as it looked like a piece of paper, but it contained rather potent spiritual power. And that was just a single page! Rocky could only imagine how amazing the scroll could be if they managed to complete it.

 Chapter 1533 The Thief

    ¡°This Army-blessing Scroll appears to be no ordinary divine treasure!¡± Rocky exclaimed with certainty.


    ¡°Of course! The Di Clan¡¯s divine treasure isn¡¯t just like any other divine treasure. Although it appears to be useless to ordinary masters, it will become as strong as a winged tiger once wielded by a brave and well-experienced general who will lead his army against the enemy. It will allow him to increase his strength tenfold or even more!¡± Eunice answered earnestly with pride


    "Really? Why is this scroll so powerful? Can you tell me?" Rocky asked her curiously.


    ¡°It¡¯s said that this scroll¡¯s power dates back to a thousand years. It was written by a peerless master whom people regarded as the literary sage. Every sentence written within it can form a spiritual skill move. As long as you focus on reading the sentences in your mind, it will be able to cause immense damage. If you read an entire page, you¡¯ll be able to destroy countless people, the whole city, and even the entire country. On the other hand, it can also be used to protect your family, defend your country, and bring prosperity to the peop


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    icated such feelings could be.


    ¡°You will understand one day.¡± He didn¡¯t explain any further as he returned to enjoying his dinner.


    Just as they were enjoying their quiet meal by moonlight, a short and black figure suddenly jumped out from one of the dense bushes at lightning speed. It rushed towards them and swept past their table. Then, they noticed that one of the roasted fishes was gone.


    Then, the mysterious figure rushed into the grass on the other side.


    A stunned Eunice looked to Rocky and asked, ¡°Was that a spiritual beast?¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t look like a beast. It looked more like¡­a person. Definitely not a tall one.¡± Although the black figure moved quickly, Rocky was able to determine that it was a human and not a spiritual beast.


    ¡°It was a thief! Damn it! We have to catch him!¡± Eunice exclaimed ferociously.


    ¡°Forget it. We can¡¯t finish everything anyway.¡± Rocky shot a carefree smile in her direction. Although he had yet to uncover the identity of the mysterious black figure, he decided not to make a big deal out of it. After all, it was just a fish. The figure obviously meant no harm.

 Chapter 1534 An Old Woman

    After chomping down a lot of fish that Rocky cooked, Eunice, who used to eat meagerly, couldn¡¯t help but pat her slightly swollen belly and complained, ¡°It¡¯s your fault! Why did you cook so much? Now, look what you¡¯ve done. I¡¯m so full!¡±


    ¡°Nobody asked you to eat that much,¡± Rocky replied with a bitter smile. ¡°I¡¯m going inside my Magic Spiritual Space to deal with something. Are you okay to just stay here alone?¡± Rocky asked after tidying up the table and the tableware.


    ¡°Do you take me for a toddler? Of course, I can manage by myself. But actually, I¡¯m bored to be alone. Where¡¯s Kohen? Ask it to come out to accompany me!¡± Eunice said after hesitating for a while.


    Rocky just smiled and shook his head as he called Kohen out to accompany Eunice. Afterward, he directly entered his Magic Spiritual Space and went to his laboratory to continue his research.


    As they separated ways for a while and did their own thing, the night passed rather quickly.


    The following morning, when Rocky walked out of the space, he was a bit surprised that he couldn¡¯t find both Eunice and Kohen beside the stream.


    ¡°Where would those two go early in the morning?¡± Rocky let out a frown, knowing that this situation wasn¡¯t normal. Even if Eunice left because she had something to do, she would definitely leave a message. However, wherever he looked, he didn¡¯t find any hint of her whereabouts.


    ¡°What¡¯s happeni


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    ¡¯s a possibility. But right now, we should be focusing on more important things.¡± Earlier, Rocky actually paid great attention to what the little black boy said. Although he didn¡¯t understand a word, he got a feeling that the boy was trying to warn them about something. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t verify it right now.


    ¡°Okay then,¡± Eunice agreed and put the matter aside.


    Afterward, the two of them continued their journey under Kohen¡¯s guidance.


    Meanwhile, there was a huge treehouse on a thousand-year-old tree in an ancient forest somewhere in the Spiritual Sea Region. Inside the treehouse, there were all kinds of bottles and jugs of herbs. At that moment, an old woman was grinding some black herbs on an old table.


    At the same time, there was a crystal ball on the table. Inside it, all kinds of images were constantly flashing. Upon closer inspection, it could be seen that the scene was inside the Spiritual Sea Region and it showed the disciples from the Sky-suppressing School who had entered the mysterious region.


    Out of nowhere, Rocky and Eunice showed up on the crystal ball and it seemed that they were shuttling through a forest.


    As soon as the old woman saw Rocky, she immediately stopped what she was doing and suddenly murmured excitedly, ¡°He looks just like him! He looks just like him!¡±


    The very next moment, the old woman turned into a shadow and disappeared in situ.

 Chapter 1535 An Unbelievable Occurrence

    Two days passed in the twinkling of an eye. Rocky and Eunice had searched through numerous areas under Kohen''s guidance, but they couldn''t find any traces of the Army-blessing Scroll.


    "Hey, little guy, can you find it or not? I''m getting tired of all this searching!" complained Eunice. She heaved Kohen upward and forced it to look into her eyes as she scowled at it grumpily.


    Kohen stared back at her with an innocent, puppy-like expression that erased all the irritation she felt earlier.


    "Oh, darn it! Don''t look so sad. We''ll find it soon," muttered Eunice. She hesitantly patted Kohen on the head, trying to comfort it.


    All of a sudden, the little pet abruptly straightened warily and hissed twice. It seemed like it had sensed something dangerous coming their way, as it glared fiercely toward the left of where Rocky and Eunice were standing.


    Almost at the same time, Rocky also noticed the subtle shaking of the ground that grew stronger and stronger every second as if a huge monster was approaching.


    "What''s wrong, little guy? Is something coming?" Eunice asked Kohen, turning her confused gaze toward Rocky.


    While Rocky and Eunice we


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    nscious for almost a day, but his condition didn''t change a bit. If Eunice didn''t see him breathing faintly, she would have thought him dead already.


    Kohen was lying down on Rocky''s stomach, looking a little restless.


    While Eunice was racking her brain for what she should do, Rocky''s body abruptly ignited with a golden light, which was emitting holy power.


    "What''s happening?" She stared at the golden light that Rocky''s body was continuously emitting, a fascinated expression on her face.


    Just as she stretched out her hand to examine the light, Rocky suddenly opened his eyes. However, his eyes were glassy and vacant. His body slowly floated up from the ground and flew out of the cave in the blink of an eye.


    Of course, Eunice was utterly stunned and hurried out after Rocky''s body. As soon as she got out of the cave, she was met by an even more shocking scene.


    Under the faint moonlight, Rocky''s whole body was shining with a golden light, and this golden light repeatedly flowed from all directions and integrated into his body.


    His aura simultaneously increased, and his strength suddenly reached an incredible level¡ªthe Emperor Realm!

 Chapter 1536 The Scary Room

    Typically, once an individual had reached the King Realm, they needed to cultivate their Spiritual Infant to its peak level first, and only after that could they ensure the successful cultivation of an Imperial Soul. After they had attained the Imperial Soul, they could then break through to the Emperor Realm.


    In Eunice''s perspective, Rocky was only at the medium stage of the Spiritual Infant. Thus, he couldn''t have had an Imperial Soul, let alone break through to the Emperor Realm.


    But at that moment, Rocky was exuding an aura of the Emperor Realm, and she couldn''t be mistaken. After all, there were more Emperor Realm masters in the Di Clan than in the other forces of the Ethereal Region.


    However, almost all Emperor Realm masters were normally advanced in age. Rocky was the only spirit warrior that Eunice knew who could reach the Emperor Realm at such a young age.


    She wondered if she was hallucinating right now, but what she was seeing looked very real, and there was only one thing that could explain what was happening. Rocky must have been hiding something monumental!


    After a long time, the golden light on Rocky''s body gradually dimmed. It left significant changes on his body. For instance, his wound had now fully healed, and his eyes had also recovered. At the same time, his body had


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    not even a stool to sit on.


    Seeing that nothing seemed unusual, Rocky quickly left the room and entered the third one. However, the expression on his face changed dramatically, and his body stiffened as soon as he set foot inside.


    "Hey, what''s wrong with you? Did you see something scary! You coward. Ha-ha!" Eunice was about to follow Rocky inside when she noticed his weird expression, making fun of him immediately. However, when she peered into the third room, her comely face darkened in an instant, as she suddenly understood what made Rocky react that way. She hastily rushed out, stopped by the doorway, and vomited. Her face became white as a sheet.


    All kinds of human skeletons filed the third room, displayed like the spoils of war. Some of them hadn''t yet fully decomposed, and their bowels and internal organs were exposed in the air. Hundreds of maggots crawled and fed on the exposed organs, and the thick smell of death and decomposing flesh hung in the air. In the center of the room stood a long stick, shrouded by a black mist, with a dark green ball on top. Blue light orbs, which seemed to be souls judging from the tortured screams and whispers coming from them, continuously flowed out from the dark green ball. Those souls struggled to escape, only to be sucked back into the ball.

 Chapter 1537 Im Not Your Sweetheart

    "What the hell is this place? It''s so creepy and disgusting!" Eunice couldn''t help but comment as she saw the inside of the treehouse. Her face distorted and she felt very anxious.


    "We cannot dawdle in this place for long. We have to leave as soon as possible," Rocky remarked with a serious expression. According to his intuition, the owner of the treehouse must be an evil person. That was the only clear explanation of what they saw in there.


    "But the Army-blessing Scroll must be here. We have to find it at all costs..." Eunice said hesitantly.


    "I''ll stay here and look for it, but you should get out of here and find a safe place to hide first," Rocky insisted. He thought that it would be too risky if both of them stayed in the eerie place. If someone had to stay, Rocky firmly decided that it had to be him.


    "What? I can''t just leave you here..." Of course, Eunice argued because she was also worried about Rocky''s safety.


    "Come on, give me the remaining page." Obviously, Rocky wouldn''t listen to Eunice''s complaint. He hurriedly asked for the remaining page of the Army-blessing Scroll to make her understand that he had already made up his mind.


    At the same time, they suddenly felt an extremely strong aura coming closer at an incredible speed. The two of them involuntarily exchanged glances because they perceived that the aura had actually reached the Emperor Realm, meaning that the incoming warrior must be extremely powerful and da


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    ed me when I was exiled in this place. As a result, I lost my beauty and my youthful body!" the old woman exclaimed as she reminisced about what happened to her in the past.


    "Really? Why would they exile you in this place?" Rocky continued to ask some questions to keep the old woman preoccupied as he tried to find a chance to escape.


    "I just killed a few of their disciples who offended me. But those bastards shamelessly ganged up on me and even sent me here in the Spiritual Sea Region! Now, I can never leave this place," the old woman angrily explained through gritted teeth.


    "Well, I do think that you deserve it," Rocky answered bluntly.


    "Sweetheart, how could you say that to me? You''re so cruel," the old woman replied with a gloomy look on her face.


    "I already told you that I''m not your sweetheart. You have the wrong person," Rocky corrected her with a straight face.


    "Are you telling the truth?" Seeing that Rocky continued to say those heartless words, the old woman started to be convinced that they were not the same person.


    "Of course. I have nothing to do with an old woman like you," Rocky responded with contempt.


    "Then why do you look like him? Are you trying to bewitch me? Despicable scum! I will peel off that face of yours!" Hearing Rocky''s words, the old woman glared at him with bloodshot eyes. She was instantly filled with rage from the embarrassment of thinking that Rocky was her long lost significant other.

 Chapter 1538 A Formidable Adversary

    Rocky knew that the old witch was far stronger than him, so the only way that he could win in the situation was by tricking her.


    "Madam, although I''m not your lover, I actually know where he is!" he lied convincingly with a friendly smile.


    "You do?" asked the old witch in a hoarse, shaky voice.


    "Of course! In fact, he asked me to come and get you. That''s why he disguised me like this so that I could lure you out," Rocky added, nodding sincerely.


    "Then, tell me! Where is he?!" the old witch asked Rocky eagerly.


    "He is staying with the Di Clan!" Rocky randomly guessed and figured that he could mention the Di Clan just to try his luck.


    "You mean he is still in the Di Clan? If it weren''t for that hateful clan''s interference, I wouldn''t have ended up like this. All the members of the Di Clan deserve to die!" the old witch growled with a ferocious look.


    Rocky maintained the blank expression on his face, but he was really surprised to hear that the old witch''s lover was a member of the Di Clan. It seemed like he had a lucky guess.


    He started connecting the dots at the back of his mind, and a thought suddenly took hold of him. He immediately asked, "By any chance, mada


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    his back and stood firmer, showing no sign of weakness.


    On the other hand, the old witch burst into laughter when she saw that Rocky was preparing to fight her. "Brat, you are really daring, but with your strength, I''m afraid you can''t even withstand one of my moves!" she cackled.


    "We''ll see about that!" Rocky sneered arrogantly.


    "Stop bluffing. With your strength, it would be impossible to stand a chance against me!" the old witch reprimanded him intently.


    "Okay, let''s make a bet then. If I can resist your succeeding attack, will you let my friend go?" Rocky challenged the old witch with a cocky expression on his face.


    "Ha! Don''t be stupid. One attack from me, and you will die!" the old witch retorted with disdain.


    "We won''t know if you don''t give it a try! In fact, you might not be able to do that!" continued Rocky, smirking at the witch confidently.


    "You arrogant brat! Here, take my palm attack!" Rocky''s words seemed to anger her. All of a sudden, red and black evil energy rose all over her body and spread out, which made the flowers and plants around them wither instantly. Any ordinary man who saw that would have run away trembling in fear, but not Rocky.

 Chapter 1539 Narrow Escape From Death

    "Soul-annihilating Palm Attack!" The next moment, the old woman slapped out a dark palm shadow, which carried an overwhelming amount of potent evil spirit. It made Rocky feel like he was drowning¡ªlike no air could reach his lungs¡ªeven before it could come close. He could tell that the power contained within it was exceedingly terrible, and it could very well take his life.


    "So this is the extent of an Emperor Realm master''s strength!" Rocky''s facial expression grew somber, but he didn''t show any trace of fear. Although he wasn''t sure that he could completely resist the old woman''s attack, he was fairly confident that her attack wouldn''t be enough to kill him.


    Of course, the only reason that Rocky was risking his life was to keep Carla safe.


    Using the Spiritual Power Intensifying Skill, he increased his strength to the advanced stage of the Spiritual Infant. He knew that this was far from enough to resist the old woman''s blow, but he needed to fight her head-on.


    He also drew the Mystical Dragon Sword and instantly activated the Thousand-star Swordsmanship.


    In the air, countless sword lights twinkled like stars at the same time, condensing strong sword power. As the Mystical Dragon Sword attacked out of the blue, it collided with the woman''s black palm shadow, whi


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    You actually killed her?!" Eunice asked in astonishment.


    "Kind of?" Rocky answered with an indifferent shrug.


    "She is a powerful warrior at the Emperor Realm! Wow! How did you defeat her?" Carla couldn''t believe her ears, but the corpse in front of her proved that Rocky was telling the truth.


    "I guess fate determined that it wasn''t my time to go yet." Rocky knew that if it weren''t for the attack of the Scarlet Heaven Jade, the wand would have fully absorbed his soul until he was nothing but a puppet for that old hag. He shuddered at the thought of what could have been.


    "By the way, have you checked her out? The Army-blessing Scroll could be somewhere on her person," suggested Eunice.


    Rocky nodded affirmatively and immediately bent down to search the old woman''s corpse, but he did not find anything valuable.


    "That''s strange. If it wasn''t on her, where else could it be? I was expecting that we''ll get it once she''s dead," Eunice whined and pouted.


    "Hmm, let me try using the page again." Rocky took out the damaged piece of the Army-blessing Scroll. The moment he brought the page out, the bone-filled room on the tree house suddenly glowed with golden light, and powerful spiritual power roared out like a thousand beasts, which was quite mind-blowing!

 Chapter 1540 The Person Chosen By God

    Upon seeing that, Rocky immediately flew up and entered the tree house. Then, he directly went into the room which was filled with corpses. Under the pile of bones, he noticed that a golden light was constantly shining, so he gathered his spiritual power to remove all of the bones to find out what the source of the light was. Soon enough, he saw an ancient golden scroll with the words "Army-blessing Scroll" written on it.


    As he picked up the scroll, the residual page of the scroll that he was carrying instantly turned into a ray of golden light and merged into the entirety of the scroll. The ensuing moment, something unexpected suddenly happened. The whole scroll turned into streaks of golden light that wildly flowed into Rocky''s body.


    "What''s going on?" Rocky was actually shocked and caught off guard because no one told him that something like that would happen.


    Then, the golden light that penetrated his body overflowed and turned into lines of poems that flashed around him.


    "A Song of Everlasting Sorrow... The River All Red... Dance of the Cavalry..." When he carefully read some of the lines, Rocky was utterly perplexed. He was sure that those lines actually came from the modern world that he was originally from.


    ''What does this mean? Is the creator of the Army-blessing Scroll also from the modern world?'' Rocky couldn''t help but speculate because it was the only possibility that he co


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    lly need to attack each other?" Carla asked as she tried to somehow pacify the situation.


    "I will not hesitate if I need to. I have to complete my task no matter what," Eunice answered sternly.


    "You can do whatever you want, but I will not fight back," Rocky retorted calmly, not even fazed at the strong spiritual power that Eunice was releasing.


    At the same time, Eunice didn''t expect Rocky to be so stubborn. The truth was she really had no intention of fighting him. She just wanted to frighten him so that he would quietly obey her demands, but obviously, Rocky wouldn''t give in that easily.


    "You bastard..." Eunice angrily glared at him for a few seconds and eventually withdrew her aura.


    Seeing that, Rocky was finally relieved. He was worried that Eunice would really attack him earlier.


    "Hmm, am I right to assume that you two are no longer going to fight? In that case, could someone please get me a set of clothes first?" Carla said awkwardly as she still wore nothing but Rocky''s white coat.


    Hearing that, Eunice and Rocky turned to Carla, who looked very embarrassed, and then started laughing.


    After a short while, Rocky took a set of his own clothes from his Magic Spiritual Space and handed them to Carla. Although they were men''s clothes, they actually looked pretty good on her because of her tall figure. After she tied her hair, she easily looked like a dashing, handsome man.

 Chapter 1541 To Find My Companions

    "What are you going to do after this?" Carla asked Rocky and Eunice after she had calmed down a little and changed her clothes. Now she found out that the two of them journeyed to the Spiritual Sea Region because of the Army-blessing Scroll. That was to say, the two of them didn''t enter the Sky-suppressing School for further cultivation at all. Now that they had found what they were looking for, they could leave the school as soon as they got out of there.


    But somehow, she hated that Rocky might leave the Sky-suppressing School so soon, as somehow, she cared so much about him. Perhaps, it was because he saved her or some other reasons. Anyway, if Rocky left, she would certainly feel out-of-sorts and slightly frustrated.


    Meanwhile, Eunice also sent an uncertain glance at Rocky because she was feeling conflicted. The Army-blessing Scroll had been integrated with Rocky, so it would be bad for her if he weren''t willing to return to the Di Clan with her. How was she supposed to explain what happened to the chief and elders? She had to persuade Rocky to go back with her!


    On the other hand, Rocky only accompanied Eunice to the Sky-suppressing School because she ha


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    t to give her the wrong impression!


    "If you return that, you might not find your friends any time soon," Eunice reminded, rolling her eyes at him.


    Her words made him hesitated for a bit until he eventually put away the jade and said, "I''ll return it to her later!"


    "Stop pretending. I know you don''t want to!" In Eunice''s eyes, Rocky wanted to be the Yu Clan''s son-in-law already, and that was why she despised him.


    "Whatever you say, once we are out of the Spiritual Sea Region, we will leave the Sky-suppressing School and go straight to the border battlefield to find my companions..." Rocky resolutely decided.


    "That''s all I can do." Eunice knew that she had no choice but to compromise.


    Before leaving, Rocky burned the corpse of the old woman together with the tree house, and the Demonic Soul Wand became his prize. However, the wand was overwhelmingly evil because it was a demonic weapon, so it could only be used as a decoration at most.


    After that, Rocky and Eunice continued cultivating in the Spiritual Sea Region until it was time for them to leave.


    Half a month passed in the blink of an eye, and finally, it was time to leave the region.

 Chapter 1542 The Spiritual Infant Contest

    Rocky and Eunice rushed to entrance. After some time of cultivating, Rocky''s aura hadn''t changed one bit, but his strength had significantly improved, jumping up to the advanced stage of the Spiritual Infant. His speed had also developed so much that Eunice was quite shocked to see that.


    But his improvement was, in fact, reasonable. Rocky was talented after all, and the Spiritual Sea Region was a magical place for cultivation. Besides, he insisted on challenging every powerful martial spirit in the Scarlet Heaven Jade, so it wasn''t a fluke that his strength had advanced.


    Of course, Eunice also made great progress in terms of strength. She was already at the advanced stage of the Spiritual Infant. So, she couldn''t break through to the Emperor Realm unless she cultivated the Spiritual Infant into the Imperial Soul.


    At the same time, Felton and the other two elders stood at the entrance of the Spiritual Sea Region, waiting.


    When the deadline came, Felton immediately checked the number of disciples that had arrived, but he could only account for fifteen of the twenty disciples that were left. That was to say, five of them could have died in the Spiritual Sea Region, and however unfortunate that w


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    nd their chances of breaking through to the Emperor Realm.


    Therefore, if an ordinary disciple got lost and accidentally entered that place, it could cause a lot of trouble.


    Today, the fifteen disciples, including Rocky, were heading there to test the said aptitude and chances.


    Of course, such a test had attracted the attention of many other disciples. Since the details of the Spiritual Infant Contest had already spread in the Sky-suppressing School, most students were highly excited to find out which of the fifteen disciples would make it to the top eight, and who would be the representatives and candidates of the school.


    At that moment, the Imperial Soul Altar''s perimeter was jam-packed.


    Rocky and the other fourteen students were standing in front of the gate of the Imperial Soul Altar. They could see that behind the gate, a clear green pool of water surrounded the altar.


    It was a very unusual pool, as it held one thousand-year-old spiritual water with one thousand years flowing from a fairy mountain. It was said that if a spirit warrior stepped into the pool, their talent and potential would be stimulated to the extreme, which would ensure that the altar''s assessment was accurate!

 Chapter 1543 The Test On The Imperial Soul Altar

    The elders, led by Felton, were the ones who supervised the test. At that moment, they were sitting on the platform beside the Imperial Soul Altar so that they could clearly see what was happening during the test on the altar.


    "All of you must take the test on the Imperial Soul Altar one after the other. If any of you are ready to take on the test, you may now do so, and your test results shall be announced immediately after. Just remember that you only have one chance to do it. Seize it and try your best to unleash and stimulate your talent to the extreme," Elder Felton remarked as he briefly explained the rules.


    Upon hearing what the elder said, all of the fifteen disciples in front of the gate of the Imperial Soul Altar immediately looked at each other. Apparently, most of them were reluctant to go first because they hadn''t taken any test on the Imperial Soul Altar yet. They were a bit worried that if they weren''t prepared enough, it would surely affect their test result.


    "I''ll go and take it." Soon enough, one of the senior disciples stepped forward and decided to give it a go. He spoke up and gave off the Spiritual Infant aura at the advanced level. Compared to others'' strength, his was undoubtedly strong.


    "I see. It seems that you''re a disciple of the Sky-suppressing Mansion. No wonder you are confident enough to be the first one to take the test." Eld


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    that it was a pity, and that if they fought again, he might not lose. In addition, Moore had cultivated for a month in the Spiritual Sea Region, so his strength should be closer to the edge of breaking through to the Emperor Realm, and his Spiritual Infant should also have reached a breakthrough point. Thus, his performance in the following test was highly expected.


    In fact, even Felton and the other elders couldn''t help but be expectant as they whispered to each other.


    "Moore is the most outstanding newcomer from the Sky-suppressing Mansion in recent years. I know that he has great talents and potentials. It would not be that surprising if his test result would be far higher than the other fourteen disciples."


    "I agree with you. He could easily gain one of the spots for the top five representatives!"


    "I can already see that he would acquire such a bright future!"


    While the elders couldn''t help but discuss with each other, Moore had already stepped into the pool of the spiritual water to receive the purification process. Then, when he rushed out of the spiritual water and landed on the Imperial Soul Altar, the altar began to rotate wildly. Suddenly, an extremely near-golden Spiritual Infant appeared behind him. It was about the size of an average man, which was almost twice the size of the Spiritual Infant of the first disciple who had taken the test.

 Chapter 1544 A Big Surprise

    "The potential of his Imperial Soul is at the eighth grade! And the probability of him breaking through to the Emperor Realm is ninety percent!" The elders, who hadn''t even discussed yet with each other, blurted out at the same time and couldn''t help but stand up in shock.


    Everyone present was amazed because it was known that spirit warriors who possessed an Imperial Soul potential at the eighth grade were absolutely rare in the entire Ethereal Region. Moreover, according to the records of the Ethereal Region, no spirit warrior in history had ever reached the ninth grade¡ªthe highest potential.


    Therefore, it could also be said that for spirit warriors, the eighth grade was already the limit for their Imperial Soul potential. No one had ever done it, and even those who had obtained the eighth-grade potential eventually became the most powerful and famous ones.


    In other words, it was already foretold that Moore would definitely achieve such great achievements in the future.


    "I didn''t expect that the Sky-suppressing Mansion would be able to produce such a generational talent. The Sky-suppressing School has never seen such rare potential for at least a hundred years!" Felton exclaimed, still in disbelief of what he had seen.


    Soon enough, Moore left the Imperial S


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    cule and mockery were hurled towards Rocky.


    But at the same moment, no one actually noticed the sly expression on Rocky''s face. His eyes were dazzling as if overwhelming power was surging from within him.


    "What is this guy doing? He definitely has more potential than that! I don''t understand what is going on in his head!" Obviously, Eunice couldn''t believe that Rocky only had an Imperial Soul potential at the first grade. After all, she had seen him kill a master at the Emperor Realm in the Spiritual Sea Region, and that wasn''t a fluke, just like what everyone always thought when he did something mind-boggling.


    Even Carla was surprised because she knew that Rocky should either be at the same level as her and Eunice or even better. However, she just kept quiet and waited for what would happen next, knowing that Rocky might probably surprise them at the last minute.


    Just as Carla suspected, countless disdainful eyes were focused on Rocky and the palm-sized Spiritual Infant behind him. His Spiritual Infant suddenly glowed brightly, transforming from white to gold in a flash. At the same time, a pair of golden wings appeared on its back, as well as a golden shining halo above its head. The whole form of the Spiritual Infant instantly became like a little angel.

 Chapter 1545 Rockys Unusual Potential

    ¡°This is impossible! How could his Spiritual Infant display an aura that is as strong as an Imperial Soul already? This is unheard of!¡± Elder Felton and the other elders were utterly shocked the moment they felt the overwhelming power that the golden Spiritual Infant behind Rocky was releasing.


    A Spiritual Infant was called as such because it was still in the developing stage and its power wasn¡¯t mature enough. Once its power became more developed and enhanced, it would then evolve into an Imperial Soul.


    The power of the Imperial Soul was measured through the intensity of the soul power that it could release, which could usually produce a destructive force.


    And at that moment, Rocky¡¯s Spiritual Infant was able to release a remarkable power that could only be attained by an Imperial Soul. That was why the elders were all baffled. They hadn¡¯t seen such a warrior before that could display this kind of power during the test on the Imperial Soul Altar.


    Of course, even Rocky didn¡¯t expect that his Spiritual Infant could reach this level. Although, it shouldn¡¯t really be a surprise since he had already regained his divine power back in the Spiritual Sea Region. Because of this, his power had increased drastically, which was also the reason why his Spiritual Infant had become much stronger.


    ¡°


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    ¡¯t tested the potential of my Spiritual Infant before, so I wouldn¡¯t know if there was something wrong with it,¡± Rocky answered as he lightly shook his head.


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Felton furrowed his brows and was a little bit unconvinced. Obviously, he was suspecting that Rocky was hiding something, but he couldn¡¯t prove it since, based on Rocky¡¯s tone and expression, it seemed that Rocky really didn¡¯t know the unusual potential of his Spiritual Infant.


    ¡°If you still have any doubts, I¡¯m willing to withdraw from the school just to prove my innocence, sir,¡± Rocky uttered without any hint of hesitation.


    The elder¡¯s expression suddenly changed when he heard that. He didn¡¯t expect that Rocky would be this resolute and direct, so he immediately waved his hand and said, ¡°Why do you need to go that far? I was just trying to clear things up. It¡¯s not like I meant to doubt or accuse you of something. Besides, you are a disciple that was recommended by the Di Clan. It¡¯s actually normal if you perform extraordinarily in several aspects. The other elders and I already decided to make an exception for you to be one of the representatives of the Spiritual Infant Contest because we believe that you really have the strength and talent to fight for the school, and we are hoping that you won¡¯t let us down.¡±

 Chapter 1546 Another Challenge

    ¡°Oh, I see. I just misunderstood you, sir. Please forgive my rudeness,¡± Rocky immediately apologized.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. Let me just tell you that judging from the overall potential of your Imperial Soul, I believe that you could really cultivate it to a high level. If you can develop an Imperial Soul in the next half a year, you will definitely be one of the most outstanding participants in the Spiritual Infant Contest. However, I should also warn you that even though you have a ridiculously high potential, it¡¯s not that easy to cultivate your Spiritual Infant to Imperial Soul. Since ancient times, countless talented warriors in the Ethereal Region died in the process. Therefore, you should be very diligent, and be sure to guard yourself against arrogance and rashness,¡± Felton urged earnestly. Before, he had some unpleasant opinions on Rocky, but after he saw the young man¡¯s unexpected performances many times, his perception of him had changed a lot.


    ¡°Thank you for all your teachings, sir!¡± Rocky said as he bowed respectfully.


    ¡°You can go back now. After the other four representatives and three candidates are chosen, you will be allowed to go to the battlefield at the border for half a year¡¯s worth of training,¡± Felton replied as he dismissed Rocky.


    ¡°I just have a question, sir. I hope you can answer it,¡± Rocky suddenly said on a whim.


    ¡°Go ahead. What is it?¡± Felton responded as he wondered what


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    ly be faced with enemies. Thus, it would be suitable for him to learn these mysterious military arrays. ¡°How can I challenge you, sir?¡± Rocky immediately asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s very simple. Why don¡¯t we start now?¡± As Augus finished speaking, he waved his hand as if there were thousands of troops behind him.


    At the same time, Rocky felt that the surrounding scenery had started to change. In the blink of an eye, they were transferred to a raging battlefield. The flames of war were scorching the land and there were scattered bodies of dead soldiers everywhere.


    When Rocky came to his senses, he found himself in an army full of weak, disabled, and heavily injured soldiers. Furthermore, he was wearing the commander¡¯s armor and leading this dilapidated army, while they were being surrounded by the enemies. There were less than a thousand soldiers left in his army, but the number of their enemies was still about three or four times bigger than theirs. Rocky¡¯s army was obviously outnumbered and possessed low morale. At this point, the result would not be that hard to tell.


    ¡°Soldiers, listen to me! Launch an all-out siege to the southwest! Move!¡± Rocky didn¡¯t waste any time and decisively gave an order after carefully observing the situation and the formation of their enemies.


    He found out that the enemy¡¯s encirclement wasn¡¯t tight enough, so he led his troops to rip apart the weakest part of their formation.

 Chapter 1547 The Journey Started

    However, the enemies wouldn¡¯t be outsmarted that easily. Furthermore, their army was reinforced. Thus, even though Rocky managed to somehow find a weak spot, his army still failed to break out of the enemy¡¯s encirclement. Soon enough, they were once again forced into a desperate position.


    Therefore, he had to regroup his soldiers again and look for another opportunity to make a comeback.


    After a while, a battle of attrition ensued, but the gap in their strength became very visible. Although Rocky used his experiences to the fullest, he still couldn¡¯t resist the continuous attacks from their enemies. Soon, the casualties in his army increased, and their defense gradually became much weaker.


    ¡®Damn it! Nothing is working,¡¯ Rocky thought to himself. But his eyes were still determined, not ready to give up anytime soon.


    Then, after a brief moment, a brilliant idea suddenly struck him. As a cunning smile crept up his lips, he closed his eyes and activated the Army-blessing Scroll immediately.


    Since the Army-blessing Scroll¡¯s effect could only be maximized when it was used within an army, Rocky thought that it was the best time to utilize it. However, the weaker the morale of the group was, the lesser would be its effect and vice-versa.


    Knowing this, Rocky selected a poem called ¡°A Great Wind¡± from the thousands of poems inscribed in the scroll. This particular poem didn¡¯t need too much morale to put it into effect, so it should be appropriate in this situation.


    ¡°A great wind came forth, and the clouds rose on high. Now that my might rules over all


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    resentatives and the three candidates. Finally, the tests were over and the selection was now finished. However, to everyone¡¯s surprise, among the fourteen disciples who competed for the slots, three of the newcomers had actually acquired them¡ªto think that there were only five of them. These three were Moore, Carla, and Eunice. Adding Rocky, who was already granted one of the slots earlier, four of the five newcomers were actually selected to become the school¡¯s representatives, and only one came from the senior disciples.


    This was definitely a first in the entire history of the Sky-suppressing School.


    Of course, several people immediately had doubts when the final results were announced, including some elders and tutors. They were a bit worried that it wasn¡¯t a good idea to let so many new disciples take on such a great responsibility.


    However, since the four new disciples, who had earned the slots, were all from big and famous forces, no one dared to object even if they weren¡¯t very satisfied.


    From this point, they only had half a year to cultivate their Spiritual Infants to a much higher level. Everyone needed to work very hard in order for them to perform well during the upcoming contest.


    When the final list of participants came out, they were advised that they would soon set out for the border.


    Early the next day, under the watchful gazes of the people from the Sky-suppressing School, Rocky, and the other disciples, boarded on a huge flying spiritual beast, which directly sent them to the border battlefield to start their new journey.

 Chapter 1548 Arriving At The Destination

    The border battlefield was only a general name for the area formed due to the continuous wars among the three races, and it was divided into several small parts.


    Among the three races, the Shura Race occupied the largest area of the border battlefield, while the rest was divided between the spiritual race and the human race. However, the spiritual race still had a slight upper hand, which meant that the human race was the most disadvantaged one on the battlefield.


    Since the Shura Race actually manipulated the situation, they were able to sow dissension between the spiritual race and the human race. Hence, all year round, the two races were at each other''s throats, fighting to the death. Meanwhile, the Shura Race was just watching on the sideline, reigning supreme over the entire border battlefield.


    In other words, the human race was in a very bad situation, and if they wanted to survive on the border battlefield, they would need to strengthen both their offense and defense.


    Presently, the Di Clan was the one who led the human army to stand their ground against the invasion of the spiritual race on the border battlefield. Although the Di Clan had actually called upon all the human clans in the Ethereal Region to join the war, only a few of t


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    a single room.


    As for Rocky, when he left the house, he went out of the Tiger Whisker Pass to find a place where he could release Glutton.


    "I finally got out! I''ve been so bored in your Magic Spiritual Space!" As soon as Glutton came out, it complained while stretching. When Rocky was still in the Sky-suppressing School, it had always been in the Magic Spiritual Space since Rocky was afraid of causing any disturbance if he released it. After all, Glutton was a legendary beast, and there was a huge possibility that it could cause an unnecessary disorder.


    "Can you still remember the auras of Marcia and the others?" Rocky asked Glutton immediately.


    "You want me to find them?" Glutton instantly understood what Rocky meant. "That''s right. I don''t want to waste any time but I can''t act on my own right now.


    I would need to ask you to go to the frontline and see if you can find the whereabouts of them..." Rocky said with a serious expression.


    "All right. At least I''ve got to wander around after a long time." Glutton didn''t have any objection because it was also better for it to act alone.


    "Remember, don''t expose your identity..." Rocky warned.


    "I know. You''re such a worrywart." Glutton pursed its lips and disappeared shortly after.

 Chapter 1549 The Rescue

    After he saw Glutton leave, Rocky returned to the Tiger Whisker Pass.


    Once he entered the pass, he suddenly witnessed some older soldiers surrounding a young, strong and tanned man who appeared to be a new recruit. They looked like they were about to teach him a lesson. A well-dressed man at the sixth grade of the Spirit Realm stood at the forefront of the squad. That suggested he was their leader.


    However, the young man showed no sign of weakness.


    Soon, the soldiers punched and kicked him mercilessly. Those who came to the border battlefield to join the army were mostly ordinary people who had nowhere to go and couldn''t become spirit warriors. Their last resort was to join the army for survival. Thus, both the oppressors and the oppressed were present.


    "Teach him a good lesson. How dare he accuse me? He''ll regret having sealed himself to his demise after offending me like that!" the obviously arrogant leader, Elliot Wang, exclaimed.


    Although he wasn''t a spirit warrior, the young man remained motionless as the soldi


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    tronger through cultivation alone. He might have to use the gene modification as well. Hence, he needed to be prepared.


    "What?" Maxwell Zhao obviously didn''t understand what Rocky was talking about.


    "But don''t worry. My experiments are very safe and I''ll only modify your genes slightly."


    "What is a gene?" The more Maxwell Zhao listened, the more confused he became.


    "You don''t need to know anything more. Meet and wait for me here tonight at midnight," Rocky instructed.


    "Alright. By the way, can I have your name please?" Maxwell Zhao began to trust Rocky more and nodded in approval without thinking too much.


    "Just call me Basil."


    "Basil!"


    "Remember, don''t be late." Rocky turned around and left.


    Upon his return to the residence, he noticed Eunice waiting for him with a troubled look on her face.


    "You just arrived. How could you roam around alone?!" Eunice scolded with her arms crossed over her chest.


    "Am I not allowed to wander and get acquainted with my surroundings?" Rocky inquired with a shrug.

 Chapter 1550 News of Alyssa

    ¡°It¡¯s your first time here, so don¡¯t cause a scene. Also, I just received news from the Di Clan. They mentioned someone I think you might be interested in,¡± Eunice quickly commented.


    ¡°Who?¡± Rocky asked with a frown.


    "Alyssa Mu!" Eunice exclaimed as she locked her gaze on Rocky without batting her eyelashes.


    ¡°Alyssa? Where is she now?¡± Rocky asked as his expression turned serious.


    ¡°You do know her? What¡¯s the relationship between you two?¡± Eunice asked with great interest.


    ¡°How did you come across this name?¡± he asked in haste, ignoring her seething tone.


    ¡°Because this name is known across the entire Supreme Ether Land,¡± she replied with a sneer.


    ¡°Why? What has she done?¡± Rocky asked, utterly confused.


    ¡°Three months ago, the spiritual race suddenly changed their battle strategy once the war between them and the human race reached an impasse. We¡¯d never seen it before. We lost five regions consecutively within three months, and we¡¯re now on the verge of losing the sixth one. After that, we humans did our best to k


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    d do to him, but he trusted him because he saved him. Even if he was to be sold, he would help Rocky count the coins.


    ¡°There are several bottles filled with pills here. They can replenish and strengthen your spiritual power and body. You can take some like candies if you¡¯ve got the time.¡± Rocky took multiple bottles of the most common low-grade pills off the shelf for Maxwell to take. This would help him adapt to the impact the spiritual power would have on his body.


    Once Maxwell was informed of this, he quickly ingested it as if it was a highly-prized treasure. He knew that this kind of pill was rare. Any spirit warrior that took it would possess enhanced strength, whereas a human who took it could extend his lifespan.


    ¡°Thank you, Brother Basil!¡± Maxwell exclaimed in gratitude.


    ¡°Since you addressed me as a brother, you¡¯re my brother now too. There¡¯s no need to be cordial with me. Besides, your willingness to be my test subject has helped me immensely. I should thank you in return.¡± Rocky patted Maxwell on the shoulder.

 Chapter 1551 Met The Commander

    Maxwell was touched by Rocky''s words. He had never met anyone as kind as Rocky, especially after entering the army and being constantly bullied. He swore to himself that he would follow Rocky''s lead in the future.


    Then, Rocky took Maxwell out of the Magic Spiritual Space and returned to the locust tree.


    "Remember, this secret stays between the two of us. Don''t tell anyone, even those closest to you," Rocky reminded.


    "Got it. I''ll keep it a secret." Maxwell nodded.


    Once Maxwell left, Rocky went back to his Magic Spiritual Space where he continued his experiments. He didn''t return to his residence until the next morning.


    When he arrived at his residence and was about to push the door open, Eunice opened it from the other side and came out.


    "Where did you go last night? Why didn''t you come back?" Eunice asked as she squinted.


    "Didn''t you say that I wasn''t allowed to come back?" Rocky reminded her.


    "I asked you not to return before midnight. I didn''t ask you to stay out all night," Eunice correc


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    edium stage of the Spiritual Infant, so their strengths would be as powerful as a commander''s. Therefore, it wouldn''t be easy to assign them with suitable jobs. If he arranged for them to do simple jobs, then their talent and potential would be wasted doing petty tasks. On the other hand, assigning them high-ranking positions would most likely be looked down upon and rejected by the other leaders in the army.


    "Commander Wang, you haven''t made up your mind yet, have you?" Eunice asked.


    "Because of the power you both possess, it''s difficult for me to arrange suitable positions for you." Tucker Wang was slightly embarrassed. He didn''t expect the Sky-suppressing School to send such powerful spirit warriors. Thus, he was unprepared.


    "I wouldn''t mind if you appointed me as a deputy commander. It may be somewhat of a "downgrade", but I''ll take it," Eunice suggested directly. In fact, she wanted to lead the army to battle for so long. That was a rare opportunity that she wanted to seize and enjoy experiencing.

 Chapter 1552 Being Assigned To Different Team

    Upon hearing Eunice''s bold request, Tucker did not know whether to cry or to laugh. The war was not a game meant for children. The deputy commander was assigned to lead an army of three thousand soldiers, which meant whoever was appointed would be responsible for three thousand lives, which was a serious matter. Now that Eunice was demanding to be the deputy commander, it would be out of his control.


    Besides, according to the rules, one commander could have only three deputy commanders under his command. All three of the positions were currently filled. If Eunice wanted to be one, then one of the three existing deputy commanders would have to be dismissed.


    Except for Bertram, the other two deputy commanders wore a gloomy face. They looked at Tucker, hoping that the commander wouldn''t agree to Eunice''s rude request. Even though she was a powerful spirit warrior at the King Realm from the Sky-suppressing School, that wouldn¡¯t secure her success in war. Being talented and leading an army weren''t related. On the contrary, the two deputy commanders had endured through several hundreds of cruel battles and wars for over a decade. Both of them possessed richer experience in terms of leading an army towards battle than a young


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    Tucker said. He seemed to have noticed something different about Rocky.


    "Anyway, we''d better not offend them. We''ll do our best to meet all their requirements. We need as many people on our side as possible for the battle. With their help, I''m sure it''ll be to our advantage! The most important piece of information we currently have is that Grand Commander Raiden Chen just died during the war. That means his position is vacant and all the commanders are now fighting for it with all their might. We¡¯ve been informed that within the next month, the commander who would contribute the most will be qualified for the position. This is an opportunity I don¡¯t want to miss!" Tucker revealed his intention.


    The human army''s commanders were ranked, from top to bottom, into army-leading commander, grand commander, commander, and deputy commander. One commander could lead three deputy commanders and ten thousand soldiers. Next, one grand commander could lead three commanders and thirty thousand soldiers. Lastly, one army-leading commander could lead three grand commanders and one hundred thousand soldiers.


    Generally speaking, a commander in chief would have at least two or more army-leading commanders and six grand commanders.

 Chapter 1553 The New Team Leader

    The human race army currently had a total of three army-leading commanders. Each of them was leading one hundred thousand troops to guard the left, middle, and right of the border battlefield area of the Ethereal Region to fend off the spiritual race''s invasion. Under the three army-leading commanders were a total of eight grand commanders. One of them was the newly-slaughtered Raiden Chen, who was under the army-leading commander responsible for guarding the northwest battlefield. A grand commanders was only inferior to a commander in chief and the three army-leading commanders in the human army.


    So those commanders who were qualified for the new position of grand commander were itching to have a shot.


    "Then this competition will be a fierce one. A total of eight representatives from the Sky-suppressing School have been sent to the border battlefield this time. Two of them were assigned to us, and the remaining six have been assigned to the other three pass-guarding commanders. With their help, this contest will be r


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    ely be enraged and cause a ruckus.


    As they were talking, Rocky and Gage Xue soon arrived at a tent that was slightly bigger than a normal tent. Once they entered, they saw some rising in the tent. Several Spirit Realm spirit warriors were smoking, looking disheveled and dispirited. They looked less like spirit warriors and more like hooligans.


    Rocky took a closer look and found a man lying on the innermost bed of the military tent. He was around thirty years old with thick eyebrows, thin eyes, and a mustache. Two new soldiers stood beside him. One massaged his feet while the other fanned him.


    The man lying on the bed was none other than Kye Lin, the team leader of the spirit warriors.


    ¡°Deputy Commander Lin¡­¡± Gage Xue called him cautiously.


    His voice might¡¯ve been too low because Kye Lin didn¡¯t respond at all.


    Just as Gage Xue was about to call him again, Rocky stretched out his hand and gave him a hint to stop. He then made his way towards Kye, as he released a little bit of his strong spiritual power.

 Chapter 1554 Welcome The New Captain

    Kye, whose eyes were closed as he reveled in the service of his two new soldiers, felt a wave of unusually strong spiritual power approaching. He immediately opened his eyes and saw Rocky walking towards him. He sat straight up and swiftly summoned a stream of intense spiritual power which he directed towards Rocky.


    The other spirit warriors jeered on. They presumed that Rocky was looking for trouble and that he would suffer greatly soon.


    But just as Kye let go of his attack, he suddenly felt something wrong. Once his attack reached Rocky, it just disappeared like a handful of sand thrown into the depths of the ocean. Kye was taken aback. He was a warrior at the middle stage of the Spiritual Infant, which made him a standout in the army. However, Rocky managed to thwart his power. This confirmed that he was probably stronger than him.


    ¡°Who are you? What are you up to? Why did you break into the camp of the spirit warriors?¡± Kye didn¡¯t dare to underestimate Rocky. Instead, he feigned his uncertainty by acting like a deer in t


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    he comes from at once.¡± Kye had served in the army for numerous years. He knew the commander wouldn¡¯t appoint some young, toy boy to replace him with no valid reason.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get to it immediately,¡± the team member who had tried to flatter him earlier said, then turned around and left at once.


    ¡°Go and gather the others. Since the new captain has arrived, let¡¯s make his welcome a truly special one.¡± After he spoke, Kye whispered a few words to one of his team members who smiled in collusion before he left immediately as well.


    Not long after, the team member who set out to learn more about Rocky returned. He quickly informed Kye with information regarding Rocky¡¯s history.


    ¡°From the Sky-suppressing School? No wonder he¡¯s so arrogant and condescending!¡± Kye¡¯s face twitched slightly. When it came to the Sky-suppressing School, he would immediately feel resentment. He used to be a disciple there but was later expelled due to breaking a rule. After that, he had no other choice but to join the army at the battlefield¡¯s border.

 Chapter 1555 Still The Same

    Not long after, the spirit warriors of the supporting troop gathered in front of the camp where Rocky had just entered.


    At this time, Rocky and Gage came out and met Kye''s fierce stares.


    However, Rocky was used to people with this kind of attitude so he just ignored it. Then, he went directly in front of the spirit warriors. There were more than fifty of them in the team, and most of them were at or below the fifth grade of the Spirit Realm and only very few of them were above the fifth grade. As for the ones who had reached the King Realm, only Kye was present at that time. No wonder he seemed arrogant. Of all the spirit warriors there, he was the most powerful one and no one dared to compete with him. They were all afraid of his strength that all they could do was obey his orders.


    "Hello everyone. From here on, I will be your new team leader. My name is Basil Long, and I am from the Sky-suppressing School. Your former team leader, Kye Lin, will also become a regular member of the spirit warriors. Thus, it means that he doesn''t have the authority to command anyone of you from now on. Is that clear?" Rocky asked as he bluntly addressed the warriors in front of him.


    At the same time, the spirit warriors could not help but look at each other and whisper among themselves. Obviously, they had varying opinions on their new team leader, especia


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    hard time dealing with all of them. After all, they refuse to obey me," Rocky said as he smiled bitterly.


    "Really? Then, I''m much luckier than you. The team members that I met today were very welcoming. In fact, it seems that they will give me whatever I want if I just ask," Eunice said with a haughty smile on her face.


    "Well, if I were your team member, I would also do the same," Rocky teased.


    "Ha! I am not going to fall for your smooth talk! By the way, are you fine with just being a team leader in this place? Didn''t you say that your real goal is to find your companions?" Eunice asked with hints of concern in her voice.


    "Yes, that is my goal. But I don''t need to rush things up. Besides, the border battlefield is so large. Even though I know that they''re here, I''m not exactly sure where to find them. It will be just a waste of time and effort to search for them blindly. Moreover, I think I have found a better way. If everything will go as planned, they should be able to perceive my existence without me looking for them one by one," Rocky muttered. After coming and observing the Tiger Whisker Pass, Rocky had come up with some new ideas. He thought that it would be better if he could spread the information that he was actually from another world. This way, the news should travel fast enough for his companions to know that he was here.

 Chapter 1556 Stop

    "What''s the method?" Eunice asked, tilting her head to the side. As much as she wanted to, she couldn''t know what was on Rocky''s mind.


    "Be patient. You will know everything later," Rocky replied. A mysterious smile spread on his lips.


    That night, Rocky departed from his residence, planning to find a secluded place. However, he quickly realized that someone was following him. It didn''t take long for him to guess that his stalker had been sent by Kye.


    Either way, he didn''t care. His figure flashed a few times and he was able to shake off the person and enter the Magic Spiritual Space.


    The black figure chased Rocky all the way to where he entered the Magic Spiritual Space, but he couldn''t see him anywhere. Surprise covered his face.


    "Where did he go?" Snorting, the black figure shook his head helplessly.


    Once he was inside the Magic Spiritual Space, Rocky went straight to the lab to start studying genes. Now that he had collected the gene sample from Maxwell, he must continue to analyze and compare Maxwell''s genes. Then he could determine which group of


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    am exchanged a few more words and went their separate ways.


    Over the next few days, the lazy spirit warriors finally learned to behave themselves during their morning training. All of them arrived at the training area on time every day, including Kye and his followers.


    However, Rocky knew that the worst was yet to come.


    And sure enough, a surprising thing occurred two days later.


    More than ten spirit warriors who were under the command of Deputy Commander Ma charged into the camp of the spirit warriors who belonged to the reinforcement team and brought them to battle. The scene was a picture of chaos.


    As soon as Rocky heard, he arrived at the camp. He saw about thirty spirit warriors fighting with each other. Many of them were injured. They stumbled around with their heads bleeding and their bodies covered in wounds.


    "Stop!" Rocky shouted angrily. As he spoke, a powerful spiritual pressure rushed out and shocked the spirit warriors who were still fighting.


    Soon, the spirit warriors stopped and they all turned to look at Rocky at the same time.

 Chapter 1557 Hurt People

    "What happened here? Why are you hurting my people?" Rocky shouted, using his sternest voice.


    The spirit warriors who had been fighting with the supporting troop quickly noticed that Rocky had an imposing manner and that his aura was even stronger than their own. After exchanging some looks, one of the spirit warriors in a blue robe stepped forward angrily and said, "How dare you ask us why we''re hurting people? The supporting troop is the one at fault. Some of your spirit warriors came to our place and molested one of our female spirit warriors. They even went as far as to insult her! You''ve gone too far!"


    "What? Is this true?" Rocky asked, narrowing his eyes.


    "And who are you?" the spirit warrior in blue asked, glaring back at Rocky.


    "I''m Basil Long. I''m the team leader of the spirit warriors of the supporting troop," Rocky introduced himself.


    "So you are their captain. When we came here, we were seeking you out. I was told that the men who molested the female warrior were ordered to do so by you. You wanted to find some beautiful girls to accompany you at night. You''re nothing but a filthy beast!"


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    ''s back, he ground his teeth together.


    As soon as Rocky exited the spirit warrior camp, he saw Eunice coming towards him with a sullen look on her face.


    "What are you doing here? I was on my way to see you," Rocky said, smiling.


    "I heard that some of my spirit warriors came here and caused trouble, so I came to check it out. Are you okay?" Eunice asked.


    "Don''t worry. I took care of them already." Rocky smiled.


    "What happened?" Eunice asked, pulling Rocky aside slightly.


    "One of my men wanted to embarrass me!" Rocky exclaimed.


    "Who is blind enough to provoke you?" Eunice asked, clenching her fists like she was planning on beating the guy up.


    "Let''s not talk about him. Have you received any news over the past two days?" Rocky asked.


    "No. But tomorrow, I am leading the team of spirit warriors to patrol the front line of the Tiger Whisker Pass with Deputy Commander Ma. Once I''m there, I can ask for you," Eunice said, shaking her head.


    "Okay. Well, thank you in advance." Rocky nodded.


    Since nothing serious had happened, Eunice turned around and left with a look of relief on her face.

 Chapter 1558 They Found Clues

    Fortunately, Kye failed his attempt to frame Rocky up this time. But somehow, there was a sudden change in his attitude and no one knew what caused it. Although he still didn''t get along well with Rocky, he did not try to make trouble for him anymore.


    Meanwhile, about half a month had already passed.


    The spearhead, who had gone on patrol to the front line half a month earlier, had been completely out of touch. Nobody knew what exactly happened, so Tucker immediately summoned the other two deputy commanders, as well as some military officials, including Rocky, to discuss the current situation.


    "Three days had already passed since Deputy Commander Ma last reported. The only reason I can think of is that they are in a troubling situation right now. With that, I want to send a strong team to investigate what happened. Who would like to volunteer for this task?" Tucker asked with hints of anxiety on his face.


    Hearing this, all of the people present, including the two deputy commanders, could not help but look at each other.


    "I am willing to lead the team that you will be sending." Bertram spoke up after a while. He was the first one to volunteer for the task.


    After that, several other warriors also started expressing their willingness to carry out the task.


    "Commander Wang, I would also like to volunteer to be a part of the investigating team,"


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    owledgeable in recognizing the traps as they moved forward.


    Since Kye was the one who was most familiar with the terrain and the traps in the Crescent Gorge, he was the one in front, responsible for leading the way. Then, he was followed by Rocky and the other seven members.


    For the first two hours, Rocky and his team had passed all kinds of barriers and traps smoothly. But for the next two hours, the situation became even harsher. One of their members was bitten by a poisonous bee, and he almost died because of it. Soon after, another team member fell into a coma upon inhaling the fragrance of a poisonous flower nearby. No matter what they did, he did not wake up.


    Because of this, Rocky had to ask two of the team members to send their two unconscious members back. They had to go back where they came from so that they could get out of the Crescent Gorge.


    On the other hand, Rocky continued to move forward, together with Kye and the other three remaining members.


    Luckily, their hard work had finally paid off a little. After treading through the dangerous area, they seemed to find some clues about their mission. They noticed that there were some corpses of human soldiers upon reaching the middle part of the gorge. Judging from the degree to how the corpses started to rot, Rocky estimated that they had died about two days before they found them.

 Chapter 1559 Analysis

    "Judging by the look of their corpses, they must have been ambushed before the enemies killed them. However, I only see a few dozen of them. That must mean that this isn''t the place where they were ambushed." Rocky determined after stepping onto the battlefield and analyzing the situation. After all, he was familiar with those types of things. He had risked his life on the battlefield many times in the past.


    "Captain Basil, how did you make such a detailed analysis? It doesn''t look like you are a green hand!" Kye said in a sarcastic voice.


    "That''s funny. I don''t recall mentioning I was a green hand," Rocky replied, raising his eyebrows and smiling.


    "Aren''t you a green hand?" Kye asked.


    "So far, I have killed more people on the battlefield than the total amount of people you all have killed. There are some things that can''t be seen from the surface and that only limits your thinking on the battlefield. In fact, there are clues left behind by Deputy Commander Ma and the others on these corpses, which I''m sure you haven''t even noticed..." Rocky said meaningfully, glancing down at the bodies.


    A look of shock plastered onto


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    trapped? And what exactly trapped them?" Rocky asked, nodding slightly in deep concentration.


    Kye and the other team members exchanged looks and shook their heads. If they knew the answers to those questions, they would have found them by now.


    "It looks like we have to be mentally prepared for anything!" Rocky exclaimed. Deep down, he had a hunch that they might encounter unexpected trouble on the road ahead.


    And the premonition happened to come true not long after he and the others had set out.


    The next morning, they continued to track the clues left by Deputy Commander Ma and his companions. However, after they moved for a few miles around the Crescent Gorge, several black figures appeared in front of them and stared at them with hostility brimming in their eyes.


    Rocky examined them carefully and saw that they were not humans. They resembled the members from the spiritual race more.


    "They are from the spiritual race!" Kye shouted, spinning to face the others.


    In no time, all the spirit warriors were in battle stances.


    "Don''t act rashly!" Rocky warned them. He could sense the power the figures possessed.

 Chapter 1560 Escape From Here

    "They are only spiritual race beings and there aren''t that many of them. There is nothing to be afraid of!" Kye exclaimed with a sneer. Obviously, he didn''t take the spiritual race beings'' presence seriously. Reaching down, he pulled out the saber from his waist, waved it around, and charged at the spiritual race beings.


    His courage came from the fact that his strength was equal to a medium-grade Spiritual Infant''s. However, when he got close to them, one of the spiritual race beings whispered in some incomprehensible tones. Then, he lifted his hand and his big palm and an invisible spiritual power surged out. Unexpectedly, Kye was pushed backwards and staggered for a few steps before he could stand firmly.


    "Damn it!" He hadn''t expected to be forced into retreating. Filled with humiliation, he immediately rushed forward again.


    This time, a cage in the hand of one of the spiritual race beings was yanked opened, and a petite beast shadow flew out. It floated in the air and headed directly towards Kye.


    Kye, of course, didn''t see the potential dangers of the beast. He slashed in its direction a few times wit


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    ocky said calmly.


    "This army of the spiritual race has probably been hidden in the Crescent Gorge for a long time. I''m afraid they have more terrible plans up their sleeves. We must report this to the Tiger Whisker Pass as soon as possible!" Deputy Commander Ma said.


    "It won''t work. We''ve tried everything to escape, but none of it has worked. The spiritual race beings are so powerful. And they have raised a spiritual beast. It is a little raging killing machine!" Eunice said with a frown.


    "I''ve seen the beast, but I''m not worried. I have a plan to escape. I''ll tell you this evening." Because the cage was surrounded by soldiers of the spiritual race, Rocky could not say his plan right now.


    Deputy Commander Ma and Eunice nodded and sat down to wait patiently for the night to arrive.


    Once night fell, most of the soldiers of the spiritual race that had been guarding the cage disappeared. So, now that they were under the cover of other soldiers, Rocky, Deputy Commander Ma, and Eunice began to discuss their plans.


    "So, how are you going to get us out of here?" Eunice asked, unable to wait any longer.

 Chapter 1561 Make A Feint To The East But Attack In The West

    "The troop of the spiritual race is far more powerful than we are, and it''s not possible for us to break out of the prison using force. Therefore, our only chance is to make a feint to the east by creating a diversion in the west. Once they are distracted, we will take the opportunity to escape!" Rocky explained in a low voice.


    "We''re going to make a feint to the east but attack in the west? Are you kidding, Spiritual King Basil? How do you plan on doing all of this?" Deputy Commander Ma said. His face darkened because it sounded like Rocky was just joking.


    "There''s no need to worry. I''ve figured all of this out. Now, let''s choose the route that we will use to retreat," Rocky replied, turning and drawing a simple topographic map on the ground that included what he could remember from his journey.


    "The troop of the spiritual race used the precipice to the west of the Crescent Gorge and this cluster of rocks to set up this camp. With the way that the terrain is laid out, it makes it easy to defend and difficult to attack. So if we can escape from the camp, it will not be easy for them to catch up to us, especially under the dark of night."


    "But with so


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    ce. The stock of the grain warehouse was supposed to supply them over the next three months. Once it was burned down, their soldiers could not continue to ambush people in the Crescent Gorge, waiting for the right time to execute their plan.


    Finally, the guard arrived and explained the situation.


    "What? They broke out?" The commander was shocked when he realized that they had been tricked. The prisoners had lit the warehouse on fire so that the camp would turn to chaos and they could escape undetected.


    "Send the annihilation squad after them. Kill them all. Don''t give them any chance to escape from the Crescent Gorge. Otherwise, our troop will be exposed," the commander ordered.


    Soon after, the group of spiritual warriors who had caught Rocky and his companions received their orders and headed after Eunice and the others.


    In the meantime, Rocky realized he had succeeded in creating an opportunity for Eunice and the others to escape, so he swaggered in front of the commander of the spiritual race. Because if they wanted to escape from the Crescent Gorge, breaking through the siege wasn''t enough. Rocky had made up his mind to catch the commander.

 Chapter 1562 Unbelievable

    Rocky''s real plan was to seize the commander of the army of the spiritual race and take him as a hostage. That way, they would have leverage and they could ensure a smooth escape from the Crescent Gorge.


    Of course, it was not an easy task to just capture the commander of the opposing party right in front of the spiritual race''s army. However, for someone like Rocky, who had already experienced every kind of challenge and tribulation, this was not something that he couldn''t pull off.


    Right after Rocky showed up, he instantly attracted the attention of the enemy commander, as well as the soldiers of the spiritual race who were putting the fire out.


    "Hey! Who the hell are you?" The commander had a ferocious expression on his face as he glared at Rocky. He could not fathom where this guy got the guts to show up right in front of them.


    Soon enough, some of the soldiers managed to surround Rocky.


    "Are you the commander of this army?" Rocky asked straightforwardly. There was no hint of fear or panic in his voice.


    "So, what if I am?" the commander answered with a defiant sneer.


    "Good. I am actually looking for you," Rocky said indifferently.


    "You, despicable human! How dare you set our grain warehouse on fire? You even tried to let your comrades escape! You sure are pretty arrogant for someone that is about to die!" Since Rocky bravely appeared in front of them, the commander


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    did not expect that Rocky was still able to fight back after being heavily injured.


    At this moment, the commander was completely shrouded in Rocky''s sword net.


    Not giving up, the commander immediately crossed his arms and gathered all his strength. Then, he unleashed a monstrous power that formed a spiritual power barrier to negate the sword net.


    Just as the commander thought that Rocky''s surprise attack was about to fail, countless streaks of starlight suddenly bolted out and continuously condensed to hit him like meteors.


    "Take that! Thousand-star Swordsmanship!" A familiar voice rang in the ears of the commander as he was about to be swallowed by the dazzling starlight.


    In a flash, the armor of the commander shone brightly as the sword power hit it directly. Just a moment after, the silver armor disintegrated into pieces.


    As the commander received a direct hit from Rocky''s sword skill, he could not help but spit a mouthful of blood.


    The next moment, the commander felt that Rocky''s Mystical Dragon Sword was pressed against his neck.


    The soldiers of the spiritual race, who had been cheering for their commander earlier, were suddenly rendered speechless. They were completely dumbfounded to see that their powerful commander would actually lose to a mere human spirit warrior.


    Even the commander himself was flabbergasted and was in disbelief of what just happened.

 Chapter 1563 Chase After

    "Come with me!" Before the commander of the spiritual race could react, Rocky sealed him in a bubble using the spiritual power. Then, the commander was lifted into the air and disappeared with a pop. As a result of that, the Purple-flaming Phoenix also vanished a few seconds later.


    "Our commander has been arrested!" It took quite a while for the soldiers of the spiritual race to realize what was going on. Once they did, they panicked.


    Meanwhile, Deputy Commander Ma and Eunice continued to follow their escape plan. They took advantage of the complicated terrain to lose the spiritual race''s soldiers that were chasing them. Finally, they all arrived at the designated meeting place.


    However, the moment they gathered, the annihilation squad that had been sent by the commander appeared in front of them.


    The annihilation squad was made up of several spirit warriors who cultivated the Spiritual Infant. It was the same ones who had made Deputy Commander Ma and the others suffer and captured Rocky. Each of them was holding a cage that contained a small but exceptionally violent, cannibalistic spiritual beast.


    Deputy Commander Ma''s and Eunice''s faces fell when they saw that they were trapped once again.


    "Deputy Commander


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    t nodded their heads and looked at him with great respect flickering in their eyes.


    With the help of the Road Goes Ever On, Deputy Commander Ma and the others soon reached a safe area in the Crescent Gorge. Once they landed, the power of the Army-blessing Scroll vanished.


    "What mysterious skill did Basil use that got us out of danger so fast?" Deputy Commander Ma asked.


    "Who knows!" Eunice feigned cluelessness, but she knew it was the power of the Army-blessing Scroll. However, what she did not expect was for Rocky to use it so skillfully.


    As Deputy Commander Ma filled with further confusion, Rocky appeared.


    "Basil, thanks to you, we escaped from danger! Thank you so much!" Deputy Commander Ma said gratefully.


    "It''s too early for that. The troops of the spiritual race will hunt us down and try to enact their revenge. We have to leave the Crescent Gorge as soon as we can. Once we''re out, they can''t touch us," Rocky informed them in a serious voice.


    Deputy Commander Ma nodded quickly and said no more. Then, he gathered up the soldiers to take them out of the Crescent Gorge.


    By dawn, they had exited the barriers of the Crescent Gorge and there were no spirit warriors from the spiritual race chasing them.

 Chapter 1564 Finally Safe

    "Finally, we''re safe," Rocky said, slumping his shoulders and breathing out a sigh of relief.


    "Well done!" Eunice exclaimed, nodding at Rocky and smiling.


    "Now, you should rest. Next, we will travel back to Tiger Whisker Pass!" Rocky said to Deputy Commander Ma.


    "Okay."


    Deputy Commander Ma immediately instructed the team to rest where they stood. A few hours later, they woke, stumbled to stand, and set out to make their return to Tiger Whisker Pass.


    After a day and a night''s journey, the troops finally reached their destination.


    As soon as Tucker heard that the troops that were led by Deputy Commander Ma had returned, he, Bertram, and another deputy commander came out to welcome them in person. However, their faces quickly turned serious when the bedraggled soldiers came into their sight.


    "What happened?" Tucker asked as the smile dropped from his face.


    Deputy Commander Ma hurried to explain everything that had happened in detail. He spent a lot of time focusing on how Rocky had saved them all. After all, it was the truth. There was no reason to hide anything.


    "What do you mean the spiritual race set up a camp at the front line of Tiger Whisker Pass? They must be plotting something!" Tucker exclaimed. Anger filled him bu


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    der to do that, I need a favor from you." Elliot cupped his hands.


    "What''s the favor? Just spit it out," Deputy Commander Lin asked after a moment of hesitation.


    "You''re going to lead a team to patrol, right? When you do, you should send him to carry out a task on his own. That''s all," Elliot said.


    "You want to deal with him on your own?" Deputy Commander Lin asked with an understanding smile.


    "No, I''m no match for him. I''ve hired someone else," Elliot said in a lowered voice.


    "Okay. I will help you, but you can''t tell anyone else about this," Deputy Commander Lin replied after even more hesitation. He also had his own selfish motive. After all, Elliot was Tucker''s nephew. If Tucker was ever promoted, the position of the commander would fall into the hands of one of the three deputy commanders. But who would take over the position would be Tucker''s decision, so having a good relationship with Elliot was to Deputy Commander Lin''s benefit.


    "Thank you, deputy commander. I will remember your kindness." With a sinister smile on his face, Elliot left Deputy Commander Lin''s camp.


    "I hope he won''t lift a stone and drop it on his own feet," Deputy Commander Lin said with a cunning smile, knowing that he had made the right decision.

 Chapter 1565 This World

    A few days later, Deputy Commander Lin received the order to lead his supporting troop and a team of spirit warriors to the front line area of the Tiger Whisker Pass to patrol it for half a month.


    After what had happened at the Crescent Gorge last time, Tucker had warned him to be careful a few times before he left. However, this time, Deputy Commander Lin had Rocky under his command, so Tucker wasn''t as concerned.


    Once they were on the road, the patrol team headed northwest of the Tiger Whisker Pass. This time, they were to walk the area between the Panta Mountain and the Venomous Snake Swamp.


    The Panta Mountain was the junction between the human race and the spiritual race. It was said that it had existed since the creation of the Supreme Ether Land, and therefore, it was rich with legends. The most famous one was that it was the entrance to the Purgatory Valley, also known as one of the three divine lands that bordered the battlefield.


    However, no human spirit warrior in history had been able to confirm this fact. And if a spirit warrior had been able to enter it, they would not be willing to reveal it and allow the other spi


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    element of surprise, the killing intent in her eyes still blazed.


    "Then I''ll have to find a way to restore your memories," Rocky replied, extending his hand and pressing his finger between Shirley''s eyebrows. He used the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill to invade Shirley''s spiritual sense and share his memories with her.


    Soon, all the past moments between her and Rocky had been transplanted into her mind.


    "I remember everything! You are Basil!" Shirley exclaimed as she stared at Rocky with wide eyes. Apparently, it had worked.


    "You remember," Rocky commented as he breathed a sigh of relief and withdrew his hand.


    "My head hurts! How did I lose my memories?" Suddenly, Shirley couldn''t bear the reappearance of her lost memories. Her delicate face filled with pain and her body crumpled as she collapsed in Rocky''s arms.


    "Don''t worry. You can rest. Then we will figure it out," Rocky reassured her, holding her close.


    After resting for a while, Shirley looked up at Rocky with tears in her eyes. "Basil, you''re here. I missed you so much. I thought we would never see each other again! What brought you to this world too?"

 Chapter 1566 Search

    "Once I learned that you had been captured by the powerful warriors of this world, I forced myself inside to rescue you. The thing that I never saw coming was my divine power disappearing and not being able to use it to find you. That''s why it''s taken so long. I''ve had to come up with other ways," Rocky explained briefly.


    "Have you found Marcia and the others, Rocky?" Shirley asked, sitting up.


    "Not yet. By the way, where is General Bryant?" Rocky asked, shaking his head. Now that he knew Shirley was still alive, he assumed that Bryant was too.


    "My grandfather is dead!" Shirley exclaimed in a sad voice, shocking Rocky.


    "What? He died?!" This made no sense. Bryant was strong, so he should have been able to find a foothold in this world. Honestly, he should have even been able to make a breakthrough.


    "He died protecting me. I managed to escape, but I was seriously injured. After that, I lost my footing and fell off a cliff." Pain painted over every surface of Shirley''s face. Then, she told Rocky about their experiences after they had been captured. The twists and turns sounded horrifying, especially the one wher


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    tering the Bewitching Grotto, the patrol team was distributed into the large and small caves where there were no rain.


    They spent the whole night crouched and hidden.


    The storm didn''t let up until daylight arrived.


    When Deputy Commander Lin called the patrol team over, he realized that over a hundred spirit warriors and soldiers were missing, including Kye.


    "Where did all our men go?" Deputy Commander Lin frowned, looking around.


    "Is the rumor about the Bewitching Grotto true?" As they waited for the small chance that the others would show up, some of the soldiers began to whisper words of fear.


    Before long, the whole patrol was in an uproar.


    Although Deputy Commander Lin was also worried, it was his responsibility to stabilize the morale of the army. So he said, "Don''t panic. Maybe they didn''t hear the bugle call."


    Then, he turned to Basil and ordered in a low voice, "Captain Basil, please collect a group of spirit warriors and look for the missing soldiers."


    "Yes, Deputy Commander Lin."


    Rocky nodded and quickly gathered his men. Then he began searching the caves for as far as he could see.

 Chapter 1567 A Legend

    Because he was aware of the legend surrounding the Bewitching Grotto, Rocky stayed extremely vigilant while he searched for the missing soldiers. There were a few hundred caves that were all different sizes in the Bewitching Grotto, and hundreds of soldiers and spirit warriors were missing. It was going to take him a long time to search all of them and recover his fellow men.


    Fortunately, Rocky had Kohen, who was great at searching. He released Kohen and asked it to find the scent of the missing soldiers and spirit warriors.


    Not long after, Kohen seemed to have found something. It pointed to an unremarkable cave among numerous others.


    Rocky''s eyes narrowed slightly. To be on the safe side, he asked the other spirit warriors to stay where they were and he approached the cave alone.


    As he approached it, he discovered that the cave was not sealed. There was a crack just large enough for a human to slip through.


    Right away, he could feel an inexplicable magical power crawling out from the crack, as if something was pulling him forward.


    If he we


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    itual King Basil. Otherwise, they would all have been in big trouble!" Deputy Commander Lin praised. He didn''t want to lose his soldiers like Deputy Commander Ma had.


    Once they were all settled, Deputy Commander Lin led his patrol team back to the camp.


    That night, the patrol team stationed themselves by the edge of a stream at the foot of the Panta Mountain.


    After the bonfire rose, many soldiers and spirit warriors gathered around, eating dinner and chatting happily.


    Rocky sat alone on a big stone by the stream and looked up at the starry sky. Even though he was surrounded by people, he felt completely alone.


    ''I wonder how Isis and the baby are now?'' Rocky thought, sighing slightly. He cared the most about his wife and his child, but he also cared about his girlfriends and friends.


    "Captain Basil, you seem to have something on your mind!" a voice said.


    Rocky turned and saw Kye standing behind him. He was surprised.


    "Yes. It''s inevitable to have something on your mind when you are away from home," Rocky replied with a faint smile.

 Chapter 1568 Be Careful

    "Thank you so much for what you did today," Kye suddenly uttered out of the blue.


    "I just did what I thought I should do. Anyway, it''s nice to see that you''re starting to talk to me..." Rocky replied.


    "I admit that I was doubtful of you before, but my moral compass is still as good as anyone. I know you¡¯re just trying to do the right thing. I¡¯d be lying if I said that I was pleased that you replaced me as the leader, but after seeing your work up close, I realized it was for the better good," Kye answered back, not letting his pride cloud his judgment. When he saw Rocky capture the commander of the spiritual race''s army and help them escape from the Crescent Gorge, he knew he was in the wrong. What was more, Rocky didn¡¯t hesitate to save his life again this time.


    "I''m glad that you think so!" A feeling of relief washed over Rocky. He didn''t expect that he would gain Kye''s trust in such a short amount of time.


    "But this doesn''t mean that I like you. You''re still a closed book." Kye''s tone suddenly changed as a look of


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    weren¡¯t for the threat that the spiritual race was seeking to claim the area, Deputy Commander Lin would never have led his team there.


    To ensure his soldiers¡¯ safety, the deputy commander decided to camp on the outskirts of the dense jungle while he sent a team of spirit warriors to explore the area first. Only after confirming a safe route would he order the rest to march inside.


    It was none other than Rocky who led the scouting team.


    After getting ready, they headed into the primeval forest.


    Since no humans lived inside it, the forest was filled with wild plants and animals. The trees reached high into the sky while the grass grew as tall as a person. As they moved further inside, they could see nothing but an endless sea of grass and leaves.


    "Be careful. There may be spiritual beasts lurking around, waiting to ambush us," Rocky reminded his team.


    As soon as the words left his mouth, he suddenly felt an ominous aura approaching.


    "Watch out! There is a spiritual beast!" He immediately alerted everyone.

 Chapter 1569 Put Down Your Weapons

    But it was too late. A leopard-shaped spiritual beast rushed out of the grass directly towards a team member.


    He was so frightened that his legs weakened and began to tremble for he didn¡¯t know how to escape. Just as the spiritual beast was about to bite him, a figure suddenly appeared wielding a military knife which he used to block the beast¡¯s razor-sharp teeth.


    It was none other than Kye.


    "Idiot! What are you waiting for? Run now!" Kye cursed loudly.


    The team member quickly fled from the beast upon hearing his command.


    As Kye wielded his knife fiercely, the spiritual beast swiftly retreated into the grass and disappeared.


    Not long after, more spiritual beasts rushed out and attacked Rocky¡¯s team of spiritual warriors.


    "It appears we still need to find a way out of here," Rocky noted with a serious look. Realizing it wasn¡¯t safe to stay, he immediately summoned the Purple-flaming Phoenix.


    Kye and his team were shocked when Rocky called upon his spiritual beast with the strength of a Spiritual Infant.


    Once the Purple-flaming Phoenix appeared, it shot out a flame t


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    "Calm down!" Rocky immediately stopped Deputy Commander Lin from breaking out of the encirclement. This army they faced was clearly not formed at the spur of the moment and had possibly occupied this area for a long time. The spiritual beasts only appeared once Rocky and his team broke into the valley. They must¡¯ve seen them as intruders.


    However, Rocky still didn''t understand why the army guarded the ancient civilization ruins. It was inconceivable!


    "Deputy Commander Lin, order the troops to lay down their weapons and stand down," Rocky told the deputy commander immediately.


    "What? Put down our weapons? But why?" Deputy Commander Lin looked at Rocky in confusion. He couldn¡¯t understand why Rocky would make such a request.


    "Just listen to me," Rocky pleaded in a serious tone.


    Realizing he was serious, Deputy Commander Lin momentarily hesitated before he ordered his troops. "Put down your weapons!"


    The soldiers and spirit warriors were just as dismayed and flustered. But they knew better than to disobey the deputy commander''s order. They all laid their weapons aside.

 Chapter 1570 Escaping From The Spiritual Beasts

    Then, Rocky immediately stepped into the air and flew over the heads of the soldiers and the spirit warriors. In a flash, he landed in front of the vicious Emperor Realm spiritual beast. Although he was facing an army comprised of powerful spiritual beasts, he was not fazed at all. The next second, he activated the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill.


    "My name is Basil. Can you clearly hear me, sir?" Without any hesitation, Rocky introduced himself to the Emperor Realm spiritual beast.


    "Hmm. You actually looked like an ignorant young man, but you know to speak the beast language! That is quite impressive," the spiritual beast said in surprise.


    "Pardon me, sir, but I don''t know any beast language. I can just communicate with you by synchronizing my spiritual sense with yours. Anyway, may I just ask a question? Why are you surrounding our troops? I don''t think we have done anything to offend you and your army," Rocky said with a straight face.


    "Well, you are wrong about that. You and your people have entered the forbidden area, which is the most sacred place for us. You just can''t barge in here and defile it!" the spiritual beast roared aggressively.


    "I see. We sincerely apologize because we did not mean to do it. We just happened to pass by unintentionally," Rocky explained.


    "Ha! You think a simple apology would suffice? What''s done is done. You can''


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    piritual King Basil, what on earth exactly happened?" Deputy Commander Lin asked in bewilderment.


    "I don''t have time to explain it right now. We are still in danger. I know that the spiritual beasts will not let us go that easily. As we speak, they should be chasing and looking for us. Getting us out of there is all I can do. From here on, we have to rely on our strength. We have to outrun them before they could find us again," Rocky said sternly. The number of times that the patrolling troops could use the Army-blessing Scroll had already reached its limit. So, for now, he could do nothing to assist them.


    "All right. Don''t stop moving! Let''s continue retreating!" Hearing Rocky''s words, Deputy Commander Lin didn''t dare to be complacent and careless. Thus, he immediately ordered the entire army to start moving and retreat from the primeval forest.


    As Rocky expected, before they could even reach a few miles, they already found about seven or eight spiritual beasts that were running behind them.


    At this moment, Rocky summoned the Purple-flaming Phoenix to lead the way and cooperate with the team of spirit warriors to intercept the attacks from the spiritual beasts that were chasing after them.


    Although they incurred a handful of casualties as they tried to escape, they were still able to successfully withstand the attacks on their way out of the forest.

 Chapter 1571 Taking All The Credits

    Finally, a day later, the now exhausted patrol troops were able to retreat from the forest. As they got out of the primeval forest, the spiritual beasts that had been chasing them all this time stopped all of sudden. It was as if there was something that restricted them from leaving the forest.


    After confirming that their lives were not in danger anymore, the patrol troops immediately camped on a nearby spot to rest for a while. Then, they checked the conditions of each member and counted the number of casualties. It turned out that more than a third of their total number was either badly injured or killed. All in all, there were about two hundred soldiers that died in their encounter with the army of spiritual beasts.


    Obviously, it was because of Rocky''s brilliance that the patrol troops were able to avoid an extremely disastrous situation.


    "Spiritual King Basil, we are indeed lucky that you are with us. Otherwise, there was no way that we could have gotten out of that forest." Deputy Commander Lin expressed his gratitude.


    "You don''t have to thank me. I''m a member of this team, so I just did what I could to get us to safety. Moreover, I think the credits should go to everyone, including you. If you didn''t make the right call, we wouldn''t have survived," Rocky humbly replied.


    Deputy Commander Lin was evidently very happy t


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    ack from a mission, so she did not know that Rocky had already returned from his patrol mission.


    "Why? Don''t you want to see me back?" Rocky teased.


    "Humph! Whatever," Eunice snorted. But then, she could not help but ask, "How did things go? Did the patrol go smoothly this time?"


    "Well, I think so. We accidentally broke into a forbidden area where we encountered an army of spiritual beasts. We had many casualties, but luckily we managed to escape and return safely," Rocky said as if it was not a big deal.


    "What? An army comprised of spiritual beasts?!" Eunice exclaimed in shock. Of course, she instantly became curious.


    Seeing the look in her eyes, Rocky had no choice but to tell her what happened. Upon hearing it, Eunice trembled in fear. She did not expect that they would experience such a thing during their mission.


    "It''s my first time hearing that spiritual beasts can actually rule their kind and even form an army," Eunice said in surprise. She had never heard that spiritual beasts could actually reach such a level of intelligence.


    "Once spiritual beasts reached the Emperor Realm, their intelligence will not be much inferior to that of humans. In fact, some of them are even smarter than humans," Rocky remarked. He was clear about this because he knew that this was the kind that was very difficult to deal with.

 Chapter 1572 The New Experiment

    "Thank god you were here. Otherwise, the patrolling team would have suffered even more than last time. The border battlefield hasn''t been fun. The soldiers'' lives are at risk constantly. Plus, we''re not even going to the battlefield. We''re only carrying out a patrol. I''m afraid things can get a lot more dangerous," Eunice said, sighing deeply.


    "Do you regret coming with me?" Rocky asked, looking straight at her.


    "No. Now that we''re here, let''s stay and enjoy it. Besides, there''s nothing I can do about it. I can''t finish my task if I can''t bring you back to the Di Clan," Eunice replied, curling her lips.


    "I''ll go back with you once I find my companions. Oh yeah! I was lucky enough to come across one during the patrol!" Rocky exclaimed suddenly.


    "You saw one? Seriously?" Eunice asked. Her eyes were wide. She had been waiting to hear news like this for a long time.


    "Yes." Rocky nodded.


    "That''s great. Now that you''ve found one, things will be much easier for you!" Eunice wore a large smile on her face. She was happy that Rocky was finally making progress in his mission.


    "I don''t think


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    But because he was family, he could only accept the fact and told others that Elliot was seriously ill and had returned to his hometown.


    When Rocky learned what Elliot had done, he guessed that he must have been afraid that his criminal side had been unmasked so he fled from Tiger Whisker Pass. The thing was, Rocky didn''t intend to punish Elliot straight away. After all, if it weren''t for Elliot, he wouldn''t have been able to find Shirley. In addition, he had to consider Tucker. He wouldn''t risk ruining his plan over a man like Elliot.


    A few days later, Rocky managed to successfully develop a new type of gene. It could be used to transform ordinary people and improve their physique.


    Of course, whether the new gene was really useful or not depended on a specific test subject.


    Meanwhile, Maxwell had volunteered and was being injected with a new type of gene from Rocky''s Magic Spiritual Space.


    "Okay. Stay lying on the bed. If you feel any discomfort, just let me know," Rocky instructed once he was finished. Maxwell looked up at him from where he was still lying on the operating table.

 Chapter 1573 In Danger

    "Okay," Maxwell responded.


    His voice had barely faded away when he suddenly screamed and all of his muscles started twitching.


    "Is your body rejecting the gene?" Rocky asked, mostly to himself. That was the first time that he had done genetic experiments on a human being. Although the new genes he had developed wouldn''t have much impact on the main genetic sequences of a human and normally wouldn''t endanger their lives, he was still worried that something else could go wrong.


    Therefore, in order to stabilize the rejection that Maxwell''s body was currently going through, Rocky touched him and transferred some of his spiritual power over.


    Moments later, he realized that the spiritual power that he had poured into Maxwell''s body was being absorbed too quickly.


    Rocky bent over and looked closely at Maxwell''s body. He discovered lots of big changes, especially in his meridians. He knew that an ordinary person''s meridians were different from that of a spirit warrior. A spirit warrior''s meridians were much wider and thicker and they conne


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    he responded.


    "Thank you, Basil. Could you please come with me? We happened to catch one of the spiritual beasts two days ago. Maybe you can find some clues from it and figure out a solution for us," Commander Ling said, cupping his hands.


    "Sure," Rocky replied, nodding.


    "But wait. Who will lead the team if Basil leaves?" Kye asked.


    "You will. You are the acting captain in my absence," Rocky answered, looking back at him.


    "Well..." Kye felt a little embarrassed even though he was supposed to be the team leader.


    "Perfect. Kye, you will temporarily act as captain while Basil is gone," Tucker ordered at once.


    "Yes, sir." Kye took the order.


    After that, Rocky and Commander Ling climbed onto a flying beast and flew to the front line of the western region.


    The region was an important military base for the human army in the border war. If the front line were lost, it would directly threaten the safety of the Tiger Whisker Pass and other passes. Now Rocky understood why Tucker had been so willing to send him there to help.

 Chapter 1574 Surprise

    After a journey that took an entire day and night, Rocky and Commander Ling finally arrived at the military camp at the front line of the western region.


    A camp of considerable size entered their eyes. From north to south, military tents of all sizes were stationed everywhere as far as the eye could see.


    "Spiritual King Basil, do you want to take a break first?" Commander Ling asked as soon as he noticed that they had arrived.


    "No, there''s no need for that. Commander Ling, please tell me the current situation in detail, then take me to see the spiritual beast you''ve caught," Rocky quickly instructed.


    After a quick nod of understanding, Commander Ling immediately explained to Rocky the recent happenings in the front line of the western region.


    Since the camp of the western region army was located next to a large river, the Mochy River, it helped serve as a natural barrier against the invasion of the spiritual race''s army. Hence, the camp of the spiritual race''s army could be found on the opposite side of the river.


    Moreover, the Mochy River used to be very wide and had raging waters. It was a near impossible task to cross it safely, even with the use of a ferry. Therefore, the western region army took advantage of this to prevent the spiritual race''s army from reaching the Ethereal Region.


    Howev


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    eyes blazing fiercely.


    When the beast heard Rocky''s words and noticed Rocky''s calm yet powerful momentum, it instantly became daunted and immediately retreated like a scared rabbit.


    At that point, Rocky had already reached the beast and then spoke gently, "Don''t be afraid. I won''t hurt you. I just want to know who your master is." While he was speaking, his finger pointed between the eyebrows of the beast to get into the beast''s mind.


    It only took a moment for a delicate figure to appear in Rocky''s mind. Since she was in a green forest and was wearing a pink dress, she seemed like a flower fairy. Although he couldn''t see her face clearly, he could tell that she was a beauty.


    However, as soon as Rocky entered the beast''s spiritual sense, he was immediately forced out. There was undoubtedly some sort of defense on the beast to protect its spiritual sense.


    "It seems like its owner is nearby," Rocky said to himself with a nod of his head. Without missing a beat, he turned around and said to Commander Ling, "Commander Ling, I''m leaving for a bit."


    The moment the words left Rocky''s lips, he disappeared from where he stood and was nowhere to be seen.


    Commander Ling was still in a daze from seeing the beast be so tame in front of Rocky. He became even more stunned when Rocky disappeared from sight.

 Chapter 1575 The Girl From The Spiritual Race

    After immediately leaving the camp, Rocky tried to find the most probable location according to the scene that he had just witnessed.


    Not long after, he spotted an oasis-like place about a mile away from the camp. At the same time, he saw a delicate girl with several plants surrounding her. She stood on a stone with her back on Rocky, and beside her were a few spiritual toad beasts.


    "It would seem that you are the master of those spiritual beasts," Rocky uttered as he fixed his eyes on the girl in front of him.


    "Who are you? How did you find me here?" A bit startled, the girl instantly turned around and appeared to have an elf-like appearance. She had long pointed ears, delicate body features and silver pupils, which proved that she was not a human being. She looked young and should be considered a beauty in the spiritual race.


    "Well, your pet told me," Rocky said with a faint smile.


    "Did you just say my pet? What did you do to it? Where is it?" The girl instantly got angry at the mention of her beast.


    "I didn''t do anything to it... yet. But perhaps I will later. It depends on you," Rocky replied indifferently with hints of a threat.


    "If you dare hurt it, I swear I won''t spare you." At the point, the girl was already fuming in anger.


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    . Moreover, he actually detected my existence. Well, I was just caught off guard. If I see him next time, I will definitely defeat him."


    With that, the girl flew into the air and left the area.


    Upon returning to the camp, Rocky found Commander Ling waiting for him.


    "Spiritual King Basil, you''re back. Why did you leave in a hurry just now?" Commander Ling asked as soon as he saw Rocky.


    "I engaged with the member of the spiritual race nearby who turned out to be the master of the beasts that invaded us," Rocky replied straightforwardly.


    "Really? How are you able to find that person?" Commander Ling was quite stunned.


    "You don''t have to worry about that right now, Commander Ling. The most important thing is that we are now sure that someone was behind the assault of beasts. Moreover, that member of the spiritual race is powerful. We should be prepared in case we are attacked again," Rocky warned.


    "Then, what should we do now? Currently, we don''t have enough strength and manpower to fight off those beasts in the front line of the western region," Commander Ling said as he broke into a cold sweat. That was definitely an upsetting situation for them, and there was no guarantee that they could overcome the attacks the next time it happened.

 Chapter 1576 Suck In The Air

    "If you trust me, you won¡¯t have to worry about fighting the spiritual beasts, Commander Ling. If the spiritual race decides to attack the camp, you just need to follow the usual strategy," Rocky said calmly.


    "But how are we going to deal with the spiritual beasts?" Commander Ling asked, still doubtful of the young man''s plan. He obviously didn''t understand what the latter meant.


    "I''ll handle them. I have my own way of dealing with those spiritual beasts," Rocky replied with much confidence.


    "Spiritual King Basil, but you have to tell me the way first, right?" Commander Ling was rightfully worried about leaving his troops'' faith to the young man.


    "I''m sorry but the plan won''t work if I tell you. Besides, we have to be wary of our surroundings. After all, these walls are paper-thin." Rocky had a hunch that spies from the spiritual race littered among the army of the western region.


    Being kept in the dark didn''t help with Commander Ling''s growing anxiety. He was still on the edge whether or not he should truly trust the man before him.


    "What are you waiting for? Go ahead and do your work, Commander Ling!" With that, Rocky turned around and left.


    Commander Ling could onl


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    d into a blazing heat lighting up the other barrels near it. Even the river''s water couldn''t extinguish the wall of fire.


    Rocky, who was shocked by the plan, looked carefully and saw black stains floating above the water. The barrels were chock-full of petroleum.


    Even though it was enough to send a message to the spiritual beasts, he knew it was still too early to celebrate.


    The fire was enough to stop the spiritual beasts'' advance.


    The human soldiers who were supposed to fight back the spiritual beasts cheered in victory when they saw the blazing hot wall of fire.


    "Well done!" Commander Ling praised the deputy commander who had thought of the plan.


    "Commander Ling, please, it''s only my duty," the deputy commander said modestly, but his face was full of pride. He then turned around to give Rocky a smug look.


    Meanwhile, the other two deputy commanders had jealousy written all over their face. They felt that the other one hogged all the credit.


    Just as when they were about to celebrate their victory, a mysterious and delicate figure suddenly appeared on top of the largest spiritual toad beast. The beast then opened its mouth and sucked in all the surrounding air.

 Chapter 1577 A Little Hope

    The next moment, the beast blew out a raging wind from its mouth. In an instant, a violent gust of wind formed, ravaging the river up and down.


    Then, the fire wall floated on the surface of the surging river. As the wind roared mightily, it blew directly towards the army from the western region who happened to guard along the riverside.


    The soldiers that were led by Commander Ling were caught off guard. They didn''t have the time to prepare and defend themselves from the sudden attack that was aimed at them. It was already too late when they saw the river water mixed with fire oil surge towards them. As the fire made contact with fire oil, it instantly lit up and created a huge sea of flames. Moreover, due to the strong winds, the fire rapidly spread and consumed them.


    Many human soldiers were burnt to ashes on the spot, while some rolled on the ground, screaming in pain and agony.


    At the sight of the disaster, Commander Ling and the three deputy commanders were dumbfounded. They didn''t expect that their plan would actually be the reason for the predicament that they were in right now.


    Seeing that, Rocky could not help but shake his head. He knew that at that point, the whole army would be in big trouble.


    The soldiers were thrown in a state of chaos, and the spiritual toad beasts were already approaching to wre


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    ace. It was a battle against time. Dealing with more than twenty spiritual beasts would not be easy for them, and worse, the spiritual race might come ashore at any time.


    "Damn it! Is there no other way?" Commander Ling almost desperately pleaded at Rocky.


    "If I could control the beasts to prevent the army from crossing the river, then we still have a chance." At the moment, it was the only way that Rocky could think of. However, it also meant that he had to somehow gain control of the beasts from the girl that he met before.


    Of course, it would not be an easy thing to accomplish. Although Rocky''s Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill had already reached the highest level, he had never tried such a method. Besides, he needed to subdue a large number of beasts, which were under the control of a powerful beast tamer. That would undoubtedly be a huge challenge for him.


    "What? You are planning on controlling the beasts? Are you kidding? Is that even possible?" Obviously, the three deputy commanders did not believe that Rocky was capable of doing such a seemingly impossible thing.


    "Spiritual King Basil, can you assure that you can do it?" Commander Ling was also in doubt, but at least, they had a little hope to grasp on. After all, if Rocky could not make it, the front line of the western region would be finished.

 Chapter 1578 Everything Was Possible

    "I''m not completely sure, but I can give it a shot," Rocky replied.


    "Is there anything I can do to help you?" Commander Ling asked.


    "Please gather all the spirit warriors under your command. I''m going to need their help!" Rocky responded quickly.


    "No problem." Commander Ling nodded immediately. At the moment, he was regarding Rocky as a life-saving straw. Although it seemed idiotic for a commander of a troop to blindly pin their hopes on one person, there was nothing else he could do now. Since he didn''t want to lose the front line of the western region, he could only place his hopes on Rocky.


    "As for the rest of the soldiers, please make them retreat from their current position to a place at least one mile away from the river and prepare an ambush. If I succeed, you can launch a surprise attack and completely annihilate all the soldiers of the spiritual race who would be desperate to come ashore. If I fail, your soldiers will at least remain safe and sound. You will still be able to stage a counterattack in the future!" Rocky carefully laid out his plans.


    "Are you really telling us to retreat?" Commander Ling certainly didn''t want to show an act of cowar


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    Since the girl''s mission was to defend the area along the river, she couldn''t personally chase after Rocky. Therefore, she was forced to just watch Rocky disappear right before her very eyes while he was chased by her beasts. There was nothing else for her to do but to angrily stomp her feet on the ground.


    After luring the beasts to the ambush point again, Rocky repeated the same thing he did earlier. As a result, he once again easily captured the beasts.


    Admiration filled the gazes of the spirit warriors when they looked at Rocky. At first they were extremely worried about the beasts that they were unable to fight against before, but now they were subdued so easily.


    "We''re almost done." Once he was done with the first phase of his plan, Rocky immediately walked to one of the beasts and began to brainwash it with the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill, forcing it to obey his orders.


    Fortunately, none of the beasts could actually recognize their master, and they were just tamed to be obedient and follow orders, so it was easier to brainwash them. It was still rather difficult to control so many of them.


    However, everything was possible for Rocky!

 Chapter 1579 Rocky Is A Threat

    After Rocky successfully brainwashed and manipulated the spiritual toad beasts one by one, they became his subordinates that followed his every command.


    At the sight of this, the soldiers were utterly dumbfounded. They were in great disbelief even though Rocky performed it right before their eyes. After all, something like this was beyond their wildest imagination.


    On the other hand, the girl from the spiritual race was burning in anxiety when she realized that her spiritual beasts didn''t come back after they chased Rocky. However, she did not dare leave her position and duty without permission from the higher-ups. Hence, she could only speculate and curse Rocky from the bottom of her heart.


    But not long after, the girl''s eyes widened in shock.


    Just as when she hoped that Rocky would show up in front of her, he actually did, and so did the dozen spiritual beasts that chased after him earlier.


    As soon as they appeared, the spiritual toad beasts quickly returned to the side of the girl from the spiritual race. Obviously, the girl did not notice anything different from her spiritual beasts.


    "Humph! I can see that you are still alive. You are such a persistent pest!" The girl gritted her teeth as she cast an icy glare at Rocky.


    "Well, what can I say? I was born lucky, so it won''t be that easy to kill me," Rocky teased with a provoking smile.


    "Ha


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    he would also possess such a mighty spiritual beast. Moreover, they were dumbfounded when they realized that when he dealt with the spiritual toad beasts, he did not even summon his spiritual beast. Hence, they could just imagine that Rocky was indeed far more powerful than they imagined.


    Under the watchful eyes of the western army, Rocky flew into the air while riding on the back of the Purple-flaming Phoenix. At the same time, everyone could not help but stare at him with admiration.


    It was just the evening of the second day when Rocky managed to get back to the Tiger Whisker Pass. So, he decided to go to Tucker''s camp first.


    At this moment, it seemed that Tucker, Bertram, and the other deputy commanders were in the middle of discussing something important. Hence, they were actually surprised to see that Rocky had already returned. It was obvious that they did not expect him to come back so soon.


    "What happened? Why are you back so soon? Aren''t you able to solve the problem in the front line of the western region? Did the commander there sent you back?" Deputy Commander Lin could not help but ask in a doubtful tone. Since Rocky showed such strong leadership potentials the last time they handled a dangerous situation together, he obviously had some scruples about Rocky. He also kept in mind what Elliot said before about Rocky being a threat to him.

 Chapter 1580 The Commander In Chiefs Decision

    "If you think so, that''s it!" Rocky echoed. He also sensed a trace of hostility in Deputy Commander Lin''s tone, so he decided to take advantage of the situation.


    "No, Basil. We need to get to the point. Has the crisis in the western region''s front line been resolved or not?" Tucker asked, looking at Rocky with concern swimming in his eyes.


    "It has been settled... sort of," Rocky replied ambiguously, shrugging slightly.


    "What do you mean? Yes or no? Give us a direct answer!" Deputy commander Lin snapped, being slightly rude on purpose.


    "Commander Tucker sent me to the front line of the western region with Commander Ling to solve the crisis caused by the spiritual beasts. If you''re asking me in regards to the spiritual beasts, then I''ve completed my task." Rocky was deliberately avoiding the majority of what had happened during his mission. He kept his face calm. If he didn''t take credit for what he had done, Tucker would be left with a greater impression of him.


    "That''s good." Tucker nodded and smiled. He was just glad that Rocky hadn''t disappointed him and that he had completed the mission.


    "Report!" Suddenly, a scout rushed in, interruptin


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    cleaning herself by accident," Rocky replied, smiling sheepishly.


    Kye became speechless when he heard Rocky''s confession. He had never seen Rocky act so boldly before. He was the one who had seen a naked woman and been threatened by her, yet it didn''t seem to bother him at all.


    "Well, thank you for lying about the commander in chief thinking highly of us. Otherwise, she would not have let me go so easily. How did you come up with such a good story?" Rocky smiled.


    "Who said that I came up with it? It''s true. However, it may take some time. After all, if the commander in chief intends to put you in an important position, it will inevitably cause other commanders and deputy commanders to become angry. Then they will worry about their positions," Kye explained with a serious look on his face.


    "You are right," Rocky said, nodding his head. "Are you just passing by? It doesn''t look like it. You''re here to try and merge with the martial spirit again, right?"


    "I can''t hide anything from you." Kye smiled awkwardly.


    "Let''s go." Rocky said before leading Kye to a remote corner. Then, the two of them entered Rocky''s Magic Spiritual Space together.

 Chapter 1581 The Door Had Been Closed

    Since it was not Kye''s first time in the Magic Spiritual Space, he seemed more composed.


    Before long, Rocky got to work summoning the martial spirits to let Kye search through them. This time, it was obvious how cautious Kye was being. He shuttled among the martial spirits for a long time before finally choosing a masked martial spirit that was holding some iron claws.


    "I hope you''ve made the right choice this time," Rocky told him. His hopes were for Kye to reach a new level straight after he fused with the martial spirit. If so, it would be very helpful for his future cultivation.


    A nervous expression overtook Kye''s face. After swallowing dryly a few times, he approached the masked martial spirit and began to release his spiritual power, trying to merge with it.


    It was obviously much smoother than last time. The martial spirit didn''t try to reject him at all.


    A few hours later, the martial spirit had finally integrated with Kye''s body.


    "I finally did it," Kye said in a voice full of disbelief. The chances of him suc


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    f the spiritual race," Sabina began.


    "Yes. I already heard about that." Marcia nodded.


    "And according to the news I just received, the crisis has been solved," Sabina uttered.


    "Well, that''s a good thing, isn''t it?"


    "Yes. The strange thing is that the captain of a team formed by spirit warriors was the one who solved the crisis. He is from the Tiger Whisker Pass. Even more impressively, he turned the situation on his own. And not only did he solve the crisis, but he also defeated the spiritual race''s troops," Sabina continued.


    "Really? He must be a very powerful person."


    "Most importantly, his name is Basil..." Sabina interrupted.


    "What?" Marcia was forced to do a double take.


    "The man''s name is Basil. I looked into it and learned that he is at the advanced stage of the Spiritual Infant," Sabina added.


    "Basil? Wow. It must be a coincidence. It can''t be the Basil we know. It''s not possible for him to come to this world because after we came, the door to this world was closed," Marcia said, shaking her head.

 Chapter 1582 Look For Basil

    "I agree with you, but something still feels strange. Of all the human beings in the Ethereal Region, there are very few spirit warriors who can resist the spiritual beasts, let alone control them. I heard that this guy called Basil managed to control every single spiritual beast of the spiritual race that was present," Sabina uttered.


    "Are you sure?" Marcia asked, looking at her with wide eyes.


    Sabina nodded.


    "I have a suggestion. You go to the Tiger Whisker Pass right now and find out who this man called Basil really is," Marcia said.


    "Yes. I''ll go there straight away."


    "Wait..." Sabina stopped just as she was turning around.


    "What else can I do for you?"


    "Don''t get your hopes too high and come and go quickly. Otherwise, the others might discover that you went to the Tiger Whisker Pass..." Marcia reminded her.


    "Okay. That makes sense." Then, Sabina nodded silently, bowed deeply, and left quickly.


    "Basil, could it really be you? Or are we just imagining things..." Marcia sighed.


    Over the next few days, the Tiger Whisker Pass was peaceful. Apart from the daily patro


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    else to stop talking and look at him.


    "Of course. If not, why would they waste their time capturing these three positions?" Fraser Wei answered firmly.


    "I don''t think they plan to conquer the Bear Pass." Rocky wasn''t too intimidated to put forth his opinion on the matter.


    "Ah. You must be Basil. It''s not becoming to show arrogance at such a young age. If Commander Wei was not sure, why would he ask us for help?" a deputy commander chimed in. He had a confident, conceited air about him. It was obvious that he didn''t respect Rocky.


    "I don''t mean it like that. I''m just worried that they are making a feint and a plan on attacking in another place!" Rocky responded.


    "Spending so much time and effort just to distract us would be ridiculous. Don''t forget that they have paid a great price taking these three positions. If they don''t want to occupy the Bear Pass, then all their sacrifices are meaningless!" the deputy commander said firmly.


    "Although the strategic position of the Bear Pass is important, it is not as important as this position," Rocky said, pointing at the sand table.

 Chapter 1583 Shock The Whole Army

    Everyone present looked in the direction where Rocky was pointing and a surprised expression instantly showed on their faces. After all, Rocky was pointing at the Celestial Gate Position, which was known to be guarded by a grand commander.


    The Celestial Gate Position was the core of the entire left army, and it indeed held much significance. There were eighty thousand soldiers stationed there, and even eighty thousand soldiers of the spiritual race might not be able to conquer it.


    "You don''t need to worry that much, Basil. The army of the spiritual race will not be stupid enough to attack the Celestial Gate Position."


    "I agree. The military strength of the Celestial Gate Position is on par with that of the spiritual race army. Even if they somehow decided to attack it, it would be impossible for them to take it down."


    "Stop being paranoid, Basil."


    Obviously, most of the people present didn''t believe what Rocky just said. In their opinion, it was the most impossible thing to happen.


    "Well, I refuse to think that something would be impossible. Besides, I''m just trying to tell you what I have deducted. I am not forcing anyone to believe in it," Rocky responded coldly.


    "Basil! You and Eunice can leave for now to take some rest." Bertram immediately interfered as he noticed that


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    ess of the five thousand soldiers was obviously weaker compared to Rocky''s team that comprised more than ten thousand soldiers.


    Since they came and were prepared to attack, there was no need for Rocky and the others to show them any mercy.


    Soon enough, Bertram''s team was able to take the lead in fighting against the soldiers of the spiritual race at the defensive position. Since they had properly set traps and arranged the defense in advance, they easily gained the upper hand in the battle. With the help of Eunice and her team, the army of the spiritual race was thrown into a state of chaos. Not long after, they had no choice but to retreat and cut their losses.


    The troops from the Tiger Whisker Pass led by Bertram completely won the battle. Those who were in the Bear Pass bore witness of how they thrashed the troops of the spiritual race.


    For another two days. The spiritual race had sent out several spearhead teams to continuously attack the Bear Pass from different directions. However, not one of them succeeded. As they faced the seemingly impenetrable Bear Pass, they were effortlessly blocked off and pushed back.


    But just as the battle between the two forces seemed to be at a stalemate, a piece of news suddenly reached to the Bear Pass and instantly stunned the entire army.

 Chapter 1584 Rocky Went Back Alone

    At this moment, all the people in Fraser''s tent were in utter disbelief.


    "What do you mean the Celestial Gate Position was lost? How is that even possible? What the hell is going on?" Fraser was obviously discombobulated at the sudden news.


    At the same time, everyone present looked at each other with pale faces. No one could figure the reason out why the Celestial Gate Position would fall. It was unimaginable because it should withstand the forces of the spiritual race.


    Moreover, what made people even more baffled was the fact that Rocky''s prediction had been spot on. People even ridiculed him when he said that the Celestial Gate Position would be the target of the spiritual race. But now, they were rendered speechless when it turned into reality.


    "What a blunder! If only we have listened to Basil''s warning and immediately informed Grand Commander You about it, we could have avoided this," Bertram could not help but rant and express his frustration.


    "It''s useless to say that now. We cannot undo it." Of course, Fraser was the most miserable one. Never did he expect that what Rocky predicted would really come true.


    The other deputy commanders who also looked down upon Rocky looked very gloomy and regretful.


    "What is the situation of the Celestial Gate Position right now?" Fraser changed the topic and wanted to get an update.


    "After the position fell to the enemies, Grand Commander You led the rest of his troops and retreated to Deadwood Road. He pla


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    to be with you. Right now, there should only be a dozen spirit warriors in the Tiger Whisker Pass. If they were attacked by the spirit warriors of the spiritual race, I''m afraid they might not last long," Eunice said frankly.


    "But my Purple-flaming Phoenix cannot carry too many people. Besides, even if I could take some spirit warriors with me, there might not be that much of a difference." Rocky waved his hand and let out a frown.


    "Then what else can we do?" Bertram mumbled softly.


    "Well, just wait for me. I''ll go back to the Tiger Whisker Pass to confirm the situation there." Right now, Rocky deemed that the most important thing was to return to the Tiger Whisker Pass and confirm the overall situation there.


    "We''ll be waiting for you here." Bertram nodded, hoping that everything would turn out fine.


    "By the way, if Commander Fraser somehow knew that I left, he will probably make trouble for you," Rocky warned Bertram as he glanced at the deputy commander.


    "Don''t worry about that. I can handle it. Your task is more important right now," Bertram said resolutely. It was clear from his tone that he didn''t really care about trivial things at the moment.


    Rocky just nodded and immediately summoned the Purple-flaming Phoenix. As it appeared, he swiftly leaped and landed on its back. In the blink of an eye, the two of them vanished into the sky.


    "I hope Basil can make it in time..." Bertram mumbled as he clenched his fists, feeling somewhat helpless.

 Chapter 1585 Very Strange

    Just as Rocky expected, as soon as he left the Bear Pass, he saw that about thirty thousand soldiers of the spiritual race, who had just taken down the Celestial Gate Position, were all sneaking towards the Tiger Whisker Pass.


    In the territory of the human race in the Ethereal Region, the Tiger Whisker Pass was known as the last line of defense. Hence, if it was conquered by the enemy, the troops of the spiritual race would be able to directly enter the Ethereal Region. When that happened, the entire left army would be forced to retreat and it would cause a lot of chaos.


    Right from the beginning, the Tiger Whisker Pass was indeed one of the main targets of the spiritual race army. However, in order to execute their plan, they could not let the human troops notice their real objective. Thus, they used a series of tricks to constantly deceive the left army. In the end, only Rocky was able to discern what their ploy was, but no one listened to him.


    However, such a remarkable controlling force and wisdom had never been used in the previous encounters between the human race and the spiritual race. Although the spiritual race was known to be more powerful, they did not possess such cleverness in leading their army. Apparently, the offensive strategy was organized by a new com


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    a night raid at the Tiger Whisker Pass. As long as they could break through to the Tiger Whisker Pass, Phelps'' team could fully complete the task that was given by Alyssa. After that, he could lead the army to cross the river to go back to the area of the spiritual race.


    "Grand Commander Tian, we are still about three hundred miles away from the Tiger Whisker Pass. If we continued to tread this route overnight, we should reach it the day after tomorrow," a commander briefly informed.


    "All right, we''ll do that. The sooner we get there, the better. The soldiers can rest once they arrive!" Phelps Tian felt that he could not be complacent. After all, there was still a possibility that the human race could see through their plan. Hence, he thought that it would be much safer if they could take the Tiger Whisker Pass as soon as possible.


    While the Heaven Army marched towards the Tiger Whisker Pass, Rocky also rode on the Purple-flaming Phoenix, rushing back to the pass at full speed.


    After a day and a night, he finally reached the Tiger Whisker Pass. Fortunately, he arrived before the Heaven Army. Then, the first thing he did was to look for Tucker.


    Seeing that Rocky had suddenly come back, Tucker felt very strange and had a hunch that something wrong was going on.

 Chapter 1586 Tiger Whisker Pass Is At Danger

    "Basil, what are you doing back here?" Tucker asked, staring at Rocky with wide eyes.


    "Sir, have you dispatched any troops to Deadwood Pass to support the grand commander?" Rocky asked immediately.


    "Yes, I have. I sent Deputy Commander Lin and he took five thousand soldiers with him to help Grand Commander You. I saw it as a chance for us to make more contributions. I have faith in all our other commanders at the front line. They will all do the same," Tucker replied in a confident voice.


    "This is not good." Rocky felt glued to the spot. Previously, they had moved ten thousand soldiers to Bear Pass, and now, another five thousand had gone to Deadwood Pass. That left less than twenty thousand soldiers guarding Tiger Whisker Pass. If the troops of the spiritual race were to come here, it would be like trying to put out a forest fire with a cup of water.


    "Why? What happened?" Now, Tucker''s face had darkened too.


    Rocky briefly explained what he had been thinking lately, making Tucker break out in a cold sweat.


    "Really? Why would the spiritual race waste so much effort just to attack Tiger Whisker Pass? It doesn''t make sense." Tucker shook his head slowly.


    "I know I''m rig


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    the Ethereal Region. At that time, countless innocent people will be hurt. Your friends and family could be harmed or even killed. If it were me, I would choose to be strong and swim against the current. After all, I swore to protect Tiger Whisker Pass, even at the cost of my life. But I can''t change your minds, so I asked Commander Tucker to call you here to confirm your thoughts on the matter," Rocky said in a powerful voice.


    "I have two choices for you. The first one is to stay and guard Tiger Whisker Pass. If you don''t want to risk your lives, your second choice is to become a deserter. Leave Tiger Whisker Pass immediately and you may live. I''ll give you a few minutes to think about it. Those who choose to stay will stand in their original positions, and those who choose to be deserters will step outside. You don''t have to fear being punished for being a deserter; because if you choose it, your guilt will be your biggest punishment. The thought would haunt you for the rest of your life that maybe your relatives and friends wouldn''t be killed if you didn''t chose to run away in the first place..." At the end of Rocky''s speech, his tone softened and his voice became more serious.

 Chapter 1587 In A Hurry

    "Okay. It''s time to start choosing!" Rocky stated.


    Soon, an incense stick was selected, lit, and inserted into the burner beside him.


    The soldiers and spirit warriors that were standing on the battlefield looked at each other, unsure of which to choose. Of course, they were afraid of dying, but they didn''t want to be deserters because what Rocky had said was true. If their relatives and friends were killed by the spiritual race after they fled, then guilt would consume them for the rest of their days. It didn''t seem worth it.


    As the soldiers hesitated, Maxwell stepped forward and shouted, "Everyone, we can''t be deserters. If we run away now, how can we be strong in the future? How can we explain this to our parents, brothers, and sisters? We joined this army and we have been prepared for the possibility of death on the battlefield. Right now, the Tiger Whisker Pass is faced with great peril, and we have no reason to flee from it. We have followed Commander Wang for a long time, and he has never treated us badly. In fact, he often shows great concern towards us. If we become deserters, how will we live with ourselves?" There was a pause as he looked into the faces of the soldiers.


    "We''re not deserters!


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    the city wall and quickly gathered the Swimming Army to fight the spiritual race''s army.


    "Your spiritual race has offended our human race. Don''t be so arrogant. Tell me your name. I don''t kill nameless people!" Deputy Commander Ma demanded when his feet hit the ground. He exuded a powerful aura. After all, as a man at the primary stage of the Spiritual Infant, he possessed some confidence.


    "Ha! Fine! I am Stuart Kui. Remember my name!" The vanguard troops of the spiritual race were led by him. After reporting his name, Stuart Kui commanded for all of them to launch an attack.


    "Deploy the array!" As soon as Deputy Commander Ma gave the order, the Swimming Army behind him quickly assembled into a dragon-like, long queue and then surrounded the deputy commander.


    As the vanguard troops of the spiritual race drew nearer, three hundred soldiers from the Swimming Army that were led by several spirit warriors held their spears in their hands and charged into the crowd of enemy forces like a snake striking its prey. They kept rushing forward until they destroyed their enemy''s array.


    Obviously, the vanguard troops hadn''t expected their array to dislocate so soon. As a result, they were caught off guard.

 Chapter 1588 A Little Surprise

    Before the spiritual race could react, the soldiers at the front of the Swimming Army swiftly turned around and rushed towards the rear of the army. At the same time, the soldiers at the rear unleashed their spears and marched forward to stab the enemies. Their army was like a savage dragon that pierced through everything that stood its way. As they clashed with the vanguard troops of the spiritual race, blood splashed into the air, and hundreds of corpses instantly fell onto the ground.


    As the Swimming Army continued to attack flexibly, the vanguard troops of the spiritual race lost about a thousand soldiers in less than an hour. On the other hand, the Swimming Army only lost about a hundred soldiers.


    Seeing this unfavorable situation, Stuart, the deputy commander of the spiritual race, immediately ordered his army to retreat so that they could regroup.


    "You! Do you dare fight me alone?" Stuart instantly thought of challenging the leader of the enemy army in a one-on-one battle so that he could cut his team''s losses.


    Deputy Commander Ma was at the primary stage of the Spiritual Infant. Although he was not as strong as Stuart, he would not refuse a challenge from an enemy commander. Therefore, he quickly brandished his spear and shouted, "My pleasure!"


    The next moment, Stuart and Deputy Commander Ma rushed towards each other and went all out. They both exuded a tremendous aura as soon as th


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    s, asked Tucker as he stared at Rocky''s receding figure.


    "Well, the only time I know is when he helped the patrol troops escape from the army of spiritual beasts. However, at this point, it doesn''t really matter whether he had done it many times or not. I''m afraid to say this but it looks like the fate of the Tiger Whisker Pass is in his hands now." It was also Tucker''s first time personally witnessing Rocky''s leadership on the battlefield, and he was shocked and amazed at the same time. Right now, the doubts in his heart had already turned into complete trust.


    "Anyway, if we can successfully defend the Tiger Whisker Pass, you must be surely promoted. By then, please don''t forget about me." Deputy Commander Ma let out a smile as he took the opportunity to flatter Tucker.


    "Don''t worry. Of course, I will remember all your services. But before we think of that, we must ensure to keep the Tiger Whisker Pass safe from the intruders!" Although Tucker wanted to be optimistic, he also made sure that his mindset was correct. After all, this was just the first battle, and everything would only get harder from this point.


    Then, when Rocky returned to his residence, he directly entered the Magic Spiritual Space.


    Since he was worried that the spiritual race might make use of spiritual beasts the next time they met on the battlefield, he thought of preparing a little surprise for the enemies as well.

 Chapter 1589 Go All Out

    Everyone relished the serene and soothingly calm night in the Tiger Whisker Pass since it came only once in a blue moon. But the relaxing moment was suddenly interrupted by a series of deafening roars that came out of nowhere.


    "Commander Wang, we have some bad news!" Deputy Commander Ma came rushing into Tucker''s camp with a frightened look on his face.


    "What happened?" Startled, Tucker, who had been almost sleepless the whole night, immediately got up from his seat.


    "The spiritual race has sent out more than ten Human-shaped Giant Beasts to attack the city!" Deputy Commander Ma reported in a hurry.


    "What?" Tucker''s eyes rounded in shock. He wasted no time and rushed towards the city wall along with the deputy commander.


    As soon as they climbed up the city wall, they were greeted with the sight of a dozen strong mountainous spiritual beasts nearing the edge of the wall. At this point, it was only a matter of minutes before they would attack the walls of the Tiger Whisker Pass.


    These gigantic beasts had always been the spiritual race''s trump card when attacking fortified cities. In their war against the human race, they were almost impossible to defeat. Without the help of enough brave spirit warriors,


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    orry, they won''t. They know journeying deeper would be a one-way trip. They are not that stupid. It''s certain that they are plotting a much bigger scheme." Rocky calmly answered without a hint of doubt.


    Hearing his words, the commander hesitated whether to believe him or not.


    "Commander Wang, please make a decision as soon as possible. We haven''t gotten much time," Rocky reminded Tucker.


    "Are you sure?" He knew that giving up the city would surely taint his reputation as a commander. He might even lose his position.


    "Of course." The powerful spirit warrior nodded with much conviction.


    "Well, it''s decided then. Let''s retreat from the Tiger Whisker Pass." Tucker knew that since they had already taken the first step, there was no reason for them not to go on. Besides, he knew what Rocky said was right. As long as they avoided a direct confrontation with the spiritual race''s army, they still had a chance to win. But if they were to hold their ground and guard the Tiger Whisker Pass, they would all die for nothing.


    What was more, if Rocky hadn''t come back in time, he would have been caught off guard by the enemy''s attack.


    Following Rocky''s suggestion was the only way they could fight for another day.

 Chapter 1590 Abandon Tiger Whisker Pass

    At this point, Tucker ordered the army to retreat to the Wild Hill Pass, which was just two miles away from the Tiger Whisker Pass.


    Wild Hill Pass was actually once very significant in the Ethereal Region. However, since it had been uninhabited for a long time, the city walls were destroyed by heavy rains. Since then, it had been completely abandoned, and the human army established a new stronghold, which was now the Tiger Whisker Pass.


    Therefore, the place was now covered in heaps of rubble. But it turned out that it could still be used for a strategic purpose. If the spiritual race''s army really wanted to set foot on the Ethereal Region, they would easily be spotted from the monitoring range of the Wild Hill Pass, because the Royer Road one mile away from there was the only way in. This was the main reason why Rocky and others decided to proceed here.


    Moreover, there was almost no way that the spiritual race would expect that Tucker would lead the human army that abandoned the Tiger Whisker Pass to the Wild Hill Pass. After all, they shouldn''t be familiar with its existence since it had been abandoned for so long.


    Overall, it was indeed a wise decision to settle down in the Wild Hill Pass. The enemy had no information about it, and it was just very near to the Tiger Whisker Pass.


    Deep into the night, the human army moved into the darkn


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    Humph! Since when have you become so timid? Besides, we have scared off the human army that was supposed to be stationed in the Tiger Whisker Pass. They are gone now. Are you really afraid that they might have set up an ambush for us? You overthink too much!"


    "But it''s always wise to play things safely. I''m just asking you to reconsider it..."


    "We won''t take too long! As soon as we get in touch with them and receive whatever they prepared, we will head back to the Tiger Whisker Pass. You don''t have to worry."


    From the conversation that Rocky head, he could not help but be astonished. He concluded that the leader of the five thousand soldiers of the spiritual race was a grand commander. Moreover, their troop''s purpose was to receive a gift for their commander in chief, who was nobody but Alyssa. Hearing all of this, Rocky felt that something was odd.


    The other party that the troop of the spiritual race was waiting was probably consisted of humans. It meant that there was actually a group of humans who wanted to betray their kind and get on the good side of the spiritual race.


    At this point, Rocky grew pretty intrigued to know the other party involved, so he continued to wait.


    Then, about two hours later, an ornate beast carriage slowly drove over and caught the attention of Phelps and the rest of the soldiers of the spiritual race.

 Chapter 1591 Agreed

    A moment later, the fancy carriage screeched to a halt. A man over sixty years old stepped slowly and carefully down the small steps. Although his hair was as white as snow, it was impossible to ignore his domineering aura.


    Seeing this, Phelps exited his ride and sauntered over to welcome him.


    "Nice to meet you, Elder Lenard," Phelps greeted politely, cupping his hands.


    "Did your commander agree to my master''s condition?" Elder Lenard asked, skipping over all the pleasantries.


    "Commander in Chief Mu has agreed to the condition. She asked me to meet with your master in person and reach an agreement with him. So, where is he?" Phelps replied, trying to see into the carriage behind the old man.


    "It''s too much to ask my master to come here. Since your commander in chief has already agreed to the terms, we will form an alliance with you. And take this. This is my master''s gift for our meeting. It''s a map showing the distribution of soldiers and the information on each checkpoint in the whole border battlefield..." While Elder Lenard spoke, he took out a piece of parchment.


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    e, it could create an illusion that would draw the guards away.


    After the Delusive Bat was released, it swooped forward. Under Rocky''s control, it released some ghostly, terrifying screams.


    As soon as the guards heard the noises, they became shocked to the core.


    "You three, go and see what''s happening..." the leader of the guards ordered, pointing into the dark.


    The three guards'' faces turned pale. After hesitating for a moment, they walked in the direction of the sound.


    When they got close enough, the Delusive Bat flew straight at them. Scared out of their minds, the guards screamed and covered their heads.


    Hearing their panic, the leader and the other two guards were afraid that something had happened, so they rushed to help them. Instantly, the area around Phelps''s tent was empty.


    Rocky saw this and approached it.


    However, he didn''t head straight inside because he knew that Phelps was strong. He didn''t want to alert the enemy. In preparation for this, he had brought a type of incense that could put his opponent under a realistic illusion within seconds.

 Chapter 1592 The Lost Map

    After he reached the camp''s entrance, Rocky lit the tip of the incense, opened the curtain of the camp, and tossed it inside.


    Meanwhile, Phelps was resting and concentrating on his cultivation while he sat in a comfy chair. Suddenly, he smelled a strange fragrance making its way towards him. He sat up straight and opened his eyes. Something suspicious was going on inside of his tent. Wasting no time, he covered his mouth and nose, trying to keep himself sober. However, he was too late. A numb, dizziness consumed him. Although he was powerful and his Spiritual Infant had reached the advanced stage, he still couldn''t resist the powers of the strange fragrance.


    Before long, Phelps had become inexplicably excited and danced all over the camp, resembling a madman.


    On the outside, Rocky waited until Phelps was deep enough under its spell. The moment that he entered the camp, he saw Phelps constantly laughing and walking in circles. He was unable to control himself.


    However, Rocky was well aware that the effect of the incense would not last long when used against a member with the advanced stage Spir


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    claimed when her face reached the light.


    "It hasn''t been easy finding you. I''ve been waiting for you for a long time," Shirley complained, pursing her lips.


    "When did you get here?" Rocky asked.


    "Yesterday. But you looked very busy, so I didn''t disturb you," Shirley answered.


    "How did you know I would be here?" Rocky asked, curious.


    "Haven''t I told you that our intelligence network is very wide? Some of our own people are currently here," Shirley said confidently.


    "I heard that Elliot left a letter and disappeared. Did that have something to do with you? Or have you already..." Rocky asked, trailing off as a more gruesome idea entered his mind.


    "No. That kind of guy doesn''t deserve my attention. I just told him to never be seen in your sight again," Shirley said in a voice filled with malice.


    "That''s good." For a moment, Rocky had feared that Shirley had killed Elliot. He didn''t want that to happen. After all, he held no deep hatred for Elliot. Elliot had hired an assassin to kill him, but that led him to find Shirley. Therefore, if it wasn''t necessary, he wouldn''t kill Elliot.

 Chapter 1593 No Other Choice

    "What are you going to do now that the Tiger Whisker Pass has fallen to the enemies? Are you going to just hide here in the Wild Hill Pass and wait for the worst to come? That''s definitely not your style!" Because Shirley knew Rocky so well, it was like she could read his mind. She was sure that he would never just sit on the sidelines and wait for death to show its face.


    "No. I have figured out the reason why the spiritual race has chosen to occupy Tiger Whisker Pass, and I successfully nipped their plan in the bud. Now, it''s time to focus on recapturing the Tiger Whisker Pass!" Rocky said with determination in his eyes.


    "Do you need my help?" Shirley offered. She craved to work alongside Rocky again.


    "No thanks. I have a more important job for you," Rocky replied.


    "What is it?"


    "I need you to look for a man." From his back pocket, Rocky removed a portrait. The person in the portrait was Elder Lenard, the man who had made the deal with Phelps. Rocky wanted to find out Elder Lenard''s true identity. That way, they may be able to discover who he worked for.


    Shirley took the portrait from him, scrutinized


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    . The spiritual race army won''t stop fighting until they get it back. By that time, the battle will be out of our hands!" Rocky predicted.


    "But it looks like we are left with no other choice. Now that we know what the spiritual race is trying to do, we must keep the troop distribution map in our possession. They can''t get their hands on it again," Tucker said firmly. There was no time to cower. If he wanted to protect his people, he had to act.


    "I just hope that you are mentally prepared for what will come!" Rocky said with relief after Tucker made up his mind.


    "Thank you. I''m sorry that we have to rely on you again." Tucker felt some shame wash over him. He was the commander of the army, but he was well aware that if Rocky hadn''t come to their rescue in time, things might have been much worse for them.


    "It''s no big deal. I''ll go and make my preparations now." After saying that, Rocky disappeared.


    "Basil is so talented. It''s unfair that he is only a captain. If he can successfully take back the Tiger Whisker Pass and help us keep it, maybe I can promote him to my assistant!" Tucker murmured to himself.

 Chapter 1594 As Expected (Part One)

    Right after they left the tent, Rocky assembled five thousand soldiers which mainly consisted of members of the Swimming Army and a dozen spirit warriors. He planned to use them to form a surprise attack troop.


    Ten thousand troops, created mostly from the Shield Army and the Changing Army, remained to guard the Wild Hill Pass. Tucker would have to use the mysterious military arrays that the Shield Army and the Changing Army had mastered if he wanted to guard the pass for a full day.


    Since the spiritual race''s army could attack at any time, Rocky quickly led the surprise attack troops away from the Wild Hill Pass. They walked fast and soon came to a spot that was one mile away from the Tiger Whisker Pass. That was where they would make their ambush. When the main force of the spiritual race''s army exited the city and departed to attack the Wild Hill Pass, Rocky and his men would take action.


    In past battles, the spiritual race had lost several thousand soldiers, but there were still about forty-five thousand left. When their main force attacked the Wild Hill Pass, at least twenty thousand soldiers were going to be left behind. Rocky only had five thousand


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    When they saw that the situation was turning ugly, the two commanders from the spiritual race ordered for the rest of their spirit warriors to retreat. Out of dozens of spirit warriors, only a dozen had managed to escape and reenter the city.


    The fact that the spiritual race''s army had lost a lot of men caused the soldiers'' morale to dwindle and quickly.


    Meanwhile, without any resistance, the Human-shaped Giant Beasts instantly encroached on the left side of the Tiger Whisker Pass''s city wall and launched a powerful attack.


    Although the spiritual race''s troops who were guarding the pass tried their best to resist the attack, without the help of the spirit warriors, they were unable to stop it.


    In less than half a day, the beasts had managed to put a large hole in the left side of the city wall.


    Now that they had an opening, Rocky led a group of five thousand soldiers, which mainly consisted of the Swimming Army and spirit warriors, to attack from the outside of the opening. They allowed the Human-shaped Giant Beasts to provide them with some protection. But soon, they were blocked by the strong force of the spiritual race''s army ahead of them.

 Chapter 1595 As Expected (Part Two)

    Before long, the two opposing armies had reached a stalemate and couldn''t push past the opening in the city wall. The spiritual race''s army had managed to rely on their military superiority alone.


    However, in Rocky''s eyes, this was just the beginning. Having surrounded and killed so many spirit warriors from the spiritual race had boosted the morale of his surprise attack troops. In addition, the city wall had been broken. Now they had found the momentum they needed to keep fighting.


    And now that the morale was so high, Rocky could use his Army-blessing Scroll smoothly.


    "Wild fires burn grasses but cause no death..." Rocky quickly recited a poem and closed his eyes. Soon, tall flames licked the ground under their enemies'' feet. Then, the flames grew stronger, quickly forming an intense blaze.


    "Fire! Put out the fire!" The sudden appearance of the fire caught the spiritual race''s army off guard. They ran to fight it,


    but before they could gain control of it, a strong wind rushed by and fanned the flames. The fire spread outwards and over the spiritual race''s army.


    Under the intense heat and size of the fire, the spiritual race''s troops were scattered and worn out.


    While the fire


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    n his eyes.


    "We must fight our enemy head on!" Rocky exclaimed.


    When they heard that, Tucker and all the soldiers that were present were left shocked.


    "We have to create an illusion that makes it seem like our entire army is leaving the encirclement. That way, we can deceive the spiritual race''s army and have enough time to retreat. In order to do so, I''ll need one thousand soldiers. But I''m afraid I can''t guarantee that they will survive!" Rocky stated with a serious look on his face. Those one thousand soldiers would have to take the initiative to attack the enemy forces in order to attract their attention. Thus, it was a very dangerous task.


    "Let me do it!" Maxwell said, stepping out first.


    "Me too!"


    "I will do it!"


    "And me!"


    Before long, several soldiers had volunteered. They all faced death calmly. They were all men of iron.


    In a short amount of time, over a thousand soldiers had volunteered to join the battle.


    "Thank you for your support, guys. I will try my best to protect you!" Rocky promised.


    "Basil, what do you need me to do?" All of a sudden, Tucker felt small. It now seemed like Rocky was the leader of the army, even though he was the real commander.

 Chapter 1596 Stay Alone

    "Sir, all you need to do is to assemble the troops and lead them five hundred meters to the west from the Wild Hill Pass. When you arrive there, you will see a hole in the ground in front of you. Don''t be afraid to enter the hole and walk along the tunnel. At the end of the tunnel, you will find the Tiger Whisker Pass," Rocky explained clearly.


    "Really?" Tucker had no idea that Rocky had created a passage out of nowhere that connected straight to the Tiger Whisker Pass. It was perfect!


    All the soldiers that were present also exchanged looks of shock. In their eyes, Rocky was currently as smart as a god.


    "Yes. You heard me right. I have taken the time to arrange everything in advance," Rocky said and confirmed, nodding his head.


    "Basil, I must admit that you have really thought this out. You''re so well-prepared!" Tucker exclaimed, looking at Rocky in pure awe.


    "We don''t have much time left for chatting. Sir, you''d better get ready and leave as soon as you can," Rocky responded after a flash of a smile.


    "Okay." Tucker nodded and then began gathering the remaining soldiers and sp


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    ore leading them along their planned path.


    Before long, the mist was gone.


    Straight away, Phelps sent more spies to investigate the movements of the army of the human race, but they soon discovered that the army who had just been so aggressive had left.


    When Phelps learned of this, he got a bad feeling. Wasting no time, he immediately sent a commander and five thousand soldiers into the Wild Hill Pass. However, they came back with the news that the Wild Hill Pass was also empty.


    "Damn it! We were fooled!" It had never occurred to Phelps that the army of the human race in the mist had been a diversion.


    "Sir, they can''t run far. Let''s take our army and chase after them!" a commander suggested.


    "Send for more people and track them separately!" Phelps shouted.


    So each of the three commanders gathered three thousand troops and set off. They tried to catch up with the army of the human race by cornering them in three different directions.


    When Rocky saw that they were being pursued, he immediately asked his men to keep going while he stayed behind and waited for the enemy.

 Chapter 1597 Stop Them

    Not long after, a commander of the spiritual race leading a troop of three thousand soldiers arrived. However, to their surprise, they only saw Rocky there. Of course, the commander felt strange and immediately thought that it was a trap, so he became wary and looked around vigilantly.


    "You don''t have to worry about a sneak attack. I''m the only one here. I''ve actually asked the others to leave in advance," Rocky said indifferently.


    "What did you say? You asked them to leave you here alone? Why? Do you think you can stop us by yourself?" The commander laughed and thought that Rocky was crazy.


    "Yes. That is exactly what I''m going to do. Do you have a problem with that?" Rocky asked with a shrug.


    "Don''t be so full of yourself! What can you do to stop us by yourself?" The expression on the face of the commander changed as he deemed that Rocky was not joking around.


    "Well, who says I''m alone?" Rocky sneered and immediately summoned the Purple-flaming Phoenix.


    As the spiritual beast came out, the commander was instantly shocked. After all, it was well-known that ordinarily, the human race could not control a spiritual beast.


    "Humph! So what? Do you think you and your beast can stop a force of three thousand? We will kill you in a few moments and chase after your comrades!" Obviously, the commander was not threatened becaus


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    t Phelps had accumulated all these years, he soon realized Rocky''s real intention.


    "Give this order to all the soldiers right now. We are going to pull out the whole camp and go back to the Tiger Whisker Pass!" Phelps commanded decisively, knowing that the human army must be on their way back to the Tiger Whisker Pass already. Therefore, if they could arrive before the human army did, they could intercept them and capture them once again. Most importantly, they could regain control of the Tiger Whisker Pass.


    Under the vigorous and resolute order of Phelps, other than the troops of the three commanders that were tasked to chase after the human army, the rest of the spiritual race armies immediately prepared to rush back to the Tiger Whisker Pass.


    At this point, both the human race and the spiritual race were in a race against time.


    All the troops that were led by Tucker had just entered the tunnel and were rushing back to the Tiger Whisker Pass at their top speed.


    At the same time, since Phelps had discerned what the human army was really up to, he responded by taking the army of the spiritual race back to the Tiger Whisker Pass, thinking that they could outsmart them. However, no matter how fast they were, there was no way that they could arrive earlier than Tucker''s army, which took the best shortcut back to the pass.

 Chapter 1598 I Have No Choice

    Originally, it would''ve taken Tucker and his army two days to get back to the Tiger Whisker Pass. However, by passing through a dug tunnel, they managed to reach their destination in half the time. There, they rendezvoused with the remaining two thousand guards.


    Although they had retaken the Tiger Whisker Pass, there was no time to relax. Knowing the spiritual race was going to launch a counterattack at any given moment, Tucker hurriedly deployed his defense.


    It took him a day to get his troops in position. By that time, the spy Tucker sent forwarded some information that the army of the spiritual race was three miles away. According to the spy, it seemed that their enemy didn''t plan on resting on the way there.


    "Hasn''t Spiritual King Basil come back yet?" Tucker asked Deputy Commander Ma as soon as he heard the news.


    "Not yet." Deputy Commander Ma shook his head.


    "Did something bad happen to him and his army?" Tucker looked nervous. He was worried that he wasn''t strong enough to lead his soldiers to triumph over the incoming enemy. In his eyes, Rock


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    lls!" Rocky''s eyes narrowed as he spoke.


    "The rocks on the city walls? Are you serious, Spiritual King Basil? Then the city walls will be destroyed as well!" Tucker was dumbfounded. The city walls were the most important barrier for the Tiger Whisker Pass. If they destroyed the rocks on the city walls, they would be left defenseless.


    "Yes, the city walls will certainly be damaged, but once the rocks on the city walls explode, the pass of the Tiger Whisker Pass will also shrink. The army of the spiritual race won''t be able to come inside in large numbers. Also, the enemy troops in the vicinity of the gates will suffer heavy casualties," Rocky explained his plan to Tucker.


    "What?" Tucker hesitated. He found that Rocky''s strategy was not bad, but it was also risky.


    "Commander Wang, if you don''t think it''s a good idea, we can think of other solutions. But I''m afraid that we are running out of time!" Seeing that Tucker was still hesitating, Rocky warned him.


    "Well, I''ll do whatever you want us to do." Tucker had no other choice but to listen to Rocky.

 Chapter 1599 Entering The Tiger Whisker Pass

    After conversing with Tucker, Rocky quickly developed a strategy and began to assemble the troops to the best of his abilities.


    Two hours later, the city walls of the Tiger Whisker Pass could no longer hold off its enemies. The soldiers of the spiritual race swiftly rushed towards the city walls like a tide about to crash on the sandy shore. Before long, they would completely occupy the city walls. The city gates would open once the walls were gone, and numerous soldiers of the spiritual race would come rushing in.


    ¡°Commander Wang, let¡¯s begin!¡± Realizing the time had come, Rocky nodded towards Tucker.


    ¡°Soldiers! Leave the city walls and blow up the rocks on both sides,¡± Tucker ordered after hearing Rocky.


    Soon, the generals and soldiers of the Tiger Whisker Pass stationed by the city walls retreated as fast as they could. Meanwhile, the soldiers who had just finished planting the explosives into the walls just started to ignite the fuses.


    Once the humans retreated from the city walls, the generals and soldiers of the spiritual race cheered loudly.


    ¡°Open the city gates now!¡± a commander of the spiritual race screamed.


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    t up in the Tiger Whisker Pass.


    Meanwhile, in the city¡¯s ruins, the walls were about to be destroyed and the time of the inevitable battle to the death drew near.


    With the third day came a sweltering hot afternoon. A few huge blocks of stone suddenly toppled down due to a strong force and through it shone a ray of blinding light. Then, two commanders of the spiritual race, several deputy commanders, and some spiritual race warriors rushed into the Tiger Whisker Pass.


    ¡°They¡¯re coming!¡± Tucker trembled once he saw the ruins of the city walls were being destroyed. But he managed to calm himself down immediately and began to command.


    Under the command of Deputy Commander Ma, the Swimming Army led the fight against the spiritual race.


    However, under the cover of two commanders and dozens of spiritual race warriors, a large number of spiritual race warriors began to rush in from the passageway and joined them for the battle.


    Meanwhile, the Shield Army and the Changing Army joined forces to defend and deal with the spiritual race soldiers in front of the city wall ruins to prevent more spiritual race soldiers from entering.

 Chapter 1600 Thousands Of People

    As they relied on the traps that they had set in advance and the cooperation from the three armies'' array, the two sides inevitably fell into a stalemate.


    However, as the number of human soldiers gradually decreased, the tide of the battle eventually shifted in favor of the spiritual race. Unexpectedly, another passage on the right city wall was also breached. It meant that more soldiers from the spiritual race poured inside. With this, they easily established their advantage over the human army.


    Before long, the garrison was forced to retreat one step after another as they lost control of the ruins within the city walls.


    Seeing this, the army of the spiritual race seized the opportunity to push forward. Not long after, more and more soldiers were able to enter the city to overthrow the forces in it.


    After about four hours, there were already more than twenty thousand soldiers of the spiritual race inside the Tiger Whisker Pass. At the same time, there were still another ten thousand soldiers waiting outside for the chance to invade the city. Now that the soldiers of the spiritual race were already about three times as large as the human army, the humans were obviously at a great disadvantage.


    However, just as the situation was about to turn really grim, the ground within the Tiger Whisker Pass suddenly rumbled.


    "Commander Wang, order the soldiers to retre


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    lthily lurking outside the camp of the spiritual race''s army which was tasked to protect their food and other provisions. They were actually here on Rocky''s instructions, and as expected, the army of the spiritual race was stationed on the spot where Rocky had predicted. However, upon closer inspection, Maxwell saw that the place was being guarded by about two thousand people, which was twice their number.


    "Everyone, our task is an important one and we should complete it at all costs. We can''t let Spiritual King Basil and the others down. Whether they can defend the Tiger Whisker Pass defends on us now." Maxwell gave a brief speech to encourage his team before they commenced their operation.


    These one thousand soldiers had been prepared to die before coming here, so they were not afraid of taking on the enemy at all.


    "Move!" Maxwell waved his hands and issued the order to attack.


    The next moment, the troop rushed forth.


    As expected, the soldiers that guarded the food and provisions were shocked upon realizing that they were being infiltrated by the human army.


    The army of the spiritual race started to resist Maxwell''s soldiers, but it turned out that they were not that skillful compared to the soldiers in the front line. After all, they seldom engaged in real battles. Thus, even though they were outnumbered, Maxwell''s team easily gained the upper hand.

 Chapter 1601 Sweeping The Area

    It didn''t take long before the army of the human race gained an advantage over the army of the spiritual race guarding the food and provisions.


    Now, it was the Purple-flaming Phoenix''s time to shine. It had been hiding in the dark, ready to attack. Raising its majestic head, it let out a ferocious roar and rushed towards the carriages. Spurting hot flames from its mouth, the Purple-flaming Phoenix set the carriages ablaze.


    Their attacks had caught the troops of the spiritual race off-guard. With their food and provisions now on fire, they frantically tried to put out the flames but to no avail. After a while, they could do nothing but watch helplessly as their supplies were burned to ashes.


    It took almost only ten minutes until everything was burnt to a crisp.


    "Retreat!" Seeing that his mission was accomplished, Maxwell gave the signal to fall back.


    Soon, the human army of a thousand people began to retreat while the Purple-flaming Phoenix covered them.


    The spiritual race''s soldiers were terrified of the Purple-flaming Phoenix, so they didn''t dare to chase after them. Instead, they watched remorsefully as


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    here?" Obviously, he didn''t understand Rocky''s plan.


    "When the army of the spiritual race come after us, there will be a way. The reason why I asked the spiritual beasts to dig a deep pit is not only to stop the army of the spiritual race, but also to create an opportunity for us to get out of the city and capture their leader," Rocky said confidently.


    "What? Do you plan to...?" Only then did Tucker understand what Rocky meant, and he felt all the color drain from his face. He didn''t expect Rocky to be so bold.


    "Yes, I want to capture their grand commander. Their main force is already in the Tiger Whisker Pass. So there are not that many soldiers protecting their grand commander." Rocky nodded. "The army of the spiritual race certainly won''t be expecting it. If we can successfully break out of the encirclement, there should be a good chance for us to turn the tables."


    "Spiritual King Basil, you''re too bold. But I guess we have no other choice. Your idea is the only way for us to emerge victorious." Tucker''s eyes flashed. Anyway, it was a battle between life and death, so he had no choice but to play along.

 Chapter 1602 Full Strength

    "Everyone, get ready! The army of the spiritual race should be able to catch up with us very soon. By then, I will get everyone out," Rocky informed. He had been saving the Army-blessing Scroll''s power because he knew that he should only use it in the most critical moments. After all, he could only use it on a particular army three times. So, if he could manage by some other way, he would not use it so as not to waste its power.


    "All right." Tucker nodded and began to gather the rest of the soldiers. Soon enough, they would go and break out of the encirclement.


    About five minutes later, the main force of the spiritual race finally arrived and surrounded the southern area of the Tiger Whisker Pass.


    "Stupid humans! Let''s see where you will go this time!" Commander Wei shouted with an evil grin on his face.


    "What are you talking about? Who says that we are going to run away from the likes of you? Come on, guys. It''s time to fight them." With a confident smile on his face, Rocky brandished the Mystical Dragon Sword in his hand and took the lead in attacking the army of the spiritual race.


    Seeing this, Commander Wei was actually satisfied that the human army decided to fight them head-on so that he could slaughter them. Then, he raised his spear and immediately clashed with Rocky.


    At this moment, the number of soldiers o


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    o his Crescent Moon Blades. Moreover, he was baffled at the thought that Rocky possessed this kind of spiritual weapon. After all, he was sure that it was made by the spiritual race since humans didn''t have the technology to make such a superior weapon.


    "Hey, brat! Where did you get that armor?" Phelps shouted as he clenched his fists.


    "Do you really think that I will tell you?" Rocky replied with a sneer, seeing that Phelps seemed to be very interested in his Magic Icy Armor.


    "Humph! It doesn''t really matter whether you tell me or not, because it will soon become ownerless!" Phelps quickly threatened to finish Rocky off as he stared at him with his piercing eyes.


    "Enough of your boring speeches. Prove to me that you''re not all talk!" With a wave of the Mystical Dragon Sword, Rocky''s momentum rose to the extreme, and his domineering aura instantly filled the air.


    Phelps gritted his teeth in anger. In his opinion, Rocky was being too arrogant. After all, it was inconceivable that a mere human spirit warrior would dare provoke him. After making up his mind, he retrieved his Crescent Moon Blades. Then, his burly figure suddenly became bigger. His limbs grew very thick and blue veins could be seen protruding on his skin. He was exuding an overwhelming power, and it was still increasing as his transformation progressed.

 Chapter 1603 Transformation

    "It is happening. Grand Commander Phelps is going through a transformation! It seems that he is finally going to take his opponent seriously!" Seeing what was happening with Phelps, the soldiers of the spiritual race actually trembled in fear. It was known that once a spirit warrior of the spiritual race transformed, his strength would drastically increase. However, the consequence was that he would become so savage that he would not be able to distinguish between comrades and foes. In other words, even the soldiers of the spiritual race would be in danger.


    Perceiving the increase in Phelps''s power, Rocky''s eyes narrowed and turned cold. He knew what would happen after Phelps transformed, so he began to become more cautious.


    In the blink of an eye, Phelps, who had already finished his transformation, suddenly flashed and appeared before Rocky. Then, the two Crescent Moon Blades emerged in his hands and danced as if they were shadows of wheels. Immediately after, they whistled and rushed towards Rocky.


    Rocky waved the Mystical Dragon Sword to resist the Crescent Moon Blades. The two weapons instantly collided, producing a burst of spiritual power that spread within a hundred meters.


    Such a fierce battle stunned both the soldiers from the human army and the spiritual race army.


    "This is amazing! Spirit King Basil can fight head-on to someone whose Spiritual Infant is at the advanced stage! He is indeed powerful!"


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    nough," Rocky said and let out a faint smile. "Commander Wang, I''m sorry but I''ll have to leave the rest to you." After saying that, he left while being supported by Eunice.


    Taking over the responsibilities, Tucker immediately ordered to count the number of the casualties.


    Although they had successfully repelled the army of the spiritual race, the human army also suffered some great losses. At this point, the number of remaining soldiers of the Tiger Whisker Pass was now at five thousand. If Bertram, Eunice, and the reinforcements did not make it in time, it would have been pretty difficult for them to beat the spiritual race army.


    That was why even though it was very risky, Rocky poured everything just to kill Phelps. With their grand commander gone, the spiritual race''s army quickly lost their morale. This was the only way that they could protect the Tiger Whisker Pass.


    About two hours later, a spy came back and reported, "Commander Wang, the army of the spiritual race has retreated about three miles from here."


    "Hmm. It seems that they don''t plan on attacking the Tiger Whisker Pass anymore," Tucker said as he finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Yes, it is good news, but we can''t let down our guards just yet," Bertram reminded.


    "That''s right. Anyway, let the soldiers rest and recover as fast as they can. Everyone needs to stay alert until we make sure that everything is over!" Tucker ordered sternly.

 Chapter 1604 Lets Talk About It Later

    "Commander Wang, you have Spiritual King Basil to thank for. If it weren''t for his foresight and him risking rushing back to the Tiger Whisker Pass against the orders, the Tiger Whisker Pass would have been in danger," Bertram said.


    "You''re right. If it weren''t for Spiritual King Basil, we would have lost the Tiger Whisker Pass," Tucker replied. There was still a trace of fear in his eyes as the thought crossed his mind.


    "Thank God for Spiritual King Basil''s wisdom and foresight!" Deputy Commander Ma praised in a booming voice.


    "Now that we have successfully defended the Tiger Whisker Pass and destroyed the spiritual race''s plans, it will be seen as a great contribution. Commander Wang, you may be promoted because of this!" Bertram said.


    "Let''s talk about it later. Right now, we must focus on repairing the city walls of the Tiger Whisker Pass and deploying defense. In the process of guarding the Tiger Whisker Pass, countless soldiers died. We have to bury them," Tucker replied. He wanted his reward but he was still a kind and righteous man.


    "Okay. I''ll get on that right now." Then Bertram nodded, bowed, and departed.


    In the meantime, Eunice and Kye were walking with Rocky back to his pla


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    im on the shoulder.


    "It was your order. Of course, I would try my best to please you," Maxwell said with a smile.


    "I''ve asked Commander Wang to reward you. And I want you to join my team of spiritual warriors," Rocky told him.


    "Really?" Maxwell was thrilled. Joining the team of spirit warriors meant that he would be treated differently from the ordinary soldiers.


    "Your current strength is high enough to join the team of spirit warriors," Rocky continued.


    "That''s great. I will risk my life for you in the drop of a hat," Maxwell said, trying to contain his excitement.


    After exchanging a few more words with Maxwell, Rocky went straight to a remote place and entered the Magic Spiritual Space to continue his work.


    A few days went by.


    Because Tucker had guarded the Tiger Whisker Pass and fought back the army of the spirit race, he was awarded a first-class merit by the army-leading commander of the left army. However, Tucker did not get the position of the grand commander as he had wished. Instead, he discovered that the position had been appointed to Fraser, who had almost made a big mistake and forced the Tiger Whisker Pass into a desperate state.


    As a result, Tucker was fuming.

 Chapter 1605 I Didnt Offend You

    However, Tucker had not expected Fraser''s next move. The moment the other man took office, his first order was to transfer Tucker and his army to the front line, the Heavenly Rain Valley, which was notoriously famous for being extremely difficult to defend. Various spiritual armies tended to target it and frequently attacked there, leading to countless casualties.


    At that moment, Rocky, Eunice, Bertram, and three other deputy commanders were gathered in Tucker''s tent.


    "Damn it! I don''t even know what I did to offend Fraser. How could he transfer my army to that shitty place?" Since he had heard about the transfer order, Tucker hadn''t stopped pacing and cursing up a storm.


    "That''s right. How could this happen? Commander Wang won the first-class merit this time, and even if he can''t be promoted to the grand commander, he shouldn''t have been transferred to such a place," Deputy Commander Lin agreed with a peculiar expression on his face as if he too was perplexed about how this came to be.


    Meanwhile, Bertram had been quiet for a while, but he suddenly recalled something from the past. "Yeah, I can''t believe it myself. But maybe it''s because Spiritual King Basil offended him some time ago," he chimed in.


    "It''s the first time I''ve heard of this. How did Spiritual King Basil offend Fraser?" Tucker asked as he looked at Bertram in surprise.


    "Well, you see, it happened not too long ago. Spiritual King Basil had


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    Blood spurted from his mouth. It was evident that he had suffered a critical hit.


    Seeing this, Rocky hesitated in his tracks as he wondered if he should help. After a moment, he pulled out his Mystical Dragon Sword and rushed up with it, standing in front of the spiritual race member as if he was trying to protect him with his body. As soon as the spiritual beast launched another attack, he unleashed the Thousand-star Swordsmanship.


    In an instant, the stars brightened like glowing embers and gathered in one place.


    The next moment, the spiritual beast let out a tortured howl and fell to the ground. It was barely breathing.


    Meanwhile, the spiritual race member was shocked to see that Rocky killed the powerful spiritual beast in one move.


    "Are you okay?" Rocky asked the man with concern, checking him over with his eyes.


    "Don''t worry about me. I''m hurt, but I''ll be all right. More importantly, are you a human?" It turned out that the other man had seen through Rocky at first glance. Rocky didn''t bother to hide it and nodded frankly.


    "Yes, I am. And you must be from the spiritual race, right?" The man nodded honestly.


    "But what are you doing here?


    This is the human race''s territory," Rocky curiously inquired.


    "Well, I am a hunter. I frequently come to this area to hunt spiritual beasts," the man replied.


    "Really? But with your strength, aren''t you wasted as a mere hunter?" Rocky went on to ask.

 Chapter 1606 Fortifications

    ¡°There are many powerful hunters like me in the spiritual race because only we possess the power to collect precious materials from spiritual beasts,¡± the man explained.


    "I see. Then I''ll bother you no further." Rocky smiled casually as he was about to leave.


    ¡°Wait. A moment please,¡± the man from the spiritual race pleaded as he raced to stop him.


    ¡°Is there anything else I can do for you?¡± Rocky asked as he gazed back at him.


    ¡°My name is Asa. I owe you a favor this time. Once the opportunity presents itself, I promise I¡¯ll return the favor,¡± he promised.


    ¡°I¡¯m Basil. Please, it was nothing. Don¡¯t mention it. Goodbye!¡± Rocky shot him a smile before he turned and finally left.


    ¡®Basil? I feel as though I¡¯ve heard that name before,¡¯ Asa thought to himself for a moment. After a while, he made his way towards the spiritual beast¡¯s corpse and began to collect precious materials from it.


    After Rocky returned to the Heavenly Rain Valley, he noticed Bertram ordering several hundred soldiers to build fortifications.


    ¡°S


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    Whisker Pass against fifty thousand enemies. Defeating twenty thousand soldiers will be a piece of cake for us!¡± It seemed Tucker had grown arrogant after the battle at the Tiger Whisker Pass.


    Rocky said nothing more.


    ¡°Deputy Commander Ma, lead the soldiers to battle!¡± Tucker commanded immediately.


    Deputy Commander Ma immediately led a troop to counter the enemies.


    Meanwhile, the spiritual race army also sent out a vanguard of five thousand soldiers to fight against Deputy Commander Ma¡¯s.


    As the two troops collided, Deputy Commander Ma¡¯s troop was immediately at a disadvantage because the enemies began to file into formation, just as Rocky expected. Although it was just an ordinary array, it was enough to make Deputy Commander Ma¡¯s defenseless.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the spiritual race would know how to use such arrays!¡± It was the first time Tucker had witnessed that.


    ¡°Well, everything is possible!¡± Rocky remained calm. He knew there was no time to panic. Besides, the enemy¡¯s arrays weren¡¯t even that powerful.

 Chapter 1607 Send Him To Fight

    "Basil, I''m ashamed to ask you this, but I think we must rely on you again this time," Tucker said with a bit of reluctance in his voice. He was well aware that the army of the spiritual race was knowledgeable in using arrays to their advantage. Hence, they were not the kind of enemies that any ordinary army of the human race could easily deal with. At this point, it was inevitable that they could only rely on Rocky.


    "Hmm, I''m not sure that is the best course of action right now. It would be overkill if I faced them. Why don''t we try sending Deputy Commander Fei to fight them instead? I can tell him the process of breaking their array to easily defeat our enemies," Rocky suggested with a cunning smile. From Rocky''s perspective, it was not really worth his effort to battle such a small army all the time. Moreover, he felt that there was something odd in the way the spiritual race''s army fought. He speculated that they must still be hiding some tricks up their sleeves, so he wanted to send others to fight first so he could test his assumption.


    "But would that work?" Tucker asked, worried that something might go wrong during the battle.


    "Of course. Trust me on this." After saying that, Rocky approached Bertram and whispered something to him.


    While listening to Rocky''s instructions, Bertram nodded repeatedly as he quickly understood what Rocky wanted him to do.


    Immediately after, Bertram set out together with the Swimming Army to fight the army of the spiritual race outside the valley again.


    B


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    soon as he came back to Isabel''s tent.


    "Even your Iron Ox Array couldn''t break through their defenses?" This time, Isabel felt rather odd with the turn of events.


    "No, we couldn''t defeat them. We did everything we can, but we couldn''t move forward," the deputy commander admitted in regret.


    "Is the enemy army also using a mysterious military array? But that is impossible. There shouldn''t be anyone proficient in mysterious military arrays among the human race..." Isabel murmured to herself as her brows furrowed. At this point, she was feeling a bit restless.


    In order to confirm her assumption, she immediately came up with a plan. Thus, she said to a thin but shrewd deputy commander, "Deputy Commander Tu, lead your troops to lure the enemy out via the Neutralizing Array. If they are really using a mysterious military array, it should not work within your Neutralizing Array."


    "Yes, madam! We will set out at once," Deputy Commander Tu replied and nodded. Then, he quickly left to gather his troops.


    Soon enough, Deputy Commander Tu''s army had reached the area outside the Heavenly Rain Valley. This time, Rocky became more cautious of the enemy''s movements. If they were this persistent, he speculated that the enemy commander was testing their strength. It also meant that the military array that they would use this time might be a bit different from the previous ones.


    After Rocky gave it some thought, he suddenly turned to Eunice and suggested, "Eunice, why don''t you give it a try this time?"

 Chapter 1608 Oblivious To The Art Of War

    "Me? I don''t know any military tactics. Forget it!" Although Eunice wanted to lead the army to battle, she knew it wouldn''t be as simple as she thought despite her experience on the battlefield.


    "You don''t need to use the mysterious military arrays. You just need to lead the army and take the initiative to attack!" Rocky explained. He had a vague feeling that the spiritual race''s army had found out that he was using the mysterious military arrays to resist theirs. If he reused the same ones, they would surely have counterstrategies in place to deal with them. It would be akin to throwing the army into a fire.


    "I see! Got it!" Eunice was relieved upon hearing this.


    "Kye. Maxwell. You two will assist Eunice. Focus on slaughtering the spiritual race army''s deputy commander this time..." Rocky ordered them both.


    "Yes, sir." The duo nodded in unison.


    "Basil, Eunice has yet to lead an army on her own. Shall we ask other deputy commanders to assist her?" a concerned Tucker asked.


    "That won''t be necessary. Don''t underestimate Sp


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    deputy commander, leaving them in the center. The spirit warriors didn''t let any soldiers get to Eunice and the commander, giving her the perfect opportunity to kill him.


    But the commander didn''t care about that. All he was focused on was the dazzling beauty that was in front of him.


    "I''m coming, gorgeous!" His spiritual power burst from within him before he dashed towards Eunice as quick as lightning. He seemed to be gifted with speed.


    He nearly reached Eunice in a blink of an eye. He then activated his spiritual skill by shouting, "Shadow-split Skill!"


    Instantly, his figure morphed into four menacing shadows and attacked Eunice from all four directions at once. The force of the blow he dealt was equal to that of a Spiritual Infant at the premium stage.


    Boom!


    The spiritual power ascended and Eunice found herself completely enveloped in a thick, suffocating cloud of dust.


    "Spiritual King Eunice!" Kye and Maxwell were deeply worried. They didn''t expect the deputy commander of the spiritual race to be this powerful.

 Chapter 1609 Oblivious To The Art Of War

    "Me? I don''t know any military tactics. Forget it!" Although Eunice wanted to lead the army to battle, she knew it wouldn''t be as simple as she thought despite her experience on the battlefield.


    "You don''t need to use the mysterious military arrays. You just need to lead the army and take the initiative to attack!" Rocky explained. He had a vague feeling that the spiritual race''s army had found out that he was using the mysterious military arrays to resist theirs. If he reused the same ones, they would surely have counterstrategies in place to deal with them. It would be akin to throwing the army into a fire.


    "I see! Got it!" Eunice was relieved upon hearing this.


    "Kye. Maxwell. You two will assist Eunice. Focus on slaughtering the spiritual race army''s deputy commander this time..." Rocky ordered them both.


    "Yes, sir." The duo nodded in unison.


    "Basil, Eunice has yet to lead an army on her own. Shall we ask other deputy commanders to assist her?" a concerned Tucker asked.


    "That won''t be necessary. Don''t underestimate Sp


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    deputy commander, leaving them in the center. The spirit warriors didn''t let any soldiers get to Eunice and the commander, giving her the perfect opportunity to kill him.


    But the commander didn''t care about that. All he was focused on was the dazzling beauty that was in front of him.


    "I''m coming, gorgeous!" His spiritual power burst from within him before he dashed towards Eunice as quick as lightning. He seemed to be gifted with speed.


    He nearly reached Eunice in a blink of an eye. He then activated his spiritual skill by shouting, "Shadow-split Skill!"


    Instantly, his figure morphed into four menacing shadows and attacked Eunice from all four directions at once. The force of the blow he dealt was equal to that of a Spiritual Infant at the premium stage.


    Boom!


    The spiritual power ascended and Eunice found herself completely enveloped in a thick, suffocating cloud of dust.


    "Spiritual King Eunice!" Kye and Maxwell were deeply worried. They didn''t expect the deputy commander of the spiritual race to be this powerful.

 Chapter 1610 A Head On Battle

    "I also understand the situation very clearly. But to be honest, I still feel rather upset at times. After all, I have been a commander for ten years. However, since Basil came, I suddenly felt that all those years I have spent being a commander were all in vain. Don''t get me wrong. I am very thankful that Basil is here. I''m just a little dismayed at myself that I am very inferior to him." Tucker sighed and revealed a bitter smile on his face.


    "Well, you are indeed right. Whenever I look at Basil, I feel like he is a general who has already experienced countless battles. But judging from his age, it should not be possible. However, all of us saw his mysterious military arrays. Everyone would agree that no one would be better at using those aside from him. Therefore, Basil''s strength and abilities are very extraordinary. If I were the commander, I would let Basil play the more important role without hesitation. We are currently in a situation where all of the human lives are in our hands. We don''t have time to be selfish," Bertram said with utter sincerity.


    "I agree. Thank you. I feel better after hearing that from you." Tucker let out a faint smile, patted Bertram on the shoulders, and eventually left.


    At the same time, since Deputy Commander Tu had been killed in the battle, his troops had no choice but to flee back to their camp.


    When the army of the deputy commander returned and Isabel lea


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    ously, she already expected that Tucker would not tell her the truth.


    "We will see," Tucker replied with a confident sneer.


    "All right then. I just have to remind you that this array is not as simple as the ones you have encountered before. Be careful. Otherwise, it will be terrible if you accidentally get trapped in it," Isabel warned haughtily.


    "Little girl, I will also advise that you don''t underestimate me. This veteran commander might surprise you, so you better watch out," Tucker retorted, not giving in.


    "Then, I guess we''ll just wait and see." After saying that, Isabel turned around and quickly returned to their array.


    "Everyone! Release the Arrow Array!" Although Tucker was not that proficient in utilizing the mysterious military arrays yet, he had been always good at using the ordinary arrays. Moreover, he was a capable commander that would not easily go down without a fight.


    Soon enough, the troops behind Tucker swiftly gathered in the center. The front of his troops looked like the head of an arrow, which was one of the most typical attacking arrays. At the same time, it could also be used to defend as the arrow at the front could resist the pressure that came from the enemy. However, its primary weakness was situated at the rear end, where the defense was at the lowest. Hence, when using this, they must keep in mind that they could not fall into the enemy''s encirclement.

 Chapter 1611 Not Good For The Human Army

    "Attack!" As soon as Tucker gave the order, the troops behind him quickly rushed towards the army of the spiritual race, like a domineering spear that would pierce through anything.


    At the same time, under Isabel''s command, the spiritual race''s army formed their own array and charged ahead. They unleashed a huge savage-looking beast-shaped array as they attacked Tucker''s troops.


    In just a moment, the two armies had already engaged and locked in a fierce battle.


    Although the array being used by the spiritual race''s army gave an impression that it was solely focused on defense, Tucker remembered Rocky''s warning about their intention. They must be planning to lure the human troops deep into their array before they launched their real power. Just as Rocky explained, their array could switch at any time, so Tucker kept an eye on the enemy''s movements and didn''t dare to lose focus. He also did not let his men advance too much in order to maintain a certain distance.


    As someone with years of experience in battle, Tucker did not really give an opening even though they were against the mysterious military array of Isabel. After two hours of confrontation, the spiritual race''s army had not gained the upper hand.


    Of course, it could be also noticed that Isabel was deliberately trying to go easy on Tucker to lure him into their trap.


    Meanwhile, Rocky was standing on the top of the cliff of t


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    ysterious beast array switched into the form of a long snake that quickly hunted its prey.


    Although the change of the array''s form was within Rocky''s expectation, what he wasn''t able to take into account was the speed of the array''s transformation. Moreover, upon the array''s transformation, the movement of the spiritual race''s army inside also increased rapidly.


    "What the hell?!" It was clear to Rocky that if the spiritual race''s army caught up with the human army, it would be really difficult for them to escape.


    "What a blunder! Purple-flaming Phoenix, take me there at once!" Rocky ordered. Then, he leaped on the back of his spiritual beast and chased after the spiritual race''s army.


    On the other hand, the army led by Tucker was still retreating to the western area of the valley as fast as they could. But they could already see that the spiritual race''s army was just closely behind them. Their enemies'' speed was obviously faster than theirs, and at this rate, they might catch up to them in no time.


    However, just before everything got ugly, Rocky arrived in time and immediately activated the Army-blessing Scroll. In an instant, the entire human army, including Tucker and the three spirit warriors, felt that their speed was increasing greatly as if a strong wind was pushing them. In the blink of an eye, they were able to outrun and get out of the grasp of the spiritual race army.

 Chapter 1612 His Plan

    The moment that the speed of the human race''s army increased, surprise filled Isabel''s face. Her Snake Array could use the mysterious power and make her army march faster. Logically speaking, it should be easy to catch up with the human race''s army. What she hadn''t been expecting was that the human race''s army would also speed up. She thought hard but she couldn''t figure out what kind of trick they had used.


    Despite this, she did not give up. Instead, she chased after the human race''s army as fast as she could.


    Moving quickly, the troops led by Tucker arrived at the west of the Heavenly Rain Valley. There, they met the army of five thousand soldiers that was led by Bertram. The latter had to wait there for the ambush. Afterward, Tucker and his army turned and retreated into the Heavenly Rain Valley, leaving Bertram and his army behind.


    The moment that Isabel and her army arrived, they were ambushed by Bertram''s army.


    All around them, countless arrows flew from a covered area on one side of the forest. Soon, the sky was covered with them. It looked like it was raining.


    "There is an ambush. Stop chasing them!"


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    tart slacking! We can''t underestimate the strength of our enemy. Prepare all of the soldiers for a fight!" Rocky said. Then, he departed.


    That evening, Bertram and Eunice led an army of three thousand people out of the Heavenly Rain Valley and they crept under the shade of the trees. After lots of walking, they stopped in a hidden area that was three miles away from the military camp of the spiritual race''s army.


    Meanwhile, as Rocky had predicted, Isabel was planning on launching a general attack on the Heavenly Rain Valley the next day. At that moment, she had gathered all her deputy commanders and leaders and they were discussing the offensive tactics they would need.


    Early in the morning of the second day, the spiritual race''s army suited up and marched to the entrance of the Heavenly Rain Valley. And this time, they didn''t stop and provoke their enemies. Instead, they launched a fierce attack against the defensive line of the Heavenly Rain Valley that was standing at the entrance.


    After fighting back with all their might, the defensive line suddenly collapsed and retreated into the Heavenly Rain Valley.

 Chapter 1613 Vulnerable

    "Commander Isabel, we''ve easily broken through the Heavenly Rain Valley''s front line. Let me lead an army of ten thousand troops and annihilate the army of the human race. Let''s end this war quickly!" A deputy commander by the name of Luciano eagerly asked for his superior''s blessing.


    "I didn''t expect that their defenses would crumble just like that. I don''t know, it seems a little too easy." Isabel was in deep thought as she narrowed her eyes. She had an odd feeling that something was not right.


    "Commander Isabel, if I may, the Heavenly Rain Valley''s terrain is naturally hard to defend. The enemies didn''t stand a chance from the get-go," another deputy commander chimed in. He didn''t think twice of the fact that the enemy offered little to no resistance against them.


    Meanwhile, when Bertram and Eunice saw the spiritual race breakthrough to the valley, they immediately led their troops on the offensive. They had patiently waited in the dark for the perfect time to attack their foe''s military camp, which was guarded by only a few since


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    with all her might.


    "The Mysterious Dragon Gateway Array? This woman really is skilled in making mysterious military arrays, all of which are quite powerful too." Standing behind the human army, Rocky couldn''t help but praise his opponent with a playful look.


    Tucker then retreated by his side, knowing full well that Rocky had a plan to deal with Isabel.


    "I''ll leave it to you, Spiritual King Basil," Tucker said.


    Rocky didn''t respond. He just nodded slightly and then ordered, "The Swimming Army, the Shield Army, and the Changing Army, join ranks!"


    Since he didn''t have time to teach any new array to the soldiers, Rocky could only temporarily combine the three arrays he had taught to the human race''s army to form a new array.


    Heeding Rocky''s order, the three scattered armies quickly gathered to form the new array. The Shield Army was at the edge of the formation with the Changing Army next to them, while the Swimming Army was at the very middle. From afar, they looked like a might dragon that could soar high above the clouds.

 Chapter 1614 The Mysterious Dragon Gateway Array

    Seeing that the human army had suddenly formed their own array, Isabel took a moment to analyze it as her eyes narrowed. However, the more she observed it carefully, the more she got rather confused. Logically speaking, an array should be based on a certain principle. Some would be based on the Eight Diagrams, some were based on celestial bodies, and others were based on living beings like birds and animals. In other words, there must be a specific form for its basis.


    However, to her utter frustration, the array built by the human army seemed very random. Isabel could not tell the exact principle where it was based on.


    ''This is strange. Is it really a mysterious military array? Well, it contains the aura of one, but I can''t identify its principle. What the hell is going on?'' Isabel thought to herself, baffled at the turn of events.


    It was known to all that Isabel was one of the disciples of the most powerful and brilliant strategist in the spiritual race¡ªIsaac. He used to be the commander in chief of the spiritual race whose reputation was well-known in the entire Supreme Ether Land. Moreover, he was also one of the few powerful spirit warriors of the spiritual race who had reached the Shura Realm. In his several years of existence, he had made countless contributions to the welfare of


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    fighting capacity.


    With this plan, it could be seen how farsighted Alyssa was.


    Thus, when Isabel was given this very important task, she had no choice but to accept it wholeheartedly.


    Although Isabel sensed that there was something wrong in the valley, she didn''t pay much attention to it. After all, she was confident that she could overcome any hindrances through her mysterious military arrays. Even if the human army had set up countless traps inside the valley, she deemed that it would be rendered ineffective before her arrays. She thought that she could complete the task soon enough.


    "Mysterious Dragon Gateway Array! Open the Dragon Gateway!" After making up her mind, Isabel wore a serious expression and activated the Mysterious Dragon Gateway Array.


    The Mysterious Dragon Gateway Array was built according to the principles of the nine divisions of the sky and the Eight Diagrams. The spiritual race''s soldiers were divided into eight phalanxes with equal strength. The so-called Dragon Gateway referred to the center of the Mysterious Dragon Gateway Array. Hence, if one wanted to destroy it, he would have to enter the Dragon Gateway and break it from the inside. However, if he would not be successful, he would be trapped in it, and his strength would be exhausted until he died.

 Chapter 1615 Ordinary Soldiers

    Of course, even if the Dragon Gateway were opened, the human army could choose not to break into it. But that didn''t matter. The Mysterious Dragon Gateway Array had eight phalanxes that could fight craftily. Each one could fight on their own or they could join hands. The fighting power of multiple phalanxes would be doubled. Therefore, even if the enemy did not want to enter the array, the Mysterious Dragon Gateway Array could still suppress them.


    To put it bluntly, once the Mysterious Dragon Gateway Array was activated, the human race''s army would have a difficult time fighting back.


    But little did Isabel know that Rocky had already anticipated her plan. He ordered the three armies to merge into one, because he knew that if he wanted to break through the Mysterious Dragon Gateway Array, he had to risk his life to enter it.


    Rocky also knew the reason why Isabel had opened the Dragon Gateway. She not only wanted the human army to enter it, but she also wanted to save face because the human army had broken through her mysterious military arrays many times before.


    Because of that, Rocky felt no need to be polite to Isabel.


    "Get into the array!" As soon as Rocky gave the order, the combined troops made


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    , he wasn''t bothered at all. Instead, he smiled, because the first division of the Mysterious Dragon Gateway Array had been exposed.


    Rocky spun around and asked Eunice to lead the Swimming Army into the area that was currently occupied by the Water Phalanx.


    "Damn it! He figured it out!" Isabel had thought it would take Rocky a lot longer to discover the method that would break the Mysterious Dragon Gateway Array. In a panic, she asked the Heaven Phalanx and the Mountain Phalanx to intercept the Swimming Army.


    However, the Swimming Army was currently being led by Eunice and was full of momentum. Despite the joint efforts of the Heaven Phalanx and the Mountain Phalanx, the army still was able to reach the Water Phalanx and occupy the first division of the nine divisions.


    In order to break the Mysterious Dragon Gateway Array, one had to combine the principles of the nine divisions of the sky and the Eight Diagrams. The two went hand-in-hand. They had to go from the first to the ninth division in order. If they messed it up, all their efforts would be in vain. On the contrary, if they got the order right, then every division would lose its effect and each phalanx would transform into an ordinary army.

 Chapter 1616 The Evil Striking Ghosts Array

    The Water Phalanx lost its effect as soon as the first division fell, causing its combined effect with the Valley Phalanx to disappear.


    Striking while the iron was hot, the Changing Army followed up with another attack and forced the soldiers at the Valley Phalanx and Water Phalanx to withdraw one after another.


    When Isabel saw this, she couldn''t help gritting her teeth in dismay. She had no choice but to merge the soldiers assigned to both fallen phalanxes and commanded them to return to the Valley Phalanx''s initial position.


    Moreover, once Rocky''s soldiers occupied the first division, the Mysterious Dragon Gateway Array''s power slightly decreased as a result.


    Rocky then figured that their next step would be to attack the second division, which was the Earth Phalanx''s position, and he assigned Eunice to lead that charge.


    That was because the Earth Phalanx was directly related to the Heaven Phalanx. If the Earth Phalanx collapsed, it could cause the Heaven Phalanx''s power to weaken as well.


    Of course, Isabel was well-aware of the gravity of the situation, so she immediately gathered the soldiers from the neighboring Valley Phalanx to help defend the Earth Phalanx.


    However, she had not expected that another offensive would be launched at the same time. While they were distracted, the Shield Army, who had been quiet for some time, had stealthily approached the position of the Mountain Phalanx and


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    erious array skills to use, and I can defeat you all!" declared Isabel without fear.


    "Then, let''s stop this nonsense and continue our battle," replied Rocky. He appeared as serene as he could be as if the idea of going against an accomplished commander like Isabel didn''t faze him.


    "Are you sure you don''t want to surrender?" Isabel asked again. She didn''t think the human army would stubbornly resist to the end.


    "Of course." Rocky nodded without a doubt in his mind.


    "Okay then. Don''t blame me if you all die." After saying that, Isabel didn''t waste any more time and called out her next move.


    "Deploy the Striking Ghosts Array now!"


    The next moment, Isabel''s spiritual race army promptly gathered again and formed an array pattern with Isabel as the center.


    As soon as they were finished, dark clouds gathered above the Heavenly Rain Valley. Lightning flashed, and thunder rumbled ominously. In the next breath, a strange red light shrouded the spiritual race soldiers and made them look like hideous demonic beasts. "What an evil military array!" gasped Rocky when he sensed the strange and creepy aura of Isabel''s mysterious military array.


    In the blink of an eye, the troops of the spiritual race swarmed over them like a tide. Their appalling momentum made them appear as a demonic army descending from the sky, and the malicious spirit that surrounded them flooded the place in a thousand miles radius.

 Chapter 1617 A Fierce Fight

    At this point, the human soldiers were obviously intimidated and had a terrified expression on their faces.


    "Don''t panic! Just listen to my order!" Seeing that the morale of the human army had started wavering, Rocky immediately shouted and raised the Mystical Dragon Sword in his hand. "Everyone, listen to me! Retreat fifty meters from where you are standing!"


    Under the decisive command of Rocky, the three armies quickly retreated, leaving Rocky alone as he faced the surging troops of the spiritual race.


    "Rain of fire!" Rocky''s eyes showed a fiery blaze as he shouted.


    Immediately after, thousands of human soldiers appeared on the western side of the cliff. Then, they shot arrows with flaming tips. The rain of fire flew and poured on the rapidly approaching soldiers of the spiritual race.


    However, these soldiers seemed to be possessed by evil spirits. There was no hesitation in their eyes, and they were not afraid of any harm at all. They just continued charging forward, completely disregarding the flaming arrows.


    However, the purpose of the flaming arrows was actually not to hurt the army of the spiritual race. They were just an opening act for Rocky''s real surprise.


    "Now! Oil barrels!" Rocky ordered again.


    Soon enough, the soldiers from the eastern side of the cliff poured black oil from large barrels that instantly landed on the charging troops of the spiritual race. Then, the black oil immediately spread over the ground. As the flaming arrows made co


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    rmy of the spiritual race had indeed suffered a devastating blow. Little by little, they started to lose their ground, and their fighting spirit was being extinguished.


    "Commander Isabel, what are we going to do now?" Luciano rushed to Isabel''s side and asked anxiously.


    "We must find a way to escape from this predicament at all costs! We can''t fall here!" Right after Isabel addressed her army with determination, two people suddenly appeared in front of her and approached in an indifferent manner.


    These were none other than Rocky and Eunice.


    "So, who''s going to fight her, you or me?" Eunice turned to Rocky and asked casually.


    "Hmm. Why don''t we fight her together? If we can defeat her as quickly as possible, I think the spiritual race will think twice before they invade the Heavenly Rain Valley again," Rocky said with a faint smile.


    "Well, you are right. Fine! Let''s finish this as soon as we can!"


    With that, Rocky and Eunice agreed to work together to defeat Isabel.


    Hearing this, Luciano immediately attempted to support Isabel, but he was hindered by Kye, who also appeared out of nowhere. He stood firmly in Luciano''s way and provoked him, "Hey, where are you going, you ugly bastard? Damn! I feel so sorry for your mom. I bet she felt horrible when she saw your ugly face after she gave birth to you!"


    "I will kill you first!" As he fumed in anger, Luciano roared and easily fell to Kye''s provocation. In an instant, he rushed towards Kye to fight him.

 Chapter 1618 The Wish Came True

    It didn''t matter how powerful Isabel was. She would never be able to defeat Rocky and Eunice while they were working together. Not long after, she was captured and Rocky sealed all her acupuncture points.


    When the spiritual race''s soldiers saw that their commander had been captured, they fled in different directions, not knowing where to go next. All they wanted was to escape, but it wasn''t easy for them to run away.


    Six hours later, almost every single one of the twenty thousand spiritual race soldiers had been annihilated.


    Tucker was glowing with happiness. Since gaining control over the Heavenly Rain Valley, he had successfully defeated the spiritual race''s army and caught its commander alive. His services would be held to the highest regard.


    Meanwhile, in Tucker''s tent, Rocky, Eunice, as well as Isabel were standing and waiting for further instructions.


    "Commander Wang, what are you going to do with her?" Rocky asked Tucker, cupping his hands in front of him.


    "According to the rules for prisoners o


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    ced by the threat Rocky issued.


    "So will you do it?" Rocky asked in a low voice.


    "Okay. I promise that I will give the letter to Commander in Chief Mu, but what if I peek at it?" Isabel felt curious when she saw how sketchy Rocky was acting.


    "I don''t know. But I think you will keep your promise." Rocky shrugged.


    Rocky''s words rendered her speechless. After all, from her point of view, Rocky had no reason to trust her.


    "Later, I will bring you to the interrogation tent. Then I''ll pretend to leave and let the deputy commander question you. I hope you will be able to seize that opportunity to get out of here. If you can''t escape, I''m afraid I will have to kill you," Rocky explained.


    "Don''t worry. I won''t let you kill me." Isabel snorted, crossing her arms over her chest.


    "Ha-ha! Rocky laughed and then he turned around, leaving the Magic Spiritual Space with Isabel and heading for the tent.


    By now, Deputy Commander Lin had prepared tables full of instruments that were intended to torture Isabel.

 Chapter 1619 The Wise Decision

    "Deputy Commander Lin, I need you to interrogate her for me. I just remembered that I forgot to report something to Commander Wang," Rocky said as he delivered Isabel to the soldiers standing inside of the tent.


    "Okay, Basil. Go do what you have to do. I promise I will have her telling us everything before you get back," Deputy Commander Lin replied. He tried his best to hide his eager smile.


    Rocky nodded and exchanged a glance with Isabel before he left.


    "Bring her here," Deputy Commander Lin ordered as his eyes raked over Isabel.


    Isabel pretended to struggle as several soldiers brought her towards the deputy commander.


    "If you are smart, you''ll tell me the information about the spiritual race right now. I promise I won''t make you suffer if you do. I am a kind person, especially to beauties!" Deputy Commander Lin said gently.


    Isabel faked some hesitation and then she asked in a coquettish, soft voice, "Really? What''s in it for me if I tell you everything?" "Well...


    You will certainly benefit from it," Deputy Commander Lin replied as his ey


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    ted the spiritual race army. Since Deputy Commander Lin has been dismissed, you should replace him temporarily," Tucker suggested, trying to rally Rocky. He believed wholeheartedly that Rocky should be the deputy commander.


    "I don''t think it''s a good idea... Deputy Commander Lin has just been dismissed. If I take over his position now, I''m afraid there will be some dissatisfaction..." Rocky said in a hesitant voice.


    "Don''t worry about it. To be honest, it''s unfair that you haven''t been dubbed a deputy commander yet. You''re far more competent for the job," Tucker said, waving his hand indifferently.


    "Okay. That will mean that the position of the leader of the spirit warriors goes back to Kye!" Rocky said.


    "Yes," Tucker agreed. Then, he nodded and left.


    Not long after, the news that Deputy Commander Lin had been dismissed spread throughout the whole Heavenly Rain Valley. And later, it was rumored that Rocky would temporarily take over the position of the deputy commander. Immediately, all the soldiers agreed that Tucker had made a wise decision.

 Chapter 1620 Deputy Commander

    Rocky was promoted to deputy commander. Bertram, Eunice, and Kye hurried to find Rocky to congratulate him.


    "Spiritual King Basil, Congratulations! You''ve finally been promoted to deputy commander!" Bertram beamed. In his opinion, Rocky''s promotion was well deserved.


    "Thank you, Deputy Commander Fei!" Rocky smiled calmly.


    "Now that you''ve become a deputy commander, let''s celebrate!" Kye was also very happy.


    "I also want to be a deputy commander. Why don''t you give the position to me?" Eunice pouted.


    "That''s fine, I don''t mind. As long as Commander Wang agrees, I''ll give you the title instead," Rocky answered simply.


    "Humph! You are so mean! You know Commander Wang won''t agree," Eunice whined. Despite her tone, she too felt happy for Rocky.


    Meanwhile, just then, Isabel was rushing back to the camp of the spiritual race. With Rocky''s help, she had managed to escape from the Heavenly Rain Valley.


    The atmosphere in the camp was gloomy, and the morale was at an all-time low. There were only ten thousand soldiers left, and worse, Isabel''s capture had left them feeling h


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    ailed off. Everything about this situation was strange. After all, Alyssa was the commander in chief of the spiritual race, whereas Rocky was part of the human army. How did they know each other?


    "This is very important to me, and to the entire spiritual race, too," Alyssa said seriously.


    "I see." Isabel nodded again.


    Alyssa then proceeded to compose a secret letter. When she was done, she handed it to Isabel with the instruction to deliver it to Rocky in secret. After completing this task, Isabel would be able to go back to the original camp to rest, until her next order came.


    Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, all of Tucker''s soldiers were receiving rewards by the two-class merits for their contribution in defending the Heavenly Rain Valley. Unfortunately, however, the work didn''t end there and they still had to guard the Heavenly Rain Valley.


    However, the good news was that the spiritual race''s army seemed to have no intention of attacking the Heavenly Rain Valley any time soon, so at the very least, they could finally live in peace for a few more days.

 Chapter 1621 Start The Fight

    After his battle with Isabel, Rocky realized that there might be a lot of spiritual race troops who were proficient in the mysterious military arrays. If that was the case and they fought against the spiritual race again, a simple military array wouldn''t be enough to defeat them. Therefore, upon consulting Tucker, he gathered a group of six thousand troops to undergo systematic training in military arrays, so that they''d be able to freely operate the basic military arrays. From there, he would gradually improve them.


    A few days later, after the training, Rocky went back to his own tent to finally get some rest. Now that he had been promoted to deputy commander, he had his own tent. Just as he was about to settle down, a delicate figure suddenly emerged on his campgrounds. He initially thought it was Shirley, but upon a closer look, he realized it was actually Isabel disguised as a human soldier.


    "Why are you here?" Rocky looked at Isabel in surprise.


    "Commander in Chief Mu asked me to give this to you," Isabel said as she handed the secret letter to Rocky without hesitation.


    Rocky took it eagerly and re


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    ley nodded seriously.


    "And?" Rocky felt anxious.


    "If I tell you, can you promise me you won''t get involved in this matter?" Shirley asked seriously.


    "Why?" Rocky was taken aback, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.


    "Because with your current status, you won''t be able to interfere in this matter," Shirley said frankly.


    "Just tell me already," Rocky said impatiently. He immediately understood what Shirley was saying. The person who sold the information about the human army to the spiritual race was no ordinary person, but someone who held a high position.


    "He is a member of the Sky-suppressing Mansion. More specifically, he''s a confidant of Canaan Li, the son of the head of the Sky-suppressing Mansion," Shirley answered.


    "You mean the man who sold the information to the spiritual race is the son of the chief of the Sky-suppressing Mansion?!" Rocky nearly shouted. He didn''t expect this. If what Shirley was saying was true, it would be a huge blow to the entire Ethereal Region or the Sky-suppressing Mansion. How could a traitor come from the Sky-suppressing Mansion, one of the three major sects?

 Chapter 1622 No Result

    "I''m not sure if Canaan was also involved. It could have been his confidant''s own doing. If that were the case, it would have nothing to do with Canaan or the Sky-suppressing Mansion," Shirley said with a frown.


    "What''s his name?" Rocky asked.


    "Ishaan Gao," Shirley replied.


    "Given Canaan''s identity and his high status, he wouldn''t have to sell his country for wealth. My guess is that it was Ishaan. Canaan is innocent," Rocky said after some thought.


    "I think there is a huge conspiracy behind this," Shirley said, nodding. "I hope you don''t get involved. You might get into trouble. Canaan is a master at the Emperor Realm. You can''t deal with him. If you try to investigate Ishaan, you will offend Canaan."


    "I will have to think about it. By the way, I found Alyssa." Rocky didn''t want to tell her that he would get involved yet, so he changed the topic.


    "Alyssa? Really?" Shirley exclaimed. If they could get in touch with Alyssa, it would be much easier to find their other companions.


    "Yes. She is the commander in chief of the spiritual race now. However, she didn''t want t


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    Ishaan built a very luxurious Spiritual Beast Palace in the Sky-suppressing Mansion. He keeps all the spiritual beasts he collected there. Several times a month, it is open to outsiders so that he can communicate with people that share his hobby. And if anyone has a rare beast to sell, they go to the Spiritual Beast Palace. There will be someone there to purchase it." It was clear that Shirley had come on the mission prepared.


    "Really? I guess I will have to use the Purple-flaming Phoenix to get close to Ishaan," Rocky said, forming a plan in his mind.


    "Are you going to the Spiritual Beast Palace now?" Shirley asked.


    "Of course, but before we go there, I think we need a disguise. We don''t look like businesspeople right now." Rocky looked both Shirley and himself over and shook his head.


    "I know there is a good clothing store in the Sky-suppressing Mansion." Shirley''s eyes lit up.


    ''Shopping for clothes is indeed a woman''s pastime!'' Rocky thought to himself as he saw Shirley smiling.


    The two of them then headed for the clothing store that Shirley had been talking about.

 Chapter 1623 High Quality

    When Rocky and Shirley arrived at the clothing store she mentioned, he was pleasantly surprised to find that it looked rather decent. Beautiful girls wearing all kinds of colorful robes welcomed guests by the entrance, simultaneously showing off what their shop had to offer.


    As soon as the two entered the clothing store, a charming woman walked up to them and warmly greeted them. "Well, if it isn''t Shirley! It''s been a while."


    "Hi, Dora!" Shirley greeted her with a big smile.


    "And who is this gentleman?" Dora shifted her gaze immediately to the young man standing next to Shirley. Her eyes shone with interest; she could tell Rocky was no ordinary person.


    "He is my friend," Shirley replied casually.


    "Friend? I highly doubt that. I think he is your boyfriend," Dora teased.


    "Stop it!" Shirley shot her a reproachful look, but her face turned red at the same time.


    "Anyway, you came at the right time today. There are some new arrivals. Do you want to have a look at them?" Dora changed the subject.


    "Maybe later. Right now, we need two sets of decent clothing for the exchange meeting at the Spiritual


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    first grade. Moreover, most of these beasts are as strong as a Spiritual Infant at the third grade. The Purple-flaming Phoenix might be a great spiritual beast, but it is not that eye-catching in this place!" Obviously, Rocky had underestimated the quality of the spiritual beasts in Ishaan''s collection. Now, upon assessing the strength of the spiritual beasts, he immediately felt that the Purple-flaming Phoenix alone wouldn''t be enough to attract Ishaan''s attention.


    "Don''t you have a legendary beast?" Shirley''s eyes lit up.


    "Glutton? I sent it to look for Marcia and the others." Rocky shook his head remorsefully.


    "What? What should we do now?" Shirley frowned in disappointment.


    "I think Kohen will do, but it''s still a cub. Without a very professional beast evaluator, they might not be able to see its potential," Rocky said after thinking about it for a while.


    "Now that we''re here, we might as well give it a shot. There happens to be a special beast evaluation taking place here today. It''s said that if anyone brings a spiritual beast of high quality, Ishaan will personally show up," Shirley said.

 Chapter 1624 The Beast Evaluation

    The beast evaluation was held in the beast evaluating room located in the west wing of the Spiritual Beast Palace. The so-called evaluation would determine whose spiritual beast was the most qualified. The winning beast could be purchased for an exorbitant price by Ishaan himself. This was why the evaluation became a gathering place for merchants and spiritual warriors interested in selling their spiritual beasts.


    Once Rocky arrived at the beast evaluating room, it was already overcrowded with at least thirty or forty people.


    The room was connected to the Spiritual Beast Palace''s beast farm. The merchants and spirit warriors who wished to participate would need to register first and then guide their beasts to the beast farm where they would wait for their turn.


    Rocky headed to the gate of the beast evaluating room to register.


    "Please take your spiritual beast to the beast farm while waiting for your turn," the staff in charge of registration instructed them.


    "I''ll go ahead to the beast farm. You can head over to the beast evaluating room first!" Rocky told Shirley.


    She


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    was baffling!


    "Oh? I wonder who else could identify my beast in the Spiritual Beast Palace," Rocky said.


    "I''m afraid I''ll have to ask Mr. Gao to come here in person!" As soon as he finished his sentence, the beast evaluator ordered his men to ask for Ishaan once more.


    After a few minutes, a tall figure strode into the beast evaluating room. He came off as quite a dominant and arrogant individual. Two other warriors, whose Spiritual Infants were at the medium stage, trailed behind him.


    Seeing this, all the people present showed respect.


    It was none other than Ishaan.


    Rocky turned his head towards him. He realized he was the middle-aged man he had met previously.


    "It''s this gentleman, Mr. Gao." The beast evaluator swiftly took a step forward and gestured towards Rocky.


    Ishaan raised his head to look at him. As they locked gazes, the former''s narrowed. He could see that Rocky wasn''t just an ordinary person. Although he was hiding his true strength, Ishaan could tell it was incredible!


    "May I know your name, sir?" Ishaan quickly shifted and asked Rocky kindly.

 Chapter 1625 A Good Attitude

    All the people present were surprised to see Ishaan''s amiable attitude towards Rocky. Everyone in the Sky-suppressing City knew that Ishaan was the most trusted confidant of the young master of the Sky-suppressing Mansion. He was in charge of a lot of important matters for the Sky-suppressing Mansion, and definitely held a great deal of power. Therefore, there were very few people that Ishaan would humble himself for and speak kindly to. Judging by this, it was apparent that this Rocky was a special person.


    "Nice to meet you. I''m Basil," Rocky replied with cupped hands. He didn''t intend to hide his identity, because he knew that as soon as Ishaan heard his name, he would look at him differently. Only by gaining Ishaan''s respect could Rocky get close to him.


    Sure enough, Ishaan said slowly, "Basil? I seem to have heard this name somewhere before." He found the name very familiar, but he couldn''t place it.


    "I''m serving under Commander Tucker Wang." Rocky continued to introduce himself, knowing that it would jog Ishaan''s memory.


    "Wait, are you Spiritual King Basil? One of the representatives from the Sky-suppressing School wh


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    at there is a traitor colluding with the spiritual race in the Sky-suppressing Mansion. My mission is to find that traitor!" Rocky said directly.


    As soon as Ishaan heard this, there was an imperceptible change in his expression. He hadn''t expected that Tucker would intercept such information.


    "Mr. Gao, is something wrong?" Rocky asked deliberately when he saw that the man in front of him stayed quiet.


    "No, no. I''m just a little shocked to hear that there is a traitor in our Sky-suppressing Mansion. Are you sure that the information is accurate, Spiritual King Basil?" Ishaan asked tentatively.


    "It shouldn''t be wrong. A commander of the spiritual race said so," Rocky replied.


    "Do you know the identity of this traitor?" Ishaan continued to ask.


    "If I did, I wouldn''t have come here and bothered you," Rocky replied with a helpless smile.


    "Well, if there really is a traitor in our Sky-suppressing Mansion, I will spare no effort to help you find him, Spiritual King Basil. But this is no trivial matter, so I will have to inform our young master about it first." Obviously, Ishaan was using Canaan as a stalling tactic.

 Chapter 1626 Traitors

    "Of course, but we must keep it a secret!" Rocky said, pretending to be serious.


    "Sure, I''ll ask for the young master''s permission first and then I''ll cooperate with you. Let''s catch those retched traitors in the Sky-suppressing Mansion. By the way, do you have a place to stay here?" Ishaan suddenly asked.


    "I''m afraid I have none since we just arrived here," Rocky answered and shook his head.


    "If you don''t mind, I have spare rooms for distinguished guests in my Spiritual Beast Palace. Why don''t you rest there? I''ll report everything to the young master as soon as I finish arranging everything here," Ishaan said sincerely.


    "We would love to. Thank you for your kind offer!" Rocky thanked him as he saluted politely.


    Ishaan then ordered someone to take Rocky and Shirley to their rooms in the palace.


    As soon as they entered the room, Shirley quickly closed the door and whispered, "Why did you tell Ishaan directly that we''re looking for traitors? Aren''t you afraid of alerting him?"


    "Don''t worry. I''m almost certain that he''s one of the traitors, but I reckon there''s someone in the shadows controlling his every move. The reason I told Ishaan ab


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    for the sake of their future. You won''t understand anything," Canaan said arrogantly with his head held high.


    "It may be true that I won''t understand the reason behind your actions, but you should know there are consequences for everything you do," Rocky bit back. Rocky could tell that Canaan''s reason was too extreme and radical for him to accept it.


    "If you want to change for the better, you should be willing to sacrifice. This principle applies to the human race as well. I am the only one willing to sacrifice something for the greater good," the young master retorted.


    "Then stop talking nonsense. Let''s fight!" Rocky demanded. He was well aware that Canaan would not let him leave so easily, so he chose to fight him instead.


    "Young master, let me fight him!" Ishaan offered. He was filled with anger and embarrassment after being tricked by Rocky. He wanted nothing more than to kill the man in front of him with his own hands.


    "Let him go." To everyone''s surprise, Canaan ordered his servant to stand down.


    "But he already knows our plan!" Feeling even more confused and flustered, Ishaan couldn''t help but raise his voice at his own master.

 Chapter 1627 Unpredictable

    "Humph. Let him be. I doubt anyone''s going to believe him since he has no evidence at all. Besides, our plan is already in motion. He can''t possibly stop us all by himself." Canaan couldn''t care less knowing that Rocky was well aware of their plan.


    "But master, it''s still risky to let him go alive!" Ishaan tried to talk some sense into his master as he shot Rocky an angry look.


    "Stop worrying! He''s just a nobody," the young master yelled at his servant. He then looked at Rocky and said, "If you don''t leave now, I might change my mind."


    Rocky could do nothing but just stare back at Canaan. Even he couldn''t figure out what the latter was thinking, but he knew he couldn''t stay there longer. And so, he quickly turned around and left.


    Watching Rocky go out the door, Ishaan couldn''t help but question his master''s decision. "Young master, why did you let him go?"


    "You may leave now. Don''t bother me if you have nothing else to say." Canaan, who was starting to get irritated, waved his hand impatiently to dismiss his servant.


    Ishaan had no choice but to leave with his mouth han


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    leader who led the soldiers to retreat just in time and ordered them to build a new defensive line. Tenacious as they were, they could only hold on for so long since they were gravely outnumbered.


    Since it was still daytime, the rescue team didn''t dare to charge into battle blindly. Instead, they set up camp at the edge of the field and sent out spies to contact the trapped army to help coordinate their attacks.


    A day passed before the spies returned, and their grim faces were enough to tell how their mission went. The army of the spiritual race was camped just outside the perimeter of the trapped troops. If they wanted to get in contact with their trapped comrades, they had no choice but to fight off their enemies.


    "It seems that we have no other choice but to attack head on," said Moore.


    "There''s no need to put everyone''s life in danger. I''ll go in alone," Rocky said as he stood up.


    "Do you have a way to go in without getting noticed by the spiritual race army?" Moore looked at Rocky, baffled since they couldn''t afford to alert the spiritual race of their presence.

 Chapter 1628 Reunion

    "It''s not difficult. I''ll be back soon." After saying that, Rocky turned around and walked out of the camp. With the Earth-diving Skill, he disappeared in an instant.


    It was a remarkable skill, because it could be used anywhere, no matter how heavily guarded the place was.


    In less than half an hour, Rocky passed through the blockade of the army of the spiritual race and entered the defensive line of the besieged human army.


    But when he got there, he found that the human army was already gone. He had expected to see a whole troop here, but there were only empty tents.


    ''It''s strange. Where are they?'' he wondered with a frown. He immediately looked around, trying to find some clues. Although the tents were all there, the soldiers of the human race who had been fighting here desperately had disappeared without a trace. There wasn''t so much as a corpse in the area.


    However, he soon realized that the human army had been in no hurry to escape. After all, the entire camp looked very normal, and there seemed to be no sign of a


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    ina was stunned.


    "I''ll explain later. Let''s go and see Marcia first," Rocky suggested.


    Sabina nodded immediately and pulled Rocky towards the depths of the oasis in full view of the soldiers.


    Soon, Rocky saw many simple tents in the depths of the oasis, and Sabina led him to the largest one.


    "Commander Mu, guess who''s here!" As soon as Sabina entered the tent, she called out to Marcia, who was studying a topographic map.


    When Marcia raised her head and saw Rocky behind Sabina, her body trembled in a mixture of surprise and excitement. Her eyes flashed with a multitude of emotions, and it was difficult for her to restrain the excitement in her heart.


    However, Marcia was never one to betray her emotions. After taking a moment to calm down, she smiled and said, "It''s really you. I thought I would never see you again in my life!"


    "Coming here was no easy feat, but all that effort was worth it to see you," Rocky replied calmly. A flood of relief washed over him. It seemed that all of them would be reunited soon.

 Chapter 1629 Her Smart Tactic

    "I''ve known from the start that you will never let us down!" Marcia said as she faintly smiled, making her beautiful face a lot more attractive. Right now, she was feeling genuine bliss from the bottom of her heart. Being able to see Rocky again gave her great comfort and courage. Ever since they got into the Supreme Ether Land, she had been trying her best to protect their comrades. Hence, upon seeing him, she thought that all her hardships weren''t in vain.


    "I''m also very happy that everyone is safe, but we don''t have the time to celebrate yet. The most important thing right now is to get you guys out of here." Rocky stressed. He had always been level-headed and the kind that could easily weight the priority in any kind of situation.


    Hearing this, Marcia regained her composure and calmly said, "Yes, you are right. So, how many soldiers are there in the rescue team?"


    "About ten thousand," Rocky quickly replied.


    "Only ten thousand, huh?" Marcia repeated as she shook her head. Currently, there were about thirty thousand soldiers from the spiritual race''s army that besieged the Sky Fog Plain. On the other hand, Marcia had already lost more than half of her people after the enemies attacked them. So, right now, there were only about ten thousand soldiers left on her side. Therefore, even with the members of the rescue team, they would still be outnumbered.


    "Well, among those ten thousand members of the rescue team, three of them are spiritual kings whose Spiritual Infa


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    Of course, after everything that Rocky had done and showed them, Moore was still very calm, waiting patiently for his return.


    About an hour later, Rocky arrived and walked into Moore''s tent.


    "Oh God! You are finally back! We thought that something already happened to you!" Eunice immediately complained as she glared at Rocky.


    "Sorry, I was just delayed by something in the camp of the middle army. Don''t worry. I have successfully contacted them," Rocky explained.


    "So, how are they doing?" Moore asked straightforwardly.


    "They took quite a blow and there are only ten thousand soldiers left on their side. The problem is that the spiritual race''s army surrounding them possessed a force that is greater than twenty-five thousand, hence the middle army is in a passive position right now. Fortunately, their commander brilliantly used the foggy weather to their advantage to trick the enemy. So, currently, the spiritual race''s army still thinks that they are in the original defensive position. We don''t think that the enemy would make a move until the fog clears up," Rocky informed in detail.


    "But in terms of military strength, even if we combine our soldiers, we are still at a disadvantage once we engage the enemy army head-on." Moore analyzed.


    "As for that, I have already discussed a plan with their commander on how we can help them break out of the enemy encirclement. If it succeeds, perhaps we can kill two birds with one stone," Rocky said with a cunning smile.

 Chapter 1630 Five Thousand VS One Thousand

    "I see. Can you tell me more about it?" At this point, Rocky''s strength was very clear to Moore. Since he and Marcia had already made a plan on how to deal with the army of the spiritual race, he didn''t feel the need to question it. Moreover, the two of them were both commanders of the rescue team, so there shouldn''t be any unnecessary competition between them. After all, once they failed to cooperate and came into a disagreement, it would just risk the success of the rescue plan.


    The battle at the Tiger Whisker Pass had made Rocky a sensation. Although not all soldiers in the human army were able to witness Rocky''s greatness, they had become very familiar with the name Spiritual King Basil. Because of this, many soldiers and generals in the rescue team looked at him with high regard.


    Hence, if Rocky was the one who formulated the rescue plan, the morale of the rescue team would also inevitably improve. Therefore, even though Moore wanted to make contributions, he was smart enough to put the overall situation first.


    At Moore''s request, Rocky immediately took out the topographic map of the Sky Fog Plain that he got from Marcia. Then, he began explaining the plan that he had come up with her. During Rocky''s explanation, Moore''s mind was in a tumult as the plan began to unveil before his eyes. He was actually stunned


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    rious military array. As soon as the array was deployed, the human army had quickly gotten back on their feet. Then, the soldiers stood firm and launched a counterattack. In the end, the two sides fell into a stalemate. Because of this, the human soldiers realized that the spiritual race''s army was not as tough as they had expected. They only had a thousand soldiers, but they could fight equally against a force of five thousand. This way, their morale got higher and higher.


    Seeing this sudden turn of events, the deputy commander''s eyes widened and his face became sour. He didn''t expect that his army would have a hard time defeating an army that only had a thousand soldiers.


    Taking the opportunity, Rocky shouted, "So, is it the limit of your army? It seems that your men are having a hard time. Why don''t you call for reinforcements?"


    "Arrogant bastard! You will not get away with this!" the deputy commander roared angrily, feeling very humiliated. With this, he immediately joined the battle, deciding to take on Rocky personally.


    It turned out that his Spiritual Infant was also at the advanced stage. Thus, upon joining the fray, the momentum of the human troops immediately collapsed. His spiritual power swept across the whole area, and it seemed that the array formed by the human army was about to be dispersed.

 Chapter 1631 Defeat The Spearhead Troop

    Seeing this, Rocky immediately began chanting the Buddhist Spell. As he chanted, the Buddha shadow fell from the sky and joined Rocky''s army. With the power of the Buddha shadow helping them, it became easier for them to fight the army of the spiritual race.


    "Almost done!" After seeing that the spiritual race''s troops had been successfully suppressed, Rocky used his spiritual sense and ordered the spiritual beast troops that were hidden not far from the west of the blockade position to quickly attack the enemy from behind.


    The spiritual race army was already dedicating their full attention to the fight in front of them, and didn''t expect that there would be an ambush from behind. Since it was a surprise attack, there was a spread of disarray among the spiritual race army, and they lost their combat power at once.


    Now that the morale of his soldiers was relatively high, Rocky wanted to keep it that way, so he began chanting the poem "Are You Not Battle-dressed." "Are you not battle-dressed? Let''s share the coat and vest! We shall go up the line. Let''s make our lances shine! Your foe is mine."


    As Rocky chanted the poem, every word that escaped his lips turned into a golden ray of light that shone forward and slowly enveloped his generals and soldiers, igniting them with a passion to fight.


    With the newfound fervor that the rays of light equipped them with, their attacks became much fiercer.


    As Rocky''s army fought fervidly, the gap in strength between them and the s


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    his spearhead troop had been forced to retreat.


    In the tent of the spiritual race army.


    After the deputy commander, who had been defeated by Rocky, reported the situation of the battle, the other deputy commanders inside the tent exchanged meaningful glances with one another. They were all thinking the same thing¡ªthis young rascal was too cocky and needed to be taken down a peg.


    "Deputy Commander Bai, the human race is too arrogant! Lead your troops to challenge those one thousand human soldiers," the commander of the spiritual race army ordered with blue veins protruding out of his forehead. He was practically seething with anger.


    "Yes, commander," the tall and thin deputy commander replied immediately, with his hands obediently cupped together.


    Then, he led his troop, which was skilled in forming military arrays, to fight against Rocky''s troop of a thousand soldiers. After all, fire had to be fought with fire. Now, they would be on equal footing.


    Before long, his troop was confronting Rocky and his soldiers on the battlefield.


    "Ah, so they''re good at military arrays?" Rocky murmured to himself. Judging by their formation, he could immediately see that this new enemy troop was proficient in forming military arrays.


    At this moment, the new deputy commander named Byford Bai walked up to him with an arrogant look on his face. "I''m Byford Bai. Tell me your name, human commander. I need to know the name of the man I''m going to kill," he demanded gruffly.

 Chapter 1632 Started The Fight

    "I''ll tell you if you can defeat me," Rocky replied, glaring at Byford with determined eyes.


    When he heard that, Byford''s face twitched a little. But because Rocky had taunted him, he wouldn''t bother being polite.


    He ordered his soldiers to form an array, intending to use the mysterious military arrays to suppress Rocky''s troop of one thousand members.


    Although Byford only had three thousand soldiers, they were full of momentum after launching their attack, and they quickly suppressed Rocky''s soldiers.


    If it weren''t for the spiritual beast army helping Rocky''s soldiers, the situation would have flipped on its head and Byford would have had all the advantages.


    Of course, everything was an illusion. Rocky needed to stall so that the soldiers provided by Marcia and Moore would have time to deploy the counterattack.


    After two hours of being continuously beaten back, Rocky and his soldiers were relying completely on the spiritual beast army to hold on.


    "I thought he was powerful. This is all he''s capable of? Ha-ha!" Byford exclaimed when he saw that Rocky''s soldiers had been defeated by him.


    Ju


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    aved his sword calmly.


    The commander of the spiritual race roared. He thrust his spear at Rocky and it pierced through the sky like a comet, directed straight at Rocky''s heart.


    Rocky didn''t show any sign of weakness. He raised his Mystical Dragon Sword and sliced through the air.


    Bang!


    Two streams of spiritual power at the advanced stage of the Spiritual Infant collided with each other and a huge shock wave resulted, making all the soldiers nearby fall over.


    Although they were at the same level of strength, Rocky sensed that his opponent was closer to the Emperor Realm, likely one step away. Therefore, he focused all of his attention on the battle and used all the strength he possessed.


    While the battle between Rocky and the commander of the spiritual race''s army was unfolding, a human army made up of almost twenty thousand soldiers appeared behind them and launched a surprise attack.


    The spiritual race''s army had never expected for the human army that had retreated to come back, especially with more enhanced fighting power. They were all caught off guard and countless casualties resulted.

 Chapter 1633 The Big Victory

    The commander of the spiritual race army was extremely infuriated by the sneak attack that the human army just launched. However, there was no way for him to take charge of the overall situation because he was being held back by Rocky.


    "Lowly humans! You are such despicable creatures!" the commander bellowed. As he cast an icy glare at Rocky, the spear in his hand suddenly danced in the air, releasing a strong power that immediately enveloped his opponent.


    "Despicable? You''re one to talk! Aren''t you the ones who invaded the human territory?" Rocky responded with a sneer. Then, he wielded his Mystical Dragon Sword, unleashing an overwhelming sword force that instantly resisted the attacks of the enemy commander.


    "Because you humans are like greedy animals! You even sowed the discord between our race and the Shura Race! So, don''t blame us if we want to retaliate for your actions!" The commander''s face distorted in anger, thinking that Rocky was just spouting a lot of nonsense.


    "What?" Rocky''s eyes narrowed when he heard the words of the commander. He felt that the enemy was not lying, but at the same time, he knew that it should be impossible. After all, the human race was the weakest among the three races in the Supreme Ether Land. Hence, how could a weak race be the reason for the dispute between the two stronger races? Rocky instantly thought that there was something fishy going on.


    However, before he jumped to any c


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    equently, they immediately lost their will to fight and their combat power sharply declined.


    In about four hours, more than twenty thousand members of the spiritual race army were slaughtered. On the other hand, the army led by Marcia and Moore only lost about a thousand people, which was an absolute victory on the side of the human army.


    However, Marcia and the others still felt very anxious upon seeing that Rocky was surrounded by the blinding lights from the Scarlet Heaven Jade. They gathered around Rocky to check on his situation, but they didn''t dare to get close to him.


    "Commander Marcia, what is happening to Deputy Commander Basil?" Moore couldn''t help but ask as he didn''t understand what exactly was going on.


    "I actually don''t know either," Marcia said as she clenched her fists.


    "But he will be okay, right? I mean he is Basil." Eunice tried to be optimistic, but it was obvious that there were hints of anxiety in her voice. After all, Rocky hadn''t returned to the Di Clan with her yet. Thus, if anything bad happened to him, she would definitely be blamed for it and would even be punished for the failure of her duty.


    "We do not have a choice but to wait and see what will happen. Deputy Commander Moore, please lead the troops and evacuate a hundred meters away from here," Marcia ordered decisively.


    Since Marcia''s position was higher than Moore''s, he instantly nodded in agreement and did as he was told.

 Chapter 1634 The Shocking Breakthrough

    Following Moore''s lead, the army retreated a hundred meters away and set their camp up for rest.


    "All of you should rest. I''ll stand guard in the meantime..." Marcia told Eunice, Kye, and Maxwell, who were still guarding Rocky.


    It was clear that the three of them were very concerned about Rocky. They exchanged a long glance, unwilling to leave.


    "Don''t disobey. Even if you were to stay, you wouldn''t be able to help. Commander Marcia will take perfect care of him. Don''t worry. Come with me!" Sabina said. She knew that Marcia had formed a plan that would help Rocky, so she needed the three of them to leave.


    After they left, Marcia looked at Rocky with gentle eyes. Her heart was overflowing with love for the man.


    "You know, I never thought you would take the risk again so soon after our reunion. But this fits with your character! Let me help you to break through to the Emperor Realm!" Marcia was very observant and she could see through Rocky''s current state. He was on the verge of breaking


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    embracing each other were slowly landing, which made them blush.


    Sabina and Eunice were stunned. When their eyes fell on Rocky''s strong body, they felt slightly light-headed.


    Soon, Rocky and Marcia landed on the ground. Marcia waved her hand to cover her body with a cloak. Meanwhile, Rocky summoned his Magic Icy Armor.


    "Are you all right, Basil?" Sabina asked, approaching them.


    "I''m fine thanks to Marcia. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have been able to break through to the Emperor Realm so soon..." Rocky looked at Marcia with a faint smile.


    "Well, without you, I couldn''t have broken through to the Emperor Realm at all. I didn''t expect that the Scarlet Heaven Jade was able to refine the spiritual power absorbed by it and make it more pure and powerful," Marcia replied.


    "The Scarlet Heaven Jade used to belong to a powerful imperial master of the Shura Race. It is formed by all the power he collected in his life, and it also has very special functions..." Rocky explained, nodding slightly.

 Chapter 1635 Go To The Di Clan

    "It''s impressive. You seem to have encountered a lot of adventures in this world," Marcia commented, smiling widely. It was rare for Marcia to be so happy. She felt as if she had returned to the past. Every time she used to see Rocky, he would always have a new surprise for her.


    "Yes! The adventures are always found with me!" Rocky teased.


    "Basil, is this one of the friends you''ve been looking for?" Eunice cut in, gesturing to Marcia. She had sensed that Marcia''s attitude towards Rocky was unusual. Now, as she watched their interactions, the relationship between the two of them was clear.


    "Yes. I have been looking for them both." Rocky saw no reason to deny it.


    "So, now that you have achieved your goal, you can come back to the Di Clan with me!" After all this time, Eunice hadn''t forgotten her task of bringing Rocky back to the Di Clan.


    "I can go with you at any time. But before that happens, we have to complete the rescue mission. Marcia and her army were not the only ones who were trapped..." Rocky had been ordered to carry out the rescue mission with his soldiers. He had found Marcia, but that didn''t signal the end of the mission.


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    the Di Clan!


    There was an old man wearing a golden robe with white hair and a young face. He was sitting in the middle of the hall and he was releasing a profound and mysterious aura at the Emperor Realm. Out of all of them, his strength was closest to the peak in the human race.


    He was the current Chief of the Di Clan and the strongest spirit warrior in the Ethereal Region.


    "Chief, this is Basil," Eunice said. Before coming to the Di Clan, Eunice had sent a letter that reported everything they could expect from their visit. Therefore, the Chief and all the elders that were present already knew what Rocky looked like and they knew that he had merged with the Army-blessing Scroll.


    "Nice to meet you all. I am Basil," Rocky greeted in a voice dripping with politeness.


    "We are all familiar with what happened to the Army-blessing Scroll. Since you can merge with it, that means you are the destined person. According to the wishes of the deceased Di Clan''s members, if we were to meet a person who can merge with the Army-blessing Scroll, we must try our best to help them and protect the human race," the Chief of the Di Clan explained.

 Chapter 1636 Negotiation With The Chief

    "Chief, I don''t quite understand what you mean..." Rocky said, looking up at the Chief of the Di Clan with hesitation in his eyes.


    "Now that the battle between the human race and the spiritual race is almost over and our human race is at a disadvantage, it''s time for the Di Clan to come forward and bring back our human race''s sense of peace. Although our clan has several talented people in it, no one is capable enough to lead the human race to victory. This is why we have been looking for the Army-blessing Scroll this whole time. We want to use it to fight against the spiritual race. Now that you have fused with the Army-blessing Scroll, I''m afraid that the responsibility falls onto you. If you are willing to take on this task, our clan will try our best to assist you..." the Chief of the Di Clan explained.


    "So, you''re saying that you want me to use the power of the Army-blessing Scroll to lead the human army to victory?" Rocky repeated even though he was pretty certain that he already understood.


    "Exactly. And our clan will reward you handso


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    asked to stay, the Chief would have agreed, but she didn''t want to.


    "By the way, what''s your uncle''s position in the army? Is he one of the army-leading commanders?" Rocky asked, changing the subject.


    "My uncle is the current general of the human race. His name is Colton Di and he is the third son of our Chief," Eunice replied casually.


    "Wait. That means that you''re a noble lady of the Di Clan!" Rocky exclaimed, spinning to face Eunice with wide eyes. He had spent so much time with her and he had never thought that she came from such a high background.


    "Sort of. I''m an illegitimate daughter, so I''ve been alienated from the Di Clan since I was a child. After I grew up, I volunteered to carry out missions outside our mansion in order to win back some respect. This time, I was lucky enough to retrieve the Army-blessing Scroll. Now, I''m more important in the eyes of the elders. If I can help you save the human race, I will gain so much respect. It will make me so happy!" Eunice explained, looking at Rocky with hope glimmering in her eyes.

 Chapter 1637 Leave It To Fate

    "I see." Rocky nodded, smiling.


    "So, where are we going next?" Eunice asked.


    "To the border of the spiritual race." The moment Rocky was done speaking, he summoned the Purple-flaming Phoenix. They climbed on the phoenix''s back and flew away.


    Meanwhile, after many days of stealthily walking through forests, Sabina, Shirley, and Marcia finally reached the base camp of the spiritual race''s army that was located on the border.


    "Wait for me here," Marcia told the other two. Then, she crept into the base camp of the spiritual race.


    Soon after, Marcia entered Alyssa''s tent.


    Immediately, Alyssa sensed a strange aura in her presence and subconsciously launched a stream of spiritual power to attack the visitor.


    Without panicking, Marcia tapped her delicate hands together and a ball of bright light rushed out of them. The two spiritual forces collided in the air and a strong wave of pressure spread, filling the entire tent.


    Marcia had sensed Alyssa''s strength from her attack, so she smiled and exclaime


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    hands," Rocky said bluntly.


    "Maybe it''s fate. We have to compete again on the battlefield. I don''t see that as a bad thing. No matter which side wins the war, we will get the chance to return to our original world. I think we should leave the ending to fate..." Alyssa said honestly.


    "So you want a battle to occur between the spiritual race army and the human army until one of the parties dies?" Rocky asked, squinting his eyes.


    "Yes. We are only one step away from victory. There is no reason to quit now," Alyssa replied.


    "Okay. I guess we will fight on the battlefield." Rocky knew that once Alyssa made up her mind, it was almost impossible for her to change it. Besides, Alyssa had worked hard to get to where she was. He had no reason to ask her to surrender, but he would not go back on his word because of Alyssa''s decision.


    "Now that we''re done talking about business, shall we talk about our personal affairs?" As soon as Alyssa was done talking, her beautiful eyes shone and she approached Rocky.

 Chapter 1638 Meet Colton

    "Well, did you miss me when we were apart?" Rocky asked as he looked deep into Alyssa''s eyes. He put his arms around her waist while the two got lost in each other''s gaze.


    "What do you think?" Alyssa flirtatiously asked back. After dealing with the Shura Race alone for god knew how long, she wanted nothing more than the sweet embrace of her lover.


    "I missed you since the day we parted ways, but I''m afraid after this, we can''t see each other again until the battle between the human and spiritual race ends," Rocky said with a deep sigh.


    "Do you want to stay with me for a few days?" Alyssa asked eagerly. She had so much to share with the man.


    "I''d like to. But the people of the Shura Race must be spying on you right now. If I stayed here, things would only grow more complicated. Plus, I have to go back to the human race army to help them finally end the war..." It hurt Rocky to say those words, but he knew he had to put others before himself.


    "You haven''t changed at all." Alyssa already knew what Rocky would s


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    Marcia were willing to offer their help, fear and doubt still lingered in Colton''s heart.


    "In order to return to our original world, we are willing to give it our all," Rocky assured him.


    "All right. I''m glad to hear that. If it means defeating the spiritual race army and ushering in a new era of peace for the human race, then I would gladly protect you on your journey towards the door to the alien world." After taking a moment to think, Colton decided to trust the two with the future of his race.


    "Thank you very much, Commander in Chief; we won''t let you down," Rocky said as he cupped his hands in gratitude.


    "Given the current situation of our troops, it''s almost impossible to turn the tables on our opponents. The only way I can see how is if we risk everything and fight with all our might..." Colton''s eyes turned serious.


    "That''s true. So before Grand Commander Marcia and I came here, we had already devised a strategy. Would you like to hear it out?" Rocky asked as a hopeful gleam shone in his eyes.

 Chapter 1639 The Troy Plan

    "Then please say it. I''ll listen carefully," Colton said earnestly.


    "Grand Commander Marcia, I''ll leave it to you!" Rocky smiled at Marcia.


    "Okay." Marcia nodded. She walked to the sand table in the middle of the tent and began to explain the strategic plan that she and Rocky had come up with before.


    The two of them had developed this plan based on their understanding of Alyssa. In other words, they had predicted the strategy that Alyssa would use and come up with a counter-strategy to fight against her.


    Their plan left Colton, who had been fighting in the battlefield for a long time, stunned, because their strategy was simply unheard of. It had never been seen before in the history of war in the Supreme Ether Land.


    This strategic plan was aptly named "The Troy Plan" by Rocky.


    In fact, anyone from the modern world would know that this name was referring to the invasion of the Trojan horses. The reason why Rocky used this name was because their strategic plan was to attack the vital parts of the spiritual race army in a hidden and unpredictable way, like the invasion of the Trojan horses.


    The most terrifying¡ªand also the


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    Tiger Gorge through the tunnel and kill all the guards. After that, they had to kill all the horses, spiritual beasts, and Carrier Beasts of the spiritual race army.


    At the same time, he arranged another troop to pour kerosene a hundred meters away from the base camp in the gorge to seal off the retreating route of the spiritual race troops.


    After the preparation work was finished, Rocky ordered thirty thousand soldiers to wait outside the gorge, while he led another twenty thousand soldiers to attack the base camp of the spiritual race army. At the same time, Eunice and the others were attacking the enemies from within the base camp.


    With thirty thousand soldiers of the spiritual race present in the Tiger Gorge, a fierce battle was inevitable. However, because of the sudden attack in the middle of the night, Rocky''s troops had the initial advantage. With the help of the mysterious military arrays and Army-blessing Scroll, the spiritual race army could not resist the violent attack of Rocky''s army.


    At last, the commander of the spiritual race army had no choice but to order his troops to withdraw from their current position.

 Chapter 1640 Their Plan Worked Well

    However, as the spiritual race''s army was retreating, a cloud of fire suddenly roared into the sky, blocking their path.


    "Don''t stop! Keep running!" the commander of the spiritual race barked. Seized with panic, he gave the order without thinking about it too much.


    Just as they passed through the fire, a dense mass of black shadows suddenly appeared from all directions, surrounding the soldiers of the spiritual race.


    It was futile to retreat since all escape routes had been sealed off. They had no choice but to face Rocky''s army head on.


    Dispirited, they charged at their enemy. The two sides fought until dawn.


    In the end, more than two thirds of the spiritual race''s soldiers were killed in battle. The rest surrendered and begged for their lives to be spared.


    Instead of killing them all, Rocky sent Kye to lead a troop of five thousand people to escort the captured soldiers to a nearby valley to imprison them there.


    But before they were sent off, Rocky had some of the members of his army peel off their armor. Then, taking the spir


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    nobody in the Sword Spirit Sect back then.


    "Commander, these two said they might know you when they arrived. It turns out they really do know you! They are the spirit warriors that the Sword Spirit City sent to help us," Bertram reported.


    "Yes, they are all my friends," Rocky replied frankly.


    "I see. I''ll head back now, since I''ve successfully finished my task. Please take care of the upcoming arrangements," Bertram said curtly as he cupped his hands.


    "Thank you." Rocky nodded.


    Then, Bertram left hurriedly.


    "You too can leave now to make relevant arrangements," Rocky ordered Eunice and Kye.


    The two of them nodded and also left.


    "Hey, look at you! Even the way you speak is different!" Although Rocky was already a commander of the human race''s army, in Tessa''s eyes, he was still that quiet, mysterious guy.


    "I didn''t expect you would become the commander of the human race''s army," Ramon also sighed.


    "How many spirit warriors have the Sword Spirit Sect sent here this time?" Rocky asked, ignoring their trivialities.

 Chapter 1641 The Spiritual Race Army’s True Intention

    "There are fifty people in total, including us," Tessa replied.


    "Good. With your help, our army will be able to move quickly and execute the mysterious military arrays swiftly." Rocky nodded with satisfaction.


    The mysterious military arrays couldn''t be activated by ordinary soldiers alone. Only spirit warriors could boost the arrays to their full potential. The more spiritual warriors that joined, the more powerful the mysterious military arrays.


    So with the help of spirit warriors like Tessa, Rocky''s army would greatly improve in terms of combat capability.


    After briefly explaining the current situation of the battlefield to Tessa and others, Rocky called in Kye and asked him to take them to get familiar with the environment and communicate with the soldiers.


    The spies under Rocky, who had been monitoring the spiritual race army''s movements very closely, had just intercepted a vital piece of information. A spiritual race army amounting to fifty thousand people was heading towards Panta Mountain. Why they were headed there remained a mystery.


    Panta Mountain was the junction between the human race and the spiritual race. Its location was


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    iritual beast had just said. It seemed that the spiritual army intended to not only subdue the beast but to steal its precious sacred weapon too.


    "Stop pretending. You humans are just as greedy as the spiritual race. You always wish to manipulate us. Once you get your hands on the sacred weapon, you''ll succeed," the spiritual beast commented with hostility in its voice.


    "It seems you''ve misunderstood me. I''m not going after any sacred weapon. I just want to stop the spiritual race from hurting you," Rocky admitted.


    "Do you honestly think I''m stupid enough to believe you?" The spiritual beast snorted.


    "Whether or not you believe me, it doesn''t matter. But there''s no doubt that I''ve helped you out just now. I don''t require anything else in return. I just wish for me and my troops to leave safely." Rocky knew that the spiritual race army would lead another counterattack soon after they left. He couldn''t allow his army to be further entangled with the spiritual beast army.


    The beast paused to think further before it replied, "Alright, I''ll let you and your troops go. But you must swear that you will never step foot into this forest again."

 Chapter 1642 Beverlys Diversion

    "It''s a deal. We don''t have to enter this place. After all, we have nothing to do here anyway. We just came here to stop the army of the spiritual race. But since we''ve already got what we want, we can leave right away. Our apologies for interrupting you, sir. Please let us go in peace," Rocky said respectfully. It was clear to him that it wasn''t the right time to offend and pick a fight with this Emperor Realm spiritual beast.


    Upon hearing this, the spiritual beast looked in the distance and said in a serious tone, "I hope you are telling the truth. The sacred forbidden area cannot be defiled at all costs. So, if you will not keep your promise, I''ll be sure to kill you no matter what."


    Although Rocky suspected that the relic being hidden there might have something to do with the Star Divine Race, he could not take any risk. No matter how eager he was to explore the place, he could not put the lives of his comrades in danger. Moreover, the important thing right now was to stop the plan of the spiritual race''s army. Since it seemed that they had fulfilled their goal, he could still wait for another chance.


    "Everyone, listen to me! Keep the formation as we retreat from the forest. Do not let your guard down," Rocky ordered at once. Although the spiritual beast gave its word to let the human army go, Rocky still strictly


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    her tent and left the camp of the spiritual race''s army.


    At the dead of the night, the primeval forest seemed to be very quiet. All the living creatures had already fallen asleep.


    At the same time, Rocky, was still up, planning the next steps to deal with the spiritual race''s army. Suddenly, he saw a shadow standing outside his tent. However, the figure disappeared in an instant before he had the opportunity to know who it was.


    Rocky found it rather strange and had a bad feeling about it. His eyes narrowed, and he decided to go out.


    Not long after, he found the figure again. This time, he chased it out of the military camp until he arrived at an open ground about a mile away from the camp.


    Noticing that Rocky had already followed her, the figure finally stopped and faced him directly.


    The moment the figure turned around, Rocky found out that it was actually a woman with delicate features. Moreover, he instantly noticed that she was very familiar. Apparently, she was the beast tamer of the spiritual race''s army that he encountered a couple of times before¡ªBeverly.


    "Oh, it is you again. I believe I don''t know your name yet," Rocky said indifferently.


    "I believe so too. My name is Beverly," she replied.


    "I see. It is a pretty name," Rocky said with a faint smile as if he was not threatened at all.

 Chapter 1643 The Deal

    "Don''t. I''m here to make a deal with you." Beverly snapped impatiently.


    "Oh, never in my wildest dreams would I have thought the spiritual race would try to strike a deal with us humans!" Rocky smiled devilishly.


    "Just hear me out," Beverly persisted.


    "Fine. What is it?" Rocky asked, curious as to how this was going to play out.


    "Do you know why the spiritual race is after that Emperor Realm spiritual beast?" Beverly asked in a level tone, eyeing Rocky carefully.


    "I don''t," Rocky said with a shrug. The truth was, he knew exactly why they were here--the spiritual race was after the sacred weapon in the ruins, not the Emperor Realm spiritual beast.


    "That beast is not ordinary--it''s the Beast of Fire and Ice, which has lived on the mountain for hundreds of years," Beverly explained. "It has been rumored that it is a direct descendant of the ancient legendary beast. If we can get the Fire Pill and Ice Pill within its body, we will be able to obtain its powers. Not only that, we will also gain command over thousands of beasts. This is why our commander in chief has ordered us to come here--to hu


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    an race. That''s why I''m doing everything I can to stop them," Rocky said, his voice choking with emotion.


    The beast lapsed into silence.


    "Actually, I have a question. Could you answer it for me, sir?" Rocky asked suddenly, as though something just occurred to him.


    "You talk too much..." The beast glared at Rocky, but waited for him to ask the question.


    "I have entered those ruins before. There, I found a record from something called the Star Divine Race. I want to know if this sacred weapon has anything to do with this race," Rocky said straightforwardly.


    "That''s correct. That sacred weapon indeed belonged to the Star Divine Race. It''s the most powerful treasure that the race took with them when they fled their world," the beast explained.


    "Is this Star Divine Race from the Star Divine World?" Rocky asked immediately, his eyes flashing excitedly.


    "How do you know about the Star Divine World?" The tone of the Beast of Fire and Ice immediately became solemn. The Star Divine Race had long been extinct in this world, and no one should have known that they came from the Star Divine World.

 Chapter 1644 The Star Beast Ring

    "Before I came to this world, I actually became the successor of the Holy Lord of the Star Divine World," Rocky replied earnestly.


    "What? You are the successor of the Holy Lord?!" The Beast of Fire and Ice was in utter disbelief as soon as it learned Rocky''s real identity.


    "Yes, that is right. However, I lost my divine power as soon as I entered this world," Rocky replied with a bitter smile.


    "I see. No wonder there is something about you that feels very familiar. It turns out that you became the successor of the Holy Lord. Now, everything makes sense!" The Beast of Fire and Ice heaved a deep sigh. It seemed that it experienced several kinds of emotions at once.


    "Are you not going to doubt it? Don''t you need more proof to ascertain my claim, sir?" Rocky asked. He just felt a little weird that the beast believed what he said without asking for more details or explanation.


    "Since you know about the Star Divine World and the Holy Lord, those are enough proof already. Besides, I can clearly perceive the aura of the Star Divine Race from you," the beast answered without a shred of doubt.


    "All right then. Can you trust my intention now, sir?" Rocky asked with a smile.


    "Of course! Moreover, you are the successor of the Holy Lord, so don''t me call sir. It is not appropriate because I am just a descendant of a legendary b


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    primeval forest, ready for the supposed collaboration with Beverly''s troops.


    Meanwhile, the four spirit warriors led about twenty thousand soldiers, who were proficient in the mysterious military arrays, to lurk at the entrance of the ruins to prevent the other members of the spiritual race from entering.


    On the other hand, Beverly had also made the same arrangement. She asked two of her deputy commanders to lead about twenty thousand soldiers to safeguard the entrance of the ruins and wait for further orders. At the same time, she led the rest of the army, together with the two Emperor Realm masters to join Rocky and his troops.


    Soon enough, Rocky and Beverly, together with their troops, met in front of Harlan''s lair.


    "Commander Basil, you and these two Emperor Realm masters will take care of distracting the Beast of Fire and Ice. Then, I will be responsible for all the other spiritual beasts," Beverly directly instructed Rocky.


    "Okay. I got it." Rocky immediately nodded in agreement.


    Upon completion of necessary preparations, the human army and the spiritual race''s army launched their combined attacks to raid Harlan''s lair.


    At the same time, the spiritual beasts outside the lair immediately began their counterattack as soon as they saw the two armies. In a flash, a fierce battle broke out deep in the forest.

 Chapter 1645 No Mercy

    Spiritual beasts were ferocious in nature, so they couldn''t show any mercy to them. Soon enough, the battle became fiercer, and the corpses from both the humans and the spiritual race piled all over the ground.


    Fortunately, even with the heavy casualties from both armies, they were able to get closer to Harlan''s lair.


    About two hours later, the human army and the spiritual race army were able to carve a bloody path to reach the entrance of Harlan''s lair. Under the protection of the soldiers, Rocky and the two Emperor Realm masters of the spiritual race rushed towards the lair of the Beast of Fire and Ice without hesitation.


    At the same time, Harlan was already waiting for them, and its ginormous body welcomed them.


    "Imbeciles! How many times will you dare to disturb my cultivation? I shall kill all of you tonight!" Harlan roared and unleashed an astonishing momentum.


    Seeing this, Rocky and the two Emperor Realm masters also unleashed their power and began to assault the raging beast.


    As for Beverly, who was in charge of the overall command, she carefully paid attention to the ongoing battle as she commanded the soldiers outside the lair to resist the other spiritual beasts.


    Meanwhile, Eunice and the others also led their troops to the ruins of the Star Divine Race as per Rocky''s instructions. They needed to set up traps immediately in or


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    hout the assistance of the human army, the spiritual race army was quickly put in a very bad position.


    Not long after, Harlan strode out of the lair, carrying the corpses of the two Emperor Realm masters in its mouth. Then, it aggressively threw the corpses on the ground, intimidating the forces of the spiritual race army to the extreme.


    Realizing that her troops had already lost the will to fight, Beverly made up her mind and led her soldiers away from the lair to cut their losses.


    Besides, she thought that the troop that she sent to the ruins should have already accomplished their mission by now. Unfortunately for her, Rocky already knew her plan and made the necessary arrangements to thwart it. In fact, her troops were currently in a very disadvantageous situation as they faced the army led by Eunice and the other spirit warriors.


    Then, as Beverly and the spiritual race army retreated from Harlan''s lair, Rocky reappeared in front of the beast.


    "It was a successful cooperation!" Rocky immediately cupped his hands, wearing a huge smile on his face.


    "Well, thanks to your brilliant plan, I easily defeated those weaklings from the spiritual race. Now that our business is finished here, follow me to the ruins," Harlan urged.


    With that, Rocky immediately leaped onto Harlan''s back as they headed towards the ruins of the Star Divine Race.

 Chapter 1646 Come Straight To The Point

    At the point, the troops led by Eunice, Kye, Tessa, and Ramon had successfully intercepted the troops of the spiritual race and were able to safeguard the entrance of the ruins. However, the enemy troops were still thriving to fight them.


    However, as soon as Rocky and Harlan appeared at the entrance of the ruins, the troops of the spiritual race instantly froze in fear and retreated in a hurry.


    Seeing that the enemy army had lost the will to fight back, Rocky deemed that it wasn''t necessary to chase after them. Then, he quickly landed in front of the human army.


    Eunice and the others had finally breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Rocky. However, when they also saw Harlan behind him, they were a bit surprised.


    "Everyone, thank you so much for your hard work," Rocky said with a big smile to Eunice and the three others who led the army.


    "Well, it''s not a big deal. Actually, it was such a pleasure to crush the spiritual race!" Tessa uttered excitedly. It was not that long when she joined the battle, but she already experienced a huge victory. That made her a little thrilled and confident.


    "Wait for me here. I just have to go deep into the ruins with Harlan." After that, Rocky quickly entered the ruins while being accompanied by Harlan.


    Apparently, the ruins had been long abandoned, and


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    e immediately showed a jealous expression on her face.


    "Then, why not come with me?" Rocky suggested, trying to lighten up the atmosphere.


    "Humph! Forget it. I still have a lot of things to deal with. Just go and return quickly!" Marcia replied as she rolled her eyes at Rocky.


    Rocky just let out a faint smile and didn''t utter another word.


    Then, he eventually left the camp and rode on the Purple-flaming Phoenix to go directly to the front line of the spiritual race army. Since Alyssa was now in charge of the front line, it was much easier for him to look for her.


    Right after sneaking into her tent, Rocky immediately saw Alyssa.


    "Basil? What are you doing here?" Alyssa was obviously surprised to see Rocky suddenly appear in her quarters.


    "Why? Can''t I visit you?" Rocky replied, wearing a teasing smile.


    "Humph! I know that you just came here to spy on our military secrets." Alyssa assumed that since they were on the opposing sides right now, Rocky didn''t actually come for her.


    "Why are you always so smart?" Rocky asked with a bitter smile.


    "So, tell me. What do you want from me?" Alyssa asked straightforwardly.


    "Since you want me to be direct, I will do so," Rocky said as his expression instantly became serious. "I want the information about the troops of the spiritual race."

 Chapter 1647 Turning The Tide

    "You''re quite blunt," Alyssa noted with a smile. She wasn''t at all surprised. No matter what Rocky requested, it wasn''t too much for her. After all, he came into this world to save them and that was why he lost his divine power. It was undeniable that he cared about them. As long as that remained, Alyssa was willing to do anything for him.


    "What do you say? Do you agree?" Rocky asked with a grin.


    "I will. If you want information on the spiritual race''s army, I''ll hand it over immediately. But it still won''t be enough to change the current situation. Our race''s power greatly surpasses that of your human. On top of that, the human army is highly unmotivated at the moment. If it weren''t for you and Marcia, the human race would''ve collapsed like a sandcastle washed away by the tide!" Alyssa voiced out in honesty.


    "Which is why I need to lead the human army to victory in a battle. That will help reverse the situation. However, I don''t know if I''ll be able to succeed with you in charge of the spiritual race''s army!" Rocky admitted to her.


    "You want me to throw the g


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    . If they didn''t have enough strength, they were as good as dead once they entered it.


    "The Demon Valley is no ordinary place. If we want to enter it, I''m afraid we''ll need to think about it more carefully!" the chief said seriously.


    "I know, but I''m afraid a long delay may give rise to many drawbacks. Especially if the Shura Race knows that I''ll leave this world with my companions, they''ll try every means necessary to stop us. We need to act before they find out without a moment''s delay." What worried Rocky the most was Alyssa. Since the spiritual race''s army had lost the upper hand, the Shura Race would definitely suspect Alyssa. That placed her in a very dangerous situation. He needed to meet her at the Demon Valley as soon as possible according to their agreement.


    "Well, if you insist. I''ll instruct Colton to lead a human army and some of our clan''s elites to escort you to the Demon Valley. They''ll cover for you as well when you arrive at the door to another world. But after that, you''re on your own," the chief explained as he put his arrangement forward.

 Chapter 1648 Mysterious Identity

    "Thank you very much, Chief!" Rocky exclaimed, cupping his hands and bowing his head out of respect.


    "Don''t mention it. We have helped so little compared to what you have done for the human race." The chief of the Di Clan waved his hand. Then he turned to Colton and said, "Colton, you have full authority over this mission. Keep Basil and his companions safe!"


    "Yes, Chief!" Colton replied, nodding his head firmly.


    "Basil, feel free to remain in our clan with your friends until everything is ready. You deserve some rest," the chief added.


    "Okay. Thank you."


    Afterwards, Rocky, Marcia, and the others followed the Di Clan''s servants to the accommodation that had been arranged for them.


    Colton also departed


    in order to gather and prepare the troop for the mission.


    A few days later, a loud thud echoed through the Cloud Pavilion at the Sky-suppressing Mansion. The entire second floor of the building was a gigantic mess. Rubble covered the floor and dust floated down from the ceiling.


    Canaan glared at a black-robed figure in front of him and growled, "You said Alyssa was missing. When did you find that out?"


    "It wa


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    usion and surprise. He had never thought that Rocky was also from an alien land. He started to connect some dots in his mind. Alyssa''s sudden disappearance may have involved Rocky.


    "Now that Commander Basil has been targeted by the spiritual race, we must inform him immediately. I will send someone to deliver the message to him," the chief said, turning around to call his servants.


    Suddenly, the gates of the side hall snapped shut due to an invisible force. At the same time, Canaan''s face darkened and a chilling evil aura spread from his limbs.


    "What? You..." The chief looked at Canaan curiously. Something was clearly not right.


    "Chief, thank you for all the information you have given me. Otherwise, my plan would have failed. I''m sorry but I can''t let you inform Basil," Canaan said to the chief with a sneer.


    "You are not Canaan! Who the hell are you?" Suddenly, the chief realized that the man in front of him was not who he said he was.


    "Ha-ha! There''s no point in telling you because you are going to die!" Canaan laughed wildly. Then, an astonishing force emerged from him and shot towards the chief of the Di Clan.

 Chapter 1649 Pray For A Smooth Journey

    Although the Chief of the Di Clan was at the top level of the Emperor Realm, he seemed very vulnerable before Canaan. As he was directly hit by Canaan''s attack, he flew straight to the stone pillar behind him. Blood spurted from his mouth and his face instantly became deathly pale.


    Fortunately, the Chief was still someone who would not easily go down on a fight. He quickly adjusted his posture in the air but wobbled as he landed.


    "I am impressed, old man. Your cultivation base sure is strong among human masters. However, before us members of the Shura Race, you are a mere insect that could be crushed at any time." Seeing that the Chief could still stand after directly taking his attack, Canaan let out a look of disdain on his face.


    "What are you saying? You are from the Shura Race?" the Chief asked with furrowed brows. He was utterly confused when Canaan claimed that he was actually from the Shura Race. But soon, he understood what it meant. It just meant that the man in front of him was not the real Canaan.


    The man pretending to be Canaan just let out a scoff but didn''t utter anything more. Then, countless sharp and powerful spiritual forces surged out from him, instantly surround


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    nce to make it back. I know you understand what I mean..." Marcia remarked, reminding Rocky to take the interest of everybody into account.


    Of course, Rocky understood what Marcia meant. If the situation was derailed from their original plan, they would have to give up meeting Alyssa and reach the door as soon as possible to travel back into their original world.


    "I know. I promise that I will make the right call when the time comes." Rocky knew that he was carrying the weight of so many people that depended on him. Once he made even one tiny mistake, it could probably immediately put everyone''s lives in immeasurable danger. Hence, he could only put the overall situation first.


    "All right. I will explore the way ahead to secure our path." Hearing Rocky''s reply, Marcia nodded her head in relief. Then her figure disappeared in a flash.


    Looking at Marcia''s back, Rocky could not help but clench his fists as he felt a storm of emotions brewing from within him. He kept on thinking that if he didn''t lose his power upon arriving in this world, it wouldn''t be that difficult for them to return. However, he had to face the reality. Right now, all he could do was pray for a smooth journey.

 Chapter 1650 Changed Plans

    Three days later, under the guardians'' protection, Rocky and his companions finally arrived at the entrance of the Demon Valley.


    The guardians had found a safe place to camp, and thus it didn''t take long before they were settled.


    "Mr. Basil, we will stop here. Once you rendezvous with your other companions, we guards will have to withdraw from this matter," Colton said to Rocky and Marcia once they were settled in the camp.


    "Okay, thank you for all your hard work, Commander in Chief Colton. Please forward my thanks to your chief when you get back. Without the help of the Di Clan, I''m afraid we wouldn''t have gotten here so smoothly," Rocky said gratefully.


    "You''re welcome, Mr. Basil. It''s not a big deal. You''ve done so much more for our clan and the human race as a whole," Colton said with a smile. He looked at Rocky with great admiration.


    After exchanging a few more words, Rocky and Marcia then left Colton''s tent.


    "Do you need me to head into the Demon Valley first to check the route?" Marcia asked Rocky.


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    together to heal him.


    Four hours later, the general finally woke up.


    "Your... Your Highness..." The general''s eyes widened as soon as he recognized Rocky.


    "You must be one of Alyssa''s generals. What happened? How did you get so badly hurt? Where is Alyssa?" Rocky''s brows knitted anxiously. He knew that something big must have happened.


    The general told them the whole story immediately. Rocky and Colton wore grave expressions. They didn''t expect their whereabouts would be leaked, let alone Alyssa being captured.


    "In that case, the Shura Race probably knows why we''re here. They must have set up traps around the door." Rocky frowned deeply.


    "We can''t take the risk. I think you''d better give up the plan of returning to your world for now!" Colton immediately advised. If the Shura Race indeed knew their purpose for being here, it would be no different from throwing themselves into the net if they went about their original plan.


    "No, Alyssa is still in their hands. I can''t leave her!" Rocky said resolutely.

 Chapter 1651 The Door To The Alien World

    At that time, Marcia, who had just heard the news, suddenly rushed in, wearing a serious expression on her face. She heard the conversation between Rocky and Colton, and she was obviously taken by surprise.


    "Marcia..." Rocky immediately looked at her. From the look in her eyes, he could guess that she must have heard everything.


    "You don''t have to say anything. I know you and I know what you''re thinking. However, I can''t let Sabina and the others take such a huge risk with you. Hence, I want them and the commander in chief to leave this place first. Then, I will go with you to rescue Alyssa." Without any hesitation, Marcia told what was in her mind.


    "No, I have to go there alone. Our enemies have let us go directly to the portal that leads to the alien world. It means that they already know what we are planning. If that is the case, then I cannot let you go with me. It is going to be very dangerous," Rocky sternly refused.


    "Call me stubborn or selfish, but I also can''t let you take the risk alone!" Marcia retorted as she fixed her eyes on Rocky.


    "Calm down. There is no point in arguing within ourselves. Whether Basil will go, or both of you will go, the task remains very dangerous. They have taken Alyss


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    nally took Alyssa away as a hostage to force him to surrender. Thus, once they brought Alyssa out and threatened her life, Rocky would not be able to move freely.


    Therefore, he must be well prepared for every possible scenario when they faced the Shura Race.


    "After I let Glutton out in this world, it completely disappeared. It was my fault for lifting its restriction," Rocky mumbled in disappointment. Currently, he needed to accumulate as much combat power as possible to have a chance to defeat the Shura Race.


    Fortunately, Rocky could use the Fire Pill at any time to summon Harlan. Additionally, he possessed the Star Beast Ring that could bestow him astounding strength. But of course, if he wanted to triumph over the Shura Race, he needed more pieces aside from what he already had.


    In the next few days, Rocky carefully set up various mysterious military arrays to train the guards much faster.


    After everything was ready, Rocky and his comrades, together with the guards led by Colton, entered the Demon Valley with the goal of reaching the door to the alien world.


    At the same time, in the depths of the Demon Valley, thousands of members of the Shura Race had been waiting for them, guarding the door.

 Chapter 1652 Lived For Whom

    "Report! A human army has entered the Demon Valley." A spy who was assigned to monitor Rocky strode into Jonathan''s tent and reported.


    "I see. You can leave now." Jonathan waved his hand.


    Once the spy left, Jonathan turned towards Alyssa. Her hands and feet were shackled by the black iron that contained her spiritual power. Jonathan then shot her a chilling smile and said, "It seems your beloved still doesn''t want to leave you."


    Alyssa returned his gaze with a deadpan stare. She bit her lips tightly. Although she undoubtedly knew that Rocky would come to save her, a part of her heart didn''t want to believe it. She knew that once he came, there was probably no going back.


    "What? Why the long face? You should be happy you''ll be reunited with your sweetheart soon," Jonathan provoked her.


    "Enough! Do you really think you''ll win? Don''t be so quick to laugh when this hasn''t ended yet. I believe Basil will defeat you and take us back," Alyssa said firmly with excitement.


    "Haha! Alright. I''d love to see


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    stop him once he wanted to make a sacrifice. In contrast, Shirley would be more rational than them.


    "Why do you need to sacrifice yourself for us every time? Can''t you live for yourself?" This wasn''t the first time Shirley faced this situation. But it made her feel resentful because she felt incapable of helping Rocky.


    "You silly girl. If it weren''t for you, I wouldn''t be who I am today. You made me the man I am now. Everything I''ve done has more meaning because you exist," Rocky confessed as he looked into Shirley''s eyes.


    "But I don''t want to see you leave again¡­" Shirley''s eyes turned red.


    "Leaving doesn''t mean being apart forever. I''ve left before and here I am standing in front of you. Remember, my existence only means something as long as you live. So you all must stay alive," Rocky pleaded with her passionately.


    "I know. But you must promise me that you''ll stay alive as well!" Shirley nodded her head in approval.


    "I''ll live for all of you," Rocky promised as he gently stroked her head.

 Chapter 1653 Negotiation With Jonathan

    After Shirley left, Rocky immediately entered the Magic Spiritual Space so that he could make the necessary preparations for the upcoming battle.


    Then, early the next morning, the well-prepared guards and the other elite members of the Holy Dragon Empire went to the appointed place to wait for the signal that would come from Rocky and the others.


    At the same time, Rocky and Colton went straight for the door to the alien world through the only passage that the Shura Race had left for them.


    Not long after, Rocky and Colton appeared in front of the door, but there was no one there.


    Then, a man in silver armor walked out of the camp beside the door. In a flash, he landed in front of the two, exuding an arrogant and frightening aura.


    "So, only the two of you?" Jonathan from the Shura Race was not really surprised to see that Rocky and Colton were the only ones that showed up. After all, he knew that Rocky was smart enough not to lead a huge army that would just be ambushed by the forces of the Shura Race that were lurking around. Moreover, his only true goal was Rocky since he was confirmed to be the biggest threat to the Shura Race.


    "You! Where is Canaan? Tell


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    h. Then, he waved his hand.


    A moment later, Alyssa, who was shackled, was immediately brought out by two members of the Shura Race.


    "Alyssa, are you all right?" Seeing that Alyssa seemed to be safe and sound, Rocky was able to breathe a sigh of relief.


    "You, silly guy! Yes, I am fine, but you shouldn''t be here. Don''t even think of fighting Jonathan. Don''t die just because of me!" Of course, Alyssa was elated to see Rocky, but soon enough, she became dejected. After all, she knew that if Rocky stayed there any longer, his life would be in danger.


    Then, Rocky smiled at Alyssa and told Jonathan, "I hope you don''t go back on your word. Let go of Alyssa once I die."


    "Of course. As long as you die, all of our problems will vanish as well." Jonathan scoffed and nodded slightly.


    "All right then. Although I''m afraid that I want to be the one to do this myself..." Upon finishing his words, Rocky suddenly pulled out the Mystical Dragon Sword and tossed it in the air. Then, the sword circled in the air and flew towards his chest with incredible momentum.


    In a flash, the sword pierced through Rocky''s body, making him kneel before eventually falling to the ground.

 Chapter 1654 The Last Battle

    Colton''s eyes widened in shock as he saw the scene unfolded before him. He didn''t expect that Rocky would really go to such lengths just to deceive Jonathan.


    "Basil! No!" Alyssa shouted at the top of her lungs while tears streamed down her face.


    "Ha-ha! I can''t believe how stupid he is! He really sacrificed himself so easily for a woman?" Jonathan burst into wild laughter as he saw Rocky''s body fell to the ground.


    "You! Keep your promise and let Alyssa go!" Colton said as he glared at Jonathan, trying his very best to restrain his anger.


    "Huh? Ha-ha! You really are a bunch of idiots! Did you actually believe that I will keep such a promise? Do not be ridiculous!" Jonathan retorted disdainfully.


    "Damn you, bastard! I''ll make sure to kill you mercilessly..." Colton uttered through gritted teeth. Then, he immediately gathered his spiritual power and shot it into the air.


    Seeing the surge of the spiritual power, Marcia, who was just lurking not far away, instantly led all the elite members of the Holy Dragon Empire and the other guards to besiege the stronghold of the Shura Race within five hundred meters around the door to the alien world.


    "Your Highness, the human army had suddenly appeared on the s


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    ace of a lion descended and instantly blocked Jonathan off. The astonishing aura that was close to the Shura Realm shocked everyone present.


    "Is that¡­ Glutton?" Alyssa mumbled softly in shock.


    "Hey! You are finally back." Rocky heaved a deep sigh of relief at the sight of it.


    "Master, you can focus on opening the door. I will take care of this guy." Without a shred of hesitation, Glutton rushed towards Jonathan and gave him a hard time.


    Meanwhile, Marcia and her troops had been engaged with the forces of the Shura Race, intending to force open a gap in their defensive line and rush in. However, since most of the bulk of the forces of the Shura Race was there, it was not that easy for them to get through.


    Just as everyone was in a stalemate, countless beasts suddenly emerged and rushed out from the dense forest. In an instant, the whole area was flooded by spiritual beasts that seemed like a raging tide. To the surprise of the Shura Race, these savage beasts actually came to assist the humans.


    Not long after, a huge shadow came over, exuding a violent and domineering aura that filled the entire field. It was none other Harlan, the one who sent the Legion of Beasts to lend a hand to the human army.

 Chapter 1655 The Door Was Opened

    As soon as he received Rocky''s call, Harlan wasted no time and led his Legion of Beasts to their aid.


    Seeing them arrive, the human race cheered in joy. They marched with a newfound sense of hope as they slowly made their way forward.


    Now that Glutton had also arrived in time and controlled Jonathan, it prompted Alyssa and Colton to stand their ground and guard Rocky.


    However, as his comrades rallied to his side, Rocky was facing a harrowing task of his own. Every fiber of his being screamed in agony as the Star Beast Ring consumed too much power, draining him of every last drop of his strength.


    But he knew he had to capture this once in a lifetime opportunity. So he opened up the Magic Spiritual Space quickly.


    "Martial spirits, come out!" The air around him suddenly turned chilly as the martial spirits burst out of the opening and swarmed around him.


    "Lend me all your strength!" Rocky shouted high into the sky and ordered them as if he was their king.


    Then, those martial spirits bowed their heads towards him and summoned their own power, which


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    ce. In a short while, the Legion of Beasts was reduced by more than half, causing the inevitable demise of some of the guards.


    Right when the guards were about to be wiped out, Rocky finally opened the door of the alien world. At the center, he saw a chaotic vortex that flashed blinding lights and rotated violently.


    As soon as he opened the door, he rushed to the guards'' side to support Sabina, Shirley and other elites of the Holy Dragon Empire.


    "Shirley, Sabina, you two take the others through the door to the alien world now," Rocky ordered.


    Without question, they immediately nodded and did as they were told.


    "Harlan, cover them while they go through the door!" He then immediately shouted at Harlan.


    Harlan raised its head and let out a deafening roar upon hearing this. The beast whipped up a volley of violent winds which he sent crashing down towards the Shura Race.


    Under the cover of Harlan and the Legion of Beasts, Shirley and Sabina, together with the elites of the Holy Dragon Empire had a clear path towards the door to the alien world.

 Chapter 1656 Farewell

    Meanwhile, although Marcia, Alyssa, and Colton were fighting together, they couldn''t harm Jonathan. Over and over, he injured them.


    They figured that when Rocky had opened the door to the alien world, it had angered Jonathan. Now, his strength was increasing again. He flung Alyssa and Colton out of the way and headed for Marcia. Grabbing her by the neck with one hand, he squeezed her and lifted her off of the ground. Her feet dangled, as she tried to find something to stand on.


    Now that her strength was suppressed, Marcia couldn''t fight back and free herself. Her delicate face instantly turned red, as if she were about to suffocate.


    When they saw Marcia flailing, Alyssa and Colton felt the urge to save her.


    However, they were running out of time. She was too far away!


    Just as Marcia started to fade, a figure appeared. A huge sword light slashed through the air and headed for the arm that Jonathan was using to hold Marcia.


    When he noticed, Jonathan immediately cast Marcia to the ground and dodged the sword light.


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    ht pierced through Jonathan''s body. He exploded and the blood mist floated in the air before it slowly dissipated.


    At that moment, Rocky was no longer able to bear the impact of the huge force inside of him. His whole body was disintegrating, leaving only a spiritual light shadow floating in the air. His expression was peaceful, as if he had become a god.


    When the members of the Shura Race saw that Jonathan had been killed by Rocky and that Rocky had displayed the supreme power of the Shura Race, they were all shocked. They all knelt on the ground and worshipped him.


    The human guards also looked at Rocky''s light shadow with admiration swimming in their large eyes.


    The whole time, the gate to the alien world had been shrinking and closing. Suddenly, it collapsed into a pile of ruins.


    Although he knew that he had lost the chance to go back, Rocky smiled. All that mattered was that he had kept his promise to Isis.


    And it was not goodbye forever, because for Rocky, it was the beginning of another legendary journey.

 Chapter 1657 The Mystery Of Rocky

    All the members of the Shura Race that were present gasped. Rocky had managed to kill Jonathan in a single move. All the color slowly drained from their faces.


    Rocky was panting as he floated in midair. He had used up all his strength during the fight. Dropping to the ground, he immediately fell into a coma.


    During the battle, the area within a few hundred meters of the door had been demolished by Rocky''s sword. The Shura Race had suffered countless casualties. Now, they stood back hesitantly, afraid to approach the door again and get hurt further.


    Even so, Jonathan''s death was all-consuming and they had no interest in fighting.


    Meanwhile, Colton gathered the guards and prepared them to retreat.


    Then, he rushed to the door, intending to rescue Rocky who was still surrounded by the Shura Race. Before he could reach him, a few strange lights shone in the sky and Colton shivered. Something was approaching the door at the speed of a train.


    "Oh no! The Shura Race''s reinforcements are coming!" Colton''s face coated over with worry. The rays of


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    n next to Rocky. Lifting his hand, he summoned it to him. After he observed carefully, his face changed again, as if he had recognized the origin of the sword.


    "How did the lost holy treasure of the Shura Race reappear in this world? How did it get into the hands of a human with the royal holy power? Who on earth is he? What can he do?" Frowning, he looked down at Rocky who was lying on the ground.


    When they saw Gilbert''s expression change, the retainers behind him also wondered what had made their master so pale. Gilbert had been through a lot, and none of them made him act like that.


    "Aldo." Gilbert turned around and called out after thinking for a while.


    A beautiful man wearing a red robe walked out, cupped his hands, and asked, "Yes? What can I do for you, sir?"


    "I want you to take him back to the Ghost Capital and let Esteban examine his injuries. Then send him to the Rejuvenation Hall and guard him," Gilbert ordered.


    "The Rejuvenation Hall?" Aldo hesitated. The other retainers exchanged looks. They were also greatly surprised.

 Chapter 1658 Taken To The Ghost Palace

    The Rejuvenation Hall was often used by Gilbert to heal and recuperate. It was one of the forbidden areas that was closed off to even his most trusted subordinates. Why was a human who had just slaughtered a powerful official of the Shura Race allowed to enter it? The several other subordinates felt they must have misinterpreted what they heard.


    "Is there any problem?" Gilbert demanded with a frown.


    "No." Aldo quickly shook his head. Then he walked towards Rocky, held him up, and turned into a purple orange light whizzing through the sky.


    Meanwhile, a brilliant light suddenly appeared out of nowhere with a slash of Gilbert''s right hand. It immediately swallowed the Mystical Dragon Sword in his hand.


    He then turned around to walk towards his subordinates and whispered something.


    They looked at him in surprise upon hearing his words.


    "Once you''ve dealt with it, return to the Ghost Capital. I''ll report to the royal family first!" Gilbert commanded before he disappeared from where he stood.


    The subordinates gazed at each other, and soon rush


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    or to the alien world had been opened.


    However, Gilbert didn''t rest once he returned. Instead, he went straight to the Rejuvenation Hall to figure out Rocky''s identity and history. Unfortunately, Rocky was nowhere to be found once he arrived at the hall. He immediately sent Aldo a message.


    Aldo appeared in the hall shortly after.


    "Where is the human I asked you to bring back?" Gilbert inquired with a serious look on his face.


    "After I returned, I handed him over to Steward Peter. I instructed him to send the man to Esteban to treat his injury. I guess he hasn''t been sent back because his injury is too serious?" Aldo immediately explained.


    "Is that so?" Just as Gilbert was thinking about whether he should go to the Ghost Palace or not, a servant suddenly reported that there was an ongoing invasion on the northwest border. The Shura Race members from another fief were invading their territory and the conflict was escalating.


    Upon hearing this, Gilbert summoned his men and rushed towards the northwest border to deal with the urgent matter.

 Chapter 1659 A Freak

    Three days later, Gilbert returned to the mansion.


    After he came back, he didn''t have time to rest. Instead, he called for the steward Peter to ask if Rocky had been sent to the Rejuvenation Hall like he had ordered.


    Peter didn''t care too much about Rocky before. He knew that Rocky had been sent to Esteban''s palace in the Ghost Palace, but he didn''t know what happened next. So, when Gilbert asked him, he hesitated for a long time. Then, he replied, "That man never returned from the Ghost Palace."


    "What? Didn''t you tell Esteban that the man was very important and that he must be very careful?" Gilbert looked more solemn than angry as he stared at Peter.


    "Well..." Peter hesitated for a moment because he had not been the person that sent Rocky to the Ghost Palace.


    "What is his current condition?" Gilbert asked in a raised voice.


    "Sir, I don''t know!" Peter''s face had turned pale.


    As Gilbert glared at him, the entire hall was shrouded in a heavy tension.


    "Go to the Ghost Pal


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    in was absorbing the blood. At the same time, black blood, which was caused from the damage to his body, constantly flowed out of him.


    Slowly, Rocky could feel his nerves coming back to life. His muscles twitched. However, because he had lost consciousness for so long, it would take him some time to learn how to control his body again.


    Two days later, Rocky, who had been unable to speak, uttered his first words.


    "Thank you for helping me..." The first sentence was spent thanking Esteban for saving his life.


    As soon as Esteban heard those words, his face suddenly darkened. "I thought you were a mute. It turns out that you can speak! Damn! In my Ghost Palace, I''m the only one who is allowed to speak. If you understand, just shut up and don''t disturb me while I''m studying medicine!" While speaking, he stuck two more needles into Rocky''s skin.


    Rocky thought to himself, ''This elder seems very strange. I guess that''s understandable. How else would he be so good at medical skills?''

 Chapter 1660 Situation Getting Worse

    In order to heal his wounds, Rocky had to keep mute as Esteban told him to. Every day, he looked up at Esteban with big eyes and watched the latter use different methods to try and fix him.


    His consciousness had returned for a few days and now, he wanted Esteban to repair him completely. Although Esteban''s efforts were not obvious to the naked eye, Rocky could feel his body slowly recovering.


    Yet, he still didn''t feel the presence of the power that had once flowed through his body. It was like it had vanished into thin air. Fortunately, he had been mentally prepared for that to happen. After all, he had exhausted the power in the Scarlet Heaven Jade. Now, he had to pay the corresponding price. And losing his strength was not that serious. He could have died instead. Rocky felt extremely lucky to have survived at all.


    The recovery was hard but Rocky had grown used to it and he did not find it boring. He took advantage of the time and tried to learn new things. After all, he was a geneticist, and the genetic technology was based on medical


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    an race.


    The Di Clan was one of the most powerful forces in the human race for a long time. Even the Sky-suppressing Sect and the Sovereign Sect, who were old enemies, showed respect to the Di Clan. Normally, they stayed in line, but now, the death of the chief of the Di Clan had triggered a battle between them. The Sovereign Sect insisted that the chief of the Di Clan had been killed by Canaan and no one knew where they had heard that news from. The rumor only continued to stir the pot and made them hate each other more.


    Although the Di Clan insisted that their chief had been killed by someone from the Shura Race, not the real Canaan, it was not enough to make the two sides calm down.


    The whole human race had fallen into disarray because of the battle going on between the Sky-Suppressing Mansion and the Sovereign Sect.


    The Di Clan, who had lost their chief, couldn''t handle the situation either. The death of their chief was already a fatal blow to them. Now, they needed to find a new chief. They didn''t have time for anything else.

 Chapter 1661 Time Flies

    Three months passed by at a snail''s pace while Rocky stayed in the Ghost Palace.


    Rocky made sure to use his time well. Immediately his injuries had healed, he went straight to cultivating, almost making it to the Emperor Realm. On top of that, he had broken through to the third stage of the Flaming Ogre Formula.


    Even though he had already achieved so much in such little time, he was still relentless in his pursuit to grow stronger. He learned a plethora of medical skills from Esteban in secret. The most notable of which was the Skill of Magic Needle, which could not only heal wounds but also help to cultivate and expand the meridians.


    Even though he was getting stronger every day, he still found it impossible to break out of the Ghost Palace. After much time pondering around, he figured that staying inside was for the best since he wasn''t sure where exactly he was and what dangers might be waiting for him outside.


    Another few days passed in a blink of an eye.


    "Kid, I''m going on a long trip. It m


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    d woman asked hesitantly.


    "I can''t guarantee that I''ll save her life. The dark fire is a mysterious poison even the most renowned experts find hard to deal with. But the longer you wait, the more danger she''ll be in. I can only say that I''ll try my best." Rocky frankly told the truth.


    From what she heard, she could immediately tell that Rocky had a point. And so, she lifted the girl up and put her on the ice bed.


    "Take off her coat!" Rocky said.


    "What?" The middle-aged woman was stunned for a moment and then said angrily, "Do you want to die? She is still a young lady! How dare you?"


    "Hey, how can I treat her with my needles if she has clothes on? One wrong move and it''ll all be over!" Rocky bit back as he rolled his eyes at the middle-aged woman.


    The middle-aged woman was left speechless but she knew this was not the time.


    Not long after, the lady''s beautiful body laid bare on the ice bed. Her skin was not as white as a human, but her wheat-colored complexion had a very foreign charm.

 Chapter 1662 Ferocious Hatred

    However, Rocky wasn''t interested in the girl''s body. He didn''t even care to look at her properly. He reached for and took out the magic needles that Esteban often used for practice and began to prick them into the girl''s flesh.


    The use of magic needles was, in fact, no different from ordinary acupuncture. The only difference was that these needles had to be used with the spiritual power which would condense the spiritual power at the needle''s tip and stimulate the meridians and acupoints. The materials required for the magic needles were quite unusual as well. Although Esteban never admitted how he acquired them, Rocky speculated that they were most likely refined from strange meteorites that held questionable power. That would explain how they could easily concentrate and control the spiritual power.


    The Skill of Magic Needle wasn''t difficult for Rocky since he already possessed the basic medical skills necessary to execute it.


    Soon, over twenty magic needles protruded from all over the girl''s body¡ªeach needle covering all her important m


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    ra. It was at least above the Emperor Realm. Rocky had only felt a similar aura in Harlan before.


    Out of curiosity, he followed the aura and traced its origin.


    The aura came from a further distance than he expected. It took nearly five minutes for Rocky to pass through the towering buildings before a huge round platform appeared in front of him.


    This area was hidden deep with the round platform located behind a wall more than ten meters high. Surrounding the platform were eighteen huge pillars that were connected with a thick, long iron chain the color of coal. The other end of the chain was tightly wrapped around the huge crawling beast stationed at the center of the platform.


    ''Why is this demonic beast imprisoned here? Judging from its aura, I''m afraid it''s even stronger than Harlan.'' Rocky''s interest was piqued and began to approach it cautiously.


    In that instant, the demonic beast sensed that someone was approaching. It swiftly straightened its neck and raised its huge head. Its crimson eyes stared back with ferocious hatred.

 Chapter 1663 Kindness

    Ordinary people should have been scared out of their wits when they encountered the demonic beast, but not Rocky. Instead, he looked at it with great interest. In fact, if it weren''t for the beast''s strong aura, he was even thinking of taking it away to study it further.


    Seeing that Rocky didn''t seem to be afraid of it, the red-eyed demonic beast became more irritated. It immediately opened its mouth and roared mightily. In an instant, an overwhelming sound wave rushed towards Rocky.


    Sensing the surging power, Rocky quickly retreated to dodge it.


    Boom!


    In the blink of an eye, the ground where Rocky had been standing was blasted by the sound wave.


    "What a powerful force! Even its roar alone is destructive enough. I can also guess that this beast is imprisoned here because it''s too dangerous if it gets out of control." Rocky was stunned at what he saw. Immediately after, he decided to keep his distance from the beast.


    But before he could even take a few steps back, the savage beast suddenly grew more agitated. Its huge body stood on the round platform, revealing a height of more than thirty meters, towering over the wall behind it like a hill.


    Then, the red-eyed demonic beast began to struggle hard, trying to free itself from the iron c


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    e this place," Esteban remarked with a serious look on his face. In fact, the main reason why Esteban had set restrictions at the gates of the palace was that he was preventing Gilbert from discovering that Rocky was still alive.


    "But aren''t you working for that leader? Why are you going to betray him?" Rocky asked in confusion. Actually, he had always wondered why Esteban saved him. He even lied to Gilbert when asked if Rocky was already dead.


    "Ha-ha! Do not be mistaken. The only reason that I am staying here is that I am repaying him a favor," Esteban answered with a cold snort.


    "So, does that leader know that you also are a human?" Rocky asked as he raised an eyebrow.


    "Yes, of course. In fact, he is the only one who knows. Well, besides you," Esteban replied indifferently.


    "I see¡­" Rocky responded with a nod.


    "Knowing the character of Leader Gilbert, once he knows that you are still alive, your chance of survival would be very low. On the other hand, if he decided not to kill you, he would only allow you to live in the Ghost Capital. After all, if you leave this place, you won''t be able to live as a human." Although Esteban actually had an unsociable attitude, he was still kind to Rocky since they were both from the human race.

 Chapter 1664 A Shrewd Man

    "So, do you still want me to stay here?" Rocky asked.


    "Well, it''s up to you. The door''s restriction has already been broken, so there''s no way to hinder you. If you want to leave, then I won''t force you to stay," Esteban responded casually as he waved his hand.


    "I see. I will leave when I want to. But for now, I think I will stay for a while," Rocky replied flatly.


    "Ha! What an interesting fellow!" Esteban let out a sneer and said nothing more.


    "By the way, can I ask something? What is the God-worshipping Ritual?" Rocky inquired when he suddenly remembered that he heard about it when he hid near the round platform.


    "Oh, that? To put it simply, it is the worship of the gods. The ritual can summon the gods that the people worship. Moreover, in that same ritual, the gods will select the so-called Godly Genius, whom they will bestow a divine power," Esteban explained briefly.


    "Gods? Are you saying that there are several gods in this continent?" Rocky asked as it easily caught his attention.


    "That is right. There are indeed gods that lived here on the continent, and their power is easily stronger than that of the members of the Shura Race. Actually, I also did not believe it before. But after I participated in the God-worshipping Ritual for the first time


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    Upon soaking it in a potion, he handed it to Rocky.


    Then, Rocky hurriedly put the mask on. After a moment, the features of his face really changed to a different one.


    "All right. Let''s go." Esteban took a glance at Rocky and deemed that his disguise was perfect. After that, they left the Ghost Palace and proceeded to the leader''s mansion.


    Since Rocky had been quite familiar with the surroundings of the leader''s mansion, he was able to keep his head down along the way, showing no curiosity. After all, someone might find that he was acting suspiciously if he kept looking around.


    Although Esteban usually just stayed in the Ghost Palace and rarely went out, it seemed that the members of the mansion were afraid of him. In fact, everyone they encountered was respectful of him. That was when Rocky realized that Esteban must really have a high status in the mansion.


    As Esteban and Rocky continued to walk, they saw gorgeous beast chariots moving in a certain direction in an orderly manner. Apparently, these chariots carried the big shots in the Ghost Fief, and they were all invited to participate in the God-worshipping Ritual.


    "Hey, Esteban!" Out of nowhere, one of the beast chariots stopped. Then, a fat and shrewd-looking man sitting inside called Esteban out.

 Chapter 1665 The Lucky Guy

    "Well, if it isn''t Dillan the tightwad," Esteban remarked as he stared at Dillan with contempt in his eyes.


    "Ha-ha! You are still humorous as ever, Esteban. I may love money so much, but I am willing to spend it when necessary. Calling me a tightwad is a bit too exaggerated," Dillan replied with an awkward smile.


    "Oh, is that so? Then, surely you won''t mind paying up for the medical fees that you owe me from before. That is ten thousand Shura Coins in total," Esteban said with a raised eyebrow.


    "Ten thousand? Was it that big? Esteban, I think you are asking for too much!" Dillan retorted as his expression changed drastically.


    "If you think that it is expensive, then I don''t want you asking me for medicines again later." Esteban snorted coldly.


    "All right. All right. I will pay up," Dillan answered hastily as he begged.


    "Come to think of it. I''ve been quite short of several kinds of medicines recently, and it''s actually quite difficult for me to collect them. However, I guess you have the resources to get them for me," Esteban insinuated.


    "Well, I could do it. But how about the cost?" Dillan asked quickly.


    "Fine. It will be deducted from what you owe me!" Esteban a


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    ther members of the Shura Race that were standing on the periphery of the square.


    Recognizing that they were not chosen, the masters in the square felt very pitiful.


    "I can''t believe this. There are so many powerful men in the Ghost Fief, but not one of them was selected to be the Godly Genius? Does it mean that we wouldn''t have a Godly Genius this year?" Gilbert muttered to himself in surprise.


    At the same time, the elders of the Ghost Capital behind him were also at a loss.


    But unexpectedly, the strand of light continued to float in the air around the square.


    At this moment, all of the members of the Shura Race fixed their eyes on it, especially the ones outside the square. Their hopes were rising dramatically, wondering if they would be chosen to become the Godly Genius.


    After a long time, the light, which had been moving rapidly in the air, suddenly slowed down. It seemed to have stopped at a certain area. Before long, it shone brightly and approached the crowd.


    Consequently, the members of the Shura Race in that area were so thrilled. Any one of them could be chosen at any moment.


    They could not help but hold their breath, wondering who would be the lucky guy.

 Chapter 1666 Astonishing Potential

    Soon, the beam of light landed on a figure, and all the members of the Shura Race turned to see who it had chosen.


    The famous Esteban was standing next to the figure bathed in light, dumbfounded and furious.


    He never expected this would be the man the divine light would choose.


    Even Rocky himself was at a loss as to whether he should laugh or cry because, sure enough, the light was shining on him.


    While he didn''t know why he was chosen, he knew he was not equipped to deal with this situation.


    The plot was thickening. Since he was chosen, he was to inherit the divine power. The Godly Genius was revered in the Shura Race; he or she was the medium between them and the gods, like an oracle.


    But the divine power would put Rocky''s real identity at risk.


    Although Rocky had become object of envy, he felt quite unhappy, uncertain as to what would happen next.


    Meanwhile, Esteban was quite grim as well. He was worried that Rocky''s human identity would be exposed by the god. He shook his head slightly and sighed.


    "Well


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    e of them! As long as the creature is on this continent at the time of the selection, they are qualified. Moreover, I have never met anyone who has refused the offer! If it were any ordinary member of the Shura Race, I''m afraid they wouldn''t have been able to wait any longer and would''ve demanded for the divine power on the spot." Rocky could practically feel the voice of the goddess frowning.


    "So, I''m no ordinary person," Rocky retorted, not disrespectfully. In a gentler tone, he pleaded, "I don''t have any other requests. I just wish you''ll choose another Godly Genius; this is all I ask. I want to stay out of this mess."


    "Do you think this is a joke? Do you think you can do whatever you want to do?" The goddess''s tone of voice was growing angry.


    "Please, don''t be angry! I didn''t mean to offend you; it''s just I''m really not interested in being a Godly Genius," Rocky explained hurriedly.


    "Are you sure? I know you used to be the Divine Lord''s successor. This means that you have the potential to be a divine successor."

 Chapter 1667 Battles Of Godly Geniuses

    "That''s exactly why I don''t want to be this Godly Genius. That kind of life doesn''t interest me in the slightest. I would be unhappy," Rocky stated. He harbored strong feelings about being a god.


    "But there are many types of gods that each have different responsibilities in the worlds. For example, the Holy Lord that is in charge of time records things that he observes but he can never interfere. We are not like him. We are in charge of the world''s balance, and we can interfere and adjust things in the world as we see fit. Our only downfall is that our power is too strong and we can''t directly interfere with the mortal world. That''s why we need to select some Godly Geniuses and grant them divine power. In that way, we can adjust the balance of the world through their hands," the goddess explained.


    "Some Godly Geniuses? How many Godly Geniuses are there on this continent?" Rocky asked, tilting his head to the side.


    "There are many. Nine Godly Geniuses are selected every ten years, and this continent has been around for over a thousand years. Think about it for a minute and I''m sure you can do the math."


    "Well... that''s quite a lot."


    "Exactly. The problem is that most of them perished during previous batt


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    interrupted.


    "Well..." It had never occurred to Gilbert that Rocky would choose to stay in the Ghost Palace.


    The other members of the Shura Race were also concerned. After all, the status of a Godly Genius was pretty high. He didn''t have to live in a place as cold and secluded as the Ghost Palace.


    "Sir, even if he were to become a true Godly Genius, he still needs to study and cultivate. I know you understand that a Godly Genius'' cultivation is different from ordinary cultivation. He must improve his strength, and he must improve other aspects too. If I remember correctly, the former Godly Genius focused on martial cultivation and that was it. As a result, he perished soon after he went to the battlefield. I think it''s better to teach Odin my medical skills first. Then, he can at least save his own life. Isn''t that ideal?" Esteban chimed in.


    "You have a point. But he can''t fall behind in his martial cultivation. That is most important." Gilbert thought Esteban''s words were reasonable, but he wanted his way no matter what.


    "Don''t worry, sir. I will supervise him. We are leaving now." Once again, Esteban winked at Rocky.


    Then, the two of them left the square, ignoring everyone''s eyes on their backs.

 Chapter 1668 Gilberts Visit

    "Leader, are you really sure that you will allow the Godly Genius to be under Esteban''s care? Even you know that he is famous for his unsociable character. I''m afraid that if Odin had somehow offended him, something bad might happen to the Godly Genius!" an elder said, expressing his worries.


    "No need to worry. Esteban should know what he is doing. He has been in the Ghost Capital for a long time, and he had never accepted a disciple even once. It just means that there is indeed something special with the Godly Genius." From Gilbert''s words, one could see that he had the utmost confidence towards Esteban.


    On their way back to the Ghost Palace, Rocky had been constantly nagged by Esteban. He deeply regretted letting Rocky go with him. As a result, they were in big trouble.


    It was not actually a bad thing that Rocky was chosen to be the Godly Genius. However, his real identity would cause a lot of trouble once it was leaked out.


    "Is it possible the deity did not find out your real identity? Well, it would be strange that she gave her divine power to you if she knew who you are." Esteban was extremely baffled. Logically speaking, with the deity''s power, it should be easy for her to find out Rocky''s identity. Moreover, according to the tradition, all of the


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    the palace.


    "Nothing. He just asked me if I wanted to move to the Godly Genius Palace," Rocky replied casually.


    "So, what did you say?" Esteban asked again.


    "Of course, I refused," Rocky said firmly.


    "Good. You are indeed smart. Currently, there is no place more suitable to hide your identity than the Ghost Palace," Esteban said with a sigh of relief.


    Then, since Gilbert had already given the order that prevented outsiders from coming to the Ghost Palace, life became quiet again for Rocky who stayed behind in the palace.


    Meanwhile, it turned out that the Godly Geniuses from the other eight fiefs were all much stronger and high-profile than Rocky. Just a few days after they got selected, their names spread around along with their past glories.


    Before these geniuses were even chosen, they were already top warriors in their respective territories. Some of them were already powerful warriors, while some were rising stars. Therefore, this batch of Godly Geniuses was really worth the hype.


    However, no one really heard about Rocky. The only thing he was known for was that he was Esteban''s disciple. Moreover, no one knew that Esteban had such a disciple before, so many people were actually looking down upon the Godly Genius of the Ghost Fief.

 Chapter 1669 The Unique Way

    In terms of fame and popularity, Rocky was severely outclassed by the other eight Godly Geniuses. They were leaps and bounds beyond him.


    But still, his confidence never wavered. He knew he had to make up for his lack of popularity with his performance. After all, the true duty of a Godly Genius was to assist their leader.


    Everyone had their eyes on each of the nine''s performance. However, no one expected that one would quickly stand out among the rest. In only half a month, he was already the most famous Godly Genius thanks to his prowess and sheer talent.


    The Godly Genius was Israel Mo from the Primitive Fief, the second most powerful among the nine fiefs.


    Even before being crowned as a Godly Genius, Israel displayed unrivaled strength and skill. His name echoed all throughout the nine fiefs as a powerful warrior at the Emperor Realm. After becoming a Godly Genius, he was tasked to lead the fight for the Primitive Fief.


    Just a few days ago, the vanguard led by Israel attacked a city in the Purgatory Fief and killed the major general in charge of defending it. As a result of achieving s


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    ed.


    The center of the Ghost Capital was bustling with people, and tall, magnificent buildings reached the sky above. However, the farther north he walked, the more gloomy the city grew. The towering buildings were slowly replaced by makeshift houses cramped right next to each other. Members of the Shura Race dressed in ragged clothes littered the streets.


    At the northern end, the makeshift houses disappeared and were replaced by shabby tents filled with weak and sickly people. Many of them were children and the elderly.


    "I didn''t expect that there would be such a miserable place in the Ghost Capital. I wonder what the leader will think when he sees it. Or maybe he already knows." Rocky sighed.


    Since there were so many people living in the slum, it was simply impossible for Rocky to treat them all. He decided to cure those who needed medical attention the most.


    Just as Rocky was deciding whom he should treat first, he heard a child''s cry nearby. Sorrow and pity filled his heart when he heard this.


    Unable to control his feelings, he immediately walked over to see what was going on.

 Chapter 1670 Miraculous Skill In Curing

    A wailing sound pierced the air. Rocky ran forward, arriving outside of a shabby, old tent. As he stepped inside, he saw a child around five years old crying and pushing an old woman who was lying still on the ground. The little boy kept shouting, "Grandma!"


    When he witnessed it, Rocky rushed forward and moved the boy out of the way to press his fingers to the old woman''s neck. After feeling her weak pulse and confirming that she was still alive, he reached for her wrist to feel her pulse again.


    At the same time, the child peered up at Rocky innocently while tears streamed down his cheeks.


    "Don''t worry. I will save your grandmother," Rocky reassured him.


    The child seemed to understand and stopped crying.


    After feeling the old woman''s pulse, Rocky pressed against her chest a few times. Under his palms, her chest felt stiff and swollen. Her face was pale. She had difficulty breathing. Rocky summed it all up to a heart attack. According to modern medicine, she had suffered a myocardial infarction.


    It had occurred suddenly. If the patient was not treated in time, she would most likely


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    o cultivate the power of Godly Genius had worked, making Rocky more confident. He felt as though he could surpass the other Godly Geniuses within a month.


    Unfortunately, it only took a few days for the news that Rocky was treating people in the slum to spread throughout the whole mansion.


    Now, the respected elders and senior officials were shocked. They couldn''t just sit by and let it happen.


    That day, a previously planned meeting was being held so all of the seats in the conference hall of the leader''s mansion were occupied. Those who were attending the meeting included several elders and a dozen senior officials.


    "Sir, I heard that the Godly Genius goes into the slum every day to cure the civilians. Is it true?" an elder asked.


    "Yes," Gilbert replied. In fact, the news had just reached his own ears.


    "This is ridiculous. The Godly Genius is so noble, yet, regardless of his identity, he goes into the slum. If his identity is discovered, there''s no guarantee what will happen. What if those with ill plans decide to take advantage of this?" another elder uttered in a serious tone.

 Chapter 1671 Do You Know Who I Am

    "That''s right. The Godly Genius seems to have no interest in cultivation. Instead, he treats all those inferior people every day. He doesn''t take the cultivation of the divine power seriously at all."


    "That is exactly my point! This is just too much, and I can''t bear to see it."


    "Before, I already have a lot of doubts when he was chosen as the Godly Genius. But from what we can see, he is just proving that we are correct. He is not interested in cultivating, and obviously, it will not be a good thing for the Ghost Fief. The Godly Genius is supposed to be the one that will assist the leader in the future. How can he shoulder that responsibility if he does not take any initiative to improve?"


    At this point, the other elders and officials started conversing among themselves, expressing that they were extremely dissatisfied with Rocky.


    "Everyone, just calm down. I already made an agreement with the Godly Genius. If he can surpass the other Godly Geniuses within a month, then he can do anything he wants in the future without my interference. However, if he can''t, then I will personally arrange his cultivation schedule," Gilbert explained.


    "Leader, with all due respect, I don''t think that is possible! As far as I know, there is a Godly Geni


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    en.


    At this moment, some people from the slum were still trying to stop the military men, but most of them were already injured by the guards.


    "Stop it!" Rocky hated it when the strong bullied the weak. He knew that the people from the slum were no match for the guards, so he immediately interfered.


    Seeing that Rocky finally arrived, the people from the slum eventually retreated.


    "You can leave now. I will handle the rest," Rocky remarked coldly.


    He already had high prestige in the area since he had treated so many people there. Hence, they trusted him and were obedient to him.


    As he saw Rocky, who looked very ordinary in his slightly worn-out clothes, Brett did not take him seriously. Seeing that the people from the slum had finally retreated, he laughed more unscrupulously and said, "Thanks for telling those filthy people off! All right, let''s go!"


    "Where do you think you are going? Did I tell you that you could leave already? Let go of that girl, then you can leave," Rocky said with a straight face as he gave Brett an icy glare.


    Under Rocky''s gaze, Brett was taken aback and felt a shiver down his spine. Then, he glared back and yelled, "Who do you think you are? How dare you tell me what to do? Do you know who I am?!"

 Chapter 1672 An Accident

    "I know who you are," Rocky replied.


    "Then how dare you try and stop me?" Brett snapped back, glaring at him with arrogant eyes.


    "Because I know how awful you are. I can''t let you continue! I should teach you a lesson on behalf of your father," Rocky said with a sneer.


    "What? What did you say? How dare you?" Brett yelled. His face flushed red as he was embarrassed.


    "I feel sorry for your parents. It''s a tragedy to have a son like you!" Rocky sighed.


    The members of the Shura Race around them burst into laughter as soon as they heard that. They held their stomachs because the joy was too much to handle.


    "What are you waiting for? Catch him and I''ll skin him alive!" Brett shouted at the guards.


    They immediately turned and charged at Rocky, wearing menacing looks on their faces.


    The people in the slum felt worried for Rocky. After all, the guards were strong and Rocky was a weak doctor. There was no way he could be a match for them.


    However, just as the guards approached Rocky, an invisible force instantly rushed out from Rocky''s body,


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    e knew it was true. He glared at him with angry eyes.


    "I don''t think it was someone important. He was just smug because he''s a member of the leader''s mansion. Dad, you will have no problem getting the antidote once you go there," Brett said. In his eyes, Armando was the most powerful being.


    "Are you sure?" Armando looked at his son suspiciously.


    Brett nodded vigorously.


    Armando loved his son as much as his own life, so he immediately ordered someone to prepare a carriage and took Brett to the leader''s mansion.


    When he arrived at the leader''s mansion, he immediately asked to see Gilbert.


    "Prefect Ba, what brings you here today?" Gilbert asked when he saw Armando entering.


    "Leader, please uphold justice for me. Someone in your mansion poisoned my son and attempted to murder him," Armando said, pointing at Brett who was just carried in.


    "Really?" Gilbert''s eyebrows rose. Armando was the prefect of the Ghost Capital and was in charge of all its affairs. He was known as a big figure there. Ordinary people wouldn''t dare provoke Armando.

 Chapter 1673 Astonishment

    "It''s true. Leader, please avenge me," Armando said angrily.


    "Do you know who did this?" Gilbert asked.


    "I don''t. But my son had a conflict with him in the slum," Armando answered.


    "Slum?" Gilbert frowned upon remembering something.


    "Do you know who he is?" Armando felt something was off once he saw the expression on Gilbert''s face.


    "I might know him," Gilbert nodded.


    "Bring him here. I need to ask him in person why he bullied my son and forced him to take poison," Armando commanded fiercely.


    "Are you sure it was him who made trouble for your son?" Gilbert asked. He knew what kind of person Armando''s son was. He suspected that Rocky wasn''t the one at fault.


    "What do you mean? Do you think I''m talking nonsense?" Of course Armando would defend his son by not admitting that his son was forced to take the poison because he wanted to forcefully take away a woman from the slum.


    "Well, I''ll order someone to send for him so you can confront him face-to-face. But I must warn you that he''s no o


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    to refine it, so why would I have any?" Rocky shrugged.


    "You are one cunning boy!" Esteban burst into laughter.


    "Like teacher, like student!"


    Two days later, Rocky returned to the slum and saw a lot of new houses being constructed. It seemed Armando did keep his promise. It stated that this was by the order of the Godly Genius. It was apparent that Armando wanted to please Rocky.


    But the people in the slum were unaware of Rocky''s true identity. All they knew was that they had hope for a better life thanks to the Godly Genius.


    The one month deadline set for Gilbert quickly passed. Tomorrow, the progress of the cultivation of the nine Godly Geniuses would be announced.


    Meanwhile, a magnificent palace could be seen floating above the northernmost peak of the continent.


    At that moment, a beautiful figure looked at the nine pillars of divine power in front of her in the palace. One of the pillars had suddenly grown by five inches. The look of genuine shock was clear as day on her delicate face.

 Chapter 1674 Support And Object

    "How did the Ghost Fief''s Godly Genius manage to develop his pillar of divine power in such a short time?" The woman, intrigued by this, let out a playful smile as she looked at her crystal ball.


    She saw a group of Shura Race members in the Ghost Fief''s slum built a temple for their Godly Genius. Inside it was a faceless statue which they worshiped and offered offerings to every day.


    "I didn''t expect that in less than a month, people would build a temple for him and worship him devoutly. Such merits are the reason for the sudden increase of the pillar of divine power. It seems that I did not choose the wrong person. How special!" the woman exclaimed with a grin etched on her face.


    The next day, the square of the leader''s mansion was once again overcrowded with people waiting for the announcement of the progress of the pillars of divine power.


    Rocky, who would rather spend his time elsewhere, was forced to come. As a Godly Genius, it was his duty to do so. Otherwise, it would be simply disrespectful to the god who was about to announce the results.


    The air was tense with anticipation. After waiting for nearly two h


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    u have any idea about the task released by the gods?" Gilbert, being the frank man he was, went straight to the point.


    "To be honest, I don''t want to do it. The diabolical beast the gods want us to subdue must be very powerful. Fighting it alone would be hard enough, but we also have to fight each other in the process. I don''t think it''s worth it to get involved in such a mess." Rocky believed it would be more efficient to practice his medicinal skills than to partake in such risks.


    "I don''t agree with you. I believe since it''s a task issued personally by the gods, you must go all out." An elder immediately raised an objection.


    "Yes, the task itself is a process of training." Some elders and officials echoed.


    "But the boy has a point. The Nether Fire Land is filled with all kind of dangerous devils. Blindly charging into such a place with little to no assistance might cost the life of our Godly Genius. It is simply not worth the risk. " Some agreed with Rocky''s sentiments.


    Before long, the elders and officials present were divided into two groups: those who wanted Rocky to do the task and those who opposed it.

 Chapter 1675 Reach An Agreement

    "I can see that you don''t agree with each other. Well, for now, let''s just wait and see. After all, we still have three months. It''s not yet too late to decide once we see what the other Godly Geniuses will do," Gilbert said. He was very cautious.


    "Okay then. If there is nothing else, I will take my leave now." As soon as he said that, Rocky turned around and tried to leave.


    "Hold on. I have something else to tell you before you go," Gilbert said quickly as he stopped Rocky.


    "What is it?" Rocky asked with slightly furrowed brows.


    "After careful discussion with the elders, I have decided to let you get engaged to the Godly Genius of the Flower Fief. With this, the two fiefs could enter into an alliance and strengthen each other''s bond," Gilbert answered straightforwardly.


    "What? No way. Are you kidding me?" Rocky was actually at a loss for words. He did not know if it was funny or shocking because it was not the first time that he had been put in such a situation. He found it ridiculous because most of the time, the only reason for this was to manipulate something.


    "Do you take me for a joker?" Gilbert replied sternly.


    "Well, can I refuse?" Rocky asked as he lightly shook his head.


    "No, you can''t. Besides, I am not asking for your permission. I''m just letting you know that it has already been decided. This matter is related to the fate of the Ghost Fief, so the elders and I came up wit


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    mention of the invaluable treasures.


    Meanwhile, just as the Ghost Fief decided to wait and see, three Godly Geniuses from other fiefs, escorted by the guards formed by their own fiefs, went to the Nether Fire Land to carry out their tasks.


    At the same time, on the dusty road, which was a few hundred meters away from the border of the Ghost Fief''s territory, a gorgeous beast carriage, escorted by a group of people, was steadily approaching.


    It seemed that the members of the group were all women from the Shura Race. Moreover, they were all good-looking, and it could be easily said that every one of them was much more beautiful than any ordinary woman from the Shura Race. Coupled by their dignified and elegant clothes, one could tell that they were from an extraordinary fief. Even their sleeves were embroidered with colorful feathers that looked like flowers.


    Along the way, whenever the people saw the carriage, they would quickly take the initiative to make way for it. After all, the team was from the well-known Flower Fief.


    Moreover, the one sitting inside the beast carriage was Valeria, the Godly Genius of the Flower Fief, who was supposed to go to the Ghost Fief to pay Gilbert a visit.


    Valeria''s face was actually covered with a white veil, which only revealed her eyes and brows. However, just from her fair skin and delicate eyes, she seemed to be no different from an exquisite human woman.

 Chapter 1676 Dont Go Too Far

    An elder of the Flower Fief also came with Valeria. However, although she held a status that of an elder, the woman looked extremely young as if she was just under forty years of age. In fact, as they sat together, she just looked like Valeria''s older sister.


    "Elder Leticia, it still puzzles me why we have to ally ourselves with the Ghost Fief. There are others out there who are much stronger than them. I thought we are just evenly matched in terms of power. I don''t understand why the leader would choose such an average fief," Valeria blurted out her thoughts.


    "You are right. The Ghost Fief is not among the strongest ones. However, its leader, Gilbert, is also born from a royal family just like our leader. Hence, both of them have common interests. As for the other seven leaders, despite their close ties to the royal family, they are not born pure-blood," Elder Leticia pointed out.


    "That''s it? I don''t think it''s reasonable enough!" Valerie furrowed her eyebrows, thinking that there should be a more specific reason that she did not know.


    "Ha-ha! You are such a smart girl. Fine. The real reason why our leader chose the Ghost Fief is that she once had a relationship with Gilbert. That was back when they had not taken over their fiefs yet," Elder Leticia whispered.


    "What? Really?" Valeria''s eyes widened a little because of shock.


    "So, part of th


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    me time to figure things out." After saying that, Gilbert eventually went on his way.


    Meanwhile, in the Ghost Palace, Rocky, who had just said that he was busy, was actually basking under the sun and sorting out some of his medicinal herbs leisurely.


    "Hey, brat. The Godly Genius of the Flower Fief came here to see you. Why would you even refuse to see her? Can you imagine how embarrassed she must be?" Esteban said as he walked towards Rocky.


    "Then, that is better. If she got angry, she might want to break off the engagement. It will work out in my favor," Rocky replied with a devious smile.


    "You, stupid brat. Gilbert must be so furious right now!" Esteban said with a heavy sigh.


    "It''s going to be all right. Since the Godly Genius of the Flower Fief asked to meet me first, then she should be really eager to formally have the engagement. If that is the case, then we can''t let her get what she wants too easily," Rocky said while snickering like a child.


    "Well, yeah. I think so too. But I am warning you. Don''t take it too far or it will surely end in chaos," Esteban reminded him sternly.


    "Of course, you don''t have to worry. I know what I am doing."


    Hearing Rocky''s confident answer, Esteban didn''t say anything more. He just turned around and went back inside the Ghost Palace to continue studying the corpse that he had dissected earlier.

 Chapter 1677 Dont Talk Nonsense

    After sorting the herbs, Rocky found that it was still early and planned to find a spot where he could exercise his physical body. So, he quickly put on his disguise and left the Ghost Palace.


    Of course, Rocky didn''t intend to go that far, and he just wanted a place where no one could bother him. Hence, he went to the crescent-shaped lake not far from the Ghost Palace. There was a clearing that had a diameter of about a hundred meters near the lake, and no one normally came there. Thus, it was the perfect spot for him to train.


    As soon as he arrived, he took off his coat, revealing his strong upper body. Then, he sat beside the lake and began to meditate.


    Currently, his cultivation was divided into two main types¡ªthe outer and inner cultivation. The outer cultivation was used to cultivate the Flaming Ogre Formula, while the inner cultivation was used as a meditative one. For now, he cultivated in the world of the Scarlet Heaven Jade.


    Previously, the Scarlet Heaven Jade could materialize itself, so he could cultivate with just his spiritual sense. However, after it was integrated into his body, the martial spirits'' memories stored in it were also integrated into his memory. Therefore, in order not to mix the two kinds of memories, the memory stored in the Scarlet Heaven


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    h Valeria managed to block the counterattack from the Magic Icy Armor in time, she was still shaken up. The veil on her face was also blown away, and a trace of blood dripped from the corner of her mouth. She tried to gasp for breath as she felt a bit stuffy in her chest.


    At this time, Rocky also withdrew from the state of meditation. As his sight returned to normal, he was a bit surprised to see a girl in front of him. She looked extraordinary, elegant, and beautiful. At first glance, she could be mistaken as a human. However, the color of her eyes and the shape of her ears were definitely not of a human.


    Upon closer inspection, Rocky noticed that the girl was well-dressed, and her strength was at the Emperor Realm. Moreover, there was a pattern of colorful feathers embroidered on her sleeves. He had never seen this in the Ghost Fief, so he assumed that she was from another fief and that she had a strong background.


    "Little girl, are you the one who attacked me just now?" Rocky asked as if he was someone much older than her. Valeria indeed had a petite figure and was only eighteen years old, so she really gave a vibe that she was very young.


    "Did you just call me a little girl? Don''t talk nonsense!" Valeria hated it the most when she was treated like a little girl.

 Chapter 1678 Internal Injuries

    "Miss, I don''t even know you. We''re not enemies. Why would you launch a sneak attack on me?" Rocky asked in disbelief.


    For a moment, Valeria was speechless. Then she yelled, "You''re the one who disrespected me first!"


    "How could I be disrespectful to you? Did you not hear me before? I don''t even know you!" Rocky was at a loss whether to cry or to laugh.


    "Well, your upper body is naked." Valeria raked her eyes over Rocky''s naked upper body once more before withdrawing them in a hurry.


    "So what? There are no rules against it. Even if I were taking a bath here, it would have nothing to do with you. You''re the one who broke in here," Rocky replied in a smug tone.


    "You..." Valeria trailed off. Frustration was filling her like air in a balloon. She had gotten lost and stumbled in. She hadn''t done it on purpose.


    "Never mind. I''m a generous man. I forgive you. Just go!" Although Valeria was a beautiful woman, Rocky had no interest in her.


    Valeria had been spoiled since she was a child


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    eticia''s face darkened.


    "Well..." Gilbert felt a headache forming across his temple. But he was the leader of the Ghost Fief. If he couldn''t even deal with Rocky missing, then he was useless. Therefore, he immediately promised, "Elder Leticia, I will bring him to see your Godly Genius personally before nightfall."


    "I believe you will. But, if your Godly Genius is still this hard-headed, I may have to persuade our leader to rethink the alliance." After saying that, Elder Leticia turned around and left.


    "Send everyone out. Bring the Godly Genius back before dark," Gilbert ordered with a hint of anger in his voice.


    Soon, the whole leader''s mansion was full of people. Many officials and most of the guards scoured the whole Ghost Capital for signs of Rocky.


    Meanwhile, Rocky was practicing medicine in the slum and he did not know that the whole leader''s mansion was looking for him.


    "Sir..." As soon as Rocky finished treating a patient, he looked up to find Grey running towards him.

 Chapter 1679 Getting Hurt

    "Grey, what happened?" Seeing the restless expression on Grey''s face, Rocky instantly knew that something bad must have happened.


    "There''re people over there who want to monopolize the houses that the Godly Genius built for us!" Grey said as he panted.


    "What? Who would be so bold to do that?" Rocky replied as his eyes grew rather cold.


    "I actually don''t know who they are because they are not from our slum. However, they wear the same ragged clothes as us, so we suspect that they are bandits from other places..." Grey said hesitantly as he shook his head.


    "Bandits, huh?" Rocky''s eyes narrowed the moment he heard this.


    "Yes. They take advantage of poor people just like us. Most of them are also from poor families that can''t make a living. Then, they form groups to bully weaker people and collect so-called protection fees," Grey answered in a gloomy tone.


    "Well, doesn''t anyone try to subdue and punish them for their crimes?" Rocky asked as he crossed his arms on his chest, letting out a frown.


    "No. Those bandits usually don''t stay long in one place. They just charge protection fees and then eventually leave. Mo


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    r, the bald man also noticed that Uriah was not as strong as a Spiritual King. Hence, it should not be a threat to him at all. Therefore, he planned to kill the spiritual beast first before taking on Rocky.


    Unfortunately for him, his thoughts were already within Rocky''s expectation. Hence, before he could even make a move, Rocky suddenly appeared in front of him. In fact, the only reason why Rocky summoned Uriah was that he wanted it to deal with the bandits and protect the people from the slum. At the same time, he would be able to focus on dealing with the bald man himself.


    Judging from the spiritual power that the bald man unleashed earlier, Rocky could not simply underestimate him. Although he knew that the bald man was not as strong as him, he found it strange that this man was just a mere bandit. Therefore, he speculated that these bandits were not ordinary ones, and there might be a force that was backing them up. Otherwise, it would be impossible for them to do whatever they wanted in a city like the Ghost Capital.


    Although Rocky did not know the entire truth, he would not let the people of the slum get hurt.

 Chapter 1680 Power And Position

    The bald man sneered in contempt when he saw Rocky had the guts to challenge him head-on. Without any hesitation, he flipped his palm and struck the air in front of him with a volley of palm strikes. In an instant, many palm shadows made from his spiritual power intertwined with each other, making it hard to distinguish the real palm attack from the fake ones. It was almost impossible for Rocky to dodge the attacks.


    But even when faced against such a devastating attack, Rocky had no intentions of dodging. The moment the bald man made his move, Rocky already had a counter attack ready. A column of fire with destructive force shot out of his own hand. The stream of flame went charging towards his opponent with no regard.


    He finally saw the fruits of his labor from cultivating the Flaming Ogre Formula. The spiritual power inside his body had been refined into the flame spiritual power, which was stronger than the fire spiritual power with Fire Nature.


    Rocky''s attack didn''t even f


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    ut you can''t destroy this alliance," Gilbert explained.


    "Leader, don''t worry. I don''t want to destroy the alliance between the two fiefs. As for the engagement, I can agree," Rocky said after much thought.


    "Good! It seems that you have figured it out!" Gilbert breathed a sigh of relief. He was anxious Rocky wouldn''t accept the engagement, which might cause discord between them and the Flower Fief.


    "But I have one condition." Of course, Rocky wanted something in return.


    "If you have any requests, just let me know," Gilbert responded briskly.


    "I want everyone under you to obey my orders." The leader was caught blindsided by what he said.


    The look in Gilbert''s eyes became deep, because he did not expect that Rocky would make such a request. At least in his opinion, Rocky did not seem to be an ambitious person, and he did not seem to be interested in power. But now, Rocky asked him to give him the power equal to the deputy leader, which made him a little confused.

 Chapter 1681 Completely Stunned

    Gilbert knew that he couldn''t just bestow Rocky the power to be the deputy leader. After all, it would be like nurturing a snake in his bosom. He wouldn''t know when Rocky would bite him to his death. On second thought, if he didn''t grant Rocky the power to be his deputy, he might lose the young man''s trust. In that case, he might refuse to fight alongside him to resist the other powerful leaders.


    Whatever path he took, Gilbert knew that he would be in deep trouble. At this moment, he was completely at a loss.


    "Sir, you don''t have to give me an answer outright. It doesn''t really matter if you think about it for a few more days. However, before you agree with my request, I won''t see the Godly Genius of the Flower Fief," Rocky said with a straight face.


    Hearing this, it was as if Gilbert felt that a gun was pointed at his head. If this was a chess game, he was about to lose because he didn''t have anywhere to go.


    "If there is nothing else, I will go back to the Ghost Palace first." After saying this, Rocky turned around and prepared to leave. However, he was quickly stopped by Gilbert. "Hold on!"


    Rocky stopped on his tracks and was a bit surprised. Then, he turned around and looked at Gilbert.


    "Fine. I can give you the position to be my deputy leader. With it, you will have the power th


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    you are here, why don''t you just come out and meet me properly?" Rocky urged.


    "Humph! No! I don''t want to see you!" Valeria strongly refused.


    "Okay then. I''ll leave now. Let''s just be clear that it''s what you wanted. Don''t tell anyone that I didn''t want to see you." This was exactly what Rocky wanted. He actually manipulated her to get her angry. With this, he could just leave already.


    However, Valeria panicked when she heard that Rocky was about to leave. After all, she knew that she was in the wrong. Hence, without really thinking about it, she suddenly rushed out of the hall to stop Rocky from leaving.


    On the other hand, Rocky already expected that she would go out, so he suddenly turned around to surprise her. Unfortunately, she rushed too fast. Hence, as Rocky turned around, Valeria was not able to stop right away, making her face bump onto Rocky''s chest.


    "Ouch!" At this moment, Valeria felt that her nose was almost flattened. Realizing that Rocky did it on purpose, she suddenly raised her head and tried to get even with Rocky by reasoning with him.


    However, Rocky was surprised as well and wanted to check if she was hurt, so he quickly lowered his head. Unexpectedly, their lips touched. It was just only for a moment, but both of them were instantly stunned at the same time.

 Chapter 1682 A Race

    The very next moment, Valeria''s heart pounded so hard as if it was going to explode. It seemed that the young woman had never experienced something like this before.


    But soon enough, she realized that she had been taken advantage of.


    Actually, Rocky didn''t mean to do it, and everything was just an accident. But it didn''t really matter because he knew that Valeria would not believe him. At this point, he knew that he was in huge trouble.


    As expected, Valeria quickly pushed him away, revealing a vermilion-colored face. Upon seeing Rocky''s face with her beautiful eyes, she was utterly shocked. She recognized that it was actually the same guy that she met by the lake last time. In her mind, Rocky was the shameless guy with a naked upper body that injured her.


    At this point, Valeria was seething in anger because of extreme embarrassment. New and old hatred came surging from within her heart. As she stared at Rocky, her mind only wanted one thing¡ªto kill him.


    Of course, as an inexperienced maiden, Valeria had no clue when it came to this aspect. Furthermore, she was the Godly Genius of the Flower Fief who was known to be pure and inviolable. But now, she was taken advantage of by a man that she didn''t even know. I


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    Boom!


    With a loud sound, several thick and long roots emerged from the ground as if they had lives of their own. Caught off guard, Rocky tried his best to avoid these roots that were attempting to wrap around his limbs.


    "Is that another one of Flora''s unique skills, the Spiritual Flower Technique? I heard that it can easily control the flowers and trees according to the user''s will."


    "That is true. It is even said that the technique was created by Flora herself. It was very famous and only very few powerful people could deal with it!"


    "I also heard that the royal family had taken a strong interest in that technique, so they intended to absorb it into the royal family''s secret technique. However, they were rejected by Flora. It seems that the technique is indeed extraordinary!"


    The officials who continued to follow them were shocked the moment they saw Valeria use the Spiritual Flower Technique.


    At the same time, Rocky did not expect Valeria to possess such an astounding skill that could freely manipulate all kinds of plants with her spiritual power. It was his first time seeing this kind of ability, and he was amazed. At the back of his mind, he was now realizing why the Shura Race was so powerful.

 Chapter 1683 The Unexpected Turning Of Events

    Seeing the rapidly approaching roots, Rocky dared not to be careless. Wasting no time, he leaped into the air, trying to avoid the roots at all costs. However, they still kept on chasing and pestering him aggressively.


    Because he was still unable to fly or stay in the air for a longer time, Rocky had to find a way to deceive these roots with his current abilities.


    Then, an idea suddenly popped in his head, making him reveal a sinister smile at the corners of his mouth. In an instant, a flash of spiritual light surged out and enveloped him. Soon enough, several figures that looked exactly like him emerged in midair.


    "Is he trying to escape from the roots using some kind of illusory technique? I''m afraid this won''t be effective against the Spiritual Flower Technique!" One of the senior officials shook his head as he saw what Rocky was trying to do.


    When the Spiritual Flower Technique was activated, the spirits of the flowers and the roots were driven and manipulated by Valeria''s spiritual power. Therefore, they became sensitive to the target''s spiritual power, only attacking the strongest one. Hence, even if Rocky used an illusory technique to create several avatars, the roots would know which one to attack since avatars were usually not as powerful as one''s real self.


    Hearing what the senior official said, the other officials could not help but feel worried about Rocky.


    Sure enough, just as what the senior official speculated, the roots


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    Godly Genius has already been turned into ashes?"


    "I am also thinking about that. The strike that Miss Valeria unleashed just now was so powerful that even the officials would not be able to withstand it, not to mention our Godly Genius who hasn''t reached the Emperor Realm yet."


    "That''s terrible. If he was really killed, the situation will be troublesome!"


    Some officials could not help but express their concerns and opinions.


    Hearing this, Gilbert, who was still wearing a serious look on his face, eventually shifted his gaze towards Valeria. He was already thinking of avenging Rocky if he really turned out to be dead. After all, the Flower Fief must pay the consequence of what they had done to them.


    At this time, Valeria could just lower her head while biting her lip as she was consumed by regret.


    However, just when everyone was already convinced that Rocky did not survive, a figure slowly emerged from the ground under the ruins, looking a little disheveled.


    "Whew! That was close! I barely made it by activating the Earth-diving Skill in time!" This man was none other than Rocky.


    It turned out that right before the wooden man exploded, Rocky knew that he was in great danger. Hence, he immediately activated the Earth-diving Skill and dived into the ground to avoid the direct impact of the fierce blast.


    "The Godly Genius is still alive!"


    All of a sudden, exclamations of surprise echoed throughout the air around the ruins.

 Chapter 1684 Safe And Sound

    When he heard that, Gilbert sighed and relaxed his shoulders. Valeria wore a look of surprise on her face. She couldn''t figure out how Rocky was unharmed after the explosion of the wooden man.


    "What brought you here, sir?" Rocky greeted Gilbert as if nothing had happened.


    "I heard that you and Valeria were fighting so I had to come and stop you. What happened?" Gilbert asked, shooting Rocky a serious look.


    Rocky looked at Valeria and smiled faintly. "It wasn''t over anything serious. We were just fighting for fun!"


    A subtle look of confusion washed over Valeria''s face. She had expected Rocky to tell the truth to Gilbert. She had thought she would be punished for attacking him so viciously. What she hadn''t seen coming was Rocky deliberately defending her.


    A small amount of red tinged Gilbert''s cheeks. "For fun? Why would you do that here? You could have destroyed my mansion!"


    "Please don''t be angry. It really was all in good fun. Miss Valeria accidentally ex


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    lbert had sent arrived and announced that the engagement ceremony would be held in three days.


    "He must be feeling more anxious than us. I thought he would postpone the engagement because of what happened today!" Elder Leticia was taken aback. Valeria had made a big fuss in Gilbert''s mansion and almost hurt their Godly Genius. Why didn''t Gilbert lose his temper? Usually, he would try to make things difficult for the Flower Fief and fight for the best interests of the alliance of the two major fiefs. However, instead of blaming Valeria, he decided to hold the engagement ceremony even sooner. It didn''t seem like something he would do.


    "He must be afraid that I will go back on my word and refuse to get engaged!" In Valeria''s eyes, the engagement would not benefit her.


    "Or the Godly Genius of the Ghost Fief is unwilling to marry you and Gilbert wants to hold the engagement ceremony as soon as possible in case more unanticipated events occur..." Elder Leticia added.

 Chapter 1685 The Upcoming Engagement Ceremony

    Valeria was more beautiful than the other women in the Flower Fief and she came from a strong background. Therefore, she was picky about the men she associated with. When she first met Rocky, she had sensed that he was a little different from ordinary men. But unfortunately, the conversation between Gilbert and Rocky had alerted her to the fact that Rocky was not willing to get engaged to her. He only agreed to do so because he was the Godly Genius. No wonder Gilbert was desperate to get them engaged because he wanted to make sure that Rocky would get engaged to Valeria, despite that he did not want to, so that the two fiefs would become allies.


    "If he doesn''t want to be engaged to me, that''s cool! I hate this arrangement more than he does anyway! I''m like a diamond. He will never be good enough to deserve someone like me!" Wearing a proud look on her face, Valeria puffed out her chest. She firmly believed that she was suffering a loss because of their engagement. If it were not for the benefits that the Flower Fief and Flora were getting from it, she would have declined a long time ago.


    "Whether you want it or not, the engagement i


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    attery. As a matter of fact, this engagement is only happening because of a promise I made to Flora ten years ago. It is not to gain an advantage over the other fiefs. It''s just an agreement between me and Flora." Gilbert had come up with that excuse a long time ago, just in case he needed to use it.


    "Even so, after the marriage is complete, your power will increase. I hope you will show us mercy," another representative of another fief said.


    "Guys, there''s really no reason to worry. After all, we can''t interfere in the competition among the Godly Geniuses. Do you think there''s anything we can do to help the Godly Geniuses complete the task they were given by the gods this time? I really doubt it." Gilbert would not brag. If he were to strut around, the seven fiefs would target him.


    "Yes, but it''s obvious that you and Flora are going to benefit from this marriage."


    "Then the other fiefs should form alliances too. If I remember correctly, there are other females among the Godly Geniuses apart from Valeria. Why don''t you meet with them?" As soon as Gilbert said that, the representatives of the seven fiefs fell into silence.

 Chapter 1686 Loss Outweighed Gain

    The other major reason why the seven fiefs decided to send their representatives this time was to check if there was a possibility of allying with the other fiefs through marriages, just like what the Ghost Fief and the Flower Fief had done. However, all of them knew that this was not an easy arrangement. If one of the Godly Geniuses betrayed the other after getting married, there would be terrible losses that would outweigh the gain. In fact, this kind of situation already happened in the past. It was known that the Genie Fief would use their Godly Geniuses to entice the other Godly Geniuses to pledge allegiance to them. Because of this, the other fiefs who had already fallen victim to this scheme before had been very careful in considering this strategy.


    If this had always brought a smooth alliance between fiefs, they would obviously try every means just to pull it off.


    "Dear guests, the engagement ceremony is about to begin. Please enjoy yourself in the meantime!" Noticing that the appointed time was nearing, Gilbert already made the announcement.


    Meanwhile, in the Fragrance Palace, Valeria was still sitting at a table, staring at her red dress that was accented with gold and silver pieces of jewelry.


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    "Okay, I will tell you everything," Rocky replied, pretending to be enchanted.


    "So, where is the ceremony being held?" Gloria asked again.


    "In the square of the leader''s mansion. However, the mansion is so big that you might have a hard time finding it," Rocky answered honestly.


    "Yeah, you are right," Gloria said as her captivating eyes twinkled.


    "Godly¡ª I mean Miss Gloria. I think we should go back and meet with Elder Bryson first to attend the ceremony with our formal identities." The woman named Purple seemed quite nervous. Hearing this, Rocky secretly looked at Gloria to analyze her. He did not expect that someone would sneak into the mansion of the Ghost Fief''s leader during this important occasion. Of course, he was almost certain that it had something to do with the engagement ceremony.


    "Huh? That is so boring! I want to surprise them!" Gloria exclaimed as she revealed a devious grin on her face.


    As the two continued to converse, Rocky became more certain that Gloria was planning to sabotage the ceremony. However, he thought that it might actually work in his favor. After all, he also wanted to get out of the engagement. Hence, if Gloria could mess it up, then he would be pleased.

 Chapter 1687 Who Are They

    "Then, beautiful ladies, please follow me. I will take you there right now," Rocky said flatteringly, still pretending to be bewitched by Gloria''s beauty.


    "Thank you. What a sweet guy you are," Gloria praised. She seemed to be rather satisfied with the attitude that Rocky was showing.


    "Of course, it is my honor to be of use to you," Rocky quickly replied.


    On the other hand, Purple could just shake her head as she felt a little disgusted. However, Gloria just giggled and seemed to enjoy that people were fawning over her.


    After that, Rocky took Gloria and Purple to the square where the engagement ceremony was about to be held.


    At this moment, there was only an hour left before the appointed time of the ceremony. Hence, Gilbert and the elders of the Ghost Fief had already taken their seats on the high platform. At the same time, the invited guests and other ministers of the Ghost Fief also joined on the platform. Around the square, the members of Gilbert''s mansion were also scattered, making the place very crowded with people.


    Soon enough, Valeria appeared on the square, together with Elder Leticia and the maids. She slowly walked down the red carpet with her face covered with a veil. Although people could not really see her entire face, she instantly became the center of at


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    yed along and restrained her emotions. Eventually, she pulled Purple and sat beside Gilbert.


    Then, Gilbert stood up and walked in front of the high platform. He looked around and said, "Everyone, today is such a blessed day for the Ghost Fief and the Flower Fief. Our Godly Geniuses will be engaged today and will eventually be married in the near future. With that, I ask everyone to bear witness to this big event. Now, Odin, Valeria, please come forward. Light the incense, worship, pray for the protection of the gods, and sign the engagement covenant."


    Then, Rocky and Valeria came forward and looked at each other at the same time. Although they were unwilling to proceed with the ceremony, they had no choice but to walk side by side towards the divine censer before the eyes of the public.


    When Gloria saw this, it was when she realized that she made such a ridiculous mistake. She actually regarded Rocky as a mere servant, when he, in fact, was the Godly Genius of the Ghost Fief. She also speculated that he had already known their identities right from the start, so he brought them to the square on purpose so that they would not be able to behave rashly. She could not help but clench her fists and let out a devious smile. ''You''re pretty smart, but I''m afraid you underestimated me...''

 Chapter 1688 Her Unpredicted Act

    Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Rocky and Valeria began to light up the incense and kowtowed in front of the divine censer which was on the high platform. Then, they inserted the incense they held into the censer.


    Afterward, the engagement covenant was sent to the stage and was put in front of the two.


    "Lady first," Rocky said as he let Valeria go first.


    As she looked at the engagement covenant in front of her, Valeria''s heart began to pump hard. She became nervous, knowing that once she signed the covenant, everything would be irreversible, and she would now officially become Rocky''s fiancee.


    However, despite her hesitations, she could not disobey Flora''s order. Hence, all she could do was taking a deep breath before signing her name on the covenant.


    But then out of nowhere, Gloria stood up and shouted, "Hold on!"


    At this moment, everyone''s gaze fell on her again, including Gilbert, the elders, Rocky, and Valeria.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, pardon me, but I cannot bear to keep quiet. I am not Odin''s sister... I am his fiancee!" Gloria exclaimed. At this point, she felt that there was already no turning back. Hence, she mustered all her courage and acted impulsively. Her main purpose was to destroy


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    Why are you causing such trouble here? Where are you from? Who really are you?!" Gilbert had snapped as well. He shouted at Gloria, revealing a cold expression on his face. However, there was some confusion in his heart, telling him that this strange young woman was not someone ordinary. Besides, who in their right minds would dare destroy an engagement ceremony in full view of the public? Moreover, it seemed that she had a deeper purpose for doing this.


    "Fine! If you really want to know my true identity, then I shall tell you." Then, Gloria let out a cunning smile and looked around the crowd with a charming expression. Then, she said in a sweet voice, "I am the Godly Genius of the Genie Fief, Gloria Hu! I am just here to be with my fiance. So, please forgive me if I offended you."


    As soon as she finished her sentence, the square fell in silence. Obviously, everyone was rendered speechless and was in shock upon learning her identity. It turned out the Godly Genius of the Genie Fief wanted to be a part of the engagement that was originally between the Godly Geniuses of the Ghost Fief and the Flower Fief. In the end, she got her wish, and the three of them were now engaged¡ªa first in the history of the Shura Race.

 Chapter 1689 Stories

    Gilbert, who flew into a colossal rage earlier, was now at a loss for words upon realizing Gloria''s true identity. He didn''t expect the Godly Genius of the Genie Fief to hinder their alliance with the Flower Fief in such an unpredictable manner!


    "Leader Gilbert, I question the validity of this engagement covenant! It''s ridiculous!" Elder Leticia complained furiously. She could tell that Gloria came to intentionally hinder their alliance.


    "Well¡­" Gilbert found himself stuck in a dilemma. Although he didn''t want to acknowledge the engagement covenant Gloria clutched in her hand, their signatures and fingerprints on it were undeniable. But if he did confirm it, he would gravely disappoint the Flower Fief.


    "Give me that engagement covenant!" Valeria furiously commanded. She was so enraged at Gloria trying to ruin her engagement that she suddenly lunged at her to reclaim the covenant.


    However, Gloria quickly braced herself and swiftly tucked the covenant into her sleeve as she hid behind Gilbert a


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    cky revealed to him.


    "Oh, I see. You did the right thing. It''s just that Gloria is too reckless." Gilbert thought that Rocky''s explanation was reasonable enough. After all, if Rocky revealed his identity earlier he might have been taken away by Gloria. He did the right thing. However, Gloria''s behavior was out of line. Gilbert didn''t even know how to deal with the mess at the moment.


    "What are you going to do, sir?" Rocky asked.


    "Well, what else can we do? All that''s left is to persuade her to hand over the engagement covenant. You will need to sign a new one with Valeria as well." The entire situation gave Gilbert a headache. He wouldn''t allow Gloria to get her way and ruin the alliance that would unite their two fiefs.


    "I''m afraid she won''t hand over the engagement covenant so easily!" Rocky expressed with a grin.


    "I''ll deal with it myself. Don''t worry about it. You need to rest well and prepare. In three days, you will go to the Nether Fire Land with Valeria," Gilbert reminded him.

 Chapter 1690 Gilberts Arrangement

    "You''ve arranged everything so well, sir," Rocky praised. Even though he saw this coming from a mile away, he was amazed by Gilbert''s effort.


    "Although you may be unable to complete the mission in the Nether Fire Land, it will still prove to be good practice for you two. I hope that you and Valeria will make use of this opportunity to be familiar with each other. This mission will lay the foundation of your dual cultivation." Gilbert explained his thought.


    "What? Dual cultivation?" Rocky was caught off guard. From his perspective, he and Valeria would never do such a thing.


    "Well, let''s talk about that when you get back from your mission!" Gilbert cut him off before Rocky could protest.


    Rocky let out a dry smile in response and then went out of the conference hall.


    Meanwhile, Gloria was making her way to the guest hall which had been arranged by Gilbert. She walked with a spring in her step since she was in a good mood for having successf


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    t doing this for a long time." After analyzing the situation, Elder Leticia offered her words of advice. Her long and rich life had taught her to look at things from a different perspective.


    "I think she''s just looking for trouble. What good would come from being that guy''s fiancee? She''s just begging to be in danger!" Valeria blurted out. She couldn''t comprehend Gloria''s action.


    "In my opinion, she is much smarter than you. She must have seen something in him that you have yet to see. You must be careful around her in the future..." Elder Leticia said as she shook her head. Although Valeria was a Godly Genius and had extraordinary talent, she rarely left the Flower Fief and was unsophisticated. She was naive compared to the others. Gloria, on the other hand, was a scheming person and would surely be a big problem for them in the future.


    "Humph. How could he possibly have any potential?" Valeria was still adamant to see Rocky in a bad light.

 Chapter 1691 Elder Leticias Compromise

    "I know what you are thinking, but soon, you will understand. Anyway, although the ceremony did not go as smoothly as we hoped for, you and Odin still got engaged. So, according to the previous plan that Leader Gilbert and I have agreed, the two of you will set out to the Nether Fire Land in three days," Elder Leticia reminded.


    "What? In three days? That is so soon," Valeria said in surprise. She thought that she would still stay here for a few more days, especially after what happened earlier.


    "The truth is you are already a bit late. The other Godly Geniuses are already there, carrying out their missions. Hence, if you don''t go soon, I''m afraid that they will complete the mission before you guys," Elder Leticia explained.


    "I see. But what about the engagement covenant?" Valeria asked in a soft voice.


    "You don''t have to worry about that. I am going to see Leader Gilbert and handle that matter. For now, have a good rest and build up your strength for the mission. I will make sure that the Godly Genius of the Genie Fief will not be let off the hook after doing this to you." After saying that, Elder Leticia eventually left.


    Meanwhile, as Rocky returned to the Ghost Palace, he immediately removed the mask on his face and showed his real appearance.


    "I am impressed! I didn''t expect that your engagement ceremony would cause such an unimaginable sensation in the whole city!" Although Esteban did not attend the ceremony itself, the news about the incident during the enga


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    is daughter is Odin''s fiancee now. When that happens, even if we don''t do anything, I think Adrian will ask his daughter to return the engagement covenant to us obediently. Otherwise, she will have to stay in the Ghost Fief with us as Odin''s fiancee for quite some time," Gilbert explained in detail.


    "That is brilliant. Why didn''t I think of that? Your plan sounds excellent, Leader Gilbert!" Elder Leticia was suddenly enlightened upon listening to Gilbert. Because she was too focused on dealing with Gloria, she nearly forgot that they were in the territory of the Ghost Fief. It meant that as long as Gilbert wanted, Gloria could not go anywhere. She was currently trapped in the Ghost Capital. Even if she had the engagement covenant in her hands, it would be useless if she could not return to the Genie Fief.


    "However, in case Adrian expresses his intention to ally with us, will the Flower Fief be willing to accept it?" Gilbert had to ask because he knew that there was a huge probability that things would go this way.


    "Yes. I don''t think that it will be a problem. After all, we can use the force of the Genie Fief to deal with the other fiefs first. After we achieve our goals, we can deal with the Genie Fief later," Elder Leticia answered with a straight face. She knew that at this point, she could only act and decide according to the current situation. Moreover, she had to prioritize the overall welfare of the Flower Fief so that they would not be put in a passive position.

 Chapter 1692 Ask For Help

    "Yes. I think so too. If you don''t have any objections, I''ll send my people to the Genie Fief right now," Gilbert said.


    Elder Leticia nodded eagerly. Her silence was agreement enough.


    After that, Gilbert called for a servant and told him to run to the Genie Fief and deliver a message. At the same time, he whispered to more of his people and ordered them to surround the guest hall where Gloria lived.


    At first, Gloria expected Gilbert to come straight to her, but a whole day had passed and he still hadn''t shown up, so she grew confused.


    "My Lady, I have some bad news!" Suddenly, Purple burst through the door.


    "What''s wrong?" Gloria asked, turning to face her with her beautiful eyes narrowed.


    "Someone just stopped me outside. He said that the leader has ordered us to stay in. And I just saw a bunch of masters surrounding our house," Purple replied, looking wary.


    "Gilbert must be trying to take the engagement covenant by force," Gloria assumed.


    "What should we do? Should we attack them?" Purple stood straight like she was ready to fight.


    "No. We should just wait for a while. Ma


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    smart enough to destroy my engagement with the Godly Genius of the Flower Fief, but she didn''t realize the position she was putting herself in. If I''m right, Gilbert must have put her under house arrest." Rocky knew Gilbert well enough that he understood his inner workings. He had suspected that house arrest would be Gloria''s punishment from the moment she tried to come between Rocky and his engagement.


    "You''re right. She asked me to look for you and tell you to save us." Purple nodded in a hurry.


    "Do you think I will help you?" Rocky smiled.


    "I don''t think so, but she thinks you will..." Purple answered honestly.


    "Okay." Rocky marveled at Gloria''s thought process. He would go and save her. However, he would do it not because of the engagement covenant. He wanted to secretly make her his ally so that he could have an advantage during the battle of the Godly Geniuses. He knew that open alliances were boring. If two people allied secretly and delivered a fatal blow to an unsuspecting opponent, it would be terrifying. Thus, Rocky would partner up with Gloria to make himself more formidable.

 Chapter 1693 Gloria Slipped Away

    Above all else, Rocky understood that Gloria wanted to use him. Once he knew that, he determined that they had shared interests and that they could use them to work together. Even though their plans were separate, it did not mean that they could not cooperate.


    "Our Godly Genius also wanted you to know that she will return the engagement covenant to you if you can get us out of here," Purple added when Rocky didn''t say anything. It was strange that he had hesitated.


    "Honestly, the engagement covenant means nothing to me. It''s just a piece of paper." What Purple and Gloria weren''t aware of was that Rocky wasn''t the man from the Shura Race and the engagement was Odin''s liability, not Rocky''s. As long as he took the mask off his face, no one would ever know who he was!


    "What? You''re not going to help us?" Purple frowned.


    "I will help you leave, but only if I know your Godly Genius will become my ally and help me in all the tasks that follow," Rocky stated. He must make very specific conditions if he was willing to take risks for them.


    "You want her to be your ally?" Purple narrowed her eyes. Why would Rocky want to for


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    ed through him. But now, being angry was useless. He sent people to chase after them and get back the engagement covenant back.


    He had no idea that it was safe in Rocky''s hands now.


    The next day, they set off for the Nether Fire Land.


    Even though it was early in the morning, the square of the leader''s mansion was full of the elders and the family retainers that wanted to see Rocky and Valeria off. Leticia and the other people she had brought with her were also there.


    "Guys, this trip to the Nether Fire Land will be extremely dangerous. I''m not asking you to successfully complete the task. I just want you to take care of yourselves and at least pass the trial of this task and make some progress in your cultivation," Gilbert warned.


    "Don''t worry, sir. I will try my best." Rocky didn''t seem as worried.


    "Here. Take these three Potent Force Runes that I have condensed with my spiritual power. Each of them has power that is equal to that of a Shura Realm master. Use them if you find the need," Gilbert said, taking out three golden runes and handing them to Rocky.


    When they saw that, everyone nearby was shocked.

 Chapter 1694 Being Recognized

    The Potent Force Rune was a unique treasure that Gilbert owned. It had been condensed using his secret skill, the Potent Force Technique. Because of his hard work, the power behind each rune was equal to his own. However, in order to make a single Potent Force Rune, it needed to be refined for at least a month, which meant that it took the power that Gilbert had accumulated over three months to condense three runes. They were very precious.


    Gilbert''s strength was above the Shura Realm, which made the Potent Force Rune a powerful spiritual treasure in an ordinary master''s eyes. Although each one could only be used once, it was an essential form of protection.


    "I will use them carefully," Rocky said, taking the runes without hesitation.


    Later, the other elders gave him some pills and powerful, one-off spiritual treasures. The other members continued to fill with jealousy.


    Because Valeria had already been prepared for the task in the Nether Fire Land, Elder Leticia only had to give her simple instructions.


    "It''s time to go!"


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    emove it..."


    "The Godly Genius really has mastered the medical skills that Esteban taught him!"


    Now, amazement and awe were spreading like wildfire throughout the crowd. No one had expected that Rocky had been the one who had rescued Vivian.


    Valeria, who craved seeing Rocky in an awkward position, became very quiet.


    Rocky was stunned, wondering how Vivian knew that he was the person who had removed the poisonous substances from her body. He was wearing a human skin mask now, and even if he wasn''t when he treated Vivian back then, she had been in a coma. There was no explanation for how she recognized him. Even the middle-aged woman who had brought Vivian to Rocky had only seen his human face, not this one with the mask. He was stumped.


    Nevertheless, Vivian knew. If he denied it now, her doubts surrounding him would increase.


    "I didn''t think you would recognize me. How did you know who I was? I didn''t look like this when I saved you. I was practicing disguising myself as a human being..." Rocky admitted with a smile.

 Chapter 1695 Dont Worry

    "I have never seen you before. I have a keen sense of smell that allows me to recognize people. When you saved me, my coma was not deep, so I had a chance to sniff you. I remember your smell. In regards to your looks, I have no idea..." Vivian replied coldly.


    Immediately, Rocky felt relief spread through him. His human appearance was not the cause of any suspicion. Esteban''s skill that had allowed people to disguise themselves through human skin masks was unique, and everyone in the leader''s mansion knew it. Therefore, Rocky trying the mask and disguising himself as a human being was not really surprising since he was learning from Esteban.


    "So you''re the one who saved my sister. I didn''t know. You two were destined to meet. Why didn''t Master Esteban ever mention it to me?" Gilbert asked, feeling a little confused and left out. No one had bothered to tell him any of it.


    "Master Esteban didn''t know about it. The only reason it happened was because I saw that Miss Vivian was in danger and my master was away. I had to save her. After, I was afraid that my master would say that I overestimated myself, so I didn''t tell him..." Rocky explained.


    "I will remember your kindness and I will reward you when you come back," Gilbert said gratefully.


    "Thank you! Miss Vivian, let''s go


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    Godly Genius from the Ghost Fief won''t be able to escape from that. And if she has the covenant, she could convince him to turn hostile to the Godly Genius from the Flower Fief."


    "There''s no need to worry about the alliance between the Ghost Fief and the Flower Fief at all. The Godly Genius from the Ghost Fief is the weakest out of the nine Godly Geniuses. When he surpassed us in the pillar of divine power, it was pure luck. As long as you can complete the task of defeating the Nether Dragon King, you will surpass him," the white-robed master said, scowling as he thought about the young Godly Genius overpowering them.


    "Yes. And I heard that the Godly Genius from the Flower Fief is not weak. Normally, she would be regarded as a strong enemy. However, if the Godly Geniuses from the Ghost Fief and the Flower Fief work together, they are more dangerous. If we can destroy the alliance between them, it will be for the best." After thinking for a moment, Israel gave an order to the white-robed master. "Take a team of one hundred people and go back the same way we came. Try to stop the guards from the Ghost Fief and the Flower Fief at the entrance using any methods that you can."


    "Yes, sir," the master replied, bowing with cupped hands. Then, he turned around and left the tent.

 Chapter 1696 The Three Paths

    After five long days of travelling, the joint team of the Ghost Fief and Flower Fief arrived at the entrance of the Nether Fire Land on tired feet.


    A long time ago, the land had been a paradise. But changes in the soil had engulfed it in flames from the earth''s core, turning it into what was currently referred to as the Nether Fire Land. The temperatures inside ran almost two times higher than the outside world''s. The only thing protecting its visitors from dehydration and death was their spiritual power.


    The sole act of entering the Nether Fire Land would be a serious test for the joint team.


    And after they stepped foot in the desolate land, they would be threatened by the diabolic beasts that had lived there for thousands of years. Now, they had reproduced and mutated, making them stronger than ever before. They possessed the power that extraordinary diabolic beasts had. Normally, powerful warriors from the Shura Race would avoid the land at all costs.


    And the trek through the Nether Fire Land would be nothing compared to the task of the Godly Geniuses. For Rocky and the joint team, the jou


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    e to things that she didn''t like.


    "Of course I wouldn''t get engaged to him if it were up to me. This is not my decision," Valeria said helplessly.


    "The fact is, his worry is very reasonable. He warned us out of pure kindness," Vivian replied, defending Rocky.


    "He was just bragging. We are all more experienced than him. There is no need to listen to him." It was clear that Valeria didn''t value Rocky or his opinion at all.


    "Even so, we should exercise caution," Vivian said calmly.


    "You are the team leader. It''s up to you!" Without saying anything more, Valeria left the camp.


    Then, Vivian ordered the reconnaissance team to enter the Nether Fire Land once more and confirm the safety of the valley.


    Meanwhile, in the depths of the valley where Vivian and the others were planning to go, a hundred people that were led by Tobias were hiding in a pile of rubble, waiting for an opportunity to attack their opponents.


    In the middle of the rubble heap, a low-level Spiritual Emperor was sitting in a spiritual array and continuously releasing his spiritual power into a purple crystal ball.

 Chapter 1697 Fight To The Death

    "Master Tobias, the joint guard team of the two fiefs has arrived at the entrance of the Nether Fire Land. They have sent people to explore the terrain," a scout reported, breathing heavy from his journey.


    "Very good. The illusionary array in the valley has been activated. They will see it as a safe path. After they enter the valley, they will relax their vigilance even more. Then, we can surprise them. If we''re lucky, we can capture both the Godly Geniuses in a single move. That would be a great achievement!" Tobias replied, smiling devilishly. In his mind, there was no reason to fear the guard team. Although he only had a hundred people under his command, each of them was outstanding at combat and was an elite. He wholeheartedly believed that his team of one hundred people could defeat the guard team.


    "Sir, you are so wise and mighty. The two Godly Geniuses are just ignorant youths. They are not experienced enough to oppose you," a Spiritual King next to him flattered.


    "Go back and spy on them further. The moment they enter the valley, I wa


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    amily retainers. Less than fifty of them had the strength to kill diabolic beasts.


    And it appeared that most of the diabolic beasts had surpassed the King Realm. Once they attacked, the joint guard team would have a hard time gaining an advantage.


    When Valeria realized that the team was being ambushed by the diabolic beasts, her pretty face turned pale. Rocky had been right. The valley was not safe for travel.


    "Miss Vivian, these diabolic beasts are called Diabolic Flaming Wolf. Although they are small in size, they are very fast. Moreover, the diabolic flames on their bodies can''t be touched. Once the flames start, they can''t be extinguished," an experienced Spiritual Emperor from the Ghost Fief reminded from aside.


    Meanwhile, the ferocious Diabolic Flaming Wolves were glaring at the team who had invaded their territory. Giving them no chance to prepare, the head wolf roared, causing the others to turn violent. They rushed at the joint guard team and started to attack them.


    "We have to retreat," Vivian snapped as her eyes narrowed.

 Chapter 1698 Their Collusion

    "No, I reckon it won''t end well for us if we keep fighting head-on. If you trust me, I think the best chance we have of surviving this is if we retreat to the west," Rocky suddenly said as he shook his head.


    "Isn''t the west a dead end?" Vivian asked after she took a glance at the direction.


    "Since the topographic map was drawn by the reconnaissance team while they were trapped in an illusion, it can''t be accurate! If my guess is correct, that dead-end is likely to be the real exit. Come on, let''s give it a shot! Even if I''m wrong, we''ll be in a better position to fend off the attacks since we can fix our defensive ranks there. It''s miles better than the current situation we''re in..." Rocky analyzed calmly.


    Upon hearing his words, Vivian found herself staring at Rocky in awe. She didn''t expect he would be so level headed while in such a dangerous situation. It was apparent this wasn''t his first time staring at death''s doors.


    Speechless, Valeria also had her eyes locked on Rocky.


    "Miss Vivian, we don''t have much time." While they were lost in thought, the Diabolic Flaming Wolves had slowly crept up on them,


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    uld be enough to wipe out the united guard team if he led them into the wolves'' den. Not only did they survive, but they also managed to escape. He was wrong to underestimate the army led by Rocky and Valeria.


    "However, because of the chaos just now, they were forced to split their group into two. Valeria led a large group to safety while Vivian and a handful of others stayed behind to hold off the wolves. Although they managed to escape from the trap, I changed the routes of the whole valley using my illusory skills. They shouldn''t be able to meet up in time," the low-level Spiritual Emperor said with a sly smile.


    "Well done. Let''s defeat them one by one! But which group should we start with?" After feeling vindicated, Tobias suddenly hesitated to act.


    "There are many casualties on Vivian''s side, and she is no longer a threat to us. I think it would be better if we capture Valeria first. I heard that her beauty is unlike any other. If someone like her becomes our prisoner, then..." the low-level Spiritual Emperor said as he almost drooled.


    "Yes. That makes sense." Tobias immediately agreed on this idea.

 Chapter 1699 Valeria Took Action

    Meanwhile, Rocky and Vivian led the two Spiritual Emperors and the rest of the members of the joint team to try to catch up with Valeria and the others. But soon, they realized that Valeria and the others were too far ahead and that they had left no marks behind. Obviously, there was something wrong.


    "It''s strange. They retreated to the west. Why haven''t we caught up with them yet?" Vivian asked, looking around her suspiciously.


    "I think the performer might have adjusted the illusionary array temporarily and changed all the paths in the valley, deliberately cutting off the connection between us and Valeria..." Rocky guessed, scratching his chin.


    "Do you have any way to break it?" Vivian questioned. There was a sense of urgency now. If she couldn''t find Valeria and the others soon, something terrible would happen to them.


    Rocky shook his head immediately. He was not all-powerful, after all.


    "How about this? Let''s split into two groups and search for them," Vivian proposed. She was so worried that she was beginning to have trouble thinking logically.


    "No. If we were to split up now, our opponents could attack us separately. Actually, what I''m most worried about are Valeria and the others..." Rocky hesitated.


    "Why? Shouldn''t we be worrying about ourselves right now?" Vivian was puzzled. Logically speaking, there were a lot


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    Soon, she noticed a cloud of thick smoke surrounding the area they were in. Someone was playing tricks on them.


    "Do you know how many enemies we are facing?" Without even guessing, she knew that it must be a Godly Genius who wanted to stop her and Rocky from reaching the lair of the Nether Dragon King.


    "I''m sorry but I have no idea," the Spiritual King answered as he shook his head.


    "Send someone to investigate right now. Find out who we are facing and how many people are out there. Meanwhile, ask everyone to be on their guard..." Valeria ordered in a firm voice. Meanwhile, after searching the area for about half an hour, Rocky finally found the core of the magnetic field and managed to break the illusionary trick. Now he could see the valley as the way it really was. Rocky continued heading east as he tried to find traces left by Valeria and the joint guard team members. That was when he saw huge footprints of some wild beast. He soon recognized it as he remembered seeing this kind of beast with the team of the Primitive Fief. The weird part was that judging from the footprints, the team was obviously heading west instead of east. He stood there for a while and had a rough idea about what was really going on. He then went back to Vivian. "I know where Valeria and the others are, and I know who were behind the ambush," he said.

 Chapter 1700 Retreat Right Now

    "That means that we can go and look for the Godly Genius of the Flower Fief and the guard team now!" Vivian wore a large smile on her face. Soon afterwards, she turned to Rocky and asked, "But who are they?"


    "They are the members of the Primitive Fief."


    "The Primitive Fief? Why would they attack us when we weren''t ready? Well, they have made enemies out of us now!" Vivian''s eyes gleamed with rage. For as a long as she could remember, she had been the type of person who hated being offended. She would chase someone to the ends of the world just to get her revenge.


    "We must leave right now because I''m worried that the Godly Genius of the Flower Fief and the others are in danger," Rocky said. The bad feeling had been sitting heavily in his gut for hours now.


    "Okay." Vivian nodded without hesitation.


    Immediately, Rocky and Vivian led their team back to the position where they had been ambushed and headed to the west. After choosing carefully, they walked down a different path. Meanwhile, Tobias and his men had already secretly surrounded where Valeria and her guards were. All of a sudden, he felt something was off. The scenery around slightly rippled and slowly faded. "Someone has broken the illusionary trick!" he exclaim


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    cized Rocky, not realizing that his prediction was so accurate. Rocky had told them that they would regret their choice.


    "Who are you?" Tobias asked, narrowing his eyes when Rocky acted so confidently in front of him.


    "Guess!" Rocky rose the feeling of suspense on purpose.


    "You''re being a brat! I think you are tired of living." More anger blazed in Tobias'' eyes as a reaction to Rocky''s attitude.


    "Are you sure about that? The illusory trick you created has been broken, and Miss Vivian is on her way with her people. Do you think you can resist thousands of soldiers led by her?" Rocky had nothing to fear.


    When he heard that, Tobias hesitated. Their previous plan was to diffuse the strength of the joint guard team and then defeat them one at a time. But now that the illusory trick had been broken, their advantage was gone. If Vivian were to arrive with her people, a vicious battle would unfold. However, there was also a chance that Rocky was bluffing.


    "If you don''t believe me, stay here and see." Rocky stared at him with a gleam in his eyes.


    "Brat, just wait..." After weighing the pros and cons, Tobias decided that the risk wasn''t worth it and ordered for his men to retreat.


    Not long after, they were all gone.

 Chapter 1701 Valeria Was In Danger

    Not long after, Vivian arrived with the other members of the joint guard team. All over the ground, blood was flowing and corpses were lying in unnatural positions. Most of the dead and injured were members of the joint guard team. Vivian narrowed her eyes and frowned. When they had arrived in the Nether Fire Land, they didn''t expect to be welcomed by such horrors.


    "Godly Genius Valeria, are you okay?" Vivian asked as she approached Valeria''s stooped figure.


    "I... I''m fine..." As soon as Valeria finished speaking, dizziness swept over her. The next moment, she lost all her strength and swayed, falling to the ground.


    Rocky scrambled to catch her. Then, he grabbed her wrist and infused a stream of spiritual power into it. Soon, he sensed that the demonic aura that had invaded her body was extremely strong and was destroying her meridians. If the demonic aura were to stay inside of her body, she would be in danger.


    "Miss Vivian, I may need your help with her," Rocky said in an urgent tone.


    The latter nodded and ordered the joint guard team to set up a tent and rest.


    After their tent was ready, Rocky carried Valeria inside with Vivian trailing on his heels.


    "As we speak, the demonic aura


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    ing Rocky wanted to do. But Valeria was seriously injured and it would take her a while to recover. And it would be difficult for Vivian to fight against the people from the Primitive Fief on her own. So, Rocky''s hands were tied. He had to show his military ability.


    While he was busy training the selected members, Vivian showed up.


    "What are you doing?" Vivian asked, stopping behind Rocky and examining the trainees.


    "I am training them!" Rocky folded his arms across his chest and looked at Vivian.


    "What? But why are you training them as soldiers?" All the members of the joint guard team were at the third grade of the Spirit Realm or above and they were no ordinary soldiers. So normally, there was no need for them to be trained further.


    "The Nether Fire Land is like a battlefield and the joint guard team is equivalent to our army. If we want to survive, we need to have our army master some necessary skills. Strength alone won''t help us in the long run," Rocky answered.


    "I knew you had mastered some medical skills, but I didn''t know you were also fluent in the art of war!" Vivian exclaimed when she noticed that the members were practicing arrays, not just performing strength training.

 Chapter 1702 Rockys Proposal

    "Yes, I do know a little bit about the art of war. I heard that you used to lead the army at the border of the territory all year round..." Rocky said. Esteban had bragged and droned on about Vivian. That was how he knew so much about her.


    "That''s true, but I''ve never used an array," Vivian replied straightforwardly.


    "You are brave and battle-wise. You don''t require tricks like me." Rocky smiled.


    "Don''t try and flatter me. I only came here to inform you that Valeria has woken up. She is weak and I don''t think she will recover any time soon. But we can''t stay here. I think we should follow our original plan!" Vivian announced as she glared at Rocky.


    "Give me one more day. If these guys can master my array skills, it will be very beneficial to us," Rocky told her.


    "Okay. Just one day." In the past, Vivian might have not agreed to that, but after the previous battle, she trusted Rocky. Her gut told her that Rocky was more than a doctor. To her, he seemed more experienced at leading an army on the battlefield than she ever was.


    Meanwhile, Tobias, who had been ordered to stop Rocky


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    were a member of the Primitive Fief, I would set up an ambush in this area. It has many gullies and hiding places. It''s easy to defend but difficult to attack. Ambushing us here would be their best option," Rocky opined, pointing at a small area on the topographic map.


    "Then let''s take a detour."


    "No, this is a shortcut. If we take a detour, it will take a lot longer. The Primitive Fief''s purpose is to delay us. If we take a detour, we will fall into their trap. That''s exactly what they want us to do," Rocky said as he shook his head.


    "But if there is really an ambush there, we can''t throw ourselves into it!" Vivian frowned.


    "That is exactly what we will do!" Rocky shot back as a look as realization crossed his face.


    Everyone stared at him with slightly gaping mouth.


    "What do you mean?" Vivian asked.


    "We''re going to give them a taste of their own medicine. If we don''t defeat this group of people from the Primitive Fief, they will harass us again and again, which will only consume our fighting power. We''d better take the initiative..." Rocky explained in a serious tone.

 Chapter 1703 The Ambush

    "I see. So you want us to fall into their trap on purpose while we set up our own trap to ambush them instead." Vivian''s eyes lit up when she heard those words. She couldn''t have thought of a better plan.


    "That''s it. How smart of you!" Rocky nodded with a smile.


    "But once we enter their territory, we might be ambushed and exposed. How can we catch them off guard instead?"


    "That''s also what I''m worried about. Isn''t this too risky?"


    "I think it''s best that we avoid them and choose a safer route."


    The other Spiritual Emperors made it clear that they disagreed with Rocky''s plan. After all, most, if not all, did not know much about the art of war. This meant that disagreement was inevitable.


    "Everyone, I understand why you are worried. But like I said, the terrain we are in is easy to defend and hard to attack. The Primitive Fief''s goal is to ambush us, so they won''t be paying much attention to the terrain. Once we allow them to ambush us, we can lead them to our own trap. As soon as they''re caught in it, we can begin a counterattack. Doing all this will allow us to deal a h


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    inst an enemy. But now that she did, it was clear that the situation was serious.


    "I don''t even need to kill you with my own hands!" With a cold smile, Tobias took out a palm sized jade and threw it directly into the mud whirlpool.


    As soon as the gem flew into the sky and directly above the whirlpool, it suddenly shone with a strange dark green light. In an instant, a strong siphoning force swept over Vivian and her team. This, along with being trapped in the mud whirlpool, made them feel every second of having their spiritual power being taken.


    "The Spiritual Power Absorbing Stone! How could he have such a thing!" Vivian''s eyes turned cold. This stone was a holy artifact of the royal family. It was refined via a secret method known only to members within the family. It could absorb the spiritual power of any living being. The higher the grade, the stronger its siphoning power was. The one that Tobias possessed was at a level that could absorb at least the spiritual power of someone who was at the Emperor Level. So even someone as strong as her could barely resist its power.

 Chapter 1704 The Powerful Godly Genius

    "Miss Vivian''s in danger! Godly Genius, aren''t we going to save her?" The men surrounding Rocky immediately grew frantic and uneasy when they saw this. They knew they had to follow the plan and stay back, letting Vivian lure the enemy alone.


    Their whole scheme depended on Vivian''s success!


    But things were starting to grow dire for them. Everyone was deathly pale and was in a cold sweat as the Spiritual Power Absorbing Stone sucked up all of their spiritual power.


    She knew she had to play her part well since everyone was counting on her.


    She mustered every drop of remaining strength she had and let out a defiant scream. Her body radiated a cold blue light and a gigantic ice phoenix shot out of her body.


    "The spirit of the ice phoenix? She actually fused with the spirit of a legendary beast''s descendant..." Tobias uttered to himself in awe.


    A violent and icy whirlwind suddenly blew around Vivian, instantly freezing the mud and stone whirlpool, which saved her and her comrades from getting sucked into th


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    days, and now is the time for us to fight together. Although you are not soldiers and can''t be trained to be one in such a short time, you are all elites of the Ghost Fief and the Flower Fief. Your strength, which is at least above the Spirit Realm, should be enough to carry out my orders well..."


    "We are willing to go through fire and water and risk our lives for you!"


    "Godly Genius! Godly Genius!"


    They all chanted in unison.


    "Let''s go. Let us show our true power to the Primitive Fief and defeat them!" With an uplifting battle cry, Rocky led his men and charged towards their opponent.


    Meanwhile, Valeria, who was gravely injured, watched from afar as Rocky led his team to battle. It never once crossed her mind that Rocky would eventually become the spiritual leader of the guard team. At first, she saw him as a good-for-nothing brat. But now, he was the reason she was still alive.


    Of course, this change of feeling was unacceptable for her, but deep down she knew she could do nothing to change this.

 Chapter 1705 Vivians Real Strength

    "I have to focus on my recovery and heal as fast as possible. I can''t let that guy look down on me!" Valeria murmured, crossing her arms over her chest in determination.


    A small rustle was heard and she turned to look over her shoulder. A delicate figure appeared in front of her.


    "Vivian!" Looks of utter shock covered Valeria''s and the Spiritual Emperors'' faces.


    Vivian was there even though she was supposed to be dead.


    "Where is Odin?" Vivian asked, not wasting time on pleasantries.


    "He just left with a group of people," Valeria answered.


    "Okay! I''m going to help them." Without waiting for a response, Vivian turned on her heel and took off at a run.


    Now that Vivian was back, Valeria felt very relieved. After collecting herself for a moment, she took off after her.


    In the meantime, Rocky was bringing a group of his people to battle. Tobias was standing across from him and staring him down. "Boy, are you sure you want to be this stubborn?" Then, he turned to his men and ordered, "Go and kill them all!"


    In an instant, his men swarmed together and charged at Rocky and his men, aiming to slaughter each one of them.


    "Quick! Form th


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    th wide eyes.


    "How... How did you do it? You are already dead..." Even in his dying moments, it was impossible for Tobias to believe that Vivian had come back.


    "A dead man doesn''t need an explanation!" Vivian yanked out her ice spear and sliced it horizontally through the air. As a result, Tobias'' head flew upwards and hung on the tip of her spear.


    After ending his life, Vivian exited the array and shouted at the members of the Primitive Fief who were still fighting, "Everyone, leave now or you will be killed too!" At the same time, she raised Tobias'' head on the end of her spear.


    "Master Tobias is dead. Run!" Tobias'' men were shocked to see their leader''s head. They no longer had a reason to fight.


    The three, low-grade Spiritual Emperors led the rest of them into a retreat.


    Vivian didn''t bother chasing after them. Instead, she brought her men back to their camp, counted the casualties, and let the injured heal.


    "Miss Vivian, you''re so fierce! You killed a Spiritual Emperor at the premium stage from the Primitive Fief so fast," Rocky praised.


    "Is flattering others a hobby of yours?" Vivian scolded.


    "I was just being honest!"

 Chapter 1706 Heavily Guarded

    "Despite his power, Tobias was too arrogant. It''s a terrible idea to fight on the battlefield with such an ego, which is why he died at my hands. He deserved it," Vivian said proudly.


    "Now that Tobias is dead, the people of the Primitive Fief ought to watch out and behave themselves!" Valeria exclaimed with a snort.


    "I don''t think so. But in such a short period, they wouldn''t dare think it''s easy to ruffle our feathers." Rocky shook his head. They slaughtered a Spiritual Emperor of the Primitive Fief. The fief''s people would never let this go easily but they would never dare to act so abruptly either.


    "Let''s take a day off. We''ll be on our way tomorrow!" Vivian ordered.


    A few hours later, news spread to the guard team of the Primitive Fief that Vivian killed Tobias. They were near the area where the Nether Dragon King''s lair was stationed.


    "What? Tobias was murdered by Vivian?" This news shocked all of the Spiritual Emperors of the Primitive Fief.


    Tobias'' strength was only second to that of Israel and another high-level Spiritual Emperor in the team. He was one of their most powerful fighters, so the news of him being killed so easily was quite unexpected.


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    "There''s no need to do anything at the moment. Now that someone is clearing the way for us, we can avoid tons of trouble. Isn''t it perfect? As for the rest, we''ll talk about it once we get to the Nether Dragon King''s lair. Moreover, we don''t have any background on our enemy yet so we can''t risk acting so suddenly either," Rocky replied with his explanation.


    "It''s the only way." Valeria agreed with him. The most important thing right now was to arrive at the lair safely first.


    With this in mind, the joint guard team continued to move forward for two days before finally arriving near the Nether Dragon King''s lair. They knew that the lair''s entrance must have been guarded by people from the Primitive Fief, so they didn''t risk trying to break in. Instead, they found a safe area nearby to set up camp and sent two Spiritual Emperors to the entrance where they would collect more information about their enemy.


    As expected, the two Spiritual Emperors returned not long after and immediately reported, "The entrance is heavily guarded by guards from the Primitive Fief. An enchanted barrier has been set up as well so that no one can sneak into the lair, not even a fly."

 Chapter 1707 Revenge

    "Were you able to trace the whereabouts of the other Godly Geniuses'' guard teams?" Vivian asked.


    "Not yet."


    "It seems that someone is, indeed, plotting against us," Vivian declared with confidence. "Judging from the strength displayed by the Primitive Fief, I believe we won''t be able to break in¡ªeven if we charged with full force."


    "There''s no need for that. I''ve figured out a way to break in on my own. The problem is that I can''t bring Valeria with me," Rocky explained. The Earth-diving Skill enabled him to travel through various types of terrains without any hassle. Its only downside was that others couldn''t tag along.


    "Do you mean I''m dragging you down?" Valeria shot him a hostile glare upon hearing his words.


    "That''s not what I meant," Rocky shot her a wry grin back.


    "It seems we''ll need to figure out a way to get Valeria inside. But considering her injury, we can''t force our way through yet," Vivian pointed out carefully.


    "Perhaps we just have to distract the Primitive Fief so that they won''t notice her when she enters," Rocky remarked. It seemed he had already come u


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    int guard team of the Ghost Fief and the Flower Fief made their way towards the entrance to the Nether Dragon King''s lair under Vivian''s lead. Not long after, they finally arrived.


    The Primitive Fief''s guard team had already formed a line of defense in front of the lair. They became more alert once they saw the united guard team inching closer towards them assertively.


    Since Israel entered the cave, Jordy was tasked with leading the guard team. Not only was he a senior official of the Primitive Fief but he was also a Spiritual Emperor at the premium stage.


    Jordy was caught off guard by the early arrival of the joint guard team. The other guard teams, despite entering the Nether Fire Land at nearly the exact moment, had yet to make their appearance.


    Nevertheless, the news greatly excited him. His friend, Tobias, had been slaughtered by Vivian. He was more than eager to avenge him.


    Jordy made his way to the front of the team he was leading. As he faced the joint guard team, he shouted furiously, "You imbecile from the Ghost Fief murdered my friend! Today, I will have my vengeance!"

 Chapter 1708 Approach The Lair

    "Come on. Is it revenge you want? Just walk over here and attack us," Vivian provoked openly.


    "Yeah, right! You can come over and attack us if you''re so brave!" Jordy shot back. Because he was an experienced leader, it would be difficult to trick him into messing up his defense array.


    "Fine. We''ll attack right now," Vivian declared. With a wave of her hand, she led the hundred warriors that Rocky had trained towards the guard team from the Primitive Fief. Yesterday, Rocky just taught her an art of war array and its derivative forms, so she was looking forward to testing it out.


    As soon as Vivian and her team got close enough to their enemies, they changed their formation to make an attacking array and launched more attacks with vigor.


    Under Vivian''s guidance, the well-trained team was able to quickly break their opponents'' defense.


    The guards from the Primitive Fief didn''t expect that Vivian and her team were powerful enough to break their defensive line in one move. Thus, they were caught off guard a little.


    "Tell the rest of the members to go and create more chaos," Rocky ordered when he saw an opportunity opening before him.


    Soon, the other members of the joint guard team were b


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    , Vivian and her team ran to safety. In the blink of an eye, the place where they had been standing was struck by the thunder and a gaping hole was left behind.


    However, the thunder didn''t stop once it had struck. It kept attacking Vivian and the others, preventing them from approaching the entrance.


    "I''ll take care of this. You keep trying to get to Godly Genius Valeria!" Vivian knew that she had to stop Jordy and his thunder strikes, so she raised her spear and charged at him.


    At the same time, the fake Valeria was running towards the entrance like they had planned.


    Vivian raised her spear. Several spiritual shadows emerged from the tip and swam through the air. They dashed towards Jordy as fast as lightning.


    When he saw them coming, he stopped the thunder strike, pushed his hands forward, and formed a lightning barrier in front of him.


    Bang! Bang!


    Several spiritual shadows hit the lighting barrier one after another and fizzled out.


    "Ha-ha! Miss Vivian, you are no match for me. I advise you to stop right now or you will be killed!" Wearing a sneer on his face, Jordy turned and chased after the fake Valeria.


    Vivian couldn''t let Jordy catch up with her, so she ran after him.

 Chapter 1709 The Opposite Cliff

    It didn''t take long for the fake Valeria to get close to the entrance, but unfortunately, Jordy had caught up with her and stopped her.


    Meanwhile, the real Valeria was approaching the entrance of the lair.


    But a middle level warrior at the Emperor Realm that was nearby had noticed her presence and hurried over to stop her. If she were prevented from reaching the entrance, the whole plan would fail.


    Just as the warrior was about to catch up with Valeria, a hand reached up from the ground. The warrior, who had been trying to stop Valeria, didn''t notice it and it grabbed him around the ankle.


    He tried to stop but the force of it made him fall forward, nearly hitting the ground. However, because he was so advanced, he was able to react quickly and jump to his feet. After that, he turned around and started to chase Valeria again.


    Unfortunately, she had just burst through the entrance.


    "Master Jordy, I have bad news! Someone is passing through the entrance!" the warrior shouted.


    "What? Wait a minute..." At that moment, Jordy re


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    had. But in order to prevent someone from ambushing them, he had chosen to stay hidden and follow Valeria secretly.


    Now that he was holding onto Valeria, the powerful suction force of the abyss was pulling both of them down. The thick, long vines were starting to snap.


    Rocky narrowed his eyes and thought hard. He didn''t have a lot of options. Unless there was a force strong enough to resist the suction force, the two of them wouldn''t be able to escape.


    After some quick thinking, he decided to infuse his spiritual power into the arm that he was holding Valeria with. Then, he used all his power to lift her and throw her at the opposite cliff. But his strength was not enough for her to make it all the way. So he took out a Potent Force Rune and infused his spiritual power into it. Then, he dropped it.


    A moment later, the power released by the Potent Force Rune exploded and formed a huge spiritual wave.


    The impact of the spiritual wave was enough to cut off the suction force from Valeria and get her to safety on the other side.

 Chapter 1710 The Dark Abyss

    Rocky was standing firmly on the vine. However, he lost his balance due to the force of the spiritual power wave and was soon pushed over the cliff''s edge. In the blink of an eye, he was sucked down by some invisible force before disappearing into the vast darkness at the bottom of the cliff.


    Once Valeria came to her senses, she realized that Rocky had been devoured by the darkness and disappeared without a trace.


    "Godly Genius Odin!" Valeria continuously shouted at the bottom of the abyss, but Rocky never responded.


    As she stared blankly into the chasm before her, Valeria felt a wave of emotions come crashing over her. She felt an inexplicable pang of regret since this was the second time Rocky had saved her. She felt as though their roles should have been reversed, with her saving him instead.


    Given her strength and experience, she was supposed to be the one to take care of Rocky. The result however ended in her being taken care of every time!


    But Valeria didn''t let the panic overcome her. Despite Rocky falling into danger due to her carelessness, she believed that he wouldn''t go down so easily¡ªeven though p


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    ater as he did his best to readjust his balance and float on the water''s surface.


    As he opened his eyes, he no longer was blinded by endless darkness. He could faintly see uneven, rocky walls all around him. He appeared to be in a cave that seemed to be completely closed off.


    However, Rocky soon realized that something was off. If the cave had no entrance or exit point, how did he end up here in the first place? He was at a complete loss for words.


    He looked all around to try and make sense of what just happened to him.


    He needed to find out the answer.


    Given his high level of intelligence, it wouldn''t be difficult.


    In less than five minutes, he had come up with an answer. He proposed that the Nether Dragon King''s lair wasn''t just an ordinary one. It was very likely to have numerous spaces such as this one. The dark abyss he had just fallen into earlier was very likely an entrance into another one of these spaces.


    This meant that the Nether Dragon King''s lair was built with some great force. One that only gods could control, it seemed. Could it be that they were the ones who built this lair? But why?

 Chapter 1711 Odin Is Dead

    Although Rocky couldn''t wrap his head around it, he decided to complete the task solely because it was passed down to him by the gods. Trusting that the gods had some cryptic purpose behind commanding them to subdue the Nether Dragon King, Rocky rid his heart with all doubts.


    However, he was more focused on finding a way out of this space to return to Valeria and the others. With Valeria''s current strength, she wouldn''t fare well in a fight against the other Godly Geniuses.


    Now that the cave''s ceiling above was blocked off, Rocky contemplated diving underwater to search for another exit.


    Inhaling deeply, bracing himself, he nosedived into the water, exploring the new territory.


    After he searched restlessly for a while, Rocky''s efforts soon bore fruit when he came across a promising cave immersed with bubbles at the bottom of the water. Growing impatient from slowly running out of oxygen, he penned all his hopes on it to provide him with a safe exit without considering the risks involved in entering unknown grounds.


    Upon entering the cave, he had to slip past a painfully long yet narrow opening. Time was of the essence since he was running out of breath. Soon, his vision began to blur, feeling dizzy from the lack of oxygen in his body before


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    ould we not have been here?" one of them asked politely, adorning a charming smile.


    The two girls were none other than Gloria and Purple.


    They had closely followed Rocky and the others when they arrived at the Nether Fire Land. The two women disguised themselves and sneaked into Drew''s guard team.


    After Drew and Quentin led their people to attack and break into the lair, Gloria and Purple too snuck inside without being noticed.


    Never did Valeria expect to rely on them to protect her. Stubborn as she was, she blurted out, "Out of the way. I''ll be the one to kill this beast!"


    Amused, Gloria and Purple exchanged glances before turning to Valeria. "We honestly don''t care whether you live or die. But you''re the only one who knows about Odin''s whereabouts. So where is he?"


    "He is dead!" Valeria exclaimed, her voice trembling in suppressed anguish.


    "You''re kidding, right? This can''t be true." Denying her statement, Gloria shook her head.


    "It''s true! He fell into the abyss trying to save me! It''s all my fault!" Forgetting all about the striking pain in her abdomen, Valeria fell to her knees, a pained expression on her face vouching for her words.


    Shocked from the revelation, Gloria and Purple stood stunned, eyes wide in disbelief.

 Chapter 1712 The Aura Of Demonic Beast

    "You scourge. I didn''t expect that you would actually have Odin killed. What a pain, now I have to make do with another plan..." Gloria originally wanted to use Rocky as a stepping stone to get what she wanted, but his untimely death forced her to change her plans.


    "I didn''t mean it, and it should have nothing to do with you," Valeria answered while glaring at Gloria.


    "Who says it has nothing to do with me? I''m his fiancee!" Gloria patted her plump chest.


    "Shame on you!" Valeria couldn''t believe the audacity of her.


    "Humph, whatever you say. Anyway, since he''s already dead, I''m afraid I can''t keep you alive either. Maybe I can use this beast to get rid of you..." Gloria said while a sly smile slowly crept up on her face.


    Valeria couldn''t do anything but stare at Gloria with her teeth clenched in anger. Valeria knew well enough that she was just tormenting her while enjoying the sweet taste of victory. Even though she wanted nothing more than to fight back, she was seriously injured. More so, Gloria had Purple with her. It wouldn''t be a fair fight.


    "But if you agree to my condition, maybe we can jo


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    e Shura Race''s royal family from afar. Its sheer size left him speechless. It was almost as large as the entire Nether Fire Land and was divided into many different areas. But in the end, there was only the fortress, a small portion of the land, left.


    As Esteban said, the Shura Race was adamant to protect the fortress at all cost since it contained the deepest secrets of the royal family.


    After thoroughly reading the memories from the crystal pillar, Rocky''s surroundings suddenly changed. The mysterious passageway disappeared into thin air and was replaced by an arena surrounded by tall steel railings.


    "What the hell is this place?" The sudden shift in scenery left him utterly confused. Before he could even process what happened, a strong rumbling suddenly came from afar.


    Then, a huge shadow slowly walked out from one side of the arena.


    Rocky immediately felt the presence of something diabolical and summoned his spiritual power, ready to fight it at any moment. Upon closer look, the beast in front of him was actually a towering, hideous giant, emanating an aura that struck fear into Rocky''s heart.

 Chapter 1713 A Strange Creature

    The giant peered down at Rocky with big, dark green eyes. He didn''t try to hurt him. It looked like he was just curious.


    "Who... are... you?" the giant asked in a slow, deep voice. From the way he spoke, it was clear that he was not fluent in Rocky''s language.


    For a moment, Rocky hesitated. He didn''t want to answer the question because he might say something wrong and make the giant angry. The last thing he wanted was for the giant to attack him. The aura the giant was emitting was extremely strange, and Rocky was afraid that the creature had power that was equal to or higher than the Emperor Realm. Therefore, he remained cautious.


    "Who are you?" Rocky asked in return after some thought.


    "I''m... the Wind Monster..." the giant answered with some effort.


    "Sir, I''m really sorry. I never meant to disturb you. I am here because I fell from the cliff. Could you please tell me where I am and why you are here?" Rocky asked as politely as he could. He was pretty sure that the giant didn''t want to harm him.


    "This is the holy land. I''


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    e area they were standing in and they traveled along a winding, stone path. On either side of the path, there were high walls.


    After many steps, Rocky had to squint his eyes because a beam of very bright, dazzling sunlight was hitting him in the face. The closer he got, the more his eyes adapted. There was a palace that was a hundred meters high in front of him. It was showered in bright light.


    "I didn''t expect the holy land of the Shura Race''s royal family would be this pure and holy..." Rocky commented to himself. The Shura Race cultivated the evil spiritual power, yet the holy land of the Shura Race unleashed a holy vibe. It was the complete opposite.


    Rocky had a faint feeling that the secret might be able to answer the questions that he had been holding close for such a long time.


    "Master, come up." Rocky looked up to find the Wind Monster bending down and pointing at his shoulder.


    "Are you taking me up there?" Rocky asked.


    The Wind Monster nodded in response.


    Without any hesitation, Rocky jumped on his shoulder.

 Chapter 1714 From Today On

    After taking a deep breath, the Wind Monster suddenly jumped into the air. Then, he began to walk in it. With each step he took, airwaves would gush from his feet.


    "The power of the Wind Monster is really unfathomable!" Seeing how the Wind Monster walked in midair while releasing a strong spiritual power so easily, Rocky was very impressed and believed that his power was beyond what he imagined.


    Not long after, the Wind Monster finally took Rocky to the Holy Sun Palace.


    The gate of the palace was open, and they could vaguely see that it was indeed resplendent inside.


    "Master, before you can enter the Holy Sun Palace, you will see an enchanted barrier that my former master has set up. Only my master or the inheritor of his strength can pass through it. Since I can''t enter, I won''t be able to accompany you any further. The secret of the royal family of the Shura Race should be in the innermost hall of the palace," the Wind Monster informed.


    "All right," Rocky replied and eventually strode towards the gate.


    Just as the Wind Monster said, as soon as Rocky approached the gate, a golden enchanted barrier suddenly appeared. However, he was able to directly pass through it without causing him any harm.


    After entering the palace, Rocky looked around and saw the magnificent designs all over the place. The architectural sty


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    around and looked at the sky as they trembled in fear.


    The astounding battle lasted for three days and three nights.


    However, on the fourth day, a figure suddenly fell from the sky and crashed into the ground. Immediately after, dust rose all over the sky. The moment the dust dissipated, the king''s body was revealed and it was covered in blood and bruises.


    Seeing this, the members of the royal family felt that they had lost all hope.


    But at the same moment, the king staggered as he stood on his feet. Then, he raised the huge sword in his hand and declared, "I killed the gods today. I swear that from here on, the members of the royal family will no longer be servants of the gods."


    Hearing this, the members of the royal family were stunned. They did not expect that these statements would come out from the mouth of the king. At the same time, they were also surprised by the king''s heroism. Hence, they passionately knelt down and worshipped him.


    After a while, the sky where the flames had descended had suddenly become calm.


    However, at this point, the entire holy land of the royal family was almost destroyed. In fact, the only place that remained intact was the holy city.


    Then, with a solemn and dignified expression, the king said, "Get up, everyone. From today on, the Shura Race will stand up against the gods."

 Chapter 1715 The Interruption

    The continuous stream of memories flowing into Rocky''s mind was suddenly cut off somehow.


    ''What happened?'' Rocky thought to himself as he reached out again one more time to touch the ball of light, but still, nothing happened.


    Up till now, Rocky discovered the biggest secret of the Shura Race''s royal family: long ago, their king killed the gods and became sworn enemies with them. ''But how could this be?'' Rocky thought. Currently, the Shura Race adored and praised the gods, which was contrary to the memory he just read. It seemed that there was still a missing piece of the story that led them to believe in the gods once again.


    If this secret came out, the faith of the entire Shura Race might crumble.


    The king must''ve had his own reason to keep this secret from his people.


    Countless questions bombarded Rocky''s mind one after another. What happened to the king afterward? And why was he found beheaded inside the Martial Spirit Graveyard? Why did the Shura Race worship the gods again? His mind was in a kerfuffle.


    Rocky took one last look at the ball of light before


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    Gathering Pill!" answered the martial spirit.


    "Didn''t you say that this pill is used to break through to the Emperor Realm?" Rocky demanded in a stern tone. He had a hunch that the martial spirit was hiding something from him.


    "Yes, but I seem to have forgotten to tell you that the pill can trigger the powers inside your body to fuse together," the martial spirit answered in an ingenuous manner.


    Rocky was rendered speechless upon hearing that. He felt like he was fooled.


    "The reason why you are suffering is that the pill is merging the different powers found in your body with your own power. If you survive, a new, much more powerful strength will emerge. But if it fails, there will surely be some grave consequences," the martial spirit explained with understatement.


    If Rocky had known this first, he wouldn''t have taken the risk. The powers inside him would prove too much for his body if they were all activated at the same time. He could do nothing but grit his teeth at the martial spirit. It would take all of his might just to survive this harrowing ordeal.

 Chapter 1716 Return To The Lair

    Rocky refocused his mind to the task at hand. He knew that it was pointless to think about other things now. He needed to survive first.


    Taking several deep breaths, he tried to calm down and reduce the impact resulting from the fusion of several forces inside his body.


    Soon, drops of sweat were sliding off the tip of his nose and his face had turned as pale as a ghost. And the fusion that was happening inside of him still showed no signs of stopping.


    Currently, Rocky''s body was the home of a huge battlefield. Several forces were constantly attacking each other.


    And he could do nothing about it because he had zero control over the forces.


    Six hours ticked by.


    By now, Rocky''s spiritual sense was blurred and exhaustion was consuming him. However, the forces were still strong and battling against each other relentlessly. He couldn''t throw in the towel yet.


    "How did my master''s body have so many forces inside of it?" the martial spirit said, speaking for the first time in a while. A mixture of hesitation


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    e? I don''t think so. Since my master left, you''re the only person I''ve seen..." Shock was written all over the Wind Monster''s face.


    "Really?" Rocky frowned. A mysterious man who could freely enter and leave the Holy Sun Palace might be the key to solving the remaining mysteries.


    "Wind Monster, I need to leave. Tell me how to return to the Nether Dragon King''s lair," Rocky said.


    "Okay. I''ll bring you to the exit now. By the way, the Nether Dragon King is the guardian beast of the entrance of the holy land. It is also the descendant of my former master''s mount. Please don''t hurt it when you meet it," the Wind Monster said.


    "Okay."


    After that, the Wind Monster lifted Rocky onto his shoulder. Then, they left the Holy Sun Palace and headed for the exit of the holy land.


    Before long, they had reached another cliff. It had a whirlpool of power in the gap.


    "You can use this whirlpool to return to the Nether Dragon King''s lair," the Wind Monster explained.


    "Do you want to come with me?" Rocky asked.

 Chapter 1717 Their Combination

    "I can''t. My job is to protect the holy land. It was the last thing my former master asked of me. I hope you can forgive me for staying behind," the Wind Monster said, further proving how loyal and responsible he was.


    "That''s fine with me. See you later!" When Rocky was done speaking, he leapt into the whirlpool that filled the gap beyond the cliff.


    Before long, Rocky could spot a dim light ahead of him. A few seconds later, his feet landed in a dark cave. After observing his surroundings, he knew that he had returned to the lair of the Nether Dragon King.


    When his eyes had adapted to the light, he left the cave.


    "I wonder how is Valeria doing now..." The first thing he needed to do was to find Valeria. She was tasked with subduing the Nether Dragon King, so if he searched the depths of the Nether Dragon King''s lair, he would be able to locate her.


    Nodding his head, he walked deeper into the Nether Dragon King''s lair.


    The day after Rocky had returned to the Nether Dragon King''s lair, Valeria, Gloria, and Purple finally reached the depths of the Nether Dragon King''s lair. They had overcome plenty of dangers a


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    a''s enchantment skill and had fallen completely under her spell.


    Quentin gritted his teeth. He didn''t know that Drew had such weak willpower.


    "Well, I think the three of us are enough to deal with the beast. Quentin, I am giving you one more chance. Are you willing to join us?" Gloria asked with a quick glance in Quentin''s direction. She had expected him to refuse her plan, but now that Drew was on her side, their chances of winning had increased.


    "Bitch, you''ve convinced me! Count me in!" Quentin knew that he had lost Drew and that he would be fighting alone. Therefore, there was no chance of him winning unless he joined the other three. After they defeated the Nether Dragon King, he would try to subdue the beast on his own.


    "Awesome! Let''s get ready to fight!" Gloria declared with a smile.


    Soon, the four Godly Geniuses and Purple had reached the bottom of the lair.


    Israel''s battle with the Nether Dragon King had ended and he was obviously exhausted. A bad feeling swept over him when he saw five people approaching him.


    "I''m really sorry, Israel, but the Nether Dragon King is ours now," Gloria stated.

 Chapter 1718 Who Was The Prey

    "These guys have joined hands?" Israel was a little surprised that the four Godly Geniuses had joined hands in battle, but he deemed that it was the most logical choice right now. He realized that the others must have been observing his fight against the Nether Dragon King for a while now. Thus, they had to admit that no one would have a chance to win against the monstrous creature if they fought by themselves.


    Currently, he was regretful. He recognized that if he had not been too conceited, he could have joined hands with the other Godly Geniuses to take down the Nether Dragon King. Perhaps, they would have finished the mission by now.


    "So, what are you thinking right now? Your face does not look too happy. Are you thinking of fighting this creature with us? Come on now! You don''t need to think about it!" Gloria was well-aware of Israel''s impressive strength. Once he joined them, their chances of defeating the Nether Dragon King would be much greater.


    "Really? What if I betray all of you in the end and take all the credits for myself?" Israel asked with a smirk.


    "Ha! Don''t think so highly of yourself. You have already fought the dragon for such a long time. We know that you are also near your limit. If you have the guts to fight us in the end, you are going down!" Gloria said confidently. Of course, she had already considered the possible consequences. Otherwise, she would not dare to make such an offer.


    "T


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    s point, all the demonic beasts in the lair had already reached the Emperor Realm. Normally, it would be possible for the Godly Geniuses to kill one or two of them. But if a horde of beasts were going after them, their only choice was to retreat as fast as they could.


    Therefore, Rocky and the three women hurriedly took advantage of the complicated topography of the lair to hide and avoid detection.


    In the blink of an eye, the day quickly passed.


    After getting rid of the demonic beasts that were chasing them, Rocky and the women found a narrow cave, where they were able to safely recover their spiritual power.


    "Damn it. I thought our plan to team up would be enough to take the Nether Dragon King down. Instead, the situation was reversed and we were the ones hunted down like prey. This task is going to kill us all!" Gloria could not help but complain out of disappointment.


    "Ha! No one forced you to come here in the first place," Rocky said with a cold snort.


    "Why are you mad at me? Don''t think that I will be grateful and willingly marry you just because you saved me back there!" Gloria retorted with dissatisfaction. However, she still had to admit that her impression of Rocky had been dramatically improved after the incident earlier.


    "Fine. I did not tell you to thank me or marry me. What I am worried about is that I might die young after marrying you! Don''t blame me if you became a widow so early."

 Chapter 1719 The Nether Dragon King Got Out Of The Lair

    "You..." When she saw the joking expression on Rocky''s face, Gloria was rendered speechless. Her words had come out because of anger. She didn''t really mean them. It just made her pissed off to see Rocky taking advantage of the situation and teasing her.


    Both Valeria and Purple chuckled in response.


    "Now that the lair is full of beasts and they are chasing us, it will be a lot harder to get out," Valeria said in a serious voice, ending the playful mood.


    "I''m not worried about the beasts. It''s the Nether Dragon King that scares me. We''ve disturbed it, and now, it might not stop chasing after us," Rocky said as he frowned slightly.


    "Or it could have returned to its lair," Gloria guessed, hoping for the best.


    "I hope so," Rocky said. The truth was, he was strong enough to fight against the Nether Dragon King, but he did not want to expose his true strength yet. He would have to hold back and continue keeping a low profile for a while longer.


    After a day of being pursued by many beasts, Rocky and the others reached the vicinity of the entrance. As they were preparing to go outside, something suddenly flashed in Valeria''s pocket.


    She took out the flashing object and observe


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    e, Israel, Quentin, and Drew saw their opportunity to exit the lair. They snuck out one at a time. As they ran to join their guard teams, they looked at Rocky and the Nether Dragon King and they were shocked to see what was happening.


    Soon, all the guard teams had retreated to the periphery of the lair and were watching Rocky and Nether Dragon King from afar.


    "If I''m right, he''s the Godly Genius of the Ghost Fief. He''s bold to use himself as bait..."


    "Yes. He''s brave, but this is not a wise move!"


    "He should be the weakest out of the nine Godly Geniuses. I don''t know if he is strong enough to survive this encounter!"


    When they all saw Rocky trying to fight the Nether Dragon King on his own, the Spiritual Emperors of other guard teams all shook their heads. They were sure that Rocky was playing with fire and that his death was imminent.


    Rocky knew that he could subdue the Nether Dragon King as long as he wanted to. But he did not want to expose his strength yet, so he chose to distract the Nether Dragon King, hoping it would get tired and surrender.


    Unfortunately, the enraged Nether Dragon King had left all of its wits behind and just wanted to see everything destroyed.

 Chapter 1720 His Amazing Performance

    Rearing up and garnering all its power, the Nether Dragon King launched a more violent attack at Rocky, making everyone gasp.


    "I''ll go help him!" Vivian exclaimed, taking a step forward. She was having a hard time standing back and watching Rocky struggling.


    "Please don''t. He told you to get the guard team out of here, so he must have a plan. If you go over there, you could ruin everything..." Valeria said, holding out an arm to stop Vivian from advancing.


    Even though Vivian thought what she had said was reasonable, she was still a little anxious. After all, the Nether Dragon King had enough power that it could kill Rocky.


    Of course, that idea excited the other Godly Geniuses. They wanted Rocky to be killed by the Nether Dragon King. To them, it was like they were watching an entertaining performance.


    Rocky and the Nether Dragon King had been in a stalemate for a long time when Rocky found an opportunity to approach the Nether Dragon King. As he walked towards it, he activated the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill and sent his spiritual sense into


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    ?" Vivian asked Rocky as they walked next to each other.


    "I have my reasons but I would like to keep them secret," Rocky answered with a small smile on his face.


    "But did you complete the task or not?" The most important thing was whether or not Rocky had completed the task.


    "It doesn''t matter if I fulfilled the task or not. I benefited a lot from the trip to the Nether Fire Land," Rocky answered. He was the only one who knew the hidden meaning behind his words.


    Vivian raised her eyebrows. She didn''t know what he had meant when he said he had benefited.


    Rocky turned to Valeria and said, "Miss Valeria, because you didn''t fully recover from your previous injury and you were injured while fighting against the Nether Dragon King, you will have to rest more when we get back. If you are not in a hurry to go back to the Flower Fief, you can stay in the Ghost Fief and my master can heal you..."


    "Okay." It never occurred to Valeria that Rocky cared so much about her. It was a new experience.


    Saying nothing further, Rocky closed his eyes and rested.

 Chapter 1721 Went Back To Ghost Fief

    "Please come with me. I need to talk with you in private," Vivian said as she approached Valeria and gestured her to get on her beast. Afterward, the two women went away from the team and went to a place where they could talk in peace.


    "What is the matter?" Seeing that Vivian was acting quite strange, Valeria quickly asked her what was going on.


    "Well, it is actually about your engagement with Odin. What are your thoughts about it now?" Vivian asked straightforwardly.


    "What do you mean?" Valeria was quite taken aback by the sudden question.


    "Shouldn''t you be thinking about the wedding already?" Vivian directly pointed it out.


    "The wedding?" Valeria repeated and could not help but swallow. The expression on her face slightly changed. After all, she had not yet begun thinking about it.


    "I know that you had doubts about him before. But you have witnessed Odin''s strength, and you should have a better impression of him by now. Since you are engaged, you will inevitably get married sooner or later. But I suggest that you''d better hurry up," Vivian bluntly remarked.


    "But¡­ I haven''t really thought about it yet," Valeria mumbled softly.


    "Actually, the other reason why I told you this is because something''s bothering me," Vivian said as her face became more serious.


    "What is it?" Valeria asked with sli


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    rophet. I can predict things," Esteban replied as he laughed complacently.


    "Really? So, did you also predict that I have entered the sacred place of the royal family?" Rocky asked with a faint smile.


    "What? Is that true? Were you able to get anything?" Esteban was quite surprised. He did not expect that Rocky would really be able to enter the sacred place of the royal family of the Shura Race.


    "Well, yeah, I gained something. But the most important thing that I acquired is the secret of the royal family," Rocky said with a slightly serious face.


    "The secret of the royal family? Then, don''t bother telling me about it. After all, we don''t know if it may get me killed someday or bring such a misfortune." Esteban quickly waved his hand, playing things safe for his own sake.


    "Well, I guess you are right," Rocky agreed and did not say anything more about the topic.


    "It''s good that you''re back. But I''m sure that she gave you a hard time. Am I right?" Esteban asked in a teasing tone.


    "Everything went fine, although she has been injured. So, I''m afraid that you''ll have to help her heal in the next few days," Rocky said bluntly.


    "Why me? Aren''t you able to heal her wounds yourself?" Esteban replied as he rolled his eyes at Rocky.


    "I can, but it won''t be convenient¡­" Rocky said as he shook his head.

 Chapter 1722 Cure Her Wounds

    "Really? Or is it because you''re afraid of being pestered by her?" Esteban asked with a snicker.


    "Oh please, I''m not that charming," Rocky retorted. His face was on the verge of turning red.


    "It''s not up to you whether or not she thinks you''re charming. She''s your fiancee, boy. Be nice to her..."


    "But I didn''t do anything bad to her!" Fed up, Rocky couldn''t help but lash out.


    "Then cure her wounds because I''m going out tomorrow." Esteban finally went straight to the point and asked him to treat Valeria''s wounds.


    "Where are you going?"


    "It''s a secret!" Esteban said teasingly.


    Rocky shook his head and let out a small smile before going straight to the pharmacy located in the depths of the Ghost Palace.


    After a good night''s rest, Valeria came to the Ghost Palace the moment she regained some of her strength.


    "Is Master Esteban here?" She greeted Rocky with a question.


    "He''s out for a few days," Rocky replied.


    "What? What about my treatment..." Valeria quickly cut off her question.


    "Of course, I will be the on


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    n''t just stand idly by. This was no mere coincidence.


    They immediately ordered their spies in the Ghost Capital to collect as much information as they could about the Godly Genius.


    Gloria looked for her father and leader, Adrian, as soon as she arrived in the Genie Fief.


    The sight of his daughter made Adrian''s face twitch in anger.


    His anger against his daughter had been growing even more ever since he received the message from Gilbert. He wanted to personally take Gloria home, but there was something more important for him to deal with. Thus he had to send someone to the Ghost Capital, but it didn''t help as she sneaked out of the leader''s mansion and disappeared without a trace.


    "Father..." Gloria knew that her father must be angry, so she immediately tried to grab her father''s arm and soothe his nerves.


    Having enough of her attitude, Adrian waved his hand and a strong spiritual power pinned Gloria to stand right where she was.


    "Don''t try to fool me. You have made such a big mistake this time!" Adrian yelled in fury.

 Chapter 1723 Glorias Plan

    "Father, what is the matter? I did not do anything wrong," Gloria said in a defensive tone.


    "How dare you feign ignorance? Gilbert has sent someone to give me a message. He said that you maliciously destroyed the engagement ceremony between the Godly Geniuses of the Ghost Fief and the Flower Fief. You signed your name on the engagement covenant and even stole it! What were you thinking?! Damn it. It''s my fault that I spoiled you too much." Adrian knew that what his daughter did this time was something that could not be easily forgiven. In fact, if he did not do anything right away, it might cause an inevitable dispute between their fief and the other two fiefs.


    "Why are you scolding me? I was just trying to secure the benefits of our fief through my own methods!" Gloria retorted as she pursed her lips.


    "Is that what you think? But I think you just brought trouble instead! Fortunately, you were able to escape. Otherwise, I really don''t know what I would have said to Gilbert to let him release you," Adrian answered coldly.


    "About that... I did not escape by myself," Gloria mumbled as she let out a sly smile.


    "What do you mean? How did you get out of their territory?" Adrian asked hesitantly as he slightly narrowed his eyes.


    "Odin helped me."


    "Odin? The Godly Genius of the Ghost Fi


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    tub and poured the hot water and medicinal materials into it. Since there wasn''t any partition inside the pharmacy, he set up a screen especially for Valeria. After all, he could not let a young woman be completely exposed.


    Not long after, Valeria arrived at the Ghost Palace and entered the pharmacy.


    "Everything is ready. Just go inside the bathtub and prepare yourself. I''ll check on you later after you are ready," Rocky said as he pointed at the screen just behind him.


    As she glanced at Rocky, Valeria could not help but blush at the thought that this man would eventually see her naked body later. However, she quickly tried to calm herself, thinking that he only needed to do this to heal her wounds.


    Therefore, after taking a few deep breaths, she walked towards the back of the screen where she saw the large bathtub with all kinds of medicinal materials.


    Then, she began to undress her clothes. Although she was slightly trembling due to embarrassment, she was eventually able to take them all off. Afterward, she gradually stepped into the bathtub, tested the temperature of the water, and soaked her whole body in it.


    Even after all that, her heart was still racing rapidly.


    "How is it? Are you done?" Rocky asked flatly.


    "Huh? Y-yes," Valeria stammered as her face got flustered.

 Chapter 1724 A Game

    When Rocky walked around the screen, he averted his eyes so he wasn''t looking directly at Valeria. The last thing he wanted to do was to embarrass her.


    "I will give you the black needles and then I will go. It will hurt a little bit," Rocky said as he walked behind her. Then, he took out the black needles and stabbed them into her back as fast as he could.


    It didn''t take long for Valeria to feel her meridians become smoother.


    About five minutes later, Rocky had finished the acupuncture.


    "You can rest in the medicated bath now. The black needles that are in your back will guide your spiritual power and help it repair your meridians. It will take about six hours. You must stay here the whole time. You are not allowed to go anywhere else," Rocky ordered.


    "Okay." Valeria nodded.


    "I have to leave the Ghost Palace for a while, but I''ll set up some restrictions to protect you. I want you to rest and let yourself heal. I''ll be back just before the six hours are up." Wasting no time, Rocky departed.


    Valeria watched his back retreating and sighed. Then she closed her eyes, leaned back in the bathtub, and allowed the needles and medicine to heal her.


    After leaving the Ghost


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    have to do whatever I can and make use of all the resources..." Rocky''s eyes narrowed into a frown.


    Meanwhile, in the floating hall above the northernmost tip of the continent, a delicate figure was staring at the pillar of divine power which had reached three feet.


    A look of surprise was etched into her face. As she looked around, she noticed that the other eight pillars were much shorter.


    "Why did his pillar of divine power grow so much? He must have had some adventures in the Nether Fire Land." The figure shook her head. She couldn''t understand it. "I was watching. He could have made the Nether Dragon King surrender, but he didn''t. He is unpredictable, but he is also the most interesting Godly Genius I''ve ever seen...


    In order to avoid making the other Godly Geniuses less confident, I won''t announce the progress of their pillars of divine power this time. As for the Nether Dragon King''s task, it will be announced later. After all, the next task is more interesting than the Nether Dragon King. Let them rest for a few more days, and then we will welcome them to the new trial..." the figure muttered to herself. To her, the battle between the Godly Geniuses was just a game.

 Chapter 1725 Unexpected Guests

    Strangely, when the task in the Nether Fire Land ended, the gods didn''t announce the results or the progress for the pillars of divine power. The leaders of the nine fiefs were pacing anxiously, but they didn''t make any moves.


    A few days passed peacefully, but behind the calm, another storm was brewing that was powerful enough to shake the nine fiefs.


    "Leader, the leader and Godly Genius from the Genie Fief are here and they want to see you." Gilbert paused from discussing business with the elders and some senior family officials and looked up when an unexpected report entered the conference hall.


    "What? Why are they here?" A bad feeling was rising in his chest like bile after too many drinks.


    The elders and officials exchanged hesitant looks. They assumed that the leader of the Genie Fief had come to apologize for the chaos his daughter had caused during the engagement ceremony, but they weren''t positive about that.


    Gilbert couldn''t avoid it now that they were here. He stood up and headed to the gate with the elders and officials to welcome them.


    When they saw the party appro


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    Adrian wanted to destroy the alliance between the Ghost Fief and the Flower Fief, and then ally with the Ghost Fief. And the reason why Adrian wanted to do that was because he had seen Rocky''s potential and wanted to take advantage of the young man''s talent.


    If Gilbert were to agree, it would offend the Flower Fief. But if he didn''t agree, he was afraid that the Genie Fief would turn against him.


    The battle among the Godly Geniuses had just begun, and he didn''t want to start conflicts with the other fiefs. Gilbert had gotten himself cornered. He had no idea what he should choose.


    "Go and fetch Odin." After thinking for a while, Gilbert chose to let Rocky decide.


    An official immediately went to the Ghost Palace to look for Rocky.


    Rocky was on his way back to the Ghost Palace from the lake when the official caught up with him.


    "Godly Genius, please go to the conference hall immediately. Something is wrong," he said with an anxious look on his face.


    "What happened?" Rocky asked with a frown. So, the official summed it all up in a few sentences and Rocky frowned even more.

 Chapter 1726 Pretend To Become Enemies

    "Damn it! This is exactly what I was worried about! That girl really annoys me to the extreme!" Rocky could not help but let out a bitter smile. Right after they returned from the Nether Fire Land, he was already worried that Gloria might begin to take action. It turned out that it was even sooner than he expected.


    Since he knew that Gilbert would not be able to deal with the leader of the Genie Fief by himself, he deemed that he would have to make a move eventually.


    Soon enough, he arrived at the conference hall where Gilbert and the others were currently in the middle of a discussion.


    After Rocky entered the hall, his eyes immediately met Adrian''s.


    Since Adrian was a master at the Shura Realm, Rocky was not surprised that his aura was so overwhelming. However, he was still able to maintain his composure in front of Arian. In fact, Adrian was impressed that Rocky did not show any hint of fear or panic as their eyes locked for a moment.


    "You must be the leader of the Genie Fief. Nice to meet you, sir. I''ve heard a lot of things about you!" Rocky greeted with a big smile.


    "Nice to meet you too, Godly Genius Odin," Adrian responded as he looked at Rocky from head to toe.


    "So, now that the Godly Genius of your Ghost Fief is already here,


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    ached Gilbert as soon as Adrian and Gloria were already out of sight.


    Gilbert nodded and also asked the elders and officials to go back.


    "I must admit that I was really impressed with your quick-thinking," Gilbert praised Rocky with a smile.


    "Well, I''m afraid that it could just buy us some time. I know that Leader Adrian would not give up that easily," Rocky replied as he shook his head.


    "Yes, I know. So, do you have any idea about what we should do next?" Gilbert asked.


    "It''s obvious that Leader Adrian won''t agree to my demand. However, if we still insist on what I want, they might use that as an excuse to go against us. That will be bad for us since we''re going to have one more powerful enemy." Rocky was well-aware that if they could not handle the negotiations with the Genie Fief properly, they would surely make trouble for them afterward.


    "You are right. That is exactly what I am worried about," Gilbert said as he nodded.


    "But maybe, we can also use that to our advantage..." Rocky gave a devious smile after thinking for a while.


    "What do you mean?" Gilbert asked in confusion.


    "We can pretend that our fief and the Genie Fief got into a dispute, but we will actually be allies with them in secret," Rocky boldly suggested.

 Chapter 1727 Rockys Plan

    "You want a secret alliance between us and the Genie Fief? I don''t think that will be easy. I''m sure the Flower Fief will oppose this idea," Gilbert said.


    "We can''t let the Flower Fief know about it. This secret alliance between us and the Genie Fief will just be between us," Rocky corrected.


    "Are you saying that you want to take advantage of the power of the two fiefs at the same time?" Gilbert asked in surprise.


    "Yes. After all, only a single person will stand at the end of this battle among the Godly Geniuses. All of these alliances are just temporary. Sooner or later, whether it is the Flower Fief or the Genie Fief, they shall become our enemies. But for now, if we can take advantage of these alliances to the fullest, we will have better chances of winning. If we stay in the middle, we can let them deal with each other first. Then, when both sides are already hurt and exhausted, that''s when we will strike," Rocky explained as he analyzed the situation.


    "That is actually a good strategy. You are thinking too far ahead," Gilbert remarked in surprise. He did not expect that Rocky would be this serious and smart in using his foresight.


    "However, I know that this plan is too risky. First of all, we have to make sure that Leader Adrian agrees to it. Second, we have to be very careful in hiding it from the Flower Fief," Rocky warned.


    "You are right. Now that Adrian comes to us, the Flower Fief will be on guard. I suspect


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    nt us to do that?" Adrian asked with furrowed brows.


    Then, Rocky let out a devious smile and laid out his plan in detail.


    After listening to everything that Rocky told them, both Adrian and Gloria were dumbfounded. They did not expect Rocky to come up with such a clever and amazing plan.


    "If this plan succeeds, we will be able to get rid of the Primitive Fief, which should be the biggest enemy of all the other fiefs. After that, even if the other fiefs made an alliance, I don''t think they would stand a chance against us. Moreover, I''m sure that Gloria will enter the final battle of the Godly Geniuses," Rocky added as he persuaded them.


    Hearing this, Adrian and Gloria looked at each other. They actually thought that it was worth a try. But since the matter was of great significance, they needed time to think about it carefully.


    "That is all. Now that I told you everything, I understand that you need some time to discuss it among yourselves. Take your time and give me your answer when you''re ready." After saying that, Rocky prepared himself to leave. But before he could go out of the hall, Gloria suddenly called out to him. "Wait a minute¡­"


    "Yes? Do you still have anything to tell me?" Rocky asked as he turned around.


    "I just want to ask this. If one day I make you really fall in love with me, will you be willing to help me in the final battle of the Godly Geniuses?" Gloria asked with a hopeful expression on her face.

 Chapter 1728 He Was Healing Her

    "Ha-ha! It seems that you are really determined to make me fall in love with you no matter what," Rocky said in a teasing tone as he chuckled.


    "Yes! I am serious about that. Now, tell me your answer," Gloria demanded to know his answer as she wore a serious expression on her face.


    "Well, maybe. We''ll see..." Rocky answered ambiguously before he turned around again and left.


    After Rocky got out of the hall, Adrian and Gloria were left alone, and they began to ponder and discuss the issue at hand.


    "So, what do you think of his plan?" Adrian asked as he stroked his chin.


    "It is like a double-edged sword. Once it succeeds, it will really solve our problem and erase the biggest threat of all¡ªthe Primitive Fief. However, if it fails and the Primitive Fief discovers about this plan, we will fall into an even greater passive position. But of course, it is really tempting," Gloria replied as she analyzed every angle of Rocky''s proposal.


    "Yes, that is true. The plan is too risky, but at the same time, it''s very intriguing! It feels like I will always wonder what could have happened if we did not agree to it." Although Adrian had always been cautious, he felt a strong urge to lean into it.


    "Father, it''s up to you to make the decision. Whatever you decide on, I will respect it." Gloria was well-aware that this matter should be dealt with seriously and with the utmost caution since it would affect the future of the entire Genie Fief. There was no room to be rash


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    ''s wounds, was so surprised to see Gloria there. He was sure that he had properly up an enchantment barrier outside of the Ghost Palace. Thus, he could not help but wonder how she was able to barge in there.


    Valeria, who was still naked in the bathtub, was even more shocked. Somehow, she had a bizarre feeling that the situation was similar to her being caught cheating in bed.


    "Valeria! Shame on you! How could you seduce my man? Don''t you have any decency?" Gloria yelled angrily.


    "What? Your man?" Valeria snapped back, feeling very unhappy about her accusations.


    "Yes! I am his fiancee. So, I have all the rights to question you!" Gloria continued.


    "So what? I am his fiancee too!" Valeria retorted coldly.


    "I d-don''t care! Anyway, how dare you seduce him by showing your naked body to him?" Gloria stammered for a bit but quickly found a way to reverse the tables again.


    "Huh? Why would I even want to seduce this guy?" Valeria scoffed as her eyes widened in annoyance.


    "Oh, come on! You don''t have any clothes, and you let him touch you! What are those for if you aren''t seducing him?" It seemed that Gloria would not back down no matter what.


    "You''re so malicious! He is just healing my wounds!" Valeria retorted as she almost exploded in embarrassment.


    "What kind of lame excuse is that?! Do you need to take off all your clothes just for him to heal your wounds?" Gloria asked as she raised her brows, obviously not believing any words that Valeria said.

 Chapter 1729 Congratulations

    "You don''t tell me when I can take my clothes off! I will do it whenever I want to! It has nothing to do with you!" Valeria scolded. She felt that at this point, Gloria had already crossed the line and was just making trouble out of nothing.


    "What? Of course, it has everything to do with me! Don''t you get it? He''s my man!"


    "Ha! You are being ridiculous. Why don''t you ask him then? Make him admit in front of us that he is your man!" Valeria said with a defiant sneer.


    Hearing this, Gloria immediately turned towards Rocky with a serious expression.


    "Will the two of you just stop already? Miss Gloria, I am really healing her wounds right now. Please go out now so that we can finish this!" Rocky pulled a long face as he was also getting annoyed by the crazy fight between the two women.


    "Why do I need to go out? If you are just healing her wounds, why can''t I watch you do it? I''d like to see what kind of injuries need this kind of treatment," Gloria retorted, not wanting to give up easily.


    Then, Rocky glanced at Gloria before saying to Valeria, "Just let her be. Let''s proceed." Immediately after, he waved his fingers again and began to manipulate the black needles on Valeria''s back to resume the treatment of her wounds.


    At first, Gloria thought that Rocky was just putting on an act. But soon


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    ission. Although they were not able to bring the beast back, one of them made the Nether Dragon King yield to him. Therefore, in light of his splendid performance, we decided to reward him handsomely."


    As soon as the soul finished speaking, the mansions of the other eight leaders were in an uproar. After all, they all knew that the gods were talking about Rocky, the Godly Genius of the Ghost Fief. This meant that for the second time, Rocky had beaten all of the other Godly Geniuses, and he would get an awesome reward because of his performance.


    Moreover, the most shocking part was that they all knew that Rocky was supposed to be the weakest among the nine Godly Geniuses. However, they might change their view towards him now that he had beaten his competition twice in a row. Besides, this would make the other Godly Geniuses feel ashamed of themselves.


    Meanwhile, in Gilbert''s mansion, the morale of all people was greatly boosted. They were all cheering for Rocky in unison. "Godly Genius Odin!"


    At the same time, even Gilbert, who was usually serious and had a domineering aura, could not help but smile constantly.


    Since the Flower Fief was in alliance with the Ghost Fief, they were also happy for this result.


    Hence, Valeria and Elder Leticia approached Rocky to offer their congratulations.

 Chapter 1730 Gilberts Refuse

    As for Adrian and Gloria, although they had been mentally prepared for this to happen, they still could not help but be disappointed with the result. However, they still both went forward and extended their congratulations to Rocky.


    The moment Elder Leticia saw Adrian, her expression instantly became sour. Although she knew that he was a domineering leader, she did not fear him at all.


    Knowing that Elder Leticia was staring at him coldly, Adrian behaved more overbearing as if he was superior to others.


    On the surface, there wasn''t really a dispute between the Flower Fief and the Genie Fief. However, after the recent events, especially involving the engagement of the three Godly Geniuses, the tension between them was secretly growing stronger.


    At the sight of the unfriendly expressions of Adrian and Elder Leticia, Gilbert let out a frown. He was hoping that Rocky had already persuaded Adrian to agree with his plan. Otherwise, if the situation turned for the worst, and the Flower Fief and the Genie Fief genuinely declared war on each other, the Ghost Fief would be in big trouble.


    "As for which Godly Genius successfully subdued the Nether Dragon King, I know that all of you already know who he is. Later on, I will summon him to bestow his reward," the spiritual soul remarked. "Additionally, in this mission, the Godly Geniu


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    an and Gloria so that they could hear it. Then, she and Valeria left afterward.


    When Elder Leticia and Valeria had finally disappeared, Gilbert approached Adrian and said in a serious tone, "You should have seen how the Flower Fief thinks about you and the Genie Fief. I''m afraid that I can''t agree to the marriage between Odin and Gloria at this point."


    "So, in the end, you are really going to refuse us, huh?" Adrian answered as anger showed on his face.


    "I''m afraid that it''s the only option I have right now. After all, the Flower Fief had proposed an alliance with us first. And as for the engagement covenant, everyone knows that Gloria just signed her name on it without getting any permission. The Ghost Fief cannot be blamed for this because we did nothing wrong," Gilbert said as he firmly emphasized his stand.


    "I see. Then, you really want to be my enemy..." Adrian uttered threateningly as his face eventually darkened.


    "Come on. Being your enemy is the last thing that I want to happen. In fact, I hope that our two fiefs could still achieve peace," Gilbert responded as he tried to calm Adrian down.


    "Well, I''m afraid that''s impossible now. Now that you refused my proposal, we can only view you and your fief as our enemies," Adrian retorted. He was a tough and stubborn man to deal with, and it really showed here.

 Chapter 1731 Suspicions

    "Well..." Gilbert was almost rendered speechless. He had already expected that Adrian would not be so kind to him, but he didn''t expect that the latter would deliberately say such cruel words.


    "I''ll give you one more day to think it through and come up with a decision. I will come back again to hear your reply tomorrow." After saying that, Adrian took a meaningful glance at Rocky before he left with his daughter.


    "What the hell is that? Adrian is too arrogant! I can''t believe that he will take this farther than his daughter!"


    "There is no need to worry. We don''t have to fear even if we made an enemy out of him and his fief! We are not afraid of anyone!"


    "That''s right! Although the Genie Fief is powerful, there is no doubt that we are more powerful than them. We''re going to make them regret that they went against us!"


    Several elders of the Ghost Fief immediately remarked with righteous indignation. They could not help but feel furious that Adrian was being too haughty and rude.


    On the other hand, Gilbert didn''t really let out any expression and just asked the elders to leave afterward.


    Soon enough, Rocky and he were the only ones left there.


    "So, did Adrian already give his reply?" Gilbert asked in an anxious tone.


    "Based on his attitude earlier, I think he already gave one," Rocky answered vaguely and let out a confident smile.


    "What exactly do you mean?"


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    after the mission to deal with the Nether Dragon King, the Primitive Fief had begun to negotiate with the other fiefs in order to ally with them.


    However, most of the fiefs knew how powerful the Primitive Fief was. Hence, they feared that the alliance would just benefit the latter more than themselves. Moreover, there was always a risk that they would be betrayed after they had already achieved their goal. Therefore, even if the Primitive Fief had put forth very tempting offers, no one was really interested.


    On the other hand, Adrian did not take this opportunity to reach out to the Primitive Fief yet. Instead, he decided to wait patiently for the most perfect time.


    Another piece of news that caused a sensation was that after the mission to subdue the Nether Dragon king, the Purgatory Fief and the Elite Fief had formally formed an alliance.


    Then, just as the power structure of the nine fiefs began to gradually change, the gods announced the new progress of the pillars of divine power.


    However, there was really no specific information regarding the progress of each Godly Genius. Instead, they only announced that as of this moment, the highest pillar of divine power had already reached the height of three feet. Of course, there was no information that pointed out the Godly Genius who possessed it.


    Therefore, all sorts of rumors and suspicions arose in the nine fiefs.

 Chapter 1732 Attending The Contest

    Three months had passed since the Godly Geniuses were officially selected and declared. In the past, the Godly Genius who had performed the best during a task would have a pillar of divine power that reached two or two point five feet. An ordinary performance normally reached around two feet. Getting to three feet had been unheard of until now, making it an even more incredible achievement.


    Most of the people believed that Israel was the one who had done it. He was powerful and his performance during the Nether Dragon King task had been quite good. All of that increased the possibility of his pillar of divine power reaching three feet.


    Of course, there were also some people who suspected that the Godly Genius who had done it was Rocky because he had just received a reward from the gods.


    However, there was no evidence, so no one dared to confirm who it was. Therefore, they sent out spies to eavesdrop on each other and find out.


    In addition, the gods had released a new task, shocking the nine fiefs once again.


    The task was to go to the human race and participate in the Spiritual Emperor Contest. The contest was to be held after the human race and the spiritual race stopped fighting against each other and reinstated peace.


    Originally, the


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    e preparation, Rocky, Valeria, and Gloria, who disguised herself as Rocky''s apprentice pharmacist, left the Ghost Fief. They mounted a beast and headed for the border of the Shura Race.


    This time, the Ghost Fief had chosen not to send a large number of guards with Rocky and the others because Gilbert was worried that the other fiefs would try and stop them from reaching the human race. Instead, he merely sent several Spiritual Emperors to protect them.


    They quickly learned that the other fiefs had been thinking the same thing. The other Godly Geniuses moved secretly towards the human race so they wouldn''t be attacked.


    Five days later, Rocky, Valeria, and Gloria finally arrived at a small city on the border in the Ethereal Region. It was the place where the war had come to an end.


    Because there was a chance that too many people would give their identities away, Rocky asked the Spiritual Emperors to return to the Shura Race after they arrived at the city.


    "Wow! Right now, we''re in the territory of the human race! It''s so different from what we have in the Shura Race! Isn''t it amazing?" As soon as they entered the small city on the border, Gloria''s eyes widened. The city was very prosperous and unique. She couldn''t contain her excitement.

 Chapter 1733 You Brat

    "Odin, your assistant is really obnoxious," Valeria muttered under her breath. The whole way to the human race''s territory, Gloria had been talkative and she was always close to Rocky. But that was not at the forefront of Valeria''s mind. The strangest part was that Rocky had brought an apprentice pharmacist with them, and she caught the assistant staring at her with meaningful eyes several times.


    "Who is being obnoxious?" Gloria immediately snapped, spinning to face Valeria with fire blazing in her eyes.


    "Hey, don''t be rude to Godly Genius Valeria," Rocky said to her under his breath, narrowing his eyes in a warning.


    Gloria curled her lips. If she didn''t have to hide her true identity, she wouldn''t have been so obedient.


    "We should find a place to rest first and then we can make our plans." The others agreed silently. Then, Rocky found a restaurant in the small city and ordered everyone some food and drinks.


    Since Valeria and Gloria had never tried human food before, they stared curiously at their plates. Gloria stabbed some food and held it up, examining it like it was poison.


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    ay from me!" Valeria yelled at the top of her lungs. Her eyes widened when the man didn''t back off.


    "Do you know who our young master is? Settle down and come with us. Don''t go causing trouble," the man threatened.


    "Your young master could be a cat or a dog for all I care. Get away from me, or I will hurt you!" Valeria scolded.


    "Beautiful, are you serious? Our young master is the nephew of the leader of the Sovereign Pavilion. He is going to attend the Spiritual Emperor Contest. Everyone he meets respects him. You will make him angry if you don''t clean up your act right now," the man threatened, pointing an accusatory finger at her.


    "The Spiritual Emperor Contest?" Valeria glanced at the arrogant, young master who was sitting on one side of the table.


    "That''s right. Our young master is strong so he will stand out from the competition. If you choose to follow him, you will benefit in the future."


    "Him? Ha! He is just a low-level Spiritual Emperor. What''s the big deal?" Gloria muttered disdainfully.


    "What was that? Are you courting death?" the man snapped, sizing her up.

 Chapter 1734 Play A Trick

    "How dare you talk to me like that? Don''t you know who I am? I''m..." Angered, Gloria was about to reveal her true identity.


    "I''m sorry sirs, but did my wife and assistant offend you?" Rocky immediately cut her off and winked at her and Valeria.


    This slapped some sense into them, and they immediately stopped talking.


    "Wife? You are married!" Holden, the young master who sat in the nearby table, exclaimed in surprise.


    "If there isn''t anything else, we are leaving now." Rocky wanted to leave as soon as possible to avoid any more trouble that might lead to their identities being exposed. And so, he took the two and made his way to the door.


    "Wait!" Holden shouted as he suddenly stood up.


    "Is there anything else?" Rocky asked, looking sideways.


    "Where did you come from? What are you doing here?" From the start, Holden was wary of their identities, so he began questioning them.


    "We come from the south and are making our way up north to visit our relatives when we stumbled upon this city," Rocky replied calmly.


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    Forget it. He''s just a kid. There is no need to argue with him," Rocky said to avoid any fight between the two.


    Gloria immediately made a face at Rocky.


    "Where are we going now?" Valeria asked to change the topic.


    "Of course we are going to the place where the Spiritual Emperor Contest will be held."


    "Shouldn''t we find a suitable identity to get the qualification?" she asked again.


    "We only have a month to enact our plan. If we look for an identity first, it might not go that smoothly. I reckon it''s better to go to the venue of the Spiritual Emperor Contest first. The members of many sects and the spiritual race will arrive there in advance, so it''ll be a perfect opportunity for us to observe our opponents. As for how we''ll participate, I will try to get us in..." Rocky found a very reasonable excuse to get to the venue as soon as possible.


    "Well, it''s up to you!" Since Valeria was not familiar with the human race nor the spiritual race, she didn''t put much thought into it and relied on Rocky to form a plan.

 Chapter 1735 Im Going To Fight

    Eventually, two days had passed.


    At this time, Rocky, Valeria, and Gloria had already arrived at Emperor City, which was just a mile away from the residence of the Di Clan.


    Since the Spiritual Emperor Contest was just around the corner, the Emperor City was very lively, and many people roamed the streets. Several human spirit warriors specifically came here to watch the contest. Of course, among them were strong disciples from powerful forces.


    Upon entering the city, the three immediately searched for an inn where they could stay.


    "Sir, we''d like to ask for three rooms," Rocky requested.


    "No. Two rooms are enough. My master and I can share a single room," Gloria immediately butted in as she held Rocky''s arm.


    Seeing this, Valeria could not help but look at Gloria. On their way here, she had felt strange about how she was behaving, but she didn''t pay much attention to it. However, now that Gloria was on it again, her eyes narrowed and she grew even more suspicious.


    ''I wonder if Odin has a strange hobby, '' Valeria thought to herself.


    "Three rooms, please." Rocky took Gloria''s hands away from his arm and insisted that they should take a room for each of them.


    Knowing that she was rejected again, Gloria instantly pouted and stomped her feet. Obviously, she was not pleased w


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    ands and were excited to beat her up.


    "Wait. She is actually a woman who''s just wearing men''s clothes. She also seems to be a fine one. Why don''t we take her back so that you can play with her first? Hall Leader Chen let out an evil grin as he saw through Eunice''s disguise.


    "Really? A woman?" "Hall Leader Chen is right! Ha-ha! We caught a beauty!" Soon enough, the disciples of the East Grand Sect swarmed towards her with obscene smiles on their faces.


    "How dare you? I am from the Di Clan! You''d better mind your actions or you''ll incur the wrath of our clan!" Eunice immediately revealed her identity upon realizing that she was not in a favorable position.


    "Humph! How convenient! Suddenly, you are a member of the Di Clan? Do you expect us to believe you?" Hall Leader Chen thought that Eunice was just bluffing to get out of this predicament. Thus, he did not believe her.


    Then, just as Eunice was about to be taken away, a figure flashed and suddenly appeared in their midst. With a wave of his hand, an overwhelming spiritual power rushed out, instantly blowing away the disciples who surrounded Eunice.


    At the same time, Eunice was stunned. She did not expect that someone would dare help her in this situation.


    Of course, only Rocky could have made this move at the crucial moment.

 Chapter 1736 Courting Death Together

    "Another fool courting death, huh? Are you her companion?" Hall Leader Chen asked disdainfully as he glanced at Rocky and noticed his ordinary appearance and weak aura.


    "I''m her man. Is that a problem?" Rocky replied with a sly smile.


    Eunice shot a glare in Rocky''s direction. She had no idea whether he had come to save her or to take advantage of her.


    "Her man? If you want to be a hero to save this beauty, you should make sure you have the ability to first," Hall Leader Chen said, puffing out his chest arrogantly. It was clear that he didn''t take Rocky seriously at all.


    "I''m not trying to be a hero. I just want to take her out of here. I hope you can understand!" Rocky replied politely.


    "Okay. You want to die? I''ll help you then!" Of course, Rocky knew that it was an impossible wish. Hall Leader Chen would never let him leave with Eunice. Instead, he made a move, intending to send Rocky straight to the hell.


    Currently, the onlookers were concerned. They thought that Rocky was so desperate to be a hero because he was out of his mind. Challenging a middle-level


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    ace, but then I ran into you."


    "What a coincidence. But what took you so long to think of me? Did something bad happen?" Eunice questioned, clearly not able to hold back her curiosity.


    "You are getting smarter. I came here to attend the Spiritual Emperor Contest," Rocky answered in a serious tone.


    "Does it have something to do with the Shura Race?"


    "You really are smarter. Yes. The Shura Race sent nine disguised Godly Geniuses here to participate in the Spiritual Emperor Contest and test their strength. I''m one of them!"


    "A Godly Genius?" Eunice frowned.


    "It''s a successor that is chosen by the gods."


    "Do the gods really exist?" Eunice asked quickly, raising her eyebrows.


    "Yes. I saw them with my own eyes." Rocky nodded.


    "No wonder the Shura Race has always been powerful and prosperous. It turns out that they''re protected by the gods." Eunice suddenly realized something and added, "But now that you have returned to the human race, you don''t need to disguise yourself as a member of the Shura Race! It doesn''t matter if you''re a Godly Genius or not!"

 Chapter 1737 A Mark

    "It''s not that simple. I have the gods'' mark on my body and I''m still a Godly Genius. I have to accept the task. I will be free after the final battle among the Godly Geniuses," Rocky answered, shaking his head.


    "So you come to me because you want me to help you, right?" asked Eunice.


    "That''s right. I''m hoping that the Di Clan will be able to help me get the three quotas I need to participate in the contest."


    "Oh no," Eunice replied, frowning.


    "What''s the problem?" Rocky''s brow also furrowed. He didn''t anticipate any problems.


    "The acting chief needs to make that decision, but he is not in the Di Clan right now."


    "When will he be back?" Rocky felt slightly surprised. His whole plan could be ruined by one little bump in the road.


    "I''m not sure. I do have a way to contact him, but I''ll need to return to the Di Clan to do it. And don''t worry. There''s plenty of time before the Spiritual Emperor Contest starts to solve this."


    "Thank you very much."


    "Don''t thank me. I''m just relieved to see you again." Eunice smiled gently.


    "I''ve been staying outside for too long, which is not safe. I have to go back. When you hear someth


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    "Okay. You two will share one room," Rocky said to Valeria and Eunice. They nodded. Then, Rocky walked to the other room.


    Soon, Gloria entered. She saw him standing in front of the window, looking out. Her eyes swept over the room before she walked to the only bed and sat on it.


    "There is only one bed, but there are two of us. What are we going to do? This is really embarrassing!" Gloria pointed out as she ran her fingers through her hair.


    "You can have this room. I don''t need it," Rocky said.


    "Then where are you going to stay?"


    "It''s none of your business." Before Gloria could retort, he turned and left the room.


    "You..." Gloria was rendered speechless. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth together. She kept trying, but it seemed like it was going to be harder than she thought to make him fall in love with her.


    After leaving the room, Rocky ran down the stairs. When he reached the bottom, a delicate figure rushed towards him. Because the stairway was narrow, they nearly bumped into each other.


    Before he could react, she dodged him. At the same time, she glared at Rocky and scolded, "What the hell are you doing?"

 Chapter 1738 Rockys Plan

    For a brief moment, Rocky was stunned. As he took a closer look at the woman in front of him, he confirmed that it was none other than Isabel, the commander of the spiritual race that he had fought before.


    "Hey, what are you looking at?" Seeing that Rocky was intently looking at her, Isabel felt very uncomfortable.


    "Oh, I''m sorry. I just thought that you were an old friend of mine. But it seems that I was mistaken," Rocky said with a smile.


    "A friend of yours? Are you kidding me? You are obviously from the human race. Can''t you tell that I''m from the spiritual race?" Isabel stared at him with her beautiful eyes as she raised an eyebrow.


    "I know. My friend is also from the spiritual race," Rocky replied calmly.


    "I see¡­" Although she still had some doubts about what Rocky said, Isabel did not say anything more.


    At the same time, Rocky let her through so that she could get upstairs.


    After Isabel was already gone, Rocky revealed a faint smile and thought that he might really meet many old friends and acquaintances here in the Spiritual Emperor Contest.


    Not long after, Rocky roamed around the Boundless Manor so that he could become familiar with the area.


    The Boundless Manor was actually built on the hillside of the Boundless Mountain, and there were roads all over the place. While the Spiritual Emperor Contest would be held in the Boundless Mountain, the stages were distributed all over t


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    cky uttered with a serious expression.


    "All right. No problem. I will ask the disciples of the Di Clan to carefully observe the ten Spiritual Emperors at the premium stage," Eunice replied as she nodded firmly.


    "The trial that was given to the nine Godly Geniuses is to participate the Spiritual Emperor Contest. I have a hunch that something big is about to happen, so we must try our best to stop the other Godly Geniuses from succeeding," Rocky declared sternly.


    After they were done discussing the plan, they eventually parted ways.


    As the official day of the contest approached, more and more Spiritual Emperors came to the Boundless Manor. Hence, the atmosphere in the place also became tenser. The people who were going to participate in the event were elites from all over the place. Therefore, it could not be helped that the participants would harbor animosity from their fellow participants.


    The ultimate purpose of the Di Clan for holding the Spiritual Emperor Contest was to establish a good rapport with the spiritual race and promote a peaceful co-existence between the two races. However, for various forces of the human race, the contest was also their opportunity to showcase their power. Therefore, all of the Spiritual Emperors that were sent to participate would inevitably strive to win it all.


    Therefore, it was to be expected that the contest would really be intense and very competitive.

 Chapter 1739 Three Days

    Time passed in a blink of an eye and there were now only three days left before the start of the Spiritual Emperor Contest. At this time, almost all of the qualified Spiritual Emperors had arrived at the Boundless Manor, making the most of what little time they had left to nourish their strength and energy.


    During the period of time, Rocky were cultivating in seclusion to study how to use his new powers to its greatest extent.


    He also met with Eunice a couple of times. She was in charge of observing the other participants to find out which of them were the Godly Geniuses under disguise.


    Meanwhile, both Gloria and Valeria also kept themselves in isolation, partly because Rocky didn''t want them to go out, but mainly so that they could concentrate on honing their skills.


    Since the competition was about to begin, Rocky gave the jade tokens from Eunice to Valeria and Gloria to signify that they were also participants of the Spiritual Emperor Contest.


    The jade toke


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    one knows what the Shura Race aims for. For them to make their Godly Geniuses join the Spiritual Emperor Contest must have some purpose. But aside from that, what I''m most worried about is you. I''m afraid that the day will come where you''ll have to choose between the Shura Race and the human race." Colton spoke frankly with another heavy sigh.


    "I understand what you mean. But when I came back this time, the first thing I did was to head for the Di Clan to prove myself. The last thing I want is for the human race to fall by the hands of the Shura Race," Rocky said with a frown.


    "I do not doubt you, but sometimes people have to make choices out of their own free will. No matter what you choose, no one has the right to interfere," Colton said.


    "Thank you for your understanding. But in order to guarantee that such a thing won''t happen, I plan to kill several Godly Geniuses in the Spiritual Emperor Contest and destroy the contest itself." Rocky spoke out his plan.

 Chapter 1740 The Highest Record

    "All right then. If you still need anything, just tell me. I''ll ask Eunice right away to arrange it for you," Colton reassured Rocky.


    "Okay. Thank you." Rocky nodded, grateful for Colton''s cooperation.


    "By the way, I think I should let you know that we have decided to add another rule in the Spiritual Emperor Contest. It means that the Spiritual Emperors who are not officially part of the contest can challenge the participants. This way, more Spiritual Emperors will have the chance to take part in the contest. I think that it will be a good opportunity for you to challenge more Spiritual Emperors using the identity of Basil, so that you may carry out your plans better," Colton explained.


    "Really? That will be really helpful." Rocky let out a smirk and thought that it was indeed a good idea.


    "Well, it''s time for me to leave. I am definitely looking forward to your performance in the contest," Colton said with a smile. Then, he put on his bamboo hat and eventually vanished into thin air.


    Afterward, Rocky also left and headed back to his residence.


    At the door, he found Eunice there, who had been waiting for him all this time. Then, she approached him and asked, "What were you talking about with the chief? Tell me."


    "It''s a secret! Walls have ears. Someone might be listening out there." Seeing how serious Eunice was, Rocky decided to tease her.


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    he area for the test of strength could accommodate ten participants at the same time, but since the number of Spiritual Emperors participating at this time was rather low, the number on Rocky''s jade token was already called. It was also his turn to take the test while Holden was attempting to break the 1, 200-pound stone.


    Then, Rocky raised his hand upon hearing that his number was called.


    "Please go to the second test point on the left. Wait for further instructions when you get there," the staff in charge said.


    Rocky nodded and walked towards the second test point. On the sideline, he saw the recorder that would assist him.


    "Okay, you can start. How many pounds do you want to challenge first?" the recorder asked right away.


    "One thousand," Rocky said without a shred of hesitation.


    At this time, the onlookers at the area who heard this were all stunned. They saw that Rocky was only a Spiritual Emperor at the primary stage, but he dared to challenge the highest record for his level right away.


    Of course, even the recorder was dumbfounded. He had confirmed from Rocky''s jade token that he was indeed a Spiritual Emperor at the primary stage. He had been recording the test results for more than half a day, but it was his first time encountering a Spiritual Emperor at the primary stage who wanted to challenge the highest record right off the bat.

 Chapter 1741 Dont Play Dumb With Me

    However, since the recorder''s job was only to arrange and record the results of the test, he had no right to interfere with the choices of the participants taking the test. Therefore, upon hearing Rocky''s request, he signaled the staff to bring a pillar-shaped stone that was about thirty centimeters high. Then, it was put in the center of the test spot where Rocky was.


    The Strength Testing Stone was refined using a special technique, and thus it could remain in a fixed volume although the weight varied. The range of power it could endure would depend according to a specific need, so it was usually used for this kind of advanced test.


    "You just need to hit the pillar in front of you with your strongest strength. Then, if you were able to release a strength that is greater than or equal to one thousand pounds, the stone will break," the recorder informed Rocky.


    Rocky nodded slightly to acknowledge what the recorder said. Then, he stood in front of the stone and began condensing his spiritual power. After a moment, he stretched his palm out and pushed his spiritual power into the stone.


    Upon seeing Rocky''s unimpressive movements, the people in the crowd shook their heads. In their opinion, a palm strike as weak as that would never be able to break a thousand-pound stone.


    However, just after Rocky''s strike landed


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    f I used my full strength earlier, I could also do the same!" Holden talked loudly on purpose so that the people could hear him. It was just his way to save his dignity.


    The people who heard him looked at him. They could see that Holden was not convinced of the outcome of Rocky''s test. However, everyone saw that he could not even break the one thousand and two hundred pounds stone. Hence, no one believed that he could compete with Rocky.


    Of course, Rocky also heard what Holden just said. As he looked in Holden''s direction, he saw that he was staring back at him with overflowing hostility. However, Rocky did not really care about him, so he just left the test area and headed to the other ones.


    Seeing this, Holden immediately followed him.


    Rocky eventually noticed that Holden was tailing him. But since he did not have the time to deal with Holden, he just ignored him.


    However, soon enough, Holden was able to catch up to Rocky. Upon seeing that no one was around, he seized the opportunity to stop in front of Rocky. Then, he asked, "Hey, brat. Who the hell are you? Tell me now!"


    "Why are you yelling at me? Do I know you?" Rocky asked as he feigned ignorance.


    "Don''t play dumb with me! We have already met each other before. How dare you play a trick on me at that time?!" Holden shouted as he fumed in anger.

 Chapter 1742 Dont Pretend

    "I think that you are just mistaking me for someone else." Rocky immediately pretended that he had no knowledge of Holden.


    "Really? It seems that you are asking for it, brat!" At this point, Holden could not suppress his anger any longer. He remembered that Rocky made a fool out of him the last time they met.


    "Are you sure about picking a fight with me? Don''t you know that the Spiritual Emperor Contest has a rule that will instantly disqualify those who fight in private?" Rocky directly threatened him so that he would get off his face.


    "Of course, I know!" Holden stammered upon remembering the said rule. He was so angry that he almost forgot it.


    After seeing that Holden did not dare to make a move, Rocky scoffed at him and walked away.


    Of course, Holden was still fuming in anger as he stared at Rocky''s back. Then, after thinking for a while, he decided to continue following him.


    Before long, Rocky entered another test area which focused on spiritual power.


    As they entered, several participants were currently taking the test. The test was actually simple. A Spiritual Emperor only needed to put their hand on a spiritual ball. Then, the spiritual ball would emit the corresponding light based on their spiritual power.


    The stronger one''s spiritual power was, the higher kind of light would be seen in the ball.


    There were seven colors that could possibly be emitted by the spiritual ball¡ªred, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple. R


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    kind of spiritual power?"


    "Isn''t he only at the primary stage? How can his spiritual power be equal to the ones at the medium stage? Is that even possible?"


    "He had very slow progress at the start, but his spiritual power suddenly shot through the roof.


    There must be something wrong with his spiritual ball!"


    At the same time, Holden was rendered speechless. He thought that Rocky was just lucky to have broken the 1, 500-pound Strength Testing Stone during the test of strength. But when he saw how Rocky displayed his spiritual power in this test, he had doubts that it was just out of pure luck.


    ''What the hell? Am I just being tricked by this guy? He must be a cunning master who''s just hiding his real strength to keep a low profile.'' Holden could not help but swallow hard as he pondered on these thoughts.


    After some time, Rocky''s spiritual ball finally stopped changing.


    As it happened, the entire audience fell into a deafening silence.


    At the same time, the onlookers stared at Rocky in disbelief. They could not fathom how he was able to reach the strength of a Spiritual Emperor at the medium stage when he was clearly just at the primary stage.


    "I''m telling you! There must be something wrong with the spiritual ball! That is the only logical explanation!" Even the recorder was still stunned upon witnessing Rocky''s performance. Hence, in order to be sure, he quickly reported the incident to the organizers of the contest, the Di Clan.

 Chapter 1743 New Figures Appeared

    Due to the confusion in the results of the test, a Spiritual Emperor from the Di Clan came to check. However, as he examined the spiritual ball, he announced afterward that there was no mistake in Rocky''s test result.


    Upon hearing this, the spectators instantly burst into an uproar. It meant that Rocky was indeed far powerful than they imagined.


    At the same time, even though the recorder was still in disbelief, he had no choice but to record Rocky''s test result according to the original outcome.


    After that, Rocky calmly walked out of the test area as if what happened was not a big deal.


    Soon enough, Holden also rushed out of the place. When he saw Rocky outside, he didn''t dare to approach him or even talk to him. All he wanted was to leave that place as soon as possible. He was already humiliated twice in a row, and he didn''t want anything more to do with Rocky.


    "Hey! Are you going to the next test area already? Why don''t we go together?" Rocky called out to Holden and offered.


    "What? No. No. I''ve already finished the other tests," Holden answered as sweat trickled down his forehead. Right now, he just wanted to get away from Rocky. He recognized that he shouldn''t have been too arrogant because Rocky might get back at him later on. After he firmly refused, he hurriedly walked away.


    "Ha-ha! Look at him go with his tail between his legs. He''s like a scaredy-cat who doesn''t know what to do." Rocky shook his head and grinned at Holden''s expression. Then, he continued walking toward


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    y ten passes, the degree of difficulty would also rise. Normally, the limit for an ordinary low-grade Spiritual Emperor would be fifty passes. After the fiftieth pass, the opponents inside the array would resemble the strength of a middle-grade Spiritual Emperor. That was why it was already hard to overcome it after the fiftieth pass.


    The first twenty passes were relatively easy for Rocky. With his current strength, he felt like he just did some exercises. However, the real challenge was that the Myriad Illusionary Array had a time limit for defeating an opponent. Therefore, if one could not defeat his opponent within the prescribed time, it would cause him to fail the test.


    In just two hours, Rocky had easily finished the first twenty passes. After that, the opponents'' strength had drastically increased.


    Fortunately for Rocky, his strength was far above the limits of the low grade, so he had no problem in continuing the test.


    Then, about another two hours later, Rocky was also able to finish the thirtieth pass. Hence, this appeared on his progress card that could be viewed by the audience. Immediately after, it caused a massive uproar.


    "Hey! Check this out! Another low-grade Spiritual Emperor has surpassed the thirtieth pass!"


    "But who is that guy? I don''t think I''ve seen him before!"


    "I only heard of him in this contest. They said that he has set a new record in the strength test back in the first round."


    "Really? But how come this is the first time we''ve heard of him?"

 Chapter 1744 Going All Out

    However, not long after, two more cards suddenly appeared behind Rocky''s. These actually belonged to Gloria and Valeria.


    The truth was the two women entered the array just a little earlier than Rocky. Of course, they also tried to suppress their strength, so their progress was just about the same as Rocky''s


    In the first round, in order not to expose their identities, both women tried their best to keep a low profile. However, they did not expect that there were many promising participants in the contest. Hence, they thought that they needed to get a better ranking in the second round. With that in mind, they began to take the limit test more seriously.


    Meanwhile, among the low-grade Spiritual Emperors inside the Myriad Illusionary Array, Moore, Seth, and Barron were the ones taking the lead, reaching the fortieth pass.


    On the other hand, Carla and Eunice seemed to be having some difficulties as they were both stuck in the thirty-fifth pass and could not move forward.


    Before long, Moore finally took the lead and advanced to the forty-first pass.


    But soon enough, Seth and Barron also caught up and reached the forty-first pass as well.


    The onlookers could not help but exclaim and gasp in awe as they witnessed the progress of the promising participants. After all, any low-grade Spiritual Emperor who was able to at least reach the fortieth pass was considered to be very powerful.


    In conclusion, the fact that the participants from the human race and spiritual race racing with each other made the audience thrilled.


    But since the majority of the people watching were humans, they were rooting for the Spiritual Emperors of the human race to succeed and triu


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    Gloria still proceeded with the test. It seemed that she had the intention of catching up with Rocky and Seth.


    ''Since the fiftieth pass is the limit for the low-grade Spiritual Emperor, I''ll stop after finishing that.'' Rocky already calculated the points that he could acquire from the limit test and thought that it was enough to stabilize his ranking. After this, even if he only played it safe in the potential test, he should still be able to qualify for the next round.


    After another two hours of tedious struggle, Seth finally reached his limit and failed to get out of the forty-ninth pass. It was such a shame because he was just a step away from reaching the fiftieth one.


    Upon exiting the Myriad Illusionary Array, he was immediately surrounded by his followers.


    "Congratulations, Young Master! You have gained the highest record among the low-grade Spiritual Emperors from both the human race and the spiritual race. With such an amazing result, you will certainly land within the top fifty!" His followers showered him with praises, thinking that no one would be able to beat his record.


    The Myriad Spiritual Hall, where he belonged, was a famous sect in the spiritual race. Therefore, as its young master, Seth always felt the need to be superior to the other Spiritual Emperors of the spiritual race.


    "Well, that''s just what I expected," Seth responded with a sneer, feeling confident of his accomplishment. He was actually the most popular and most esteemed new Spiritual Emperor in the spiritual race, so he was shouldering the responsibility of defending the reputation of the entire spiritual race in this contest. Therefore, he had no choice but to go all out.

 Chapter 1745 The Fiftieth Pass

    Unexpectedly, an uproar suddenly burst out that caught Seth''s attention, as well as his followers. When he turned around, he saw that the audience was intently looking at the progress board while yelling excitedly. Curious as to what was happening, he took a closer look and was surprised that someone had already made it to the forty-eighth pass, which was just a single pass away from his record. At the same time, there was also another spiritual emperor at the forty-seventh pass, who was quickly catching up.


    "That number ninety-nine does not seem to be from the spiritual race. Does anyone of you know who that is?" Seth asked with an unpleasant expression on his face while he stared at Rocky''s number on the progress board. He felt rather annoyed that someone else was about to touch the record that he had just set.


    "I''ve already inquired about him, and he is indeed not from the spiritual race. It seems that he is one of the participants from the Di Clan. The Di Clan is the most powerful clan of the human race," one of Seth''s attendants, who was also looking at the progress board, replied.


    "A Spiritual Emperor from the Di Clan? But I didn''t hear that someone as strong as him will be participating this time. Are you saying that just a normal disciple like him is on par with my abilities?" Seth murmured to himself, obviously anxious upon finding out about Rocky''s background. All of the Spiritual Emperors who weren''t on the peak stage were allowed to b


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    et me compete with you sometime later? Maybe we can use that opportunity to learn from each other." Carla always had a strong desire to win. Thus, meeting a powerful Spiritual Emperor like Rocky meant that it was a chance for her to improve further.


    "Of course. It will be my honor to spar with you, Miss Carla," Rocky quickly agreed.


    "You don''t have to call me Miss Carla. Just Carla is fine." Carla was not the kind that put on airs. Besides, she knew very well that Rocky was more powerful than her, so she thought that he did not need to be so polite to her.


    "All right then. If you want us to be more intimate with each other, I don''t have a problem with that," Rocky said, finding the perfect opportunity to tease her.


    "You!" Of course, Carla recognized that he was teasing her, so she immediately glared at Rocky. However, she was not the type that would quickly get upset over something like that, so she did not care too much. "Humph! Whatever. I''m leaving now. Maybe I''ll just see you later," she added.


    "Carla, wait a minute." Rocky actually hesitated for a moment but also decided to call out to her. Hearing this, Carla stopped on her tracks and turned to Rocky.


    "What is it? Do you have anything else to say?"


    "You are a friend of Basil, right?" Rocky asked with a serious expression.


    "Yes¡­ How do you know him?" It had been quite a long time since Carla last saw Rocky, so she was utterly taken aback when someone asked her about him.

 Chapter 1746 The Potential Test

    "I heard him mention that he knows you during the several times we''ve met," Rocky replied.


    "Do you know where he is now?" Carla''s eyes lit up in excitement when she heard that. Her heart had been aching to see Basil ever since Eunice mentioned that he disappeared after the final battle against the spiritual race.


    "I don''t know where he is at the moment, but I''m sure that he''s alive." Rocky knew well enough what was going on in Carla''s mind, so he found a way to tell her that he was alive and well.


    "Really? That''s great!" Carla was brimming with joy.


    "Carla, I can''t help but notice that you care about Basil very much," Rocky said frankly, hoping to illicit some sort of reaction from her.


    "Sorry but it''s none of your business. Thank you for the information!" Carla immediately left after casting a reproachful glance at Rocky.


    After that, Rocky made his way to the most recent progress board. His eyes narrowed when he found that Gloria was now breakin


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    ing Array was created by the ancestor of the Di Clan to test one''s true potential.


    It was a space array created using the principles of the galaxy, the sun, the moon, the stars, and, the separation of light and dark. Inside the array, a Spiritual Emperor''s Imperial Soul would be incarnated, and there, it would need to take eighteen hellish tasks to figure out its true potential.


    One''s potential was evaluated based on his performance. The Imperial Soul''s potential was also divided into three stages: the Human Stage, Earth Stage, and Heaven Stage. And each of the stages was also divided into primary, medium, and premium levels.


    According to the records of the Imperial Soul Testing Array in the past, it would be exemplary if a warrior''s Imperial Soul''s potential reached the primary level of Earth Stage. Meanwhile, only one in a hundred warriors could reach the premium level of Earth level, and only one in a thousand would be able to reach the Heaven Stage!

 Chapter 1747 Her Warning

    Upon entering the Imperial Soul Testing Array, Rocky saw numerous participants waiting in line for the test.


    The testing area could accommodate twenty candidates at a time, so, similar to the Myriad Illusionary Array, it would be easy to separate the strong from the weak. Both arrays were quite different from each other. But in this test, the candidates wouldn''t be separated into different groups. This meant that all the Spiritual Emperors ranging from the low-grade to the middle-grade and even the high-grade would be competing with each other. This would also help differentiate the potential of the Imperial Soul among all the candidates.


    As soon as Rocky arrived, several candidates who just finished the test were waiting for the results.


    Not long after, they were finally announced.


    Their soul potential ranged from the middle grade of the Human Stage to the middle grade of the Earth Stage.


    One of the most notable was Joseph whose soul potential managed to reach the high grade of the Earth Stage.


    It turned out that only a high grade Spiritual Emperor among them had his soul potential proven to be at the high grade of the Earth Stage.


    Rocky then paid close attention to the soul potentia


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    were jealous of me being close to her, didn''t you?" Hall Leader Chen insisted as he tried his best to twist the truth.


    Hall Leader Chen''s words caused quite a commotion among the crowd. Everyone present began to gossip with each other.


    After all, Hall Leader Chen was not only a Spiritual Emperor at the middle grade from the East Grand Sect, but held a high position in the Ethereal Region as well. His words were certainly convincing.


    "You''re funny, Hall Leader Chen!" Eunice couldn''t help but sneer.


    "It''s true. My subordinates can testify for me!" Hall Leader Chen continued to insist.


    "Even if I did, so what? If I succeeded in tricking you and word of this spreads, it would only be more ridiculous considering your strength. It would only disgrace you," Rocky retorted immediately.


    "You¡­" Hall Leader Chen was speechless. He didn''t expect Rocky to fire back like this. He furiously glared at Rocky with wide, hateful eyes.


    "Hall Leader Chen, if you two have any personal grudge against each other, then you may solve it in private after the Spiritual Emperor Contest. Otherwise, you would be disqualified from the competition if you were to cause a scene right now," Eunice warned sternly.

 Chapter 1748 Provoke The Hall Leader

    "Humph! I don''t fight with losers like him. He is just a waste of my time!" Hall Leader Chen arrogantly said with a disdainful look on his face.


    "Stop acting so pretentious, Hall Leader Chen," Rocky bit back.


    The crowd burst into a fit of laughter and amazement. No one expected Rocky would be so cunning.


    "Brat, are you courting death?" the hall leader said with his fists clenched, ready to make a move at any moment.


    Seeing his intention, Eunice and Carla immediately stood in front of Rocky.


    Eunice knew well enough that Rocky''s real identity might be exposed if he fought with Hall Leader Chen. On the other hand, although Carla just met him, she wouldn''t let the hall leader bully her friend like that.


    The crowd let out a gasp of surprise when the two stood in front to protect Rocky. They wondered what kind of charm he had to make the two beautiful women stand up for him.


    The moment Hall Leader Chen saw this, jealousy boiled inside his heart, which made


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    anced over to Holden and saw him with a sinister smile on his face.


    "By now you should know exactly who I am. If I hear any more rumors, I''ll make sure that you''ll disappear from the face of the earth," she threatened.


    "Thank you for you warning." Rocky smiled calmly.


    "Don''t be so arrogant. Killing the Spiritual Emperor of the Di Clan won''t be such an easy task as you make it out to be," Eunice chimed in.


    "You must be Eunice, right? You''re just an illegitimate daughter with no status in the Di Clan. Don''t put on airs here." Michelle glanced at Eunice with disdain.


    "You..." Eunice''s face grew red in anger and embarrassment. Michelle''s unkind words hit a sore point in her.


    Seeing the two girls in front of him fight, Rocky couldn''t help but burst into laughter.


    The three women looked at him as if he was mad, confused why he would suddenly laugh.


    "What are you laughing at?" Michelle couldn''t imagine why he would laugh at such a serious situation.

 Chapter 1749 Laugh At You

    "This is so laughable, Miss Li. You hold such a high status in society, yet you deliberately make things difficult and take advantage of someone like me because of some trivial matters? Do you really want to continue this? Are you not afraid that others will think that you are a narrow-minded person with a short fuse? You should care more about your reputation," Rocky said without a shred of provocation.


    Hearing this, Michelle was rendered speechless. She was a bit baffled that Rocky was trying to make him look like an insignificant person while intentionally boosting her standing. On the surface, it seemed that he did not want to offend her, but Rocky actually mocked her subtly for being narrow-minded. At the same time, since there were so many people watching, if she indeed bared her fangs in public, they would certainly think that Rocky was right.


    "Humph! Whatever. Anyway, just mind your own business next time!" Left with no choice, Michelle had to let the incident go. Afterward, she also left in a hurry.


    "That girl is unbelievable! I don''t care if she is the core disciple of the Flying Feather Pavilion. She is way too arrogant!" After Michelle left, Eunice was not able to suppress her emotions and express her irritations.


    "Well, at least it became clear that she is not the one we are looking for." Judging from Michelle''s behavior just now, Rocky was sure that she wasn''t one of the Godly Geniuses who was just disguising as a human.


    Eunice also nodded, agree


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    inal state.


    "Whew! It looks like I already overcame the first floor!" Rocky exclaimed, heaving a huge sigh of relief.


    A moment later, the voice that gave the instruction resounded in the space again. "Now, on the second floor, the test of desire and emotion will be conducted."


    As the name implied, this test would have something to do with one''s desires and emotions. However, for Rocky, who had already experienced countless tragic crises and critical moments in his life, this test would be very easy to handle. After he was reborn in this world, all his emotions and desires were not able to corrupt his mind. He would not easily fall for something trivial such as romance and lust.


    Therefore, this test might have been the easiest yet for Rocky.


    In fact, just fifteen minutes later, Rocky successfully passed the second floor with ease and was ready for the next one.


    Soon enough, he was able to overcome three more floors and eventually reached the last of the first six floors. He was about to face the last floor of the human pass, which was the body devouring cultivation.


    The body devouring cultivation was actually a test of one''s endurance. Spiritual Emperors not only cultivate their Imperial Souls to gain strength, but also to enhance the souls themselves. After all, when an Imperial Soul reached a certain level, it could be released to assist its master in combat. Therefore, it was also of vital importance to give focus on strengthening the Imperial Soul.

 Chapter 1750 All Of Them Had Been Chiefs

    However, for Rocky, whose strength had actually reached the high grade already, the body of his Imperial Soul was powerful enough to pass this kind of test.


    Therefore, no matter what kind of attacks his Imperial Soul received, such as breaking its meridians or bones, it was not harmed in any way.


    Then, after overcoming the hellish torture, Rocky successfully passed the last floor of the human pass and entered the first floor of the earth pass.


    Meanwhile, the other contestants, who were also taking the test, had exhibited varying performances. Some of the feeble ones that displayed a weak potential of their Imperial Souls could only hold on up to the third or fourth floor of the human pass. After that, they had to give up the test.


    Hence, after everyone had taken the tests on the first six floors, ten of the original twenty participants had failed and quitted, while the rest continued and entered the earth pass. Apart from Rocky, Michelle, Carla, Eunice, Moore, and Holden, three middle-grade and one high-grade Spiritual Emperors made it to the earth pass.


    However, the earth pass was actually the formal start of the test. In here, all candidates would have a hard time. It didn''t matter whether one was weak or strong, because the challenges they were about to face had nothing to do with their strength.


    Right off the bat, two candidates, including Holden, failed to pass the first floor, where the test of greed was conducted.


    Upon reachi


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    us that could only appear once in countless years. At the same time, Michelle also held her head high in pride and confidence.


    She thought that she really deserved this since she had done very well in the test just now.


    However, all the results of the group were already reported except for one¡ªRocky''s.


    "Hey, why haven''t they announced the result of your Imperial Soul potential yet?" Eunice and Carla asked Rocky with a confused look on their faces.


    "I don''t know either. That guy has all the results. Maybe he just forgot or overlooked it?" Rocky remarked as he shrugged his shoulders.


    "That cannot be. I''ll ask them!"


    However, just as Eunice was about to approach the Spiritual Emperor of the Di Clan, he suddenly read and called Rocky''s fake name, and then announced, "The middle grade of the Heaven Stage!"


    As his voice trailed off, the whole area fell into a deafening silence.


    All the people present were utterly stunned and all they could do were opening their eyes wide in shock and letting their jaws drop. It was already extremely surprising that Michelle''s Imperial Soul potential attained the low grade of the Heaven Stage. Hence, it was even more outrageous that Rocky''s Imperial Soul potential would reach the middle grade of the Heaven Stage. Furthermore, even from ancient times up until now, only three members of the Di Clan owned such amazing Imperial Soul potential, and all three of them had been famous chiefs of the Di Clan.

 Chapter 1751 Altering The Result

    Michelle, who was already satisfied with her Imperial Soul''s potential at the low grade of the Heaven Stage, was stunned. She froze in a smile of relief.


    "There has to be a mistake! Even the potential of Michelle''s Imperial Soul was only at the low grade of the Heaven Stage. So how on earth could the potential of that guy''s Imperial Soul shoot straight to the middle grade of the Heaven Stage?" Holden questioned in disbelief.


    The crowd looked doubtful and suspicious as well. This further intensified their gossiping among each other.


    Even a new genius like Michelle could only manage to reach the Imperial Soul potential at the low grade of the Heaven Stage. And yet this nobody was proven to have achieved a stronger Imperial Soul. This news was a hard pill to swallow for everyone.


    Rocky was the most surprised out of all of them. He had already given up on the first round while challenging the Heaven Stage. But why was the potential of his Imperial Soul deemed to be a grade higher than that of Michelle?


    What he didn''t know, however, was that the Imperial Soul''s potential evaluation standards in the Imperial Soul Testing Array not only lied about how many challenges on


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    interesting, won''t it?" Rocky never would''ve thought that the third round would be held by the three big shots of the Ethereal Region.


    "You''ll need to be fully prepared. Don''t be too careless in the next round." "I have nothing to fear. I still have the chance of challenging one more time even if I failed this time, right?"


    Rocky asked with a cheeky grin. "Yes. But if you do that as Basil, that would be quite inconvenient."


    "That''s right. After all, with my current identity as a member of the Di Clan, no one ever messes with me."


    "The next set of tests will get more and more difficult. Regardless, you still need to try your best," Colton said. "That''s all I need to tell you. I''m leaving now. See you soon."


    In the blink of an eye, he disappeared.


    Rocky soon left the mountain top as well.


    Once he returned to his room, he saw Gloria return as well. She was dressed as his apprentice pharmacist at the moment.


    As soon as she saw him, Gloria quickly pulled him to the side and said, "Hey! I heard the results of your Imperial Soul''s potential was proven to be at the middle grade of the Heaven Stage during the test but the results were canceled. Is it true?"

 Chapter 1752 Suspect

    "No. It was not canceled. They just need to double-check it," Rocky immediately corrected.


    "Ha-ha! Are you just trying to comfort yourself? You''d better expect the worse already. Otherwise, if you found out that you cannot make it to the next round, you will just be more disappointed," Gloria teased, trying to get Rocky''s spirit down.


    "Why does it sound like you don''t want me to advance to the next round?"


    "Of course! After all, you might be one of the biggest obstacles that I have to face in this contest if I want to win," Gloria replied with all honesty.


    She knew how powerful Rocky was, and she assumed that he would be an even greater threat than Israel in the latter part of the tournament. After he exhibited such high potential in the Imperial Soul''s potential test, it only proved how frightening he was. Although they said that it needed to be double-checked, she thought that it was not just a coincidence. Hence, if there was a chance that Rocky would drop out now, she would be more at ease.


    "Ha-ha! So, you''re saying that you are afraid of me?"


    "Do not be mistaken. Of course, I am not afraid of you. What I am afraid of is that I might become hesitant if I have to face you in the final round. Can you see what you did to me? You should actually take responsibility for it," Gloria said with a wink, immediately leaning close to Rocky to cling unto him.


    However, right at this m


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    e wisest thing to do. After all, we are in the territory of the human race. Even though they are supposed to be weaker creatures, there are several powerful masters here in the contest. With just the two of us, our strength might not be enough to fight all of them at once. I say we seek the best opportunity to wipe them out one by one without being noticed. It will take longer, but the rate of success will be higher. Anyway, we will definitely find a lot of opportunities in the next rounds, so let us not be too hasty," Quentin explained his plan in detail.


    "All right, I agree. However, I still think that we should prioritize searching for the Godly Genius of the Ghost Fief. Right now, that brat is in the limelight and he enjoys the highest reputation. Even Israel won''t be able to compete with him. If we can eliminate him first, then everyone else would be an easy target." From Drew''s statement, it seemed that he really wanted to deal with Rocky as soon as possible.


    "Don''t worry. In fact, I already have a suspect in mind. However, it is still quite a long shot," Quentin said after thinking for a while.


    "Really? Who is it?" Drew asked impatiently.


    "Do you remember the Spiritual Emperor who showed a soul potential at the medium-grade of Heaven Stage? They said that the result was canceled and was now being double-checked. However, I have a feeling that it was not a simple coincidence¡­"

 Chapter 1753 The Mysterious Soul Formula

    "Oh, yeah. I heard of him! He seems to be one of the new Spiritual Emperors of the Di Clan. But I don''t think the Godly Genius of the Ghost Fief could disguise himself as a member of the Di Clan." Drew also heard the news that the Di Clan acquired a Spiritual Emperor whose Imperial Soul''s potential was at the medium grade of the Heaven Stage.


    "That''s why I also thought that it''s a bit of a long shot. After all, the Di Clan is the leading force in the Ethereal Region. No matter how capable the Godly Genius of the Ghost Fief is, there''s no way that he could disguise himself right under the noses of the Di Clan. However, I just can''t shake the feeling that this person is hiding something." Quentin''s eyes narrowed and expressed his misgivings.


    "Well, we can still observe him. Let''s find an opportunity to get to him."


    "Yes, I am thinking of the same thing. Anyway, I will inform you if anything comes up!" Upon saying that, Quentin left in a hurry. They had to be careful not to be discovered by other people.


    Immediately after, Drew also disappeared from the scene.


    Meanwhile, after coming down from the top of the mountain, Rocky went elsewhere before returning to his lodging. He found a remote and secluded place, where he could enter his Magic Spiritual Space in peace.


    After undergoing the trial in the Imperial Soul Testing Array, he came to realize how important one''s


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    f methods to cultivate the Imperial Soul emerged¡ªthe Mysterious Soul Formula. It was made up of two major parts¡ªthe internal and external cultivation.


    The internal cultivation was used to feed the Imperial Soul with the cultivator''s own spiritual power, while the external cultivation was used to absorb the spiritual power in the surroundings.


    Rocky also found out that the cultivation method of the Mysterious Soul Formula was very different from ordinary soul cultivation skills. With it, the cultivator would need to release the power of the Imperial Soul out of his own body to materialize it. It was almost the same as what they did in the Imperial Soul Testing Array.


    Once the Imperial Soul materialized, it could be treated as a familiar. In addition to letting it cultivate by itself, it could also be fed with all kinds of treasures from heaven and earth in order to hasten its growth.


    This way, the Imperial Soul would be able to cultivate to the greatest extent, yielding a speedy development.


    However, there was also a risk in using this kind of cultivation. Once the Imperial Soul was exposed to the outside world, it would become more susceptible to outside forces. It would become more prone to get hurt or lose control.


    After getting a general understanding of the Mysterious Soul Formula, Rocky directly left the palace and returned to his Magic Spiritual Space

 Chapter 1754 Do An Experiment

    "All right. Let me try if I can materialize my Imperial Soul into a solid form!" Excited to do some kind of experiment, Rocky immediately released his Imperial Soul according to the method that was indicated in the Mysterious Soul Formula. Gradually, he was able to condense his Imperial Soul power into a human-shaped figure.


    A few moments later, a palm-sized soul shadow appeared and floated in front of him.


    However, it only seemed like a ball of nether fire. The soul shadow''s eyes were closed, and its entire body was emitting a faint green light.


    Then, out of nowhere, the soul shadow opened its eyes and shot out two terrifying streaks of green flames.


    After a while, the rampaging green flames in its eyes gradually subsided, but they were still dancing in its eyes, ready to spurt out again at any time.


    "I never expected that my Imperial Soul would be so unique! It is rather small but its power is astonishing!" Thrilled by the impression that his Imperial Soul gave him, Rocky steadily approached and stretched out his hand to touch the soul shadow. However, the soul shadow suddenly dodged and acted hostile. It flew in front of Rocky and threw a ferocious kick.


    Rocky instantly felt the overwhelming force rushing towards him, so with his quick reflexes, he tried to avoid it in a hurry.


    Boom!


    As soon as the kick of the soul shadow landed on the ground, huge fissures appeared, and the ground in


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    burst into an uproar again.


    Almost everyone knew that the participants from the Di Clan this year were all low-level Spiritual Emperors. But it was really impressive that three of them were able to enter the third round. With this, it could be seen that the Spiritual Emperors of the Di Clan were really talented and powerful.


    At this point, only four low-level Spiritual Emperors could still be a part of the top eighty spots. If Michelle and the two outstanding low-level Spiritual Emperors of the spiritual race, Seth and Barron, were not called next, then they might be the top three among the low-level Spiritual Emperors.


    Hence, aside from the three, only one among the rest of the low-level Spiritual Emperors could get the chance to be qualified for the next round.


    Not long after, the elder announced that Barron got the 49th place.


    Most of the low-level Spiritual Emperors had already lost hope. After all, how could they be ranked higher than Barron?


    At this moment, Valeria and Gloria also could not help but glance at Rocky. He told them that his performance in the Imperial Soul test was double-checked. But if the Di Clan deemed that his test result was valid, then his name should have been announced already. Therefore, they were really worried that Rocky would not be able to participate in the contest anymore.


    But of course, no one knew that this was just a part of Rocky''s elaborate plan.

 Chapter 1755 Lets Wait And See

    "Hey! Maybe there''s still hope! Don''t give up!" Valeria swiftly encouraged Rocky who stood next to her. If he couldn''t qualify for the third round, then they would lose the advantage of competing with the other Godly Geniuses.


    On the other hand, Holden took pleasure in Rocky''s misfortune when he saw that the latter was likely going to lose this round of the competition.


    "Humph! I thought this guy was supposed to be special. Yet he turns out to be just another mediocre man. Let''s see if he can still manage to hold his head high on his shoulders once he loses this round!" he snorted.


    Hall Leader Chen, who Rocky had offended during an earlier encounter, was gloating alongside Holden.


    "He''s hopeless! But this is no surprise," Michelle, who had been paying close attention to Rocky, sneered at him as well once she saw that there was no hope in him proceeding to the next round.


    At that moment, the elder of the Di Clan announced, "The No. 99 participant is ranked as the 48th."


    "It''s him! The one whose soul potential was proven to be at the middle grade of the Heaven Stage! His ranking is higher than that of Barron who i


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    he latter had feelings for Rocky. Although Carla never showed it, Eunice could tell from her behavior that she missed him dearly.


    "Don''t talk nonsense!" Carla''s face turned red with embarrassment.


    "By the way, let''s go talk to him once he''s finished with these tests," Eunice proposed. She knew Carla would want to.


    "No, that''s unnecessary. If he remembered me... I mean us, then he would come to us first." Carla was never the one to initiate first as a woman. She thought perhaps Rocky had simply forgotten her.


    "Alright." Eunice knew what Carla was thinking, so she stopped insisting.


    Meanwhile, when Rocky finished his strength test, his set of points had already ranked within the top five. This caused a stir once more because, up until now, no one knew the limits of his strength. His set of points had already surpassed those of many middle-grade Spiritual Emperors.


    Meanwhile, the other Spiritual Emperors who participated in the challenge competition were trying their best to enter into the top three as well.


    But it was still difficult to determine who would eventually succeed in reaching the top three spots!

 Chapter 1756 A Voice Sounded

    Since everyone now knew his identity as Basil, Rocky now had no reason to hold back his real strength. On top of this, he was itching to know how powerful he really was.


    He relentlessly fought one battle after another in the Myriad Illusionary Array and made it to the fiftieth pass in only a couple of hours. But he knew that he still had a lot more to give.


    A few moments later, he was now at the sixtieth pass.


    At the same time, people started to gather around the Myriad Illusionary Array.


    However, they didn''t come for Rocky''s awesome display of his skill, but for another Spiritual Emperor from the spiritual race. The fact that he participated in the competition was already something people didn''t expect.


    What was more, he was already challenging the sixtieth pass, which meant that he was one step in front of Rocky.


    "Wow, Basil is really powerful! He''s already making his way towards the sixtieth pass!"


    "I wonder how powerful he really is. Is he actually a middle-grade Spiritual Emperor? I remember he was just a Spiritual King when he first entered the Sky-suppressing School, but now he managed to improve his strength like this in such a short span of time! He really is one of a kind!"


    Four hour


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    have a handful of stunning female Spiritual Kings under your disposal if you know what I mean..." A charming female Spiritual Emperor appeared in front of him as she deliberately show her cleavage to seduce Rocky.


    "If all of those female Spiritual Kings are as stunning as you, then I might have to consider your offer," Rocky said, smiling as he kept his eyes locked on to the woman''s chest.


    "As long as you wish, I can assist you in person," the female Spiritual Emperor said as she winked at him.


    "Oh, thanks. But I''m not interested in women older than me." Rocky shook his head.


    The crowd burst into laughter once again.


    Her face turned a bright red in humiliation and anger, but she couldn''t lose her temper in public.


    Seeing him turn down another offer, many more were getting ready to approach Rocky. But before they could open their mouths, Rocky said to them, "Stop wasting your breath. I''m sorry, but I''m really not interested in joining any sect."


    All the representatives were disappointed since Rocky seemed to be refusing all the forces.


    Suddenly, a sweet voice rang out from the crowd. "What about an invitation from the Sky-suppressing Mansion? Would you really turn down a request from me?"

 Chapter 1757 An Surprising Invitation

    As they heard the charming voice, everyone looked in the direction where it came from and saw that it was actually from a beautiful and elegant young woman.


    At the same time, Rocky also looked towards her and felt that he had already met her before.


    "So, we meet again." The girl''s eyes were focused on Rocky while she let out a pleasant smile.


    "Oh! Yes. It''s you!" Rocky''s eyes widened when he finally remembered that he had indeed met this gorgeous girl once. She was none other than Lilith, the most famous personality in the Sky-suppressing School.


    The people who were also present could not help but be mesmerized by her beauty.


    "Wait! I know her! She''s THE Lilith!" Since Lilith was indeed like a celebrity, someone eventually recognized her.


    "I am Lilith, and on behalf of the Sky-suppressing Mansion, I''m here to formally offer you an invitation to be a part of the Sky-suppressing Mansion. Won''t you care to join us?" Lilith asked Rocky straightforwardly as she revealed her identity to the public.


    "I heard that she is recognized as the most gifted spirit warrior that existed in the Sky-suppressing Mansion in the past hundred years! They said that she broke through to the Emperor Realm two years ago and she''s now at the middle grade!"


    "I also heard that! She is still very young! With her extraordinary talent, she has more chances of growing into a much more powerful spirit warrior!"


    "But why is she here? I did not hear that she will attend the Spiritual Emperor Contest this time. Why will she s


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    ll go easy on you during the competition." "Ha-ha! You don''t need to worry about that.


    Besides, I might actually be the one who would need to consider whether to show you mercy or not," Lilith retorted, proudly raising her head.


    "Then, I guess we''ll just wait and see! Anyway, I have to go now. People might spread unnecessary rumors about our relationship if someone saw that we are alone together." As always, Rocky did not want to attract too much attention. He already knew that he would shock everyone and garner unwanted attention when the competition started, so he did not want to add anything more than that.


    "Okay then. See you later!" Then, Lilith hugged and kissed Kohen before she reluctantly left.


    "What an innocent girl! She has always reminded me of Lena... Well, I guess it was not so bad that we are on good terms..." Rocky could not help but sigh as he looked at Lilith''s back.


    Not long after, Rocky found out that his identity as Basil had become a sensation in the entire Boundless Manor. It was because of the exception that the Di Clan granted him. He was allowed to directly enter the last round of the Spiritual Emperor Contest after the announcing that his soul potential was at the high grade of the Heaven Stage. As expected, this news instantly spread everywhere.


    Moreover, there were also rumors sprouting here and there that he had a romantic relationship with Lilith.


    It seemed that even Rocky himself did not expect that his return as Basil would cause such a world-shaking clamor.

 Chapter 1758 Facing The Third Round

    After the fierce challenge competition was completed, the three Spiritual Emperors, who were qualified to be a part of the third round, were determined. However, since the Di Clan made an exception for Rocky, he could also enter the third round directly.


    Hence, apart from Lilith and Rocky, the two other candidates to join the third round were a talented Spiritual Emperor from the spiritual race and a middle-grade Spiritual Emperor from the human race.


    At the same time, the latest top eighty Spiritual Emperors, who had performed well in the first two rounds and the challenging round, were already announced.


    The one who ranked first overall was the youngest elder of the Sky-suppressing Mansion¡ªJules, a high-grade Spiritual Emperor.


    For the second overall ranking, it was a high-grade Spiritual Emperor from the spiritual race¡ªWesley.


    Then, the one who ranked third was a new high-grade Spiritual Emperor from the Sovereign Pavilion¡ªJulian. He was an incredible talent and had been training vigorously throughout these years. Everyone thought that this could be his chance to prove himself once and for all.


    After the announcement of the top eighty was made, these three candidates were thought to be the most likely ones to win the championship in the Spiritual Emperor Contest.


    As for the other seven high-grade Spiritual Emperors that were also a part of the top ten, they also had a chance to win. However, their overall strength was slightly weaker than the top three candidates. It meant that they would have to perform very well and might need more luck to emerge victoriously.


    Among these seven Spiritual Emperors, someone act


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    alented people from both races that could be on par or even be stronger than that of the Shura Race. She realized that they were not as weak as she had imagined before.


    "What are you talking about? Did you forget that I am the weakest among the Godly Geniuses?" Rocky answered, trying to sound modest.


    "Ha! Do you really think that I will be fooled by such nonsense?" After witnessing Rocky''s abilities in the past and this contest, she could only conclude that he was just good at playing weak, but his full potential and real strength were much greater than what everyone could see.


    "But just in case I failed, I''m confident that you will make it anyway. Besides, we are allies. As long as one of us can complete the trial, it is already good enough for both of us," Rocky said in a dismissive tone.


    "Hold that thought because that is not necessarily the case here. Although we have formed an alliance, my goal is still to defeat all the other Godly Geniuses, and that includes you. Therefore, let me get this thing clear. If I win this trial, you won''t get any benefits from me," Gloria declared proudly, showing an unwavering spirit.


    "Is that so? Then, how about we terminate the alliance already?" Rocky immediately retorted, trying to provoke her on purpose.


    "Ha! You wish. You will still help me before I can become the successor of the gods. There is no getting out of our alliance. Now, cheer up and make sure that you perform well in the third round. Otherwise, I might punish you later," Gloria said with her eyebrow raised before eventually leaving.


    Then, as soon as she disappeared into the crowd, Valeria suddenly appeared.

 Chapter 1759 Three Challenges

    "Hey! Isn''t that woman Gloria?" Valeria pointed out at Gloria who, upon closer inspection, was currently disguised as another female Spiritual Emperor.


    "Yes, it''s her. She found out my real identity," Rocky revealed honestly, hiding nothing from Valeria.


    "How? I thought our plan was flawless!" Valeria swiftly complained with a frown.


    "You know she might not be adept with other things, but she is quite skilled at dealing with men. I think she can even tell it by just sniffing my scent alone!" Rocky explained, trying to find a reasonable excuse.


    "It''s possible. What did that sly fox say to you?" Valeria stared and asked him. Her overreaction was evident in her slight jealousy.


    "Nothing special."


    "Liar! Did you get drunk off of those honeyed words of hers?" Valeria didn''t believe a single word he said.


    "Ha-ha! Isn''t that normal? Anyway, she is still my fiancee nominally." Rocky chuckled.


    "Humph! Fiancee? The audacity of this woman!" This only amplified her jealousy.


    "Don''t worry. My fief has already broken ties with theirs, hasn''t it? Even if she trie


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    Geniuses would expose their identities as soon as possible. This would enable them to take advantage of capturing them all during the contest and destroying the Shura Race''s plan for good.


    "I have nothing else to say on that topic. Also, I''ll be one of the judges for the third round. You will officially pass if you can solve all the challenges we have set up. That is to say, you need to complete three challenges to be eligible for the fourth round," Colton declared with a straight face.


    The entire square fell into confusion and silence so pure that you could hear a pin drop.


    After all, the three grand warriors standing before them were no ordinary Spiritual Emperors who reached the peak stage. Their Imperial Souls not only reached the Emperor Realm but had formed a powerful Spiritual Domain as well.


    This particular domain was formed when one''s strength reached the peak of the Emperor Realm and could bring down immeasurably terrible destruction on any living thing within its reach.


    Finding yourself within it was equivalent to stepping onto death''s doorstep.

 Chapter 1760 Your Will

    As soon as Colton announced what would happen during the third round of the trial, the faces of many of the Spiritual Emperors present became serious. They were frightened of facing just one of the top three Spiritual Emperors, so facing all three of them at once was absolutely terrifying. All the confidence they had left was drained at that moment.


    "The chief of the Di Clan is absolutely ruthless. It appears he wants to take this opportunity to get several Godly Geniuses to involuntarily expose themselves. This is going to be a great show!" Rocky couldn''t help but marvel at Colton''s plan.


    If it was a normal competition, those three powerful figures from the Ethereal Region would never have shown up in person. However, the Godly Geniuses of the Shura Race snuck into the Spiritual Emperor Contest. This attracted Colton''s attention, and so he devised this scheme.


    "Allow me to formally prepare and announce the first challenge..." Enrique, the leader of the Sovereign Pavilion, stepped forward with a vacant look in his eyes. With a wave of his hand, a fiercely strong gust of wind blew through the enti


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    ve a hard time doing this since the domain could only bind the Imperial Soul and not the physical body. If one''s Imperial Soul''s power was strong enough, it wouldn''t be trapped by Enrique''s Spiritual Domain.


    It would be impossible for Rocky to release his Imperial Soul''s power instantly, which would definitely expose his true strength. He needed to pretend as though fighting the Spiritual Domain would be difficult for him.


    He soon discovered that the Imperial Soul''s power within his body began to release on its own even when he didn''t do anything. Soon, he managed to mostly regain control of his body and break free from the Spiritual Domain.


    Moments later, more than 70% of the Spiritual Emperors managed to pass the first test while the remaining low grade Spiritual Emperors too weak to resist the power could only stand there helplessly and fell into despair.


    Although Enrique''s Spiritual Domain didn''t cover a large area, it was extremely difficult for the Spiritual Emperors to overcome it. It took a large chunk of spiritual power and a good amount of will to take even a single step forward.

 Chapter 1761 Escape The Spiritual Domain

    "Master Enrique, how many do you think can get rid of your Spiritual Domain''s control?" Colton asked as he expectantly waited for his answer.


    "At least sixty! After all, only the elites from the different sects could participate in the Spiritual Emperor Contest. I''ll be disappointed if no one could even get past the third round! I can''t speak for the others, but I''m sure the ones sent by our Sovereign Pavilion will never let me down! I believe Chief Crosby is also thinking of the same thing as me," Enrique answered with a proud smile. He let the rest two know that he was more than confident in their own Spiritual Emperors.


    "I must admit it''s true. But don''t forget about our Spiritual Emperors from the Sky-suppressing Mansion. I guarantee you that they''ll make quite a scene." Not willing to be one-upped by the two, Crosby chimed into their conversation.


    While the three leaders were talking, the competition grew white-hot. The ten high-grade Spiritual Emperors were making an impression on the audience, followed by the excellent middle-grade Spiritual Emperors, including Lilith.


    The contest grew more and more


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    "I can''t believe that this year''s Spiritual Emperor Contest is so different from all other contests. Even the rulers of the three major forces at the Ethereal Region have come to watch in person!"


    "Yes, the Di Clan has even opened the Holy Heaven Palace."


    "But for me, the most exciting ones to watch are Michelle, Lilith and Carla. My eyes can''t get enough of their beauty!"


    The rowdy crowd suddenly fell silent when three rays of spiritual light shot out of the sky and into the square, making the three leaders appear out of thin air in a grand entrance.


    "Now that everyone is here, the second challenge will begin. Master Cosby will be in charge!" Colton announced.


    Crosby strode forward, looked around at the Spiritual Emperors and said, "This morning, Master Enrique has already tested your willpower, and we have also seen your efforts, but this is far from enough. Therefore, next, I will summon the holy beast of our Sky-suppressing Mansion. If anyone can survive for two hours in front of the holy beast, he or she will pass the second test. Anyone who can hold on till the end will receive extra rewards!"

 Chapter 1762 He Was Unaffected

    Hearing what Crosby said, a huge commotion immediately rose amidst the Spiritual Emperors. After all, the holy beast of the Sky-suppressing Mansion was one of the five holy beasts of the Ethereal Region. Moreover, its strength was not inferior to that of a Spiritual Emperor at the peak stage. In fact, it was even more powerful.


    "All eyes up front. It is about to start." As these words left Crosby''s mouth, he kept making various gestures with his hands in front of his chest. Then, a beam shot towards the center of the square. In an instant, the air just above the square started to stir up. Immediately after, the beam of light expanded, forming a huge light hole. As everyone''s eyes widened, a shadow of a giant beast slowly emerged from the light hole, exuding an overwhelming aura at the Emperor Realm that filled the surroundings.


    Upon the appearance of the beast shadow, everyone present was stunned. They could not help but feel frozen and have a sense of submission before it.


    The beast had lion-like features with a horn on its head. It had bright red fur all over its body, and its two sharp fangs looked very deadly.


    "Oh my god. This is a holy beast at the Emperor Realm? It is freaking powerful!"


    "So, this is the widely-talked Fiery Lion of the Sky-suppressing Mansion..."


    "I am considering myself very lucky to witness such a holy beast like this with my own eyes."


    Since the Fiery Lion belonged to the Sky-s


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    was already the victor.


    At the same time, the spectators also felt that this was very weird.


    Upon seeing this, Colton and the other two also exchanged puzzled looks with each other.


    "I am going to put the Fiery Lion away first!" Without wasting any time, Crosby appeared in front of the holy beast and quickly made it return to its original space.


    Immediately after, he also approached Rocky to confirm his current state. However, at this time, Rocky suddenly opened his eyes as if he was out of it for some time now. Then, he stood up with an indifferent expression on his face and asked, "Wait. Is it over? Oh no... I accidentally fell asleep. I have missed what happened in the test!"


    Upon hearing these words, the square instantly burst out into an uproar. The spectators could not decide if they should cry or laugh because of what just happened. The test was enveloped in such a fierce and tense atmosphere until the end, but Rocky actually dozed off in the midst of it. That was why he could inexplicably persist and be the victor. Of course, this was way too inconceivable. It just meant that the viciousness of the Fiery Lion had no effect on him at all.


    But the truth was it was not really difficult for him. First of all, Rocky''s real strength was already close to the peak of the Emperor Realm. Therefore, he was even stronger than the Fiery Lion, meaning that its fearsome stress would not affect him in any way.

 Chapter 1763 Another Figure Appeared

    Moreover, Rocky''s Imperial Soul was very unique and special in many aspects. In fact, even Colton and the other two Spiritual Emperors might not be able to hurt him. Hence, there was no doubt that the Fiery Lion could not do anything to him.


    At this moment, Crosby was still a bit dumbfounded, so he could not help but cast a few glances towards Rocky. Just a moment ago, he clearly felt a strange aura from Rocky. It only lasted for a second, but he was still able to sense it. Furthermore, it was the first time ever that a low-grade Spiritual Emperor could remain calm in front of the Fiery Lion. It was indeed an astonishing feat.


    "As promised, here is your reward for being the last one to hold on. It is a Sacred Spirit Pill." Crosby actually believed that some Spiritual Emperors of the Sky-suppressing Mansion would emerge victorious, so there was no problem for him to give it as a reward in the test. However, never did he expect that it was Rocky who would outlast every other Spiritual Emperor in the end.


    A promise was a promise, so he did not hesitate to give it to the winner. Therefore, he immediately took out the Sacred Spirit Pill and handed it over to Rocky. At the same time, he could not help but subtly give Rocky a meaningful look.


    "Thank you for this, Mr. Crosby." Although Rocky noticed the look that Crosby gave him, he


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    that this man did not really want to cooperate and help him. Moreover, his gut was telling him that he was probably not really the Godly Genius of the Blood Fief, and this was all a part of an elaborate trap to take him down.


    "What do you say? We can join hands and kill Drew and Quentin! They will never know what hit them!" the Godly Genius tried to entice Rocky even further.


    "So, you are actually planning on killing them during the Spiritual Emperor Contest?" Rocky just found another major reason why he could not trust this person. If this man was prepared to launch a sneak attack during the Spiritual Emperor Contest, then greater trouble would inevitably happen unless he had a very secure plan to pull it off.


    "Yes. That is not a problem. We can find many opportunities to do it during the contest. Why are you hesitating? If we can seize the opportunity, we should take it, right?"


    "Well, give me a little bit of time to think about it," Rocky said after thinking for a while.


    "All right then¡­ Give me your reply as soon as you can." The Godly Genius hesitated a bit before replying because he wanted an answer right away.


    "Yeah. See you later." Upon saying that, Rocky left the square.


    A few moments after Rocky left, another figure appeared beside the man who introduced himself as the Godly Genius of the Blood Fief.

 Chapter 1764 He Got A Plan

    "I don''t think he took the bait. What you offered is not tempting enough!" The figure scoffed and let out a frown.


    It turned out that the "Godly Genius of the Blood Fief" who confronted Rocky earlier was actually Drew, the Godly Genius of the Elite Fief, and the figure that had just appeared was Quentin, the Godly Genius of the Purgatory Fief.


    "Humph! It doesn''t matter. I was just testing him. Right now, the most important thing is that we have already confirmed his identity. Since we already know the real identities of Odin and Israel, we can finally take action." Drew quickly found an excuse to make up for his embarrassment.


    "But judging from the performances of the Godly Genius of the Ghost Fief in the contest, there is still a huge possibility that he is hiding his real strength. We have to be very careful once we deal with him," Quentin reminded, trying to be cautious as always.


    "There is no need to be afraid of him. All we need to do is find an opportunity to kill him. Even if it is us who finish him or not, it doesn''t really matter," Drew uttered with a sinister smile.


    "What do you mean? You''re planning to let the other Godly Geniuses deal with him?" Quentin asked straightforwardly as his eyes narrowed.


    "Why not? Is it really necessary that we are the ones who kill him off? Besides, I think that right now, Israel is the one who wants to get rid of Odin the most. Then, why don''t we let him?"


    "Are you serious? Israel won''t be easily fooled. He is thoughtful


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    identity.


    Hearing this, Valeria could not help but take a look at Gloria. This guy was supposed to be an apprentice, but he was actually scolding his master?


    "Shh! Keep your voice down. It''s already the dead of the night. Don''t disturb others who are resting." Then, Rocky continued, "Just calm down. I know why you two are looking for me."


    "What? You knew that your identity was already exposed?" Obviously, the two girls were stunned. They could not figure out how he learned of this.


    "You are thinking how I knew? It''s pretty easy. I exposed myself on purpose," Rocky said with a devious smile.


    "What? You deliberately let others know of your identity? Why would you do that? That''s too dangerous! Do you realize that they will not stop until they get rid of you?" Valeria blurted out. Based on her tone, both Rocky and Gloria could tell that she was really agitated.


    "It is already the third round, and most of the Godly Geniuses are still unwilling to reveal themselves. I''m getting impatient and it''s boring to go on like this. So, I decided to stir things up a little. Because of this, all of our identities will be exposed sooner or later. This way, things will get more interesting! Also, you don''t have to worry. I have already prepared for this moment," Rocky said with a straight face.


    "So, you actually want the other Godly Geniuses to attack you?" Valeria was actually in a daze. It was not until then that she realized that Rocky already planned everything in advance.

 Chapter 1765 Relieved

    "Yes, the third round is about to end and the next one will be held in a forbidden area of the Di Clan, the Holy Heaven Palace. Some say it''s a mysterious place filled with many unknown dangers, but it is the most suitable place for us Godly Geniuses to fight in. Since the standoff between us just ended, the fourth round will be much more interesting," Rocky explained with a confident smile across his face.


    "You''re crazy!" Gloria couldn''t help but snap at him. Never in a million years did she expect that Rocky would be the one to provoke the other Godly Geniuses, seeing that he was still the weakest among the nine. Although he had her and Valeria by his side, it was still far too risky to expose his identity like that.


    "Some men sent by the other Godly Geniuses are keeping a close eye on us. How are we going to deal with them?" Valeria asked with concern.


    "Let me deal with those bastards. Wait here and don''t follow me. I don''t want you guys to blow your cover. I''ll be back soon." With a smile, Rocky immediately went out the door to confront their enemies.


    He f


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    Spiritual Emperors.


    "We are just following orders from our masters. Please forgive us if we offended you!" they squealed as they knelt down to ask for forgiveness.


    "Okay, I forgive you. You may leave now!" Rocky said as he waved his hand.


    The masked Spiritual Emperor and the others exchanged nervous glances and then left one after another.


    After that, Rocky went straight back to his room.


    As soon as he entered his room, he saw that Valeria and Gloria were still waiting for him inside. They breathed a sigh of relief when they saw him unharmed.


    "How did you drive away those Spiritual Emperors?" Gloria asked as she looked at Rocky suspiciously.


    "Well, I have my own ways of dealing with them. Anyway, it''s getting late. It''s better if you go back to your room and rest. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow. Goodnight!" Rocky said to Valeria with a warm smile.


    "Okay, goodnight." Valeria said to him and went straight to her room.


    "Hey, how much longer are you going to pretend?" Gloria, on the other hand, kept pestering him as soon as Valeria left.

 Chapter 1766 His Real Strength

    "What do you mean? I don''t get it," Rocky said while looking at Gloria innocently like a child.


    "Have you reached the medium grade of the Emperor Realm already?" Gloria demanded. She seemed to have seen through his facade and noticed something.


    "What makes you say that?" he asked her in return. Truth be told, he didn''t expect her to figure out that he had hidden his true strength. However, her guess wasn''t entirely correct.


    "Among the Spiritual Emperors who were sent to spy on you tonight, at least three of them were at the medium grade. With the strength you displayed publicly, you wouldn''t have easily dealt with them unless they were intimidated by your real strength. Moreover, your extraordinary performance during the Spiritual Emperor Contest suggested that your strength should have leveled up to the medium grade long ago..." This proved that Gloria was exceptionally smart to have come up with such speculation.


    "It seems I can''t hide it from you. It''s true. My strength has reached the medium grade," Rocky confirmed and nodded discreetly.


    "You''re horrible. You know that Valeria and I were so worried about you!" Gloria pouted as she sho


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    eliminated and won''t continue to the fourth round held in the Holy Heaven Palace," Colton continued.


    The audience burst into an uproar. They knew that the unique skills he mentioned were different from the spiritual skills they were all familiar with. No matter how talented the Spiritual Emperor was, it would certainly take time to comprehend and master a single spiritual skill. To comprehend and master a unique skill of the Di Clan within a day seemed nearly impossible.


    One day would certainly not be enough.


    But what they didn''t know was that due to the Heavenly Library''s special structure, one''s comprehension and learning process could be sped up. The challenge''s time limit of one day was actually something possible.


    "The test begins now!"


    As Colton finished, countless words written in glittering gold suddenly appeared on the first floor. They flew through the air, spiraling and intertwining with each other.


    Colton disappeared for a few moments before reappearing at the top of the first floor. Then, an invisible yet powerful force made its way throughout the entire first floor and enveloped all the candidates firmly in its grasp.

 Chapter 1767 The Comprehension

    Soon, the golden runes that encircled them began to fly and make their way towards the competitors'' field. They intertwined with each other like golden rivers floating and shuffling among the Spiritual Emperors.


    As they remained in place, they began to feel strange. Some heard a strange buzz in their ears, a few of them experienced blurred images flashing before their eyes, and the rest felt the spiritual power within them disappear in an instant.


    These runes were impacting each Spiritual Emperor on the field differently.


    A few of the Spiritual Emperors were able to detect and hear certain mantras a few moments later. However, most of them were incomplete. None of them dared to try and chant them out loud for fear of worsening their situation.


    Most of the Spiritual Emperors chose to wait it out and see what would happen next.


    But Rocky was different. He quickly completed the intermittent mantra in his mind and began to manipulate the spiritual power within him using it.


    The spiritual power in his body began to rise and speed up.


    Suddenly, vivid images of the previous world he lived in flashed through Rocky''s mind. He saw his past with Isis, Marcia, and Alyssa. Emotions that he


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    seventh grade!" Colton exclaimed as he turned to look in the direction of the flash quickly.


    All the Spiritual Emperors and the spectators on the second floor were just as shocked and looked in that direction as well.


    It was none other than Rocky who had achieved comprehending the seventh grade.


    No one expected him to be able to break through to the next grade first!


    Just as everyone was recovering from the initial shock, several more dazzling spiritual light flashed all over the field. They came from Israel, Drew, Lilith, Michelle, and Seth.


    At this moment, the onlookers on the second floor clamored. They never would''ve guessed that numerous Spiritual Emperors would be able to successfully break through.


    Valeria, Gloria, Carla, and Quentin all made it shortly after.


    Meanwhile, the corners of Rocky''s mouth raised into a smile. He didn''t expect that Colton''s third test would inconspicuously force Israel and the other Godly Geniuses to expose themselves.


    These Godly Geniuses from the Shura Race were undoubtedly superior to the humans and spiritual race when it came to talent. Therefore, the Godly Geniuses would surely reveal themselves if they didn''t fly under the radar.

 Chapter 1768 The Expectations

    At this point, Rocky already knew the identities of more than half of the Godly Geniuses. These included Israel, Drew, Quentin, and the Godly Genius he had targeted before. Of course, he also knew the secret identities of Valeria and Gloria, with whom he was allied.


    About an hour later, Valeria, who had already broken through the seventh grade, suddenly chose to give up. Hence, among the low-grade Spiritual Emperors, only Michelle, Gloria, Seth, and Rocky still continued to try.


    Among the medium-grade Spiritual Emperors, the remaining ones were Lilith, Drew, and the other Godly Genius from before.


    Lastly, there were still three premium-grade Spiritual Emperors, including Israel, who remained motionless and had broken through to the eighth grade.


    After another two hours had passed, Michelle, who had already broken through to the eighth grade, felt that it was already her limit. Thus, she didn''t dare to take any more risks and decided to give up.


    At the same time, Gloria, Seth, Lilith, Drew, and the other Godly Genius, whose identities were still hidden, had reached the eighth grade one after another. Meanwhile, because he was deliberately suppressing himself, Rocky was still at the seventh grade.


    Five minutes later, Seth had already reached his limit and ch


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    nd.


    Therefore, Gloria instantly released her full strength in order to reach the tenth grade. In a flash, the spiritual lights that surrounded her body became more dazzling.


    At the same time, Rocky''s body matched the intensity of the spiritual lights that Gloria was emitting. Then, not long after, the spiritual light on Rocky''s body became extremely bright that it actually suppressed the spiritual light of Gloria.


    At this very moment, everyone fell into a deafening silence. They could just watch while their mouths were wide open.


    While Rocky and Gloria were doing their best to reach the tenth grade, everyone felt rather nervous. They wondered if Rocky could still get there faster even though he was just at the seventh grade a while ago.


    Moreover, it seemed that the remaining time suddenly became longer.


    However, although Gloria and Rocky were almost close to reaching the tenth grade, they could not completely break through. It seemed that they had already reached their limits.


    Colton was actually at a loss and was wondering if he should end the test now. Although he really wanted to see Rocky''s brilliant performance, he was worried that if the young man pushed himself too hard, the result might become the opposite. Then, everything would be in vain.

 Chapter 1769 Show Extraordinary Talents

    Perhaps it was because of the influence that Rocky had exhibited, Gloria became distracted and eventually lost focus. Gradually, the spiritual light on her body started to dim. At this point, there was no way that she could break through to the tenth grade anymore.


    At the same time, the spiritual light around Rocky began to dissipate as well.


    Seeing this, the people, who were still holding their breath, could not help but heave a deep sigh. They all thought that both candidates did their best, but it was unfortunate that none of them could reach the tenth grade.


    However, just as the crowd thought that the test was over, a strange golden spiritual light suddenly rushed out of Rocky''s body, interweaved, and enveloped him.


    "The tenth grade!" Colton exclaimed out of nowhere.


    When everyone heard Colton, they were instantly stunned. No one ever thought that Rocky could really reach the tenth grade. After all, his progress earlier was so slow. But at the most crucial point, he suddenly pulled through and made a breakthrough.


    At the same time, Gloria was also dumbfounded. She really thought that she could make it to the tenth grade, but she failed at the very last moment. Logically, she assumed that her level of strength should just be the same as Rocky''s. That was why she found it impossible that Rocky beat her to it.


    Right now, the undeniably spectacular talent and aptitude that Rocky displayed were more than enough to hail him as the most superior Spiritua


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    at''s why I wanted you to share that burden with me. But you stole my thunder and distracted me that I failed to reach the tenth grade! What did you mean?" Gloria let out her frustrations as she crossed her arms on her chest.


    "Huh? What are you talking about?" Rocky still tried to get away by letting out an awkward smile and denying what Gloria said.


    "Don''t play dumb with me. I knew you did that on purpose." Gloria looked away and rolled her eyes at Rocky.


    "I did it for your sake. I already told you not to expose your identity," Rocky retorted and reprimanded her.


    "I also told you that I am not afraid of the other Godly Geniuses even if they found out my real identity!" Gloria snapped back, annoyed that her pride was being stepped on.


    Rocky heaved a deep sigh and patiently reminded her. "We''ll get there eventually. But it is not yet the right time. Besides, did you forget that we are not just dealing with the Godly Geniuses? If you tried to get too much attention, even the Spiritual Emperors of the human race and the spiritual race will focus on you. That will inconvenience us from carrying out our plans properly."


    The Spiritual Emperors of the human race and the spiritual race were also smart and perceptive. If they found out that something was fishy about some of the participants, they might start snooping around, spy on them, and discover the truth. If that happened, it might cause a huge commotion that would affect their quests as Godly Geniuses.

 Chapter 1770 Go Back First

    "Ha! You are just saying that! I know what I''m doing!" Actually, Gloria knew that everything Rocky said was reasonable. However, she was not willing to admit that she was in the wrong.


    "Look at Valeria. She controls herself better than you."


    "So what? It still doesn''t change the fact that she''s no match to me!"


    "Why do you have to be so stubborn? Fine! Just listen to me carefully and understand my point. If you don''t expose your real strength, the other Godly Geniuses won''t get suspicious of your identity. And if they don''t know who you really are, they won''t put up their guards against you. It means that you can freely attack them whenever you want," Rocky explained with all seriousness.


    "Then, why don''t you tell me your plan first?" Finally, Rocky got Gloria to listen. Interested by the point that he made, she leaned over and was ready to hear what Rocky had to say.


    On the other hand, Rocky knew that the only way he could make Gloria listen to him was that he revealed something interesting to her. Then, he whispered a few words to her. Upon hearing them, Gloria''s expression immediately brightened up, and a faint smile appeared on her delicate face.


    "Even you know that this is an excellent idea. Now, just listen to me and everything will go well." Rocky remarked after he let Gloria know his plan.


    "All right, fine! I got it already!" Gloria snorted but was actually smiling inwardly be


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    going to be safer if we take action together? I heard that the Spiritual Emperors of the human race and the spiritual race have already formed secret alliances!" Valeria immediately questioned Rocky''s decision, thinking that it would not be efficient.


    "You already know the answer. If you are with me, you will just become a target of many people." Rocky explained straightforwardly.


    "What are you talking about? It is more dangerous if you go alone!"


    "Don''t worry about me. I can protect myself. I''ll be just fine. Besides, I also plan to face some Godly Geniuses alone," Rocky uttered with a determined look on his face.


    "Are you insane? Don''t do that! Even with your current strength, you can''t deal with all of them alone!" Valeria already saw how Rocky could get reckless at times. Thus, she was afraid that he might act impulsively and end up being in danger.


    "Don''t underestimate my master. I''m sure he can handle himself," Gloria butted in and firmly supported Rocky''s plan. After all, she hoped that if Rocky acted by himself, she could get more time with him alone.


    At the same time, although Valeria was still worried about Rocky''s plan, she knew that once he made up his mind, no one could change it. It would just be useless to object, so she had no choice but to compromise.


    After everything was already settled, Rocky asked Valeria to go back to her room already so that she could rest.

 Chapter 1771 Entering The Palace

    The moment Valeria left the room, Gloria immediately rushed towards Rocky''s side and flirtatiously said, "You actually want to act alone so that you can be with me, right?"


    "How did you even get that idea? Besides, have you already forgotten what I said before? Once you are inside the Holy Heaven Palace, you must complete your task without fail. It will depend on you whether this plan will be successful," Rocky sternly reminded.


    "I know, I know! Don''t worry about it. You''ll see that I will accomplish that task marvelously. I won''t let you down," Gloria said confidently, winking at Rocky.


    "All right. In fact, if you can really complete the task, I will reward you handsomely." Rocky enticed her even more. After all, the mission that he entrusted Gloria was very crucial. Hence, he was willing to compromise just so his plan could work flawlessly.


    "Reward? What kind of reward are we talking about?" When she heard Rocky''s words, Gloria''s eyes instantly lit up and her eyebrows also raised.


    "What else? I''ll give you the thing that you want most!" Rocky let out a sly smile and deliberately tantalized her. He let her mind run wild by not telling what it exactly was.


    "D-deal!" Gloria was so excited that she even stammered. Although she had some doubts that Rocky would be willing to give in to her wishes, she


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    he enchanted barrier at the entrance of the Holy Heaven Palace.


    Then, the very moment that the enchanted barrier was removed, all of the Spiritual Emperors present felt a surging spiritual power towards them. It was so sudden and overbearing that they could not help but be petrified to where they were standing. Even before they could enter, some of the weaker Spiritual Emperors were already retreating backward, frightened by the vicious vibe that was coming from the entrance of the palace. In fact, even the powerful middle-grade and high-grade Spiritual Emperors also had a hard time resisting it.


    "The legendary Holy Heaven Palace lives up to its reputation! This is going to be more exciting than I expected," Rocky murmured to himself as he let out a devious smile.


    Everyone also felt complex emotions about the trial. Although they were nervous and a bit scared of the place, they also felt amazed by it.


    Then, Colton turned around and entered the Holy Heaven Palace first. At the same time, the candidates followed closely behind him and were guided by three elders.


    As they entered, everyone noticed a long and narrow mountain road, which was a little too crowded for all of them. Therefore, the candidates began shuttling side by side through the mountain road that looked like a curling body of a dragon.

 Chapter 1772 The Nine Trials

    A bright halo suddenly appeared atop the mountain road, with it reaching down the road''s end.


    As soon as it appeared, drops of spiritual light rained down on the Spiritual Emperors below.


    "Everyone, stay sharp! This is the first trial to see if you are qualified enough to truly enter the Holy Heaven Palace. Protect yourself with your spiritual power immediately! If you are touched by the spiritual light, the damage would be unimaginable! If you can''t fight back, then just stay where you are." Being the great leader he was, Colton immediately reminded everyone from the front.


    The Spiritual Emperors didn''t dare to be careless. Following his orders, they all immediately released their spiritual power to protect themselves.


    At first, they thought that this would be nothing but a joke. But the moment the spiritual light fell on them, their knees instantly buckled and their face became as pale as snow. It was as if the weight of the whole world was raining down on them. Several low-level Spiritual Emperors did not stand a chance. Upon the first impact, t


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    again if they stopped midway.


    However, in the history of the Di Clan, there was only one Spiritual Emperor at the peak who managed to complete all nine trials. He was the eighteenth chief, Jaiden, Colton''s grandfather. The last time anyone saw him was when he resigned as chief of the clan.


    At present, the elder who guarded the Holy Heaven Palace had passed eight trials and only failed one.


    Ever since the Spiritual Divine Land was discovered by the Di Clan, rumors had been circulating that treasures buried by the gods were hidden there. Only those who could complete all trials would be able to get ahold of them.


    However, only Jaiden who had passed the nine trials knew whether the legend was true or not!


    "In that case, the Spiritual Divine Land is indeed tough." Rocky couldn''t help but grow even more curious when he heard this. Although he had already experienced countless adventures, this was the first time he had heard of such a strange legend.


    But of course, everything made sense if the Holy Heaven Palace was really created by the gods.

 Chapter 1773 Cross The Lake

    "The Di Clan even made an exception this time to open the Holy Heaven Palace to bridge and improve the relationship between the human race and the spiritual race. All of that for what? We just let some ambitious people take advantage of this opportunity! This sucks!" Eunice could not help but exclaim, complaining about the current situation.


    "This is not just a coincidence. I feel like they are really coming for the Holy Heaven Palace on purpose," Rocky speculated while letting out a frown.


    "Yeah, I guess you''re right. The main reason why the chief even suggested opening the Holy Heaven Palace was so the members of the human race could increase their strength and capitalize it. After all, the Holy Heaven Palace is the only place in the entire Ethereal Region where one can improve his strength by undergoing various trials."


    While Rocky and Eunice were still conversing, they eventually reached the top of the mountain. There, they saw a huge natural lake. It was as green as jade, and one could clearly see his reflection upon looking in it. Then, at the center of the lake, there was a huge round platform with eight passages that led to eight different light gates. The scene was actually breath-taking and would not be seen anywhere else.


    Not long after, many candidates had also gathered on the top of the mountain. However, the several low-grade Spiritual Emperors, who were too weak to pass the entrance to the mountain, were not able to catch up.


    "What you are seeing in front of you is the teleportation platfo


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    nd.


    At the same time, Rocky, Valeria, Carla, and Eunice were also able to reach the platform, so they immediately followed the other candidates into the light gate. After they entered the gate, the scene in front of them instantly changed.


    In the blink of an eye, they found themselves on a deserted island. Moreover, there was no one else on the island except them. The middle-grade Spiritual Emperors that went before them seemed to be taken to another place.


    "I''m guessing that several groups were teleported to different spots where we will all start," Rocky said as he stroked his chin. For him, staying with the girls was actually not a bad thing.


    "Look! There is a big island in front of us!" Carla immediately shouted as she saw a blurry shadow of a large island just a few miles southeast of the island where they currently were.


    "Why don''t we go there first?" Since no one was really familiar with the terrain of the place, they had no choice but to somehow let their instincts pave the way.


    "But how are we going to cross the sea?"


    "It seems that the Spiritual Divine Land has suppressed our spiritual power. Thus, I don''t think we can fly over there.


    If only there are trees around, we can at least make a wooden raft..."


    Then, after a while, Eunice suddenly shouted, "Look! There seems to be a lot of floating ice in the sea. Maybe we can use them!"


    The others looked in the direction where Eunice was pointing to. Indeed, they saw that there were pieces of floating ice on the surface of the sea.

 Chapter 1774 Taking Separate Paths

    "I guess we have no other choice but to use those floating chunks of ice," Rocky said after careful considerations.


    As the women glanced at each other, they also nodded and agreed.


    However, just as they were about to cross the sea and go towards the island to the southeast, several figures suddenly appeared. It seemed that they were also teleported to the same area where Rocky and the girls were.


    Moreover, when they took a closer look at the newcomers, they saw familiar faces which included Michelle, Holden, and Hall Leader Chen. Aside from them, there were also two other medium-grade Spiritual Emperors. It seemed that they had formed an alliance in order to make the fourth round easier for them.


    "Oh, it''s you guys." Michelle and the other newcomers were obviously surprised to see Rocky''s group there.


    "I know. What a small world!" Eunice remarked sarcastically. She was still very hostile towards Michelle because of their squabble before.


    Knowing how sarcastic Eunice''s words were, Michelle could not help but roll her eyes at her. Then, she turned to Rocky and asked, "So, where do you plan on going from here?"


    "Huh? Why do you need to know? It has nothing to do with you!" Eunice butted in even before Rocky could reply.


    Trying her best to keep her composure, Michelle said and insisted, "The trials in the Spiritual Divine Land are very dangerous. Since we were all teleported to the same starting point, why don''t we join hands


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    e they extended so deeply.


    "So, which path should we take?" Eunice turned to Rocky and asked him.


    "Hmm. You three should take the same one. Then, I''ll go by myself. There''s a huge possibility that it might be a maze of some sort. So, I don''t want us wasting too much time," Rocky said decisively. After all, it was also what they had previously planned.


    He believed that the three girls were strong enough to fend for themselves if ever they encountered some pressing situations. Hence, he did not need to stay with them.


    "Why do you need to go alone? We can just go in pairs instead," Carla quickly suggested.


    "No. That''s not a good idea. You know that many people are targeting me. If any of you stayed with me, you might get involved. After all, if they wanted to make a move against me, this will be a good time to do it. Therefore, it''s better if I go on my own," Rocky directly refused and explained his side.


    "Yeah, don''t worry about this guy. He''ll be fine!" Eunice chimed in to convince Carla. She knew that Rocky would not change his mind, so she might as well persuade Carla faster so that they could move on.


    "Okay¡­" Although Carla still felt a little reluctant, she eventually agreed.


    "All right. Be careful on your way ahead. I''ll see you guys later." Afterward, Rocky hurriedly selected a path and went into the depths of the jungle.


    At the same time, the three girls did the same and started carefully exploring the area.

 Chapter 1775 Faced With Difficulty

    As soon as Holden, Michelle, Hall Leader Chen, and the two middle-grade Spiritual Emperors saw that Rocky had parted ways with the three girls to act alone, they could not help but exchange meaningful glances. It seemed that every one of them thought that it was such a good opportunity to take action.


    "Miss Michelle, let me go and tail that guy. You and Young Master Holden should stay together," Hall Leader Chen offered and volunteered. Seeing that no one disagreed, he quickly followed Rocky and made sure that he would not be noticed.


    At the same time, Michelle and the rest took the path that Carla and the two other girls had chosen.


    Before long, several candidates had also arrived on the island and had chosen random paths into the forest.


    After walking for about fifteen minutes, Rocky stopped briefly.


    He noticed that the path became broader all of a sudden. It seemed that he was already inside a spacious area.


    Moreover, the area was full of strange upright pillars that were arranged in a regular crisscross pattern.


    Then, upon closer inspection, Rocky found a few middle-grade Spiritual Emperors there. They were standing before the stone pillars, looking very helpless and dejected. It seemed that they had somehow reached a stumbling block that hindered them from moving on.


    ''Hmm. They should have come here from the other paths. So, these trai


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    nly the three girls were with him, he would not have any problem breaking this array.


    Now, how was in a pinch. Even though he was racking his brain for a solution, he could not think of any.


    Then, while Rocky was at a loss, he suddenly thought that he could still use a divine treasure at this moment.


    Thus, he immediately entered the palace, where the guardian instantly appeared to assist him.


    "I don''t have that much time, so listen carefully. I need a treasure that can break a mysterious array. Help me find one," Rocky said bluntly.


    "A treasure to break a mysterious array?"


    "Yes. Is there a treasure here that I can use?"


    "Actually, yes. However, you can''t use it for the time being..." the guardian answered reluctantly.


    "Huh? That''s nonsense." Rocky rolled his eyes as he felt pretty annoyed.


    "But you can still break the array in some other way," the guardian said, giving Rocky a glimpse of hope.


    "How? Tell me!"


    "Master, aren''t you already proficient in the skill that can materialize your demonic soul? I have here a divine treasure that can easily materialize your demonic soul and turn it just like a real person. That way, you will have a physical helper out there. You can instruct it to do whatever you wanted. However, the divine treasure can only create three materialized demonic souls at most," the guardian briefly informed.

 Chapter 1776 He Was Affected

    "That sounds amazing. Please, give it to me." Rocky''s eye''s glimmered with excitement.


    As soon as the words left his mouth, the guardian waved his hand and a lotus-shaped lantern on the side of the palace flew towards him. There was a soft glow emanating from the lantern.


    Rocky immediately reached out his hand and caught it. "How does it work?"


    "Once you activate the lantern with your spiritual power, your demonic souls can materialize and move freely wherever the light reaches," the guardian explained. "What''s more," he continued, "this lantern can absorb spiritual power. Once it reaches a certain level, it''ll become a very powerful divine treasure."


    Rocky nodded. Then, without dillydallying any further, he left the palace, lantern in hand.


    "It''s time to see what this thing is capable of!" The second he returned to the compass array, Rocky immediately activated the lantern with his spiritual power.


    The lantern roared to life and hovered in the air like a bright beacon, its light covering a hundred meter radius.


    Rocky willed his spiritua


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    tual skills of the human race, the spiritual race, and even the Shura Race.


    Therefore, it didn''t take long before he found the relevant spiritual skill.


    With all these challenges surpassed, Rocky''s progress was only second to that of the high-grade Spiritual Emperors and some middle-grade Spiritual Emperors with strong strength.


    The thought made him smile triumphantly. Not long after passing the spiritual martial arts trial, Rocky suddenly found himself in front of a temple. The air around it was dank and ominous, and otherwise, uninviting. However, there was nowhere else to go but inside the temple, so Rocky spared no time and entered it.


    As soon as he set foot inside, he saw some Spiritual Emperors in the hall, walking around aimlessly, as though in a daze.


    But before he could ponder over this, he suddenly heard the voice of Buddhist music chanting in his mind.


    The voice sounded like it was coming from afar, but it seemed to touch his heart, soul, and mind. All of a sudden, Rocky felt dizzy and his consciousness started to drift away...

 Chapter 1777 Clearing His Mind

    ''It seems that this is also a part of the trial, '' Rocky thought to himself. After briefly realizing the situation, he immediately calmed himself. However, things did not quite go as he expected. In fact, the more he wanted to calm down, the more his thoughts and emotions became disoriented.


    "The Buddha''s voice comes from the heart, and it has the ability to heal all creatures."


    Out of nowhere, a voice suddenly echoed in Rocky''s mind.


    "The Buddha''s voice comes from the heart? It seems that this voice is not from an external source. It is coming from my heart!" Rocky instantly came to his senses and added, "If one doesn''t believe in Buddhism, then he will hear nothing!"


    As Rocky collected himself and cast aside everything else, the voice suddenly disappeared from his head.


    On the other hand, the other candidates were still affected by the voice and were struggling to figure out how to get rid of it.


    Right after Rocky passed the challenge, he proceeded towards the temple to reach the gate and continue the trials.


    However, the moment he got through the other side of the gate, he was welcomed by sharp, tall cliffs and countless mountains that surrounded the place where he stood. The scene was actually splendid, but he did not dare to be careless since he did not know what kind of danger awaited him.


    After exploring the area for quite a bit, Rocky found that he was standing on the top of one of the mountains. Then, he saw a narrow path tha


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    ould not undo this one. Hence, if the experts were not able to break it, what more could the other Spiritual Emperors do?


    Obviously, this trial was one of the hardest yet.


    After a few glances, Rocky''s eye narrowed and concluded that the enchanted barrier was indeed extraordinary. Fortunately for him, he had learned a lot from Esteban. Thus, he was a bit confident that he could do something to break it.


    "There is something nasty about this enchanted barrier. I should have been able to break it easily..." Seth murmured in agitation. He had already tried deactivating it a lot of times but to no avail. No matter how hard he tried, he could not see through the structure of the barrier. No wonder he was so frustrated and disappointed right now.


    "What should we do now? Even Young Master Seth cannot break it. This is impossible!"


    "I know. If he cannot do it, then no one else can. I''m afraid that we might have to give up on this route."


    "But we already lost so much time here. If we head back and take a detour, we have to take other trials again. We can''t waste more time than we already did. But in the end, it will be up to Young Master Seth..." The candidates of the spiritual race still hoped that Seth could produce a miracle and break the enchanted barrier. After all, if he really failed to do so, they would have no other choice but to head back and find a different route.


    At this moment, everyone could just look at Seth with expectant eyes.

 Chapter 1778 Not A Human

    At that moment, Rocky was quietly observing the enchanted barrier. He peeped at it with his sharp, spiritual eyes before he discovered something wrong. It turned out that the enchanted barrier wasn''t just a single layer but was made up of three layers. This would make it difficult for people to observe what the internal structure looked like. No wonder Seth and the others were unable to see what laid behind it.


    Meanwhile, the atmosphere outside the Holy Heaven Palace was vibrant and lively. The representatives of all the forces were mingling with each other in whispers and marveling at the progress of the test.


    Most of them didn''t know much about the Holy Heaven Palace. They had only heard of it and were oblivious to how enchantingly mysterious it truly was. Although they weren''t allowed to personally explore it, they all remained in awe of the Holy Heaven Palace.


    At that moment news of Rocky, Seth, and the other candidates being trapped in front of the cave''s enchanted barrier reached the outside.


    Elder Jerome, the team leader of the Wanling Clan, questioned the acting chief of the Di Clan immediately. "With all due respect, sir, this enchanted barrier shouldn''t be easy to break through


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    cted.


    Once they were able to calm down and collect themselves, Rocky had already disappeared.


    "This guy is going to be a problem! He''s a compelling opponent!" Seth murmured with cold, gloomy eyes.


    Meanwhile, the news of Rocky''s accomplishment swiftly reached outside the Holy Heaven Palace.


    The representatives were blown away by such a remarkable feat. Even a powerful Spiritual Emperor like Colton couldn''t accomplish this. Now, a low-grade Spiritual Emperor had done it. This was unheard of.


    After Rocky successfully broke the enchanted barrier, he entered the cave that was right behind it. As soon as he set foot inside, a sharp, small weapon emitting a cold light suddenly whizzed out from a corner and headed straight for him, aiming for his vital organ.


    Rocky narrowed his eyes vigilantly and dodged quickly. Soon, the weapon was nailed to the wall behind him.


    "I wonder who''s waiting for me here?" Rocky calmly asked as he surveyed his surroundings.


    Eventually, a black figure came out from the corner. He emitted a purplish-black smoke all over his body as if he was shrouded in an ink-stained fog. Judging from his aura, he was neither a human nor a member of the spiritual race.

 Chapter 1779 The Godly Geniuses Met

    "The Godly Genius of the Ghost Fief... Odin. At last, we meet again. I have been waiting for this moment for so long!" the black figure greeted from the darkness. Then, he slowly walked out and unleashed an oppressive aura, likening him to a king that ruled the world.


    "Israel, I knew it was you..." Hearing the familiar voice, Rocky instantly guessed who it was. Moreover, based on the domineering aura of the black figure, he was so sure that it was none other than the Godly Genius of the Primitive Fief.


    "Wow! I did not expect that you will still remember me. I must admit that I''m honored!" Israel responded as if he was flattered, but it was actually rather sarcastic.


    "You really decided to show up before me this soon? It seems that you cannot wait to deal with me, huh?" Rocky let out a sneer, not even fazed by the fact that the strongest Godly Genius had come for him.


    "Ha-ha! Don''t be absurd. If I really wanted to make a move against you, I did not have to wait until now," Israel retorted, stating things a bit vaguely.


    "What does that mean?" Rocky could not help but raise his brows, discerning that Israel might have planned something else.


    "Well, let me get straight to the point. I am not here to kill you today. However, I will give you a proposal that you will not be able to refuse."


    "Oh, really? Then, let''s hear it."


    "I want you to join hands with me. We will take advantage of this Spiritual Emperor Contest to lure out and eliminate all of the other Godly Geniuses. After that, we


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    lso think that it''s better to take action now than continue being passive. And since most of the Godly Geniuses want to deal with me first, I have to be fully prepared for a tactic that could turn the tables," Rocky replied with a shrug.


    "In that case, let''s cut the crap and start putting things into motion. Take this with you. If you ever meet the other Godly Geniuses, you can instantly contact me through it. I will be there immediately." Then, Israel took out a red crystal and handed it over to Rocky.


    After receiving it, Rocky nodded and immediately put the crystal stone away.


    "I guess I should get going now." Rocky then cupped his hands and eventually left.


    As soon as Rocky disappeared, two figures suddenly emerged from the dark.


    "Godly Genius, can we really believe in him?" one of the figures immediately asked.


    "Of course, I don''t totally trust him. As he said, I should always have a backup plan just in case. However, at this moment, he is the most suitable one to attract the other Godly Geniuses. Therefore, even though we can''t fully trust him, we still have to rely on him," Israel said as he let out a frown. Then, he immediately changed the topic and asked, "How is it going on your end? Have you arranged everything already?"


    Then, with a burst of devilish laughter, the other figure responded, "Yes, everything''s ready. You don''t have to worry about anything. Soon enough, the Spiritual Emperors of both the human race and the spiritual race will be welcomed by a big surprise!"

 Chapter 1780 Lets Not Fight

    With Rocky able to pass through the cave, Seth and the other candidates also tried their luck. Unfortunately, they were blocked; they couldn''t enter the cave. Left with no other options, they were forced to turn back and explore other routes.


    Rocky, on the other hand, pressed onward, overcoming any and all challenges that came his way. He moved at an astonishing speed, leaving most of the middle-grade Spiritual Emperors and all the low-grade Spiritual Emperors behind. On the other hand, he gradually closed the gap between himself and those ahead of him.


    "Seems like I''m near the end of this path. I wonder what kind of trial will be waiting for me there," Rocky murmured to himself when he roughly calculated where he was.


    A couple of minutes later, just as he had expected, he came across a strange stone path. The path extended downward, terminating in a huge, dark cave. On either side of the stone path stood various ghost statues, each one with a unique hellish, distorted face.


    Making his way along the path, he soon heard noises from up ahead. From afar, he could see two high-grade S


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    is path, they too would spend a lot of time and energy dealing with this monster. Therefore, he decided to handle this beast for good.


    "Don''t, it''s too dangerous!" Lilith warned, her tone colored with worry.


    But Rocky just winked at her. Then he strode over towards the diabolic beast.


    As he approached the cave entrance''s guardian beast, Rocky immediately activated the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill, intending to enter the diabolic beast''s spiritual sense to subdue it. However, the diabolic beast''s power was stronger than he expected. Even though he was close to being a Spiritual Emperor at peak state, he was still unable to enter the diabolic beast''s spiritual sense, since the latter was able to resist him.


    "This is going to be troublesome..." Just as Rocky''s mind was racing to come up with a solution to subdue the diabolic beast, the latter seemed to have a premonition and suddenly reached forward to crush the former.


    Fortunately, Rocky managed to dodge to the side in time. As he did so, he called out to the diabolic beast, "Good boy, I don''t want to fight with you!"

 Chapter 1781 To Be Or Not

    Obviously, the demonic beast did not take Rocky seriously. Instead, it suddenly pounced on him and launched a barrage of storm-like attacks.


    At this moment, all the Spiritual Emperors around, including Lilith and Isabel, could just shake their heads. They clearly thought that Rocky was overestimating himself for provoking and confronting the demonic beast alone.


    Although Rocky already possessed the strength of a high-level Spiritual Emperor, he could not expose his real strength in front of everyone else. Hence, under these circumstances, he really was at a disadvantage against the demonic beast.


    Therefore, in front of the other participants, Rocky was just an insane daredevil that was completely suppressed by the power of the demonic beast. At this point, he would not be able to advance nor retreat.


    Meanwhile, the news that Rocky and the other Spiritual Emperors were blocked off at the end of one of the trials had already reached outside the Holy Heaven Palace.


    Then, Colton said with a concerned look on his face, "It seems that they have encountered the demonic beast guarding the Myriad-tribulation Devil Den."


    "Wait. A demonic beast? Did I hear that right? This is a serious matter!" The Spiritual Emperors, who were with Colton, instantly grew restless upon hearing this. They did not expect that there was a demonic beast in the Holy Heaven Palace. Moreover, it had confronted the Spiritual Emperors participating in the contest.


    "Wha


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    ight on their chests. They were instantly sent flying backward, and they spat a mouthful of blood as they crashed to the ground.


    On the other hand, Holden was able to act a bit quicker, employing the movement skill of the Sovereign Pavilion. However, it was not enough for him to dodge the beast''s attack. He was still hit by the tail and was not able to stand firm until after a few minutes.


    As for Michelle, she was able to summon a spiritual treasure to protect her from being hurt. But her delicate face still turned ghastly pale from embarrassment and fright.


    "Ha! Those guys deserve it." Eunice could not help but snort coldly and look at Michelle''s team with disdain.


    The other Spiritual Emperors, who had also confronted the demonic beast even before Rocky, also shook their heads. They all thought that Michelle and her companions were just a bunch of show-offs that did not really understand the gravity of the situation.


    Because of this scene, the Spiritual Emperors of the spiritual race, who actually thought of doing the same thing as what Michelle''s team did, immediately backed off and thought twice before acting.


    "Guys, why don''t we properly join hands to deal with this demonic beast? After all, we will not be able to get out of this place if we don''t take it down." Seth suddenly came forward and spoke up, addressing everyone there.


    Hearing this, all of the Spiritual Emperors looked at each other and pondered on his suggestion.

 Chapter 1782 A New Sensation

    "We''ve worked together before, but we still failed to defeat this diabolic beast," one of the Spiritual Emperors at the premium stage said with lingering fear.


    "Before, we were but a few, so the diabolic beast had the upper hand. Now that we''re many, we might just stand a chance!" Seth egged on.


    "I agree. If we don''t join forces, no one will be able to get in there," Michelle agreed immediately, nodding profusely.


    "What if someone''s just pretending to join hands, when they actually plan to take the first opportunity to get in there first?" Eunice questioned in a loud voice, shooting accusing looks at the likes of Michelle and Holden.


    Hearing this, the other Spiritual Emperors hesitated. What Eunice said was true; they couldn''t trust some of the people here.


    Meanwhile, as they discussed among themselves, Rocky finally broke past the diabolic beast''s defenses and entered its spiritual sense. However, even then he was still fiercely resisted.


    The diabolic beast''s resistance came in the form of memories. Rocky inadvertent


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    itual Emperors dubiously. However, it obediently retracted its tail, staring at Michelle and the other Spiritual Emperors with its red eyes.


    All the other Spiritual Emperors, on the other hand, were absolutely flabbergasted.


    "Did that man just tame the diabolic beast?" a Spiritual Emperor wondered aloud.


    "No way! How is that possible? I don''t believe it!"


    "I don''t think so either. If he did, he would be practically a god!"


    "Why are you all still standing there? Come here quickly, or it may change its mind and won''t let you pass!" Rocky shouted.


    Stunned, the Spiritual Emperors didn''t dare to stay a moment longer and immediately passed under the watchful eyes of the diabolic beast.


    "Let''s go." Michelle, together with Holden and the two Spiritual Emperors at the middle stage, followed closely.


    Thanks to Rocky, Michelle and other Spiritual Emperors successfully stepped foot in the Myriad-tribulation Devil Den.


    And this news immediately made its way outside the Holy Heaven Palace, causing another huge sensation.

 Chapter 1783 Being Extremely Perilous

    "What is happening? The diabolic beast is actually obeying that Spiritual Emperor of the Di Clan? This is just inconceivable!"


    "How could that happen? Isn''t he just a low-grade Spiritual Emperor? I really am starting to doubt that it''s true!"


    "Is there a reason why he could do this? Does he have a secret skill that we don''t know of?"


    For a brief moment, all kinds of speculations from several Spiritual Emperors could be heard. Of course, they were astounded by the latest feat that Rocky just pulled off.


    "I know that he really is talented. But I still did not expect that he would be able to subdue and manipulate a diabolic beast. I have to admit that even I am extremely surprised," Colton murmured to himself. But afterward, he just felt more admiration for the young man. He thought that he was yet to see the extent of his capabilities.


    Meanwhile, Rocky and the other candidates had already reached the end of their trial path and were about to take on the last challenge--the Myriad-tribulation Devil Den.


    The name itself already sounded terrifying, but the place was indeed full of horrifying dangers. The cave was thousands of meters deep beneath the ground, and rumor had it that it was composed of hundreds of floors. Moreover, each floor was filled with strange things that would not make the lives of the participants any easier.


    In fact, even the strongest Spiritual Emperor of the Di Clan had only


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    me time, Rocky''s team had just reached the first floor of the cave. There, they saw that the area was not that big. It was just about a hundred square meters, and the stairs leading to the second floor were at the other end.


    However, within the floor, they were hindered by a few little monsters enveloped in green flames. In fact, they were only the size of a palm and looked non-threatening.


    But when Rocky stepped forward, the fiery little monsters suddenly started throwing green fireballs towards him.


    At first glance, the fireballs seemed to be rather harmless. But the moment Rocky avoided them and they made contact with the wall, the fireballs directly melted it.


    Even the four women standing behind Rocky were very surprised to see this. They did not expect that these feeble-looking monsters actually possessed such terrifying power.


    "Don''t move!" Rocky immediately warned the girls. He wanted to assess the strength of the fiery monsters first, so he did not want the girls to take a risk and move rashly. Afterward, Rocky gradually moved forward by using his bodily movement skill.


    While doing so, the little monsters didn''t move in their place. Instead, they just kept shooting those vicious green fireballs at a rapid pace. If one was hit by it, he would instantly be in danger.


    Then, after testing the extent of the strength of the little monsters, Rocky eventually headed back to the four women.

 Chapter 1784 The Most Eye-catching Ones

    "It''s fine. Those little monsters are not as dangerous as they seem to be. Just follow my lead!" Rocky assured the four women after he figured out the attacking patterns of the monsters.


    Since the four women had complete trust in Rocky, they all nodded and followed closely behind him.


    Then, soon enough, under Rocky''s guidance, the five of them were able to get past the monsters and go down another floor.


    Meanwhile, outside the Holy Heaven Palace, the representatives from various forces were still paying close attention to the progress of the first batch of Spiritual Emperors that entered the Myriad-tribulation Devil Den.


    "Chief Colton, what is so intriguing about the Myriad-tribulation Devil Den? It seemed that it is one of the hardest areas in the entire test," one of the representatives asked. The other Spiritual Emperors also wanted some information since not many of them knew what could be found inside the cave.


    "Strictly speaking, the Myriad-tribulation Devil Den is home to demonic spirits. It is more than a thousand meters deep and has hundreds of floors beneath the ground. It is also enveloped by an abysmal power, which in turn makes the monsters residing there more powerful and terrifying than the ones that can be regularly seen in the Ethereal Region. These monsters possess all kinds of strange abilities. Therefore, even if one is strong enough but doesn''t have high comprehensive talents, they will still find it difficult


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    they felt doubled and even geniuses like Michelle and Seth deemed that they were about to reach their limits. At this point, their speed gradually decreased, and they sensed that their bodies were becoming rather heavy.


    Before they could get past the fiftieth floor, the medium-grade Spiritual Emperors, who were part of the third group, had just overtaken Michelle and Seth, relying solely on their brute strength.


    Soon enough, the distance between them became even wider.


    Eventually, as they felt the limitation of their strength, Moore and some other primary-stage Spiritual Emperors chose to give up. With that, they quickly took out their own teleportation rune and exited the cave. Fortunately, since they were just primary-stage Spiritual Emperors, covering the thirty floors meant that they already passed the test.


    Now that some of the Spiritual Emperors had already begun withdrawing from the test, the competition became even more intense. At this point, not many primary-stage Spiritual Emperors remained inside the cave. At the same time, the people watching outside the Holy Heaven Palace were so eager to see who among the participants would be able to reach the farthest.


    Of course, many were eyeing Seth and Michelle. Right now, people think that they were the strongest primary-stage Spiritual Emperors left. Hence, they wanted to see for themselves how far these two could go compared to their fellow participants on the same level.

 Chapter 1785 Kill Two Birds With One Stone

    Rocky and the other four women were in no hurry to move up the ladder even though they were ranked dead last so that those in front would forget about them.


    At the same time, Colton and the representatives had their eyes locked on the Myriad-tribulation Devil Den.


    "Michelle from the Flying Feather Pavilion has undoubtedly earned the title of the most talented Spiritual Emperor. She has already reached such a high level at such a young age. The sky''s the limit for her..."


    "Only Seth from the spiritual race could be compared to her!" "By contrast, the Di Clan''s Spiritual Emperors who have performed well before seem not to be doing well in the Myriad-tribulation Devil Den."


    "It seems that their past performances were just a fluke."


    "We''ll get to see who the real strong ones are in the Myriad-tribulation Devil Den!"


    The crowd buzzed as the onlookers and representatives alike began to discuss their thoughts.


    While they were talking among themselves, the competition t


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    cky knew better than to fight him head on. He thought about using the Earth-diving Skill to put some distance between him and the monsters.


    But the entrance to the next floor seemed to have been hidden by Guillermo using some illusion skill. Rocky''s options were starting to grow thin. If he wanted to pass, he had to get rid of his opponent first.


    However, if he went all out, his real strength would be exposed to everyone, which would put his plan in peril. On the other hand, if he didn''t, it would take him a long time to win this battle.


    Not knowing what to do, his eyes suddenly lit up as he remembered something. He quickly took out the stone Israel had given him before.


    Seeing this, Guillermo knew that Rocky planned to call for support. He knew that the only one he could call for was Valeria, so he wasn''t bothered by it one bit. Surprisingly, a smile slowly crept up on his face since he believed that this was the perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.

 Chapter 1786 Spiritual Power Disappearing

    Rocky knew what Guillermo was thinking, which was why he planned to stall so that Israel could arrive just in time.


    "You don''t want me as an enemy, do you?" Rocky asked him with a depressed stare.


    "Cut the crap, will you?" Guillermo was clearly determined to kill Rocky. He ordered those monsters and, suddenly, they rushed towards Rocky and blocked his way.


    Rocky immediately released three demonic phantoms to protect himself.


    The monsters in the Myriad-tribulation Devil Den were not intelligent by any means, so very quickly they were besieged by the three phantoms. As Rocky was hidden behind the phantoms, Guillermo had a hard time recognizing him at once.


    But Guillermo was no pushover. After all, he was also chosen by the gods, so he had his strength.


    A moment later, he discovered where Rocky was and swiftly launched a violent attack. Guillermo swung a giant mace straight into Rocky''s face. Rocky felt the earth beneath him shake violently and his vis


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    He wasn''t sure whether Israel would attack other Godly Geniuses or not. What he could do now was to at least protect Gloria and Valeria. Therefore, he needed to warn Gloria as soon as possible. He was worried that her true identity might have been exposed.


    At the same time, several high-level Spiritual Emperors had already reached the seventieth floor, and some strong middle-level ones had also exceeded the sixty-fifth floor. The rest of them were basically around the sixtieth floor.


    Rocky very quickly caught up with Gloria.


    Alongside Gloria, there were about ten middle-level Spiritual Emperors and most of them came from the spiritual race.


    They were surprised to see Rocky, a low-level Spiritual Emperor, reach them.


    Each floor was a great test of the limits of their spiritual power and physical strength. Although they had taken a lot of pills to replenish their spiritual power, they found it difficult to stop their spiritual powers from depleting.

 Chapter 1787 Rational Analysis

    If Rocky was just on the fiftieth floor, then this might not really be such a surprising feat. However, he was doing the task on the sixtieth floor. In fact, this was already the farthest that a middle-grade Spiritual Emperor could normally reach. Yet, Rocky was not showing any sign of slowing down. He made it this fast without struggling on the upper floors.


    Meanwhile, the news that Rocky had already entered the sixtieth floor quickly reached the ears of the people outside the Holy Heaven Palace, instantly making a huge commotion.


    "What? He is on the sixtieth floor? I thought that was already the limit for most middle-grade Spiritual Emperors! He isn''t even a middle-grade Spiritual Emperor! How can this be?"


    "I bet this guy is about to do something incredible again!"


    "His abilities and talents are really out of this world! There''s no way that he''s just a low-grade Spiritual Emperor!"


    At this time, all kinds of excited comments and remarks could be heard from the crowd.


    Colton could just smile while lightly shaking his head. Even he was very impressed at Rocky''s marvelous performance. Moreover, since the young man was disguised as s Spiritual Emperor of the Di Clan, it was already to be expected that he would attract others'' attention. However, Colton wasn''t worried that Rocky''s identity might get exposed. After all, he had complete trust in the young man and that he


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    uch a huge and significant matter, she should have told him about this before.


    "There is a right time for everything. Back then, you did not have to know about it. But now that the holy power of the Shura Race in your body can already open the passageway connecting your world and our world, it just implies that you are the chosen one according to the prophecy of the Holy-Evil World." The goddess suddenly blurted out a piece of crucial information.


    "Wait... What is this prophecy?" Rocky was stunned after hearing so many revelations at once.


    "Before the internal war even started, there was a deity who predicted the destruction of the Holy-Evil World. Moreover, he said that the only person that could save our world would be a savior that would come from another world. I actually did not believe any of that before¡ªuntil I found you. You have extraordinary talent that I have never seen from anyone else." As she said these words, it was pretty obvious that the goddess'' tone was becoming more excited.


    "That is the reason why you chose me to be a Godly Genius? I thought it was just a coincidence... But how can this prophecy come to fruition? What can I do to save the Holy-Evil World when I am just a mere mortal?" Of course, Rocky always analyzed things rationally. Hence, he found it quite impossible for someone like him to be able to solve a crisis that even the gods could not.

 Chapter 1788 The Prediction

    "I don''t know the answer either, but the prophecy also states that once the power of the savior grows strong enough to open the entrance to the Holy-Evil World, something big is about to happen. In short, this event will be the turning point and will decide the fate of the Holy-Evil World." It seemed that even the goddess did not know what would happen next, so the gods in the Holy-Evil World could just rely on the prophecy and the savior they were talking about.


    "If this huge event is not known even to the gods like yourself, then I can''t even begin to imagine what will happen..." Rocky could not help but let out a frown. He didn''t expect that yet again, his fate would be connected to the fate of the whole world.


    "The owner of the Holy Heaven Palace is the deity who declared the prophecy. His name is Deacon, and he used to be one of the most powerful deities in the Holy-Evil World. Moreover, the power of the Shura Race''s king flowing in your body is actually from Deacon himself. That is the reason why you can open the passageway between the Holy Heaven Palace and the Holy-Evil World. Furthermore, I strongly believe that Deacon has left some clues in the depths of the Holy Heaven Palace. Hence, I hope that you can go further down to find those clues. It will greatly help us save our world," the goddess continued and asked for an additional task.


    "What about the tasks in the contest? I haven''t finished the


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    nter the contest and use the name of the Di Clan under certain conditions. However, they were not included in the discussion of this matter because Colton made the decision by himself. But now that this inconceivable incident happened, the elders could not hold back their curiosity anymore.


    "Forgive me, but I promise to explain everything later. Right now, the most important thing is to bring him back as soon as possible," Colton said bluntly. He was worried that Rocky might be in danger after being left alone in the Spiritual Divine Land. Hence, Colton decided to make the search for Rocky the top priority.


    "But sir, you know how mysterious and dangerous the Spiritual Divine Land is.


    How are we going to find him there? It will be like searching for a needle in a haystack! Plus, what are we going to do with the contest?" one of the elders pointed out.


    "I will go and search for him by myself. The rest of you can head back first. Listen! If I don''t come back within a day, I appoint Elder Myron to preside over the contest on my stead. Don''t worry about me and carry on!" As soon as Colton finished giving instructions, he instantly flew over to the Holy Heaven Palace and entered it.


    While they were all left there, the elders could not help but wonder why Colton seemed to put so much importance on Rocky. At this point, many of them were already assuming that there was a big secret being kept from them.

 Chapter 1789 A New World

    Rocky found himself starring into a dark hall the moment he left the valley full of peach blossom. The doors were locked, barring anyone from entering inside, and the entire place was littered with bones of both human and beast alike.


    "What the hell is this place?" Rocky said to himself aloud with a frown. He surveyed everything in his surrounding before finding a plaque hanging above his head. It read, "The Avici Palace".


    "This place seems awful judging from its name alone!"


    He once again gasped. While he was having second thoughts about entering the palace, the doors suddenly crept open, letting out a chilling gust of wind that sent shivers down Rocky''s spine.


    He immediately sensed the familiar aura of the Shura Race emanating from the palace.


    After hesitating for a while, he finally willed himself to go inside. Wary of any dangers that might await him, he summoned his spiritual power to protect himself.


    An insidious and powerful aura suddenly enveloped him as soon as he stepp


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    charge of the affairs of the Godly Geniuses?" Ricardo''s tone immediately changed when he heard this.


    "I''m really sorry for intruding. I came here by accident after I parted ways with her." Sensing the change of his tone, Rocky knew he was treading on thin ice.


    "Really?"


    "Yes. I''ll leave now. I won''t disturb you, sir." Rocky was itching to make a run for it since he knew it wasn''t safe to stay any longer.


    "Wait..." Ricardo suddenly shouted, which stopped him in his tracks.


    "What else can I do for you, sir?" Rocky hesitated to stop before turning around.


    "Those who enter my palace must finish a hundred challenges successfully before they can leave!" Ricardo suddenly demanded.


    Rocky wanted to both laugh and cry at his situation. He entered the wrong palace by chance, and he knew he couldn''t leave by force. Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    Keeping his composure, he smartly asked back, "I wonder if these one hundred challenges can be regarded as a trial."

 Chapter 1790 The One Hundred Challenges

    "Well, you are a Godly Genius, aren''t you? If you can''t even finish a hundred challenges from me, you don''t deserve to be called one. Why don''t you just let me eat your soul? However, I promise to give you a corresponding reward in return if you succeed. Ha-ha!" At this point, Ricardo had already shown his true colors. All along, his real intention was to devour Rocky''s soul.


    However, Rocky had already anticipated that something like this would happen. He had already become suspicious the moment Ricardo didn''t show up when he spoke to him. Moreover, based on what he said, it seemed that he didn''t have any intention of letting Rocky leave.


    "Fine. What are the contents of these challenges?" Rocky asked, trying to ride along on what Ricardo wanted while devising a way to get out of there.


    "Everything under the sun. It covers all sorts of things you can ever imagine; every kind of secret skill, things related to astronomy, geography, and even mysterious arrays used in military tactics. Once you have given a wrong answer, you shall suffer the impact of the spiritual sense attack. The only way you can leave is if you get everything right," Ricardo explained briefly.


    "I see. Then, don''t waste my time and get it going!" Rocky knew that there was no point in arguing with Ricardo anymore. He believed that nothing would be too difficult for him if he poured all of h


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    familiar with Rocky since he had exhibited such a marvelous performance recently that quickly gained their attention. Furthermore, he was able to enter the Holy-Evil World on his own through the Holy Heaven Palace. Hence, most of them had been looking at Rocky with a brand new perspective.


    Because of this, they deliberately arranged that Rocky would enter Avici Palace to further test his potentials.


    Then, at this moment, a beautiful figure descended gracefully from the sky. Upon seeing her, the figures watching in front of the mirror were caught off guard. Before they could put away the mirror, the beautiful figure already noticed what they were doing. It was actually Mikayla, whom Rocky had spoken to before.


    "What do you think you are doing?" The moment Mikayla saw the image reflected in the mirror, she immediately turned towards them and questioned the deities.


    On the other hand, the deities could just look at each other in silence as if they were guilty of doing something wrong.


    "How did he enter the Avici Palace? Did you guys do it?" Mikayla asked again.


    "Well, didn''t this guy open the entrance to the Holy-Evil World? Because of that, we discussed and thought that he is indeed very promising. So, we wanted to make sure that he is the one we are looking for¡­" a deity with a red crown and a token in his hand mustered his courage and responded.

 Chapter 1791 The Last One

    "Nonsense! He''s merely a young, inexperienced Godly Genius. He hasn''t even reached the Shura Realm yet. How dare you let him go to the Avici Palace? Is he not risking his life? It is a life and death game in that hall!" The expression on Mikayla''s face reflected the seriousness of the situation.


    "Although that''s true, we all agree that this particular Godly Genius is extraordinary. Moreover, his recent performance has proven this well. He''s already passed fifty challenges successfully in a row!" another deity pointed out immediately.


    "Fifty challenges?" Mikayla was stunned. The Avici Palace was set up to test the Godly Geniuses once they reached the Shura Realm. Any Godly Genius that made it to this realm would need to pass that hall''s rigorous tests. No one had ever participated in a test with a strength that only reached the Emperor Realm before.


    What was more amazing was that Rocky, who had yet to break through to the Shura Realm, could pass all fifty challenges so smoothly.


    The range of challenges in the Avici Palace was like a sea of knowledge that covered ev


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    f he is trapped and killed in the Avici Palace, then all hope for our Holy-Evil World will vanish along with him."


    "That''s right. Let''s stop this and send him back!"


    Just as the deities were discussing among themselves, Mikayla interrupted, "Now that he''s in the Avici Palace, he must finish all one hundred challenges. If he can''t, then whether or not he survives will be up to his destiny!"


    The deities couldn''t help but be startled by her words since she was the one who chose the Godly Genius currently in the hall. They had expected that Mikayla would show mercy and let him out. However, it appeared that this wouldn''t happen judging from her reaction.


    "You don''t have to be so harsh on him, do you? We''ve sent him to the hall just to test him. We never intended to hurt him!" a deity reminded her.


    "Rules are rules. No one is exempted from them without any authorization. Otherwise, it will be unfair to the other Godly Geniuses!" Mikayla firmly retorted with a deadpan expression.


    The deities immediately looked at each other, worry written all over their faces.

 Chapter 1792 He Made It

    At this point, Rocky, who had been in a stalemate with the purple beast shadow for a while, suddenly made a move. However, in the eyes of the beast, it seemed that he was still standing firmly.


    But the very next moment, another figure suddenly emerged in front of the purple shadowy beast. Then, a stream of astonishing spiritual power surged out and formed a Spiritual Domain, which instantly enveloped the whole area surrounding the purple shadowy beast.


    As soon as the purple shadowy beast realized what just happened, it tried to quickly escape. Unfortunately, it was too late for it.


    It turned out that Rocky had just activated his demonic avatar to distract the attention of the beast so that he could complete his move without fail.


    At the same time, the purple shadowy beast got even more infuriated because Rocky blatantly tricked it. Hence, it instantly released a violent spiritual wave to attack him.


    In the face of this overwhelming attack, Rocky was not even fazed. Instead, he calmly summoned his Imperial Soul. The purple beast actually appeared in the form of a soul, and so its power was also a kind of spiritual power. With Rocky''s quick thinking, he decided to unleash his Imperial Soul so that it could absorb the beast''s spiritual power. This way, he could fend off the beast''s attack while gaining something in return.


    Just as he wanted, the spiritual power released by the purple beast was easily absorb


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    antom that looked rather real at first glance.


    ''If my hunch is correct, this so-called Land of Death prohibits any living creature from entering, '' Rocky thought to himself. Then, he quickly manipulated his spiritual soul to pass through the barrier and head in a specific direction.


    After going through the deadwood forest, Rocky eventually saw a bridge that stood out even in the thick fog that surrounded the area. When he walked towards it, he saw another tablet in front of the bridge with the words "No-returning Bridge" carved on it.


    "Land of Death. No-returning Bridge. This place is full of ominous names. It feels like I am traveling in the depths of the underworld." After heaving out a sigh, Rocky continued manipulating his spiritual soul, feeling that this was yet one of the trials that he had to accomplish.


    Then, as he approached the bridge, Rocky saw a figure squatting beside the way. Upon taking a closer look, he noticed that it was an old woman in ragged clothes with a painful expression on her face.


    ''Who is she? Don''t tell me she''s the legendary Lady Meng, who was famous for guarding the bridge to the nether world and giving soup to the dead that could make them forget everything in their previous lives?'' Rocky was a bit anxious that he thought of cracking a joke. However, he saw that the old woman really seemed to be in need of help. So, he approached her and asked, "Madam, are you all right?"

 Chapter 1793 The Strange Woman

    "Nothing serious. I think I just sprained my ankle," the old woman replied, stretching out her foot that seemed to be rather swollen.


    "Let me check it. I will identify how severe the condition is." Then, Rocky immediately squatted down and examined the old woman''s foot. However, the moment he saw it, it was already pretty bad. It was so swollen that he thought even her bone might be injured as well. The problem was that Rocky was in his spiritual soul form. Hence, he could not treat her directly by using his medical skills. Moreover, there was also a chance that this old lady was not a living person. After all, she appeared in this creepy place that wasn''t supposed to be a place for the living.


    Although Rocky didn''t know the real reason why the old woman was there, his instinct was telling him that she might be able to guide him in this place. "Madam, your injury looks really bad..." Rocky immediately said without sugarcoating it.


    "Oh no! Really? What should I do now? I have to go home by foot." The old woman began to express her anxiety upon hearing Rocky''s diagnosis.


    "Hmm. If it is okay with you, how about I carry you home?" Rocky offered at once.


    "But I don''t think that''s a good idea. I live somewhere far from here, so it will be troublesome for you." The old woman sounded gloomy as she tried to refuse Rocky''s kind gesture.


    "No, it''s okay. Besides, I am also searching for a way to get out of here." After saying that, Rocky turned his back on the old w


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    ar answer, so he wanted to be assured that they were getting closer.


    "Don''t worry. We are almost there!" the woman replied positively.


    "Madam, are you really sure? Are you not just making things difficult for me?" Rocky complained a little while letting out a bitter smile.


    "I am not making things difficult for you! Why would I do that?" the old woman said in an innocent tone.


    "But it has been so long already. How many times did you say that it should be just ahead? If that is true, then we should have arrived at your home already." Rocky had become skeptical of the place because he felt that they were just going in circles. However, he had no definitive proof of it since the thick fog was blocking his sight.


    "Well, you are right. That is rather strange. All right, all right. Can you put me down first?" Immediately after, the old woman acted as if she was already too old to remember if she was right or not.


    Then, as she requested, Rocky instantly put her down.


    Afterward, the old woman waved her hand. All of a sudden, some strange things happened in the blink of an eye. The thick fog completely disappeared, and they were welcomed with a bright scene right ahead.


    When Rocky took a closer look, he found himself in an extremely huge cave. Moreover, the entire ground of the cave was filled with various flowers and plants. Then, in the depths of the cave, he could faintly see something peculiar that constantly flashed as if unleashing an inviting aura.

 Chapter 1794 A New Breakthrough

    "Madam, may I know where we are now?" While Rocky was still confused as to what really happened, he turned towards the old woman and asked her.


    "To be blunt, this is the place where many Godly Geniuses wanted to come," the old woman replied as if she was now a completely different person.


    "Wait. Did you just say Godly Geniuses? So, you are aware that I am a Godly Genius? You know about us?" Rocky could not believe the sudden revelation.


    "Anyway, proceed further and you will be able to find the Divine Nether Flower. It is formed from the power of a deity, who was one of the four most powerful deities that ever existed in the Holy-Evil World. If you absorb the flower''s energy, then you can successfully cultivate your deity form, and one day you shall also become one. However, be warned that the Divine Nether Flower is also known as the flower of death. Once you decided to absorb its energy, you will inevitably experience various hardships both in your world and in the nether world. Of course, as long as you are able to endure all the trials waiting for you, you will be reborn. Therefore, I suggest that you think carefully before you take any action." The old woman ignored Rocky''s question and went straight to the more important matter.


    Hearing this, Rocky immediately looked ahead and focused into the depths of the cave. Then, before he made a move, he asked again, "But why


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    and refine my body right here," Rocky uttered after he looked at his surroundings.


    After making up his mind, he gathered the power in his body, released his holy power, and tried to absorb the power of the Divine Nether Flower.


    However, not long after he started the process, an unexpected thing happened. Upon taking a deep breath, he felt a torrent of cold power gushing into his body like a raging stream. The cold power began to madly rush and invade his meridians.


    Soon enough, all of his meridians were filled with the frosty power of the Divine Nether Flower. However, this was just the beginning of everything.


    It seemed that it was impossible to completely absorb the power of the Divine Nether Flower with just Rocky''s own strength. The only problem was that once the power of the flower was already released, it could not return back to the source. Therefore, he had to try his best to absorb all the intense power from the flower. Otherwise, it would just be wasted.


    Of course, not only Rocky was capable of absorbing the flower''s power. His Imperial Soul could also do the task and help him share the burden. However, there was a huge risk if he tried to do this. After all, his Imperial Soul had not been fully formed yet. Thus, if it had somehow absorbed too much power beyond its threshold, it could cause an overwhelming impact that would not be good for either of them.

 Chapter 1795 Divine Body

    Rocky believed that his Imperial Soul was strong enough to withstand the Divine Nether Flower''s power.


    With no hesitation, he released his Imperial Soul and activated his spiritual power at the same time to absorb the Divine Nether Flower''s power. His body ached with all his might as he tried to withstand its sheer strength.


    It came flooding into his veins, filling both his body and soul with a power he had never experienced before.


    But much to his surprise, the holy power residing within him repelled the Divine Nether Flower''s power, causing a violent reaction inside him.


    The powers surged destructively into Rocky''s meridians at an extremely fast speed.


    He felt his body was about to implode at any moment.


    His bones ground against each other, sending a numbing pain all across his body. It broke and rearranged itself over and over again.


    But to his bad luck, this was only the beginning!


    It took a gruesome six hours for Rocky to finally get over the first stage. After all,


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    ght pillar to envelop him.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    This violently shook the whole Holy Heaven Palace. The entire space reverberated as if it was to collapse into itself at any moment.


    Colton and Jaiden instantly looked at each other when they sensed the strong quakes. All this time, they were waiting patiently for Rocky in the center of the Holy Heaven Palace.


    "Does this mean that someone is going to break through to the peak level of the Emperor Realm? Who could it be?" Jaiden asked in surprise.


    Hearing this, Colton couldn''t help but hope it would be his friend Rocky.


    "Could it be the guy you are looking for? It seems that he was lucky enough to encounter something amazing in the Holy Heaven Palace!" Seeing the hope shining in his eyes, Jaiden cheered for his grandson''s happiness.


    "It''s possible!" Colton was shocked. If it was true that Rocky had broken through to the peak level of the Emperor Realm, the news would quickly spread like wildfire throughout the Ethereal Region.

 Chapter 1796 Human Limits

    The peak of the Emperor Realm was supposed to be the highest level that a human could possibly attain. However, Rocky reached it at such a young age, which would be a huge breakthrough for the entire human race. But at the same time, there was an inevitable downside to it.


    Rocky''s current identity must stay a secret. Many people beginning to harbor even more doubts would not be a good thing.


    Fortunately, the incident happened in the Holy Heaven Palace. Hence, so no one else would know for now.


    Meanwhile, Rocky entered a light column again that teleported him to another strange area.


    However, he instantly realized that this closed space was different from the previous ones. At first glance, it would seem like a coffin chamber. Although there was no tomb or any decorations at sight, there was a human-shaped statue at the center, which looked very peculiar. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be vivid and lifelike.


    "Where am I? What exactly is this eerie place?" After Rocky looked around, his attention was easily caught by the human-shaped statue.


    As he stared intently at it, he found out that the statue was, in fact, a petrified body of a real person.


    "Who is this guy? Is he one of the previous chiefs of the Di Clan?" Rocky could just guess while his brows furrowed.


    Then, as he was still inspecting the petrified body, a golden light suddenly shot out from the center


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    devil. In time, they will definitely use all sorts of methods just to unseal the restrictions on the devil. When that happens, the two worlds will certainly be engulfed by another terrifying catastrophe."


    "Then, it seems that there is no more time to waste¡­"


    "Before you leave, I will transfer my remaining power into your body. Although you can''t fully control the divine power right now, it shall help you in critical moments!" Upon saying this, Deacon''s image suddenly vanished, and his statue also disintegrated. Then, a ball of light flew out and instantly penetrated Rocky''s body.


    Immediately after, Rocky felt a strange and indescribable power that was welling up from within him.


    At the same time, before Rocky could understand what was happening to his body, a powerful vortex suddenly appeared and sucked him in. In the blink of an eye, he also disappeared from where he was standing.


    Not long after, Rocky reappeared on the central teleportation altar of the Holy Heaven Palace. At this moment, along with the changes on his body, he noticed that his clothes were torn apart, and he was almost half-naked. It seemed that his mission inside the palace was already completed.


    At this point, he had reached the level comparable to a semi-deity, meaning his strength was already at the Shura Realm. Among all members of the human race, he was now the most powerful one who ever lived.

 Chapter 1797 His Plan

    "Basil?" Rocky suddenly heard someone call him from behind. When he turned around, he was a bit surprised to see that it was actually Colton, together with a much older man.


    "Sir, what are you doing here?" Rocky was quite confused to see them there because he had no idea what happened in the Holy Heaven Palace after he suddenly entered the Holy-Evil World.


    "I should be the one asking questions. Why did you disappear all of a sudden? We have been searching for you. Where on earth have you been?" Colton returned the question with a stern face.


    "Well, I have been in the Holy Heaven Palace all this time. But I don''t think the places I''ve been to were part of the Spiritual Divine Land," Rocky answered honestly. Although, he deliberately left out the part that he entered the Holy-Evil World.


    "But what happened? How were you able to go to such places?" Colton was still unsatisfied with Rocky''s replies, and he wanted more details.


    "It''s a long story, sir. Moreover, I''m afraid that there are some things that I can''t tell you just yet." Since what Deacon, the master of the Holy Heaven Palace, said was not something that could be easily understood by ordinary people, Rocky thought that it was not the right time to reveal them even to Colton.


    "Colton, I can sense that the connection between this young man and the Holy Heaven Palace is beyond our imagination. I think it''s better to heed his advice and not ask too much right now," the older man with Colton suddenly cut in.


    "And this is..." Before Rocky could finish his sentence, he w


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    llow me!" Since Colton knew that both of them were totally concerned about Rocky, he decided to accompany them back to the mansion of the Di Clan and reveal the truth.


    Soon enough, the three of them arrived at the mansion.


    At this moment, Rocky and Jaiden were just having a good chat inside the hall of the Di Clan. Later on, Rocky was not even surprised to see that Colton appeared together with Eunice and Carla. After all, he anticipated that after Colton made the shocking announcement, these two would immediately want to know the truth.


    Upon seeing that Rocky was before them, laughing heartily with the old man, the two girls were rendered speechless.


    "Wait. I don''t get it. What''s going on?" Eunice could not help but look at Colton with a very confused expression.


    "This is actually my plan," Rocky immediately responded.


    "Okay. As long as you are safe and sound..." Carla was too relieved that she could not suppress the smile on her delicate face.


    "However, now that I am not going to participate in the contest, I am going to need your help, especially you Carla. But before that, I need to tell you something. Now is the right time, so I hope that you can be mentally prepared." At this point, Rocky knew that he needed more hands to help him achieve his plan. Although there were not that many people that he could fully trust in the first place, he was sure that Carla was definitely one of them.


    Carla nervously nodded, not knowing what Rocky would say next. At the same time, she could just stare at Rocky''s serious face.

 Chapter 1798 He Revealed Everything To Them

    After, Rocky briefly updated Carla with all that he knew about the Shura Race and the Godly Geniuses. He even revealed to her that he was actually Basil.


    Carla''s eyes were as wide as saucers and her mouth slightly open from the great shock when she learned the truth about everything. Although she was prepared, it was hard for her to conceal her feelings after hearing all of this straight from Rocky''s mouth. She never would''ve thought that the person standing in front of her was Basil, the man she had been missing day and night.


    "I''ve hidden all of this from you for so long. Please forgive me!" Rocky begged for sympathy as he awkwardly scratched his head.


    "I was unaware you had experienced all of this after you disappeared..." Carla felt her heart breaking into jagged pieces as she realized all of the terrible experiences he had to endure.


    "Don''t mention it. What''s most important is that we stop these Godly Geniuses of the Shura Race. Although I will participate in the last round as Basil, I can''t expose my identity for the time being. I''ll need your help to prevent most of the Godly Geniuses from entering the fin


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    r the final round of the contest. He didn''t need to participate in the fifth round at all. That way, he would be able to observe the overall situation and command Eunice and the others to cooperate.


    After a day''s rest, the fifth round¡ªthe battle for survival¡ªbegan. This would determine who would qualify for the final round.


    There were only sixteen spots in the final battle. Rocky had already obtained a spot, which meant that only fifteen spots remained. The high-grade Spiritual Emperors were bound to secure a large portion of these spots, which was why the middle-grade Spiritual Emperors needed to give it their all if they wanted any chance at securing a spot. Among them, the Godly Geniuses who disguised themselves would definitely do their best.


    Apart from Israel and Rocky, the other Godly Geniuses were actually on par with each other in strength. It would be difficult for them to not stand out. On top of that, some Godly Geniuses might have been hiding their true strength even until now, so the competition would certainly be fierce.


    The fifth round would be held in a valley not far from the Boundless Manor.

 Chapter 1799 The Battle For Survival

    This so-called battle for survival was to gauge the abilities of the candidates to hold on until the final moment. Moreover, there was no time limit for this challenge. In other words, the battle would not end until the winners filled in the corresponding slots. However, the high-grade Spiritual Emperors did not feel the need to make the first move since they were powerful enough to endure the attacks hurled at them.


    Therefore, it was safe to say that the strong ones had the absolute advantage while the weaker ones would be forced to struggle and double their efforts.


    At the end of this round, only fifteen candidates would remain. Ten of those slots would easily be obtained by the high-grade Spiritual Emperors. Hence, the rest of the low-grade and middle-grade Spiritual Emperors would have to fight all-out just to secure the five remaining spots.


    The survival battle had the same setup as the previous round that was held in the Holy Heaven Palace, and the candidates were not restricted to form alliances. Thus, in order to make sure that they would survive this battle, it was inevitable for the candidates, especially for the weaker ones, to be in groups to have a chance of taking down the stronger ones.


    However, this was also a bit tricky since everyone was aware that even the ones they were allied with might betray them in the end


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    e top four candidates that would enter the championship stage.


    The rules were quite simple. The sixteen candidates would have to continue challenging each other. Their ranking would be decided according to the points they had obtained through victories or ties. Then, the four candidates with the highest scores in the ranking list would proceed to the championship stage.


    In other words, each candidate was required to have fifteen matches. This was definitely a high-intensity and tiresome competition that would push everyone to their limits. At the same time, it could also be a chance for the candidates to surpass their limits and unleash their hidden potentials.


    After the announcement of the rules, all the candidates, except Rocky, showed serious expressions on their faces. Based on what they heard, they could already imagine the cruelty and difficulty that they would encounter. Challenging a much stronger opponent would challenge the limit of one''s physical and mental strength. Moreover, there were at least six Godly Geniuses among them, including Rocky.


    Only four candidates would be granted the slot to enter the final round. Hence, each of them had to go all out in all of those fifteen matches in order to earn the spot. They should also be smart in using their strength in order not to run out of fumes in their later matches.

 Chapter 1800 Bring Disgrace

    At this moment, the final sixteen candidates drew lots in order to determine their opponents in the first round of battle. When it was Rocky''s turn, it seemed that he actually picked one of the ten high-grade Spiritual Emperors, whose strength was ranked in the top three of the Sky-suppressing Mansion. It was none other than Jude.


    "Seriously? Do I already have to face such a strong opponent off the bat? It seems that I will be forced to show some of my real strength to defeat this one. I''m afraid I don''t have the luxury to keep a low-profile in this match." Rocky let out a frown, but later on, he also thought that the result was just reasonable. After all, ten of the sixteen candidates were all high-grade Spiritual Emperors. Hence, the probability of encountering a strong opponent from the start was really high. So, whether his first opponent was strong or not, it did not matter. Eventually, he would have to face all of them.


    Of course, ideally, Rocky did not want to expose his real strength so soon. Thus, he decided that he would do his best to defeat his opponents by only using his trump cards at the most crucial moments.


    Besides, no matter how powerful Jude was, he was just a high-grade Spiritual Emperor. At Rocky''s current strength, it was absolutely easy for him to win this match.


    In fact, what he was worried about was that he might hit his opponent too hard. If that happened,


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    Rocky was not that strong in the first place. Hence, there was no need for him to use all his strength.


    Of course, no one had realized that Jude was actually threatened by Rocky ever after Rocky had effortlessly avoided the first set of attacks thrown at him.


    Moreover, even as he was faced with this more powerful attack, Rocky still looked calm and unfazed. Although the overbearing sword aura fell from above his head, he still did not move away. Instead, he flipped his two fingers and waved them as if he was swinging a sword.


    Then, suddenly, a purple sword aura appeared out of nowhere and rushed towards Jude.


    "What the hell? Where did this overwhelmingly strong sword aura come from?" Caught off guard, Jude perceived that a tremendous sword aura was about to get him. At the same time, an intense spiritual pressure descended from the sky, instantly making his face ghastly pale.


    Even before the purple sword aura could reach him, Jude already felt that his breathing was in disorder and he was actually panicking really hard.


    However, he was still unwilling to admit defeat. After all, his reputation as a high-grade Spiritual Emperor of the Sky-suppressing Mansion was at stake here. If he lost in his first battle against someone whose strength was supposed to be inferior to him, he would become a laughingstock. Ultimately, it would bring disgrace to the Sky-suppressing Mansion.

 Chapter 1801 The Second Competition Began

    However, out of nowhere, the approaching purple sword aura dissipated, as well as the spiritual pressure that made Jude feel like he was running out of breath.


    After regaining his senses, Jude turned to Rocky in astonishment. He did not expect that his opponent would suddenly stop attacking him when it could be his immediate way of winning the match.


    "Jude, how about we stop here so that we can prepare for our next battle?" Rocky suddenly said with a calm face.


    When Jude heard this, he immediately knew that Rocky was actually teasing him by using his own words that he uttered at the beginning of the match. However, he also knew that Rocky was being serious. He could only assume that Rocky was much stronger than what he had already displayed in their fight. After all, he saw how Rocky was able to easily manipulate such overwhelming spiritual power. Therefore, if he chose to be stubborn and continue to fight, he might just end up in a terrible condition.


    So, after thinking for a while, Jude finally put away his sword.


    At the same time, since the spectators had no idea what really was going on, they thought that based on Rocky''s words just now, he was actually the one who was ready to admit defeat. They even thought that it was reasonable enough because Jude was supposed to be more powerful than him.


    "Well, it is indeed true that there will always be someone stronger out


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    ky defeated Jude in the last round, his fight with Colin attracted a larger crowd this time.


    In fact, long before the match started, the surroundings of the battlefield were already filled with people.


    "Humph! I did not expect that Jude would actually lose to a frail and weak-looking man like you. I am starting to think that he is not as powerful as people claimed him to be." As soon as Colin showed up in the arena, he examined Rocky from head to toe, and immediately belittled him.


    At the back of his mind, Rocky''s victory over Jude was just a mere fluke. After all, as Rocky stood before him right now, he could not feel any power that could beat him.


    "Let''s have a good fight!" Rocky ignored Colin''s rude remarks and just politely cupped his hands.


    "This will be a good fight for me but not for you. You won''t be lucky enough this time. I bet Jude became overconfident that you managed to sneakily defeat him. However, I am different from him. Even though you are just an ordinary Spiritual Emperor, who does not deserve my attention, I''ll be sure to show you no mercy and teach you a hard lesson!" Then, Colin continued to raise his voice and said, "But if you will admit defeat before our match begins, then I will gladly accept it. After all, we can both save our strength and prepare for the next battle. Moreover, you can avoid such humiliation. It''s not a bad option for you."

 Chapter 1802 A Dark Horse

    Colin behaved exactly how Jude had behaved. They were both high-grade Spiritual Emperors with high social status so it was no wonder they acted so arrogant and contemptuous towards anyone weaker than them.


    As soon as those words came out of Colin''s mouth, the corners of Rocky''s lips curled up slightly. The latter suddenly rushed out and appeared next to the former in the blink of an eye. Colin was surprised that Rocky had the initiative to attack him. Logically speaking, the weaker man usually wouldn''t face his stronger adversary head-on unless he wanted to doom himself.


    However, Colin had second thoughts once his opponent presented himself. He decided to show him no mercy.


    "Eat my fists!" The moment Rocky approached, Colin''s fists shook and several waves of invisible energy were released from them.


    In a single moment, the rampant energy exploded in front of Rocky and instantly engulfed him.


    However, he appeared to put in no effort to defend himself at all. It was as if he was too helpless to protect himself.


    Colin sneered upon seeing Rocky, who was nothing mo


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    Everyone was completely dumbfounded by the sight. First, Rocky defeated Jude with a single move and now he managed to destroy both of Colin''s hands and feet. The tension was so palpable that you could almost feel the boiling and pounding of blood coursing through the veins of those who fixed their eyes on Rocky.


    But no matter how blind they were, they could tell that Rocky''s strength was far stronger than what he had just displayed.


    As to how powerful he actually was, no one actually knew it.


    Rocky''s result for the second battle was decided.


    If the rest of the audience thought that he only won the first battle out of pure luck, there was no doubting that no luck was involved in his win during this second battle.


    After all, it was impossible for Colin to lose considering his strength. But now, he had lost all of it and could no longer fight back against Rocky at all.


    After two battles, Rocky, who had defeated two high-grade Spiritual Emperors in a row, had now emerged as a dark horse¡ªa nightmare for the other contestants who had yet to face him in battle.

 Chapter 1803 They Were Plotting Something

    In the third round of the matches, Rocky was up against Lilith. However, to everyone''s surprise, the latter gave up right at the start of the match, deliberately giving the victory to Rocky.


    Therefore, after the first three rounds of battles, Rocky and Israel were tied for first place.


    At the same time, all sorts of speculations and arguments were circulating among the crowd. Most of them knew that Basil had a mysterious past when he was still in the Sky-suppressing School. Then, not long after, he disappeared without anyone knowing where he had been to. But now, he had suddenly reappeared in the Spiritual Emperor Contest, astounding everyone with his brilliant performances. No wonder people had been so curious about him.


    On the other hand, this was exactly what Rocky wanted. He planned to enter the final battle using his identity as Basil in a grand way. Then, of course, he would do everything to defeat any opponent, and win the championship.


    This way, not only could he make the other Godly Geniuses return to the Shura Race in crushing defeat, but it would also be convenient for him to launch his plans in the future using the identity as Basil.


    However, it was inevitable that as he became more popular, more candidates felt jealous of him and threatened by him. Even just after his third win, many candidates alread


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    get of all the Godly Geniuses when they learned his true strength, leading to bigger trouble. Therefore, Rocky could only be patient for now. Then, when the right time came, he would deal with Quentin and Drew at the same time.


    "Don''t worry about it. He has no reason to refuse my offer." This time, Rocky heard Gloria''s voice answer.


    "Good. Once Basil lets down his guard in your battle, you will be able to easily kill him. After that, we will have one less hindrance to worry about. However, Israel remains to be the real threat. If only we can eliminate him as soon as possible, we can ensure that one of us will be the champion in the contest..." Drew spoke lastly.


    ''I see. They want Gloria to kill me directly.'' After learning about these things, Rocky, who had been eavesdropping outside the house, could not help but let out a sneer. At this point, even as Basil, he was still a pain in the neck to the Godly Geniuses. However, this was just to be expected after Rocky deliberately made some flashy performances in his previous battles. Upon realizing that he was also someone that could be a burden to the Godly Geniuses, they naturally shifted their attention to him and he became their target. Moreover, Rocky was sure that the other Godly Geniuses were also waiting for an opportunity to eliminate Valeria and Gloria as well.

 Chapter 1804 In Vain

    "Gloria won''t warn Valeria. It seems that I will have to go to Valeria and Lilith myself." Since Rocky had already finished his business here, he hurriedly left and disappeared.


    First, Rocky went to see Lilith. As she was practicing her spiritual skills in her yard, he appeared to her as Basil.


    Upon seeing him, Lilith could not help but blush a little. "Basil, it''s already too late. Why are you here? Anything happened?"


    "Why? Can''t I come and visit if I don''t have anything important to discuss with you?" Rocky asked with a gentle smile.


    "Um, do you want to go inside first?" Lilith asked in a shy tone.


    "No. It won''t be necessary. After all, I won''t be here for long." Rocky shook his head as he refused. Moreover, he also thought that it would be inappropriate for him to enter Lilith''s residence this late in the night.


    "Okay then." Realizing what a gentleman Rocky was, Lilith looked up to him with an inexplicable brilliance in her eyes.


    "By the way, I just want to know. Why you gave up the fight earlier today?" Rocky asked out of nowhere.


    "Hmm, no reason really. I just don''t want to fight against you," Lilith answered honestly. Besides, she also knew that Rocky should be much stronger than her. Hence, she did not want to waste both their time and hurt each other in the process.


    "Really? That''s it? Well, anyway, thank you for doing that."


    "Ha-ha. There is no need for you to thank me. In fact, I already told you that I don''t care m


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    ed his palm in the air, instantly manipulating a poisonous palm shadow to rush towards Rocky.


    At this moment, Rocky was still kneeling on the ground, looking very weak and powerless. From the audience''s eyes, he was in a life-threatening position.


    However, just as the poisonous palm shadow was about to reach Rocky, his figure suddenly flickered and vanished from where he was kneeling. The speed he exhibited was so fast that both Iker and the crowd were caught off guard.


    Before Iker could react, Rocky had already appeared in front of him. Then, Rocky put his fingers before Iker''s face, showing that the poisonous hidden weapon that he had thrown earlier was actually sandwiched between them. Furthermore, it was wrapped by a stream of spiritual power. Hence, it did not make contact with Rocky at all.


    "You tricked me! You were not poisoned!" It was not until then that Iker discovered what Rocky really did. He was just acting all this time that he was hurt by the poisonous hidden weapon.


    Realizing this, Iker wanted to get far from Rocky as quickly as possible. However, his face turned ghastly pale when he noticed that his body was not obeying his command and that it was so hard for him to move. At this point, Rocky''s overbearing spiritual power suppressed him.


    Iker was so confused because he thought that Rocky''s strength should not be that strong. Of course, even though he wanted to figure out the reason why, it would already be meaningless.

 Chapter 1805 His Real Strength

    Without the audience noticing, Rocky, who was holding the hidden weapon between his fingers, stabbed it into Iker''s shoulder.


    Since Iker was fully restrained, he could not do anything. When he saw what Rocky had done, his face revealed a horrified expression, knowing that he was the one going to be doomed. Moreover, he saw that the look in Rocky''s eyes was cold and ruthless as if he did not care at all if his opponent would become disabled for life.


    Only then did he realize that he had been completely deceived by Rocky. He thought that he had the upper hand all along, but he was a fool to think that way.


    Iker could not even utter a single word. His eyes just widened as he started to accept the bitter truth. Soon enough, he fell to the ground. His entire body writhed and foam formed on his mouth.


    Even the spectators were utterly stunned, not understanding how the tables were suddenly turned. Just now, they were confident that Rocky was about to meet his impending doom, but then in a flash, Iker was the one on the ground, incapacitated. At this point, it was clear that Iker could not make any comeback.


    Immediately after, the Spiritual Emperor of the Di Clan, who was supervising the match, already decided to end the fight upon seeing the miserable state of Iker. He then announced that Rocky was the winner and instantly sent s


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    stronger than an ordinary premium-stage Spiritual Emperor. He would have to defeat Drew without unleashing all of his strength, so this was definitely not going to be easy for him.


    Moreover, the difference in strength between a member of the Shura Race and a human, who were both at the premium stage, was still pretty huge. It could actually be compared to the gap between a middle-stage human Spiritual Emperor and a premium-stage human Spiritual Emperor. The reason for this huge gap was quite simple. The Shura Race had a higher standard of strength compared to both the human race and the spiritual race. Moreover, they had a much stronger physique and had the ability to demonize. Therefore, the overall strength of the Shura Race was definitely much stronger than the human race.


    In other words, if Rocky had been using the strength of a Spiritual Emperor at the medium stage to deal with his opponents before, then he would be forced to use the strength at the premium stage to fight and defeat Drew.


    The problem was that this would undoubtedly reveal his true strength. However, since this was already the tenth round, and the match was a very crucial one in securing his slot in the final battle, Rocky had no reason to hesitate to accomplish what he had to.


    Besides, he would have to reveal his real strength when he fought Israel.

 Chapter 1806 The God-killing Sword

    Soon, the crucial battle between Rocky and Drew began, making the crowd roar in excitement.


    To everyone''s surprise, Drew didn''t use his spiritual skill. Instead, he immediately closed the distance between him and Rocky to attack him up close.


    This was, of course, a very smart move on his part. Not only did the Shura Race excel in hand-to-hand combat due to their sheer physical strength, but this was one of the surest ways he could maintain his identity hidden throughout the match.


    Of course Rocky knew what was on Drew''s mind. He wouldn''t give Rocky the chance to use his spiritual skills. In this way, Rocky''s strength would be greatly reduced since he was not good at hand-to-hand combat.


    But Drew was oblivious to Rocky''s divine body, which made it almost impossible to kill him.


    Rocky decided to play with it while he was looking for an opportunity to strike back.


    The two fighters fought at lightning-fast speeds, no one willing t


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    y walk out of the settling dust unharmed.


    "How are you not dead? Who the hell are you?!" Drew shouted in a hoarse voice. The reality finally dawned on him that he might''ve been manipulated to show his true colors.


    "It doesn''t matter who I am. What matters is that you won''t get out of here alive today!"


    "Go to hell!" Drew''s blood boiled in anger. He didn''t care about anything else and wanted nothing more than to kill Rocky. He rushed towards him and let out a burst of violent power.


    Sensing Drew''s ominous aura as he rushed towards him, Rocky let out a slight frown before summoning a vortex of light in front of him.


    ''Deacon is right. It turns out that the God-killing Sword can be summoned directly, '' Rocky thought to himself the moment the God-killing Sword shot out of the vortex.


    "Go and kill all the devils!"


    In a flash, the sword turned into a light shadow and pierced through Drew''s body like a hot knife through butter.

 Chapter 1807 A Fierce Battle

    Obviously, Drew had no idea what just happened. He never anticipated that his armor, which was actually his demonized skin, would be so frail and useless in front of Rocky''s God-killing Sword.


    While he started to lose consciousness, all he could do was staring at Rocky with regret and hatred in his heart. Eventually, he fell to the ground, lifeless.


    Then, upon seeing that Drew was already dead, Rocky withdrew the God-killing Sword.


    At the same time, as they witnessed how Rocky was able to kill a Godly Genius with a single powerful sword strike, both Jaiden and Colton were dumbfounded. They were so taken aback that they forgot to respond quickly on the scene. Finally, when they regained their senses after a moment, they flew into the battlefield, inspected Drew''s corpse, and confirmed that he was indeed dead.


    "I''m afraid I''ll have to leave this mess up to you. We cannot risk alerting the other candidates by exposing his true identity as a Godly Genius of the Shura Race, for the time being, so you''ll need to come up with a good excuse," Rocky said, looking at Colton with a serious expression.


    "Yeah, I know that. However, I''m sure that people will still be suspicious of you." Colton knew that Rocky''s enemies were not that stupid. Hence, he was worried that there was still a huge possibility that his identity might be revealed even if they covered this incident up.


    "All they could do is be suspicious of me. After all, there is no evidence, so they can''t accuse me of anything. Moreover, Drew''


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    rt of the match. He knew that Rocky''s strength was more than what everyone could see, so it would be foolish of him to fight seriously when there was nothing at stake. Besides, even if he won or lost this match, he would still be ranked first. Hence, he decided that he should just prepare for the final battle instead of wasting his time fighting Rocky.


    Because of this, the last round of the battles came to an end without anything grand happening. Afterward, the top four candidates would participate in the semifinals. They would draw lots beforehand and would fight one-on-one. Then, the two winners in the semifinals would enter the final battle.


    Before the semifinals commenced, Rocky appeared to Valeria as Odin to remind her that she did not need to force herself too much. Depending on the outcome of the drawing of lots, she might have to fight against Israel or Quentin. Rocky knew that she was too competitive and hated losing, so he had to warn her to keep a cool head.


    Then, two days later, the day of the semifinals finally came.


    Since the slot for the championship round would be decided in this battle, all of the four candidates would only have one chance. Thus, they had no choice but to go all out.


    At this moment, Rocky, Valeria, Quentin, and Israel were already standing on the battlefield, preparing themselves for the draw.


    At the same time, the venue was overflowing with onlookers. After all, they had been expecting to witness a fierce and magnificent battle in just a few moments.

 Chapter 1808 She Was Seriously Injured

    Since Rocky could not do anything to pre-arrange the draw, he could only entrust the result to fate. Ideally, he was hoping that he could face Israel first so that Valeria would be paired with Quentin. After all, Quentin would be a much easier opponent than Israel.


    Before the draw began, Rocky looked at the other three candidates and uttered, "Why don''t we let the lady draw first?"


    "Yeah, I don''t mind." Quentin also agreed. He was actually staring at Valeria with narrowed eyes. Although he was not a hundred percent sure, he had already suspected that the real identity of this female Spiritual Emperor was indeed Valeria.


    However, Valeria hesitated, a bit confused at the statements of the two.


    "Come on, just do it. It doesn''t really matter who draws first." Rocky nodded and continued to urge her.


    Finally, Valeria heaved a sigh and took a bamboo slip from the box.


    Afterward, Quentin approached the box and also took one.


    Then, Rocky also gestured at Israel that he could pick before him.


    Without hesitation, Israel took one of the remaining bamboo slips, automatically making the last one as Rocky''s.


    After everyone had already drawn, the elder of the Di Clan, who was in charge of supervising this battle, signaled the four candidates to show their lots at the same time.


    With that, Rocky and the rest flipped the bamboo slips and showed the numbers written on them. When Rocky look


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    the healing room.


    Worried about her condition, Rocky instantly rushed to the healing room the moment he learned about Valeria''s condition, while Eunice also followed after him.


    Then, inside the healing room, Rocky found that a Spiritual Emperor, who was well-versed in medical skills, was doing his best to heal Valeria''s wounds.


    Meanwhile, Valeria was still unconscious on the bed. Her skin was torn open, and her complexion was very pale. It was obvious that she was seriously injured.


    "How is she doing?" Rocky asked in a low voice as he tried to suppress his anger.


    "I''ll be honest, it is actually bad. Most of her meridians were seriously damaged. Even if she is treated well, I''m afraid that her strength will inevitably decline. This will also surely affect her cultivation. I did not expect that her opponent will be this ruthless¡­" the Spiritual Emperor answered, shaking his head.


    Then, Rocky continued to ask, "Is there any other injury?"


    "Yes. But compared to her damaged meridians, they are not that serious. However, I also feel a little helpless. This is the first time I encountered such huge damage in one''s meridians." It turned out that even the medical skills of the Spiritual Emperor were not enough to properly cure Valeria''s injuries.


    After thinking for a while, Rocky whispered something to Eunice.


    In response, Eunice just nodded silently, and Rocky eventually left.

 Chapter 1809 A Powerful Alliance

    After a while, Valeria, who was still unconscious due to her injuries, was sent back to the dormitory where she was staying by Eunice. Meanwhile, Rocky, who disguised himself as Odin, was already in the room, preparing for the operation to heal Valeria''s wounds.


    With the severity of her injuries, she could only be treated by Rocky''s Skill of Magic Needle.


    "I have already done my best to delay your match, giving you additional six hours. Will it be enough?" Eunice asked Rocky, looking at the pitiful state of Valeria.


    "I''m not sure. For now, I just have to do my best to save her!" Rocky said with certainty in his eyes. At the back of his mind, he thought that it was much better to try than do nothing.


    "I''m a little confused. Isn''t she a Godly Genius too? Wouldn''t it be more favorable to you if she became disabled?" Eunice knew that Valeria was currently Rocky''s nominal fiancee, which was why she was cooperating with him. However, it was also known that sooner or later, the Godly Geniuses would have to fight among each other. So, naturally, Valeria would also become Rocky''s enemy in the end. Therefore, Eunice thought that this situation was actually not bad for Rocky.


    "I understand what you are thinking. However, it''s not that simple. If something bad happens to her, the alliance between the Ghost Fief and the Flower Fief will become meaningless. Israel, the biggest threat in the competition among the


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    o recruit Rocky. Of course, he was not aware of Basil''s real identity. Otherwise, he would not think of this.


    "I don''t think we can convince him. I heard that he turned down even the invitation of the daughter of the Sky-suppressing Mansion''s chief. What makes you think that he would want to join the Sovereign Pavilion?" Michelle asked nonchalantly while shaking her head.


    "Why are you giving up so soon? Maybe if you do the talking, he might give in!" Holden strongly suggested, indicating Michelle to use her womanly charms.


    "We can plan about that later." Michelle actually had little knowledge of Rocky as Basil. She only knew that he had risen to fame back when he was still in the Sky-suppressing School. Then, afterward, he was summoned to fight in the front line. While he was rendering his service there, he gained many achievements that made Colton, the commander in chief at that time, favor him. However, sometime after that, he disappeared mysteriously and completely. Then, the only time he resurfaced was here in the Spiritual Emperor Contest. What was more surprising was that after he returned, his strength had already improved by leaps and bounds. Therefore, many people could not help but be curious, including Michelle.


    There were so many secrets involving Rocky that would blow people''s minds once they were revealed. One of them was if they knew that Basil and Rocky was actually the same person.

 Chapter 1810 Who Is More Powerful

    Of course, not only Michelle was interested in recruiting Rocky, but Lilith and Carla also had this idea.


    "Eunice, you have been with Basil for quite a long time. What do you think the limitation of his strength is?" Carla asked out of curiosity. It seemed that she really wanted to know how strong Rocky was.


    "Hmm. That is difficult to answer. I don''t know the exact extent of his strength, but I believe that he will definitely win this battle. I can only say that I am indeed jealous of that guy. When he suddenly reappeared after vanishing for a long time, his strength had reached such an astonishing level. It really makes me wonder what kind of adventures he''d encountered to get to this level." Even Eunice did not know what Rocky had experienced when he was in the Shura Race, so she was curious to know those things as well.


    "I see. Now, I am more intrigued than ever!" Lilith exclaimed with an enthusiastic smile on her face.


    At the same time, Eunice and Carla glanced at each other, understanding what Lilith was feeling.


    Meanwhile, Rocky and Quentin had already released their Spiritual Domains to the extreme, displaying a confrontation that gauged the limitation of the strength of both sides.


    After seeing that the power of his Spiritual Domain alone was not enough to suppress Rocky, Quentin, who was still fl


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    he while, he thought that he had already ensured his victory after summoning the Spectral King. However, never did he expect that Rocky''s strength was even above his.


    But of course, this was not enough to make him give up. Upon regaining his composure, Quentin ordered the Spectral King to confront Rocky head-on. However, the God-killing Sword had already approached the Spectral King.


    Even before the Spectral King could rush towards Rocky, the God-killing Sword already collided with it. The massive impact of spiritual power reverberated mightily, sending backlashes of spiritual power that spread out in an instant. Consequently, the entire square of the Boundless Manor trembled violently.


    "Such an incredible power! Basil will have no problem winning if this continues!" Lilith exclaimed, deeply satisfied with the turn of events.


    "Maybe Rocky is just starting," Eunice murmured to herself. After knowing Rocky for quite a while, she knew that he would not reveal the extent of his strength until the last moment. When it was already the most critical moment, Rocky would almost always do the unexpected.


    "Heavens! This is so thrilling. I just want to know who will win in the end." Of course, Gloria was full of expectations that Basil would win. After all, she did not want Quentin or Israel to win the competition.

 Chapter 1811 Getting Worse

    "Come on! Crush him!" Quentin roared at the top of his lungs. Although he could feel the pressure from Rocky''s astounding strength, he still had the confidence to win over Rocky.


    On the other hand, Rocky seemed to be rather relaxed as if he was not taking his opponent seriously. He just stood firmly, manipulating the God-killing Sword to dance in the air as he restrained the humongous Spectral King.


    Witnessing this incredible scene, everyone present was stunned. They could clearly sense Rocky''s marvelous strength, but it seemed that it was nowhere near his limit yet.


    At the same time, the Spectral King also roared back, not showing any hints of weakness in front of its opponent. Then, in an instant, an imposing demonic power surged out, making the entire field on the verge of collapse. In fact, even the outer part of the field was affected. Hence, the spectators quickly retreated, protecting themselves from being caught up in the battle.


    Afterward, Rocky launched a counterattack, commanding the sword shadows to swarm towards the Spectral King like a raging tide. At the same time, the demonic power of the Spectral King chased down the sword shadows.


    In a flash, the two vicious forces collided with each other, sending a wave of spiritual power in all directions. Even the clouds up in the sky were disturbed and formed into what looked like a rancorous storm that was about to wipe off the world.


    Then, during the chaos, the sword shadows hovering all over the sky suddenly merged and formed one huge sw


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    already predicted that it might come to this. So, when he saw Quentin rushing towards him, he still stayed calm. Then, he waved his hand, summoning the God-killing Sword in an instant. Afterward, the sword bolted towards Quentin and landed before him, restraining his movements and blocking him off.


    "You really are courting for death, aren''t you? I even let you live, but you chose to be stupid in the end. If that''s really what you want, then fine, I''ll grant your wish." After Rocky finished speaking, a peculiar-looking pill appeared on his hand. Then, with a flick of his finger, the pill shot out and flew directly into Quentin''s mouth.


    "Ahem! Ahem!" Quentin was caught off guard, not knowing what he just swallowed. Then, he glared at Rocky and yelled, "You, bastard! What did I just swallow?"


    "What else? You wanted to die than admit defeat, right? Then, I made you eat something extremely poisonous. It means that you''re going to die soon enough," Rocky uttered coldly.


    When everyone heard these words from Rocky, they all felt a sudden chill down their spines. They thought that this was such a cruel action. He could have killed Quentin with just a single sword strike, but instead, he decided to kill him slowly and painfully using poison. This was obviously worse than killing him right away.


    However, what they did not know was that Rocky did not feed Quentin a poisonous pill. In fact, it was a kind of medicine that Esteban gave him. It was enough to temporarily stop Quentin''s injuries from worsening.

 Chapter 1812 Shocking The Others

    The main reason why Rocky chose to save Quentin was that he could make use of him in the near future. Moreover, he also modified the pill and added some ingredients that could hasten one''s recovery. This way, once they returned to the Shura Race, Rocky would have a huge chance of pulling Quentin to his side.


    Then, just as the spectators were waiting for Quentin''s final moment to arrive, he suddenly found that his injuries had somehow started recovering. In fact, even the disordered spiritual power in his body had gradually calmed down and was put at ease. Although his meridians remained to be seriously damaged, this did not hinder the healing process.


    "What the hell is going on? You deceived me. Just what on earth did you really feed me?" Quentin asked as he stared at Rocky with his eyes wide open.


    At this time, the spectators were also shocked by the turn of events. They all thought that Rocky was so ruthless that he would poison Quentin to death, but it seemed that after taking the strange pill, Quentin actually recovered, and his complexion was much better now.


    ''There''s no way that it is poison. Did he just give me some kind of healing pill?'' Quentin thought to himself. He was utterly confused and couldn''t fathom why Rocky would do this.


    "When we meet again soon, you are going to understand." After saying this, Rocky cast Quentin one last glance, turned around, and left the scene right away.


    Obviously, at this moment,


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    e, and weakness had no place in his heart.


    "Soon enough, you will be facing Israel. How confident are you that you can beat him?" Eunice asked straightforwardly.


    "Israel is not actually a problem. However, I suspect that after he saw my real strength earlier during my match with Quentin, he may not fight me head-on." Knowing that Israel was a smart and scheming person, Rocky would not gamble into something very uncertain.


    "What does that mean?" Eunice looked at Rocky with a confused expression.


    "Just a precaution, can you please take care of Valeria for me during my match tomorrow?" Rocky thought after a while and requested Eunice to help with the arrangement.


    "All right." After hearing Rocky''s request, Eunice could vaguely understand what he was thinking, so she agreed without hesitation.


    Then, the next day came. The ultimate battle of the Spiritual Emperor Contest would be held on the peak of the Boundless Mountain. Early in the morning, many people had come, not wanting to miss the opportunity to watch the epic battle.


    After performing splendidly when the final sixteen candidates were selected, Rocky stood out and was hailed to be a dark horse with huge chances of winning the championship. He defeated several premium-stage Spiritual Emperors along the process and showed strength at the peak stage in his most recent battle. Now, the spectators were really curious if he could really win it all and surpass Israel.

 Chapter 1813 An Anticipated Showdown

    Everyone grew more and more excited for the anticipated battle between Basil and Israel. While some might say that Israel was stronger, no one could say for sure since the two were neck in neck in terms of strength.


    Add to this the fact that Israel disguised himself as a well-known, high-grade Spiritual Emperor from the spiritual race, while Basil himself was a new up-and-coming talent from the Ethereal Region.


    The hilltop where the battle was to be held was already brimming with people wanting to watch the fight up close. Thousands of people were eager to watch, including representatives of the major forces, Spiritual Emperors from different sects, and disciples of the Di Clan.


    Even Quentin, who was still gravely injured from the battle with Rocky, dragged himself to watch the highly anticipated battle.


    "I gathered information that Israel intends to kill off Basil in the battle," Gloria said to Quentin.


    "To be honest, I prefer Basil to be the winner. Maybe he''d even save us the trouble of killing Isr


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    ntually, he noticed a thin layer of chilling energy covering Rocky''s body.


    This thin layer of energy was formed after he finished refining his body. It served as an armor that could block any attack weaker than that of the Shura Realm.


    In other words, Rocky''s body was now tougher than diamond. Even a master at the Shura Realm might not be able to hurt him.


    "Use whatever skill you have!" Rocky said to Israel provocatively.


    "I''ll send you to hell!" Israel''s blood boiled in anger. He used the same spiritual skill, but this time, he let out hundreds of attacks from all different directions, completely decimating the mountaintop.


    Facing such a powerful attack, the spectators began to tremble in fear. No one had the guts to move a step closer to the battle in fear for their life.


    Seeing that Israel used the same skill, Rocky scoffed at him as he calmly raised his hand. He suddenly threw out his fists at lightning-fast speed, unleashing a great number of fist strikes far more than what Israel summoned.

 Chapter 1814 The Strongest Power

    The spectators were flabbergasted when they saw this scene. They did not expect that Rocky could exhibit that same spiritual skill that Israel was using.


    However, it was not actually that difficult for Rocky to do this. After all, he had inherited the memory of the king of the Shura Race. Hence, he could use all kinds of spiritual skills of the race.


    Before, the only hindrance as to why he was unable to display them was because of his insufficient strength. But now that he had already reached the Shura Realm, it was not a problem for him at all.


    Moreover, the Primitive Light Punch, a supposed secret skill of the Primitive Fief, originated from the royal family of the Shura Race.


    Therefore, it wasn''t really a surprise that Rocky could use it at will.


    However, in Israel''s eyes, Rocky was just doing this to humiliate him on purpose. He thought that Rocky was just copying his movement but wasn''t really able to use the exact same skill.


    The next moment, the overwhelming punches thrown by the two became even more intense, covering a range of hundreds of meters. Because of this, the area began to tremble as if a huge earthquake was ensuing.


    But soon enough, the balance of power tilted as Rocky''s attacks eventually overcame Israel''s. Not long after, Rocky''s punches exploded around Israel, creating


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    ng, most of the area on the hilltop had already been crushed.


    Although Israel was attacking very aggressively, Rocky did not take the initiative to launch a counterattack. He was not avoiding Israel''s strikes, but he was just defending against them. He knew that the longer he waited, the more disadvantageous it would be for Israel.


    After a while, Rocky and Israel had already exchanged so many blows that shook everything surrounding them. At this rate, it was a bit difficult to tell how long the battle would last.


    Strangely enough, Israel did not seem to show any sign that his strength was weakening. Rocky tried to prolong the battle, thinking that Israel''s primitive power could only increase his strength for a limited amount of time. But based on what Rocky saw, he might have miscalculated this.


    Deeming that it was not a good idea to waste any more time, Rocky decided to summon the God-killing Sword.


    Then, as soon as he brandished the famous God-killing Sword, the onlookers became even more excited. They thought that finally, Rocky was ready to initiate the attacks this time.


    At the same time, Israel also became very cautious at the sight of the formidable sword. He knew that this was what Rocky used to easily defeat Drew and Quentin. If he was not careful, he might become its next victim.

 Chapter 1815 Thats Fate

    Using the God-killing Sword, Rocky rushed towards Israel and easily suppressed him. Thus, in an instant, Rocky gained the upper hand again.


    Under his direct control, the God-killing Sword launched a swift barrage of attacks, slashing in every direction and unleashing a frightening sword force.


    Seeing this, Israel didn''t dare to confront it head-on. With all his might, he tried to avoid and fly away as far as possible. However, the God-killing Sword was incredibly fast that it instantly caught up with him.


    Through the continuous suppression of the God-killing Sword, Israel was forced to focus on defending, and this eventually put him in a passive position. At this moment, the fight became one-sided again, in favor of Rocky.


    Soon enough, Israel''s strength finally began to decline. It seemed that his primitive power had reached its limit after being used for such a long time. Since Rocky gained the upper hand right now, he took advantage of the opportunity to ensure his victory. After more fierce exchanges of blows, Israel finally revealed a major flaw in his defense, resulting in him being hit by the God-killing Sword at point-blank.


    Immediately after, Israel let out a roar of pain. But of course, he was not going to easily give up. Despite the unimaginable pain, he still tried to rush towards Rocky.


    At the same time, Rocky utilized his Devilish Phantom


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    om time to time. It was as if she wanted to ask him something, but she was having second thoughts.


    "Come on. Just say it if you have anything you wanna ask me." Rocky finally said something since he already noticed Carla''s actions a while ago.


    "Okay. Can you tell me the truth? How strong are you for real?" Carla asked bluntly.


    "Will you believe me if I tell you?" Rocky returned the question, letting out a faint smile.


    "Of course. If you say that it is the truth, then I''ll believe you," Carla answered firmly.


    "Fine. I have actually reached the Shura Realm," Rocky said without hesitation.


    "What? Really? The Shura Realm? This is more shocking than what I''ve thought of!" Although Carla was mentally prepared, she was still shocked when she heard it straight from Rocky''s mouth. She clearly knew the implication if he had already reached the Shura Realm. It meant that right now, no one in the human race or the spiritual race was stronger than him.


    Of course, this came as a shock since when she first met Rocky, he was just a Spiritual King. She did not expect that he had already broken through to such an unreachable realm so soon. Naturally, his rapid progress made her feel so inferior.


    "Well, to tell you the truth, I didn''t expect this to happen at all. Perhaps, this is fate." Rocky sighed while looking in the distance, letting out a bitter smile.

 Chapter 1816 A New Adventure

    "It seems that you had encountered something unimaginable yet amazing while you were away!" Although Carla was actually very curious to know more details, she deemed that it was not her place to ask further. "Does Eunice also know about this?" "Hmm, kind of.


    Well, she doesn''t know that I have actually reached the Shura Realm. She just knows that my real strength is more than what I was showing," Rocky explained.


    "Really? And she did not even bother to tell me?" Of course, Carla could not help but complain. She heaved a deep sigh and said in a disappointed tone, "It''s a bit frustrating to know that you''re so far ahead. It seems that no matter how hard I try, I will not be able to catch up with you."


    "Why are you saying that? You are already a primary-stage Spiritual Emperor. Just keep up with your hard work and you will reach greater heights. You have incredible talent and you are not weak at all," Rocky quickly encouraged her.


    "Yes, I know. I may be stronger compared to others, but I am still far behind you," Carla replied with a bitter smile.


    Not long after, Rocky and Carla finally arrived at the quarters where Valeria was currently recuperating.


    Upon seeing that the two came in together, Eunice raised an eyebrow and said, "Wow! Since when have the two of you had such a close relationship? I notice that you are frequently going out together. Are you


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    eavy sigh.


    "Your original world? So, you are from an alien world?" Once more, Valeria was struck dumb. Every revelation that Rocky told her was beyond her wildest imagination.


    "Back then, the Shura Race took many spiritual warriors from my world and brought them here. Many of them are very important to me. So, in order to save them, I came to this world. I did my best to become strong enough until I can finally take action. After overcoming countless setbacks and struggles, I was able to send them back to our original world. However, in return, I was stuck here. This world is not home to me, and I want to return to my world. There are so many people waiting for me. My friends, family, and my child are all in that world," Rocky uttered as he got emotional.


    "You have a child?!" Valeria was so shocked that she was almost rendered speechless.


    Rocky nodded seriously. "I don''t expect you to understand the feeling of wanting to go back home, but just know that I don''t mean to use you just for my personal gain. I know that I am requesting something big, so as long as you help me, I will give you everything that I''ve gained in this world. The Flower Fief wants to be more superior to the other fiefs, right? I can make that happen. Besides, when I succeed in dethroning the current royal family, you will have the chance to become the new members of the royal family."

 Chapter 1817 Very Attractive

    Indeed, what Rocky offered was very tempting. In fact, after hearing what he said, Valeria immediately fell into deep thought and analyzed the pros and cons. She knew that it was too risky. If he failed, then everything would be all for naught. But if he succeeded in the end, she and the Flower Fief would reap unimaginable benefits.


    "Think about it first. I know that I can''t demand an answer from you right away. Anyway, I will head out now to prepare for our departure back to the Shura Race." Then, Rocky stood up and was about to leave, leaving Valeria time to think about his offer.


    "Okay. I will think about it. Just so we''re clear, even if I end up not agreeing, I will still keep your secret. I owe you my life, so it''s the least that I can do. In the near future, I will do my best to repay you," Valeria said firmly. She did not agree with Rocky''s proposal right away, but she wanted him to know that his secret was safe with her.


    "You don''t need to repay me with anything. All I want is for you to be yourself."


    "You know what? If I knew that you are so strong, I wouldn''t have fought so hard. After all, even if I got to the final battle and faced you, the result would still be the same. You will be the ultimate winner." Valeria sighed.


    "Don''t be like that. Sometimes you could only be strengthened after you experienced failures. For now, I have defeated Israel and avenged you. Next time, I want you to avenge yourself. I believe that you can do it."


    "Thank you. I w


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    "Don''t worry, Elder Leticia. I will send Valeria to Esteban later. If he is the one to personally apply his medical skills, I believe that she will recover faster," Gilbert butted in and tried to comfort Elder Leticia.


    Obviously, Elder Leticia could only accept the reality and hope that Valeria would be cured as soon as possible.


    "By the way, Odin, who is this girl? I don''t think I''ve seen her before." At this time, Gilbert finally noticed Eunice and asked about her.


    "Oh, she''s a maid that I bought after we returned here in the Ghost Fief. Since Valeria was seriously injured, she would need someone to assist her. Although I am her fiance, I am still a man. Hence, it would be more convenient if a maid could take care of her." It seemed that Rocky had already thought of the perfect excuse even before they entered the Ghost Fief.


    "I see. But where is your apprentice pharmacist? I haven''t seen him yet," Gilbert asked, confused.


    "I permitted him to go back to his hometown and visit his family for a while. He should be back soon enough," Rocky answered calmly. However, the truth was that he still didn''t know what exactly happened to Gloria or where she went.


    "Well, I guess that is enough for now. I know that you must be tired after such a long journey. Go back first and have a good rest!" Gilbert declared.


    Right after that, Elder Leticia ordered someone to accompany Valeria back to their place.


    At the same time, Rocky took Eunice to the Ghost Palace.

 Chapter 1818 Her Surprising Proposal

    As soon as Rocky got back to the Ghost Palace, he saw Esteban, wearing an irritated expression on his face. Although he saw Rocky and Eunice enter, he just ignored them.


    "Hey, old man. What''s gotten into you? Who made you so unhappy?" Rocky asked in a teasing tone.


    "Humph! It''s all because of that bullshit of a royal family! Can you believe that they asked me to join the army just so I can be a military doctor? That''s just ridiculous! Who do they think am I?" Esteban instantly lashed out, driven crazy by the absurd demand of the royal family.


    "Then, what did the leader say? I''m sure he''ll be against it," Rocky assumed.


    "Well, he can''t do anything, can he? This is a direct order from the royal family. Even he can''t refuse them," Esteban replied as he rolled his eyes at Rocky.


    "So, you''re going? When will you leave?"


    "Ha! I didn''t say that I will go. They can''t force me if I don''t want to. I''m also warning you not to convince. Otherwise, I will recommend you in my stead! Your medical skills are fine now. Even if it is you, you''ll do okay," Esteban snorted, threatening Rocky.


    "What? I am a Godly Genius. Of course, the royal family will not allow me to take such a risk," Rocky immediately retorted, finding a loophole if ever Esteban was serious with his statement.


    "Huh? Why not? The royal family thinks that Godly Geniuses are also dispensable just like everybody else." Esteban let out a frown, still pissed at what the royal family wanted him to do.


    "Fine. Enough about that. We can talk about it some other time." Since


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    "Thank you, Master Esteban. However, I''m afraid that I''m about to leave. Please excuse me." Valeria was not used to being praised that way, so her pretty face blushed hard. Then, after a moment, she left the hall alone.


    "Why did it take you so long to come back? Hey, old man. Are you up to something?" Rocky immediately asked Esteban with narrowed eyes.


    "You, idiot! Eunice is a lady young enough to be my granddaughter! I had a good impression of her, so since she is staying here in the meantime, I''ve decided to treat her as my adopted granddaughter. I should warn you. If you dare do something bad to her, I will be your opponent!" Esteban declared with a serious expression.


    Rocky was in a daze, not expecting that Eunice could instantly find a strong backer the moment she got to the Shura Race.


    At the same time, Eunice just shrugged her shoulders while winking at Rocky.


    Then, after sunset, just as Valeria said, Gilbert sent someone to invite Rocky and Esteban to the leader''s mansion. It seemed that a welcome home party for Rocky would be held there.


    However, as someone who was not fond of social gatherings, Esteban instantly declined. But of course, Rocky had to attend because the feast was about him.


    Upon arriving at the banquet hall, Rocky saw that many people were present and most of the seats were already occupied.


    At the sight of Rocky, Gilbert immediately stood up and greeted him warmly. At the same time, the other elders of the Ghost Fief also stood up and cupped their hands towards the Godly Genius of their fief.

 Chapter 1819 The King Of The Clan

    Seeing all these people, Rocky greeted back and was later asked to sit beside Gilbert. Sitting next to the leader was a sign of special treatment. Hence, this gesture was enough to show Rocky''s importance.


    Then, Vivian sat down next to Rocky. Though they exchanged glances with each other, they did not really engage in any formal conversation. However, despite being very silent, Rocky noticed that Vivian let out a faint smile, something that could only happen rarely.


    After a while, Gilbert turned to Rocky and talked with him.


    "Odin, let me get this straight. Elder Leticia came to me earlier. She opened up the proposal of you and Miss Valeria getting married as soon as possible. What do you think?" Gilbert asked without further ado.


    "Well, I don''t see any problem. As long as Valeria also agrees, then we can proceed with it." Since this proposal actually came from Valeria herself, and the two of them had already agreed to it, Rocky also told Gilbert that he would go with it.


    "Great! I''ll announce this to the public later. Then, I''ll personally start arranging things for the marriage ceremony as soon as possible." It was pretty evident that Gilbert was very delighted about this. After all, once the marriage was completed, the alliance between the Ghost Fief and the Flower Fief would become ironclad. Moreover, the relationship between the two fiefs would become more stable.


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    ndidate to become the next king," Valeria explained further.


    "That must be it!" After hearing everything that Valeria said, Rocky came to understand the underlying motive in the attempt to assassinate Gilbert.


    "However, I don''t really see much hope for him. Although he is strong, I''m afraid that his strength is not enough to compete with the frontrunners for the throne," Valeria added. The reason why Valeria thought at first that the royal family would not be involved in the assassination attempt was that they did not have any reason to feel threatened by Gilbert at all.


    "Then, who are the strongest candidates to be the next king?" Curious about this matter, Rocky continued to ask.


    "Hmm. As far as I know, three biggest names are holding the highest potential. First is Prince Zain, the son of the king. He is currently holding most of the military power of the Shura Race''s royal family. Moreover, he has a huge number of supporters. The next one is the king''s younger brother, Prince Enoch. I heard that he has always maintained a close relationship with the Primitive Fief, and he also possesses a few powerful armies at his disposal."


    "Who is the last one?"


    "The daughter of the former queen, Princess Layla..." Valeria uttered with a bit of hesitation.


    "Princess? They allow princesses to become the head of the royal family?" Rocky asked, not expecting about this.

 Chapter 1820 Dispatch Troops At Any Time

    "Yes, of course. In fact, there have been many famous queens who have ruled over the Shura Race in the past. For example, Princess Layla''s mother, the former queen, is one," Valeria replied with hints of pride in her tone.


    "I see. I just thought that the royal family was strictly patriarchal in nature," Rocky said.


    "As a matter of fact, Leader Gilbert is actually known to have a good relationship with Princess Layla. He could even be considered as her supporter. Thus, in my opinion, the true reason behind his assassination attempt is because he is supporting Princess Layla." Instead of Gilbert being a candidate for the throne, Valeria thought that this was the more logical reason.


    "All right. For now, we can just agree that it has something to do with the selection of the successor." Rocky and Valeria finally came up with the conclusion.


    "Anyway, I just think that we can look at this incident from a different perspective. Maybe, this might be a good chance for you." Valeria vaguely expressed her idea.


    "What exactly do you mean by that?" Rocky asked with furrowed brows, sensing that she might be onto something.


    "Well, isn''t it a part of your plan to go against the current royal family? Frankly speaking, if you only utilize the power of the fiefs, it will be impossible for you to succeed. In fact, you will be digging your own grave. However, if you can take advantage of this selection for the next king or queen, your chances of reaching your goa


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    st be fully prepared. Here! Take this notebook with you. It contains my lifetime research. You can see there all of my discoveries about the bodies of the members of the Shura Race. It should be helpful to you." Then, Esteban handed the notebook over to Rocky.


    After getting it, Rocky decided to put it away for now.


    "That reminds me. I still have something else to do. See you later." As Esteban stood up, he left the two behind.


    "So, what are you going to do next?" Eunice asked.


    "If my hunch is right, the sudden order to invade the human race and the spiritual race must have been Prince Zain''s ploy. After conquering them, it would be considered a major achievement. He wanted to play that card in order to solidify his position as the successor," Rocky concluded.


    "Then, what''s the plan?" Hearing what Rocky said, Eunice knew that he wouldn''t just do nothing. Of course, she also wanted to do something because the human race was involved in this.


    "It seems that I would have to act as Basil again. But first, I need to make more preparations," Rocky said after thinking for a while.


    "Do you want me to inform Chief Colton about this immediately?" Eunice asked. Her role in accompanying Rocky back to the Shura Race was clear to her. Hence, she would do her best to be of help.


    "Yes, please. Tell him to prepare as soon as possible. The royal family of the Shura Race might send powerful troops at any time. We don''t want them to be caught off guard."

 Chapter 1821 Growing Vigilant

    After their conversation, Rocky told Eunice to go ahead and get some rest first. Then, he also left the Ghost Palace and found a spot where he could enter the Magic Spiritual Space.


    Inside it, he took some time to improve and enhance his Imperial Soul. Afterward, he remembered to take a look at the contents of Esteban''s notebook. Upon reading them, he was extremely surprised at what he saw. It was just supposed to be a body dissecting course, but it actually listed all of the weaknesses of the Shura Race''s royal family. Furthermore, it even mentioned something about the concept of making zombies that could then be manipulated.


    However, it seemed that there was a lack of detailed information and knowledge about the technology to make the zombies. Hence, the concept was not finished.


    But for Rocky, this was indeed interesting and worth a try. He found that it was feasible and might be useful for him.


    Therefore, he wasted no time and began to study the idea of making zombies.


    He spent the whole night just so he could grasp the concept further and make significant progress.


    The following day, although Rocky did not even sleep for a minute the whole night, he was still energetic when left the Magic Spiritual Space. After all, upon reaching the Shura Realm, one did not really need to rest at all.


    At this time, he went back to the Ghost Palace to collect some more materials in order to make zombies.


    Then, at noon, a messenger arrived, saying that Gilbert was summoning Rocky to the meeting hall.


    With that, Rocky had n


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    even more spacious green field. At the same time, the beast that descended from the sky was now standing at the center of the garden. It turned out to be a colorful phoenix.


    The next moment, a delicate figure floated down from the phoenix. She was also clothed in a colorful dress, and her face appeared to be exceedingly beautiful.


    However, the next moment, this lady instantly noticed Rocky. Seeing his face for the first time, she instantly became vigilant and asked in a stern tone, "Who are you?"


    But even before Rocky could react, the petals that were scattered in the garden suddenly rushed towards him and trapped him to where he was standing. Although it was not actually that difficult for him to break free, he did not make any move, knowing that it might just cause more trouble.


    Soon enough, the pretty lady approached Rocky and looked at him intently.


    "I repeat. Who are you? What are you doing here?" she asked with her brows raised.


    "Um. If I say that I am just a gardener, will you believe me?" Rocky asked with an awkward smile on his face.


    "Not really. I have always taken care of this garden by myself, so there should be no gardener here," the beautiful lady answered in an annoyed tone, thinking that Rocky must be up to no good.


    "I see. Then, I am just passing by." Rocky shrugged, not really nervous at what this lady might do to him.


    "Do you take me for a fool? Who sent you here?" It seemed that the lady was not in the mood for jokes. At the same time, her charming eyes widened as she glared at Rocky.

 Chapter 1822 He Was Telling The Truth

    "All right. To tell you the truth, I am here to see Princess Layla." Left with no other choice, Rocky had to tell the real reason for coming here.


    "Oh, I see. You should have told me that earlier! I''m sorry for being rude." Soon after the lady heard what Rocky said, her attitude suddenly changed. However, Rocky could still notice that her eyes were fixed on him as if she was fully assessing him.


    "May I also ask who you are, miss?" Since he had already revealed his purpose, Rocky thought of asking who this young lady was. Based on her appearance and aura, he could tell that she must have something to do with the princess.


    "Me? I''m one of her friends. What about you? Why are you coming here to see her?"


    "I am Odin, the Godly Genius of the Ghost Fief," Rocky answered honestly.


    "Oh, yeah. I heard that she is expecting you to visit today. But where is Leader Gilbert?" In fact, this beautiful lady was actually Layla. However, she did not want to reveal her true identity yet because she wanted to test Rocky for a bit.


    "He left a while ago, saying that he''ll visit an old friend. But he should already be back soon enough," Rocky replied.


    "Then, come with me first. I''ll take you to Princess Layla. Leader Gilbert could just follow afterward." After saying that, Layla immediately dispersed the petals that were still trapping Rocky.


    Rocky just nodded to her and followed until they got out of the garden and entered the inner hall of the palace.


    However, upon entering the spacious hall, Rocky thought that it was a


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    go against their wishes..." Gilbert sighed in helplessness. If it was not really for the command of the royal family, he did not want to cause trouble to the human race and spiritual race.


    "That is the exact reason why I need to regain the position as the queen of the Shura Race. I will be sure to inherit my mother''s will and lead the entire race to prosperity once again. I shall end the current royal family''s wicked ways!" Layla declared firmly.


    "Your mother helped my clan once. Now, it is my turn to repay that kindness. Rest assured, I will do whatever I can to help you." Gilbert expressed his heartfelt support.


    "Thank you. I am so relieved to hear that..." Layla let out a huge smile, satisfied that there were still people who were loyal to her and to the principles that she was fighting for.


    "I see that you were already having a pleasant conversation with Leader Gilbert, miss." Out of nowhere, a figure suddenly came inside the hall. The moment he spoke, Layla''s eyes widened and were instantly fixed at him.


    "Odin? I thought you were in the princess'' cultivation hall?" Gilbert was also stunned upon seeing that it was actually Rocky who came in. He did not expect that he would break through Layla''s enchanted barrier so soon. Moreover, he was confused that Rocky was addressing the princess as if he already knew her.


    However, Rocky already had a hunch that the lady he met earlier was actually Princess Layla herself. He was just going along with Layla''s act and was waiting for her to reveal her true identity.

 Chapter 1823 A Sudden Smile

    The temperament of Princess Layla was a bit different from the lady that Rocky had met earlier. The princess in front of him right now was so dignified and graceful, while the previous one was more like a lively girl with a youthful aura.


    In fact, if Rocky did not remember Layla''s aura, he would have thought that she had a twin sister.


    Meanwhile, Layla was in a daze, looking intently at Rocky. She and Gilbert were expecting that he would come out a bit later, but he was already here as if the enchanted barrier was not much of a challenge for him.


    "Well done! It seemed that Leader Gilbert was indeed right about you. You are so talented!" As soon as Layla regained her senses, she did not hold back on praising Rocky.


    "And I didn''t expect that you have such a naughty side, Your Royal Highness," Rocky replied with a meaningful smile.


    "Ahem!" Not expecting Rocky''s response, Layla could not help but glare at him, signaling to Rocky not to reveal what happened between them earlier.


    However, since Gilbert was a shrewd man, he immediately realized that the two of them must have met before. Of course, he did not show that in his facial expression. Besides, it was a good thing that Rocky was approved by Layla.


    "Godly Genius, please have a seat too!" Layla urged.


    Immediately after, Rocky took the offer and sat down beside Gilbert.


    "I''ve alread


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    e ascend to the throne, the Ghost Fief will obviously become the biggest beneficiary. You should learn to trust him more." Layla comforted Gilbert and gave him a word of advice.


    Gilbert nodded, understanding what the princess meant. Eventually, they finished their conversation, and Gilbert also left the hall.


    Upon going out of the hall, Gilbert saw Rocky waiting for him. At this moment, there was still an obvious dissatisfaction in his eyes that was caused by Rocky''s actions.


    "I guess you are still mad at me, Leader Gilbert. Are you thinking that I had hidden that information from you on purpose?" Rocky asked straightforwardly. He deemed that Gilbert would not talk about it openly, so he decided to initiate discussing it.


    "It''s good that you know what you''ve done," Gilbert answered coldly.


    "The reason why I didn''t tell you about it is that you''d think that my plan is a bit far-fetched. If I told you about it in advance, I''m sure that you would not let me discuss it with the princess," Rocky explained ingenuously.


    "I know that your plan is feasible, but it''s still full of uncertainty. Of course, I will object because the princess can''t take those huge risks."


    "That''s where you are mistaken. My plan will not affect the princess whether it succeeds or not; and the whole thing is not dangerous at all," Rocky said with a devious laugh.

 Chapter 1824 A Remote Place

    "What? Do you care to explain that further?" This time, Gilbert could not read Rocky''s mind. He had no clue what the young man was planning.


    "Well, let it be a secret in the meantime. I''m sure you will realize it soon," Rocky said, deliberately kept Gilbert guessing.


    Although Gilbert still had some misgivings about it, he had no choice but to go with it since Princess Layla already agreed to Rocky''s plans.


    Then, as the two returned to the Ghost Fief, Gilbert began preparing for the wedding ceremony. At the same time, Rocky also started collecting more information about Zain and Enoch, Layla''s biggest rivals in the selection for the next leader of the royal family.


    Three days passed in the blink of an eye.


    At this time, the date of Rocky and Valeria''s wedding was finally set, and it would be held a week later.


    Then, another two days passed. There were only five days before the wedding.


    Rocky had just gotten out of the Ghost Palace when a delicate figure suddenly appeared in front of him. In a flash, a snow-white dagger was pressed against his neck, rendering him motionless.


    "Gloria, what do you think you''re doing? Put that dagger away from me! What if someone sees you?" Although the figure was hiding her face, Rocky could easily tell from her aura that it was none other than Gloria.


    "Why should I do that? You are going to marry that woman behind my back! How dare you?! Do you think I''


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    e," Flora gently warned.


    "Don''t worry, Leader Flora. I will always be good to her," Rocky promised with a faint smile.


    "And Valeria, you have to be a good wife once you are already married. Don''t be so willful, and don''t give Odin a hard time," Flora reminded, looking at Valeria dotingly.


    "Yes, I know." Valeria seemed to be a bit shy upon hearing Flora''s remarks.


    "You two can leave now to have a good rest. Your big day is already coming up. As for the others, please leave too. I will have a talk with Leader Flora in private," Gilbert said.


    Rocky and Valeria glanced at each other and eventually left.


    "I guess they are going to talk about supporting Princess Layla," Valeria told Rocky while they walked out of the meeting hall.


    "Maybe. But do you think Leader Flora will agree to it?" Rocky asked. He had not heard whom Flora actually wanted to support, so he did not know if Gilbert could convince her.


    "Well, I know that she is cautious in these matters, so she won''t take a stand easily. I think she might only give her answer after we are officially married," Valeria answered, taking Flora''s nature into consideration.


    Hearing that, Rocky just nodded and eventually bid goodbye to her.


    Then, on his way back to the Ghost Palace, Rocky instantly sensed that someone was following him. Upon knowing who it was, he let out a grin and deliberately walked towards a remote forest nearby.

 Chapter 1825 Overwhelming Murderous Will

    The moment Rocky stepped into the forest, he sensed that a murderous will oozed out from the figure who was following him. But of course, he still remained calm because he was leading the person here on purpose.


    Realizing that they were now in a remote place, the person bearing the killing intent suddenly rushed towards Rocky. Soon enough, Rocky felt a shining sharp claw around his neck.


    "Have you really thought this through, Quentin? I am about to attend a wedding ceremony as the bridegroom. If anything suddenly happens to me, I''m afraid you won''t be able to escape this place," Rocky warned. Even before he entered the forest, he already knew that it was Quentin who was following him.


    "I''m not stupid. I''m not here to kill you. Just give me the formula of the healing pill and you''re free to go!" Quentin said in a rough and gloomy voice.


    "Formula? What are you talking about?" Rocky did not want this to be easy for Quentin, so he pretended not to know about it.


    "You can''t fool me! I know that you made a special healing pill to save Valeria. Now, give the formula of that pill to me so that we can both walk out of here as soon as possible! I''m not playing games here, Odin!" Quentin roared.


    "Oh, so you want to heal yourself using my pills? I can create those pills to help you. But is this the way you''re going to ask me for help? By attacking me?" Rocky sneered, deliberately provoking Quentin.


    But after regaining his senses, Quentin finally took away the Spectral King Claw.


    "How do you know that I have those healing pills?" Rocky asked, trying to confirm that Gloria did he


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    Fief to find him.


    "The human race? Why? What are you going to do there?" Gloria asked out of curiosity.


    "Why else? I am going there to do an undercover assignment." Rocky made up an excuse on the spot. He could not let her know his plans right now.


    "That sounds exciting! I''ll also come with you." Gloria immediately showed interest, thinking that they could spend some time without anyone watching them.


    "No. I want you to wait for me here. Besides, I need to you collect some relevant information whenever there is an opportunity." Moreover, Rocky knew that he would not be able to do his tasks if Gloria would always pester him.


    "Humph! You don''t want me there so that no one will interfere when you fool around with other girls!" Gloria''s eyes widened in anger and jealousy.


    "Oh, please! Is that how you really see me?" Rocky was actually at a loss. Gloria was acting more like his wife than Valeria.


    "What is in it for me if I listen to you?" Gloria immediately bargained. As a scheming woman, she would not do something against her will if she would not gain something from it.


    "Fine! I promise to make sure that you will enter the final battle of the Godly Geniuses. Is that enough?" Rocky eventually offered.


    "Really? You are not just saying that so that I will agree?" Gloria''s eyes instantly lit up after she heard what Rocky was offering this time.


    "Tell me. When did I ever break my promise?"


    "All right! You have a deal. No take backs!" Gloria said enthusiastically. Holding on to Rocky''s promise, she hurriedly left with deep satisfaction written all over her face.

 Chapter 1826 An Exchange Of Courtesies

    Two days later, the much-awaited wedding ceremony was held as scheduled.


    The square in Gilbert''s mansion, where the ceremony was going to be held, was crowded with guests and important figures. It was an understatement to say that the air was filled with gaiety.


    However, in contrast to weddings done in the human race, it was more straightforward and was mostly just for formality.


    At this moment, Rocky and Valeria were already at the high platform in their stunning wedding attire, receiving warm greetings and blessings from the guests.


    But aside from the couple, the attention of most of the people was actually focused on Princess Layla, who came to the wedding to officiate the ceremony. It was known that Princess Layla was the most beautiful woman in the entire Shura Race. Moreover, since her mother was the former queen, many people really admired and adored her. Her presiding over the wedding ceremony was proof of her close relationship with the Ghost Fief.


    After the brief ceremony, Rocky and Valeria got off the stage and prepared to cross the square so that they could enter their bridal chamber.


    At the same time, Gilbert, Flora, and Princess Layla escorted the newly-wedded couple in person.


    However, they suddenly noticed that a commotion was happening at the other side of the square. Eventual


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    e gift, the guests started whispering among themselves again. After all, this clearly meant that the Ghost Fief and the Flower Fief should now express their support to Prince Zain.


    At the same time, Gilbert and Flora also exchanged worried glances with each other. They both knew that Zain just made a pretty clever move, not even allowing them a chance to refuse. Moreover, he must have deliberately done it in front of Princess Layla to embarrass her.


    However, at this moment, Rocky suddenly said, "Dear, since this is our first time meeting with the prince, I think it is just appropriate that we also give him a gift in return. This way, it will be an exchange of courtesies!"


    Obviously, Valeria could not help but look at Rocky in confusion. She knew that he was planning something, but she could not understand what exactly he was up to.


    Even Zain furrowed his brows in surprise. Rocky definitely said that they were going to give him something in return. However, in his opinion, even if they were Godly Geniuses, they could not possibly hand him something that would be as precious as the Spirit-nourishing Pearl.


    "Haven''t we collected a lot of treasures while we were in the Holy Heaven Palace? I think we acquired something very suitable to give the prince as a gift," Rocky added as he winked at Valeria.

 Chapter 1827 The True Feelings

    "Oh, yes. We have collected lots of treasures," Valeria responded, playing along with Rocky.


    "If I remember correctly, one of them is a divine treasure. So, if we are to give something to Prince Zain, why not that?" Then, right after Rocky spoke of it, he took out a seemingly unremarkable and ordinary purple root.


    At the same time, everyone was intrigued upon hearing that Rocky mentioned a divine treasure. However, when their gazes fell on the object that Rocky just took out, the people present showed a confused expression. After all, it looked far from being precious, and it seemed that nothing was special about it.


    Of course, this was what the weak thought. But in the eyes of the strong warriors, especially those at the Shura Realm, they could see a dazzling spiritual light emitting from it.


    "Is that the Purple Demonic Root?" Gilbert suddenly exclaimed as he recognized the divine treasure in Rocky''s hand.


    Immediately after, the crowd went into an uproar upon hearing what Gilbert just said. They knew that the Purple Demonic Root was an extremely rare divine treasure. It could absorb and condense the essence of heaven and earth and also transform it into powerful demonic energy. However, because of the treasure''s fiendish nature, it could only be refined by masters that were at least at the Shura Realm. Hence, for masters at the Shura Realm, it was indeed a coveted treasure that could be used to f


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    ia had somehow figured it out already, but she just refused to admit it to herself.


    "Of course not. It''s just a coincidence that you also wanted to marry me," Rocky replied, forcing a smile. Of course, he would not want to admit such a cruel thing so easily.


    "Well, whatever. Even if I know that you are lying, you won''t admit it anyway," Valeria said, sounding very dejected.


    "I can see that you are starting to know me better... Anyway, we all have our own goals. But believe me when I say that I won''t hurt you no matter what," Rocky uttered firmly.


    "I hope so..." Ever since the Spiritual Emperor Contest, Valeria started to realize that Rocky had been keeping so many secrets that sometimes she was already having a hard time identifying which were real from not.


    "I think you are just tired. Have a rest for now. I am going to prepare for my trip to the human race, so I have to leave for a while." After saying that, Rocky hurriedly left.


    As Rocky left her side, Valeria''s eyes actually glistened. She felt so strange, not knowing when she started to have such inexplicable feelings towards Rocky. Right now, she felt that she couldn''t live without him. Therefore, just the thought of Rocky leaving, and not knowing when he would be back, gave her unexplainable heartaches.


    On the other hand, she clearly knew that she could not possibly bind Rocky to her side, not even with her genuine love for him.

 Chapter 1828 He Has Come Back

    Since the wedding ceremony was now completed, the alliance between the Ghost Fief and the Flower Fief had finally become official. Because of this, most fiefs naturally saw them as a huge threat.


    Two days after the wedding, the godly voice descended on the nine fiefs, announcing the result of the Spiritual Emperor Contest held in the human race. Since no Godly Genius was able to win the first place, no one obtained a reward this time.


    Actually, Rocky was supposed to be rewarded, since he won the championship using his identity as Basil. But of course, even Mikayla could not afford to expose his human identity, so she also pretended not to know about it.


    At the same time, a new training quest was announced. But upon hearing it, all of the Godly Geniuses were bewildered by its content. This time, the Godly Geniuses were asked to choose a side in the upcoming war and help them win. Of course, there were only two choices; it was either the Shura Race or the joint forces of the human race and the spiritual race.


    Obviously, this was a baffling quest, and no one understood the meaning behind it¡ªexcept Rocky. The moment he heard it, he instantly knew that this quest was specifically designed for him.


    In this war, the joint forces of the human race and the spiritual race could not lose. Losing the battle meant that the Shura Race would gain the power to rule the entire


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    earing the whole story, Rocky, Colton and Eunice were filled with complex emotions. They could not help but think that they were actually bound by the threads of fate.


    "By the way, I heard from Basil that my father was accidentally trapped in an unknown dimension while exploring the Holy Heaven Palace but was successfully brought back. After that, I contemplated a lot and deemed that it might be the right time to come back and take responsibility for my actions in the past," Esteban declared in a low voice.


    "I see. Grandfather will be very happy once he knows that you finally came back. Unfortunately, your reunion might have to wait a little more. He actually entered the Holy Heaven Palace again not long ago," Colton said with regret.


    "What? Why would he do that?" Rocky could not help but exclaim in surprise. After all, he knew the extreme dangers brought by exploring the place.


    "He said that he wants to explore the Holy Heaven Palace as much as he could for the sake of the Di Clan. But he also assured us that whenever the clan needs him, he will come back right away," Colton explained.


    "I see. I did not expect that I wouldn''t be able to see him after all," Esteban sighed, a bit disappointed with the news.


    "Don''t worry. He should come back sooner or later. I''m sure that you two will have the chance to meet," Colton said firmly, comforting his uncle.

 Chapter 1829 The War

    "By the way, what have you gained from your trip to the spiritual race, Chief Colton?" Rocky asked immediately, eager to hear what the chief would say.


    "Obviously they don''t want to join hands with us in a fight against the Shura Race. Humph, I reckon it''s because the Shura Race is only sending their troops to the human race, so the spiritual race doesn''t see the need to preemptively participate in the war." Colton breathed a troubled sigh.


    "That''s just as I expected. Have you made preparations for the war?" Rocky asked.


    "I''ve already met the leaders of the Sky-suppressing Mansion and the Sovereign Pavilion. This time, they are willing to do their best to help our Di Clan. After all, winning the war would ensure the survival of the human race," Colton replied.


    "That''s good. Before we left the Shura Race, we learned that they already sent out a spearhead. I reckon they''ve already reached the border," Rocky reported. He had collected a lot of valuable intel while he had been in the Shura Race.


    "Yes. I heard from the frontier yesterday that the spearhead of


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    lton cast a glance at Rocky.


    "That plan is currently confidential. I''m not forcing you to join me; you''re free to leave anytime if you don''t want to stay," Rocky answered as he waved he hand.


    The Spiritual Emperors once again looked at each other as they tried to figure out what to do. There must be another reason why Colton trusted him so much. With a war pending to start at any moment, all of them were eager to help the human race. What was more, if they helped win the war, their prestige in the Ethereal Region would surely improve.


    "I am willing to join you." Of course, there were also those who expressed their support for Rocky, such as Carla, who was the first one to join him.


    "Me too." Lilith followed immediately.


    Several other Spiritual Emperors also followed and raised their hands to show their willingness to join Rocky''s independent army.


    But still, most of them were hesitant.


    "I''ll join too." Out of the blue, Michelle also raised her hand.


    "Michelle, what are you doing?" Holden didn''t expect this and felt as if he was being betrayed.

 Chapter 1830 The Super Skill

    Apparently, Michelle was also secretly planning something. Since she had clearly witnessed Rocky''s strength back in the Spiritual Emperor Contest, she didn''t dare to underestimate him. But of course, she was still unwilling to fully submit to him. Instead, she wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to join the independent army and prove that Rocky was not someone omnipotent.


    "Fine. I will also join the army." Upon seeing that Michelle had eagerly joined Rocky''s army, Holden had no choice but to follow suit.


    Afterward, many Spiritual Emperors also expressed their willingness to join. It seemed that the influence of Michelle and Holden helped this time.


    Thirty minutes had already passed and more than half of the Spiritual Emperors present had already agreed to join. However, the rest still remained cautious and a bit skeptical about taking this huge risk, especially after knowing that Rocky would be this army''s leader.


    "All right. Those of you who chose not to join me can return now. As for those who volunteered to be a part of the army, all of you are going to receive a treasure for joining. Use it whenever you deem necessary." Immediately after, Rocky took out more than twenty holy treasures from the palace.


    At the sight of this, all of the Spiritual Emperors, both those who joined and not, were rendered speechless and could just stare with their eyes wide open.


    Of course, those w


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    unterattack. However, despite being attacked by the girls simultaneously, he was able to dodge them with ease.


    After a while, Carla and Eunice were already panting. They used their strongest attacks, but it seemed that Rocky was just toying with them.


    "I quit..." Recognizing that no matter how hard they tried, they would not be able to land a strike on Rocky, both girls had to surrender.


    They were shaking their heads and smiling bitterly while looking at Rocky''s calm face.


    "Actually, you two have good coordination, and your spiritual skills complement each other. Hmm, why don''t you try practicing a combination skill?" Rocky suggested after seeing how the two women fought him.


    "A combination skill?" Carla and Eunice were stunned because they never thought of it before. Besides, they did not have any combination skills that they could learn.


    "Wait a moment." Rocky immediately contacted the guardian of the palace through his mind and asked if there was a combination skill hidden in the palace that was suitable for the Spiritual Emperors.


    Not long after, a shiny golden secret manual appeared in Rocky''s hand.


    "Now, take this book and practice the skill recorded in it as soon as you can." Both girls gladly accepted the manual and were excited to give it a try.


    If they could master a new powerful skill with their combined powers, it would surely be a great help on the battlefield.

 Chapter 1831 The Battlefront

    After seeing that Carla and Eunice were able to acquire a secret manual from Rocky, the other Spiritual Emperors began to get pumped up. They also wanted to try fighting Rocky with all their might, hoping that they could get something good in return.


    Eventually, several Spiritual Emperors attacked Rocky one after another.


    On the other hand, Rocky was able to deal with them with ease. At the same time, he pointed out all of the shortcomings of these Spiritual Emperors so that they could improve their skills further.


    During this activity, Rocky had a good understanding of the individual strengths and weaknesses of the Spiritual Emperors. After giving his assessments, he also gave secret manuals suitable for their respective cultivation.


    "How about you, Michelle? You are the only one left," Rocky said after noticing that Michelle seemed not to have any intention of fighting him.


    "I don''t need to fight you just so you can help me improve," Michelle replied coldly, letting out a frown.


    "Why not?" Rocky asked, raising his eyebrows. It seemed that Michelle wanted her own way of doing things.


    "I am not your opponent, so it''s meaningless to fight with you," Michelle answered haughtily while crossing her arms on her chest.


    "Then, what do you think would be meaningful? Feel free to give your suggestion."


    "Give me the cultivation method of your most powerful spiritual skill. Perhaps, the swordsmanship you used in the Spiritual Emperor Contest. After I cultivate


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    of all the sects, so I have high hopes for you. However, if any of you still want to back out, this is your one last chance to do so. If you choose to go to the battlefield but run away later, I will punish any deserter according to the military law!" Rocky declared sternly.


    When they heard this, the expression on the faces of the Spiritual Emperors became serious. They knew how hard it would be, and their lives would be in grave danger. However, most of them were also prideful and did not intend to give up at this point.


    "Good! Do not give up and continue striving for victory. Now, return to your quarters and get ready." Rocky immediately waved his hand and dismissed the Spiritual Emperors.


    When all of them had already left, Rocky went to see Eunice and Carla.


    "I have a favor to ask from you two. I need you to lead the Spiritual Emperors to the Moon City tomorrow and meet up with the other soldiers," Rocky said straightforwardly.


    "It''s fine. But what about you? What are you going to do?" Eunice asked out of curiosity.


    "I need to go to the front line to collect some more information. When I''m done, I''ll meet you in the Moon City later," Rocky explained.


    "Okay then." Hearing this, the two girls agreed without any objection.


    Afterward, Rocky returned to his own place to make some preparations. He also took some of the pills that Esteban refined for him during the last few days. Immediately after, he left the Di Clan and went directly to the front line.

 Chapter 1832 Two Days Later

    About two days later, Rocky finally arrived at the front line battlefield, where the supreme headquarters of the human race''s army behind the defense line was situated.


    The commander in chief, who was leading the human army in the front line, was actually the deputy commander in chief who worked under Colton before¡ªDevin. To be able to take this responsibility, he was also one of the most important figures who existed in the Ethereal Region.


    Before Rocky came, Devin already got a message from Colton informing him about the young man''s visit. Thus, upon his arrival, Rocky immediately went to see Devin.


    "You must be Basil." Devin had never seen Rocky before, so he was extremely surprised to see that he was indeed very young. For someone who had already attained so many great achievements, this was completely out of Devin''s expectations.


    "Yes, that''s right. It is a pleasure to meet you."


    "Oh, please. It is my pleasure to meet you! I actually could not believe it when Chief Colton sent me a message saying that you are coming here. This is my first time seeing the legendary figure in person." Devin already heard Colton mentioning Rocky a long time ago. He had heard all of Rocky''s contributions to lead the human race in victory over the spiritual race.


    "Ha-ha. It is already a thing in the past. It''s not really worth bragging over and over. Anyway, I believe Chief Colton already told you the reason for my sudden


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    , looking at Rocky with a confused expression.


    "Yes. But the one who will confront the spearhead army of the Shura Race is my army. I will lure the enemy to give the independent army a nice warm-up." Rocky voiced out his thoughts without any hesitation.


    Hearing this, Commander Wang was actually rendered speechless. There were really times that he could not figure out how Rocky''s mind worked.


    However, since he fully knew Rocky''s ability, he could just trust his judgment. Hence, he immediately ordered his army to retreat from Moon City, and they camped in a small town not far away from the city.


    When Commander Wang''s army had safely left the city, Rocky immediately deployed three thousand soldiers of his independent army to defend the city. At the same time, he handpicked five thousand soldiers from them to carry out the special training regarding the mysterious military arrays.


    About three days later, everything was finally ready.


    Meanwhile, Devin, who had also evacuated to Bing City because of the raid at the front line, also instructed the other troops to withdraw into the surrounding areas of the city under Rocky''s order.


    Because of the tricky terrain of Bing City, it was difficult to both defend and attack it. Hence, the spearhead army of the Shura Race couldn''t just march into the city without encountering any hindrance. In order to be on the safe side, they could only advance little by little.

 Chapter 1833 Ambush

    Everything was going according to Rocky''s plan as a spearhead comprised of ten thousand soldiers were sent by the Shura Race to capture the Moon City.


    The Shura Race intended to win the battle in one fell swoop since they believed there would only be a handful of soldiers left protecting the gated city.


    "For any soldiers left inside the Moon City, I am ordering you to surrender, or all of you will be killed!" The commander of the Shura Race shouted in front of the city gate.


    Rocky appeared on top of the gate, wearing a confident smile.


    He asked his soldiers to raise a white flag on top of the city wall and shout, "We surrender!" Then, they opened the gate.


    The commander of the Shura Race immediately felt something was amiss when they surrendered that easily. He hesitated to lead his army inside the fortified city.


    "What''s the matter? Come in! We''ve already surrendered!" Rocky invited the opposing army when he saw them hesitate to enter.


    "Are you mistaking us for fools? This is obviously a trick!" The commander sneered at him.


    "Whether you are fooled or not, the result will just be the same!" Rocky said with a sm


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    nt.


    When the Shura Race started their attack, the commander went to the frontlines himself, intending to finish the battle in only a matter of seconds.


    The commander, with a spiritual halberd in one hand, led ten thousand soldiers out of the city to face the opposing army in a head-on battle.


    While the two armies stood still, Israel emerged from his army before signaling to the garrison''s commander to fight him one on one.


    "Retreat now or face the wrath of my spiritual halberd!" The commander of the garrison shouted at the army of the Shura Race. Since he was a Spiritual Emperor at the premium stage, he thought that he was the strongest one on the battlefield.


    Israel sneered and rushed towards his opponent alone.


    The commander sneered when he saw this. He was oblivious of Israel''s real strength, and so he charged at him.


    A battle between the two quickly broke out, but it took only a few moments for Israel to pummel his opponent to the ground and make him spurt out blood.


    "You are a Spiritual Emperor at peak state!" The commander of the garrison was stunned. He didn''t expect someone that strong would show up.

 Chapter 1834 An Empty City

    Israel dashed forward and firmly grabbed the commander by the collar. He then turned to the soldiers and warned, "If you want your commander alive, surrender now!"


    The soldiers shot each other nervous and frightened stares.


    "What are you waiting for? Surrender to him!" the commander, fearing for his own life, immediately ordered his troops without a second thought.


    Yet the soldiers still hesitated, uncertain of what to do next.


    "You can''t surrender!" A loud voice suddenly boomed before a figure floated over and landed directly in front of Israel.


    "It''s you!" Israel exclaimed as he immediately recognized the figure standing before him as Basil.


    "Have we met before?" Rocky asked, pretending to not know Israel at all.


    The latter''s eyes widened in disbelief. He managed to successfully disguise himself during his previous altercation with Rocky so it was no surprise that he wouldn''t be recognized.


    "Who the hell are you? What do you want? Whether we surrender or not is none of your business!" the commander shouted furiously at Rocky, his nerves slowly getting the better of him.


    Rocky showed him the token Devin gave him before he began to explain, "This is an off


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    sitioned in a powerful array.


    It didn''t take long before the Shura Race soldiers rushed into their trap and were instantly annihilated.


    After losing around a few thousand soldiers, Alonso finally pointed out the ambush and was utterly shocked.


    "Israel, focus on breaking up their array!" Alonso ordered anxiously.


    Israel frowned at his harsh tone. Although feeling reluctant to be bossed around, he still leaped up into the sky and dashed towards the city gate. When he looked at the ground below him, he saw a strange array outside the city that even he couldn''t see through.


    "Wait! That is a mysterious military array! I can''t believe such a powerful master exists in the human race!" Israel exclaimed, taken aback by the array before him.


    The mysterious military arrays were not ordinary tricks. Even if Israel was a peak-level Spiritual Emperor, it would be impossible for him to break the array if he couldn''t discover its flaws.


    He decided against directly breaking into it and instead stood on top of the city wall to watch.


    It took Israel about an hour to finally figure out the flaws in the mysterious array. He quickly hopped down and went straight to its center.

 Chapter 1835 Getting The News

    Fortunately, Rocky already anticipated what Israel might do. Hence, he just waited at the center of the mysterious array in advance until Israel appeared. Then, when the Godly Genius arrived as he had predicted, Rocky instantly summoned the God-killing Sword and directly rushed towards Israel.


    When he saw the God-killing Sword, Israel''s face turned ghastly pale. The horror he experienced back in the Spiritual Emperor Contest was still vivid in his memories. Thus, with all his might, he managed to avoid the sword and maintained his distance from Rocky.


    "It''s you!" Upon recognizing that his enemy this time was none other than Rocky, Israel trembled in anger.


    "Yes, that''s right. If you want to break this array, you have to defeat me first," Rocky stated while exhibiting an irresistible momentum.


    Hearing Rocky''s confident remarks, Israel could not help but grit his teeth and clench his fists. He was well aware of his enemy''s real strength, so he knew that the man in front of him wasn''t just bluffing. If he really tried to fight Rocky head-on, nothing good would come out of it. However, if he backed off right now, he wouldn''t know how to explain his failure.


    "You know very well that with your strength, it won''t be a problem for you to protect yourself and leave. But you also know that it will be impossible for you to get past me. I advise you to give up and get out of here right now!" Rocky said bluntly.


    "Who the hell are you really?" Israel could not help but ask in a frustrated tone. He had always felt that Rocky w


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    .


    "If that is true, I''m afraid that this will be bad for us. The people from all those alien worlds on the continent might suddenly revolt against the royal family when they hear this piece of news." Zain''s confidant immediately expressed his concern.


    "We can''t let that happen! Imprison all the people that we captured from the alien worlds. Issue this order right away!" Zain commanded without any hesitation.


    "But Your Royal Highness, without these people, our labor force will be greatly reduced," the confidant warned. Of course, this was a dilemma since they could not really afford to diminish their workforce just because of this war.


    "Don''t worry. Once we suppress the human race and spiritual race this time, we will not lack people to put in the labor force!" Zain dismissed his confidant''s remarks, confident that he could win this battle.


    "Yes, I understand." Seeing that the prince had already made up his mind, the confidant could just agree.


    "Moreover, ask the army to be on standby for now. Five days later, I shall take the role of the commander in chief and lead them to battle myself. It''s time to let those humans know the true power of the Shura Race!" Zain declared mightily.


    A few days later, news came to the human race that the Shura Race had officially dispatched their main troop to confront them.


    Upon learning this, Colton immediately contacted Rocky. However, it seemed that Rocky had already heard the news in advance from Valeria, who was collecting information for him while in the Ghost Fief.

 Chapter 1836 The Expedition

    "Basil, the Shura Race is already on the move. They sent out their major army, and it seems that they are serious to finish us in one fell swoop," Colton said anxiously.


    "I know. Prince Zain must be the one who leads the army this time. After all, it was his idea to suppress both the human race and the spiritual race in order to establish his position on becoming the next king of the Shura Race," Rocky replied rather calmly. At this point, he knew that the real war against the Shura Race was about to commence in just a matter of time.


    "What is the plan?" Colton asked expectantly.


    "To be perfectly honest, we are going to lose as soon as the main army of the Shura Race shows up." Rocky let out a frown as he told the truth. The only role of the spearhead was to test the strength of the human race. But once the major army of the Shura Race took action, the human army had no way of resisting them.


    Colton''s face darkened in disappointment and frustration.


    "The Shura Race is superior in terms of military strength and spiritual warriors." Rocky heaved a heavy sigh and added, "It seems that we really cannot fight them head-on unless the spiritual race supports us."


    "Well, that''s exactly what the spiritual race believes in. Therefore, they don''t want to risk anything by helping us." Colton shook his head and despaired. He knew that if this went on, they could only watch the fall of the human race.


    "


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    thousand soldiers from the Di Clan. This way, your independent army might somehow increase its chance of winning. Also, I will ask two elders from the Di Clan to assist you." This might be their last chance to save the human race, so Colton wanted to do his best to at least help Rocky overcome this seemingly impossible task.


    "Thank you very much, Chief Colton. I''ll make use of all your help to seize the victory," Rocky answered with conviction.


    Three days later, the two elders that were tasked by Colton to assist Rocky led twenty thousand soldiers of the Di Clan to Moon City to meet up with Rocky''s independent army.


    With the addition of the soldiers from the Di Clan, Rocky now had fifty thousand soldiers at his disposal. Additionally, he had more than twenty Spiritual Emperors and the two elders from the Di Clan, who were premium-stage Spiritual Emperors. With this, the overall fighting power of the independent army could not be taken lightly.


    Because their mission was to be carried out in secrecy, Rocky did not explain anything to his army before they set out. He did not even tell them where they were headed. He just ordered them to be fully armed and prepared.


    Moreover, he also captured some spiritual beasts in order to carry their provisions and fodders that could last for several months.


    When everything was finally ready, the independent army left Moon City and began their expedition.

 Chapter 1837 Rockys Plan

    The army of the Shura Race, led by Zain, began to launch an all-out attack on the human race''s front lines, intending to break through their defenses in one go.


    Try as they might, the human race eventually succumbed to the enemy''s offensive due to the sheer disparity of their strength and numbers.


    It only took a few days before half of the human army''s defenses were trampled to the ground, and the speed at which they were losing was still increasing.


    At the same time, after marching for days, Rocky''s independent army finally reached the border of the Shura Race.


    But naturally, they were met with the fortified defenses of the Shura Race''s army. It would be a daunting task for them to get in.


    Of course, Rocky came prepared. He managed to obtain the location of where the troops of the Shura Race were stationed and easily found a spot where they could sneak in through a narrow gap in the army''s defenses. From there, they could make it to the Blood Fief.


    Since the Blood Fief withdrew from the contest after their Godly Genius was killed by Israel, the other eight fiefs


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    ief together with us, leaving their territory with little to no troops left to defend. From there, the human army will do all the work and conquer them," Rocky said.


    "Are you sure this human commander in chief can be trusted?" Gilbert asked worriedly.


    "I''m willing to pledge for him as the Godly Genius," Rocky vowed solemnly. Of course, he was confident since he himself was the said commander in chief of the human army.


    "Well, since it''s good for us, it''s worth taking a risk. I''ll go to the Blood Fief now and have a talk with their leader!" Gilbert finally agreed. Even he couldn''t overlook that this was indeed a great opportunity to strengthen the Ghost Fief. Even if everything went astray, he wouldn''t be the one to suffer any losses since it was the human race that was going to fight against the Blood Fief. But if the plan succeeded, they could even be more powerful than the Primitive Fief. His mouth began to water at the thought of this.


    "Thank you, sir." Rocky secretly breathed out a sigh of relief as he nodded.


    Soon, Gilbert left and went to the Blood Fief.

 Chapter 1838 His Brilliant Plan

    "Wow, you actually did it! Being able to bring the human army here is definitely nothing to scoff at." On the other side, Valeria listened attentively to the conversation. As soon as Gilbert left, she shot Rocky with an exaggerated expression.


    "Nothing ventured, nothing gained!" Rocky smiled at her in response.


    "Doesn''t it frighten you that your identity might get revealed?" This was what worried her the most.


    "If I''m afraid, then I won''t come back here at all," Rocky said with a shrug and smiled confidently.


    "Is there anything I can do to help you?" With frail and feeble in her eyes, Valeria asked Rocky.


    "The leader of the Flower Fief is such a wary person. I''m afraid that she might reject my offer. I hope you can send her a message indicating that it was your idea and not mine," Rocky said after much thought.


    "So you''re asking me to lie to my adoptive mother?" Valeria frowned.


    "But it''s only a white lie. Of course, it''s up to you if you''ll expose the truth to her," Rocky deliberately said.


    Now that Valeria was the wife of the Godly Genius of the Ghost Fief, she was more than aware that if something bad happened to him, her name would also be involved.


    "Sure, I''ll help as long as you stay cautious!" Valeria didn''t know what was wrong with her, as she didn''t care much about herself rather she was only


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    ed tonight by your service, I''ll take both of you as my concubines!" As soon as he finished his words, he pounced on Carla.


    Carla saw this coming from a mile away and immediately dodged.


    "Wow, you are really good at dodging. You won''t be able to escape from me tonight though! Don''t waste your time!" The leader of the Blood Fief snickered and pounced on her once again.


    Eagerly wanting to please his lust, the leader tried his best to get hold of the two girls. Blinded by his insatiable thirst, he didn''t notice that the person he managed to get a hold of was a man.


    "Leader of the Blood Fief, you are in such a hurry!"


    "Who... Who are you?" Confused and scared at the same time, the leader stared blankly at the man in front of him.


    "The name''s Basil," Rocky said, introducing himself.


    "Who the hell is Basil? I''ve never heard of such a name. How dare you trespass into the Blood Fief? Are you courting death?" After the leader got over his initial shock, a tremendous aura belonging only to the Shura Race rushed out of his body.


    Given that an enchanted barrier was set around the whole room, the leader''s aura couldn''t burst out of it. The whole room was designed so that no one would be able to tell what was happening inside.


    Soon, beams of sword light flashed in the room as Rocky and the leader exchanged strikes.

 Chapter 1839 Come Out Right Now

    The following day, the head of the Blood Fief''s leader was seen hanging in front of the gate of his mansion. It was done intentionally so that everyone could see the horrifying scene.


    "The leader is dead! He has been killed!"


    Soon enough, the news of the death of the Blood Fief''s leader quickly spread throughout the main city like wildfire. The citizens were scared for their lives. Right now, the Blood Fief did not have a leader, so no one was going to take command.


    At the same time, Rocky took the opportunity to lead the independent army and launch an attack on the main city. Since the remaining warriors and soldiers were suffering from low morale, they were easily brought down.


    Soon enough, the city walls broke down and chaos spread out even further.


    Not long after, several elders and Spiritual Emperors from the leader''s mansion rushed over to confront the independent army with all their might.


    However, as soon as Rocky displayed his strength at the Shura Realm, he was able to easily suppress the elders and the Spiritual Emperors of the Blood Fief.


    After that, Rocky went on a killing spree, slaughtering the elders and the Spiritual Emperors as if he was a killing machine.


    Due to Rocky''s heroics and superior strength, the capital of the Blood Fief was completely captured after a day.


    Except for the spirit warriors from the leader''s mansion, the independent army let go of the ordinary people, driving them out of the city.


    Immediately after, the independent army establish


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    also present.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, I assume you already know why I summoned all of you here today. As you know, the Blood Fief was recently captured by the human army. Furthermore, their leader was beheaded and was shown as a public display. This is the first time in the history of the Shura Race that such a horrendous thing occurred! Now, I want to know what exactly happened!" The silver-haired king had a serious expression and was even oozing with a fiendish aura. Although he was over a hundred and sixty years old right now, his power was still tremendous.


    "I think that there were very suspicious things happening right under our noses. Your Majesty, I beg that this matter be investigated thoroughly!" Zain immediately expressed his opinion, hinting that the Ghost Fief had something to do with the bizarre turn of events.


    "Yes, I agree that a thorough investigation is necessary. However, let us not forget the fact that the only reason why the human army could get past the defense line of the Shura race and easily conquer the Blood Fief is that Zain summoned a large number of soldiers to the front line. He even recruited from the soldiers of all the fiefs just so he could accomplish this supposed brilliant plan. However, as we all saw, not only was he unable to conquer the territory of the human race, his actions also led to the fall of the Blood Fief!" At this time, Enoch stepped forward and gave his own thoughts. Obviously, based on what he said, he wanted to pin all the blame on Zain.

 Chapter 1840 The Kings Surprising Decision

    What Prince Enoch just said actually made a lot of sense, and thus many people present started discussing with each other.


    "Uncle Enoch, are you implying that I deliberately did all of this? Do you think I would intentionally withdraw the soldiers from our defense line so that the human army can have a chance to invade our territory?" Zain asked, raising his eyebrows. He was the one who really wanted to suppress the entire human race, so he was offended when Enoch insinuated that he might be the one who helped them.


    "Well, I did not say any of that. I was just stating a fact. You cannot refute that your actions were the reason why the army of the Shura Race stationed in our territories was not able to fend off the human army," Enoch responded, not backing down.


    "Stop arguing. It won''t do us any good. Besides, I am partly at fault since I allowed Zain to summon our army to the front line. None of us expected that those humans would dare attack our stronghold by taking advantage of the weakened defense line. However, although our defense line was slightly thinned, I am still confused as to how this human army became so powerful. How the hell could they easily take down one of the major fiefs and occupy their capital? Is there anyone who has a piece of information about the enemy commander?" the king asked with furrowed brows.


    Most of the fief leaders and royal members also exchanged looks upon hearing this question. In fact, they were also wondering about this. However, none of them could answer since they did not know who the enemy leader was.


    "Your Majesty, hasn''t the Ghost Fie


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    hance that the royal bloodline will be cut off!"


    For a while, the leaders of the fiefs and the royal members had engaged in serious conversations about what they just learned.


    Meanwhile, after the king left, he eventually entered another hall. At the center of this place, a delicate figure covered by a luminous veil was floating in the air and was waiting for him.


    "Madam, I already explained to them that the range of candidates for the successor this time will be expanded. I informed everything according to your instructions," the king respectfully said as he bowed towards the figure.


    "I see. Thank you."


    "But even I don''t understand. Why do we need to do this?" the king asked in confusion. It seemed that the king was only told to announce the new method, and even he did not know the exact reason.


    "I was disappointed that Zain failed to conquer the human race this time, and he was supposed to be the strongest candidate to become the next ruler! Therefore, I don''t think we should limit the selection to just three candidates. I want to pick the most capable one to become the next ruler of the Shura Race even if he or she will come from outside the current royal family."


    "I understand..." the king replied nervously.


    "Remember that all of this is for the Shura Race and the whole continent. I hope that your personal opinion won''t hinder what is best for everyone," the figure said, directing a warning towards the king.


    "Yes, of course." After the king responded, the hall suddenly became quiet. Then, when he raised his head, the delicate figure had already disappeared.

 Chapter 1841 Attack The Human Race

    When the king suddenly left just like that, the fief leaders and the ministers present were at a loss. It was as if he did not really plan to properly explain his peculiar behavior at all.


    "So, that''s it? What are we going to do then? What about the matter regarding the Blood Fief?" Obviously, Briggs still had a lot of complaints. As the son of the late leader of the Blood Fief, he had just taken the role of the leader of the fief. Since he was very dissatisfied with the outcome of the discussion, he had no choice but to raise his concern to Zain. "Your Royal Highness, please uphold justice for me on this matter!"


    Immediately after, Zain shot a glance at Gilbert. After thinking for a moment, he eventually said, "Gilbert, I know that the royal family has rarely intervened in the fight among the fiefs, but this situation is an exception. I think you''d better return the control of the Blood Fief to Briggs."


    "Your Royal Highness, don''t get me wrong. It''s not that I don''t want to return it. However, what will I say to the generals and soldiers of the Ghost Fief who have risked their lives in order to take the Blood Fief back from the human army? Don''t you think that it''s going to be unfair for them? The Blood Fief fell completely under the control of the human race, and what did the other fiefs do? They j


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    the human army''s plot. If you make a sudden move against the fellow members of the Shura Race, you will just give them what they want! Remember everything that happened. The only reason why the human army suddenly broke into the territory of the Shura Race is that they wanted to prevent Zain from successfully invading the territory of the human race. If the fiefs start fighting against each other in this kind of situation, the human army will have more chances of winning against us!" Layla analyzed the situation in a calm voice. "In the first place, if Zain did not dispatch the troops of the Shura Race to attack the territory of the human race, then the Blood Fief would not end up like this."


    "What do you want to say, Layla? Are you saying that I am to blame for all of this?" Zain asked coldly. His face darkened, knowing that Layla was deliberately making his image look bad in front of everyone present.


    "Don''t be angry at me. I did not say anything wrong. I''m just preventing further problems to arise than fanning the flames," Layla replied with a sweet and gentle smile.


    Zain''s face twitched even more. He could not retort since he knew that the princess was right. If it weren''t for his ambition to conquer the territory of the human race, the human army would not resort to invading the Blood Fief.

 Chapter 1842 After Getting Married

    "Briggs, the Blood Fief was taken back by the Ghost Fief. According to tradition, you just can''t demand Gilbert to return it to you. You can have it back by using force. However, you have to understand that now is not the right time for that. The most important thing is to confirm that the army of the human race has already withdrawn from the border of the Shura Race. We have to prevent them from mysteriously appearing again while we are unprepared. We cannot let what happened to the Blood Fief be repeated," Princess Layla said, pounding some logic into Briggs.


    "Your Royal Highness, you don''t need to worry about it. If the human army dares to invade the Shura Race again, I promise to annihilate all of them. They shall pay the price of killing my father!" Briggs answered, fueled with hatred.


    "Moreover, didn''t you hear the king say that the Ghostly Demon Land will open in ten days? He even relaxed the requirements to be his successor. It means that any powerful warrior from the Shura Race will have the chance to participate in the challenges and even become the next ruler. The matter regarding the Blood Fief can wait, but this rare opportunity won''t. Don''t you agree?" Layla dangled a more enticing bait to divert Briggs'' attention.


    Thinking about it, Briggs nodded and thought that the princess made a lot of sense.


    "We will focus on going


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    ing the Ghostly Demon Land and participating in this training was such a big deal. Both Rocky and Valeria were Godly Geniuses, meaning that they were also qualified to participate. Although Gilbert wanted to help Layla gain the position, he still wanted to be fair and give the two a chance to make their own decision about this matter.


    "Sir, are you trying to ask us if we are willing to enter the Ghostly Demon Land together with Princess Layla?" Rocky asked, instantly reading what was on Gilbert''s mind.


    "That''s right. As you know, we have already pledged our support for her. So, now that we can also accompany her inside the Ghostly Demon Land, we must take this opportunity to help her. However, even if a master is already at the Shura Realm, they may still not be able to escape the danger of the Ghostly Demon Land unscathed. Therefore, I actually plan to let one of you go with Princess Layla. Now, who wants to do it?" Gilbert asked straightforwardly.


    Hearing this, Rocky and Valeria looked at each other. "I''ll go!" both of them shouted almost at the same time.


    Gilbert could not help but laugh at the response of the couple. "I didn''t know that you can change a lot right after getting married. I''m impressed how you two understand each other very well."


    Of course, Valeria''s face turned red immediately after she heard Gilbert''s remark.

 Chapter 1843 What Happened In The Ancient Times

    "Valeria, it''s too dangerous. Just stay here." Since Rocky knew that this task would be far too dangerous than the previous ones, he didn''t want Valeria to take the risk.


    "Ha! You''re trying to get rid of me again? No way! I will go with you this time, and that''s final!" When Rocky went to the territory of the human race alone, Valeria felt a deep sense of emptiness in her heart. She clearly knew that it was because she didn''t want to be apart from her husband. Hence, even though Rocky wanted her to stay behind again, she would definitely not agree this time.


    Hearing her firm response, Rocky could just shake his head and smile bitterly. It was not his intention, but it seemed that he accidentally made Valeria really fall in love with him.


    "All right. If you really insist on coming, then go with us," Rocky finally agreed, which actually surprised Valeria.


    "Really? You''re serious?" Valeria thought that it would take more than that to convince Rocky, so she did not expect that he would agree to let her come that easily.


    "Yes, of course. After all, you are the Godly Genius of the Flower Fief. It means that you are also qualified to compete to become the successor of the king. I think that it will be unfair of me to remove that opportunity for you. So, yes, come with me and give it a try." The main reason why Rocky suddenly changed his mind was that he had once promised V


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    "I''m sure you''ve already heard that the Ghostly Demon Land is no ordinary place. It was where the ancestors of the Shura Race sealed the ghostly demons, as well as their leader. Phillip''s soul was sealed in the Demon Sealing Palace inside the Ghostly Demon Land. In fact, the ancestors of the Shura Race only knew that Phillip was the master of the ghostly demons. However, the truth is that he was actually a famous great demon who existed in the Holy-Evil World. Before he was sealed by the members of the Shura Race, he first fought the deities, and he was seriously injured in that battle. After that, he fled to the Shura Continent, together with his cohorts, creating chaos throughout the continent and turning it into a living hell. Since the creatures of the Holy-Evil World could not just directly interfere, we had to find a powerful race that could fight against Phillip. Hence, the Holy-Evil World chose the ancestors of the Shura Race and taught them numerous powerful secret techniques to defeat the great demon. It was also the reason why the Shura Race suddenly rose to power and became a superior race. With our help, the ancestors of the Shura Race lived up to the expectations and finally sealed Phillip''s soul, as well as the ghostly demons. Afterward, peace eventually returned to the continent..." Mikayla revealed, recounting the unknown ancient history of the Shura Continent.

 Chapter 1844 Stay Away From Trouble

    "So, Phillip had such an amazing background. I did not see that coming!" Rocky was astonished after hearing the truth behind the master of the ghostly demons. He shook his head, thinking that the Holy-Evil World was indeed a complicated place.


    "My primary concern is that someone might be trying to remove the seal on Phillip and release his soul. If that happens, the entire Shura Continent would suffer and experience hell again. For a second time, it will be torched to the ground. However, this time, once the Shura Continent is destroyed, it also means that the Holy-Evil World will also collapse!" There was obviously anxiety and urgency in Mikayla''s voice as if she had already predicted the destruction of both the Shura Continent and the Holy-Evil World. Perhaps, this was what Deacon''s prophecy was all about. Hence, at this moment, both the deities and the members of the Shura Race could only depend on Rocky to save all of them.


    "Madam, all I need to do is prevent Phillip''s seal from being broken, right?" Hearing what Mikayla told him, Rocky understood that this should be his main task.


    "Yes. I want you to go to the Ghostly Demon Land and make sure that the seal will stay in place." Mikayla nodded firmly.


    "Can''t the deities do it by themselves? After all, you are more powerful than us mortal beings," Rocky asked, a bit confused with this fact.


    "As much as I want to, we cannot do anything. Back when Phillip was sealed, he


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    World, they were still useful and very precious in the Shura Continent.


    Seeing these items, Valeria''s eyes instantly flashed with excitement. Even at first glance, she could tell that these treasures were extraordinary.


    "Where did you get all of these?" Valeria asked out of curiosity.


    "Well, you can say that these are a part of what I gained from my trip to the territory of the human race," Rocky immediately replied, coming up with a convenient excuse.


    Valeria did not probe any further and just accepted the items happily.


    The trip to the Ghostly Demon Land this time was a rare opportunity. Many were qualified to fight for the position as the next ruler of the Shura Race. Hence, all nine fiefs wanted to make the most out of it. Even if they could not successfully become the successor of the king, they could still get lots of benefits.


    Those who were allowed to go to the Ghostly Demon Land were either superior masters from the nine fiefs or members of the royal family. All of these people were at least at the premium grade of the Emperor Realm, and many were already at the Shura Realm. At the same time, the three primary candidates, Zain, Layla, and Enoch, would surely grab this opportunity to secure their victory. Hence, they would be accompanied by powerful warriors once they entered the Ghostly Demon Land. That way, they could prevent themselves from falling into danger even if the place was filled with dangers.

 Chapter 1845 Invasion

    Although everyone knew that this trip to the Ghostly Demon Land would determine the successor of the king, none of them knew exactly what kind of trial was waiting for them. Hence, the members of the royal family and even the people from the nine fiefs were all wondering how the successor would be chosen in the end.


    But of course, no matter what task it would be, they were sure that it would require tremendous strength and skill. Therefore, at this time, everyone was busy making full preparations before they entered the Ghostly Demon Land.


    At the same time, Rocky was also carefully planning his schemes that would take advantage of the internal strife in the royal family. This way, he could weaken the Shura Race as much as possible.


    After a few days of polishing his plans, Rocky sent a letter to Eunice, who was currently at the border of the Shura Race''s territory. The letter contained Rocky''s detailed plan, and Eunice was tasked to deliver it to the Di Clan so that Colton could study it. After all, Rocky trusted them to help him with his overall goals.


    Moreover, Rocky also assigned some tasks to the independent army. Once he entered the Ghostly Demon Land, his army was to make some feints on the Shura Race''s defenses


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    d barrier remained unknown for now, it was certain that the area''s self-protection feature had already been activated. In this case, all the members of the Shura Race who had just entered the Ghostly Demon Land through the teleportation circle were in grave danger.


    Since they were all inside the Ghostly Demon Land right after the invasion happened, all kinds of unthinkable danger would be waiting for them. At this point, it was hard to tell how many would be able to return alive.


    It was known that the Ghostly Demon Land was the most dangerous and mysterious area in the Shura Continent. In fact, even a superior master, who was close to the realm of the god, might not be able to leave the place unscathed. Hence, even those at the Shura Realm would be having an extremely hard time overcoming the dangers here.


    This was the land where Phillip''s soul was sealed. Moreover, the place was home to ghostly demons. It just meant that the level of danger that could be encountered here was even greater than the Holy Heaven Palace. After all, this place used to be the battlefield where the ancestors of the Shura Race once fought the ghostly demons. There was no way that an ordinary warrior could last in here even for a short while.

 Chapter 1846 Meaningless

    However, as soon as Princess Layla''s team entered the Ghostly Demon Land, the transmission point was destroyed by the powerful force. In turn, it caused them to fail to reach their original destination. Moreover, their landing became chaotic, spreading them to various areas.


    All of the members of Layla''s team felt that they were pulled by a vicious force as if they were sucked into a black hole. They became extremely dizzy until they eventually lost consciousness.


    When Rocky finally woke up, he found himself lying on the bed of a dry river. Half of his body was buried in sand and dust, and it seemed that he was in a desolate place. A moment later, a gust of cold wind blew from all directions, making him shiver to his bone.


    Then, after a while, he noticed that he was alone. His eyes widened and he shouted, "Valeria!" As soon as he got his body out of the sand, the first thing that came to his mind was Valeria. He was worried that something bad happened to her, so he hurriedly tried to find her.


    Eventually, Rocky saw her leaning against a big stone, still unconscious.


    Then, Rocky instantly flew to her side and infused a stream of spiritual power into her body.


    A few seconds later, Valeria started moaning and slowly opened her eyes.


    "Valeria, are you okay? Are you hurt?" Rocky as


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    an entrance somewhere. We also have to find Princess Layla and the others first. Let''s hope that they are safe," Rocky said. At this time, he still did not have any clue where to find them. It was his first time in the Ghostly Demon Land, and Mikayla was not able to mention the kinds of danger that he might experience inside it. Hence, their only choice right now was to reunite with the rest of the princess''s team.


    "Okay, let''s do that. As long as I am with you, I will not be afraid of anything!" Upon hearing the words that left her own mouth, Valeria immediately turned her face away from Rocky. She blushed hard, not expecting that she could say that loudly. Naturally, women could be vulnerable when they felt alone and helpless. However, if they were with their loved ones, they could easily feel at ease since they knew that they could rely on them. Obviously, Valeria was no exception.


    On the other hand, Rocky quickly understood what the real meaning behind Valeria''s words was. But at the same time, he could just grit his teeth, feeling a little guilty that he was not in the position to respond with this clear confession of love. At this point, this kind of emotion had no place in his heart. He was too focused on completing this mission because a huge burden was placed on his shoulders.

 Chapter 1847 Lets Go

    "All right. Let''s go find them!" Valeria avoided eye contact with Rocky and tried to divert the conversation to mask her embarrassment.


    "Yes. We''d better find them quickly," Rocky responded rather emotionlessly.


    Afterward, they walked through the path along the edge of the enchanted barrier as they tried to familiarize themselves with their surroundings. At the same time, they were still desperate to know what the oasis was doing on the other side of the barrier.


    Meanwhile, just as what happened to Rocky and Valeria, Layla and her other team members were scattered due to the impact of the powerful force that destroyed the teleportation circle. Therefore, their primary objective was to also find the princess and regroup with their other companions.


    On the other hand, since Zain''s team and Enoch''s team departed for the Ghostly Demon Land before Layla''s team, they were able to avoid the impact of the powerful force. However, although they were with their respective team members, they were also sent to a different location. At this moment, both teams were at the edge of the Ghostly Demon Land.


    Enoch''s team was at the southernmost end of the Ghostly Demon Land, while Zain''s team was sent to the opposite side.


    Eventually, a delicate figure in a black robe stepped away from the rest of Enoch''s


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    f yellow sand collapsed, revealing a huge crater. Inside the crater, they could vaguely see an enormous shadow, which looked like an insect nest. Apparently, this was where the demonic tentacles came from.


    Afterward, the yellow sand covering the ground began to flow towards the crater. It was like a massive black hole that was sucking everything in its path. Under the strong suction force, the yellow sand began to move quickly, forming an immense sand whirlpool.


    Not long after, the sand whirlpool also reached Rocky and Valeria.


    As the two felt the irresistible pulling force from the huge crater, they were not able to establish a firm footing. Moreover, since their power was actually suppressed inside the Ghostly Demon Land, they found it very difficult to fly off.


    Seeing that the situation was already unfavorable for them, Rocky immediately summoned the God-killing Sword, intending to slaughter the black shadow inside the crater. But as soon as he wielded the sword, he found out that he was unable to smoothly activate his spiritual power.


    At the same time, the black shadow spurted out the yellow sand, which was sucked into the crater, towards Rocky and Valeria. The sand carried an astonishing force, and it would be dangerous if they were not able to avoid it or defend themselves from it.

 Chapter 1848 Got Lost

    Sensing that the situation was about to take a turn for the worst, Rocky took out a fake divine treasure to try and defend himself. But the relentless attack of the sand spurting out the ground made quick work of it, making the treasure''s spiritual power drain.


    "It seems that we are facing the legendary ghostly demon! So awesome!" Even though he was faced with a powerful opponent, Rocky couldn''t help but let out a playful grin. He was caught blindsided by the sudden turn of events. Even with the God-killing Sword and a plethora of divine treasures at his disposal, he still found it hard to get rid of his opponent.


    But no matter how amazed he was, he was well aware that one wrong step could spell his doom. He once again activated more divine treasures to block an incoming corrosive yellow sand.


    As the black insect-nest-shaped object continued spurting yellow sand, the yellow sand constantly sprouted out the ground like an endless geyser. Befo


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    felt Rocky''s concern for her. She felt lucky that she ended up with him. If she was with a different warrior, she would be surely dead by now.


    "It looked actually quite safe when we first came here. Who would''ve thought that the Ghostly Demon Land would be filled with deadly traps? We have no idea what''ll happen next!" Rocky suddenly blurted out as his face turned serious.


    "Do you want me to go back?" Valeria immediately knew what Rocky was trying to say.


    "If you can," Rocky replied with a slight nod. He only had her safety in mind.


    "You fool! How can I go back now? You should stop worrying about me. I''m not a damsel in distress. I don''t need your protection!" Valeria insisted.


    "Fine, but I think the best course of action right now is to find Princess Layla and her team as soon as possible." Rocky knew that their only hope of surviving on such a treacherous land was to find their team, but they had no idea where to look for them!

 Chapter 1849 Some Dangers

    Needless to say, it was just the real beginning of the journey for Rocky and Valeria.


    It had not been easy for them to escape from the Ghostly Worm, but it seemed that they had no time to rest just yet. After they ran for only a few miles, the ground under their feet suddenly shook again. This time the tremors felt more like a wave.


    "This is different. Is it an earthquake?" Since Rocky had lived in modern society before being reborn as Basil, he knew what earthquakes felt like. Therefore, when he felt the unusual trembling, this was his first reaction.


    Sensing that it might become even bigger, he immediately took Valeria''s hand and took out the holy treasure from the palace that enabled them to fly for a short period. Then, they quickly soared into the air to avoid being caught up with the quake.


    Just before they could fly, the ground already began to crack. However, a few moments after they flew up, the ground beneath them suddenly stopped vibrating.


    They observed it for some time, but it had already calmed down.


    Seeing this, Rocky and Valeria could just look at each other in confusion. They assumed that it might have just been a false alarm.


    Since there was no sign that the ground would move again, the two of them landed on the ground already. However, the moment their feet touched the ground, the strong shaking of the ground


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    d not expect that you will be good at cooking! Wow... I don''t even remember the last time that I ate ordinary food; but I still remember when I was a kid, I would just go to the kitchen and find something to eat whenever I was hungry," Valeria said in a low voice. She let out a gentle smile as she felt nostalgic. Before she was adopted by Flora, she had been living an ordinary life, and she hadn''t had to worry about any kind of complicated responsibility. Looking back, she thought that it might not be bad if she still had that kind of life.


    "I haven''t eaten any normal food for a long time either. I just thought that it would be the perfect time to do it." Rocky smiled while filling up a bowl for himself.


    "I''ll go ahead and eat first." It seemed that Valeria could not resist the temptation of eating the delicious soup anymore. In fact, she finished the bowl rather quickly and filled her bowl again.


    "You don''t need to rush. No one will take it away from you." Rocky chuckled, elated at the fact that he was seeing a childish part of Valeria.


    "I''m not sure about that! You might eat it all, so I have to finish my part!" Valeria stuffed her face while blushing. She was not really hungry, but she felt so contented with the warmth of the delicious food. Eventually, she forgot all the fears and dangers that they had encountered not long ago.

 Chapter 1850 Reaching A New Area

    Not long after, Valeria almost finished all the food that was cooked by Rocky.


    "Whew! I''m so full!" The food was so good that her appetite alone made her eat a lot even though originally, she was not even that hungry.


    "Good. Now, you can take a nice rest. We''ll set out at dawn, so go into the tree hole first. I just have to do something," Rocky said and eventually stood up.


    "Wait! Where are you going?" Valeria could not help but ask.


    "I''m just going to set up an enchanted barrier. We don''t know when those ghostly demons might suddenly appear."


    "Oh, okay." Afterward, Valeria also stood up and went into the tree hole. Upon sitting on the ground, she got herself comfortable and closed her eyes to recover her strength.


    Rocky then proceeded to set up the enchanted barrier around the area. A bit later, he sat beside the fire and summoned Kohen.


    "I need you to explore the surroundings. We have to know where we should go next. However, if you sense any danger, come back at once," Rocky instructed. At this point, Kohen was his only remaining spiritual beast. Hence, he cherished it so much.


    Kohen understood everything Rocky said, so it did not waste any time and immediately disappeared into the darkness.


    About two hours later, it returned safe and sound. Then, Rocky activated th


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    spirits, they immediately continued walking.


    Another two days had passed, and they were still walking inside the valley.


    Ever since they entered the ominous valley, Rocky and Valeria saw all kinds of inconceivable scenes and things. Also, from time to time, they were faced with dangerous encounters.


    Fortunately, Rocky had a countless stash of divine treasures from the palace. At any moment, he could use something to protect them.


    However, what bothered Rocky was that they had not seen any trace of the members of the Shura Race yet. He knew that they were going in the right direction, but it was so eerie that they had not spotted any other living being aside from themselves.


    Finally, on their fourth day of venturing inside the valley, they saw three warriors from the Shura Race. However, they were already dead.


    "It looks like they are dead for about two days..." As Rocky inspected the corpses in front of them, he estimated their time of death. Moreover, judging from their injuries, he guessed that the ghostly demons were the ones who got them.


    Since these three warriors were not from Layla''s team, they could only assume that either Zain''s team or Enoch''s team had already passed through this area two days ago. It also meant that they were way ahead of Rocky and Valeria now.

 Chapter 1851 Keep Going Forward

    "It appears that we''re far behind. No wonder we didn''t see anyone else along the way. I guess the spot where we teleported to is at the farthest edge of the Ghostly Demon Land. However, this will work to our advantage since someone is clearing a way for us and helping us avoid a lot of trouble," Rocky inferred calmly.


    "But despite that advantage, won''t we be in further danger if we bump into Prince Zain or Prince Enoch? Don''t you think so?" Valeria asked, her brows furrowed. These candidates were competing for the position of successor to the Shura Race''s current king so, naturally, the three teams were set up against each other the moment they set foot on the Ghostly Demon Land.


    "We''ve overcome all of those dangers along the way. You''re well aware of how terrible those ghostly demons can get. We should be less worried about those from our own race and more worried about those monsters, don''t you agree?" Rocky shot a fearless smile. Compared to the terrifying ghostly demons from the Ghostly Demon Land, the masters of the Shura Race were nothing to be frightened of at all.


    Following the clues the corpse left behind, Rocky and Valeria were now on the tai


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    ief.


    "I understand that you may find it hard to accept what I''ve just told you, but we don''t have much time left to go into the details. We have to find the Demon Sealing Palace before they do," Rocky told her in a serious tone. He chose to tell Valeria the truth because not only he may need her help in the future but she was also the only person he could trust at the moment.


    "I see. Is there anything I can do for you then?" Valeria took a deep breath before she asked him.


    "Yes. When we find the Demon Sealing Palace, I will stay to stop Prince Enoch and the others. You need to find Princess Layla and lead them back there as soon as possible. We need to use their power," Rocky said.


    "Okay, but are you sure you can handle all of them alone?" What worried her the most was his safety.


    "I''ll be fine. No worries. Let''s get started now!" Rocky didn''t say anything more. He carefully accompanied her around Enoch''s camp so as not to be noticed before moving forward with caution.


    Soon, the two of them found a safe space where they could rest for the night.


    The next day, before the crack of dawn, they continued their advance ahead of Enoch''s team.

 Chapter 1852 The Shocking Scene

    Meanwhile, a battle was quietly stirring at the border battlefield of the Ethereal Region. At this point, the human race had decisively launched a counterattack to take back the defensive line that they lost when Zain led his troops and invaded their territory.


    It had been more than half a month since Zain was ordered by the king to retreat his forces because the human army had invaded the Shura Race. Since then, only half of his troops were guarding the border against the rest of the human army.


    But with more than half a month''s worth of rest, the human army at the border finally recuperated and regained its morale.


    On the other hand, the previous consecutive battles had exhausted the Shura Race''s army. Since they were on the offensive before, they thought that if they stopped attacking, they could still relax their vigilance against the human army. At the back of their minds, they were confident that they could easily fight back even if the human race launched a surprise attack.


    Therefore, this lax attitude of the Shura Race''s army gave the human army an excellent chance to get back at them.


    Of course, this was all arranged by Rocky before he and the other prominent figures of the Shura Race left for the Ghostly Demon Land. He knew that once Zain left the battlefield, no one would be strong enough to command the army of the Shura Race in this war against the human race. Therefore, this was the chance that they had been waiting for.


    Moreover, Rocky''s inde


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    embled in fear the moment it saw the dark light. In an instant, the black fog dissipated, rushing away from the scene.


    The next moment, the dark light caused the space around it to shake violently. After a while, a figure was revealed from the light. An overbearing dragon-shaped diabolic beast stood in front of them, exuding an overwhelming aura. As it raised its head, it seemed like a beast king that ruled every other beast on the surface.


    "Y-you know what this is?" Valeria stammered, confused that Rocky was elated to see another monstrous beast that was even more powerful than the ghostly demon.


    "I was actually waiting for you! At last, you arrived." Rocky could not help but laugh and feel relieved. He then walked towards the diabolic beast and examined it closely.


    Valeria was confused and worried at the same time. She wanted to stop Rocky from approaching it because it might suddenly attack him. However, she was rendered speechless at what happened next. The dragon-shaped diabolic beast suddenly knelt on the ground and respectfully bowed to Rocky.


    It turned out that this dragon-shaped diabolic beast was none other than the legendary diabolic beast that was hatched from the red diabolic egg.


    "Hmm, you need a name. All right, I have decided. I shall call you Rubygon!" Rocky declared, naming the diabolic beast with a huge smile.


    Hearing the name that Rocky gave it, the diabolic beast raised its head high and let out a roar, responding to its master.

 Chapter 1853 Entered The Divine Temple Alone

    Rocky named the diabolic beast after his former spiritual beast, Rubygon. It had fought with him side by side while he was still in his original world, and of course, he treasured it very much. Hence, the first time he saw the beast, he decided to name it after Rubygon.


    "Wait. Where did it come from?" Valeria asked in surprise. There had been a lot of crazy things that were happening inside the Ghostly Demon Land, and this one was obviously also one of them.


    "It''s a long story! I promise I''ll tell you about it later. However, we have a more pressing matter to deal with. We can''t waste any time here. Let''s go!" Rocky knew that time was not on their side. Once Enoch and the mysterious woman from the demonic race arrived at the Demon Sealing Palace before them, there would be some dire consequences.


    Fortunately, Mikayla was able to send Rubygon to Rocky at the perfect timing. With the diabolic beast''s strength, Rocky had a very reliable helper to easily confront any danger that would come their way.


    Understanding what Rocky was talking about, Valeria immediately nodded and set aside her curiosity for now. Then, the two of them hopped on Rubygon''s back. This way, their travel towards the Demon Sealing Palace would be much faster.


    Meanwhile, in Enoch''s camp, a high-level Spiritua


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    hat reverberated throughout the area. Moreover, the two beasts, which were very hostile earlier, did not move at all.


    Therefore, Rocky tried to step into the temple again. This time, he was able to enter without anything happening to him.


    "Just as I suspected, the divine temple is familiar with the power of the God-killing Sword. After all, it is a divine treasure of the Shura Race," Rocky remarked as he nodded. He thought that the guards of the temple must recognize the God-killing Sword, so he did not hesitate to unleash it.


    When Rocky finally entered the temple, he was welcomed by a passageway that was a few meters wide. On both sides of the passageway, he saw a large number of murals, depicting various scenes that must be connected with the history of the Shura Race. There were images showing the Shura Race fighting against the ghostly demons and their leader, and these images were very vivid.


    After passing through this passageway, he arrived at another part of the temple. It was tightly shut, and no sunlight could penetrate it. However, this part was very bright. Upon closer inspection, Rocky saw a golden ball that was almost half the size of a normal person, floating in the center of the temple. This was the source of the light, and it acted like an energy generator.

 Chapter 1854 An Illusion

    Rocky guessed that the golden ball was the one responsible for protecting the relics that were left by the ancestors of the Shura Race.


    While he wandered around for some more, Rocky found out that there were no other furnishings inside the temple aside from the murals that filled the walls.


    Therefore, he shifted his attention to the murals and examined them closely. If his hunch was right, the clue that he needed to find to point him towards the Demon Sealing Palace would be found in these murals. At a glance, it could be seen that the mural was a panoramic picture of tens of thousands of people worshipping in front of the temple while a ceremony was being held. However, Rocky noticed that the people were actually facing towards the southwest of the divine temple. As his eyes shifted in that direction, he saw that on this part of the mural, a black cloud was drawn, as well as a huge black hole with bolts of lightning.


    As Rocky''s eye narrowed, he assumed that the mural vaguely revealed the location of the Demon Sealing Palace. It was somewhere to the southwest of the divine temple.


    Hoping to find some more clues, Rocky looked at the other murals. But after finding nothing, he decided to leave the temple, thinking that the clue he acquired was already enough.


    Not long after, he was reunited with Valeria and Rubygon.


    "So, how did it go? Did you find any clues abo


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    idea about their existence.


    "What the hell is going on? Who are these people?" Valeria could not help but ask, feeling overwhelmed.


    At the same time, Rocky furrowed his eyebrows, sensing that something was wrong with what they were witnessing.


    Then, more giant ghostly demons appeared and fought with the strong warriors. A moment after, their fight reached the area where Rocky and Valeria were standing. Both of them panicked a little, but no one dared to act rashly. Rocky summoned the God-killing Sword and drew closer to Valeria, just in case he needed to protect her.


    The next moment, the giant ghostly demons and the strong warriors were already in front of them, and the domineering aura that both sides emitted enveloped them. However, as Rocky looked intently at everything that was happening, he noticed that while the fierce battle was vividly occurring in front of them, the surrounding environment was not changing at all. Hence, he could only come up with one conclusion¡ªthis was all just an illusion.


    "Don''t move!" Rocky sternly commanded.


    Seeing how serious Rocky was, Valeria decided to trust his instincts. Eventually, the ghostly demons and the strong warriors passed through their bodies as if they were phantoms. But since they could clearly feel their overwhelming aura, the two still broke into a cold sweat, feeling like they were on the verge of death.

 Chapter 1855 How Terrifying

    "I see. That battle between the warriors and the ghostly demons is just an illusion. But it looks so real, and I could even feel their overwhelming power surging towards us!" Valeria exclaimed as she let out all of her pent-up emotions. At last, she was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.


    "That''s right. It seems that what we see is something that happened back then. The battle between the ancestors of the Shura Race and the ghostly demons must have been very intense," Rocky said with a nod.


    Although the illusion still persisted, Rocky and Valeria were at least relieved to know that it would not affect them.


    As the illusion that showed the battle between the ghostly demons and the strong warriors continued, dust continuously rose from the ground, making it a bit hard to see.


    But then out of nowhere, the dark sky opened as if it was a mouth of a giant beast, producing a loud rumbling sound. Then, a golden light flashed through the thick clouds and shrouded the entire area.


    Afterward, the giant ghostly demons suddenly let out piercing shrieks as if sensing something terrifying from the golden light. Eventually, a sword shadow descended from the sky and turned into a divine radiance. In the blink of an eye, it bolted towards two giant ghostly demons. The moment the divine radiance passed through them, the ghostly demons fell and crashed to the ground.


    The impact was so stro


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    ear Rubygon again.


    However, the ghostly demons became even more vicious and attacked Rocky''s Spiritual Domain. Fortunately, it was strong enough that the ghostly demons were instantly devoured by the power of the Spiritual Domain.


    But that was not the end of it. More bat-shaped ghostly demons appeared and kept attacking Rocky''s Spiritual Domain. Under the intense barrage of attacks, the Spiritual Domain eventually became unstable.


    "If this continues, I won''t be able to maintain my Spiritual Domain!" Rocky murmured, obviously frustrated at their situation. Although his spiritual power should be strong enough to support the Spiritual Domain, being inside the Ghostly Demon Land affected the flow of his spiritual power. The more he released it, the circulation of spiritual power in his body was weakened. Hence, if the attacks of the ghostly demons went on, his spiritual power would be fully consumed.


    He was in a predicament since he also needed to protect Valeria. He could not afford to waste any spiritual power because they were yet to enter the real palace.


    "Odin, do what you have to do! I can protect myself. Trust me!" Seeing that Rocky had been having difficulties because he was protecting her, Valeria could not help but feel guilty. Therefore, in order to deal with the persistent bat-shaped ghostly demons, she offered to defend herself while Rocky took care of their enemies.

 Chapter 1856 Whom Should I Protect

    "Silly girl! Don''t say that. Of course, I will protect you. Otherwise, whom should I protect?" Rocky said with a shake of his head and a smile across his lips. Of course, he knew what was on her mind. Valeria must know that, if he was alone, he could easily break out of the encirclement of the bat-shaped ghostly demons.


    His answer stunned Valeria, who didn''t expect Rocky to utter something so sweet that it further deepened her love for him. She blushed and lowered her face for a few moments.


    "Then what should we do now?" Valeria asked as she raised her head, her dazzling eyes narrowed.


    "It appears I''ll have to ask Rubygon to take you to the Demon Sealing Palace while I stay behind to cover you." Rocky began to think about it at once. They weren''t too far away from the Demon Sealing Palace. Considering Rubygon''s tremendous speed and strength, there was a good chance it could break through the siege of these ghostly demons if it rushed at them with all its might. That way, he wouldn''t have to worry about Valeria. Without her by his side and somewhere safe, he could focus on dealing with the ghostly demons.


    "No, I won''t leave you behind. It''s too risky for you to face them alone!" Valeria stubbornly protested, a frown on her face. She didn''t want him to face danger


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    possible? Right now, the competition will determine who will be the successor to the Shura Race''s king. Prince Zain and Prince Enoch won''t stop until they get what they want!" Rocky chuckled. He was amused by what she had just said.


    "I just hope they don''t find the Demon Sealing Palace so we don''t have to fight them!" Valeria voiced out. She knew it wouldn''t be easy for Rocky to fight against Zain''s and Enoch''s teams on his own. She didn''t want anything dangerous to happen to him.


    "I hope so, but what is likely to come will come eventually," Rocky said with a shrug. He never allowed himself to be too optimistic, and he always prepared for the worst.


    While the two talked, Rocky suddenly felt that someone was spying on them from the corner of his eye. He looked sideways but then, after looking in that direction, didn''t see any suspicious figure.


    However, once he turned around, he sensed the same feeling creep up on him again.


    "How strange!" Rocky couldn''t shake off the feeling that something was wrong. He stood up and told Valeria, "I''m going over there to have a better look. If anything happens, let Rubygon call me."


    "Got it! Be careful." Valeria nodded.


    Rocky then walked towards the direction where he suspected someone suspicious was watching him.

 Chapter 1857 Im Running Out Of Life

    Not long after, Rocky had the urge to go to the right side of the periphery of the Demon Sealing Palace. The place was surrounded by towering stone walls, making it very secluded and hard to find.


    He was greeted with the sight of many martial spirits floating aimlessly inside. He stopped in his tracks and sensed that they were all at least at the Shura Realm.


    He hesitated to enter, even though his guts were telling him to do so. After observing the floating martial spirits, he found out that they were unable to leave the vicinity.


    ''I didn''t expect that there would be so many martial spirits wandering around here. They must''ve been the spirits of the ancestors of the Shura Race, '' Rocky thought to himself with a slight frown.


    Rocky was cautious not to disturb them. He took his time to observe the surroundings. Since the martial spirits were strong, someone powerful must have cast the barrier to prevent them from escaping. Otherwise, it would be impossible that the barrier cast by ordinary warriors would hold


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    s dwindling, I''ll help you with your mission!" Everything was starting to make sense for Anya. Back then, she and King Corey, who was also the wielder of the God-killing Sword were sent here by Mikayla to stop a catastrophe from happening. Along the way, she sacrificed herself and was imprisoned along with the martial spirits of her companions.


    "You''re running out of life?" Rocky was stunned to hear that.


    "Yes. I''ve been imprisoned here for too long. My body''s already dying as we speak. As soon as I die, I''ll turn into a real martial spirit. But before that could happen, I''ll help you protect the Demon Sealing Palace," Anya answered with a determined fire burning in her eyes.


    "Okay! I''ve just observed the surroundings of the Demon Sealing Palace. The enchanted barrier around it should still be intact. Do you know if the demonic race could break into the barrier under normal circumstances?" Rocky didn''t beat around the bush and asked her immediately. He knew well enough that their time together was limited.

 Chapter 1858 No Match

    "The enchanted barrier of the Demon Sealing Palace was established through the power of the gods of the Holy-Evil World. Only powerful demons are able to get past the barrier. However, if one possesses a holy treasure from the demonic race or the divine race, they have the chance to overcome the barrier," Anya said. "For example, the God-killing Sword that you have is a holy treasure of the divine race. Its original owner was Deacon, one of the gods of the Holy-Evil World."


    "So, in short, I can use the God-killing Sword to open the enchanted barrier that seals off the Demon Sealing Palace," Rocky assumed based on Anya''s words. He was actually surprised that the God-killing Sword was, in fact, a key that could unravel the enchanted barrier of the Demon Sealing Palace.


    "Yes, that is right. That is the sole reason why King Corey was summoned to this place," Anya affirmed, nodding her head lightly.


    "I see. Then, I have to be more careful from here on." Rocky realized that he was lucky to accidentally break the shackles in the area and release Anya in the process. Otherwise, he would''ve made mistakes since he didn''t know any information about the palace. However, he was also quite confused by the fact that Mikayla didn''t warn him about such a thing.


    "Argh!" While Rocky was still talking with Anya, they suddenly heard a loud roar from afar.


    Rocky quickly recognized that it came from Rubygon. At the


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    dy, enveloping her. Immediately after, she looked like a real demoness instead of a member of the Shura Race.


    Upon transforming, the demoness rushed into the army of martial spirits and fought them all by herself.


    "We are a bit lucky! Maybe that army of martial spirits can hold her for a while!" Rocky did not expect that an army of martial spirits would actually launch a sneak attack on anyone that would approach the entrance of the Demon Sealing Palace.


    However, much to his surprise, the demoness''s strength was so amazing that she was able to annihilate the entire army of the martial spirits in less than fifteen minutes.


    "She is that powerful? This is bad for us." Upon seeing the demoness''s power up close, Rocky became frustrated, and he had a lot of doubts in mind. Logically, whether it was a member of the divine race or the demonic race from the Holy-Evil World, once one entered the Shura Continent, the law of heaven and earth would be violated. Therefore, the longer they stayed in the Shura Continent, the weaker they would become.


    However, from what he saw, the demoness had obviously maintained the power that was far beyond creatures of the Shura Continent. Therefore, Rocky could not help but wonder how that happened. At the same time, he was worried that they were in a terrifying predicament. With her current strength, it seemed that no one in the entire Shura Continent could defeat her.

 Chapter 1859 A Trap

    "Hmm, I think this woman is just possessed by a demoness, and it is hiding inside her body." After observing the woman for quite a while, Anya speculated that this might be the situation.


    "I see. That is what I thought too. I''ve been thinking that it makes no sense if she is a real demoness. But if she''s just possessed, then that will be more logical." Hearing what Anya said, Rocky thought that it must be the real case.


    "However, the stronger the power she has, the faster will be the decay of the body she possesses. Once the body cannot hold on, the demoness''s soul will eventually show up. So, if we want to take on the demoness inside this woman''s body, we have to force her to unleash all of her power until the body breaks down. As soon as the soul appears, we can seize that opportunity to defeat her," Anya explained. She was very sure of it since she had already experienced this before. In the past, Phillip did the same strategy. He possessed the bodies of the ancestors of the Shura Race many times, killing the other members of the race in the process.


    Now that the demoness had finished eliminating the army of martial spirits that guarded the entrance of the palace, she continued to move forward. However, as soon as she was about to step i


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    outed as he stepped away from his team. He was the only one who approached the stone bridge.


    Enoch also did the same and sneered, "Well, it only proves that you are still young and a bit inexperienced. Why don''t you just go back already? Or are you confident to fight me and my men?"


    Obviously, Enoch was goading Zain so that the latter would come and cross the bridge. Knowing Zain''s personality, he would be easily provoked.


    "Humph! Don''t be so arrogant. I have already overcome too many hardships just to observe the grand scenery of the Demon Sealing Palace, so why will I even think of going back now? You should be the one to go back. After all, you already had the chance to see the palace. Besides, what are you still doing here? It''s not like you can get past the enchanted barrier even if you want to," Zain replied haughtily.


    "Ha! How are you so sure? My dear nephew, even if we are related by blood, you should know that if you insist on competing against me, you will bear unimaginable consequences!" Enoch continued to provoke Zain. Once Zain snapped and decided to take his men across the bridge, it would be their loss. Just one wrong step and Zain and his entire team would fell into the elaborate trap that Enoch had set up beforehand.

 Chapter 1860 Everything Was Under His Control

    Of course, Zain was not someone that could be easily fooled. He was well aware that his uncle must have already set up a trap before his team arrived. Currently, both sides were almost equal in fighting prowess. If they started a fight here, it would definitely be a battle of attrition. Therefore, Zain knew that he could not recklessly start a fight without ensuring that he had high chances of winning. Right now, it was clear to him that he could not fall into Enoch''s provocation.


    On the other hand, upon recognizing that Zain did not have the intention of crossing the bridge, Enoch went back to the demoness and whispered to her, "Madam, I''m afraid that Zain will not take the bait. Should we find another way to lure him and his team towards us?"


    "There is no need to do that. If I am not mistaken, there is still another team that is yet to arrive. Am I right? Let''s wait for them first. Depending on what will happen next, we can just eliminate both teams at the same time," the demoness said coldly. She knew that she needed more sacrificial offerings for the ceremony to activate the demonic race''s holy treasure, so she had to propose this suggestion. The more people they had to turn into sacrifices, the better.


    "Yes, madam. I understand." Enoch cupped his hands and returned to his men.


    Upon seeing that Enoch would not take the initiati


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    o the palace and take me and Layla inside. Only the three of us will enter the palace. Once we are inside, we''ll only depend on our own abilities to accomplish the task given to us. What do you think? In this way, we don''t need to go through unnecessary bloodshed. After all, we have brought almost all the elites of the Shura Race with us. If most of us get heavily injured, the Shura Race will suffer the consequences. Think about it carefully," Enoch said in a very convincing manner.


    After hearing this, Zain and Layla exchanged looks with each other. Although they knew that Enoch''s proposal was very reasonable, they were not dumb enough to believe that he wasn''t planning something else behind their backs.


    "Of course, whatever I say, you will still have some misgivings. However, the Demon Sealing Palace is already in front of us. If we don''t come up with a decent strategy and continue to argue with each other, no one will be able to enter the palace. Therefore, at some point, each of us needs to make a compromise. I just think that it will be easier if we cooperate first so we could enter. Afterward, we can fight to our hearts'' content to obtain the power that we are looking for," Enoch continued to convince the two using the most logical words. As long as Zain and Layla took the bait, everything would eventually be under his control.

 Chapter 1861 Duping

    Zain carefully took everything into consideration after hearing what Enoch said. Indeed, it was highly unlikely for him to use the royal family''s secret method to enter the Demon Sealing Palace while all of the three teams were trying to restrain each other. Originally, he planned to temporarily cooperate with Layla so that they could defeat Enoch. However, if they followed Enoch''s plan, they could actually avoid any needless confrontation. Moreover, he thought that if only the three of them entered the palace, he still had the greatest chance of acquiring Phillip''s spiritual power.


    "Fine. I agree with your plan. Let''s not indulge ourselves in unnecessary bloodshed. Since we are the three main candidates, it is just fitting that we finish this last part by ourselves. How about you Layla? Do you also agree?" Zain turned to Layla as he finally made up his mind.


    "Sure. It might for the best." Of course, Layla also had no reason to object to this proposal. Her team was known to be the weakest among the three, and she knew that she had no chance of winning if it came to an all-out war against the two teams. However, if only she, Zain, and Enoch would enter the palace, she thought that she still might have a chance to succeed. Hence, she could just agree


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    arrier of the Demon Sealing Palace this powerful? We have already exerted our full strength, but it seems that it isn''t enough to break it!"


    "I can''t believe this! Maybe he''s not doing the secret skill the right way!"


    Because of their exasperation, some of the warriors began to question Zain''s ability.


    Of course, Zain heard everything that they were saying, and thus he also felt extremely pressured. Never did he expect that the process of breaking the barrier would be this difficult.


    "Maybe it''s better if we stop for a while and take a quick rest!" Princess Layla finally spoke up when she saw that things weren''t working out as they expected.


    However, just as the warriors at the Shura Realm began to feel exhausted, the demoness suddenly let out a cold laughter. "Are you having a hard time? Then, let me make things easier for you!"


    Upon hearing her voice, all of the warriors, as well as Layla and Zain, could not help but look at her. No one among them knew who she was, so they felt rather confused.


    Then, the next moment, the demoness instantly leaped into the air, unleashing a black mist that enveloped her whole body. Immediately after, a formidable Spiritual Domain spread out, engulfing every warrior of the Shura Race in the scene.

 Chapter 1862 The Plan

    "What the hell is this?"


    "Who is she? How could she possess such power? Is this the peak stage of the Shura Realm? No! This is already the God Realm!"


    "What? Then, why is she here? If that is true, she should have ascended to a superior place!"


    "Damn it. I already speculated that this is just a trap. We have already fallen for it!"


    For a moment, most of the powerful warriors of the Shura Race were stunned. Seeing the inconceivable power of the mysterious woman, they could not help but panic. On the other hand, only Enoch and his confidants looked calm. After all, they were the only ones who knew what exactly was going on.


    Since the powerful warriors of the Shura Race were within the scope of the demoness''s Spiritual Domain, they had no chance of escaping even if they possessed wings.


    Soon enough, she took out a giant spear that exuded a strong evil aura. A dark red light emitted from it, giving off an ominous vibe.


    "That''s the Demonic Spiritual Spear! It is Phillip''s peerless weapon. I did not expect that she has it. Now, we''re really in big trouble!" As soon as Anya saw the holy treasure in the demoness''s hand, her delicate face became ghastly pale.


    "Demonic Spiritual Spear? Is it very powerful?" Valeria could not help but ask upon seeing the sudden change on Anya''s face.


    "Yes, it is. That spear is on the same level as the God-killing Sword," Anya replied, slightly trem


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    know how dangerous this is, but I don''t intend to die just yet." While he had no choice but to deal with the demoness, Rocky was also very worried about Valeria''s safety. Hence, he didn''t want her anywhere near the battlefield.


    "No! I will go with you," Valeria replied with a serious expression. She was determined to fight with Rocky this time. After all, she might regret it if something bad happened to him. At least, if she was by his side, she might do something to protect him.


    "All right. But promise me that you will be very careful. I may not be able to protect you while fighting against that demoness." Rocky knew what kind of attitude Valeria had. Even if he didn''t allow her, she would probably still go. Hence, he deemed that he did not need to argue with her about this.


    "Yes, I promise. Besides, you gave me some holy treasures to protect myself, right? Don''t worry too much. I will do my best to protect myself and help as well," Valeria said reassuringly.


    "If you are ready, I''ll go on ahead!" Since they had already agreed with the plan, Anya immediately rushed out in the demoness''s direction.


    "Come on. We need to meet Princess Layla first!" Rocky and Valeria also moved out. Soon enough, the two emerged and rushed into the chaotic scene.


    Upon seeing Layla, they landed in front of her. It was their first time meeting face to face since they entered the Ghostly Demon Land.

 Chapter 1863 In A Mess

    "You two!" Layla''s eyes widened in surprise the moment Rocky and Valeria appeared before her. She didn''t even notice their auras until they were already in front of her eyes.


    On the other hand, Zain wore a gloomy face upon seeing the two Godly Geniuses. He thought that the two had already died somewhere in the Ghostly Demon Land when they were separated from Layla''s team. To his disappointment, they were safe and sound.


    "Your Royal Highness, there is still a way out of this trap. If you trust me, please do as I say," Rocky immediately told Layla. He needed to be direct, knowing that they only had very limited time to spare.


    Zain and Layla exchanged confused looks. They wondered why it seemed like Rocky knew the current situation very well. But knowing Rocky, she knew if he was offering this in a very serious tone, he should have a good idea that they could depend on.


    "What should we do then?" Although Zain was naturally arrogant, he asked Rocky in a low voice. After all, the young man might be able to save his life.


    "Keep a level head first. Then, gather the members of your teams and ask them to stand by. In the meantime, I will try to destroy this demoness'' Spiritual Domain. When you see an opportunity, do your


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    break Anya''s seal. Instead, she took her time to observe Anya as if she was gauging her real strength. After a while, the demoness surmised that if Anya possessed an overwhelming holy power, she shouldn''t be just any ordinary person.


    "Who the hell are you? Where did you come from? And why do you possess that holy aura?" the demoness asked coldly, staring straight into Anya''s eyes.


    "You don''t have to know. It has nothing to do with you anyway. But let me tell you this. As long as I''m here, you will never be able to enter the Demon Sealing Palace!" Anya answered with an unwavering determination. After all, her original mission was to guard the Demon Sealing Palace. Even though many years had already passed, her mission did not change.


    "Ha! You dare to talk big in front of me? I''m not even sacred of the deities from the Holy-Evil World. Do you think that someone like you can stop me?" the demoness retorted with a cold snort. Then, all of sudden, an evil aura swept around her, like a raging wave.


    Most of the warriors of the Shura Race immediately felt its effect. They could not bear the overbearing pressure, and they eventually fell to the ground. In the blink of an eye, the situation became extremely chaotic again.

 Chapter 1864 Joining Hands

    At this moment, the demoness'' power soared in an instant, breaking Anya''s power that was restraining her until now. In the blink of an eye, she was able to move freely again.


    "I don''t care if you don''t want to tell me who you are. After all, I don''t need to know everyone that I am about to kill!" the demoness exclaimed. Because of the sudden increase of her strength, even the intensity that could be felt by the people inside her Spiritual Domain also doubled.


    At the same time, the entire area within a thousand meters around the Demon Sealing Palace also shook and trembled violently.


    Most of the warriors of the Shura Race inside the Spiritual Domain had begun to go mad and lose their minds since their mental state was already weak in the first place.


    It seemed that the demoness'' Spiritual Domain had a huge impact on someone''s mind, and only those who had strong willpower could resist it. Otherwise, one would easily collapse and be incapacitated.


    At this point, only Zain, Layla, Enoch, Rocky, Valeria, the other Godly Geniuses, and the masters at the medium stage and premium stage of the Shura Realm could hold on. The rest of the warriors had already lost consciousness or were on the brink of collapsing.


    Of course, Anya, the strongest of them, was unaffected too. In fact, even after she had felt the demoness'' overwhelming aura, there was still no hint of fear or worry on her fac


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    at Rocky said, but instead, he laid out his idea so as not to be overshadowed. After all, he thought that he was the one more suited to handle a powerful enemy.


    Out of nowhere, Anya butted in and asked, "This treasure, are you referring to the Demonic Dragon Blade?"


    "Yes... How did you know about it?" Zain was taken aback that this woman actually knew about the weapon since only a few people in the Shura Race knew about it. In fact, he had only borrowed it from the king before he entered the Ghostly Demon Land just in case he needed it.


    "Then, I''m afraid we should go with Odin''s plan. The Demonic Dragon Blade is just an ordinary divine weapon, and it can''t compare with his weapon," Anya bluntly replied, rejecting Zain''s idea. Of course, Anya was telling the truth. According to the standard of the divine treasures in the Holy-Evil World, although the Demonic Dragon Blade was regarded as the top treasure of the Shura Race, it was the most basic divine weapon in existence. It could only be effective against warriors at the peak stage of the Shura Realm. However, since the demoness already had the strength at the God Realm, only the God-killing Sword could deal her damage.


    "What do you mean? Odin has a more powerful divine weapon?" Zain''s eyes quickly narrowed as he cast a glance at Rocky.


    At the same time, Layla and the other powerful masters also shifted their gazes to Rocky.

 Chapter 1865 The Strongest Sword

    Knowing his life was on the line, Rocky didn''t dare to hold back his strength anymore and took out his God-killing Sword.


    Even though they were on the same side, the contempt smug on Zain''s face was immediately replaced with shock and his mouth hung wide open when he felt the astonishing power of Rocky''s God-killing Sword. The area was instantly enveloped with its insidious aura, causing even the most powerful warriors of the Shura Race to tremble in fear. The area originally enveloped by the demoness''s Spiritual Domain became unstable under the presence of the new aura.


    The demoness''s eyes widened in shock while a cold sweat dripped down her forehead.


    "I need some time to gather my strength!" Rocky said to Layla and the others. In order to use the God-killing Sword''s full strength, he must fuel it with his own spiritual power.


    "Okay! We''ll buy you some time!" Layla nodded to him as she ordered her warriors to charge.


    Without hesitation, Anya, Zain, Layla, and three premium-stage


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    though they didn''t know where the two came from, it was obvious that Rubygon and Anya were giving it their all for Rocky.


    ''Where did he find such a powerful helper and a diabolic beast?'' Even Enoch who was watching from afar was in awe.


    But even with all their might poured into that one attack, it was nothing but a slight breeze for their opponent.


    All of a sudden, a black wind rolled up from the ground and spread like a tornado, countering both Anya''s and Rubygon''s attacks as if they were nothing.


    While the others were preoccupied with the violent wind, the demoness melted into the black fog and reached Rocky in an instant.


    Seeing this, Anya and Rubygon tried to stop her.


    But two avatars suddenly came to life from the black fog and blocked them from even coming close to the demoness. Although the avatars were not that strong, it was enough to stall them for quite some time.


    They could only watch as the demoness approached Rocky with a contempt smile etched on her face.

 Chapter 1866 Buy Time

    "Zain! We have to buy more time for Odin," Layla strongly urged upon seeing that Rocky was not yet ready to engage the demoness.


    "Are you kidding me? Are you too blind to see that this woman is on a different level? If we continue going against her, we are just courting death!" Zain could not help but shake his head and refuse. After experiencing the demoness''s might first hand, he feared for his life. After all, even Anya and Rubygon were not able to stop or slow the demoness down, let alone them.


    "Weren''t you the one who proposed to help Odin earlier?" Layla could not believe what she just heard. She could just glare at Zain in frustration.


    "I know! But what do you want me to do? I did not expect that she would be this strong!" Zain argued, revealing a disdainful expression on his face. At first, when he saw that Anya and Rubygon could somehow suppress the demoness, he thought that he could fish in troubled waters. After all, once the demoness was defeated, he could immediately take the chance to enter the Demon Sealing Palace.


    However, things did not turn out the way he expected. Later on, they were completely overwhelmed by the demoness that even Anya and Rubygon were not able to do anything. Hence, he knew that if he continued struggling against her, he was just digging his own grave.


    After seeing that Zain had been fully void of the will to fight, Layla cursed inwardly and clenched her fists. She mustered


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    power of the God-killing Sword did not seem to weaken, and it continued to rush towards her as if it had already locked on to her.


    Seeing this, she immediately recognized that the God-killing Sword must have been sensing and targeting the evil spirit inside the body that she possessed. Thus, while the sword had not achieved its goal yet, it would not stop attacking. After thinking for a while, she hurriedly summoned the Demonic Spiritual Spear, gathered her spiritual power and infused it into the spear. Then, she threw it towards the entrance of the Demon Sealing Palace.


    As the Demonic Spiritual Spear was inserted in the ground in front of the entrance of the palace, it released a strong demonic spiritual power. At the same time, the power of the God-killing Spirit that was rushing towards the demoness changed direction and was attracted by the evil power that was coming from the Demonic Spiritual Spear.


    "Damn it! This woman is too smart!" When Rocky saw that the power of the God-killing Sword actually evaded the demoness and instead rushed towards the Demon Sealing Palace, where the Demonic Spiritual Spear was, his face could not help but darken.


    The power of the God-killing Sword could break the enchanted barrier of the Demon Sealing Palace, and the demoness must have known this. Therefore, she deliberately used the demonic spear to attract the power of the divine sword in order to break the enchanted barrier.

 Chapter 1867 In The Melee

    At this point, although Rocky wanted to withdraw the power of the God-killing Sword, it could not be done. He could only rush to the entrance of the Demon Sealing Palace to prevent the enchanted barrier from being destroyed.


    Of course, the demoness knew what Rocky was thinking, and she would not let this happen. Hence, just as Rocky approached the palace, she followed him like a shadow and tried to stop him.


    "Isn''t this ironic? You wanted to prevent me from destroying the enchanted barrier, but you actually possess the holy treasure that can easily open it! Ha-ha! I don''t even need to waste my strength to accomplish my goal," she said, deliberately mocking Rocky.


    "Don''t be so sure! I won''t let you enter the Demon Sealing Palace!" Rocky said coldly, wielding the God-killing Sword in his hand.


    The next moment, Rocky stood in front of the demoness, ready to confront her head-on. Even if the barrier protecting the Demon Sealing Palace was destroyed by the God-killing Sword, her plan would still fail as long as he got the Purgatorial Tripod where Phillip''s soul was sealed. Therefore, he had to be prepared to rush into the palace once the barrier was broken.


    Immediately after, Rocky rushed towards the demoness. Although his strength was supposed to be inferior to hers, she was still extra cautious because she knew the great power of the God-killing Sword. Therefore, for a while, the two were stuck in a stalemate.


    Meanwhile, the power of the God-killing Sword w


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    ium-grade Shura Realm masters arrived, but they were immediately stopped by Enoch and his men. As expected, a fierce fight broke out.


    At the same time, Rocky and Anya also arrived. Since they were in a hurry, Rocky immediately signaled to Anya.


    Then, Anya waved her palm. In an instant, an invisible force burst out, sweeping everyone on the way. All the members of the Shura Race, including Zain and Enoch, were sent flying in different directions as Anya paved the way. With the God-killing Sword in his hand, Rocky rushed forth and entered the opening in the barrier.


    Even though Zain and Enoch wanted to block Rocky, they did not dare to get in his way upon seeing the God-killing Sword in his hand. They already saw its power, and they knew that he would not be very merciful if they hindered him.


    With that, Rocky and Anya successfully got to the other side of the barrier.


    When Zain attempted to enter the barrier again, it was already too late. Enoch and his men stopped him once more.


    "Zain, do not waste your time. No matter what you do, you cannot enter the palace! Can''t you see that you and your team are outnumbered?" Enoch said with a mocking grin. If it was only Zain and his men, he would have no difficulty in preventing them from going inside the palace.


    "Damn it! Get out of the way!" Obviously, even if his team was outnumbered, Zain was not the type to give up easily.


    Hence, he rushed forth and their teams were engaged in a chaotic battle again.

 Chapter 1868 So Lively

    Not long after, Rocky and Anya were able to enter the Demon Sealing Palace. At the same time, the scene that welcomed them was more shocking than what they had imagined. The entire space inside the palace was like a boundless void, and on top of it was a huge golden ball of light that was emitting a tremendous holy power, enveloping the whole palace.


    At the center of the Demon Sealing Palace stood an eight-sided altar. On the altar was a crystal tripod with four feet, each of which was wrapped by a thick golden chain of spiritual power. It could also be seen that these chains were connected to the golden ball above.


    ''That should be the Purgatorial tripod that seals Phillip''s soul, '' Rocky thought after seeing the crystal tripod situated in the middle of the palace. He heard from Mikayla that Phillip''s soul was sealed in it.


    At this moment, the demoness had turned into black fog and was already approaching the altar.


    "Master, while I stop her, go and protect the Purgatorial Tripod. We must do everything we can so that she cannot release Phillip''s soul." As soon as she said this, Anya immediately turned into a light shadow and chased after the demoness as if she was a ray of starlight.


    With her astonishing speed, she quickly caught up with the demoness.


    "You are so persistent, it''s getting annoying!" The demoness was actually taken aback. She did not expe


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    was thinking. Hence, the situation was now against his favor. Most of the people now inside this Demon Sealing Palace had their own reason for obtaining the tripod. Therefore, even if he talked to them, they would not listen to him.


    At this moment, the scene was chaotic and complicated. Even though Rocky was already in front of the Purgatorial Tripod, he was not sure of what could happen next.


    All he could do right now was guard the tripod against everyone with all his strength. Right now, the demoness was just a few steps away from Rocky, but she could not freely rush towards him. If she wanted to get to the tripod, she would need others'' help to force Rocky away from his current position.


    Obviously, anyone could do that. Zain and Enoch would not hesitate to attack him. Moreover, even Layla was covetous of the soul of Phillip since she yearned to be the next ruler. Therefore, it was like Rocky was against everyone else.


    But before anyone could make the first move, a burst of laughter suddenly resounded from the depths of the Demon Sealing Palace. "Ha-ha! Would you look at this? The Demon Sealing Palace hasn''t been so lively for a long time. In fact, I didn''t expect that someone would be able to open the enchanted barrier. Well, it seems that I still have the chance to see the sun again."


    Upon hearing the voice, everyone, including Rocky, was stunned.

 Chapter 1869 The Giant Demon Race

    A gigantic figure slowly emerged from the depths of the Demon Sealing Palace. It had in its spirit form, and it exuded an aura that was between the Shura Realm and the God Realm.


    Moreover, behind this huge figure, there were also two relatively short figures. They had long hands and feet, and it could be easily said that they were not members of the Shura Race.


    "The giant demon race? Those three are the strongest warriors of the giant demon race! I can''t believe that they''re still alive!" Anya had just broken free from the demoness earlier. When she saw the three figures that just appeared, she was utterly shocked. She had encountered them before, and they were actually the ones who instigated a bloody storm in the Ghostly Demon Land, causing a big disaster back then.


    In fact, the giant demon race used to be as powerful as the Shura Race. However, because the Shura Race was favored by the deity of the Holy-Evil World, they were able to learn powerful secret techniques. Consequently, the Shura Race suppressed the giant demon race, making them somehow disappear from the surface of the continent.


    But the members of the giant demon race were just waiting for the perfect chance to exact their revenge. Finally, a thousand years ago, they encountered the demonic race of the Holy-Evil World, which helped them enter the Ghostly Demon Land. They were tricked into obtaining Phillip''s power, and they caused a hu


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    me demoness or aliens get away with the tripod that contains Phillip''s soul. Fine! I will cooperate with you, but I have one condition. After we repel them, you shall let me take the tripod," Zain uttered in an imposing manner.


    "What? You want me to betray Princess Layla?" Rocky could not believe that Zain would be so audacious to ask the tripod in exchange for helping him.


    "If you can''t even agree to this, how do you expect me to believe you? Is the next successor of the king more important to you than securing the safety of the Shura Continent?" Zain answered coldly, trying to trick him.


    "I could say the same to you! Then, don''t help me. Let''s see if you still have a place to leave after the demoness or the giant demon race got a hold of Phillip''s soul! I can just stand by and watch while you struggle to confront them. Let''s see how long you can last," Rocky said bluntly. He could not take Zain''s greedy attitude anymore, so he snapped at him.


    Zain''s face twitched. He did not think that Rocky would be this hard to sway. Obviously, he also knew that Rocky was right. He just wanted to take advantage of the situation to get the upper hand. Moreover, if it weren''t really for Rocky and Anya, they would not be able to enter the Demon Sealing Palace. Hence, the prince knew that he had no chance of overcoming the demoness and the members of the giant demon race without cooperating with Rocky and Anya.

 Chapter 1870 Kill The Enemy First

    "Zain, this is not the time to be stubborn. We have to work together to defeat our common enemies first!" Layla tried to convince Zain. Even she knew that they would have difficulty dealing with the demoness, Enoch, and the three members of the giant demon race by themselves. If Zain chose to be stubborn and prideful, he would get nothing in the end. Hence, the princess could only persuade Zain to cooperate with them to join hands against their common enemies.


    At this moment, Zain let out a frown. He had a lot of thoughts in his head. It was clear to him that he would not be able to accomplish anything on his own, but he was also afraid that there would be no benefit for him if he worked with Layla and Rocky.


    But of course, since he was the son of the current king, he wanted to protect his clan to the best of his abilities. He did not want the Shura Race to be enslaved by the other races. Moreover, at this point, Rocky had at least some advantage because he was already there in front of the Purgatorial Tripod, guarding it. Hence, it would just make sense if Zain chose to side with Rocky and Layla in the meantime.


    "Fine. Let''s work together and defeat them first..." Eventually, Zain chose to compromise and pick the most logical option. However, he still put forth a condition and said, "I will agree to cooperate, but after we defeat them, we have to fairly compete for Phill


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    oen, one of the three demons roared mightily, spun rapidly, and turned into a shadow that rushed to the Purgatorial Tripod at an incredible speed.


    Cody and Callan followed right after, exhibiting an overwhelming momentum.


    "Here''s what we will do. Anya and I will take care of Coen. Then, I''ll leave the other two to you," Rocky said decisively. At this point, the demoness'' body would not be able to bear more physical damages, so it might not be a good idea to let her fight the powerful Coen head-on. Hence, Rocky told her that she could deal with the two weaker ones.


    "Yeah. I already know that you will make this arrangement. But is that really all right? Can you defeat that guy? He''s the strongest of the three and he might break through to the God Realm at any time," the demoness reminded sternly.


    "No problem. Did you forget that I was able to deal with you? Then this one should not be much of a challenge," Rocky replied confidently, letting out a faint smile.


    The demoness could just snort coldly since she knew that Rocky was subtly mocking her. But the truth was Rocky''s strength indeed surpassed her expectations. She did not expect that a mere member of the Shura Race would cause her so much trouble that he even ruined her plan.


    Meanwhile, Anya, who was left guarding the tripod, wore a serious expression and took a defensive stance as the enemies approached.

 Chapter 1871 Eliminate The Enemy For Good

    As he steadily rushed towards Anya, Coen swiftly threw out his palm. His palm strength was like water flowing in a river. On the surface, it looked pretty harmless, but it actually contained tremendous power. After Anya took the strike head-on, the surging spiritual power was able to push her back a few meters.


    ''What? I did not expect that the giant demon race will be much stronger than they were before, '' Anya thought to herself, a bit surprised by the sudden turn of events. She had experienced battling them before, so she had a clear grasp of their strength. Hence, she was taken aback to see that the strength that Coen displayed just now exceeded what she remembered.


    At the same time, when Rocky saw that Anya was actually forced back by Coen''s seemingly casual attack, his brows also furrowed. Without wasting any time, he rushed and landed to her side, intending to support her.


    "Are you okay?" Rocky quickly asked.


    "Yes, I am fine. I was just a little bit caught off guard. Master, these demons are stronger than they were before. Please be careful in dealing with them," Anya warned with a frown.


    "I see. But don''t worry too much. I am sure that I can handle this guy with you by my side." After saying that, Rocky instantly wielded the God-killing Sword and calmly rushed towards Coen.


    Upon seeing this, Coen could only sneer, thinking that it was ridiculous that the young man was trying to confront him given his current strengt


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    me is up," the guardian firmly reminded.


    "How long will its effect last?" Rocky asked with furrowed brows.


    "You have about ten minutes," the guardian responded.


    "Ten minutes... That should be enough." Afterward, Rocky quickly left the palace, hopeful that he could still turn the situation around.


    At this moment, Rocky saw that Coen was already just a step away from the Purgatorial Tripod. But just as he was about to touch the tripod, Rocky instantly took out the Heaven-shaking Bell. Immediately after, the bell rose into the air and expanded in midair. It became so large that it could cover the ceiling of the palace.


    Then, the bell shook and rang.


    Clang! Clang!


    It produced a deafening sound that made the entire palace tremble violently. The next moment, Coen''s Heavenly Demon Voice was suppressed and overshadowed.


    With this, Rocky immediately regained his senses and mobility.


    Without wasting any time, he rushed to where Coen was and slashed the God-killing Sword from behind him.


    However, with his quick reflex, Coen was able to turn around and wave his hand to block Rocky''s sword attack.


    Glaring with animosity, Coen shouted, "Why are you not affected by my Heavenly Demon Voice?!" Coen was astounded after seeing that Rocky had not lost his mind yet. But at the same time, his face became even more ferocious. His anger towards the young man heightened to the extreme, and he just wanted to kill Rocky for good.

 Chapter 1872 Specks Of Light

    "Master, I am going to help you!" Anya suddenly called out. Her strength was supposed to have reached the limit, but she quickly rushed beside Rocky to assist him.


    All of a sudden, she turned into a burst of spiritual light and enveloped Rocky, making his aura soar into the sky as if it was similar to a god''s.


    "Anya?" Feeling the sudden change in his aura, Rocky could just clench his fists. He knew that Anya was giving him her last ounce of strength, so he could not let it go to waste. At this moment, all he needed to do was secure the Purgatorial Tripod and not let it fall into anyone else''s hands.


    The next moment, Rocky brandished the God-killing Sword. As he faced Coen again, he revealed a domineering stance, eager to defeat the enemy that would stand in his way. Then, a stream of divine power poured into the sword.


    "Take this! Divine Punishment!" Immediately after, the God-killing Sword revealed a dazzling golden light. Its tremendous power surged towards Coen as if it was going to engulf him.


    In the blink of an eye, the power of the sword spread over and tried to devour Coen.


    However, Rocky knew that this wasn''t enough to kill Coen. But at least, it would be enough to give him some time to seize the Purgatorial Tripod.


    At this moment, Rocky was now in front of the tripod. However, as soon as he touched it, an astonishing force gushed out and went directly inside his body.


    Obviously, Rocky was caught off guard. Fortunately, the divine force that was residing on his body had not yet receded. With it and th


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    you, you should get the Purgatorial Tripod," Anya suggested.


    Rocky''s expression became serious and he started walking towards the tripod without any hesitation. This time, when he touched the Purgatorial Tripod, it no longer rejected him. Instead, it glowed slightly as if it was responding to his power.


    Soon enough, the four golden chains that were restraining the tripod were also cut off.


    "It will be the safest if I can seal the tripod into the Magic Spiritual Space first," Rocky murmured as he took the tripod in his hand. Immediately after, he sent the Purgatorial tripod into the Magic Spiritual Space to keep it safe.


    However, the moment the tripod disappeared, the entire Demon Sealing Place began to tremble violently. At the same time, the altar beneath Rocky''s feet began to crack and collapse.


    "Anya, the whole place is about to crumble. We have to get out of here!" Rocky said.


    "I''m afraid I have to decline. All of my strength has been used up. So, even if I leave this place, I won''t be able to live on. Furthermore, my wish was already granted. Please let me disappear along with the Demon Sealing Palace!" Anya said with a sad smile.


    Hearing this, Rocky could not help but become teary-eyed. Although he had only known Anya for a very short time, he knew that she was a very admirable person.


    "Come on. Off you go!" After uttering these last words, Anya turned into specks of light and dissipated in the air.


    Before moving on, Rocky heaved a deep breath. Then, he flew towards the entrance of the palace.

 Chapter 1873 Not Chasing After Them

    When the demoness saw that Rocky had obtained the Purgatorial Tripod, she quickly chased after him.


    "Hand over the tripod to me! I know you have it!" the demoness exclaimed in a demanding tone. Her chest was throbbing hard and her eyes were burning. After all, she could not afford to fail her mission.


    "Then, why don''t you catch me? If you can, maybe I''ll give it to you!" Rocky teased with a grin. Turning his back on the demoness, his figure disappeared in a flash.


    "What the hell? Did his strength just increase again?!" The demoness'' jaw almost dropped, surprised at what she just saw.


    The next moment, Rocky landed before Layla and her team.


    "Your Royal Highness, the entire Demon Sealing Palace is about to collapse. We have to get out of here first," Rocky informed the princess at once.


    "It seems that we already have what we came here for. All right. Let''s retreat!" Layla immediately ordered.


    At the same time, Zain also cast a glance at Rocky and ordered his men to get out of the palace.


    Since they were all aware that Rocky successfully acquired the Purgatorial Tripod, it would be meaningless to fight with Enoch''s men and stay there.


    Not long after, both the teams led by Layla and Zain got out of the crumbling palace.


    Enoch also did not waste any time and gathered his men to get to the entrance.


    After everyone had finally gone out, the entire Demon Sealing Palace collapsed to the ground with a loud bang, turning everything into mere ruins.


    The demoness was the last one to come out, and it seemed that everyone still made it outside.


    A


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    that could get him in huge trouble.


    "What are you waiting for? Come at me all at the same time!" With a grin on his face, Rocky wielded the God-killing Sword in his hand and incited Enoch and his men.


    Falling for his provocation, Enoch and his men rushed forth and attacked Rocky from different directions.


    Rocky actually did not want to waste time fighting with them, so he instantly activated the God-killing Sword, which let out a sudden roar. In a flash, an overwhelming sword aura surged out from the sword and swept over in all directions.


    Enoch and his men never expected that the God-killing Sword could release its power on its own as if it had its own consciousness. Since most of them were caught off guard, they were instantly sent flying with incredible momentum. As they crashed on the ground, they spat up a mouthful of blood and were seriously injured. In fact, the weaker ones could barely stand on their feet upon receiving the overbearing blow. It was safe to assume that they would not be able to hinder Rocky after this.


    "The God-killing Sword can also launch an attack on its own, huh?" Rocky murmured in surprise, satisfied with this new discovery.


    At this point, Enoch and his men were too scared to go near Rocky again. They did not know what would happen to them if the God-killing Sword suddenly launched a strike again.


    "So, does it mean that you are not going to stop me now? Then, I''m leaving!" Rocky sneered at them after seeing their terrified faces. Then, he hurriedly activated his bodily movement skill and headed in a certain direction.

 Chapter 1874 An Unexpected Figure Appeared

    "Don''t think that you can run away from me!" Upon seeing that Rocky was about to escape, the demoness knew that at her current state, she would not be able to easily catch up with him. Hence, she had no choice but to summon the Demonic Spiritual Spear back. Then, she immediately threw it towards Rocky in order to stop him.


    It was known that the power of the Demonic Spiritual Spear was on par with the God-killing Sword. Moreover, it could absorb one''s spiritual energy and soul. It was extremely dangerous that even with his current strength, Rocky could not afford to be hit by it.


    Therefore, the moment Rocky saw the approaching spear, he instantly brandished the God-killing Sword, readying himself to resist the spear with all his strength.


    At the same time, Zain also seized the opportunity to attack Rocky using the Demonic Dragon Blade. He instantly released its power, knowing that if Rocky was done in, he would have one less enemy to deal with.


    In an instant, Rocky was in a dilemma. He was going to be sandwiched by the powers of the two weapons. Although he might have the ability to resist them, it would be hard to say if he could get out unscathed.


    However, just as Rocky was about to be hit by the combined attacks of the demoness and Zain, a delicate figure suddenly appeared and quickly threw out two rune papers that instantly blocked off the powers of the Demonic Spiritual Spear and the Demonic Dragon Blade.


    Boom! Boom!


    As the rune papers collided with the powers of the we


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    ky and Vivian arrive, both girls were finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. But of course, they were not expecting to see Vivian.


    "Miss Vivian? Why are you with him?" Valeria could not help but ask. She was shocked and confused at the same time.


    "It is kind of a long story. We can just talk about it later. Right now, our priority is to leave the Ghostly Demon Land as soon as we can," Rocky butted in and went straight to the point.


    "How are we going to leave this place? Is it true that you know another way to get us out of here?" Layla asked as she turned towards Rocky. Earlier, the young man told the demoness that he knew a way to get out of the Ghostly Demon Land. However, the princess did not know any other way aside from the teleportation point that was destroyed by the demoness.


    "The truth is that there is more than one teleportation point. Way back then, the ancestors of the Shura Race built three of them. But later, only one was left functioning," Rocky revealed.


    "So, is there a teleportation point near this area?" Layla asked in delight. She assumed that Rocky led them to these ruins in the first place because that was the case.


    "Yes. However, we still need to activate the teleportation point to make it work," Rocky answered with a nod.


    "Activate? What exactly do we need to do?" Layla probed.


    "It is said that only those who have the royal bloodline can activate the teleportation point..." Rocky then looked at Layla with a serious expression on his face.

 Chapter 1875 Please Explain

    "If that is the case, then I can activate it with my blood," Layla said, feeling lucky that she met the requirements to make the teleportation array work.


    "Yes. However, I have to warn you that it may cost you a lot of blood," Rocky informed. "Anyway, please follow me." Then, he led them into the depths of the ruins.


    Soon enough, Layla, Valeria, Vivian, and the other warriors of the Shura Race followed to where Rocky headed.


    Not long after, Rocky stopped in an open place deep in the ruins. One could clearly feel that beneath their feet, there was an astonishing surge of spiritual power.


    Then, Rocky waved his right hand, releasing a spiritual force that swept and blew away the sand and soil that covered the ground. Not long after, a strange sculpture was revealed. They saw that several runes intertwined on the ground and were densely packed.


    "Princess, if you are ready, please give me your hand," Rocky said calmly.


    Nodding in response, Layla immediately stretched out her hand to Rocky.


    As soon as Rocky held Layla''s hand, a stream of spiritual power gushed out from his hand that instantly made a cut on the princess''s wrist. With this, her bright red blood started dripping to the ground.


    Then, the blood flowed through the runes on the ground and continued to spread throughout the pattern.


    When Rocky saw that there was already enough blood to cover the entire pattern on the


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    ume that Enoch will soon openly rebel against the royal family. At the same time, you know Zain''s attitude. Those two will eventually clash, making the entire royal family or even the Shura Race fall into a serious mess. At that time, someone must take a stand and save everyone from this perilous situation," Mikayla said rather firmly. She seemed to have already foreseen that this tragedy would occur in the near future.


    "I can see that it is very possible. Since Prince Enoch colluded with the demoness, he has automatically lost his chance to take over the throne. Now, his only means to achieve it is to forcefully take it and incite a rebellion." Rocky''s face darkened, knowing that Mikayla was absolutely right.


    "The entire Shura Race will soon be engulfed in a bloody civil war. You should rise and stop its destruction without hesitation," Mikayla strongly urged.


    "Can''t you do something before it comes to that point?" Vivian asked in confusion. Of course, she thought that since Mikayla was a goddess, she had the capacity to manipulate things from the background.


    "I''m afraid I can''t. It is impossible for the entities of the Holy-Evil World to get involved with the affairs of the Shura Continent. Once we do it, it will destroy the laws of the world, eradicating the power that maintains the balance in both the Holy-Evil World and the Shura Continent," Mikayla explained in a gloomy tone.

 Chapter 1876 Bad Luck

    "Then, I guess the Shura Race will really be in big trouble this time," Rocky said, having some complex thoughts about it.


    "But since the demoness possessed someone from the Shura Race, she won''t be able to refresh her powers in a short time. For the time being, you can relax a little. Currently, the most important thing is that you can quell the internal strife within the royal family of the Shura Race. This is a more pressing and urgent matter.


    Furthermore, that demoness seems to be very good at scheming and manipulating others. Hence, you must be careful with everyone that you will encounter. At this point, we don''t know if there are already enemies lurking around you. Once you are betrayed, it might be too late to fix things." Mikayla gave a fair warning.


    "Yeah. If she can even control Prince Enoch, then she really is terrifying!" Rocky nodded, letting out a serious expression.


    "Even after you start taking action, it will not be surprising to see that the situation in the Shura Continent will become extremely bad. Once the internal strife within the Shura Race became public, the human race and the spiritual race will definitely take this opportunity to bring the Shura Race down. If the Shura Continent falls into a large-scale turmoil, it will just accelerate the collapse of the Holy-Evil World. Therefore, I can only put our hopes to you two to solve this enormous crisis." Since the deities of the Holy-Evil World could not d


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    side of the passage, they saw the barren topography that was supposed to be the normal appearance of the territory of the Shura Race. Hence, it meant that they had finally exited the Ghostly Demon Land.


    "Your Royal Highness, I suggest that you remember the location of this entrance and set up an enchanted barrier around it. We don''t know, but it might come in handy in the near future," Rocky suddenly proposed.


    Layla also thought that it was a good idea, so she immediately drew a topographic map according to the terrain that she could see around. Then, she established an enchanted barrier to seal the hidden entrance.


    "All right. That should do it! What should we do now?" Layla quickly asked as she turned to Rocky.


    "Hmm. I am thinking that only the two of us should go back to the royal family. At the same time, Valeria and Miss Vivian will accompany the rest of the team back to the Ghost Fief. They will wait there for further orders depending on the situation inside the royal family." Rocky made the arrangement decisively. He was actually worried that something unpredictable might have already happen while they were away, so he did not think that it was a wise idea to bring back all Princess Layla''s trusted men to the royal family just yet.


    "Okay. Let''s do that." Both Layla and Valeria nodded without objection.


    Afterward, Rocky summoned Rubygon and rode it together with Layla. At his order, Rubygon immediately took off.

 Chapter 1877 High Above In The Sky

    As they flew high above the sky, clouds floated among them, and they could see the sun shining brightly.


    While Rocky and Layla rode behind Rubygon, they looked down at the territory of the Shura Race. Compared to the outskirts of the Ghostly Demon Land, the land beneath them looked so barren and should not be suitable for living. Just thinking that the Shura Race was dwelling in it disappointed them.


    "When my mother was the queen who ruled the Shura Race, there were still many beautiful places that could be found in our territory. But look at this. After the current royal family took over, these places were occupied by demons, turning everything into hellish ruins..." Layla heaved a deep sigh, letting out her frustrations.


    "Well, in my opinion, the Shura Race deserves this. In the end, they only have themselves to blame for everything that happened. It is said that the Shura Race used to be a powerful race that worshipped deities. But later on, they became greedy and began cultivating evil skills. Now, the fate of the whole race was drastically changed." Rocky had a general understanding of the history of the Shura Race after learning some parts of it from Corey''s memory. Therefore, he knew that this cruel fate was actu


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    would be delayed. Hence, for the time being, they needed to return to the royal family before it was too late.


    A day later, they finally arrived in their destination. As Rubygon landed, it emitted an aura that instantly caused a commotion in the city. Since it was a powerful demonic beast, people panicked and thought that a monster had invaded.


    Soon enough, some of the Spiritual Emperors of the royal family rushed out with some guards and surrounded Rubygon.


    On the other hand, Rubygon had its typical bad temper. Upon seeing that it was being besieged, it immediately let out a domineering roar, instantly scaring the guards. They could not help but tremble and some even fell to the ground.


    At the same time, the Spiritual Emperors broke into a cold sweat, wondering where the overbearing diabolic beast came from.


    But the next moment, two figures flew down, shocking the guards and Spiritual Emperors present.


    Seeing the faces of the two familiar figures, a Spiritual Emperor could just stammer in surprise, "P-princess Layla? It is indeed you! We''re glad that you''re finally back!" The Spiritual Emperor on the lead eventually regained his composure and greeted respectfully upon confirming that it was Princess Layla.

 Chapter 1878 Reporting Something Important

    "Go and report to the king that we arrived. The Godly Genius of the Ghost Fief and I will see him shortly in the meeting hall," Layla ordered promptly.


    The leading Spiritual Emperor immediately nodded and sent someone to report to the king about the arrival of Layla and Rocky.


    "Come on. Let us go too." Layla turned to Rocky and nodded at him.


    But before they could go, one of the guards asked, "Your Royal Highness, what about your ride? I''m afraid we cannot deal with it if you just leave it here."


    "Oh, the beast actually belongs to him," Layla replied casually.


    Upon hearing this, the Spiritual Emperors and the royal guards present instantly grew very respectful of Rocky. After all, no one expected that the Godly Genius of the Ghost Fief possessed such a powerful beast.


    "So, this is the legendary Godly Genius of the Ghost Fief! What a brilliant and powerful young man!"


    "That''s right. It''s obvious that he is an extraordinary guy!"


    "It seems that even Princess Layla favors him. I''m sure that he will have a bright future ahead!"


    The Spiritual Emperors immediately said some flattering words to get on Rocky''s good side.


    On the other hand, Rocky just let out a faint sm


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    ing power emitting from the bottle.


    Obviously, the elders and minister got more confused. After all, they believed that Rocky was just a Spiritual Emperor. But it was also a fact that he was not affected in any way by the pressure released by Phillip''s power.


    Then, Rocky eventually handed the bottle over to the king. The moment the king received the jade bottle, he opened the cork. Immediately after, a strong aura at the God Realm spread in the air and filled the hall. The elders and ministers instantly felt a shiver down their spine, and their faces turned pale.


    "This is indeed Phillip''s soul power!" the king exclaimed and confirmed.


    Afterward, the elders and ministers began conversing among themselves again. With the confirmation from the king, according to the new rule, Layla was undoubtedly going to be the next ruler.


    "Thank you for all your hard work. For now, go back and take a good rest!" However, to everyone''s surprise, the king did not mention anything about the matter of the throne''s successor.


    Although she was a bit puzzled, Layla didn''t deem to initiate talking about the topic. Right now, this issue could wait since she had something more important to report.

 Chapter 1879 A Lot Of Things

    "Your Majesty, may Odin and I speak with you alone? We have some important matters to report to you," Layla suddenly said, wearing a serious expression on her face.


    The king''s eyes narrowed. Then, he waved his hand, gesturing to the elders, ministers, and guards to leave the hall as soon as possible.


    Shortly after, only the king, Layla, and Rocky were left.


    "What is it about?" the king asked directly.


    "When we entered the Ghostly Demon Land this time, we encountered a member of the demonic race from the Holy-Evil World. However, she possessed a body of a member of the Shura Race, so she could enter the land without being noticed," Layla informed without further ado. Even in the Shura Race, the existence of the Holy-Evil World was only known among the members of the royal family. This was also the main reason why Layla requested to speak alone with the king. This matter was very confidential that even the ministers and elders could not know about it.


    "What?! A member of the demonic race? Are you certain about this?" the king asked with his eyes wide open. In fact, a goddess from the Holy-Evil World was the one who arranged the trip to the Ghostly Demon Land. Hence, if a member of the demonic race was able to sneak in, then it really was a huge matter.


    "Yes, Your Majesty. We are very certain. After all, the woman from the demonic race was colluding with Prince Enoch


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    ould resort to such a terrible thing just to achieve his ambition. He was so desperate that he cooperated with the demonic race. I cannot believe this," Gilbert uttered with a frown.


    "I can only assume that a bloody civil war will occur in the Shura Race in a matter of time. So, we should be prepared," Rocky warned sternly.


    "What did the king say?" Gilbert asked, curious as to how the king responded with this information.


    "Unfortunately, the king doesn''t seem to fully believe what we have said. In fact, even though the princess obtained Phillip''s soul power, which was the king''s condition in order for a candidate to be his successor, it appears that he doesn''t want to pass the throne to her," Rocky said with a shrug.


    "Well, I have been worried about that all this time. Just like I expected, it will not be easy for Princess Layla to become the next ruler of the Shura Race." Gilbert shook his head, letting out a bitter smile.


    "For now, we can only wait for Prince Zain and the others to come back. Then, we shall see what the king''s decision will be," Rocky added.


    "How about Valeria and others? When will they be back?" Gilbert asked out of concern.


    "I guess it will take them a few more days before they arrive here," Rocky surmised.


    "What about the two princes? How long do you think it will take before they can come back?" Gilbert asked with narrowed eyes.

 Chapter 1880 The Leaders Confusion

    "I am not sure. It depends on how fast they can find the teleportation point," Rocky replied, shaking his head.


    "Then, should we make some preparations before they arrive?" Gilbert asked, wondering what they could do next.


    "It will be best if you can dispatch some powerful warriors to guard the Blood Fief. I''m pretty sure that Prince Zain and Prince Enoch have already set their eyes on it," Rocky suggested after thinking for a while.


    "You''re right. I''ll also send a message to Flora to ask if she can lend some of her powerful warriors to help us. I should eventually ask her to come here to the Ghost Capital to discuss these things. I am certain that the Shura Race is about to undergo drastic changes." It was pretty obvious that Gilbert was worried, so he wanted to make sure that they were prepared in case something unexpected suddenly happened.


    "Sir, I have more things to report to you. Actually, this one is very confidential, so I am asking you to prepare yourself mentally. After all, you might get into trouble because of this," Rocky said in a serious tone.


    "You mean that this is more surprising than Prince Enoch colluding with the demonic race?" Gilbert''s eyes instantly narrowed when he heard that Rocky still had more serious matters to discuss.


    "I told you earlier that we obtained Phillip''s soul power. However, the whole truth is that we also took out the Purgatorial Tripod where Phillip''s soul is being sealed," Rocky finally revealed


    "What?! You


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    cky then made a new arrangement in the independent army and divided it into four smaller teams. Obviously, the four women would be the leaders of each team. Upon Rocky''s signal, these four teams would invade the territory of the Shura Race to take his plan to the next phase.


    "This time, be sure to follow the arrangement that I made so that we can also speed up the training process. Soon enough, you will have a chance to display your skills to a full extent," Rocky said, trying to hype them up.


    Apparently, the four girls were also very eager to exhibit their skills and potential. Hearing this, all of them let out an excited expression.


    After finishing his business with the independent army, Rocky went back to the Ghost Capital to wait for Valeria and Vivian to come back together with Layla''s team.


    Then, three days later, a Spiritual Emperor rushed into the Ghost Palace and reported to Rocky. "Godly Genius, they are back."


    Rocky wasted no time and left the Ghost Palace at once. He then rushed to the meeting hall in the leader''s mansion and saw the tired faces of Valeria and Vivian. It seemed that they traveled back to the Ghost Capital without resting.


    "Vivian? Why did you come back with Miss Valeria and the others?" Gilbert instantly asked in confusion. Just a few days ago, Vivian suddenly disappeared from the mansion, but Gilbert did not really mind since it happened oftentimes. However, he did not expect that she had been with Valeria and the others.

 Chapter 1881 Arrest Odin

    Vivian cast a glance at Rocky first before she answered Gilbert, "I''m going to explain it to you later."


    Gilbert knew that Vivian should have a good reason, so he didn''t need to pry further.


    "By the way, have you and Princess Layla already met the king?" Valeria asked and looked at Rocky.


    "Yes, we were able to talk to him," Rocky replied flatly.


    "Then, what happened? Did the king confirm that the princess will be the next ruler?" Vivian asked in an expectant tone.


    "Unfortunately, that is still hard to tell." Rocky could just shake his head and let out a bitter smile.


    "Huh? What do you mean? I thought the king''s task was to get Phillip''s soul power? Princess Layla fulfilled that already and she was the first to come back. Why isn''t it enough to make her the throne''s successor?" Valeria''s brows instantly furrowed, confused at the sudden turn of events.


    "Well, it seems that the king did not expect that Princess Layla will be the one to accomplish the task. Obviously, he is biased toward the two princes. So, even if the princess completed the task, it is still uncertain who the king will choose," Rocky explained calmly.


    "That''s absurd. The king should have just appointed his successor if he will just take his word back. Did you mention to him that his brother colluded with the demonic race?" Vivian asked with hints of disappointment in her voice.


    "Yes, we did. We told him what happened in the Demon Sealing Palace," Rocky replied and nodded.


    "So, what did the king say?" At this point, both V


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    the palace of the royal family."


    "Anyway, let''s cross the bridge when we get there," Rocky said indifferently.


    "All right. Let''s go." Then, Gilbert heaved a deep breath and collected himself. After he stood from his seat, the two walked out of the hall.


    Right after they got out of the mansion, they rode Gilbert''s mount and headed directly to the Royal Land.


    Upon entering the Royal Land, they proceeded to the imperial palace, where the king should be waiting for them.


    However, as soon as they entered the palace, they were welcomed by many important figures of the Shura Race. These included the elders and ministers of the royal family, as well as Layla and Enoch.


    Aside from them, Rocky and Gilbert also noticed the presence of strong warriors at the Shura Realm standing on opposite sides with unfriendly expressions on their faces.


    When Rocky looked at Layla, he recognized the anxiousness and restlessness in her eyes. Hence, he instantly knew that they would be in huge trouble.


    At the same time, the king sat majestically on the throne, and his eyes were like daggers, piercing through Rocky and Gilbert.


    "Greetings, Your Majesty. I received the message that you are summoning us." Gilbert and Rocky tried to remain calm despite the tense atmosphere. They walked towards the king and bowed in front of him.


    "Yes. I have been waiting for you. Guards, arrest Odin!" the king suddenly ordered.


    Immediately after, the strong warriors at the Shura Realm surrounded Rocky and prepared to restrain him.

 Chapter 1882 Argue

    "Your Majesty, what is the meaning of this?" Gilbert was struck dumb by the king''s sudden orders. They had just entered the hall, and this was what welcomed them.


    "Didn''t you know? Odin deliberately hid the fact that he had the Purgatorial Tripod, and he had no intention of handing it over to the royal family. That is enough proof of his attempt to incite a rebellion. Do you not agree, Leader Gilbert?" The king was fuming in anger and continued, "The Purgatorial Tripod that is sealing Phillip''s soul is guarded by the royal family for generations now. Taking it without permission is strictly prohibited. Who knows what he will do with it?"


    Hearing the king''s argument, Gilbert was at a loss for words. This was what he was afraid of the moment Rocky told him about the tripod. Thus, he could just turn to Rocky and hint at the young man to explain it himself.


    "Your Majesty, it is true that I have the Purgatorial Tripod with me, but I did not mean to hide the truth without any good reason. I was just afraid that things might get even worse if it was handed over to the royal family. I don''t think it is a good thing if too many people know that the tripod has been taken out of the Demon Sealing Palace!" Rocky argued with reason.


    "Now, you are saying that you want to protect me? Then, why didn''t you tell me that you have it when you and Layla met with me? If Enoch did not tell me that you have the tripod, when are you planning to reveal it?" Of course, the king deemed Rocky''s explanation as questionable. The moment he


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    od over so that he could have a chance to steal it.


    "Prince Enoch, logically speaking, Prince Zain''s strength and your strength should be above Odin''s. Let''s say that Prince Zain was caught off guard. Then, why did you let your nephew be hurt to such an extent? Furthermore, you also let the culprit take away the Purgatorial Tripod? I thought you said that you were also at the Demon Sealing Palace at that time? So, did you just watch all of this happen before your eyes?" Gilbert asked with inquisitive eyes.


    Enoch gritted his teeth, knowing how shrewd Gilbert was. But of course, he would lie through his teeth just to get out of this predicament. "That''s because he played a trick and then summoned a mysterious helper! Don''t dare accuse me that I did nothing while your Godly Genius was stealing the tripod!" Then, he tried changing the subject and said, "Odin, if you really are tasked to protect the tripod, then fine, you did your job. But now that you are back, you should hand it over to the royal family. If you are still unwilling to give it back, then it just proves that you have an ulterior motive for getting it!"


    "I''ve had enough! Stop arguing, all of you!" The king eventually got annoyed by all the arguments that he heard. Enoch and Rocky had their own version of the story, and the only one who could prove which one was lying was Zain. However, in his current condition, they could not do anything. Hence, the king eventually decided that they would have to wait until Zain woke up before he made his judgment.

 Chapter 1883 Look At Each Other

    "The Purgatorial Tripod must be returned to the royal family. Odin, if you are smart enough, do not make this more complicated. If you insist on going your way, then I will also be forced to deal with this matter according to the law of the Shura Race!" the king said seriously. In the end, he could not let anyone outside the royal family possess the Purgatorial Tripod.


    "I already professed the very reason why I cannot hand the Purgatorial Tripod over. If you still want to take it from me by force, then I''m afraid I will do my best to protect it with all my might," Rocky answered with a straight face. Even if he ended up deliberately disobeying the order of the king, he would never give Enoch the chance to steal the Purgatorial Tripod. After all, this would only cause a large-scale disaster that would be irreversible.


    After hearing Rocky''s firm words, the whole palace was taken aback. No one expected Rocky to blatantly refuse the king''s order. This was indeed equivalent to disobeying the authority of the entire royal family.


    "Do you see it now, Your Majesty? This guy definitely has ill intentions!" Enoch immediately uttered, adding fuel to the fire.


    "Odin, does it have to reach to this extent?" Layla reminded Rocky.


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    if he did not do something, it would be difficult for him to escape the palace. However, if he did that, he would surely have a falling-out with the royal family. It was too soon, and it might jeopardize his plans. Nonetheless, he was already in an unfavorable position, so he had to act according to the situation and just alter his plan afterward.


    But at this most critical moment, when the atmosphere in the hall reached the most chaotic point, a Spiritual Emperor suddenly rushed into the hall and reported, "Your Majesty, Prince Zain has woken up! He wants to talk with you alone."


    This immediately changed the tide of the situation as if a bomb had been defused. The members of the royal family looked at each other. The timing was indeed perfect for Zain to regain consciousness. With this, the truth should be solved soon. The fact whether Rocky stole the Purgatorial Tripod or Enoch colluded with the demonic race would be soon clarified.


    "I will be there right away," the king immediately said. While he walked through the door of the hall, he turned around and said, "No one is allowed to leave this hall, especially Odin! Wait for me to come back." After saying that, he quickly left the hall and went to where Zain was.

 Chapter 1884 Under Control

    At this moment, the one with the sourest expression was none other than Enoch. After all, for him, this was the worst timing for Zain to wake up. He even injured his nephew so badly just so he could frame Rocky and Layla up and take the Purgatorial Tripod. At the back of his mind, he committed a blunder by not killing Zain. Now that the prince was awake, he would definitely tell the king about everything, including Enoch''s collusion with the demonic race. At this point, Enoch would not be able to do anything even if he used all the lies that he could think of.


    Rocky, Layla, and Gilbert also cast a glance at Enoch. They knew that finally, his ploy would be exposed, and everything would now be resolved.


    The royal members were whispering to each other. They were guessing what would happen next once the king returned.


    However, while everyone was waiting for the king to come back, they suddenly heard something heavy falling from above. Then, a loud bang shook the entire hall.


    Startled, everyone looked upward, where the loud noise came from. The next moment, the roof of the hall was penetrated by an astonishing force. Countless dense black shadows rushed into the hall and quickly spread out.


    "These are Ghostly Poisonous Bees! They are highly toxic, so don''t let them sting you!" When someone recognized the black shadows, he hurriedly warned everyone else in


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    he holy treasure that keeps Phillip''s soul sealed. Even the king said that the one who holds the holy treasure has the qualifications to inherit the throne. Secondly, Prince Zain is in no shape to become the king. So, in the end, Layla is the only one left," Rocky explained.


    "That is true. But still, if the majority does not accept her¡­" It seemed that Gilbert could not erase all of his misgivings.


    "We don''t have to worry about that. Layla''s reputation in the royal family has no blemish. I am sure that many people will support her," Rocky replied with confidence.


    "Then, how exactly are we going to deal with the two princes?" Gilbert inquired.


    "As we all know, Prince Zain has been seriously injured, so he should not pose any problem at the moment. When Prince Enoch starts to pull off his rebellion, I am sure that his first aim will be the royal family. That is the main reason why I said that we just need to wait. Once he confronts the royal family, we will have enough time to arrange and set our plans into motion." From Rocky''s tone, both Gilbert and Layla discerned that he had already made some arrangements beforehand.


    "Well, I guess we just have to trust your plans," Layla said with a sigh. In fact, she deeply admired Rocky''s ability to foresee various situations. With the situation under his care, it seemed that everything was under control.

 Chapter 1885 Draw The Fiefs Over

    "Prince Enoch still has ties with some of the fiefs, and once he rebels, we can assume that these fiefs will support him. Since the Ghost Fief and the Flower Fief support you, it can be said that the royal family will lose the support of at least half of the nine fiefs. Of course, we also know that the nine fiefs are the foundation of the power of the royal family. Losing half of them will surely be a huge blow. With that, I don''t think the king can stand against Enoch and the demonic race." Rocky gave a coherent analysis.


    "I see. You are indeed right, Odin. The current situation seems to be favorable for us. If the royal family confronts Enoch''s army, they will have no time to deal with us. Just as you said, we can take advantage of that and proceed with our own plans." Layla immediately understood what Rocky was trying to say. By the time Enoch started his rebellion, the royal family would have no choice but to try to suppress him. While this was happening, Rocky and Layla could just watch from the sideline until both sides were banged up. At the right timing, they could make the move and put their plans in motion.


    "Your Royal Highness, have you already made up your mind to go against the royal family?" Gilbert asked with a frown. He knew that once the princess dec


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    lose to Rocky, an overwhelming aura gushed out of his body, repelling the several masters and sending them flying backward.


    Seeing this scene, the royal members were dumbfounded. All these warriors were at the Shura Realm, but they were all blown away just by Rocky''s aura.


    Even the king''s mouth was left open. In fact, he was instantly intimidated by Rocky''s power that he suddenly restrained his anger.


    When the king had finally somehow calmed himself, he asked in a cold tone, "Why are you here? I don''t recall summoning you."


    "Well, a few days have already passed, and we have not heard anything from you. So, we had no choice but to come uninvited," Rocky said straightforwardly.


    The king could not speak for a while since he did not know what to respond. It was true that he was yet to summon the two, but it was only because he had not yet found a way to make Rocky hand the Purgatorial Tripod over.


    "Your Majesty, I think it will be better if we let Odin guard the Purgatorial Tripod! Prince Enoch has now openly betrayed the Shura Race. Since he is colluding with the demonic race, you know that their primary target is the Purgatorial Tripod. Even the gods deem that Odin is the most suitable one to protect it!" Layla stepped forward and made her voice heard.

 Chapter 1886 Heavenly Demon Tower

    "Fine! If you really don''t have any intention of surrendering the Purgatorial Tripod, you need to prove that you have sufficient strength to protect it," the king said after thinking for a while. At this moment, he was already worried about Enoch''s rebellion. Hence, he deemed that he could not make an enemy of Rocky, which might cause Layla to rise in revolt, too. If that happened, the royal family would no longer be able to stand on its own. Therefore, instead of urging Rocky to return the tripod, he thought of giving the young man a chance.


    "What do you want me to do to prove it, Your Majesty?" Rocky asked, slightly letting out a frown. Of course, he knew that the king would not give him an easy task if he was willing to compromise.


    Then, the king paused for a while and said, "Enter the Heavenly Demon Tower. If you can overcome the tower, then I will allow you to guard the Purgatorial Tripod."


    "The Heavenly Demon Tower?" Rocky repeated, narrowing his eyes. He had been in the Shura Race for a long time, but it was his first time hearing about it. However, he was certain that the information about the Heavenly Demon Tower should be stored somewhere in King Corey''s memory.


    The expressions on Layla''s and the royal members'' faces also changed. It seemed that they all kne


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    Moreover, in order to enter the real Heavenly Demon Tower, he needed to enter the correct door. Once he entered the wrong door, the positions of the six doors would change, and he would need to start from square one again. Under normal circumstances, a warrior would need to rely on luck just so he could succeed.


    Of course, even if someone was very powerful, luck was still an essential part of their strength.


    However, as Corey''s successor, Rocky did not really need to rely on luck. After all, he found in the memories left to him that there was a way to identify the correct door. All he needed to do was use his spiritual power to attract the martial spirits inside the tower and resonate with them. This way, he could easily determine which door led to the Heavenly Demon Tower.


    If it weren''t for Corey''s memories, Rocky would not be able to think of this method. Thus, he could not help but admit that Corey was indeed a genius.


    Immediately after, Rocky released his spiritual power and let it spread around the room.


    Before long, he felt a strong aura of martial spirits coming from a door on the left. It seemed that the marital spirits inside the tower had sensed his power.


    Then, all of a sudden, a strong suction force came from the door, and he was sucked into it.

 Chapter 1887 Hundred Puppet Array

    As soon as Rocky regained his sight, he found himself in a scene that resembled the purgatory. In front of him was a pile of human skulls and bones that were arranged orderly as if they were sacrificial offerings.


    The entire area emitted a strong evil presence which seemed to be from the remaining aura of the martial spirits. Consequently, Rocky felt depressed, sensing what the spirits had gone through.


    While he was looking around, he could not find any stairs, so he did not know how he could advance to the upper floors. Moreover, he felt strange because he could not see any martial spirit around him, when in fact, he sensed them before entering the door that led to the Heavenly Demon Tower.


    Not knowing what exactly was happening, Rocky consulted Corey''s memories again. Then, he found out what was going on.


    It turned out that at times, the warriors at the Shura Realm were permitted to enter the Heavenly Demon Tower, but only the first three floors were opened for them. Therefore, most of the martial spirits on the first three floors were already refined by the warriors who had visited before.


    Afterward, he searched Corey''s memories to find out how he could get to the second floor.


    Upon acquiring the information that he needed, Rocky moved around the first floor according to what he saw in Corey''s memories. Then, about an hour later, he arrived in front of a wall.


    Based on the me


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    However, it turned out that the puppets also had regenerative abilities. After some time, they were back to their original state as if nothing happened.


    Rocky''s expression became more serious. He had no choice but to force his way out of this field of puppets while being cautious enough.


    By doing so, he fought against the vicious puppets for four hours before he finally reached the last two rows. At this point, the entrance to the fourth floor was already in sight.


    However, the puppets did not make Rocky''s life any easy. The strength of the last two rows was equivalent to warriors at the medium stage of the Shura Realm. It was not that simple to fight all these puppets alone.


    But since Rocky had already fused the other half of Corey''s power, he had enough strength to make a decisive blow and finish the remaining rows of puppets. Without further ado, he brandished the God-killing Sword. Upon exhibiting his spiritual power, a crescent-shaped sword shadow emerged, generating an overbearing shock wave that smashed the last two rows of puppets in front of him.


    Then, before the crushed puppets could return to their original form, Rocky was able to get out of the array and reach the entrance to the fourth floor.


    However, strangely enough, when Rocky was about to release his spiritual power and open the entrance, a surging force rushed out from the door and shoved him a few steps back.

 Chapter 1888 Regain Freedom

    "Huh? What happened?" Rocky was taken aback when he realized that he could not get through the entrance to the fourth floor.


    He tried several more times, but the result was just the same. He was pushed back repeatedly.


    "What does this mean? Is it not recognizing my power, or does it require some other way of opening it?" Rocky uttered, furrowing his brows.


    Afterward, he tried something else. He simply released his true strength, which was close to the God Realm.


    Then, all of a sudden, the entire Heavenly Demon Tower shook violently as if it was greatly affected by something.


    In fact, even the members of the royal family, who were waiting for Rocky outside the Heavenly Demon Tower, also felt the strong vibration in the tower. Of course, they were all surprised because they did not know what was happening inside. However, they could faintly feel the unimaginably powerful aura from within the tower that might be the cause of all this trembling.


    Meanwhile, in the darkness of the top floor of the tower, a dark purple light suddenly flashed as if something was awakened.


    On the other hand, as Rocky released his real power, the entrance to the fourth floor produced a suction force that instantly swallowed him. It turned out that he was right on using a different way to open the door this time.


    Upon reaching the fourth floor, he finally saw many martial spirits wandering around. Since only the fi


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    let it out, it would surely cause chaos in the outside world. After all, Corey must have a good reason why he sealed it in the tower.


    However, just as Rocky was about to establish an enchanted barrier to seal the martial spirit again, a strange aura rushed out from its body and spread out in an instant. "What do you think you''re doing?!" the martial spirit roared.


    The force it unleashed was so enormous that it managed to shake the entire Heavenly Demon Tower.


    Outside the Heavenly Demon Tower, the king and the other royal members were utterly confused to see the tower tremble again. It had never happened before, and they did not know what could be causing it.


    On the other hand, Rocky felt an irresistibly strong pressure that was about to engulf him. In a flash, he sensed that he was losing control of his own body.


    At the same time, the martial spirit started approaching Rocky, as if it was trying to take control of him. But out of nowhere, the God-killing Sword activated in itself. It then unleashed a holy power that bolted out like a lightning flash, repelling the martial spirit away.


    "That is the God-killing Sword! Why do you have it? What is your relationship with that guy?" The martial spirit glared at Rocky with pure hatred, knowing that he was connected to Corey.


    "I am this sword''s master now!" Rocky firmly declared. At this moment, he had fully regained control of his body again.

 Chapter 1889 See Through Everything

    "Humph! You may have inherited his power, but you are still far inferior to him. With your current strength, it''s impossible for you to seal me again!" After saying that, the martial spirit instantly rushed out of the room, as if it was trying to escape from the Heavenly Demon Tower.


    But of course, since Rocky knew that there would be terrifying repercussions if he let the martial spirit escape, he immediately chased after it.


    However, in the current form of the martial spirit, it could freely travel through things without being hindered. It quickly wandered around the floor, leaving Rocky unable to figure out its track at all.


    But after chasing it for a while, Rocky noticed that the martial spirit seemed unable to leave the floor. Although Rocky had deactivated the enchanted barrier that sealed it in the previous room, each floor of the Heavenly Demon Tower had their own enchanted barrier, and only those who met the requirements could enter and leave at will. In Rocky''s case, because he tried to conceal his real strength earlier, he could not enter the fifth floor. But as soon as he revealed his true strength, which was near the God Realm, the barrier recognized him and let him pass through.


    "Damn it! I should have known that I cannot leave this place that easily!" Now that the martial spirit realized


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    m Rocky.


    Rocky was also confused because he didn''t know where this power was coming from, and why it was only attacking the martial spirit.


    While Rocky was still in a daze, the God-killing Sword lit up as if it had sensed something. The next moment, Rocky heard a strange noise that sounded like it was calling for something.


    Immediately after, a vortex-like circle of light appeared behind Rocky. Before he could even react, he was sucked into it.


    Afterward, the vortex ring of light turned into a wave of light that illuminated the entire fifth floor, removing any shadow in sight.


    Then, by the time the luminous light dissipated, Rocky had already vanished without a trace.


    "What the hell happened? Where is he?" Utterly confused at the sudden turn of events, the martial spirit could just exclaim and express its frustrations.


    Meanwhile, Rocky was taken into a void space.


    "What is this place? Is this still a part of the Heavenly Demon Tower?" Rocky narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out what was happening right now.


    But soon enough, a voice echoed in the space. "Corey! We meet again." As Rocky looked in the direction of the voice, he saw a pair of huge eyes with dim light in them. It appeared as though they were possessed by a deity or a demon¡ªa set of eyes that could see through everything.

 Chapter 1890 Negative Impact From The Demonic Treasure

    ''Did he just call me Corey?'' "Who are you?" Rocky eventually asked. Rocky could just guess that this man could sense Corey''s aura from his body, so he had mistaken him for Corey.


    "What are you talking about? Don''t you remember me? What happened? Were you reincarnated already? Is that why you have lost your memory?" the pair of demonic eyes asked.


    "I''m not Corey and he has not been reincarnated either. It''s just that I have inherited his power," Rocky answered honestly.


    "Oh, I see. Then that explains why you can''t even deal with that weak demon," the demonic eyes said in a teasing tone.


    "So, are you the one who saved me just now?" Rocky still asked although he was already quite sure about it.


    "Well, I sensed Corey''s aura from your body, so I thought that my old friend has finally come back. It seems that he is no longer living if someone already inherited his power," the demonic eyes remarked in a pretty arrogant tone.


    "If I may ask, am I at the top floor of the Heavenly Demon Tower?" Rocky asked upon getting the opportunity. After all, if he was, he was already close to accomplishing the king''s task and leaving.


    "Oh, I''m afraid it''s not. This is actually a separate space that Corey created in order to seal me off. But to tell you the truth, I did not expect that someone would be able to enter this space aside from Corey. Although you are not Corey''s reincarnated body, I am still quite sure that you can de


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    said, shaking his aching head.


    "What are you worried about? It''s just a member of the giant demon race. It''s not as powerful as you think. Moreover, you have the Purgatorial Tripod with you, right? You can use that to subdue it if you really have no other way to deal with it," Phillip reminded.


    "Oh, that''s right! Your soul is not actually inside the tripod, so I can use it without any reservations." Rocky was suddenly enlightened, and he somewhat regained his confidence.


    "In addition to that, I have a treasure that can gather souls and spiritual power inside the Heavenly Demon Tower. It is called the Demonic Goblet. You can also take it since no one will really use it anymore. If you pair that with the Purgatorial Tripod, no spiritual being can resist their combined strength." As soon as Phillip finished speaking, a two-foot wide goblet appeared before him. It was shining with a purple light, and it exuded an evil aura.


    "That is a demonic treasure, right?" At this point, Rocky could immediately recognize the difference between a demonic treasure and a divine treasure.


    "Yes, it is."


    "It''s fine then. I don''t need it," Rocky decisively refused. Demonic treasures were known to emit a strong fiendish aura, which could in turn affect the mind of the user. Hence, Rocky was afraid that it might cause a negative impact on him once he used it. Although it would be very helpful, he preferred not to take such a risk.

 Chapter 1891 Came Out Successfully

    "Are you worried that it might have some unwanted effects on you? Although it is a demonic treasure, it doesn''t really affect you. In fact, Corey used it before to cultivate souls and spiritual energies." Phillip tried to reassure Rocky as he recognized the young man''s concerns.


    At the same time, Rocky tried to search Corey''s memory regarding the Demonic Goblet. Then, he saw that Phillip was telling the truth.


    Phillip continued to urge, "Take it. If you want to rule the entire Shura Continent, it will definitely come in handy."


    Of course, Rocky still hesitated for a moment. He then weighed the pros and cons and arrived at the conclusion that at the moment, he needed everything to improve his strength. He had already decided to face the royal family of the Shura Race, and if he did not possess sufficient strength, he could not triumph over his opponents.


    "All right, I''ll take it. But I will feel bad if I take it without giving anything back. After all, this is such a magnificent treasure. Is there anything more that I can do for you instead?" Rocky asked just so he could be fair.


    "I believe that it was destiny that allowed us to meet. I admit that I used to be an unforgivable demon, but my fiendish nature has already vanished long ago after I have been sealed here for countless years. In fact, right now, I am just an ordinary old


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    After all, since the establishment of the Heavenly Demon Tower, even the previous rulers, peerless masters, and grand elders spent at least five days before they came out of the tower. Ordinary elders needed at least ten days. What was more, ordinary masters at the Shura Realm could only reach the third floor at most and could not pass all of the floors.


    However, Rocky, whom they thought was not even on par with an ordinary Shura Realm master, managed to pass through the Heavenly Demon Tower in just three days.


    At this moment, Layla quickly rushed to Rocky and welcomed him back.


    "Odin, how are you able to come out so soon? Are you okay?" Layla expressed her admiration, but she also wanted to make sure that he was fine.


    "Yes, I''m okay. By the way, where is the king?" As he went out of the tower, Rocky noticed that only Layla and her followers were there, along with the guards. The king and the other royal members, who accompanied them before, were nowhere to be seen.


    "Well, they all thought that you will not come out so soon, so they decided to go back in the meantime," Layla bluntly replied.


    "I see. Let''s go. We need to see the king right now," Rocky uttered with a serious face.


    Layla knew from Rocky''s tone that he had something urgent to tell the king, so she immediately nodded, and they went straight to the king.

 Chapter 1892 A Secret Talk

    Soon enough, the news that Rocky had easily passed the test of the Heavenly Demon Tower was immediately reported to the king by a warrior that was guarding the tower.


    Therefore, when Rocky and Layla arrived at the palace, they were welcomed with stares of awe coming from the elders and ministers of the royal family. Even the king could not hide his shock upon seeing that Rocky was already before him.


    "Your Majesty, I have successfully gone through all the floors of the Heavenly Demon Tower. Now, as we have discussed, please entrust me with the task of protecting the Purgatorial Tripod," Rocky said directly right after saluting to the king.


    "I actually did not expect you to pass through the Heavenly Demon Tower at all, but it seemed that I underestimated your real strength," the king remarked. He was well aware that anyone who could complete the test of the Heavenly Demon Tower should at least have a strength equivalent to the premium stage of the Shura Realm. When he talked with Zain previously, his son mentioned that Rocky had been hiding his real strength all along, and he even possessed a divine treasure. In fact, the king did not really believe it until now.


    The main reason why he asked Rocky to do this task was to test if he really possessed that kind of strength. Now that he had witnessed this with his own eyes, the king even assumed that Rocky was the strongest among the Godly Geniuses. But it seemed that Rocky was deliberately hiding his real strength so t


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    "First of all, I am planning to merge all the forces under Prince Zain''s command. But in order to achieve that, I will need your cooperation so that I can persuade the other two fiefs," Rocky briefly explained.


    "So, what exactly do I have to do?" Adrian asked straightforwardly.


    Then, Rocky leaned into him and whispered something. Shortly after, Adrian''s eyes brightened, and he began to nod repeatedly.


    "As long as you can do what I said, all of the fiefs who support Prince Zain are going to be under your control," Rocky strongly emphasized.


    "I understand. Just wait for the good news. I won''t let you down!"


    "Then, I will expect that. By the way, is Gloria here in your mansion now?" Rocky suddenly asked.


    "Oh, yes. She is actually cultivating in seclusion."


    "Really? When did that girl become so diligent?" Rocky asked in a teasing tone, but he was actually impressed with the sudden change in Gloria''s attitude.


    "Ha-ha! I guess she must have been too worked up after attending the Spiritual Emperor Contest back then. As soon as she came back, that is all she did," Adrian recounted, slightly shaking his head.


    "Well, that is good for her. She must have realized that there are more powerful warriors than her, so she wanted to improve herself. Anyway, I shall take my leave now. I will wait for the good news soon enough." After saying that, Rocky eventually got out of Adrian''s study.


    Then, he sneaked out of the mansion again without anyone detecting him.

 Chapter 1893 Getting Excited

    After leaving the Genie Fief, Rocky went to the border of the Shura Race''s territory first. In order to make his plan with Adrian work, he needed to make some arrangements with the independent army. After all, they would be the key actors in this elaborate play.


    Upon arriving at the hidden camp, Rocky instantly saw the four women, but it seemed that they were busy training their soldiers without showing any form of slack.


    Seeing this, Rocky deemed not to disturb them, and he just waited by the training field until they were finished with their activity.


    The moment they finished training and Rocky entered the field, Eunice and the other women quickly rushed over to him with excitement.


    "Hey, is there any update? When are we going to fight? All we did was train all day long. It is getting boring!" Eunice complained, wanting to test their strength on the real battlefield.


    "That''s right! We are tired of waiting. When are we going to invade the territory of the Shura Race? I will be sure to deliver them a fatal blow!" Michelle exclaimed, sounding very confident after all the training that they did. In fact, after joining Rocky''s independent army, she found herself enjoying the sensation of fighting on the real battlefield. Her competitive nature was brought out even more, which greatly helped her to motivate herself.


    "As they say, haste makes waste. But don''t feel so gloomy. I actually came here today because I have a task to ask o


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    s. Eventually, we can take advantage of the outcome and make them submit," Rocky said earnestly.


    "Yes, sir! My team will do its best to accomplish this task! But of course, if I do it splendidly, I want merits!" Michelle firmly demanded. In the past, she had always questioned Rocky''s strength and abilities. But ever since she joined the independent army, she saw Rocky in a new light, and she began to admire him very much. However, she still refused to show her approval openly.


    "Yes, of course," Rocky answered with a smile. He had always been fair when it came to providing rewards to those who had accomplished their tasks excellently.


    Then, after Michelle left, Rocky went to talk to Eunice and told her that Lilith would have to go back to the human race.


    Soon enough, Rocky also left the camp of the independent army and headed back to Gilbert''s mansion.


    Upon arriving at the meeting hall, he saw Gilbert there, but he was surprised to see that both Valeria and Vivian were also there. Based on the worried expression on Valeria''s face, he could only assume that they already heard about the task given to him by the king in the Heavenly Demon Tower.


    "Why are you only coming back now? We thought that something bad already happened to you! Humph! You really don''t care about the people waiting and worrying for you!" As soon as Valeria caught sight of Rocky, she immediately stood up and scolded him, like what a normal wife would do.

 Chapter 1894 No Problem

    "Why are you so worried about me? There''s nothing bad that could have happened." Rocky just shrugged and smiled.


    "I heard from Princess Layla that the king asked you to enter the Heavenly Demon Tower. Is that true?" Gilbert asked with furrowed brows. Of course, he knew how dangerous it was for someone to enter the tower, and Rocky even did it without preparations.


    "Yes, that is true. He wanted me to enter the Heavenly Demon Tower so that I can prove my qualifications to guard the Purgatorial Tripod," Rocky briefly explained.


    "So, what happened? Were you able to complete the test?" Gilbert inquired.


    "Yes, I did. It was no big deal," Rocky replied in a matter-of-fact tone.


    Hearing this response from Rocky, Gilbert and the others were utterly surprised. After all, they knew the degree of difficulty of taking on the Heavenly Demon Tower, especially Gilbert. He had once entered the tower before, but he was only able to reach the fourth floor. Hence, he did not expect Rocky to come out of the tower so soon and even uninjured.


    Of course, no one really knew that Rocky''s strength was already close to the God Realm. Therefore, it would not be surprising for him to overcome the Heavenly Demon Tower.


    "So, I take it that the king finally allowed you to guard the Purgatorial Tripod," Gilbert surmised.


    "Well, only for the time being. It seemed that the king is very anx


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    ble," Vivian replied, explaining the main purpose of her unannounced visit.


    "Someone that can cure me? Who is it?" Zain asked, furrowing his messy eyebrows.


    "Well, you should know that in the entire Shura Continent, Esteban of the Ghost Fief is the best doctor. However, he can''t help you at the moment since he has been traveling to various places. But he still has an apprentice that is almost as skilled as him."


    "Are you referring to the Godly Genius of the Ghost Fief?" Vivian did not say anything directly, but it seemed that Zain already knew that it was Rocky who she was referring to.


    "Yes. Odin was the one who asked me to come here."


    "Then, forget it! I don''t believe that he will do something so kind without asking for something in return." Zain quickly snapped at the mention of Rocky''s name. From the start, the prince already considered Rocky as a thorn in his flesh, so it was actually against his principles to accept any kindness from the young man.


    "Well, of course, he is not going to do it for free. He wants to make a deal with you. Accept it and he will heal you," Vivian bluntly said.


    "Ha! I knew it," Zain snorted coldly.


    "Your Royal Highness, why don''t you first listen to the deal that he is proposing? You can decide afterward. After all, you''ll never know if it is acceptable until you hear it," Vivian said, tantalizing Zain with her words.

 Chapter 1895 Within Three Days

    "Then let''s hear it. What does he want? Is he going to make me quit the competition for the throne?" Zain asked, staring coldly at Vivian.


    "You are mistaken, Your Royal Highness. Odin doesn''t want you out of the competition. Instead, he actually wants you to be the one who claims the throne," Vivian directly revealed while shaking her head.


    "What? No way!" The prince was so shocked, but he was absolutely sure that Vivian was lying.


    "Why would I lie to you? Just listen to what I have to say. The only reason why Odin supported Princess Layla is because of my brother. He is the Godly Genius of the Ghost Fief, so he should naturally extend his help to the candidate that the leader chooses. But in reality, he knows that you are the only one capable enough to inherit the throne. Moreover, even the king wants you to be the successor. Think about it. Princess Layla has already handed Phillip''s soul power to him, but he still delayed his decision. If you were the one who accomplished the task back in the Ghostly Demon Land, I am sure that the king already declared you as the next ruler," Vivian said in a very convincing tone.


    "Humph! I did not think that you and Odin think so highly of me. But how on earth will you make this work? Gilbert is your brother. Is it really okay for you to collude with Odin and betray him?" Although Zain thought that Vivian''s words made sense, he was not stupid enough to let his guard down that easily.


    "I am actually doing


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    ng his soul.


    Because of the very advantageous environment, his soul successfully broke through and became a genuine Fighting Soul. With his cultivation base and the strength of his soul, he had now become a real master at the Shura Realm.


    Then, just as Rocky finished his soul cultivation, he received a message from the Carrier Beast, saying that Zain wanted to see him.


    With this, Rocky immediately left the Fallen Spirit Valley and headed towards the Royal Land.


    Upon arriving at the Royal Land, Rocky wasted no time and went straight to Zain''s palace.


    "Your Royal Highness, it has been a long time since I last saw you!" Rocky greeted in a casual manner.


    "Stop all this nonsense and let''s just get down to business. Let me be blunt. If I agree to have a deal with you, can you assure me that you can heal my injuries?" Zain cut straight to the point.


    "Well, if I can''t even do that, I will be a huge disappointment to my master," Rocky said in an indifferent tone.


    "Fine. How long will it take to completely cure my condition?" the prince asked with furrowed brows.


    "Give me three days."


    "What? Three days? Are you insane?!" Zain was in total disbelief, thinking that Rocky was fooling him. After all, he had tried every means possible just so he could recover, but none of them worked. However, Rocky was claiming without any hesitation that he could heal his injuries in just three days. Of course, the prince had a hard time believing this.

 Chapter 1896 The Bloody Battle Broke Out

    "If I am assessing it correctly, your injuries are caused by the erosion of the evil spirit. Therefore, as long as we can expel the evil spirit out of your body, you will start to recover." Rocky instantly gave his diagnosis.


    At the same time, Zain was shocked to his core to hear this. It was Rocky''s first time seeing him after he got the mortifying injuries, but the young man was able to tell the root of the problem in an instant. According to the elders, his wounds were indeed caused by the evil spirit invasion. Since he came back from the Ghostly Demon Land, he tried every possible remedy and even had a grand elder help him. However, all of their efforts were in vain.


    "Well, I expect that you are doubting my abilities. So, why don''t I expel some of the evil spirit out of your body first? Then, see for yourself if you will feel any change. Please sit down so that I can begin the process," Rocky said as he approached the prince.


    Then, Zain sat down while Rocky stood behind him. Afterward, Rocky immediately activated his holy power and injected it through the prince''s back.


    Immediately after, Rocky''s holy power collided with the evil spirit inside Zain''s body.


    While this chaotic clash of power happened within Zain, his face turned ghastly pale from extreme pain.


    "The process is indeed horrible, but please endure it for as long as you can," Rocky instantly reminded.


    Since the prince was prideful, he did not even utter a word while experiencing the excruciating pain.


    A


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    gathering his forces and is planning to attack this city," Rocky said without further ado.


    "Really? I''m glad that the information was quickly relayed to us." Obviously, the commander in chief was stunned and relieved at the same time. "So, what does Prince Enoch want us to do?"


    "The prince wants you to catch the enemies off guard. They think that they could launch a sneak attack, but you will surprise them instead. In order to do that, you have to lead your army outside the city and lay an ambush around this spot," Rocky explained, pointing out the position on the map of the area. In fact, this was the exact position where Adrian''s men would pass through.


    "All right, I understand. I will assemble the army right away so that we can do the necessary preparations." The commander in chief did not dare to slack off since this was supposed to be a direct order from Prince Enoch.


    Not long after, the entire army in the border city was ready to set out to the area that Rocky showed.


    Meanwhile, Adrian was also leading the troops of the three fiefs to the same spot.


    A day later, Adrian and the combined army of the three fiefs finally arrived at the designated battlefield. However, Enoch''s army was already lying in wait. At the signal of the commander in chief, they launched a surprise attack.


    Although the army of three fiefs was caught off guard, they still managed to immediately fight back. Therefore, the two sides engaged in a bloody battle, both suffering heavy casualties.

 Chapter 1897 The Conflict Ensued

    In the end, even though Adrian''s army was ambushed, Enoch''s army could not take total advantage of the situation. Since both sides suffered heavy losses, Enoch''s army did not pursue when the army of the three fiefs retreated.


    Of course, when the leaders of the Primitive Fief and Purgatory Fief heard the grueling outcome of the battle, they could not help but get frustrated. It was as if they just sent their men to their death. Moreover, now that Enoch was in an open rebellion, the other fiefs, who were not under him, were all possible targets. Hence, their focus right now was to preserve their fighting force. Therefore, losing their men in this fight was the last thing that they wanted to happen.


    Previously, the fiefs under Zain were already unhappy because several of their men also died when they accompanied the prince in the Ghostly Demon Land. Now, they suffered another fatal blow. Thus, they were obviously resentful toward the prince.


    On the other hand, this was exactly what Rocky was aiming for. He successfully pulled the trigger that would worsen the conflict between Zain and the other two fiefs under him.


    At this moment, the leaders of the Primitive Fief and Purgatory Fief came to Zain''s palace to meet with the prince. As they sat in their seats, they could not hide their livid faces and their hateful stares.


    "Your Royal Highness, we immediately obeyed you when you told us to assist the Genie Fief this time. But after losing so many of our


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    ing highly of the prince.


    "If that is the case, then I guess the battle of the Godly Geniuses is now meaningless. I mean, I don''t think anyone can go against you." Gloria could not help but let out a sigh. Ever since she participated in the Spiritual Emperor Contest, she had come to realize the huge gap between her and Rocky.


    "I told you, I am not interested in the battle. But of course, I will still keep my promise."


    "You know what, I also lost interest in the battle of the Godly Geniuses. I am just interested in knowing you more. I want to know why you can control everything you want as if you can predict every single thing," Gloria uttered, staring straight into Rocky''s eyes."


    "I don''t know. Maybe it is just second nature to me to see through things," Rocky said indifferently. Of course, he had experienced countless things that were beyond Gloria''s imaginations. That helped him become who he was today.


    "Are you aware of how you speak right now? I feel like you have somehow changed..." In the past, Rocky tended to be very low-key. He always downplayed his abilities and acted like he was just someone weak. But now, he did not need to hide anything. Hence, he had been exuding a domineering aura that could impact anyone he met.


    "Really? Are you not just imagining that?" Rocky smiled lightly, not wanting to dwell on that topic.


    "Well, forget it. Now that you are here, why don''t you take me away this time?" Gloria proposed out of nowhere.

 Chapter 1898 Rockys Plan Worked

    "Take you away? Why?" Rocky was quite taken aback upon hearing her sudden request.


    "What are you talking about? We are engaged! Why can''t I be with you?" Gloria immediately reminded.


    "I can tear that engagement covenant anytime, you know?" Rocky was still keeping the covenant, and if he destroyed it, the only proof of their engagement would be dissolved.


    "No! Why would you do that? Look! I am determined to be with you. In fact, the sole reason why I am trying to cultivate so hard is to improve myself so that I can be of use to you," Gloria said with unwavering resolve.


    "Can I just ask you? Why are you willing to make such a sacrifice for me?" Rocky could only sigh. When he was with Valeria, he also could not deal with her honesty. Now, another woman was openly professing her feelings to him.


    "Why are you so dense? You are my man, and I will never let you go! It''s that simple!" Gloria declared with a straight face.


    "Well, I guess I can''t do anything if you have already made up your mind." Rocky had also dealt with a lot of women in his life. Hence, he knew just when to give up.


    "Finally!" Gloria was extremely elated, thinking that Rocky had finally accepted how she felt.


    "All right. I will tell you this right now. You can follow me, but you can''t regret it no matter what!" Rocky sternly warned.


    "Ha! Not following you will be the only thing that I will regret. But if you take me back to the Ghost Fief, how are you going to explain it to Valeria?" Gloria asked in a teasing tone, intending to make Rocky feel awkward.


    "Take you


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    him first before he caused huge trouble again!" Enoch snorted coldly upon remembering how Rocky had thwarted all of his plans. Now, he was forced to rebel against the royal family for failing to obtain the tripod from him. However, as much as he wanted to deal with Rocky immediately, he could not act rashly because Layla was on the young man''s side. Obviously, the princess would summon her forces in order to protect Rocky and the tripod.


    A few days eventually passed, and a guard suddenly came to Gilbert''s mansion to deliver an invitation.


    "Sir, the royal family is asking you and the two Godly Geniuses to attend the Beast-fighting Festival. The invitation says that it will be held in three days," the guard said after handing the invitation over.


    "I see. You may now leave." After taking a look at the invitation, Gilbert ordered one of his men to summon both Rocky and Valeria.


    Once they came, Gilbert showed the invitation to them.


    "What is with this festival? Is it something grand?" Rocky asked, not having a clue.


    "Yes, it is. In fact, this is the most ancient festival since the Shura Race was established. Back then, the Shura Race was not yet favored by the deities. So, in order to survive in the Shura Continent, our ancestors fought all kinds of diabolic beasts and spiritual beasts with their bare hands and hand-crafted weapons. Later on, as you know, the Shura Race became the chosen race by the deities. But in order not to forget where they have begun, our ancestors started celebrating this festival," Gilbert explained in detail.

 Chapter 1899 Subduing The Beast

    "So, do we have to go and attend it?" Rocky asked.


    "Yes, of course. Godly Geniuses must attend this festival. After all, this a chance for you to test each other''s strength. Well, with your current strength, I believe that no one among the other Godly Geniuses could match you. But it is still a good opportunity for you and Valeria. Moreover, although the king decided not to pursue the matter about the Purgatorial Tripod in the meantime, it doesn''t necessarily mean that it''s over. If we do not abide by his wishes, he might find an excuse to make things difficult for you again," Gilbert warned.


    "Don''t worry, you will find it interesting. You will also have a chance to subdue precious demonic beasts during the festivities," he added.


    "All right then. I guess we''ll go and have some fun." Rocky eventually agreed.


    "Good. I will send someone to the royal family and confirm our attendance." Gilbert nodded and dismissed them.


    A few days later, the day of the Beast-fighting Festival finally came.


    Early in the morning, Rocky, Gilbert, Valeria, and Vivian set out and headed to the Royal Land.


    Although the royal family and the entire Shura Race had been a bit jittery ever since Prince Enoch''s rebellion started, this kind of festival was actually helpful to divert the people''s attention.


    As soon as the four arrived at the square, where the festival was going to be held, they saw th


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    n with their strength, they still failed.


    "Hmm. How about you, Godly Geniuses? If you are interested, you can also try," the king said as he glanced at the Godly Geniuses on the high platform.


    "No, thank you. I am not interested..." Valeria immediately refused.


    "Let me have a go at it." At this time, Quentin suddenly stood up and entered the stage.


    Thanks to Rocky, he was able to recover. Moreover, ever since his injuries were fully healed, he became much stronger. In fact, he had now reached the premium stage of the Emperor Realm.


    However, it seemed that he did not want to deal with the dragon directly. He just stood in front of it, barely moving at all.


    After quite some time, the Flaming Blood Dragon could not stand it any longer. Since Quentin would not make the first move, the beast decided to take the initiative to attack.


    In response to the dragon''s movement, Quentin quickly activated his spiritual power to resist the attack and protect himself.


    The Flaming Blood Dragon repeatedly tried to break through Quentin''s defenses, but it utterly failed. Eventually, the dragon began to feel exhausted and out of breath.


    Deeming that it was the right time to take action, Quentin launched a powerful blow, instantly knocking down the demonic beast.


    "Yield to me!" Quentin stood in front of the beast and stared down at it while demanding its surrender in a stern tone.

 Chapter 1900 An Absolute Miracle

    The Flaming Blood Dragon tried to struggle for a while, but in the end, it had no choice but to surrender before Quentin''s power.


    As soon as Quentin successfully subdued the Flaming Blood Dragon, it caused quite a commotion among the onlookers. At the same time, many powerful warriors felt envious of him. After all, they lost a rare opportunity.


    Meanwhile, Quentin showed a proud look on his face as he took the powerful beast as his own.


    Soon enough, the second beast was brought to the stage. This time, it looked like a peacock with a slender body. Its feathers were colorful and shiny, and it was obviously more powerful than the previous one.


    "That''s the Spiritual Peacock!


    It is a rare diabolic beast at the premium stage of the Emperor Realm!"


    "I heard that it ranks fifth among all the beasts at the Emperor Realm. Moreover, its most interesting feat is its innate ability to form an extremely sturdy enchanted barrier!"


    Just like when the first beast was revealed, many powerful warriors showed a greedy expression on their faces, wanting to subdue the peacock and take it for themselves.


    However, after several rounds of challenges, no one was able to subdue the Spiritual Peacock. At this point, it seemed that only a Godly Genius might have a shot at it.


    "Does any Godly Genius want to give this beast a try?" the king asked again.


    Although Quentin had successfully subdued the first beast, it actually consumed a lot of his strength. Hence, even if he wanted to, he did not have enough power to even try. Hence, among the Godly Geniuses, Israel might be the only one with the ability to apprehend it.


    "Then, I''ll do it!"


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    see, it''s almost impossible to tame it." Even Valeria knew how powerful it was, so she did not dare to have any hopes of having it.


    "If you really want it, I will subdue it for you," Rocky suddenly offered.


    "Odin, aren''t you being too arrogant? You may have subdued the Spiritual Peacock earlier, but the Two-headed Supreme Dragon is on a different level. No one has been able to subdue it for decades, and if you must know, its former master was an elder at the peak stage of the Shura Realm!" It turned out that the leader of the Primitive Fief heard the conversation of the two, so he immediately butted in and gave a cold remark.


    "Well, how are we going to know that I can''t do it if I don''t give it a try?" Rocky replied with a sneer. Obviously, he did not agree with the leader of the Primitive Fief.


    The other leaders and elders also thought that same thing. Rocky might be strong but he did not have enough capability to subdue the king of the beasts. However, Layla begged to differ.


    When she was with Rocky in the Ghostly Demon Land, she had seen how Rocky controlled Rubygon against the demonic race, and Rubygon''s strength was undoubtedly at the Shura Realm. In other words, she believed that it might not be that impossible for him to overcome the Two-headed Supreme Dragon.


    Soon enough, Rocky entered the enchanted barrier again under the careful gazes of the crowd.


    Although they didn''t have much hope that Rocky would succeed, they still thought that it would still be interesting to watch their battle. In the end, everyone assumed that Rocky would need a miracle if he really wanted to subdue the Two-headed Supreme Dragon.

 Chapter 1901 Its An Honor to Meet You

    The moment Rocky entered the enchanted barrier, he felt that the Two-headed Supreme Dragon became vigilant, and its terrifying eyes were immediately locked on him.


    "It''s an honor to meet you. I am the Godly Genius of the Ghost Fief." Before doing anything, Rocky respectfully cupped his hands towards the dragon. He knew that such a high-level beast that had lived for hundreds of years had already become intelligent. Hence, he assumed that even without the Mysterious Beast Transformation Skill, it could still understand what he was saying.


    However, the Two-headed Supreme Dragon didn''t care about Rocky at all. Instead, it directly pounced on him, waving its sharp claws. Then, it released its spiritual power to overwhelm him.


    Seeing how agitated the beast was, Rocky just took a step back and avoided all the attacks that were hurled at him. At the same time, when the power released by the beast hit the enchanted barrier, it instantly shook violently.


    "Why do you need to be so aggressive? I am not even trying to attack you," Rocky said calmly. However, he knew that the beast did not want to yield to anyone. That was why it was acting more violently. It just wanted him to back off and leave it alone.


    Unfortunately for the beast, Rocky had no intention of doing that.


    On the other hand, the Two-headed Supreme Dragon did not stop launching a barrage of attacks towards Rocky. It thought that by doing this, he would eventually surrender and get out of the enchanted barrier.


    Meanwhi


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    at the beast was getting frantic again. So, many of the powerful members of the Shura Race readied themselves in case something unexpected happened.


    However, they saw that the beast suddenly rose into the air and turned into a shining black light. In a flash, the huge physique of the dragon disappeared and transformed into a human form.


    Everyone who witnesses this was struck dumb. Never did they expect that the mighty beast could actually transform into a human.


    "Hey, that''s my wife!" Rocky called out to Aryanna and immediately pointed to Valeria.


    Then, under the careful gazes of the crowd, Aryanna flew towards Valeria and said in a polite tone, "Nice to meet you, master. My name is Aryanna."


    "W-wait! Master? Are you telling me that I am going to be your master?" Valeria stammered due to extreme shock. The previous minute, Rocky was fiercely battling with the beast, and now, it transformed into a human and was calling her master.


    "Yes," Aryanna replied resolutely.


    At this moment, there was total silence in the crowd. All the members of the Shura Race, including the king, the elders, and the fief leaders, could not help but look at Rocky in astonishment. They could not begin to imagine how he pulled it off, but they were sure that it was not just because of luck.


    The king''s face actually darkened, not expecting that even Aryanna would be subdued by Rocky. He became anxious, knowing that if Rocky became an enemy of the royal family, it would be pretty huge trouble.

 Chapter 1902 You Scared Me

    "Congratulations, Valeria! You just acquired a very rare beast." Although the king was actually frustrated at the outcome, he still forced himself to congratulate Valeria with a smile on his face.


    At the same time, the elders, fief leaders, and other members of the royal family also extended their congratulations. Of course, it was such a big deal since no one was able to subdue Aryanna for several decades.


    Valeria could just nod and smile. After all, she knew that it would not be possible if it were not for Rocky.


    Moreover, Rocky had easily subdued two of the top beasts in the festival, but he just gave both of them to Gloria and Valeria. Of course, this gesture made most members of the Shura Race green with envy.


    "I guess that concludes this year''s Beast-fighting Festival!" Seeing that it was getting late, the king decided to cut the festival short.


    After some more conversations, the king and the elders left first.


    Then, the leaders and the other Godly Geniuses also went their way.


    Soon enough, the whole square was emptied, leaving only Rocky, Gilbert, Flora, Valeria, and Vivian behind.


    After the king left, Layla returned and walked towards Rocky and the others.


    "So, did everyone have fun? I did not expect that Odin would have such a great harvest at the Beast-fighting Festival." Layla was still in disbelief that Rocky acquired two powerful beasts for Gloria and Valeria, which would be very helpful later on. Although Gloria was


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    ubygon was. The only ones who witnessed the diabolic beast''s prowess were the warriors who had entered the Ghostly Demon Land. However, even the ones who came back from the deadly land did not want to speak of it again, so no one really knew about Rubygon''s real strength. Even the king only heard about it because of Zain. Since he had no idea how strong the beast really was, the king did not try to stop Clinton.


    "All right then. Let''s head to a more open place." Rocky then walked out of the hall with a smirk on his face.


    Immediately after, Clinton followed, itching to teach both Rocky and Rubygon a lesson.


    At the same time, the other royal members followed outside the hall. It was the first meeting of the Godly Geniuses of the fiefs and the royal family, but they already got heated. Hence, they wanted to see who would have the upper hand.


    As soon as they arrived at the square outside the hall, Clinton shouted conceitedly, "Summon your spiritual beast, and let me see what kind of useless beast it is!"


    Then, Rocky summoned Rubygon with his mind. Soon enough, a majestic and overbearing diabolic beast swooped down and instantly landed on the square.


    The moment it landed, Rubygon let out a ferocious roar that shook the surroundings. Its momentum was astounding, and it unleashed an aura at the Shura Realm.


    "What the hell? That beast is at the Shura Realm!" At this time, the royal members present were stumped to see such a legendary beast.

 Chapter 1903 The Kings Sudden Announcement

    Categorically, diabolic beasts and spiritual beasts on the Supreme Ether Land could only reach the Emperor Realm. It was highly unlikely for them to reach the Shura Realm, so everyone found Rubygon to be an utterly incredible existence in this regard.


    Clinton never thought that Rocky''s treasure beast was a diabolic beast at the Shura Realm, so he stood there looking totally stunned.


    "Please, go ahead," Rocky said calmly to Clinton as he gestured that Rubygon was ready.


    The moment Clinton realized how powerful his opponent was, he was at a loss for what to do. Of course, he did not want to start a fight against Rubygon, but he also did not want to stand there and do nothing, knowing all those present would deem him a coward if he backed out. Left with no other choice, he mustered all his courage and decided to fight.


    "Enjoy your fight, Rubygon," Rocky playfully cheered.


    In response, Rubygon immediately roared and shook its body. The next second, its overbearing aura surged out, swiftly rushed to Clinton at lightning speed, and launched a series of attacks on him.


    Despite the intensity, Clinton faced Rubygon head-on.


    Soon, the man and the beast caused a fierce rumble in the square in front of the hall.


    At the outset, Rubygon and Clinton seemed evenly matched. Gradually, however, the innate advantage of


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    t now, the only one who can contend with them is Odin." Flora then turned to look at Rocky.


    "The dual cultivation method of the Flower Fief is uniquely powerful in the Shura Race, correct? With Odin''s current strength, he can help Valeria improve hers if they cultivate together." Princess Layla suddenly came up with a proposal.


    Rocky shifted his gaze to Valeria. If truth be told, they had been pretending to be a couple but had never cultivated together.


    Hearing the sensible plan, Valeria slowly lowered her head out of guilty conscience.


    "Well, the effect of the dual cultivation could not be achieved quickly. They''re going to need more time," Flora promptly explained.


    "Oh, sure. That makes sense."


    "I think it would be best if we speed up the cultivation, so Valeria and I should probably cultivate in seclusion soon," Rocky suggested as he smiled faintly at Valeria.


    "That''s a good idea. Since Prince Enoch hasn''t made a move yet, it seems that he doesn''t want to completely part ways with the royal family just yet. That means we still have time if you want to go into seclusion," Gilbert replied.


    "Alright, then."


    After their discussion, Rocky and the others left Princess Layla''s palace. Flora went on her way alone, while Gilbert headed back to his mansion in the Ghost Capital with Rocky and Valeria.

 Chapter 1904 Open The Entrance

    "When are you planning to cultivate in seclusion, Odin?" Gilbert asked when they got back to his mansion.


    "If I don''t have anything else to deal with, I''ll probably go in the next couple of days," Rocky replied auspiciously.


    "I see. Let me take care of those things for you, so you can go cultivate at ease," Gilbert offered.


    Rocky smiled and nodded in appreciation, then gestured for Valeria to leave the mansion with him.


    "Are we really going to cultivate in seclusion?" Valeria whispered after making sure that no one was around to hear them.


    "I said that just as an excuse. I actually want to take you to the human race." Rocky smiled as he revealed to her his real intention.


    "Really? We''re going to the human race?" she exclaimed in disbelief.


    "That''s right. If you want to improve your strength in no time, cultivating in seclusion won''t be enough. You must go through an adventure, and there''s naturally no other better place for that than the Holy Heaven Palace. I plan to arrange a trip for you and Gloria to go there," Rocky elaborated.


    "Wait. I''m going with Gloria?" The moment Valeria heard Gloria''s name, her face looked petulant since they both liked Rocky. Nonetheless, knowing that Rocky had his own reasons, she didn''t argue. Instead, she gently asked, "What about you, though?"


    "Well, I don''t need it, and there are other


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    you while I''m gone."


    "When will you be back?" Gloria asked in a soft voice.


    "I don''t know for sure yet. Just focus on your cultivation."


    Rocky then waved goodbye as he watched Colton lead the two women into the entrance of the Holy Heaven Palace.


    "I hope this time they can improve their strength smoothly," Rocky murmured to himself while he walked away from the entrance of the Holy Heaven Palace.


    After taking his leave of the Di Clan, Rocky rode on Rubygon and fleetly went on their way.


    In a couple of days, they reached the border of the spiritual race and met with Vivian, who was waiting for him.


    "What do you plan to do in the Ethereal Valley?" Vivian asked.


    "We''re going to open another entrance to the Holy-Evil World."


    "Another entrance?!"


    "Yep. Back when I was in the Holy Heaven Palace, I met the strongest deity of the divine race. His name''s Deacon, and he was also the first owner of the God-killing Sword. He asked me to find all three entrances to the Holy-Evil World, if possible. It''s so I could protect the balance between that world and the Supreme Ether Land. The Holy Heaven Palace is one of the three entrances, and the spiritual race and the Shura Race each have one, so that''s three. The reason we''re here right now is so I can take advantage of this opportunity to open the entrance in the Ethereal Valley."

 Chapter 1905 Try Their Luck

    "Wow. Don''t you ever run out of things to do?" Vivian could not help but tease Rocky. In over a year, she had seen him become a member of the royal Godly Geniuses from being an ordinary fief Godly Genius. On top of that, she learned that he had shouldered the heavy responsibilities of saving the Holy-Evil World and the Supreme Ether Land.


    She admired Rocky from the bottom of her heart. Now that she was about to share the same responsibility with him, she wondered if she could perform as well as he did.


    "It''s not like I have a choice. I''d actually rather stay away from all this trouble if it was at all possible," Rocky sighed bitterly. If it weren''t for the fact that he wanted to go back to his original world, he would not have opted to involve himself in the endless disputes of this world.


    "By the way, I don''t really know much about the spiritual race. Do you have any information about the Ethereal Valley?" Rocky added. His knowledge of the spiritual race was limited, but he knew he could rely on Vivian for help.


    "I''ve been to their territory a few times, but I''ve only heard of its name. After all, it''s the sacred place of the sp


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    compared to the rest of the four great clans.


    For that reason, the Wankong Clan was finding it hard to select members with spiritual roots. They were still far from their expected goal.


    Upon their arrival, Rocky and Vivian climbed down Rubygon and asked it to wait for them outside the city.


    As they walked into the city, they noticed that Wankong City was much busier than the Silver Snow Town. After all, it was the home of a great clan.


    The Wankong Clan residence was located at the end of the city. Since Wankong City was built on a mountain, the clan''s residence looked like a castle.


    Rocky and Vivian followed the straight road leading to the clan''s residence. Soon, they finally reached their destination and stumbled across a large crowd that had gathered at the gate. Apparently, they were waiting for registration.


    "Whoa! There are so many people here!" Rocky took a good look around and shook his head.


    "I''m sure they are all here to try their luck. Besides, if they take the test and discover that they have spiritual roots, they''ll have a chance to enter the Ethereal Valley," Vivian remarked, not surprised by the scene.

 Chapter 1906 Participating In The Test

    Rocky and Vivian immediately followed the crowd and lined up behind them. It took them about four hours of queuing before they finally registered their names.


    The test would be administered in groups of twenty candidates each. While they waited for their turn, they hung around by the gate with the other members of the spiritual race.


    About half an hour later, a Spiritual King of the Wankong Clan walked up to Rocky and the rest of their group.


    "Please come with me," he called out as he ushered them inside.


    Rocky, Vivian, and the others in their group then started walking in the same direction as the Spiritual King. He led them towards the gate of the Wankong Clan''s residence.


    "Listen carefully, everyone. Don''t look around nor try to meander. Follow me closely. If you get lost and caught by the guards as intruders, no one can save you." The Spiritual King turned to issue them a warning.


    The territory of the Wankong Clan was divided into five areas based on the terrain. At the lowest terrain was a vast area intended for the daily activities of the clan. All kinds of buildings also crowded the place.


    Rocky and the entire group quickly kept up with him upon hearing what he said.


    After walking f


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    ecognized that the young master was actually a woman dressed in men''s clothes.


    "This isn''t him, but that person at the side." The middle-level Spiritual Emperor quickly waved his hand and pointed at Vivian.


    "Oh? What is the deal with this guy, then?" The young master felt bemused. He did not understand why his subordinate claimed that Rocky was the one they were looking for.


    At this point, the middle-level Spiritual Emperor decided to talk to the young master of the Wankong Clan in hushed tones.


    As the young master heard the explanation, his expression changed in an instant.


    "What is your name?" the young master asked intently.


    "My name is Rookie Ling," Rocky replied. He needed to conceal his identity. In addition to several great clans, most of the members of the spiritual race had the surname of Ling, so Rocky made up a fake name¡ªRookie Ling.


    "Where are you from?" the young master probed further.


    "I come from a small and remote village. I''m afraid it is quite unmapped, sir," Rocky replied carefully.


    "Why did you take part in our test? Have you participated in the test of any other clans before?" The young master popped another question, trying to seek more information out of him.

 Chapter 1907 A Risky Proposal

    "I have been traveling in pursuit of an opportunity to make a name for myself. When I heard that your clan was holding a spiritual root test that could ensure the entrance to the holy land of the spiritual race called the Ethereal Valley, I came here to try my luck," Rocky readily replied. Although he had made-up answers, they weren''t entirely a lie.


    The young master interviewed him some more, and Rocky calmly responded to all his queries.


    When the young master had finished talking to him, he turned to Vivian and asked the same series of questions. She gladly answered each one just as well.


    The young master looked surprised as he heard their stories. He then turned to glance at Vivian and Rocky and finally asked, "Are you both willing to join our clan?"


    "It would be an absolute honor!" Rocky uttered sincerely.


    Meanwhile, Vivian opted to nod in response instead.


    "Very well. From now on, you are members of the Wankong Clan. As such, you must dedicate yourselves to our clan till the end of your lives. Bear that in mind, for our clan allows no betrayal." The young master made sure he was heard loud and clear as he made the declaration.


    "Understood! Thank you, young master." Rocky ma


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    ung master expressed bluntly. It was no secret that their clan was no longer in the same league as the other four great clans.


    "You''re right. We practically have no other choice now. In order to maintain our status, we might as well take this risk," Richard uttered firmly.


    "C-chief!"


    Many of the elders and officials reacted emotionally. They could not feel that it was their best option.


    "Alright. I shall bring them to see you right away," the young master immediately suggested.


    "No, there''s no need for that. This matter falls on you now. Whatever the result is, remember to keep a low profile. If he truly is a chosen one, there''s no way that the other four clans won''t try to take him from us once they find out about him," Richard dutifully reminded.


    "Understood."


    The young master instantly went on his way.


    The next day, the young master rode on a luxury carriage pulled by spiritual beasts and arrived at the courtyard where Rocky and Vivian stayed.


    Before he even reached the gate, Rocky and Vivian already sensed his arrival from a distance. With a blank face, Rocky slowly opened the door and stepped out.


    "Sir! What brings you here?" Rocky greeted, feigning surprise.

 Chapter 1908 The Horrible Scene

    "I''ve come to tell you something important," the young master replied with a serious face.


    Seconds later, Vivian came out as well.


    "Today, both of you, along with some of the candidates will undergo another test. If you make it, you shall be considered as true members of the Wankong Clan," the young master continued.


    "Should we take it right now?" Rocky asked. He was well aware that this was definitely not an ordinary test.


    "That would be best. Come with me."


    The young master then turned around and walked ahead. Rocky and Vivian followed him straight away.


    They all got into the fancy carriage that the young master had parked outside and left.


    About an hour later, they reached the mountain behind the Wankong Clan residence. The fancy carriage pulled up in front of a huge cave.


    At this moment, some warriors of the spiritual race who passed the spiritual root test had already gathered by the cave.


    When the young master, Rocky, and Vivian got off the carriage, everyone quickly shifted their eyes to them.


    "Listen carefully, everyone. For today''s test, you will all be entering this cave and will take out a holy treasure


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    ork on one side. His hair was disheveled and his face had gone pallid. He kept shouting, "Terrible! It''s completely terrible!"


    "Hey! What did you see?" Vivian grabbed his arm and asked.


    Despite her forceful grasp, the warrior did not come to his senses. He was still in a daze.


    Left with no option, Vivian slapped him in the face.


    The man was stunned for a moment before he regained consciousness.


    "Let me ask you again. What did you see?" Vivian demanded.


    "I... I saw that monster¡­ It eats people..." The man was too frightened to speak and kept crying and screaming.


    Vivian shifted her gaze to Rocky. If it was true, they were now faced with a menacing problem.


    "There''s still a possibility that it isn''t true. Let''s go check the Earth Monster with our own eyes!" Rocky did not even wait for a response and just went straight to the fork where the man came out. Vivian quickly followed suit.


    Not long after they roamed the fork, Rocky and Vivian entered a closed cave.


    Indeed, what they saw there was extremely terrifying. Piles of human bones welcomed them, as well as bloody corpses that were clearly just freshly dismembered.

 Chapter 1909 Illusion

    "What do you have to say now? This scene doesn''t seem to be fake," Vivian remarked. Although she did not take a closer look, she could easily tell from her broad experience that what they were seeing was too real to be a hallucination.


    Rocky somehow thought the same thing. But after a moment, his eyes narrowed as though he discovered something. Out of the blue, he summoned a flame from his palm and threw it at the dismembered corpses in front of them.


    In an instant, the remains were engulfed by the blazing flame.


    However, to their surprise, the corpses remained unaffected even after they were set ablaze for quite a while now.


    "That''s weird. What''s happening here?" Vivian immediately asked, turning to Rocky with her eyes wide open.


    "Well, it''s just as I expected," Rocky said while nodding. It appeared he just confirmed something.


    "What do you mean? What exactly is going on?" Vivian continued to ask with a confused expression on her face.


    "As I expected, this is actually just an illusion. In fact, we must have been hallucinating from the start. Everything we saw in this cave, including the warrior we encountered just now, is nothing but an illusion," Rocky said with certainty in his voice.


    "But how do you know that? What


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    ing them, a dozen pairs of red eyes were staring right at them.


    "If I''m not mistaken, they should be the so-called Earth Monsters," Rocky affirmed, remembering what the other warriors were talking about before.


    "We are in a bit of a pickle here. We don''t know how broad this cave is, nor do we know where the hidden holy treasure is. I guess if we want to move forward, we have to go all-out and take those creatures out," Vivian remarked with a deep sigh.


    "Ha-ha! I guess the usually smart and composed Miss Vivian can be thickheaded at times," Rocky teased with a soft chuckle.


    "Hey! Watch your tongue or I''ll cut it off!" Vivian instantly shot a sullen glare towards Rocky.


    "But I am just telling the truth. Why do you think the young master wants us to go through this cave?" Rocky asked, smiling gently.


    "To test our spiritual roots?" Vivian replied after thinking for quite a while.


    "That''s right. If this is a test of our spiritual roots, then there''s no way that we can solve this by just forcing our way through. I think we will have to gain the recognition of those creatures. Perhaps, if we can appease them, they will even help us find the holy treasure that''s hidden in this cave," Rocky analyzed, thinking outside the box.

 Chapter 1910 Recognized Him As Master

    "I see. How can we make them recognize us then? We''ve never practiced any cultivation methods of the spiritual race, and the spiritual root is unique to them. Even if we have been proven to have spiritual roots in the test, it probably won''t be the same as theirs, right?" Vivian commented. She felt confused and hesitant.


    "Actually, the so-called spiritual root of the spiritual race is a kind of potential. You can think of it as their version of the innate demonizing ability of the Shura Race. They''re all born with creatures. If you release your power, the Earth Monsters will be able to sense the existence of your spiritual root since you were also born with it," Rocky enlightened.


    "That''s all we need to do now? That''s easy!" Vivian exclaimed as she finally figured it out.


    "That''s right. So, who''s going to do it, you or me?" Rocky smiled as though he just challenged Vivian.


    "I got this. You must''ve been badly hurt from when you made me hit you uninhibited earlier. Just take a rest and let me force them out."


    Before she could even finish talking, Vivian released her marti


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    with some of his attendants.


    The young master was stunned when he saw Rocky and Vivian. However, as soon as his eyes fell on the emerald green bracelet on Rocky''s wrist, his face immediately lit up. He had no doubts that Rocky would obtain the holy treasure of their clan.


    "Leave us!" the young master instructed his followers.


    Everyone hurriedly stepped aside.


    "Young master, this is the holy treasure you asked for, right?" Rocky walked up to the young master as soon as he saw him. He raised his right hand and pointed at the green bracelet.


    "Precisely."


    "Alright, let me take it off," Rocky acknowledged. As he was about to remove the bracelet, it suddenly shrank and wrapped itself more closely around his wrist. There was no way he could take it off.


    "It seems that it wants to stay with you. It must have recognized you as its master," the young master remarked, completely unsurprised.


    "As master? But I didn''t do anything. Can it be so intelligent?" Rocky was truly curious. After all, only intelligent treasures could directly recognize someone as their master.

 Chapter 1911 Confirmation

    "Yes, and quite intelligent at that. This treasure was made from a thousand-year-old bamboo that grows in the Ethereal Valley. It was a gift from a mysterious grandmaster that an ancestor of our clan had met when he traveled there. It is transmutable and tenacious as it can defend itself and protect its owner at the same time. Since the death of its previous owner, it has never approved of anyone owning it. That is why it had been enshrined by our clan for generations. Today, however, it finally found its new owner," the young master explained in detail.


    "Why does it seem like you had expected it to recognize me as its master?" Rocky asked. He sensed that the young master had arranged all of this.


    "I just had to give it a try. With so little time, this was the only way I can confirm this fact, so I wanted to use it to verify that you are, indeed, a chosen one," the young master admitted.


    "A chosen one?" Rocky raised an eyebrow, unsure of what the young master meant about the term.


    "That''s right. The so-called chosen o


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    know. Please excuse me." Briar left them with a reminder before taking off.


    As he turned around, Rocky and Vivian pushed the door open and entered the building.


    It had three floors¡ªthe first floor was the living room, and the second and third floors were both sleeping chambers.


    After checking the entire building, Rocky said to Vivian, "How about you sleep on the third floor? I think it''s better suited for you."


    "Sure." Of course, Vivian had no objections. She then uttered, "I didn''t expect we''d obtain the qualifications this easy."


    "You and me both. Anyway, it''s all working out beautifully. Let''s just rest here and wait till we get to enter the Ethereal Valley," Rocky replied. He then added, "Although, we still have to be careful not to give ourselves away since it''s still going to be a while before we can go there."


    "Yeah, I know. By the way, why do we both possess spiritual roots even though we''re born in the Shura Race?" Vivian brought up. She had been wondering about this ever since they passed the test.

 Chapter 1912 The New Spiritual Emperor

    "It''s probably due to the martial spirit and power at the God Realm that we have fused inside our bodies. Besides, who stipulated that only the spiritual race could have the spiritual root? I''m pretty sure that even some humans also have the innate spiritual root, just as some members of the Shura Race probably do. I guess, to put it bluntly, the spiritual root is a way that the spiritual race has created to identify talent. Perhaps the only difference is whether it has been recognized officially or not. Also, if it is widely accepted as the spiritual power, and if it''s acknowledged by all three races, it might also become a standard of measuring one''s strength." Rocky analyzed the possibilities. After all, the spiritual root was a term that was only special among the spiritual race. Since the other two races had not even heard of it as much, it was quite unlikely for them to actually use it to evaluate the individual strength of the warriors.


    "Well, that does make a lot of sense," Vivian sighed.


    "All thanks to my voice of experience." Rocky shot her a charming smile.


    "Whatever you say. Anyway, I''m tired. I''m going to rest upstairs." After that, Vivian went straight to her room on the third floor.


    Rocky watched her leave, and then began to study the bamboo bracelet on his wrist.


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    lan and the current situation of the entire spiritual race.


    It turned out that the ancestors of the five great clans were also the original five tribes of the spiritual race. Just a few decades ago, their race was living primitively, and their environment was not as luxurious as what it was today. They only lived in wooden or thatched houses, and even their ruling system was not very organized.


    But after the current leader of the spiritual race took over, the economy of the spiritual race began to develop at a rapid pace. They started to catch up with the advancement of both the human race and the Shura Race. Moreover, he obligated the five tribes to establish their own clans and territories in order to make the spiritual race more prosperous.


    Several sects also started sprouting everywhere, although none of them became as huge as the five great clans. However, in the recent years, these smaller sects, especially one particular sect, quickly rose to power and even got close to the level of the five great clans¡ªthe Myriad Spiritual Hall.


    In fact, during the Spiritual Emperor Contest that was previously held in the human race, the young master of the Myriad Spiritual Hall named Seth got to compete with Rocky. At that time, he was just a new Spiritual Emperor of the spiritual race.

 Chapter 1913 A Set Of Unique Skill

    Truly, the Wankong Clan was in a bind. If they went to the Ethereal Valley and failed to acquire any gains that could improve their strength, losing their status as one of the five great clans was within the bounds of possibility. In that case, the Myriad Spiritual Hall would then take their place.


    If that happened, it would undoubtedly bring utter humiliation to the entire Wankong Clan, a clan of great antiquity.


    This was the reason why they chose to relax the conditions and accept even outsiders to take part in their test.


    Luckily, all their efforts eventually paid off. They finally found a promising candidate.


    "It seems that you''ve put a great deal of effort into this whole thing, Alex," Rocky commented.


    "That''s for sure. But it''s all been worth it, right?" Alex replied with a smile that looked so genuine.


    After strolling around and familiarizing the territory of the Wankong Clan, Alex sent Rocky and Vivian back to the Spring Cloud Pavilion where they stayed.


    Before they parted ways, Alex brought up a suggestion. "There''s still about a month before the Ethereal Valley opens. Let''s take this time as a chance to improve your strength. I''ll arrange a test for you first thing tomorrow to get a glimpse of your overall strength." Since Rocky and Vivia


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    ine treasures. However, like the low-grade divine treasures, most of them are imitations and have a limited number of uses. What''s more, since your Imperial Soul has been promoted to Fighting Soul, you can cultivate all kinds of secret manuals at the Shura Realm that my former master had collected..." The guardian made sure to remind Rocky of the upsides he had achieved.


    "Cool! I''d like that. What can you recommend?" Rocky raised his eyebrows as his eyes twinkled. Ever since he got the palace, he could easily get everything he wanted. It made him feel elated.


    "Master, the Flaming Ogre Formula that you have practiced was created by my former master when he was still at the Emperor Realm, so that''s only suitable for you to cultivate back when you were at the Emperor Realm. You''re now at the Shura Realm, so I advise you to cultivate a new mind method that corresponds to your current level," the guardian suggested.


    "If I do that, will it have any effect on my cultivation?" Rocky asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest.


    "Well, not really. But it is still best that you change your cultivation habits."


    "All right then. I''ll leave it to you. Please choose a mind method and a unique skill for me!" Rocky agreed and fully trusted the guardian''s judgment.

 Chapter 1914 His New Gains

    As the guardian pointed his finger in the air, two golden beams of light immediately flashed. They floated in front of Rocky before they shot straight between his eyebrows.


    In that instant, a new set of mind method called the Fighting Ogre Formula, coupled with its supplementary cultivation method known as the Fighting Energy Transformation Skill, unfolded in his mind.


    "The Fighting Ogre Formula! Even just the name sounds so savage!" Rocky got all worked up. What intrigued him more, however, was the unique skill that came along with it.


    Apparently, the Fighting Energy Transformation Skill was an auxiliary cultivation method that had the spiritual power instantly turn into fighting energy when activated, and it could even be used in any way. On top of that, the fighting energy was invisible. Ordinary strong warriors would not be able to see it at all, so it could technically aid in killing people without getting noticed.


    It was a low-key skill in comparison to those overt, complicated martial skills, but that was exactly why it would pair up well with Rocky''s personality.


    The fighting energy of this skill had four stages¡ªthe Mystery Stage, the Earth Stage, the Heaven Stage


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    o win the bet and get their hands on them.


    "If none of you have any problems with this, you can begin! Young master, let''s go and watch the battle from there." As soon as Rocky urged them to start, he invited Alex to head to the side.


    Obviously, Alex had a lot of questions going on in her mind, but she chose not to say anything. She just felt that Rocky was indeed more mysterious than she had imagined.


    While the two of them walked to one end of the training ground, the other people and Spiritual Kings also retreated to the sides to watch. In the empty area at the middle, Vivian prepared herself to fight.


    For a moment, Vivian stood there and waited for the Spiritual Kings to come to her.


    "I''ll face you first!" A blustering low-level Spiritual King strode up, completely looking down upon Vivian.


    Vivian glanced at him and spoke lightly. "Go ahead. I''ll be done with you in one move."


    Hearing this, the low-level Spiritual King grew more furious and quickly released his power. He then came running towards Vivian as he screamed, "Go ahead, my thunderous palm!"


    A palm that was mixed with strong spiritual power came rushing out of him, which instantly shrouded Vivian.

 Chapter 1915 Super Strength Vivian Displayed

    A tiny dot of light swiftly bounced out when Vivian flicked her finger. It went undetected as it pierced through the thunderous palm of her opponent, and then slammed right onto the chest of the low-level Spiritual King.


    Boom!


    The next moment, the light dot exploded. A stream of power at the King Realm emanated, throwing the low-level Spiritual King out. His body then hit the stone wall of the training ground before he passed out.


    Their battle had caused the other Spiritual Kings to drop their jaws in total shock. None of them could grasp how Vivian made it happen.


    "Wow, I didn''t expect Tripp to be so powerful. That blow should at least be equal to that of a high-level Spiritual King''s¡ªmaybe even higher." Alex could not help but speculate about Vivian as she stood next to Rocky.


    Rocky, however, merely smiled. He was well aware that Vivian had not even begun to use her real strength. She could definitely do far better than that.


    The other Spiritual Kings now had some scruples about Vivian due to her amazing display of performance. Despite this, however, they still refused to take her seriously.


    They believed that what had just happened was merely a coincidence, so they wanted to have a go at teaching her a lesson.


    Not even an hour later, more than half of them who tried to fight


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    inexplicably felt their arms or legs hurt, so they also fell back.


    Even Vivian who was watching the battle at the side couldn''t stand it anymore. She thought that Rocky was willfully mocking them with his stellar and artful performance. He seemed like a loser, yet no one could get the upper hand from him.


    Meanwhile, another Spiritual King came forward to compete with Rocky.


    Rocky passively defended himself in the most tactical yet subtle way. No matter who his opponent was and how hard he tried, he could not lay a finger on Rocky.


    "Rookie may be a little weak, but it seems to me that he can defend himself quite well," Alex commented while she stood next to Vivian.


    "Oh, sure. That''s all he can do," Vivian replied in a way that the young master would not notice she was mocking Rocky.


    The Spiritual King was getting aggravated that he could not get ahead of Rocky for once.


    At the same time, he was so eager to get Rocky''s spiritual treasures that a dark light flashed in his eyes. Suddenly, a black shadow emerged under his sleeve and went straight for Rocky''s neck.


    With Rocky''s strength, it was impossible for him not to notice that. He merely narrowed his eyes and put his fingers together, instantly slashing out a stream of fighting energy that swiftly cut off the black shadow.

 Chapter 1916 He Offered To Treat Him

    The Spiritual King could not believe what had just happened. It didn''t occur to him that Rocky would notice his small dirty trick. However, before he could even react, Rocky suddenly approached him.


    "I hate dirty dogs the most." As soon as Rocky finished talking, the Spiritual King felt as though his body was lifted up by an invisible force. After that, he got forcibly thrown out.


    Slam!


    His body drew a parabola in the air before falling heavily outside the training ground. He was in extreme pain that it rendered him unable to get up.


    Everything happened so fast that no one had any clue about what was going on. Not a single person saw how Rocky threw his opponent away.


    Of course, Vivian was an exception.


    Vivian immediately walked toward the black shadow that had been cut off. She then went ahead and angrily complained to Alex, "Young master, it seems that your clan has a Spiritual King who''s really good at hurting others using dirty tricks!"


    Alex promptly followed Vivian to where she stood and saw the two halves of black shadow on the ground. It turned out that it was a purple snake, and Alex could tell at a glance that it was quite poisonous.


    "Are you okay, Rookie?" Alex asked worriedly.


    "It''s nothing." Rock


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    other choice but to let it be..." Rocky expressed himself freely.


    Alex hesitated for a moment, but eventually came around. She nodded at Rocky and headed out.


    Right after Alex left, Vivian narrowed her eyes at Rocky. "Are you seriously going to cure that Spiritual King? Won''t that expose your strength?"


    "It''ll be fine. I will just be curing him. I''m allowed to know medical skills too, right?" Rocky looked at her with a strange smile.


    "Sure. But I''m telling you, it will arouse suspicion," Vivian reminded since what she heard didn''t sound so reassuring.


    "It shouldn''t be a problem. Don''t worry." Of course, Rocky knew what he was doing.


    Not long after her visit to the pavilion, Alex already sent someone back to convey that Jeffrey agreed to let Rocky treat the wound for his nephew, and that he would personally supervise the whole process. Furthermore, if the injuries couldn''t be cured, he would still hold Rocky accountable.


    Rocky then delivered a message to Alex and asked her to arrange a quiet place for tomorrow, so he could go there on the prescribed time.


    The next day, Alex sent someone to pick up and bring Rocky to the place she had prepared. Since Vivian was still feeling uneasy, she also went with Rocky.

 Chapter 1917 Ill Try

    Apparently, Rocky and Vivian were headed to a hall in the tier-2 territory of the Wankong Clan.


    Upon their arrival, Alex''s attendants led them straight into the hall. As soon as they entered, Rocky and Vivian found that a large crowd had already gathered inside¡ªRichard, Alex, and several elders, including some officials. Among them was a tall man at the premium stage of the Emperor Realm who stood out from the crowd with his sharp eyes and strong aura. It was none other than Jeffrey, the Spiritual Emperor that the young master had mentioned.


    The Spiritual King that Rocky had injured was lying on a sickbed at the center of the hall.


    Meanwhile, Rocky''s appearance had caught everyone''s attention. As they focused their eyes on him, they began to whisper among themselves.


    They were all aware that Rocky got admitted into their clan through his special spiritual root and the likelihood that he was a chosen one. However, it was still open to question until he actually entered the Ethereal Valley.


    Although Rocky was just a newcomer, they could not fathom how he had the guts to injure Jeffrey''s nephew to such an extent. Hence, most of the people thought that the qualification for the Ethereal Valley had made the young man needlessly arrogant. Now that Rocky had offended the Spiritual Emperor, he was facing a huge trouble. In fact, if


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    e and made some preparations for the procedure.


    But when the people saw that Rocky was about to repair Ryan''s meridians using needles, they quickly looked at each other with baffled expressions on their faces. For them, it was common knowledge that acupuncture could only promote blood circulation and remove stasis. They never heard that it could also be used to repair damaged meridians.


    "Wait a minute!" Jeffrey suddenly shouted before the needle in Rocky''s hand could touch his nephew''s body.


    Upon hearing Jeffrey''s voice, Rocky halted and turned to the Spiritual Emperor.


    "What the hell do you think you''re doing?" Jeffrey asked with his eyes wide open.


    "Treating him. What else?"


    "You are going to repair his meridians using acupuncture?" At this point, more distrust was showing in Jeffrey''s eyes.


    "Yes. I analyzed his injuries, and this is the most effective way to treat him," Rocky explained.


    "What? Are you crazy? How can you even repair one''s meridians with acupuncture? Do you think this is some kind of a joke?" Although Jeffrey was not very proficient in terms of medical skills, he at least had some common knowledge regarding it.


    "This is how I do it. Now, it is up to you to trust me or not. However, if you are planning to stop me, don''t blame me for not saving him later," Rocky said in a cold and flat tone.

 Chapter 1918 He Was Cured

    "Spiritual Emperor Jeffrey, it''s true that Spiritual King Ryan is seriously injured. But now, he has a slim chance of surviving. Rookie did say that he will do his best to cure your nephew. Why don''t we just let him give it a try?" Alex suggested, trying to appease the indignant Spiritual Emperor.


    Although he was still hesitant, Jeffrey restrained his anger.


    When Rocky saw that Jeffrey simmered down, he took the longest black needle he had and pierced it into Ryan''s chest. It went through his heart and stopped at the main meridian on his back. Apparently, this needle was for the protection of Ryan''s heart.


    He then carried out a series of acupuncture treatment right away, until there were black needles pierced all over the Spiritual King''s body.


    "Now, I''d like to ask for total silence while I''m treating him. If I get distracted even for a bit, my efforts may fall short of success," Rocky advised the entire hall in a serious tone. Then, he gathered his spiritual power into his hands.


    In the blink of an eye, his ten fingers released the spiritual power like thin threads to connect all the magic needles in Ryan''s body.


    While the members of the Wan


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    Meanwhile, just as Rocky was about to suffer a beating, a figure appeared out of nowhere, along with several streams of spiritual light. Eye-catching explosions followed as the spiritual light fell on the ground one after another.


    Only when the light dissipated did Jeffrey realize that his fist missed his target. Apparently, Rocky and the figure were no longer there.


    "It seems you really want to fight. Well, then, I won''t lose to you!" Earlier, Vivian caused the light explosions.


    She knew that Rocky''s real strength should not be exposed just yet, so she had to fight instead.


    "Oh? You really have the guts to come up against me, huh? Let me demonstrate to you why that''s a bad idea." Jeffrey had turned even more livid when Vivian made him miss his target, so he planned to kill her as well.


    Alex realized that they were not going to stop unless someone stepped in, so she hastily reproached Jeffrey, "Spiritual Emperor Jeffrey, I have personally chosen these two to join our clan. If you wish to attack either one of them, you must face me first."


    "Y-Young master!" Jeffrey did not expect that Alex would do so much as to protect these two outsiders.

 Chapter 1919 The Chosen One

    "See, Jeffrey? There''s no need to make a fuss about it. Just go. That''s enough for today," Richard scoffed. His stern voice and forbidding face had brought tension in the air. He found it utterly disrespectful of Jeffrey to overstep and act so aggressively before him, seemingly disregarding the fact that he was the leader of the clan.


    "Ha! You''re lucky you can get away this time, brat." Jeffrey finally gave in after seeing that their leader had been giving him such a disapproving glance. He knew that it wouldn''t do him any good if he kept on hounding Rocky, so he just shot a ferocious glare at him and Vivian. He then ordered his men to bring Ryan with them and hurriedly left.


    "Jeffrey has become awfully irritable. Let''s hope he can still control himself next time," Alex regretfully remarked.


    "Everyone, thank you for coming. You may now go. Alex, Rookie, and Tripp, please stay," Richard instructed right away.


    The members of the Wankong Clan who watched Rocky do the procedure did as they were told and started moving towards the exit.


    They walked one after another, until there were only Richard, Alex, Rocky, and Vivian left in the hall.


    "Rookie, I apologize for all the trouble today. Jeffrey had indeed gone too far. Even I know you''re not at fault," Richard quickly assured Rocky. He was afraid th


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    ster Seth. You may now go." Richard wanted to keep their conversation from going any further, so he politely asked Seth to take his leave.


    "It seems you really are as stubborn as people claim you to be. I guess you''d rather I spread the news that your clan has found the chosen one, huh? Let''s see if the other four great clans will pester your clan once they find out," Seth threatened with a sneer.


    To their surprise, Richard and the others felt their eyes widen. They did not expect that the news about the chosen one would be revealed so soon. No wonder Seth had the confidence to make them such a proposal.


    "You must be mistaken, young man. What makes you think that our clan has found the chosen one?" As stunned as he was, Richard still managed to speak calmly. After all, he was the leader of the clan. He needed to compose himself to avoid giving their secret away.


    "Sir, let''s stop playing dumb, shall we? Do you really think you have airtight walls? We have lots of spies, and it''s only a matter of time before they found out whatever you''re hiding." Until the last minute, Seth wanted to intimidate Richard. If only what he said was not true. However, Richard soon realized that he wasn''t bluffing. After all, only the high-ranking members of the Wankong Clan could have possibly known about the chosen one.

 Chapter 1920 Reminder

    Richard''s eyes flashed with anger. He decided that he would not show the traitor any mercy once he found out who it was. However, this was not the right time to pursue that matter just yet.


    "Chief Richard, you have until tomorrow to think this through. As soon as you come up with a decision, send someone to inform me. We''ll be staying in the Breeze Tavern in the Wankong City. I look forward to working with you soon." Seth had finally achieved the purpose of his visit, so he stood up from his seat and left with his men.


    In his anger, Richard slapped the arm of his chair hard right after Seth took his leave. Nobody in the hall had seen their patriarch this infuriated, so they did not dare to say a word.


    Of course, they all could understand why Richard reacted that way. Their clan had always had a hard time struggling among the great clans. Now that they finally found a legendary chose one, they were hopeful that they could turn the tide and change their fate in the upcoming trip to the Ethereal Valley¡ªuntil the Myriad Spiritual Hall learned about their secret and was now using it to get the better of them. Surely, such trickeries could thr


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    to sneak and capture the chosen one," a premium-stage Spiritual Emperor quickly suggested.


    "Are you sure you can do this?" With knitted brows, Seth took interest in this plan.


    "They won''t have any idea what''s about to hit them. Besides, we were told that the chosen one is merely a Spiritual King. We''ll make a feint to distract their people, then we''ll capture the chosen one. It can''t go wrong!" The Spiritual Emperor sounded so confident.


    "Alright. Now, go get ready. Do not fail me." Seth sharply ordered.


    The Spiritual Emperor bowed in respect, then left in a hurry.


    Later that night, even though the entire Wankong Clan residence was still alive with lights, silence filled the air. No one was out except for the night patrols.


    Slowly, a dozen figures crawled up a high wall on the east side, and then jumped inside.


    They sneaked into the first and second tiers of the Wankong Clan residence without getting noticed.


    Not long after, some of the buildings in those areas suddenly burst into flames. As the fire spread quickly, lots of people either got burned to death or severely injured. The havoc soon alarmed the entire clan.

 Chapter 1921 The Sinister Figures

    While disorder ensued in the other areas of the Wankong Clan residence, figures with strong auras landed in the Spring Cloud Pavilion. One of them extended his hand that was flashing with spiritual light, and then bolted forward to break the door.


    Smash!


    The door of the pavilion broke open as two figures rushed inside. But soon, they flew out.


    "That''s strange. Where is he? I thought you said this is where he''s staying?" one of them confusedly asked.


    "Do you think the Wankong Clan actually anticipated that we''re coming to take him away? They must''ve moved him someplace else," another man responded as he looked around the room.


    "Well, he''s not here. Let''s just go before someone sees us." Since they didn''t find what they came here for, the two figures looked at each other knowingly and decided to leave.


    Just as they flew into the air, something caught them off guard. They bounced right back to the ground as though they had bumped into an invisible wall.


    "What just happened?!" Clueless as to what was keeping them from escaping, the two figures immediately grew exasperated.


    A moment later, they sensed that there was a faint layer of spiritual light surrounding them.


    "Is this an enchanted barrier?" one of the figur


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    m sorry! We shouldn''t have come and tried to kidnap you!"


    When he heard this, Rocky''s face had a look of approval on his face. He then turned to the other one and asked, "How about you, though?"


    With a lot of unwillingness and hesitation, it took a while before the Spiritual Emperor in cyan finally admitted his mistake just for the sake of it.


    "There you go. Was that so hard? Alright, get out of here before I change my mind!" After humiliating them enough, Rocky turned around and nodded to Vivian.


    Vivian then waved her hand and the enchanted barrier that had sealed the two Spiritual Emperors inside dissipated. When she finished, she announced in a sweet and gentle voice, "The enchanted barrier has been removed. Now get out of here."


    The Spiritual Emperors had come to their senses and stood up as soon as the barrier was lifted.


    Just as they were about to leave, the Spiritual Emperor in cyan clothes suddenly released his aura at the Emperor Level, which rushed to Rocky in a flash. It seemed that he had planned on taking Rocky away when Vivian was not looking.


    Rocky had his back turned from them, so the Spiritual Emperor was confident that his plan would work. After all, Rocky could not see what was coming for him.

 Chapter 1922 Pay A Heavy Price

    Although Vivian was not looking, she still sensed what the Spiritual Emperor in cyan was trying to do. She wanted to see how it would play out, so she didn''t bother making a move and just let him get close to Rocky''s back.


    He was drawing nearer when Rocky slowly turned to face him.


    "I guess it''s true what they say, huh? Ambition never dies until there is no way out," Rocky sighed with a faint smile on his face. He then waved his hand, and a mysterious fighting energy surged out from his body like an invisible shock wave, which instantly rushed into the body of his opponent.


    As soon as the mysterious fighting energy reached the Spiritual Emperor in cyan garments, it instantly destroyed his meridians like a violent torrent.


    In his eyes, Rocky looked so bored and uninterested, so he didn''t understand why he felt like blacking out the next moment. After all, the last thing he saw was Rocky simply waving his hand.


    "Aaahhh!" The Spiritual Emperor couldn''t stop screaming in agony as he spat out mouthfuls of blood. After a few seconds, his eyes rolled back into his head and then he collapsed on the ground. His body twitched a few more times before he took his final gasp.


    The high-level Spiritual Emperor in black was completely dumbf


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    ything happened too fast. There were two of them there. The woman with the mask seemed like the bodyguard of the chosen one. She was likely a high-level Spiritual Emperor of the Wankong Clan," the Spiritual Emperor in black quickly surmised.


    "We may have fallen into their trap this time," Seth uttered with hatred and frustration.


    "Young master, what should we do? Should we just turn back?" The Spiritual Emperor looked glum when he asked.


    "We can''t. We don''t have anything to show for ourselves yet!" Seth glared at him.


    "Do you mean to say...?" The Spiritual Emperor trailed off, hesitant and quite unsure of what Seth could be thinking.


    "If the Wankong Clan doesn''t want to cooperate with us, we''ll just have to make them. Since they didn''t want to settle this the nice way, they shouldn''t have a problem if we take other measures," Seth declared as his eyes darkened. "Find a way to contact that man, and then ask if he could prepare two slots for us to enter the Ethereal Valley. If he agrees, we''ll go as part of the Wankong team first. Once we get inside, I will make their clan pay the greatest price!"


    "Yes, young master!" Just as the Spiritual Emperor in black heard Seth''s plan, he retreated immediately to do as he was told.

 Chapter 1923 Entering

    Finally, after waiting for so long, the day that the Ethereal Valley would open drew near.


    The valley was at the bottom of the Ethereal Mountain, which was the holy land of the spiritual race. Since it was very important and sacred, it was being guarded by the parliament.


    The parliament was comprised of the patriarch of the spiritual race and twelve other elders. It was considered the highest authority in the entire spiritual race. Compared to the Shura Race that was heavily submissive to the royal family¡ªas well as the human race that had several conflicting sects and clans¡ªthe spiritual race was seen to be the most unified one. In fact, all major decisions that would likely affect the future of the race would be voted upon by the parliament. Even the patriarch did not have the power to overturn what the parliament had decided.


    At this moment, the teams formed by the five largest clans of the spiritual race were already prepared to set out and enter the Ethereal Valley.


    Aside from the Wankong Clan, the other four greatest clans included the Lingji Clan, the Xiayu Clan, the Bilong Clan, and the Hongling Clan.


    They were actually the five greatest tribes of the spiritual race that had existed since ancient times. The most powerful one among them was the Lingji Clan, who originated


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    I''m afraid we''ll have to consider removing them from the five greatest clans of our race," the elder said in a low and gloomy voice.


    "Who knew that they could fall to such an extent? I can still vividly remember the days when everyone admired them because of their outstanding medical skills. But look at how things suddenly changed. It seems that not everything can last forever," a senior Spiritual Emperor of the parliament chimed in and remarked with a sigh.


    The other Spiritual Emperors just kept quiet but still nodded in agreement.


    Almost all of the warriors from the Wankong Clan had already tried getting in, but only a dozen were able to successfully enter. At this moment, the only ones left who would try their luck were Alex, Rocky, and Vivian.


    "All right, let''s go." After heaving a deep breath, Alex called for Rocky and Vivian, then headed towards the entrance first.


    Rocky and Vivian followed her closely, and the rest of the members who failed to get in just watched them carefully.


    Then, the moment Rocky and Vivian passed through the entrance, they immediately sensed a special warmth and energy that enveloped them.


    At the same time, the God-killing Sword in Rocky''s Magic Spiritual Space suddenly vibrated as though it was responding to something inside the valley.

 Chapter 1924 Divided Into Three Groups

    As their eyes adjusted to the light, Rocky found themselves in a brighter and more spacious environment all of a sudden. It turned out that the members of all five great clans who managed to enter the valley were transported to a huge, flat stone. When he looked down, he could see the entire Ethereal Valley.


    It was nothing like he imagined it to be¡ªit had a dense jungle with lots of birds circling around, clouds and mist were scattered in many places, and of course, it gave off a sense of transcendent mystery. At the far end of the valley was a towering snow peak that stood straight, like a divine mountain in heaven. Everything in this place looked magnificent. It was ethereal indeed.


    While Rocky enjoyed the view, he heard the person beside him sigh. He turned to look and saw Vivian admiring the scenery as well. "What a beautiful place. The name certainly is fitting."


    Soon, the members of the five clans started gathering together, preparing for the beginning of their training journey in the Ethereal Valley.


    Alex had also called up her team.


    Rocky and Vivian then walked towards her together.


    After everyone in their team had shown up, Alex made a


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    instead?" If Jeffrey wouldn''t take Rocky because he was too weak, Alex thought he should at least bring Vivian with him since she had the best spiritual root in the Wankong Clan''s team.


    "Those who don''t want to be disciplined will only cause trouble if I take them with me," Jeffrey snorted. He also remembered that Vivian had challenged him public for the sake of Rocky.


    His attitude had left Alex feeling frustrated. She didn''t expect Jeffrey to be so narrow-minded.


    Thankfully, Vivian stepped in and whispered, "Young master, if you don''t mind, Rookie and I will join your group. We''ll make some self-righteous guys regret their decision."


    "Alright!" Of course, Alex wouldn''t refuse. After all, she had personally invited Rocky and Vivian into the Wankong Clan for believing they would bring promising changes to their clan.


    Now, the other two Spiritual Emperors had selected middle-level members with spiritual roots at the intermediate level. Those who didn''t get chosen had joined the group led by Alex and Finnegan.


    When they finished designating members, all three groups set out separately to their assigned areas and began their training journey.

 Chapter 1925 Encountering

    Much like the Wankong Clan, the other four clans had also separated into smaller groups before they headed for different areas. As Alex and Finnegan''s team moved towards their intended training area, teams from other clans seemed to be going in the same direction.


    In the Ethereal Valley, the terrain was constantly changing. Trials were also prompted randomly, so everything in this place was pretty unpredictable. The only thing they could count on was that they would surely encounter some unanticipated trials before they could arrive at their training area.


    Not even an hour since they started their journey, Rocky''s group ran into their first trial.


    They stumbled upon a broad cave with a myriad of several-meter-wide burrows neatly arranged on the ground. On both sides of the cave were extended craggy cliffs, which would make detours a long way back. If their aim was to reach their destination as fast as possible, their best option was to traverse the cave.


    Since the only two Spiritual Emperors in Rocky''s group both had just come here for the first time, no one in their group had any clue about what kind of danger was awaiting them in the cave.


    "Cool! It''


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    !" A voice suddenly echoed from behind them and continued, "Watch your step while crossing this cave. You don''t want to fall into the burrows." Apparently, it was Abdullah who butted in. There was a glint of mockery in his eyes while addressing the warriors of the Lingji Clan.


    "Young master, this will be our first trial here. Please give me this chance to show them the real strength of our clan." A premium-stage Spiritual King in Abdullah''s team stepped forward without hesitation and volunteered.


    "All right. Go on and prove yourself!" Abdullah agreed without a second thought. Of course, he reckoned that this could be a good opportunity to display their power in front of all the members of the other teams.


    Then, with the agility of a wild eagle, the premium-stage Spiritual King leapt into the air and started floating towards the other end of the cave. In just the blink of an eye, he had covered most of the burrows without encountering any problem.


    "I have already heard about the Xiayu Clan''s Floating Skill before, but I never thought it would be this amazing!" Alex almost gasped as she saw how the Spiritual King effortlessly crossed the dangerous cave.

 Chapter 1926 His Pride

    Although the Floating Skill was amazing, its effect wouldn''t last long. As soon as it wore off, the premium-stage Spiritual King landed on the ground between the burrows. Assuming that there was something dangerous hiding down the holes, he was very cautious about his movements. When he saw that nothing seemed to be coming out, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. He then turned around and taunted the members of the Lingji Clan and Wankong Clan, saying, "Look at you! Do you really call yourselves warriors? Don''t be so afraid of these holes. Come on! Prove you''re not a disgrace to your clans."


    It seemed that his derision had actually worked on the people of the Lingji Clan because they ended up aggravated by what he said.


    "Anita, this cave might be free from danger after all. Let''s go and explore as well," a Spiritual King of the Lingji Clan urged their leader, who was a premium-stage Spiritual Emperor.


    "Let''s not rush. We can wait," Anita replied as she waved her hand. She was looking into the distance as though she was waiting for something to happen.


    After his mockery, the premium-stage Spiritual King used his Floating Skill again to fly over the rema


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    that the man who just spoke up didn''t even have an astonishing appearance. In fact, as they analyzed him, they recognized from his aura that he was a just a low-level Spiritual King. With this, a trace of disdain appeared on their faces. They all believed that this person was being too full of himself.


    However, Alex thought the opposite. She knew that he was fitting for the role since it was none other than Rocky.


    "Are you sure about this?" Alex asked just to make sure.


    "Yes, of course," Rocky immediately answered.


    "Wait a minute. Just because you volunteered doesn''t mean that we''ll agree. I''m afraid that you are too weak for this task," Abdullah suddenly butted in and wore a disapproving expression.


    "Well, it''s true that I am not that strong. But rest assured that I can run fast! If distracting the beast is the job, then you can trust me. Believe me, the demonic spiritual beast will not be able to catch up on me," Rocky emphasized with a proud smile.


    Of course, many were dumbfounded by Rocky''s confidence. They began murmuring at each other because they could not believe that someone would be so proud to admit he was good and quick to escape.

 Chapter 1927 Losing Confidence

    "Are you sure? You know that this task will be very dangerous." Alex still had qualms. However, after seeing how confident Rocky was, she knew that he might have a way to deal with the demonic spiritual beast.


    "Don''t worry about me. Anyway, I am the weakest among the team, so I should at least do what I can to help us get out of this area. But please ask Spiritual Emperor Finnegan to save me afterwards," Rocky replied with a soft chuckle.


    Hearing this, Alex turned to Finnegan, and he just nodded in agreement.


    "Alex, what are you thinking? Just come with me and I will protect you. I will even make sure that you are the first to pass this cave," Abdullah immediately said after hearing what Alex and her team agreed upon.


    "It''s fine. We will send Rookie as our representative," Alex declared firmly. Then, she hurriedly turned around so that Abdullah could not bother her anymore.


    Seeing that Abdullah had failed to catch Alex''s attention again and again, all the Spiritual Emperors present could not help but show a hint of mockery in their eyes.


    Because of Abdullah''s identity, many people in the spiritual race would always show him respect. However, Alex did not care for it, and she was one of the very few people who dared to ignore him.


    Of course, after being snubbed by Alex again, Abdullah got more pisse


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    sts in front was finally taken down by Anita through her absolute strength. With this, a gap which they could pass through was opened.


    "Hurry up! Run as fast as you can!" Anita ordered.


    The teams rushed past the demonic spiritual beast that had just been killed, intending to break out of the encirclement.


    However, just as the spirit warriors thought they could successfully pass through this time, a demonic spiritual beast suddenly flashed with demonic light all over its body and went berserk. Its strength was now equal to that of a Spiritual Emperor at the premium stage.


    All the spirit warriors were struck dumb. This demonic spiritual beast, which was only originally at the primary stage of the Emperor Realm, suddenly increased its strength and broke through to the premium stage. This was unheard of and did not make any sense.


    However, they also realized that they were in the Ethereal Valley. This place was so mysterious that anything might really happen, even if it defied common sense.


    ''It seems they won''t let us go that easily. This place really is something!'' Rocky thought to himself as he let out a bitter smile.


    This was only the first test, but three spirit warriors had already died. Because of this, many spirit warriors lost their confidence.


    "Everyone, be careful. This is far from over."

 Chapter 1928 The Terrible Trip

    In his fear and frustration, Abdullah could only call out to everyone. They looked in his direction with the realization that someone finally said what they had been thinking.


    At the same time, the three demonic beasts that Rocky and the others had previously engaged suddenly gathered towards the demonic beast in the cave while their bodies flashed with demonic light.


    After a few seconds, the power of the three demonic beasts increased greatly, until they had reached the premium stage of the Emperor Realm.


    The real trouble was that the gap that had opened earlier had now been sealed again.


    "I don''t think we can eliminate all these monsters with just three Spiritual Emperors," Anita said as her face grew serious. She didn''t expect that their first trial would be this difficult.


    When Abdullah heard what she said, his face darkened. As the third young master of the Xiayu Clan, the thought of dying in the Ethereal Valley perturbed him. Nonetheless, he still refused to think about this possibility.


    "Something''s not right. It should be impossible for these monsters to suddenly break through and reach the premium stage of the Emperor Realm that easy¡ªunless..." After some careful observations of the


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    is so cold!"


    "Why did we even choose this path?"


    "We might freeze to death in here!"


    At this point, many of the team''s members grew dissatisfied with Rocky''s choice. They assumed that they had chosen the wrong path.


    "Rookie, why did you choose this path to begin with?" Alex also could not help but ask.


    "Well, my hunch told me to choose this one," Rocky uttered with a carefree smile. The only reason why he chose this path was because the God-killing Sword in his Magic Spiritual Space suddenly resonated when they were in the process of making the decision. Obviously, if the God-killing Sword was pointing at this fork, then the path it led to must have something to do with it.


    "Look ahead of you. It seems that we are not the first ones to have arrived here. Other groups arrived earlier than us." Rocky then pointed at the footprints on the snow in front of them. It looked as if they extended into the distance.


    "If someone is exploring the way ahead of us, then we can just follow these footprints," Alex declared after thinking for a while. After all, this was the best course of action in this case.


    Hence, after taking a short break, the group continued their journey on this snowy land.

 Chapter 1929 In The Midair

    While Rocky''s team explored the snow land, the other teams were scattered, engaging other dangerous areas as well.


    Moreover, it seemed that some of the other teams had already entered the snow land before Rocky and his team. Thus, they grabbed the chance to follow their footprints to make their lives a little easier. Although they still encountered a few demonic spiritual beasts, whose strengths were equal to that of a primary-stage Spiritual Emperor, it did not cause them much trouble. After all, Finnegan, a medium-stage Spiritual Emperor was with them.


    The area they were treading was actually a vast expanse of white land. Even if they wanted to, it was pretty difficult to tell which direction they were headed to. All they could do was follow the footprints of the previous teams. However, unexpectedly, the snow disappeared, and the ground ahead was covered by a layer of thick ice. It was as smooth as a mirror, and it also covered a huge area. Because of this, they could no longer use the footprints of the other teams as a guide.


    "Young Master, we can''t track the traces of other teams anymore! We have to do this on our own from here on," a Spiritual King at the premium stage reported as soon as he came back from scouting the area.


    With a slight frown, Alex turned to Finnegan to consult him. However, he


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    can block these ice thorns, I''m afraid we don''t have a chance of safely passing through it."


    As soon as Vivian said this, all the spirit warriors in the team, including Finnegan, wore a serious look on their faces.


    Rocky let out a sigh, knowing that Vivian''s judgment was on point. Just by merely looking at the chaotic scene in front of them, one could conclude that the power of these ice thorns was extremely overbearing. They could easily penetrate a Spiritual King''s body protection that was made up of spiritual power, and their destructive power was very evident.


    It was already pretty difficult for a Spiritual King to walk through the snow land because of the harsh climate. Now, with the deadly ice thorns that could appear anytime and anywhere, it became even more difficult to pass through the snow land.


    "If we could only fly, we wouldn''t have such a hard time dealing with this place. I should have prepared a flying spiritual beast beforehand," Alex said frustratingly.


    "Do you really think that the spiritual array will only attack anyone that stayed on the ground?" Rocky smiled and picked up a small amount of snow to form a snowball. Then, he threw it into the air above the spiritual array.


    Just as the snowball flew midair, a flash of lightning struck it down, revealing a devastating power.

 Chapter 1930 A Skull

    After seeing the unexpected scene, Alex and the rest of the spirit warriors of the team were flabbergasted. It turned out that not only the ground was under the effect of the spiritual array, but also the sky above it.


    "This is insane! I think we''d better make a detour than try to get past this area!" Finnegan suggested with a frown. It was pretty obvious that with the current strength of their team, they would just dig their own grave if they insisted on going through the snow land. Hence, he thought that it was better to find another way than die here.


    "Not so fast. We can still safely pass through this area," Rocky said in a calm tone.


    "What are you talking about? Have you thought of a way to overcome the power of the spiritual array?" Alex asked and looked at Rocky with furrowed brows.


    Of course, Rocky knew how they could easily get out of there, but he didn''t want to expose his strength too soon. However, he also thought that if he didn''t make a move now, the team would probably have to make a detour. In fact, since he had entered the Ethereal Valley, he could act alone with Vivian to easily accomplish their task. He just wanted to express his gratitude to Alex because he was able to enter the Ethereal Valley smoothly this time all thanks to her. Therefore, he decided to act with Vivian after they paid Alex in full.


    Naturally


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    ual sense formed by Rocky and the other warriors was already enough to produce a morale of a thousand soldiers. This way, he could still manifest and use the strength of the Army-blessing Scroll.


    However, just as Rocky and the others rushed into the area that was bound by the spiritual array, vicious ice thorns also started popping out from the ground one after another, intending to stop them from moving forward.


    At first, the ice thorns didn''t catch up with the speed that was exhibited by Rocky and the others. But as their spiritual power was gradually spent, it eventually started to weaken. As a result, the team''s morale also began to decline, making their speed slow down.


    Because of this, it didn''t take long for the ice thorns to catch up with them. Then, to their surprise, a mountain of ice thorns was suddenly formed in front of them. They knew that if they collided into it, they would definitely be courting death.


    Seeing this terrifying scene, the spirit warriors couldn''t help but panic. In fact, they instantly regretted believing Rocky to take this crazy risk.


    On the other hand, Rocky already expected this to happen. At this crucial moment, he unleashed the Demonic Bone Shield that he got from the palace.


    In an instant, the Demonic Bone Shield turned into a huge skull that enveloped Rocky and everyone else in the team.

 Chapter 1931 Give Up

    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    A series of deafening explosions reverberated. Then, when the spirit warriors of the Wankong Clan looked around, they were dumbfounded to see that the mountain of ice thorns that blocked their way had actually disappeared. Moreover, they did not even sustain any injury at all. Of course, they could not believe what just happened, and it was as if they were dreaming.


    With the help of the mighty defensive power of the Demonic Bone Shield, Rocky and the rest of his team finally got past the area that was bound by the spiritual array.


    After confirming that there was no imminent danger around them, Rocky decided to put away the Demonic Bone Shield and deactivated the Army-blessing Scroll.


    Soon enough, the speed of the whole team slowed down until they eventually halted.


    Except for Finnegan, the rest of the spirit warriors, including Alex, could not help but sit on the snow upon realizing that they were already safe. They were furiously panting from fatigue since their spiritual power was almost exhausted.


    "I cannot believe that we really made it past that vicious spiritual array!" Alex exclaimed. She seemed to sound extremely excited and confused at the same time.


    "Me, either. What Rookie just did is beyond my comprehension!" Even Finnegan could only sigh in disbelief. After all, he was a Spiritual Emperor at the medium stage and was supposed to be the strongest in their team. However, his


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    .


    "Did you forget that this is the Ethereal Valley? Anything is possible, including the presence of a divine treasure. Also, think about it logically. Why would these clans'' spirit warriors work together with all their might if it isn''t for something very precious?" Rocky asked with a straight face.


    "You have a point. But this spiritual beast is astonishingly powerful! What can you do about it?" Of course, Alex still had a lot of misgivings. She knew that Rocky was powerful, but she didn''t want him to take such a huge risk.


    "Let me just have a go at it. Wait for me here." As soon as Rocky finished his words, he quickly rushed over and approached the ice tree.


    At the same time, even though the spirit warriors had combined their efforts to take down the Ice Phoenix, they were still unable to break through its impregnable defense. In fact, they were already frustrated that they were on the verge of giving up. They thought that even though the treasure in the lair was very attractive, it would not be worth it if they lost their lives.


    Since most of the spirit warriors had started to give up, even the remaining medium-stage and premium-stage Spiritual Emperors also had no choice but to retreat.


    However, just as these spirit warriors backed off one after another, a figure suddenly rushed out of nowhere and bravely approached the Ice Phoenix. It seemed that he wanted to break through its defenses on his own.

 Chapter 1932 Gloating

    "Where did this guy come from? Is he planning to confront the Ice Phoenix by himself? He must have a death wish!"


    "That''s right! Did he not see that we were not able to break through its defenses even after joining hands for a few hours? What makes him think that he can do anything alone?"


    "This guy is a fool. That is the only explanation!"


    The spirit warriors sneered at Rocky, thinking that he was just wasting his life.


    At the same time, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Rocky approached the Ice Phoenix without a hint of hesitation.


    Seeing that Rocky was bravely rushing towards it, the Ice Phoenix was not too amused. It increased its spiritual power and flapped its wings harshly. Then, an incomparably cold wind rushed out in an instant, which was enough to freeze everything in the vicinity.


    Meanwhile, as Rocky was in midair, he also felt that his speed had drastically slowed down under the influence of the ice wind and cold air.


    The next moment, he activated his Devilish Phantom Skill, creating several avatars. Then, the avatars dispersed in different directions in order to distract the Ice Phoenix. This way, Rocky could find a chance to break through. However, the Ice Phoenix seemed to be smarter than he expected. It was completely unmoved and remained very calm.


    ''That''s strange. This spiritual beast''s power is not as stron


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    mperors were trying to take advantage of the situation, he had an idea and revealed a cunning smile. The next moment, he suddenly ran backwards toward the Spiritual Emperors gathered around.


    When the Spiritual Emperors saw that Rocky was coming towards them together with the cold wind from the Ice Phoenix, they were startled and started fleeing in all directions.


    "Oh, forgive my carelessness!" Rocky shouted, obviously trying to piss them off.


    Of course, the Spiritual Emperors knew what Rocky really wanted to do. Hence, they naturally became angry with him, feeling humiliated at what just happened.


    "Damn this guy! Why don''t we join hands and teach him a lesson?" a very furious Spiritual Emperor at the premium stage said through gritted teeth.


    The other Spiritual Emperors nodded in agreement and wanted to get back at Rocky.


    Before long, the Spiritual Emperors rushed towards Rocky, who was still resisting the cold force from the Ice Phoenix.


    Seeing that Rocky was actually caught up in such a passive position, they could not help but gloat. They all thought that he deserved it.


    However, Rocky just smiled carelessly. In an instant, he narrowed his eyes, unleashing several streams of fighting energy at the Mystery Stage. They began surging towards the Spiritual Emperors behind him, and one could just imagine what could happen next.

 Chapter 1933 Unable To Catch Up

    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    In the blink of an eye, the Spiritual Emperors that were charging at Rocky seemed to have crashed into an invisible wall. They were obviously discombobulated as they were bounced away. As an effect, their spiritual energy also became disordered. In fact, the two Spiritual Emperors at the medium stage, who were a bit weaker, even spat out a few mouthfuls of blood. As they regained their senses, their faces looked ghastly pale as if they were seriously injured.


    After the Spiritual Emperors got back on their feet, they could not help but look at Rocky in horror. Although they did not see Rocky make a move just now, there was no one else to attack them besides him. Therefore, logically, it should be Rocky who had repelled them. However, they were also confused since his aura indicated that he was just a primary-stage Spiritual King. Hence, it was also impossible for Rocky to restrain the Spiritual Emperors of the spiritual race all at the same time.


    Even after thinking for a while, they couldn''t figure what just happened. They were utterly dumbfounded and just gave up. At the same time, they were also astonished by the fact that Rocky was still able to block the attack of the Ice Phoenix.


    It meant that while he was resisting the violent cold wind of the Ice Phoenix, Rocky also repelled several


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    asure, this naturally made the other spirit warriors feel terribly envious. Therefore, the atmosphere turned tense all of a sudden. Of course, Rocky and the two ladies could also feel it.


    "We''d better leave as soon as possible. I can see that these people won''t let us leave in peace if we don''t hand the divine treasure over," Rocky said as his gaze swept around. In order to avoid any further conflict, he thought that they should escape the scene as fast as they could.


    Hence, at Rocky''s signal, the three of them instantly headed for the mountains at the end of the snow land.


    "Those three are running away. It means that the wand is at least a holy treasure! We can''t just let them go away with it!" a premium-stage Spiritual Emperor yelled, obviously unwilling to yield the treasure. He started reasoning that they had fought with the Ice Phoenix for a longer time. Then, the three just suddenly appeared and took advantage of the situation to grab the treasure without anyone noticing.


    The spirit warriors immediately reached an agreement and hurriedly went after Rocky and the two ladies.


    Since the strength of Rocky and Vivian was far more powerful than what they thought, the three were able to escape with ease. No matter how hard the spirit warriors chased after them, they couldn''t catch up with them at all.

 Chapter 1934 Crystal Palace

    As the chase continued, Rocky, Vivian, and Alex eventually reached the end of the snowfield, where a mountain range extended. They crossed the mountains until they found no other way to go except an unfathomable abyss shrouded in mist.


    No one knew what was underneath the abyss. However, it seemed that it was the only way they could escape the spirit warriors.


    Before long, the warriors from the other clans had already caught up to them.


    "Ha! You''ve got nowhere to run!" one of the premium-stage Spiritual Emperors blurted menacingly.


    "Stop! There''s no point in fighting among ourselves. Don''t you think it''s better to be generous than pay for your greed later?" Rocky argued sincerely. He didn''t expect these warriors to cause this much trouble.


    "Fine. We''ll spare your lives, but on one condition. You have to surrender the treasure to us," the other premium-stage Spiritual Emperor said.


    "Are you joking? Come on, you''re premium-stage Spiritual Emperors. Don''t bring shame to your clans by playing the bully!" Alex snapped furiously. She refused to forgo the Ice Wand so easily.


    "Then you leave us no other choice


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    wed his brows.


    "I see. Well, we won''t know until we tried, right?" Vivian promptly went to the crystal staircase and took a step.


    As she stood on the first crystal step, it suddenly cracked as though it would collapse at any time.


    When Vivian moved to the second step, the first one instantly fell apart like broken glass. Nonetheless, it was automatically repaired the next moment.


    "Hmm. My guess was right." Rocky had already considered the possibility that they would encounter some difficulties in climbing up these steps. Fortunately, it didn''t seem too complicated.


    Vivian then proceeded towards the third step. As soon as she landed on it, a huge fireball suddenly materialized above her and dropped at an increasing speed towards her.


    She decided to go up the next step, only to find out that her feet seemed stuck and couldn''t move an inch at all.


    Vivian frowned at this sudden turn of events. The fireball was so intimidating that she didn''t dare downplay it. As it got closer and closer, she swiftly unleashed her full power of the Shura Realm to protect herself with the shield from her spiritual power.

 Chapter 1935 Many Risks

    Bam!


    The huge fireball quickly rushed to Vivian''s body and immediately burst with terrible aftermaths.


    Seeing this, color drained from Alex''s face. She couldn''t see what happened next, so she worried for her.


    As the smoke cleared, she found Vivian standing on the crystal step completely unharmed.


    "Oh, Tripp, that was dreadful! I''m so glad you''re okay!" Alex couldn''t help but heave a sigh of relief.


    "It''s no big deal. He''ll be fine." Rocky smiled. "Let''s go." Before Alex could even figure out what he meant, Rocky had already grabbed her hand and escorted her onto the crystal staircase.


    Similar to what Vivian had experienced earlier, the first crystal step cracked under their feet as they got on. Fortunately, they moved to the next step before the first one shattered and collapsed beneath them. They continued on as though they were merely walking on the ground.


    They faced tests that got more severe with each step they took. It seemed that the higher the step, the more dangerous the test was, even for a premium-stage Spiritual Emperor.


    Nonet


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    to find that it wasn''t as magnificent as it looked from the outside. It was awfully dilapidated, almost as if it had been destroyed by a violent force. It didn''t appear to be divine at all.


    "I really thought we could acquire some treasures from this palace, but I doubt we''ll find anything here." Alex sighed and pouted, obviously disappointed.


    "It''s too early to say that. For all we know, this is all just an illusion." Rocky smiled, almost mischievously.


    "Huh?" Alex furrowed her brows, confused that she might have missed something.


    "He means that as long as you''re with him, you''ll find treasures," Vivian clarified.


    "Really?" Alex''s face instantly lit up.


    When Rocky heard what Vivian said, he was at a loss. It was true, but he wasn''t sure if he should feel embarrassed or delighted by that remark. He would always look all over the place for any signs of treasures and dig three feet into the ground if he had to.


    "We might have some bad news, though. This place is filled with danger!" Rocky swiftly changed the subject and narrowed his eyes.

 Chapter 1936 The Powerful Strength

    "Quite so. There''s resentment all over this palace. We might encounter demonic martial spirits here," Vivian added while she roamed around.


    In fact, Rocky and Vivian had already sensed the extraordinarily aggressive aura as soon as they stepped inside the crystal palace.


    "Really? Why don''t I feel anything?" Alex curled her lips. It bothered her that she was the only one who didn''t sense the aura, when logically speaking, she was stronger than both of them. She should at least have had an idea.


    "Maybe you''re just too careless," Rocky uttered teasingly.


    "No, I''m not!" Alex shot back like a child, annoyed at the thought.


    "The martial spirit must be hidden deep beneath. We''d better be careful. It might come out at any time." Actually, Rocky wasn''t completely paying attention to Alex. He was busy trying to look for any kind of clue that could be useful.


    "That sounds dangerous!" Realizing the possible danger they might face, Alex felt nervous and forgot about the annoying thing that Rocky said to her earlier.


    "For now, let''s just keep on checking things out and hope we didn''t waste our time coming here," Rocky encouraged.


    When they all came to an agreement, the three of them went deep into the dark, dilapidated palace.


    Meanwhi


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    alace eventually stopped.


    Afterward, Alex''s unconscious body slowly landed on the ground. Rocky and Vivian immediately noticed that her originally pure and perfect body was now covered with strange ice textures. At the same time, her delicate body exuded an aura that was at the God Realm.


    "Is this true? The martial spirit is actually at the God Realm?! It seems that she has been extremely fortunate this time!" Rocky was relieved and delighted to see that Alex had successfully integrated herself with the mysterious martial spirit.


    "It is indeed at the God Realm. It means that the spiritual race will soon have a peerless warrior. This is not a good thing for the Shura Race. Don''t tell me that you made this happen on purpose?" Vivian suddenly turned to Rocky, casting him a sharp glare. After all, if it wasn''t for Rocky, they wouldn''t have been able to discover this secret chamber. Moreover, Alex wouldn''t have the opportunity to merge with a martial spirit at the God Realm by accident.


    At this time, Alex let out a soft groan as if she was already regaining her consciousness. She opened her eyes slowly and looked at Rocky and Vivian in disbelief. "What happened to me? Why do I feel that my body is filled with a great and mysterious power?"

 Chapter 1937 The Evil Spirit Was Released

    Rocky looked right back at Vivian with a blank face, and then turned to Alex with a smile. "Congratulations! You have reached the peak of the Emperor Realm."


    There was an extraordinary aura emanating from Alex. Although it was yet to mature, Rocky and Vivian could sense that she had undergone an astounding transformation.


    "Wait, what? Did you just say the peak... of the Emperor Realm? How would that even be possible?!" Alex couldn''t believe her ears. Still a little dazed, she tried to make sense of what Rocky had said.


    "That''s just the beginning. It won''t be long before you can break through to the Shura Realm," Vivian remarked rather indifferently. She was quite familiar to what Alex was experiencing at the moment since she had gone through it in the past. Back then, she had also merged with a martial spirit at the God Realm when she was still a Spiritual Emperor. As a result, her strength had advanced by leaps and bounds and reached the Shura Realm in no time. She could even make amazing progress in her cultivation.


    This was the power of a God Realm martial spirit. However, merging with it would only be effectual if she could control its power. Otherwise, the martial spirit might fire her back.


    "Huh? Break through to the Shura Realm? Me?" Still trying to piece together what they were telling her, Alex rubbed her tem


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    ath.


    "Did that evil spirit do all these things? This is just horrible!" Alex said with fear written all over her face.


    "I don''t think we can easily leave the crystal palace at this point," Rocky remarked as his eyes narrowed. As his gaze swept at the miserable scene, he could infer that the evil spirit was extremely cruel, and obviously, its power was astonishing. He thought that even if he and Vivian joined hands, there was a possibility that they wouldn''t be able to defeat it.


    "So, what should we do now?" Vivian asked, anticipating that they would be in great trouble.


    "I''m quite sure that Alex''s Ice Wand must be able to open the gate of the crystal palace again. Vivian, send her away first. After that, come back and help me defeat that evil spirit. In the meantime, I''ll go and meet with it first..." Rocky replied without any hesitation. Logically, there must be someone who should divert the attention of the evil spirit so that Vivian and Alex could get out without a problem. Hence, he readily proposed this plan. At the same time, Rocky also wanted to take advantage of this chance to see if he could find any useful clues to open the entrance to the Holy-Evil World.


    "What? No! We are going to leave this place together!" Alex said sternly, fully knowing that Rocky was trying to take all the burden by himself again.

 Chapter 1938 Provocation

    "Alex, you have to realize that this place is no joke. Although you have become a Spiritual Emperor at the peak state and obtained the divine treasure, you are still not strong enough to go against that evil spirit. There''s no need for you take this risk with us. Tripp and I have our mission to complete. With your current strength, you should be able to lead the Wankong Clan and make it rise again," Rocky said with a firm and serious look on his face.


    "That''s not fair! Without the two of you, I wouldn''t be able to attain my current strength. You are my benefactors. Therefore, before I leave the Ethereal Valley and part ways with you two, I will definitely do my best to help you. You don''t have to worry about me. I am not the kind of person who''s afraid of death," Alex replied stubbornly. It seems that she was not ready to let this matter go.


    "Fine. We''ll try things out. But promise me that if we can''t deal with the evil spirit, you will leave first," Rocky said with a sigh. From the short time that they had been together, he got to know what kind of person Alex was. If she had already made up her mind, it would be almost impossible to dissuade her. Furthermore, the Ice Wand was in her hands, so she was the only one who could open the door of the crystal palace. Hence, Rocky wouldn''t have much of a choice.


    "All right." Alex nodded, satisfied with Rocky''s compromise.


    After that, the three of them wasted no time an


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    y''s body.


    It was known that the Shura Race had a dark history. They turned to worship the devils and practiced various evil skills which ultimately led to the fall of the Shura Race''s royal family. Since then, the Shura Race had fallen into a devilish road, and it had been difficult to return from it.


    Although the divine race had won the war later, it was still not enough to change the fate of the Shura Race. They could only let the Shura Race continue to cultivate their devilish skills, resulting to their further decline.


    Since King Corey was a direct descendant of the Shura Race''s royal family, he happened to have gone through the dark period of the Shura Race. He had inherited the power of the devils from an early age and also practiced different devilish skills. Therefore, even after inheriting a part of Deacon''s power later on, he still possessed his devilish skills. As a result, the holy power of Corey was actually half divine and half devilish.


    Now, Rocky, who had inherited that same power, also had a half divine and half devilish nature in his body. That was why the purple devil spirit felt that Rocky''s power was indeed strange.


    "Aren''t you talking too much? How about getting straight to the point and fight with me? Let me see the true power of the demonic race which you''re proud of!" Rocky blatantly provoked the devil spirit in order for the two girls to find a chance to save the Spiritual Emperors.

 Chapter 1939 Not Very Optimistic

    "Arrogant brat! I''ll give you a ride to death if that''s what you want!" The purple devil spirit was enraged, but it didn''t take Rocky seriously. The next moment, as it waved its hand, countless black threads shot out in an instant and intertwined in midair, forming a huge black net that surrounded and enveloped Rocky.


    Rocky knew that the power of the purple devil spirit was insanely strong, so he didn''t dare to be careless. He instantly took out and used the God-killing Sword and cut through the black net before it fully trapped him.


    "What? That is the God-killing Sword! Why the hell do you have it? What is your relationship with Deacon?" The purple devil spirit immediately recognized the God-killing Sword at first sight. This made it even more furious, which just meant that it might have a deep grudge against Deacon.


    All of a sudden, a purple black mist surged out from the back of the purple devil spirit. Like streams of shadows, it rushed towards Rocky.


    At the same time, Rocky remained focused and didn''t show any sign of weakness. He wielded the God-killing Sword firmly and released the fighting energy at the Mystery Stage to restrain the purple black mist.


    However, without releasing all of his real strength, Rocky could not fight on par with the purple devil spirit. Hence, eventually, he was suppressed into a passive position.


    Swoosh!


    Before Rocky could dodge, he was stabbed by the purple black


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    that she would just be more of a hindrance if she insisted on staying. Hence, she also boarded the Ice Phoenix.


    The next moment, the Ice Phoenix soared into the sky and disappeared in an instant.


    "Even though you can seal the entrance, I don''t think you can stop the ability of that beast spirit. Don''t forget that this place is still its territory," Rocky remarked, taunting the devil spirit.


    "Damn it! You''re really getting in my nerves, brat! I''ll make sure to let you pay a huge price!" The purple devil spirit was caught off guard, not expecting that Alex possessed the Ice Wand that could summon a beast spirit. Moreover, the master of the beast spirit was the deity who had sealed it in the crystal palace, so the Ice Phoenix could freely enter and leave anywhere in this palace whenever it wanted.


    In a fit of rage, the figure of the purple devil spirit suddenly grew bigger and bigger.


    Soon enough, the whole hall was filled with the frightening evil aura from the devil spirit. The situation instantly got worse, and an overbearing pressure gathered from all directions, surrounding Rocky.


    Seeing this, Rocky became serious. He knew that once the purple devil spirit became serious, he would definitely not be a match for it. Right now, his power had already been raised to the limit. Hence, if he continued to fight against the devil spirit like this, he understood that it would be very unfavorable for him.

 Chapter 1940 A Trace Of Fear

    But for Alex and others to escape from the crystal palace, Rocky had no choice but to hold on and buy them as much time as he could.


    Suddenly, a delicate figure appeared beside Rocky just as he was about to slip. The woman promptly let loose a barrage of divine-level martial spirit and blocked a part of the pressure weighing Rocky down.


    To Rocky''s surprise, it was Vivian!


    "Why are you still here? You should have left with Alex and the others!" With a scowl on his face, Rocky immediately protested her presence. Although Vivian was almost as strong as him, she didn''t cultivate a divine body. If Rocky, who had a divine body, couldn''t withstand the devil spirit''s power, how could she?


    "I can''t leave you behind. If anything bad happens to you, the holy maiden will blame me," insisted Vivian resolutely.


    "Do you mean Holy Maiden Violet? I didn''t expect her spirit lives in your body..." It was also at this time that the devil spirit noticed the divine-level martial spirit that Vivian had unleashed. Evidently, its presence thrilled the devil spirit.


    "How do you know my divine spirit''s name?" Vivian asked in surprise, her eyes widening slightly.


    Upon h


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    was suddenly encircled by black crystal. Unable to resist the power, Rocky immediately fell down from midair.


    Black crystals engulfed his whole body until no sliver of skin could be seen. It then turned him into a black crystal statue.


    Soon, the whole palace fell into a deep and tense silence.


    "You are just a nobody. You shouldn''t have bitten off more than you can chew! Now, I''ll send you to hell!" the devil spirit responded with a sharp smile. It must have thought Rocky was no threat, so it simply waved its hand, and a devil light shot out. It intended to escape from here and find another powerful spirit manipulator it could possess.


    Just as the black light was about to hit Rocky, who had turned into a crystal statue, the God-killing Sword in Rocky''s hand suddenly burst out an astonishing divine power, enveloping the surroundings.


    Until finally, the soul shadow flew out of the sword and quickly integrated into Rocky''s body. The black crystals all over his body were also repeatedly smashed.


    "That''s impossible. Is this¡ª?" At that moment, the devil spirit somehow sensed the aura of the soul shadow. A trace of fear flashed quickly across its face.